La théorie des opportunités et l’erreur de généralisation

Crime relationships are often inconsistent at different levels of aggregation for good theoretical reasons. That is why we should avoid committing the fallacy of composition, namely, drawing inferences between individuals and aggregates or from one level of aggregation to another. The routine activity approach becomes part of the solution

Expressive and Instrumental Offending: Reconciling the Paradox of Specialisation and Versatility

Although previous research into specialisation has been dominated by the debate over the existence of specialisation versus versatility, it is suggested that research needs to move beyond the restrictions of this dispute. The current study explores the criminal careers of 200 offenders based on their criminal records, obtained from a police database in the North West of England, aiming to understand the patterns and nature of specialisation by determining the presence of differentiation within their general offending behaviours and examining whether the framework of Expressive and Instrumental offending styles can account for any specialised tendencies that emerge. Fifty-eight offences were subjected to Smallest Space Analysis. Results revealed that a model of criminal differentiation could be identified and that any specialisation is represented in terms of Expressive and Instrumental offending styles

Does measurement of the anatomic axis consistently predict hip-knee-ankle angle (HKA) for knee alignment studies in osteoarthritis? Analysis of long limb radiographs from the multicenter osteoarthritis (MOST) study

SummaryObjectiveResearchers commonly use the femoral shaft–tibial shaft angle (FS–TS) from knee radiographs to estimate the hip-knee-ankle angle (HKA) in studies examining risk factors for knee osteoarthritis (OA) incidence and progression. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between HKA and FS–TS, depending on the method of calculating FS–TS and the direction and degree of knee deformity.Methods120 full-length digital radiographs were assigned, with 30 in each of four alignment groups (0.0°–4.9°, and ≥5.0° of varus and valgus), from a large cohort of persons with and at risk of knee OA. HKA and five measures of FS–TS (using progressively shorter shaft lengths) were obtained using Horizons Analysis Software, Orthopaedic Alignment & Imaging Systems Inc. (OAISYS). The offsets between HKA and the different versions of FS–TS were calculated, with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Pearson correlations were calculated.ResultsIn varus limbs use of a shorter shaft length increased the offset between HKA and FS–TS from 5.1° to 7.0°. The opposite occurred with valgus limbs (from 5.0° to 3.7°). Correlations between HKA and FS–TS for the whole sample of 120 individuals were excellent (r range 1.00–0.88). However, correlations for individual alignment groups were low to moderate, especially for the shortest-shaft FS–TS (r range 0.41–0.66).ConclusionsThe offsets obtained using the shorter FS–TS measurements vary depending on direction and degree of knee deformity, and therefore may not provide reliable predictions for HKA We recommend that full-length radiographs be used whenever an accurate estimation of HKA is required, although broad categories of alignment can be estimated with FS–TS

The association between patella alignment and knee pain and function: an MRI study in persons with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis

SummaryObjectiveThe aim of the study was to examine the association between patellofemoral (PF) alignment (using standard magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images of extended knees) and knee pain and function.DesignSubjects were recruited to participate in a natural history study of symptomatic knee osteoarthritis, called the Boston Osteoarthritis of the Knee Study (BOKS). The association of predictive variable (patellar alignment in sagittal and transverse planes) and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain and function were examined using a linear regression model while adjusting for age, sex, body mass index (BMI), Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) score and Kellgren and Lawrence score.ResultsIncreasing trochlear angle (TA) was associated with both WOMAC (P=0.06) pain and WOMAC function subscale (P=0.04). Increasing lateral patellar title angle (LPTA) and decreasing bisect offset (increasing lateral subluxation) appeared to be associated with increasing WOMAC pain. However, no such an association was observed for other predictors.ConclusionsThe findings of the present study suggest that increasing TA is associated with increased functional impairment. Other measures of PF malalignment were not significantly associated with either knee pain or functional impairment

Evaluating elbow osteoarthritis within the prehistoric Tiwanaku state using generalized estimating equations (GEE).

OBJECTIVES:Studies of osteoarthritis (OA) in human skeletal remains can come with scalar problems. If OA measurement is noted as present or absent in one joint, like the elbow, results may not identify specific articular pathology data and the sample size may be insufficient to address research questions. If calculated on a per data point basis (i.e., each articular surface within a joint), results may prove too data heavy to comprehensively understand arthritic changes, or one individual with multiple positive scores may skew results and violate the data independence required for statistical tests. The objective of this article is to show that the statistical methodology Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) can solve scalar issues in bioarchaeological studies. MATERIALS AND METHODS:Using GEE, a population-averaged statistical model, 1,195 adults from the core and one colony of the prehistoric Tiwanaku state (AD 500-1,100) were evaluated bilaterally for OA on the seven articular surfaces of the elbow joint. RESULTS:GEE linked the articular surfaces within each individual specimen, permitting the largest possible unbiased dataset, and showed significant differences between core and colony Tiwanaku peoples in the overall elbow joint, while also pinpointing specific articular surfaces with OA. Data groupings by sex and age at death also demonstrated significant variation. A pattern of elbow rotation noted for core Tiwanaku people may indicate a specific pattern of movement. DISCUSSION:GEE is effective and should be encouraged in bioarchaeological studies as a way to address scalar issues and to retain all pathology information