scholarly journals Re-assessing measurement error in police calls for service: Classifications of events by dispatchers and officers

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. e0260365
Author(s):  
Rylan Simpson ◽  
Carlena Orosco

Police calls for service are an important conduit by which officers and researchers can obtain insight into public requests for police service. Questions remain, however, about the quality of these data, and, particularly, the prevalence of measurement error in the classifications of events. As part of the present research, we assess the accuracy of call-types used by police dispatchers to describe events that are responded to by police officers. Drawing upon a sample of 515,155 calls for police service, we explore the differences among initial call-types, cleared call-types, and crime-types as documented in crime reports. Our analyses reveal that although the majority of calls for service exhibit overlap in their classifications, many still exhibit evidence of misclassification. Our analyses also reveal that such patterns vary as a function of call- and crime-type categories. We discuss our findings in light of the challenges of the classification process and the associated implications.

Author(s):  
Rylan Simpson

Abstract Policing has historically been conceptualized as a team sport which requires the work of many to produce the output of one. Although police officers have been the focus of much policing research, it is important to recognize that the work of officers hinges upon the work of dispatchers. As a lifeline for both citizens and police officers, dispatchers play an integral role in ensuring that help is provided where help is required via their management of the emergency (911) telephone and radio system. Despite their importance, however, dispatchers have largely been excluded from mainstream criminological scholarship. Supplemented by a narrative review of the scant literature on the subject of dispatching, this commentary illustrates the important role of dispatchers in policing operations, theorizes the dearth of research regarding dispatchers, and calls for future research to better understand their discretionary and interpretive work. This commentary thus casts light on these highly important but understudied and undertheorized figures in the policing nexus.


2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 54-78
Author(s):  
Petr Adamec ◽  
Marián Svoboda

This paper deals with the results of sociological survey focused on identification of the attitudes of elderly people to further education. The research was carried out in September 2010. Experience of elderly people with further education, their readiness (determination) for further education as well as their motivation and barriers in further education were also subjects of this research. Detecting elderly population’s awareness of universities of the third age and finding out their further education preferences were an integral part of the research. Research sample consisted of citizens over 55 years living in the South Moravian region. The survey results are structured by socio-demographic features e.g.: age, sex, educational attainment etc. and provide an interesting insight into the attitudes of the target group to one of the activities that contributes to improvement of their quality of life.


BMC Genomics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory M. Weber ◽  
Jill Birkett ◽  
Kyle Martin ◽  
Doug Dixon ◽  
Guangtu Gao ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Transcription is arrested in the late stage oocyte and therefore the maternal transcriptome stored in the oocyte provides nearly all the mRNA required for oocyte maturation, fertilization, and early cleavage of the embryo. The transcriptome of the unfertilized egg, therefore, has potential to provide markers for predictors of egg quality and diagnosing problems with embryo production encountered by fish hatcheries. Although levels of specific transcripts have been shown to associate with measures of egg quality, these differentially expressed genes (DEGs) have not been consistent among studies. The present study compares differences in select transcripts among unfertilized rainbow trout eggs of different quality based on eyeing rate, among 2 year classes of the same line (A1, A2) and a population from a different hatchery (B). The study compared 65 transcripts previously reported to be differentially expressed with egg quality in rainbow trout. Results There were 32 transcripts identified as DEGs among the three groups by regression analysis. Group A1 had the most DEGs, 26; A2 had 15, 14 of which were shared with A1; and B had 12, 7 of which overlapped with A1 or A2. Six transcripts were found in all three groups, dcaf11, impa2, mrpl39_like, senp7, tfip11 and uchl1. Conclusions Our results confirmed maternal transcripts found to be differentially expressed between low- and high-quality eggs in one population of rainbow trout can often be found to overlap with DEGs in other populations. The transcripts differentially expressed with egg quality remain consistent among year classes of the same line. Greater similarity in dysregulated transcripts within year classes of the same line than among lines suggests patterns of transcriptome dysregulation may provide insight into causes of decreased viability within a hatchery population. Although many DEGs were identified, for each of the genes there is considerable variability in transcript abundance among eggs of similar quality and low correlations between transcript abundance and eyeing rate, making it highly improbable to predict the quality of a single batch of eggs based on transcript abundance of just a few genes.


2003 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 85-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Thomas

In 1927 a study at King's College, University of London, of the chemical composition of foods was initiated by Dr McCance to assist with diabetic dietary guidance. The study evolved and was then broadened to determine all the important organic and mineral constituents of foods, it was financed by the Medical Research Council and eventually published in 1940. Over the next 51 years subsequent editions reflected changing national dietary habits and food laws as well as advances in analytical procedures. The most recent (5th Edition) published in 1991 has comprehensively analysed 14 different categories of foods and beverages. In order to provide some insight into any variation in the quality of the foods available to us as a nation between 1940 and 1991 it was possible to compare and contrast the mineral content of 27 varieties of vegetable, 17 varieties of fruit, 10 cuts of meat and some milk and cheese products. The results demonstrate that there has been a significant loss of minerals and trace elements in these foods over that period of time. It is suggested that the results of this study cannot be taken in isolation from recent dietary, environmental and disease trends. These trends are briefly mentioned and suggestions are made as to how the deterioration in the micronutrient quality of our food intake may be arrested and reversed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
L Cantarero Arevalo ◽  
S Fejfer Olsen

Abstract Background 16,889 new cases of severe anxiety (SA) were diagnosed in Denmark in 2019. Incidence rate is highest among 16 to 24 year-old women, a population group with 64% risk of being diagnosed with SA. Experiences of stigma and shame are common among this group, affecting negatively their quality of life and opportunity to recover. The aim is 1) to gain insight into the digital narratives young women with SA share through social networking websites, and 2) to open up the possibility to develop new narrative patterns using dialogical research as a method rooted in Bakhtin (1895-1975) and further developed by Frank (2005). Methods Netnography of four large Facebook groups focused on anxiety was used to gain insight into the patients' narratives and to build guiding themes for the off-line dialogical interviews (DI). Biographical narrative patterns were analyzed in light of a narrative-constructivist approach. Participants were invited to sign an informed consent prior to the DI and received ample information about the project aims and their rights. Results 8 young women diagnosed with SA participated in the off-line DI. They had experienced stress, loss, betrayal or violation against them prior to the trigger of SA. All had constructed a narrative that explained why they were suffering from SA. Patient experiences were dominated by the struggle to control intrusive thoughts and to live in a threatening world. Some felt stigmatized and tried to hide their condition from colleagues, friends and family. They had different preferences regarding healthcare needs and were active in their search for alternative ways to cope with SA. Conclusions Participants perceived DI as beneficial. It thus has the potential to not only explore the patient's perspective in depth, but also serve as therapy during the process of inquiry. Key messages Dialogical research has the potential to not only explore the patient’s perspective in depth, but also serve as therapy during the process of inquiry. Young women suffering with severe anxiety experience shame and stigma, which worsen their condiction and hinder their opportunity to recover.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 1766
Author(s):  
Igor Koch ◽  
Mathias Duwe ◽  
Jakob Flury ◽  
Akbar Shabanloui

During its science phase from 2002–2017, the low-low satellite-to-satellite tracking mission Gravity Field Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE) provided an insight into Earth’s time-variable gravity (TVG). The unprecedented quality of gravity field solutions from GRACE sensor data improved the understanding of mass changes in Earth’s system considerably. Monthly gravity field solutions as the main products of the GRACE mission, published by several analysis centers (ACs) from Europe, USA and China, became indispensable products for quantifying terrestrial water storage, ice sheet mass balance and sea level change. The successor mission GRACE Follow-On (GRACE-FO) was launched in May 2018 and proceeds observing Earth’s TVG. The Institute of Geodesy (IfE) at Leibniz University Hannover (LUH) is one of the most recent ACs. The purpose of this article is to give a detailed insight into the gravity field recovery processing strategy applied at LUH; to compare the obtained gravity field results to the gravity field solutions of other established ACs; and to compare the GRACE-FO performance to that of the preceding GRACE mission in terms of post-fit residuals. We use the in-house-developed MATLAB-based GRACE-SIGMA software to compute unconstrained solutions based on the generalized orbit determination of 3 h arcs. K-band range-rates (KBRR) and kinematic orbits are used as (pseudo)-observations. A comparison of the obtained solutions to the results of the GRACE-FO Science Data System (SDS) and Combination Service for Time-variable Gravity Fields (COST-G) ACs, reveals a competitive quality of our solutions. While the spectral and spatial noise levels slightly differ, the signal content of the solutions is similar among all ACs. The carried out comparison of GRACE and GRACE-FO KBRR post-fit residuals highlights an improvement of the GRACE-FO K-band ranging system performance. The overall amplitude of GRACE-FO post-fit residuals is about three times smaller, compared to GRACE. GRACE-FO post-fit residuals show less systematics, compared to GRACE. Nevertheless, the power spectral density of GRACE-FO and GRACE post-fit residuals is dominated by similar spikes located at multiples of the orbital and daily frequencies. To our knowledge, the detailed origin of these spikes and their influence on the gravity field recovery quality were not addressed in any study so far and therefore deserve further attention in the future. Presented results are based on 29 monthly gravity field solutions from June 2018 until December 2020. The regularly updated LUH-GRACE-FO-2020 time series of monthly gravity field solutions can be found on the website of the International Centre for Global Earth Models (ICGEM) and in LUH’s research data repository. These operationally published products complement the time series of the already established ACs and allow for a continuous and independent assessment of mass changes in Earth’s system.


Radiocarbon ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Alyssa M Tate ◽  
Brittany Hundman ◽  
Jonathan Heile

ABSTRACT Leather has been produced by a variety of methods throughout human history, providing researchers unique insight into multiple facets of social and economic life in the past. Archaeologically recovered leather is often fragile and poorly preserved, leading to the use of various conservation and restoration efforts that may include the application of fats, oils, or waxes. Such additives introduce exogenous carbon to the leather, contaminating the specimen. These contaminants, in addition to those accumulated during interment, must be removed through chemical pretreatment prior to radiocarbon (14C) dating to ensure accurate dating. DirectAMS utilizes organic solvents, acid-base-acid (ABA) and gelatinization for all leather samples. Collagen yield from leather samples is variable due to the method of production and the quality of preservation. However, evaluating the acid-soluble collagen fraction, when available, provides the most accurate 14C dates for leather samples. In instances where gelatinization does not yield sufficient material, the resulting acid-insoluble fraction may be dated. Here we examine the effectiveness of the combined organic solvent and ABA pretreatment with gelatinization for leather samples, as well as the suitability of the acid-insoluble fraction for 14C dating.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 (2) ◽  
pp. 385-305
Author(s):  
Lana Žaja ◽  

The article provides a survey of conducted educational programs „Office administration and records management", based on the content of module I. of the professional training in the Croatian State Archives (hereinafter referred to as HDA), which were held in the period from February 2016 to February 2019. The reason for choosing this exact period lies in the fact that since February 2016 a systematic distribution of anonymous polls to all the participants has begun and those polls have served as a basis for creating a compilation of statistical reports and analysis of data obtained from them. Anonymous polls were first experimentally distributed to participants in November 2015, and they were computer processed to serve as a model of experimentally conducted research based on the content of the module I of professional development in HDA. Survey research covers a period of 36 months, in which 10 courses in the period from February 2016 to February 2019 were held, with a total of 417 participants from all over Croatia. This article is conceptually structured according to the methodology which deals with survey research with a help of statistical methods, and the obtained results aim to improve the quality of teaching, to complete teaching materials and improve the insight into the final outcome of the course and the competencies that participants acquire at the end of the course.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dragana Glogovac ◽  
◽  
Marina Milošević ◽  
Bojan Lazić ◽  

Modern primary education, especially mathematics, requires constant innovation of teaching practice in order to modernize, rationalize, and efficiently the teaching process. Teaching mathematics should be experienced as a process that promotes learning with understanding, stimulates motivation, active learning, research, critical thinking, analysis, problem solving, drawing conclusions, exchange of experiences. The tendency to improve the quality of mathematics education has resulted in many studies pointing to the benefits of research-based mathematics (IN) teaching, known as inquiry-based learning (IBL), recognized as an essential way of organizing the teaching process to develop key competencies, abilities and skills in 21st century. Тhe aim of this paper is to see, based on a comprehensive theoretical analysis and the results of previous research. The created model of teaching mathematics based on research represents a useful framework for improving the quality of the process of teaching and learning mathematics, and empowers teachers in its application and affirmation, gaining insight into the way of organizing research learning.


2021 ◽  
pp. 40-44
Author(s):  

The problems related to the standardization of the error in the mass measurements when dividing products into groups and picking according to the difference in mass are considered. On the basis of the theory of probabilities and the basic provisions of metrology, a dependence is obtained to determine the error of the mass difference. Recommendations are given for improving the metrological support of indirect measurements of the mass difference, a formula is determined for calculating the normalized values of errors depending on the tolerances for the mass difference, and criteria for choosing measuring instruments for controlling the mass difference of parts at the stage of completing the connecting rod-piston group during the production and repair of engines are considered. The measurement error is estimated when using preassembly selection of parts by weight. Keywords: quality of measurements, mass measurements, mass difference, indirect measurements, choice of measuring instruments, permissible measurement error, complete set of connecting rod and piston group. [email protected]


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