Bosnia's Muslim/Croat federation: A step in the right direction or another recipe for disaster?

A functioning Muslim/Croat Federation in Bosnia‐Hercegovina has been identified as central to the successful implementation of the Dayton Peace Plan. However, since this arrangement was first outlined in the Washington Agreement of March 1994, neither side has given the project its full support. It now remains to be seen whether both parties can bury their differences and work together towards a lasting peace and a better future.     

The co-offender as counterfactual: a quasi-experimental within-partnership approach to the examination of the relationship between race and arrest

Journal of Experimental Criminology - Estimate the relationship between race and arrest within co-offending partnerships using a quasi-experimental framework. More specifically, this study argues...     

Does it pay to break male gender stereotypes in advertising? A comparison of advertisement effectiveness between the United Kingdom,Poland and South Africa

Advertisers shy away from using non-traditional (vs. traditional) male gender portrayals even though theory suggests they may be more effective cross-nationally. Two main hypotheses were tested cross-nationally for the first time. H1: ‘paternalistic’ male stereotypes (e.g. Househusband) would be more effective than ‘envious’ male stereotypes (e.g. Businessman) across countries confirming the stereotype content model (SCM). H2: the match between initial male gender role attitudes and advertisement type would increase advertisement effectiveness only in countries with relatively low egalitarian norms (i.e. Poland and South Africa). A cross-national study was conducted through the use of student samples following a 3(country: United Kingdom, Poland and South Africa) × 2(advertisement type) × (gender attitude) mixed design (N = 373). A three-way multivariate analysis of variance showed support for H1 and partial support for H2 (i.e. the second hypothesis held on purchase intent and for South Africa). The study provides evidence for the cross-national applicability of the SCM to advertising and the limited predictive value of gender attitudes for purchase intent depending on country. Thus, contrary to mainstream advertising practices, breaking male gender stereotypes does appear to pay cross-nationally. Theoretical and practical implications alongside the potential for change in practices are discussed.     

Methods for ensuring the highest DNA concentration and yield in future and retrospective trace DNA extracts

In forensic laboratories, increased extraction efficiency of trace evidence is paramount because analytical success is intrinsically dependent on the quantity of DNA recovered. Moreover, highly concentrated nucleic acids are vital for effective downstream analysis and high quality results. This study investigated the efficiency of extraction with the Qiagen® QIAamp® DNA Investigator kit, and explored improvements to the methodology that would maximise the recovery of low concentration forensic samples. Controlled amounts of starting cellular material were used to mimic trace (or low level) DNA deposits prior to DNA extraction with the Investigator kit. Addition of the provided carrier RNA along with conducting two successive elutions of 50 µL improved the net recovery of DNA to 95%. Concentration with centrifugal filters post-extraction were able to concentrate DNA but a large net loss was observed. For the concentration of historic, retrospectively extracted DNA, centrifugal methods are able to concentrate DNA extracts previously too dilute for analysis. These concentrated volumes, however are small, allowing for minimal downstream analysis attempts before the sample is exhausted.