Psychiatric Boarding in New Hampshire: Violation of a Statutory Right to Treatment

[Excerpt] New Hampshire law provides for the involuntary commitment of a patient such as Jane when she is a danger to herself or others as a result of mental illness. The patient has a right to treatment under N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 135-C:1, et seq. Specifically, the patient should receive adequate and humane treatment pursuant to an individual service plan and in the least restrictive environment necessary. However, appropriate facilities often are not available for patients waiting in emergency rooms, and patients can become trapped for hours or even days. This phenomenon is called psychiatric boarding. New Hampshire is not alone in providing a statutory right to treatment, and the problem of psychiatric boarding is common in other states. While enforcement of statutory rights to treatment often is elusive, the Washington Supreme Court delivered a landmark ruling on psychiatric boarding in August 2014, finding that it violated the state laws protecting involuntarily committed patients. Could the Washington court\u27s rationale lead to similar conclusions in other states? Looking to New Hampshire as an example, the state statutes for commitment and treatment rights are analogous to Washington\u27s, and this suggests that the Washington ruling could prove a valuable precedent for barring psychiatric boarding in other states. This Note will compare Washington\u27s involuntary commitment law to New Hampshire\u27s, argue that psychiatric boarding is illegal under New Hampshire law, and propose solutions for complying with the statute, including the continued implementation of community-based services. If New Hampshire implemented its statutory scheme as written, it would satisfy patients\u27 rights to treatment. tion of community-based services. If New Hampshire implemented its statutory scheme as written, it would satisfy patients\u27 rights to treatment

Preparation of monotectic alloys having a controlled microstructure by directional solidification under dopant-induced interface breakdown

Monotectic alloys having aligned spherical particles of rods of the minor component dispersed in a matrix of the major component are prepared by forming a melt containing predetermined amounts of the major and minor components of a chosen monotectic system, providing in the melt a dopant capable of breaking down the liquid solid interface for the chosen alloy, and directionally solidfying the melt at a selected temperature gradient and a selected rate of movement of the liquid-solid interface (growth rate). Shaping of the minor component into spheres or rods and the spacing between them are controlled by the amount of dopant and the temperature gradient and growth rate values. Specific alloy systems include Al Bi, Al Pb and Zn Bi, using a transition element such as iron

Examining a Ripple Effect: Do Spouses’ Behavior Changes Predict Each Other’s Weight Loss?

Background. Including spouses in obesity treatment has been found to promote weight loss. We assessed whether spouses’ diet and activity changes impacted each other’s weight loss when both members attended an active weight loss program (TOGETHER) or only the primary participant attended treatment (ALONE). Methods. Heterosexual couples () enrolled in an 18-month randomized controlled weight loss trial were weighed and completed measures of dietary intake and physical activity at baseline and 6 months. We conducted dyadic data analyses using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model. Results. Participants’ weight loss was not predicted by their partners’ behavior changes. However, partners’ weight loss was predicted by their participants’ changes in calorie and fat intake. When partners were coupled with a participant who did not reduce their own calorie and fat intake as much, these partners had higher weight loss when treated in the TOGETHER group but lower weight loss when they were untreated in the ALONE group. There were no reciprocal effects found with physical activity changes. Conclusions. Direct treatment had the greatest impact on participants and partners who were treated. Untreated partners’ weight losses were positively impacted by their spouses’ dietary changes, suggesting a ripple effect from treated spouses to their untreated partners

Development of High Angle of Attack Control Laws for an Unstable, Non- Minimum Phase Aircraft Using Variations of the Quantitative Feedback Technique

This thesis discusses the application of variations of the quantitative feedback technique to a control problem with unstable, non-minimum phase plants. The X-29A research aircraft is used as the basis for developing a set of representative linearized aircraft dynamics models, which are modified to allow for the use of differential canard control inputs for enhanced maneuverability at extreme angles of attack. A specialized design approach is presented to develop frequency dependent weighting matrices, and the shortcomings of traditional methods are discussed. Four independent longitudinal compensators are developed by first designing loop transmission functions. Discussion is provided that addresses the limitations imposed on the designer by the numerous right half plane poles and zeros of the effective plants. The optimal blending method is applied in one case to achieve a marginally stable system for a virtually impossible problem. Prefilters are designed and their effects on closed-loop time responses are discussed. The singular-G method is used to improve the achievable stability characterisitics of a multi-input multi-output lateral-directional controller. The optimal blending method is then applied to develop an optimal loop transmission function. Finally, the required steps for completing the MIMO design are presented to aid future research efforts

Evaluation of Materials and Concepts for Aircraft Fire Protection

Woven fiberglass fluted-core simulated aircraft interior panels were flame tested and structurally evaluated against the Boeing 747 present baseline interior panels. The NASA-defined panels, though inferior on a strength-to-weight basis, showed better structural integrity after flame testing, due to the woven fiberglass structure