Thinking Like a Child: Legal Implications of Recent Developments in Brain Research for Juvenile Offenders

2017 ◽  
pp. 199-214
Author(s):  
Katherine Hunt Federle ◽  
Paul Skendelas
Keyword(s):  
Juvenile Offenders ◽  
Brain Research ◽  
Legal Implications ◽  
Recent Developments

scholarly journals Νευροεπιστήμες και ποινικό δίκαιο: υποσχέσεις και περιορισμοί σχετικά με την εκτίμηση της ικανότητας για καταλογισμό

Bioethica ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 19
Author(s):  
Γεωργία-Μάρθα Γκότση (Georgia-Martha Gkotsi)
Keyword(s):  
Brain Research ◽  
Criminal Responsibility ◽  
Scientific Data ◽  
Legal Responsibility ◽  
Criminal Cases ◽  
Criminal Trials ◽  
Political Factors ◽  
Legal Proceedings ◽  
Legal Implications ◽  
The Impact

In recent years, an explosion of interest in neuroscience has led to the development of "Neuro-law," a new multidisciplinary field of knowledge whose aim is to examine the impact and role of neuroscientific findings in legal proceedings. Neuroscientific evidence is increasingly being used in US and European courts in criminal trials, as part of psychiatric testimony, nourishing the debate about the legal implications of brain research in psychiatric-legal settings.In this paper, we aim to examine the impact of Neuroscientific evidence in the assessment of criminal responsibility. We start with a brief historical survey of the relation between brain sciences and criminal law. We then present two criminal cases in the context of which neuroimaging techniques were introduced as evidence of diminished responsibility or irresponsibility and continue with a presentation of some significant limitations and difficulties that neuroscience faces in the assessment of penal responsibility. These limitations are scientific, legal but also of philosophical and conceptual nature.We conclude that addressing moral or legal responsibility might depend on scientific data, but requires entry to very different conceptual domains. The legal system cannot delegate to another field, scientific or otherwise, the ascription of legal meaning. Neuroscientific data, however accurate and reliable they may become in the future, cannot contribute to the assessment of criminal responsibility, unless they are contextualised and completed -or even confronted- with data collected on other levels of analysis, in particular on a psychological, anamnestic, sociological and economic level. Neurosciences, as sciences, can offer functioning and biological models of behaviours, while the assignment of responsibility is a normative issue. Although neuroscientific evidence can provide assistance in the evaluation of penal responsibility by introducing new determinisms in the behavioural analysis of offenders with mental disturbances, it does not dispense with the need to define the limits of responsibility and irresponsibility of the accused. This analysis, while it needs to take account of social, moral and political factors - in addition to elements contributed by experts - ultimately belongs to the legal sphere.

scholarly journals Comparison of Multiscale Imaging Methods for Brain Research

Cells ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 1377
Author(s):  
Jessica Tröger ◽  
Christian Hoischen ◽  
Birgit Perner ◽  
Shamci Monajembashi ◽  
Aurélien Barbotin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adaptive Optics ◽  
Brain Research ◽  
Super Resolution ◽  
Synaptic Proteins ◽  
Physiological Status ◽  
Basic Set ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Quantitative Manner ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Brain

A major challenge in neuroscience is how to study structural alterations in the brain. Even small changes in synaptic composition could have severe outcomes for body functions. Many neuropathological diseases are attributable to disorganization of particular synaptic proteins. Yet, to detect and comprehensively describe and evaluate such often rather subtle deviations from the normal physiological status in a detailed and quantitative manner is very challenging. Here, we have compared side-by-side several commercially available light microscopes for their suitability in visualizing synaptic components in larger parts of the brain at low resolution, at extended resolution as well as at super-resolution. Microscopic technologies included stereo, widefield, deconvolution, confocal, and super-resolution set-ups. We also analyzed the impact of adaptive optics, a motorized objective correction collar and CUDA graphics card technology on imaging quality and acquisition speed. Our observations evaluate a basic set of techniques, which allow for multi-color brain imaging from centimeter to nanometer scales. The comparative multi-modal strategy we established can be used as a guide for researchers to select the most appropriate light microscopy method in addressing specific questions in brain research, and we also give insights into recent developments such as optical aberration corrections.

scholarly journals Advances in Fibre Microendoscopy for Neuronal Imaging

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Peter Mekhail ◽  
Gordon Arbuthnott ◽  
Síle Nic Chormaic
Keyword(s):  
Free Path ◽  
Brain Research ◽  
Mean Free Path ◽  
Neural Dynamics ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Neuronal Imaging ◽  
Functional Dyes ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Functional Areas ◽  
The Brain

AbstractTraditionally, models for neural dynamics in the brain have been formed through research conducted on slices, with electrodes, or by lesions to functional areas. Recent developments in functional dyes and optogenetics has made brain research more accessible through the use of light. However, this improved accessibility does not necessarily apply to deep regions of the brain which are surrounded by scattering tissue. In this article we give an overview of some of the latest methods in development for neural measurement and imaging.We specifically address methods designed to overcome the problem of imaging invivo for regions far beyond the mean free path of photons in brain tissue. These methodswould permit previously restricted neural research.

The Legal Implications of a Relationship Outside Marriage

1978 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 252-269
Author(s):  
David Pearl
Keyword(s):  
Legal Rights ◽  
Moral Norms ◽  
Stable Relationship ◽  
Marriage Ceremony ◽  
Legal Implications ◽  
The Status ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Legal Position ◽  
Policy Shift ◽  
Husband And Wife

It is still true to say that the English law encourages couples to marry rather than to live together without the sanction of the marriage ceremony. The parties to a stable relationship outside marriage, however, have recently been granted, both by judicial developments and statutory innovation, legal rights previously associated only with the status of marriage. In particular, reforming legislation has included the cohabiting, but unmarried, couple in certain significantly important improvements to the previously existing legal position of husband and wife. This article provides an overall review of recent developments. Questions relating to the status of children and the rights and duties of the parents, whether married or unmarried, are excluded. The legal position for the unmarried couple is, to a large extent, dictated by the prevailing policy that marriage should be encouraged. The opposing trends—both practical as well as changing moral norms—have not been sufficiently powerful for any substantial policy shift.

Juvenile Curfews and the Courts: Judicial Response to a Not-So-New Crime Control Strategy

1999 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig Hemmens ◽  
Katherine Bennett
Keyword(s):  
Juvenile Offenders ◽  
Crime Control ◽  
Juvenile Crime ◽  
Court Decisions ◽  
Lower Court ◽  
Adult Court ◽  
Frequent Use ◽  
Legal Implications ◽  
The Supreme Court ◽  
Crime Wave

There is widespread sentiment that juvenile crime is out of control. Although this perception is incorrect, it has led to a number of changes in how juvenile offenders are dealt with, such as increased use of waiver to adult court and more frequent use of confinement as a sanction. This article examines the constitutionality of juvenile curfews, another currently popular response to the supposed juvenile crime wave. Because the Supreme Court has not provided guidance on this issue, the authors examine recent lower court decisions and discuss the legal implications of juvenile curfew laws.

Trends in Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy

1977 ◽  
Vol 35 ◽  
pp. 228-229
Author(s):  
C. Colliex ◽  
P. Trebbia
Keyword(s):  
Energy Loss ◽  
Electron Energy ◽  
Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy ◽  
Materials Science ◽  
Analytical Technique ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Quantitative Results ◽  
Electron Microscopes ◽  
Electron Energy Loss ◽  
Primary Electrons

The physical foundations for the use of electron energy loss spectroscopy towards analytical purposes, seem now rather well established and have been extensively discussed through recent publications. In this brief review we intend only to mention most recent developments in this field, which became available to our knowledge. We derive also some lines of discussion to define more clearly the limits of this analytical technique in materials science problems.The spectral information carried in both low ( 0<ΔE<100eV ) and high ( >100eV ) energy regions of the loss spectrum, is capable to provide quantitative results. Spectrometers have therefore been designed to work with all kinds of electron microscopes and to cover large energy ranges for the detection of inelastically scattered electrons (for instance the L-edge of molybdenum at 2500eV has been measured by van Zuylen with primary electrons of 80 kV). It is rather easy to fix a post-specimen magnetic optics on a STEM, but Crewe has recently underlined that great care should be devoted to optimize the collecting power and the energy resolution of the whole system.

Filaments and membranes in the mitotic apparatus

1983 ◽  
Vol 41 ◽  
pp. 544-547
Author(s):  
Kent McDonald
Keyword(s):  
Intermediate Filaments ◽  
Mitotic Spindle ◽  
Mitotic Apparatus ◽  
Light Microscope Level ◽  
Microtubule Associated Proteins ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Associated Proteins ◽  
Force Generator ◽  
Spindle Function ◽  
Antibody Technology

At the light microscope level the recent developments and interest in antibody technology have permitted the localization of certain non-microtubule proteins within the mitotic spindle, e.g., calmodulin, actin, intermediate filaments, protein kinases and various microtubule associated proteins. Also, the use of fluorescent probes like chlorotetracycline suggest the presence of membranes in the spindle. Localization of non-microtubule structures in the spindle at the EM level has been less rewarding. Some mitosis researchers, e.g., Rarer, have maintained that actin is involved in mitosis movements though the bulk of evidence argues against this interpretation. Others suggest that a microtrabecular network such as found in chromatophore granule movement might be a possible force generator but there is little evidence for or against this view. At the level of regulation of spindle function, Harris and more recently Hepler have argued for the importance of studying spindle membranes. Hepler also believes that membranes might play a structural or mechanical role in moving chromosomes.

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