Global shifts in the policing of mental health

This special edition outlines the changing landscape of policing and mental health and provides readers with an introduction to a multitude of policy and practice innovations from the UK, the Netherlands, Canada, the USA, and Brazil. These examples of innovative and evolving practice address the challenge of fair, effective, and equitable responses to people suffering mental health crises. The special edition takes, as its starting point, a presumption that knowledge of mental ill health within policing, as elsewhere, is limited. This is not to state that there is little discussion about mental health and policing. On the contrary, mental health is subject to much discussion at the policy level but there remains a gap between policy noise and consistent actionable change. The articles that follow thus represent an attempt to enhance and expand the research agenda in this area and to build an evidence- base to inform future decision-making using global and multidisciplinary perspectives from police officers, health workers, policymakers, and academics

ROCKET-BORNE LOW ENERGY ION MEASUREMENTS IN SPACE

A capped hemisphere electrostatic analyzer has been developed for the purpose of performing detailed studies of charged particle distributions in space from sounding rocket platforms. This instrument employs micro channel plate detectors in conjunction with a linear resistive anode to carry out angular imaging, by resistive charge division, of particle arrivals. Two such instruments, capable of supplying 64 x 32 angle-energy positive ion distributions every $\sim1$ second were flown on two separate high latitude sounding rockets in February, 1985, from Sondre Stromfjord, Greenland. One of these two rockets featured an active ion beam experiment whereby 200 eV/q Ar\sp{+} ions were injected into the ionospheric plasma from a separated sub payload in broad (\sim60\sp\circ FWHM) beams directed alternately either parallel to or perpendicular to the geomagnetic field. Ion fluxes associated with beam operations were observed on the main payload out to a main/sub payload separation distance of nearly 1 km. Several distinct ion populations are identified, based on their energy/pitch angle characteristics and the existence of ion fluxes at unexpected energies and pitch angles is demonstrated and discussed in light of current understanding of these types of beam-plasma systems. The ion flux signatures of parallel versus perpendicular beam injections are compared and contrasted

The CuSPED Mission: CubeSat for GNSS Sounding of the Ionosphere-Plasmasphere Electron Density

The CubeSat for GNSS Sounding of Ionosphere-Plasmasphere Electron Density (CuSPED) is a 3U CubeSat mission concept that has been developed in response to the NASA Heliophysics program's decadal science goal of the determining of the dynamics and coupling of the Earth's magnetosphere, ionosphere, and atmosphere and their response to solar and terrestrial inputs. The mission was formulated through a collaboration between West Virginia University, Georgia Tech, NASA GSFC and NASA JPL, and features a 3U CubeSat that hosts both a miniaturized space capable Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver for topside atmospheric sounding, along with a Thermal Electron Capped Hemispherical Spectrometer (TECHS) for the purpose of in situ electron precipitation measurements. These two complimentary measurement techniques will provide data for the purpose of constraining ionosphere-magnetosphere coupling models and will also enable studies of the local plasma environment and spacecraft charging; a phenomenon which is known to lead to significant errors in the measurement of low-energy, charged species from instruments aboard spacecraft traversing the ionosphere. This paper will provide an overview of the concept including its science motivation and implementation

Validation of the IPAQ Against Different Accelerometer Cut-Points in Older Cancer Survivors and Adults at Risk of Cancer

Introduction: The present study investigated the convergent validity of an interview-administered IPAQ long version (IPAQ-L) in an older population by comparison with objective accelerometry movement data. Methods: Data from 52 participants (mean age 67.9 years, 62% male) were included in the analysis. Treadmill derived (TM-ACC: 1952-5724 cpm) and free-living physical activity (PA) derived (FL-ACC: 760-5724 cpm) accelerometer cut-points were used as criterion. Results: IPAQ-L measures (total PA, leisure-time, walking-time, sedentary time) were significantly correlated with accelerometry (P≤0.05). Differences in sex were observed. Bland-Altman Limits of Agreement analysis showed that the IPAQ-L overestimated PA in relation to accelerometry. Conclusions: Our results show that an interview-administered IPAQ-L shows low to moderate convergent validity with objective PA measures in this population but there may be differences between males and females which should be further investigated

Repetitive arm functional tasks after stroke (RAFTAS): a pilot randomised controlled trial

Background Repetitive functional task practise (RFTP) is a promising treatment to improve upper limb recovery following stroke. We report the findings of a study to determine the feasibility of a multi-centre randomised controlled trial to evaluate this intervention. Methods A pilot randomised controlled trial was conducted. Patients with new reduced upper limb function were recruited within 14 days of acute stroke from three stroke units in North East England. Participants were randomised to receive a four week upper limb RFTP therapy programme consisting of goal setting, independent activity practise, and twice weekly therapy reviews in addition to usual post stroke rehabilitation, or usual post stroke rehabilitation. The recruitment rate; adherence to the RFTP therapy programme; usual post stroke rehabilitation received; attrition rate; data quality; success of outcome assessor blinding; adverse events; and the views of study participants and therapists about the intervention were recorded. Results Fifty five eligible patients were identified, 4-6% of patients screened at each site. Twenty four patients participated in the pilot study. Two of the three study sites met the recruitment target of 1-2 participants per month. The median number of face to face therapy sessions received was 6 [IQR 3-8]. The median number of daily repetitions of activities recorded was 80 [IQR 39-80]. Data about usual post stroke rehabilitation were available for 18/24 (75%). Outcome data were available for 22/24 (92%) at one month and 20/24 (83%) at three months. Outcome assessors were unblinded to participant group allocation for 11/22 (50%) at one month and 6/20 (30%) at three months. Four adverse events were considered serious as they resulted in hospitalisation. None were related to study treatment. Feedback from patients and local NHS therapists about the RFTP programme was mainly positive. Conclusions A multi-centre randomised controlled trial to evaluate an upper limb RFTP therapy programme provided early after stroke is feasible and acceptable to patients and therapists, but there are issues which needed to be addressed when designing a Phase III study. A Phase III study will need to monitor and report not only recruitment and attrition but also adherence to the intervention, usual post stroke rehabilitation received, and outcome assessor blinding

Extending the Dynamic Range of Microchannel Plate Detectors Using Charge-Integration-Based Counting

Microchannel plate (MCP) detectors provide a mechanism to produce a measureable current pulse (~0.1mA over several nanoseconds) when stimulated by a single incident particle or photon. Reductions of the device's amplification factor (i.e., gain) due to high incident particle flux can lead to significant degradation of detection system performance. Here we develop a parameterized model for the variation of MCP gain with incident flux. This model provides a framework with which to quantify the limits of high-flux MCP operation. We then compare the predictions of this model to laboratory measurements of an MCP's response to a pulsed charged particle beam. Finally, we demonstrate that through integration of the MCP output current in pulsed operation, effective count rates up to ~ 1 GHz can be achieved, more than an order of magnitude increase over conventional counting techniques used for spaceflight applications

In Flight Calibration of the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission Fast Plasma Investigation

The Fast Plasma Investigation (FPI) on the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission (MMS) combines data from eight spectrometers, each with four deflection states, into a single map of the sky. Any systematic discontinuity, artifact, noise source, etc. present in this map may be incorrectly interpreted as legitimate data and incorrect conclusions reached. For this reason it is desirable to have all spectrometers return the same output for a given input, and for this output to be low in noise sources or other errors. While many missions use statistical analyses of data to calibrate instruments in flight, this process is difficult with FPI for two reasons: 1. Only a small fraction of high resolution data is downloaded to the ground due to bandwidth limitations and 2: The data that is downloaded is, by definition, scientifically interesting and therefore not ideal for calibration. FPI uses a suite of new tools to calibrate in flight. A new method for detection system ground calibration has been developed involving sweeping the detection threshold to fully define the pulse height distribution. This method has now been extended for use in flight as a means to calibrate MCP voltage and threshold (together forming the operating point) of the Dual Electron Spectrometers (DES) and Dual Ion Spectrometers (DIS). A method of comparing higher energy data (which has low fractional voltage error) to lower energy data (which has a higher fractional voltage error) will be used to calibrate the high voltage outputs. Finally, a comparison of pitch angle distributions will be used to find remaining discrepancies among sensors