Police Perceptions of Irrational Unstable Behaviours and Use of Force

Police identification of people experiencing mental illness is usually based on either the person having an official contact history with police or through observing behavioural indicators commonly associated with mental illness during an encounter. Police have voiced concerns with their ability to identify and respond to people experiencing mental illness in a timely way and report that they commonly resort to more coercive tactical options to resolve encounters. The present study employed a mixed method design to examine 286 police use of force incidents to investigate the association between force used on and by offenders displaying irrational-unstable behavioural characteristics. The irrational-unstable offenders were two times more likely to be perceived by police to have an apparent mental disorder and almost four times more likely to have a known mental health history; one in six had an official record of contact with mental health services. There were few differences in police and offender use of force, considering force as both a categorical and a continuous variable, while incident-level comparisons suggested that police force was generally proportional to offender resistance. Implications are discussed in terms of the need to redress limitations with the traditional police approach style.     

高频超声检查在周围神经损伤鉴定中的应用价值

目的探讨高频超声检查在周围神经损伤鉴定中应用的价值。方法收集38例锐器伤、钝挫伤、骨折及撞击造成的单侧肢体外伤病例,应用东芝Aplio 500型彩色多普勒超声诊断仪进行高频超声检查,将其特征性表现与30例正常周围神经的高频超声图表现进行对比分析。结果经高频超声检查,确诊38例周围神经损伤中发生于颈部5例、下肢5例,上肢27例(肘部以上3例、以下24例)。损伤类型包括卡压性损伤8例、创伤性神经瘤28例、神经完全断裂2例。特征性表现为:卡压性损伤神经受压处变细,近端神经节段性增粗;创伤性神经瘤与神经干相连的梭形增粗段,增粗段神经外膜的线性强回声中断,内部回声紊乱;神经完全断裂表现为神经外膜强回声线与神经纤维低回声束完全中断,断端两侧均呈梭形瘤样改变。结论高频超声能够明确周围神经损伤类型及发生节段,可为法医学人体损伤程度鉴定提供有价值的参考依据。     

China's Approach to BRICS

The economic rise of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) inevitably leads to a redistribution of power in the international system. Chinese leaders today accord a considerable priority to this group, and there are elements of realism, liberalism/institutionalism and constructivism in their approach. This article intends to study China's policy towards BRICS and examine the above elements so as to better understand how the Chinese leadership perceives China's role in the international system, and how it seeks to articulate its interests and enhance its influence.