Experimental observations on unsafe zones in milling processes.

The unsafe zone in machining is a region of the parameter space where steady-state cutting operations may switch to regenerative chatter for certain perturbations, and vice versa. In the case of milling processes, this phenomenon is related to the existence of an unstable quasi-periodic oscillation, the in-sets of which limit the basin of attraction of the stable periodic motion that corresponds to the chatter-free cutting process. The mathematical model is a system of time-periodic nonlinear delay differential equations. It is studied by means of a nonlinear extension of the semidiscretization method, which enables the estimation of the parameter ranges where the unsafe (also called bistable) zones appear. The theoretical results are checked with thorough experimental work: first, step-by-step parameter variations are adapted to identify hysteresis loops, then harmonic burst excitations are used to estimate the extents of the unsafe zones. The hysteresis loops are accurately distinguished from the dynamic bifurcation phenomenon that is related to the dynamic effect of slowly varying parameters. The experimental results confirm the existence of the bistable parameter regions. This article is part of the theme issue 'Nonlinear dynamics of delay systems'.

Optimum Selection of Variable Pitch for Chatter Suppression in Face Milling Operations.

Cutting capacity can be seriously limited in heavy duty face milling processes due to self-excited structural vibrations. Special geometry tools and, specifically, variable pitch milling tools have been extensively used in aeronautic applications with the purpose of removing these detrimental chatter vibrations, where high frequency chatter related to slender tools or thin walls limits productivity. However, the application of this technique in heavy duty face milling operations has not been thoroughly explored. In this paper, a method for the definition of the optimum angles between inserts is presented, based on the optimum pitch angle and the stabilizability diagrams. These diagrams are obtained through the brute force (BF) iterative method, which basically consists of an iterative maximization of the stability by using the semidiscretization method. From the observed results, hints for the selection of the optimum pitch pattern and the optimum values of the angles between inserts are presented. A practical application is implemented and the cutting performance when using an optimized variable pitch tool is assessed. It is concluded that with an optimum selection of the pitch, the material removal rate can be improved up to three times. Finally, the existence of two more different stability lobe families related to the saddle-node and flip type stability losses is demonstrated.

Hypnosis aided fixed role therapy for social phobia: a case report.

This case study details how hypnosis aided fixed role therapy (HAFRT) was employed in the successful treatment of a case of social phobia with a history of refractory outcomes to previous therapy trials. The treatment consisted of 10 office sessions, scheduled every two weeks, of HAFRT along with twice a day self-hypnotic sessions where the patient performed multiple visualization rehearsals of the vignettes that were successfully mastered in hypnosis during office visits. The results indicated that this patient was able to engage in social and professional affairs that were impossible prior to treatment. The patient retained the therapy gains at follow up 6 months later.

Pediatric emotional dysregulation and behavioral disruptiveness treated with hypnosis: a time-series design.

A case of pediatric oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) with concomitant emotional dysregulation and secondary behavioral disruptiveness was treated with hypnosis by means of the hypnotic hold, a method adapted by the authors. An A-B-A-B time-series design with multiple replications was employed to measure the relationship of the hypnotic treatment to the dependent measure: episodes of emotional dysregulation with accompanying behavioral disruptiveness. The findings indicated a statistically significant relationship between the degree of change from phase to phase and the treatment. Follow-up at 6 months indicated a significant reduction of the frequency of targeted episodes of emotional dysregulation and behavioral disruptiveness at home.

I-95 phobia treated with hypnotic systematic desensitization: a case report.

Systematic desensitization and hypnosis mediated therapy share empirical evidence of efficacy in the treatment of specific phobias. However, a review of the literature indicated there is limited documentation in the employment of these modalities for treating driving related phobias (DRP). This article reports on the use of hypnosis aided systematic desensitization (HASD) in the successful treatment of a case of non-accident related driving phobia, specifically manifested on Interstate 95 (I-95). The treatment consisted of 6 office sessions of HASD along with 14 in-vivo sessions where the patient performed multiple exposures/rehearsals of the behaviors that had been successfully mastered at the office visits. The results indicated that this patient with case of (DRP) was able to resume travel on I-95 at conclusion of treatment. The patient was symptom free at follow up 6 months later.

Clinical hypnosis with a Little League baseball population: performance enhancement and resolving traumatic experiences.

A model for the use of clinical hypnosis with a Little League population was proposed and outlined with dual emphasis: performance enhancement and resolving traumatic experiences. The Performance Enhancement Training Model was developed to enhance performance with this non-patient population. It employed clinical hypnosis to bring to fruition recommendations made by coaches to enhance players' batting proficiency. The second emphasis of the proposed model focused on the resolution of involuntary maladaptive habits secondary to a traumatic experience that impede or compromise optimum performance. Included in this category were detrimental defensive habits "at the plate" after a beaming by a pitch and detrimental defensive habits "on the field" after being hit by a batted ball.

Diagnosis and hypnotic treatment of an unusual case of hysterical amnesia.

This article reports on the use of hypnosis to facilitate the diagnostic process and the treatment of an unusual case of adult psychogenic amnesia. An Iraqi citizen living in the U.S. developed an atypical case of Dissociative Amnesia, Systematized type, post-automotive collision. The amnesia presented with features encompassing complete loss of the patient's native language. Dissociation theory as a conceptualization of hysterical reactions was employed as the basis in the formulation of this case. The differential diagnosis was facilitated by the Hypnotic Diagnostic Interview for Hysterical Disorders (HDIHD) Adult Form, an interview tool specifically designed for cases such as this. Treatment consisted exclusively of ego strengthening and time projection approaches in hypnosis. It was hypothesized that, as the coping capacities became more viable, the dissociative symptoms would remiss. After 6 weekly visits the patient regained complete command of his native language. Follow-up at 6 months indicated that the patient remained devoid of symptoms.

The hypnotic diagnostic interview for hysterical disorders, pediatric form.

This article reports on the use of hypnosis to facilitate the diagnostic process in two cases of pediatric hysterical reactions. The Hypnotic Diagnostic Interview for Hysterical Disorders (HDIHD), an interview tool, specifically designed for these cases, is reported. The first case was an adolescent male with motor Conversion Disorder manifested as paralysis of his lower limbs. The second was a preadolescent girl with sensory Conversion Disorder manifested as reduction of visual field in her right eye. Freudian conceptualization of hysterical reactions was employed as the conceptual basis in the formulation of these cases. This orientation posits hysterical phenomena a psychological defense employed by individuals exposed to traumatic experiences in order to effectuate a defense from intolerable affective material. The emotionally overwhelming material converts into physical reactivity free of the traumatic consequences by keeping the intolerable images and emotions deeply repressed within the subconscious. As the focus on these cases was diagnostic, treatment efforts were avoided. As it turned out, environmental interventions, based on the obtained information from the hypnotic interviews, extinguished the symptoms. The children were symptom free at follow-up.

Secondary diurnal enuresis treated with hypnosis: a time-series design.

A case of secondary diurnal enuresis (SDE) after a car accident was treated with hypnosis by means of the Hypnotic Trauma Narrative, an instrument created by the authors for use with children who have been exposed to traumatic events and develop either classic symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder or manifest other psychosomatic symptoms. An ABAB time-series design with multiple replications was employed to measure the relationship of the hypnotic treatment to the dependent measure: episodes of diurnal incontinence. The findings indicated a statistically significant relationship between the degree of change from phase to phase and the treatment. Hypnosis with the Hypnotic Trauma Narrative was deemed efficacious as a method for the treatment of secondary diurnal enuresis. The patient was symptom-free at follow-up 6 months later.

Awake-alert hypnosis in the treatment of panic disorder: a case report.

An individual developed a lifestyle-limiting case of Panic Disorder that threatened to interfere with her raison d'etre: To participate in the exclusive lifestyle of her community. The panic episodes started to cripple her social calendar and as the "season" came into full swing her coveted role of chairwoman of various philanthropic functions came into peril. A variant of awake-alert hypnosis had to be created for this case. Hypnosis consisting of eye closure with relaxation was out of the question. The authors created an induction technique and specific suggestions based on the Waterford glassware, as focal point, with the purpose of not only inducing awake-alert hypnosis but also of executing a series of specific strategies, tailored to abort the incipient panic episodes.

Three failures of direct suggestion in psychogenic dermatitis followed by successful intervention.

Three adult cases of psychogenic dermatitis of atypical presentation were treated with direct suggestion under hypnosis (DSUH), which included suggestions for developing cooling, soothing and healing numbness in the affected areas. After a trial of 5 sessions over a period of 2 months, the results in all 3 cases were determined to be unappreciable and unsuccessful. The patients were subsequently treated with hypnoanalysis including ideomotor questioning, regression to onset, and reframing followed by direct suggestions under hypnosis (DSUH) for healing of all affected areas except a negotiated index finger on the nondominant hand. This technique proved an effective treatment that extinguished the flair-ups in 6 visits or less over a period of 2 months. These cases were followed at intervals of up to 1 year and no evidence of relapse found.

Hypnotic treatment of PTSD in children who have complicated bereavement.

Although conceptualized as a normal reaction to loss and not classified as a mental disorder, grief can be considered a focus of treatment. When grief complicates and becomes pathological by virtue of its duration, intensity, and absence or by bizarre or somatic manifestation, a psychiatric diagnosis is in order. Childhood PTSD in Complicated Bereavement is a condition derived from the loss of a loved one when the nature of death is occasioned through traumatic means. The traumatic nature of the loss engenders trauma symptoms, which impinge on the child's normal grieving process and his/ her ability to negotiate the normal grieving system. The 2 cases presented herein constitute single session treatment with clinical hypnosis of PTSD, a result of the traumatic loss of the paternal figures. The setting in which these cases took place was rural Guatemala. Treatment consisted of single session hypnosis with the Hypnotic Trauma Narrative, a tool designed to address the symptomatology of PTSD. Follow-up a week later and telephone follow-up 2 months later demonstrated the resolution of traumatic manifestations and the spontaneous beginning of the normal grief process.

Hypnosis and existential psychotherapy with end-stage terminally ill patients.

Existential Psychological Theory was employed as a conceptual and theoretical foundation for the use of hypnotically facilitated therapy in the management of intractable pain, nausea, and vomiting in 3 end-stage, terminally ill cancer patients. The existential principles of death anxiety, existential isolation, and existential meaninglessness were addressed with a combination of classic and Ericksonian techniques. The intractable nature of the presenting physical symptoms was conceptualized as a possible manifestation of the impact of the terminal prognosis. Direct hypnotic suggestions for the management of pain, nausea and vomiting were avoided. It was hypothesized that, as the existential conflicts associated with the patients' terminal status resolved, the physiological symptoms would become responsive to medication. After 6 sessions grounded in the principles of Existential Psychotherapy, the intractable status of the physical symptomatology remitted, and the patients responded to medical management. This paper addresses the usefulness of Existential Psychotherapy in hypnotic interventions for mediating somatic and psychosomatic symptomatology.

Hypnosis as a vehicle for choice and self-agency in the treatment of children with Trichotillomania.

Three pediatric cases of Trichotillomania were treated with direct hypnotic suggestion with exclusive emphasis on sensitizing and alerting the patients to impending scalp hair pulling behaviors. These children had presented with total lack of awareness of their scalp hair pulling behaviors until they had actually twisted and pulled off clumps of hair. It was also suggested, under hypnosis, that upon learning to recognize impending scalp hair pulling behaviors, the patients would become free to choose to willfully pull their hair or to resist the impulse and not pull. At no point was the explicit suggestion given that they stop pulling their hair. A preliminary condition was agreed to by the parents that redefined the patients' hair as their own property and affirmed their sole responsibility for its care and maintenance. An element of secondary gain was identified in each of these cases. Scalp hair pulling was hypothesized to provide these particular patients with a vehicle with which to oppose their overbearing and over-involved parents. The technique of direct suggestion under hypnosis, aimed at alerting the patients to impending scalp hair pulling behaviors was combined with forming contracts with the parents to relinquish their authority over matters regarding the patients' hair. This combination provided an effective treatment that extinguished the scalp hair pulling in 7 visits or less. These cases received follow-up at intervals up to 6 months and no evidence of relapse was found.