56 research outputs found
Sixth Edition
No full textSoftcover, 17x24This is the sixth edition of a data collection initiative that started in 1993 under the umbrella of the Council of Europe and has been continued since 2000 by an international group of experts. These experts also act as regional
coordinators of a network of national correspondents whose contribution has been decisive in collecting and validating data on a variety of subjects from 42 countries. The Sourcebook is composed of six chapters. The first five cover
the current main types of national crime and criminal justice statistics – police, prosecution, conviction, prison, and probation statistics – for the years 2011 to 2016, providing detailed analysis for 2015. The sixth chapter covers national
victimization surveys, providing rates for the main indicators every five years from 1990 to 2015. As with every new edition of the Sourcebook, the group has tried to improve data quality as well as comparability and, where appropriate,
increase the scope of data collection. This new edition will continue to promote comparative research throughout Europe and make European experiences and data available worldwide.Please refer to page VI:
for Poland, Paweł Ostaszewski was a national correspondent alongside Beata Gruszczynska.
Correctly it should read:
Poland: Beata Gruszczynska and Paweł Ostaszewski, University of Warsaw
PREVICT-SW: Preventing sex workers’ crime victimization risk - A cluster randomized control participatory research
No full textDescription
What influences sex workers’ victimization, and what works to prevent it? These are the two core questions addressed in this research project. Sex workers experience disproportionately high levels of victimization, particularly regarding violent and property offenses, with risks of victimization significantly exceeding those of the general population. Despite this, a substantial gap remains in both theoretical frameworks and intervention strategies tailored to this demographic. Victimology, overwhelmingly shaped by theories like lifestyle exposure models, provides population-wide insights but fails to account for the specific situational risks faced by high-vulnerability groups such as sex workers.
This study will employ a mixed-methods longitudinal cluster randomized controlled trial (cluster-RCT) design in the cantons of Fribourg and Neuchâtel—regions currently lacking structured victimization prevention programs targeted at sex workers. First, by identifying specific risk factors and mapping victimization trajectories, this research aims to develop new theoretical models within victimology that explain sex workers’ victimization processes. Second, by implementing a tailored prevention program based on needs identified during the preparation phase, the project will evaluate the efficacy of specific strategies in reducing sex workers’ victimization risk. This program, informed by over 100 hours of participant observation and workshops with sex workers and stakeholders, integrates crime prevention resources, legal education, and psychosocial support. Furthermore, awareness-raising initiatives will also target key stakeholders, including political actors and NGOs.
A baseline and follow-up assessments at four intervals will provide a comprehensive understanding of sex workers’ victimization trajectories and the interventions’ short- and medium-term impacts. This project will introduce high-caliber longitudinal and experimental methodologies to a domain, that of victimology, that has relied predominantly on cross-sectional studies. Its potential impact is twofold, both theoretical and practical. Theoretically, it seeks to advance victimology by broadening existing victimization frameworks to better address the realities of vulnerable populations. Practically, it aims to reduce the risk of violence experienced by sex workers and promote the adoption of evidence-based practices in fields such as social work and criminology. The findings will inform stakeholders, including NGOs and government bodies – both in Switzerland and across Europe – providing a framework for addressing sex workers’ victimization in regulatory contexts. Additionally, successful intervention components could be scaled with governmental support, with open-access resources made freely available through the project
Three-dimensional Structure of Nylon Hydrolase and Mechanism of Nylon-6 Hydrolysis
No full textThis research was originally published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. Seiji Negoro, Naoki Shibata, Yusuke Tanaka, Kengo Yasuhira, Hiroshi Shibata, Haruka Hashimoto, Young-Ho Lee, Shohei Oshima, Ryuji Santa, Shohei Oshima, Kozo Mochiji, Yuji Goto, Takahisa Ikegami, Keisuke Nagai, Dai-ichiro Kato, Masahiro Takeo and Yoshiki Higuchi. Three-dimensional Structure of Nylon Hydrolase and Mechanism of Nylon-6 Hydrolysis. J. Biol. Chem. 2012; 287, 5079-5090. © the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyWe performed x-ray crystallographic analyses of the 6-aminohexanoate oligomer hydrolase (NylC) from Agromyces sp. at 2.0 Å-resolution. This enzyme is a member of the N-terminal nucleophile hydrolase superfamily that is responsible for the degradation of the nylon-6 industry byproduct. We observed four identical heterodimers (27 kDa + 9 kDa), which resulted from the autoprocessing of the precursor protein (36 kDa) and which constitute the doughnut-shaped quaternary structure. The catalytic residue of NylC was identified as the N-terminal Thr-267 of the 9-kDa subunit. Furthermore, each heterodimer is folded into a single domain, generating a stacked αββα core structure. Amino acid mutations at subunit interfaces of the tetramer were observed to drastically alter the thermostability of the protein. In particular, four mutations (D122G/H130Y/D36A/E263Q) of wild-type NylC from Arthrobacter sp. (plasmid pOAD2-encoding enzyme), with a heat denaturation temperature of Tm = 52 °C, enhanced the protein thermostability by 36 °C (Tm = 88 °C), whereas a single mutation (G111S or L137A) decreased the stability by ∼10 °C. We examined the enzymatic hydrolysis of nylon-6 by the thermostable NylC mutant. Argon cluster secondary ion mass spectrometry analyses of the reaction products revealed that the major peak of nylon-6 (m/z 10,000–25,000) shifted to a smaller range, producing a new peak corresponding to m/z 1500–3000 after the enzyme treatment at 60 °C. In addition, smaller fragments in the soluble fraction were successively hydrolyzed to dimers and monomers. Based on these data, we propose that NylC should be designated as nylon hydrolase (or nylonase). Three potential uses of NylC for industrial and environmental applications are also discussed
Samia cynthia versus Bombyx mori : Comparative gene mapping between a species with a low-number karyotype and the model species of Lepidoptera
No full textWe performed gene-based comparative FISH mapping between a wild silkmoth, Samia cynthia ssp. with a low number of chromosomes (2n = 25-28) and the model species, Bombyx mori (2n = 56), in order to identify the genomic components that make up the chromosomes in a low-number karyotype. Mapping of 64 fosmid probes containing orthologs of B. mori genes revealed that the homologues of either two or four B. mori chromosomes constitute the S. c. ricini (Vietnam population, 2n = 27♀/28♂, Z0/ZZ) autosomes. Where tested, even the gene order was conserved between S. c. ricini and B. mori. This was also true for the originally autosomal parts of the neo-sex chromosomes in S. c. walkeri (Sapporo population, 2n = 26♀/26♂, neo-Wneo-Z/neo-Zneo-Z) and S. cynthia subsp. indet. (Nagano population, 2n = 25♀/26♂, neo-WZ1Z2/Z1Z1Z2Z2). The results are evidence for an internal stability of lepidopteran chromosomes even when all autosomes had undergone fusion processes to form a low-number karyotype
Identification of chronic kidney disease patient characteristics influencing the renoprotective effects of febuxostat therapy: a retrospective follow-up study
No full textAbstract Background The ability of antihyperuricemic therapy to exert renoprotective effects in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is controversial. In the present study, we studied patient characteristics that may mask favorable impact of antihyperuricemic therapy on the progression of CKD. Methods This was a single-center, retrospective, follow-up study. One-hundred and seventy-eight CKD patients with hyperuricemia who received febuxostat therapy were included in this study. Mean serum uric acid (mUA) level after treatment and changes in estimated glomerular filtration rate (ΔeGFR) over 6 months were measured and their correlation was examined. Patients were divided into two groups based on mUA, and their ΔeGFR were compared. These analyses were evaluated in various subgroups. Results Febuxostat therapy markedly decreased UA level in any CKD stage patients without resulting in serious adverse events. eGFRs of CKD patients in the mUA < 6.0 mg/dl group were maintained, whereas those in the mUA ≥ 6.0 mg/dl group decreased. A significant inverse correlation was observed between mUA and ΔeGFR (r = −0.16, p = 0.019). The renoprotective effects of febuxostat were significant in the following subgroups: male patients, age < 70 years, systolic blood pressure < 130 mmHg, normal cholesterol levels, and absence of diabetes. Coexisting vascular risk factors appear to exert additive masking effects against febuxostat renoprotection. Conclusions The results of this study suggest that various vascular risk factors markedly attenuate the renoprotective effects of febuxostat
Three-dimensional analysis of Eu dopant atoms in Ca-alpha-SiAlON via through-focus HAADF-STEM imaging
No full textThree-dimensional (3D) distributional analysis of individual dopant atoms in materials is important to development of optical, electronic, and magnetic materials. In this study, we adopted through-focus high-angle annular dark-field (HAADF) imaging for 3D distributional analysis of Eu dopant atoms in Ca-alpha-SiAION phosphors. In this context, the effects of convergence semi-angle and Eu z-position on the HAADF image contrast were investigated. Multi-slice image simulation revealed that the contrast of the dopant site was sensitive to change of the defocus level. When the defocus level matched the depth position of a Eu atom, the contrast intensity was significantly increased. The large convergence semi angle greatly increased the depth resolution because the electron beam tends spread instead of channeling along the atomic columns. Through-focus HAADF-STEM imaging was used to analyze the Eu atom distribution surrounding 10nm cubes with defocus steps of 0.68nm each. The contrast depth profile recorded with a narrow step width clearly analyzed the possible depth positions of Eu atoms. The radial distribution function obtained for the Eu dopants was analyzed using an atomic distribution model that was based on the assumption of random distribution. The result suggested that the Ca concentration did not affect the Eu distribution. The decreased fraction of neighboring Eu atoms along z-direction might be caused by the enhanced short-range Coulomb-like repulsive forces along the z-direction. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
Anisotropic thermal conductivity of three-layer laminated carbon-graphite composites from carbonized wood
No full textComposites with characteristics of anisotropic thermal conductivity for thermal management in Solar Power Satellite (SPS), to discharge the heat that was generated when solar energy was not converted to electricity, were developed by alternating layers of laminated graphite and carbonized wood. The effects of the weight fraction of carbonized wood, particle size, interlayer interfaces, and environment temperature on the thermal conductivity and the ratio of thermal conductivity between horizontal and vertical directions (H/V ratio) to the plain surface of samples were discussed. The thermal conductivities of carbon–graphite (C/G) composites were measured using the laser flash method. Laminated C/G composites improved the anisotropic thermal conductivity. The highest H/V ratio of 10.17 was obtained at 10 wt% of carbonized wood. Particle size and interlayer interfaces were found to affect the anisotropic thermal conductivity. The thermal conductivity of C/G composites increased with increasing temperature from 25 °C to 150 °C
Towards a multifactorial framework of the Roma’s victimisation: Discrimination, risky situations, and acceptance of violence as correlates of physical assault and harassment
No full textProbation and Prisons in Europe, 2018: Key Findings of the SPACE reports
No full textThis document summarises the main findings of the 2018 Council of Europe Annual Penal Statistics on Persons under the Supervision of Probation Agencies , better known under the acronym SPACE II, and compares them to those of the 2018 Council of Europe Annual Penal Statistics on Prison Populations, SPACE I, which was published in April 201
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