bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Incompetency Plea: Abuses and Reforms
Authors: Wulach James S.
Published: February 2018

During the 1960's numerous studies demonstrated that the right of defendants to a speedy trial was being abused by indeterminate incarceration in prison hospitals following a competency proceeding. In 1972, the Supreme Court, in Jackson v. Indiana, held that indeterminate commitment without likelihood of recovery was unconstitutional. Many states responded to this decision by changing their laws and practices. Nevertheless, recent commentators have continued to advocate curtailment or abolition of competency laws. Such proposals are criticized and further research is recommended to evaluate the status of competency laws and procedures from state to state.
The Baserate Problem and the Prediction of Dangerousness: A Reappraisal
Authors: Quinsey Vernon L.
Published: February 2018

The literature suggests that relatively few patients in maximum security mental hospitals are dangerous to others upon release. Because of the low baserate of post-release violence, it has been argued that future dangerous behavior can never be predicted with accuracy in the release decision context. The present article argues that the low baserate of violent behavior does not preclude, in principle, the development of more accurate predictive methods because each patient is considered for release on multiple occasions.
The Elements of Persuasion in Expert Testimony
Authors: Bank Steven C. , Poythress Norman G.
Published: February 2018

Much has been written about mental health expert testimony, particularly regarding the scientific bases of testimony and the ethical questions which arise in the context of giving testimony. While the mental health expert may be perceived as helping the courts find the “truth” in the adversary process, the expert witness's impact may depend more on elements of persuasion than on the truthfulness of his or her formulations regarding the particular case. This article focuses on the elements of persuasion in mental health expert testimony, drawing on the social sciences literature, legal wisdom, and the authors' anecdotal experiences as forensic psychologists. Suggestions for increasing persuasiveness in testimony are given.
Custody Quagmire: Some Psycholegal Dilemmas
Authors: Beaber Rex Julian
Published: February 2018

The clinical evaluation of families in contested child custody cases raises a number of difficult dilemmas. The problem areas include determining the validity of the raw data, quantifying information, attaching weight to the numerous variables, determining the value of predicted outcomes, distinguishing between actuarial and clinical prediction, defining the scope of evaluator expertise, handling functional parents, and predicting the effects of the evaluation process itself. A multi-stage decision-making grid is proposed to help make such evaluations more systematic and less encumbered by data problems and unsupportable philosophic assumptions. Specific clinical and actuarial criteria are given for clinical decision making.
Psycholegal Assessment, Diagnosis, and Testimony: A Bibliography
Authors: Ziegenfuss Donald G. , Ziegenfuss James T.
Published: February 2018

The expanding interest in forensic psychology and psychiatry in both the theoretical and applied areas necessitates consideration of the developing literature. The authors view both theoretical and applied literature as the basis for further development of the field, including resolution of some of the difficult conflicts confronting courts, practitioners, and academicians.

A bibliography of professional journal articles, law review articles, and books relating to psychological assessment, diagnosis, and testimony was developed to support the continuing growth of the field. The almost 200 citations include discussions of assessment and testimony techniques, diagnostic approaches, witness roles, competency determination, and examination.
Characteristics of young, violent offenders
Authors: Yates Alayne , Beutler Larry E. , Crago Marjorie
Published: February 2018

Three groups of young, violent, incarcerated male offenders were compared through an analysis of semistructured interviews. These 339 young offenders described the early relationships with their fathers as more important than the early relationships with their mothers. Person offenders were relatively similar to murderers but, compared to this collective group of violent offenders, property offenders had a history of more severely impaired relationships and were more likely to have been labeled as emotionally disturbed or as learning disabled in school records. This study emphasizes the importance of considering ethnicity and of including a property offender contrast group in studies of young violent offenders.
Rape trauma syndrome as circumstantial evidence of rape
Authors: Raum Bernard A.
Published: February 2018

One of the more perplexing problems in the prosecution of a rape case is the corroboration of a rape victim's testimony when the defendant and the victim have just met casually and the rape itself was not forcible. The defendant usually admits the intercourse but defends by saying that the victim consented to a casual act of sex. Juries are understandably reluctant to convict under such circumstances without some corroboration of the rape, i.e., the lack of consent. The recent recognition of the rape trauma syndrome as a diagnostic condition not only may be a therapeutic breakthrough, but also may provide the necessary corroboration. The rape trauma syndrome identifies and isolates psychological symptoms of a sudden traumatic incident such as a rape.
Clinical aspects of dangerous behavior
Authors: Menuck Morton
Published: February 2018

Violent behavior is found among individuals in whom aggression is poorly controlled as a result of psycho-organic disturbance, acute psychological distress, or paranoid symptomatology. This article provides a comprehensive overview of psychiatric literature describing each of these categories, and provides a model to account for violent action.
Jury emotional response and deliberation style
Authors: Goldman Jacquelin , Freundlich Kenneth F. , Casey Victoria A.
Published: February 2018

Subjects who were assigned to twelve juries by ego level and sex attended a law school reenactment of a rape trial. Following testimony, the juries deliberated the case separately and rendered verdicts. Deliberations were audiotaped and interactional style was analyzed. Differences in style and problems encountered during deliberation were found to be related to psychological characteristics (i.e., ego level, trait anxiety, and authoritarianism) and to sex.
Liberty and Autonomy versus Confinement and Commitment: The History of Legal Intervention in Colonial Connecticut
Authors: Schwartz Pamela
Published: February 2018

The following article studies the legal mechanisms used to manage and control mentally ill persons living in colonial Connecticut. Records have been found, dating back to the seventeenth century, demonstrating that legal procedures were used both to protect society from dangerous individuals and to protect the rights of the mentally ill. This article explores the interplay among judicial, quasi-judicial, and legislative bodies in formulating policies to alleviate the problems posed by the presence of insane individuals within a community. It also is a study of mentally ill individuals who were affected by these policies.
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Competence to Stand Trial
Authors: Daniels Neal
Published: February 2018

A Vietnam veteran was scheduled to stand trial with three other defendants on a federal charge of extortion. Subsequent to his arraignment, he entered weekly treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). As the trial date approached, his symptoms exacerbated to the point that it was necessary to commit him for 20 days of inpatient care. During this time, treatment for PTSD continued on a daily basis. On discharge, he was able to participate in his own defense and no longer manifested the symptoms that had precluded his standing trial. Some of the effects of PTSD on a defendant's behavior in the adversarial atmosphere of the court are discussed.
The right of involuntary patients in mental institutions to refuse drug treatment
Authors: Sidley Nathan T.
Published: February 2018

Just as the psychiatrist does not have the absolute right to impose treatment on an unwilling patient, the patient does not have the absolute right to refuse treatment. Only in a case where the patient is mentally incompetent can the physician treat him over the patient's objection. Almost all legal activity in the area of right to refuse treatment has involved court decisions.

Legislatures have tended to avoid the issue. It would be best for both the psychiatrist and patient for psychiatrists to concentrate on patients obtaining adequate treatment instead of attacking their right to refuse treatment.
A study of the civil commitment of mentally disordered criminals
Authors: Beran Nancy , Hotz Anne
Published: February 2018

Though criminal offenders with mental disturbances have traditionally been treated in special systems for “the criminally insane,” the state of Ohio recently passed legislation authorizing the civil commitment of mentally disordered offenders to civil mental hospitals. Personnel in the civil hospitals feared an inundation of criminals into their hospitals. Research conducted at four hospitals in the state found no consistent evidence to support these fears. At only two of the four hospitals was there any evidence that the legislation may have had an impact on admissions. Furthermore, the evidence at these two hospitals was somewhat inconsistent. An especially interesting finding was the fact that mentally disordered offenders were already appearing at the civil hospitals in sizable numbers before the new legislation.
The Relationship of the Parental Preference Guideline to Attachment Behavior in Young Children of Divorce
Authors: Radin Sherwin S.
Published: February 2018

The parental preference guideline for young children of divorce is generally viewed by the courts with extreme skepticism since it is believed that such children do not possess sufficient cognitive sophistication to know what is in their own best interests. However, the attachment behavior of even young toddlers of one to three years of age has a direct application to custody matters and to visitation issues since it stresses the emotional components of the child's relationship to his caretakers. The affective interchanges between the child and his parents are an accurate indicator of the true empathic nature of the relationship.
Supreme Court Decision Making on Insanity Acquittees Does not Depend on Research Conducted by the Behavioral Science Community: Jones v. United States
Authors: Schmidt Winsor C.
Published: February 2018

The United States Supreme Court's decision making on the Jones v. United States issue of an insanity acquit tee's disposition, when his mental hospitalization exceeds his maximum prison sentence if convicted, is analyzed from the perspective of relevant behavioral science research. The Court's “common sense” that insanity acquittal reflects a likelihood of remaining mentally ill and in need of treatment is not sustained by the available empirical evidence. The Court's assertion of no necessary correlation between acquittee offense severity and length of recovery is also belied by the available research. The Supreme Court has ratified social judgments concerning insanity acquittees rather than utilizing available behavioral research to make more rational policy determinations. The statistically insignificant insanity acquittal disposition could be assessed from a more informed perspective.
Vocational Training for the Insanity Acquittee
Authors: Cuneo Daniel J. , Brelje Terry B. , Miller Stephen F. , Benedict Frank , Endee Violet
Published: February 2018

An intellectual, scholastic, and vocational assessment of the NGRI acquittees housed in the Illinois Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities was undertaken. In addition, age, sex, race, education, and type of crime were assessed. The results were analyzed. These findings and their implications in setting up a vocational training program for the NGRI are discussed.
Insanity Acquittals in Michigan 1969-1983: The Effects of Legislative and Judicial Changes
Authors: Packer Ira K.
Published: February 2018

In 1975, sweeping changes were made in the procedures for dealing with insanity defenses in Michigan. The effects of these changes are examined by a comparison of the populations of insanity acquittees before and after 1975. The results reveal that there has been a nonsignificant increase in total number of insanity acquittals since 1975. However, there has been a significant change in the distribution of crimes for which defendants have been found insane. Specifically, the number of insanity acquittals for homicide has decreased, while the number for less serious offenses has increased. Possible explanations for these findings are explored.
Litigiousness as a Resistance to Therapy
Authors: Miller Robert D. , Maier Gary J. , Blancke Frederick W. , Doren Dennis
Published: February 2018

With the criminalization of the mentally ill, increasing numbers of patients with experience in the criminal justice system are entering psychiatric facilities, and “jailhouse lawyers” are becoming more familiar to clinicians. While the use of grievances and lawsuits as methods of asserting control and harassing staffs is well known, there has been less discussion of patients’ litigiousness serving as resistance to dealing with other issues in therapy. The authors discuss this subject, and present methods for minimizing the problems, including dealing with the reinforcement of such resistance by adversarial advocates.
Trial Competency Among Mentally Retarded Offenders: Assessment Techniques and Related Considerations
Authors: Chellsen John A.
Published: February 2018

The origins of standards of competency to stand trial are in English common law. Present standards in use are outlined and discussed. Procedures for evaluation of trial competency are in the developing stages; a variety of these procedures are discussed and critiqued. Data from a trial competency program suggest the need for greater sophistication in competency evaluations. Further methodological and philosophical clarity would assist the clinician in making meaningful determinations of competency.
Psychosocial Characteristics of Parolees in Forensic Social Work
Authors: Pavelka Fredric L.
Published: February 2018

During a 10-year period, July 1974-1984, demographic characteristics indicated close similarities between Ohio parolees and national parole statistics regarding age, race, and marital status. However, unemployment was found to be an unusually serious problem among Ohio parolees. In addition, a substance-abuse tendency further complicated the already disturbing plight of parolees. A high percentage of antisocial personality findings contributed to a high recidivism rate and an unusually large percentage of parolees were determined to be unamenable to conventional counseling.
Psychopathological Responses to Threatened Custody Loss
Authors: Levy Alan M.
Published: February 2018

Real or threatened custody loss almost always sets in motion an array of strong psychological forces in parents. These forces principally revolve around the parents’ fantasies of themselves, both as spouses and as parents. So deep and so strongly held are these fantasies that their threatened loss frequently precipitates acting out and regressive behavior. Often one or both of the parents may appear to be almost psychotic, when previously they were functioning quite well. Children are drawn into this maelstrom, often siding with one or the other parent in a very pathological fashion. Examples of regressive behavior as well as case examples are given.
Deinstitutionalization and Increased Arrest Rates among the Mentally Disordered
Authors: Pogrebin Mark R. , Poole Eric D.
Published: February 2018

Policies of deinstitutionalization, together with a general tightening of civil commitment laws and inadequate funding for community-based programs, have resulted in an increase of mentally ill people on the streets. Growing numbers of former mental patients and individuals whose bizarre behavior might have landed them in a state hospital bed a few years ago are now being arrested and ending up in jail. Four key areas––deinstitutionalization, police decision making, decline of mental health programs, and criminal histories of mental patients—are examined with respect to the shifting of mentally disordered persons from the mental health system to the criminal justice system.
Shall We Employ Women Guards in Male Prisons?
Authors: Shawver Lois , Kurdys Douglas
Published: February 2018

Since the Civil Rights Act of 1964, United States prisons have begun hiring women to work as guards in male prisons. In recent years, this policy has been challenged in the courts on two grounds: first, that women guards are a security risk, and second, that they invade prisoners' privacy. Research cited in this article questions the validity of both of these claims. Women guards appear to reduce tensions in male prisons and to be in less danger than the male guards. Three criteria are suggested for evaluating privacy invasion in particular cases, and using these criteria it appears that most prisons can avoid privacy invasion of male prisoners without excluding women from positions as guards.
The Determination of Malingering: A Comprehensive Clinical-Forensic Approach
Authors: Drob Sanford L. , Berger Robert H.
Published: February 2018

A clinical model for the determination of malingering in forensic-psychiatric contexts is described. The model establishes three criteria that are useful in distinguishing malingerers from uncooperative patients and those suffering from a factitious disorder. The criteria involve: (1) ascertaining the presence of the classic signs and symptoms of feigned mental illness, (2) establishing a malingering motive, and (3) ruling out the presence of genuine psychopathology which would cause an individual to produce what appears to be voluntary symptomatology. The clinical application of the model is described and illustrated with case examples.
The use of Placebo Trials as Part of a Forensic Assessment
Authors: Miller Robert D.
Published: February 2018

The detection of malingering in the context of forensic evaluations has received increasing attention in the literature, with more careful research and analyses of a variety of clinical methods being employed for that purpose. The author presents three clinical cases as examples of the use of placebo trials in the differential diagnosis of malingering, and discusses the validity of such trials as well as ethical issues raised by the use of placebos without informed consent. Suggested guidelines for the diagnostic use of placebos with forensic patients are presented.
Persons with Developmental Disabilities and Tardive Dyskinesia: A Historical Perspective and an Examination of State Policies Responding to Litigation Questions
Authors: Guidry Jacqueline , Rinck William , Rinck Christine
Published: February 2018

This article examines three aspects of tardive dyskinesia (TD). First, the historical evaluation of TD as a recognized side effect of neuroleptic treatment is examined. Second, the unique ramifications of this side effect for persons who are developmentally disabled are considered. Third, the difficulties presented in prescribing and administering these drugs are examined in light of litigation in the area of TD. Additionally, some results of a national survey on state practices regarding these identified difficulties are reported and analyzed. While a number of states have addressed the issues raised in TD litigation, some states continue to follow practices that disregard these concerns.
The Ever Confusing Jurisprudence of the Psychotherapist's Duty to Protect
Authors: Felthous Alan R.
Published: February 2018

When the duty to protect of Tarasoff was imposed upon psychotherapists by the Supreme Court of California, therapists in other states wondered whether or not other courts would adopt the legal reasoning and apply the Tarasoff Principle to them. Resulting court decisions have been much more complex and contradictory than this early question would suggest. Even the legal underpinnings of the Tarasoff Principle, where it has been adopted, are diverse: it is as amorphous and plastic as any principle can be, molded so differently by various courts. This updated review argues that the trend toward diversity and inconsistency has become greater with the increase in Tarasoff-like cases in recent years, beclouding any real moral value that may be present. Given the conflicting social values involved in this kind of public policy, it is best crafted in statutory law, not by the courts.
The Rehabilitative Ideal Meets an Aroused Public: the Patuxent Experiment Revisited
Authors: Courtless Thomas F.
Published: February 2018

The author examines the latest changes in Maryland's Patuxent Institution resulting from the 1988 revisions in the state's Article 31B (the so-called “Eligible Persons” statute, originally the “Defective Delinquency” statute). He argues that these changes, the latest in an increasingly restrictive series of modifications in the law, resulted from the failure of the institution's staff to overcome its isolation from the evolving standards by which the community judges its efforts to punish and/or rehabilitate serious criminal offenders.
Diagnostic Formulations for Violent Delinquent Adolescents
Authors: Mezzich Ada C.
Published: February 2018

This study was aimed at implementing a multiaxial diagnostic system developed for violent delinquent adolescents (VDAs) on a sample of 100 subjects. The results revealed that the most prevalent psychiatric diagnoses were conduct disorder, substance use disorder, specific developmental disorders, and personality disorders. There was a high prevalence of severity of psychosocial stressors, levels of poor and very poor adaptive functioning, low IQ, mental illness and criminality in the family, and a high level of chronicity and severity of delinquency. Additionally, the axes with more informational richness were chronicity of delinquency (age at first offense, recidivism, and number of offenses) and diagnosis of conduct disorder, substance use disorders and specific developmental disorders.
Where the Protective Privilege Ends: California Changes the Rules for Dangerous Psychotherapy Patients
Authors: Meyers Charles J.
Published: February 2018

Recent California court cases, building on expansive interpretations of the dangerous patient exception to the psychotherapist–patient privilege, have altered the duties and obligations of mental health professionals who treat dangerous patients. The 15-year-old Tarasoff duty to warn and protect is established tradition in California, but newly enlarged is the duty of psychotherapists to testify against their patients at criminal trials, usually after attempts to protect, including warnings, have failed. The psychotherapist's duties to warn and to testify both use as a foundation a section of the Evidence Code that was designed by the legislature to increase a psychotherapist's discretion to speak out but has been modified by the appellate courts to diminish the psychotherapist's power to choose to remain silent. This article explores the implications of these legal developments and the obligations they impose on psychotherapists who bear the risk of treating dangerous patients.
Error of Accommodation in the Care of the Difficult Patient in the 1990s
Authors: Lerner A. Martin , Luby Elliot D.
Published: February 2018

Consumerism, patient rights legislation, and malpractice litigation have created a greater power symmetry between patient and physician. Patients read, question, and insist upon greater participation in decision-making involving treatment. The ideal patient is knowledgeable and an active negotiator in the physician/patient relationship. However, there are some patients who feel so empowered that they are determined to direct and control their treatment. They may request or refuse laboratory tests and attempt to dictate the terms under which diagnosis and treatment should be accomplished. There are as well some physicians who, as a result of conciliatory personal styles, are willing to accommodate to the demands of these patients. In this article, four cases are presented in which physicians have accepted those terms against their better judgment. In two cases malpractice suits followed, ultimately won by the defendant physician. In the last instance a physician patient committed suicide and a malpractice action was settled by mediation. These four case examples establish the principle that physicians, for whatever reason, cannot accommodate the demands of empowered patients that contradict clinical judgment and violate the scientific practice of medicine. Such accommodation may have disastrous results for both patient and physician. Physicians should listen compassionately to patients’ needs and desires, but they may have to refer a patient elsewhere when a negotiated consensus cannot be reached.
Civil Commitment in Dane County, Wisconsin: 1969 through 1984
Authors: Leiber Michael J.
Published: February 2018

Although a number of studies have evaluated reform in commitment proceedings, these have been subject to criticism for failing to conduct a comprehensive examination and/or allow for a reasonable amount of time for the reform to be implemented. The objective of this study was to address these concerns by examining the patterns and trends of a J 975 reform on civil commitment in Dane County, Wisconsin. Utilizing a “before and after” research design, the findings suggest that the implementation of reform is specific to certain areas and varies by the year(s) assessed. The role of the mental health network and the restructuring of the financial responsibility for mental health services are seen as pivotal in why reform was more or less successful.
The Rorschach Human Anatomy Response: Predicting Sexual Offending Behavior in Juveniles
Authors: Hughes Steven A. , Deville Craig , Chalhoub Micheline , Romboletti Richard
Published: February 2018

Inspired by the pioneering work of Seghorn and Cohen on the psychology of the rapist, this study compared the relational maturity of nearly 100 juvenile offenders with the level of violence associated with actual crimes committed. Relational maturity was measured through analyses of the human-content response of the Rorschach Inkblot Test administered to each subject. It was predicted that juvenile offenders with the lowest degree of relational maturity, as measured by the production of poor Rorschach human content (lungs, bones, heart, stomach), were more likely to commit sex crimes than those juveniles with higher relational maturity with good Rorschach human content (two people dancing). The data generated support the notion that juvenile sex offenders’ Rorschach responses show poor relational maturity and produce human-anatomy responses as compared with other offenders. The discussion introduces an object-relational explanation to these findings. The usefulness of the Rorschach Inkblot Test as a measure of relational development of juvenile offenders was also generated. Recommendations conclude our discussion about the need for continued research on the relational development of sex offenders and on the human-anatomy response as an indicator of sexual dangerousness.
Output feedback control design to enlarge the domain of attraction of a supercavitating vehicle subject to actuator saturation
Authors: Qiang Baochen , Zhang Le
Published: February 2018

To enlarge the domain of attraction of a supercavitating vehicle subject to actuator saturation, this paper presents a new output feedback control design in consideration of the immeasurable vertical speed. The dive-plane dynamics of a supercavitating vehicle are considered. By introducing the sector condition of the planing force, a new output feedback control law that locally stabilizes the closed-loop system is proposed. The design of the controller that maximizes the vehicle’s domain of attraction is then formulated and solved as an optimization problem with linear matrix inequality (LMI) constraints. Simulations are conducted for systems under saturation-oriented and non-saturation-oriented controllers. The results show that the proposed design can achieve a much larger domain of attraction than do conventional, non-saturation-oriented approaches.
Adaptive state estimation for cyber physical systems under sparse attacks
Authors: Zhang Hao , Peng Chen , Sun Hongtao , Du Dajun
Published: February 2018

This paper investigates the state estimation problem for cyber physical systems under sparse attacks. Firstly, the fundamental state estimation problem is transferred to an optimization problem with a unique solution. Secondly, an adaptive estimation method for sparse attacks is proposed, which convergence property is well proved. The advantage of proposed method is that the step-size can be adaptively adjusted based on the dynamic estimation errors. Therefore, the computing time is less than some existing methods while guaranteeing the desired performance. Then, a suitable state feedback is designed to improve the computing speed while enhancing the resiliency for the destroyed system. Finally, the speed performance and accuracy of proposed algorithm are verified by two numerical examples.
A home energy management system
Authors: İzmitligil Hasan , Apaydn Özkan Hanife
Published: February 2018

In this study, an offline home energy management system that reduces electricity expense and peak demand without deteriorating residents’ contentment is considered. The main goal is to improve the system in the sense of reducing electricity expense, via interfering with appliances by means of interrupting as well as shifting their operation; and keeping up with the benefits of the newest technology, via plug-in hybrid electrical vehicle integration. The proposed offline home energy management system (OF-HEM) consists of smart electrical appliances, power resources (photovoltaic system, grid, backup battery), main controller, communication network and plug-in hybrid electrical vehicle. The main controller manages the power resources, appliances and plug-in hybrid electrical vehicle based on the solution of a mixed integer linear program with defined smart and energy-efficient operation constraints related to the smart appliances and power sources for data collected at the beginning of the day from the power resources and residents’ preferences. Conducted case studies demonstrate that OF-HEM significantly reduces electricity expenses and high peak demand.
Design of observer-based quantized control for nonlinear time-delay systems
Authors: Sun Ning , Zhang Yingchao , Song Gongfei , Li Tao
Published: February 2018

This paper is concerned with the problem of observer design for a class of nonlinear systems with time-varying delay and bounded disturbances. For the stabilization problem, attention is focused on the design of a quantized observer that ensures stability of the closed-loop system. For the robust H∞ control problem, a quantized observer is designed such that, in addition to the requirement of the robust stability, a prescribed disturbance attenuation level also needs to be achieved. The nonlinearity is assumed to satisfy the local Lipschitz condition. A more general case is considered, differing from the previous results where the Lipschitz constant is fixed and predetermined. Finally, a numerical example is provided to show the effectiveness of our method.
Fractional order unknown input filter design for fault detection of discrete fractional order linear systems
Authors: Zarei Jafar , Tabatabaei Mahmood
Published: February 2018

In this study, a new method is introduced to design an estimator for discrete-time linear fractional order systems, which are affected by unknown disturbances. The main goal of this study is decoupling disturbance and uncertainties from the true states for discrete fractional order systems in noisy environment. The fractional Kalman filter framework is exploited to develop a robust estimator against unknown inputs (UIs) in noisy environment. The proposed filter is exploited to detect faults in fractional order systems. Simulation results illustrate the advantages of this robust filter for state estimation and fault detection of fractional order model of ultra-capacitor (UC). The robustness of the designed filter is shown in the sense of disturbance decoupling in the presence of noise.
D-type iterative learning control for a class of parabolic partial difference systems
Authors: Dai Xisheng , Mei Sange , Tian Senping , Yu Ling
Published: February 2018

In this paper, an iterative learning control problem is addressed for a class of parabolic partial difference systems. Several discrete D-type iterative learning control algorithms with initial state learning are proposed for the systems which have no direct channel between the input and output as well as the initial state value being unfixed in the learning process. Based on fundamental mathematical analysis tools and the discrete Gronwall inequality, sufficient conditions for tracking error convergence in the iterative domain for open-loop, closed-loop and open-closed-loop iterative learning control are established and proven respectively. Numerical simulations verify the effectiveness of the theoretical results.
Minimalistic approach for monocular SLAM system applied to micro aerial vehicles in GPS-denied environments
Authors: Urzua Sarquis , Munguía Rodrigo , Nuño Emmanuel , Grau Antoni
Published: February 2018

In this work, a novel monocular simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) system with application to micro aerial vehicles is proposed. The main difference with respect to previous approaches is that a barometer is used as a unique sensory aid for incorporating altitude information into the system in order to recover an absolute metric scale. First, an observability analysis of a simplified model of a monocular SLAM system is developed. From this analysis, several theoretical results are derived. Among others, one important result is related to the fact that the metric scale can become observable when measurements of altitude are included in the system. In this case, sufficient conditions for observability are presented. The design of the proposed method is based on these theoretical results. Simulations and experiments with real data are presented to validate the proposed approach. The results confirm that the metric scale can be retrieved by including altitude measurements in the system. It is also shown that the proposed method can be practically implemented, using low-cost sensors, to perform visual-based navigation in GPS-denied environments.
Formation-containment control of sampled-data second-order multi-agent systems with sampling delay
Authors: Zheng Baojie , Mu Xiaowu
Published: February 2018

The formation-containment control problems of sampled-data second-order multi-agent systems with sampling delay are studied. In this paper, we assume that there exist interactions among leaders and that the leader’s neighbours are only leaders. Firstly, two different control protocols with sampling delay are presented for followers and leaders, respectively. Then, by utilizing the algebraic graph theory and matrix theory, several sufficient conditions are obtained to ensure that the leaders achieve a desired formation and that the states of the followers converge to the convex hull formed by the states of the leaders, i.e. the multi-agent systems achieve formation containment. Furthermore, an explicit expression of the formation position function is derived for each leader. An algorithm is provided to design the gain parameters in the protocols. Finally, a numerical example is given to illustrate the effectiveness of the obtained theoretical results.
Commentary on Bowe et al, “The State of the Otolaryngology Match: A Review of Applicant Trends, ‘Impossible’ Qualifications, and Implications”
Authors: Bhalla Vidur , Sykes Kevin J. , Kraft Shannon M. , Chiu Alexander G.
Published: February 2018

An objective evidence‐based review of the metrics used to evaluate applicants entering our field ultimately found these figures to have upward trends without any major correlation to performance in residency. The rise of these metrics coincides with a yearly drop in senior applicants, and in 2017, nearly 10% of programs did not match their contingent. The causes of unmatched spots must be examined to ensure that the field of otolaryngology can continue to grow and attract medical students who will excel in our field. Considerations into revising the applicant selection process, early introduction and mentorship within the otolaryngology field, and changes to the current otolaryngology interview process are discussed.
An Analysis of the Open Payment Database in Neurotology
Authors: Ziai Kasra , Sahyouni Ronald , Moshtaghi Omid , Vu Kimberly , Goshtasbi Khodayar , Ghavami Yaser , Lee Lauren , Lin Harrison W. , Djalilian Hamid R.
Published: February 2018

Since the introduction of the Sunshine Act in 2010 and Open Payments Database (OPD) in 2013, a significant amount of data has been collected on physicians and the payments received through ties with pharmaceutical and medical device companies. To date, a study within the field of otology and neurotology using data from the 2015 OPD has not been conducted. As such, we assessed the validity and accuracy of OPD information for otologists and neurotologists (O&Ns). Of the 126 physicians listed as O&Ns in the OPD, 25 were actually general otolaryngologists, and 1 was a cardiologist. In addition, 88 O&Ns were misclassified by the OPD as general otolaryngologists. A total of 1156 payments, summing $1,966,204, were made to O&Ns as a whole, with 646, 507, and 3 payments classified as general, research, and ownership/investment interests, respectively. Analysis of OPD data for O&Ns demonstrates a significant financial relationship between O&N physicians and industry, as well as noteworthy inaccuracies in the OPD that likely affect other subspecialties.
The personal vote, electoral experience, and local connections: Explaining retirement underperformance at UK elections 1987–2010
Authors: Middleton Alia
Published: February 2018

At each election, some Members of Parliament (MPs) decide to step down. Irrespective of their motivation, retirement has an electoral impact; their party’s constituency vote share experiences a ‘slump’. Conventional wisdom attributes this underperformance to the loss of the retiring MP’s personal vote. This article uses aggregate-level data covering UK general elections between 1987 and 2010 to demonstrate whether this explanation is supported. It also examines whether political parties can mediate such underperformances by considering the electoral experience and local connections of candidates contesting the post-retirement election. The article finds mixed evidence for the link between personal votes and underperformance. However, parties should pay close attention to the candidates selected to fight the post-retirement election. If an inheritor wants to win a national government or opposition seat, experience and local ties can be harmful. Also, schooling and other local ties enable candidates to mount effective challenges to government and opposition inheritors.
The treatment efficacy of multiple opposition phonological approach via telepractice for two children with severe phonological disorders in rural areas of West Texas in the USA
Authors: Lee Sue Ann S
Published: February 2018

The goals of the present study were to (1) examine the effects of the multiple opposition phonological approach on improving phoneme production accuracy in children with severe phonological disorders and (2) explore whether the multiple opposition approach is feasible for the telepractice service delivery model. A multiple-baseline, single-participant design replicated across two children, was implemented. Two male children who resided in rural areas of West Texas in the USA participated. One child was 4 years and 10 months old and the other child was 6 years old. Both of the children were diagnosed with phonological disorders without any sensory, motoric, or intellectual disabilities. The children’s articulation was tested using Goldman–Fristoe Articulation Test-2 and probes were administered across the period of the study. The children received a 30-minute phonological intervention via telepractice twice a week for 12 or 16 weeks. An increasing trend for production accuracy for target sounds was observed during intervention for both children. Maintenance also was observed at 2-week and 2-month follow-ups. Standard scores from a standardized articulation test increased during posttest compared to pretest. The multiple opposition phonological approach can lead to improved speech production accuracy in children with severe phonological disorders. Telepractice may be an effective context for a phonological intervention approach as has been found for other domains of speech and language intervention and a useful service delivery model to underserved children with speech disorders who are unable to access a speech pathologist due to various circumstances.
Is catheter-directed foam sclerotherapy more effective than the usual foam sclerotherapy for treatment of the great saphenous vein?
Authors: Camillo Orsini
Published: February 2018

Objective

This retrospective study presents the long-term results of catheter-directed foam sclerotherapy of the great saphenous vein.

Method

From January 2003 to June 2017, 277 patients with varices and great saphenous vein incompetence were treated with echo-guided foam sclerotherapy. Forty-six patients were treated with long-catheters guided by foam sclerotherapy. Foaming was carried out with sodium-tetra-decyl-sulphate.

Results

Results were examined in the two groups: A (long-catheters) and B (other procedures). The median overall follow-up was 52.1 months. In the A-group, the complete occlusion rate was 34/46 pts (73.9%) and partial occlusion was 10/46 (21.7%). In the B-group, respectively, 130/231 (56.2%) and 90/231 (38.9%). Comparisons between groups were statistically significant (p = 0.023; p = 0.021). Failures involved, respectively, 2/46 (4.3%) and 11/231 (4.7%) with no statistical significance. The complication rates were similar in the two groups.

Conclusions

In this long-term experience (median follow-up exceeding four years), foam-guided sclerotherapy of the great saphenous vein with a long-catheter turned out to be more effective than the usual foam-guided sclerotherapy.
Resting-State Alpha-Band Oscillations in Migraine
Authors: O’Hare Louise , Menchinelli Federica , Durrant Simon J.
Published: February 2018

Migraine groups show differences in motion perception compared with controls, when tested in between migraine attacks (interictally). This is thought to be due to an increased susceptibility to stimulus degradation (multiplicative internal noise). Fluctuations in alpha-band oscillations are thought to regulate visual perception, and so differences could provide a mechanism for the increased multiplicative noise seen in migraine. The aim of this article was to characterise resting-state alpha-band oscillations (between 8 and 12 Hz) in the visual areas of the brain in migraine and control groups. Alpha-band activity in the resting state (with eyes closed) was recorded before and after a visual psychophysics task to estimate equivalent noise, specifically a contrast detection task. The lower alpha-band (8 to 10 Hz) resting-state alpha-band power was increased in the migraine compared with the control group, which may provide a mechanism for increased multiplicative noise. In agreement with previous research, there were no differences found in the additive (baseline) internal noise, estimated using an equivalent noise task in the same observers. As fluctuations in alpha-band oscillations control the timing of perceptual processing, increased lower alpha-band (8 to 10 Hz) power could explain the behavioural differences in migraine compared with control groups, particularly on tasks relying on temporal integration.
Milton Santos: The conceptual geographer and the philosophy of technics
Authors: Davies Archie
Published: February 2018

Reviewing two recent books by and about the Brazilian geographer Milton Santos, this essay argues that attention to Santos' work both provides an important lens on the multilingual histories of critical geographical thought in the second half of the twentieth century, and opens rich seams for expanding the conceptual vocabulary of geographical theory.
Authorship, citations, acknowledgments and visibility in social media: Symbolic capital in the multifaceted reward system of science
Authors: Desrochers Nadine , Paul-Hus Adèle , Haustein Stefanie , Costas Rodrigo , Mongeon Philippe , Quan-Haase Anabel , Bowman Timothy D. , Pecoskie Jen , Tsou Andrew , Larivière Vincent
Published: February 2018

The reward system of science is undergoing significant changes, as traditional indicators compete with initiatives that offer novel means of disseminating and assessing scholarly impact. This article considers a number of aspects of this reward system, including authorship, citations, acknowledgements and the growing use of social media platforms by academics, with an eye towards identifying contemporary issues relating to scholarly communication practices, as understood through the perspectives of Bourdieu’s symbolic capital and Merton’s recognition framework. The article posits that, while scientific capital remains the foundation upon which the reward system of science is built, this system is revealing itself to be more and more multifaceted, extremely complex, and facing increasing tension between its traditional means of evaluation and the potential of new indicators in the digital era. The article presents an extended literature review, as well as recommendations for further consideration and empirical research. A better understanding of the perceptions of academics would be necessary to properly assess the effects of these new indicators on scholarly communication practices and the reward system of science.
From Shame to Dignity: Elderly Women, Depression, and the Feminine Self
Authors: Apesoa-Varano Ester Carolina
Published: February 2018

The experience of depression is diverse based on social locations and context. This analysis is based on 45 interviews with primarily working-class depressed elderly women who were recruited in primary care clinics in northern central California. They explain their emotional distress by referencing biological and social factors associated with losing a productive self based on domestic labor and the caregiving of others. Some women redirect the trajectory of their distress by resisting hegemonic femininity. However, their efforts lead to a pariah femininity that they are neither fully at ease with nor that resolves their emotional distress. For a few women an alternative discourse of a dignified feminine self emerges in the context of friendships and faith. Depression in working-class elderly women can be characterized by an ongoing negotiation of limited statuses and roles in which control over one’s self is paramount.