128 research outputs found
The âcrime of solidarityâ. On the symbolism and the political message behind Court rulings
Criminal Justice: Legitimacy, accountability, and effectivit
Beyond the dichotomy between migrant smuggling and human trafficking: a Belgian case study on the governance of migrants in transit
The right to free movement and the mobility of people as guaranteed by the Schengen Agreement have given rise to challenges regarding transnational organised crime and particularly migrant smuggling and human traffickingâ . Against the backdrop of processes of globalization and securitization of irregular immigration, the adoption of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime in 2000 established a strict dichotomy between migrant smuggling and human traffickingâ . The distinction has led to different protective frameworks provided to (worthy) victims of human trafficking versus (undeserving) objects of migrant smugglingâ . This research addresses this legal dichotomy and unpacks the blurred boundaries between the two phenomenaâ . Taking Belgium, a country of transit, as a case study, the work focuses on the sensitive topic of unauthorised âsecondary migration movementsâ taking place within the Schengen Areaâ . Relying notably on semi-structured expert interviews, this socio-legal research empirically examines the functioning of the Belgian legal approach to deal with aggravated forms of migrant smuggling which allows victims to access the protective legal status usually strictly reserved to human trafficking victimsâ . The research shows how this unique protective approach affects the governance of transit migration in Belgium, and more generally, unveils the real-life consequences of rigid legal categoriesâ .Criminal Justice: Legitimacy, accountability, and effectivit
Eculizumab treatment for rescue of renal function in IgA nephropathy.
Immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy is a chronic glomerulonephritis with excessive glomerular deposition of IgA1, C3 and C5b-9, which may lead to renal failure
How useful is the concept of transit migration in an intra-Schengen mobility context? Diving into the migrant smuggling and human trafficking nexus in search for answers
When using the concept of transit migration, contemporary scholarly literature and policy documents typically refer to situations located outside or at the outskirts of the European Union. By analyzing the critical and empirical scholarship which uncovers the so-called gray area where it becomes hard to make clear distinctions that can be found at the nexus between migrant smuggling and human trafficking, the article aims to shed new light on the real-life vulnerabilities and dynamics that do not fit prototypical legal categories of either human trafficking or migrant smuggling. In so doing, the article discusses and analyzes legal and empirical scholarship that uncovers these vulnerabilities. The vulnerabilities observed are likely to be further enhanced in transit zones where stranded individuals within the EU aim to continue their (increasingly) fragmented/non-linear migration journeys. Therefore, the article proposes to consider the usefulness and the usage of the notion of âtransit migrationâ in the context of Intra-Schengen border mobility and not just when discussing external border mobility. The article argues that the concept of transit migration, if carefully defined, and if particular vulnerabilities found in transit space are recognized, can serve as a helpful lens that can prevent falling into the trap of conceiving migrant smuggling and human trafficking as strictly separate phenomena.Criminal Justice: Legitimacy, accountability, and effectivit
Transmigrant: one word to hide them all
Criminal Justice: Legitimacy, accountability, and effectivit
Aggravated migrant smuggling in a transit migration context: criminal victimization under ECtHR positive obligations case law
Criminal Justice: Legitimacy, accountability, and effectivit
Distinct phenotypes of platelet, monocyte, and neutrophil activation occur during the acute and convalescent phase of COVID-19
SARS-CoV-2 has spread rapidly worldwide, causing the COVID-19 pandemic. Platelet activation and platelet-leukocyte complex formation are proposed to contribute to disease progression. Here, we report platelet and leukocyte activation during acute and convalescent COVID-19 in patients recruited between May-July 2020. Blood samples were analyzed by flow cytometry and ELISA using paired comparison between inclusion (day 0) and 28 days later. The majority of patients were mildly or moderately ill with significantly higher cytokine levels (IL-6 and IL-10) on day 0 as compared with day 28. Platelet activation and granule release were significantly higher on day 0 compared with day 28, as determined by ADP- or thrombin-induced surface CD62P expression, baseline released CD62P, and thrombin-induced platelet-monocyte complex formation. Monocyte activation and procoagulant status at baseline and post activation were heterogeneous but generally lower on day 0 compared with day 28. Baseline and thrombin- or fMLF-induced neutrophil activation and procoagulant status were significantly lower on day 0 compared with day 28. We demonstrate that during the acute phase of COVID-19 compared with the convalescent phase, platelets are more responsive while neutrophils are less responsive. COVID-19 is associated with thromboembolic events where platelet activation and interaction with leukocytes may play an important role
A socio-legal analysis of the Belgian protective legislation towards victims of aggravated forms of migrant smuggling
As many scholars have shown, and other than what is suggested by their legal defnition, migrant smuggling and human trafcking are not always easily distinguishable in reality. Acknowledging this grey area between the two phenomena, the Belgian legislature has introduced an alternative approach (referred to as âthird-way approachâ) which would ofer migrants who have experienced âaggravated formsâ of migrant smuggling the same protective status that is usually strictly reserved for victims of human trafcking. Interestingly enough, migrants donât seem inclined to make use of this procedure. Through a series of expert interviews, this article shines light on the perspective of key actors within the Belgian criminal justice system and migration control apparatus with regard to this third-way approach and its functioning in practice. In so doing, the article not only reveals how the proper functioning of this third-way approach is hindered by a series of organizational and institutional factors, but it also shows how the diferent actors are struggling with the inherent tension between the objectives of protecting state security and the protection of the needs of vulnerable groups in precarious life situations.NWO452-16-003Effective Protection of Fundamental Rights in a pluralist worldCriminal Justice: Legitimacy, accountability, and effectivit
A Novel Mechanism of Bacterial Toxin Transfer within Host Blood Cell-Derived Microvesicles.
Shiga toxin (Stx) is the main virulence factor of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli, which are non-invasive strains that can lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), associated with renal failure and death. Although bacteremia does not occur, bacterial virulence factors gain access to the circulation and are thereafter presumed to cause target organ damage. Stx was previously shown to circulate bound to blood cells but the mechanism by which it would potentially transfer to target organ cells has not been elucidated. Here we show that blood cell-derived microvesicles, shed during HUS, contain Stx and are found within patient renal cortical cells. The finding was reproduced in mice infected with Stx-producing Escherichia coli exhibiting Stx-containing blood cell-derived microvesicles in the circulation that reached the kidney where they were transferred into glomerular and peritubular capillary endothelial cells and further through their basement membranes followed by podocytes and tubular epithelial cells, respectively. In vitro studies demonstrated that blood cell-derived microvesicles containing Stx undergo endocytosis in glomerular endothelial cells leading to cell death secondary to inhibited protein synthesis. This study demonstrates a novel virulence mechanism whereby bacterial toxin is transferred within host blood cell-derived microvesicles in which it may evade the host immune system
Doseâdependent proteomic analysis of glioblastoma cancer stem cells upon treatment with Îłâsecretase inhibitor
Notch signaling has been demonstrated to have a central role in glioblastoma (GBM) cancer stem cells (CSCs) and we have demonstrated recently that Notch pathway blockade by Îłâsecretase inhibitor (GSI) depletes GBM CSCs and prevents tumor propagation both in vitro and in vivo. In order to understand the proteome alterations involved in this transformation, a doseâdependent quantitative mass spectrometry (MS)âbased proteomic study has been performed based on the global proteome profiling and a target verification phase where both Immunoassay and a multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) assay are employed. The selection of putative protein candidates for confirmation poses a challenge due to the large number of identifications from the discovery phase. A multilevel filtering strategy together with literature mining is adopted to transmit the most confident candidates along the pipeline. Our results indicate that treating GBM CSCs with GSI induces a phenotype transformation towards nonâtumorigenic cells with decreased proliferation and increased differentiation, as well as elevated apoptosis. Suppressed glucose metabolism and attenuated NFR2âmediated oxidative stress response are also suggested from our data, possibly due to their crosstalk with Notch Signaling. Overall, this quantitative proteomicâbased doseâdependent work complements our current understanding of the altered signaling events occurring upon the treatment of GSI in GBM CSCs.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/88055/1/4529_ftp.pd
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