Scavenging behavior of Lynx rufus on human remains during the winter months of Southeast Texas

Animal-scavenging alterations on human remains can be mistaken as human criminal activity. A 32-day study, documenting animal scavenging on a human cadaver, was conducted at the Southeast Texas Applied Forensic Science facility, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas. A Stealth Cam Rogue IR was positioned near the cadaver to capture scavenging activity. An atypical scavenger, the bobcat, Lynx rufus, was recorded feeding on the cadaver. Scavenging by bobcats on human remains is not a predominant behavior and has minimal documentation. Scavenging behaviors and destruction of body tissues were analyzed. Results show that the bobcat did not feed on areas of the body that it does for other large animal carcasses. Results also show the bobcat feeds similarly during peak and nonpeak hours. Understanding the destruction of human tissue and covering of the body with leaf debris may aid forensic anthropologists and pathologists in differentiating between nefarious human activity and animal scavenging.     

Voluntary and involuntary care: three-year study of demographic and diagnostic admission statistics at an inner-city adult psychiatry unit

Individuals with mental disorders can, under specific circumstances, be detained and treated against their wishes. In 2009, there were 1633 involuntary admissions in Ireland, accounting for 8.1% of all psychiatric admissions. We examined demographic and diagnostic factors associated with involuntary admission in a general adult psychiatry service in Dublin's north inner-city over a retrospective three-year period. The overall admission rate was 450.5 admissions per 100,000 population per year (deprivation-adjusted rate: 345.7), which is lower than the national rate (476.3). The involuntary admission rate was 67.7 (deprivation-adjusted rate: 51.9), which is higher than the national rate (38.5). Fifteen per cent of admissions were involuntary (for all or part of the admission), which is higher than the national proportion (8.1%) but the same as that reported in another inner-city psychiatry service (15.7%). The proportion of admissions that was involuntary was higher amongst individuals from outside Ireland (33.9%) compared to those from Ireland (12.0%) (p<0.001). Country of origin was, however, related to diagnosis: 53.2% of admissions of individuals from outside Ireland were with schizophrenia, compared to 18.5% of admissions of individuals from Ireland (p<0.001). Diagnosis was, in turn, related to admission status: 37.5% of admissions with schizophrenia were involuntary compared to 15% overall (p<0.001). On multi-variable testing, diagnosis was the only independent predictor of admission status (p=0.01) (R(2)=35.2%); country of origin was not an independent predictor of admission status. Deprivation accounts for part, but not all, of the high rate of involuntary admission in Dublin's inner-city. Diagnosis accounts for one third of the variance in admission status between individuals. Further study is required to determine what factors account for the remaining two thirds (e.g. symptoms, insight) and to clarify better the relationships between admission status, diagnosis and country of origin. There is a strong need for enhanced focus on the mental health needs of individuals from outside of Ireland, especially in Dublin's north inner-city.     

Predictive accuracy of dynamic risk factors for aboriginal and non-aboriginal sex offenders: an exploratory comparison using STABLE-2007

Although Aboriginal offenders are overrepresented in Canadian prisons, there is limited research examining the extent to which commonly used risk factors and risk scales are applicable to Aboriginals. Aboriginal (n = 88) and non-Aboriginal (n = 509) sex offenders on community supervision were compared on the dynamic risk factors of STABLE-2007. Data on sexual, violent, any crime, and any recidivism (including breaches) were collected with an average follow-up of 3.4 years. Aboriginal offenders scored significantly higher than non-Aboriginal offenders on STABLE-2007 total scores and on several items measuring general criminality. STABLE-2007 did not significantly predict recidivism with Aboriginal offenders (although it did for non-Aboriginals). The general antisociality items were generally significantly less predictive for Aboriginals than non-Aboriginals, whereas items assessing sexual self-regulation and relationship stability predicted similarly for both groups. These exploratory results suggest that Aboriginal sex offenders are a higher-needs group but that some STABLE-2007 items are not predictive with this population.     

Imagining Europe: political identity and British television coverage of the European economy

The article considers European economic news coverage on British television and its relationship with the UK public's perceptions of and identity with Europe. Stress is placed on the symbolic content of news about Europe; stories about the economic entitlements offered to citizens within the European Union; and portrayal of material benefits or losses for Britain. The results suggest that coverage offers mixed signals about Europe. As yet, they offer an unlikely platform for the development in the United Kingdom of European solidarity or identity. The results are assessed in the light of the way journalists approach political issues. The implications for statistical modelling of the media's relationship with attitudes towards Europe are also considered.     

Sexual abuse in Canadian university and college dating relationships: The contribution of male peer support

Using data from a Canadian national representative sample survey of male university and college students, this study tested three hypotheses from a theoretical model which attempts to explain the relationship between male peer group dynamics and sexual assault in dating relationships. Consistent with previous research conducted in the United States, the findings reported here show that male peer support is a significant predictor of sexual abuse in post-secondary school courtship. This article concludes with several suggestions for further research.     

Extreme value theory applied to police performance analysis

Extreme value theory is used to provide, according to one reviewer, a quantitative measure of the probability of a police dispatch operation going “haywire” under pressure. Convensional queuing theory that concentrates on measures of average performance is not readily adaptable to this application. In a major police department, average values of delay response were found to be acceptable, and preliminary analysis showed that sufficient resources were available to avoid excessive queuing at peak loads. Nevertheless, reports of occasional excessively delayed responses indicated the existence of serious problems. Extreme value theory concentrates on the statistically rare long delays that, because of the many repetitions of requests for service, can occur more frequently in time than is acceptable to police management. In the example discussed, the predicted magnitudes and frequencies of these long delays provided the justification for an immediate improvement program. In general, the straightforward methodology described would appear to have broad applications and great practical value. The subsequent analysis to identify causal factors is not a part of the discussion.