Subcellular controls of mercury trophic transfer to a marine fish

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dang Fei; Wang Wenxiong

2010-01-01

Different behaviors of inorganic mercury [Hg(II)] and methylmercury (MeHg) during trophic transfer along the marine food chain have been widely reported, but the mechanisms are not fully understood. The bioavailability of ingested mercury, quantified by assimilation efficiency (AE), was investigated in a marine fish, the grunt Terapon jarbua, based on mercury subcellular partitioning in prey and purified subcellular fractions of prey tissues. The subcellular distribution of Hg(II) differed substantially among prey types, with cellular debris being a major (49-57% in bivalves) or secondary (14-19% in other prey) binding pool. However, MeHg distribution varied little among prey types, with most MeHg (43-79%) in heat-stable protein (HSP) fraction. The greater AEs measured for MeHg (90-94%) than for Hg(II) (23-43%) confirmed the findings of previous studies. Bioavailability of each purified subcellular fraction rather than the proposed trophically available metal (TAM) fraction could better elucidate mercury assimilation difference. Hg(II) associated with insoluble fraction (e.g. cellular debris) was less bioavailable than that in soluble fraction (e.g. HSP). However, subcellular distribution was shown to be less important for MeHg, with each fraction having comparable MeHg bioavailability. Subcellular distribution in prey should be an important consideration in mercury trophic transfer studies.

Trafficking of Kv2.1 Channels to the Axon Initial Segment by a Novel Nonconventional Secretory Pathway

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Camilla Stampe; Watanabe, Shoji; Stas, Jeroen Ingrid

2017-01-01

the localization of Kv2.1 in these two different membrane compartments in cultured rat hippocampal neurons of mixed sex. Our data uncover a unique ability of Kv2.1 channels to use two molecularly distinct trafficking pathways to accomplish this. Somatodendritic Kv2.1 channels are targeted by the conventional...... secretory pathway, whereas axonal Kv2.1 channels are targeted by a nonconventional trafficking pathway independent of the Golgi apparatus. We further identified a new AIS trafficking motif in the C-terminus of Kv2.1, and show that putative phosphorylation sites in this region are critical for the restricted.......SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Our study uncovered a novel mechanism that targets the Kv2.1 voltage-gated potassium channel to two distinct trafficking pathways and two distinct subcellular destinations: the somatodendritic plasma membrane and that of the axon initial segment. We also identified a distinct motif, including...

Nuclear import and export signals are essential for proper cellular trafficking and function of ZIC3.

Science.gov (United States)

Bedard, James E J; Purnell, Jennifer D; Ware, Stephanie M

2007-01-15

Missense, frameshift and nonsense mutations in the zinc finger transcription factor ZIC3 cause heterotaxy as well as isolated congenital heart disease. Previously, we developed transactivation and subcellular localization assays to test the function of ZIC3 point mutations. Aberrant cytoplasmic localization suggested that the pathogenesis of ZIC3 mutations results, at least in part, from failure of appropriate cellular trafficking. To further investigate this hypothesis, the nucleocytoplasmic shuttling properties of ZIC3 have been examined. Subcellular localization assays designed to span the entire open-reading frame of wild-type and mutant ZIC3 proteins identified the presence of nucleocytoplasmic transport signals. ZIC3 domain mapping indicates that a relatively large region containing the zinc finger binding sites and a known GLI interacting domain is required for transport to the nucleus. Site-directed mutagenesis of critical residues within two putative nuclear localization signals (NLSs) leads to loss of nuclear localization. No further decrease was observed when both NLS sites were mutated, suggesting that mutation of either NLS site is sufficient for loss of importin-mediated nuclear localization. Additionally, we identify a cryptic CRM-1-dependent nuclear export signal (NES) within ZIC3, and identify a mutation within this region in a patient with heterotaxy. These results provide the first evidence that control of cellular trafficking of ZIC3 is critical for function and suggest a possible mechanism for transcriptional control during left-right patterning. Identification of mutations in mapped NLS or NES domains in heterotaxy patients demonstrates the functional importance of these domains in cardiac morphogenesis and allows for integration of structural analysis with developmental function.

P-glycoprotein trafficking as a therapeutic target to optimize CNS drug delivery.

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Thomas P; Sanchez-Covarubias, Lucy; Tome, Margaret E

2014-01-01

The primary function of the blood-brain barrier (BBB)/neurovascular unit is to protect the central nervous system (CNS) from potentially harmful xenobiotic substances and maintain CNS homeostasis. Restricted access to the CNS is maintained via a combination of tight junction proteins as well as a variety of efflux and influx transporters that limits the transcellular and paracellular movement of solutes. Of the transporters identified at the BBB, P-glycoprotein (P-gp) has emerged as the transporter that is the greatest obstacle to effective CNS drug delivery. In this chapter, we provide data to support intracellular protein trafficking of P-gp within cerebral capillary microvessels as a potential target for improved drug delivery. We show that pain-induced changes in P-gp trafficking are associated with changes in P-gp's association with caveolin-1, a key scaffolding/trafficking protein that colocalizes with P-gp at the luminal membrane of brain microvessels. Changes in colocalization with the phosphorylated and nonphosphorylated forms of caveolin-1, by pain, are accompanied by dynamic changes in the distribution, relocalization, and activation of P-gp "pools" between microvascular endothelial cell subcellular compartments. Since redox-sensitive processes may be involved in signaling disassembly of higher-order structures of P-gp, we feel that manipulating redox signaling, via specific protein targeting at the BBB, may protect disulfide bond integrity of P-gp reservoirs and control trafficking to the membrane surface, providing improved CNS drug delivery. The advantage of therapeutic drug "relocalization" of a protein is that the physiological impact can be modified, temporarily or long term, despite pathology-induced changes in gene transcription. © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

LRP1 controls biosynthetic and endocytic trafficking of neuronal prion protein

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Parkyn, Celia J; Vermeulen, Esmeralda G M; Mootoosamy, Roy C

2008-01-01

The trafficking of normal cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) is believed to control its conversion to the altered conformation (designated PrP(Sc)) associated with prion disease. Although anchored to the membrane by means of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI), PrP(C) on neurons is rapidly and consti......The trafficking of normal cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) is believed to control its conversion to the altered conformation (designated PrP(Sc)) associated with prion disease. Although anchored to the membrane by means of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI), PrP(C) on neurons is rapidly...... required for this process. Moreover, sustained inhibition of LRP1 levels by siRNA leads to the accumulation of PrP(C) in biosynthetic compartments, with a concomitant lowering of surface PrP(C), suggesting that LRP1 expedites the trafficking of PrP(C) to the neuronal surface. PrP(C) and LRP1 can be co......-immunoprecipitated from the endoplasmic reticulum in normal neurons. The N-terminal domain of PrP(C) binds to purified human LRP1 with nanomolar affinity, even in the presence of 1 microM of the LRP-specific chaperone, receptor-associated protein (RAP). Taken together, these data argue that LRP1 controls both the surface...

Ion Channel Trafficking: Control of Ion Channel Density as a Target for Arrhythmias?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elise Balse

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The shape of the cardiac action potential (AP is determined by the contributions of numerous ion channels. Any dysfunction in the proper function or expression of these ion channels can result in a change in effective refractory period (ERP and lead to arrhythmia. The processes underlying the correct targeting of ion channels to the plasma membrane are complex, and have not been fully characterized in cardiac myocytes. Emerging evidence highlights ion channel trafficking as a potential causative factor in certain acquired and inherited arrhythmias, and therapies which target trafficking as opposed to pore block are starting to receive attention. In this review we present the current evidence for the mechanisms which underlie precise control of cardiac ion channel trafficking and targeting.

An imaging flow cytometry method to assess ricin trafficking in A549 human lung epithelial cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Jenner, Dominic; Chong, Damien; Walker, Nicola; Green, A Christopher

2018-02-01

The endocytosis and trafficking of ricin in mammalian cells is an important area of research for those producing ricin anti-toxins and other ricin therapeutics. Ricin trafficking is usually observed by fluorescence microscopy techniques. This gives good resolution and leads to a detailed understanding of the internal movement of ricin within cells. However, microscopy techniques are often hampered by complex analysis and quantification techniques, and the inability to look at ricin trafficking in large populations of cells. In these studies we have directly labelled ricin and assessed if its trafficking can be observed using Imaging Flow Cytometry (IFC) both to the cytoplasmic region of cells and specifically to the Golgi apparatus. Using IDEAS® data analysis software the specific fluorescence location of the ricin within the cells was analysed. Then, using cytoplasmic masking techniques to quantify the number of cells with endocytosed cytoplasmic ricin or cells with Golgi-associated ricin, kinetic endocytosis curves were generated. Here we present, to the authors' knowledge, the first example of using imaging flow cytometry for evaluating the subcellular transport of protein cargo, using the trafficking of ricin toxin in lung cells as a model. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Endoplasmic Reticulum Export, Subcellular Distribution, and Fibril Formation by Pmel17 Require an Intact N-terminal Domain Junction*

Science.gov (United States)

Leonhardt, Ralf M.; Vigneron, Nathalie; Rahner, Christoph; Van den Eynde, Benoît J.; Cresswell, Peter

2010-01-01

Pmel17 is a melanocyte/melanoma-specific protein that subcellularly localizes to melanosomes, where it forms a fibrillar matrix that serves for the sequestration of potentially toxic reaction intermediates of melanin synthesis and deposition of the pigment. As a key factor in melanosomal biogenesis, understanding intracellular trafficking and processing of Pmel17 is of central importance to comprehend how these organelles are formed, how they mature, and how they function in the cell. Using a series of deletion and missense mutants of Pmel17, we are able to show that the integrity of the junction between the N-terminal region and the polycystic kidney disease-like domain is highly crucial for endoplasmic reticulum export, subcellular targeting, and fibril formation by Pmel17 and thus for establishing functional melanosomes. PMID:20231267

Human Trafficking and National Morality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

William R. DI PIETRO

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The paper proposes that national morality is an important variable for explaining national anti-trafficking policy. It uses cross country regression analysis to see whether or not empirically national morality is a determinant of anti-trafficking policy. The findings of the paper are consistent with the notion that improved levels of national morality lead to better national anti-trafficking policy. National morality is found to be statistically relevant for national anti-trafficking policy when controlling for the extent of democracy, the share of the private sector in the economy, and the degree of globalization.

AAV exploits subcellular stress associated with inflammation, endoplasmic reticulum expansion, and misfolded proteins in models of cystic fibrosis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jarrod S Johnson

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Barriers to infection act at multiple levels to prevent viruses, bacteria, and parasites from commandeering host cells for their own purposes. An intriguing hypothesis is that if a cell experiences stress, such as that elicited by inflammation, endoplasmic reticulum (ER expansion, or misfolded proteins, then subcellular barriers will be less effective at preventing viral infection. Here we have used models of cystic fibrosis (CF to test whether subcellular stress increases susceptibility to adeno-associated virus (AAV infection. In human airway epithelium cultured at an air/liquid interface, physiological conditions of subcellular stress and ER expansion were mimicked using supernatant from mucopurulent material derived from CF lungs. Using this inflammatory stimulus to recapitulate stress found in diseased airways, we demonstrated that AAV infection was significantly enhanced. Since over 90% of CF cases are associated with a misfolded variant of Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (ΔF508-CFTR, we then explored whether the presence of misfolded proteins could independently increase susceptibility to AAV infection. In these models, AAV was an order of magnitude more efficient at transducing cells expressing ΔF508-CFTR than in cells expressing wild-type CFTR. Rescue of misfolded ΔF508-CFTR under low temperature conditions restored viral transduction efficiency to that demonstrated in controls, suggesting effects related to protein misfolding were responsible for increasing susceptibility to infection. By testing other CFTR mutants, G551D, D572N, and 1410X, we have shown this phenomenon is common to other misfolded proteins and not related to loss of CFTR activity. The presence of misfolded proteins did not affect cell surface attachment of virus or influence expression levels from promoter transgene cassettes in plasmid transfection studies, indicating exploitation occurs at the level of virion trafficking or processing. Thus

Combating illicit trafficking

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Biro, L.L.; Grama, E.V.

2002-01-01

Full text: National Commission for Nuclear Activities Control (CNCAN) is the national authority, which is contact point for illicit trafficking and coordinates all measures and activities to combat and prevent illicit trafficking with nuclear material and radioactive sources. Legal framework regarding illicit trafficking has been improved due to new Physical Protection Regulations, Regulations on using the DBT, Regulations on requirements for qualification of guards and physical protection personnel, Design Basis Threat for each nuclear facility to avoid the unauthorized removal or theft of nuclear material or radioactive sources. New amendments of the Law for the safe deployment of nuclear activities, Law no. 111/1996, republished, in respect of illicit trafficking with nuclear material and radioactive sources are in the process to be approved by the Parliament. CNCAN is member of the Romanian Non-proliferation Group that is an interdepartmental mechanism of cooperation entered into force in August 1999. During the sessions of this group there are discussions focused on the preventing and combating illicit trafficking with nuclear material and radioactive sources. CNCAN is member of the Interministerial Council that controls import and export with strategic products including nuclear material, non nuclear material and equipment pertinent for proliferation of nuclear weapons. An Emergency Mobile Unit has been created in 2001 that contains instruments (gamma dose rate instruments portable and personal, contaminometers, mini MCA with CdZnTe detector, a CANBERRA Inspector with Nal, CdZnTe and HPGe detectors and 2 FiedSPEC, a mobile laboratory, 2 cars and individual equipment). CNCAN is cooperating with the Police through a National Plan to verify the authorization holders in order to prevent and combat illicit trafficking, and to find the orphan sources. CNCAN is the beneficiary of the PECO Project initiated by the European Commission in cooperation with the IAEA and

Structural features of the KPI domain control APP dimerization, trafficking, and processing.

Science.gov (United States)

Ben Khalifa, Naouel; Tyteca, Donatienne; Marinangeli, Claudia; Depuydt, Mathieu; Collet, Jean-François; Courtoy, Pierre J; Renauld, Jean-Christophe; Constantinescu, Stefan; Octave, Jean-Noël; Kienlen-Campard, Pascal

2012-02-01

The two major isoforms of human APP, APP695 and APP751, differ by the presence of a Kunitz-type protease inhibitor (KPI) domain in the extracellular region. APP processing and function is thought to be regulated by homodimerization. We used bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) to study dimerization of different APP isoforms and mutants. APP751 was found to form significantly more homodimers than APP695. Mutation of dimerization motifs in the TM domain did not affect fluorescence complementation, but native folding of KPI is critical for APP751 homodimerization. APP751 and APP695 dimers were mostly localized at steady state in the Golgi region, suggesting that most of the APP751 and 695 dimers are in the secretory pathway. Mutation of the KPI led to the retention of the APP homodimers in the endoplasmic reticulum. We finally showed that APP751 is more efficiently processed through the nonamyloidogenic pathway than APP695. These findings provide new insight on the particular role of KPI domain in APP dimerization. The correlation observed between dimerization, subcellular localization, and processing suggests that dimerization acts as an efficient regulator of APP trafficking in the secretory compartments that has major consequences on its processing.

KENYA’S CONSTITUTION AND CHILD TRAFFICKING AS A SECURITY THREAT

OpenAIRE

E.O.S. ODHIAMBO; J. KASSILLY; L.T. MAITO; K. ONKWARE; W. A. OBOKA

2012-01-01

Human trafficking also referred to as modern-day slavery is seen as a security threat. Traditional security approaches to human trafficking call for analysis of trafficking as a threat to the Kenyan state and to Kenya’s control of its borders. Traditional security analyses of trafficking emphasize border security, migration controls, and international law enforcement cooperation. This article discusses three forms of child trafficking: sexual exploitation, forced labor and child soldiers and ...

Localization of the kinesin adaptor proteins trafficking kinesin proteins 1 and 2 in primary cultures of hippocampal pyramidal and cortical neurons.

Science.gov (United States)

Loss, Omar; Stephenson, F Anne

2015-07-01

Neuronal function requires regulated anterograde and retrograde trafficking of mitochondria along microtubules by using the molecular motors kinesin and dynein. Previous work has established that trafficking kinesin proteins (TRAKs),TRAK1 and TRAK2, are kinesin adaptor proteins that link mitochondria to kinesin motor proteins via an acceptor protein in the mitochondrial outer membrane, etc. the Rho GTPase Miro. Recent studies have shown that TRAK1 preferentially controls mitochondrial transport in axons of hippocampal neurons by virtue of its binding to both kinesin and dynein motor proteins, whereas TRAK2 controls mitochondrial transport in dendrites resulting from its binding to dynein. This study further investigates the subcellular localization of TRAK1 and TRAK2 in primary cultures of hippocampal and cortical neurons by using both commercial antibodies and anti-TRAK1 and anti-TRAK2 antibodies raised in our own laboratory (in-house). Whereas TRAK1 was prevalently localized in axons of hippocampal and cortical neurons, TRAK2 was more prevalent in dendrites of hippocampal neurons. In cortical neurons, TRAK2 was equally distributed between axons and dendrites. Some qualitative differences were observed between commercial and in-house-generated antibody immunostaining. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

KENYA’S CONSTITUTION AND CHILD TRAFFICKING AS A SECURITY THREAT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E.O.S. ODHIAMBO

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Human trafficking also referred to as modern-day slavery is seen as a security threat. Traditional security approaches to human trafficking call for analysis of trafficking as a threat to the Kenyan state and to Kenya’s control of its borders. Traditional security analyses of trafficking emphasize border security, migration controls, and international law enforcement cooperation. This article discusses three forms of child trafficking: sexual exploitation, forced labor and child soldiers and argues that the newly promulgated Kenyan constitution in chapter three on citizenship has a provision that can be interpreted as encouraging child trafficking.

Defects in the COG complex and COG-related trafficking regulators affect neuronal Golgi function.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leslie K Climer

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The Conserved Oligomeric Golgi (COG complex is an evolutionarily conserved hetero-octameric protein complex that has been proposed to organize vesicle tethering at the Golgi apparatus. Defects in seven of the eight COG subunits are linked to Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation (CDG-type II, a family of rare diseases involving misregulation of protein glycosylation, alterations in Golgi structure, variations in retrograde trafficking through the Golgi and system-wide clinical pathologies. A troublesome aspect of these diseases are the neurological pathologies such as low IQ, microcephaly and cerebellar atrophy. The essential function of the COG complex is dependent upon interactions with other components of trafficking machinery, such as Rab-GTPases and SNAREs. COG-interacting Rabs and SNAREs have been implicated in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Defects in Golgi maintenance disrupts trafficking and processing of essential proteins, frequently associated with and contributing to compromised neuron function and human disease. Despite the recent advances in molecular neuroscience, the subcellular bases for most neurodegenerative diseases are poorly understood. This article gives an overview of the potential contributions of the COG complex and its Rab and SNARE partners in the pathogenesis of different neurodegenerative disorders.

Effect of serum proteins on polystyrene nanoparticle uptake and intracellular trafficking in endothelial cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guarnieri, Daniela; Guaccio, Angela; Fusco, Sabato; Netti, Paolo A.

2011-01-01

The physico-chemical properties of nanoparticles (NPs), such as small dimensions, surface charge and surface functionalization, control their capability to interact with cells and, in particular, with sub-cellular components. This interaction can be also influenced by the adsorption of molecules present in biological fluids, like blood, on NP surface. Here, we analysed the effect of serum proteins on 49 and 100 nm red fluorescent polystyrene NP uptake in porcine aortic endothelial (PAE) cells, as a model for vascular transport. To this aim, NP uptake kinetic, endocytic pathway and intracellular trafficking were studied by monitoring NPs inside cells through confocal microscopy and multiple particle tracking (MPT). We demonstrated that NPs are rapidly internalized by cells in serum-free (SF) medium, according to a saturation kinetic. Conversely, in 10% foetal bovine serum-enriched (SE) medium, NP uptake rate results drastically reduced. Moreover, NP internalization depends on an active endocytic mechanism that does not involve clathrin- and caveolae-mediated vesicular transport, in both SE and SF media. Furthermore, MPT data indicate that NP intracellular trafficking is unaffected by protein presence. Indeed, approximately 50–60% of internalized NPs is characterized by a sub-diffusive behaviour, whereas the remaining fraction shows an active motion. These findings demonstrate that the unspecific protein adsorption on NP surface can affect cellular uptake in terms of internalization kinetics, but it is not effective in controlling active and cellular-mediated uptake mechanisms of NPs and their intracellular routes.

Exosomes derived from human macrophages suppress endothelial cell migration by controlling integrin trafficking.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Hee Doo; Kim, Yeon Hyang; Kim, Doo-Sik

2014-04-01

Integrin trafficking, including internalization, recycling, and lysosomal degradation, is crucial for the regulation of cellular functions. Exosomes, nano-sized extracellular vesicles, are believed to play important roles in intercellular communications. This study demonstrates that exosomes released from human macrophages negatively regulate endothelial cell migration through control of integrin trafficking. Macrophage-derived exosomes promote internalization of integrin β1 in primary HUVECs. The internalized integrin β1 persistently accumulates in the perinuclear region and is not recycled back to the plasma membrane. Experimental results indicate that macrophage-derived exosomes stimulate trafficking of internalized integrin β1 to lysosomal compartments with a corresponding decrease in the integrin destined for recycling endosomes, resulting in proteolytic degradation of the integrin. Moreover, ubiquitination of HUVEC integrin β1 is enhanced by the exosomes, and exosome-mediated integrin degradation is blocked by bafilomycin A, a lysosomal degradation inhibitor. Macrophage-derived exosomes were also shown to effectively suppress collagen-induced activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase signaling pathway and HUVEC migration, which are both dependent on integrin β1. These observations provide new insight into the functional significance of exosomes in the regulation of integrin trafficking. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Nullbasic, a potent anti-HIV tat mutant, induces CRM1-dependent disruption of HIV rev trafficking.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Min-Hsuan Lin

Full Text Available Nullbasic, a mutant of the HIV-1 Tat protein, has anti-HIV-1 activity through mechanisms that include inhibition of Rev function and redistribution of the HIV-1 Rev protein from the nucleolus to the nucleoplasm and cytoplasm. Here we investigate the mechanism of this effect for the first time, establishing that redistribution of Rev by Nullbasic is not due to direct interaction between the two proteins. Rather, Nullbasic affects subcellular localization of cellular proteins that regulate Rev trafficking. In particular, Nullbasic induced redistribution of exportin 1 (CRM1, nucleophosmin (B23 and nucleolin (C23 from the nucleolus to the nucleus when Rev was coexpressed, but never in its absence. Inhibition of the Rev:CRM1 interaction by leptomycin B or a non-interacting RevM10 mutant completely blocked redistribution of Rev by Nullbasic. Finally, Nullbasic did not inhibit importin β- or transportin 1-mediated nuclear import, suggesting that cytoplasmic accumulation of Rev was due to increased export by CRM1. Overall, our data support the conclusion that CRM1-dependent subcellular redistribution of Rev from the nucleolus by Nullbasic is not through general perturbation of either nuclear import or export. Rather, Nullbasic appears to interact with and disrupt specific components of a Rev trafficking complex required for its nucleocytoplasmic shuttling and, in particular, its nucleolar accumulation.

Report on combating of illicit trafficking. The Illicit Trafficking Combat Project Group. January 2000

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2000-01-01

The objective of this study is to propose improvements of different means and methods for the prevention of illicit trafficking and the proliferation of nuclear weapons. An essential requirement imposed on authorities and operators through basic nuclear legislation is the establishment and implementation of: a) nuclear material accountancy and control; b) physical protection of nuclear material and facilities; and c) export/import control of nuclear material and, so called, dual-use items. The legislation would make it possible for the State nuclear authority to be informed continuously about the location and quantity of nuclear material in the country, and to monitor that it is under satisfactory protection and guard in accordance with the requirements. The introduction of requirements on licensing of practices and activities involving dual-use items, and other products used for nuclear weapons manufacturing, would also give the authority the possibility to prevent unauthorised transfers of such products. The nuclear legislation must clearly stipulate the distribution of responsibilities between nuclear authority, operator and employees. This would give a solid basis for attaining high safety culture, including positive motivation and active commitment among executives and other employees. It would also ensure that nuclear material would not be lost through negligence or internal criminal activities. A further step of improvements on the national level, would be the urgent and firm introduction of modern Quality Assurance and Internal Control Systems into all forms of nuclear activities. In modern, safety related quality control systems, the operator alone is responsible for all activities and operations, and he must establish an internal control that will ensure that the authority's rules and requirements are thoroughly implemented and adhered to. The operator's organisation, including competence and procedures, must be approved by the State authority. By means

Report on combating of illicit trafficking. The Illicit Trafficking Combat Project Group. January 2000

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2000-01-01

The objective of this study is to propose improvements of different means and methods for the prevention of illicit trafficking and the proliferation of nuclear weapons. An essential requirement imposed on authorities and operators through basic nuclear legislation is the establishment and implementation of: a) nuclear material accountancy and control; b) physical protection of nuclear material and facilities; and c) export/import control of nuclear material and, so called, dual-use items. The legislation would make it possible for the State nuclear authority to be informed continuously about the location and quantity of nuclear material in the country, and to monitor that it is under satisfactory protection and guard in accordance with the requirements. The introduction of requirements on licensing of practices and activities involving dual-use items, and other products used for nuclear weapons manufacturing, would also give the authority the possibility to prevent unauthorised transfers of such products. The nuclear legislation must clearly stipulate the distribution of responsibilities between nuclear authority, operator and employees. This would give a solid basis for attaining high safety culture, including positive motivation and active commitment among executives and other employees. It would also ensure that nuclear material would not be lost through negligence or internal criminal activities. A further step of improvements on the national level, would be the urgent and firm introduction of modern Quality Assurance and Internal Control Systems into all forms of nuclear activities. In modern, safety related quality control systems, the operator alone is responsible for all activities and operations, and he must establish an internal control that will ensure that the authority's rules and requirements are thoroughly implemented and adhered to. The operator's organisation, including competence and procedures, must be approved by the State authority

Epithelial trafficking of Sonic hedgehog by megalin.

Science.gov (United States)

Morales, Carlos R; Zeng, Jibin; El Alfy, Mohamed; Barth, Jeremy L; Chintalapudi, Mastan Rao; McCarthy, Robert A; Incardona, John P; Argraves, W Scott

2006-10-01

We present here evidence of in vivo epithelial endocytosis and trafficking of non-lipid-modified Sonic hedgehog (ShhN) when infused into rat efferent ducts via microinjection. Initially, exogenous ShhN is detected in endocytic vesicles and early endosomes located near the apical plasma membrane of non-ciliated cells. Within 30-60 min following infusion, ShhN can be detected in lysosomes and at basolateral regions of non-ciliated cells. Basolaterally, ShhN was observed along the extracellular surfaces of interdigitated plasma membranes of adjacent cells and in the extracellular compartment underlying the efferent duct epithelium. Uptake and subcellular trafficking of infused ShhN by non-ciliated cells could be blocked by either anti-megalin IgG or the megalin antagonist, RAP. Ciliated cells, which do not express megalin, displayed little if any apical internalization of ShhN even though they were found to express Patched-1. However, ShhN was found in coated pits of lateral plasma membranes of ciliated cells as well as in underlying endocytic vesicles. We conclude that megalin-mediated endocytosis of ShhN can occur in megalin-expressing epithelia in vivo, and that the internalized ShhN can be targeted to the lysosome or transcytosed in the plane of the epithelium or across the epithelium. These findings highlight the multiple mechanisms by which megalin may influence Shh morphogen gradients in vivo.

Synaptojanin 1 is required for endolysosomal trafficking of synaptic proteins in cone photoreceptor inner segments.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ashley A George

Full Text Available Highly polarized cells such as photoreceptors require precise and efficient strategies for establishing and maintaining the proper subcellular distribution of proteins. The signals and molecular machinery that regulate trafficking and sorting of synaptic proteins within cone inner segments is mostly unknown. In this study, we show that the polyphosphoinositide phosphatase Synaptojanin 1 (SynJ1 is critical for this process. We used transgenic markers for trafficking pathways, electron microscopy, and immunocytochemistry to characterize trafficking defects in cones of the zebrafish mutant, nrc(a14 , which is deficient in phosphoinositide phosphatase, SynJ1. The outer segments and connecting cilia of nrc(a14 cone photoreceptors are normal, but RibeyeB and VAMP2/synaptobrevin, which normally localize to the synapse, accumulate in the nrc(a14 inner segment. The structure of the Endoplasmic Reticulum in nrc(a14 mutant cones is normal. Golgi develop normally, but later become disordered. Large vesicular structures accumulate within nrc(a14 cone photoreceptor inner segments, particularly after prolonged incubation in darkness. Cone inner segments of nrc (a14 mutants also have enlarged acidic vesicles, abnormal late endosomes, and a disruption in autophagy. This last pathway also appears exacerbated by darkness. Taken altogether, these findings show that SynJ1 is required in cones for normal endolysosomal trafficking of synaptic proteins.

Clathrin to Lipid Raft-Endocytosis via Controlled Surface Chemistry and Efficient Perinuclear Targeting of Nanoparticle.

Science.gov (United States)

Chakraborty, Atanu; Jana, Nikhil R

2015-09-17

Nanoparticle interacts with live cells depending on their surface chemistry, enters into cell via endocytosis, and is commonly trafficked to an endosome/lysozome that restricts subcellular targeting options. Here we show that nanoparticle surface chemistry can be tuned to alter their cell uptake mechanism and subcellular trafficking. Quantum dot based nanoprobes of 20-30 nm hydrodynamic diameters have been synthesized with tunable surface charge (between +15 mV to -25 mV) and lipophilicity to influence their cellular uptake processes and subcellular trafficking. It is observed that cationic nanoprobe electrostatically interacts with cell membrane and enters into cell via clathrin-mediated endocytosis. At lower surface charge (between +10 mV to -10 mV), the electrostatic interaction with cell membrane becomes weaker, and additional lipid raft endocytosis is initiated. If a lipophilic functional group is introduced on a weakly anionic nanoparticle surface, the uptake mechanism shifts to predominant lipid raft-mediated endocytosis. In particular, the zwitterionic-lipophilic nanoprobe has the unique advantage as it weakly interacts with anionic cell membrane, migrates toward lipid rafts for interaction through lipophilic functional group, and induces lipid raft-mediated endocytosis. While predominate or partial clathrin-mediated entry traffics most of the nanoprobes to lysozome, predominate lipid raft-mediated entry traffics them to perinuclear region, particularly to the Golgi apparatus. This finding would guide in designing appropriate nanoprobe for subcellular targeting and delivery.

Illicit Trafficking of Natural Radionuclides

Science.gov (United States)

Friedrich, Steinhäusler; Lyudmila, Zaitseva

2008-08-01

Natural radionuclides have been subject to trafficking worldwide, involving natural uranium ore (U 238), processed uranium (yellow cake), low enriched uranium (20% U 235), radium (Ra 226), polonium (Po 210), and natural thorium ore (Th 232). An important prerequisite to successful illicit trafficking activities is access to a suitable logistical infrastructure enabling an undercover shipment of radioactive materials and, in case of trafficking natural uranium or thorium ore, capable of transporting large volumes of material. Covert en route diversion of an authorised uranium transport, together with covert diversion of uranium concentrate from an operating or closed uranium mines or mills, are subject of case studies. Such cases, involving Israel, Iran, Pakistan and Libya, have been analyzed in terms of international actors involved and methods deployed. Using international incident data contained in the Database on Nuclear Smuggling, Theft and Orphan Radiation Sources (DSTO) and international experience gained from the fight against drug trafficking, a generic Trafficking Pathway Model (TPM) is developed for trafficking of natural radionuclides. The TPM covers the complete trafficking cycle, ranging from material diversion, covert material transport, material concealment, and all associated operational procedures. The model subdivides the trafficking cycle into five phases: (1) Material diversion by insider(s) or initiation by outsider(s); (2) Covert transport; (3) Material brokerage; (4) Material sale; (5) Material delivery. An Action Plan is recommended, addressing the strengthening of the national infrastructure for material protection and accounting, development of higher standards of good governance, and needs for improving the control system deployed by customs, border guards and security forces.

Illicit Trafficking of Natural Radionuclides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Friedrich, Steinhaeusler; Lyudmila, Zaitseva

2008-01-01

Natural radionuclides have been subject to trafficking worldwide, involving natural uranium ore (U 238), processed uranium (yellow cake), low enriched uranium ( 20% U 235), radium (Ra 226), polonium (Po 210), and natural thorium ore (Th 232). An important prerequisite to successful illicit trafficking activities is access to a suitable logistical infrastructure enabling an undercover shipment of radioactive materials and, in case of trafficking natural uranium or thorium ore, capable of transporting large volumes of material. Covert en route diversion of an authorised uranium transport, together with covert diversion of uranium concentrate from an operating or closed uranium mines or mills, are subject of case studies. Such cases, involving Israel, Iran, Pakistan and Libya, have been analyzed in terms of international actors involved and methods deployed. Using international incident data contained in the Database on Nuclear Smuggling, Theft and Orphan Radiation Sources (DSTO) and international experience gained from the fight against drug trafficking, a generic Trafficking Pathway Model (TPM) is developed for trafficking of natural radionuclides. The TPM covers the complete trafficking cycle, ranging from material diversion, covert material transport, material concealment, and all associated operational procedures. The model subdivides the trafficking cycle into five phases: (1) Material diversion by insider(s) or initiation by outsider(s); (2) Covert transport; (3) Material brokerage; (4) Material sale; (5) Material delivery. An Action Plan is recommended, addressing the strengthening of the national infrastructure for material protection and accounting, development of higher standards of good governance, and needs for improving the control system deployed by customs, border guards and security forces

Report on combating of illicit trafficking. The Illicit Trafficking Combat Project Group. January 2000

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2000-01-01

The objective of this study is to propose improvements of different means and methods for the prevention of illicit trafficking and the proliferation of nuclear weapons. An essential requirement imposed on authorities and operators through basic nuclear legislation is the establishment and implementation of: a) nuclear material accountancy and control; b) physical protection of nuclear material and facilities; and c) export/import control of nuclear material and, so called, dual-use items. The legislation would make it possible for the State nuclear authority to be informed continuously about the location and quantity of nuclear material in the country, and to monitor that it is under satisfactory protection and guard in accordance with the requirements. The introduction of requirements on licensing of practices and activities involving dual-use items, and other products used for nuclear weapons manufacturing, would also give the authority the possibility to prevent unauthorised transfers of such products. The nuclear legislation must clearly stipulate the distribution of responsibilities between nuclear authority, operator and employees. This would give a solid basis for attaining high safety culture, including positive motivation and active commitment among executives and other employees. It would also ensure that nuclear material would not be lost through negligence or internal criminal activities. A further step of improvements on the national level, would be the urgent and firm introduction of modern Quality Assurance and Internal Control Systems into all forms of nuclear activities. In modern, safety related quality control systems, the operator alone is responsible for all activities and operations, and he must establish an internal control that will ensure that the authority's rules and requirements are thoroughly implemented and adhered to. The operator's organisation, including competence and procedures, must be approved by the State authority. By means

Prenatal alcohol exposure modifies glucocorticoid receptor subcellular distribution in the medial prefrontal cortex and impairs frontal cortex-dependent learning.

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Andrea M Allan

Full Text Available Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE has been shown to impair learning, memory and executive functioning in children. Perseveration, or the failure to respond adaptively to changing contingencies, is a hallmark on neurobehavioral assessment tasks for human fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD. Adaptive responding is predominantly a product of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC and is regulated by corticosteroids. In our mouse model of PAE we recently reported deficits in hippocampal formation-dependent learning and memory and a dysregulation of hippocampal formation glucocorticoid receptor (GR subcellular distribution. Here, we examined the effect of PAE on frontal cortical-dependent behavior, as well as mPFC GR subcellular distribution and the levels of regulators of intracellular GR transport. PAE mice displayed significantly reduced response flexibility in a Y-maze reversal learning task. While the levels of total nuclear GR were reduced in PAE mPFC, levels of GR phosphorylated at serines 203, 211 and 226 were not significantly changed. Cytosolic, but not nuclear, MR levels were elevated in the PAE mPFC. The levels of critical GR trafficking proteins, FKBP51, Hsp90, cyclophilin 40, dynamitin and dynein intermediate chain, were altered in PAE mice, in favor of the exclusion of GR from the nucleus, indicating dysregulation of GR trafficking. Our findings suggest that there may be a link between a deficit in GR nuclear localization and frontal cortical learning deficits in prenatal alcohol-exposed mice.

Economics of human trafficking.

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Wheaton, Elizabeth M; Schauer, Edward J; Galli, Thomas V

2010-01-01

Because freedom of choice and economic gain are at the heart of productivity, human trafficking impedes national and international economic growth. Within the next 10 years, crime experts expect human trafficking to surpass drug and arms trafficking in its incidence, cost to human well-being, and profitability to criminals (Schauer and Wheaton, 2006: 164-165). The loss of agency from human trafficking as well as from modern slavery is the result of human vulnerability (Bales, 2000: 15). As people become vulnerable to exploitation and businesses continually seek the lowest-cost labour sources, trafficking human beings generates profit and a market for human trafficking is created. This paper presents an economic model of human trafficking that encompasses all known economic factors that affect human trafficking both across and within national borders. We envision human trafficking as a monopolistically competitive industry in which traffickers act as intermediaries between vulnerable individuals and employers by supplying differentiated products to employers. In the human trafficking market, the consumers are employers of trafficked labour and the products are human beings. Using a rational-choice framework of human trafficking we explain the social situations that shape relocation and working decisions of vulnerable populations leading to human trafficking, the impetus for being a trafficker, and the decisions by employers of trafficked individuals. The goal of this paper is to provide a common ground upon which policymakers and researchers can collaborate to decrease the incidence of trafficking in humans.

Huntingtin-associated protein-1 (HAP1) regulates endocytosis and interacts with multiple trafficking-related proteins.

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Mackenzie, Kimberly D; Lim, Yoon; Duffield, Michael D; Chataway, Timothy; Zhou, Xin-Fu; Keating, Damien J

2017-07-01

Huntingtin-associated protein 1 (HAP1) was initially identified as a binding partner of huntingtin, mutations in which underlie Huntington's disease. Subcellular localization and protein interaction data indicate that HAP1 may be important in vesicle trafficking, cell signalling and receptor internalization. In this study, a proteomics approach was used for the identification of novel HAP1-interacting partners to attempt to shed light on the physiological function of HAP1. Using affinity chromatography with HAP1-GST protein fragments bound to Sepharose columns, this study identified a number of trafficking-related proteins that bind to HAP1. Interestingly, many of the proteins that were identified by mass spectrometry have trafficking-related functions and include the clathrin light chain B and Sec23A, an ER to Golgi trafficking vesicle coat component. Using co-immunoprecipitation and GST-binding assays the association between HAP1 and clathrin light chain B has been validated in vitro. This study also finds that HAP1 co-localizes with clathrin light chain B. In line with a physiological function of the HAP1-clathrin interaction this study detected a dramatic reduction in vesicle retrieval and endocytosis in adrenal chromaffin cells. Furthermore, through examination of transferrin endocytosis in HAP1 -/- cortical neurons, this study has determined that HAP1 regulates neuronal endocytosis. In this study, the interaction between HAP1 and Sec23A was also validated through endogenous co-immunoprecipitation in rat brain homogenate. Through the identification of novel HAP1 binding partners, many of which have putative trafficking roles, this study provides us with new insights into the mechanisms underlying the important physiological function of HAP1 as an intracellular trafficking protein through its protein-protein interactions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Human trafficking law and social structures.

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Wooditch, Alese

2012-08-01

Human trafficking has only recently emerged at the forefront of policy reform, even in developed nations. Yet, heightened awareness of the issue has not translated into effective policy as the majority of nations have ineffective antitrafficking practices; many countries have failed to criminalize human trafficking, whereas others do not actively enforce statutes in place. By applying Black's theory of law, this study offers a preliminary understanding into the variation of global prosecutorial efforts in human trafficking and adequacy of antitrafficking law. To isolate this relationship, the effects of trafficking markets are controlled. As with prior research, the study finds limited support for the theory. The article concludes with a discussion on the implications of the quantity of antitrafficking law and morphology association for policy development.

The CD63-Syntenin-1 Complex Controls Post-Endocytic Trafficking of Oncogenic Human Papillomaviruses.

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Gräßel, Linda; Fast, Laura Aline; Scheffer, Konstanze D; Boukhallouk, Fatima; Spoden, Gilles A; Tenzer, Stefan; Boller, Klaus; Bago, Ruzica; Rajesh, Sundaresan; Overduin, Michael; Berditchevski, Fedor; Florin, Luise

2016-08-31

Human papillomaviruses enter host cells via a clathrin-independent endocytic pathway involving tetraspanin proteins. However, post-endocytic trafficking required for virus capsid disassembly remains unclear. Here we demonstrate that the early trafficking pathway of internalised HPV particles involves tetraspanin CD63, syntenin-1 and ESCRT-associated adaptor protein ALIX. Following internalisation, viral particles are found in CD63-positive endosomes recruiting syntenin-1, a CD63-interacting adaptor protein. Electron microscopy and immunofluorescence experiments indicate that the CD63-syntenin-1 complex controls delivery of internalised viral particles to multivesicular endosomes. Accordingly, infectivity of high-risk HPV types 16, 18 and 31 as well as disassembly and post-uncoating processing of viral particles was markedly suppressed in CD63 or syntenin-1 depleted cells. Our analyses also present the syntenin-1 interacting protein ALIX as critical for HPV infection and CD63-syntenin-1-ALIX complex formation as a prerequisite for intracellular transport enabling viral capsid disassembly. Thus, our results identify the CD63-syntenin-1-ALIX complex as a key regulatory component in post-endocytic HPV trafficking.

Subcellular Iron Localization Mechanisms in Plants

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Emre Aksoy

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The basic micro-nutrient element iron (Fe is present as a cofactor in the active sites of many metalloproteins with important roles in the plant. On the other hand, since it is excessively reactive, excess accumulation in the cell triggers the production of reactive oxygen species, leading to cell death. Therefore, iron homeostasis in the cell is very important for plant growth. Once uptake into the roots, iron is distributed to the subcellular compartments. Subcellular iron transport and hence cellular iron homeostasis is carried out through synchronous control of different membrane protein families. It has been discovered that expression levels of these membrane proteins increase under iron deficiency. Examination of the tasks and regulations of these carriers is very important in terms of understanding the iron intake and distribution mechanisms in plants. Therefore, in this review, the transporters responsible for the uptake of iron into the cell and its subcellular distribution between organelles will be discussed with an emphasis on the current developments about these transporters.

Entrapment and Enmeshment Schemes Used by Sex Traffickers.

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Reid, Joan A

2016-09-01

Emerging research suggests that sex traffickers/pimps control the majority of trafficked girls in the United States. The youthfulness of these victims and their lack of psychosocial maturity severely diminish their ability to detect exploitative motives or withstand manipulation of traffickers. A review of 43 cases of sexually exploited girls involving non-relative traffickers and 10 semi-structured interviews with social service providers revealed numerous scripts and schemes used by sex traffickers to entrap and entangle victims including boyfriend/lover scripts, ruses involving debt bondage, friendship or faux-family scripts, threats of forced abortion or to take away children, and coerced co-offending. These findings inform potential prevention efforts and highlight the need for multi-systemic, victim-centered approaches to intervention. © The Author(s) 2014.

HUMAN TRAFFICKING DRUG TRAFFICKING, AND THE DEATH PENALTY

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Felicity Gerry

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Both Australia and Indonesia have made commitments to combatting human trafficking.  Through the experience of Mary Jane Veloso it can be seen that it is most often the vulnerable ‘mule’ that is apprehended by law enforcement and not the powerful leaders of crime syndicates. It is unacceptable that those vulnerable individuals may face execution for acts committed under threat of force, coercion, fraud, deception or abuse of power. For this reason it is vital that a system of victim identification is developed, including better training for law enforcement, legal representatives and members of the judiciary. This paper builds on submissions by authors for Australian Parliamentary Inquiry into Human Trafficking, and focusses on issues arising in the complex cross section of human trafficking, drug trafficking, and the death penalty with particular attention on identifying victims and effective reporting mechanisms in both Australia and Indonesia. It concludes that, in the context of human trafficking both countries could make three main improvements to law and policy, among others, 1 enactment of laws that create clear mandatory protection for human trafficking victims; 2 enactment of criminal laws that provides complete defence for victim of human trafficking; 3 enactment of corporate reporting mechanisms. Systemic protection and support is not sufficiently available without clear legislative protection as this paper suggests together with standardised referral mechanisms and effective financial reporting mechanisms. The implementation can be achieved through collaborative responses and inter-agency coordination with data collection and properly trained specialists.

Cholera toxin subunit B-mediated intracellular trafficking of mesoporous silica nanoparticles toward the endoplasmic reticulum

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Walker, William Andrew

In recent decades, pharmaceutical research has led to the development of numerous treatments for human disease. Nanoscale delivery systems have the potential to maximize therapeutic outcomes by enabling target specific delivery of these therapeutics. The intracellular localization of many of these materials however, is poorly controlled, leading to sequestration in degradative cellular pathways and limiting the efficacy of their payloads. Numerous proteins, particularly bacterial toxins, have evolved mechanisms to subvert the degradative mechanisms of the cell. Here, we have investigated a possible strategy for shunting intracellular delivery of encapsulated cargoes from these pathways by modifying mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) with the well-characterized bacterial toxin Cholera toxin subunit B (CTxB). Using established optical imaging methods we investigated the internalization, trafficking, and subcellular localization of our modified MSNs in an in vitro animal cell model. We then attempted to demonstrate the practical utility of this approach by using CTxB-modified mesoporous silica nanoparticles to deliver propidium iodide, a membrane-impermeant fluorophore.

Legal aspects of the control and repression of illicit trafficking of nuclear and other radioactive materials. Is there a need for an international convention?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spence, Scott

2012-01-01

It is generally recognised that illicit trafficking of nuclear and other radioactive materials is a serious problem, and one that must be tackled with a comprehensive response involving national governments as well as a number of intergovernmental organisations including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The IAEA notes that 1 773 incidents were reported to its Illicit Trafficking Database, or ITDB, between January 1993 and December 2009, and that 351 of these involved '... unauthorized possession and related criminal activities' such as '... illegal possession, movement or attempts to illegally trade in or use nuclear material or radioactive sources'. The IAEA adds that 222 more incidents were confirmed between July 2009 and June 2010 and concludes that: - the availability of unsecured nuclear and other radioactive material persists; - effective border control measures help to detect illicit trafficking, although effective control is not uniformly implemented at all international border points; and - individuals and groups are prepared to engage in trafficking this material. A disturbing trend is trafficking in particularly sensitive regions of the world, such as in countries that were formerly a part of the former Soviet Union. In November 2010, Georgian officials seized four individuals allegedly trying to sell cesium-137, which though fairly common can be used to make a radiological dispersion device (RDD) or 'dirty bomb'. This closely followed a court case in Georgia involving Armenian nationals who had attempted to sell weapon-grade plutonium. More recently, in June 2011, Moldovan police arrested six individuals suspected of trafficking in uranium-235. In view of the problem, this paper considers whether an international convention specifically targeting illicit trafficking is needed or not. The paper does not go conceptually beyond the legal aspects of controlling and repressing illicit trafficking; rather, it will look at whether the existing

Identification of human trafficking victims in health care settings.

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Baldwin, Susie B; Eisenman, David P; Sayles, Jennifer N; Ryan, Gery; Chuang, Kenneth S

2011-07-14

An estimated 18,000 individuals are trafficked into the United States each year from all over the world, and are forced into hard labor or commercial sex work. Despite their invisibility, some victims are known to have received medical care while under traffickers' control. Our project aimed to characterize trafficking victims' encounters in US health care settings. The study consisted of semi-structured interviews with six Key Informants who work closely with trafficking victims (Phase I) and 12 female trafficking survivors (Phase II). All survivors were recruited through the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking, an NGO in Los Angeles, and all were trafficked into Los Angeles. Interviews were conducted in English and six other languages, with the assistance of professional interpreters. Using a framework analysis approach that focused on victims' encounters in health care settings, we assessed interview transcript content and coded for themes. We used an exploratory pile-sorting technique to aggregate similar ideas and identify overarching domains. The survivors came from 10 countries. Eight had experienced domestic servitude, three had survived sex trafficking, and one had experienced both. Half the survivors reported that they had visited a physician while in their traffickers' control, and another worked in a health care facility. All Key Informants described other victims who had received medical care. For domestic servants, medical visits were triggered by injury and respiratory or systemic illness, while sex trafficking victims were seen by health professionals for sexually transmitted infections and abortion. Trafficking victims were prevented from disclosing their status to health care providers by fear, shame, language barriers, and limited interaction with medical personnel, among other obstacles. This exploration of survivors' experiences in health care settings supports anecdotal reports that US health care providers may unwittingly encounter

Cell Surface Trafficking of TLR1 Is Differentially Regulated by the Chaperones PRAT4A and PRAT4B*

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Hart, Bryan E.; Tapping, Richard I.

2012-01-01

The subcellular localization of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) is critical to their ability to function as innate immune sensors of microbial infection. We previously reported that an I602S polymorphism of human TLR1 is associated with aberrant trafficking of the receptor to the cell surface, loss of responses to TLR1 agonists, and differential susceptibility to diseases caused by pathogenic mycobacteria. Through an extensive analysis of receptor deletion and point mutants we have discovered that position 602 resides within a short 6 amino acid cytoplasmic region that is required for TLR1 surface expression. This short trafficking motif, in conjunction with the adjacent transmembrane domain, is sufficient to direct TLR1 to the cell surface. A serine at position 602 interrupts this trafficking motif and prevents cell surface expression of TLR1. Additionally, we have found that ER-resident TLR chaperones, PRAT4A and PRAT4B, act as positive and negative regulators of TLR1 surface trafficking, respectively. Importantly, either over-expression of PRAT4A or knock-down of PRAT4B rescues cell surface expression of the TLR1 602S variant. We also report that IFN-γ treatment of primary human monocytes derived from homozygous 602S individuals rescues TLR1 cell surface trafficking and cellular responses to soluble agonists. This event appears to be mediated by PRAT4A whose expression is strongly induced in human monocytes by IFN-γ. Collectively, these results provide a mechanism for the differential trafficking of TLR1 I602S variants, and highlight the distinct roles for PRAT4A and PRAT4B in the regulation of TLR1 surface expression. PMID:22447933

Rebooting Trafficking

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Nicholas de Villiers

2016-09-01

Full Text Available While popular psychology and appeals to emotion have unfortunately dominated discussions of ‘sex trafficking’, this article suggests that feminist psychoanalytic film theory and theories of affect are still useful for making sense of the appeal of sensational exposés like Lifetime Television’s Human Trafficking (2005. The dynamic of identification with (and impersonation of a human trafficking ‘victim’ by the rescuing Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent (Mira Sorvino is particularly worthy of scrutiny. Film theory about the ‘rebooting’ of film franchises (iconic brands like Batman also helps explain the preponderance of similar programming—Sex Slaves (2005, Selling the Girl Next Door (2011, Trafficked (2016—and the way contemporary discourses of human trafficking have effectively rebranded the myth of ‘white slavery’.

Compounds that correct F508del-CFTR trafficking can also correct other protein trafficking diseases: an in vitro study using cell lines

OpenAIRE

Sampson Heidi M; Lam Hung; Chen Pei-Chun; Zhang Donglei; Mottillo Cristina; Mirza Myriam; Qasim Karim; Shrier Alvin; Shyng Show-Ling; Hanrahan John W; Thomas David Y

2013-01-01

Abstract Background Many genetic diseases are due to defects in protein trafficking where the mutant protein is recognized by the quality control systems, retained in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and degraded by the proteasome. In many cases, the mutant protein retains function if it can be trafficked to its proper cellular location. We have identified structurally diverse correctors that restore the trafficking and function of the most common mutation causing cystic fibrosis, F508del-CFTR...

Nucleolar protein trafficking in response to HIV-1 Tat: rewiring the nucleolus.

Science.gov (United States)

Jarboui, Mohamed Ali; Bidoia, Carlo; Woods, Elena; Roe, Barbara; Wynne, Kieran; Elia, Giuliano; Hall, William W; Gautier, Virginie W

2012-01-01

The trans-activator Tat protein is a viral regulatory protein essential for HIV-1 replication. Tat trafficks to the nucleoplasm and the nucleolus. The nucleolus, a highly dynamic and structured membrane-less sub-nuclear compartment, is the site of rRNA and ribosome biogenesis and is involved in numerous cellular functions including transcriptional regulation, cell cycle control and viral infection. Importantly, transient nucleolar trafficking of both Tat and HIV-1 viral transcripts are critical in HIV-1 replication, however, the role(s) of the nucleolus in HIV-1 replication remains unclear. To better understand how the interaction of Tat with the nucleolar machinery contributes to HIV-1 pathogenesis, we investigated the quantitative changes in the composition of the nucleolar proteome of Jurkat T-cells stably expressing HIV-1 Tat fused to a TAP tag. Using an organellar proteomic approach based on mass spectrometry, coupled with Stable Isotope Labelling in Cell culture (SILAC), we quantified 520 proteins, including 49 proteins showing significant changes in abundance in Jurkat T-cell nucleolus upon Tat expression. Numerous proteins exhibiting a fold change were well characterised Tat interactors and/or known to be critical for HIV-1 replication. This suggests that the spatial control and subcellular compartimentaliation of these cellular cofactors by Tat provide an additional layer of control for regulating cellular machinery involved in HIV-1 pathogenesis. Pathway analysis and network reconstruction revealed that Tat expression specifically resulted in the nucleolar enrichment of proteins collectively participating in ribosomal biogenesis, protein homeostasis, metabolic pathways including glycolytic, pentose phosphate, nucleotides and amino acids biosynthetic pathways, stress response, T-cell signaling pathways and genome integrity. We present here the first differential profiling of the nucleolar proteome of T-cells expressing HIV-1 Tat. We discuss how these

Trehalose Alters Subcellular Trafficking and the Metabolism of the Alzheimer-associated Amyloid Precursor Protein.

Science.gov (United States)

Tien, Nguyen T; Karaca, Ilker; Tamboli, Irfan Y; Walter, Jochen

2016-05-13

The disaccharide trehalose is commonly considered to stimulate autophagy. Cell treatment with trehalose could decrease cytosolic aggregates of potentially pathogenic proteins, including mutant huntingtin, α-synuclein, and phosphorylated tau that are associated with neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we demonstrate that trehalose also alters the metabolism of the Alzheimer disease-related amyloid precursor protein (APP). Cell treatment with trehalose decreased the degradation of full-length APP and its C-terminal fragments. Trehalose also reduced the secretion of the amyloid-β peptide. Biochemical and cell biological experiments revealed that trehalose alters the subcellular distribution and decreases the degradation of APP C-terminal fragments in endolysosomal compartments. Trehalose also led to strong accumulation of the autophagic marker proteins LC3-II and p62, and decreased the proteolytic activation of the lysosomal hydrolase cathepsin D. The combined data indicate that trehalose decreases the lysosomal metabolism of APP by altering its endocytic vesicular transport. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Health impacts and research ethics in female trafficking.

Science.gov (United States)

Dhital, S R; Aro, R A; Sapkota, K

2011-04-01

Female trafficking is a social and public health problem, associated with physical and sexual abuse, psychological trauma, injuries from violence, sexually transmitted infections, adverse reproductive outcomes and substance misuse. It faces several challenges ranging from the hidden nature of the problem to ethical and human rights issues. The objectives of this paper are to analyze health impact of trafficking; ethical and research issues and anti-trafficking strategies in the Nepalese context. We collected published and unpublished data assessing the public health, ethical burden and research needs from different sources. Trafficked female involved in sex-industry that face grave situation as depicted and it might a reservoir of sexually transmitted diseases. Ethical issues related to survey of assessing the burden are difficult to carry out. The best ways to prevent and control these problems are to enhance anti- trafficking laws and raise awareness, empower and mobilize females and establish organizational capacity.

Regulation of vesicular trafficking by Parkinson's disease-associated genes

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Tsuyoshi Inoshita

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The regulatory mechanisms that control intracellular vesicular trafficking play important roles in cellular function and viability. Neurons have specific vesicular trafficking systems for synaptic vesicle formation, release and recycling. Synaptic vesicular trafficking impairments induce neuronal dysfunction and physiological and behavioral disorders. Parkinson's disease (PD is an age-dependent neurodegenerative disorder characterized by dopamine depletion and loss of dopamine neurons in the midbrain. The molecular mechanism responsible for the neurodegeneration that occurs during PD is still not understood; however, recent functional analyses of familial PD causative genes suggest that a number of PD causative genes regulate intracellular vesicular trafficking, including synaptic vesicular dynamics. This review focuses on recent insights regarding the functions of PD causative genes, their relationship with vesicular trafficking and how mutations associated with PD affect vesicular dynamics and neuronal survival.

Membrane Trafficking Modulation during Entamoeba Encystation.

Science.gov (United States)

Herman, Emily; Siegesmund, Maria A; Bottery, Michael J; van Aerle, Ronny; Shather, Maulood Mohammed; Caler, Elisabet; Dacks, Joel B; van der Giezen, Mark

2017-10-09

Entamoeba histolytica is an intestinal parasite that infects 50-100 million people and causes up to 55,000 deaths annually. The transmissive form of E. histolytica is the cyst, with a single infected individual passing up to 45 million cysts per day, making cyst production an attractive target for infection control. Lectins and chitin are secreted to form the cyst wall, although little is known about the underlying membrane trafficking processes supporting encystation. As E. histolytica does not readily form cysts in vitro, we assessed membrane trafficking gene expression during encystation in the closely related model Entamoeba invadens. Genes involved in secretion are up-regulated during cyst formation, as are some trans-Golgi network-to-endosome trafficking genes. Furthermore, endocytic and general trafficking genes are up-regulated in the mature cyst, potentially preserved as mRNA in preparation for excystation. Two divergent dynamin-related proteins found in Entamoeba are predominantly expressed during cyst formation. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that they are paralogous to, but quite distinct from, classical dynamins found in human, suggesting that they may be potential drug targets to block encystation. The membrane-trafficking machinery is clearly regulated during encystation, providing an additional facet to understanding this crucial parasitic process.

Compounds that correct F508del-CFTR trafficking can also correct other protein trafficking diseases: an in vitro study using cell lines

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Sampson Heidi M

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Many genetic diseases are due to defects in protein trafficking where the mutant protein is recognized by the quality control systems, retained in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER, and degraded by the proteasome. In many cases, the mutant protein retains function if it can be trafficked to its proper cellular location. We have identified structurally diverse correctors that restore the trafficking and function of the most common mutation causing cystic fibrosis, F508del-CFTR. Most of these correctors do not act directly as ligands of CFTR, but indirectly on other pathways to promote folding and correction. We hypothesize that these proteostasis regulators may also correct other protein trafficking diseases. Methods To test our hypothesis, we used stable cell lines or transient transfection to express 2 well-studied trafficking disease mutations in each of 3 different proteins: the arginine-vasopressin receptor 2 (AVPR2, also known as V2R, the human ether-a-go-go-related gene (KCNH2, also known as hERG, and finally the sulfonylurea receptor 1 (ABCC8, also known as SUR1. We treated cells expressing these mutant proteins with 9 structurally diverse F508del-CFTR correctors that function through different cellular mechanisms and assessed whether correction occurred via immunoblotting and functional assays. Results were deemed significantly different from controls by a one-way ANOVA (p  Results Here we show that F508del-CFTR correctors RDR1, KM60 and KM57 also correct some mutant alleles of other protein trafficking diseases. We also show that one corrector, the cardiac glycoside ouabain, was found to alter the glycosylation of all mutant alleles tested. Conclusions Correctors of F508del-CFTR trafficking might have broader applications to other protein trafficking diseases.

Gating characteristics control glutamate receptor distribution and trafficking in vivo.

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Petzoldt, Astrid G; Lee, Yü-Hien; Khorramshahi, Omid; Reynolds, Eric; Plested, Andrew J R; Herzel, Hanspeter; Sigrist, Stephan J

2014-09-08

Glutamate-releasing synapses dominate excitatory release in the brain. Mechanisms governing their assembly are of major importance for circuit development and long-term plasticity underlying learning and memory. AMPA/Kainate-type glutamate receptors (GluRs) are tetrameric ligand-gated ion channels that open their ion-conducting pores in response to binding of the neurotransmitter. Changes in subunit composition of postsynaptic GluRs are highly relevant for plasticity and development of glutamatergic synapses [1-4]. To date, posttranslational modifications, mostly operating via the intracellular C-terminal domains (CTDs) of GluRs, are presumed to be the major regulator of trafficking [5]. In recent years, structural and electrophysiological analyses have improved our understanding of GluR gating mechanism [6-11]. However, whether conformational changes subsequent to glutamate binding may per se be able to influence GluR trafficking has remained an unaddressed question. Using a Drosophila system allowing for extended visualization of GluR trafficking in vivo, we here provide evidence that mutations changing the gating behavior alter GluR distribution and trafficking. GluR mutants associated with reduced charge transfer segregated from coexpressed wild-type GluRs on the level of individual postsynaptic densities. Segregation was lost upon blocking of evoked glutamate release. Photobleaching experiments suggested increased mobility of mutants with reduced charge transfer, which accumulated prematurely during early steps of synapse assembly, but failed to further increase their level in accordance with assembly of the presynaptic scaffold. In summary, gating characteristics seem to be a new variable for the understanding of GluR trafficking relevant to both development and plasticity. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Early to Late Endosome Trafficking Controls Secretion and Zymogen Activation in Rodent and Human Pancreatic Acinar Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Messenger, Scott W; Thomas, Diana Dh; Cooley, Michelle M; Jones, Elaina K; Falkowski, Michelle A; August, Benjamin K; Fernandez, Luis A; Gorelick, Fred S; Groblewski, Guy E

2015-11-01

Pancreatic acinar cells have an expanded apical endosomal system, the physiological and pathophysiological significance of which is still emerging. Phosphatidylinositol-3,5-bisphosphate (PI(3,5)P 2 ) is an essential phospholipid generated by PIKfyve, which phosphorylates phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphate (PI(3)P). PI(3,5)P 2 is necessary for maturation of early endosomes (EE) to late endosomes (LE). Inhibition of EE to LE trafficking enhances anterograde endosomal trafficking and secretion at the plasma membrane by default through a recycling endosome (RE) intermediate. We assessed the effects of modulating PIKfyve activity on apical trafficking and pancreatitis responses in pancreatic acinar cells. Inhibition of EE to LE trafficking was achieved using pharmacological inhibitors of PIKfyve, expression of dominant negative PIKfyve K1877E, or constitutively active Rab5-GTP Q79L. Anterograde endosomal trafficking was manipulated by expression of constitutively active and dominant negative Rab11a mutants. The effects of these agents on secretion, endolysosomal exocytosis of lysosome associated membrane protein (LAMP1), and trypsinogen activation in response to high-dose CCK-8, bile acids and cigarette toxin was determined. PIKfyve inhibition increased basal and stimulated secretion. Adenoviral overexpression of PIKfyve decreased secretion leading to cellular death. Expression of Rab5-GTP Q79L or Rab11a-GTP Q70L enhanced secretion. Conversely, dominant-negative Rab11a-GDP S25N reduced secretion. High-dose CCK inhibited endolysosomal exocytosis that was reversed by PIKfyve inhibition. PIKfyve inhibition blocked intracellular trypsin accumulation and cellular damage responses to high CCK-8, tobacco toxin, and bile salts in both rodent and human acini. These data demonstrate that EE-LE trafficking acutely controls acinar secretion and the intracellular activation of zymogens leading to the pathogenicity of acute pancreatitis.

Managing Migration: Is border control fundamental to anti-trafficking and anti- smuggling interventions?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rebecca Miller

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Over the last several decades, globalisation and a growing concern over security issues, including transnational crime and terrorism, has shaped migration policies and the priorities of states. As migration rose to the top of many government agendas, a rapid tightening and regularisation of borders ensued in an attempt to keep undesirable, high-risk migrants out of potential destination countries. Concomitantly, transnational crimes, such as trafficking in persons and the smuggling of migrants, have been increasingly defined as border security problems. This article examines the extent to which border control is fundamental to anti-trafficking and anti-smuggling interventions, situating the debate within the wider nexus of globalisation and the securitisation of migration. Based upon their work with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC Regional Centre for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, the authors take the standpoint that given it is the sovereign right of each state to control its border and regulate migration, the human rights of migrants must be considered within this realpolitik. Clearly, though, this claim is highly political and contentious. In the article, we explore some of the tensions and contradictions that have emerged in this debate, and then develop an argument to suggest that it is possible for states to combine managed migration and strict border controls with the protection of human rights in the current context of globalisation.

Captured ‘Realities’ of Human Trafficking: Analysis of photographs illustrating stories on trafficking into the sex industry in Serbian media

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elena Krsmanovic

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Past research has looked at how the media frames human trafficking, but has seldom included analysis of visual representations. To bridge this gap, this paper scrutinises stereotypical representations of persons trafficked into the sex industry in photographs published in Serbian online media from 2011 to 2014. To uncover characteristics of dominant tropes in this sample, a method of semiotic analysis is applied. The analysis argues that images are dominated by portrayals of trafficked persons that fit into one of two frames: powerless victim or unworthy prostitute. Male figures are rarely presented in these photographs, but when present, they are shown to hurt or control the women depicted alongside them. Chains, padlocks, barcodes, whip marks, and other symbols associated with slavery are present to a lesser extent. However, they testify to the tendency to link human trafficking to slavery and to use the moral potential of the anti-slavery rhetoric. Photographs are too easily seen as authentic, factual transcripts of reality. This paper suggests that these images tell us more about societal fear of insecurity, ideas about gender, erotic obsessions and morality than about human trafficking itself. It also argues that the meaning of trafficking is shaped by the deeply embedded codes of patriarchy and hidden misogyny present in Serbian society.

Sex for Sale: Globalization and Human Trafficking

OpenAIRE

Aiello, Annmarie

2009-01-01

The practice of trafficking has many different facets; drug trafficking, arms trafficking and human trafficking complete the top three illegal trafficking practices today. Human trafficking may be the third highest illegal trafficking practice, however there is inadequate mainstream information on the affects of the trade and horrifying issues that incorporate trafficking in human beings. This paper will discuss how the globalized world has been enabling trafficking in human beings with a con...

Human Trafficking

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, David McKay

2011-01-01

The shadowy, criminal nature of human trafficking makes evaluating its nature and scope difficult. The U.S. State Department and anti-trafficking groups estimate that worldwide some 27 million people are caught in a form of forced servitude today. Public awareness of modern-day slavery is gaining momentum thanks to new abolitionist efforts. Among…

Key challenges in the combat of human trafficking : Evaluating the EU trafficking strategy and EU trafficking directive

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bosma, Alice; Rijken, Conny

2016-01-01

The problem of trafficking in human beings (THB) is still omnipresent in Europe, despite the numerous preventive and retributive actions taken. This article evaluates the two most important EU-instruments to combat trafficking: the EU Directive and the EU Strategy. Based on secondary analysis of

Sinai Trafficking: Origin and Definition of a New Form of Human Trafficking

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Mirjam van Reisen

2015-02-01

Full Text Available The phenomenon that is coined “Sinai Trafficking” started in 2009 in the Sinai desert. It involves the abduction, extortion, sale, torture, sexual violation and killing of men, women and children. Migrants, of whom the vast majority are from Eritrean descent, are abducted and brought to the Sinai desert, where they are sold and resold, extorted for very high ransoms collected by mobile phone, while being brutally and “functionally” tortured to support the extortion. Many of them die in Sinai. Over the last five years broadcasting stations, human rights organisations and academics have reported on the practices in the Sinai and some of these reports have resulted in some confusion on the modus operandi. Based on empirical research by the authors and the analysis of data gathered in more than 200 recorded interviews with Sinai hostages and survivors on the practices, this article provides a definition of Sinai Trafficking. It argues that the term Sinai Trafficking can be used to differentiate a particular new set of criminal practices that have first been reported in the Sinai Peninsula. The article further examines how the new phenomenon of Sinai Trafficking can be framed into the legal human trafficking definition. The interconnectedness of Sinai Trafficking with slavery, torture, ransom collection, extortion, sexual violence and other severe crimes is presented to substantiate the use of the trafficking framework. The plight of Sinai survivors in Israel and Egypt is explained to illustrate the cyclical process of the trafficking practices especially endured by Eritreans, introduced as the Human Trafficking Cycle. The article concludes by setting out areas for further research.

Recognizing victims of human trafficking in the pediatric emergency department.

Science.gov (United States)

Becker, Heather J; Bechtel, Kirsten

2015-02-01

Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery that is rapidly expanding in the United States and throughout the world. It is a crime under both the United States and international law. The child and adult victims of human trafficking are denied their basic human rights and subjected to unspeakable physical and emotional harm. Traffickers exert complete control over their victims and are proficient at hiding their condition from authorities. Healthcare practitioners may be the only professionals who come into contact with victims if they present for medical care. This article will describe human trafficking and its potential victims, as well as guide medical management and access to services that will ensure their safety and restore their freedom.

How to Use a Trafficked Woman. The Alliance between Political and Criminal Trafficking Organisations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John Davies

2011-03-01

Full Text Available The principal argument of this paper is that migrant women with secure mobility rights and supportive social networks can avoid or mitigate many trafficking harms. However the paper contends that some actors have conspired to prevent such circumstances so as to pursue diverse political agendas at the expense of migrant women. The paper’s analysis restructures the trafficking contest from organised criminals versus law enforcement agencies to principally a contest between migrant women and those political agents who benefit from the moral panic associated with trafficking. It is then argued that it is these more sophisticated political actors rather than organised criminals and the clients of sex workers are the most important stakeholders in sustaining or exploiting trafficking harm. Therefore, it is concluded that resolving many trafficking harms in the EEA could be achieved by subverting political traffickers through improving migration policy rather than fighting organised crime.

75 FR 52780 - Designation of Nine Counties as High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-27

... EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT Office of National Drug Control Policy Designation of Nine Counties as High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy designated nine additional counties as High Drug Trafficking Areas pursuant to...

75 FR 21368 - Designation of Five Counties as High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-23

... EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT Office of National Drug Control Policy Designation of Five Counties as High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy designated five additional counties as High Drug Trafficking Areas pursuant to...

An apolipoprotein-enriched biomolecular corona switches the cellular uptake mechanism and trafficking pathway of lipid nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Digiacomo, L; Cardarelli, F; Pozzi, D; Palchetti, S; Digman, M A; Gratton, E; Capriotti, A L; Mahmoudi, M; Caracciolo, G

2017-11-16

Following exposure to biological milieus (e.g. after systemic administration), nanoparticles (NPs) get covered by an outer biomolecular corona (BC) that defines many of their biological outcomes, such as the elicited immune response, biodistribution, and targeting abilities. In spite of this, the role of BC in regulating the cellular uptake and the subcellular trafficking properties of NPs has remained elusive. Here, we tackle this issue by employing multicomponent (MC) lipid NPs, human plasma (HP) and HeLa cells as models for nanoformulations, biological fluids, and target cells, respectively. By conducting confocal fluorescence microscopy experiments and image correlation analyses, we quantitatively demonstrate that the BC promotes a neat switch of the cell entry mechanism and subsequent intracellular trafficking, from macropinocytosis to clathrin-dependent endocytosis. Nano-liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry identifies apolipoproteins as the most abundant components of the BC tested here. Interestingly, this class of proteins target the LDL receptors, which are overexpressed in clathrin-enriched membrane domains. Our results highlight the crucial role of BC as an intrinsic trigger of specific NP-cell interactions and biological responses and set the basis for a rational exploitation of the BC for targeted delivery.

People for sale: the need for a multidisciplinary approach towards human trafficking.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Impe, K

2000-01-01

The article addresses the question of how to develop appropriate measures to tackle trafficking in women, based on the findings of a study of trafficking between the Philippines and Belgium. It argues that there is no easy or unidimensional solution to human trafficking, since it is influenced by a complex set of factors, often working in combination with one another. It concludes that control measures alone cannot stop the flow of trafficking in women and that a legal approach which relies solely on one type of legislation would be too narrow. An effective strategy must combine and balance punitive measures with protection of human rights, stricter border control and the removal of the root causes of irregular movements. Measures must be agreed and coordinated between origin, transit and receiving countries.

Endocytosis and Endosomal Trafficking in Plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Paez Valencia, Julio; Goodman, Kaija; Otegui, Marisa S

2016-04-29

Endocytosis and endosomal trafficking are essential processes in cells that control the dynamics and turnover of plasma membrane proteins, such as receptors, transporters, and cell wall biosynthetic enzymes. Plasma membrane proteins (cargo) are internalized by endocytosis through clathrin-dependent or clathrin-independent mechanism and delivered to early endosomes. From the endosomes, cargo proteins are recycled back to the plasma membrane via different pathways, which rely on small GTPases and the retromer complex. Proteins that are targeted for degradation through ubiquitination are sorted into endosomal vesicles by the ESCRT (endosomal sorting complex required for transport) machinery for degradation in the vacuole. Endocytic and endosomal trafficking regulates many cellular, developmental, and physiological processes, including cellular polarization, hormone transport, metal ion homeostasis, cytokinesis, pathogen responses, and development. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms that mediate the recognition and sorting of endocytic and endosomal cargos, the vesiculation processes that mediate their trafficking, and their connection to cellular and physiological responses in plants.

Nuclear Export Signal Masking Regulates HIV-1 Rev Trafficking and Viral RNA Nuclear Export.

Science.gov (United States)

Behrens, Ryan T; Aligeti, Mounavya; Pocock, Ginger M; Higgins, Christina A; Sherer, Nathan M

2017-02-01

HIV-1's Rev protein forms a homo-oligomeric adaptor complex linking viral RNAs to the cellular CRM1/Ran-GTP nuclear export machinery through the activity of Rev's prototypical leucine-rich nuclear export signal (NES). In this study, we used a functional fluorescently tagged Rev fusion protein as a platform to study the effects of modulating Rev NES identity, number, position, or strength on Rev subcellular trafficking, viral RNA nuclear export, and infectious virion production. We found that Rev activity was remarkably tolerant of diverse NES sequences, including supraphysiological NES (SNES) peptides that otherwise arrest CRM1 transport complexes at nuclear pores. Rev's ability to tolerate a SNES was both position and multimerization dependent, an observation consistent with a model wherein Rev self-association acts to transiently mask the NES peptide(s), thereby biasing Rev's trafficking into the nucleus. Combined imaging and functional assays also indicated that NES masking underpins Rev's well-known tendency to accumulate at the nucleolus, as well as Rev's capacity to activate optimal levels of late viral gene expression. We propose that Rev multimerization and NES masking regulates Rev's trafficking to and retention within the nucleus even prior to RNA binding. HIV-1 infects more than 34 million people worldwide causing >1 million deaths per year. Infectious virion production is activated by the essential viral Rev protein that mediates nuclear export of intron-bearing late-stage viral mRNAs. Rev's shuttling into and out of the nucleus is regulated by the antagonistic activities of both a peptide-encoded N-terminal nuclear localization signal and C-terminal nuclear export signal (NES). How Rev and related viral proteins balance strong import and export activities in order to achieve optimal levels of viral gene expression is incompletely understood. We provide evidence that multimerization provides a mechanism by which Rev transiently masks its NES peptide

Highly specific detection of muscarinic M3 receptor, G protein interaction and intracellular trafficking in human detrusor using Proximity Ligation Assay (PLA).

Science.gov (United States)

Berndt-Paetz, Mandy; Herbst, Luise; Weimann, Annett; Gonsior, Andreas; Stolzenburg, Jens-Uwe; Neuhaus, Jochen

2018-05-01

-subtype coupling patterns. Detection of M3 interactions with endocytic trafficking proteins by PLA resulted in object sizes correlating with well-documented vesicle sizes of the endocytosis pathway. PLA enabled highly specific detection of M3 receptor expression, demonstration of M3/GP differential coupling and intracellular M3 trafficking in human detrusor smooth muscle cells. This new approach minimized background fluorescence and antibody cross-reactions resulting from single antibody application, and enhanced specificity due to the use of two primary antibodies. Use of subcellular markers allowed visualization of subcellular receptor location. PLA/CLSM allows analyses of muscarinic "receptor - G protein - promiscuity" and intracellular trafficking even in bladder paraffin sections and may give new insights into the etiology and pathology of BPS/IC. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Akt Substrate of 160 kD Regulates Na+,K+-ATPase Trafficking in Response to Energy Depletion and Renal Ischemia

Science.gov (United States)

Alves, Daiane S.; Thulin, Gunilla; Loffing, Johannes; Kashgarian, Michael

2015-01-01

Renal ischemia and reperfusion injury causes loss of renal epithelial cell polarity and perturbations in tubular solute and fluid transport. Na+,K+-ATPase, which is normally found at the basolateral plasma membrane of renal epithelial cells, is internalized and accumulates in intracellular compartments after renal ischemic injury. We previously reported that the subcellular distribution of Na+,K+-ATPase is modulated by direct binding to Akt substrate of 160 kD (AS160), a Rab GTPase-activating protein that regulates the trafficking of glucose transporter 4 in response to insulin and muscle contraction. Here, we investigated the effect of AS160 on Na+,K+-ATPase trafficking in response to energy depletion. We found that AS160 is required for the intracellular accumulation of Na+,K+-ATPase that occurs in response to energy depletion in cultured epithelial cells. Energy depletion led to dephosphorylation of AS160 at S588, which was required for the energy depletion–induced accumulation of Na,K-ATPase in intracellular compartments. In AS160-knockout mice, the effects of renal ischemia on the distribution of Na+,K+-ATPase were substantially reduced in the epithelial cells of distal segments of the renal tubules. These data demonstrate that AS160 has a direct role in linking the trafficking of Na+,K+-ATPase to the energy state of renal epithelial cells. PMID:25788531

Akt Substrate of 160 kD Regulates Na+,K+-ATPase Trafficking in Response to Energy Depletion and Renal Ischemia.

Science.gov (United States)

Alves, Daiane S; Thulin, Gunilla; Loffing, Johannes; Kashgarian, Michael; Caplan, Michael J

2015-11-01

Renal ischemia and reperfusion injury causes loss of renal epithelial cell polarity and perturbations in tubular solute and fluid transport. Na(+),K(+)-ATPase, which is normally found at the basolateral plasma membrane of renal epithelial cells, is internalized and accumulates in intracellular compartments after renal ischemic injury. We previously reported that the subcellular distribution of Na(+),K(+)-ATPase is modulated by direct binding to Akt substrate of 160 kD (AS160), a Rab GTPase-activating protein that regulates the trafficking of glucose transporter 4 in response to insulin and muscle contraction. Here, we investigated the effect of AS160 on Na(+),K(+)-ATPase trafficking in response to energy depletion. We found that AS160 is required for the intracellular accumulation of Na(+),K(+)-ATPase that occurs in response to energy depletion in cultured epithelial cells. Energy depletion led to dephosphorylation of AS160 at S588, which was required for the energy depletion-induced accumulation of Na,K-ATPase in intracellular compartments. In AS160-knockout mice, the effects of renal ischemia on the distribution of Na(+),K(+)-ATPase were substantially reduced in the epithelial cells of distal segments of the renal tubules. These data demonstrate that AS160 has a direct role in linking the trafficking of Na(+),K(+)-ATPase to the energy state of renal epithelial cells. Copyright © 2015 by the American Society of Nephrology.

South Africa – Safe Haven for Human Traffickers? Employing the Arsenal of Existing Law to Combat Human Trafficking

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H Oosthuizen

2012-03-01

Full Text Available aving ratified the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, South Africa is obliged to adopt legislative measures that criminalise human trafficking and comply with other standards laid down in this international instrument. However, by mid-2011, South Africa had not enacted the required comprehensive counter-trafficking legislation. The question that now arises is if the absence of such anti-trafficking legislation poses an insurmountable obstacle to the prosecution of traffickers for trafficking-related activities. In asking this question the article examines the utilisation of existing crimes in order to prosecute and punish criminal activities committed during the human trafficking process. Firstly, a selection of existing common law and statutory crimes that may often be applicable to trafficking related activities is mapped out. Secondly, transitional trafficking provisions in the Children's Act 38 of 2005 and the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters Amendment Act 32 of 2007 are discussed. Finally, since the Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Bill B7 of 2010 will in all probability be enacted in the near future, the use of other criminal law provisions in human trafficking prosecutions, even after the passing of this bill into law, is reflected upon.

Human trafficking and the healthcare professional.

Science.gov (United States)

Barrows, Jeffrey; Finger, Reginald

2008-05-01

Despite the legislation passed in the 19th century outlawing human slavery, it is more widespread today than at the conclusion of the civil war. Modern human slavery, termed human trafficking, comes in several forms. The most common type of human trafficking is sex trafficking, the sale of women and children into prostitution. Labor trafficking is the sale of men, women, and children into hard labor for which they receive little or no compensation. Other forms of trafficking include child soldiering, war brides, and organ removal. Healthcare professionals play a critical role in both finding victims of human trafficking while they are still in captivity, as well as caring for their mental and physical needs upon release. Those working in the healthcare profession need to be educated regarding how a trafficking victim may present, as well as their unique healthcare needs.

To discuss illicit nuclear trafficking

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Balatsky, Galya I [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Severe, William R [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Wallace, Richard K [Los Alamos National Laboratory

2010-01-01

The Illicit nuclear trafficking panel was conducted at the 4th Annual INMM workshop on Reducing the Risk from Radioactive and Nuclear Materials on February 2-3, 2010 in Washington DC. While the workshop occurred prior to the Nuclear Security Summit, April 12-13 2010 in Washington DC, some of the summit issues were raised during the workshop. The Communique of the Washington Nuclear Security Summit stated that 'Nuclear terrorism is one of the most challenging threats to international security, and strong nuclear security measures are the most effective means to prevent terrorists, criminals, or other unauthorized actors from acquiring nuclear materials.' The Illicit Trafficking panel is one means to strengthen nuclear security and cooperation at bilateral, regional and multilateral levels. Such a panel promotes nuclear security culture through technology development, human resources development, education and training. It is a tool which stresses the importance of international cooperation and coordination of assistance to improve efforts to prevent and respond to incidents of illicit nuclear trafficking. Illicit trafficking panel included representatives from US government, an international organization (IAEA), private industry and a non-governmental organization to discuss illicit nuclear trafficking issues. The focus of discussions was on best practices and challenges for addressing illicit nuclear trafficking. Terrorism connection. Workshop discussions pointed out the identification of terrorist connections with several trafficking incidents. Several trafficking cases involved real buyers (as opposed to undercover law enforcement agents) and there have been reports identifying individuals associated with terrorist organizations as prospective plutonium buyers. Some specific groups have been identified that consistently search for materials to buy on the black market, but no criminal groups were identified that specialize in nuclear materials or isotope

Smuggled or trafficked?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jacqueline Bhabha

2006-05-01

Full Text Available The UN Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime (TNC and its two Protocols on Trafficking and Smuggling, adopted in 2000, seek to distinguish between trafficking and smuggling. In reality these distinctions are often blurred. A more nuanced approach is needed to ensure protection for all those at risk.

Combating Human Trafficking with Deep Multimodal Models

OpenAIRE

Tong, Edmund; Zadeh, Amir; Jones, Cara; Morency, Louis-Philippe

2017-01-01

Human trafficking is a global epidemic affecting millions of people across the planet. Sex trafficking, the dominant form of human trafficking, has seen a significant rise mostly due to the abundance of escort websites, where human traffickers can openly advertise among at-will escort advertisements. In this paper, we take a major step in the automatic detection of advertisements suspected to pertain to human trafficking. We present a novel dataset called Trafficking-10k, with more than 10,00...

Effects of state-level firearm seller accountability policies on firearm trafficking.

Science.gov (United States)

Webster, Daniel W; Vernick, Jon S; Bulzacchelli, Maria T

2009-07-01

Criminals illegally obtaining firearms represent a great risk to many urban residents. This cross-sectional study of 54 US cities uses data on state laws governing gun sales, a survey of law enforcement agencies' practices to promote compliance with gun sales laws, and crime gun trace data to examine associations between these policies and practices with gun trafficking indicators. Higher levels of local gun ownership were linked with greater intrastate gun trafficking. Regression models estimate that comprehensive regulation and oversight of gun dealers and state regulation of private sales of handguns were each associated with significantly lower levels of intrastate gun trafficking. Discretionary permit-to-purchase licensing laws' negative association with intrastate trafficking disappeared when local gun ownership is controlled. The effects of these relatively restrictive gun purchase laws on trafficking may be mediated by the laws' lowering of gun ownership. Relatively low prevalence of gun ownership may also be a prerequisite for passage of discretionary purchase. We observed no effect on intrastate trafficking of laws limiting handgun sales to a maximum of one per person per month.

Plant subcellular proteomics: Application for exploring optimal cell function in soybean.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xin; Komatsu, Setsuko

2016-06-30

Plants have evolved complicated responses to developmental changes and stressful environmental conditions. Subcellular proteomics has the potential to elucidate localized cellular responses and investigate communications among subcellular compartments during plant development and in response to biotic and abiotic stresses. Soybean, which is a valuable legume crop rich in protein and vegetable oil, can grow in several climatic zones; however, the growth and yield of soybean are markedly decreased under stresses. To date, numerous proteomic studies have been performed in soybean to examine the specific protein profiles of cell wall, plasma membrane, nucleus, mitochondrion, chloroplast, and endoplasmic reticulum. In this review, methods for the purification and purity assessment of subcellular organelles from soybean are summarized. In addition, the findings from subcellular proteomic analyses of soybean during development and under stresses, particularly flooding stress, are presented and the proteins regulated among subcellular compartments are discussed. Continued advances in subcellular proteomics are expected to greatly contribute to the understanding of the responses and interactions that occur within and among subcellular compartments during development and under stressful environmental conditions. Subcellular proteomics has the potential to investigate the cellular events and interactions among subcellular compartments in response to development and stresses in plants. Soybean could grow in several climatic zones; however, the growth and yield of soybean are markedly decreased under stresses. Numerous proteomics of cell wall, plasma membrane, nucleus, mitochondrion, chloroplast, and endoplasmic reticulum was carried out to investigate the respecting proteins and their functions in soybean during development or under stresses. In this review, methods of subcellular-organelle enrichment and purity assessment are summarized. In addition, previous findings of

Human trafficking: Commercial sexual exploitation and forced domestic labour in African literature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Urama Evelyn Nwachukwu

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Just like social occurrences such as human sacrifice and slavery enhanced retardation of progress in Africa in the past, trafficking is another social occurrence addressed in contemporary African literature that impedes progress and tarnishes the image of the victims. Human trafficking is rampant in Africans and some part of the world in this 21st century. This paper examines how Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo’s Trafficked (2008 and Chika Unigwe’s On Black Sisters′ Street (2009 highlight social occurrences and how they contribute to the spread of girl trafficking in Africa. It also explores how both men and women are partners in trafficking, forming trafficking networks that lure girls from Nigeria to Europe and make huge profits from their misery. These pimps use ‘juju magic’ and rituals as a threat to exert complete control over the girls and also to ensure their compliance. The trafficked girls share their life experiences by telling their tales of woes exposing the shame that accompanies the sex trade and the stigmatization they suffer in the society. Their experiences are presented by the authors to highlight the trafficked girls′ pains, misery and struggle for freedom in order to appeal to everybody in the society to fight against human trafficking. The paper also examines how these exploited and depressed trafficked girls that have lost their self-esteem can still live fulfilled lives if government agencies and nongovernmental organizations come to their rescue.

Human trafficking and health: a cross-sectional survey of NHS professionals’ contact with victims of human trafficking

Science.gov (United States)

Ross, Claire; Dimitrova, Stoyanka; Howard, Louise M; Dewey, Michael; Zimmerman, Cathy; Oram, Siân

2015-01-01

Objectives (1) To estimate the proportion of National Health Service (NHS) professionals who have come into contact with trafficked people and (2) to measure NHS professionals’ knowledge and confidence to respond to human trafficking. Design A cross-sectional survey. Setting Face-to-face mandatory child protection and/or vulnerable adults training sessions at 10 secondary healthcare provider organisations in England, and meetings of the UK College of Emergency Medicine. Participants 782/892 (84.4%) NHS professionals participated, including from emergency medicine, maternity, mental health, paediatrics and other clinical disciplines. Measures Self-completed questionnaire developed by an expert panel. Questionnaire asks about prior training and contact with potential victims of trafficking, perceived and actual human trafficking knowledge, confidence in responding to human trafficking, and interest in future human trafficking training. Results 13% participants reported previous contact with a patient they knew or suspected of having been trafficked; among maternity services professionals this was 20.4%. However, 86.8% (n=679) reported lacking knowledge of what questions to ask to identify potential victims and 78.3% (n=613) reported that they had insufficient training to assist trafficked people. 71% (n=556), 67.5% (n=528) and 53.4% (n=418) lacked confidence in making appropriate referrals for men, women and children, respectively, who had been trafficked. 95.3% (n=746) of respondents were unaware of the scale of human trafficking in the UK, and 76.5% (n=598) were unaware that calling the police could put patients in more danger. Psychometric analysis showed that subscales measuring perceived knowledge, actual knowledge and confidence to respond to human trafficking demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach's αs 0.93, 0.63 and 0.64, respectively) and internal correlations. Conclusions NHS professionals working in secondary care are in contact with potential

Understanding human trafficking in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Logan, T K; Walker, Robert; Hunt, Gretchen

2009-01-01

The topic of modern-day slavery or human trafficking has received increased media and national attention. However, to date there has been limited research on the nature and scope of human trafficking in the United States. This article describes and synthesizes nine reports that assess the U.S. service organizations' legal representative knowledge of, and experience with, human trafficking cases, as well as information from actual cases and media reports. This article has five main goals: (a) to define what human trafficking is, and is not; (b) to describe factors identified as contributing to vulnerability to being trafficked and keeping a person entrapped in the situation; (c) to examine how the crime of human trafficking differs from other kinds of crimes in the United States; (d) to explore how human trafficking victims are identified; and, (e) to provide recommendations to better address human trafficking in the United States.

Human Trafficking And U.S. Government Responses Post-9/11

Science.gov (United States)

2016-09-01

responsibility of anti-trafficking advocates to recognize and support the self - determination and agency of all vulnerable populations and to resist urges...disregard “ self - organization” for “some greater good.”247 Organization pushes sex work closer to a legitimization that Zheng highlights could...environment. The body of human trafficking literature has revealed four common themes: human agency, labor rights, the sex industry, and crime control

The preventing of illicit trafficking of radioactive materials in Estonia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Velbri, T.; Aasmann, L.

1998-01-01

This paper explains the situation of legislation, practical border-control and equipment of different relevant authorities dealing with the control of radioactive materials in Estonia. The overview of legislation concerning radiation and radiation protection is given. The roles of Estonian Customs Authority, Estonian border Guard, National Rescue Board and Police Authority in the preventing of illicit trafficking of radioactive materials are shown. The incidents of illicit trafficking of radioactive materials are listed. Also the most important border-crossing points and the types of equipment used there are shown. Finally the problems of controlling the borders in Estonia and the future plans in order to make the controlling system more efficient are discussed. (author)

Debate - Achievements of the Trafficking Protocol: Perspectives from the former UN Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons

OpenAIRE

Joy N Ezeilo

2015-01-01

The United Nations (UN) Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, Supplementing the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, 2000 (Trafficking Protocol), is a watershed in galvanising the global movement against human trafficking. Thanks to the Protocol, international and regional bodies, along with civil society groups, have become involved in researching the issue and supporting anti-trafficking efforts; and states have begun...

South Africa - safe haven for human traffickers? Employing the arsenal of existing law to combat human trafficking

OpenAIRE

Kruger, H B; Oosthuizen, H

2012-01-01

aving ratified the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, South Africa is obliged to adopt legislative measures that criminalise human trafficking and comply with other standards laid down in this international instrument. However, by mid-2011, South Africa had not enacted the required comprehensive counter-trafficking legislation. The question that now arises is if the absence of such anti-trafficking legislation poses an insurmountabl...

Does Legalized Prostitution Increase Human Trafficking?

OpenAIRE

Seo-Young Cho; Axel Dreher; Eric Neumayer

2011-01-01

This paper investigates the impact of legalized prostitution on human trafficking inflows. According to economic theory, there are two opposing effects of unknown magnitude. The scale effect of legalized prostitution leads to an expansion of the prostitution market, increasing human trafficking, while the substitution effect reduces demand for trafficked women as legal prostitutes are favored over trafficked ones. Our empirical analysis for a cross-section of up to 150 countries shows that th...

Development of measures to deal with illicit trafficking of nuclear materials in Ghana

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schandorf, C.; Amoako, J.K.; Asiamah, S.D.

2001-01-01

the environment. Ghana seeks to build upon the established regulatory control programme for the control of ionizing radiation and radiation sources and to expand it to cover combating of illicit trafficking of nuclear materials of socio-economic importance. The prevention of strategy will involve developing a national system for the accountability, control and security of nuclear materials. Technical measures to detect Illicit trafficking of nuclear materials and other radioactive materials and response to illicit trafficking will be developed. The programme will include screening of vehicles and individuals at borders to: (i) detect smuggling of these materials; (ii) locate, measure and characterize the source of radiation; and (iii) fully characterize any confiscated materials. An effective countermeasure will be established through a system of (i) Prevention: Establishment of national system of accounting and control of nuclear materials; Legislation and regulations; Physical Protection; Export/Import control; (ii) Response to illicit trafficking through: Establishing anti-trafficking infrastructure, which includes responsible authorities such as customs, civil aviation authority, police, nuclear regulatory authority, military intelligence and defense agencies, and district assemblies coordinating and collaborating in combating illicit trafficking: (iii) Provision of detecting equipment for nuclear materials and (iv) Training which will cater to: response personnel and the public. Training opportunities provided by the IAEA will be fully utilized. International collaboration with our near neighbors, Togo, Cote d'lvoire and Burkina Faso, will be established to ensure cross border control. (author)

Relevant Etiological Factors Involved in Human Trafficking in order to Practice Prostitution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandru Boroi

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Human trafficking (especially women and young girls, though men count equally among the victims are recently developed worldwide. The situation in certain regions of Central and Eastern Europe (with the opening of borders, increasing unemployment and poverty, dislocations and reducing state control structures tend to favour the development of all forms of trafficking, especially of human trafficking forsexual exploitation. To adopt appropriate measures to prevent and combat we have to know first the causes and conditions that generate human beings trafficking. Analysis of case studies and police statistics allowed the structuring of categories of causes and conditions that generate and sustain the phenomenon of traffickingin order to practice prostitution.

Security Implications of Human-Trafficking Networks

Science.gov (United States)

2007-06-15

to those security concerns. Background How is Human Trafficking Carried Out? While trafficking victims are often found in sweatshops , domestic...labor. This type of trafficking is often found in agricultural labor, the production of goods (typically called sweatshops ) and construction labor

Optogenetic Tools for Subcellular Applications in Neuroscience.

Science.gov (United States)

Rost, Benjamin R; Schneider-Warme, Franziska; Schmitz, Dietmar; Hegemann, Peter

2017-11-01

The ability to study cellular physiology using photosensitive, genetically encoded molecules has profoundly transformed neuroscience. The modern optogenetic toolbox includes fluorescent sensors to visualize signaling events in living cells and optogenetic actuators enabling manipulation of numerous cellular activities. Most optogenetic tools are not targeted to specific subcellular compartments but are localized with limited discrimination throughout the cell. Therefore, optogenetic activation often does not reflect context-dependent effects of highly localized intracellular signaling events. Subcellular targeting is required to achieve more specific optogenetic readouts and photomanipulation. Here we first provide a detailed overview of the available optogenetic tools with a focus on optogenetic actuators. Second, we review established strategies for targeting these tools to specific subcellular compartments. Finally, we discuss useful tools and targeting strategies that are currently missing from the optogenetics repertoire and provide suggestions for novel subcellular optogenetic applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Novel Nuclear Trafficking Module Regulates the Nucleocytoplasmic Localization of the Rabies Virus Interferon Antagonist, P Protein*

Science.gov (United States)

Oksayan, Sibil; Wiltzer, Linda; Rowe, Caitlin L.; Blondel, Danielle; Jans, David A.; Moseley, Gregory W.

2012-01-01

Regulated nucleocytoplasmic transport of proteins is central to cellular function and dysfunction during processes such as viral infection. Active protein trafficking into and out of the nucleus is dependent on the presence within cargo proteins of intrinsic specific modular signals for nuclear import (nuclear localization signals, NLSs) and export (nuclear export signals, NESs). Rabies virus (RabV) phospho (P) protein, which is largely responsible for antagonising the host anti-viral response, is expressed as five isoforms (P1–P5). The subcellular trafficking of these isoforms is thought to depend on a balance between the activities of a dominant N-terminal NES (N-NES) and a distinct C-terminal NLS (C-NLS). Specifically, the N-NES-containing isoforms P1 and P2 are cytoplasmic, whereas the shorter P3–P5 isoforms, which lack the N-NES, are believed to be nuclear through the activity of the C-NLS. Here, we show for the first time that RabV P contains an additional strong NLS in the N-terminal region (N-NLS), which, intriguingly, overlaps with the N-NES. This arrangement represents a novel nuclear trafficking module where the N-NLS is inactive in P1 but becomes activated in P3, concomitant with truncation of the N-NES, to become the principal targeting signal conferring nuclear accumulation. Understanding this unique switch arrangement of overlapping, co-regulated NES/NLS sequences is vital to delineating the critical role of RabV P protein in viral infection. PMID:22700958

Drug-induced trafficking of p-glycoprotein in human brain capillary endothelial cells as demonstrated by exposure to mitomycin C.

Science.gov (United States)

Noack, Andreas; Noack, Sandra; Hoffmann, Andrea; Maalouf, Katia; Buettner, Manuela; Couraud, Pierre-Olivier; Romero, Ignacio A; Weksler, Babette; Alms, Dana; Römermann, Kerstin; Naim, Hassan Y; Löscher, Wolfgang

2014-01-01

P-glycoprotein (Pgp; ABCB1/MDR1) is a major efflux transporter at the blood-brain barrier (BBB), restricting the penetration of various compounds. In other tissues, trafficking of Pgp from subcellular stores to the cell surface has been demonstrated and may constitute a rapid way of the cell to respond to toxic compounds by functional membrane insertion of the transporter. It is not known whether drug-induced Pgp trafficking also occurs in brain capillary endothelial cells that form the BBB. In this study, trafficking of Pgp was investigated in human brain capillary endothelial cells (hCMEC/D3) that were stably transfected with a doxycycline-inducible MDR1-EGFP fusion plasmid. In the presence of doxycycline, these cells exhibited a 15-fold increase in Pgp-EGFP fusion protein expression, which was associated with an increased efflux of the Pgp substrate rhodamine 123 (Rho123). The chemotherapeutic agent mitomycin C (MMC) was used to study drug-induced trafficking of Pgp. Confocal fluorescence microscopy of single hCMEC/D3-MDR1-EGFP cells revealed that Pgp redistribution from intracellular pools to the cell surface occurred within 2 h of MMC exposure. Pgp-EGFP exhibited a punctuate pattern at the cell surface compatible with concentrated regions of the fusion protein in membrane microdomains, i.e., lipid rafts, which was confirmed by Western blot analysis of biotinylated cell surface proteins in Lubrol-resistant membranes. MMC exposure also increased the functionality of Pgp as assessed in three functional assays with Pgp substrates (Rho123, eFluxx-ID Gold, calcein-AM). However, this increase occurred with some delay after the increased Pgp expression and coincided with the release of Pgp from the Lubrol-resistant membrane complexes. Disrupting rafts by depleting the membrane of cholesterol increased the functionality of Pgp. Our data present the first direct evidence of drug-induced Pgp trafficking at the human BBB and indicate that Pgp has to be released from lipid

Drug-Induced Trafficking of P-Glycoprotein in Human Brain Capillary Endothelial Cells as Demonstrated by Exposure to Mitomycin C

Science.gov (United States)

Noack, Andreas; Noack, Sandra; Hoffmann, Andrea; Maalouf, Katia; Buettner, Manuela; Couraud, Pierre-Olivier; Romero, Ignacio A.; Weksler, Babette; Alms, Dana; Römermann, Kerstin; Naim, Hassan Y.; Löscher, Wolfgang

2014-01-01

P-glycoprotein (Pgp; ABCB1/MDR1) is a major efflux transporter at the blood-brain barrier (BBB), restricting the penetration of various compounds. In other tissues, trafficking of Pgp from subcellular stores to the cell surface has been demonstrated and may constitute a rapid way of the cell to respond to toxic compounds by functional membrane insertion of the transporter. It is not known whether drug-induced Pgp trafficking also occurs in brain capillary endothelial cells that form the BBB. In this study, trafficking of Pgp was investigated in human brain capillary endothelial cells (hCMEC/D3) that were stably transfected with a doxycycline-inducible MDR1-EGFP fusion plasmid. In the presence of doxycycline, these cells exhibited a 15-fold increase in Pgp-EGFP fusion protein expression, which was associated with an increased efflux of the Pgp substrate rhodamine 123 (Rho123). The chemotherapeutic agent mitomycin C (MMC) was used to study drug-induced trafficking of Pgp. Confocal fluorescence microscopy of single hCMEC/D3-MDR1-EGFP cells revealed that Pgp redistribution from intracellular pools to the cell surface occurred within 2 h of MMC exposure. Pgp-EGFP exhibited a punctuate pattern at the cell surface compatible with concentrated regions of the fusion protein in membrane microdomains, i.e., lipid rafts, which was confirmed by Western blot analysis of biotinylated cell surface proteins in Lubrol-resistant membranes. MMC exposure also increased the functionality of Pgp as assessed in three functional assays with Pgp substrates (Rho123, eFluxx-ID Gold, calcein-AM). However, this increase occurred with some delay after the increased Pgp expression and coincided with the release of Pgp from the Lubrol-resistant membrane complexes. Disrupting rafts by depleting the membrane of cholesterol increased the functionality of Pgp. Our data present the first direct evidence of drug-induced Pgp trafficking at the human BBB and indicate that Pgp has to be released from lipid

Human trafficking and health: a cross-sectional survey of NHS professionals' contact with victims of human trafficking.

Science.gov (United States)

Ross, Claire; Dimitrova, Stoyanka; Howard, Louise M; Dewey, Michael; Zimmerman, Cathy; Oram, Siân

2015-08-20

(1) To estimate the proportion of National Health Service (NHS) professionals who have come into contact with trafficked people and (2) to measure NHS professionals' knowledge and confidence to respond to human trafficking. A cross-sectional survey. Face-to-face mandatory child protection and/or vulnerable adults training sessions at 10 secondary healthcare provider organisations in England, and meetings of the UK College of Emergency Medicine. 782/892 (84.4%) NHS professionals participated, including from emergency medicine, maternity, mental health, paediatrics and other clinical disciplines. Self-completed questionnaire developed by an expert panel. Questionnaire asks about prior training and contact with potential victims of trafficking, perceived and actual human trafficking knowledge, confidence in responding to human trafficking, and interest in future human trafficking training. 13% participants reported previous contact with a patient they knew or suspected of having been trafficked; among maternity services professionals this was 20.4%. However, 86.8% (n=679) reported lacking knowledge of what questions to ask to identify potential victims and 78.3% (n=613) reported that they had insufficient training to assist trafficked people. 71% (n=556), 67.5% (n=528) and 53.4% (n=418) lacked confidence in making appropriate referrals for men, women and children, respectively, who had been trafficked. 95.3% (n=746) of respondents were unaware of the scale of human trafficking in the UK, and 76.5% (n=598) were unaware that calling the police could put patients in more danger. Psychometric analysis showed that subscales measuring perceived knowledge, actual knowledge and confidence to respond to human trafficking demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach's αs 0.93, 0.63 and 0.64, respectively) and internal correlations. NHS professionals working in secondary care are in contact with potential victims of human trafficking, but lack knowledge and confidence in

Human trafficking and the dental professional.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Callaghan, Michael G

2012-05-01

"Human trafficking" is a term for a modern form of slavery. It is a criminal human rights violation and a significant health issue. Dental professionals can assist in recognizing victims of trafficking. The author conducted a PubMed search of the English-language literature through May 2011, which yielded no articles meeting the search criteria "dentistry" and "human trafficking prostitution." Given these results, the author reviewed articles published in medical journals, reports from both governmental and nongovernmental agencies and lay literature. The author examines the present state of human trafficking and provides information--including specific questions to ask--to help dentists identify victims. In addition, the author suggests means of notifying authorities and assisting trafficking victims. He also examines the health care needs of these patients. Human trafficking is a global problem, with thousands of victims in the United States, including many women and children. Dentists have a responsibility to act for the benefit of others, which includes detecting signs of abuse and neglect. Dental professionals are on the front lines with respect to encountering and identifying potential victims who seek dental treatment. Dentists can combat human trafficking by becoming informed and by maintaining vigilance in their practices.

Trafficking and degradation pathways in pathogenic conversion of prions and prion-like proteins in neurodegenerative diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Victoria, Guiliana Soraya; Zurzolo, Chiara

2015-09-02

Several neurodegenerative diseases such as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases are caused by the conversion of cellular proteins to a pathogenic conformer. Despite differences in the primary structure and subcellular localization of these proteins, which include the prion protein, α-synuclein and amyloid precursor protein (APP), striking similarity has been observed in their ability to seed and convert naïve protein molecules as well as transfer between cells. This review aims to cover what is known about the intracellular trafficking of these proteins as well as their degradation mechanisms and highlight similarities in their movement through the endocytic pathway that could contribute to the pathogenic conversion and seeding of these proteins which underlies the basis of these diseases. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Optically-controlled platforms for transfection and single- and sub-cellular surgery

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Villangca, Mark Jayson; Casey, Duncan; Glückstad, Jesper

2015-01-01

and specificity of optical trapping in conjunction with other modalities to perform single and sub-cellular surgery. These tools form highly tuneable platforms for the delivery or removal of material from cells of interest, but can simultaneously excite fluorescent probes for imaging purposes or plasmonic...... structures for very local heating. We discuss both the history and recent applications of the field, highlighting the key findings and developments over the last 40 years of biophotonics research....

The Palermo Protocol: Trafficking Takes it All

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jónína Einarsdóttir

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The Palermo Protocol is the outcome of bargain and lobbying with global institutions, NGOs and government representatives embattling to enforce their interests. The outcome is the concept of trafficking that embraces the struggles against prostitution, slavery and child labour. This broad concept has allowed various local cultural practices and survival strategies of those who live under difficult conditions to become classified as trafficking. While such definition may facilitate fundraising there are adverse consequences to be considered. Firstly, hazardous conditions of children that obviously are not trafficking tend to become ignored. Second, the victims of “real” trafficking become invisible by the excessive number of children allegedly trafficked. Third, the broad definition of trafficking has contributed to criminalization of whole communities and consequent conflicts between NGOs engaged in anti-trafficking activities and the communities involved. Such a situation is not in the best interest of the children involved. Rather than spending huge amount of resources on the conventional anti-trafficking measures there is a need to address the root causes of whatsoever unacceptable condition a child is suffering from.

Physical protection as the most important part of the national system of combating illicit trafficking

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ivanov, P.; Kokhan, V.D.

2001-01-01

It is obvious today that illicit trafficking, including its most dangerous manifestations proliferation of nuclear weapons, smuggling of nuclear materials and equipment, presents a serious threat to the international community. To defeat this evil is possible only by joint efforts, by undertaken protective measures on national and international levels. Joint efforts should be directed at fulfilling three main tasks as follows: 1. Safe and reliable handling of nuclear material, effective measures of its physical protection, accountancy and control in order to prevent proliferation; 2. Joint activities of intelligence customs and law-enforcement authorities directed at prevention of international trafficking and marketing of stolen goods; 3. Joint activities directed at identification and prevention of illegal supply and demand of fissionable materials counteracting thereby various criminal structures. We believe that in order to solve these problems an international regime should be established. Such an international regime will make the states implement the existing international agreements that will strengthen their postings regarding non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, ensure combating of illicit trafficking as well as facilitating cooperation between national and international databases on non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, bilateral agreements between state authorities and international organizations regarding joint investigation procedures of the cases involving illicit trafficking. We believe that these goals of an international regime against illicit trafficking can be achieved by only one organization - the IAEA, an authority respected by the international community and presently responsible for nuclear safeguards. Recommendations and guidelines on physical protection, including the Convection on Physical Protection, have been developed under its auspices. The IAEA enjoys great respect and has extensive contacts including those with Interpol; it

Establishing capabilities for combating illicit trafficking: the Syrian experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Othman, I.; Suman, H.

2008-01-01

Since the late 80's, Syria has been taking steps towards combating illicit trafficking or inadvertent movement involving radioactive or nuclear material within the country or across its border. By applying the proper combination of technical and procedural measures, an acceptable level of performance has been achieved. The measures undertaken by AECS include anticipative measures, which aim at identifying potential loss of control over radioactive sources and potential illicit trafficking within the country, as well as defensive measures which aim at detection of and response to events of illicit trafficking. In addition, a tight follow up of radiation source along their entire lifetime in the Syrian territory, supported by proper data analysis is one of the most efficient tools for identifying potential loss of control over sources. AECS has established Border Monitoring Centers (BMC) in almost all border crossings. They work in close cooperation with the customs and other relevant authorities at the Syrian borders. AECS has been also providing the necessary training for the frontline officers. (author)

Establishing capabilities for combating illicit trafficking: the Syrian experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Othman, I.; Suman, H.

2008-01-01

Since the late 80 's, Syria has been taking steps towards combating illicit trafficking or inadvertent movement involving radioactive or nuclear material within the country or across its border. By applying the proper combination of technical and procedural measures, an acceptable level of performance has been achieved. The measures undertaken by AECS include anticipative measures, which aim at identifying potential loss of control over radioactive sources and potential illicit trafficking within the country, as well as defensive measures which aim at detection of and response to events of illicit trafficking. In addition, a tight follow up of radiation source along their entire lifetime in the Syrian territory, supported by proper data analysis is one of the most efficient tools for identifying potential loss of control over sources. AECS has established Border Monitoring Centers (BMC) in almost all border crossings. They work in close cooperation with the customs and other relevant authorities at the Syrian borders. AECS has been also providing the necessary training for the front-line officers. (author)

Preliminary perspectives on DNA collection in anti-human trafficking efforts.

Science.gov (United States)

Katsanis, Sara H; Kim, Joyce; Minear, Mollie A; Chandrasekharan, Subhashini; Wagner, Jennifer K

2014-01-01

Forensic DNA methodologies have potential applications in the investigation of human trafficking cases. DNA and relationship testing may be useful for confirmation of biological relationship claims in immigration, identification of trafficked individuals who are missing persons, and family reunification of displaced individuals after mass disasters and conflicts. As these applications rely on the collection of DNA from non-criminals and potentially vulnerable individuals, questions arise as to how to address the ethical challenges of collection, security, and privacy of collected samples and DNA profiles. We administered a survey targeted to victims' advocates to gain preliminary understanding of perspectives regarding human trafficking definitions, DNA and sex workers, and perceived trust of authorities potentially involved in DNA collection. We asked respondents to consider the use of DNA for investigating adoption fraud, sex trafficking, and post-conflict child soldier cases. We found some key differences in perspectives on defining what qualifies as "trafficking." When we varied terminology between "sex worker" and "sex trafficking victim" we detected differences in perception on which authorities can be trusted. Respondents were supportive of the hypothetical models proposed to collect DNA. Most were favorable of DNA specimens being controlled by an authority outside of law enforcement. Participants voiced concerns focused on privacy, misuse of DNA samples and data, unintentional harms, data security, and infrastructure. These preliminary data indicate that while there is perceived value in programs to use DNA for investigating cases of human trafficking, these programs may need to consider levels of trust in authorities as their logistics are developed and implemented.

Human Trafficking: A Guide to Identification and Approach for the Emergency Physician.

Science.gov (United States)

Shandro, Jamie; Chisolm-Straker, Makini; Duber, Herbert C; Findlay, Shannon Lynn; Munoz, Jessica; Schmitz, Gillian; Stanzer, Melanie; Stoklosa, Hanni; Wiener, Dan E; Wingkun, Neil

2016-10-01

Human trafficking is a significant human rights problem that is often associated with psychological and physical violence. There is no demographic that is spared from human trafficking. Traffickers maintain control of victims through physical, sexual, and emotional violence and manipulation. Because victims of trafficking seek medical attention for the medical and psychological consequences of assault and neglected health conditions, emergency clinicians are in a unique position to recognize victims and intervene. Evaluation of possible trafficking victims is challenging because patients who have been exploited rarely self-identify. This article outlines the clinical approach to the identification and treatment of a potential victim of human trafficking in the emergency department. Emergency practitioners should maintain a high index of suspicion when evaluating patients who appear to be at risk for abuse and violence, and assess for specific indicators of trafficking. Potential victims should be evaluated with a multidisciplinary and patient-centered technique. Furthermore, emergency practitioners should be aware of national and local resources to guide the approach to helping identified victims. Having established protocols for victim identification, care, and referrals can greatly facilitate health care providers' assisting this population. Copyright © 2016 American College of Emergency Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Human trafficking and U.S. government responses post- 9/11

OpenAIRE

DeCeoursty, Kevin D.

2016-01-01

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited The thesis examines the effectiveness of U.S. government anti-human trafficking efforts in the post- 9/11 environment. The body of human trafficking literature has revealed four common themes: human agency, labor rights, the sex industry, and crime control. The thesis examines five federal departments that were selected based on their relative experience, expertise, and operational mandates. Open source statistical data and other infor...

Etiological Aspects of Human Trafficking in Kosovo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emine Abdyli

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Human trafficking is considered one of the most serious criminal offences, which is presented as a contemporary form of slavery and which implies the most brutal violation of basic human rights, which are guaranteed by international and law and national law. The phenomenon of human trafficking is present in many countries in transition (such as Kosovo, namely in those countries which were affected by internal political, economic, social, educational, etc. changes, and in such situations the perpetrators of this offense are in a very favorable position to victimize society. Therefore, this paper will focus on external criminogenic factors that influence the growth of this negative phenomenon, including the difficult economic situation, poverty and unemployment, poor housing, migration of people, domestic violence, the impact of mass media in society, lack of border control and insufficient effectiveness of institutions to deal with law enforcement. The paper is based on literature review, statistical data and interviews by treating the subject theoretically, legislatively and practically. To successfully fight against human trafficking, relevant authorities should more closely approach the etiological treatment of this negative phenomenon.

Human Trafficking: How Nurses Can Make a Difference.

Science.gov (United States)

Scannell, Meredith; MacDonald, Andrea E; Berger, Amanda; Boyer, Nichole

Human trafficking is a human rights violation and a global health problem. Victims of human trafficking have medical and mental health sequelae requiring specific healthcare interventions. Healthcare professionals may be the initial contact that these victims make outside the world of trafficking. Healthcare professionals are key agents in the identification of human trafficking, which is essential in eliminating this public health problem. Unfortunately, healthcare professionals are not always able to detect signs of human trafficking. Failure to detect results in missed opportunities to assist victims. This is a case report of a victim of human trafficking who presented to an emergency department with medical and mental health issues. Despite numerous encounters with different healthcare professionals, signs and symptoms of human trafficking were not identified. Skilled assessment made by a forensic nurse alerted the healthcare team to clear features of human trafficking associated with this person. Through this case report we illustrate the key role the nurse played in identifying signs of human trafficking. Improvement of human trafficking educational programs is highlighted as a key adjunct to improving detection and facilitating the proper treatment of victims.

Role of Occupational Therapy in Combating Human Trafficking.

Science.gov (United States)

Gorman, Kathleen W; Hatkevich, Beth Ann

Human trafficking is a modern-day form of slavery that includes sex trafficking, labor trafficking, and trafficking of children. It is estimated that 35.8 million people are enslaved around the world. Because of the traumatic experiences that victims of human trafficking encounter, the needs of victims are extensive and require the services of several providers, including health care providers, for victims to transform into survivors and thrivers. Currently, the role of occupational therapy is minimal and unexplored. The profession of occupational therapy has the capacity of having a profound role in both providing client-centered care services to victims and survivors of human trafficking and partaking in preventive advocacy efforts to combat human trafficking. Further advocacy efforts are required to promote the profession of occupational therapy in combating human trafficking. Copyright © 2016 by the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.

Biopolitical management, economic calculation and "trafficked women".

Science.gov (United States)

Berman, Jacqueline

2010-01-01

Narratives surrounding human trafficking, especially trafficking in women for sex work, employ gendered and racialized tropes that have among their effects, a shrouding of women's economic decision-making and state collusion in benefiting from their labour. This paper explores the operation of these narratives in order to understand the ways in which they mask the economics of trafficking by sensationalizing the sexual and criminal aspects of it, which in turn allows the state to pursue political projects under the guise of a benevolent concern for trafficked women and/or protection of its own citizens. This paper will explore one national example: Article 18 of Italian Law 40 (1998). I argue that its passage has led to an increase in cooperation with criminal prosecution of traffickers largely because it approaches trafficked women as capable of making decisions about how and what they themselves want to do. This paper will also consider a more global approach to trafficking embedded in the concept of "migration management", an International Organization for Migration (IOM) framework that is now shaping EU, US and other national immigration laws and policies that impact trafficking. It will also examine the inherent limitations of both the national and global approach as an occasion to unpack how Article 18 and Migration Management function as forms of biopolitical management that participate in the production of "trafficking victims" into a massified population to be managed, rather than engender a more engaged discussion of what constitutes trafficking and how to redress it.

Barriers to combating human trafficking in Colombia

OpenAIRE

Wilcox, Daniel Joseph

2015-01-01

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited Despite international and domestic policies and programs intended to combat human trafficking, Colombia remains one of the countries with the highest instances of human trafficking in the Western Hemisphere. Factors contributing to human trafficking in Colombia, such as internal violence and displacement, drug trafficking, a weak central government, and widespread corruption, have overpowered what energies the government marshaled agai...

Editorial: How is the money to combat human trafficking spent?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mike Dottridge

2014-09-01

This edition of the Anti-Trafficking Review explores what happens to the money that is allocated by governments and private donors to stop human trafficking and to assist people who have been trafficked. It has been an honour to play the role of guest editor, though it has not been easy to steer a route between amazement (at the sums apparently involved, concern (at the lack of real insight into how money is allocated and spent and cynicism (at what appear to be rather modest achievements. It was challenging for potential authors to choose a method of analysing anti-trafficking spending. Should they simply describe what money is available and the drawbacks of the ways which donors make it available to organisations to use? Some authors take this descriptive approach. Should articles be about the efficiency and effectiveness of aid flows in general, in which case the shortcomings in anti-trafficking funding may mirror the generic flaws in aid flows? Only one author (Ucnikova has tackled this. Or, should studies focus on the way the purse strings are controlled by a small number of donors who appear poorly informed about the needs of trafficked persons or the factors that cause them to be trafficked? Several of the articles touch on this (e.g. those of Hoff and Nwogu. Early on, it became apparent to the editorial team that people working for large organisations with anti-trafficking programmes were wary of contributing articles on this topic. In this sense, although the Anti-Trafficking Review aims to promote public debate, we have not yet found the best way of opening up a debate about funding, for practitioners evidently fear that writing about their own sources of funding could result in the tap being turned off! So, it is mainly the Debate section that tackles the question of funding strategies. Even these contributions do not make assessments of the various actors involved (donors and the organisations they fund in as full and frank a way as is needed. The

Trafficking as a Human Rights Violation: Is South Africa's Curriculum Stuck in a Traffick Jam?

Science.gov (United States)

du Preez, Petro; Simmonds, Shan

2013-01-01

Human trafficking is a form of modern day slavery and is often collectively referred to as a human rights violation. However, human trafficking is more complex than this suggests as this article attempts to demonstrate. It begins by describing the landscape of international trends in human trafficking, with particular attention to child…

Women trafficking: causes, concerns, care!

Science.gov (United States)

Khowaja, Shaneela Sadaruddin; Tharani, Ambreen Jawed; Agha, Ajmal; Karamaliani, Rozina Sherali

2012-08-01

Pakistan is both a country of origin and destination as far as women trafficking is concerned. Poverty, gender discrimination, lack of education, and ignorance about legal rights are some of the underlying causes. Available data suggest several areas of concern, like, for instance: direct health effects, maladaptive coping leading to the use of illicit drugs, and inaccessibility to healthcare facilities. Therefore, numerous interventions would be required at three levels: the prevention of trafficking, the protection of victims and the prosecution of the traffickers.

Health implications of human trafficking.

Science.gov (United States)

Richards, Tiffany A

2014-01-01

Freedom is arguably the most cherished right in the United States. But each year, approximately 14,500 to 17,500 women, men and children are trafficked into the United States for the purposes of forced labor or sexual exploitation. Human trafficking has significant effects on both physical and mental health. This article describes the features of human trafficking, its physical and mental health effects and the vital role nurses can play in providing care to this vulnerable population. © 2014 AWHONN.

Early to Late Endosome Trafficking Controls Secretion and Zymogen Activation in Rodent and Human Pancreatic Acinar CellsSummary

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Scott W. Messenger

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Background & Aims: Pancreatic acinar cells have an expanded apical endosomal system, the physiologic and pathophysiologic significance of which is still emerging. Phosphatidylinositol-3,5-bisphosphate [PI(3,5P2] is an essential phospholipid generated by phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate 5-kinase (PIKfyve, which phosphorylates phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphate (PI3P. PI(3,5P2 is necessary for maturation of early endosomes (EE to late endosomes (LE. Inhibition of EE to LE trafficking enhances anterograde endosomal trafficking and secretion at the plasma membrane by default through a recycling endosome (RE intermediate. We assessed the effects of modulating PIKfyve activity on apical trafficking and pancreatitis responses in pancreatic acinar cells. Methods: Inhibition of EE to LE trafficking was achieved using pharmacologic inhibitors of PIKfyve, expression of dominant negative PIKfyve K1877E, or constitutively active Rab5-GTP Q79L. Anterograde endosomal trafficking was manipulated by expression of constitutively active and dominant negative Rab11a mutants. The effects of these agents on secretion, endolysosomal exocytosis of lysosome associated membrane protein (LAMP1, and trypsinogen activation in response to supramaximal cholecystokinin (CCK-8, bile acids, and cigarette toxin was determined. Results: PIKfyve inhibition increased basal and stimulated secretion. Adenoviral overexpression of PIKfyve decreased secretion leading to cellular death. Expression of Rab5-GTP Q79L or Rab11a-GTP Q70L enhanced secretion. Conversely, dominant-negative Rab11a-GDP S25N reduced secretion. High-dose CCK inhibited endolysosomal exocytosis that was reversed by PIKfyve inhibition. PIKfyve inhibition blocked intracellular trypsin accumulation and cellular damage responses to supramaximal CCK-8, tobacco toxin, and bile salts in both rodent and human acini. Conclusions: These data demonstrate that EE-LE trafficking acutely controls acinar secretion and the intracellular

Conditionally controlling nuclear trafficking in yeast by chemical-induced protein dimerization.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Tao; Johnson, Cole A; Gestwicki, Jason E; Kumar, Anuj

2010-11-01

We present here a protocol to conditionally control the nuclear trafficking of target proteins in yeast. In this system, rapamycin is used to heterodimerize two chimeric proteins. One chimera consists of a FK506-binding protein (FKBP12) fused to a cellular 'address' (nuclear localization signal or nuclear export sequence). The second chimera consists of a target protein fused to a fluorescent protein and the FKBP12-rapamycin-binding (FRB) domain from FKBP-12-rapamycin associated protein 1 (FRAP1, also known as mTor). Rapamycin induces dimerization of the FKBP12- and FRB-containing chimeras; these interactions selectively place the target protein under control of the cell address, thereby directing the protein into or out of the nucleus. By chemical-induced dimerization, protein mislocalization is reversible and enables the identification of conditional loss-of-function and gain-of-function phenotypes, in contrast to other systems that require permanent modification of the targeted protein. Yeast strains for this analysis can be constructed in 1 week, and the technique allows protein mislocalization within 15 min after drug treatment.

Radiation protection aspects of the trafficking radionuclides contaminated metal scrap

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prouza, Z.

1999-01-01

This paper covers the legal base of the release in the environment of radionuclides containing materials and the radiation protection aspects of trafficking in radionuclides contaminated materials. Materials, substance and objects containing radionuclides or contaminated by them may be released into the environment, if they do not exceed values authorized by SONS (State Office of Nuclear Safety). Legislative measures should be taken against illicit trafficking of the nuclear material in all the areas. The creation of a sophisticated system for the control and regulation of all important radionuclides released into the environment should be based on the radiation protection limits, constraints, reference and exemption levels which are introduced in the legislative documents; the strong supervision of producers and users of the sealed sources by SONS side, in addition to the requirements of the licensing process of their sources; a complete data-base and information exchange system related to illicit trafficking in contaminated material; in this system all the authorities with jurisdiction should be involved. The responsibilities of the persons involved in metal scrap trafficking should include arrangement of appropriate monitoring, rules for transport of the metal scrap, an adequate measuring system to monitor metal scrap including monitoring to prevent processing or smelting of the radioactive material, control measures, etc. All of the above items of legislation are an important challenge for the Czech Republic. (author)

Perdagangan Orang (Trafficking) sebagai Pelanggaran Hak Asasi Manusia

OpenAIRE

Munthe, Riswan

2015-01-01

Human trafficking is garbage of civilization which is hard to be fought. This sentence provide an invasion for all that human trafficking is a common enemy. Human trafficking is often done by agent who has national even international network, has power, strong physically and arrogance. Due to the victim of human trafficking is the group in the lower class of economy and education. Generally the victim of human trafficking is everyone without exception. Since Indonesian independence, it is con...

Child organ trafficking: global reality and inadequate international response.

Science.gov (United States)

Bagheri, Alireza

2016-06-01

In organ transplantation, the demand for human organs has grown far faster than the supply of organs. This has opened the door for illegal organ trade and trafficking including from children. Organized crime groups and individual organ brokers exploit the situation and, as a result, black markets are becoming more numerous and organized organ trafficking is expanding worldwide. While underprivileged and vulnerable men and women in developing countries are a major source of trafficked organs, and may themselves be trafficked for the purpose of illegal organ removal and trade, children are at especial risk of exploitation. With the confirmed cases of children being trafficked for their organs, child organ trafficking, which once called a "modern urban legend", is a sad reality in today's world. By presenting a global picture of child organ trafficking, this paper emphasizes that child organ trafficking is no longer a myth but a reality which has to be addressed. It argues that the international efforts against organ trafficking and trafficking in human beings for organ removal have failed to address child organ trafficking adequately. This chapter suggests that more orchestrated international collaboration as well as development of preventive measure and legally binding documents are needed to fight child organ trafficking and to support its victims.

Was Trafficking in Persons Really Criminalised?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kristiina Kangaspunta

2015-04-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the successes and setbacks in the criminal justice response to trafficking in persons. While today, the majority of countries have passed specific legislation criminalising human trafficking in response to the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, there are still very few convictions of trafficking. Using currently available knowledge, this paper discusses four possible reasons for low conviction rates. Further, the paper suggests that due to the heavy dependency on victim testimonies when prosecuting trafficking in persons crimes, members of criminal organisations that are easily identifiable by victims may face criminal charges more frequently than other members of the criminal group, particularly those in positions of greater responsibility who profit the most from the criminal activities. In this context, the exceptionally high number of women among convicted offenders is explored.

Gun Trafficking and the Southwest Border

Science.gov (United States)

2009-07-29

felons, drug traffickers, and juvenile gang members from acquiring firearms from gun traffickers. These criminals often acquire firearms from persons...renounced their U.S. citizenship; (8) persons restrained under a court-order from harassing, stalking , or threatening an intimate partner or child of... gang members from acquiring firearms from gun traffickers. These criminals often acquire firearms from a person who otherwise is not prohibited to

Assisting victims of human trafficking: strategies to facilitate identification, exit from trafficking, and the restoration of wellness.

Science.gov (United States)

Hodge, David R

2014-04-01

Human trafficking is a pressing social justice concern. Social work is uniquely situated to address this problem. However, despite the profession's commitment to social justice, the scholarship to equip social workers to address this issue has been largely absent from professional discourse. To address this gap, this article helps social work practitioners to assist victims of human trafficking. After orienting readers to the scope and process of human trafficking, the topics of victim identification, exit from trafficking, and the restoration of psychological wellness are discussed. By equipping themselves in these three areas, practitioners can advance social justice on behalf of some of the most exploited people in the world.

Trafficking in Persons for Ransom and the Need to Expand the Interpretation of Article 3 of the UN Trafficking Protocol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mogos O Brhane

2015-04-01

Full Text Available As the nature of trafficking in persons continues to manifest itself in myriad ways all over the world, interpretation of the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (Trafficking Protocol, should be broadened to include newly emerging practices that are similar in nature to those it has already embraced under its definition. The Protocol appears to encompass other forms of trafficking which are unnamed or unforeseen by the definition provided under Article 3. It is time to expand its spectrum. Northeast Africa is plagued by a unique form of trafficking in persons—trafficking in persons for ransom. This involves a practice where people are smuggled, abducted, kidnapped and tortured to compel their relatives and families to pay ransom money. Victims are nationals of Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan and South Sudan. However, as Northeast Africa hosts particularly high numbers of Eritrean migrants and the largest Eritrean diaspora globally, Eritreans are very vulnerable to being targeted for trafficking for ransom. As trafficking for ransom is an emerging trend, legal ramifications have never been studied in full. Few reports try to address legal issues around the phenomenon, and those that do only give it a few paragraphs of attention. There is need for a closer look at this form of trafficking.

The political aspects of human trafficking

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. M. Lukach

2014-01-01

The negative international results of human trafficking are researched by the author. Namely, problems of governance organization that are created by powerful criminal groups of human traffickers and smugglers, mass stay of a significant number of non­citizens in the country; formation of the negative international image of the origin, destination or transit country as the state which is unable to counter effectively illegal migration and human trafficking.

Human Trafficking in the Emergency Department

OpenAIRE

Patel, Ronak B; Ahn, Roy; Burke, Thomas F

2010-01-01

Human trafficking continues to persist, affecting up to 200 million people worldwide. As clinicians in emergency departments commonly encounter victims of intimate partner violence, some of these encounters will be with trafficking victims. These encounters provide a rare opportunity for healthcare providers to intervene and help. This case report of a human trafficking patient from a teaching hospital illustrates the complexity in identifying these victims. Clinicians can better identify pot...

Human Sirtuin 2 Localization, Transient Interactions, and Impact on the Proteome Point to Its Role in Intracellular Trafficking.

Science.gov (United States)

Budayeva, Hanna G; Cristea, Ileana M

2016-10-01

Human sirtuin 2 (SIRT2) is an NAD + -dependent deacetylase that primarily functions in the cytoplasm, where it can regulate α-tubulin acetylation levels. SIRT2 is linked to cancer progression, neurodegeneration, and infection with bacteria or viruses. However, the current knowledge about its interactions and the means through which it exerts its functions has remained limited. Here, we aimed to gain a better understanding of its cellular functions by characterizing SIRT2 subcellular localization, the identity and relative stability of its protein interactions, and its impact on the proteome of primary human fibroblasts. To assess the relative stability of SIRT2 interactions, we used immunoaffinity purification in conjunction with both label-free and metabolic labeling quantitative mass spectrometry. In addition to the expected associations with cytoskeleton proteins, including its known substrate TUBA1A, our results reveal that SIRT2 specifically interacts with proteins functioning in membrane trafficking, secretory processes, and transcriptional regulation. By quantifying their relative stability, we found most interactions to be transient, indicating a dynamic SIRT2 environment. We discover that SIRT2 localizes to the ER-Golgi intermediate compartment (ERGIC), and that this recruitment requires an intact ER-Golgi trafficking pathway. Further expanding these findings, we used microscopy and interaction assays to establish the interaction and coregulation of SIRT2 with liprin-β1 scaffolding protein (PPFiBP1), a protein with roles in focal adhesions disassembly. As SIRT2 functions may be accomplished via interactions, enzymatic activity, and transcriptional regulation, we next assessed the impact of SIRT2 levels on the cellular proteome. SIRT2 knockdown led to changes in the levels of proteins functioning in membrane trafficking, including some of its interaction partners. Altogether, our study expands the knowledge of SIRT2 cytoplasmic functions to define a

Regulation of dynein-mediated autophagosomes trafficking by ASM in CASMCs.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Ming; Zhang, Qiufang; Li, Pin-Lan; Nguyen, Thaison; Li, Xiang; Zhang, Yang

2016-01-01

Acid sphingomyelinase (ASM; gene symbol Smpd1) has been shown to play a crucial role in autophagy maturation by controlling lysosomal fusion with autophagosomes in coronary arterial smooth muscle cells (CASMCs). However, the underlying molecular mechanism by which ASM controls autophagolysosomal fusion remains unknown. In primary cultured CASMCs, lysosomal Ca2+ induced by 7-ketocholesterol (7-Ket, an atherogenic stimulus and autophagy inducer) was markedly attenuated by ASM deficiency or TRPML1 gene silencing suggesting that ASM signaling is required for TRPML1 channel activity and subsequent lysosomal Ca(2+) release. In these CASMCs, ASM deficiency or TRPML1 gene silencing markedly inhibited 7-Ket-induced dynein activation. In addition, 7-Ket-induced autophagosome trafficking, an event associated with lysosomal Ca(2+) release and dynein activity, was significantly inhibited in ASM-deficient (Smpd1(-/-)) CASMCs compared to that in Smpd1(+/+) CASMCs. Finally, overexpression of TRPML1 proteins restored 7-Ket-induced lysosomal Ca(2+) release and autophagosome trafficking in Smpd1-/- CASMCs. Collectively, these results suggest that ASM plays a critical role in regulating lysosomal TRPML1-Ca(2+) signaling and subsequent dynein-mediated autophagosome trafficking, which leads its role in controlling autophagy maturation in CASMCs under atherogenic stimulation.

Trafficking in Persons: The U.S. and International Response

Science.gov (United States)

2006-07-07

lucrative business of international trafficking; ! the high demand, worldwide, for trafficked women and children as sex workers, cheap sweatshop labor , and...raid brothels, women are often detained and punished, subjected to human rights abuses in jail, and swiftly deported. Few steps have been taken to...of trafficking. Many countries have no specific laws aimed at trafficking in humans . Traffickers and Their Victims Chinese, Asian, Mexican, Central

Human Trafficking and Commercialization of Surrogacy in India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pyali Chatterjee

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The Supreme Court of India, In Baby Manji Yamada versus Union of India & Anr. [2008] INSC 1656, popularly known as Manji Case, declared that Commercial Surrogacy is legal in India. As we know that, India is a developing country and here, most of the peoples are very poor and illiterate. Recently, human trafficking was increase with an uncontrollable rate in the entire world. In addition, making Commercialization of Surrogacy legal had already give birth to a new form of trafficking. Where, illiterate women from poor section is trafficked to run the reproductive industry of the Surrogacy. As we know that the traffickers, they used to trafficked girls/women for prostitution but now after the legalization of Commercial Surrogacy, they will trafficked girl/women for the reproductive industry as a raw material. The Immoral Trafficking Prevention Act (ITPA, 1956 and Sections 366(A and 372 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 are the existing laws of India, which deals with human trafficking. However, none of these provisions contains any solution, to deal with this new serious issue of trafficking of women/girls for the purpose of Commercial Surrogacy in reproductive industries. These existing laws as well as the pending draft bill of Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART Regulation Bill, 2010 needs an amendment to check this crime against women once again to protect the rights and health of the women.

Life after Trafficking in Azerbaijan: Reintegration experiences of survivors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lauren McCarthy

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Assisting survivors of trafficking is considered one of the pillars of a human rights-based response Shelter, medical, psychological and legal assistance in the short term and job placement, accommodation and reunification with family and community in the long term are critical steps for helping them recover and feel in control of their lives and futures. This paper examines survivors’ experiences of trafficking and recovery in the Azerbaijani context, using questionnaire responses from 22 women who were trafficked for sexual exploitation between 2006 and 2009 and who were assisted upon their return. It finds that while Azerbaijan has been quite successful at short-term assistance, there are still significant gaps in longer-term assistance, especially with regard to job placement and family reunification. Survivors point to these gaps as significant impediments to full reintegration into society. Looking at their experiences can provide insights into improvements in assistance programmes that can be implemented in both Azerbaijan and elsewhere.

Organized crime-trafficking with human being

OpenAIRE

Jelenová, Jana

2011-01-01

Organized crime - Trafficking in human beings This thesis deals with the criminal offence of trafficking in human beings under Sec. 168 of the Czech Criminal Code. A trafficking in human being is not a frequent criminal offence but with its consequences belongs to the most dangerous crimes. After the Velvet revolution the relevance of this crime has raised subsequently and therefore the regulation of this crime requires particular attention. It is important to find new ways and improve curren...

a Study of Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo's Trafficked

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Trafficking is frowned at in Nigeria, yet people are perpetually trafficked. In this research work, the researcher examines the novel in line with sociological approach so that the ills of human trafficking as it is a case in the contemporary society would be seen. The researcher believes that when the ills are exposed, there ...

Female sex trafficking: conceptual issues, current debates, and future directions.

Science.gov (United States)

Meshkovska, Biljana; Siegel, Melissa; Stutterheim, Sarah E; Bos, Arjan E R

2015-01-01

Female sex trafficking is a pressing concern. In this article, we provide a comprehensive overview of relevant issues regarding the concept of female sex trafficking and research in the field of human trafficking, drawing on a variety of disciplines, including economics, gender and sexuality studies, psychology, sociology, law, and social work. We discuss the debates surrounding the definition of human trafficking, compare and contrast it with human smuggling, and outline connections between female sex trafficking and the issue of sex work and prostitution. We further discuss the history and current estimations of female sex trafficking. We then outline the main actors in female sex trafficking, including trafficked persons, traffickers, clients, and service providers, and we overview the trafficking process from recruitment to identification, recovery, and (re)integration. Finally, we conclude with recommendations for future research that tie together the concepts of vulnerability, exploitation, and long-term recovery and (re)integration.

Sex trafficking of adolescents and young adults in the United States: healthcare provider's role.

Science.gov (United States)

Chaffee, Tonya; English, Abigail

2015-10-01

Sex trafficking of adolescents and young adults is both a human rights violation and a public health problem, globally and in the United States. Healthcare providers, including obstetricians and gynecologists, interact with victims, often while they remain under their traffickers' control, but because of providers' lack of training in identification and response many victims go unrecognized and unaided. This review provides an overview of the definitions of sex trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation, contributing factors, health consequences, recruitment of victims, and identification and response by healthcare providers. The literature on definitions and risk factors associated with sex trafficking is growing; however, literature on healthcare providers' role in addressing sex trafficking remains more limited. It is increasingly recognized that healthcare providers have an important role in victim identification and response and as advocates, collaborating with national, regional, and local agencies to increase awareness of sex trafficking as a public health problem and to address the needs of adolescent and young adult victims and survivors globally and in the United States. As professionals who interact with adolescent and young adult victims of sex trafficking, healthcare providers have an important role: in collaboration with other professionals and agencies they can help to identify, respond to, extricate, protect, and advocate for victims and survivors.

Who’s Who at the Border? A rights-based approach to identifying human trafficking at international borders

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marika McAdam

2013-09-01

Full Text Available International borders are widely touted as bastions in the fight against trafficking in persons. This article acknowledges the important role border officials play in preventing human trafficking, but calls for expectations to be tempered by deference to the conceptual complexity of cross-border trafficking and the migration processes involved. The fact that many trafficked victims begin their journeys as irregular or smuggled migrants highlights the challenge posed to border officials in identifying trafficked persons among the people they encounter. Indicators of trafficking generally relate to the exploitation phase, leaving border officials with little guidance as to how persons vulnerable to trafficking can be accurately identified before any exploitation has occurred. Ultimately, this paper advocates a pragmatic rights-based approach in designating anti-trafficking functions to border officials. A rights-based approach to border control acknowledges the core work of border officials as being to uphold border integrity, while ensuring that their performance of this role does not jeopardise the rights of those they intercept nor result in missed opportunities for specialists to identify trafficked persons and other vulnerable people among them.

Normative framework for combating trafficking in human organs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Banović Božidar

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Trafficking in human organs is a specific and complex criminal phenomenon that takes place in several phases, with the participation of a large number of actors, often covering several jurisdictions. To effectively countering are necessary conceptual and terminological demarcation of organ trafficking from other similar phenomena, fundamental scientifically research of its shape and dynamics, and the construction of an adequate legislative framework, both at the national and international level. This paper first analyses the conceptual - terminological framework in which research of organ trafficking is range, and then presents a review and analysis of the development of ethical and normative international standards aimed at prevention and suppression this phenomenon. In the end, we analysed the current solutions in the domestic legislation. Nowadays, there are two parallel legislative regime that regulate the matter of organ trafficking. The first legislative regime that organ trafficking treated exclusively as a modality of transnational crime of human trafficking, and a second, recent, that organ trafficking treats as forbidden (incriminating activity that violates a regulatory system of organ (tissue cells transplantation.

Real-time trafficking and signaling of the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Roed, Sarah Noerklit; Wismann, Pernille; Underwood, Christina Rye

2014-01-01

The glucagon-like peptide-1 incretin receptor (GLP-1R) of family B G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) is a major drug target in type-2-diabetes due to its regulatory effect on post-prandial blood-glucose levels. The mechanism(s) controlling GLP-1R mediated signaling are far from fully understood....... A fundamental mechanism controlling the signaling capacity of GPCRs is the post-endocytic trafficking of receptors between recycling and degradative fates. Here, we combined microscopy with novel real-time assays to monitor both receptor trafficking and signaling in living cells. We find that the human GLP-1R...

The FTLD risk factor TMEM106B and MAP6 control dendritic trafficking of lysosomes

Science.gov (United States)

Schwenk, Benjamin M; Lang, Christina M; Hogl, Sebastian; Tahirovic, Sabina; Orozco, Denise; Rentzsch, Kristin; Lichtenthaler, Stefan F; Hoogenraad, Casper C; Capell, Anja; Haass, Christian; Edbauer, Dieter

2014-01-01

TMEM106B is a major risk factor for frontotemporal lobar degeneration with TDP-43 pathology. TMEM106B localizes to lysosomes, but its function remains unclear. We show that TMEM106B knockdown in primary neurons affects lysosomal trafficking and blunts dendritic arborization. We identify microtubule-associated protein 6 (MAP6) as novel interacting protein for TMEM106B. MAP6 over-expression inhibits dendritic branching similar to TMEM106B knockdown. MAP6 knockdown fully rescues the dendritic phenotype of TMEM106B knockdown, supporting a functional interaction between TMEM106B and MAP6. Live imaging reveals that TMEM106B knockdown and MAP6 overexpression strongly increase retrograde transport of lysosomes in dendrites. Downregulation of MAP6 in TMEM106B knockdown neurons restores the balance of anterograde and retrograde lysosomal transport and thereby prevents loss of dendrites. To strengthen the link, we enhanced anterograde lysosomal transport by expressing dominant-negative Rab7-interacting lysosomal protein (RILP), which also rescues the dendrite loss in TMEM106B knockdown neurons. Thus, TMEM106B/MAP6 interaction is crucial for controlling dendritic trafficking of lysosomes, presumably by acting as a molecular brake for retrograde transport. Lysosomal misrouting may promote neurodegeneration in patients with TMEM106B risk variants. PMID:24357581

Trafficking in Persons Report

Science.gov (United States)

2009-06-01

people Burmese Lu kon ku de Trade in people French La traite des personnes The trade of people Japanese Jinshin bai bai The buying and selling of...commercial sex among young men. In 2008, the government partially funded an NGO to conduct an anti-trafficking awareness campaign in cinemas and in...A significant number of Japanese women and girls have also been reported as sex trafficking victims. During the last year, a number of Paraguayan

The hotel industry's role in combatting sex trafficking

OpenAIRE

Winters, Brandon R.

2017-01-01

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited Human trafficking is a global concern that victimizes countless individuals worldwide. The hotel industry, which traffickers often exploit, is in a unique position to assist in the prevention of sex trafficking; therefore, it plays a vital role in the overall fight against human trafficking. This thesis applies policy analysis and exploratory research to understand how and to what degree the U.S.-based hotel industry can affect efforts...

Human trafficking in Germany: strengthening victim's human rights

OpenAIRE

Follmar-Otto, Petra; Rabe, Heike

2009-01-01

The first study - "A human rights approach against human trafficking - International obligations and the status of implementation in Germany" - analyses how the prohibition of human trafficking and the resulting state obligations are anchored in human rights. The more recent specialised international agreements on human trafficking and law-making in the European Union are then presented. The emphasis is on the Council of Europe Convention, which professes to treat human trafficking in a human...

Tracking Drug-induced Changes in Receptor Post-internalization Trafficking by Colocalizational Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ong, Edmund; Cahill, Catherine

2015-07-03

The intracellular trafficking of receptors is a collection of complex and highly controlled processes. Receptor trafficking modulates signaling and overall cell responsiveness to ligands and is, itself, influenced by intra- and extracellular conditions, including ligand-induced signaling. Optimized for use with monolayer-plated cultured cells, but extendable to free-floating tissue slices, this protocol uses immunolabelling and colocalizational analysis to track changes in intracellular receptor trafficking following both chronic/prolonged and acute interventions, including exogenous drug treatment. After drug treatment, cells are double-immunolabelled for the receptor and for markers for the intracellular compartments of interest. Sequential confocal microscopy is then used to capture two-channel photomicrographs of individual cells, which are subjected to computerized colocalizational analysis to yield quantitative colocalization scores. These scores are normalized to permit pooling of independent replicates prior to statistical analysis. Representative photomicrographs may also be processed to generate illustrative figures. Here, we describe a powerful and flexible technique for quantitatively assessing induced receptor trafficking.

Uncoordinated (UNC)119: coordinating the trafficking of myristoylated proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Constantine, Ryan; Zhang, Houbin; Gerstner, Cecilia D; Frederick, Jeanne M; Baehr, Wolfgang

2012-12-15

The mechanism by which myristoylated proteins are targeted to specific subcellular membrane compartments is poorly understood. Two novel acyl-binding proteins, UNC119A and UNC119B, have been shown recently to function as chaperones/co-factors in the transport of myristoylated G protein α-subunits and src-type tyrosine kinases. UNC119 polypeptides feature an immunoglobulin-like β-sandwich fold that forms a hydrophobic pocket capable of binding lauroyl (C12) and myristoyl (C14) side chains. UNC119A in rod photoreceptors facilitates the transfer of transducin α subunits (Tα) from inner segment to outer segment membranes by forming an intermediate diffusible UNC119-Tα complex. Similar complexes are formed in other sensory neurons, as the G proteins ODR-3 and GPA-13 in Caenorhabditis elegans unc-119 mutants traffic inappropriately. UNC119B knockdown in IMCD3 cells prevents trafficking ofmyristoylated nephrocystin-3 (NPHP3), a protein associated with nephronophthisis, to cilia. Further, UNC119A was shown to transport myristoylated src-type tyrosine kinases to cell membranes and to affect T-cell receptor (TCR) and interleukin-5 receptor (IL-5R) activities. These interactions establish UNC119 polypeptides as novel lipid-binding chaperones with specificity for a diverse subset of myristoylated proteins. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Physical protection as the most important part of the national system of combating illicit trafficking

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mishchenko, V.

2002-01-01

Full text: It is now obvious today that illicit trafficking, including its most dangerous manifestations proliferation of nuclear weapons, smuggling of nuclear materials and equipment - present a serious threat to the international community. To defeat this evil is possible only by joint efforts, by undertaken protective measures on national and international level. Joint efforts should be directed at fulfilling three main tasks as follows: safe and reliable handling of nuclear material, effective measures of its physical protection, accountancy and control in order to prevent proliferation; joint activities of intelligence customs and law-enforcement authorities directed at prevention of international trafficking and marketing of stolen goods; joint activities directed at identification and prevention of illegal supply and demand of fissionable materials counteracting thereby various criminal structures. In order to solve these problems an international regime should be established. Such regime will define a number of criteria and demands to be met by-the states to ensure effective combat illicit trafficking. The international regime should be based on national systems of combating illicit trafficking, which include measures for prevention, detection and response regarding illicit trafficking in each specific state of across its borders. When undertaking these measures one should take into account specific characteristics of the state, its unique features and its geography, political and economic situation, as well as different types of potential threat of proliferation of nuclear weapons; availability of materials subjected to illicit trafficking in this state, general situation of criminal trafficking in this state, general situation of criminal trafficking with radioactive materials, potential consumers and suppliers, market features, possible incentives for crime etc. In the paper I would like to reflect the vital components of national systems for combating

Human trafficking and exploitation: A global health concern.

Science.gov (United States)

Zimmerman, Cathy; Kiss, Ligia

2017-11-01

In this collection review, Cathy Zimmerman and colleague introduce the PLOS Medicine Collection on Human Trafficking, Exploitation and Health, laying out the magnitude of the global trafficking problem and offering a public health policy framework to guide responses to trafficking.

Some Experience with Illicit Trafficking of Radioactive Materials in Tanzania

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ngaile, J.E.; Banzi, F.P.; Kifanga, L.D.

2008-01-01

radiation sources; lack of radiation detection equipment; and also the lack of knowledge of radiation hazards as well as dangerous. In view of these deficiencies, there was an urgent need of improvement of radiation protection of the front line officers by providing them training and capability to deal with nuclear security, safety, illicit trafficking and emergencies of nuclear and radioactive materials by providing them with basic equipment for identification and detection in order to minimize accidental exposure resulting from lost of control and illicit trafficking of radioactive materials

The 'dirty downside' of global sporting events: focus on human trafficking for sexual exploitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Finkel, R; Finkel, M L

2015-01-01

Human trafficking is as complex human rights and public health issue. The issue of human trafficking for sexual exploitation at large global sporting events has proven to be elusive given the clandestine nature of the industry. This piece examines the issue from a public health perspective. This is a literature review of the 'most comprehensive' studies published on the topic. A PubMed search was done using MeSH terms 'human traffickings' and 'sex trafficking' and 'human rights abuses'. Subheadings included 'statistics and numerical data', 'legislation and jurispudence', 'prevention and control', and 'therapy'. Only papers published in English were reviewed. The search showed that very few well-designed empirical studies have been conducted on the topic and only one pertinent systematic review was identified. Findings show a high prevalence of physical violence among those trafficked compared to non-trafficked women. Sexually transmitted infections and HIV AIDS are prevalent and preventive care is virtually non-existent. Quantifying human trafficking for sexual exploitation at large global sporting events has proven to be elusive given the clandestine nature of the industry. This is not to say that human trafficking for sex as well as forced sexual exploitation does not occur. It almost certainly exists, but to what extent is the big question. It is a hidden problem on a global scale in plain view with tremendous public health implications. Copyright © 2014 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Human trafficking and exploitation: A global health concern.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cathy Zimmerman

2017-11-01

Full Text Available In this collection review, Cathy Zimmerman and colleague introduce the PLOS Medicine Collection on Human Trafficking, Exploitation and Health, laying out the magnitude of the global trafficking problem and offering a public health policy framework to guide responses to trafficking.

The concept of exploitation in international human trafficking law

OpenAIRE

von der Pütten, Tuija Kaarina

2017-01-01

Human trafficking is commonly known as a criminal practice that takes place in the framework of sex trade: women and children are trafficked within a state, or from one state to another, for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Similarly, the early 20th century international conventions aimed to tackle ‘white slave traffic’, trafficking of women and children for sexual exploitation. However, it is misleading to see trafficking only within this context. People are trafficked so that they can be...

RNA trafficking in parasitic plant systems

Science.gov (United States)

LeBlanc, Megan; Kim, Gunjune; Westwood, James H.

2012-01-01

RNA trafficking in plants contributes to local and long-distance coordination of plant development and response to the environment. However, investigations of mobile RNA identity and function are hindered by the inherent difficulty of tracing a given molecule of RNA from its cell of origin to its destination. Several methods have been used to address this problem, but all are limited to some extent by constraints associated with accurately sampling phloem sap or detecting trafficked RNA. Certain parasitic plant species form symplastic connections to their hosts and thereby provide an additional system for studying RNA trafficking. The haustorial connections of Cuscuta and Phelipanche species are similar to graft junctions in that they are able to transmit mRNAs, viral RNAs, siRNAs, and proteins from the host plants to the parasite. In contrast to other graft systems, these parasites form connections with host species that span a wide phylogenetic range, such that a high degree of nucleotide sequence divergence may exist between host and parasites and allow confident identification of most host RNAs in the parasite system. The ability to identify host RNAs in parasites, and vice versa, will facilitate genomics approaches to understanding RNA trafficking. This review discusses the nature of host–parasite connections and the potential significance of host RNAs for the parasite. Additional research on host–parasite interactions is needed to interpret results of RNA trafficking studies, but parasitic plants may provide a fascinating new perspective on RNA trafficking. PMID:22936942

RNA trafficking in parasitic plant systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Megan L LeBlanc

2012-08-01

Full Text Available RNA trafficking in plants contributes to local and long-distance coordination of plant development and response to the environment. However, investigations of mobile RNA identity and function are hindered by the inherent difficulty of tracing a given molecule of RNA from its cell of origin to its destination. Several methods have been used to address this problem, but all are limited to some extent by constraints associated with accurately sampling phloem sap or detecting trafficked RNA. Certain parasitic plant species form symplastic connections to their hosts and thereby provide an additional system for studying RNA trafficking. The haustorial connections of Cuscuta and Phelipanche species are similar to graft junctions in that they are able to transmit mRNAs, viral RNAs, siRNAs and proteins from the host plants to the parasite. In contrast to other graft systems, these parasites form connections with host species that span a wide phylogenetic range, such that a high degree of nucleotide sequence divergence may exist between host and parasites and allow confident identification of most host RNAs in the parasite system. The ability to identify host RNAs in parasites, and vice versa, will facilitate genomics approaches to understanding RNA trafficking. This review discusses the nature of host parasite connections and the potential significance of host RNAs for the parasite. Additional research on host-parasite interactions is needed to interpret results of RNA trafficking studies, but parasitic plants may provide a fascinating new perspective on RNA trafficking.

Prevention of the inadvertent movement and illicit trafficking of radioactive materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-05-01

By international agreements, the movement of all radioactive materials within and between States should be subject to high standards of regulatory, administrative, safety and engineering controls to ensure that such movements are conducted in a safe and secure manner. In the case of nuclear materials, there are additional requirements for physical protection and accountability to ensure against threats of nuclear proliferation and to safeguard against any attempts at diversion. The results of the terrorist attacks of September 2001 emphasized the requirement for enhanced control and security of nuclear and radioactive materials. In this regard, measures are being taken to increase the global levels of physical protection and security for nuclear materials. Experience in many parts of the world continues to prove that movements of radioactive materials outside of the regulatory and legal frameworks continue to occur. Such movements may be either deliberate or inadvertent. Deliberate, illegal movements of radioactive materials, including nuclear material, for terrorist, political or illegal profit is generally understood to be illicit trafficking. The more common movements outside of regulatory control are inadvertent in nature. An example of an inadvertent movement might be the transport of steel contaminated by a melted radioactive source that was lost from proper controls. Such a shipment may present health and safety threats to the personnel involved as well as to the general public. States have the responsibility for combating illicit trafficking and inadvertent movements of radioactive materials. The IAEA co-operates with Member States and other international organizations in joint efforts to prevent incidents of illicit trafficking and inadvertent movements and to harmonize policies and measures by the provision of relevant advice through technical assistance and documents. As an example, the IAEA and the World Customs Organization (WCO) maintain a Memorandum

Prevention of the inadvertent movement and illicit trafficking of radioactive materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-12-01

By international agreements, the movement of all radioactive materials within and between States should be subject to high standards of regulatory, administrative, safety and engineering controls to ensure that such movements are conducted in a safe and secure manner. In the case of nuclear materials, there are additional requirements for physical protection and accountability to ensure against threats of nuclear proliferation and to safeguard against any attempts at diversion. The results of the terrorist attacks of September 2001 emphasized the requirement for enhanced control and security of nuclear and radioactive materials. In this regard, measures are being taken to increase the global levels of physical protection and security for nuclear materials. Experience in many parts of the world continues to prove that movements of radioactive materials outside of the regulatory and legal frameworks continue to occur. Such movements may be either deliberate or inadvertent. Deliberate, illegal movements of radioactive materials, including nuclear material, for terrorist, political or illegal profit is generally understood to be illicit trafficking. The more common movements outside of regulatory control are inadvertent in nature. An example of an inadvertent movement might be the transport of steel contaminated by a melted radioactive source that was lost from proper controls. Such a shipment may present health and safety threats to the personnel involved as well as to the general public. States have the responsibility for combating illicit trafficking and inadvertent movements of radioactive materials. The IAEA co-operates with Member States and other international organizations in joint efforts to prevent incidents of illicit trafficking and inadvertent movements and to harmonize policies and measures by the provision of relevant advice through technical assistance and documents. As an example, the IAEA and the World Customs Organization (WCO) maintain a Memorandum

Prevention of the inadvertent movement and illicit trafficking of radioactive materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-08-01

By international agreements, the movement of all radioactive materials within and between States should be subject to high standards of regulatory, administrative, safety and engineering controls to ensure that such movements are conducted in a safe and secure manner. In the case of nuclear materials, there are additional requirements for physical protection and accountability to ensure against threats of nuclear proliferation and to safeguard against any attempts at diversion. The results of the terrorist attacks of September 2001 emphasized the requirement for enhanced control and security of nuclear and radioactive materials. In this regard, measures are being taken to increase the global levels of physical protection and security for nuclear materials. Experience in many parts of the world continues to prove that movements of radioactive materials outside of the regulatory and legal frameworks continue to occur. Such movements may be either deliberate or inadvertent. Deliberate, illegal movements of radioactive materials, including nuclear material, for terrorist, political or illegal profit is generally understood to be illicit trafficking. The more common movements outside of regulatory control are inadvertent in nature. An example of an inadvertent movement might be the transport of steel contaminated by a melted radioactive source that was lost from proper controls. Such a shipment may present health and safety threats to the personnel involved as well as to the general public. States have the responsibility for combating illicit trafficking and inadvertent movements of radioactive materials. The IAEA co-operates with Member States and other international organizations in joint efforts to prevent incidents of illicit trafficking and inadvertent movements and to harmonize policies and measures by the provision of relevant advice through technical assistance and documents. As an example, the IAEA and the World Customs Organization (WCO) maintain a Memorandum

Prevention of the inadvertent movement and illicit trafficking of radioactive materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-05-01

By international agreements, the movement of all radioactive materials within and between States should be subject to high standards of regulatory, administrative, safety and engineering controls to ensure that such movements are conducted in a safe and secure manner. In the case of nuclear materials, there are additional requirements for physical protection and accountability to ensure against threats of nuclear proliferation and to safeguard against any attempts at diversion. The results of the terrorist attacks of September 2001 emphasized the requirement for enhanced control and security of nuclear and radioactive materials. In this regard, measures are being taken to increase the global levels of physical protection and security for nuclear materials. Experience in many parts of the world continues to prove that movements of radioactive materials outside of the regulatory and legal frameworks continue to occur. Such movements may be either deliberate or inadvertent. Deliberate, illegal movements of radioactive materials, including nuclear material, for terrorist, political or illegal profit is generally understood to be illicit trafficking. The more common movements outside of regulatory control are inadvertent in nature. An example of an inadvertent movement might be the transport of steel contaminated by a melted radioactive source that was lost from proper controls. Such a shipment may present health and safety threats to the personnel involved as well as to the general public. States have the responsibility for combating illicit trafficking and inadvertent movements of radioactive materials. The IAEA co-operates with Member States and other international organizations in joint efforts to prevent incidents of illicit trafficking and inadvertent movements and to harmonize policies and measures by the provision of relevant advice through technical assistance and documents. As an example, the IAEA and the World Customs Organization (WCO) maintain a Memorandum

Prevention of the inadvertent movement and illicit trafficking of radioactive materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-09-01

By international agreements, the movement of all radioactive materials within and between States should be subject to high standards of regulatory, administrative, safety and engineering controls to ensure that such movements are conducted in a safe and secure manner. In the case of nuclear materials, there are additional requirements for physical protection and accountability to ensure against threats of nuclear proliferation and to safeguard against any attempts at diversion. The results of the terrorist attacks of September 2001 emphasized the requirement for enhanced control and security of nuclear and radioactive materials. In this regard, measures are being taken to increase the global levels of physical protection and security for nuclear materials. Experience in many parts of the world continues to prove that movements of radioactive materials outside of the regulatory and legal frameworks continue to occur. Such movements may be either deliberate or inadvertent. Deliberate, illegal movements of radioactive materials, including nuclear material, for terrorist, political or illegal profit is generally understood to be illicit trafficking. The more common movements outside of regulatory control are inadvertent in nature. An example of an inadvertent movement might be the transport of steel contaminated by a melted radioactive source that was lost from proper controls. Such a shipment may present health and safety threats to the personnel involved as well as to the general public. States have the responsibility for combating illicit trafficking and inadvertent movements of radioactive materials. The IAEA co-operates with Member States and other international organizations in joint efforts to prevent incidents of illicit trafficking and inadvertent movements and to harmonize policies and measures by the provision of relevant advice through technical assistance and documents. As an example, the IAEA and the World Customs Organization (WCO) maintain a Memorandum

Human Trafficking, Mental Illness, and Addiction: Avoiding Diagnostic Overshadowing.

Science.gov (United States)

Stoklosa, Hanni; MacGibbon, Marti; Stoklosa, Joseph

2017-01-01

This article reviews an emergency department-based clinical vignette of a trafficked patient with co-occurring pregnancy-related, mental health, and substance use disorder issues. The authors, including a survivor of human trafficking, draw on their backgrounds in addiction care, human trafficking, emergency medicine, and psychiatry to review the literature on relevant general health and mental health consequences of trafficking and propose an approach to the clinical complexities this case presents. In their discussion, the authors explicate the deleterious role of implicit bias and diagnostic overshadowing in trafficked patients with co-occurring addiction and mental illness. Finally, the authors propose a trauma-informed, multidisciplinary response to potentially trafficked patients. © 2017 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.

Barcoding of GPCR trafficking and signaling through the various trafficking roadmaps by compartmentalized signaling networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Bahouth, Suleiman W; Nooh, Mohammed M

2017-08-01

Proper signaling by G protein coupled receptors (GPCR) is dependent on the specific repertoire of transducing, enzymatic and regulatory kinases and phosphatases that shape its signaling output. Activation and signaling of the GPCR through its cognate G protein is impacted by G protein-coupled receptor kinase (GRK)-imprinted "barcodes" that recruit β-arrestins to regulate subsequent desensitization, biased signaling and endocytosis of the GPCR. The outcome of agonist-internalized GPCR in endosomes is also regulated by sequence motifs or "barcodes" within the GPCR that mediate its recycling to the plasma membrane or retention and eventual degradation as well as its subsequent signaling in endosomes. Given the vast number of diverse sequences in GPCR, several trafficking mechanisms for endosomal GPCR have been described. The majority of recycling GPCR, are sorted out of endosomes in a "sequence-dependent pathway" anchored around a type-1 PDZ-binding module found in their C-tails. For a subset of these GPCR, a second "barcode" imprinted onto specific GPCR serine/threonine residues by compartmentalized kinase networks was required for their efficient recycling through the "sequence-dependent pathway". Mutating the serine/threonine residues involved, produced dramatic effects on GPCR trafficking, indicating that they played a major role in setting the trafficking itinerary of these GPCR. While endosomal SNX27, retromer/WASH complexes and actin were required for efficient sorting and budding of all these GPCR, additional proteins were required for GPCR sorting via the second "barcode". Here we will review recent developments in GPCR trafficking in general and the human β 1 -adrenergic receptor in particular across the various trafficking roadmaps. In addition, we will discuss the role of GPCR trafficking in regulating endosomal GPCR signaling, which promote biochemical and physiological effects that are distinct from those generated by the GPCR signal transduction

Protein subcellular localization prediction using artificial intelligence technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Nair, Rajesh; Rost, Burkhard

2008-01-01

Proteins perform many important tasks in living organisms, such as catalysis of biochemical reactions, transport of nutrients, and recognition and transmission of signals. The plethora of aspects of the role of any particular protein is referred to as its "function." One aspect of protein function that has been the target of intensive research by computational biologists is its subcellular localization. Proteins must be localized in the same subcellular compartment to cooperate toward a common physiological function. Aberrant subcellular localization of proteins can result in several diseases, including kidney stones, cancer, and Alzheimer's disease. To date, sequence homology remains the most widely used method for inferring the function of a protein. However, the application of advanced artificial intelligence (AI)-based techniques in recent years has resulted in significant improvements in our ability to predict the subcellular localization of a protein. The prediction accuracy has risen steadily over the years, in large part due to the application of AI-based methods such as hidden Markov models (HMMs), neural networks (NNs), and support vector machines (SVMs), although the availability of larger experimental datasets has also played a role. Automatic methods that mine textual information from the biological literature and molecular biology databases have considerably sped up the process of annotation for proteins for which some information regarding function is available in the literature. State-of-the-art methods based on NNs and HMMs can predict the presence of N-terminal sorting signals extremely accurately. Ab initio methods that predict subcellular localization for any protein sequence using only the native amino acid sequence and features predicted from the native sequence have shown the most remarkable improvements. The prediction accuracy of these methods has increased by over 30% in the past decade. The accuracy of these methods is now on par with

Update: What Nurses Need to Know about Human Trafficking.

Science.gov (United States)

Washburn, Joy

Nurses are key people who interact with victims of human trafficking in healthcare and other settings. This article provides a current overview of human trafficking, explains legal definitions, elements for protocols in healthcare settings when trafficking is suspected, nursing roles and responses, interview tools, resources, public health recommendations, and nursing education approaches to address human trafficking.

Subcellular site and nature of intracellular cadmium in plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wagner, G.J.

1979-01-01

The mechanisms underlying heavy metal accumulation, toxicity, and tolerance in higher plants are poorly understood. Since subcellular processes are undoubtedly involved in all these phenomena, it is of interest to study the extent, subcellular site and nature of intracellularly accumulated cadmium in higher plants. Whole plants supplied 109 CdCl 2 or 112 CdSO 4 accumulated Cd into roots and aerial tissues. Preparation of protoplasts from aerial tissues followed by subcellular fractionation of the protoplasts to obtain intact vacuoles, chloroplasts and cytosol revealed the presence of Cd in the cytosol but not in vacuoles or chloroplasts. No evidence was obtained for the production of volatile Cd complexes in tobacco

Getting out of the game: desistance from drug trafficking.

Science.gov (United States)

Campbell, Howard; Hansen, Tobin

2012-11-01

This ethnographic study was conducted along the U.S.-Mexico border, the centre of the western hemispheric illicit drugs trade. It examines factors that encouraged or discouraged drug traffickers to "get out of the game" (a common slang reference to leaving the drug business). In-depth, life history interviews were conducted of thirty ex-traffickers in the El Paso/Ciudad Juárez area. Participants discussed their experiences exiting drug trafficking and their retrospective, often conflicted, feelings about the trade. Although leaving drug trafficking is a complex and multi-faceted process, the principle factors for study participants were (1) punishment (by authorities or other traffickers), (2) self-image and identity, (3) social ties, (4) life course changes and (5) drug use/abuse. Traffickers often want to quit, but their divided self-identities make it difficult to relinquish the power and exhilaration they derive from the illicit drugs business. Harm reduction policies are needed that address the embeddedness of trafficker identities in dense webs of family, community, street gangs and transnational cartels, and the larger society, as well as the seductive appeal of Hollywood and pro-cartel narco-media. Traffickers need pathways that allow them to exit the illicit drugs business without surrendering their identity. Prison sentences are not enough to encourage traffickers to stop-also needed are culturally sensitive policies that help traffickers get out of the game and stay out. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

National Human Trafficking Initiatives: Dimensions of Policy Diffusion.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoo, Eun-Hye; Boyle, Elizabeth Heger

2015-01-01

The implementation of criminal law involves formal law enforcement, education and public outreach aimed at preventing criminal activity, and providing services for victims. Historically, quantitative research on global trends has tended to focus on a single policy dimension, potentially masking the unique factors that affect the diffusion of each policy dimension independently. Using an ordered-probit model to analyze new human trafficking policy data on national prosecution, prevention, and victim-protection efforts, we find that global ties and domestic interest groups matter more in areas where international law is less defined. While prosecution, officially mandated by the Trafficking Protocol, was relatively impervious to global ties and domestic interest groups, both trafficking prevention and victim protection were associated with these factors. Our findings also suggest that fear of repercussions is not a major driver of state actions to combat trafficking-neither ratification of the Trafficking Protocol nor levels of United States aid were associated with greater implementation of anti-trafficking measures.

Human Trafficking: A Review for Mental Health Professionals

Science.gov (United States)

Yakushko, Oksana

2009-01-01

This article provides a review of current research on human trafficking for mental health practitioners and scholars. In addition to an overview of definitions, causes and processes of trafficking, the article highlights mental health consequences of trafficking along with suggestions for treatment of survivors. Directions for counseling services,…

'Trafficking' or 'personal use': do people who regularly inject drugs understand Australian drug trafficking laws?

Science.gov (United States)

Hughes, Caitlin E; Ritter, Alison; Cowdery, Nicholas; Sindicich, Natasha

2014-11-01

Legal thresholds for drug trafficking, over which possession of an illicit drug is deemed 'trafficking' as opposed to 'personal use', are employed in all Australian states and territories excepting Queensland. In this paper, we explore the extent to which people who regularly inject drugs understand such laws. Participants from the seven affected states/territories in the 2012 Illicit Drug Reporting System (n = 823) were asked about their legal knowledge of trafficking thresholds: whether, if arrested, quantity possessed would affect legal action taken; and the quantities of heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and cannabis that would constitute an offence of supply. Data were compared against the actual laws to identify the accuracy of knowledge by drug type and state, and sociodemographics, use and purchasing patterns related to knowledge. Most Illicit Drug Reporting System participants (77%) correctly said that quantity possessed would affect charge received. However, only 55.8% nominated any specific quantity that would constitute an offence of supply, and of those 22.6% nominated a wrong quantity, namely a quantity that was larger than the actual quantity for supply (this varied by state and drug). People who regularly inject drugs have significant gaps in knowledge about Australian legal thresholds for drug trafficking, particularly regarding the actual threshold quantities. This suggests that there may be a need to improve education for this population. Necessity for accurate knowledge would also be lessened by better design of Australian drug trafficking laws. © 2014 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

A Proteomics Approach to Membrane Trafficking

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Groen, A.J.; Vries, de S.C.; Lilley, K.S.

2008-01-01

Membrane trafficking, including that of integral membrane proteins as well as peripherally associated proteins, appears to be a vital process common to all eukaryotes. An important element of membrane trafficking is to determine the protein composition of the various endomembrane compartments. A

Sub-cellular force microscopy in single normal and cancer cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Babahosseini, H; Carmichael, B; Strobl, J S; Mahmoodi, S N; Agah, M

2015-08-07

This work investigates the biomechanical properties of sub-cellular structures of breast cells using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The cells are modeled as a triple-layered structure where the Generalized Maxwell model is applied to experimental data from AFM stress-relaxation tests to extract the elastic modulus, the apparent viscosity, and the relaxation time of sub-cellular structures. The triple-layered modeling results allow for determination and comparison of the biomechanical properties of the three major sub-cellular structures between normal and cancerous cells: the up plasma membrane/actin cortex, the mid cytoplasm/nucleus, and the low nuclear/integrin sub-domains. The results reveal that the sub-domains become stiffer and significantly more viscous with depth, regardless of cell type. In addition, there is a decreasing trend in the average elastic modulus and apparent viscosity of the all corresponding sub-cellular structures from normal to cancerous cells, which becomes most remarkable in the deeper sub-domain. The presented modeling in this work constitutes a unique AFM-based experimental framework to study the biomechanics of sub-cellular structures. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Human Trafficking of Minors and Childhood Adversity in Florida.

Science.gov (United States)

Reid, Joan A; Baglivio, Michael T; Piquero, Alex R; Greenwald, Mark A; Epps, Nathan

2017-02-01

To examine the link between human trafficking of minors and childhood adversity. We compared the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and cumulative childhood adversity (ACE score) among a sample of 913 juvenile justice-involved boys and girls in Florida for whom the Florida child abuse hotline accepted human trafficking abuse reports between 2009 and 2015 with those of a matched sample. ACE composite scores were higher and 6 ACEs indicative of child maltreatment were more prevalent among youths who had human trafficking abuse reports. Sexual abuse was the strongest predictor of human trafficking: the odds of human trafficking was 2.52 times greater for girls who experienced sexual abuse, and there was a 8.21 times greater risk for boys who had histories of sexual abuse. Maltreated youths are more susceptible to exploitation in human trafficking. Sexual abuse in connection with high ACE scores may serve as a key predictor of exploitation in human trafficking for both boys and girls.

Illicit trafficking of nuclear material and other radioactive sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yilmazer, A.; Yuecel, A.; Yavuz, U.

2001-01-01

As it is known, for the fact that the illicit trafficking and trading of nuclear materials are being increased over the past few years because of the huge demand of third world states. Nuclear materials like uranium, plutonium, and thorium are used in nuclear explosives that have very attractive features for crime groups, terrorist groups and, the states that are willing to have this power. Crime groups that make illegal trade of nuclear material are also trying to market strategic radioactive sources like red mercury and Osmium. This kind of illegal trade threats public safety, human health, environment also it brings significant threat on world peace and world public health. For these reasons, both states and international organizations should take a role in dealing with illicit trafficking. An important precondition for preventing this kind of incidents is the existence of a strengthened national system for control of all nuclear materials and other radioactive sources. Further, Governments are responsible for law enforcement within their borders for prevention of illegal trading and trafficking of nuclear materials and radiation sources

Regulatory Requirements to Combat Illicit Trafficking of Hazardous Materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hussein, A.Z.; Zakaria, Kh.M.

2011-01-01

Since more than a decade illicit Trafficking of hazardous ( CBRNE), materials ( chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive ) has been identified as a key threat in national, regional, inter regional and international strategies. An Effective response to hazardous materials (CBRNE) risk and threat were realized to require a very high level of cooperation and coordination between various governments and their responsible organizations and authorities of regional and international partner. While improper policy of actions may easily be exploited by non- state members to (CBRNE) trafficking which may lead to develop weapon of mass destruction (WMD). Such strategy are of paramount important between all levels of the states and among regional agreements through comprehensive tailored assistance packages (e.g. export control, illicit trafficking of hazardous materials, redirection of scientist, emergency planning, crisis response safety and security culture. Capacity building, action plans and instruments for stability are necessary actions for efficient combating against illicit trafficking of hazardous materials. Regarding the needs of assessment phase, assistance must be based on data collection, analysis and prioritization of implanting the regulatory controls. Several activities have to be conducted to reduce CBRNE threat. The one- by- one approach, covering either nuclear and radioactive or chemical or biological materials has to be implanted on the country basis performance to mitigate CBRNE hazardous risk. On several consequent phases of intervention dealing with CBRNE risk mitigation the country has to establish a network of local, regional and international capabilities. Such network is setting up the mechanism for the country needs identifications, the guidelines for data collection, for data platform maintenance and update, the data assessment and the competent and operative organizations. This network will be to strengthen the long - term

Accountability and the Use of Raids to Fight Trafficking

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melissa Ditmore

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Accountability in anti-trafficking efforts is a crucial but often overlooked aspect of deciding whether such efforts are truly rooted in a human rights framework. In a rush to help, and inspired by sensationalised views of what human trafficking is, many campaigns actually harm the very people they are supposed to assist. Law enforcement raids are one such effort, as they do not take into account the very different power dynamics between the actor engaging in the raid, and the person who is subject to the raid. Data from the United States suggests that raids conducted by local law enforcement agencies are an ineffective means of locating and identifying trafficked persons. Research also reveals that raids are all too frequently accompanied by violations of the human rights of trafficked persons and sex workers alike, and can therefore be counterproductive to the underlying goals of anti-trafficking initiatives. Findings suggest that a rights-based and “survivor-centred” approach to trafficking in persons requires the development and promotion of alternative methods of identifying and protecting the rights of trafficked persons which prioritise the needs, agency, and self-determination of trafficking survivors. They also indicate that preventative approaches, which address the circumstances that facilitate trafficking in persons, should be pursued over law enforcement based responses.

Child Labor Trafficking in the United States: A Hidden Crime

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katherine Kaufka Walts

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Emerging research brings more attention to labor trafficking in the United States. However, very few efforts have been made to better understand or respond to labor trafficking of minors. Cases of children forced to work as domestic servants, in factories, restaurants, peddling candy or other goods, or on farms may not automatically elicit suspicion from an outside observer as compared to a child providing sexual services for money. In contrast to sex trafficking, labor trafficking is often tied to formal economies and industries, which often makes it more difficult to distinguish from "legitimate" work, including among adolescents. This article seeks to provide examples of documented cases of child labor trafficking in the United States, and to provide an overview of systemic gaps in law, policy, data collection, research, and practice. These areas are currently overwhelmingly focused on sex trafficking, which undermines the policy intentions of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (2000, the seminal statute criminalizing sex and labor trafficking in the United States, its subsequent reauthorizations, and international laws and protocols addressing human trafficking.

New approaches for solving old problems in neuronal protein trafficking.

Science.gov (United States)

Bourke, Ashley M; Bowen, Aaron B; Kennedy, Matthew J

2018-04-10

Fundamental cellular properties are determined by the repertoire and abundance of proteins displayed on the cell surface. As such, the trafficking mechanisms for establishing and maintaining the surface proteome must be tightly regulated for cells to respond appropriately to extracellular cues, yet plastic enough to adapt to ever-changing environments. Not only are the identity and abundance of surface proteins critical, but in many cases, their regulated spatial positioning within surface nanodomains can greatly impact their function. In the context of neuronal cell biology, surface levels and positioning of ion channels and neurotransmitter receptors play essential roles in establishing important properties, including cellular excitability and synaptic strength. Here we review our current understanding of the trafficking pathways that control the abundance and localization of proteins important for synaptic function and plasticity, as well as recent technological advances that are allowing the field to investigate protein trafficking with increasing spatiotemporal precision. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

78 FR 40619 - Combating Wildlife Trafficking

Science.gov (United States)

2013-07-05

... derivative parts and products (together known as ``wildlife trafficking'') represent an international crisis... trafficking in accordance with the following objectives: (a) in appropriate cases, the United States shall... Quality; (xii) the Office of Science and Technology Policy; (xiii) the Office of Management and Budget...

ANTROPOLOGIS TENTANG TRAFFICKING TKW DI MALAYSIA: ANTARA ADA DAN TIADA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tri Marhaeni Pudji Astuti

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Trafficking has existed since the period of kingdoms in Java, going on to the colonialism period, andto the present time. Its meaning is broadening beyond human trading into the matters related to violence,blackmailing, and forcing. Trafficking happens not only within one specific area, but has crossed theborder of countries, indicating the existence of an international net. The mushrooming of trafficking isdue to weak law and political commitment of the concerning countries. Moreover, the bilateral talk tobanish trafficking has not been maximally conducted. The actors of trafficking vary from man-powerbrokers, agents, taxi drivers, and even officers (of transmigration and police offices. Trafficking happens invarious places ranging from luxurious spots or starred-hotels to plantations and areas which accommodatea lot of migrants. The victims are usually in so unfavorable bargaining positions that they are muchdependent on those traffickers. This dependency is the impact of imbalanced gender relation. Based onsome existing cases, it is indicated that the women’s lack of power, strength, information, and educationare often misused by the traffickers to take them as their preys. That is why empowering migrant womenis very crucial. One of the ways is empowering them through their realization that this need comes fromtheir own selves, not from any force outside. Besides, there should be strong commitment from the stateto seriously implement the law against any traffickers. Cooperation between the concerning countriesare also needed, for instance by issuing common regulations to banish trafficking.Keywords: Trafficking, migrant women, receiving country, sending country, trafficker

Tracking Traffickers. The IAEA Incident and Trafficking Database

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Webb, Greg

2013-01-01

Radioactive material is missing from a hospital. Contaminated metal is found in a scrap yard. Smugglers try to peddle nuclear- weapon-usable material. These different scenarios illustrate the risks that these materials can pose to human safety and security. To assess those risks and to develop strategies to reduce them, States must understand the implications and the scope of such incidents that are occurring around the world. To better understand and respond to these events, the IAEA maintains an Incident and Trafficking Database (ITDB) which collects information from 122 participating States and some select international organizations. They are asked to share data on a voluntary basis about incidents in which nuclear and other radioactive material has fallen ''out of regulatory control.'' This could mean reporting cases of material that has gone missing, or discoveries of material where none was expected. The cases range from the innocent misplacement of industrial radioactive sources to criminal smuggling efforts which could aid terrorist acts. This information is shared among ITDB participants, and IAEA analysts try to identify trends and characteristics that could help prevent the misuse of these potentially dangerous materials. ''The ITDB has become an internationally recognized tool for States to study the extent and nature of these incidents,'' said John Hilliard, head of the Information Management and Coordination Section that administers the database. ''We've learned a lot by studying them, and we hope the information helps us prevent accidents or crimes in the future.'' The IAEA established the database in 1995 after States became alarmed by a growing number of trafficking incidents in the early 1990s. The service was originally operated by the Department of Safeguards, but later moved to the Department of Nuclear Safety and Security, where the Office of Nuclear Security now administers all the data collection and analysis

Protein subcellular localization assays using split fluorescent proteins

Science.gov (United States)

Waldo, Geoffrey S [Santa Fe, NM; Cabantous, Stephanie [Los Alamos, NM

2009-09-08

The invention provides protein subcellular localization assays using split fluorescent protein systems. The assays are conducted in living cells, do not require fixation and washing steps inherent in existing immunostaining and related techniques, and permit rapid, non-invasive, direct visualization of protein localization in living cells. The split fluorescent protein systems used in the practice of the invention generally comprise two or more self-complementing fragments of a fluorescent protein, such as GFP, wherein one or more of the fragments correspond to one or more beta-strand microdomains and are used to "tag" proteins of interest, and a complementary "assay" fragment of the fluorescent protein. Either or both of the fragments may be functionalized with a subcellular targeting sequence enabling it to be expressed in or directed to a particular subcellular compartment (i.e., the nucleus).

Ovarian Cystadenoma in a Trafficked Patient.

Science.gov (United States)

Titchen, Kanani E; Katz, Douglas; Martinez, Kidian; White, Krishna

2016-05-01

The topic of child sex trafficking is receiving increased attention both in the lay press and in research articles. Recently, a number of physician organizations have issued policy statements calling for the education and involvement of physicians in combating this form of "modern-day slavery." Primary care and emergency medicine physicians have led these efforts, but a number of these victims may present to surgeons. Surgeons are in a unique position to identify trafficked patients; during the process of undraping, intubation, and surgical preparation, signs of trafficking such as tattoos, scars, dental injuries, and bruising may be evident. In addition, these patients may have specific needs in terms of anesthesia and postoperative care due to substance abuse. Here, we report the case of an 18-year-old girl with a history of sexual exploitation who presents for cystadenoma excision. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a sex-trafficked pediatric patient presenting for surgery. Copyright © 2016 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Responding to the health needs of survivors of human trafficking: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Hemmings, Stacey; Jakobowitz, Sharon; Abas, Melanie; Bick, Debra; Howard, Louise M; Stanley, Nicky; Zimmerman, Cathy; Oram, Sian

2016-07-29

Despite the multiple physical and psychological health consequences associated with human trafficking, there is little evidence-based guidance available for health providers on assessing and meeting the health needs of trafficked people. We aimed to review literature that provided guidance or research on care provision for people who had been trafficked. We conducted a systematic review and qualitative analysis of peer-reviewed and grey literature. Data sources included electronic databases, reference list screening, citation tracking, and expert recommendations. Documents were included if they reported on: 1) male or females (adults or children) who were currently or had previously been trafficked; 2) health interventions or service provision; 3) primary, secondary, tertiary or specialist post-trafficking services; and 4) World Bank high income countries. Two reviewers independently screened and quality appraised documents. Framework analysis was used to analyse extracted data. Forty-four documents were included, 19 of which reported findings of primary studies and nine of which exclusively addressed children. Evidence to inform the identification, referral and care of trafficked people is extremely limited. Within current literature on survivor identification, key indicators included signs of physical and sexual abuse, absence of documentation, and being accompanied by a controlling companion. Findings highlighted the importance of interviewing possible victims in private, using professional interpreters, and building trust. For provision of care, key themes included the importance of comprehensive needs assessments, adhering to principles of trauma-informed care, and cultural sensitivity. Further prominent themes were the necessity of multi-agency working strategies and well-defined referral pathways. Human trafficking survivors require healthcare that is trauma-informed and culturally sensitive to their particular needs. Coordination is needed between health

Human organ trafficking in the cyber space

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vuletić Dejan

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The accelerated growth of the information-communication technology use brought about cyber crime as a new form of crime connected with the misuse of computer network. Human trafficking and human organ trafficking are changing in line with the state-of-art technological achievements i.e. becoming more and more characteristic of cyber space. Passing appropriate regulations at both national and international levels presents an important step in solving the problem of human organ trafficking through Internet.

Devastating consequences of sex trafficking on women's health.

Science.gov (United States)

McTavish, Fr James

2017-11-01

Sex trafficking has devastating consequences on the physical and mental well-being of millions of women around the world. These trafficking victims often come in contact with medical personnel, and these encounters with suitably prepared staff can be a step toward healing of the victims. The Catholic Church, especially through Pope Francis, is making strenuous efforts to curb the spread of sex trafficking. Same-sex feelings and behavior may arise post-trafficking in individuals, although this does not appear to be mentioned thus far in the literature. Here, we are most likely dealing with a type of "pseudo-lesbianism" post-trauma. The trafficking survivor can be helped to understand some of the likely roots of her feelings such as anti-male sentiments following abuse. She needs to be patiently, and expertly, accompanied to process the trauma she has experienced, and learn how to meet her genuine needs for female affection and affirmation in healthy, chaste, and non-erotic ways. Around the world, millions of female victims of human trafficking are forced into sex "work," often resulting in serious physical and mental-health problems. Healthcare staff should be alert to spot victims of sex trafficking and be ready to assist them. The Catholic Church, especially through Pope Francis, has been vocal in denouncing this form of modern slavery. Some female victims of sex trafficking may experience same-sex feelings afterward. Healing for such young women involves helping them to process their traumatic experiences, as well as patiently accompanying them as they seek to develop healthy, chaste friendships with other females and males.

Debate: Strategically Working in Parallel to Traffickers

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Vincent Tournecuillert

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Let’s be realistic, counter-trafficking teams will never be as effective as the proactive and flexible networks of outlaws that violate the rights of millions of people each year. The ‘bad guys’ operate without the same financial limitations such as bureaucratic red tape and donor criteria, and take advantage of patchy and often uncoordinated border surveillance that is chronically untrained in detecting trafficking in persons.  Non-governmental organisations (NGOs involved in the fight against human trafficking—and in direct contact with presumed victims (their status is not assessed until at a stage later than this initial contact—are in a diametrically opposite situation. They must carefully abide by the national and international legal frameworks that their criminal antagonists ignore. Donors and national authorities operate within the constraints of geographic target areas and funding cycles. Since counter-trafficking actors neither create the markets nor devise the routes for trafficking, their strategic cross-border (or long distance partnerships are always a few steps behind the traffickers, if not many steps behind, and rarely efficient.

Prevention of Human Trafficking in Ethiopia: Assessing The Legal Framework

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zelalem Shiferaw Woldemichael

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Recent findings have indicated that both in-country trafficking (trafficking of individuals from rural areas to relatively affluent towns and cities and external trafficking (trafficking of individuals from a given country to foreign countries are prevalent in Ethiopia. In 2012, the government acceded to the Protocol to Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons Especially Women and Children supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (The UN Trafficking Protocol, here after. With a view to giving effect to the requirements of this instrument, the government passed in to law Proclamation No. 909/2015 (The Prevention and Suppression of Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants Proclamation, which is the most comprehensive of all laws adopted in Ethiopia to deal with human trafficking. Taking in to account the fact that human trafficking is exacerbated by the absence of regulatory framework on the employment of Ethiopian nationals in foreign countries, the govern-ment has also brought in to practice Proclamation No. 923/2016 (Ethiopia’s Overseas Employment Proclamation. This article has examined whether the above-mentioned laws of Ethiopia comply with international standards in dealing with prevention strategies.

TRACE-ing human trafficking : Project Findings

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rijken, Conny; Pijnenburg, Annick

2016-01-01

Human trafficking is one of the largest criminal enterprises in the world. It is a multi-billion-dollar crime of global scale. This is because human trafficking as a criminal enterprise continues to evolve as a high profit-low risk business for perpetrators and challenges policy makers, law

Sexual slavery without borders: trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation in India

Science.gov (United States)

Joffres, Christine; Mills, Edward; Joffres, Michel; Khanna, Tinku; Walia, Harleen; Grund, Darrin

2008-01-01

Trafficking in women and children is a gross violation of human rights. However, this does not prevent an estimated 800 000 women and children to be trafficked each year across international borders. Eighty per cent of trafficked persons end in forced sex work. India has been identified as one of the Asian countries where trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation has reached alarming levels. While there is a considerable amount of internal trafficking from one state to another or within states, India has also emerged as a international supplier of trafficked women and children to the Gulf States and South East Asia, as well as a destination country for women and girls trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation from Nepal and Bangladesh. Trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation is a highly profitable and low risk business that preys on particularly vulnerable populations. This paper presents an overview of the trafficking of women and girls for sexual exploitation (CSE) in India; identifies the health impacts of CSE; and suggest strategies to respond to trafficking and related issues. PMID:18817576

Sexual slavery without borders: trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Joffres, Christine; Mills, Edward; Joffres, Michel; Khanna, Tinku; Walia, Harleen; Grund, Darrin

2008-09-25

Trafficking in women and children is a gross violation of human rights. However, this does not prevent an estimated 800 000 women and children to be trafficked each year across international borders. Eighty per cent of trafficked persons end in forced sex work. India has been identified as one of the Asian countries where trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation has reached alarming levels. While there is a considerable amount of internal trafficking from one state to another or within states, India has also emerged as a international supplier of trafficked women and children to the Gulf States and South East Asia, as well as a destination country for women and girls trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation from Nepal and Bangladesh. Trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation is a highly profitable and low risk business that preys on particularly vulnerable populations. This paper presents an overview of the trafficking of women and girls for sexual exploitation (CSE) in India; identifies the health impacts of CSE; and suggest strategies to respond to trafficking and related issues.

Distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in subcellular root tissues of ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.)

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

Background Because of the increasing quantity and high toxicity to humans of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the environment, several bioremediation mechanisms and protocols have been investigated to restore PAH-contaminated sites. The transport of organic contaminants among plant cells via tissues and their partition in roots, stalks, and leaves resulting from transpiration and lipid content have been extensively investigated. However, information about PAH distributions in intracellular tissues is lacking, thus limiting the further development of a mechanism-based phytoremediation strategy to improve treatment efficiency. Results Pyrene exhibited higher uptake and was more recalcitrant to metabolism in ryegrass roots than was phenanthrene. The kinetic processes of uptake from ryegrass culture medium revealed that these two PAHs were first adsorbed onto root cell walls, and they then penetrated cell membranes and were distributed in intracellular organelle fractions. At the beginning of uptake (< 50 h), adsorption to cell walls dominated the subcellular partitioning of the PAHs. After 96 h of uptake, the subcellular partition of PAHs approached a stable state in the plant water system, with the proportion of PAH distributed in subcellular fractions being controlled by the lipid contents of each component. Phenanthrene and pyrene primarily accumulated in plant root cell walls and organelles, with about 45% of PAHs in each of these two fractions, and the remainder was retained in the dissolved fraction of the cells. Because of its higher lipophilicity, pyrene displayed greater accumulation factors in subcellular walls and organelle fractions than did phenanthrene. Conclusions Transpiration and the lipid content of root cell fractions are the main drivers of the subcellular partition of PAHs in roots. Initially, PAHs adsorb to plant cell walls, and they then gradually diffuse into subcellular fractions of tissues. The lipid content of intracellular

Casein Kinase 2 Is a Novel Regulator of the Human Organic Anion Transporting Polypeptide 1A2 (OATP1A2) Trafficking.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Ting; Cheung, Florence Shin Gee; Zheng, Jian; Lu, Xiaoxi; Zhu, Ling; Grewal, Thomas; Murray, Michael; Zhou, Fanfan

2016-01-04

Human organic anion transporting polypeptides (OATPs) mediate the influx of many important drugs into cells. Casein kinase 2 (CK2) is a critical protein kinase that phosphorylates >300 protein substrates and is dysregulated in a number of disease states. Among the CK2 substrates are several transporters, although whether this includes human OATPs has not been evaluated. The current study was undertaken to evaluate the regulation of human OATP1A2 by CK2. HEK-239T cells in which OATP1A2 was overexpressed were treated with CK2 specific inhibitors or transfected with CK2 specific siRNA, and the activity, expression, and subcellular trafficking of OATP1A2 was evaluated. CK2 inhibition decreased the uptake of the prototypic OATP1A2 substrate estrone-3-sulfate (E3S). Kinetic studies revealed that this was due to a decrease in the maximum velocity (Vmax) of E3S uptake, while the Michaelis constant was unchanged. The cell surface expression, but not the total cellular expression of OATP1A2, was impaired by CK2 inhibition and knockdown of the catalytic α-subunits of CK2. CK2 inhibition decreased the internalization of OATP1A2 via a clathrin-dependent pathway, decreased OATP1A2 recycling, and likely impaired OATP1A2 targeting to the cell surface. Consistent with these findings, CK2 inhibition also disrupted the colocalization of OATP1A2 and Rab GTPase (Rab)4-, Rab8-, and Rab9-positive endosomal and secretory vesicles. Taken together, CK2 has emerged as a novel regulator of the subcellular trafficking and stability of OATP1A2. Because OATP1A2 transports many molecules of physiological and pharmacological importance, the present data may inform drug selection in patients with diseases in which CK2 and OATP1A2 are dysregulated.

Human trafficking: an evaluation of Canadian medical students' awareness and attitudes.

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Janice C; Hong, Jonathan; Leung, Pearl; Yin, Penny; Stewart, Donna E

2011-04-01

Human trafficking is a human rights violation prevalent globally. Current guidelines highlight healthcare professionals' key role in responding to human trafficking, emphasizing the importance of medical education in raising awareness of trafficking. To assess pre-clerkship medical students' awareness of human trafficking and attitudes towards learning about trafficking in the medical curriculum at Canada's largest medical school. An anonymous, classroom-based questionnaire was designed, piloted and administered to first- and second-year medical students at one large Canadian medical school with a diverse student population. The questionnaire sought demographic data and information on students' self-perceived awareness of human trafficking and interest in learning about trafficking and other community health issues. 262 medical students completed the questionnaire (70.0% response). Most participants reported that they were not knowledgeable (48.5%) or only somewhat knowledgeable (45.4%) about human trafficking. 88.9% of participants were not familiar with signs and symptoms of trafficked persons. While students' responses indicated that they prioritized other social issues, a majority of participants (76.0%) thought that trafficking was important to learn about in medical school, especially identifying trafficked persons and their health needs. These medical students of one Canadian medical school demonstrated limited familiarity with the issue of human trafficking but largely felt that they should be taught more about this issue during their medical education. This assessment of early medical students' awareness of human trafficking is relevant to medical educators and the organizations that could develop the required educational curricula and resources.

A Comparison of Psychological Symptoms in Survivors of Sex and Labor Trafficking.

Science.gov (United States)

Hopper, E K; Gonzalez, L D

2018-03-20

Human trafficking is a form of interpersonal trauma that has significant mental health impacts on survivors. This study examined psychological symptoms in 131 survivors of sex and labor trafficking, including people trafficked into or within the U.S. High rates of depression (71%) and PTSD (61%) were identified. Two thirds of survivors also met criteria for multiple categories of Complex PTSD (C-PTSD), including affect dysregulation and impulsivity; alterations in attention and consciousness; changes in interpersonal relationships; revictimization; somatic dysregulation; and alterations in self-perception. Although there were not significant differences in the prevalence rates of diagnoses of PTSD or depression between survivors of sex and labor trafficking, important group differences were identified. Compared to survivors of labor trafficking, sex trafficking survivors had higher prevalence rates of pre-trafficking childhood abuse and a higher incidence of physical and sexual violence during trafficking. They reported more severe post-trauma reactions than labor trafficking survivors, including more PTSD and C-PTSD symptoms. They were also more likely to meet criteria for comorbid PTSD and depression, while labor trafficking survivors were more likely than sex trafficking survivors to meet criteria for depression alone. An analysis of gender differences found that trafficking survivors who identified as transgender endorsed more PTSD and C-PTSD symptoms, than male or female survivors. Childhood abuse exposure was linked to PTSD and C-PTSD in trafficking survivors, and trafficking type was predictive of the number of trauma-related symptoms beyond the role of pre-trafficking child abuse. Implications for assessment and intervention with trafficking survivors are discussed.

Subcellular Location of PKA Controls Striatal Plasticity: Stochastic Simulations in Spiny Dendrites

Science.gov (United States)

Oliveira, Rodrigo F.; Kim, MyungSook; Blackwell, Kim T.

2012-01-01

Dopamine release in the striatum has been implicated in various forms of reward dependent learning. Dopamine leads to production of cAMP and activation of protein kinase A (PKA), which are involved in striatal synaptic plasticity and learning. PKA and its protein targets are not diffusely located throughout the neuron, but are confined to various subcellular compartments by anchoring molecules such as A-Kinase Anchoring Proteins (AKAPs). Experiments have shown that blocking the interaction of PKA with AKAPs disrupts its subcellular location and prevents LTP in the hippocampus and striatum; however, these experiments have not revealed whether the critical function of anchoring is to locate PKA near the cAMP that activates it or near its targets, such as AMPA receptors located in the post-synaptic density. We have developed a large scale stochastic reaction-diffusion model of signaling pathways in a medium spiny projection neuron dendrite with spines, based on published biochemical measurements, to investigate this question and to evaluate whether dopamine signaling exhibits spatial specificity post-synaptically. The model was stimulated with dopamine pulses mimicking those recorded in response to reward. Simulations show that PKA colocalization with adenylate cyclase, either in the spine head or in the dendrite, leads to greater phosphorylation of DARPP-32 Thr34 and AMPA receptor GluA1 Ser845 than when PKA is anchored away from adenylate cyclase. Simulations further demonstrate that though cAMP exhibits a strong spatial gradient, diffusible DARPP-32 facilitates the spread of PKA activity, suggesting that additional inactivation mechanisms are required to produce spatial specificity of PKA activity. PMID:22346744

The role of the nurse in combating human trafficking.

Science.gov (United States)

Sabella, Donna

2011-02-01

Human trafficking, also called modern slavery, happens worldwide--and the United States is no exception. Within our borders, thousands of foreign nationals and U.S. citizens, many of them children, are forced or coerced into sex work or various forms of labor every year. Nurses and other health care providers who encounter victims of trafficking often don't realize it, and opportunities to intervene are lost. Although no one sign can demonstrate with certainty when someone is being trafficked, there are several indicators that clinicians should know. This article provides an overview of human trafficking, describes how to recognize signs that a person is being trafficked and how to safely intervene, and offers an extensive resource list.

Measures Against-Illicit Trafficking of Nuclear Materials and Other Radioactive Sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barakat, M.B.; Nassef, M.H.; El Mongy, S.A.

2008-01-01

Since the early nineties, illicit trafficking (IT) of nuclear materials and radioactive sources appeared as a new trend which raised the concern of the international community due to the grave consequences that would merge if these materials or radioactive sources fell into the hands of terrorist groups. However, by the end of the last century illicit trafficking of nuclear materials and radioactive sources lost its considerable salience, in spite of seizure of considerable amounts of 2 '3'5U (76% enrichment) in Bulgaria (May 1999) and also 235 U (30% enrichment) in Georgia (April 2000). Nevertheless, IT should be always considered as a continued and viable threat to the international community. Awareness of the problem should be developed and maintained among concerned circles as the first step towards combating illicit trafficking of nuclear materials and radioactive sources. Illicit trafficking of nuclear and radioactive materials needs serious consideration and proper attention by the governmental law enforcement authorities. Measures to combat with IT of nuclear material or radioactive sources should be effective in recovery, of stolen, removed or lost nuclear materials or radioactive sources due to the failure of the physical protection system or the State System Accounting and Control (SSAC) system which are normally applied for protecting these materials against illegal actions. Measures such as use of modern and efficient radiation monitoring equipment at the borders inspection points, is an important step in preventing the illicit trafficking of nuclear and radioactive materials across the borders. Also providing radiological training to specific personnel and workers in this field will minimize the consequences of a radiological attack in case of its occurrence. There is a real need to start to enter into cooperative agreements to strengthen borders security under the umbrella of IAEA to faster as an international cooperation in the illicit trafficking

INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING

OpenAIRE

Ionita COCHINTU; Laura TUTUNARU; Narcisa Mihaela STOICU; Daniela Cristina VALEA

2011-01-01

Trafficking in human beings, a phenomenon with global dimensions constitutes a serious violation of human rights, dignity and freedom, a social phenomenon with negative consequences for the entire society. Countries have been concerned over the time to find the most effective policy measures to combat and prevent human trafficking, and in this regard the United Nations, the European Union and the Council of Europe have developed a series of international documents which established an interna...

USSOCOM’s Role in Addressing Human Trafficking

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-02

world. However, despite those alarming numbers, 62 countries have yet to convict a trafficker under laws in compliance with the Palermo Protocol.7...Against Transnational Organized Crime( Palermo Protocol), Palermo , Italy, 2000. 8 US Department of State, 2010 Trafficking In Persons Report...activities with the proceeds from narcotics trafficking. Terrorist groups such as the FARC in Colombia , Al Qaida in Afghanistan, and groups around

Domestic Sex Trafficking of Minors: Medical Student and Physician Awareness.

Science.gov (United States)

Titchen, Kanani E; Loo, Dyani; Berdan, Elizabeth; Rysavy, Mary Becker; Ng, Jessica J; Sharif, Iman

2017-02-01

Our aim was to assess: (1) medical trainee and practicing physician awareness about domestic sex trafficking of minors; and (2) whether respondents believe that awareness of trafficking is important to their practice. We designed an anonymous electronic survey, and a convenience sample was collected from June through October 2013. Voluntary participants were 1648 medical students, residents, and practicing physicians throughout the United States. Data were analyzed for correlations between study cohort characteristics and: (1) agreement with the statement: "knowing about sex trafficking in my state is important to my profession"; (2) knowledge of national statistics regarding the sex trafficking of minors; and (3) knowledge of appropriate responses to encountering a trafficked victim. More practicing physicians than residents or medical students: (1) agreed or strongly agreed that knowledge about human trafficking was important to their practice (80.6%, 71.1%, and 69.2%, respectively; P = .0008); (2) correctly estimated the number of US trafficked youth according to the US Department of State data (16.1%, 11.7%, and 7.9%, respectively; P = .0011); and (3) were more likely to report an appropriate response to a trafficked victim (40.4%, 20.4%, and 8.9%, respectively; P = .0001). Although most medical trainees and physicians place importance on knowing about human trafficking, they lack knowledge about the scope of the problem, and most would not know where to turn if they encountered a trafficking victim. There exists a need for standardized trafficking education for physicians, residents, and medical students. Copyright © 2015 North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effectiveness of Counter-Trafficking Response in Albania

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meçe Merita H.

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Human trafficking is a new phenomenon of Albanian post-socialist society which significantly increased during the difficult years of its transformation from centralized state-led economy to market economy. Both economic and political instability contributed to its size, nature and multiple dynamics. Drawing on a rights-based approach to human trafficking, this paper examines the effectiveness of the counter-trafficking response of the Albanian government with a special emphasis on prevention, protection and prosecution. Using secondary data and reviewing various country strategic documents, it highlights a range of weaknesses and challenges which have hindered its effectiveness over years. It concludes that successful and effective counter-trafficking response requires well rounded and coordinated gender sensitive, victim-centred, holistic and human rights-based efforts. Combined with adequate law enforcement, they will sustainably tackle the full spectrum of this problem.

Decreasing Human Trafficking through Sex Work Decriminalization.

Science.gov (United States)

Albright, Erin; D'Adamo, Kate

2017-01-01

In order to decrease human trafficking, health care workers should support the full decriminalization of prostitution. Similar to trafficking in other forms of labor, preventing trafficking in the sex trade requires addressing the different forms of marginalization that create vulnerable communities. By removing punitive laws that prevent reporting of exploitation and abuse, decriminalization allows sex workers to work more safely, thereby reducing marginalization and vulnerability. Decriminalization can also help destigmatize sex work and help resist political, social, and cultural marginalization of sex workers. © 2017 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.

Role of LRRK2 in the regulation of dopamine receptor trafficking.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mauro Rassu

Full Text Available Mutations in LRRK2 play a critical role in both familial and sporadic Parkinson's disease (PD. Up to date, the role of LRRK2 in PD onset and progression remains largely unknown. However, experimental evidence highlights a critical role of LRRK2 in the control of vesicle trafficking that in turn may regulate different aspects of neuronal physiology. We have analyzed the role of LRRK2 in regulating dopamine receptor D1 (DRD1 and D2 (DRD2 trafficking. DRD1 and DRD2 are the most abundant dopamine receptors in the brain. They differ in structural, pharmacological and biochemical properties, as well as in localization and internalization mechanisms. Our results indicate that disease-associated mutant G2019S LRRK2 impairs DRD1 internalization, leading to an alteration in signal transduction. Moreover, the mutant forms of LRRK2 affect receptor turnover by decreasing the rate of DRD2 trafficking from the Golgi complex to the cell membrane. Collectively, our findings are consistent with the conclusion that LRRK2 influences the motility of neuronal vesicles and the neuronal receptor trafficking. These findings have important implications for the complex role that LRRK2 plays in neuronal physiology and the possible pathological mechanisms that may lead to neuronal death in PD.

A new vesicle trafficking regulator CTL1 plays a crucial role in ion homeostasis.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Yi-Qun; Chen, Jiu-Geng; Chen, Zi-Ru; An, Dong; Lv, Qiao-Yan; Han, Mei-Ling; Wang, Ya-Ling; Salt, David E; Chao, Dai-Yin

2017-12-01

Ion homeostasis is essential for plant growth and environmental adaptation, and maintaining ion homeostasis requires the precise regulation of various ion transporters, as well as correct root patterning. However, the mechanisms underlying these processes remain largely elusive. Here, we reported that a choline transporter gene, CTL1, controls ionome homeostasis by regulating the secretory trafficking of proteins required for plasmodesmata (PD) development, as well as the transport of some ion transporters. Map-based cloning studies revealed that CTL1 mutations alter the ion profile of Arabidopsis thaliana. We found that the phenotypes associated with these mutations are caused by a combination of PD defects and ion transporter misregulation. We also established that CTL1 is involved in regulating vesicle trafficking and is thus required for the trafficking of proteins essential for ion transport and PD development. Characterizing choline transporter-like 1 (CTL1) as a new regulator of protein sorting may enable researchers to understand not only ion homeostasis in plants but also vesicle trafficking in general.

At Home: Family reintegration of trafficked Indonesian men

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rebecca Surtees

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Large numbers of Indonesian men migrate each year for work in construction, in factories and in agriculture, on plantations and on fishing boats. Many of them end up exploited in ways that constitute human trafficking, suffering violence, deprivation, restricted freedom and severe exploitation as well as long periods of separation from their families. This article explores the challenges faced by forty-nine Indonesian men reintegrating into their families and communities after having been trafficked. While many problems with the family were caused by economics, tensions also resulted from long separations, fractured relationships, and frustration and blame over ‘failed’ migration and unfulfilled expectations. Tensions were sometimes exacerbated when men faced recrimination and blame in their communities after return. Understanding the nature of and reasons for the problems that men faced after trafficking is vital in considering how trafficked men and their families can be supported to recover and reintegrate after trafficking.

Live Cell Imaging and 3D Analysis of Angiotensin Receptor Type 1a Trafficking in Transfected Human Embryonic Kidney Cells Using Confocal Microscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Kadam, Parnika; McAllister, Ryan; Urbach, Jeffrey S; Sandberg, Kathryn; Mueller, Susette C

2017-03-27

Live-cell imaging is used to simultaneously capture time-lapse images of angiotensin type 1a receptors (AT1aR) and intracellular compartments in transfected human embryonic kidney-293 (HEK) cells following stimulation with angiotensin II (Ang II). HEK cells are transiently transfected with plasmid DNA containing AT1aR tagged with enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP). Lysosomes are identified with a red fluorescent dye. Live-cell images are captured on a laser scanning confocal microscope after Ang II stimulation and analyzed by software in three dimensions (3D, voxels) over time. Live-cell imaging enables investigations into receptor trafficking and avoids confounds associated with fixation, and in particular, the loss or artefactual displacement of EGFP-tagged membrane receptors. Thus, as individual cells are tracked through time, the subcellular localization of receptors can be imaged and measured. Images must be acquired sufficiently rapidly to capture rapid vesicle movement. Yet, at faster imaging speeds, the number of photons collected is reduced. Compromises must also be made in the selection of imaging parameters like voxel size in order to gain imaging speed. Significant applications of live-cell imaging are to study protein trafficking, migration, proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis, autophagy and protein-protein interaction and dynamics, to name but a few.

Biodynamics of copper oxide nanoparticles and copper ions in an oligochaete - Part II: Subcellular distribution following sediment exposure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thit, Amalie, E-mail: athitj@ruc.dk [U.S. Geological Survey, 345 Middlefield Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025 (United States); Department of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, Universitetsvej 1, Roskilde DK-4000 (Denmark); Ramskov, Tina, E-mail: tramskov@hotmail.com [U.S. Geological Survey, 345 Middlefield Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025 (United States); Department of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, Universitetsvej 1, Roskilde DK-4000 (Denmark); Croteau, Marie-Noële, E-mail: mcroteau@usgs.gov [Department of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, Universitetsvej 1, Roskilde DK-4000 (Denmark); Selck, Henriette [U.S. Geological Survey, 345 Middlefield Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025 (United States); Department of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, Universitetsvej 1, Roskilde DK-4000 (Denmark)

2016-11-15

Highlights: • L. variegatus was exposed to sediment spiked with either aqueous Cu or nanoparticulate CuO. • Both aqueous and nanoparticulate Cu were marginally accumulated by L. variegatus. • Elimination of Cu accumulated from both forms was limited. • The subcellular distribution of accumulated Cu varied between Cu forms. • The use of a tracer, greater exposure concentration and duration are recommended. - Abstract: The use and likely incidental release of metal nanoparticles (NPs) is steadily increasing. Despite the increasing amount of published literature on metal NP toxicity in the aquatic environment, very little is known about the biological fate of NPs after sediment exposures. Here, we compare the bioavailability and subcellular distribution of copper oxide (CuO) NPs and aqueous Cu (Cu-Aq) in the sediment-dwelling worm Lumbriculus variegatus. Ten days (d) sediment exposure resulted in marginal Cu bioaccumulation in L. variegatus for both forms of Cu. Bioaccumulation was detected because isotopically enriched {sup 65}Cu was used as a tracer. Neither burrowing behavior or survival was affected by the exposure. Once incorporated into tissue, Cu loss was negligible over 10 d of elimination in clean sediment (Cu elimination rate constants were not different from zero). With the exception of day 10, differences in bioaccumulation and subcellular distribution between Cu forms were either not detectable or marginal. After 10 d of exposure to Cu-Aq, the accumulated Cu was primarily partitioned in the subcellular fraction containing metallothionein-like proteins (MTLP, ≈40%) and cellular debris (CD, ≈30%). Cu concentrations in these fractions were significantly higher than in controls. For worms exposed to CuO NPs for 10 d, most of the accumulated Cu was partitioned in the CD fraction (≈40%), which was the only subcellular fraction where the Cu concentration was significantly higher than for the control group. Our results indicate that L. variegatus

Peran End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography And Trafficking Of Children For Sexual Purposes (Ecpat) Internasional dalam Menanggulangi Kasus Child Trafficking di Albania (2007-2012)

OpenAIRE

Rani, Faisyal; Rafiqa, Adni Luthfi

2015-01-01

This research purpose to explain about the role of End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes (ECPAT) International to solve child trafficking case in Albania (2007-2012). ECPAT International is a non-governmental organization which take focus on solving child trafficking case and ECPAT International has had affiliate in some country in the world, one of them is Albania.Authors analyze and explain about child trafficking condition which is occure...

76 FR 44613 - Designation of Eight Counties as High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-26

... OFFICE OF NATIONAL DRUG CONTROL POLICY Designation of Eight Counties as High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas AGENCY: Office of National Drug Control Policy. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy has designated eight additional counties as High Intensity Drug...

Regulation of HTLV-1 Tax Stability, Cellular Trafficking and NF-κB Activation by the Ubiquitin-Proteasome Pathway

Science.gov (United States)

Lavorgna, Alfonso; Harhaj, Edward William

2014-01-01

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is a complex retrovirus that infects CD4+ T cells and causes adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) in 3%–5% of infected individuals after a long latent period. HTLV-1 Tax is a trans-activating protein that regulates viral gene expression and also modulates cellular signaling pathways to enhance T-cell proliferation and cell survival. The Tax oncoprotein promotes T-cell transformation, in part via constitutive activation of the NF-κB transcription factor; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Ubiquitination is a type of post-translational modification that occurs in a three-step enzymatic cascade mediated by E1, E2 and E3 enzymes and regulates protein stability as well as signal transduction, protein trafficking and the DNA damage response. Emerging studies indicate that Tax hijacks the ubiquitin machinery to activate ubiquitin-dependent kinases and downstream NF-κB signaling. Tax interacts with the E2 conjugating enzyme Ubc13 and is conjugated on C-terminal lysine residues with lysine 63-linked polyubiquitin chains. Tax K63-linked polyubiquitination may serve as a platform for signaling complexes since this modification is critical for interactions with NEMO and IKK. In addition to NF-κB signaling, mono- and polyubiquitination of Tax also regulate its subcellular trafficking and stability. Here, we review recent advances in the diverse roles of ubiquitin in Tax function and how Tax usurps the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway to promote oncogenesis. PMID:25341660

The PDZ motif of the α1C subunit is not required for surface trafficking and adrenergic modulation of CaV1.2 channel in the heart.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Lin; Katchman, Alexander; Weinberg, Richard L; Abrams, Jeffrey; Samad, Tahmina; Wan, Elaine; Pitt, Geoffrey S; Marx, Steven O

2015-01-23

Voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels play a key role in initiating muscle excitation-contraction coupling, neurotransmitter release, gene expression, and hormone secretion. The association of CaV1.2 with a supramolecular complex impacts trafficking, localization, turnover, and, most importantly, multifaceted regulation of its function in the heart. Several studies hint at an important role for the C terminus of the α1C subunit as a hub for multidimensional regulation of CaV1.2 channel trafficking and function. Recent studies have demonstrated an important role for the four-residue PDZ binding motif at the C terminus of α1C in interacting with scaffold proteins containing PDZ domains, in the subcellular localization of CaV1.2 in neurons, and in the efficient signaling to cAMP-response element-binding protein in neurons. However, the role of the α1C PDZ ligand domain in the heart is not known. To determine whether the α1C PDZ motif is critical for CaV1.2 trafficking and function in cardiomyocytes, we generated transgenic mice with inducible expression of an N-terminal FLAG epitope-tagged dihydropyridine-resistant α1C with the PDZ motif deleted (ΔPDZ). These mice were crossed with α-myosin heavy chain reverse transcriptional transactivator transgenic mice, and the double-transgenic mice were fed doxycycline. The ΔPDZ channels expressed, trafficked to the membrane, and supported robust excitation-contraction coupling in the presence of nisoldipine, a dihydropyridine Ca(2+) channel blocker, providing functional evidence that they appropriately target to dyads. The ΔPDZ Ca(2+) channels were appropriately regulated by isoproterenol and forskolin. These data indicate that the α1C PDZ motif is not required for surface trafficking, localization to the dyad, or adrenergic stimulation of CaV1.2 in adult cardiomyocytes. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

A new method of high-speed cellular protein separation and insight into subcellular compartmentalization of proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Png, Evelyn; Lan, WanWen; Lazaroo, Melisa; Chen, Silin; Zhou, Lei; Tong, Louis

2011-05-01

Transglutaminase (TGM)-2 is a ubiquitous protein with important cellular functions such as regulation of cytoskeleton, cell adhesion, apoptosis, energy metabolism, and stress signaling. We identified several proteins that may interact with TGM-2 through a discovery-based proteomics method via pull down of flag-tagged TGM-2 peptide fragments. The distribution of these potential binding partners of TGM-2 was studied in subcellular fractions separated by density using novel high-speed centricollation technology. Centricollation is a compressed air-driven, low-temperature stepwise ultracentrifugation procedure where low extraction volumes can be processed in a relatively short time in non-denaturing separation conditions with high recovery yield. The fractions were characterized by immunoblots against known organelle markers. The changes in the concentrations of the binding partners were studied in cells expressing short hairpin RNA against TGM-2 (shTG). Desmin, mitochondrial intramembrane cleaving protease (PARL), protein tyrosine kinase (NTRK3), and serine protease (PRSS3) were found to be less concentrated in the 8.5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% sucrose fractions (SFs) from the lysate of shTG cells. The Golgi-associated protein (GOLGA2) was predominantly localized in 15% SF fraction, and in shTG, this shifted to predominantly in the 8.5% SF and showed larger aggregations in the cytosol of cells on immunofluorescent staining compared to control. Based on the relative concentrations of these proteins, we propose how trafficking of such proteins between cellular compartments can occur to regulate cell function. Centricollation is useful for elucidating biological function at the molecular level, especially when combined with traditional cell biology techniques.

Two Cheers for the Trafficking Protocol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anne T Gallagher

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The Trafficking Protocol makes an easy target for attack. Its origins lie in an attempt to control a particularly exploitative form of migration that was challenging the ability of States to control their own borders. Its parent instrument is a framework agreement to address transnational organised crime. While paying fleeting attention to the rights of victims, the Protocol, with its emphasis on criminalisation and border protection is nowhere near being a human rights treaty. On top of all that it does not even have a credible enforcement mechanism, allowing states parties wide latitude in interpreting and applying their obligations. Strangely, these seemingly insurmountable flaws have not stopped the Protocol’s emergence as perhaps the single most important development in the fight against human trafficking. Without the Protocol, arguments around definitions would have continued to block the evolution of principles and rules. Without the Protocol it is likely that the human rights system would have continued its shameful tradition of sidelining issues such as forced labour, forced sex, forced marriage and the ritual exploitation of migrant workers through debt. Most critically, the Protocol provided the impetus and template for a series of legal and political developments that, over time, have served to ameliorate some of its greatest weaknesses, including the lack of human rights protections and of a credible oversight mechanism.

Conceptual basis of preventing and combating human trafficking in Ukraine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. M. Lukach

2015-05-01

The basic mechanisms and instruments of international community against human trafficking are explored by the author and also the ways of solving problems is proposed. In the article based on the international experience of combating human trafficking and the latest national legislation conceptual basics of preventing and counteracting human trafficking in Ukraine are examined. Including: improvement of laws against human trafficking and improvement of law enforcement; changing the the status of persons and support for persons from risk groups; increasing the level of public awareness, especially persons from risk groups; the qualified help to victims of trafficking.

Multilayered proteomics reveals molecular switches dictating ligand-dependent EGFR trafficking

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Francavilla, Chiara; Papetti, Moreno; Rigbolt, Kristoffer T G

2016-01-01

, we devised an integrated multilayered proteomics approach (IMPA). We analyzed dynamic changes in the receptor interactome, ubiquitinome, phosphoproteome, and late proteome in response to both ligands in human cells by quantitative MS and identified 67 proteins regulated at multiple levels. We...... identified RAB7 phosphorylation and RCP recruitment to EGFR as switches for EGF and TGF-α outputs, controlling receptor trafficking, signaling duration, proliferation, and migration. By manipulating RCP levels or phosphorylation of RAB7 in EGFR-positive cancer cells, we were able to switch a TGF......-α-mediated response to an EGF-like response or vice versa as EGFR trafficking was rerouted. We propose IMPA as an approach to uncover fine-tuned regulatory mechanisms in cell signaling....

Host–virus dynamics and subcellular controls of cell fate in a natural coccolithophore population

Science.gov (United States)

Vardi, Assaf; Haramaty, Liti; Van Mooy, Benjamin A. S.; Fredricks, Helen F.; Kimmance, Susan A.; Larsen, Aud; Bidle, Kay D.

2012-01-01

Marine viruses are major evolutionary and biogeochemical drivers in marine microbial foodwebs. However, an in-depth understanding of the cellular mechanisms and the signal transduction pathways mediating host–virus interactions during natural bloom dynamics has remained elusive. We used field-based mesocosms to examine the “arms race” between natural populations of the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi and its double-stranded DNA-containing coccolithoviruses (EhVs). Specifically, we examined the dynamics of EhV infection and its regulation of cell fate over the course of bloom development and demise using a diverse suite of molecular tools and in situ fluorescent staining to target different levels of subcellular resolution. We demonstrate the concomitant induction of reactive oxygen species, caspase-specific activity, metacaspase expression, and programmed cell death in response to the accumulation of virus-derived glycosphingolipids upon infection of natural E. huxleyi populations. These subcellular responses to viral infection simultaneously resulted in the enhanced production of transparent exopolymer particles, which can facilitate aggregation and stimulate carbon flux. Our results not only corroborate the critical role for glycosphingolipids and programmed cell death in regulating E. huxleyi–EhV interactions, but also elucidate promising molecular biomarkers and lipid-based proxies for phytoplankton host–virus interactions in natural systems. PMID:23134731

Illicit trafficking of radiological and nuclear materials: modeling and analysis of trafficking trends and risks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

York, David L.; Love, Tracia L.; Rochau, Gary Eugene

2005-01-01

Concerns over the illicit trafficking of radiological and nuclear materials were focused originally on the lack of security and accountability of such material throughout the former Soviet states. This is primarily attributed to the frequency of events that have occurred involving the theft and trafficking of critical material components that could be used to construct a Radiological Dispersal Device (RDD) or even a rudimentary nuclear device. However, with the continued expansion of nuclear technology and the deployment of a global nuclear fuel cycle these materials have become increasingly prevalent, affording a more diverse inventory of dangerous materials and dual-use items. To further complicate the matter, the list of nuclear consumers has grown to include: (1) Nation-states that have gone beyond the IAEA agreed framework and additional protocols concerning multiple nuclear fuel cycles and processes that reuse the fuel through reprocessing to exploit technologies previously confined to the more industrialized world; (2) Terrorist organizations seeking to acquire nuclear and radiological material due to the potential devastation and psychological effect of their use; (3) Organized crime, which has discovered a lucrative market in trafficking of illicit material to international actors and/or countries; and (4) Amateur smugglers trying to feed their families in a post-Soviet era. An initial look at trafficking trends of this type seems scattered and erratic, localized primarily to a select group of countries. This is not necessarily the case. The success with which other contraband has been smuggled throughout the world suggests that nuclear trafficking may be carried out with relative ease along the same routes by the same criminals or criminal organizations. Because of the inordinately high threat posed by terrorist or extremist groups acquiring the ingredients for unconventional weapons, it is necessary that illicit trafficking of these materials be better

Identification and Management of Human Trafficking Victims in the Emergency Department.

Science.gov (United States)

Hachey, Lisa M; Phillippi, Julia C

Health care practitioners serve an important role in identification and assistance of human trafficking victims. Advanced practice registered nurses, including certified nurse midwives, clinical nurse specialists, and nurse practitioners, are in a unique position to interact with persons trafficked and seen in the clinical setting, yet they require knowledge to identify the signs of human trafficking. Lack of training and education has been identified as a barrier for health care professionals to recognize human trafficking victims and implement needed health care services (; ). Barriers to identification and management include gap in knowledge about the process to screen for trafficking, to assist victims, and to make referrals. A patient-centered, trauma-informed approach can provide a safe environment to sensitively screen patients for human trafficking. Advanced practice registered nurses should be able to assess for trafficking indicators, collaborate with multidisciplinary service providers, and ensure understanding and availability of federal, state, and local resources to manage the care of victims of trafficking.

Routes of human trafficking in Europe and the position of Serbia on them

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ćopić Sanja

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Human trafficking as a form of organized crime is showing its increase today, changing at the same time its structure and characteristics. Some factors that contribute to such a situation are global trends that result in huge social and economic inequalities in the world, but also turbulences and problems that are affecting certain regions (wars, political instability, ethnic conflicts, militarization etc.. Human trafficking, as a complex social phenomenon that encompasses different forms of acting, subjects and aims, can be analyzed within different concepts. One of them refers to the issue of broader migration flows and migration control policy. Namely, from the global perspective, trafficking in human beings can be mostly considered as a form of 'organized illegal migration'. Due to that, it seems important to consider the issue of routes through which this form of migration is realized today. Discovering human trafficking routes, as well as other forms of illegal movement of people and illegal forms of trade are very important from the point of view of implementing adequate measures and relocation of resources in order to suppress these forms of socially unacceptable phenomena. Creating adequate anti-trafficking activities is important on national, regional and international levels. Keeping that in mind, the aim of this paper is to look into the contemporary routes of human trafficking within Europe and find out what is the position of Serbia on these routes, as well to examine possible changes that happened in this field during past several years. This will be done on the basis of the analysis of relevant literature, as well as on some preliminary findings of the survey on male victims of human trafficking in Serbia, which is currently conducted by the Victimology Society of Serbia.

Human trafficking: Role of oral health care providers.

Science.gov (United States)

Nuzzolese, E

2014-11-30

Trafficking in human beings is a modern form of slavery and is a well-known phenomenon throughout the European Union and beyond. After drug dealing and the weapons industry, human trafficking is the second largest criminal activity in the world today and it is a growing crime. The aim of governmental and non-governmental agencies, which are either directly or indirectly involved in combating trafficking in human beings, is the identification and referral of victims of trafficking and also to encourage self-referrals. Identification is the most important step to provide protection and assistance to victims of trafficking. Victims often have a variety of physical and mental health needs, including psychological trauma, injuries from violence, head and neck trauma, sexually transmitted infections and other gynaecological problems, dental/oral problems and have poor nutrition. The author's experience in the field of community dentistry in presented within. Volunteer dental services are offered to non-European Union patients held in a centre for asylum seekers in Bari (Italy). Dental professionals can, in fact, contribute to the identification, assistance and protection of trafficked persons, as well as offering forensic services to assist the police investigation in order to identify crimes and find the criminal organizations behind them. As for domestic violence and child abuse cases, there are ethical concerns involved in the identification and protection of the trafficked persons, as well as the need for interdisciplinary work and awareness. Adequate training in behavioural science and intercultural learning is paramount in order to avoid misunderstandings and increase sensitivity.

Recommendations for strengthening the national systems and the international regime for combating of illicit trafficking. Keynote address/session 10

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ek, P.; Wredberg, L.

2001-01-01

Full text: Illicit trafficking activities involving nuclear material and equipment are acts of nuclear proliferation. The threat of illicit trafficking is an international concern and the consequences of illicit trafficking, such as war or terrorist attacks using illegally manufactured nuclear weapons, might affect any country. As long as these materials and equipment remain a potential for theft and smuggling due to insufficient security and control conditions, there is a possibility that proliferators or terrorist groups may illegally take possession of such materials and equipment for illicit purposes. A precondition for preventing illicit trafficking is the existence of effective national systems for supervision and control of nuclear material and equipment, including physical protection and export/import control, based on an accurate and complete legislation. In addition thereto, national systems for combating of illicit trafficking, through prevention and detection within a state's territory or across its borders, incorporate such components as: supervision and control of nuclear operations; organisation of operator activities through quality assurance, internal control, security culture, etc.; law enforcement functions (police, intelligence, customs, investigation, prosecution, penalties and sanctions); and procedures for co-ordination and co-operation between supervising and law enforcement authorities. According to a joint Swedish-Norwegian-Latvian study, there are imperfections in many national systems for combating of illicit trafficking, such as: Incomplete legislation on nuclear non-proliferation and safety, physical protection and export/import control; Unclear or overlapping responsibilities between national supervision and law enforcement authorities, leading to poor co-operation and co-ordination of preventing and detecting measures; Incomplete rules and regulations concerning operator functions and responsibilities, including requirements on

Predicting the subcellular localization of viral proteins within a mammalian host cell

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas DY

2006-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The bioinformatic prediction of protein subcellular localization has been extensively studied for prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. However, this is not the case for viruses whose proteins are often involved in extensive interactions at various subcellular localizations with host proteins. Results Here, we investigate the extent of utilization of human cellular localization mechanisms by viral proteins and we demonstrate that appropriate eukaryotic subcellular localization predictors can be used to predict viral protein localization within the host cell. Conclusion Such predictions provide a method to rapidly annotate viral proteomes with subcellular localization information. They are likely to have widespread applications both in the study of the functions of viral proteins in the host cell and in the design of antiviral drugs.

Human Trafficking. Ministering to The 'Invisible' Victim.

Science.gov (United States)

Scanlon, Colleen; Krausa, Laura

2016-07-01

Human trafficking is modern-day slavery - an insidious, criminal industry that gener- ates billions of dollars in labor trafficking alone. It knows no boundary of continent, country, race or class; it is a shattering, impartial predator that robs individuals of their basic human dignity.

Characterising the online weapons trafficking on cryptomarkets.

Science.gov (United States)

Rhumorbarbe, Damien; Werner, Denis; Gilliéron, Quentin; Staehli, Ludovic; Broséus, Julian; Rossy, Quentin

2018-02-01

Weapons related webpages from nine cryptomarkets were manually duplicated in February 2016. Information about the listings (i.e. sales proposals) and vendors' profiles were extracted to draw an overview of the actual online trafficking of weapons. Relationships between vendors were also inferred through the analysis of online digital traces and content similarities. Weapons trafficking is mainly concentrated on two major cryptomarkets. Besides, it accounts for a very small proportion of the illicit trafficking on cryptomarkets compared to the illicit drugs trafficking. Among all weapon related listings (n=386), firearms only account for approximately 25% of sales proposal since the proportion of non-lethal and melee weapons is important (around 46%). Based on the recorded pseudonyms, a total of 96 vendor profiles were highlighted. Some pseudonyms were encountered on several cryptomarkets, suggesting that some vendors may manage accounts on different markets. This hypothesis was strengthened by comparing pseudonyms to online traces such as PGP keys, images and profiles descriptions. Such a method allowed to estimate more accurately the number of vendors offering weapons across cryptomarkets. Finally, according to the gathered data, the extent of the weapons trafficking on the cryptomarkets appear to be limited compared to other illicit goods. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Child human trafficking victims: challenges for the child welfare system.

Science.gov (United States)

Fong, Rowena; Berger Cardoso, Jodi

2010-08-01

Since the passing of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act in 2000 and its reauthorization by President George Bush in 2008, federal, state and community efforts in identifying and providing services for victims of human trafficking have significantly improved. However, most of the research and resources for trafficking victims have been directed towards adults rather than children. Researchers agree that there is a growing number of sexually exploited and trafficked children in the United States yet few programs emphasize the unique experiences and special needs of this population. This article examines commercial sexual exploitation of children; differentiates the needs and problems between child prostitution and victims of human trafficking; reviews and critiques current treatment practices; and summarizes challenges and successes in working with child victims of human trafficking, offering practice and policy recommendations. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Health Care and Human Trafficking: We are Seeing the Unseen.

Science.gov (United States)

Chisolm-Straker, Makini; Baldwin, Susie; Gaïgbé-Togbé, Bertille; Ndukwe, Nneka; Johnson, Pauline N; Richardson, Lynne D

2016-01-01

This study aimed to build the evidence base around human trafficking (HT) and health in the U.S. by employing a quantitative approach to exploring the notion that health care providers encounter this population. Furthermore, this study sought to describe the health care settings most frequented by victims of human trafficking. This was an anonymous, retrospective study of survivors of U.S.-based human trafficking. One hundred and seventy-three participants who endured U.S.-based human trafficking were surveyed. The majority (68%, n=117) of participants were seen by a health care provider while being trafficked. Respondents most frequently reported visiting emergency/urgent care practitioners (56%), followed by primary care providers, dentists, and obstetricians/gynecologists (OB/GYNs). While health care providers are serving this patient population, they do not consistently identify them as victims of human trafficking.

Sub-cellular force microscopy in single normal and cancer cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Babahosseini, H. [VT MEMS Laboratory, The Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Blacksburg, VA 24061 (United States); Carmichael, B. [Nonlinear Intelligent Structures Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0276 (United States); Strobl, J.S. [VT MEMS Laboratory, The Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Blacksburg, VA 24061 (United States); Mahmoodi, S.N., E-mail: nmahmoodi@eng.ua.edu [Nonlinear Intelligent Structures Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0276 (United States); Agah, M., E-mail: agah@vt.edu [VT MEMS Laboratory, The Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Blacksburg, VA 24061 (United States)

2015-08-07

This work investigates the biomechanical properties of sub-cellular structures of breast cells using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The cells are modeled as a triple-layered structure where the Generalized Maxwell model is applied to experimental data from AFM stress-relaxation tests to extract the elastic modulus, the apparent viscosity, and the relaxation time of sub-cellular structures. The triple-layered modeling results allow for determination and comparison of the biomechanical properties of the three major sub-cellular structures between normal and cancerous cells: the up plasma membrane/actin cortex, the mid cytoplasm/nucleus, and the low nuclear/integrin sub-domains. The results reveal that the sub-domains become stiffer and significantly more viscous with depth, regardless of cell type. In addition, there is a decreasing trend in the average elastic modulus and apparent viscosity of the all corresponding sub-cellular structures from normal to cancerous cells, which becomes most remarkable in the deeper sub-domain. The presented modeling in this work constitutes a unique AFM-based experimental framework to study the biomechanics of sub-cellular structures. - Highlights: • The cells are modeled as a triple-layered structure using Generalized Maxwell model. • The sub-domains include membrane/cortex, cytoplasm/nucleus, and nuclear/integrin. • Biomechanics of corresponding sub-domains are compared among normal and cancer cells. • Viscoelasticity of sub-domains show a decreasing trend from normal to cancer cells. • The decreasing trend becomes most significant in the deeper sub-domain.

Sub-cellular force microscopy in single normal and cancer cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Babahosseini, H.; Carmichael, B.; Strobl, J.S.; Mahmoodi, S.N.; Agah, M.

2015-01-01

This work investigates the biomechanical properties of sub-cellular structures of breast cells using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The cells are modeled as a triple-layered structure where the Generalized Maxwell model is applied to experimental data from AFM stress-relaxation tests to extract the elastic modulus, the apparent viscosity, and the relaxation time of sub-cellular structures. The triple-layered modeling results allow for determination and comparison of the biomechanical properties of the three major sub-cellular structures between normal and cancerous cells: the up plasma membrane/actin cortex, the mid cytoplasm/nucleus, and the low nuclear/integrin sub-domains. The results reveal that the sub-domains become stiffer and significantly more viscous with depth, regardless of cell type. In addition, there is a decreasing trend in the average elastic modulus and apparent viscosity of the all corresponding sub-cellular structures from normal to cancerous cells, which becomes most remarkable in the deeper sub-domain. The presented modeling in this work constitutes a unique AFM-based experimental framework to study the biomechanics of sub-cellular structures. - Highlights: • The cells are modeled as a triple-layered structure using Generalized Maxwell model. • The sub-domains include membrane/cortex, cytoplasm/nucleus, and nuclear/integrin. • Biomechanics of corresponding sub-domains are compared among normal and cancer cells. • Viscoelasticity of sub-domains show a decreasing trend from normal to cancer cells. • The decreasing trend becomes most significant in the deeper sub-domain

Conceptual basis of preventing and combating human trafficking in Ukraine

OpenAIRE

N. M. Lukach

2015-01-01

The activities of international organizations against human trafficking is considered in the article. Today human trafficking gained the grand scale of its spreading and affected all countries and regions, including Ukraine. Nowadays there are a lot of kinds and forms of human exploitation. Human trafficking has put the challenge to the international community and calls for its immediate resolution. Combating human trafficking are at all levels from global to regional and national. The int...

Human trafficking: fighting the illicit economy with the legitimate economy

OpenAIRE

Shelley, Louise; Bain, Christina

2015-01-01

Since the beginning of research on human trafficking, there has been attention paid to the challenges surrounding the illicit economy. In creating new strategies and initiatives on combatting human trafficking, there needs to be more discussion surrounding the legitimate economy and how the business sector can make an impact in the fight against trafficking. Currently, there is a growing movement of businesses that are looking to address human trafficking through training, education, and lead...

Global Human Trafficking and Child Victimization.

Science.gov (United States)

Greenbaum, Jordan; Bodrick, Nia

2017-12-01

Trafficking of children for labor and sexual exploitation violates basic human rights and constitutes a major global public health problem. Pediatricians and other health care professionals may encounter victims who present with infections, injuries, posttraumatic stress disorder, suicidality, or a variety of other physical or behavioral health conditions. Preventing child trafficking, recognizing victimization, and intervening appropriately require a public health approach that incorporates rigorous research on the risk factors, health impact, and effective treatment options for child exploitation as well as implementation and evaluation of primary prevention programs. Health care professionals need training to recognize possible signs of exploitation and to intervene appropriately. They need to adopt a multidisciplinary, outward-focused approach to service provision, working with nonmedical professionals in the community to assist victims. Pediatricians also need to advocate for legislation and policies that promote child rights and victim services as well as those that address the social determinants of health, which influence the vulnerability to human trafficking. This policy statement outlines major issues regarding public policy, medical education, research, and collaboration in the area of child labor and sex trafficking and provides recommendations for future work. Copyright © 2017 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Risk Factors for Domestic Child Sex Trafficking in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Fedina, Lisa; Williamson, Celia; Perdue, Tasha

2016-07-01

Despite increased effort to respond to human trafficking at national and state levels, very little empirical research has been conducted on domestic child sex trafficking. This study retrospectively examines associations between multiple risk factors and domestic child sex trafficking (i.e., entry into the commercial sex industry under the age of 18) in a sample of individuals aged 16 and older currently involved in the commercial sex industry ( N = 273). Two primary research questions are addressed: (1) What set of risk factors, prior to entering the commercial sex industry, are associated with domestic child sex trafficking and (2) what group differences, if any, exist in risk factors between current or former domestic child sex-trafficking victims and non-trafficked adults engaged in the commercial sex industry? A cross-sectional survey was administered using Respondent-Driven Sampling (RDS) in five cities in one Midwestern state. Overall, 115 participants (48.3%) were identified as current or former domestic child sex-trafficking victims. Bivariate results suggest that childhood emotional and sexual abuse, rape, ever running away from home, having family members in sex work, and having friends who purchased sex were significantly associated with domestic child sex trafficking. Multivariate results indicate that domestic child sex trafficking victims were significantly more likely to have ever run away and to be a racial/ethnic minority than non-trafficked adults engaged in the commercial sex industry. Findings can inform state-level policies on human trafficking and assist child protection and juvenile justice agencies in developing prevention and intervention responses to commercial sexual exploitation.

Modeling for Determinants of Human Trafficking: An Empirical Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seo-Young Cho

2015-02-01

Full Text Available This study aims to identify robust push and pull factors of human trafficking. I test for the robustness of 70 push and 63 pull factors suggested in the literature. In doing so, I employ an extreme bound analysis, running more than two million regressions with all possible combinations of variables for up to 153 countries during the period of 1995–2010. My results show that crime prevalence robustly explains human trafficking both in destination and origin countries. Income level also has a robust impact, suggesting that the cause of human trafficking shares that of economic migration. Law enforcement matters more in origin countries than destination countries. Interestingly, a very low level of gender equality may have constraining effects on human trafficking outflow, possibly because gender discrimination limits female mobility that is necessary for the occurrence of human trafficking.

Human Trafficking of Children in the United States: A Fact Sheet

Science.gov (United States)

US Department of Education, 2007

2007-01-01

This fact sheet presents questions and answers related to the human trafficking of children in the United States. It describes human trafficking and its extent in the United States, how human traffickers target children for coerced labor and sex exploitation, how to identify victims of human trafficking, how to report a suspected incidence of…

Heme Mobilization in Animals: A Metallolipid's Journey.

Science.gov (United States)

Reddi, Amit R; Hamza, Iqbal

2016-06-21

Heme is universally recognized as an essential and ubiquitous prosthetic group that enables proteins to carry out a diverse array of functions. All heme-dependent processes, from protein hemylation to heme signaling, require the dynamic and rapid mobilization of heme to hemoproteins present in virtually every subcellular compartment. The cytotoxicity and hydrophobicity of heme necessitates that heme mobilization is carefully controlled at the cellular and systemic level. However, the molecules and mechanisms that mediate heme homeostasis are poorly understood. In this Account, we provide a heuristic paradigm with which to conceptualize heme trafficking and highlight the most recent developments in the mechanisms underlying heme trafficking. As an iron-containing tetrapyrrole, heme exhibits properties of both transition metals and lipids. Accordingly, we propose its transport and trafficking will reflect principles gleaned from the trafficking of both metals and lipids. Using this conceptual framework, we follow the flow of heme from the final step of heme synthesis in the mitochondria to hemoproteins present in various subcellular organelles. Further, given that many cells and animals that cannot make heme can assimilate it intact from nutritional sources, we propose that intercellular heme trafficking pathways must exist. This necessitates that heme be able to be imported and exported from cells, escorted between cells and organs, and regulated at the organismal level via a coordinated systemic process. In this Account, we highlight recently discovered heme transport and trafficking factors and provide the biochemical foundation for the cell and systems biology of heme. Altogether, we seek to reconceptualize heme from an exchange inert cofactor buried in hemoprotein active sites to an exchange labile and mobile metallonutrient.

Child Labor Trafficking in the United States: A Hidden Crime

OpenAIRE

Kaufka Walts, Katherine

2017-01-01

Emerging research brings more attention to labor trafficking in the United States. However, very few efforts have been made to better understand or respond to labor trafficking of minors. Cases of children forced to work as domestic servants, in factories, restaurants, peddling candy or other goods, or on farms may not automatically elicit suspicion from an outside observer as compared to a child providing sexual services for money. In contrast to sex trafficking, labor trafficking is often t...

Relationships between suspects and victims of sex trafficking. Exploitation of prostitutes and domestic violence parallels in Dutch trafficking cases.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verhoeven, M.; van Gestel, B.; de Jong, D.; Kleemans, E.R.

2014-01-01

This article centres on the hypothesis that human trafficking for sexual exploitation is not only an organised crime activity, but a crime of relational nature as well. Therefore this study explores the relationships that exist between suspects and victims of sex trafficking, and examines to what

Nuclear Trafficking of Retroviral RNAs and Gag Proteins during Late Steps of Replication

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthew S. Stake

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Retroviruses exploit nuclear trafficking machinery at several distinct stages in their replication cycles. In this review, we will focus primarily on nucleocytoplasmic trafficking events that occur after the completion of reverse transcription and proviral integration. First, we will discuss nuclear export of unspliced viral RNA transcripts, which serves two essential roles: as the mRNA template for the translation of viral structural proteins and as the genome for encapsidation into virions. These full-length viral RNAs must overcome the cell’s quality control measures to leave the nucleus by co-opting host factors or encoding viral proteins to mediate nuclear export of unspliced viral RNAs. Next, we will summarize the most recent findings on the mechanisms of Gag nuclear trafficking and discuss potential roles for nuclear localization of Gag proteins in retrovirus replication.

Subcellular analysis by laser ablation electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Science.gov (United States)

Vertes, Akos; Stolee, Jessica A; Shrestha, Bindesh

2014-12-02

In various embodiments, a method of laser ablation electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LAESI-MS) may generally comprise micro-dissecting a cell comprising at least one of a cell wall and a cell membrane to expose at least one subcellular component therein, ablating the at least one subcellular component by an infrared laser pulse to form an ablation plume, intercepting the ablation plume by an electrospray plume to form ions, and detecting the ions by mass spectrometry.

Preventing trafficking in women and children in Asia: issues and options.

Science.gov (United States)

Bennett, T

1999-09-01

This article discusses the issues and options in the prevention of trafficking of women and children in Asia. Studies revealed a higher prevalence of trafficking in Asian countries such as Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Philippines, Cambodia, and Thailand. This is due to a huge population, growing urbanization, and poverty. Several programs by the government and nongovernmental organizations have been developed to address the trafficking problem. In Nepal, the Maiti program was organized to help trafficking victims return to their home country, while occupational alternatives and awareness campaigns were organized for young women vulnerable to trafficking. In Thailand, greater penalties were imposed to customers as compared to the sellers so as to discourage the continuance and decrease the prevalence of trafficking. Other strategies have also been identified, such as prosecution of procurers, community awareness through campaigns, poverty alleviation, and gender equalization to address the trafficking problem.

Membrane trafficking pathways and their roles in plant-microbe interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Inada, Noriko; Ueda, Takashi

2014-04-01

Membrane trafficking functions in the delivery of proteins that are newly synthesized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to their final destinations, such as the plasma membrane (PM) and the vacuole, and in the internalization of extracellular components or PM-associated proteins for recycling or degradative regulation. These trafficking pathways play pivotal roles in the rapid responses to environmental stimuli such as challenges by microorganisms. In this review, we provide an overview of the current knowledge of plant membrane trafficking and its roles in plant-microbe interactions. Although there is little information regarding the mechanism of pathogenic modulation of plant membrane trafficking thus far, recent research has identified many membrane trafficking factors as possible targets of microbial modulation.

Domestic minor sex trafficking: what the PNP needs to know.

Science.gov (United States)

Hornor, Gail

2015-01-01

Human trafficking is a major global public health problem and represents a substantial human rights violation. Human trafficking has been receiving attention in both the lay media and professional literature. Human trafficking can include commercial sex, forced labor, child soldiers, and stealing of human organs. One form of human trafficking represents a significant American pediatric health problem: domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST). DMST is the commercial sexual abuse of children by selling, buying, or trading their sexual service. This continuing education article will define DMST and discuss it in terms of prevalence, risk factors, and practice implications for the pediatric nurse practitioner. Copyright © 2015 National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

78 FR 70571 - Advisory Council on Wildlife Trafficking; Rescheduled Meeting

Science.gov (United States)

2013-11-26

... Advisory Council on Wildlife Trafficking (Council) will hold a meeting to discuss committee structure and organization, the National Strategy to Combat Wildlife Trafficking, and other council business as appropriate... Council organization and process, 2. The National Strategy to Combat Wildlife Trafficking, and 3. Other...

Fighting Human Trafficking in the European Union: A master’s thesis on the ability of EU law to fight trafficking in women for sexual exploitation

OpenAIRE

Nielsen, Stine Piilgaard Porner

2011-01-01

Human trafficking is considered to be modern day slavery. The EU continuously seeks to strengthen its fight against this crime, latest with the Directive on Prevention, Combat and Protection adopted in April 2011. But to what extent is the EU able to fight human trafficking through law? Human trafficking is a complex problem which can be assessed from different perspectives. The EU primarily addresses the fight against human trafficking through criminal law, and this thesis investigates the e...

Nuclear trafficking latest statistics released

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-01-01

Full text: Countries reported 121 incidents to the IAEA in 2004 of illicit trafficking and other unauthorized activities involving nuclear and other radioactive materials, newly released statistics from the Agency's Illicit Trafficking Database (ITDB) show. The ITDB report also shows that one incident was reported since 2003 that involved fissile material - highly enriched uranium (HEU) or plutonium - that is needed to make a nuclear weapon. It occurred in June 2003 when an individual was arrested in possession of 170 grams of HEU, attempting to illegally transport it across the border. During the two-year period 2003-2004, the number of incidents reported by States substantially increased compared with previous years. 'Improved reporting may in part account for it,' the report said. 'The majority of the incidents reported in 2003-2004 showed no evidence of criminal activity.' The Past Twelve Years: 1993 - 2004 Nuclear Weapons Grade Material. Since the database started in 1993, there have been eighteen confirmed incidents involving trafficking in HEU and plutonium. A few of these incidents involved seizures of kilogram quantities of weapons-usable nuclear material but most involved very small quantities. In some of the cases the seized material was allegedly a sample of larger quantities available for illegal sale or at risk of theft. More than two dozens incidents involved trace amounts of plutonium sources. Table can be viewed: Incidents involving HEU and Pu confirmed to the ITDB (1993-2004). Nuclear Materials. In the past twelve years, 220 incidents involved nuclear materials. The majority of confirmed cases with nuclear materials involved low-grade nuclear materials, mostly in the form of reactor fuel pellets, and natural uranium, depleted uranium and thorium. While the quantities of these materials have been rather small to be significant for nuclear proliferation or use in a terrorist nuclear explosive device, these cases are indicative of gaps in the control

The Victim Handling Model of Human Trafficking Through Economic Independence

OpenAIRE

Nuraeny, Henny; Utami, Tanti Kirana

2016-01-01

Human Trafficking is a modern trading of human slavery. Human Trafficking is also one of the worst forms of violation of human dignity that results in trauma to the victims. To that end, there should be a comprehensive treatment for victims. The problems that can be studied is whether a model that can be applied in the treatment of victims of trafficking in Cianjur and disseminating technical how models Handling of Victims of Human Trafficking in Cianjur. This study used normative juridical a...

Human trafficking and health: a conceptual model to inform policy, intervention and research.

Science.gov (United States)

Zimmerman, Cathy; Hossain, Mazeda; Watts, Charlotte

2011-07-01

Human trafficking is an international crime renowned for extreme forms of violence against women, men and children. Although trafficking-related violence has been well-documented, the health of trafficked persons has been a largely neglected topic. For people who are trafficked, health risks and consequences may begin before they are recruited into the trafficking process, continue throughout the period of exploitation and persist even after individuals are released. Policy-making, service provision and research often focus narrowly on criminal violations that occur during the period of exploitation, regularly overlooking the health implications of trafficking. Similarly, the public health sector has not yet incorporated human trafficking as a health concern. We present a conceptual model that highlights the migratory and exploitative nature of a multi-staged trafficking process, which includes: 'recruitment', travel-transit', 'exploitation' and 'integration' or 'reintegration', and for some trafficked persons, 'detention' and 're-trafficking' stages. Trafficked persons may suffer from physical, sexual and psychological harm, occupational hazards, legal restrictions and difficulties associated with being marginalised or stigmatised. Researchers and decision-makers will benefit from a theoretical approach that conceptualizes trafficking and health as a multi-staged process of cumulative harm. To address a health risk such as trafficking, which spans geographical boundaries and involves multiple sectors, including immigration and law enforcement, labour, social and health services, interventions must be coordinated between nations and across sectors to promote the protection and recovery of people who are trafficked. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Medical education and human trafficking: using simulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Stoklosa, Hanni; Lyman, Michelle; Bohnert, Carrie; Mittel, Olivia

2017-01-01

Healthcare providers have the potential to play a crucial role in human trafficking prevention, identification, and intervention. However, trafficked patients are often unidentified due to lack of education and preparation available to healthcare professionals at all levels of training and practice. To increase victim identification in healthcare settings, providers need to be educated about the issue of trafficking and its clinical presentations in an interactive format that maximizes learning and ultimately patient-centered outcomes. In 2014, University of Louisville School of Medicine created a simulation-based medical education (SBME) curriculum to prepare students to recognize victims and intervene on their behalf. The authors share the factors that influenced the session's development and incorporation into an already full third year medical curriculum and outline the development process. The process included a needs assessment for the education intervention, development of objectives and corresponding assessment, implementation of the curriculum, and finally the next steps of the module as it develops further. Additional alternatives are provided for other medical educators seeking to implement similar modules at their home institution. It is our hope that the description of this process will help others to create similar interactive educational programs and ultimately help trafficking survivors receive the care they need. HCP: Healthcare professional; M-SIGHT: Medical student instruction in global human trafficking; SBME: Simulation-based medical education; SP: Standardized patient; TIC: Trauma-informed care.

Human Trafficking in Southeast Asia: Causes and Policy Implications

Science.gov (United States)

2009-06-01

Trafficking (Thailand, 2007), 1. 21 Sheila Jeffreys, “Globalizing Sexual Exploitation, Sex Tourism and the Traffic in Women,” Leisure Studies, vol...trafficking. Economically, Cambodia has lagged far behind its successful neighboring countries of Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia , leaving...trafficked to Thailand and Malaysia , it is likely that the government had numerous opportunities to take action under the new legislation but simply failed

Human Trafficking in Areas of Conflict: Health Care Professionals' Duty to Act.

Science.gov (United States)

Bloem, Christina; Morris, Rikki E; Chisolm-Straker, Makini

2017-01-01

Given the significant global burden of human trafficking, the ability of clinicians to identify and provide treatment for trafficked persons is critical. Particularly in conflict settings, health care facilities often serve as the first and sometimes only point of contact for trafficked persons. As such, medical practitioners have a unique opportunity and an ethical imperative to intervene, even in nonclinical roles. With proper training, medical practitioners can assist trafficked persons by documenting human trafficking cases, thereby placing pressure on key stakeholders to enforce legal protections, and by providing adequate services to those trafficked. © 2017 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.

The Anatomy of Human Trafficking: Learning About the Blues: A Healthcare Provider's Guide.

Science.gov (United States)

Stevens, Meriam; Berishaj, Kelly

2016-01-01

Human trafficking is a major global public health concern. It is a grave crime that violates human rights. Contrary to healthcare providers' perceptions, victims of human trafficking come in contact with the healthcare system while being trafficked, with the emergency department being the most frequented setting for medical treatment. In this article, we explore the anatomy of human trafficking, including the scope of the problem, definitions, and types and elements of human trafficking. The roles of clinicians, particularly emergency department nurses and advanced practice nurses, in screening and identifying those at risk are examined. Clinical practice tools and guidelines that may be used by clinicians to guide the treatment of human trafficking victims are reviewed. Finally, current strategies and resources that address human trafficking are presented. For the purpose of this article, the terms "human trafficking" or "trafficking" will be used throughout.

National Human Trafficking Initiatives: Dimensions of Policy Diffusion1

Science.gov (United States)

Yoo, Eun-hye; Boyle, Elizabeth Heger

2014-01-01

The implementation of criminal law involves formal law enforcement, education and public outreach aimed at preventing criminal activity, and providing services for victims. Historically, quantitative research on global trends has tended to focus on a single policy dimension, potentially masking the unique factors that affect the diffusion of each policy dimension independently. Using an ordered-probit model to analyze new human trafficking policy data on national prosecution, prevention, and victim-protection efforts, we find that global ties and domestic interest groups matter more in areas where international law is less defined. While prosecution, officially mandated by the Trafficking Protocol, was relatively impervious to global ties and domestic interest groups, both trafficking prevention and victim protection were associated with these factors. Our findings also suggest that fear of repercussions is not a major driver of state actions to combat trafficking—neither ratification of the Trafficking Protocol nor levels of United States aid were associated with greater implementation of anti-trafficking measures. PMID:26538806

Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the Fight Against Human Trafficking

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christina Bain

2017-06-01

Full Text Available There has been much discussed and written on the benefits of entrepreneurship education, as well as the importance of early access to this type of learning. But how can entrepreneurship education train and inspire the next generation of anti-trafficking leaders? How can entrepreneurship also be a driver for prevention and a source of economic stability for those at-risk and survivors of human trafficking? At present, there are entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs-in-training at multiple age levels coming from a variety of backgrounds, incomes, and circumstances who will develop groundbreaking strategies and solutions in the fight against trafficking. These current and future entrepreneurs can also provide fresh perspectives to those in government and business while building more effective tri-sector coalitions and partnerships that address human trafficking. This article explores how and why entrepreneurship can be a key vehicle for social change and innovations in combating human trafficking, along with providing a multi-ingredient recipe of prosperity for those most vulnerable.

Subcellular site and nature of intracellular cadmium in plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wagner, G.J.

1979-01-01

The mechanisms underlying heavy metal accumulation, toxicity and tolerance in higher plants are poorly understood. Since subcellular processes are undoubtedly involved in all these phenomena, it is of interest to study the extent of, subcellular site of and nature of intracellularly accumulated cadmium in higher plants. Whole plants supplied 109 CdCl 2 or 112 CdSO 4 accumulated Cd into roots and aerial tissues. Preparation of protoplasts from aerial tissue followed by subcellular fractionation of the protoplasts to obtain intact vacuoles, chloroplasts and cytosol revealed the presence of Cd in the cytosol but not in vacuoles or chloroplasts. Particulate materials containing other cell components were also labeled. Of the 109 Cd supplied to plants, 2 to 10% was recovered in both cytosol preparations and in particulate materials. Cytosol contained proteinaceous--Cd complexes, free metal and low molecular weight Cd complexes. Labeling of protoplasts gave similar results. No evidence was obtained for the production of volatile Cd complexes in tobacco

Human trafficking and legalized prostitution in the Netherlands

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siegel Dina

2009-01-01

Full Text Available On 1 October 2000, the Netherlands became the first European country to legalize prostitution as a profession, with its rights and duties. On the other hand, this new Dutch law excluded those sex workers, who come from outside the EU. The majority of women working in the sex industry, who are considered illegal migrants in the Netherlands, had two choices: either leaving the country or disappearing into the illegal criminal circuit. For law enforcement and assistant services, it became extremely difficult to control the sector. In this paper, the consequences of the 'Brothel Law' are presented. What happens with illegal non-European sex workers in the Netherlands, how the problem of human trafficking is constructed in Dutch media and combated in the country, what could be learned from the 'Dutch case'? The paper aims to answer these questions and contribute to the general study on human trafficking and voluntary prostitution in Europe.

Attitudes About Human Trafficking: Individual Differences Related to Belief and Victim Blame.

Science.gov (United States)

Cunningham, Katherine C; Cromer, Lisa DeMarni

2016-01-01

Human trafficking is believed to oppress millions of people worldwide. Despite increased media attention and public awareness campaigns in recent years, no empirical research has examined public attitudes about human trafficking. The present study examined gender, sexual trauma history, and attitudes about human trafficking as they related to belief of a sex-trafficking scenario and willingness to blame the victim for the situation. Undergraduate students (N = 409) at a large private university in the Northeastern United States completed measures in which they responded to a vignette portraying sex trafficking in the United States. Participants also reported their personal trauma history and completed a Human Trafficking Myths Scale. Results indicated that gender and human trafficking myth acceptance, but not sexual trauma history, were significantly related to participants' belief of the sex-trafficking scenario and their perception of the victim's responsibility. Potential implications and directions for future research are discussed. © The Author(s) 2014.

The Fight against the Least Visible Form of Human Trafficking: Trafficking for Child Labour Exploitation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luz María Puente Aba

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Child trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation is a difficult phenomenon to detect. It is also not readily definable considering that this specific form of trafficking is closely linked with the phenomenon of forced child labour, and even with the broader occurrence of child labour. A lack of globally reliable data and the convergence of different concepts related to child trafficking for labour exploitation pose significant challenges when trying to regulate the circumstances concerning child work and the criminalisation of trafficking for labour exploitation. This article offers a clear overview of the available data related to all the phenomena, and aims to clarify all the situations involved, defining child work, child labour, forced child labour and child trafficking for the purposes of labour exploitation. Furthermore, this article discusses the possible loopholes and critical issues that could hinder global approaches to resolving these issues. La trata infantil con fines de explotación laboral es un fenómeno difícil de detectar, y tampoco es sencillo definirlo si se tiene en cuenta que esta forma específica de trata está estrechamente relacionada con el fenómeno del trabajo forzado infantil e, incluso, con el fenómeno más general de trabajo infantil. Todo ello supone un desafío a la hora de regular las circunstancias que definen el trabajo realizado por niños y la criminalización de la trata para la explotación laboral. Este artículo ofrece un repaso de los datos disponibles en esta materia y procura aclarar las situaciones que se pueden plantear, así como definir trabajo realizado por niños, trabajo infantil, trabajo infantil forzado y trata infantil con fines de explotación laboral. Por último, profundiza en las posibles deficiencias y en los aspectos críticos que podrían obstaculizar un acercamiento global a esta problemática. DOWNLOAD THIS PAPER FROM SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=3088010

Trafficking in women in Serbia and neighboring countries: Scope, characteristics and causes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nikolić-Ristanović Vesna Ž.

2002-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper scope, characteristics and causes of sex trafficking in women are analyzed. The analysis considers trafficking in women in Serbia and in its direct and indirect surrounding. Available data about distribution and channels of trafficking in women, as well as about methods of recruitment, transfer and victimization of women are analyzed. Also, some of characteristics of traffickers are considered. The special chapter deals with factors that contribute to sex trafficking in women. These factors are classified in three groups: push factors, pull factors and facilitating factors. In the conclusion, the author points out the importance of data exposed in this paper for building efficient system of struggle against as well as prevention of trafficking of human beings in general, and, of sex trafficking in women, in particular.

78 FR 59950 - Advisory Council on Wildlife Trafficking

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-30

... Committee Structure and Organization, the National Strategy to Combat Wildlife Trafficking, and other... will consider: 1. Advisory Council organization and process, 2. The National Strategy to Combat..., through the Secretary of the Interior, on national strategies to combat wildlife trafficking, including...

Trafficking of Children in Albania: Patterns of Recruitment and Reintegration

Science.gov (United States)

Gjermeni, Eglantina; Van Hook, Mary P.; Gjipali, Saemira; Xhillari, Lindita; Lungu, Fatjon; Hazizi, Anila

2008-01-01

Problem: Many children in Albania and other countries of Eastern Europe are being trafficked as part of the global business of human trafficking. Objectives: The study sought to identify the patterns of child trafficking involving Albanian children, and especially children's views of the role of family issues and the nature of the trafficking…

Homeostatic regulation of T cell trafficking by a B cell-derived peptide is impaired in autoimmune and chronic inflammatory disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Chimen, Myriam; McGettrick, Helen M; Apta, Bonita; Kuravi, Sahithi J; Yates, Clara M; Kennedy, Amy; Odedra, Arjun; Alassiri, Mohammed; Harrison, Matthew; Martin, Ashley; Barone, Francesca; Nayar, Saba; Hitchcock, Jessica R; Cunningham, Adam F; Raza, Karim; Filer, Andrew; Copland, David A; Dick, Andrew D; Robinson, Joseph; Kalia, Neena; Walker, Lucy S K; Buckley, Christopher D; Nash, Gerard B; Narendran, Parth; Rainger, G Ed

2015-05-01

During an inflammatory response, lymphocyte recruitment into tissue must be tightly controlled because dysregulated trafficking contributes to the pathogenesis of chronic disease. Here we show that during inflammation and in response to adiponectin, B cells tonically inhibit T cell trafficking by secreting a peptide (PEPITEM) proteolytically derived from 14.3.3 zeta delta (14.3.3.ζδ) protein. PEPITEM binds cadherin-15 on endothelial cells, promoting synthesis and release of sphingosine-1 phosphate, which inhibits trafficking of T cells without affecting recruitment of other leukocytes. Expression of adiponectin receptors on B cells and adiponectin-induced PEPITEM secretion wanes with age, implying immune senescence of the pathway. Additionally, these changes are evident in individuals with type 1 diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis, and circulating PEPITEM in patient serum is reduced compared to that of healthy age-matched donors. In both diseases, tonic inhibition of T cell trafficking across inflamed endothelium is lost. Control of patient T cell trafficking is re-established by treatment with exogenous PEPITEM. Moreover, in animal models of peritonitis, hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury, Salmonella infection, uveitis and Sjögren's syndrome, PEPITEM reduced T cell recruitment into inflamed tissues.

Homeostatic regulation of T cell trafficking by a B cell derived peptide is impaired in autoimmune and chronic inflammatory disease

Science.gov (United States)

Apta, Bonita; Kuravi, Sahithi J.; Yates, Clara M.; Kennedy, Amy; Odedra, Arjun; Alassiri, Mohammed; Harrison, Matthew; Martin, Ashley; Barone, Francesca; Nayar, Saba; Hitchcock, Jessica R.; Cunningham, Adam F.; Raza, Karim; Filer, Andrew; Copland, David A.; Dick, Andrew D.; Robinson, Joseph; Kalia, Neena; Walker, Lucy S. K.; Buckley, Christopher D.; Nash, Gerard B.; Narendran, Parth; Rainger, G. Ed.

2015-01-01

During an inflammatory response, lymphocyte recruitment into tissue must be tightly controlled because dysregulated trafficking contributes to the pathogenesis of chronic disease. Here we show that during inflammation and in response to adiponectin, B cells tonically inhibit T cell trafficking by secreting a peptide (PEPITEM) proteolytically derived from 14.3.3.ζδ protein. PEPITEM binds cadherin-15 on endothelial cells, promoting synthesis and release of sphingosine-1 phosphate, which inhibits trafficking of T cells without affecting recruitment of other leukocytes. Expression of adiponectin receptors on B cells and adiponectin induced PEPITEM secretion wanes with age, implying immune senescence of the pathway. Additionally, these changes are evident in individuals with type-1-diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis, and circulating PEPITEM in patient serum is reduced compared to healthy age matched donors. In both diseases, tonic inhibition of T cell trafficking across inflamed endothelium is lost. Importantly, control of patient T cell trafficking is re-established by exogenous PEPITEM. Moreover, in animal models of peritonitis, hepatic I/R injury, Salmonella infection, Uveitis and Sjögren’s Syndrome, PEPITEM could reduce T cell recruitment into inflamed tissues. PMID:25894827

Vesicular trafficking of immune mediators in human eosinophils revealed by immunoelectron microscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Melo, Rossana C.N., E-mail: rossana.melo@ufjf.edu.br [Laboratory of Cellular Biology, Department of Biology, ICB, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, UFJF, Rua José Lourenço Kelmer, Juiz de Fora, MG 36036-900 (Brazil); Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, 330 Brookline Avenue, CLS 943, Boston, MA 02215 (United States); Weller, Peter F. [Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, 330 Brookline Avenue, CLS 943, Boston, MA 02215 (United States)

2016-10-01

Electron microscopy (EM)-based techniques are mostly responsible for our current view of cell morphology at the subcellular level and continue to play an essential role in biological research. In cells from the immune system, such as eosinophils, EM has helped to understand how cells package and release mediators involved in immune responses. Ultrastructural investigations of human eosinophils enabled visualization of secretory processes in detail and identification of a robust, vesicular trafficking essential for the secretion of immune mediators via a non-classical secretory pathway associated with secretory (specific) granules. This vesicular system is mainly organized as large tubular-vesicular carriers (Eosinophil Sombrero Vesicles – EoSVs) actively formed in response to cell activation and provides a sophisticated structural mechanism for delivery of granule-stored mediators. In this review, we highlight the application of EM techniques to recognize pools of immune mediators at vesicular compartments and to understand the complex secretory pathway within human eosinophils involved in inflammatory and allergic responses. - Highlights: • Application of EM to understand the complex secretory pathway in human eosinophils. • EM techniques reveal an active vesicular system associated with secretory granules. • Tubular vesicles are involved in the transport of granule-derived immune mediators.

Vesicular trafficking of immune mediators in human eosinophils revealed by immunoelectron microscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Melo, Rossana C.N.; Weller, Peter F.

2016-01-01

Electron microscopy (EM)-based techniques are mostly responsible for our current view of cell morphology at the subcellular level and continue to play an essential role in biological research. In cells from the immune system, such as eosinophils, EM has helped to understand how cells package and release mediators involved in immune responses. Ultrastructural investigations of human eosinophils enabled visualization of secretory processes in detail and identification of a robust, vesicular trafficking essential for the secretion of immune mediators via a non-classical secretory pathway associated with secretory (specific) granules. This vesicular system is mainly organized as large tubular-vesicular carriers (Eosinophil Sombrero Vesicles – EoSVs) actively formed in response to cell activation and provides a sophisticated structural mechanism for delivery of granule-stored mediators. In this review, we highlight the application of EM techniques to recognize pools of immune mediators at vesicular compartments and to understand the complex secretory pathway within human eosinophils involved in inflammatory and allergic responses. - Highlights: • Application of EM to understand the complex secretory pathway in human eosinophils. • EM techniques reveal an active vesicular system associated with secretory granules. • Tubular vesicles are involved in the transport of granule-derived immune mediators.

Neptunium 237 behaviour in subcellular fractions of rat kidneys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kreslov, V.V.; Maksutova, A.Ya.; Mushkacheva, G.S.

1978-01-01

Subcellular distribution of intravenously injected (1 and 0.5 μCi/rat) neptunium nitrate (5- and 6-valent) in kidneys of rat males and females has been investigated. It has been shown that the radionuclide was unevenly distributed within the cell. As early as 24 hours after administration, about 50 per cent of neptunium were concentrated in the mitochondrial fraction. The data are presented on variations in neptunium behaviour within subcellular fractions of rat kidneys depending on the sex of animals, valency and dose of the isotope

Public Discourse on Human Trafficking in International Issue Arenas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Niina Meriläinen

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to better understand how the complex problem of human trafficking is addressed in international debates. How the discussion about human trafficking develops and how it is debated ultimately influences how the decision-making process unfolds. In order to understand the formation of public policy and laws, therefore, it is important to study the debate that occurs prior to decision making. This analysis focuses on the narratives used by major, well-established human rights and political actors that argue for necessary actions to be undertaken—such as the formation of new policies and laws in the European Union—as an attempt to protect citizens of the EU and other regions in the world from becoming victims of trafficking networks. Our research examines how the topic of human trafficking is framed and how this framework is intertwined in the debate with other social problems. We focus on how human trafficking is discussed by two well-established human rights Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs, Amnesty International (Amnesty and Human Rights Watch (HRW, in addition to the European Parliament (EP. The research questions for this study include: (1 In what context is human trafficking discussed by the three actors? (2 How do these actors frame the definition of human trafficking in their presentations? To answer these questions, we have conducted a systematic content analysis of documents that include official statements and research reports of the NGOs, as well as resolutions and recommendations of the EP. Altogether, 240 documents were analyzed in detail. These findings indicate that the two human rights organizations, Amnesty and Human Rights Watch, along with the European Parliament, all address human trafficking as an important social problem, albeit to varying degrees. Each actor has a different method of correlating human trafficking with many other social problems, thereby emphasizing different causes and

Modern Day Slavery: What Drives Human Trafficking in Europe?

OpenAIRE

Hernandez, Diego; Rudolph, Alexandra

2011-01-01

At a time of increased attention on the international agenda for human trafficking, this paper examines the determinants of human trafficking inflows to 13 European countries based on official records. By employing a fixed effects zero-inflated, negative binomial gravity-type model, we address data characteristics appropriately. The econometric analysis suggests that human trafficking occurs in well established routes for migrants and refugees. Victims are more likely to be transported to, an...

Medical education and human trafficking: using simulation

Science.gov (United States)

Stoklosa, Hanni; Lyman, Michelle; Bohnert, Carrie; Mittel, Olivia

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Healthcare providers have the potential to play a crucial role in human trafficking prevention, identification, and intervention. However, trafficked patients are often unidentified due to lack of education and preparation available to healthcare professionals at all levels of training and practice. To increase victim identification in healthcare settings, providers need to be educated about the issue of trafficking and its clinical presentations in an interactive format that maximizes learning and ultimately patient-centered outcomes. In 2014, University of Louisville School of Medicine created a simulation-based medical education (SBME) curriculum to prepare students to recognize victims and intervene on their behalf. The authors share the factors that influenced the session’s development and incorporation into an already full third year medical curriculum and outline the development process. The process included a needs assessment for the education intervention, development of objectives and corresponding assessment, implementation of the curriculum, and finally the next steps of the module as it develops further. Additional alternatives are provided for other medical educators seeking to implement similar modules at their home institution. It is our hope that the description of this process will help others to create similar interactive educational programs and ultimately help trafficking survivors receive the care they need. Abbreviations: HCP: Healthcare professional; M-SIGHT: Medical student instruction in global human trafficking; SBME: Simulation-based medical education; SP: Standardized patient; TIC: Trauma-informed care PMID:29228882

Mandatory Reporting of Human Trafficking: Potential Benefits and Risks of Harm.

Science.gov (United States)

English, Abigail

2017-01-01

Human trafficking, including both sex and labor trafficking, has profound consequences for the safety, health, and well-being of victims and survivors. Efforts to address human trafficking through prevention, protection, and prosecution are growing but remain insufficient. Mandatory reporting has the potential to bring victims and survivors to the attention of social service and law enforcement agencies but may discourage trafficked persons from seeking help, thereby limiting the ability of health care professionals to establish trust and provide needed care. States' experience in implementing child abuse laws can be useful in assessing the potential risks and benefits of mandatory reporting of human trafficking. © 2017 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.

Multi-Label Learning via Random Label Selection for Protein Subcellular Multi-Locations Prediction.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xiao; Li, Guo-Zheng

2013-03-12

Prediction of protein subcellular localization is an important but challenging problem, particularly when proteins may simultaneously exist at, or move between, two or more different subcellular location sites. Most of the existing protein subcellular localization methods are only used to deal with the single-location proteins. In the past few years, only a few methods have been proposed to tackle proteins with multiple locations. However, they only adopt a simple strategy, that is, transforming the multi-location proteins to multiple proteins with single location, which doesn't take correlations among different subcellular locations into account. In this paper, a novel method named RALS (multi-label learning via RAndom Label Selection), is proposed to learn from multi-location proteins in an effective and efficient way. Through five-fold cross validation test on a benchmark dataset, we demonstrate our proposed method with consideration of label correlations obviously outperforms the baseline BR method without consideration of label correlations, indicating correlations among different subcellular locations really exist and contribute to improvement of prediction performance. Experimental results on two benchmark datasets also show that our proposed methods achieve significantly higher performance than some other state-of-the-art methods in predicting subcellular multi-locations of proteins. The prediction web server is available at http://levis.tongji.edu.cn:8080/bioinfo/MLPred-Euk/ for the public usage.

Elided Populations: A Baseline Survey on Human Trafficking in Kenya

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Owiso, Michael

2017-01-01

-regional, as well as inter-regional trafficking, is available. This study seeks to build synergy in the counter-trafficking efforts in Kenya. In so doing it aims to in the overall identify gaps in combating and responding to human trafficking and offer programmatic recommendations/suggestions particularly for IRC......Trafficking in persons is a crime. It is gaining momentum in the continent and particularly in Kenya and also attracting the attention of actors who are working to combat it. This focus shows the multiplicity of actors working together to prosecute, prevent and protect. Evidence of both intra...

Bacterial pathogen manipulation of host membrane trafficking.

Science.gov (United States)

Asrat, Seblewongel; de Jesús, Dennise A; Hempstead, Andrew D; Ramabhadran, Vinay; Isberg, Ralph R

2014-01-01

Pathogens use a vast number of strategies to alter host membrane dynamics. Targeting the host membrane machinery is important for the survival and pathogenesis of several extracellular, vacuolar, and cytosolic bacteria. Membrane manipulation promotes bacterial replication while suppressing host responses, allowing the bacterium to thrive in a hostile environment. This review provides a comprehensive summary of various strategies used by both extracellular and intracellular bacteria to hijack host membrane trafficking machinery. We start with mechanisms used by bacteria to alter the plasma membrane, delve into the hijacking of various vesicle trafficking pathways, and conclude by summarizing bacterial adaptation to host immune responses. Understanding bacterial manipulation of host membrane trafficking provides insights into bacterial pathogenesis and uncovers the molecular mechanisms behind various processes within a eukaryotic cell.

Shaping the Victim: Borders, security, and human trafficking in Albania

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

James Campbell

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Borders are productive sites where knowledge is gathered and migrant populations are formed. The knowledge gathered from victims of trafficking reinforces a victim narrative that represents a perceived threat to society by highlighting violence, criminality, coercion, and naivety. Using Albania as a case in point, the article looks at trafficked people and the narratives of victimhood that surround them. In the case of trafficked people, the border projected out towards other states produces a discursively defined victim of trafficking. When projected back within the national territory, the border essentially produces a criminalised sex worker. To argue this point, the article discusses the role victims of trafficking play in the EU and looks at how international norms espoused by the OSCE and IOM have prepped the Albanian border for EU ascension and created the means for governable populations within Albania.

Human Trafficking: Fighting the Illicit Economy with the Legitimate Economy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Louise Shelley

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Since the beginning of research on human trafficking, there has been attention paid to the challenges surrounding the illicit economy. In creating new strategies and initiatives on combatting human trafficking, there needs to be more discussion surrounding the legitimate economy and how the business sector can make an impact in the fight against trafficking. Currently, there is a growing movement of businesses that are looking to address human trafficking through training, education, and leadership initiatives; codes of conduct; supply chain management; and financial analysis. This paper will examine the latest in these strategies and approaches by businesses in the global war against human trafficking, in addition to a discussion of a new initiative engaging the private sector co-led by Dr. Louise Shelley and Christina Bain through the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council Network.

Legal framework and practice to prevent and detect illicit trafficking of nuclear and radioactive materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sembiring, D.

2001-01-01

Full text: Illicit trafficking in nuclear and radioactive materials in the country and across country borders has become serious problem from both nuclear proliferation and radiological hazard point of view. Prevention and detection of illicit trafficking in nuclear and radioactive materials is based on the regulation and procedure set up to ensure the control of the nuclear and radioactive materials throughout their life. Practically, prevention and detection measures in ensuring that nuclear materials do not become the subject of unauthorized use leading to illicit trafficking constitute (1) accounting for and (2) control of nuclear and radioactive materials and (3) physical protection of such materials. The Nuclear Energy Act No. 10 year 1997 is the legislative basis for the safety, including nuclear material accounting and control activities as well as security measures on the utilization of the nuclear and radioactive material in Indonesia. Government establishes Nuclear Energy Control Board (BAPETEN) as Regulatory Body having the task to control any activities using nuclear energy. The activities of control are implemented through regulation, licensing and inspection. The mission of the BAPETEN is to ensure adequate protection of the public health and safety, the common security, and the environmental in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy in Indonesia. To support this mission, BAPETEN has three principal regulatory functions: (1) establish regulation; (2) issue licenses and (3) inspect nuclear facilities. First component of regulatory function is establishing regulations, which define the capabilities that need to be satisfied by facility operators to protect against theft which in turn could lead to illicit trafficking. BAPETEN established the Decree on National System of Accounting for and Control of Nuclear Material (SSAC) based on the Agreement between Rl and IAEA on the Application of Safeguards in connection with NPT ratified in the Act No.8 year 1978

Constraints to a Robust Evidence Base for Anti-Trafficking Interventions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benjamin Harkins

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Over fifteen years after the UN Trafficking Protocol was adopted, the evidence available to determine how much progress has been made in combatting human trafficking remains very limited. This paper provides a practitioner’s perspective on some of the main reasons for the continuing lack of meaningful results documented in the context of anti-trafficking projects. A key finding is that limitations in the practice of monitoring and evaluation (M&E pose the greatest constraint rather than the clandestine nature of trafficking in persons. There are currently few incentives to be rigorous in pursuing evidence, especially of the contribution made to long-term reductions in human trafficking. Bean counting the direct outputs of activities rather than assessing the outcomes that are intended to flow from them remains the core approach to M&E in the sector. Because the collection and analysis of data has not been prioritised, anti-trafficking initiatives without a strong empirical basis are reflexively continued for years–particularly notable in some of the untested assumptions about the central importance of an effective criminal justice response. Increased commitment by donors and practitioners to raise their standards of evidence for anti-trafficking projects is necessary to move beyond basic accountability and start leveraging learning, including greater willingness to document in rich detail where interventions have failed to produce their intended outcomes.

Trafficking in Persons: The U.S. and International Response

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Miko, Francis T

2006-01-01

.... The overwhelming majority of those trafficked are women and children. According to the most recent Department of State estimates, between 600,000 and 800,000 people are trafficked across borders each year...

Subcellular sites for bacterial protein export

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Campo, Nathalie; Tjalsma, Harold; Buist, Girbe; Stepniak, Dariusz; Meijer, Michel; Veenhuis, Marten; Westermann, Martin; Müller, Jörg P.; Bron, Sierd; Kok, Jan; Kuipers, Oscar P.; Jongbloed, Jan D.H.

2004-01-01

Most bacterial proteins destined to leave the cytoplasm are exported to extracellular compartments or imported into the cytoplasmic membrane via the highly conserved SecA-YEG pathway. In the present studies, the subcellular distributions of core components of this pathway, SecA and SecY, and of the

Subcellular sites for bacterial protein export.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Campo, N.; Tjalsma, H.; Buist, G.; Stepniak, D.; Meijer, M.; Veenhuis, M.; Westermann, M.; Muller, J.P.; Bron, S.; Kok, J.; Kuipers, O.P.; Jongbloed, J.D.

2004-01-01

Most bacterial proteins destined to leave the cytoplasm are exported to extracellular compartments or imported into the cytoplasmic membrane via the highly conserved SecA-YEG pathway. In the present studies, the subcellular distributions of core components of this pathway, SecA and SecY, and of the

A model for assessing the risk of human trafficking on a local level

Science.gov (United States)

Colegrove, Amanda

Human trafficking is a human rights violation that is difficult to quantify. Models for estimating the number of victims of trafficking presented by previous researchers depend on inconsistent, poor quality data. As an intermediate step to help current efforts by nonprofits to combat human trafficking, this project presents a model that is not dependent on quantitative data specific to human trafficking, but rather profiles the risk of human trafficking at the local level through causative factors. Businesses, indicated by the literature, were weighted based on the presence of characteristics that increase the likelihood of trafficking in persons. The mean risk was calculated by census tract to reveal the multiplicity of risk levels in both rural and urban settings. Results indicate that labor trafficking may be a more diffuse problem in Missouri than sex trafficking. Additionally, spatial patterns of risk remained largely the same regardless of adjustments made to the model.

Reported human traffickers' profiles: a key step in the prevention of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Objective: a gap in comprehensive knowledge of trafficking in persons and the traffickers exists globally and in Tanzania in particular. Consequently, information on the profiles of human traffickers in the country is tremendously scanty. Methods: we conducted a baseline study in eight administrative regions of Tanzania ...

Liberal coercion? Prostitution, human trafficking and policy

OpenAIRE

Cho, Seo-young

2013-01-01

Liberal prostitution policy aims at improving labour conditions for prostitutes and protecting victims of forced prostitution. Its policy orientation predicts that the policy choice of liberalizing prostitution is positively associated with better protection policy for trafficking victims and enhanced anti-trafficking measures. In this paper, I investigate empirically whether the legalization of prostitution improves protection policy for victims, as it is presumed. The results of my analysis...

New insights into how trafficking regulates T cell receptor signaling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jieqiong Lou

2016-07-01

Full Text Available AbstractThere is emerging evidence that exocytosis plays an important role in regulating T cell receptor (TCR signaling. The trafficking molecules involved in lytic granule (LG secretion in cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL have been well studied due to the immune disorder known as familial hemophagocytic lymphohisiocytosis (FHLH. However, the knowledge of trafficking machineries regulating the exocytosis of receptors and signaling molecules remains quite limited. In this review, we summarize the reported trafficking molecules involved in the transport of the TCR and downstream signaling molecules to the cell surface. By combining this information with the known knowledge of LG exocytosis and general exocytic trafficking machinery, we attempt to draw a more complete picture of how the TCR signaling network and exocytic trafficking matrix are interconnected to facilitate T cell activation. This also highlights how membrane compartmentalization facilitates the spatiotemporal organization of cellular responses that are essential for immune functions.

Intracellular trafficking of new anticancer therapeutics: antibody–drug conjugates

Science.gov (United States)

Kalim, Muhammad; Chen, Jie; Wang, Shenghao; Lin, Caiyao; Ullah, Saif; Liang, Keying; Ding, Qian; Chen, Shuqing; Zhan, Jinbiao

2017-01-01

Antibody–drug conjugate (ADC) is a milestone in targeted cancer therapy that comprises of monoclonal antibodies chemically linked to cytotoxic drugs. Internalization of ADC takes place via clathrin-mediated endocytosis, caveolae-mediated endocytosis, and pinocytosis. Conjugation strategies, endocytosis and intracellular trafficking optimization, linkers, and drugs chemistry present a great challenge for researchers to eradicate tumor cells successfully. This inventiveness of endocytosis and intracellular trafficking has given considerable momentum recently to develop specific antibodies and ADCs to treat cancer cells. It is significantly advantageous to emphasize the endocytosis and intracellular trafficking pathways efficiently and to design potent engineered conjugates and biological entities to boost efficient therapies enormously for cancer treatment. Current studies illustrate endocytosis and intracellular trafficking of ADC, protein, and linker strategies in unloading and also concisely evaluate practically applicable ADCs. PMID:28814834

Intracellular trafficking of new anticancer therapeutics: antibody-drug conjugates.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalim, Muhammad; Chen, Jie; Wang, Shenghao; Lin, Caiyao; Ullah, Saif; Liang, Keying; Ding, Qian; Chen, Shuqing; Zhan, Jinbiao

2017-01-01

Antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) is a milestone in targeted cancer therapy that comprises of monoclonal antibodies chemically linked to cytotoxic drugs. Internalization of ADC takes place via clathrin-mediated endocytosis, caveolae-mediated endocytosis, and pinocytosis. Conjugation strategies, endocytosis and intracellular trafficking optimization, linkers, and drugs chemistry present a great challenge for researchers to eradicate tumor cells successfully. This inventiveness of endocytosis and intracellular trafficking has given considerable momentum recently to develop specific antibodies and ADCs to treat cancer cells. It is significantly advantageous to emphasize the endocytosis and intracellular trafficking pathways efficiently and to design potent engineered conjugates and biological entities to boost efficient therapies enormously for cancer treatment. Current studies illustrate endocytosis and intracellular trafficking of ADC, protein, and linker strategies in unloading and also concisely evaluate practically applicable ADCs.

Queering the Support for Trafficked Persons: LGBTQ Communities and Human Trafficking in the Heartland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Corinne Schwarz

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Human trafficking justice centers on the “Three Ps” model of prevention, protection, and prosecution. While protection and prosecution efforts have been moderately successful, prevention remains elusive, as “upstream” structural fac-tors—class, gender, and sexuality inequalities—remain difficult to target. Individuals who are affected by these factors are not fully served within linear service frameworks. Based on a 12-month study in Kansas City, we find that service providers recognize the limitations of a “one-size-fits all” approach. Using a public health model, our research team con-ducted a public health surveillance, explored risk and protective factors, and facilitated organizational self-assessments of services. Our findings support a prevention approach that supports a survivor-centered model, which creates new, non-linear or queered avenues of agency and community for trafficking survivors. This model allows survivors to make use of services in moments of vulnerability and opt out of others in moments of resilience. Given the systematic cuts in funding that have affected service providers, this research contends that prevention is cheaper, more effective, and more ethical than relying on prosecutions to curb trafficking. Developing a model that fosters survivor empowerment is a key step toward individual justice and survivor resilience for vulnerable and marginalized populations.

Drug Trafficking and Drug Use among Urban African American Early Adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xiaoming; And Others

1994-01-01

Examined relationships between drug trafficking (selling and delivering), cigarette and alcohol use, and illicit drug use among African-American adolescents. Found that drug trafficking is equally likely to occur with or without cigarette and alcohol use or illicit drug involvement, suggesting that intervention should extend to drug trafficking in…

Poly-drug trafficking: Estimating the scale, trends and harms at the Australian border.

Science.gov (United States)

Hughes, Caitlin Elizabeth; Chalmers, Jenny; Bright, David Anthony; McFadden, Michael

2016-05-01

International drug law enforcement agencies have identified an apparent rise in high level drug traffickers choosing to deal in multiple different drugs. It is hypothesised that this may be a "deliberate modus operandi" and that the formation of "portfolios of trades" may make such traffickers more profitable, harmful and resilient to changes in drug supply and policing. In this paper we provide the first exploration of the extent, nature and harms of poly-drug trafficking at Australian borders. Two different methods were used. First, we used Australian Federal Police (AFP) data on all commercial level seizures at the Australian border from 1999 to 2012 to identify the proportion of seizures that were poly-drug and trends over time. Second, we used unit-record data on a sub-set of 20 drug trafficking cases and linked-cases (defined as the original drug trafficking case and all other criminal cases that were connected via common offenders and/or suspects) to compare the profiles of poly-drug and mono-drug traffickers, including: the total weight and type of drug seized, the value of assets seized, and the level of involvement in other crime (such as money laundering and corruption). Between 5% and 35% of commercial importations at the Australian border involved poly-drug trafficking. Poly-drug trafficking occurred in almost every year of analysis (1999-2012), but it increased only slightly over time. Compared to mono-drug traffickers poly-drug traffickers were characterised by: larger quantities of drugs seized, larger networks, longer criminal histories and more involvement in other types of serious crime. Some fears about poly-drug traffickers may have been overstated particularly about the inherent escalation of this form of trafficking. Nevertheless, this suggests poly-drug traffickers are likely to pose added risks to governments and law enforcement than mono-drug traffickers. They may necessitate different types of policy responses. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier

Human trafficking - modern day slavery: Menneskehandel i nutidens samfund

OpenAIRE

Holberg, Christina; Wilson, Philippa Rose Lucy; Larsen, Maiken Hollænder; Sennahøj, Cecilie; Søderberg, Ene Alicia

2014-01-01

This paper aims to approach the concept of human trafficking from a historical, cultural and philosophical point of view in order to cover the two dimensions: History and Culture and Philosophy and Science. It will be focusing on human trafficking, in the form of the sexual exploitation of women, and it’s existence within Europe. With a focus on human trafficking in the form of sexual exploitation of women, the main intention of this paper is to investigate the modern form of slavery through ...

Considerations on Preventing and Combating the Illegal Trafficking of Minors under the Current Economic and Financial Crisis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tache BOCĂNIALĂ

2011-08-01

Full Text Available This work highlights the economic crisis problem that affects most states of the world, the crime problem that the society is facing, namely the human trafficking and in particular the child trafficking. This theme is particularly important in the context of amplifying the organized crime, it increasingly concerns the modern society and implicitly the specialists engaged in research of the phenomenon and for preventing and combating it. This paper is an analysis of the current financial crisis impact on human trafficking and the level of response that the society is ready to give through the regulatory framework, specialized institutions and their staff. The analysis concluded that Romania, as a result of its alignment with the acquis communautaire, is now a modern legislative and institutional system in preventing and combating trafficking in human beings. However, there is a need for legislative amendments in order to have a greater effectiveness in prevention and control measures, which represents a milestone in addressing other related issues. This study is also a warning for specialists to deepen their research for improving the prevention and combating trafficking in human beings which tends to grow.

BPIFB6 Regulates Secretory Pathway Trafficking and Enterovirus Replication.

Science.gov (United States)

Morosky, Stefanie; Lennemann, Nicholas J; Coyne, Carolyn B

2016-05-15

Bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI) fold-containing family B, member 3 (BPIFB3) is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-localized host factor that negatively regulates coxsackievirus B (CVB) replication through its control of the autophagic pathway. Here, we show that another member of the BPIFB family, BPIFB6, functions as a positive regulator of CVB, and other enterovirus, replication by controlling secretory pathway trafficking and Golgi complex morphology. We show that similar to BPIFB3, BPIFB6 localizes exclusively to the ER, where it associates with other members of the BPIFB family. However, in contrast to our findings that RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated silencing of BPIFB3 greatly enhances CVB replication, we show that silencing of BPIFB6 expression dramatically suppresses enterovirus replication in a pan-viral manner. Mechanistically, we show that loss of BPIFB6 expression induces pronounced alterations in retrograde and anterograde trafficking, which correlate with dramatic fragmentation of the Golgi complex. Taken together, these data implicate BPIFB6 as a key regulator of secretory pathway trafficking and viral replication and suggest that members of the BPIFB family participate in diverse host cell functions to regulate virus infections. Enterovirus infections are associated with a number of severe pathologies, such as aseptic meningitis, dilated cardiomyopathy, type I diabetes, paralysis, and even death. These viruses, which include coxsackievirus B (CVB), poliovirus (PV), and enterovirus 71 (EV71), co-opt the host cell secretory pathway, which controls the transport of proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi complex, to facilitate their replication. Here we report on the identification of a novel regulator of the secretory pathway, bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI) fold-containing family B, member 6 (BPIFB6), whose expression is required for enterovirus replication. We show that loss of BPIFB6 expression

BPIFB6 Regulates Secretory Pathway Trafficking and Enterovirus Replication

Science.gov (United States)

Morosky, Stefanie; Lennemann, Nicholas J.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI) fold-containing family B, member 3 (BPIFB3) is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-localized host factor that negatively regulates coxsackievirus B (CVB) replication through its control of the autophagic pathway. Here, we show that another member of the BPIFB family, BPIFB6, functions as a positive regulator of CVB, and other enterovirus, replication by controlling secretory pathway trafficking and Golgi complex morphology. We show that similar to BPIFB3, BPIFB6 localizes exclusively to the ER, where it associates with other members of the BPIFB family. However, in contrast to our findings that RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated silencing of BPIFB3 greatly enhances CVB replication, we show that silencing of BPIFB6 expression dramatically suppresses enterovirus replication in a pan-viral manner. Mechanistically, we show that loss of BPIFB6 expression induces pronounced alterations in retrograde and anterograde trafficking, which correlate with dramatic fragmentation of the Golgi complex. Taken together, these data implicate BPIFB6 as a key regulator of secretory pathway trafficking and viral replication and suggest that members of the BPIFB family participate in diverse host cell functions to regulate virus infections. IMPORTANCE Enterovirus infections are associated with a number of severe pathologies, such as aseptic meningitis, dilated cardiomyopathy, type I diabetes, paralysis, and even death. These viruses, which include coxsackievirus B (CVB), poliovirus (PV), and enterovirus 71 (EV71), co-opt the host cell secretory pathway, which controls the transport of proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi complex, to facilitate their replication. Here we report on the identification of a novel regulator of the secretory pathway, bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI) fold-containing family B, member 6 (BPIFB6), whose expression is required for enterovirus replication. We show that loss of

Monoterpene biosynthesis potential of plant subcellular compartments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dong, L.; Jongedijk, E.J.; Bouwmeester, H.J.; Krol, van der A.R.

2016-01-01

Subcellular monoterpene biosynthesis capacity based on local geranyl diphosphate (GDP) availability or locally boosted GDP production was determined for plastids, cytosol and mitochondria. A geraniol synthase (GES) was targeted to plastids, cytosol, or mitochondria. Transient expression in Nicotiana

Inhibition of human copper trafficking by a small molecule significantly attenuates cancer cell proliferation

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jing; Luo, Cheng; Shan, Changliang; You, Qiancheng; Lu, Junyan; Elf, Shannon; Zhou, Yu; Wen, Yi; Vinkenborg, Jan L.; Fan, Jun; Kang, Heebum; Lin, Ruiting; Han, Dali; Xie, Yuxin; Karpus, Jason; Chen, Shijie; Ouyang, Shisheng; Luan, Chihao; Zhang, Naixia; Ding, Hong; Merkx, Maarten; Liu, Hong; Chen, Jing; Jiang, Hualiang; He, Chuan

2015-12-01

Copper is a transition metal that plays critical roles in many life processes. Controlling the cellular concentration and trafficking of copper offers a route to disrupt these processes. Here we report small molecules that inhibit the human copper-trafficking proteins Atox1 and CCS, and so provide a selective approach to disrupt cellular copper transport. The knockdown of Atox1 and CCS or their inhibition leads to a significantly reduced proliferation of cancer cells, but not of normal cells, as well as to attenuated tumour growth in mouse models. We show that blocking copper trafficking induces cellular oxidative stress and reduces levels of cellular ATP. The reduced level of ATP results in activation of the AMP-activated protein kinase that leads to reduced lipogenesis. Both effects contribute to the inhibition of cancer cell proliferation. Our results establish copper chaperones as new targets for future developments in anticancer therapies.

Biomechanics of subcellular structures by non-invasive Brillouin microscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Antonacci, Giuseppe; Braakman, Sietse

2016-11-01

Cellular biomechanics play a pivotal role in the pathophysiology of several diseases. Unfortunately, current methods to measure biomechanical properties are invasive and mostly limited to the surface of a cell. As a result, the mechanical behaviour of subcellular structures and organelles remains poorly characterised. Here, we show three-dimensional biomechanical images of single cells obtained with non-invasive, non-destructive Brillouin microscopy with an unprecedented spatial resolution. Our results quantify the longitudinal elastic modulus of subcellular structures. In particular, we found the nucleoli to be stiffer than both the nuclear envelope (p biomechanics and its role in pathophysiology.

IRREGULAR MIGRATION FLOWS AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN THE WESTERN BALKAN COUNTRIES: CHALLENGES OF THE CONVERGENCE OF COUNTER-TRAFFICKING RESPONSE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Merita H. Mece

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Irregular migration on the Western Balkan route has marked an unprecedented number during the last five years. Evidence indicates that both, non-European nationals and Western Balkan citizens have been involved in this complex migratory flow being exposed to various risks of human trafficking. But Western Balkan countries are source, transit and destination countries of human trafficking while their states are not well organized to implement a comprehensive and well-coordinated regional response to combat it. This paper aims at examining challenges faced by the Western Balkan countries to converge anti-trafficking response while facing increased irregular migratory waves. Using secondary data it illustrates various disparities and differences among them concluding that a well-coordinated, multi-faceted and integrated regional response is needed to combat this humanitarian problem.

Psychological Coercion in Human Trafficking: An Application of Biderman's Framework.

Science.gov (United States)

Baldwin, Susie B; Fehrenbacher, Anne E; Eisenman, David P

2015-09-01

This study examined coercive conditions experienced by trafficked persons in the context of Biderman's theory of coercion. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 adult women trafficked into Los Angeles County, from 10 countries, for domestic work and/or sex work. Participants described health problems they experienced in relation to their trafficking experience and their perceptions of conditions that caused health problems. Utilizing a framework analysis approach, we analyzed themes using Biderman's framework. Participants reported experiencing the range of nonphysical coercive tactics outlined by Biderman, including isolation, monopolization of perception, induced debility or exhaustion, threats, occasional indulgences, demonstration of omnipotence, degradation, and enforcement of trivial demands. Our analysis demonstrates how these coercion tactics reinforced the submission of trafficked persons to their traffickers even in the absence of physical force or restraints. Such psychological abuse creates extreme stress that can lead to acute and chronic, physical and mental health problems. © The Author(s) 2014.

Providing services to trafficking survivors: Understanding practices across the globe.

Science.gov (United States)

Steiner, Jordan J; Kynn, Jamie; Stylianou, Amanda M; Postmus, Judy L

2018-01-01

Human trafficking is a global issue, with survivors representing all genders, ages, races, ethnicities, religions, and countries. However, little research exists that identifies effective practices in supporting survivors of human trafficking. The research that does exist is Western-centric. To fill this gap in the literature, the goal of this research was to understand practices used throughout the globe with adult human trafficking survivors. A qualitative approach was utilized. Providers from 26 countries, across six different continents, were interviewed to allow for a comprehensive and multi-faceted understanding of practices in working with survivors. Participants identified utilizing an empowerment-based, survivor, and human life-centered approach to working with survivors, emphasized the importance of engaging in community level interventions, and highlighted the importance of government recognition of human trafficking. Findings provide information from the perspective of advocates on best practices in the field that can be used by agencies to enhance human trafficking programming.

Socio-Economic Inequality, Human Trafficking, and the Global Slave Trade

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John R. Barner

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to discuss human trafficking within the broader framework of socio-economic inequality. The presence of socio-economic inequality in the world creates a system where those in power very easily dominate and take advantage of those people without power. One of the most serious contemporary effects of inequalities between and within nations is the phenomenon of global sex trade or human trafficking for the purposes of sex. Deriving from unequal power relations, human trafficking is a serious global crime that involves the exploitation of many, but mostly females and children. This paper provides an extensive discussion of inequality and its links with human trafficking as contemporary slavery. In conclusion, the paper provides a list of selected intra-national and multi-national service organizations that are adopting strategies for combating trafficking through the reduction of social and economic inequality. Implications for social welfare advocates and international collaborative efforts are highlighted.

Barriers to Combating Human Trafficking in Colombia

Science.gov (United States)

2015-03-01

citizens and potential delinquents must perceive that the detention and punishment of offenders is likely,” but that “penal institutions in Latin...America are unable to apprehend dangerous delinquents efficiently, which means that the deterrence does not work well in that region.”84 Likewise, “lack...monitor statistics on trafficking cases, including victim information “to help determine areas where Colombians are vulnerable to being trafficked

UK victims of trafficking

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bob Burgoyne

2006-05-01

Full Text Available Analysis of court cases shows how hard it is forvictims of trafficking to win the right to remain in the UK. Case law is inconsistent and more research and data collection are urgently needed.

Identifying Human Trafficking Victims on a Psychiatry Inpatient Service: a Case Series.

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Phuong T; Lamkin, Joanna; Coverdale, John H; Scott, Samuel; Li, Karen; Gordon, Mollie R

2018-06-01

Human trafficking is a serious and prevalent human rights violation that closely intersects with mental health. Limited empirical attention has been paid to the presentations and identification of trafficking victims in psychiatric settings. The primary goal of this paper is to describe the varied presentations of trafficking victims on an urban inpatient psychiatric unit. A literature review was conducted to identify relevant empirical articles to inform our examination of cases. Adult inpatient cases meeting criteria for known or possible human trafficking were systematically identified and illustrative cases were described. Six cases were identified including one male and five females. Two had been labor trafficked and four were suspected or confirmed to have been sex trafficked. The cases demonstrated a tremendous diversity of demographic and psychiatric identifying factors. These cases indicate the importance of routinely screening for trafficking victims in inpatient psychiatry settings. Identification of cases is a requisite step in providing informed and evidence-based treatments and enabling the secondary prevention of re-exploitation. Additional research is warranted given the limited current empirical research on this topic area.

Response to events involving the inadvertent movement or illicit trafficking of radioactive materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-09-01

By international agreements, the movement of all radioactive materials within and between States should be subject to high standards of regulatory, administrative, safety and engineering controls to ensure that such movements are conducted in a safe and secure manner. In the case of nuclear materials, there are additional requirements for physical protection and accountability to ensure against threats of nuclear proliferation and to safeguard against any attempts at diversion. The results of the terrorist attacks of September 2001 emphasized the requirement for enhanced control and security of nuclear and radioactive materials. In this regard, measures are being taken to increase the global levels of physical protection and security for nuclear materials. Experience in many parts of the world continues to prove that movements of radioactive materials outside of the regulatory and legal frameworks continue to occur. Such movements may be either deliberate or inadvertent. Deliberate, illegal movements of radioactive materials, including nuclear material, for terrorist, political or illegal profit is generally understood to be illicit trafficking. The more common movements outside of regulatory control are inadvertent in nature. An example of an inadvertent movement might be the transport of steel contaminated by a melted radioactive source that was lost from proper controls. Such a shipment may present health and safety threats to the personnel involved as well as to the general public. States have the responsibility for combating illicit trafficking and inadvertent movements of radioactive materials. The IAEA co-operates with Member States and other international organizations in joint efforts to prevent incidents of illicit trafficking and inadvertent movements and to harmonize policies and measures by the provision of relevant advice through technical assistance and documents. As an example, the IAEA and the World Customs Organization (WCO) maintain a Memorandum

Response to events involving the inadvertent movement or illicit trafficking of radioactive materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-08-01

By international agreements, the movement of all radioactive materials within and between States should be subject to high standards of regulatory, administrative, safety and engineering controls to ensure that such movements are conducted in a safe and secure manner. In the case of nuclear materials, there are additional requirements for physical protection and accountability to ensure against threats of nuclear proliferation and to safeguard against any attempts at diversion. The results of the terrorist attacks of September 2001 emphasized the requirement for enhanced control and security of nuclear and radioactive materials. In this regard, measures are being taken to increase the global levels of physical protection and security for nuclear materials. Experience in many parts of the world continues to prove that movements of radioactive materials outside of the regulatory and legal frameworks continue to occur. Such movements may be either deliberate or inadvertent. Deliberate, illegal movements of radioactive materials, including nuclear material, for terrorist, political or illegal profit is generally understood to be illicit trafficking. The more common movements outside of regulatory control are inadvertent in nature. An example of an inadvertent movement might be the transport of steel contaminated by a melted radioactive source that was lost from proper controls. Such a shipment may present health and safety threats to the personnel involved as well as to the general public. States have the responsibility for combating illicit trafficking and inadvertent movements of radioactive materials. The IAEA co-operates with Member States and other international organizations in joint efforts to prevent incidents of illicit trafficking and inadvertent movements and to harmonize policies and measures by the provision of relevant advice through technical assistance and documents. As an example, the IAEA and the World Customs Organization (WCO) maintain a Memorandum

Response to events involving the inadvertent movement or illicit trafficking of radioactive materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-08-01

By international agreements, the movement of all radioactive materials within and between States should be subject to high standards of regulatory, administrative, safety and engineering controls to ensure that such movements are conducted in a safe and secure manner. In the case of nuclear materials, there are additional requirements for physical protection and accountability to ensure against threats of nuclear proliferation and to safeguard against any attempts at diversion. The results of the terrorist attacks of September 2001 emphasized the requirement for enhanced control and security of nuclear and radioactive materials. In this regard, measures are being taken to increase the global levels of physical protection and security for nuclear materials. Experience in many parts of the world continues to prove that movements of radioactive materials outside of the regulatory and legal frameworks continue to occur. Such movements may be either deliberate or inadvertent. Deliberate, illegal movements of radioactive materials, including nuclear material, for terrorist, political or illegal profit is generally understood to be illicit trafficking. The more common movements outside of regulatory control are inadvertent in nature. An example of an inadvertent movement might be the transport of steel contaminated by a melted radioactive source that was lost from proper controls. Such a shipment may present health and safety threats to the personnel involved as well as to the general public. States have the responsibility for combating illicit trafficking and inadvertent movements of radioactive materials. The IAEA co-operates with Member States and other international organizations in joint efforts to prevent incidents of illicit trafficking and inadvertent movements and to harmonize policies and measures by the provision of relevant advice through technical assistance and documents. As an example, the IAEA and the World Customs Organization (WCO) maintain a Memorandum

Response to events involving the inadvertent movement or illicit trafficking of radioactive materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-08-01

By international agreements, the movement of all radioactive materials within and between States should be subject to high standards of regulatory, administrative, safety and engineering controls to ensure that such movements are conducted in a safe and secure manner. In the case of nuclear materials, there are additional requirements for physical protection and accountability to ensure against threats of nuclear proliferation and to safeguard against any attempts at diversion. The results of the terrorist attacks of September 2001 emphasized the requirement for enhanced control and security of nuclear and radioactive materials. In this regard, measures are being taken to increase the global levels of physical protection and security for nuclear materials. Experience in many parts of the world continues to prove that movements of radioactive materials outside of the regulatory and legal frameworks continue to occur. Such movements may be either deliberate or inadvertent. Deliberate, illegal movements of radioactive materials, including nuclear material, for terrorist, political or illegal profit is generally understood to be illicit trafficking. The more common movements outside of regulatory control are inadvertent in nature. An example of an inadvertent movement might be the transport of steel contaminated by a melted radioactive source that was lost from proper controls. Such a shipment may present health and safety threats to the personnel involved as well as to the general public. States have the responsibility for combating illicit trafficking and inadvertent movements of radioactive materials. The IAEA co-operates with Member States and other international organizations in joint efforts to prevent incidents of illicit trafficking and inadvertent movements and to harmonize policies and measures by the provision of relevant advice through technical assistance and documents. As an example, the IAEA and the World Customs Organization (WCO) maintain a Memorandum

Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking in the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Kotrla, Kimberly

2010-01-01

By now, most social workers are familiar with the issue of human trafficking. However, many are likely unfamiliar with research indicating that youths constitute the most vulnerable group in the United States for becoming victims of sex trafficking and that most women in prostitution actually entered as minors. Some experts are now referring to…

ClubSub-P: Cluster-based subcellular localization prediction for Gram-negative bacteria and Archaea.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nagarajan eParamasivam

2011-11-01

Full Text Available The subcellular localization of proteins provides important clues to their function in a cell. In our efforts to predict useful vaccine targets against Gram-negative bacteria, we noticed that misannotated start codons frequently lead to wrongly assigned subcellular localizations. This and other problems in subcellular localization prediction, such as the relatively high false positive and false negative rates of some tools, can be avoided by applying multiple prediction tools to groups of homologous proteins. Here we present ClubSub-P, an online database that combines existing subcellular localization prediction tools into a consensus pipeline from more than 600 proteomes of fully sequenced microorganisms. On top of the consensus prediction at the level of single sequences, the tool uses clusters of homologous proteins from Gram-negative bacteria and from Archaea to eliminate false positive and false negative predictions. ClubSub-P can assign the subcellular localization of proteins from Gram-negative bacteria and Archaea with high precision. The database is searchable, and can easily be expanded using either new bacterial genomes or new prediction tools as they become available. This will further improve the performance of the subcellular localization prediction, as well as the detection of misannotated start codons and other annotation errors. ClubSub-P is available online at http://toolkit.tuebingen.mpg.de/clubsubp/

International news coverage of human trafficking arrests and prosecutions: a content analysis

OpenAIRE

Denton, Erin

2009-01-01

Trafficking in human beings is a growing phenomenon with an expanding body of literature. However, a gap is evident in this body of literature: original research focusing on specific incidents of human trafficking. At this time, the human trafficking literature is permeated with discussions of the sex trade, sexual exploitation, organized crime, global socioeconomic problems and human rights. While these issues are all pertinent to the human trafficking debate, the literature requires maturat...

Human Trafficking of Children in the United States: A Fact Sheet for Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Office of Safe and Healthy Students, US Department of Education, 2013

2013-01-01

Human trafficking is a serious federal crime with penalties of up to imprisonment for life. Federal law defines "severe forms of trafficking in persons." In short, human trafficking is a form of modern slavery. Those who recruit minors into commercial sexual exploitation (or prostitution) violate federal anti-trafficking laws, even if there is no…

Public Perceptions of Human Trafficking in Moldova

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jill Robinson

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Human trafficking is a widely studied phenomenon. Comparing public perceptions of trafficking to institutional (i.e. the academy, governmental and non-governmental organizations perceptions gives a richer understanding of the problem. The data for this study were collected in and around Chisinau, Moldova in the summer of 2004. Public discourse provides a more intimate "portraiture" of the issue, but the public also demonstrated a complex level of understanding of this social problem in this study. Its view is juxtaposed against an institutional view of human trafficking as explored through a literature review. Combining institutional and public perceptions and knowledge of a social problem is helpful in not only establishing a more thorough understanding of the social problem and guiding policy decisions, but in exploring the experiences victims may face at the community level.

Human regulator of telomere elongation helicase 1 (RTEL1) is required for the nuclear and cytoplasmic trafficking of pre-U2 RNA.

Science.gov (United States)

Schertzer, Michael; Jouravleva, Karina; Perderiset, Mylene; Dingli, Florent; Loew, Damarys; Le Guen, Tangui; Bardoni, Barbara; de Villartay, Jean-Pierre; Revy, Patrick; Londoño-Vallejo, Arturo

2015-02-18

Hoyeraal-Hreidarsson syndrome (HHS) is a severe form of Dyskeratosis congenita characterized by developmental defects, bone marrow failure and immunodeficiency and has been associated with telomere dysfunction. Recently, mutations in Regulator of Telomere ELongation helicase 1 (RTEL1), a helicase first identified in Mus musculus as being responsible for the maintenance of long telomeres, have been identified in several HHS patients. Here we show that RTEL1 is required for the export and the correct cytoplasmic trafficking of the small nuclear (sn) RNA pre-U2, a component of the major spliceosome complex. RTEL1-HHS cells show abnormal subcellular partitioning of pre-U2, defects in the recycling of ribonucleotide proteins (RNP) in the cytoplasm and splicing defects. While most of these phenotypes can be suppressed by re-expressing the wild-type protein in RTEL1-HHS cells, expression of RTEL1 mutated variants in immortalized cells provokes cytoplasmic mislocalizations of pre-U2 and other RNP components, as well as splicing defects, thus phenocopying RTEL1-HHS cellular defects. Strikingly, expression of a cytoplasmic form of RTEL1 is sufficient to correct RNP mislocalizations both in RTEL1-HHS cells and in cells expressing nuclear mutated forms of RTEL1. This work unravels completely unanticipated roles for RTEL1 in RNP trafficking and strongly suggests that defects in RNP biogenesis pathways contribute to the pathology of HHS. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Human trafficking in Southeast Asia and U.S. national security

OpenAIRE

Snoke, Joshua H.

2015-01-01

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited The United States government finds human trafficking to be an important subject and is placing increasing focus on the issue. The Southeast Asian portion of the Western Pacific encompasses a substantial portion of global trafficking, much of which has a final destination in the United States. This thesis asks the following question: How does trafficking in persons (TIP) affect U.S. national security interests and regional stability in ...

Antropologis Tentang Trafficking Tkw Di Malaysia: Antara Ada Dan Tiada

OpenAIRE

Astuti, Tri Marhaeni Pudji

2008-01-01

Trafficking has existed since the period of kingdoms in Java, going on to the colonialism period, andto the present time. Its meaning is broadening beyond human trading into the matters related to violence,blackmailing, and forcing. Trafficking happens not only within one specific area, but has crossed theborder of countries, indicating the existence of an International net. The mushrooming of trafficking isdue to weak law and political commitment of the concerning countries. Moreover, the bi...

ANTROPOLOGIS TENTANG TRAFFICKING TKW DI MALAYSIA: ANTARA ADA DAN TIADA

OpenAIRE

Tri Marhaeni Pudji Astuti

2011-01-01

Trafficking has existed since the period of kingdoms in Java, going on to the colonialism period, andto the present time. Its meaning is broadening beyond human trading into the matters related to violence,blackmailing, and forcing. Trafficking happens not only within one specific area, but has crossed theborder of countries, indicating the existence of an international net. The mushrooming of trafficking isdue to weak law and political commitment of the concerning countries. Moreover, the bi...

Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 Controls Vascular Integrity by Regulating VE-Cadherin Trafficking.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna E Daniel

Full Text Available Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1, a serine protease inhibitor, is expressed and secreted by endothelial cells. Patients with PAI-1 deficiency show a mild to moderate bleeding diathesis, which has been exclusively ascribed to the function of PAI-1 in down-regulating fibrinolysis. We tested the hypothesis that PAI-1 function plays a direct role in controlling vascular integrity and permeability by keeping endothelial cell-cell junctions intact.We utilized PAI-039, a specific small molecule inhibitor of PAI-1, to investigate the role of PAI-1 in protecting endothelial integrity. In vivo inhibition of PAI-1 resulted in vascular leakage from intersegmental vessels and in the hindbrain of zebrafish embryos. In addition PAI-1 inhibition in human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC monolayers leads to a marked decrease of transendothelial resistance and disrupted endothelial junctions. The total level of the endothelial junction regulator VE-cadherin was reduced, whereas surface VE-cadherin expression was unaltered. Moreover, PAI-1 inhibition reduced the shedding of VE-cadherin. Finally, we detected an accumulation of VE-cadherin at the Golgi apparatus.Our findings indicate that PAI-1 function is important for the maintenance of endothelial monolayer and vascular integrity by controlling VE-cadherin trafficking to and from the plasma membrane. Our data further suggest that therapies using PAI-1 antagonists like PAI-039 ought to be used with caution to avoid disruption of the vessel wall.

Adenosine receptor desensitization and trafficking.

Science.gov (United States)

Mundell, Stuart; Kelly, Eamonn

2011-05-01

As with the majority of G-protein-coupled receptors, all four of the adenosine receptor subtypes are known to undergo agonist-induced regulation in the form of desensitization and trafficking. These processes can limit the ability of adenosine receptors to couple to intracellular signalling pathways and thus reduce the ability of adenosine receptor agonists as well as endogenous adenosine to produce cellular responses. In addition, since adenosine receptors couple to multiple signalling pathways, these pathways may desensitize differentially, while the desensitization of one pathway could even trigger signalling via another. Thus, the overall picture of adenosine receptor regulation can be complex. For all adenosine receptor subtypes, there is evidence to implicate arrestins in agonist-induced desensitization and trafficking, but there is also evidence for other possible forms of regulation, including second messenger-dependent kinase regulation, heterologous effects involving G proteins, and the involvement of non-clathrin trafficking pathways such as caveolae. In this review, the evidence implicating these mechanisms is summarized for each adenosine receptor subtype, and we also discuss those issues of adenosine receptor regulation that remain to be resolved as well as likely directions for future research in this field. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Autoantibodies against Muscarinic Type 3 Receptor in Sjögren's Syndrome Inhibit Aquaporin 5 Trafficking

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Byung Ha; Gauna, Adrienne E.; Perez, Geidys; Park, Yun-jong; Pauley, Kaleb M.; Kawai, Toshihisa; Cha, Seunghee

2013-01-01

Sjögren's syndrome (SjS) is a chronic autoimmune disease that mainly targets the salivary and lacrimal glands. It has been controversial whether anti-muscarinic type 3 receptor (α-M3R) autoantibodies in patients with SjS inhibit intracellular trafficking of aquaporin-5 (AQP5), water transport protein, leading to secretory dysfunction. To address this issue, GFP-tagged human AQP5 was overexpressed in human salivary gland cells (HSG-hAQP5) and monitored AQP5 trafficking to the plasma membrane following carbachol (CCh, M3R agonist) stimulation. AQP5 trafficking was indeed mediated by M3R stimulation, shown in partial blockage of trafficking by M3R-antagonist 4-DAMP. HSG-hAQP5 pre-incubated with SjS plasma for 24 hours significantly reduced AQP5 trafficking with CCh, compared with HSG-hAQP5 pre-incubated with healthy control (HC) plasma. This inhibition was confirmed by monoclonal α-M3R antibody and pre-absorbed plasma. Interestingly, HSG-hAQP5 pre-incubated with SjS plasma showed no change in cell volume, compared to the cells incubated with HC plasma showing shrinkage by twenty percent after CCh-stimulation. Our findings clearly indicate that binding of anti-M3R autoantibodies to the receptor, which was verified by immunoprecipitation, suppresses AQP5 trafficking to the membrane and contribute to impaired fluid secretion in SjS. Our current study urges further investigations of clinical associations between SjS symptoms, such as degree of secretory dysfunction, cognitive impairment, and/or bladder irritation, and different profiles (titers, isotypes, and/or specificity) of anti-M3R autoantibodies in individuals with SjS. PMID:23382834

'I thought I am Modern Slavery': Giving a Voice to Trafficked Women

OpenAIRE

De Angelis, M

2014-01-01

This article addresses the lack of women’s voices in the trafficking discourse by presenting women’s perspectives on policy support. Undertaken as part of doctoral study at the University of Hull, the research asked formerly trafficked women about their experiences of trafficking and anti-trafficking professionals about their work with victims. This paper focuses on women’s views on material help, health care and social support, a perceived culture of disbelief, and family rights. Their narra...

The Prosecution of State-Level Human Trafficking Cases in the United States

OpenAIRE

Amy Farrell; Monica J DeLateur; Colleen Owens; Stephanie Fahy

2016-01-01

In an effort to combat human trafficking, the United States federal government and all fifty states passed new laws that criminalise human trafficking and support the identification and prosecution of human trafficking perpetrators. Despite the passage of these laws, only a small number of human trafficking cases have been prosecuted in the last fifteen years. Guided by the notion that prosecutors seek to avoid uncertainty when making decisions to pursue criminal prosecution, we explore how h...

Subcellular Nanoparticle Distribution from Light Transmission Spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Deatsch, Alison; Sun, Nan; Johnson, Jeffrey; Stack, Sharon; Tanner, Carol; Ruggiero, Steven

We have measured the particle-size distribution (PSD) of subcellular structures in plant and animal cells. We have employed a new technique developed by our group, Light Transmission Spectroscopy-combined with cell fractionation-to accurately measure PSDs over a wide size range: from 10 nm to 3000nm, which includes objects from the size of individual proteins to organelles. To date our experiments have included cultured human oral cells and spinach cells. These results show a power-law dependence of particle density with particle diameter, implying a universality of the packing distribution. We discuss modeling the cell as a self-similar (fractal) body comprised of spheres on all size scales. This goal of this work is to obtain a better understanding of the fundamental nature of particle packing within cells in order to enrich our knowledge of the structure, function, and interactions of sub-cellular nanostructures across cell types.

Child trafficking and the European migration crisis: The role of forensic practitioners.

Science.gov (United States)

Obertová, Zuzana; Cattaneo, Cristina

2018-01-01

Trafficking in children is one of the worst forms of human rights violation and is categorised as a serious crime. Children at high risk of becoming victims of trafficking are runaways, children with a history of abuse, and migrant children. Internationally, cases of child trafficking are increasing the most in Europe, which is likely the result of the current migration crisis. In crises, preventing and combating human trafficking needs to be prioritized, considering that the aims of humanitarian action include saving lives, easing suffering and preserving human dignity. The involvement of forensic practitioners in investigations of cases of child trafficking mainly concerning the identification of victims may save lives and certainly alleviate suffering of the child victims and their families searching for them. Moreover, by aiding the prosecution process through thorough documentation and expert reporting forensic practitioners may contribute to the protection, rehabilitation and possibly compensation of the child victims, and thus to the restoration of their rights and dignity. So far, forensic practitioners were rarely specifically mentioned as actors in the counter-trafficking efforts in the multitude of policies, regulations, guidelines and recommendations concerning different aspects of child trafficking. This seems surprising considering that the expertise and experience of practitioners from forensic sciences including cyber forensics, document analysis, forensic biology, anthropology, and medicine can be utilised for gathering intelligence in cases of suspected human trafficking, for identifying the victims as well as perpetrators, and for securing evidence for legal proceedings as this paper shows. While this article mainly discusses the role of forensic pathologists and anthropologists, with a specific focus on the identification of child victims of trafficking in the context of the European migration crisis, the notions regarding the contribution of

Irregular Migration flows and human trafficking in the Western Balkan countries: challenges of the covergence of counter-trafficking response

OpenAIRE

Mece, Merita H.

2016-01-01

Irregular migration on the Western Balkan route has marked an unprecedented number during the last five years. Evidence indicates that both, non-European nationals and Western Balkan citizens have been involved in this complex migratory flow being exposed to various risks of human trafficking. But Western Balkan countries are source, transit and destination countries of human trafficking while their states are not well organized to implement a comprehensive and well-coordinated regional respo...

Patterns and Processes of Recruitment and Trafficking into sex Work ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Patterns and Processes of Recruitment and Trafficking into sex Work in Nigeria. ... The recruitment patterns and trafficking processes were characterized with incidences of deception, extortion, violence and ... AJOL African Journals Online.

Human Trafficking Identification and Service Provision in the Medical and Social Service Sectors.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwarz, Corinne; Unruh, Erik; Cronin, Katie; Evans-Simpson, Sarah; Britton, Hannah; Ramaswamy, Megha

2016-06-01

The medical sector presents a unique opportunity for identification and service to victims of human trafficking. In this article, we describe local and site-specific efforts to develop an intervention tool to be used in an urban hospital's emergency department in the midwestern United States. In the development of our tool, we focused on both identification and intervention to assist trafficked persons, through a largely collaborative process in which we engaged local stakeholders for developing site-specific points of intervention. In the process of developing our intervention, we highlight the importance of using existing resources and services in a specific community to address critical gaps in coverage for trafficked persons. For example, we focus on those who are victims of labor trafficking, in addition to those who are victims of sex trafficking. We offer a framework informed by rights-based approaches to anti-trafficking efforts that addresses the practical challenges of human trafficking victim identification while simultaneously working to provide resources and disseminate services to those victims.

Measures for prevention illicit trafficking of nuclear and radioactive materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strezov, A.

2002-01-01

Full text: In the early 1990ies the number of illicit trafficking cases with nuclear material and radioactive sources began to appear in the press more often than before. This fact became of great concern among international organizations and different states that the nuclear material subjected to trafficking might become in possession of rogue states and be implicated in weapons production or that stolen radioactive sources may cause health and safety effects to the population or to the environment. The creation and proposition of a model scheme procedure for the developing countries is important for starting the initial process of preventing and combating the illicit traffic of nuclear materials. Particular efforts have been directed for the protection of fissile materials. The reported incidents for diversion of nuclear materials have raised the problem of potential nuclear terrorism and also for countries of proliferation to take a short cut to the bomb. There is a need of rapid implementation of comprehensive, mutually reinforcing strategy to control the existing stockpiles of fissile material and to lower the future production and use of such materials. The illicit traffic of nuclear materials is a new threat, which requires new efforts, new approaches and coordination of services and institutions and even new legislation. The propositions of a model-procedure will allow better and quicker upgrade of developing countries capabilities for combating illicit nuclear trafficking. (author)

Predicting protein subcellular locations using hierarchical ensemble of Bayesian classifiers based on Markov chains

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eils Roland

2006-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The subcellular location of a protein is closely related to its function. It would be worthwhile to develop a method to predict the subcellular location for a given protein when only the amino acid sequence of the protein is known. Although many efforts have been made to predict subcellular location from sequence information only, there is the need for further research to improve the accuracy of prediction. Results A novel method called HensBC is introduced to predict protein subcellular location. HensBC is a recursive algorithm which constructs a hierarchical ensemble of classifiers. The classifiers used are Bayesian classifiers based on Markov chain models. We tested our method on six various datasets; among them are Gram-negative bacteria dataset, data for discriminating outer membrane proteins and apoptosis proteins dataset. We observed that our method can predict the subcellular location with high accuracy. Another advantage of the proposed method is that it can improve the accuracy of the prediction of some classes with few sequences in training and is therefore useful for datasets with imbalanced distribution of classes. Conclusion This study introduces an algorithm which uses only the primary sequence of a protein to predict its subcellular location. The proposed recursive scheme represents an interesting methodology for learning and combining classifiers. The method is computationally efficient and competitive with the previously reported approaches in terms of prediction accuracies as empirical results indicate. The code for the software is available upon request.

Evaluasi Hasil Implementasi the Coordinated Mekong Ministerial Initiative Against Trafficking Sub-regional Plan of Action (Commit Spa) Dalam Menangani Human Trafficking Di Thailand Periode 2011-2013

OpenAIRE

Rahmahwati, Isti Nur; Windiani, Reni; Putranti, Ika Riswanti

2015-01-01

Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, China, Vietnam, and Cambodia createdCOMMIT and COMMIT SPA. During COMMIT SPAimplementation period 2011-2013, the number of human traffickingincreased in Thailand. Most of human trafficking victims in Thailandare exploited into sexual exploitation and forced labor. The studyaims to analyze causes of human trafficking increased duringCOMMIT SPA implementation. The study result is the increase ofhuman trafficking is caused by Thailand's interests by using sextrafficking ...

The Proteome of the Isolated Chlamydia trachomatis Containing Vacuole Reveals a Complex Trafficking Platform Enriched for Retromer Components.

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Lukas Aeberhard

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Chlamydia trachomatis is an important human pathogen that replicates inside the infected host cell in a unique vacuole, the inclusion. The formation of this intracellular bacterial niche is essential for productive Chlamydia infections. Despite its importance for Chlamydia biology, a holistic view on the protein composition of the inclusion, including its membrane, is currently missing. Here we describe the host cell-derived proteome of isolated C. trachomatis inclusions by quantitative proteomics. Computational analysis indicated that the inclusion is a complex intracellular trafficking platform that interacts with host cells' antero- and retrograde trafficking pathways. Furthermore, the inclusion is highly enriched for sorting nexins of the SNX-BAR retromer, a complex essential for retrograde trafficking. Functional studies showed that in particular, SNX5 controls the C. trachomatis infection and that retrograde trafficking is essential for infectious progeny formation. In summary, these findings suggest that C. trachomatis hijacks retrograde pathways for effective infection.

Identifying domestic and international sex-trafficking victims during human service provision.

Science.gov (United States)

Macy, Rebecca J; Graham, Laurie M

2012-04-01

Children, youth, and adults of both genders are sex trafficked into and throughout the United States every day. Regrettably, little attention has been given to how human service providers might identify the sex-trafficking victims they are likely to encounter. To address this knowledge gap, the authors review 20 documents with the aim of detecting and synthesizing service identification recommendations in the scientific literature, government reports, and documents produced by organizations working with sex-trafficking victims. The review shows consensus regarding identification recommendations, including (a) trafficking indicators, (b) victim interaction strategies, (c) immediate response strategies, and (d) child-specific information. The review also shows consensus regarding screening questions that are important for service providers to use in identifying sex-trafficking victims. These questions relate to the victims' safety, employment, living environment, and travel and immigration status in addition to specific questions used with children and youth. The review results offer human service providers a preliminary set of screening strategies and questions that can be used to identify sex-trafficking victims in the context of human services. Building on the review findings, the authors offer policy and research recommendations.

Global initiatives to tackle organ trafficking and transplant tourism.

Science.gov (United States)

Bagheri, Alireza; Delmonico, Francis L

2013-11-01

The increasing gap between organ supply and demand has opened the door for illegal organ sale, trafficking of human organs, tissues and cells, as well as transplant tourism. Currently, underprivileged and vulnerable populations in resource-poor countries are a major source of organs for rich patient-tourists who can afford to purchase organs at home or abroad. This paper presents a summary of international initiatives, such as World Health Organization's Principle Guidelines, The Declaration of Istanbul, Asian Task Force Recommendations, as well as UNESCO's and the United Nation's initiatives against trafficking of human organs, tissues, cells, and transplant tourism. Beyond the summary, it calls for more practical measures to be taken to implement the existing guidelines and recommendations, in order to prevent exploitation of the poor as organ providers. The paper suggests that an international legally binding agreement in criminalizing organ trafficking would be a step forward to bring a change in the global picture of organ trafficking and transplant tourism.

The Role of Local Authorities in Addressing Human Trafficking

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Kathryn Rossiter

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Worldwide, it is estimated that nearly 4 million people fall victim to people traffickers every year. Trafficking is carried out mainly by Organised Criminal Networks and the victims are forced into prostitution, illegal labour, domestic slavery and petty crime. ROSSITER & BENFIELD: The Role of Local Authorities in Addressing Human Trafficking CJLG May 2009 128 On 1 April 2009, the United Kingdom signed up to the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings.1 The Convention, which has to date been ratified by 20 European countries, is legally binding and aims to promote and protect the rights of victims who have been tricked or forced into leaving their homes, moved to another country, or within their own country, and then exploited. Whilst it is national governments who are signatories to the Council of Europe Convention, local authorities have a key role to play in its successful implementation.

Prescription Monitoring Program Trends Among Individuals Arrested in Maine for Trafficking Prescription Drugs in 2014.

Science.gov (United States)

McCall, Kenneth; Nichols, Stephanie D; Holt, Christina; Ochs, Leslie; Cattabriga, Gary; Tu, Chunhao

2016-06-01

To evaluate controlled substance prescribing trends available in the Maine Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) among individuals arrested for prescription drug "trafficking." The demographic characteristics of the individuals who had matching prescription records in the PMP within 90 days of the arrest were identified. A population-based, retrospective cohort study using data from the Maine Diversion Alert Program (DAP) and the Maine PMP. The study population consisted of persons arrested for trafficking prescription drugs in Maine during the 2014 calendar year from January 1 to December 31. There were 594 trafficking arrests reported by the Maine DAP in 2014. The study population consisted of the 235 persons (40%) with arrests involving controlled prescription medications. The mean age of these persons was 33 years (range 18-77 yrs), and 156 (66%) were male. Arrests involved 154 prescription opioids (65%), seven stimulants (3%), seven benzodiazepines (3%), and 77 unspecified controlled prescription drugs (33%). A minority of individuals (n=57, 24%) had a prescription record in the PMP that matched the substance involved in the arrest. Only one person with matching PMP and arrest records utilized ≥ 5 prescribers, while none used ≥ 5 pharmacies within 90 days before the arrest. Payment methods for matching prescriptions were commercial insurance (n=28, 49%), Medicaid (n=19, 33%), Medicare (n=5, 9%), and cash (n=5, 9%). The majority (76%) of persons arrested for prescription drug trafficking did not have PMP records and did not directly obtain the diverted medication from a licensed pharmacy. Traditional red flags, like cash payment and using multiple prescribers or pharmacies, were uncommon. Therefore, arrest records for diversion and PMPs are distinct and complementary tools for identifying individuals at risk for substance misuse. © 2016 Pharmacotherapy Publications, Inc.

Studies on proinsulin and proglucagon biosynthesis and conversion at the subcellular level: I. Fractionation procedure and characterization of the subcellular fractions

Science.gov (United States)

Noe, BD; Baste, CA; Bauer, GE

1977-01-01

Anglerfish islets were homogenized in 0.25 M sucrose and separated into seven separate subcellular fractions by differential and discontinuous density gradient centrifugation. The objective was to isolate microsomes and secretory granules in a highly purified state. The fractions were characterized by electron microscopy and chemical analyses. Each fraction was assayed for its content of protein, RNA, DNA, immunoreactive insulin (IRI), and immunoreactive glucagon (IRG). Ultrastructural examination showed that two of the seven subcellular fractions contain primarily mitochondria, and that two others consist almost exclusively of secretory granules. A fifth fraction contains rough and smooth microsomal vesicles. The remaining two fractions are the cell supernate and the nuclei and cell debris. The content of DNA and RNA in all fractions is consistent with the observed ultrastructure. More than 82 percent of the total cellular IRI and 89(percent) of the total cellular IRG are found in the fractions of secretory granules. The combined fractions of secretory granules and microsomes consistently yield >93 percent of the total IRG. These results indicate that the fractionation procedure employed yields fractions of microsomes and secretory granules that contain nearly all the immunoassayable insulin and glucagons found in whole islet tissue. These fractions are thus considered suitable for study of proinsulin and proglucagon biosynthesis and their metabolic conversion at the subcellular level. PMID:328517

Combating trafficking in persons: a call to action for global health professionals

OpenAIRE

CdeBaca, Luis; Sigmon, Jane Nady

2014-01-01

Health care professionals can help identify victims of human trafficking, who commonly come into contact with providers during captivity. Providers can also help restore the physical and mental health of trafficking survivors. Training should focus on recognizing trafficking signs, interviewing techniques, and recommended responses when a victim is identified.

Combating trafficking in persons: a call to action for global health professionals.

Science.gov (United States)

CdeBaca, Luis; Sigmon, Jane Nady

2014-08-01

Health care professionals can help identify victims of human trafficking, who commonly come into contact with providers during captivity. Providers can also help restore the physical and mental health of trafficking survivors. Training should focus on recognizing trafficking signs, interviewing techniques, and recommended responses when a victim is identified.

Trafficking (in Representations: Understanding the recurring appeal of victimhood and slavery in neoliberal times

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rutvica Andrijasevic

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Representations of trafficking and forced labour are pervasive within media, policymaking, and humanitarian debates, discourses and interventions. The terms exploitation and trafficking are increasingly used to characterise the work that migrants do in the sex industry and other irregular employment sectors. Of late, the notion of ‘modern slavery’ is on show in campaigns aiming to raise awareness about trafficking and funds for anti-trafficking initiatives among corporations and local enterprises as well as the general public. Celebrity interventions, militant documentaries, artistic works and fiction films have all become powerful vectors of the global distribution of the trafficking and ‘modern slavery’ rhetoric. These offer simplistic solutions to complex issues without challenging the structural and causal factors of inequality. Through fictional and narrow representations of ideal victims they tend to entrench racialised narratives and conflate all sex work with trafficking, which legitimates criminalising policies and interventions exacerbating the social vulnerability of sex workers. It is because of the under-researched role of representation in the development of anti-trafficking policies and initiatives that the Anti-Trafficking Review decided to devote a thematic issue on trafficking representations.

Protocol at the Crossroads: Rethinking anti-trafficking law from an Indian labour law perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prabha Kotiswaran

2015-04-01

Full Text Available As we approach the fifteenth anniversary of the United Nations Trafficking Protocol, we can discern several phases of its diffusion, materialisation and interpretation in domestic criminal law regimes across the world. Although not exclusively preoccupied with sex work and sex trafficking anymore, the fact remains that the inordinate attention on trafficking in Western industrialised economies is disproportionate to the extent of the problem. Only 7% of the world’s 20.9 million forced labourers are in developed economies while 56% are in Asia Pacific. Yet in BRIC countries like India, with a substantial majority of the world’s trafficked victims and where 90% of all trafficking is domestic, trafficking has gained policy resonance only relatively recently. Even as India remains an active site for sexual humanitarianism with international and local abolitionist groups actively targeting sex workers, the article argues that less developed countries like India can play a crucial role in reorienting international anti-trafficking law and policy. Towards that goal, this article offers India’s bonded, contract and migrant labour laws as a robust labour law model against trafficking in contrast to the criminal justice model propagated by the Trafficking Protocol worldwide.

Subcellular localization of cadmium in hyperaccumulator Populus ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In this study, subcellular localization of cadmium in hyperaccumulator grey poplar (Populus × canescens) was investigated by the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) method. Young Populus × canescens were grown and hydroponic experiments were conducted under four Cd2+ concentrations (10, 30, 50, and 70 μM) ...

A Business Of Security: Applying An Economic Model To Human Trafficking In Oregon

Science.gov (United States)

2016-12-01

restaurants that employ trafficked workers.22 With higher demand, there is supporting evidence of the creation of greater supply, which would allow a...91 This selection bias could stem partially from the fact that most trafficking victims who interact with the judicial system are typically sexually...exploited and trafficked females, which gives the perception that labor trafficking is non-existent or less common.92 The selection pool of

Rapid glutamate receptor 2 trafficking during retinal degeneration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lin Yanhua

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Retinal degenerations, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD and retinitis pigmentosa (RP, are characterized by photoreceptor loss and anomalous remodeling of the surviving retina that corrupts visual processing and poses a barrier to late-stage therapeutic interventions in particular. However, the molecular events associated with retinal remodeling remain largely unknown. Given our prior evidence of ionotropic glutamate receptor (iGluR reprogramming in retinal degenerations, we hypothesized that the edited glutamate receptor 2 (GluR2 subunit and its trafficking may be modulated in retinal degenerations. Results Adult albino Balb/C mice were exposed to intense light for 24 h to induce light-induced retinal degeneration (LIRD. We found that prior to the onset of photoreceptor loss, protein levels of GluR2 and related trafficking proteins, including glutamate receptor-interacting protein 1 (GRIP1 and postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD-95, were rapidly increased. LIRD triggered neuritogenesis in photoreceptor survival regions, where GluR2 and its trafficking proteins were expressed in the anomalous dendrites. Immunoprecipitation analysis showed interaction between KIF3A and GRIP1 as well as PSD-95, suggesting that KIF3A may mediate transport of GluR2 and its trafficking proteins to the novel dendrites. However, in areas of photoreceptor loss, GluR2 along with its trafficking proteins nearly vanished in retracted retinal neurites. Conclusions All together, LIRD rapidly triggers GluR2 plasticity, which is a potential mechanism behind functionally phenotypic revisions of retinal neurons and neuritogenesis during retinal degenerations.

Analysis of occludin trafficking, demonstrating continuous endocytosis, degradation, recycling and biosynthetic secretory trafficking.

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Sarah J Fletcher

Full Text Available Tight junctions (TJs link adjacent cells and are critical for maintenance of apical-basolateral polarity in epithelial monolayers. The TJ protein occludin functions in disparate processes, including wound healing and Hepatitis C Virus infection. Little is known about steady-state occludin trafficking into and out of the plasma membrane. Therefore, we determined the mechanisms responsible for occludin turnover in confluent Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK epithelial monolayers. Using various biotin-based trafficking assays we observed continuous and rapid endocytosis of plasma membrane localised occludin (the majority internalised within 30 minutes. By 120 minutes a significant reduction in internalised occludin was observed. Inhibition of lysosomal function attenuated the reduction in occludin signal post-endocytosis and promoted co-localisation with the late endocytic system. Using a similar method we demonstrated that ∼20% of internalised occludin was transported back to the cell surface. Consistent with these findings, significant co-localisation between internalised occludin and recycling endosomal compartments was observed. We then quantified the extent to which occludin synthesis and transport to the plasma membrane contributes to plasma membrane occludin homeostasis, identifying inhibition of protein synthesis led to decreased plasma membrane localised occludin. Significant co-localisation between occludin and the biosynthetic secretory pathway was demonstrated. Thus, under steady-state conditions occludin undergoes turnover via a continuous cycle of endocytosis, recycling and degradation, with degradation compensated for by biosynthetic exocytic trafficking. We developed a mathematical model to describe the endocytosis, recycling and degradation of occludin, utilising experimental data to provide quantitative estimates for the rates of these processes.

Autophagosome Proteins LC3A, LC3B and LC3C Have Distinct Subcellular Distribution Kinetics and Expression in Cancer Cell Lines.

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Michael I Koukourakis

Full Text Available LC3s (MAP1-LC3A, B and C are structural proteins of autophagosomal membranes, widely used as biomarkers of autophagy. Whether these three LC3 proteins have a similar biological role in autophagy remains obscure. We examine in parallel the subcellular expression patterns of the three LC3 proteins in a panel of human cancer cell lines, as well as in normal MRC5 fibroblasts and HUVEC, using confocal microscopy and western blot analysis of cell fractions. In the cytoplasm, there was a minimal co-localization between LC3A, B and C staining, suggesting that the relevant autophagosomes are formed by only one out of the three LC3 proteins. LC3A showed a perinuclear and nuclear localization, while LC3B was equally distributed throughout the cytoplasm and localized in the nucleolar regions. LC3C was located in the cytoplasm and strongly in the nuclei (excluding nucleoli, where it extensively co-localized with the LC3A and the Beclin-1 autophagy initiating protein. Beclin 1 is known to contain a nuclear trafficking signal. Blocking nuclear export function by Leptomycin B resulted in nuclear accumulation of all LC3 and Beclin-1 proteins, while Ivermectin that blocks nuclear import showed reduction of accumulation, but not in all cell lines. Since endogenous LC3 proteins are used as major markers of autophagy in clinical studies and cell lines, it is essential to check the specificity of the antibodies used, as the kinetics of these molecules are not identical and may have distinct biological roles. The distinct subcellular expression patterns of LC3s provide a basis for further studies.

War Zone Acapulco: Urban Drug Trafficking in the Americas

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Thiago Rodrigues

Full Text Available Abstract Acapulco epitomises the (insecurity of urban zones in the Americas whose geographical, political and economic divisions are exacerbated by the political economy and geopolitics of drug trafficking, as well as by militarised attempts to fight it. Various geographic, political, and economic factors in the Acapulco Metropolitan Zone (AMZ have impacted drug trafficking and organised crime and contributed to high levels of violence. As a result, Acapulco now ranks among the 50 most violent cities in the world. This article analyses the trends in drug trafficking and organised crime in the AMZ, and highlights the lessons for scholars and policy-makers.

Seventeen years of human trafficking research in social work: A review of the literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Okech, David; Choi, Y Joon; Elkins, Jennifer; Burns, Abigail C

2018-01-01

The trafficking of persons around the world is a serious violation of human rights and manifestation of social injustice. It disproportionately affects women and children worldwide. Given the values of the social work profession and the prevalence of trafficking, it is essential to understand the current literature on human trafficking in social work journals. Using the PRISMA method, this systematic review (n = 94 articles) of human trafficking in social work journals found the following: more focus on sex trafficking than other forms of trafficking; a lack of a clear conceptualization and definition on the entire spectrum of trafficking; a lack of evidence-informed empirical research to inform programs, practice, and policy; and a dearth of recommendations for social work education. Specific implications for social work policy, research, practice, and education are highlighted and discussed.

Control of trafficking of radioactive sources/substances on European Community eastern border

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lovjagina, Irina; Graveris, Visvaldis

2008-01-01

Full text: Taking into account Latvia geographical location, historical core stones (the dissolution of Soviet Union, join to European Community) and increasing of the international terrorism treats, control fissile and non-fissile radioactive material become one of high priorities. During past 2 years active work and practical exercise with representative from Ministry of Defense, Police, and Custom etc. on control of trafficking of such materials were performed and Operational Manual for Control on Radioactive Materials for Customs and Policy officers is issued. All land borders check points with Russian Federation and Byelorussian, all harbors and airports were equipped with a gamma/ neutrons or gamma control portals. To control unwanted material traffic within the country, as well as to ensure the recycled scrap metal is source-free use of monitoring portals and additional portable detectors in the past years strictly increased. Cases with alarm levels, when gamma dose rate exceeds more than 1.5 times the background level, are subject to reporting and analyzing by Radiation Safety Centre (RDC) experts (24 hours on duty). Consultative phone service for inhabitants is maintained; guidelines and working procedures within Authority and other Institutions involving were developed and implemented. As a result, in 2007 RDC has got 612 reports from the border. In 83% cases this was relevant to the trains, in 17%- to the trucks. Mostly enhanced activity was due to potassium compounds in fertilizers (85%), due to ceramics (4%), abrasives (2.5%), and refractory materials (3%). Controlling scrap metal there were revealed two sources in 2007 - one Sr-90 calibration source and other Cs-137 orphan source (origin unknown). The presence of radioactive sources in scrap in the past 3 years has been represented by Co-60, Cs-137 and Sr-90 sources, parts of statically electricity neutralizers, Ra-226. Several times NORM industries polluted materials were from scrap excluded

Gene ontology based transfer learning for protein subcellular localization

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Zhou Shuigeng

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Prediction of protein subcellular localization generally involves many complex factors, and using only one or two aspects of data information may not tell the true story. For this reason, some recent predictive models are deliberately designed to integrate multiple heterogeneous data sources for exploiting multi-aspect protein feature information. Gene ontology, hereinafter referred to as GO, uses a controlled vocabulary to depict biological molecules or gene products in terms of biological process, molecular function and cellular component. With the rapid expansion of annotated protein sequences, gene ontology has become a general protein feature that can be used to construct predictive models in computational biology. Existing models generally either concatenated the GO terms into a flat binary vector or applied majority-vote based ensemble learning for protein subcellular localization, both of which can not estimate the individual discriminative abilities of the three aspects of gene ontology. Results In this paper, we propose a Gene Ontology Based Transfer Learning Model (GO-TLM for large-scale protein subcellular localization. The model transfers the signature-based homologous GO terms to the target proteins, and further constructs a reliable learning system to reduce the adverse affect of the potential false GO terms that are resulted from evolutionary divergence. We derive three GO kernels from the three aspects of gene ontology to measure the GO similarity of two proteins, and derive two other spectrum kernels to measure the similarity of two protein sequences. We use simple non-parametric cross validation to explicitly weigh the discriminative abilities of the five kernels, such that the time & space computational complexities are greatly reduced when compared to the complicated semi-definite programming and semi-indefinite linear programming. The five kernels are then linearly merged into one single kernel for

Forces of Habit: Global SOF's Role in Countering Illicit Drug Trafficking

OpenAIRE

Paul Rexton Kan

2014-01-01

Illicit drug trafficking is a prominent national security issue in a globalizing world. Drug trafficking intersects with major security issues such as rogue and narco-states, weak and failing states, insurgencies and terrorism, transnational organized crime and protracted intrastate conflicts. These are the same issues that sets the operational environment for the deployment of SOF. Rather than treating drug trafficking as a singular and separate security issue, global SOF counternarcotics op...

Anti-Human Trafficking Interventions

Science.gov (United States)

Davy, Deanna

2016-01-01

Since the early 2000s, a significant number of programs and policies have been developed and implemented to prevent and combat human trafficking. At the international, regional and national levels, government, and international, and nongovernment organizations have established plans of action, conducted training, developed policy tools, and…

Social world of organ transplantation, trafficking, and policies.

Science.gov (United States)

Yousaf, Farhan Navid; Purkayastha, Bandana

2016-05-01

Although success of organ transplants reflects advances in medical procedures, the success has generated debates about the ethical standards and policies that govern transplants, especially the acquisition of organs for transplants. We focus on laws, policies, and organ trafficking to highlight the interdisciplinary perspectives that can shape our understanding of transplantation as a social phenomenon. We discuss international policies and country-specific legislation from Pakistan to point to gaps and their implications for protecting vulnerable people who are exploited for organ removal. International collaboration and the legal framework need to be strengthened to fight the menace globally and to deal with the cases of organ trafficking within the legal ambit of human trafficking so that the rights of victims are upheld by states, justice systems, and ultimately medical establishments and practitioners.

Understanding the link between trafficking in persons and HIV and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Keywords: HIV, trafficking in persons, labour, Tanzania ..... Myths about HIV transmission and AIDS cure in some parts of the world are likely to fuel trafficking in persons. Surfacing beliefs among men that 'having sex with virgin girls could.

Civil Rights for Trafficked Persons: Recommendations for a More Effective Federal Civil Remedy

OpenAIRE

Shannon Lack

2008-01-01

In response to increasing public awareness of human trafficking in the United States, the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act (TVPA) was signed into law by President Bill Clinton in October of 2000. The TVPA consolidated existing legislation to create a comprehensive civil remedy; this ensures that trafficking victims are no longer forced to seek redress under multiple criminal and civil statutes that target only components of the human trafficking offense. However, despite its...

Building the Infrastructure of Anti-Trafficking, Part II: Why measurement matters

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Fiona David

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Having worked on human trafficking issues since the late 1990s, I have been fortunate to observe the rapid development of the infrastructure necessary to respond to these crimes. In 1999, a time of much concern about ‘mail order brides’ and debates about the differences between human trafficking and smuggling, I published a report noting that: In Australia, as in other countries of the world, limited evidence is available about the nature and incidence of trafficking in persons. There is some anecdotal evidence of trafficking activity occurring in various industries, including hospitality, manufacturing, and agriculture. The sector that has received the most media attention, however, is the sex industry.

Subcellular partitioning of metals in Aporrectodea caliginosa along a gradient of metal exposure in 31 field-contaminated soils

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beaumelle, Léa [INRA, UR 251 PESSAC, 78026 Versailles Cedex (France); Gimbert, Frédéric [Laboratoire Chrono-Environnement, UMR 6249 University of Franche-Comté/CNRS Usc INRA, 16 route de Gray, 25030 Besançon Cedex (France); Hedde, Mickaël [INRA, UR 251 PESSAC, 78026 Versailles Cedex (France); Guérin, Annie [INRA, US 0010 LAS Laboratoire d' analyses des sols, 273 rue de Cambrai, 62000 Arras (France); Lamy, Isabelle, E-mail: lamy@versailles.inra.fr [INRA, UR 251 PESSAC, 78026 Versailles Cedex (France)

2015-07-01

Subcellular fractionation of metals in organisms was proposed as a better way to characterize metal bioaccumulation. Here we report the impact of a laboratory exposure to a wide range of field-metal contaminated soils on the subcellular partitioning of metals in the earthworm Aporrectodea caliginosa. Soils moderately contaminated were chosen to create a gradient of soil metal availability; covering ranges of both soil metal contents and of several soil parameters. Following exposure, Cd, Pb and Zn concentrations were determined both in total earthworm body and in three subcellular compartments: cytosolic, granular and debris fractions. Three distinct proxies of soil metal availability were investigated: CaCl{sub 2}-extractable content dissolved content predicted by a semi-mechanistic model and free ion concentration predicted by a geochemical speciation model. Subcellular partitionings of Cd and Pb were modified along the gradient of metal exposure, while stable Zn partitioning reflected regulation processes. Cd subcellular distribution responded more strongly to increasing soil Cd concentration than the total internal content, when Pb subcellular distribution and total internal content were similarly affected. Free ion concentrations were better descriptors of Cd and Pb subcellular distribution than CaCl{sub 2} extractable and dissolved metal concentrations. However, free ion concentrations and soil total metal contents were equivalent descriptors of the subcellular partitioning of Cd and Pb because they were highly correlated. Considering lowly contaminated soils, our results raise the question of the added value of three proxies of metal availability compared to soil total metal content in the assessment of metal bioavailability to earthworm. - Highlights: • Earthworms were exposed to a wide panel of historically contaminated soils • Subcellular partitioning of Cd, Pb and Zn was investigated in earthworms • Three proxies of soil metal availability were

Investigating Internalization and Intracellular Trafficking of GPCRs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Foster, Simon R; Bräuner-Osborne, Hans

2017-01-01

for signal transduction. One of the major mechanisms for GPCR regulation involves their endocytic trafficking, which serves to internalize the receptors from the plasma membrane and thereby attenuate G protein-dependent signaling. However, there is accumulating evidence to suggest that GPCRs can signal...... independently of G proteins, as well as from intracellular compartments including endosomes. It is in this context that receptor internalization and intracellular trafficking have attracted renewed interest within the GPCR field. In this chapter, we will review the current understanding and methodologies...

A celiac cellular phenotype, with altered LPP sub-cellular distribution, is inducible in controls by the toxic gliadin peptide P31-43.

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Merlin Nanayakkara

Full Text Available Celiac disease (CD is a frequent inflammatory intestinal disease, with a genetic background, caused by gliadin-containing food. Undigested gliadin peptides P31-43 and P57-68 induce innate and adaptive T cell-mediated immune responses, respectively. Alterations in the cell shape and actin cytoskeleton are present in celiac enterocytes, and gliadin peptides induce actin rearrangements in both the CD mucosa and cell lines. Cell shape is maintained by the actin cytoskeleton and focal adhesions, sites of membrane attachment to the extracellular matrix. The locus of the human Lipoma Preferred Partner (LPP gene was identified as strongly associated with CD using genome-wide association studies (GWAS. The LPP protein plays an important role in focal adhesion architecture and acts as a transcription factor in the nucleus. In this study, we examined the hypothesis that a constitutive alteration of the cell shape and the cytoskeleton, involving LPP, occurs in a cell compartment far from the main inflammation site in CD fibroblasts from skin explants. We analyzed the cell shape, actin organization, focal adhesion number, focal adhesion proteins, LPP sub-cellular distribution and adhesion to fibronectin of fibroblasts obtained from CD patients on a Gluten-Free Diet (GFD and controls, without and with treatment with A-gliadin peptide P31-43. We observed a "CD cellular phenotype" in these fibroblasts, characterized by an altered cell shape and actin organization, increased number of focal adhesions, and altered intracellular LPP protein distribution. The treatment of controls fibroblasts with gliadin peptide P31-43 mimics the CD cellular phenotype regarding the cell shape, adhesion capacity, focal adhesion number and LPP sub-cellular distribution, suggesting a close association between these alterations and CD pathogenesis.

Detrended cross-correlation coefficient: Application to predict apoptosis protein subcellular localization.

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Yunyun; Liu, Sanyang; Zhang, Shengli

2016-12-01

Apoptosis, or programed cell death, plays a central role in the development and homeostasis of an organism. Obtaining information on subcellular location of apoptosis proteins is very helpful for understanding the apoptosis mechanism. The prediction of subcellular localization of an apoptosis protein is still a challenging task, and existing methods mainly based on protein primary sequences. In this paper, we introduce a new position-specific scoring matrix (PSSM)-based method by using detrended cross-correlation (DCCA) coefficient of non-overlapping windows. Then a 190-dimensional (190D) feature vector is constructed on two widely used datasets: CL317 and ZD98, and support vector machine is adopted as classifier. To evaluate the proposed method, objective and rigorous jackknife cross-validation tests are performed on the two datasets. The results show that our approach offers a novel and reliable PSSM-based tool for prediction of apoptosis protein subcellular localization. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Quantitative Analysis of Subcellular Distribution of the SUMO Conjugation System by Confocal Microscopy Imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Mas, Abraham; Amenós, Montse; Lois, L Maria

2016-01-01

Different studies point to an enrichment in SUMO conjugation in the cell nucleus, although non-nuclear SUMO targets also exist. In general, the study of subcellular localization of proteins is essential for understanding their function within a cell. Fluorescence microscopy is a powerful tool for studying subcellular protein partitioning in living cells, since fluorescent proteins can be fused to proteins of interest to determine their localization. Subcellular distribution of proteins can be influenced by binding to other biomolecules and by posttranslational modifications. Sometimes these changes affect only a portion of the protein pool or have a partial effect, and a quantitative evaluation of fluorescence images is required to identify protein redistribution among subcellular compartments. In order to obtain accurate data about the relative subcellular distribution of SUMO conjugation machinery members, and to identify the molecular determinants involved in their localization, we have applied quantitative confocal microscopy imaging. In this chapter, we will describe the fluorescent protein fusions used in these experiments, and how to measure, evaluate, and compare average fluorescence intensities in cellular compartments by image-based analysis. We show the distribution of some components of the Arabidopsis SUMOylation machinery in epidermal onion cells and how they change their distribution in the presence of interacting partners or even when its activity is affected.

Trafficked Women in Denmark—Falling through the cracks

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Kira West

2018-05-01

Full Text Available The policy framework for combating human trafficking and protecting victims in Denmark does not match the reality faced by the majority of the migrant women arriving in the country. Especially in relation to women from African countries, the national legislation and regulations can be a source of frustration for agencies such as Reden International, which helps foreign women working in prostitution in Denmark, particularly victims of trafficking.

Key roles of Arf small G proteins and biosynthetic trafficking for animal development.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodrigues, Francisco F; Harris, Tony J C

2017-04-14

Although biosynthetic trafficking can function constitutively, it also functions specifically for certain developmental processes. These processes require either a large increase to biosynthesis or the biosynthesis and targeted trafficking of specific players. We review the conserved molecular mechanisms that direct biosynthetic trafficking, and discuss how their genetic disruption affects animal development. Specifically, we consider Arf small G proteins, such as Arf1 and Sar1, and their coat effectors, COPI and COPII, and how these proteins promote biosynthetic trafficking for cleavage of the Drosophila embryo, the growth of neuronal dendrites and synapses, extracellular matrix secretion for bone development, lumen development in epithelial tubes, notochord and neural tube development, and ciliogenesis. Specific need for the biosynthetic trafficking system is also evident from conserved CrebA/Creb3-like transcription factors increasing the expression of secretory machinery during several of these developmental processes. Moreover, dysfunctional trafficking leads to a range of developmental syndromes.

Global Trafficking Prevalence Data Distorts Efforts to Stop Patterns of Human Trafficking

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Mike Dottridge

2017-04-01

Full Text Available For everyone engaged in efforts to stop the exploitation and harm associated with human trafficking, it always sounds helpful to know how many people are being exploited in particular places and where they come from. Finding out should help us assess whether efforts to cut down these numbers are effective or not.

Editorial: The Presence of the Past: Lessons of history for anti-trafficking work

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Julia O’Connell Davidson

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This issue of the Anti-Trafficking Review is concerned with some of the histories that created, and that continue to shape, both the present-day phenomena discussed under the rubric of trafficking, and the contemporary discourse of trafficking itself. One such history is that of transatlantic slavery. Since the millennium, numerous NGOs have been founded in the US, Australia and Europe with a mission to end what they call ‘modern slavery’. Their campaigns have overlapped with, and played a significant role in shaping, the development of media, NGO, policy and political discourse on human trafficking, which is, according to the antislavery NGO Free the Slaves, ‘the modern day slave trade—the process of enslaving a person’.1 In this discourse, the history of transatlantic slavery is invoked by means of visual as well as textual references in order to emphasise the severity of trafficking (and other phenomena included under the umbrella of ‘modern slavery’ as a human rights violation. The message has been communicated so effectively that although in international law slavery is held to be only one of several possible outcomes of trafficking, in the anti-trafficking rhetoric emanating from national and international policy agencies, as well as NGOs, trafficking is now frequently said to be ‘modern slavery’.2

Trafficking of Women in Mexico and Their Health Risk: Issues and Problems

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Arun Kumar Acharya

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Trafficking in women is one of the most corrosive forms of human rights violation. It results in the gradual destruction of a woman’s personal identity and her right to live as a free human. The victim is subjected to violence, humiliation and violation of her personal integrity, which may result in life threatening diseases like HIV/AIDS, STDs or lifelong trauma, drug addiction or personality disintegration. It can also be seen as denial of the right to liberty and security of the person, and the right to freedom from torture, violence, cruelty or degrading treatment. Over the last few decades, international trafficking of women has been given more attention by researchers. However at present internal trafficking is drawing more attention and concern from researchers. The complexity of obtaining visas and strict patrolling on international borders has caused a boom of internal trafficking around the world. Thus, the current paper aims to investigate trafficking of women for sexual exploitation including the recruitment process, methods of trafficking and working conditions of the victims; as well as to explore the determinants of sexual violence and its impact on the health of trafficked women in Monterrey, Mexico. For the present study a total of 60 women were interviewed using a snowball method between 2007 and 2013.

An Ecological Approach Toward Prevention and Care of Victims of Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanchez, Rosario V; Pacquiao, Dula F

Sex trafficking is a widespread form of human trafficking that exists globally. The forced sexual exploitation of young women for profit at the hands of traffickers is a human rights violation. Sex trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery where youths are sold as a commodity. It is difficult to determine the wide range of negative health outcomes associated with domestic minor sex trafficking due to the hidden nature of the crime and its lack of statistical data to determine prevalence. Viewing domestic minor sex trafficking through an ecological lens assists in the understanding of the multiple complex interactions between victims, their relationships, and environments that influence their health. Forensic nurses are poised as experts in the healthcare of vulnerable populations and possess the knowledge to understand that social determinants of vulnerability depend on the distinct setting or environment where victims of sex trafficking reside and how different factors affect their victimology, resilience, and well-being.

Changes to cholesterol trafficking in macrophages by Leishmania parasites infection.

Science.gov (United States)

Semini, Geo; Paape, Daniel; Paterou, Athina; Schroeder, Juliane; Barrios-Llerena, Martin; Aebischer, Toni

2017-08-01

Leishmania spp. are protozoan parasites that are transmitted by sandfly vectors during blood sucking to vertebrate hosts and cause a spectrum of diseases called leishmaniases. It has been demonstrated that host cholesterol plays an important role during Leishmania infection. Nevertheless, little is known about the intracellular distribution of this lipid early after internalization of the parasite. Here, pulse-chase experiments with radiolabeled cholesteryl esterified to fatty acids bound to low-density lipoproteins indicated that retention of this source of cholesterol is increased in parasite-containing subcellular fractions, while uptake is unaffected. This is correlated with a reduction or absence of detectable NPC1 (Niemann-Pick disease, type C1), a protein responsible for cholesterol efflux from endocytic compartments, in the Leishmania mexicana habitat and infected cells. Filipin staining revealed a halo around parasites within parasitophorous vacuoles (PV) likely representing free cholesterol accumulation. Labeling of host cell membranous cholesterol by fluorescent cholesterol species before infection revealed that this pool is also trafficked to the PV but becomes incorporated into the parasites' membranes and seems not to contribute to the halo detected by filipin. This cholesterol sequestration happened early after infection and was functionally significant as it correlated with the upregulation of mRNA-encoding proteins required for cholesterol biosynthesis. Thus, sequestration of cholesterol by Leishmania amastigotes early after infection provides a basis to understand perturbation of cholesterol-dependent processes in macrophages that were shown previously by others to be necessary for their proper function in innate and adaptive immune responses. © 2017 The Authors. MicrobiologyOpen published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Human Trafficking and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court

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CLARE FRANCES MORAN

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The case for extending the reach of the Rome Statute to the crime of human trafficking has not yet been made in detail. The brutality which occurs when human beings are trafficked by criminal gangs is of an equally egregious nature as the other crimes covered by the Rome Statute and yet it does not fall within the remit of the International Criminal Court. Such trafficking may also fall outwith the definition of slavery as a crime against humanity, particularly given the State policy threshold set by the Statute. This paper seeks to explore the viability of the inclusion of human trafficking as a discrete international crime within the Rome Statute as a response to this loophole.

Ubiquilin 1 modulates amyloid precursor protein trafficking and Abeta secretion.

Science.gov (United States)

Hiltunen, Mikko; Lu, Alice; Thomas, Anne V; Romano, Donna M; Kim, Minji; Jones, Phill B; Xie, Zhongcong; Kounnas, Maria Z; Wagner, Steven L; Berezovska, Oksana; Hyman, Bradley T; Tesco, Giuseppina; Bertram, Lars; Tanzi, Rudolph E

2006-10-27

Ubiquilin 1 (UBQLN1) is a ubiquitin-like protein, which has been shown to play a central role in regulating the proteasomal degradation of various proteins, including the presenilins. We recently reported that DNA variants in UBQLN1 increase the risk for Alzheimer disease, by influencing expression of this gene in brain. Here we present the first assessment of the effects of UBQLN1 on the metabolism of the amyloid precursor protein (APP). For this purpose, we employed RNA interference to down-regulate UBQLN1 in a variety of neuronal and non-neuronal cell lines. We demonstrate that down-regulation of UBQLN1 accelerates the maturation and intracellular trafficking of APP, while not interfering with alpha-, beta-, or gamma-secretase levels or activity. UBQLN1 knockdown increased the ratio of APP mature/immature, increased levels of full-length APP on the cell surface, and enhanced the secretion of sAPP (alpha- and beta-forms). Moreover, UBQLN1 knockdown increased levels of secreted Abeta40 and Abeta42. Finally, employing a fluorescence resonance energy transfer-based assay, we show that UBQLN1 and APP come into close proximity in intact cells, independently of the presence of the presenilins. Collectively, our findings suggest that UBQLN1 may normally serve as a cytoplasmic "gatekeeper" that may control APP trafficking from intracellular compartments to the cell surface. These findings suggest that changes in UBQLN1 steady-state levels affect APP trafficking and processing, thereby influencing the generation of Abeta.

Trafficking: Sebuah Masalah Pengiriman Tenaga Kerja Indonesia Ke Malaysia

OpenAIRE

Wahyuddin, S.S., M.Hum.

2013-01-01

Trafficking atau yang lazim dikenal dengan istilah perdagangan manusia merupakan sebuah fenomena internasional yang terjadi dari masa ke masa. Kalupun terdengar seperti baru, itu karena peristilahan saja. Istilah trafficking dewasa ini kita kenal juga dengan istilah modern slavery. Praktek serupa terjadi juga di masa lampau seperti eksploitasi baik fisik maupun seksual dalam bentuk kerja paksa dan perbudakan. -

Protein kinesis: The dynamics of protein trafficking and stability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-12-31

The purpose of this conference is to provide a multidisciplinary forum for exchange of state-of-the-art information on protein kinesis. This volume contains abstracts of papers in the following areas: protein folding and modification in the endoplasmic reticulum; protein trafficking; protein translocation and folding; protein degradation; polarity; nuclear trafficking; membrane dynamics; and protein import into organelles.

Child Trafficking: A Hindrance to the Girl-Child Education

Science.gov (United States)

Aibangbe, Mary O.

2015-01-01

Child trafficking continues to pose a major hindrance to the freedom and educational development of the girl-child in Nigeria. Most of the girls trafficked are forced into prostitution, forced labour and in some cases as human sacrifice. Some families support this trend because they see it as a means to break the yoke of economic hardship. The…

Squalestatin alters the intracellular trafficking of a neurotoxic prion peptide

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Williams Alun

2007-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Neurotoxic peptides derived from the protease-resistant core of the prion protein are used to model the pathogenesis of prion diseases. The current study characterised the ingestion, internalization and intracellular trafficking of a neurotoxic peptide containing amino acids 105–132 of the murine prion protein (MoPrP105-132 in neuroblastoma cells and primary cortical neurons. Results Fluorescence microscopy and cell fractionation techniques showed that MoPrP105-132 co-localised with lipid raft markers (cholera toxin and caveolin-1 and trafficked intracellularly within lipid rafts. This trafficking followed a non-classical endosomal pathway delivering peptide to the Golgi and ER, avoiding classical endosomal trafficking via early endosomes to lysosomes. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer analysis demonstrated close interactions of MoPrP105-132 with cytoplasmic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2 and cyclo-oxygenase-1 (COX-1, enzymes implicated in the neurotoxicity of prions. Treatment with squalestatin reduced neuronal cholesterol levels and caused the redistribution of MoPrP105-132 out of lipid rafts. In squalestatin-treated cells, MoPrP105-132 was rerouted away from the Golgi/ER into degradative lysosomes. Squalestatin treatment also reduced the association between MoPrP105-132 and cPLA2/COX-1. Conclusion As the observed shift in peptide trafficking was accompanied by increased cell survival these studies suggest that the neurotoxicity of this PrP peptide is dependent on trafficking to specific organelles where it activates specific signal transduction pathways.

Human Trafficking and Sexual Servitude: Organised Crime’s Involvement in Australia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mark Langhorn

2018-03-01

Full Text Available This study examined the context of organised crime groups that traffic in people for the Australian sex industry. It is a qualitative study of twenty-one cases of human trafficking. The study found that criminal networks preyed on vulnerable females from countries such as Thailand, South Korea, and China. Victims were deceptively recruited with the cost of their travel to Australia held against them as a highly inflated debt. As a result, they find themselves forced into sex work to repay the debt. This study examined the attributes of the organised crime syndicates involved in the people trafficking and discussed the context in which they operate in Australia. The study used the Sleipnir framework to analyse organised crime groups and it is recommended that the Sleipnir model is integrated into future law enforcement activities in respect of human trafficking. The introduction of a standardised data and statistical collection tool in respect of human trafficking would provide law enforcement and intelligence agencies with a conceptual framework and a greater comprehensive description of human trafficking.

LRRK2 affects vesicle trafficking, neurotransmitter extracellular level and membrane receptor localization.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rossana Migheli

Full Text Available The leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2 gene was found to play a role in the pathogenesis of both familial and sporadic Parkinson's disease (PD. LRRK2 encodes a large multi-domain protein that is expressed in different tissues. To date, the physiological and pathological functions of LRRK2 are not clearly defined. In this study we have explored the role of LRRK2 in controlling vesicle trafficking in different cellular or animal models and using various readouts. In neuronal cells, the presence of LRRK2(G2019S pathological mutant determines increased extracellular dopamine levels either under basal conditions or upon nicotine stimulation. Moreover, mutant LRRK2 affects the levels of dopamine receptor D1 on the membrane surface in neuronal cells or animal models. Ultrastructural analysis of PC12-derived cells expressing mutant LRRK2(G2019S shows an altered intracellular vesicle distribution. Taken together, our results point to the key role of LRRK2 to control vesicle trafficking in neuronal cells.

Capillary electrophoretic analysis reveals subcellular binding between individual mitochondria and cytoskeleton

Science.gov (United States)

Kostal, Vratislav; Arriaga, Edgar A.

2011-01-01

Interactions between the cytoskeleton and mitochondria are essential for normal cellular function. An assessment of such interactions is commonly based on bulk analysis of mitochondrial and cytoskeletal markers present in a given sample, which assumes complete binding between these two organelle types. Such measurements are biased because they rarely account for non-bound ‘free’ subcellular species. Here we report on the use of capillary electrophoresis with dual laser induced fluorescence detection (CE-LIF) to identify, classify, count and quantify properties of individual binding events of mitochondria and cytoskeleton. Mitochondria were fluorescently labeled with DsRed2 while F-actin, a major cytoskeletal component, was fluorescently labeled with Alexa488-phalloidin. In a typical subcellular fraction of L6 myoblasts, 79% of mitochondrial events did not have detectable levels of F-actin, while the rest had on average ~2 zeptomole F-actin, which theoretically represents a ~ 2.5-μm long network of actin filaments per event. Trypsin treatment of L6 subcellular fractions prior to analysis decreased the fraction of mitochondrial events with detectable levels of F-actin, which is expected from digestion of cytoskeletal proteins on the surface of mitochondria. The electrophoretic mobility distributions of the individual events were also used to further distinguish between cytoskeleton-bound from cytoskeleton-free mitochondrial events. The CE-LIF approach described here could be further developed to explore cytoskeleton interactions with other subcellular structures, the effects of cytoskeleton destabilizing drugs, and the progression of viral infections. PMID:21309532

Human trafficking: review of educational resources for health professionals.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahn, Roy; Alpert, Elaine J; Purcell, Genevieve; Konstantopoulos, Wendy Macias; McGahan, Anita; Cafferty, Elizabeth; Eckardt, Melody; Conn, Kathryn L; Cappetta, Kate; Burke, Thomas F

2013-03-01

Human trafficking is an increasingly well-recognized human rights violation that is estimated to involve more than 2 million victims worldwide each year. The health consequences of this issue bring victims into contact with health systems and healthcare providers, thus providing the potential for identification and intervention. A robust healthcare response, however, requires a healthcare workforce that is aware of the health impact of this issue; educated about how to identify and treat affected individuals in a compassionate, culturally aware, and trauma-informed manner; and trained about how to collaborate efficiently with law enforcement, case management, and advocacy partners. This article describes existing educational offerings about human trafficking designed for a healthcare audience and makes recommendations for further curriculum development. A keyword search and structured analysis of peer-reviewed and gray literature, conducted in 2011 and 2012, yielded 27 items that provide basic guidance to health professionals on human trafficking. The 27 resources differed substantially in format, length, scope, and intended audience. Topic areas covered by these resources included trafficking definitions and scope, health consequences, victim identification, appropriate treatment, referral to services, legal issues, and security. None of the educational resources has been rigorously evaluated. There is a clear need to develop, implement, and evaluate high-quality education and training programs that focus on human trafficking for healthcare providers. Copyright © 2013 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Perceptions of Psychological Coercion and Human Trafficking in the West Midlands of England: Beginning to Know the Unknown

Science.gov (United States)

Dando, Coral J.; Walsh, David; Brierley, Robin

2016-01-01

Modern slavery is less overt than historical state-sanctioned slavery because psychological abuse is typically used to recruit and then control victims. The recent UK Draft Modern Slavery Bill, and current UK government anti-slavery strategy relies heavily on a shared understanding and public cooperation to tackle this crime. Yet, UK research investigating public understanding of modern slavery is elusive. We report community survey data from 682 residents of the Midlands of England, where modern slavery is known to occur, concerning their understanding of nonphysical coercion and human trafficking (one particular form of modern slavery). Analysis of quantitative data and themed categorization of qualitative data revealed a mismatch between theoretical frameworks and understanding of psychological coercion, and misconceptions concerning the nature of human trafficking. Many respondents did not understand psychological coercion, believed that human trafficking did not affect them, and confused trafficking with immigration. The public are one of the most influential interest groups, but only if well informed and motivated towards positive action. Our findings suggest the need for strategically targeted public knowledge exchange concerning this crime. PMID:27149330

Perceptions of Psychological Coercion and Human Trafficking in the West Midlands of England: Beginning to Know the Unknown.

Science.gov (United States)

Dando, Coral J; Walsh, David; Brierley, Robin

2016-01-01

Modern slavery is less overt than historical state-sanctioned slavery because psychological abuse is typically used to recruit and then control victims. The recent UK Draft Modern Slavery Bill, and current UK government anti-slavery strategy relies heavily on a shared understanding and public cooperation to tackle this crime. Yet, UK research investigating public understanding of modern slavery is elusive. We report community survey data from 682 residents of the Midlands of England, where modern slavery is known to occur, concerning their understanding of nonphysical coercion and human trafficking (one particular form of modern slavery). Analysis of quantitative data and themed categorization of qualitative data revealed a mismatch between theoretical frameworks and understanding of psychological coercion, and misconceptions concerning the nature of human trafficking. Many respondents did not understand psychological coercion, believed that human trafficking did not affect them, and confused trafficking with immigration. The public are one of the most influential interest groups, but only if well informed and motivated towards positive action. Our findings suggest the need for strategically targeted public knowledge exchange concerning this crime.

Monitoring and Evaluation of Human Trafficking Partnerships in England and Wales

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ruth Van Dyke

2017-04-01

Full Text Available In the United Kingdom, human trafficking and, more recently, modern slavery has been pushed up the political and policy agenda. At the same time, partnership working has been promoted at international and national levels in order to encourage a more holistic response to trafficking. This article examines the nature of the evidence collected to monitor and evaluate the activities and outcomes of organisations involved in a number of human trafficking partnerships in England and Wales. Underpinning this analysis is the ‘4 Ps’ approach to tackling human trafficking: Prevention, Protection, Prosecution and Partnership. Based on interviews with a variety of actors working in different partner bodies, limitations of evidence in relation to both monitoring activities as well as evaluating outcomes emerged. These relate to inadequate data collection, lack of robust methods of data collection, untested assumptions, the complexity of gathering evidence which reflect human welfare oriented goals, and the sharing of evidence between partner organisations. A key finding is that current data and methods of data collection are inadequate for the purpose of measuring the effectiveness of anti-trafficking initiatives and partnerships. Another key finding is the way in which partnerships challenged received outcomes and expanded their focus beyond victims of trafficking or criminal justice goals. Finally, I explore whether criminal justice outcomes can be leveraged to foster deterrence, by interrogating what evidence might be needed.

Purity, Victimhood and Agency: Fifteen years of the UN Trafficking Protocol

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Marjan Wijers

2015-04-01

Full Text Available When the women’s movement reverted back to the nineteenth-century Victorian concept of ‘trafficking in women’ to address abuses of migrant women in the sex industry, it unwittingly adopted not only a highly morally biased concept—dividing women into innocent victims in need of rescue and guilty ones who can be abused with impunity—but also one with racist and nationalistic overtones. Despite efforts to counter these flaws, this inheritance continues to define the debate on trafficking today, exemplified by the distinction made by the United Nations Trafficking Protocol between so-called ‘sexual exploitation’ and ‘labour exploitation’ and its focus on the aspects of recruitment and movement. As a result, its implementation in the last fifteen years has led to a range of oppressive measures against sex workers and migrants in the name of combating trafficking. The focus on the purity and victimhood of women, coupled with the protection of national borders, not only impedes any serious effort to address the exploitation of human beings under forced labour and slavery-like conditions, but actually causes harm. The call of the anti-trafficking movement for a human rights-based approach does not necessarily solve these fundamental problems, as it tends to restrict itself to protecting the rights of trafficked persons, while neglecting or even denying the human rights of sex workers and migrants.

Abrin immunotoxin: targeted cytotoxicity and intracellular trafficking pathway.

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Sudarshan Gadadhar

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Immunotherapy is fast emerging as one of the leading modes of treatment of cancer, in combination with chemotherapy and radiation. Use of immunotoxins, proteins bearing a cell-surface receptor-specific antibody conjugated to a toxin, enhances the efficacy of cancer treatment. The toxin Abrin, isolated from the Abrus precatorius plant, is a type II ribosome inactivating protein, has a catalytic efficiency higher than any other toxin belonging to this class of proteins but has not been exploited much for use in targeted therapy. METHODS: Protein synthesis assay using (3[H] L-leucine incorporation; construction and purification of immunotoxin; study of cell death using flow cytometry; confocal scanning microscopy and sub-cellular fractionation with immunoblot analysis of localization of proteins. RESULTS: We used the recombinant A chain of abrin to conjugate to antibodies raised against the human gonadotropin releasing hormone receptor. The conjugate inhibited protein synthesis and also induced cell death specifically in cells expressing the receptor. The conjugate exhibited differences in the kinetics of inhibition of protein synthesis, in comparison to abrin, and this was attributed to differences in internalization and trafficking of the conjugate within the cells. Moreover, observations of sequestration of the A chain into the nucleus of cells treated with abrin but not in cells treated with the conjugate reveal a novel pathway for the movement of the conjugate in the cells. CONCLUSIONS: This is one of the first reports on nuclear localization of abrin, a type II RIP. The immunotoxin mAb F1G4-rABRa-A, generated in our laboratory, inhibits protein synthesis specifically on cells expressing the gonadotropin releasing hormone receptor and the pathway of internalization of the protein is distinct from that seen for abrin.

Forces of Habit: Global SOF's Role in Countering Illicit Drug Trafficking

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Paul Rexton Kan

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Illicit drug trafficking is a prominent national security issue in a globalizing world. Drug trafficking intersects with major security issues such as rogue and narco-states, weak and failing states, insurgencies and terrorism, transnational organized crime and protracted intrastate conflicts. These are the same issues that sets the operational environment for the deployment of SOF. Rather than treating drug trafficking as a singular and separate security issue, global SOF counternarcotics operations must adapt previous approaches to new realities.

Expression and subcellular localization of antiporter regulating ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

We examined the expression and subcellular localization of antiporter regulating protein OsARP in a submergence tolerant rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivar FR13A. In the public databases, this protein was designated as putative Os02g0465900 protein. The cDNA containing the full-length sequence of OsARP gene was ...

Do Evidence-Based Approaches Alienate Canadian Anti-Trafficking Funders?

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Alison Clancey

2014-09-01

Full Text Available As a sex worker support organisation, SWAN (Supporting Women’s Alternatives Network Vancouver’s relationship to anti-trafficking funding remains ambivalent, particularly given the history of anti-trafficking measures that have jeopardised the rights of sex workers. In this article, we share how we, as a small grassroots group, attempt to work through these ambivalences in dialogue with donors. Although SWAN Vancouver works with women who are often perceived to be trafficked (i.e. Asian women in sex work, it is rare for members of SWAN Vancouver to come across any case in the sex-work sector that has the hallmarks of trafficking, such as coerced work. Instead, our anti-trafficking work has mainly involved identifying the harms and human rights violations caused by repressive or misguided anti-trafficking measures. We reflect on our dialogue with two Canadian funders (a federal government agency and a national public foundation that have considerable resources and immense power to influence what anti-trafficking practices are implemented in Canada. We analyse how these two funders and their adoption of an anti-prostitution analysis of trafficking will likely result in punitive consequences for immigrant sex workers, and therefore increase the need to assist women who have been anti-trafficked rather than trafficked. ¿Están los financiadores canadienses contra la trata alejados del enfoque basado en la evidencia? Resumen Como una organización que apoya a los trabajadores sexuales, la relación entre SWAN (Red Alternativa de Apoyo a las Mujeres y los financiadores contra la trata en Vancouver es contradictoria, sobre todo teniendo en cuenta la historia de las medidas contra la trata que han puesto en peligro los derechos de los trabajadores sexuales. En este artículo discutimos cómo nosotros, como un pequeño pero clave grupo especializado, nos esforzamos en trabajar contra estas contradicciones en un diálogo continuo con los donantes

Subcellular distribution of styrene oxide in rat liver

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pacifici, G.M.; Cuoci, L.; Rane, A.

1984-01-01

The subcellular distribution of ( 3 H)-styrene-7,8-oxide was studied in the rat liver. The compound was added to liver homogenate to give a final concentration of 2 X 10(-5); 2 X 10(-4) and 2 X 10(-3) M. Subcellular fractions were obtained by differential centrifugation. Most of styrene oxide (59-88%) was associated with the cytosolic fraction. Less than 15 percent of the compound was retrieved in each of the nuclear, mitochondrial and microsomal fractions. A considerable percentage of radioactivity was found unextractable with the organic solvents, suggesting that styrene oxide reacted with the endogenous compounds. The intracellular distribution of this epoxide was also studied in the perfused rat liver. Comparable results with those previously described were obtained. The binding of styrene oxide to the cytosolic protein was investigated by equilibrium dialysis and ultrafiltration. Only a small percentage of the compound was bound to protein

Analysis of Human Trafficking Cases in Rhode Island, 2009-2013

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Faith Skodmin

2016-06-01

Full Text Available This article is an analysis of law enforcement identified cases of human trafficking in Rhode Island from 2009 to 2013. Information was collected from police and court records, prosecutors’ press releases, and reports in the media. During this period, there was one case of forced labor of a domestic worker and six cases of domestic sex trafficking. Many of the characteristics of the Rhode Island cases were consistent with other human trafficking cases in the United States. Discussions of key findings include (a outcomes of a criminal case using a new human trafficking statute on fraud in foreign contracting and a civil suit, (b how online prostitution ads are used to market victims to sex buyers using ethnicity of the victims and age and social standing of the sex buyers, and (c how mothers of victims are involved in locating their daughters and making reports to the police that initiated investigations.

Regulation of dopamine transporter trafficking by intracellular amphetamine

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kahlig, Kristopher M; Lute, Brandon J; Wei, Yuqiang

2006-01-01

-induced cell surface DAT redistribution may result in long-lasting changes in DA homeostasis. The molecular mechanism by which AMPH induces trafficking is not clear. Because AMPH is a substrate, we do not know whether extracellular AMPH stimulates trafficking through its interaction with DAT and subsequent...... alteration in DAT function, thereby triggering intracellular signaling or whether AMPH must be transported and then act intracellularly. In agreement with our previous studies, extracellular AMPH caused cytosolic redistribution of the wild-type human DAT (WT-hDAT). However, AMPH did not induce cytosolic...... redistribution in an uptake-impaired hDAT (Y335A-hDAT) that still binds AMPH. The divalent cation zinc (Zn(2+)) inhibits WT-hDAT activity, but it restores Y335A-hDAT uptake. Coadministration of Zn(2+) and AMPH consistently reduced WT-hDAT trafficking but stimulated cytosolic redistribution of Y335A...

Educating Emergency Department Staff on the Identification and Treatment of Human Trafficking Victims.

Science.gov (United States)

Donahue, Steven; Schwien, Michael; LaVallee, Danielle

2018-05-17

Hospitalization is one of the few circumstances in which the lives of trafficking victims intersect with the general population. Based on survivor testimonies, the majority of human trafficking victims may receive medical treatment in a hospital's emergency department while in captivity. With evidenced-based training, ED personnel have a better opportunity to screen persons who are being trafficked and intervene on their behalf. This project examined the efficacy of an innovative, evidence-based online training module (HTEmergency.com) created by the project team. Participants completed a pre-survey to determine learning needs and a post-survey to determine the effectiveness of the online education. The learning module contained a PowerPoint presentation, identification and treatment guidelines, and 2 realistic case studies. Data were collected among ED personnel in 2 suburban hospitals located near a northeast metropolitan city. Seventy-five employees participated in the survey and education. Staff completing the education included nurses, physicians, nurse practitioners/physician assistants, registration, and ED technicians. Results indicated that 89% of participants had not received previous human trafficking training. Less than half of the participants stated that they had a comprehensive understanding of human trafficking before the intervention, with an increase to 93% after education. The training module significantly increased confidence in identification (from an average confidence level of 4/10 to 7/10) and treatment (from an average confidence level of 4/10 to 8/10) of human trafficking victims within the emergency department; 96% found the educational module to be useful in their work setting. Participants reported that they are more confident in identifying a possible trafficking victim and are more likely to screen patients for human trafficking after participation in the online training module. The proposed general guideline for care provided ED

South Africa – Safe Haven for Human Traffickers? Employing the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Having ratified the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, South Africa is obliged to adopt legislative measures that criminalise human trafficking and comply with other standards laid down in this international instrument. However, by mid-2011, South Africa had not ...

Picking Up the Pieces Protection and Progress for Sexually Trafficked Women

OpenAIRE

Welsh, Gingie Renee Jennifer

2006-01-01

The United States and Canada are big destinations for immigrants seeking a new life. Despite the glory of the pursuit of the ‘American Dream’, not all people arrive in North America to a better life. Human trafficking – modern-day slavery, is one of the most systematic and criminally organized forms of human rights abuses. It is estimated that anywhere from 700,000 to 4 million persons worldwide are trafficked across or within national borders every year. Sexual trafficking is one of the more...

Predicting Subcellular Localization of Proteins by Bioinformatic Algorithms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Henrik

2015-01-01

was used. Various statistical and machine learning algorithms are used with all three approaches, and various measures and standards are employed when reporting the performances of the developed methods. This chapter presents a number of available methods for prediction of sorting signals and subcellular...

Tip chip : Subcellular sampling from single cancer cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Quist, Jos; Sarajlic, Edin; Lai, Stanley C.S.; Lemay, Serge G.

2016-01-01

To analyze the molecular content of single cells, cell lysis is typically required, yielding a snapshot of cell behavior only. To follow complex molecular profiles over time, subcellular sampling methods potentially can be used, but to date these methods involve laborious offline analysis. Here we

Redefining the essential trafficking pathway for outer membrane lipoproteins

Science.gov (United States)

Grabowicz, Marcin; Silhavy, Thomas J.

2017-01-01

The outer membrane (OM) of Gram-negative bacteria is a permeability barrier and an intrinsic antibiotic resistance factor. Lipoproteins are OM components that function in cell wall synthesis, diverse secretion systems, and antibiotic efflux pumps. Moreover, each of the essential OM machines that assemble the barrier requires one or more lipoproteins. This dependence is thought to explain the essentiality of the periplasmic chaperone LolA and its OM receptor LolB that traffic lipoproteins to the OM. However, we show that in strains lacking substrates that are toxic when mislocalized, both LolA and LolB can be completely bypassed by activating an envelope stress response without compromising trafficking of essential lipoproteins. We identify the Cpx stress response as a monitor of lipoprotein trafficking tasked with protecting the cell from mislocalized lipoproteins. Moreover, our findings reveal that an alternate trafficking pathway exists that can, under certain conditions, bypass the functions of LolA and LolB, implying that these proteins do not perform any truly essential mechanistic steps in lipoprotein trafficking. Instead, these proteins’ key function is to prevent lethal accumulation of mislocalized lipoproteins. PMID:28416660

Redefining the essential trafficking pathway for outer membrane lipoproteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Grabowicz, Marcin; Silhavy, Thomas J

2017-05-02

The outer membrane (OM) of Gram-negative bacteria is a permeability barrier and an intrinsic antibiotic resistance factor. Lipoproteins are OM components that function in cell wall synthesis, diverse secretion systems, and antibiotic efflux pumps. Moreover, each of the essential OM machines that assemble the barrier requires one or more lipoproteins. This dependence is thought to explain the essentiality of the periplasmic chaperone LolA and its OM receptor LolB that traffic lipoproteins to the OM. However, we show that in strains lacking substrates that are toxic when mislocalized, both LolA and LolB can be completely bypassed by activating an envelope stress response without compromising trafficking of essential lipoproteins. We identify the Cpx stress response as a monitor of lipoprotein trafficking tasked with protecting the cell from mislocalized lipoproteins. Moreover, our findings reveal that an alternate trafficking pathway exists that can, under certain conditions, bypass the functions of LolA and LolB, implying that these proteins do not perform any truly essential mechanistic steps in lipoprotein trafficking. Instead, these proteins' key function is to prevent lethal accumulation of mislocalized lipoproteins.

Evaluation and comparison of mammalian subcellular localization prediction methods

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Fink J Lynn

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Determination of the subcellular location of a protein is essential to understanding its biochemical function. This information can provide insight into the function of hypothetical or novel proteins. These data are difficult to obtain experimentally but have become especially important since many whole genome sequencing projects have been finished and many resulting protein sequences are still lacking detailed functional information. In order to address this paucity of data, many computational prediction methods have been developed. However, these methods have varying levels of accuracy and perform differently based on the sequences that are presented to the underlying algorithm. It is therefore useful to compare these methods and monitor their performance. Results In order to perform a comprehensive survey of prediction methods, we selected only methods that accepted large batches of protein sequences, were publicly available, and were able to predict localization to at least nine of the major subcellular locations (nucleus, cytosol, mitochondrion, extracellular region, plasma membrane, Golgi apparatus, endoplasmic reticulum (ER, peroxisome, and lysosome. The selected methods were CELLO, MultiLoc, Proteome Analyst, pTarget and WoLF PSORT. These methods were evaluated using 3763 mouse proteins from SwissProt that represent the source of the training sets used in development of the individual methods. In addition, an independent evaluation set of 2145 mouse proteins from LOCATE with a bias towards the subcellular localization underrepresented in SwissProt was used. The sensitivity and specificity were calculated for each method and compared to a theoretical value based on what might be observed by random chance. Conclusion No individual method had a sufficient level of sensitivity across both evaluation sets that would enable reliable application to hypothetical proteins. All methods showed lower performance on the LOCATE

THE CHALLENGES FACED BY THE ENFORCEMENT BODIES IN MALAYSIA ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING

OpenAIRE

Ab Hamid, Zuraini; Mohamad Amin, Noor Shuhadawati; Ab Aziz, Norjihan

2017-01-01

Excellencein the implementation of the legal framework on human trafficking by theenforcement bodies is one important benchmark that determines the success ofMalaysia in the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report. The responsibility toenforce this framework is led by the Royal Malaysian Police (RMP) followed bythe Immigration Department, the Customs Department, the Malaysian MaritimeEnforcement Agency (MMEA), and the Department of Labour. Accordingly,Anti-Trafficking in Person unit is establishe...

Protection of Human Beings Trafficked for the Purpose of Organ Removal: Recommendations.

Science.gov (United States)

Pascalev, Assya; Van Assche, Kristof; Sándor, Judit; Codreanu, Natalia; Naqvi, Anwar; Gunnarson, Martin; Frunza, Mihaela; Yankov, Jordan

2016-02-01

This report presents a comprehensive set of recommendations for protection of human beings who are trafficked for the purpose of organ removal or are targeted for such trafficking. Developed by an interdisciplinary group of international experts under the auspices of the project Trafficking in Human Beings for the Purpose of Organ Removal (also known as the HOTT project), these recommendations are grounded in the view that an individual who parts with an organ for money within an illegal scheme is ipso facto a victim and that the crime of trafficking in human beings for the purpose of organ removal (THBOR) intersects with the crime of trafficking in organs. Consequently, the protection of victims should be a priority for all actors involved in antitrafficking activities: those combating organ-related crimes, such as health organizations and survivor support services, and those combating trafficking in human beings, such as the criminal justice sectors. Taking into account the special characteristics of THBOR, the authors identify 5 key stakeholders in the protection of human beings trafficked for organ removal or targeted for such trafficking: states, law enforcement agencies and judiciary, nongovernmental organizations working in the areas of human rights and antitrafficking, transplant centers and health professionals involved in transplant medicine, and oversight bodies. For each stakeholder, the authors identify key areas of concern and concrete measures to identify and protect the victims of THBOR. The aim of the recommendations is to contribute to the development of a nonlegislative response to THBOR, to promote the exchange of knowledge and best practices in the area of victim protection, and to facilitate the development of a policy-driven action plan for the protection of THBOR victims in the European Union and worldwide.

Subcellular interactions of dietary cadmium, copper and zinc in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamunde, Collins; MacPhail, Ruth

2011-01-01

Highlights: Interactions of Cu, Cd and Zn were studied at the subcellular level in rainbow trout. Metals accumulated in the liver were predominantly metabolically active. Cd, Cu and Zn exhibited both competitive and cooperative interactions. The metal–metal interactions altered subcellular metals partitioning. - Abstract: Interactions of Cu, Cd and Zn were studied at the subcellular level in juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fed diets containing (μg/g) 500 Cu, 1000 Zn and 500 Cd singly and as a ternary mixture for 28 days. Livers were harvested and submitted to differential centrifugation to isolate components of metabolically active metal pool (MAP: heat-denaturable proteins (HDP), organelles, nuclei) and metabolically detoxified metal pool (MDP: heat stable proteins (HSP), NaOH-resistant granules). Results indicated that Cd accumulation was enhanced in all the subcellular compartments, albeit at different time points, in fish exposed to the metals mixture relative to those exposed to Cd alone, whereas Cu alone exposure increased Cd partitioning. Exposure to the metals mixture reduced (HDP) and enhanced (HSP, nuclei and granules) Cu accumulation while exposure to Zn alone enhanced Cu concentration in all the fractions analyzed without altering proportional distribution in MAP and MDP. Although subcellular Zn accumulation was less pronounced than that of either Cu or Cd, concentrations of Zn were enhanced in HDP, nuclei and granules from fish exposed to the metals mixture relative to those exposed to Zn alone. Cadmium alone exposure mobilized Zn and Cu from the nuclei and increased Zn accumulation in organelles and Cu in granules, while Cu alone exposure stimulated Zn accumulation in HSP, HDP and organelles. Interestingly, Cd alone exposure increased the partitioning of the three metals in MDP indicative of enhanced detoxification. Generally the accumulated metals were predominantly metabolically active: Cd, 67–83%; Cu, 68–79% and Zn, 60–76

Subcellular interactions of dietary cadmium, copper and zinc in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kamunde, Collins, E-mail: ckamunde@upei.ca [Department of Biomedical Sciences, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, 550 University Avenue, Charlottetown, PE, C1A 4P3 (Canada); MacPhail, Ruth [Department of Biomedical Sciences, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, 550 University Avenue, Charlottetown, PE, C1A 4P3 (Canada)

2011-10-15

Highlights: Interactions of Cu, Cd and Zn were studied at the subcellular level in rainbow trout. Metals accumulated in the liver were predominantly metabolically active. Cd, Cu and Zn exhibited both competitive and cooperative interactions. The metal-metal interactions altered subcellular metals partitioning. - Abstract: Interactions of Cu, Cd and Zn were studied at the subcellular level in juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fed diets containing ({mu}g/g) 500 Cu, 1000 Zn and 500 Cd singly and as a ternary mixture for 28 days. Livers were harvested and submitted to differential centrifugation to isolate components of metabolically active metal pool (MAP: heat-denaturable proteins (HDP), organelles, nuclei) and metabolically detoxified metal pool (MDP: heat stable proteins (HSP), NaOH-resistant granules). Results indicated that Cd accumulation was enhanced in all the subcellular compartments, albeit at different time points, in fish exposed to the metals mixture relative to those exposed to Cd alone, whereas Cu alone exposure increased Cd partitioning. Exposure to the metals mixture reduced (HDP) and enhanced (HSP, nuclei and granules) Cu accumulation while exposure to Zn alone enhanced Cu concentration in all the fractions analyzed without altering proportional distribution in MAP and MDP. Although subcellular Zn accumulation was less pronounced than that of either Cu or Cd, concentrations of Zn were enhanced in HDP, nuclei and granules from fish exposed to the metals mixture relative to those exposed to Zn alone. Cadmium alone exposure mobilized Zn and Cu from the nuclei and increased Zn accumulation in organelles and Cu in granules, while Cu alone exposure stimulated Zn accumulation in HSP, HDP and organelles. Interestingly, Cd alone exposure increased the partitioning of the three metals in MDP indicative of enhanced detoxification. Generally the accumulated metals were predominantly metabolically active: Cd, 67-83%; Cu, 68-79% and Zn, 60-76%. Taken

Comparative study of human mitochondrial proteome reveals extensive protein subcellular relocalization after gene duplications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huang Yong

2009-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Gene and genome duplication is the principle creative force in evolution. Recently, protein subcellular relocalization, or neolocalization was proposed as one of the mechanisms responsible for the retention of duplicated genes. This hypothesis received support from the analysis of yeast genomes, but has not been tested thoroughly on animal genomes. In order to evaluate the importance of subcellular relocalizations for retention of duplicated genes in animal genomes, we systematically analyzed nuclear encoded mitochondrial proteins in the human genome by reconstructing phylogenies of mitochondrial multigene families. Results The 456 human mitochondrial proteins selected for this study were clustered into 305 gene families including 92 multigene families. Among the multigene families, 59 (64% consisted of both mitochondrial and cytosolic (non-mitochondrial proteins (mt-cy families while the remaining 33 (36% were composed of mitochondrial proteins (mt-mt families. Phylogenetic analyses of mt-cy families revealed three different scenarios of their neolocalization following gene duplication: 1 relocalization from mitochondria to cytosol, 2 from cytosol to mitochondria and 3 multiple subcellular relocalizations. The neolocalizations were most commonly enabled by the gain or loss of N-terminal mitochondrial targeting signals. The majority of detected subcellular relocalization events occurred early in animal evolution, preceding the evolution of tetrapods. Mt-mt protein families showed a somewhat different pattern, where gene duplication occurred more evenly in time. However, for both types of protein families, most duplication events appear to roughly coincide with two rounds of genome duplications early in vertebrate evolution. Finally, we evaluated the effects of inaccurate and incomplete annotation of mitochondrial proteins and found that our conclusion of the importance of subcellular relocalization after gene duplication on

Mapping the Subcellular Proteome of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 using Sarkosyl-based fractionation and LC-MS/MS protein identification

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brown, Roslyn N.; Romine, Margaret F.; Schepmoes, Athena A.; Smith, Richard D.; Lipton, Mary S.

2010-07-19

A simple and effective subcellular proteomic method for fractionation and analysis of gram-negative bacterial cytoplasm, periplasm, inner, and outer membranes was applied to Shewanella oneidensis to gain insight into its subcellular architecture. A combination of differential centrifugation, Sarkosyl solubilization, and osmotic lysis was used to prepare subcellular fractions. Global differences in protein fractions were observed by SDS PAGE and heme staining, and tryptic peptides were analyzed using high-resolution LC-MS/MS. Compared to crude cell lysates, the fractionation method achieved a significant enrichment (average ~2-fold) in proteins predicted to be localized to each subcellular fraction. Compared to other detergent, organic solvent, and density-based methods previously reported, Sarkosyl most effectively facilitated separation of the inner and outer membranes and was amenable to mass spectrometry, making this procedure ideal for probing the subcellular proteome of gram-negative bacteria via LC-MS/MS. With 40% of the observable proteome represented, this study has provided extensive information on both subcellular architecture and relative abundance of proteins in S. oneidensis and provides a foundation for future work on subcellular organization and protein-membrane interactions in other gram-negative bacteria.

The Role of Rab Proteins in Neuronal Cells and in the Trafficking of Neurotrophin Receptors

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Cecilia Bucci

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Neurotrophins are a family of proteins that are important for neuronal development, neuronal survival and neuronal functions. Neurotrophins exert their role by binding to their receptors, the Trk family of receptor tyrosine kinases (TrkA, TrkB, and TrkC and p75NTR, a member of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF receptor superfamily. Binding of neurotrophins to receptors triggers a complex series of signal transduction events, which are able to induce neuronal differentiation but are also responsible for neuronal maintenance and neuronal functions. Rab proteins are small GTPases localized to the cytosolic surface of specific intracellular compartments and are involved in controlling vesicular transport. Rab proteins, acting as master regulators of the membrane trafficking network, play a central role in both trafficking and signaling pathways of neurotrophin receptors. Axonal transport represents the Achilles' heel of neurons, due to the long-range distance that molecules, organelles and, in particular, neurotrophin-receptor complexes have to cover. Indeed, alterations of axonal transport and, specifically, of axonal trafficking of neurotrophin receptors are responsible for several human neurodegenerative diseases, such as Huntington’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and some forms of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. In this review, we will discuss the link between Rab proteins and neurotrophin receptor trafficking and their influence on downstream signaling pathways.

The Role of Rab Proteins in Neuronal Cells and in the Trafficking of Neurotrophin Receptors

Science.gov (United States)

Bucci, Cecilia; Alifano, Pietro; Cogli, Laura

2014-01-01

Neurotrophins are a family of proteins that are important for neuronal development, neuronal survival and neuronal functions. Neurotrophins exert their role by binding to their receptors, the Trk family of receptor tyrosine kinases (TrkA, TrkB, and TrkC) and p75NTR, a member of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor superfamily. Binding of neurotrophins to receptors triggers a complex series of signal transduction events, which are able to induce neuronal differentiation but are also responsible for neuronal maintenance and neuronal functions. Rab proteins are small GTPases localized to the cytosolic surface of specific intracellular compartments and are involved in controlling vesicular transport. Rab proteins, acting as master regulators of the membrane trafficking network, play a central role in both trafficking and signaling pathways of neurotrophin receptors. Axonal transport represents the Achilles' heel of neurons, due to the long-range distance that molecules, organelles and, in particular, neurotrophin-receptor complexes have to cover. Indeed, alterations of axonal transport and, specifically, of axonal trafficking of neurotrophin receptors are responsible for several human neurodegenerative diseases, such as Huntington’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and some forms of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. In this review, we will discuss the link between Rab proteins and neurotrophin receptor trafficking and their influence on downstream signaling pathways. PMID:25295627

PIN-G – A novel reporter for imaging and defining the effects of trafficking signals in membrane proteins

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Hu Weiwen

2006-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The identification of protein trafficking signals, and their interacting mechanisms, is a fundamental objective of modern biology. Unfortunately, the analysis of trafficking signals is complicated by their topography, hierarchical nature and regulation. Powerful strategies to test candidate motifs include their ability to direct simpler reporter proteins, to which they are fused, to the appropriate cellular compartment. However, present reporters are limited by their endogenous expression, paucity of cloning sites, and difficult detection in live cells. Results Consequently, we have engineered a mammalian expression vector encoding a novel trafficking reporter – pIN-G – consisting of a simple, type I integral protein bearing permissive intra/extracellular cloning sites, green fluorescent protein (GFP, cMyc and HA epitope tags. Fluorescence imaging, flow cytometry and biochemical assays of transfected HEK293 cells, confirm the size, topology and surface expression of PIN-G. Moreover, a pIN-G fusion construct, containing a Trans-Golgi Network (TGN targeting determinant, internalises rapidly from the cell surface and localises to the TGN. Additionally, another PIN-G fusion protein and its mutants reveal trafficking determinants in the cytoplasmic carboxy terminus of Kv1.4 voltage-gated potassium channels. Conclusion Together, these data indicate that pIN-G is a versatile, powerful, new reporter for analysing signals controlling membrane protein trafficking, surface expression and dynamics.

"The perfect business": human trafficking and Lao-Thai cross-border migration.

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Molland, Sverre

2010-01-01

Over the past few years some governments and development organizations have increasingly articulated cross-border mobility as "trafficking in persons". The notion of a market where traffickers prey on the "supply" of migrants that flows across international borders to meet the "demand" for labour has become a central trope among anti-trafficking development organizations. This article problematizes such economism by drawing attention to the oscillating cross-border migration of Lao sex workers within a border zone between Laos and Thailand. It illuminates the incongruity between the recruitment of women into the sex industry along the Lao-Thai border and the market models that are employed by the anti-trafficking sector. It discusses the ways in which these cross-border markets are conceived in a context where aid programming is taking on an increasingly important role in the politics of borders. The author concludes that allusions to ideal forms of knowledge (in the guise of classic economic theory) and an emphasis on borders become necessary for anti-trafficking programmes in order to make their object of intervention legible as well as providing post-hoc rationalizations for their continuing operation.

Prediction of protein subcellular localization using support vector machine with the choice of proper kernel

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Al Mehedi Hasan

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The prediction of subcellular locations of proteins can provide useful hints for revealing their functions as well as for understanding the mechanisms of some diseases and, finally, for developing novel drugs. As the number of newly discovered proteins has been growing exponentially, laboratory-based experiments to determine the location of an uncharacterized protein in a living cell have become both expensive and time-consuming. Consequently, to tackle these challenges, computational methods are being developed as an alternative to help biologists in selecting target proteins and designing related experiments. However, the success of protein subcellular localization prediction is still a complicated and challenging problem, particularly when query proteins may have multi-label characteristics, i.e. their simultaneous existence in more than one subcellular location, or if they move between two or more different subcellular locations as well. At this point, to get rid of this problem, several types of subcellular localization prediction methods with different levels of accuracy have been proposed. The support vector machine (SVM has been employed to provide potential solutions for problems connected with the prediction of protein subcellular localization. However, the practicability of SVM is affected by difficulties in selecting its appropriate kernel as well as in selecting the parameters of that selected kernel. The literature survey has shown that most researchers apply the radial basis function (RBF kernel to build a SVM based subcellular localization prediction system. Surprisingly, there are still many other kernel functions which have not yet been applied in the prediction of protein subcellular localization. However, the nature of this classification problem requires the application of different kernels for SVM to ensure an optimal result. From this viewpoint, this paper presents the work to apply different kernels for SVM in protein

Thyroid states regulate subcellular glucose phosphorylation activity in male mice

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Flavia Letícia Martins Peçanha

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The thyroid hormones (THs, triiodothyronine (T3 and thyroxine (T4, are very important in organism metabolism and regulate glucose utilization. Hexokinase (HK is responsible for the first step of glycolysis, catalyzing the conversion of glucose to glucose 6-phosphate. HK has been found in different cellular compartments, and new functions have been attributed to this enzyme. The effects of hyperthyroidism on subcellular glucose phosphorylation in mouse tissues were examined. Tissues were removed, subcellular fractions were isolated from eu- and hyperthyroid (T3, 0.25 μg/g, i.p. during 21 days mice and HK activity was assayed. Glucose phosphorylation was increased in the particulate fraction in soleus (312.4% ± 67.1, n = 10, gastrocnemius (369.2% ± 112.4, n = 10 and heart (142.2% ± 13.6, n = 10 muscle in the hyperthyroid group compared to the control group. Hexokinase activity was not affected in brain or liver. No relevant changes were observed in HK activity in the soluble fraction for all tissues investigated. Acute T3 administration (single dose of T3, 1.25 μg/g, i.p. did not modulate HK activity. Interestingly, HK mRNA levels remained unchanged and HK bound to mitochondria was increased by T3 treatment, suggesting a posttranscriptional mechanism. Analysis of the AKT pathway showed a 2.5-fold increase in AKT and GSK3B phosphorylation in the gastrocnemius muscle in the hyperthyroid group compared to the euthyroid group. Taken together, we show for the first time that THs modulate HK activity specifically in particulate fractions and that this action seems to be under the control of the AKT and GSK3B pathways.

PICK1 interacts with ABP/GRIP to regulate AMPA receptor trafficking.

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Lu, Wei; Ziff, Edward B

2005-08-04

PICK1 and ABP/GRIP bind to the AMPA receptor (AMPAR) GluR2 subunit C terminus. Transfer of the receptor from ABP/GRIP to PICK1, facilitated by GluR2 S880 phosphorylation, may initiate receptor trafficking. Here we report protein interactions that regulate these steps. The PICK1 BAR domain interacts intermolecularly with the ABP/GRIP linker II region and intramolecularly with the PICK1 PDZ domain. Binding of PKCalpha or GluR2 to the PICK1 PDZ domain disrupts the intramolecular interaction and facilitates the PICK1 BAR domain association with ABP/GRIP. Interference with the PICK1-ABP/GRIP interaction impairs S880 phosphorylation of GluR2 by PKC and decreases the constitutive surface expression of GluR2, the NMDA-induced endocytosis of GluR2, and recycling of internalized GluR2. We suggest that the PICK1 interaction with ABP/GRIP is a critical step in controlling GluR2 trafficking.

Sex Trafficking Related Knowledge, Awareness, and Attitudes among Adolescent Female Students in Nepal: A Cross-Sectional Study.

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Roman Shrestha

Full Text Available Sex trafficking has been a long-standing concern in Nepal. Very little has been achieved, however, in terms of actual reduction in the number of victims despite numerous anti-sex trafficking programs. This situation may be attributable to a lack of empirical evidence upon which to formulate anti-sexual trafficking interventions. This study aimed to assess sex trafficking-related knowledge, awareness and attitudes, and factors associated with sex trafficking awareness and attitudes towards the victims of sex trafficking and/or anti-sex trafficking campaigns among adolescent female students in Nepal.A cross-sectional study was conducted between August-September 2013 among 292 adolescent female students (>10 years old using systematic random sampling from three high schools in Sindhupalchowk district, Nepal. As an initial step, descriptive analyses were employed to characterize the data and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to explore factors associated with sex trafficking awareness and related attitudes.Seventy-six percent of sampled students reported that they were aware of sex trafficking and 94.6% indicated media (i.e., radio or television as the primary sources of their knowledge. Fifty-one percent mentioned relatives/friends as mediators of sex trafficking, 60.4% reported promise for better jobs as the primary attraction behind sex trafficking, and 48.6% mentioned adolescent females as the most vulnerable group for sex trafficking. Over half (56.8% of the respondents had positive attitudes towards the victims of sex trafficking and/or anti-sex trafficking campaigns. Age (OR = 3.38, 95% CI:2.51-4.55, parents' occupation (OR = 3.89, 95% CI:1.58-9.58, and having a radio/TV at home (OR = 6.67, 95% CI:3.99-9.54 were significantly associated with awareness, whereas being younger (OR = 0.67, 95% CI:0.55-0.79 and having joint-family (OR = 2.67, 95% CI:1.49-4.80 were significantly associated with having a positive attitudes towards

IAEA Illicit Trafficking Database (ITDB)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-01-01

The IAEA Illicit Trafficking Database (ITDB) was established in 1995 as a unique network of points of contact connecting 100 states and several international organizations. Information collected from official sources supplemented by open-source reports. The 1994 - GC 38, resolution intensifies the activities through which the Agency is currently supporting Member States in this field. Member states were notified of completed database in 1995 and invited to participate. The purpose of the I TDB is to facilitate exchange of authoritative information among States on incidents of illicit trafficking and other related unauthorized activities involving nuclear and other radioactive materials; to collect, maintain and analyse information on such incidents with a view to identifying common threats, trends, and patterns; use this information for internal planning and prioritisation and provide this information to member states and to provide a reliable source of basic information on such incidents to the media, when appropriate

Comparative View of the Problem with Human Trafficking In the Balkan Countries

OpenAIRE

Ivanova, Elena

2013-01-01

The liberalization of gender understanding and relations, liberation of sexuality from the constraints of primitivism and traditionalism has lead to a increase in prostitution as socio-pathological phenomenon that inevitably stimulates the emergence of the crime of human trafficking. Particularly disturbing is the emergence of a new dimension of human trafficking – the trafficking of minors. We can freely say that trade with minors is developing industry. Analyzing the legal structure of t...

Perspectives on Human Trafficking and Modern Forms of Slavery

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Siddharth Kara

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Migration, technology, law, and measurement are each among the most topical areas of enquiry in the global human trafficking field, with much work remaining to be done in these and other areas. Beneath these particular intersections lies a crucial truth—slavery is a global business that thrives on the callous exploitation of the labor activity of a vast and highly vulnerable subclass of people whose brutalization is tacitly accepted by every participant in the global economy, from corporations to consumers. I am deeply gratified to edit Social Inclusion’s second issue on human trafficking and modern slavery. The level of scholarly interest in these topics continues to grow, and in this issue the authors explore some of the most pressing manifestations of human trafficking around the world.

Human Trafficking in Nepal: Post-Earthquake Risk and Response.

Science.gov (United States)

Gyawali, Bishal; Keeling, June; Kallestrup, Per

2017-04-01

As Nepal mourns the 1-year commemoration of the April 2015 earthquake and its aftershocks that killed more than 8500 people and left thousands injured and displaced, other more hidden repercussions of the resultant chaotic environment need attention: the increased risk of human trafficking. Considering that natural disasters provide a milieu for this illicit trade, there is a need for a robust response from stakeholders such as donors, civil society organizations, and government organizations against human trafficking following disasters such as the Nepal earthquake. Responsibility to prevent and fight trafficking should be explicitly included in the mandate of relief and rehabilitation mechanisms set up at the national level to coordinate the disaster relief response, serving to support populations in both rural and urban areas. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:153-154).

Regulation of AMPA Receptor Trafficking by Protein Ubiquitination

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Jocelyn Widagdo

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The molecular mechanisms underlying plastic changes in the strength and connectivity of excitatory synapses have been studied extensively for the past few decades and remain the most attractive cellular models of learning and memory. One of the major mechanisms that regulate synaptic plasticity is the dynamic adjustment of the α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA-type glutamate receptor content on the neuronal plasma membrane. The expression of surface AMPA receptors (AMPARs is controlled by the delicate balance between the biosynthesis, dendritic transport, exocytosis, endocytosis, recycling and degradation of the receptors. These processes are dynamically regulated by AMPAR interacting proteins as well as by various post-translational modifications that occur on their cytoplasmic domains. In the last few years, protein ubiquitination has emerged as a major regulator of AMPAR intracellular trafficking. Dysregulation of AMPAR ubiquitination has also been implicated in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease. Here we review recent advances in the field and provide insights into the role of protein ubiquitination in regulating AMPAR membrane trafficking and function. We also discuss how aberrant ubiquitination of AMPARs contributes to the pathogenesis of various neurological disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease, chronic stress and epilepsy.

Correlates of sex trafficking in three Balkan countries

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Athena Smith

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Trafficking of human beings has reached epidemic proportions: There are approximately 20 to 30 million slaves in the world today whereas the total value of the trade has been estimated to be around $32 billion. Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Bulgaria have been particularly hit by human slavery. The author has investigated the common correlates that have facilitated the problem in these countries, such as long term poverty, passive societies, low resistance to bribery, high levels of corruption, and weak legal framework. Obstacles rising from the inability to proceed with cross-national prosecutions in combination with low sentences imposed on traffickers in both developed and developing European countries, have rendered the situation explosive. Despite the European Union’s effort to implement the new rules of the Anti-Trafficking Directive which proposes higher penalties for offenders, increased protection for victims and facilitates cross-border prosecution, only six out of the 27 EU members have fully transposed it into their national legislation.

Terrorism, Drug Trafficking, and the Globalization of Supply

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Joel Hernández

2013-08-01

Full Text Available This case study analyzes the diversification of both terrorist groups and drug traffickers and the convergence between the two types of organizations in recent decades. As financial markets have become globalized, so have opportunities for illicit groups to transact with each other. The article builds on the collapse of Lebanese Canadian Bank in 2011 after its designation by the U.S. Treasury Department as a money-laundering financial institution tied to global drug trafficking and to Hezbollah. It follows the trajectory of two Hezbollah-associated drug kingpins: Ayman Joumaa, who facilitated trade between Hezbollah and the Zetas, and Maroun Saade, who was apprehended attempting to connect Hezbollah to the Taliban. In its analysis of the histories, motivations, and relationships among these three groups, the article reflects on relationships currently in existence between terrorist and drug-trafficking organizations, and on the implications of the possible directions these relationships might take in the future.

Adolescent Black Males' Drug Trafficking and Addiction: Three Theoretical Perspectives.

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Moore, Sharon E.

1995-01-01

Explains the incidence and nature of drug trafficking and chemical dependency among adolescent black males. The paper also discusses the social science theories of Emile Durkheim, Karl Marx, and Molefi Asante to better understand the behaviors, and the consequences of those behaviors, of young black males who participate in drug trafficking. (GR)

Subcellular Redox Targeting: Bridging in Vitro and in Vivo Chemical Biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Long, Marcus J C; Poganik, Jesse R; Ghosh, Souradyuti; Aye, Yimon

2017-03-17

Networks of redox sensor proteins within discrete microdomains regulate the flow of redox signaling. Yet, the inherent reactivity of redox signals complicates the study of specific redox events and pathways by traditional methods. Herein, we review designer chemistries capable of measuring flux and/or mimicking subcellular redox signaling at the cellular and organismal level. Such efforts have begun to decipher the logic underlying organelle-, site-, and target-specific redox signaling in vitro and in vivo. These data highlight chemical biology as a perfect gateway to interrogate how nature choreographs subcellular redox chemistry to drive precision redox biology.

Subcellular localization for Gram positive and Gram negative bacterial proteins using linear interpolation smoothing model.

Science.gov (United States)

Saini, Harsh; Raicar, Gaurav; Dehzangi, Abdollah; Lal, Sunil; Sharma, Alok

2015-12-07

Protein subcellular localization is an important topic in proteomics since it is related to a protein׳s overall function, helps in the understanding of metabolic pathways, and in drug design and discovery. In this paper, a basic approximation technique from natural language processing called the linear interpolation smoothing model is applied for predicting protein subcellular localizations. The proposed approach extracts features from syntactical information in protein sequences to build probabilistic profiles using dependency models, which are used in linear interpolation to determine how likely is a sequence to belong to a particular subcellular location. This technique builds a statistical model based on maximum likelihood. It is able to deal effectively with high dimensionality that hinders other traditional classifiers such as Support Vector Machines or k-Nearest Neighbours without sacrificing performance. This approach has been evaluated by predicting subcellular localizations of Gram positive and Gram negative bacterial proteins. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Maternity care for trafficked women: Survivor experiences and clinicians' perspectives in the United Kingdom's National Health Service.

Science.gov (United States)

Bick, Debra; Howard, Louise M; Oram, Sian; Zimmerman, Cathy

2017-01-01

Although trafficked women and adolescents are at risk of unprotected or forced sex, there is little research on maternity care among trafficking survivors. We explored health care needs, service use and challenges among women who became pregnant while in the trafficking situation in the United Kingdom (UK) and clinicians' perspectives of maternity care for trafficked persons. Cross-sectional survey and qualitative interviews with trafficking survivors recruited from statutory and voluntary sector organisations in England and qualitative interviews with maternity clinicians and family doctors undertaken to offer further insight into experiences reported by these women. Twenty-eight (29%) of 98 women who took part in a large study of trafficking survivors reported one or more pregnancies while trafficked, whose data are reported here. Twelve (42.8%) of these women reported at least one termination of pregnancy while in the trafficking situation and 25 (89.3%) experienced some form of mental health disorder. Nineteen (67.9%) women experienced pre-trafficking physical abuse and 9 (32.%) sexual abuse. A quarter of women were trafficked for sexual exploitation, six for domestic servitude and two for manual labour. Survivors and clinicians described service challenges, including restrictions placed on women's movements by traffickers, poor knowledge on how to access maternity care, poor understanding of healthcare entitlements and concerns about confidentiality. Maternity care clinicians recognised potential indicators of trafficking, but considered training would help them identify and respond to victims. Main limitations include that findings reflect women who had exited the trafficking situation, however as some had only recently exited the trafficking situation, difficulties with recall were likely to be low. More than one in four women became pregnant while trafficked, indicating that maternity services offer an important contact point for identification and care

Segmentation and quantification of subcellular structures in fluorescence microscopy images using Squassh.

Science.gov (United States)

Rizk, Aurélien; Paul, Grégory; Incardona, Pietro; Bugarski, Milica; Mansouri, Maysam; Niemann, Axel; Ziegler, Urs; Berger, Philipp; Sbalzarini, Ivo F

2014-03-01

Detection and quantification of fluorescently labeled molecules in subcellular compartments is a key step in the analysis of many cell biological processes. Pixel-wise colocalization analyses, however, are not always suitable, because they do not provide object-specific information, and they are vulnerable to noise and background fluorescence. Here we present a versatile protocol for a method named 'Squassh' (segmentation and quantification of subcellular shapes), which is used for detecting, delineating and quantifying subcellular structures in fluorescence microscopy images. The workflow is implemented in freely available, user-friendly software. It works on both 2D and 3D images, accounts for the microscope optics and for uneven image background, computes cell masks and provides subpixel accuracy. The Squassh software enables both colocalization and shape analyses. The protocol can be applied in batch, on desktop computers or computer clusters, and it usually requires images, respectively. Basic computer-user skills and some experience with fluorescence microscopy are recommended to successfully use the protocol.

Human Trafficking Victims versus Irregular Migrants. Challenges and Guidelines for the Attention and Protection of Foreigners Victims of Human Trafficking in Peru

OpenAIRE

Blanco, Cristina; Marinelli, Chiara

2017-01-01

The text aims to identify aspects that should be considered in preparing the State’s institutions to effectively combat human trafficking of a transnational nature. It addresses four main issues. First, it notices the specific problems of foreign human trafficking victims, which could be confused or overlapped with other categories, such as migrant smuggling and illegal migrant status. Subsequently, it develops three fundamental arguments that give primacy to their status as victims of human ...

Mitochondrial Iron Transport and Homeostasis in Plants

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Anshika eJain

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Iron (Fe is an essential nutrient for plants and although the mechanisms controlling iron uptake from the soil are relatively well understood, comparatively little is known about subcellular trafficking of iron in plant cells. Mitochondria represent a significant iron sink within cells, as iron is required for the proper functioning of respiratory chain protein complexes. Mitochondria are a site of Fe-S cluster synthesis, and possibly heme synthesis as well. Here we review recent insights into the molecular mechanisms controlling mitochondrial iron transport and homeostasis. We focus on the recent identification of a mitochondrial iron uptake transporter in rice and a possible role for metalloreductases in iron uptake by mitochondria. In addition, we highlight recent advances in mitochondrial iron homeostasis with an emphasis on the roles of frataxin and ferritin in iron trafficking and storage within mitochondria.

Fast subcellular localization by cascaded fusion of signal-based and homology-based methods

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Wang Wei

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The functions of proteins are closely related to their subcellular locations. In the post-genomics era, the amount of gene and protein data grows exponentially, which necessitates the prediction of subcellular localization by computational means. Results This paper proposes mitigating the computation burden of alignment-based approaches to subcellular localization prediction by a cascaded fusion of cleavage site prediction and profile alignment. Specifically, the informative segments of protein sequences are identified by a cleavage site predictor using the information in their N-terminal shorting signals. Then, the sequences are truncated at the cleavage site positions, and the shortened sequences are passed to PSI-BLAST for computing their profiles. Subcellular localization are subsequently predicted by a profile-to-profile alignment support-vector-machine (SVM classifier. To further reduce the training and recognition time of the classifier, the SVM classifier is replaced by a new kernel method based on the perturbational discriminant analysis (PDA. Conclusions Experimental results on a new dataset based on Swiss-Prot Release 57.5 show that the method can make use of the best property of signal- and homology-based approaches and can attain an accuracy comparable to that achieved by using full-length sequences. Analysis of profile-alignment score matrices suggest that both profile creation time and profile alignment time can be reduced without significant reduction in subcellular localization accuracy. It was found that PDA enjoys a short training time as compared to the conventional SVM. We advocate that the method will be important for biologists to conduct large-scale protein annotation or for bioinformaticians to perform preliminary investigations on new algorithms that involve pairwise alignments.

Membrane Trafficking and Vesicle Fusion

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education; Volume 19; Issue 5. Membrane Trafficking and Vesicle Fusion: Post-Palade Era Researchers Win the Nobel Prize. Riddhi Atul Jani Subba Rao Gangi Setty. General Article Volume 19 Issue 5 May 2014 pp 421-445 ...

Human Sex Trafficking in America: What Counselors Need to Know

Science.gov (United States)

Litam, Stacey Diane A.

2017-01-01

The social justice issue of human sex trafficking is a global form of oppression that places men, women and children at risk for sexual exploitation. Although a body of research exists on the topics of human trafficking, literature specific to the mental health implications for counselors working with this population is limited. Counselors should…

General Aspects Regarding the Crime of Human Trafficking

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Vasile Draghici

2016-01-01

Thus, according to article 210 of the Penal Code, the crime of human trafficking involves„recruiting, transportation, sheltering or receiving of a person with the purpose of exploiting.Forthe offense of human trafficking there may exist preparatory acts, but the law does not incriminatethese acts as crimes and does not punish them. The attempt is punished according to article 217 ofthe Penal Code, stating that the attempt to the offenses stipulated at articles 209- 211 and article213 paragraph 2 of the Penal Code shall be punished.

Trafficking and Syrian Refugee Smuggling: Evidence from the Balkan Route

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Danilo Mandic

2017-06-01

Full Text Available As of March 2016, 4.8 million Syrian refugees were scattered in two dozen countries by the civil war. Refugee smuggling has been a major catalyst of human trafficking in the Middle East and Europe migrant crises. Data on the extent to which smuggling devolved into trafficking in this refugee wave is, however, scarce. This article investigates how Syrian refugees interact with smugglers, shedding light on how human smuggling and human trafficking interrelated on the Balkan Route. I rely on original evidence from in-depth interviews (n = 123 and surveys (n = 100 with Syrian refugees in Jordan, Turkey, Greece, Serbia, and Germany; as well as ethnographic observations in thirty-five refugee camps or other sites in these countries. I argue that most smugglers functioned as guides, informants, and allies in understudied ways—thus refugee perceptions diverge dramatically from government policy assumptions. I conclude with a recommendation for a targeted advice policy that would acknowledge the reality of migrant-smuggler relations, and more effectively curb trafficking instead of endangering refugees.

Debate - Trafficking as a Floating Signifier: The view from Brazil

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Grupo Davida

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The fact that the United Nations (UN Trafficking Protocol is not an autochthonous product of the Brazilian political system has resulted in its being brought into that system as a ‘floating signifier’: something that does not point to any actual object or agreed upon meaning.[1] People who wish to criminalise prostitution have attempted to bend the Protocol in that direction while prostitutes’ rights groups have used it to critique current Brazilian laws, emphasising the need to distinguish migration for voluntary, consensual sex work from trafficking. Groups concerned with organ trafficking (a crime for which there are practically no proven cases in Brazil have managed to push their banner to the fore in the trafficking debate. Meanwhile, Brazil’s long-established and relatively successful anti-slave labour movement has been loath to ‘change their brand’, having already gained a considerable degree of institutionalisation prior to Brazil’s ratification of the Protocol in 2004. [1] C Lévi-Strauss, ‘Introduction à l'oeuvre de Marcel Mauss’ in Mauss, Sociologie et Anthropologie, Paris, 1950.

Trafficking in human beings, enslavement, crimes against humanity: unravelling the concepts

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Wilt, H.

2014-01-01

This article explores the conceptual relationship between trafficking in human beings, enslavement and crimes against humanity. The analysis of case law of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and the European Court on Human Rights reveals that, while trafficking in human

HUMAN BEINGS TRAFFICKING IN THE EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS CASE-LAW

OpenAIRE

Laura-Cristiana SPĂTARU-NEGURĂ

2017-01-01

After last year’s analysis regarding the European Union’s commitment to fight against the human beings trafficking, we have considered to further explore the human beings trafficking approach in the European Court of Human Rights case-law, the most developped regional jurisdiction on human rights. Surprisingly, the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms does not make an express reference to the human beings trafficking. However, we have to bear in mind...

Protection of Human Beings Trafficked for the Purpose of Organ Removal: Recommendations

OpenAIRE

Pascalev, Assya; Van Assche, Kristof; S?ndor, Judit; Codreanu, Natalia; Naqvi, Anwar; Gunnarson, Martin; Frunza, Mihaela; Yankov, Jordan

2016-01-01

Abstract This report presents a comprehensive set of recommendations for protection of human beings who are trafficked for the purpose of organ removal or are targeted for such trafficking. Developed by an interdisciplinary group of international experts under the auspices of the project Trafficking in Human Beings for the Purpose of Organ Removal (also known as the HOTT project), these recommendations are grounded in the view that an individual who parts with an organ for money within an ill...

Identifying Victims of Human Trafficking at Hotspots by Focusing on People Smuggled to Europe

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Matilde Ventrella

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Research has shown that smuggling of migrants is associated with human trafficking. Hence, victims of human trafficking amongst smuggled migrants should be identified by EU Member States at hotspots established by the European Commission, to overcome the migrant and refugee crisis. Identified victims should be given a visa and a programme of protection to escape their traffickers. In order to achieve these objectives, research suggests that EU law on migrant smuggling should be amended and the Temporary Protection Directive should be applied to smuggled persons when there is an indication that they may be victims of human trafficking. This approach should be adopted by the EASO in cooperation with police forces investigating smuggling and trafficking at hotspots.

The trafficking of women and girls in Taiwan: characteristics of victims, perpetrators, and forms of exploitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Lanying

2017-11-09

Prior to the passing of 2009 Human Trafficking Prevention Act (HTPA), human trafficking was underestimated in Taiwan. In the past, domestic trafficking in women and girls often targeted vulnerable groups such as young girls from poor families or minority groups. Since the 1990s, an increasing flow of immigrant women, mainly from Vietnam and Indonesia and some from China, into Taiwan has created a new group of Human Trafficking victims. The current study intends to identify, describe, and categorize reported and prosecuted human trafficking cases involving women and girls according to the HTPA in Taiwan. Using the court proceedings of prosecuted trafficking in women and girls cases under Taiwan's HTPA from all 21 districts in Taiwan from 2009 to 2012 under the title keyword of 'Human Trafficking', this current study aims to categorize different patterns of existing trafficking in women and girls in Taiwan. The analysis is based on 37 court cases, involving 195 victimized women and girls and 118 perpetrators. This study identifies six forms of Human Trafficking victims according to their country of origin, vulnerability status, and means of transport. This study found that women and girls suffer from both labor and sexual exploitation, from mainly domestic male perpetrators. While sexual exploitation is more evenly distributed among citizens and immigrants and affects both adults and minors, labor exploitation seems to be an exclusive phenomenon among women immigrant workers in the data. Human Trafficking cases in Taiwan share many of the similarities of Human Trafficking in other regions, which are highly associated with gender inequality and gender-based vulnerability.

The law and economics of international sex slavery: prostitution laws and trafficking for sexual exploitation

OpenAIRE

Jakobsson, Niklas; Kotsadam, Andreas

2013-01-01

International trafficking in humans for sexual exploitation is an eco- nomic activity driven by profit motives. Laws regarding commercial sex influence the profitability of trafficking and may thus affect the inflow of trafficking to a country. Using two recent sources of European cross country data we show that trafficking of persons for commercial sexual exploitation (as proxied by the data sets we are using) is least prevalent in coun...

Trafficking in Persons: U.S. Policy and Issues for Congress

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-04

service providers, public officials, and religious groups. Programs to improve the prosecution rates of traffickers have helped countries draft or...Macedonia, Montenegro, Netherlands Antilles, Portugal, Romania , Serbia, Slovak Republic, Switzerland, Turkey, and Ukraine. Middle East & North Africa (7... tourism until the person has completed their sentence. Furthermore, the act creates new criminal offenses related to human trafficking, including

I'm Not for Sale: Teaching about Human Trafficking

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, James

2018-01-01

Even though slavery is illegal in all countries, it is still practiced in the form of human trafficking. In fact, there are about twenty-five million men, women, and children who are victims of human trafficking, a 150-billion-dollar industry that affects every country across the globe. Modern communications, such as the Internet and cell phones,…

78 FR 9918 - Protections Against Trafficking In Persons In Federal Contracts

Science.gov (United States)

2013-02-12

... trafficking safeguards provided by E.O. 13627 and the ETGCA will increase stability, productivity, and... regarding Government employees and contractor personnel engaging in any form of this criminal behavior. FAR... contractors and subcontractors to notify government employees of trafficking violations and puts parties on...

JUVENILE CRIMES CONNECTED WITH NARCOTICS AND PSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCES TRAFFICKING: CRIMINOLOGICAL ASPECTS

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Ms. Irina V. Tseveleva

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The article deals with criminological aspects of juvenile crime in the narcotics and psychotropic substances trafficking. The authors analyzed the main reasons of committing these crimes by teenagers. The proposals for the prevention of minors’ criminal behavior in drug trafficking are drafted.

The prevention of illicit trafficking of nuclear and radioactive material in Vietnam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguygen, N.T.

2001-01-01

Full text: I Introduction - Vietnam has signed the Safeguard Agreement under NPT in 1989 and is preparing to join the Convention on Physical Protection of Nuclear Materials. To enhance the fulfillment of commitment, at the beginning of 1993 a joint group of experts from VAEC, Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Security was set up to: Search the current situation of illicit trafficking of nuclear and radioactive material; and Prevent the illicit trafficking. Activities were carried out during four years with modest resources and results achieved are remarkable, no case of illicit trafficking has been detected from 1997 until now. II Searching the illicit trafficking situation - The objectives of searching are the following: What is material in the illicit trafficking?; What is the motivation of illicit trafficking?; What is the illicit trafficking ploy? 1. Material in the illicit trafficking - At the end of the seventies and during the eighties, there were rumors of black trade of precious and mysterious metal with unbelievable high prices, higher many times than the gold price. Rumors said the name of the metal was uranium, black copper or osmium . We have collected all material confiscated during that time and during our activities, and the study shows: 516.56 kg of confiscated material is depleted uranium with U-235 mass content ranging from 0.2% to 0.32%, uranium mass content (U-235+U-238) ranging from 80% to 99%; Mostly pieces have a mark Made in USA. The masses of pieces range from 0.3 kg to 150 kg. By geometry and structure there are some mechanical parts of still unidentified machines; All pieces can be considered as radioactive material, the radioactive dose rate at their surface ranges from 10μSv/h to 100μSv/h. (Background: 0.2μSv/h); 268.65 kg confiscated material is false uranium made of lead. Its mark is written in very bad English trying to imitate the mark of real pieces. One false osmium body is made of silver. 2. Motivation of illicit

Dynamic changes to survivin subcellular localization are initiated by DNA damage

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Maritess Gay Asumen

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Maritess Gay Asumen1, Tochukwu V Ifeacho2, Luke Cockerham3, Christina Pfandl4, Nathan R Wall31Touro University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine, Vallejo, CA, USA; 2University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; 3Center for Health Disparities Research and Molecular Medicine, Loma Linda University, CA, USA; 4Green Mountain Antibodies, Burlington, VT, USAAbstract: Subcellular distribution of the apoptosis inhibitor survivin and its ability to relocalize as a result of cell cycle phase or therapeutic insult has led to the hypothesis that these subcellular pools may coincide with different survivin functions. The PIK kinases (ATM, ATR and DNA-PK phosphorylate a variety of effector substrates that propagate DNA damage signals, resulting in various biological outputs. Here we demonstrate that subcellular repartitioning of survivin in MCF-7 cells as a result of UV light-mediated DNA damage is dependent upon DNA damage-sensing proteins as treatment with the pan PIK kinase inhibitor wortmannin repartitioned survivin in the mitochondria and diminished it from the cytosol and nucleus. Mitochondrial redistribution of survivin, such as was recorded after wortmannin treatment, occurred in cells lacking any one of the three DNA damage sensing protein kinases: DNA-PK, ATM or ATR. However, failed survivin redistribution from the mitochondria in response to low-dose UV occurred only in the cells lacking ATM, implying that ATM may be the primary kinase involved in this process. Taken together, this data implicates survivian’s subcellular distribution is a dynamic physiological process that appears responsive to UV light- initiated DNA damage and that its distribution may be responsible for its multifunctionality.Keywords: survivin, PIK kinases, ATM, ATR, DNA-PK

The State, the family and language of 'social evils': re-stigmatising victims of trafficking in Vietnam.

Science.gov (United States)

Vijeyarasa, Ramona

2010-08-01

The Vietnamese Government continues to take steps to address trafficking in women and girls. However, rather than perceiving trafficking as a violation of human rights, greater attention is given by the government to its effects on society and social morals, particularly where victims have engaged in sex work in destination countries. Trafficked returnees are directly implicated in the State's approach to defining sex work as a 'social evil'. This approach reproduces the socio-economic inequality involved in trafficking and further marginalises trafficked women. Simultaneously, although Vietnamese women are often drawn into trafficking due to family obligations, they frequently face dishonour upon their return or are forced to hide the truth of their experience of being trafficked. This paper argues that the language of 'social evils' and the responses of the State and family undermine the ability of trafficked returnees to reintegrate. This is heightened where returnees are deemed to be transmitters of HIV infection, hence suffering human trafficking, sex-work and HIV/AIDS-related stigma. I also reflect upon whether the approach of service providers exacerbates stigma, particularly in the context of shelter rehabilitation and present several recommendations for reform, the most pressing being the need to eliminate the language of 'social evils'.

Plasma effects on subcellular structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gweon, Bomi; Kim, Dan Bee; Jung, Heesoo; Choe, Wonho; Kim, Daeyeon; Shin, Jennifer H.

2010-01-01

Atmospheric pressure helium plasma treated human hepatocytes exhibit distinctive zones of necrotic and live cells separated by a void. We propose that plasma induced necrosis is attributed to plasma species such as oxygen radicals, charged particles, metastables and/or severe disruption of charged cytoskeletal proteins. Interestingly, uncharged cytoskeletal intermediate filaments are only minimally disturbed by plasma, elucidating the possibility of plasma induced electrostatic effects selectively destroying charged proteins. These bona fide plasma effects, which inflict alterations in specific subcellular structures leading to necrosis and cellular detachment, were not observed by application of helium flow or electric field alone.

The fight against human trafficking in the Amsterdam Red Light District

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Spapens, A.C.M.; Rijken, C.R.J.J.

The Amsterdam Red Light District is famous for its sex-oriented businesses. Although prostitution was legalized in 2000, this did not end some of its criminal side effects, particularly the trafficking in women. In an effort to combat human trafficking in the district, the local authorities launched

The IAEA's Illicit Trafficking Database Programme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anzelon, G.; Hammond, W.; Nicholas, M.

2001-01-01

Full text: As part of its overall programme on nuclear material security, the IAEA has since 1995 maintained a database of incidents of trafficking in nuclear materials and other radioactive sources. The Illicit Trafficking Database Programme (ITDP) is intended to assist Member States by alerting them to current incidents, by facilitating exchange of reliable, detailed information about incidents, and by identifying any common threads or trends that might assist States in combating illicit trafficking. The ITDP also seeks to better inform the public by providing basic information to the media concerning illicit trafficking events. Approximately 70 States have joined this programme for collecting and sharing information on trafficking incidents. Reporting States have the opportunity to designate what information may be shared with other States and what may be shared with the public. In cases where the IAEA's first information about a possible incident comes from news media or other open sources rather than from a State notification, the information first is evaluated, and then, if warranted, the relevant State or States are contacted to request confirmation or clarification of an alleged incident. During 2000, as a result of experience gained working with information on illicit nuclear trafficking, the IAEA developed of a flexible and comprehensive new database system. The new system has an open architecture that accommodates structured information from States, in-house information, open-source articles, and other information sources, such as pictures, maps and web links. The graphical user interface allows data entry, maintenance and standard and ad-hoc reporting. The system also is linked to a Web-based query engine, which enables searching of both structured and open-source information. For the period 1 January 1993 through 31 March 2001, the database recorded more than 550 incidents, of which about two-thirds have been confirmed by States. (Some of these

Methodological debates in human rights research: a case study of human trafficking in South Africa

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vigneswaran, D.

2012-01-01

Debates over human trafficking are riddled with methodological dilemmas. Agencies with vested interests in the anti-trafficking agenda advance claims about numbers of victims, level of organized trafficking and scale of exploitation, but with limited data and using questionable techniques. Skeptics,

LEGAL PROTECTION AGAINST CHILDREN WHO ARE VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN CIANJUR DISTRICT STUDIED BY HUMAN RIGHTS PERSPECTIVE

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Henny Nuraeny

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Trafficking in persons is a modern form of slavery. The eradication of human trafficking has been on the agenda in law enforcement because of its effects can interfere with social welfare. One form of trafficking in persons who lately is rampant child trafficking. The problems that can be studied is how the perspective of Human Rights in providing protection to children who are victims of trafficking and whether the implementation of legal protection for child victims of trafficking in Cianjur is in line with the concept of human rights. This study uses normative juridical approach and specification of descriptive analysis. Results from this study is the protection of child victims of trafficking in persons has been referred to the concept of human rights which the regional government make policies on prevention of trafficking, rehabilitation, counseling and empowerment of victims of human trafficking.

A-RAF kinase functions in ARF6 regulated endocytic membrane traffic.

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Elena Nekhoroshkova

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: RAF kinases direct ERK MAPK signaling to distinct subcellular compartments in response to growth factor stimulation. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Of the three mammalian isoforms A-RAF is special in that one of its two lipid binding domains mediates a unique pattern of membrane localization. Specific membrane binding is retained by an N-terminal fragment (AR149 that corresponds to a naturally occurring splice variant termed DA-RAF2. AR149 colocalizes with ARF6 on tubular endosomes and has a dominant negative effect on endocytic trafficking. Moreover actin polymerization of yeast and mammalian cells is abolished. AR149/DA-RAF2 does not affect the internalization step of endocytosis, but trafficking to the recycling compartment. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: A-RAF induced ERK activation is required for this step by activating ARF6, as A-RAF depletion or inhibition of the A-RAF controlled MEK-ERK cascade blocks recycling. These data led to a new model for A-RAF function in endocytic trafficking.

Routledge handbook of human trafficking

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rijken, Conny; Piotrowicz, Ryszard; Uhl, Baerbe Heide

2017-01-01

Trafficking in human beings (THB) has been described as modern slavery. It is a serious criminal activity that has significant ramifications for the human rights of the victims. It poses major challenges to the state, society and individual victims. THB is not a static given but a constantly

Human Trafficking and Health: A Survey of Male and Female Survivors in England.

Science.gov (United States)

Oram, Siân; Abas, Melanie; Bick, Debra; Boyle, Adrian; French, Rebecca; Jakobowitz, Sharon; Khondoker, Mizanur; Stanley, Nicky; Trevillion, Kylee; Howard, Louise; Zimmerman, Cathy

2016-06-01

To investigate physical and mental health and experiences of violence among male and female trafficking survivors in a high-income country. Our data were derived from a cross-sectional survey of 150 men and women in England who were in contact with posttrafficking support services. Interviews took place over 18 months, from June 2013 to December 2014. Participants had been trafficked for sexual exploitation (29%), domestic servitude (29.3%), and labor exploitation (40.4%). Sixty-six percent of women reported forced sex during trafficking, including 95% of those trafficked for sexual exploitation and 54% of those trafficked for domestic servitude. Twenty-one percent of men and 24% of women reported ongoing injuries, and 8% of men and 23% of women reported diagnosed sexually transmitted infections. Finally, 78% of women and 40% of men reported high levels of depression, anxiety, or posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. Psychological interventions to support the recovery of this highly vulnerable population are urgently needed.

Subcellular distribution of curium in beagle liver

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bruenger, F.W.; Grube, B.J.; Atherton, D.R.; Taylor, G.N.; Stevens, W.

1976-01-01

The subcellular distribution of curium ( 243 244 Cm) was studied in canine liver from 2 hr to 47 days after injection of 3 μCi 243 244 Cm/kg of body weight. The pattern of distribution for Cm was similar to other trivalent actinide elements studied previously (Am, Cf). Initially (2 hr), most of the nuclide was found in the cytosol and at least 90 percent was protein bound. About 70 percent of the Cm was bound to ferritin, approximately 5 percent was associated with a protein of MW approximately 200,000, and approximately 25 percent was found in the low-molecular-weight region (approximately 5000). The decrease in the Cm content of cytosol, nuclei, and microsomes coincided with an increase in the amount associated with mitochondria and lysosomes. The concentration of the Cm in the mitochondrial fraction was higher than it was in the lysosomal fraction at each time studied. In the mitochondrial fraction approximately 30 percent of the Cm was bound to membranous or granular material, and 70 percent was found in the soluble fraction. The Cm concentration initially associated with cell nuclei was high but had diminished to 20 percent of the 2 hr concentration by 20 days post injection (PI). The subcellular distribution of Cm in the liver of a dog which had received the same dose and was terminated because of severe liver damage was studied at 384 days PI. The liver weighed 130 g and contained approximately 30 percent of the injected Cm. In contrast, a normal liver weighs 280 g and at 2 hr PI contains approximately 40 percent of the injected dose. The subcellular distribution of Cm in this severely damaged liver differed from the pattern observed at earlier times after injection. The relative concentration of Cm in the cytosol was doubled; it was higher in the nuclei-debris fraction; and it was lower in the mitochondrial and lysosomal fractions when compared to earlier times

High Glucose Represses hERG K+ Channel Expression through Trafficking Inhibition

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Yuan-Qi Shi

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Background/Aims: Abnormal QT prolongation is the most prominent cardiac electrical disturbance in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM. It is well known that the human ether-ago-go-related gene (hERG controls the rapid delayed rectifier K+ current (IKr in cardiac cells. The expression of the hERG channel is severely down-regulated in diabetic hearts, and this down-regulation is a critical contributor to the slowing of repolarization and QT prolongation. However, the intracellular mechanisms underlying the diabetes-induced hERG deficiency remain unknown. Methods: The expression of the hERG channel was assessed via western blot analysis, and the hERG current was detected with a patch-clamp technique. Results: The results of our study revealed that the expression of the hERG protein and the hERG current were substantially decreased in high-glucose-treated hERG-HEK cells. Moreover, we demonstrated that the high-glucose-mediated damage to the hERG channel depended on the down-regulation of protein levels but not the alteration of channel kinetics. These discoveries indicated that high glucose likely disrupted hERG channel trafficking. From the western blot and immunoprecipitation analyses, we found that high glucose induced trafficking inhibition through an effect on the expression of Hsp90 and its interaction with hERG. Furthermore, the high-glucose-induced inhibition of hERG channel trafficking could activate the unfolded protein response (UPR by up-regulating the expression levels of activating transcription factor-6 (ATF-6 and the ER chaperone protein calnexin. In addition, we demonstrated that 100 nM insulin up-regulated the expression of the hERG channel and rescued the hERG channel repression caused by high glucose. Conclusion: The results of our study provide the first evidence of a high-glucose-induced hERG channel deficiency resulting from the inhibition of channel trafficking. Furthermore, insulin promotes the expression of the hERG channel

Human trafficking and severe mental illness: an economic analysis of survivors' use of psychiatric services.

Science.gov (United States)

Cary, Maria; Oram, Siân; Howard, Louise M; Trevillion, Kylee; Byford, Sarah

2016-07-19

Previous studies have found a high prevalence of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among survivors of human trafficking. European countries are required to assist trafficked people in their psychological recovery, but there are no rigorous data on the costs of doing so. The objectives of this study were to quantify the use of secondary mental health services by survivors of human trafficking; to estimate the cost of survivors' use of secondary mental health services provided by the UK National Health Service (NHS); and to identify factors that predict higher costs of mental health service provision. Historical cohort study of psychiatric patients who had experienced human trafficking. The South London and Maudsley NHS Trust (SLaM) Biomedical Research Centre Case Register Interactive Search (CRIS) database was used to identify anonymised full patient records of patients who had experienced human trafficking and who had accessed SLaM mental health services between 2007 and 2012. Data were extracted on socio-demographic and trafficking characteristics and contacts with mental health services. Total costs were calculated by multiplying each resource use item by an appropriate unit cost. Factors that predicted high mental health service costs were analysed using regression models. One hundred nineteen patients were included in the analysis. Mean total mental health service costs per patient were £27,293 (sd 80,985) and mean duration of contact with services was 1490 (sd 757) days (approximately 4 years). Regression analysis showed that higher costs were associated with diagnosis of psychotic disorder (p trafficking violence (p = 0.06). Patients diagnosed with psychotic disorders cost approximately £32,635 more than patients with non-psychotic disorders/psychological distress but no formal diagnosis and patients whose clinical notes documented pre-trafficking violence cost £88,633 more than patients for whom pre-trafficking violence was not

Physician Encounters with Human Trafficking: Legal Consequences and Ethical Considerations.

Science.gov (United States)

Todres, Jonathan

2017-01-01

There is growing recognition and evidence that health care professionals regularly encounter-though they may not identify-victims of human trafficking in a variety of health care settings. Identifying and responding appropriately to trafficking victims or survivors requires not only training in trauma-informed care but also consideration of the legal and ethical issues that arise when serving this vulnerable population. This essay examines three areas of law that are relevant to this case scenario: criminal law, with a focus on conspiracy; service provider regulations, with a focus on mandatory reporting laws; and human rights law. In addition to imposing a legal mandate, the law can inform ethical considerations about how health care professionals should respond to human trafficking. © 2017 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.

The incorporation of labelled amino acids into the subcellular fractions of the rabbit brain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ogrodnik, W.

1980-01-01

Radioactive amino acids were injected into the fourth ventriculum of adult rabbits. After 3, 6 and 13 hours the animals were killed and tissue subcellular fractions were prepared from their brains. Nucleic acids were extracted and quantitatively determined from nucleic, myelin, mitochondrial, microsomal and cytoplasmic fractions. The radioactivity was determined in the protein and nucleic acid fractions. It was found out that the incorporation of radioactive amino acids increased in relation to time. In the analyzed subcellular fractions a very rapid incorporation of glutamic acid and leucine into cytoplasmic proteins was observed. The chromatographic analysis of the nucleic acids showed that radioactivity in the nucleic acid fractions depended on a radioactive protein contamination. Radioactive aminoacyl-tRNA was not found in the nucleic acid fractions, extracted from different subcellular fractions. (author)

The analysis of drug consumption, drug trafficking and the fight against drug trafficking at the present day

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Borisenko M.V.

2017-04-01

Full Text Available the article discusses the current drug situation in Russia, Siberian Federal District and Novosibirsk Region relating to drug consumption and drug trafficking and the main reasons of deaths of drug-dependent people.

Drug Trafficking Organizations and Local Economic Activity in Mexico.

Science.gov (United States)

González, Felipe

2015-01-01

Little is known about the relationship between illegal firms and local economic activity. In this paper I study changes in satellite night lights across Mexican municipalities after the arrival of large drug trafficking organizations in the period 2000-2010. After accounting for state trends and differences in political regimes, results indicate no significant change in night lights after the arrival of these illegal firms. Estimated coefficients are precise, robust, and similar across different drug trafficking organizations.

Nurses' Perceptions of Victims of Human Trafficking in an Urban Emergency Department: A Qualitative Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Long, Elizabeth; Dowdell, Elizabeth B

2017-12-15

Human trafficking is estimated to surpass the drug trade as the leading illegal industry in the world. According to a recent study, over 87.8% of trafficking survivors came into contact with a healthcare professional while they were enslaved and were not identified as a victim of human trafficking. The aims of this study are to understand the perceptions of emergency nurses about human trafficking, victims of violence, and prostitution. A qualitative, descriptive study using a semi-structured interview approach was done with ten registered nurses in a large, urban Emergency Department in the northeastern U.S. Interviews were recorded and transcribed; thematic analysis was performed. Six themes emerged from the interviews including, "human trafficking exists in the patient population" yet no nurse has screened or treated a victim; human trafficking victims are perceived to be "young, female, and foreign born"; all of the emergency nurses reported having worked with or screened a victim of violence; victims of violence were viewed as patients who present as "sad and grieving"; prostitutes are seen as "hard and tough"; and emergency nurses did not have education on human trafficking victims' needs or resources. Emergency nurses should be more aware about victims of human trafficking. The media portrayal of human trafficking victims had influenced the nurses' perceptions of this population. Victims of violence are perceived to be very different from prostitutes, but there is a desire for education about violence as well as information about specific resources open to victims. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.