Not your average biker; Criminal careers of members of Dutch outlaw motorcycle gangs

Based on criminal career data of a sample of 601 police-identified outlaw motorcycle gang members and an age-matched comparison group of 300 non-gang affiliated motorcycle owners, the current analysis examines various dimensions of the criminal careers of outlaw bikers, including participation, onset, frequency, and crime mix. Results show that Dutch outlaw bikers are more often convicted than the average Dutch motorcyclist, and that these convictions not only pertain to minor offenses but also to serious and violent crimes. We find that outlaw bikers’ criminal careers differ from that of the average Dutch motorcyclist already during the juvenile and early adult years, but also – and more so – during the adult years. These results fit the enhancement hypothesis of gang membership and suggest that both selection of crime prone individuals in outlaw motorcycle gangs and facilitation of criminal behavior whilst in the gang are taking place.Criminal Justice: Legitimacy, accountability, and effectivit

Linguistic dual tasking reduces emotionality, vividness and credibility of voice memories in voice-hearing individuals:Results from a controlled trial

Dual taxation of the working memory during recall is an effective strategy to reduce the emotionality and vividness of visual intrusive memories and potentially changes dysfunctional beliefs associated with the memories. This study tested the hypothesis that dual tasking decreases emotionality, vividness and credibility of auditory intrusive images (i.e., memories of auditory hallucinations) with a two-level (time: pre and post; condition: dual tasking and recall only) within-subjects design. Thirty-seven voice-hearing participants selected two negative voice-hearing experiences. They recalled one of these experiences while performing a lingual dual task (i.e., language game on smartphone app) and recalled one memory without a dual task (in counterbalanced order). During the pre-test and post-test, emotionality and vividness of the voice-hearing memories were rated, as well as the credibility of the voice statements. There was a significantly greater decrease in emotionality, vividness and credibility during dual tasking than during recall only. This study provides proof of principle that the salience and credibility of the content of auditory hallucinations can be reduced by dual tasking; the clinical implications are also discussed

Repeated Cross-Sectional Randomized Response Data Taking Design Change and Self-Protective Responses into Account

Abstract. Randomized response (RR) is an interview technique that can be used to protect the privacy of respondents if sensitive questions are posed. This paper explains how to measure change in time if a binary RR question is posed at several time points. In cross-sectional research settings, new insights often gradually emerge. In our setting, a switch to another RR procedure necessitates the development of a trend model that estimates the effect of the covariate time if the dependent variable is measured by different RR designs. We also demonstrate that it is possible to deal with self-protective responses, thus accommodating our trend model with the latest developments in RR data analysis. Keywords: linear trend, longitudinal data, misclassification, randomized response, repeated cross-sections, self-protective responses Randomized response (RR) is an interview technique that can be used if sensitive questions are posed and respondents are reluctant to answer directly In addition to the RR setting, misclassification probabilities occur in several other fields of research. The one most closely related to RR is the postrandomization method (PRAM, Kooiman, Willenborg, & Gouweleeuw, 1997) that misclassifies values of categorical variables using a computerized process after the data are collected to protect the respondents' privacy. PRAM uses RR after the data collection. Misclassification also plays a role in medicine and epidemiology with the probabilities correctly classified as a case (sensitivity) or noncase (specificity), see This paper proposes a model to measure changes in time whenever RR is used to pose sensitive questions at several time points cross-sectionally. The model is illustrated with data from a Dutch repeated cross-sectional study on noncompliance to rules regarding social benefits. Data are collected every 2 years since 2000 and given that measures to prevent regulatory noncompliance are intensified during this period, the question arises as to whether the prevalence of regulatory noncompliance changes over the years and how the change can be modeled. Considering time a covariate, we propose a method to measure the effect of this covariate if the dependent variable is measured by RR. Several aspects of the cross-sectional study at hand make it impossible to use standard analysis methods and necessitate a new approach in the analysis of RR data to deal with research questions of this type. Firstly, the fact that RR variables represent misclassified responses on categorical variables precludes the use of, for example, the linear logit model (Agresti, 2002, p. 180), to test for a linear trend. Using the framework o

Ecologische effecten van het ontwormingsmiddel ivermectine

Het is inmiddels een bekend feit dat ontwormingsmiddelen die aan vee worden gegeven, giftig kunnen zijn voor de mestfauna, de insecten die zich met mest voeden en er hun eieren in leggen. Het verdwijnen van bepaalde soorten mestfauna kan er in bepaalde gevallen toe leiden dat de afbraak van mest in het veld vertraagd wordt, zo blijkt uit buitenlandse studies. Enquêtes wezen eerder uit dat ontwormingsmiddelen in veel Nederlandse natuurgebieden worden toegediend aan grote grazers. Komen dit soort ecologische effecten dus ook in onze natuurgebieden voor? Dit is de afgelopen jaren door Alterra onderzocht in opdracht van het ministerie van EL&I

Perioperative management of children with glycogen storage disease type II-Pompe disease

Background: Pompe disease is a rare metabolic disorder caused by a deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme acid α-glucosidase. Glycogen accumulation damages skeletal, cardiac, and smooth muscles, causing a progressive and debilitating muscle weakness and cardiomyopathy. As life expectancy has much improved since the introduction of enzyme replacement therapy an increasing number of patients are referred for surgical procedures. Due to the potential cardiopulmonary complications, these patients form a high-risk group for the anesthesiologist. Aims: In this study, we investigated the incidence of perioperative complications in children with Pompe disease treated in our hospital since the introduction of enzyme replacement therapy. Methods: Anesthetic and perioperative data of children with Pompe disease treated between 1999 and 2015 in the Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, were collected, retrospectively. Results: Of the 65 children with Pompe disease, 34 patients underwent in total 77, mostly low-risk, surgical procedures. Twenty-one children had the classic infantile form and 13 had a nonclassic presentation of Pompe disease. In 13 (16.8%) procedures, 1 or more perioperative complications occurred. Perioperative desaturation was the main complication (12.9%), followed by arrhythmia (3.8%) and heart failure requiring diuretic treatment (2.6%). One child died 2 days postoperatively, but this was considered unrelated to the procedure. Conclusion: Despite the potentially high anesthetic risk for children with Pompe disease under enzym

Transcription factor 4 (TCF4) expression predicts clinical outcome in RUNX1 mutated and translocated acute myeloid leukemia

Contains fulltext : 229528.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access

Burden of illness of Pompe disease in patients only receiving supportive care

Background: Pompe disease is an orphan disease for which enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) recently became available. This study aims to estimate all relevant aspects of burden of illness-societal costs, use of home care and informal care, productivity losses, and losses in health-related quality of life (HRQoL)-for adult Pompe patients only receiving supportive care. Methods: We collected data on all relevant aspects of burden of illness via a questionnaire. We applied a societal perspective in calculating costs. The EQ-5D was used to estimate HRQoL. Results: Eighty adult patients (87% of the total Dutch adult Pompe population) completed a questionnaire. Disease severity ranged from mild to severe. Total annual costs were estimated at €22,475 (range €0-169,539) per adult Pompe patient. Patients on average received 8 h of home care and 19 h of informal care per week. Eighty-five percent of the patients received informal care from one or more caregivers; 40% had stopped working due to their disease; another 20% had reduced their working hours. HRQoL for Pompe patients who only received supportive care was estimated at 0.72, 17% lower than the Dutch population at large. Conclusions: Adult Pompe disease is associated with a considerable burden of illness at both the societal and patient levels. The disease leads to substantial costs and dependency on medical devices, home care, and informal care, and has a high impact on the patient's social network. In addition, patients are limited in their ability to work and have significantly reduced HRQoL

Survival and Cost-Effectiveness of Trabectedin Compared to Ifosfamide Monotherapy in Advanced Soft Tissue Sarcoma Patients

Contains fulltext : 208922.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)Trabectedin and ifosfamide are among the few cytostatic agents active in advanced soft tissue sarcomas (STSs). Trabectedin is most potent against so-called L-sarcomas (leiomyosarcoma and liposarcoma). The survival gain and cost-effectiveness of these agents in a second-line setting were analysed in the setting of advanced STS after failure of anthracyclines. A prospective observational trial had previously been performed to assess the use of trabectedin in a Dutch real-world setting. Data on ifosfamide monotherapy were acquired from previous studies, and an indirect comparison of survival was made. A state-transition economic model was constructed, in which patients could be in mutually exclusive states of being preprogression, postprogression, or deceased. The costs and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) for both treatments were assessed from a Dutch health-care perspective. Separate analyses for the group of L-sarcomas and non-L-sarcomas were performed. Trabectedin treatment resulted in a median progression-free survival of 5.2 months for L-sarcoma patients, 2.0 months for non-L-sarcoma patients, and a median overall survival of 11.8 and 6.0 months, respectively. For L-sarcoma patients, trabectedin offered an increase of 0.368 life years and 0.251 QALYs compared to ifosfamide and euro20,082 in additional costs, for an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of euro80,000 per QALY gained. In the non-L-sarcoma patients, trabectedin resulted in 0.413 less life years and 0.266 less QALYs, at the increased cost of euro4,698. The difference in survival between drugs and the acquisition costs of trabectedin were the main influences in these models. Trabectedin was shown to have antitumour efficacy in advanced L-sarcoma. From a health economics perspective, the costs per QALY gained compared to ifosfamide monotherapy that may be acceptable, considering what is currently regarded as acceptable in the Netherlands

Phenotypic characterization of patients with deletions in the 3’-flanking SHOX region

Context. Leri–Weill dyschondrosteosis is a clinically variable skeletal dysplasia, caused by SHOX deletion or mutations, or a deletion of enhancer sequences in the 3’-flanking region. Recently, a 47.5 kb recurrent PAR1 deletion downstream of SHOX was reported, but its frequency and clinical importance are still unknown.Objective. This study aims to compare the clinical features of different sizes of deletions in the 3’-flanking SHOX region in order to determine the relevance of the regulatory sequences in this region.Design. We collected DNA from 28 families with deletions in the 3’-PAR1 region. Clinical data were available from 23 index patients and 21 relatives.Results. In 9 families (20 individuals) a large deletion ( ∼ 200–900 kb) was found and in 19 families (35 individuals) a small deletion was demonstrated, equal to the recently described 47.5 kb PAR1 deletion. Median height SDS, sitting height/height ratio SDS and the presence of Madelung deformity in patients with the 47.5 kb deletion were not significantly different from patients with larger deletions. The index patients had a median height SDS which was slightly lower than in their affected family members (p = 0.08). No significant differences were observed between male and female patients.Conclusions. The phenotype of patients with deletions in the 3’-PAR1 region is remarkably variable. Height, sitting height/height ratio and the presence of Madelung deformity were not significantly different between patients with the 47.5 kb recurrent PAR1 deletion and those with larger deletions, suggesting that this enhancer plays an important role in SHOX expression