Relationships between maternal parenting stress and child disruptive behavior. Child and Family Behavior Therapy

Abstract: This study examined statistically the differential relationships among child domain and parent domain scores of the Parenting Stress Index (PSI) and child disruptive behaviors as measured by the problem and intensity scales of the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI). As were 165 children ages 2-10 referred for psychological evaluation. The PSI child domain and parent domain scores were significantly correlated with the ECBI intensity and problem scores and, as hypothesized, child domain scores were significantly more highly correlated with ECBI scores than were parent domain scores. Correlations of the ECBI problem and intensity scores with the PSI were not significantly different. In contrast to a previous study, no differences were found between single-and two-parent families in the number of disruptive child behaviors reported as problems. Analyses of sample differences suggested that, as the frequency of children's disruptive behaviors increases, spouse support may be less effective in buffering maternal parenting stress. Article: Child disruptive behaviors have been consistently associated with maternal stressors such as marital distress Few studies have examined relationships between sources of stress on the PSI and disruptive child behavior on independent measures. Mash and Johnston (1983) found significant correlations between both of the PSI Domain scores and the Externalizing Scale score of the Child Behavior Checklist. Bendell and colleagues The second purpose was to examine the differential relationship between the PSI total stress score and the ECM Intensity and Problem Scales. The Problem Scale measures the number of individual disruptive behaviors reported as problems for the parent, and has been found to correlate more highly with maternal marital distress than does the Intensity Scale, which measures the frequency of occurrence of all disruptive behaviors (WebsterStratton, 1988). Consistent with this, we found that single-parent mothers reported higher scores on the Problem Scale than did mothers in intact families, despite similar ratings on the Intensity Scal

Properties of Pt Schottky Type Contacts On High-Resistivity CdZnTe Detectors

In this paper we present studies of the I-V characteristics of CdZnTe detectors with Pt contacts fabricated from high-resistivity single crystals grown by the high-pressure Brigman process. We have analyzed the experimental I-V curves using a model that approximates the CZT detector as a system consisting of a reversed Schottky contact in series with the bulk resistance. Least square fits to the experimental data yield 0.78-0.79 eV for the Pt-CZT Schottky barrier height, and <20 V for the voltage required to deplete a 2 mm thick CZT detector. We demonstrate that at high bias the thermionic current over the Schottky barrier, the height of which is reduced due to an interfacial layer between the contact and CZT material, controls the leakage current of the detectors. In many cases the dark current is not determined by the resistivity of the bulk material, but rather the properties of the contacts; namely by the interfacial layer between the contact and CZT material.Comment: 12 pages, 11 figure

NuSTAR study of Hard X-Ray Morphology and Spectroscopy of PWN G21.5-0.9

We present NuSTAR high energy X-ray observations of the pulsar wind nebula (PWN)/supernova remnant G21.5-0.9. We detect integrated emission from the nebula up to ~40 keV, and resolve individual spatial features over a broad X-ray band for the first time. The morphology seen by NuSTAR agrees well with that seen by XMM-Newton and Chandra below 10 keV. At high energies NuSTAR clearly detects non-thermal emission up to ~20 keV that extends along the eastern and northern rim of the supernova shell. The broadband images clearly demonstrate that X-ray emission from the North Spur and Eastern Limb results predominantly from non-thermal processes. We detect a break in the spatially integrated X-ray spectrum at ~9 keV that cannot be reproduced by current SED models, implying either a more complex electron injection spectrum or an additional process such as diffusion compared to what has been considered in previous work. We use spatially resolved maps to derive an energy-dependent cooling length scale, $L(E) \propto E^{m}$ with $m = -0.21 \pm 0.01$. We find this to be inconsistent with the model for the morphological evolution with energy described by Kennel & Coroniti (1984). This value, along with the observed steepening in power-law index between radio and X-ray, can be quantitatively explained as an energy-loss spectral break in the simple scaling model of Reynolds (2009), assuming particle advection dominates over diffusion. This interpretation requires a substantial departure from spherical magnetohydrodynamic (MHD), magnetic-flux-conserving outflow, most plausibly in the form of turbulent magnetic-field amplification.Comment: 13 pages, 8 figures, 1 table, Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa

Locating the most energetic electrons in Cassiopeia A

We present deep ($>$2.4 Ms) observations of the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant with {\it NuSTAR}, which operates in the 3--79 keV bandpass and is the first instrument capable of spatially resolving the remnant above 15 keV. We find that the emission is not entirely dominated by the forward shock nor by a smooth "bright ring" at the reverse shock. Instead we find that the $>$15 keV emission is dominated by knots near the center of the remnant and dimmer filaments near the remnant's outer rim. These regions are fit with unbroken power-laws in the 15--50 keV bandpass, though the central knots have a steeper ($\Gamma \sim -3.35$) spectrum than the outer filaments ($\Gamma \sim -3.06$). We argue this difference implies that the central knots are located in the 3-D interior of the remnant rather than at the outer rim of the remnant and seen in the center due to projection effects. The morphology of $>$15 keV emission does not follow that of the radio emission nor that of the low energy ($<$12 keV) X-rays, leaving the origin of the $>$15 keV emission as an open mystery. Even at the forward shock front we find less steepening of the spectrum than expected from an exponentially cut off electron distribution with a single cutoff energy. Finally, we find that the GeV emission is not associated with the bright features in the {\it NuSTAR} band while the TeV emission may be, suggesting that both hadronic and leptonic emission mechanisms may be at work.Comment: 12 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in Ap

G359.97-0.038: A Hard X-Ray Filament Associated with a Supernova Shell-Molecular Cloud Interaction

We present the first high-energy X-ray (>10 keV) observations of the non-thermal filament G359.97-0.038 using the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR). This filament is one of approximately 20 X-ray filaments of unknown origin located in the central 20 pc region in the Galactic Center near Sgr A^*. Its NuSTAR and Chandra broadband spectrum is characterized by a single power law with Γ = 1.3 ± 0.3 that extends from 2 to 50 keV, with an unabsorbed luminosity of 1.3 × 10^(33) erg s^(–1) (d/8 kpc)^2 in the 2-8 keV band. Despite possessing a cometary X-ray morphology that is typical of a pulsar wind nebula (PWN) in high-resolution Chandra imaging, our spatially resolved Chandra spectral analysis found no significant spectral softening along the filament as would be expected from particle synchrotron cooling. Coincident radio emission is detected using the Very Large Array at 5.5 and 8.3 GHz. We examine and subsequently discard a PWN or magnetic flux tube as the origin of G359.97-0.038. We use broadband spectral characteristics and a morphological analysis to show that G359.97-0.038 is likely an interaction site between the shell of Sgr A East and an adjacent molecular cloud. This is supported by CS molecular line spectroscopy and the presence of an OH maser

A NuSTAR Survey of Nearby Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies

We present a Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR), Chandra, and XMM-Newton survey of nine of the nearest ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs). The unprecedented sensitivity of NuSTAR at energies above 10 keV enables spectral modeling with far better precision than was previously possible. Six of the nine sources observed were detected sufficiently well by NuSTAR to model in detail their broadband X-ray spectra, and recover the levels of obscuration and intrinsic X-ray luminosities. Only one source (IRAS 13120–5453) has a spectrum consistent with a Compton-thick active galactic nucleus (AGN), but we cannot rule out that a second source (Arp 220) harbors an extremely highly obscured AGN as well. Variability in column density (reduction by a factor of a few compared to older observations) is seen in IRAS 05189–2524 and Mrk 273, altering the classification of these borderline sources from Compton-thick to Compton-thin. The ULIRGs in our sample have surprisingly low observed fluxes in high-energy (>10 keV) X-rays, especially compared to their bolometric luminosities. They have lower ratios of unabsorbed 2–10 keV to bolometric luminosity, and unabsorbed 2–10 keV to mid-IR [O iv] line luminosity than do Seyfert 1 galaxies. We identify IRAS 08572+3915 as another candidate intrinsically X-ray weak source, similar to Mrk 231. We speculate that the X-ray weakness of IRAS 08572+3915 is related to its powerful outflow observed at other wavelengths

NuSTAR Study of Hard X-ray Morphology and Spectroscopy G21.5-0.9

We present NuSTAR high-energy X-ray observations of the pulsar wind nebula (PWN)/supernova remnant G21.50.9. We detect integrated emission from the nebula up to approx. 40 keV, and resolve individual spatial features over a broad X-ray band for the first time. The morphology seen by NuSTAR agrees well with that seen by XMM-Newton and Chandra below 10 keV. At high energies, NuSTAR clearly detects non-thermal emission up to approx. 20 keV that extends along the eastern and northern rim of the supernova shell. The broadband images clearly demonstrate that X-ray emission from the North Spur and Eastern Limb results predominantly from non-thermal processes. We detect a break in the spatially integrated X-ray spectrum at approx. 9 keV that cannot be reproduced by current spectral energy distribution models, implying either a more complex electron injection spectrum or an additional process such as diffusion compared to what has been considered in previous work. We use spatially resolved maps to derive an energy-dependent cooling length scale, E(sup m) is directly proportional to L(E) with m = 0.21 plus or minus 0.01. We find this to be inconsistent with the model for the morphological evolution with energy described by Kennel & Coroniti. This value, along with the observed steepening in power-law index between radio and X-ray, can be quantitatively explained as an energy-loss spectral break in the simple scaling model of Reynolds, assuming particle advection dominates over diffusion. This interpretation requires a substantial departure from spherical magnetohydrodynamic, magnetic-flux-conserving outflow, most plausibly in the form of turbulent magnetic-field amplification

Testing gravitational-wave searches with numerical relativity waveforms: Results from the first Numerical INJection Analysis (NINJA) project

The Numerical INJection Analysis (NINJA) project is a collaborative effort between members of the numerical relativity and gravitational-wave data analysis communities. The purpose of NINJA is to study the sensitivity of existing gravitational-wave search algorithms using numerically generated waveforms and to foster closer collaboration between the numerical relativity and data analysis communities. We describe the results of the first NINJA analysis which focused on gravitational waveforms from binary black hole coalescence. Ten numerical relativity groups contributed numerical data which were used to generate a set of gravitational-wave signals. These signals were injected into a simulated data set, designed to mimic the response of the Initial LIGO and Virgo gravitational-wave detectors. Nine groups analysed this data using search and parameter-estimation pipelines. Matched filter algorithms, un-modelled-burst searches and Bayesian parameter-estimation and model-selection algorithms were applied to the data. We report the efficiency of these search methods in detecting the numerical waveforms and measuring their parameters. We describe preliminary comparisons between the different search methods and suggest improvements for future NINJA analyses.Comment: 56 pages, 25 figures; various clarifications; accepted to CQ

Testing gravitational-wave searches with numerical relativity waveforms: Results from the first Numerical INJection Analysis (NINJA) project

The Numerical INJection Analysis (NINJA) project is a collaborative effort between members of the numerical relativity and gravitational-wave data analysis communities. The purpose of NINJA is to study the sensitivity of existing gravitational-wave search algorithms using numerically generated waveforms and to foster closer collaboration between the numerical relativity and data analysis communities. We describe the results of the first NINJA analysis which focused on gravitational waveforms from binary black hole coalescence. Ten numerical relativity groups contributed numerical data which were used to generate a set of gravitational-wave signals. These signals were injected into a simulated data set, designed to mimic the response of the initial LIGO and Virgo gravitational-wave detectors. Nine groups analysed this data using search and parameter-estimation pipelines. Matched filter algorithms, un-modelled-burst searches and Bayesian parameter estimation and model-selection algorithms were applied to the data. We report the efficiency of these search methods in detecting the numerical waveforms and measuring their parameters. We describe preliminary comparisons between the different search methods and suggest improvements for future NINJA analyses. © 2009 IOP Publishing Ltd