Declining prices in the sequential Dutch flower auction of roses

According to basic models of sequential private value auctions of identical objects, consecutive prices are on average constant or rising. In empirical studies, prices are often found to decline. Several explanations have been put forward for this declining price anomaly. In this paper we analyze data on sequential Dutch auctions of roses from the largest flower auction in the world. We find that there is a substantial price decline and suggest that the presence of a buyer's option, whereby the winner of the first auction has the opportunity to buy the remaining units at the winning price, is a main determinant of the observed price decline. We advance on the empirical literature on sequential auctions by using formal panel data estimation techniques

Declining Prices in the Sequential Dutch Flower Auction of Roses

sequential auctions;declining prices;buyer's option

Parental psychopathology and the early developing child: The Generation R Study

Up to now research tradition particularly focused on the influence of maternal psychopathology on the early developing infant. There are two main reasons to focus on paternal psychopathology during pregnancy. Firstly, fathers contribute 50% of their children’s genes and depression and anxiety are highly heritable in infants. Secondly, paternal psychopathology can be an important confounder in associations between maternal psychopathology during pregnancy and the developing infant. This study was embedded in the Generation R Study, a prospective multiethnic population-based study on growth, development and health of children followed from early fetal life. This thesis aimed at extending the existing knowledge on transgenerational aspects of common psychiatric disorders. The main findings were: 1. During pregnancy mothers had much higher levels of psychopathology compared to fathers. Maternal and paternal psychopathology were significantly correlated (.32). Ethnicity explained most of the variance of the investigated factors on all symptom scales of the BSI. Participants with other ethnic backgrounds had higher psychopathology scores than native Dutch, even after adjustment for age and educational level. 2. Maternal depression – and not anxiety – seems to be associated with lower birth weight of the child, even after adjustment for parental birth weight and other confounders. 3. Maternal and paternal depression during pregnancy did influence their children’s behaviour in different ways. Both maternal and paternal depression during pregnancy were independently, though differently, related to excessive infant crying at 2 months. Maternal depression during pregnancy was independently associated with recovery from distress and sadness in 6-month-old girls, and to distress to limitations in 6-month-old boys. Paternal depression during pregnancy was not associated with behaviour of 6-month-old girls, while it was independently associated with fear in 6-month-old boys

Interventions to treat mental disorders during pregnancy: A systematic review and multiple treatment meta-Analysis

Background For women suffering from an antepartum mental disorder (AMD), there is lack of evidencebased treatment algorithms due to the complicated risk-benefit analysis for both mother and unborn child. We aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of pharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions to treat AMD and performed a meta-Analysis of the estimated treatment effect on the psychiatric symptoms during pregnancy. Methods MedLine, PsycINFO and Embase databases were searched by two independent reviewers for clinical trials with a control condition on treatment of women with AMD, i.e. major depressive (MDD), anxiety, psychotic, eating, somatoform and personality disorders. We inventoried the effect of the treatment, i.e. decrease of psychiatric symptoms at the end of the treatment or postpartum. We adhered to the PRISMA-protocol. Findings Twenty-nine trials were found involving 2779 patients. Trials studied patients with depressive disorders (k = 28), and anxiety disorders (k = 1). No pharmacological trials were detected. A form of psychotherapy, like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (g = -0.61; 95%CI:- 0.73 to -0.49, I2 = 0%; k = 7) or Interpersonal Psychotherapy (g = -0.67; 95%CI:-1.27 to -0.07; I2 = 79%; k = 4), holds robust benefit for pregnant women with MDD. Body-oriented interventions (g = -0.43; 95%CI:-0.61 to -0.25; I2 = 17%; k = 7) and acupuncture (g = -0.43; 95%CI:-0.80 to -0.06; I2 = 0%; k = 2) showed medium sized reduction of depressive symptoms. Bright light therapy (g = -0.59; 95%CI:-1.25 to 0.06; I2 = 0%; k = 2), and food supplements (g = -0.51; 95%CI:-1.02 to 0.01; I2 = 20%; k = 3) did not show significant treatment effects. One study was found on Integrative Collaborative Care

Health-Related Quality of Life and Fatigue in Children with Pompe Disease

Objective: Pompe disease is an inheritable metabolic myopathy caused by the deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme acid-⍺-glucosidase. The aim of this study was to investigate self-reported and parent-reported health related quality of life (HR-QOL) and fatigue in children with Pompe disease. Study design: In this cross-sectional study, the validated Child Health Questionnaire and PedsQL Multidimensional Fatigue Scale were used to respectively measure (both self-reported and parent-reported) HR-QOL and fatigue in children with Pompe disease. Results: In total, of 24 patients with Pompe disease (and their parents) participated, with a median age of 9.6 years [IQR 7.7-11.9], 14 had classic infantile Pompe disease. Self-reported HR-QOL was comparable with the healthy Dutch population on most domains, and patients with the classic infantile type scored mainly lower on physical functioning. Parents of patients with classic infantile Pompe disease reported a significantly lower HR-QOL of their children on 9 domains and parents of patients with (non-classic) childhood-onset Pompe disease on 5 domains. Self-reported fatigue levels in children with classic infantile Pompe disease were increased for 2 of 3 domains compared with healthy peers, and fatigue in patients with non-classic Pompe disease did not differ. Parents of patients with classic infantile Pompe disease reported greater levels of fatigue in all 3 domains compared with healthy children, whereas parents of children with childhood-onset disease scored greater on the cognitive fatigue domain. Conclusions: Children with Pompe disease report comparable HR-QOL on most domains compared with healthy peers. Contrarily, parent-reported HR-QOL was substantially lower on most domains compared with references values. As expected in relation to disease severity, unfavorable effects on HR-QOL and fatigue were more pronounced in patients with classic infantile Pompe disease.</p

Assessment of nutritional status in haemodialysis patients using PG-SGA and handgrip strength

In this cross-sectional study, we primarily aimed to assess prevalence of malnutrition by the Patient Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PGSGA), and muscle strength in haemodialysis patients. Second, we explored to which extent these patients are able to complete the patient component of the PG-SGA, aka PG-SGA Short Form (SF) (weight, intake, symptoms, activities/functioning) independently

Successful five-item triage for the broad spectrum of mental disorders in pregnancy - A validation study

Background: Mental disorders are prevalent during pregnancy, affecting 10% of women worldwide. To improve triage of a broad spectrum of mental disorders, we investigated the decision impact validity of: 1) a short set of currently used psychiatric triage items, 2) this set with the inclusion of some more specific psychiatric items (intermediate set), 3) this new set with the addition of the 10-item Edinburgh Depression Scale (extended set), and 4) the final set with the addition of common psychosocial co-predictors (comprehensive set). Methods: This was a validation study including 330 urban pregnant women. Women completed a questionnaire including 20 psychiatric and 10 psychosocial items. Psychiatric diagnosis (gold standard) was obtained through Structured Clinical Interviews of DSM-IV axis I and II disorders (SCID-I and II). The outcome measure of our anal

Peripartum Cardiomyopathy as a Part of Familial Dilated Cardiomyopathy

BACKGROUND-: Anecdotal cases of familial clustering of peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) and familial occurrences of PPCM and idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) together have been observed, suggesting that genetic factors play a role in the pathogenesis of PPCM. We hypothesized that some cases of PPCM are part of the spectrum of familial DCM, presenting in the peripartum period. METHODS AND RESULTS-: We reviewed our database of 90 DCM families, focusing specifically on the presence of PPCM patients. Then, in a reverse approach, we reviewed 10 PPCM patients seen in our clinic since the early 1990s and performed cardiological screening of the first-degree relatives of 3 PPCM patients who did not show a full recovery. Finally, we analyzed the genes known to be most commonly involved in DCM in the PPCM patients. We identified a substantial number (5 of 90, 6%) of DCM families with PPCM patients. Second, cardiological screening of first-degree relatives of 3 PPCM patients who did not show full recovery revealed undiagnosed DCM in all 3 families. Finally, genetic analyses revealed a mutation (c.149A>G, p.Gln50Arg) in the gene encoding cardiac troponin C (TNNC1) segregating with disease in a DCM family with a member with PPCM, supporting the genetic nature of disease in this case. CONCLUSIONS-: Our findings strongly suggest that a subset of PPCM is an initial manifestation of familial DCM. This may have important implications for cardiological screening in such families

Marktkansen voor etnisch voedsel en etnische diensten

De bevolkingssamenstelling van de Nederlandse steden is afgelopen jaren sterk veranderd. De stedelijke vraag naar producten en diensten van het platteland is ook sterk veranderd. Uit de quick scan is gebleken dat de 'ethnic food & services' een belangrijk onderdeel vormen van de nieuwe vraag. Dit dient niet alleen ten behoeve van de nichemarkt van ethnic food & services maar kan tegelijkertijd als een strategisch middel ingezet worden om de algemene stadplattelandsrelaties aan te halen, uit te breiden en te verbetere

The prevalence and correlates of self-harm in pregnant women with psychotic disorder and bipolar disorder

Women with severe mental illness are at increased risk of suicide in the perinatal period, and these suicides are often preceded by self-harm, but little is known about self-harm and its correlates in this population. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of suicidal ideation and self-harm, and its correlates, in women with psychotic disorders and bipolar disorder during pregnancy. Historical cohort study using de-identified secondary mental healthcare records linked with national maternity data. Women pregnant from 2007 to 2011, with ICD-10 diagnoses of schizophrenia and related disorders, bipolar disorder or other affective psychoses were identified. Data were extracted from structured fields, natural language processing applications and free text. Logistic regression was used to examine the correlates of self-harm in pregnancy. Of 420 women, 103 (24.5 %) had a record of suicidal ideation during the first index pregnancy, with self-harm recorded in 33 (7.9 %). Self-harm was independently associated with younger age (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0.91, 95 % CI 0.85–0.98), self-harm in the previous 2 years (aOR 2.55; 1.05–6.50) and smoking (aOR 3.64; 1.30–10.19). A higher prevalence of self-harm was observed in women with non-affective psychosis, those who discontinued or switched medication and in women on no medication at the start of pregnancy, but these findings were not statistically significant in multivariable analyses. Suicidal thoughts and self-harm occur in a significant proportion of pregnant women with severe mental illness, particularly younger women and those with a history of self-harm; these women need particularly close monitoring for suicidality