Growth curves of deviant behavior in early adolescence: A multilevel analysis

Multilevel growth curve models provide a means of analyzing individual differences in the growth of deviance, allow a number of theories to be integrated in a single model, and can help to unify research on deviant/delinquent/criminal careers at different stages of the life cycle. Building on the distinction between population heterogeneity and state dependence as alternative explanations of persistent individual differences in deviance (Heckman, 1981; Nagin and Paternoster, 1991), we show that models with two levels can be used to represent and analyze a variety of criminological theories. The first level (level 1) uses repeated measurements on individuals to estimate individual-level growth curves. The second level treats the level 1 growth curve parameters (e.g., slope, intercept) as outcome variables and uses time-invariant factors to explain variation in these parameters across individuals. We illustrate this approach by estimating a model of growth in deviance drawn from Gottfredson and Hirschi's deviant propensity theory. An innovative feature is the assumption that adolescents' expected growth curves of deviance follow a classical Pearl-Verhulst logistic growth model (Pearl, 1930). The results suggest that five risk factors—parental psychiatric problems, lack of parental support, living arrangements with zero or one parent in residence, low family income, and male gender—have strongly positive effects on deviant propensity. For example, adolescents with no supportive parents, and no other risk factors, have expected asymptotic levels of deviance (peak levels attained at about age 18) that are about twice as high as those of adolescents with no risk factors. Yet more than two-thirds of the individual-level variability in growth curves is unexplained by the five risk factors. This unobserved heterogeneity would remain hidden in analyses using conventional structural equations models and the same explanatory variables.     

The Protection of Traditional Foods in the EU: Traditional Specialities Guaranteed

Since the dawn of the common market, the European Union has enacted abundant legislation regulating the employment of specific food names. This process has led to the introduction of a regulatory framework for wines and spirits, and four quality schemes for food products: protected denominations of origin (PDO), protected geographical indications (PGI), traditional specialities guaranteed (TSG), and optional quality terms (OQT). This paper focuses on the TSG. It will first determine the collocation of this quality scheme in the EU legal framework; second, it will conduct a legal exegesis of the norms regulating the TSG under the previous Regulation 509/06 and analyse the ways in which they have been interpreted and applied; third, it will suggest reasons for the limited success of this scheme in the past; and fourth, it will explore the recently enacted Regulation 1151/12, seeking to establish whether it addresses the pre‐existing flaws that fettered the TSG.     

Europäische und nationale Regulierung der Bioenergie und ihrer ökologisch-sozialen Ambivalenzen

Zusammenfassung  Europ?isches und deutsches Recht setzen neuerdings stark auf eine ausgebaute Biomassenutzung zur Strom-, W?rme- und Treibstoffgewinnung. Die Biomassenutzung weist eine Reihe ?kologisch- sozialer Vor-, aber auch Nachteile auf. Das bisherige, aber auch das zur Verabschiedung anstehende neue europ?ische und deutsche Bioenergierecht l?st diese nicht immer hinreichend auf. Nachhaltigkeitskriterienkataloge k?nnen diese Rolle auch strukturell nur begrenzt übernehmen, unter anderem weil sie die n?tige Komplexit?t nicht abbilden, Verlagerungseffekte nicht vermeiden und bestimmte zentrale Aspekte (etwa das Weltern?hrungsproblem) erst gar nicht abbilden k?nnen; und wenn, dann müssten die Kataloge über die aktuellen EU-Vorschl?ge hinausgehen. Wirkungsvoller für die Bioenergienutzung selbst wie auch in der Energiepolitik insgesamt w?re aber eine einschneidende Energieeffizienzpolitik – die den Gesamtverbrauch senken und damit die ?kologisch-sozialen Ambivalenzen überschaubarer machen würden, wenn langfristig die erneuerbaren Energien 100% der Versorgung in einer “kohlenstofffreien Wirtschaft” übernehmen. In Verbindung mit der Analyse der Ambivalenzen bietet der vorliegende Beitrag zugleich einen kurzen überblick über das Bioenergierecht.     

Mini-SGM multiplex in degraded samples

A five Mini-SGM multiplex which encompasses TH01, FGA, D18S51, D16S539 and D2S1338, common STR markers in human identity testing, have been performed. Two cases with different biological tissues were selected to illustrate the usefulness of this technique in forensic casework. The use of routine methodology can sometimes give only a partial genetic profile or no profile at all. However, using the Mini-STR technique, a full profile was obtained for the majority of the degraded samples. We conclude that the Mini-SGM methodology is more sensible than routine methodology for degraded samples, although a full genetic profile is not obtained in all cases as results are still very much sample-dependent. This Mini-SGM multiplex can be considered a useful tool to complement conventional STR analysis in degraded samples.     

An Isolated Perfused Rat Kidney Model for the Evaluation of the Effect of Glucose on Renal Tubular Epithelial Morphology

An isolated perfused kidney model was used to evaluate the effect of hyperglycemia on renal tubular epithelial cell morphology. Ten Sprague–Dawley rat kidneys were perfused with Krebs–Henseleit buffer containing 70 mmol/L of glucose (five for 1 h and five for 2 h). Two control groups consisted of 10 kidneys perfused with Krebs–Henseleit buffer without hyperglycemia (five for 1 h and five for 2 h), and 10 nonperfused contralateral kidneys placed in the same environment for the same duration. The hyperglycemia group had significantly increased renal tubular vacuolization (p < 0.001) compared to both control groups at 1 and 2 h. The isolated perfused kidney model recapitulates the renal tubular vacuolization phenotype found in hyperglycemia and may be a potential tool for the investigation into causal factors in renal histology. The full pattern of the Armanni–Ebstein phenomenon was not, however, reproduced, suggesting that this change requires more time or involves more complex factors.     

The Trajectories of Crime at Places: Understanding the Patterns of Disaggregated Crime Types

Objectives

Investigate the spatial concentrations and the stability of trajectories for disaggregated crime types on street segments and intersections in Vancouver, Canada.

Methods

A longitudinal analysis of 16 years of crime data using street segments and intersections as the units of analysis. We use the k-means non-parametric cluster analysis technique considering eight crime types: assault, burglary, robbery, theft, theft of vehicle, theft from vehicle, other, and total crime.

Results

The overall results for the individual crime types versus overall crime are similar: crime is highly concentrated regardless of crime type, most street segment and intersection trajectories are stable over time with the others decreasing, and most decreasing trajectories are in the same general areas. However, there are notable differences across crime types that need to be considered when attempting to understand spatial pattern changes and implement crime prevention initiatives.

Conclusions

The law of crime concentration at places holds in Vancouver, Canada for disaggregated crime types in the context of spatial concentrations and their stability over time. However, notable differences exist across crime types that should be accounted for when developing theory or policy.

     

WHY A LAWYER?—THE IMPORTANCE OF CLIENT‐DIRECTED LEGAL REPRESENTATION FOR YOUTH

This article begins with a discussion about the importance of ensuring that all children have lawyers in abuse and neglect cases. Lawyers provide a vital role in giving youth a voice in proceedings that sound profoundly affect their lives. The article then discusses why the client‐directed lawyer's role is consistent with federal law and legal ethics. Finally, the article discusses the growing support for client‐directed representation and what the American Bar Association has done to support this type of child representation.     

Death Caused by Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (Lyell Syndrome)

Abstract: Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) is characterized by fever, scalded appearance of the skin, and epidermolysis associated to blister formation and exfoliation, and it is caused by hypersensitivity reaction to a drug. The authors report two cases of death as a result of TEN; both referred to old aged women treated with a polytherapy including allopurinol. Both patients displayed erythematous skin lesions similar to scald burns and epidermolysis at the face, chest, and abdomen and died shortly after hospitalization. Autopsy findings and histological examinations revealed epidermal necrolysis and confirmed the clinical diagnosis. A strict time‐correlation between allopurinol administration and symptoms was evidenced. Because of its iatrogenic origin, TEN often arises suspicions of medical liability; however, because of its unpredictable nature, the occurrence of this syndrome cannot be ascribed to the medical staff whose main task is the rapid diagnosis and the correct management.