Partners In Crime Research Articles

Female Offenders in Human Trafficking: Analyzing Roles in a Spanish Sample

Offenders convicted of trafficking human beings for sexual exploitation involve a high percentage of women compared to other similar offenses. Previous studies have searched for explanations for the dynamics of the illegal sex market and the coercion experienced by victims during the process of exploitation and exit. This article analyses the content of 58 judicial decisions involving a sample of 148 women convicted in Spain of trafficking in human beings between 2017 and 2024. Two main dimensions are explored: the criminal organizations performing the sexual exploitation phase in Spain and the characteristics, positions, and roles of women traffickers within the criminal organizations. Half of the sample occupies leadership roles, while the other half consists of supporters, especially in larger trafficking networks. Regarding the positions and roles of women offenders, supporters and partners in crime are at higher risk of being coerced due to the nature of their roles or partnerships.

Macrophages and autophagy: partners in crime.

Macrophages and autophagy are intricately linked, both playing vital roles in maintaining homeostasis and responding to disease. Macrophages, known for their 'eating' function, rely on a sophisticated digestion system to process a variety of targets, from apoptotic cells to pathogens. The connection between macrophages and autophagy is established early in their development, influencing both differentiation and mature functions. Autophagy regulates essential immune functions, such as inflammation control, pathogen clearance, and antigen presentation, linking innate and adaptive immunity. Moreover, it modulates cytokine production, ensuring a balanced inflammatory response that prevents excessive tissue damage. Autophagy also plays a critical role in macrophage polarization, influencing their shift between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory states. This review explores the role of autophagy in macrophages, emphasizing its impact across various tissues and pathological conditions, and detailing the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which autophagy shapes macrophage function.

Partners in Crime: Reading Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5.1–11) alongside Adam and Eve

The account of Ananias and Sapphira evades simple interpretation. Among the unanswered questions in the passage is the issue of Sapphira’s culpability in the misdeed shared with her husband. While many interpreters assume that Sapphira shares culpability with Ananias, some interpreters, particularly feminist interpreters, argue that Sapphira’s involvement was coerced or that Sapphira’s misdeed differed from Ananias’s. An intertextual reading of Ananias and Sapphira alongside Adam and Eve (Gen. 1–3) illuminates this question of Sapphira’s culpability. These two ‘first couples’ similarly commit wrongdoing and receive punishment. Acts, however, alters gendered aspects of the account of Adam and Eve: whereas Eve ate the fruit first, Ananias lied to Peter first. Ananias and Sapphira thus illustrate that men and women can be implicated in wrongdoing in either passive or active ways. Ultimately, reading these two stories together allows for more nuance in our understanding of Luke’s treatment of gender.

Hypercholesterolemia and inflammation-Cooperative cardiovascular risk factors.

Maintaining low concentrations of plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLc) over time decreases the number of LDL particles trapped within the artery wall, slows the progression of atherosclerosis and delays the age at which mature atherosclerotic plaques develop. This substantially reduces the lifetime risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) events.In this context, plaque development and vulnerability result not only from lipid accumulation but also from inflammation. Changes in the composition of immune cells, including macrophages, dendritic cells, T cells, B cells, mast cells and neutrophils, along with altered cytokine and chemokine release, disrupt the equilibrium between inflammation and anti-inflammatory mechanisms at plaque sites. Considering that it is not a competition between LDLc and inflammation, but instead that they are partners in crime, the present narrative review aims to give an overview of the main inflammatory molecular pathways linked to raised LDLc concentrations and to describe the impact of lipid-lowering approaches on the inflammatory and lipid burden. Although remarkable changes in LDLc are driven by the most recent lipid lowering combinations, the relative reduction in plasma C-reactive protein appears to be independent of the magnitude of LDLc lowering. Identifying clinical biomarkers of inflammation (e.g. interleukin-6) and possible targets for therapy holds promise for monitoring and reducing the ASCVD burden in suitable patients.

S624 Dysphagia Among Veterans: Are the UES and LES Partners in Crime?

S624 Dysphagia Among Veterans: Are the UES and LES Partners in Crime?

Unraveling Primary Familial Brain Calcification Mechanisms: Are NAA60 and SLC20A2 Partners in Crime?

Unraveling Primary Familial Brain Calcification Mechanisms: Are NAA60 and SLC20A2 Partners in Crime?

Partners in crime: Integrating forensic psychotherapy into criminological discourse

This article advocates for the integration of forensic psychotherapy into criminology to deepen our understanding of criminal behaviour, particularly serious youth violence. Despite historical interest in psychoanalytic explanations for criminal behaviour, the exploration of unconscious motivations has been marginalised. Our article emphasises the need to consider both inner psyche and external social factors by drawing on contemporary theorising in the field of psychosocial criminology and forensic psychotherapy. By presenting the case study of Rob, a young person with a history of violence, we highlight the role of forensic psychotherapy in better understanding the motivations behind an individual's violent behaviour. By adopting a case study approach, we highlight the limitations of solely attributing offending behaviour to structural inequalities. This article therefore calls for a broader consideration of forensic psychotherapeutic modalities in criminological thinking to offer more comprehensive explanations for serious youth violence. This shift towards a more holistic understanding holds promise for more effective prevention and rehabilitation strategies in the field of youth justice.

Partners in crime? Radical scepticism and malevolent global conspiracy theories

Although academic work on conspiracy theory has taken off in the last two decades, both in other disciplines as well as in epistemology, the similarities between global sceptical scenarios and global conspiracy theories have not been the focus of attention. The main reason for this lacuna probably stems from the fact that most philosophers take radical scepticism very seriously, while, for the most part, regarding ‘conspiracy thinking’ as epistemically defective. Defenders of conspiracy theory, on the other hand, tend not to be that interested in undermining radical scepticism, since their primary goal is to save conspiracy theories from the charges of irrationality. In this paper, I argue that radical sceptical scenarios and global conspiracy theories exhibit importantly similar features, which raises a serious dilemma for the ‘orthodox’ view that holds that while we must respond to radical scepticism, global conspiracy theories can just be dismissed. For, if, as I will show, both scenarios can be seen to be epistemically on a par, then either radical sceptical scenarios are as irrational as global conspiracy theories or neither type of scenario is intrinsically irrational. I argue for the first option by introducing a distinction between ‘local’ and ‘global’ sceptical scenarios and showing how this distinction maps onto contemporary debates concerning how best to understand the notion of a ‘conspiracy theory’. I demonstrate that, just as in the case of scepticism, ‘local’ conspiracies are, at least in principle, detectable and, hence, epistemically unproblematic, while global conspiracy theories, like radical scepticism, are essentially invulnerable to any potential counterevidence. This renders them theoretically vacuous and idle, as everything and nothing is compatible with what these ‘theories’ assert. I also show that radical sceptical scenarios and global conspiracy theories face the self-undermining problem: As soon as global unreliability is posited, the ensuing radical doubt swallows its children – the coherence of the sceptic’s proposal or the conspiracy theorist’s preferred conspiracy. I conclude that radical sceptical scenarios and global conspiracy theories are indeed partners in crime and should, therefore, be regarded as equally dubious.

Partners in crime: Convenience case study of Norwegian publishing cartel

The theory of convenience addresses white-collar and corporate crime. The theory is applied in this article to a case study of Norwegian publishing houses having to pay infringement fees because of competition act violation. Cartel members agreed and coordinated a boycott of a distribution channel. This article reviews the research literature on cartels before presenting the convenience case study. Combatting cartels is a matter of reducing the attractiveness and convenience of joining cartels. Guardianship, oversight, and controls are at the core of reducing deviance convenience. Detection is an element of oversight. However, detection is rare, as this case illustrated by email sent by mistake. Combatting cartels is a matter of control at the top of organizations where typically each chief executive officer (CEO) is involved. Therefore, the corporate compliance officer should never report to the CEO but rather to the chairperson on the board and to the external auditor.

1p and 1q: Partners in crime in multiple myeloma.

7571 Background: Cytogenetic abnormalities in multiple myeloma (MM) highly influence the disease course, response to treatment and survival. Trisomies and immunoglobulin H chain translocations are primary CA while del(17p), gain(1q), del(1p) among others are secondary CA. Gain (3 copies) and amplification (>3 copies) 1q have been recognized as adverse prognostic markers and incorporated into the second revision of the International Staging System (R2-ISS). However, the role of del(1p) is less well defined, especially in the era of novel therapies. We aimed to analyze the outcomes of newly diagnosed MM (NDMM) patients with chromosome 1 abnormalities, mainly del 1p, treated with autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) consolidation at our institution. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of all NDMM patients who were treated with ASCT from 1/1/2015-2/13/2019 (n=511). High-risk cytogenetics (HRC) were defined by the presence of del(17p), t(4;14), or t(14;16) similar to R-ISS; standard-risk cytogenetics (SRC) were defined as the absence of HRC. Modified HR cytogenetics (mHRC) included gain/amp 1q and/or t(14;20) in addition to HRC, while ultra high-risk (uHRC) included 2 or more mHRC CA. Results: Of 511 pts transplanted, 453 had cytogenetic data at the time of diagnosis. SRC were seen in 353 pts (77.9%), while 100 (22.1%) had HRC, 156 (34.4%) had mHRC, and 43 (9.5%) had uHRC. Thirty-two (7.1%) pts had del(1p) while 105 (23.2%) had gain 1q and 30 (6.6%) had amplification 1q. As expected, compared to SRC pts, pts with HRC, mHRC and uHRC had higher risk of relapse or death. Patients with gain and amp 1q had inferior outcomes in terms of progression-free survival (PFS) (HR 1.35; 95% CI 1.06-1.73, p=0.016), time to next treatment (TTNT) (HR 1.84; 95% CI 1.40-2.42, p<0.001) and overall survival (OS) (HR 1.47; 95% CI 1.06-2.02, p=0.02) compared to those without, consistent with published literature. The median PFS, TTNT and OS from ASCT in pts with gain/amp 1q were 3.17 years (y), 3.95y and 7.13y, respectively, compared to 4.01y, 7.60y and 8.21y in pts without gain/amp 1q. Pts with del(1p) had inferior PFS (median 2.43y versus 3.98y; HR 1.75; 95% CI 1.16-2.64, p=0.008), TTNT (median 2.72y versus 6.17y; HR 1.96; 95% CI 1.22-3.14, p=0.005) and OS (median 4.11y versus 8.38y; HR 2.19; 95% CI 1.34-3.58, p=0.002) from the time of ASCT compared to those without del(1p). Conclusions: In our study of NDMM patients that underwent AHCT, del(1p) at diagnosis was an independent predictor of shorter PFS, TTNT and OS. Despite induction therapy involving novel drugs and ASCT consolidation, patients with del(1p) at diagnosis continue to have inferior outcomes. Larger analyses are needed to validate the prognostic value of del(1p) and investigate its role in predicting outcomes in MM.

Gain of function mutation in K(ATP) channels and resulting upregulation of coupling conductance are partners in crime in the impairment of Ca2+ oscillations in pancreatic ß-cells

Gain of function mutations in the pore forming Kir6 subunits of the ATP sensitive K+ channels (K(ATP) channels) of pancreatic β-cells are the major cause of neonatal diabetes in humans. In this study, we show that in insulin secreting mouse β-cell lines, gain of function mutations in Kir6.1 result in a significant connexin36 (Cx36) overexpression, which form gap junctional connections and mediate electrical coupling between β-cells within pancreatic islets. Using computational modeling, we show that upregulation in Cx36 might play a functional role in the impairment of glucose stimulated Ca2+ oscillations in a cluster of β-cells with Kir6.1 gain of function mutations in their K(ATP) channels (GoF-K(ATP) channels). Our results show that without an increase in Cx36 expression, a gain of function mutation in Kir6.1 might not be sufficient to diminish glucose stimulated Ca2+ oscillations in a β-cell cluster. We also show that a reduced Cx36 expression, which leads to loss of coordination in a wild-type β-cell cluster, restores coordinated Ca2+ oscillations in a β-cell cluster with GoF-K(ATP) channels. Our results indicate that in a heterogenous β-cell cluster with GoF-K(ATP) channels, there is an inverted u-shaped nonmonotonic relation between the cluster activity and Cx36 expression. These results show that in a neonatal diabetic β-cell model, gain of function mutations in the Kir6.1 cause Cx36 overexpression, which aggravates the impairment of glucose stimulated Ca2+ oscillations.

Mitochondria-Derived Vesicles, Sterile Inflammation, and Pyroptosis in Liver Cancer: Partners in Crime or Innocent Bystanders?

Alterations in cellular signaling, chronic inflammation, and tissue remodeling contribute to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development. The release of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) upon tissue injury and the ensuing sterile inflammation have also been attributed a role in HCC pathogenesis. Cargoes of extracellular vesicles (EVs) and/or EVs themselves have been listed among circulating DAMPs but only partially investigated in HCC. Mitochondria-derived vesicles (MDVs), a subpopulation of EVs, are another missing link in the comprehension of the molecular mechanisms underlying the onset and progression of HCC biology. EVs have been involved in HCC growth, dissemination, angiogenesis, and immunosurveillance escape. The contribution of MDVs to these processes is presently unclear. Pyroptosis triggers systemic inflammation through caspase-dependent apoptotic cell death and is implicated in tumor immunity. The analysis of this process, together with MDV characterization, may help capture the relationship among HCC development, mitochondrial quality control, and inflammation. The combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors (i.e., atezolizumab and bevacizumab) has been approved as a synergistic first-line systemic treatment for unresectable or advanced HCC. The lack of biomarkers that may allow prediction of treatment response and, therefore, patient selection, is a major unmet need. Herein, we overview the molecular mechanisms linking mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation, and pyroptosis, and discuss how immunotherapy targets, at least partly, these routes.

Blood Cell Ratios Unveiled: Predictive Markers of Myocardial Infarction Prognosis.

Even if the management and treatment of patients with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) have significantly evolved, it is still a burgeoning disease, an active volcano with very high rates of morbidity and mortality. Therefore, novel management and therapeutic strategies for this condition are urgently needed. Lately, theories related to the role of various blood cells in NSTEMI have emerged, with most of this research having so far been focused on correlating the ratios between various leukocyte types (neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio-NLR, neutrophil/monocyte ratio-NMR). But what about erythrocytes? Is there an interaction between these cells and leukocytes, and furthermore, can this relationship influence NSTEMI prognosis? Are they partners in crime? Through the present study, we sought, over a period of sixteen months, to evaluate the neutrophil/red blood cell ratio (NRR), monocyte/red blood cell ratio (MRR) and lymphocyte/red blood cell ratio (LRR), assessing their potential role as novel prognostic markers in patients with NSTEMI. There was a statistically significant correlation between the NRR, LRR, MRR and the prognosis of NSTEMI patients. These new predictive markers could represent the start of future innovative therapies that may influence crosstalk pathways and have greater benefits in terms of cardiac repair and the secondary prevention of NSTEMI.

Cancer cell invasion: Caveolae and invadosomes are partners in crime

During cancer progression, tumor cells need to disseminate by remodeling the extracellular tumor matrix. A recent study sheds light on the intricate cooperation between caveolae and invadosomes that facilitates the spread of cancer cells.

Partners in Crime: Synergistic Antiapoptotic Effects of HCMV Gene Products in Infected Cells

The means by which human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) evades the immune system has been a hot research topic for the past three decades. While much of the research has focused on viral proteins that interfere with the host’s immune response, recent investigations suggest that proteins are not the only culprits. New findings by Hancock et al. indicate that HCMV-encoded microRNAs (miRNAs) work alongside viral proteins to produce synergistic antiapoptotic effects, shedding light on the mechanisms by which HCMV establishes latent infection in host cells.

Glioblastoma-Associated Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells and Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts: Partners in Crime?

Tumor-associated mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (TA-MSCs) have been recognized as attractive therapeutic targets in several cancer types, due to their ability to enhance tumor growth and angiogenesis and their contribution to an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). In glioblastoma (GB), mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) seem to be recruited to the tumor site, where they differentiate into glioblastoma-associated mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (GA-MSCs) under the influence of tumor cells and the TME. GA-MSCs are reported to exert important protumoral functions, such as promoting tumor growth and invasion, increasing angiogenesis, stimulating glioblastoma stem cell (GSC) proliferation and stemness, mediating resistance to therapy and contributing to an immunosuppressive TME. Moreover, they could act as precursor cells for cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), which have recently been identified in GB. In this review, we provide an overview of the different functions exerted by GA-MSCs and CAFs and the current knowledge on the relationship between these cell types. Increasing our understanding of the interactions and signaling pathways in relevant models might contribute to future regimens targeting GA-MSCs and GB-associated CAFs to inhibit tumor growth and render the TME less immunosuppressive.

Air pollution, noise and hypertension : Partners in crime

Air pollution and traffic noise are two important environmental risk factors that endanger health in urban societies and often act together as "partners in crime". Although air pollution and noise often co-occur in urban environments, they have typically been studied separately, with numerous studies documenting consistent effects of individual exposure on blood pressure. In the following review article, we examine the epidemiology of air pollution and noise, especially regarding the cardiovascular risk factor arterial hypertension and the underlying pathophysiology. Both environmental stressors have been shown to lead to endothelial dysfunction, oxidative stress, pronounced vascular inflammation, disruption of circadian rhythms and activation of the autonomic nervous system, all of which promote the development of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. From asocietal and political perspective, there is an urgent need to point out the potential dangers of air pollution and traffic noise in the American Heart Association (AHA)/American College of Cardiology (ACC) prevention guidelines and the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines on prevention. Therefore, an essential goal for the future is to raise awareness of environmental risk factors as important and, in particular, preventable risk factors for cardiovascular diseases.

PREVENTION OF LEGALISATION (LAUNDERING) OF CRIMINAL PROCEEDS IN THE MECHANISM OF ENSURING ECONOMIC SECURITY OF THE STATE

The purpose of the article is to consider the nature and content of economic security as a component of national security of the state; to determine the peculiarities of implementation of a criminal illegal intention to commit legalisation (laundering) of criminally obtained property; to establish the main destructive features of legalisation (laundering) of criminally obtained property and their correlation with economic security of the state; to define the actual means of prevention of legalisation (laundering) of criminally obtained property in the mechanism of ensuring economic security of the state. A scientific discussion of the problem of ensuring the economic security of the country by reducing the risks of legalisation (laundering) of criminally acquired property is presented. The regulatory and programme documents in the field of ensuring economic security have been characterised. The nature and content of economic security as a component of the state's national security were determined. Statistical reporting of law enforcement bodies in terms of detection, investigation and prevention of predicate offences and direct legalisation (laundering) of criminally acquired property was analysed. The authors emphasise the need to improve the system of timely detection of economic risks and threats in order to avoid regulatory, supervisory, organisational and managerial gaps that facilitate both the commission of predicate criminal offences and direct legalisation of the proceeds of crime. Results. It has been established that the essence and content of economic security as a component of the state's national security consists in such functional features as: 1) ensuring the implementation of full cycle production as a means of increasing the level of resource efficiency of the economy; 2) providing foreign and domestic trade infrastructure as a means of increasing the institutional economic capacity of the state; 3) ensuring the investment attractiveness of the state as a means of improving the foreign and domestic economic policy of the state (investment and reinvestment processes); 4) ensuring economic stimulation for the systematisation of innovative renewal of the products of the activities of business entities; 5) ensuring control over labour migration in order to retain qualified specialists; 6) ensuring protection against economic crimes; 7) ensuring the development and competitiveness of the stock market. The specifics of the implementation of the criminal illegal intention to commit legalisation (laundering) of criminally obtained property have been differentiated: 1) multi-stage, which implies the presence of a complex mechanism of criminally illegal behaviour, often aimed at achieving several goals united by a single intention; 2) a list of possible predicate offences, which are fundamental in terms of property legalisation (laundering); 3) committing a criminal offence as part of an organised group/criminal organisation; 4) involving partners in crime with interregional and cross-border links; 5) ensuring the latency of predicate offences through legalisation (laundering) of criminally acquired property. Modern methods of prevention of legalisation (laundering) of criminally acquired property in the mechanism of ensuring economic security of the state have been proposed: 1) differentiation of legalisation (laundering) of criminally acquired property as an economic and criminal offence based on the object of intervention in/outside the predicate socially dangerous acts; 2) improvement of financial monitoring and registration procedures related to the acquisition of property rights and other economic transactions; 3) a fundamental departure from the generalisation of measures aimed at de-shadowing the economy (taking into account the object of de-shadowing); 4) elimination of shortcomings in economic procedural legislation, which often creates a field for fictitious bankruptcy; 5) elimination of shortcomings in criminal legislation, by revising the sanction of Art. 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

Nociceptors and Macrophages in Bacterial Meningitis: Partners in Crime?

Nociceptors and Macrophages in Bacterial Meningitis: Partners in Crime?

Behavioral Scientists at the Postdoc Level: Partners in Crime: Understanding Peer Offending through Virtual Reality

Behavioral Scientists at the Postdoc Level: Partners in Crime: Understanding Peer Offending through Virtual Reality