Labeling effects of initial juvenile justice system processing decision on youth interpersonal ties*

The juvenile justice system can process youth in myriad ways. Youth who are formally processed, relative to being informally processed, may experience more public and harsh sanctions that label youth more negatively as “deviant.” Drawing on labeling theory, the current study evaluates the relative effect of formal justice system processing on the interpersonal dynamics of youth peer networks. Using data from the Crossroads Study, a multisite longitudinal sample of first-time adolescent offenders, the current study applies augmented inverse probability weighting and generalized mixed-effects models to estimate the effects of formal processing on friendship selection processes of homophily and withdrawal and considers whether these effects vary by race and ethnicity. Consistent with expectations of homophily, formally processed youth acquire more new deviant peers and fewer nondeviant peers during the 3 years after their initial processing decision compared with informally processed youth. The findings suggest no differences exist across processing types in withdrawal from friends. These effects were consistent across racial and ethnic groups. Ultimately, this study explores the dynamic interpersonal mechanisms associated with labeling theory and offers additional insight into the negative effects of formal processing.     

Classification of firing pin impressions using HOG-SVM

Crimes, such as robbery and murder, often involve firearms. In order to assist with the investigation into the crime, firearm examiners are asked to determine whether cartridge cases found at a crime scene had been fired from a suspect's firearm. This examination is based on a comparison of the marks left on the surfaces of cartridge cases. Firing pin impressions can be one of the most commonly used of these marks. In this study, a total of nine Ruger model 10/22 semiautomatic rifles were used. Fifty cartridges were fired from each rifle. The cartridge cases were collected, and each firing pin impression was then cast and photographed using a comparison microscope. In this paper, we will describe how one may use a computer vision algorithm, the Histogram of Orientated Gradient (HOG), and a machine learning method, Support Vector Machines (SVMs), to classify images of firing pin impressions. Our method achieved a reasonably high accuracy at 93%. This can be used to associate a firearm with a cartridge case recovered from a scene. We also compared our method with other feature extraction algorithms. The comparison results showed that the HOG-SVM method had the highest performance in this classification task.     

全球化视野中的警察故事——《无国界行动》评析

近年来,警察题材电视剧开始涉及警界跨国合作题材。警察题材的电视剧有自身的特殊性,担负着意识形态的诉求。《无国界行动》以真实案例为基础,展现了中关首度联手缉毒行动,正面赞扬了我国警察高尚的奉献精神和我国在对外合作时表现出来的负责性的大国形象。但该剧有因为意识形态诉求问题而出现的观念先行的瑕疵。     

打造国际品牌提高企业经济效益--以格力电器为例

任何一家企业其生产经营的核心目标就是追求利润,因为利润是企业的血液,如果没有利润,企业就无法生存,更谈不上长足发展。经历了一场全球性的金融危机后,在全球经济举步维艰、市场需求持续不振的大环境下,海内外家电巨头纷纷陷入困境。然而在激烈的国际竞争市场上,在国内劳动力和原材料价格不断提升、难以取得核心技术突破的情况下,格力电器却做出了非常明智的抉择,即通过专业化生产、实施精品战略、走国际化道路打造国际品牌,进而提升格力产品价格、获取规模经济效益、吸引优秀人才、占领国际市场并实现供需双赢,最终使格力电器成功实现了迄今为止、全球首个依靠单一品类突破千亿元的家电品牌,从而保持了格力电器在全球家电产业中的霸主地位,让"中国制造"再次领跑在全球家电行业的最前列。     

论我国视频警务的现状与完善

随着公安视频监控建设飞速发展,以充分发挥视频图像信息效能为核心的视频警务模式已悄然兴起。当前,视频警务在视频监控系统建设、视频图像分析技术等方面存在诸多问题,但最为核心的还是体制和机制方面的问题,表现为缺少系统化的工作体制,缺少规范化的工作流程。因此,应从视频图像信息的获取、分析、应用环节构建视频警务工作体系,科学设计视频的采集报送、分析研判、运行和保障的工作机制,进一步完善视频警务工作。     

CT‐Guided,Minimally Invasive,Postmortem Needle Biopsy Using the B‐Rob II Needle‐Positioning Robot

CT‐guided, minimally invasive needle biopsy techniques can be used to retrieve tissue or body fluid samples for histologic tissue diagnoses in forensic investigations. The purpose of this study was an evaluation of CT‐guided needle‐positioning robot B‐Rob II. To operate under CT guidance, we adopted the B‐Rob II robotic needle placement system and its workflow. The accuracy and speed of the procedure were tested on a gelatin phantom in a series of 21 biopsies. We achieved an average needle placement accuracy of 1.8 mm (±1.1 mm) using robotic assistance. The procedure required an average of 2 min 21 s. The needle placement accuracy for minimally invasive needle biopsies using the B‐Rob II biopsy robot is sufficiently accurate and fast for forensic postmortem examinations of focal organ changes. Further tests will be performed to test the feasibility of the robot for performing biopsies of focal organ changes in human bodies.     

Identification Method for Digital Image Forgery and Filtering Region through Interpolation

Because of the rapidly increasing use of digital composite images, recent studies have identified digital forgery and filtering regions. This research has shown that interpolation, which is used to edit digital images, is an effective way to analyze digital images for composite regions. Interpolation is widely used to adjust the size of the image of a composite target, making the composite image seem natural by rotating or deforming. As a result, many algorithms have been developed to identify composite regions by detecting a trace of interpolation. However, many limitations have been found in detection maps developed to identify composite regions. In this study, we analyze the pixel patterns of noninterpolation and interpolation regions. We propose a detection map algorithm to separate the two regions. To identify composite regions, we have developed an improved algorithm using minimum filer, Laplacian operation and maximum filters. Finally, filtering regions that used the interpolation operation are analyzed using the proposed algorithm.     

The Possibilities and Limitations of Forensic Hand Comparison

On recordings of certain crimes, the face is not always shown. In such cases, hands can offer a solution, if they are completely visible. An important aspect of this study was to develop a method for hand comparison. The research method was based on the morphology, anthropometry, and biometry of hands. A new aspect of this study was that a manual and automated test were applied, which, respectively, assess many features and provide identification rates quickly. An important observation was that good quality images can provide sufficient hand details. The most distinctive features were the length/width ratio, the palm line pattern and the quantity of highly distinctive features present, and how they are distributed. The results indicate that experience did not improve the identification rates, while the manual test did. Intra‐observer variability did not influence the results, whereas hands of relatives were frequently misjudged. Both tests provided high identification rates.     

Strategies moulding brand reputation building in the early 21st century

Abstract

Since the mid-1990s, the changing political, economic and social environment and globalisation have contributed to change business behaviour in South Africa. Nowadays, business strategies are built alongside sustainable business goals, with renewed emphasis on quality and brand reputation management. Business intelligence (BI) systems and research demand show clear emphasis on customer brand franchising and brand citizenship in particular. Brands are no longer used only as marketing communication tools. Nowadays, brand companies seem well aware of stakeholders’ concerns with non-financial business aspects and are responding through re-branding, improved customer relations and good corporate citizenship behaviour. Consequently, direct customer feedback via customer satisfaction and franchise-building research, as well as corporate citizenship image and perception surveys have emerged as key research tools that generate business intelligence used to build and protect company reputation. The way in which contemporary research designs are constructed to guide reputation building and protection, and how these inputs are used to guide business reputation strategies form the core of this article. The discussion reveals that corporate reputation and brand management functions are increasingly being synchronised in support of customer-based brand equity, customer franchise and reputation building. This suggests substantial communality between the management functions relating to corporate reputation and branding. Corporate branding and reputation are anticipated to evolve as a core business strategy aimed at building and protecting corporate identity and image. To meet this endeavour, companies will continue to brand their identity and image and create brand awareness and customer relations to enable stakeholders to differentiate company products, services and features from competitor offerings, but will simultaneously strive to enhance customer loyalty. Customer care and ethical behaviour will probably lead the thrust in creating positive corporate reputation. As long as corporate reputation building and branding are pursued, the demand for business intelligence information related to these topics will remain a priority and will guide future marketing and communication strategies in building and protecting corporate reputation.