5 research outputs found
Short-term prison sentence in contemporary Croatian criminal law
No full textEmpirijskom istraživanju u ovom radu prethodila je analiza građe koja je obuhvatila
povijesni razvoj kazne zatvora s naglaskom na kratkotrajne kazne, teorijsku podlogu svrhe
kažnjavanja, te međunarodne i nacionalne dokumente i propise o izricanju i izvršavanju kazne
zatvora s naglaskom na kratkotrajne kazne. Krovni dokumenti Europske unije snažno
preporučuju iznimnost izricanja kratkotrajnih kazni zatvora, a s njima su usklađena i
nacionalna zakonodavstva uključujući i zakonodavstvo Republike Hrvatske. Povrh preporuka
i propisa u tom smislu, u posljednje vrijeme i u literaturi se sve više ističe potreba izricanja
kratkotrajnih kazni zatvora u što je moguće manjoj mjeri ili ako se izreknu da budu, kada je to
moguće, zamijenjene alternativnim sankcijama za što se navode brojni argumenti. Istraživanja
u svijetu uglavnom dokazuju bolju učinkovitost kad je kratkotrajna kazna zatvora zamijenjena
nekom alternativnom sankcijom. Takvi rezultati imanentni su zemljama u kojima je razvijena
služba za probaciju, a usluge u zajednici na koje se ta služba oslanja dostupne su svim
građanima uključujući i osuđenike. Stoga je u slabije razvijenim zemljama pri snažnijem
zaokretu prema zamjeni kratkotrajnih kazni zatvora alternativnim sankcijama u praksi
potrebno dobro procijeniti ravnotežu između dobiti i moguće štete. Naime, ukoliko, kao što je
to slučaj u Republici Hrvatskoj, probacijska služba još nije do kraja etablirana, a usluge u
zajednici nisu do kraja i jednako osigurane svim osuđenicima koji izdržavaju kaznu u
zajednici, dok su istodobno prilično dobro razvijeni programi tretmana u zatvorima, tada se
može propitivati načelo pravednosti kao i ravnoteža retributivnog i rehabilitacijskog aspekta
unutar mješovitih teorija pod pretpostavkom da su one podloga kažnjavanja u Republici
Hrvatskoj. Posebno to vrijedi kad je u pitanju cjelokupni teritorij Republike Hrvatske gdje se,
poredbom teritorijalnih jedinica, programi u zatvorima, a posebno dostupnost usluga u
zajednici drastično razlikuju.
U ovom radu provedeno je istraživanje u kojem su uspoređeni počinitelji kojima je izrečena
kratkotrajna kazna zatvora (do 6 mjeseci) ili rad za opće dobro (također za kazne zatvora do 6
mjeseci koje su umjesto kratkotrajne kazne zatvora zamijenjene u rad za opće dobro) s
obzirom na: dostupna socijalno demografska obilježja, kriminološko pravna obilježja
(kazneno djelo i recidivizam) te glavne elemente obrazloženja presude (olakotne i otegotne
okolnosti). Istraživanje se pri tom ne bavi učinkovitošću jedne ili druge vrste sankcija već
govori o razlikama u obilježjima počinitelja kojima sudovi izriču kratkotrajnu kaznu zatvora
odnosno alternativnu sankciju- rad za opće dobro, što je i jedan od metodoloških problema u
istraživanjima učinkovitosti sankcija općenito. Istraživanje je provedeno na uzorku (N=303)
ispitanika i to (N1=167) zatvorenika i (N2=136) osuđenika kojima je kratkotrajna kazna
zatvora zamijenjena radom za opće dobro u trogodišnjem razdoblju. Rezultati sugeriraju da su
se suci pri odluci o izricanju kazne zatvora ili njezine zamjene radom za opće dobro u pravilu,
više rukovodili pravnim, a ne rehabilitativnim (tretmanskim potrebama) argumentima.
Značajni razlikovni kriteriji za sudove bili su: vrsta kaznenog djela, ranija osuđivanost,
upornost u činjenju kaznenog djela, izravnost namjere u počinjenju djela, priznanje djela,
kajanje i kritičan odnos prema djelu. Iz mogućeg spektra socijalno demografskih i
zdravstvenih obilježja počinitelja na odluku o vrsti sankcije utjecalo je sljedeće: mjesto
stanovanja (ruralno/urbano), radni status i zdravstveni status.
U kontekstu analize cjelokupnog razvoja probacijske službe u Republici Hrvatskoj,
dostupnosti rehabilitativnih programa kako u zatvorima tako i u zajednici, autor zagovara
iznimnost izricanja kratkotrajnih kazni zatvora, no ističe postupnost u njezinoj primjeni i daje
prijedloge za unapređenje prakse i daljnja istraživanja. Zaključno konstatira da kratkotrajna
kazna zatvora treba ostati u kaznenoj politici i praksi, ali naravno postoji opravdani interes da
se u što je mogućoj većoj mjeri ona zamijeni nekom alternativnom sankcijom. Osnovni
preduvjet za značajniji otklon prema zamjeni kratkotrajne kazne zatvora alternativnom u
praksi je daljnji razvoj probacijske službe u Republici Hrvatskoj.Empirical research was preceded by an analysis of material that covered the historical
development of prison sentences with an emphasis on short-term sentences, the theoretical
basis of the purpose of punishment, and international and national documents and regulations
on the imposition and execution of prison sentences with an emphasis on short-term
sentences. The umbrella documents of the European Union strongly recommend the exception
of the imposition of short-term prison sentences and national legislation, including the
legislation of the Republic of Croatia, is harmonized with them. In addition to the
recommendations and regulations in this sense, recent literature also emphasize the need to
impose short-term prison sentences as little as possible or, if they are imposed, to be replaced,
when possible, by alternative sanctions, for which numerous arguments are cited. Research
around the world generally proves better efficiency when the short-term prison sentence is
replaced by some alternative sanction. However, such results are immanent in countries where
the probation service has been developed, and the services in the community that the
probation service relies on are easily and equally accessible to all citizens, including convicts.
Therefore, in less developed countries, with a stronger shift towards the replacement of short-
term prison sentences with alternative sanctions, it is necessary to carefully assess the balance
between benefits and possible harm in practice. Namely, if, as is the case in the Republic of
Croatia, the probation service is not yet fully established, and services in the community are
not fully and equally provided to all convicts serving their sentence in the community, while
at the same time treatment programs in prisons are quite well developed, then one can
question the principle of justice as well as the balance of retributive and rehabilitative aspects
within mixed theories of punishment on the assumption that they are the basis of punishment
in the Republic of Croatia. This is especially true when the entire territory of the Republic of
Croatia is taken into consideration where, when comparing the territorial units, the programs
in prisons, and especially the availability of services in the community, differ drastically.
In the research in this paper offenders who were sentenced to short-term prison sentences (up
to 6 months) or community service (also short-term prison sentences up to 6 months that have
been changed into community service) were compared with regard to: available socio-
demographic characteristics, criminological and legal characteristics (criminal offense and
recidivism) and the main elements of the explanation of the sentence (aggravating and
mitigating circumstances). At the same time, the research does not deal with the effectiveness
of one or another type of sanctions, but rather talks about the differences in the characteristics
of offenders to whom the courts significantly more often impose a short-term prison sentence
or an alternative sanction as it's substitute, which is one of the basic methodological problems
in research on the effectiveness of sanctions in general. The research was conducted on a
sample of (N=303) respondents, namely (N1=167) prisoners and (N2=136) convicts whose
short-term prison sentence was replaced by community service over a three-year period. The
results suggest that when deciding to impose a prison sentence or to replace it with an
alternative sanction, judges were usually guided by legal rather than rehabilitative (treatment
needs) arguments. Significant distinguishing criteria for the courts were: type of criminal
offense, previous conviction, persistence in committing a criminal offense, directness of intent
in committing the offense, confession, remorse and critical attitude towards the offense. From
the possible spectrum of socio-demographic and health characteristics of the perpetrators, the
decision on the type of sanction was influenced by the following: place of residence
(rural/urban), work status and health status.
In the context of a comparative analysis of the entire development of the probation service,
the availability of rehabilitation programs both in prisons and in the community, the author
advocates the exceptionality of short-term prison sentences, but emphasizes the gradualness
of its application and makes suggestions for improving practice and further research. In
conclusion, he states that the short-term prison sentence should remain in criminal policy and
practice, but of course there is a justified interest in replacing it with an alternative sanction to
the greatest extent possible. The basic prerequisite for a significant shift towards the
replacement of short-term imprisonment with an alternative sanction in practice is the further
development of the probation service in the Republic of Croatia
Short-term prison sentence in contemporary Croatian criminal law
No full textEmpirijskom istraživanju u ovom radu prethodila je analiza građe koja je obuhvatila
povijesni razvoj kazne zatvora s naglaskom na kratkotrajne kazne, teorijsku podlogu svrhe
kažnjavanja, te međunarodne i nacionalne dokumente i propise o izricanju i izvršavanju kazne
zatvora s naglaskom na kratkotrajne kazne. Krovni dokumenti Europske unije snažno
preporučuju iznimnost izricanja kratkotrajnih kazni zatvora, a s njima su usklađena i
nacionalna zakonodavstva uključujući i zakonodavstvo Republike Hrvatske. Povrh preporuka
i propisa u tom smislu, u posljednje vrijeme i u literaturi se sve više ističe potreba izricanja
kratkotrajnih kazni zatvora u što je moguće manjoj mjeri ili ako se izreknu da budu, kada je to
moguće, zamijenjene alternativnim sankcijama za što se navode brojni argumenti. Istraživanja
u svijetu uglavnom dokazuju bolju učinkovitost kad je kratkotrajna kazna zatvora zamijenjena
nekom alternativnom sankcijom. Takvi rezultati imanentni su zemljama u kojima je razvijena
služba za probaciju, a usluge u zajednici na koje se ta služba oslanja dostupne su svim
građanima uključujući i osuđenike. Stoga je u slabije razvijenim zemljama pri snažnijem
zaokretu prema zamjeni kratkotrajnih kazni zatvora alternativnim sankcijama u praksi
potrebno dobro procijeniti ravnotežu između dobiti i moguće štete. Naime, ukoliko, kao što je
to slučaj u Republici Hrvatskoj, probacijska služba još nije do kraja etablirana, a usluge u
zajednici nisu do kraja i jednako osigurane svim osuđenicima koji izdržavaju kaznu u
zajednici, dok su istodobno prilično dobro razvijeni programi tretmana u zatvorima, tada se
može propitivati načelo pravednosti kao i ravnoteža retributivnog i rehabilitacijskog aspekta
unutar mješovitih teorija pod pretpostavkom da su one podloga kažnjavanja u Republici
Hrvatskoj. Posebno to vrijedi kad je u pitanju cjelokupni teritorij Republike Hrvatske gdje se,
poredbom teritorijalnih jedinica, programi u zatvorima, a posebno dostupnost usluga u
zajednici drastično razlikuju.
U ovom radu provedeno je istraživanje u kojem su uspoređeni počinitelji kojima je izrečena
kratkotrajna kazna zatvora (do 6 mjeseci) ili rad za opće dobro (također za kazne zatvora do 6
mjeseci koje su umjesto kratkotrajne kazne zatvora zamijenjene u rad za opće dobro) s
obzirom na: dostupna socijalno demografska obilježja, kriminološko pravna obilježja
(kazneno djelo i recidivizam) te glavne elemente obrazloženja presude (olakotne i otegotne
okolnosti). Istraživanje se pri tom ne bavi učinkovitošću jedne ili druge vrste sankcija već
govori o razlikama u obilježjima počinitelja kojima sudovi izriču kratkotrajnu kaznu zatvora
odnosno alternativnu sankciju- rad za opće dobro, što je i jedan od metodoloških problema u
istraživanjima učinkovitosti sankcija općenito. Istraživanje je provedeno na uzorku (N=303)
ispitanika i to (N1=167) zatvorenika i (N2=136) osuđenika kojima je kratkotrajna kazna
zatvora zamijenjena radom za opće dobro u trogodišnjem razdoblju. Rezultati sugeriraju da su
se suci pri odluci o izricanju kazne zatvora ili njezine zamjene radom za opće dobro u pravilu,
više rukovodili pravnim, a ne rehabilitativnim (tretmanskim potrebama) argumentima.
Značajni razlikovni kriteriji za sudove bili su: vrsta kaznenog djela, ranija osuđivanost,
upornost u činjenju kaznenog djela, izravnost namjere u počinjenju djela, priznanje djela,
kajanje i kritičan odnos prema djelu. Iz mogućeg spektra socijalno demografskih i
zdravstvenih obilježja počinitelja na odluku o vrsti sankcije utjecalo je sljedeće: mjesto
stanovanja (ruralno/urbano), radni status i zdravstveni status.
U kontekstu analize cjelokupnog razvoja probacijske službe u Republici Hrvatskoj,
dostupnosti rehabilitativnih programa kako u zatvorima tako i u zajednici, autor zagovara
iznimnost izricanja kratkotrajnih kazni zatvora, no ističe postupnost u njezinoj primjeni i daje
prijedloge za unapređenje prakse i daljnja istraživanja. Zaključno konstatira da kratkotrajna
kazna zatvora treba ostati u kaznenoj politici i praksi, ali naravno postoji opravdani interes da
se u što je mogućoj većoj mjeri ona zamijeni nekom alternativnom sankcijom. Osnovni
preduvjet za značajniji otklon prema zamjeni kratkotrajne kazne zatvora alternativnom u
praksi je daljnji razvoj probacijske službe u Republici Hrvatskoj.Empirical research was preceded by an analysis of material that covered the historical
development of prison sentences with an emphasis on short-term sentences, the theoretical
basis of the purpose of punishment, and international and national documents and regulations
on the imposition and execution of prison sentences with an emphasis on short-term
sentences. The umbrella documents of the European Union strongly recommend the exception
of the imposition of short-term prison sentences and national legislation, including the
legislation of the Republic of Croatia, is harmonized with them. In addition to the
recommendations and regulations in this sense, recent literature also emphasize the need to
impose short-term prison sentences as little as possible or, if they are imposed, to be replaced,
when possible, by alternative sanctions, for which numerous arguments are cited. Research
around the world generally proves better efficiency when the short-term prison sentence is
replaced by some alternative sanction. However, such results are immanent in countries where
the probation service has been developed, and the services in the community that the
probation service relies on are easily and equally accessible to all citizens, including convicts.
Therefore, in less developed countries, with a stronger shift towards the replacement of short-
term prison sentences with alternative sanctions, it is necessary to carefully assess the balance
between benefits and possible harm in practice. Namely, if, as is the case in the Republic of
Croatia, the probation service is not yet fully established, and services in the community are
not fully and equally provided to all convicts serving their sentence in the community, while
at the same time treatment programs in prisons are quite well developed, then one can
question the principle of justice as well as the balance of retributive and rehabilitative aspects
within mixed theories of punishment on the assumption that they are the basis of punishment
in the Republic of Croatia. This is especially true when the entire territory of the Republic of
Croatia is taken into consideration where, when comparing the territorial units, the programs
in prisons, and especially the availability of services in the community, differ drastically.
In the research in this paper offenders who were sentenced to short-term prison sentences (up
to 6 months) or community service (also short-term prison sentences up to 6 months that have
been changed into community service) were compared with regard to: available socio-
demographic characteristics, criminological and legal characteristics (criminal offense and
recidivism) and the main elements of the explanation of the sentence (aggravating and
mitigating circumstances). At the same time, the research does not deal with the effectiveness
of one or another type of sanctions, but rather talks about the differences in the characteristics
of offenders to whom the courts significantly more often impose a short-term prison sentence
or an alternative sanction as it's substitute, which is one of the basic methodological problems
in research on the effectiveness of sanctions in general. The research was conducted on a
sample of (N=303) respondents, namely (N1=167) prisoners and (N2=136) convicts whose
short-term prison sentence was replaced by community service over a three-year period. The
results suggest that when deciding to impose a prison sentence or to replace it with an
alternative sanction, judges were usually guided by legal rather than rehabilitative (treatment
needs) arguments. Significant distinguishing criteria for the courts were: type of criminal
offense, previous conviction, persistence in committing a criminal offense, directness of intent
in committing the offense, confession, remorse and critical attitude towards the offense. From
the possible spectrum of socio-demographic and health characteristics of the perpetrators, the
decision on the type of sanction was influenced by the following: place of residence
(rural/urban), work status and health status.
In the context of a comparative analysis of the entire development of the probation service,
the availability of rehabilitation programs both in prisons and in the community, the author
advocates the exceptionality of short-term prison sentences, but emphasizes the gradualness
of its application and makes suggestions for improving practice and further research. In
conclusion, he states that the short-term prison sentence should remain in criminal policy and
practice, but of course there is a justified interest in replacing it with an alternative sanction to
the greatest extent possible. The basic prerequisite for a significant shift towards the
replacement of short-term imprisonment with an alternative sanction in practice is the further
development of the probation service in the Republic of Croatia
Short-term prison sentence in contemporary Croatian criminal law
No full textEmpirijskom istraživanju u ovom radu prethodila je analiza građe koja je obuhvatila
povijesni razvoj kazne zatvora s naglaskom na kratkotrajne kazne, teorijsku podlogu svrhe
kažnjavanja, te međunarodne i nacionalne dokumente i propise o izricanju i izvršavanju kazne
zatvora s naglaskom na kratkotrajne kazne. Krovni dokumenti Europske unije snažno
preporučuju iznimnost izricanja kratkotrajnih kazni zatvora, a s njima su usklađena i
nacionalna zakonodavstva uključujući i zakonodavstvo Republike Hrvatske. Povrh preporuka
i propisa u tom smislu, u posljednje vrijeme i u literaturi se sve više ističe potreba izricanja
kratkotrajnih kazni zatvora u što je moguće manjoj mjeri ili ako se izreknu da budu, kada je to
moguće, zamijenjene alternativnim sankcijama za što se navode brojni argumenti. Istraživanja
u svijetu uglavnom dokazuju bolju učinkovitost kad je kratkotrajna kazna zatvora zamijenjena
nekom alternativnom sankcijom. Takvi rezultati imanentni su zemljama u kojima je razvijena
služba za probaciju, a usluge u zajednici na koje se ta služba oslanja dostupne su svim
građanima uključujući i osuđenike. Stoga je u slabije razvijenim zemljama pri snažnijem
zaokretu prema zamjeni kratkotrajnih kazni zatvora alternativnim sankcijama u praksi
potrebno dobro procijeniti ravnotežu između dobiti i moguće štete. Naime, ukoliko, kao što je
to slučaj u Republici Hrvatskoj, probacijska služba još nije do kraja etablirana, a usluge u
zajednici nisu do kraja i jednako osigurane svim osuđenicima koji izdržavaju kaznu u
zajednici, dok su istodobno prilično dobro razvijeni programi tretmana u zatvorima, tada se
može propitivati načelo pravednosti kao i ravnoteža retributivnog i rehabilitacijskog aspekta
unutar mješovitih teorija pod pretpostavkom da su one podloga kažnjavanja u Republici
Hrvatskoj. Posebno to vrijedi kad je u pitanju cjelokupni teritorij Republike Hrvatske gdje se,
poredbom teritorijalnih jedinica, programi u zatvorima, a posebno dostupnost usluga u
zajednici drastično razlikuju.
U ovom radu provedeno je istraživanje u kojem su uspoređeni počinitelji kojima je izrečena
kratkotrajna kazna zatvora (do 6 mjeseci) ili rad za opće dobro (također za kazne zatvora do 6
mjeseci koje su umjesto kratkotrajne kazne zatvora zamijenjene u rad za opće dobro) s
obzirom na: dostupna socijalno demografska obilježja, kriminološko pravna obilježja
(kazneno djelo i recidivizam) te glavne elemente obrazloženja presude (olakotne i otegotne
okolnosti). Istraživanje se pri tom ne bavi učinkovitošću jedne ili druge vrste sankcija već
govori o razlikama u obilježjima počinitelja kojima sudovi izriču kratkotrajnu kaznu zatvora
odnosno alternativnu sankciju- rad za opće dobro, što je i jedan od metodoloških problema u
istraživanjima učinkovitosti sankcija općenito. Istraživanje je provedeno na uzorku (N=303)
ispitanika i to (N1=167) zatvorenika i (N2=136) osuđenika kojima je kratkotrajna kazna
zatvora zamijenjena radom za opće dobro u trogodišnjem razdoblju. Rezultati sugeriraju da su
se suci pri odluci o izricanju kazne zatvora ili njezine zamjene radom za opće dobro u pravilu,
više rukovodili pravnim, a ne rehabilitativnim (tretmanskim potrebama) argumentima.
Značajni razlikovni kriteriji za sudove bili su: vrsta kaznenog djela, ranija osuđivanost,
upornost u činjenju kaznenog djela, izravnost namjere u počinjenju djela, priznanje djela,
kajanje i kritičan odnos prema djelu. Iz mogućeg spektra socijalno demografskih i
zdravstvenih obilježja počinitelja na odluku o vrsti sankcije utjecalo je sljedeće: mjesto
stanovanja (ruralno/urbano), radni status i zdravstveni status.
U kontekstu analize cjelokupnog razvoja probacijske službe u Republici Hrvatskoj,
dostupnosti rehabilitativnih programa kako u zatvorima tako i u zajednici, autor zagovara
iznimnost izricanja kratkotrajnih kazni zatvora, no ističe postupnost u njezinoj primjeni i daje
prijedloge za unapređenje prakse i daljnja istraživanja. Zaključno konstatira da kratkotrajna
kazna zatvora treba ostati u kaznenoj politici i praksi, ali naravno postoji opravdani interes da
se u što je mogućoj većoj mjeri ona zamijeni nekom alternativnom sankcijom. Osnovni
preduvjet za značajniji otklon prema zamjeni kratkotrajne kazne zatvora alternativnom u
praksi je daljnji razvoj probacijske službe u Republici Hrvatskoj.Empirical research was preceded by an analysis of material that covered the historical
development of prison sentences with an emphasis on short-term sentences, the theoretical
basis of the purpose of punishment, and international and national documents and regulations
on the imposition and execution of prison sentences with an emphasis on short-term
sentences. The umbrella documents of the European Union strongly recommend the exception
of the imposition of short-term prison sentences and national legislation, including the
legislation of the Republic of Croatia, is harmonized with them. In addition to the
recommendations and regulations in this sense, recent literature also emphasize the need to
impose short-term prison sentences as little as possible or, if they are imposed, to be replaced,
when possible, by alternative sanctions, for which numerous arguments are cited. Research
around the world generally proves better efficiency when the short-term prison sentence is
replaced by some alternative sanction. However, such results are immanent in countries where
the probation service has been developed, and the services in the community that the
probation service relies on are easily and equally accessible to all citizens, including convicts.
Therefore, in less developed countries, with a stronger shift towards the replacement of short-
term prison sentences with alternative sanctions, it is necessary to carefully assess the balance
between benefits and possible harm in practice. Namely, if, as is the case in the Republic of
Croatia, the probation service is not yet fully established, and services in the community are
not fully and equally provided to all convicts serving their sentence in the community, while
at the same time treatment programs in prisons are quite well developed, then one can
question the principle of justice as well as the balance of retributive and rehabilitative aspects
within mixed theories of punishment on the assumption that they are the basis of punishment
in the Republic of Croatia. This is especially true when the entire territory of the Republic of
Croatia is taken into consideration where, when comparing the territorial units, the programs
in prisons, and especially the availability of services in the community, differ drastically.
In the research in this paper offenders who were sentenced to short-term prison sentences (up
to 6 months) or community service (also short-term prison sentences up to 6 months that have
been changed into community service) were compared with regard to: available socio-
demographic characteristics, criminological and legal characteristics (criminal offense and
recidivism) and the main elements of the explanation of the sentence (aggravating and
mitigating circumstances). At the same time, the research does not deal with the effectiveness
of one or another type of sanctions, but rather talks about the differences in the characteristics
of offenders to whom the courts significantly more often impose a short-term prison sentence
or an alternative sanction as it's substitute, which is one of the basic methodological problems
in research on the effectiveness of sanctions in general. The research was conducted on a
sample of (N=303) respondents, namely (N1=167) prisoners and (N2=136) convicts whose
short-term prison sentence was replaced by community service over a three-year period. The
results suggest that when deciding to impose a prison sentence or to replace it with an
alternative sanction, judges were usually guided by legal rather than rehabilitative (treatment
needs) arguments. Significant distinguishing criteria for the courts were: type of criminal
offense, previous conviction, persistence in committing a criminal offense, directness of intent
in committing the offense, confession, remorse and critical attitude towards the offense. From
the possible spectrum of socio-demographic and health characteristics of the perpetrators, the
decision on the type of sanction was influenced by the following: place of residence
(rural/urban), work status and health status.
In the context of a comparative analysis of the entire development of the probation service,
the availability of rehabilitation programs both in prisons and in the community, the author
advocates the exceptionality of short-term prison sentences, but emphasizes the gradualness
of its application and makes suggestions for improving practice and further research. In
conclusion, he states that the short-term prison sentence should remain in criminal policy and
practice, but of course there is a justified interest in replacing it with an alternative sanction to
the greatest extent possible. The basic prerequisite for a significant shift towards the
replacement of short-term imprisonment with an alternative sanction in practice is the further
development of the probation service in the Republic of Croatia
Antecedent infections and vaccinations in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy: a European collaborative study.
No full textINTRODUCTION/AIMS
Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) may be rarely preceded by infection. A causative link remains unproven, in contrast to Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), which is commonly post-infectious with well-demonstrated pathophysiologic mechanisms of molecular mimicry following Campylobacter jejuni enteritis. Uncommonly, infections are reported before the onset of CIDP. We aimed to determine the frequency and characteristics of CIDP occurring after antecedent infections or vaccinations in two large European cohorts.
METHODS
We reviewed the records of 268 subjects with "definite" or "probable" CIDP from the Inflammatory Neuropathy clinic, Birmingham, U.K. (129 subjects), and from the Serbian national CIDP database (139 subjects).
RESULTS
Twenty-five of 268 (9.3%) subjects had a respiratory or gastrointestinal infection in the 6 weeks preceding CIDP onset and 3/268 (1.1%) had received an influenza vaccination. CIDP disease onset occurred at a younger age (44.25 years S.D. 17.36 vs. 54.05 years S.D. 15.19; p < 0.005) and acute-onset CIDP was more common (42.9% vs. 12.1%; OR: 5.46; 95% CI: 2.35-12.68; p < 0.001), in subjects with preceding infections or vaccinations. No differences in CIDP subtype, rates of cerebrospinal fluid protein level elevation, disability or likelihood of treatment response, were observed.
DISCUSSION
Antecedent infections or vaccinations may precede about 10% of cases of CIDP and are more common in younger subjects. Acute-onset CIDP is more frequent after antecedent events. These findings may suggest specific pathophysiological mechanisms in such cases. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved
High Molecular Weight Glucan of the Culinary Medicinal Mushroom Agaricus bisporus is an α-Glucan that Forms Complexes with Low Molecular Weight Galactan
No full textAn a-glucan was isolated from the culinary medicinal mushroom A. bisporus by hot water extraction, ethanol precipitation and DEAE-cellulose chromatography. The resulting material showed a single HMW peak excluded from a Sephadex G50 column that could completely be degraded by α-amylase treatment. After heating in 1% SDS a small additional peak of low MW eluted from the G50 column. The monosaccharide composition of the main peak was evaluated by HPLC, and was found to consist of a majority of glucose (97.6%), and a minor proportion of galactose (2.4%). Methylation analysis and degradation by a-amylase indicated the presence of an a-glucan with a main chain consisting of (1®4)-linked units, substituted at O-6 by α-D-glucopyranose single-units in the relation 1:8. Mono- (13C-, 1H-NMR) and bidimensional [1H (obs.),13C-HSQC] spectroscopy analysis confirmed the a-configuration of the Glcp residues by low frequency resonances of C-1 at d 100.6, 100.2, and 98.8 ppm and H-1 high field ones at d 5.06, 5.11, and 4.74 ppm. The DEPT-13C-NMR allowed assigning the non-substituted and O-substituted –CH2 signals at d 60.3/60.8 and 66.2 ppm, respectively. Other assignments were attributed to C-2, C-3, C-4, C-5 and C-6 of the non-reducing ends at d 71.8; 72.8; 70.0; 71.3 and 60.3/60.8 ppm, respectively. The minor proportion of galactose that was demonstrated was probably derived from a complex between the a-glucan and a low molecular weight galactan
