The charm of structural neuroimaging in insanity evaluations. guidelines to avoid misinterpretation of the findings

Despite the popularity of structural neuroimaging techniques in twenty-first-century research, its results have had limited translational impact in real-world settings, where inferences need to be made at the individual level. Structural neuroimaging methods are now introduced frequently to aid in assessing defendants for insanity in criminal forensic evaluations, with the aim of providing “convergence” of evidence on the mens rea of the defendant. This approach may provide pivotal support for judges’ decisions. Although neuroimaging aims to reduce uncertainty and controversies in legal settings and to increase the objectivity of criminal rulings, the application of structural neuroimaging in forensic settings is hampered by cognitive biases in the evaluation of evidence that lead to misinterpretation of the imaging results. It is thus increasingly important to have clear guidelines on the correct ways to apply and interpret neuroimaging evidence. In the current paper, we review the literature concerning structural neuroimaging in court settings with the aim of identifying rules for its correct application and interpretation. These rules, which aim to decrease the risk of biases, focus on the importance of (i) descriptive diagnoses, (ii) anatomo-clinical correlation, (iii) brain plasticity and (iv) avoiding logical fallacies, such as reverse inference. In addition, through the analysis of real forensic cases, we describe errors frequently observed due to incorrect interpretations of imaging. Clear guidelines for both the correct circumstances for introducing neuroimaging and its eventual interpretation are defined

Embedding auxetic properties in designing active-bending gridshells

Advancements in computational tools are offering designers the possibility to change their relationship with materials. The exploration ofauxetic metamaterials, specifically engineered to obtain properties beyond those found in nature, is the promising field examined in this paper. The aim is to define tools and methods in order to design auxetics, and use them tocreate efficient active-bending structures. By programming their geometry through several parameters, it is possible to finely control curvature and structural resistance. The paper describes an original investigation into the process of programming such structures through the use of combined computational tools

Totem: a case study in HEP

It is being proved that the neurochip \Totem{} is a viable solution for high quality and real time computational tasks in HEP, including event classification, triggering and signal processing. The architecture of the chip is based on a "derivative free" algorithm called Reactive Tabu Search (RTS), highly performing even for low precision weights. ISA, VME or PCI boards integrate the chip as a coprocessor in a host computer. This paper presents: 1) the state of the art and the next evolution of the design of \Totem{}; 2) its ability in the Higgs search at LHC as an example.Comment: Latex, elsart.sty, 5 pages, talk presented by I.Lazzizzera at CHEP97 (Berlin, April 1997

The multiform motor cortical output: kinematic, predictive and response coding

Observing actions performed by others entails a subliminal activation of primary motor cortex reflecting the components encoded in the observed action. One of the most debated issues concerns the role of this output: Is it a mere replica of the incoming flow of information (kinematic coding), is it oriented to anticipate the forthcoming events (predictive coding) or is it aimed at responding in a suitable fashion to the actions of others (response coding)? The aim of the present study was to disentangle the relative contribution of these three levels and unify them into an integrated view of cortical motor coding. We combined transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and electromyography recordings at different timings to probe the excitability of corticospinal projections to upper and lower limb muscles of participants observing a soccer player performing: (i) a penalty kick straight in their direction and then coming to a full stop, (ii) a penalty kick straight in their direction and then continuing to run, (iii) a penalty kick to the side and then continuing to run. The results show a modulation of the observer's corticospinal excitability in different effectors at different times reflecting a multiplicity of motor coding. The internal replica of the observed action, the predictive activation, and the adaptive integration of congruent and non-congruent responses to the actions of others can coexist in a not mutually exclusive way. Such a view offers reconciliation among different (and apparently divergent) frameworks in action observation literature, and will promote a more complete and integrated understanding of recent findings on motor simulation, motor resonance and automatic imitation

International Taxation and Competitiveness: Introduction and Overview

The debate about whether to abolish deferral or to adopt territoriality has been going on ever since the Kennedy Administration first proposed ending deferral in 1961. The problem is that neither side has factual support for their argument about whether the U.S. tax system, including Subpart F, as currently enacted or with any of the proposed reforms, in fact negatively impacts the tax burden of US-based MNEs. Even the concept of competitiveness itself is unclear. Despite numerous claims, there has been no rigorous attempt that we are aware of to determine whether MNEs based in our major trading partners in fact have a tax advantage or disadvantage because of Subpart F or other rules. In October, 2011, the American Tax Policy Institute sponsored a conference organized by Reuven Avi-Yonah and Jane Gravelle on \u27International Taxation and Competitiveness\u27. This conference was designed to address these issues in a systematic way, and to form the basis for a better informed policy debate going forward. The articles included in this volume were first presented at this conference

Study of the attitudes and future intentions of nursing students towards working with older people: an observational study

Background: Older people are increasing in the world leading to the fact that many nursing students will work in geriatric care setting. It was also reported the lack of knowledge and interest in working with older people by many nursing students. Therefore, the aim of the study is to explore the attitudes, wills, and intentions for the care of older people from nursing students. Methods: A sample of 383 students (mean age between 17 and 24; females: 76.2%) was divided according to the year. A questionnaire and three scales investigating the attitude for working with older persons (Kogan, Aday-Campbell, Nolan scales) were administered. Simple correlations across the three scales and the comparisons in means by year of graduation were reported. Results: Of the 383 students, 69.7% would take care of an older person, with the previous experience with older patients being the most important determinant in positive attitude of students in working with older people. The Kogan scale revealed a relatively positive attitude towards older people of the students involved; the Aday’s scale a reasonable willingness to take care of the older people; the Nolan scale a fair intention. Aday’s scale significantly correlated with Nolan’s scale and with Kogan’s scale as well as the Nolan scale correlated with the Kogan scale. Conclusion: Our study suggests that the quality of care provided to older people is related to the attitudes of health professionals indicating that nursing educators should adopt effective strategies to increase and promote students’ positive attitudes to older people. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

Symposium on International Taxation and Competitiveness: Introduction and Overview

In February, 2012, the Treasury and White House unveiled President Obama\u27s Framework for Business Tax Reform. A major proposal was to abolish the deferral on income earned by foreign subsidiaries of U.S. corporations ( CFCs )

A time-variable, phase-dependent emission line in the X-ray spectrum of the isolated neutron star RXJ0822–4300

RX J0822−4300 is the central compact object associated with the Puppis A supernova remnant. Previous X-ray observations suggested RX J0822−4300 to be a young neutron star with a weak dipole field and a peculiar surface temperature distribution dominated by two antipodal spots with different temperatures and sizes. An emission line at 0.8 keV was also detected. We performed a very deep (130-ks) observation with XMM–Newton, which allowed us to study in detail the phase-resolved properties of RX J0822−4300. Our new data confirm the existence of a narrow spectral feature, best modelled as an emission line, only seen in the ‘soft’-phase interval – when the cooler region is best aligned to the line of sight. Surprisingly, comparison of our recent observations to the older ones yields evidence for a variation in the emission-line component, which can be modelled as a decrease in the central energy from ∼0.80 keV in 2001 to ∼0.73 keV in 2009–10. The line could be generated via cyclotron scattering of thermal photons in an optically-thin layer of gas, or, alternatively, it could originate in low-rate accretion by a debris disc. In any case, a variation in energy, pointing to a variation of the magnetic field in the line-emitting region, cannot be easily accounted for