Evaluation of the cognitive intervention programme ‘A New Direction’ targeting young offenders in Sweden

The treatment of offenders has changed from focusing on risk management to also emphasizing salutogenic experiences as a protective factor. The programme ‘A New Direction’ involves cognitive intervention combining the above-mentioned approaches to treat young criminals and young persons at risk of developing a criminal lifestyle. In evaluating this programme, 61 participants from the Swedish social services and youth care facilities were divided into two treatment groups and two control groups. All participants were subjected to pre- and post-measurements using two questionnaires: the Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles (PICTS) and the Sense of Coherence (SOC-13). The two treatment groups followed the programme during one week and 9–30 weeks, respectively, with the control groups measured at approximately the corresponding time intervals. The results show reduced PICTS from high to low levels and increased SOC only for the multi-week treatment group. Although the recidivism analysis revealed a greater reduction of convicted offences in the multi-week treatment group compared with the control group, the finding is tentative because of small sample sizes. To conclude, cognitive intervention shows promise for reducing criminal thinking patterns and increasing sense of coherence, which may have beneficial effects on the behaviour of young offenders.     

Storage of Second World War bone samples: Bone fragments versus bone powder

Bone samples may yield low-quality and low-quantity DNA and duplicated analyses of different genetic markers have to be performed for identification of missing persons. Mostly no DNA extract is left after analyses and efficient storage of bones is needed to ensure the stability of the sample over time for retesting using new markers and new technologies. Usually not all of the bone powder prepared in grinder is used for extraction and rest can be stored for future analyses. After molecular genetic analyses of 88 victims of Second World War (WWII) Konfin I mass grave in Slovenia (performed in 2009), fragments of femurs and bone powder that were left were stored at -20 °C. Some authors reported that long-term storage of powder results in the reduction of DNA preservation and its degradation (even at low temperature), explained by an increase in oxidative damage as a result of the enormous increase in exposed surface area. Consequently, grinding of bones as shortly prior to DNA extraction was recommended. The goal of our study was to explore the difference in DNA yield between bone fragment and bone powder frozen for 10 years. 57 WWII femurs were examined and DNA extracted from each of them using bone fragment (piece sampled next to the one used in 2009) and bone powder obtained in 2009, both taken out of freezer after 10 years of storage. Half gram of bone powder was decalcified using full demineralization extraction method. The DNA was purified in a Biorobot EZ1 (Qiagen) and quantified with PowerQuant kit (Promega). Statistical analysis showed significant difference at the 0.05 level in DNA yield comparing fragments of bones and bone powder stored at -20 °C for 10 years. The results show there is more DNA stored in the bone powder than in the bone fragments. Because of time - consuming powdering procedure we recommend to store not only the fragment of the bone, but obtained bone powder as well.     

Magazine Influence on Cartridge Case Ejection Patterns with Glock Pistols

In this study, the cartridge case ejection patterns of six different Glock model pistols (one specimen per model) were compared under three conditions: firing with a loaded magazine, an empty magazine, and without magazine. The distances, covered by the ejected cartridge cases given these three conditions, were compared for each of the six models. A significant difference was found between the groups of data for each of the tested specimens. This indicates that it is important that, to reconstruct a shooting scene incident based on the ejection patterns of a pistol, test shots are fired with the same pistol type and under the correct magazine condition.     

处理"502"熏显指纹的一种新方法

用照相的方法来处理“5 0 2”熏显指纹是一种常见的办法 ,但如果遇到指纹遗留部位比较特殊时 ,拍照效果就会受到很大影响。本文介绍了用磁性粉末法对“5 0 2”熏显指纹进行物理染色 ,染色后用指纹胶带纸提取固定的优点、操作方法及原理。     

保险事故发生后投保方通知义务比较研究

目前我国相关保险立法存在着一些缺陷与不足。借鉴德国的损害事实及重大过失双要件说和美国的损害事实要件说 ,对我国保险法修改时应设计与损害事实和过错相适应的不同法律效果规范模式 ,有一定的意义。     

中国马克思主义解释学的理性整合型诠释模式

中国马克思主义解释学是一门在中国科学诠释或解读马克思主义的学问。以胡锦涛为总书记的党中央领导集体从新时期社会主义现代化建设实践出发,牢牢把握住和平、发展与合作的时代潮流,运用理性整合的思维、观点与方法对马克思主义进行了科学的诠释,形成了一种颇具中国特色的理性整合型诠释范式。     

Latent Fingermark Aging Patterns (Part II): Color Contrast Between Ridges and Furrows as One Indicator of Degradation

Currently, no established methodology exists to determine degradation patterns of latent fingermarks by visual means. This article is the second in a series of reports exploring quantifiable degradation‐related parameters, which focuses on color contrast changes between fingermark ridges and furrows over time. Experiment variables included type of secretion (eccrine and sebaceous), substrate (glass and plastic), and exposure to natural light (dark, shade, and direct light). Fingermarks were sequentially visualized with titanium dioxide powder and photographed. Image histogram profiles were evaluated and combined with statistical analysis of color data values. Results indicate that sebaceous depositions on glass were generally less degraded by the effect of environmental conditions compared with those on plastic. In addition, aging in darkness was not always the best condition for preservation, and direct exposure to light seemed to inhibit visual degradation under certain conditions. Overall, the technique provided sufficient sensitivity to discern degradation patterns of fingermarks.     

Temporal transaction patterns in an open-air cannabis market

This article describes the results of a nine-month covert surveillance operation of Scandinavia’s principal open-air cannabis market, an area known as Christiania in Copenhagen Denmark. The data detail the time of day of retail transactions from four different sale positions, both outdoor (daytime: n = 1.123, nighttime: n = 1.282) and indoor (n = 63,413). The analysis provides insights into the tempo, rhythm and timing of cannabis transactions, over the course of a day, on weekends compared to weekdays and in relation to payday. It is found that buyers prefer lower price over wider selection and that sellers adapt their opening hours according to temporal patterns in transaction frequency. The findings are relevant for deployment of police resources in regards to maintaining post-crackdown residual deterrence.     

Portfolio allocation patterns and policy-making effectiveness in minority coalition governments

Although minority coalition has become a relatively frequent form of governance, it is often considered politically ineffective in policy making. To obtain sufficient support in parliament, government bills must go through the scrutiny activities initiated by coalition partners and overcome the concerns of external support parties in opposition. By examining parliamentary scrutiny on government bills, this paper explains the surprising policy-making effectiveness in minority coalition governments. Specifically, we argue and show that different patterns of portfolio allocation with the specific ideological locations of the ministerial office-holder, the coalition partner and the external supporter, structure the extent to which government bills are scrutinized in parliament, and therefore, the effectiveness of the minority coalition on managing and implementing policies. We empirically examine bills initiated by 256 ministries in 13 Danish minority coalitions between 1985 and 2015, and we reveal robust evidence that corroborates our argument.     

Patterns of precursor behaviors in the life span of a U.S. environmental terrorist group

Research Summary
This article discusses the paucity of data available for assessing the "life span" of a terrorist group. It introduces a new methodology that allows researchers to examine when terrorist groups perform their preincident activities. The findings suggest that differences exist in the temporal patterns of terrorist groups: environmental terrorist groups engage in a relatively short planning cycle compared with right-wing and international terrorists. The article concludes by examining a case study on "the Family," which is a unique environmental terrorist group that conducted activities over a relatively long period of time. This group provides an interesting contrast to other environmental terrorists. Despite significant organizational differences, their patterns of preparatory conduct were highly similar.
Policy Implications
The findings suggest that (1) temporal and spatial data about preincident terrorist activity can be collected from unclassified and open sources and (2) law-enforcement agencies that are investigating environmental groups have relatively little time to observe and infiltrate their individual cells (compared with right-wing and international terrorists). Finally, the data suggest that environmental terrorists—at least so far—have engaged in attacks that are less deadly than the comparison groups.