Guest Post: Fear and Loathing at Shiloh

Everyone is and has been talking about the Shiloh 150th commemoration, whether it be the NPS event starting this week or the battle reenactment that took place this past weekend. It has been called the \u27Antietam of the West.\u27 All the events surrounding its 150th anniversary have been heralded as being one of \u27the big ones\u27 this year. Over 23,000 casualties of both sides in two days - a pretty significant and bloody battle. [excerpt

Peripheral Constraint Versus On-line Programming in Rapid Aimed Sequestial Movements

The purpose of this investigation was to examine how the programming and control of a rapid aiming sequence shifts with increased complexity. One objective was to determine if a preprogramming/peripheral constraint explanation is adequate to characterize control of an increasingly complex rapid aiming sequence, and if not, at what point on-line programming better accounts for the data. A second objective was to examine when on-line programming occurs. Three experiments were conducted in which complexity was manipulated by increasing the number of targets from 1 to 11. Initiation- and execution-timing patterns, probe reaction time, and movement kinematics were measured. Results supported the peripheral constraint/pre-programming explanation for sequences up to 7 targets if they were executed in a blocked fashion. For sequences executed in a random fashion (one length followed by a different length), preprogramming did not increase with complexity, and on-line programming occurred without time cost. Across all sequences there was evidence that the later targets created a peripheral constraint on movements to previous targets. We suggest that programming is influenced by two factors: the overall spatial trajectory, which is consistent with Sidaway’s subtended angle hypothesis (1991), and average velocity, with the latter established based on the number of targets in the sequence. As the number of targets increases, average velocity decreases, which controls variability of error in the extent of each movement segment. Overall the data support a continuous model of processing, one in which programming and execution co-occur, and can do so without time cost

Manual control analysis of drug effects on driving performance

The effects of secobarbital, diazepam, alcohol, and marihuana on car-driver transfer functions obtained using a driving simulator were studied. The first three substances, all CNS depressants, reduced gain, crossover frequency, and coherence which resulted in poorer tracking performance. Marihuana also impaired tracking performance but the only effect on the transfer function parameters was to reduce coherence

Vehicle Steering control: A model of learning

A hierarchy of strategies were postulated to describe the process of learning steering control. Vehicle motion and steering control data were recorded for twelve novices who drove an instrumented car twice a week during and after a driver training course. Car-driver describing functions were calculated, the probable control structure determined, and the driver-alone transfer function modelled. The data suggested that the largest changes in steering control with learning were in the way the driver used the lateral position cue

Householder transformations and optimal linear combinations

Several theorems related to the Householder transformation and separability criteria are proven. Orthogonal transformations, topology, divergence, mathematical matrices, and group theory are discussed

Field Recording or Field Observation?: Audio Meets Method in Qualitative Research

The field observation, an ethnographic practice of collecting data and information about a given social setting and situation is often used in preliminary research to have an understanding of the community one is researching. However, from an artist/musician\u27s perspective, the field observation has many commonalities with techniques used in audio field recording. How can field recording be used in parallel with field observations to explore and understand a community through art? This essay will begin with a comparison of field observations and field recordings as methods in their own disciplines, and continue with the concept of “attention” in art, music, science and anthropology. It will follow and conclude with a project that looks at combining qualitative research and art to explore a community of gardeners through recorded interviews and sounds. The work of Pauline Oliveros, Walter S. Gershon, Clifford Geertz, Anne McCrary Sullivan, and Steven Feld will be important in making the connections across disciplines

The incidence of mental ill-health in adults with intellectual disabilities

Introduction Adults with intellectual disabilities account for a minor proportion of the population, with reported prevalence rates in developed countries in the range of 3-6 per 1000 adults (Beange & Taplin, 1996; McGrother et al, 2002; McConkey et al, 2006) but have very high health needs and thus make up a proportionally larger section of the population with illness. Although it has been demonstrated that adults with intellectual disabilities have a higher prevalence of mental ill-health when compared to that reported for the general population (Bailey, 2008; Hassiotis et al, 2008; Cooper et al, 2007; Cooper & Bailey, 2001; Lund, 1985a; Corbett,1979), and some studies have shown a degree of persistence of behavioural problems and affective symptoms over time (Thompson & Reid, 2002; Collishaw et al, 2003), there is insufficient evidence to answer the question of whether this high prevalence is due to a high level of enduring mental ill-health or a high incidence of mental health, or indeed a combination of the two. To date, three studies (Holland et al, 2000; Zigman et al, 2004; van Schrojenstein Lantman-de Valk et al, 1997) have measured the incidence of dementia and only one study (van Schrojenstein Lantman-de Valk et al, 1997) has attempted to measure the incidence of affective disorder. No study has measured the overall incidence of mental ill-health in this population. Similarly, although the population based prevalence studies by Deb et al (2001a), Cooper et al (2007) and Bailey (2008) have identified some associations with mental ill-health (female gender, severe intellectual disabilities, past psychiatric history, not living with a family carer, smoking, life events, urinary incontinence and not having immobility), it is unknown whether some of these factors are cause or effect. No study to date has identified any adult risk factors for the onset of all types of mental-ill health in adults with all levels and causes of intellectual disabilities. As a consequence, our current knowledge of the epidemiology of mental ill-health in this population is limited and almost non-existent with regard to incidence and predictive factors of mental ill-health. The aim of this study was to measure the 2 year incidence rate of all types of mental ill-health in a population based sample of adults with intellectual disabilities with sufficient numbers to allow investigation of possible predictive factors for the onset of mental ill-health and examine the 2 year chronicity of mental-ill health in this population. Methods A large scale population based study of the prevalence of mental ill-health in adults with intellectual disabilities living in Glasgow, undertaken during 2002-2003 (Cooper et al, 2007), provided the opportunity to carry out a prospective longitudinal cohort design study, with the prevalence study providing the sample and baseline data. The sample size was 651 with a cohort retention rate of 70%. All participants were assessed using a two stage process (screening then detailed psychiatric assessment of potential cases) at baseline and at the 2 year follow-up interview. A modified version of the PAS-ADD checklist (Moss et al, 1998), with a reduced threshold for caseness to increase sensitivity, plus a problem behaviour checklist, pervasive developmental disorders checklist, and past 2 years mental health needs questionnaire was used to screen for mental ill-health occurring at any point during the two year follow up. All participants with identified episodes of mental ill-health were referred to the Glasgow University Centre for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities for detailed psychiatric assessment using PPS-LD (Cooper, 1997), checklists for problem behaviour, ADHD and pervasive developmental disorders and the Test for Severe Impairment (Albert & Cohen, 1992) (for possible dementia) and consensus diagnosis according to clinician, DC-LD, ICD-10-DCR and DSM-IV–TR criteria. Incidence and recovery rates were calculated. Standardised incident ratios were calculated by comparing the findings with reported rates for the general population. Stepwise binary logistic regression was used to examine factors independently related to the incidence and chronicity of mental ill-health. Key results The two year incidence of episodes of mental ill-health in adults with intellectual disabilities according to clinical diagnosis was 16.3%. This incidence rate is similar to the incidence rate of mental disorders in the general population but the type and proportion of individual disorders that accounted for this rate was different. Approximately 20% of this incidence rate was accounted for by problem behaviour, the incidence of psychosis, bipolar affective disorder and early onset dementia was very much higher than that reported for the general population with standardised incident ratios of 9.93 (95% CI 2.05-29.02), 100.20 (95% CI 12.14-361.96) and 66.67 (95% CI 18.16-170.69) respectively. The incidence of substance misuse and anxiety disorders was lower than that reported for the general population with standardised incident ratios of 0.04 (95% CI 0.00-0.24) and 0.17 (95% CI 0.06-0.37) respectively, although the lowered rate of anxiety disorders might be due to the methodological limitations of this study. Factors found to be predictive of episodes of mental ill-health (excluding problem behaviour, dementia, and delirium) were, in order of decreasing strength of association: not living with a family carer, not having immobility, mental ill-health in the past, more severe intellectual disabilities, abuse/adversity in adulthood, and urinary incontinence. A high level of chronic mental ill-health was found with a 2 year recovery rate of only 32.5%. Factors identified as associated with the endurance of mental ill-health (excluding problem behaviours) in adults with intellectual disabilities were, in decreasing order of strength of association: problem behaviour, not having Down’s syndrome, not having immobility and smoking. Conclusions The overall incidence of mental ill-health in adults with intellectual disabilities is similar to that reported for the general population but the type and proportion of disorders accounting for this is different. There is high level of enduring mental ill-health in adults with intellectual disabilities. It appears that the high point prevalence of mental ill-health in adults with intellectual disabilities compared to the general population is accounted for more by a higher level of endurance of mental ill-health than by a higher incidence. The identification of risk factors for the onset of mental ill-health means that hypothesis based studies, leading on to the development of interventions and then randomised controlled trials are now possible