United States Law on the Protection of Abused and Neglected Children

I. Introduction This paper discusses child protection in the United States. I will discuss four general topics. The first topic is United States laws on the protection of children from child abuse and neglect. The second topic is providing care for children who must be removed from their homes. The third is the role of courts in child protection in the United States.

Using Umbilical Cord Tissue to Identify Prenatal Exposure to Fentanyl and Other Commonly Abused Drugs

Background: Prenatal exposure to fentanyl may lead to Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS), a constellation of symptoms observed when newborns begin withdrawing from addictive substances such as opioids. The use of umbilical cord tissue segments (UC) for newborn toxicology has been increasing due to its apparent long detection window, sensitivity, and ease of collection. However, very little has been reported in the literature concerning the prevalence of in utero exposure to fentanyl and co-exposure with other commonly abused substances. Specific aim: The specific aims of this retrospective study are twofold. We will report prevalence of neonatal exposure to fentanyl for a nationwide high-risk population using UC submitted to a national reference laboratory for routine forensic toxicology analysis and the co-exposure patterns observed for these fentanyl-exposed neonates. Methods: A secondary analysis was performed using historical data for UC received between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020 for routine forensic toxicology analysis. Results: During the study period, our laboratory received 23,104 UC for analysis and 9667 (41.8%) of those UC were positive for at least one drug. The prevalence of fentanyl detection was 1.9% (n = 429). Of these 429 specimens there were 407 UC where both fentanyl and norfentanyl were detected. There were 14 UC where only fentanyl was detected and 8 UC where only norfentanyl was detected. When detected, the median concentrations of fentanyl and norfentanyl were 4029 pg/g (IQR: 1696, 9230 pg/g) and 10,756 pg/mg (IQR: 3925, 25,288 pg/g), respectively. Of the 429 positive fentanyl and/or norfentanyl UC, 33 (7.7%) were only positive for fentanyl and/or norfentanyl. Of the 396 polypositive UC, morphine was the highest co-exposure with 243 UC (56.6%) being positive for both fentanyls and morphine. The second most prevalent co-exposure observed was methamphetamine/amphetamine (n = 173;40.3%) followed by cannabinoids (n = 113;26.3%) and benzoylecgonine (cocaine metabolite;n = 106;24.7%). Conclusions: Nonmedical use of fentanyl is an alarming trend in this country including this maternal demographic reported here. Fentanyl was typically found with other commonly abused substances.

Psychosocial Characteristics of Fathers Who Have Abused Their Children as Seen by Public Health Nurses

This study aims to identify details of the psychosocial characteristics of fathers who have abused children as they appear to public health nurses (PHNs). In this study a qualitative descriptive design was applied to the data analysis. Interviewees were 10 public health nurses (PHNs), in charge of maternal and child health services for 5 or more years at public health centers. The study analyzed 13 cases reported in the PHNs interviews. The characteristics of the fathers who had abused children as seen by the PHNs were the psycho-social characteristics of ‘weak suppression and control of impulsiveness’, ‘cognitive dissonance in the fatherhood role’, ‘poor social sensitivity’, ‘unbalanced relationship with other members of the family’ and ‘weak relationships with people around the father’. The father’s impulsiveness and cognitive dissonances in the fatherhood role are associated with weaknesses in the family relationships and social adaptation. Conversely, the weakness in the strength of family relationships and social adaptation affects the father’s ability to control impulsiveness and give rise to the cognitive dissonance in the fatherhood role. These in turn interact to create a negative downward spiral, a steadily worsening situation. The findings of this study suggest the necessity for PHNs to focus on the background to the cognitive dissonance in the fatherhood role and to work to educate and guide the fathers.

Support Provided by Public Health Nurses for Fathers Who Have Abused Their Children—As Observed in Cases of Child Neglect and Physical or Psychological Abuse

This study aims to identify the support to provide to fathers who have abused children as reported by public health nurses (PHNs). In this study, a qualitative descriptive design was applied to the data analysis. Interviewees were 10 public health nurses (PHNs) in charge of child abuse services for at least 5 years at public health centers. The study analyzed 13 cases reported in the interviews. Measures to support fathers who abuse their children as suggested by PHNs were classified into direct support to the father, support to other family members, and support to be provided by others involved including related organizations. The direct support to the father includes “gaining an in-depth understanding of the abusive situation and psychological states of those involved”, “refraining from involvement in areas where it is difficult to understand the personality of the father”, and others. Support of other family members includes “understanding the marital relationship and assessing the qualities of the relationship”, “refraining from matters that will involve divorce”, and others. Support to be provided by others including related organizations includes “understanding the value of social exchange and assessment of the ability to create and maintain interpersonal relationships”, “establishing support arrangements to enable intervention when necessary”, and others. The interviews report that PHNs arrange support measures that enable intervention as it becomes required, and that this enables learning about child-abuse preventing activities.

Helping People and Changing the World with CS

What should academic institutions be doing in order to benefit students,the community at large,and society in the new era?Particularly,as computing is impacting all aspects of human society,it also brings many challenges and opportunities for the academic departments of computer science.Some of these challenges include the increasing impact of software on society,issues involving privacy and data abuse,and ethical issues concerning AI.Towards addressing these challenges,the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology(KAIST)leverages its position as an educator in order to train the future computing workforce to be more aware of these issues.To achieve this goal,KAIST mainly adopts three strategies:Combining science&technology and humanities together;putting academy and industry together;training software experts while making them understand people and the world.

Fulminant Hepatitis Associated with Chronic Consumption of 3,4-Methylenedioxy-Methamphetamine;Case Report

The amphetamine derivative 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), also called ecstasy, is a neurotoxin widely consumed among young people that has increased in recent years because it is a recreational drug, of which immediate effects are known such as a greater sensation of well-being, extroversion, increased sensory perception. However, its long-term effects have been described very little in the medical literature, including damage to the heart, central nervous system, kidney, etc. One of its little-known effects is hepatotoxicity, of which few cases are known associated with fulminant hepatitis, which is a rapidly deteriorating condition that is generally associated with a syndrome of multiple organ dysfunction and death. Therefore, it is very important to know this type of damage in the short and long term. The following case is of a 39-year-old man who came to our service due to jaundice syndrome and the only history of MDMA consumption, who as the days went by met the criteria for fulminant liver failure, with damage to multiple organs (organ dysfunction syndrome).

Is Facial Recognition Technology Being Abused in Classrooms?

Today,facial recognition technology is being used in many public places.Recently,China Pharmaceutical University,which is based in Nanjing,east China’s Jiangsu Province,instal ed a facial recognition system in some classrooms as a trial run to prevent students from skipping class or asking others to take their place so that they would get the required attendance.

Occurrence, distribution and risk assessment of abused drugs and their metabolites in a typical urban river in north China

This study investigated the presence of 11 abused drugs and their metabolites, including amphetamine, methamphetamine (METH), ketamine, ephedrine (EPH), cocaine, benzoylecgonine, methadone, morphine, heroin, codeine, and methcathinone in the surface water and sediment samples of Beiyunhe River, a typical urban river flowing through Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei provinces in North China. An analytical method of determining these abused drugs and their metabolites in water and sediment was developed and validated prior to sample collection in the study area. Results showed that METH and EPH were predominant in water and sediment samples. The total drug concentrations ranged from 26.6 to 183.0 ng/L in water and from 2.6 to 32.4 ng/g dry weight in sediment, and the drugs mainly originated from hospitals and sewage treatment plants. The average field-based sediment water distribution coefficients of abused drugs were calculated between 149.3 and 1214.0 L/kg and corrected by organic carbon. Quotient method was used to assess the risks. The findings revealed that these drugs and their metabolites at determined concentrations in water samples will not impair the aquatic ecosystem biologically, but their potential harmful effect on the function of the ecosystem and human health should not be overlooked.

BS-SC Model:A Novel Method for Predicting Child Abuse Using Borderline-SMOTE Enabled Stacking Classifier

For a long time,legal entities have developed and used crime prediction methodologies.The techniques are frequently updated based on crime evaluations and responses from scientific communities.There is a need to develop type-based crime prediction methodologies that can be used to address issues at the subgroup level.Child maltreatment is not adequately addressed because children are voiceless.As a result,the possibility of developing a model for predicting child abuse was investigated in this study.Various exploratory analysis methods were used to examine the city of Chicago’s child abuse events.The data set was balanced using the Borderline-SMOTE technique,and then a stacking classifier was employed to ensemble multiple algorithms to predict various types of child abuse.The proposed approach successfully predicted crime types with 93%of accuracy,precision,recall,and F1-Score.The AUC value of the same was 0.989.However,when compared to the Extra Trees model(17.55),which is the second best,the proposed model’s execution time was significantly longer(476.63).We discovered that Machine Learning methods effectively evaluate the demographic and spatial-temporal characteristics of the crimes and predict the occurrences of various subtypes of child abuse.The results indicated that the proposed Borderline-SMOTE enabled Stacking Classifier model(BS-SC Model)would be effective in the real-time child abuse prediction and prevention process.

自动乳腺超声成像系统联合数字乳腺断层摄影对致密型乳腺内乳腺癌诊断价值分析

目的:探讨自动乳腺超声成像系统(ABUS)联合数字乳腺断层摄影(DBT)对致密型乳腺内乳腺癌诊断价值。方法:选取医院收治的96例致密型乳腺内乳腺癌患者,所有患者均在穿刺、手术等有创操作前1周内完成ABUS和DBT检查。以病理结果作为“金标准”,分析ABUS与DBT对致密型乳腺内乳腺癌的诊断价值。结果:96例患者经病理检查出96个病灶,以病理结果作为“金标准”,ABUS诊断致密型乳腺内乳腺癌的灵敏度、特异度及受试者工作特征(ROC)曲线下面积(AUC)分别为77.32%、82.53%和0.711(95%CI:0.635~0.792),DBT诊断致密型乳腺内乳腺癌的灵敏度、特异度及AUC分别为81.59%、80.23%和0.734(95%CI:0.612~0.776),ABUS联合DBT诊断致密型乳腺内乳腺癌的灵敏度、特异度及AUC分别为89.38%、92.46%和0.787(95%CI:0.659~0.824)。结论:ABUS联合DBT有利于提高致密型乳腺内乳腺癌临床检出率,减少肿块不伴钙化病灶的漏诊。

Comparison of different approaches for direct coupling of solid-phase microextraction to mass spectrometry for drugs of abuse analysis in plasma

The direct coupling of solid-phase microextraction(SPME)to mass spectrometry(MS)(SPME-MS)has proven to be an effective method for the fast screening and quantitative analysis of compounds in complex matrices such as blood and plasma.In recent years,our lab has developed three novel SPME-MS techniques:SPME-microfluidic open interface-MS(SPME-MOI-MS),coated blade spray-MS(CBS-MS),and SPME-probe electrospray ionization-MS(SPME-PESI-MS).The fast and high-throughput nature of these SPME-MS technologies makes them attractive options for point-of-care analysis and anti-doping testing.However,all these three techniques utilize different SPME geometries and were tested with different MS instruments.Lack of comparative data makes it difficult to determine which of these methodologies is the best option for any given application.This work fills this gap by making a comprehensive comparison of these three technologies with different SPME devices including SPME fibers,CBS blades,and SPME-PESI probes and SPME-liquid chromatography-MS(SPME-LC-MS)for the analysis of drugs of abuse using the same MS instrument.Furthermore,for the first time,we developed different desorption chambers for MOI-MS for coupling with SPME fibers,CBS blades,and SPME-PESI probes,thus illustrating the universality of this approach.In total,eight analytical methods were developed,with the experimental data showing that all the SPME-based methods provided good analytical performance with R^(2)of linearities larger than 0.9925,accuracies between 81%and 118%,and good precision with an RSD%≤13%.

Evaluation of Perinatal and Developmental Outcomes in Neonates with Abstinence Syndrome Admitted to NICU

Drug abuse by pregnant women is one of the significant problems for mothers and their neonates.This study aimed to investigate the effects of maternal substance use disorder during pregnancy on neonatal developmental criteria.In a case-control study,clinical records of 90 neonates diagnosed with neonatal abstinence syndrome who were admitted to NICU in one of four hospitals affiliated with Shahid-Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in Tehran,Iran between 2017 and 2020 were compared to 90 neonates without neonatal abstinence syndrome(control group).Demographic information and data for neonatal developmental characteristics and complications were extracted from the clinical records of this convenience sample.Data for the type and method of maternal substance use during pregnancy were collected through a telephone call with mothers.Our data showed that the prevalence of drug addiction was 1.8%among pregnant women,and the most common drugs used by mothers were opium(n=45%,50%),amphetamine(n=30%,33%),and methadone(n=14%,16%).Neonates with abstinence syndrome had a higher prevalence of transient tachypnea of the newborn(TTN)(P=0.004),and a prevalence of being admitted to NICU(P=0.05)and for a longer duration(P<0.001).Their mothers had a higher prevalence of having pre-eclampsia(P=0.010).Using morphine vs.amphetamine showed no difference based on their effects on mothers and neonates.Substance use during pregnancy increased the prevalence of pregnancy complications(pre-eclampsia)and neonatal complications(TTN and prevalence and duration of hospitalization).Therefore,planning for the development of health policies to raise awareness among women and more broadly,all members of the community,is important to prevent the tendency to engage in this potentially high-risk behavior.

Analysis of Capacity Decay, Impedance, and Heat Generation of Lithium-ionBatteries Experiencing Multiple Simultaneous Abuse Conditions

Abuse of Lithium-ion batteries,both physical and electrochemical,can lead to significantly reduced operational capabilities.In some instances,abuse can cause catastrophic failure,including thermal runaway,combustion,and explosion.Many different test standards that include abuse conditions have been developed,but these generally consider only one condition at a time and only provide go/no-go criteria.In this work,different types of cell abuse are implemented concurrently to determine the extent to which simultaneous abuse conditions aggravate cell degradation and failure.Vibrational loading is chosen to be the consistent type of physical abuse,and the first group of cells is cycled at different vibrational frequencies.The next group of cells is cycled at the same frequencies,with multiple charge pulses occurring during each discharge.The final group of cells is cycled at the same frequencies,with a partial nail puncture occurring near the beginning of cycling.The results show that abusing cells with vibrational loading or vibrational loading with current pulses does not cause a significant decrease in operational capabilities while abusing cells with vibrational loading and a nail puncture drastically reduces operational capabilities.The cells with vibration only experience an increase in internal resistance by a factor of 1.09–1.26,the cells with vibration and current pulses experience an increase in internal resistance by a factor of 1.16–1.23,and all cells from each group reach their rated lifetime of 500 cycles without reaching their end-of-life capacity.However,the cells with vibration and nail puncture experience an increase in internal resistance by a factor of 6.83–22.1,and each cell reaches its end-of-life capacity within 50 cycles.Overall,the results show that testing multiple abuse conditions simultaneously provides a better representation of the extreme limitations of cell operation and should be considered for inclusion in reference test standards.

Child Abuse during the Pandemic and Trauma-Informed Care: A Review of Evidence-Based Literature

Abuse of infants and children is a public health problem that warrants immediate attention. It is estimated that over 7 million children are affected by child abuse yearly, with the highest rate of abuse in those less than one year of age. Approximately 60% of child abuse victims are children under the age of three years, making infants and young children a particularly vulnerable population. Interventions targeting the perinatal period can be effective in mitigating child abuse, including parent education programs and trauma-informed care services. This paper provides an overview of the current evidence base related to child abuse following the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on prevention and intervention strategies that can be utilized to increase caregiver support and reduce child abuse rates during the perinatal period.

A Brief Review of the Relationship between Addiction and Memory Systems

This essay will reexamine research on the relationship between human memory and addiction. This paper will review several studies that discussed how memory systems in the human brain are involved in the acquisition of behavior that is learned and is associated with the development of drug addiction and drug relapse. Additional information reveals that when individuals make the transition from recreational drug or impulsive use to compulsive drug abuse, which may result in a neuroanatomical change in areas of the brain from cognitive control guided by the hippocampus/dorsomedial striatum towards conditioned control of behavior managed by the dorsolateral striatum (DLS) [1]. This review also looked at studies that involved experiments with humans and lower animals, which suggested that the hippocampus mediates a cognitive/spatial type of memory, while the dorsal striatum manages stimulus-response (S-R) habit memory, and the amygdala governs the classical conditioning form of learning and stimulus-affective-associative relationships [1]. Overall, these studies utilize the hypothesis of the memory systems view of addiction, and the involvement of learning and memory in the context of drug addiction, which was proposed by them [2]. This theory has been proposed in response to drug addiction research and includes alcohol, amphetamine, and cocaine [1]. The research also explains how stress and anxiety can play a role in how strong emotional excitement can lead to dependent habit memory in rodents and humans [1]. .

Implications of Declining Ground Water and Water Quality in the US Southeastern Coastal Plain Ecoregion and Areawide Environmental Impact Statement Required for Mining in the Greater Okefenokee Swamp Basin—Part 1

Karst aquifers occur worldwide and exhibit groundwater flow responses that differ considerably from aquifers lacking fractures, bedding planes, and other karst conduits where significant and rapid groundwater flow can occur. The regional, karst Floridan aquifer system underlies the United States (US) Southeastern Coastal Plain Physiographic Region and exhibits hydrologic interconnections with overlying surficial aquifers and throughout other zones of the aquifer system, as is characteristic of other karst aquifer systems. Anthropogenic groundwater declines in this regional karst aquifer system have been documented in published literature for decades, but the impacts of those declines in this coastal plain region and the embedded ecosystems that provide essential and critical habitat for native, endemic, and federally endangered and threatened species have not been considered previously. Those anthropogenic groundwater declines reduce surfacewater levels and flows due to the capture of both groundwater and overland flow of surfacewater, resulting in induced recharge through semi-confining zones and interbasin flow through fractures and other karst conduits. This case study identifies examples from the Greater Okefenokee Swamp Basin study area and comparison areas of how those declines result in loss of historic base flow to surface waters and other capture of surface waters, ultimately increasing saltwater intrusion. Those results alter and degrade the physical, chemical, and biological integrity of the nation’s waters, in violation of the US Clean Water Act (CWA) of 1972. Historic groundwater declines from mining and other anthropogenic groundwater withdrawals from this regional karst aquifer system already threaten the survival and recovery of federally endangered and threatened species, as well as existing and proposed critical habitat for those species within this regional extent, in violation of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973. This case study and its companion publication (Part 2) appear to be the first to provide scientific support for this regional karst aquifer system as the unifying factor in habitat responses to irreversible groundwater impacts on aquatic and marine ecosystems. These adverse impacts strongly suggest that the extent of the regional Floridan aquifer system should be designated as the Southeastern Coastal Plain Ecoregion for the purpose of managing natural resources. Mining activities continue to expand in our study area, which is the Greater Okefenokee Swamp Basin. Despite that fact, no comprehensive Areawide Environmental Impact Statement (AEIS), similar to the AEIS required for phosphate mining within the Central Florida Phosphate District (CFPD) approximately a decade ago has been conducted for any of the numerous mining projects that are occurring and are proposed within the Greater Okefenokee Swamp Basin. This case study also provides examples of why a comprehensive AEIS is essential to consider all of the adverse direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts of those mining activities to the CWA, the ESA, and the irreversible losses to local economies, because federal agencies responsible for considering those adverse impacts rely on public comments to identify those adverse impacts. The mining activities authorized throughout the regional Floridan aquifer system under Category 44 Nationwide Permits (NWP) result in the same type of adverse impacts as the mining activities evaluated under Individual Permits in that region. Therefore, those Category 44 NWP mining activities also should be required to obtain Individual Permits and be evaluated under an AEIS in the Greater Okefenokee Swamp Basin. This case study also describes how Florida’s assumption of the CWA Section 404 regulatory authority in 2020 severs four sub-basins within the Greater Okefenokee Swamp Basin study area at the state line between Florida and Georgia.

二维超声检查与ABUS在乳腺微小结节良恶性鉴别中的诊断效能

关于乳腺微小结节良恶性鉴别诊断中应用二维超声检查和ABUS检查的临床效能进行探讨。方法 收集通过病理检查获得明确诊断属于乳腺微小结节病人资料60例,所选病人全部接受二维超声检查和ABUS检查,对比两种检查方式对于良恶性肿瘤的鉴别结果差异性。结果 采取ABUS检查方式在对于乳腺微小结节的检出率方面明显高于二维超声,两者对比差异明显;ABUS检查在对乳腺微小结节良恶性鉴别诊断中的准确度明显高于二维超声,两者对比差异明显。结论 临床中对于乳腺微小结节良恶性鉴别诊断采取ABUS检查的应用价值高于二维超声,可以帮助明确病人的结节位置,为疾病诊断提供可靠的参考依据。

信息型常见毒物质谱用户库的建立及其在毒物快速筛选上的应用研究

The spectrum user’s librarys containing 1533 familiar toxicants have been built; A method with high separability and sensitivity has been found,The RT and the detection limit of 210 familiar abuse drugs has been confirmed; the processing methods to analyse spectrum data automatically have been found; It is simple,quick,sensitive and reliable,and can take place of manual operation,It is very useful to screen the familiar toxicants in unkown sample.

药物使用和药物滥用的流行学调查

一、目前我国药物使用(drug use,简称“使用”,下同)和药物滥用(drug abuse,简称“滥用”,下同)的情况已引起人民群众和政府的关注。二、流行学调查 (一)目的 1.估计某地人群中“使用”和“滥用”的具体情况。 2.利用调查表进行调查以探索导致“使用”和“滥用”的一些预测因素,为开展治疗和预防提供论据。 (二)