An examination of the types of leading questions used by investigative interviewers of children

Purpose &ndash; The purpose of this paper is to examine the nature of leading questions used by a representative sample of investigative interviewers of children. In particular, it examined whether these interviewers use the type of questions that are known to elicit reports of false activities or events among child samples.Design/methodology/approach &ndash; A total of 82 police officers who were authorized to conduct interviews with alleged child abuse victims conducted individual mock interviews with children aged 5-7 years. The focus of the interviews was an event that was staged in the children\u27s school a week earlier. Prior to the interview, each officer was provided with accurate and inaccurate information about the event, including details about an activity that did not occur. The officers\u27 task was to elicit as detailed and accurate account of the event as possible using the techniques they would &ldquo;normally&rdquo; use in the field.Findings &ndash; Although the officers refrained from using coercive interview techniques, two problematic types of questions were relatively common. These include: questions that presumed that an activity/detail occurred that had not been previously mentioned by the child; and questions that included highly specific details about an activity. Both of these techniques had featured in prior laboratory research on children\u27s false event narratives.Research limitations/implications &ndash; These results support the need for better training techniques for assisting officers to avoid the use of leading questions.Originality/value &ndash; While it is well established that investigative interviewers do sometimes use leading questions when interviewing children, this is the first study to specify the incidence of various types of leading questions.of leading questions.<br /

Continuous-Time Random Walks at All Times

Continuous-time random walks (CTRW) play important role in understanding of a wide range of phenomena. However, most theoretical studies of these models concentrate only on stationary-state dynamics. We present a new theoretical approach, based on generalized master equations picture, that allowed us to obtain explicit expressions for Laplace transforms for all dynamic quantities for different CTRW models. This theoretical method leads to the effective description of CTRW at all times. Specific calculations are performed for homogeneous, periodic models and for CTRW with irreversible detachments. The approach to stationary states for CTRW is analyzed. Our results are also used to analyze generalized fluctuations theorem

Asymptotic analysis of first passage time in complex networks

The first passage time (FPT) distribution for random walk in complex networks is calculated through an asymptotic analysis. For network with size $N$ and short relaxation time $\tau\ll N$, the computed mean first passage time (MFPT), which is inverse of the decay rate of FPT distribution, is inversely proportional to the degree of the destination. These results are verified numerically for the paradigmatic networks with excellent agreement. We show that the range of validity of the analytical results covers networks that have short relaxation time and high mean degree, which turn out to be valid to many real networks.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, 1 tabl

Manufacture of DPFC-DMS polymer in the SKG range

BPFC-DMS block copolymers were synthesized on a pre-pilot scale (i.e., to 5 Kg lots) and subsequently fabricated into clear, colorless films. Details of the synthesis procedures, property determinations, and film casting techniques are presented. Solubility, viscosity and molecular weight characteristics of the resulting product are reported

Log-periodic modulation in one-dimensional random walks

We have studied the diffusion of a single particle on a one-dimensional lattice. It is shown that, for a self-similar distribution of hopping rates, the time dependence of the mean-square displacement follows an anomalous power law modulated by logarithmic periodic oscillations. The origin of this modulation is traced to the dependence on the length of the diffusion coefficient. Both the random walk exponent and the period of the modulation are analytically calculated and confirmed by Monte Carlo simulations.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figure

Assessment worlds colliding? Negotiating between discourses of assessment on an online open course

Using the badged open course, Taking your first steps into Higher Education, this case study examines how assessment on online open courses draws on concepts of assessment used within formal and informal learning. Our experience was that assessment used within open courses, such as massive open online courses, is primarily determined by the requirements of quality assurance processes to award a digital badge or statement of participation as well as what is technologically possible. However, this disregards much recent work in universities that use assessment in support of learning. We suggest that designers of online open courses should pay greater attention to the relationship of assessment and learning to improve participant course completion

Universal Markovian reduction of Brownian particle dynamics

Non-Markovian processes can often be turned Markovian by enlarging the set of variables. Here we show, by an explicit construction, how this can be done for the dynamics of a Brownian particle obeying the generalized Langevin equation. Given an arbitrary bath spectral density $J_{0}$, we introduce an orthogonal transformation of the bath variables into effective modes, leading stepwise to a semi-infinite chain with nearest-neighbor interactions. The transformation is uniquely determined by $J_{0}$ and defines a sequence $\{J_{n}\}_{n\in\mathbb{N}}$ of residual spectral densities describing the interaction of the terminal chain mode, at each step, with the remaining bath. We derive a simple, one-term recurrence relation for this sequence, and show that its limit is the quasi-Ohmic expression provided by the Rubin model of dissipation. Numerical calculations show that, irrespective of the details of $J_{0}$, convergence is fast enough to be useful in practice for an effective Markovian reduction of quantum dissipative dynamics

Non-invasive imaging of subsurface paint layers with optical coherence tomography

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) systems are fast scanning infrared Michelson interferometers designed for the non-invasive examination of the interiors of the eye and subsurface structures of biological tissues. OCT has recently been applied to the non-invasive examinations of the stratigraphy of paintings and museum artefacts. So far this is the only technique capable of imaging non-invasively the subsurface structure of paintings and painted objects. Unlike the traditional method of paint cross-section examination where sampling is required, the non-invasive and non-contact nature of the technique enables the examination of the paint cross-section anywhere on a painting, as there is no longer an issue with conservation ethics regarding the taking of samples from historical artefacts. A range of applications of the technique including the imaging of stratigraphy of paintings and painted artefacts, the imaging of underdrawings to the analysis of the optical properties of paint and varnish layers is presented. Future projects on the application of OCT to art conservation are discussed

Directed Random Walk on the Lattices of Genus Two

The object of the present investigation is an ensemble of self-avoiding and directed graphs belonging to eight-branching Cayley tree (Bethe lattice) generated by the Fucsian group of a Riemann surface of genus two and embedded in the Pincar\'e unit disk. We consider two-parametric lattices and calculate the multifractal scaling exponents for the moments of the graph lengths distribution as functions of these parameters. We show the results of numerical and statistical computations, where the latter are based on a random walk model.Comment: 17 pages, 8 figure