Human Trafficking by the Numbers: The Initial Benchmark of Prevalence and Economic Impact for Texas

Prevalence HighlightsCurrently, there are approximately 79,000 minor and youth victims of sex trafficking in Texas.Currently, there are approximately 234,000 workers who are victims of labor trafficking in Texas.Currently, there arean estimated 313,000 victims of human trafficking in Texas.Cost HighlightsMinor and youth sex trafficking costs the state of Texas approximately $6.6 billion. Traffickers exploit approximately$600 million from victims of labor trafficking in Texas.BackgroundThough human trafficking is widespread in geographically large states with large urban centers like Texas, the true scope of this hidden crime is largely unconfirmed as data on human trafficking are difficult to ascertain. Existing data gathered in anti-trafficking efforts focus almost exclusively on identified victims, shedding light on only a fraction of the problem. The first phase of the Statewide Human Trafficking Mapping Project of Texas focused on providing empiricallygrounded data as a benchmark about the extent of human trafficking across the state. The following three primary research questions guided our data collection efforts, which included queries of existing databases, interviews, focus groups, and web-based surveys.1.What is the prevalence of human trafficking in Texas?2.What is the economic impact of human trafficking in Texas?3.What is our understanding of human trafficking in Texas?MethodsThe findings in this report were derived using a multi-methods approach to quantify the prevalence and economic impact of human trafficking in Texas. Higher-than-average risk industry and community segments were chosen for sex and labor markets. We defined community segments asgroups of people considered to be at higher-than-average risk of trafficking because of risk indicators found in trafficking cases (e.g. homelessness). More specifically, rather than attempting to establish prevalence of trafficking among the 27.4 million people living in Texas, for the purposes of demonstrating our methodology, establishing some benchmarks on human trafficking prevalence and economic impact estimates, and providing a concrete example of our planned activities moving forward, victimization rates were applied to a select few community segments that are at higher-than-average risk of trafficking.The methodology has addressed the critical industry and community segments to accurately estimate prevalencewhile reducing overlap between the chosen segments

The 22q11.2 region regulates presynaptic gene-products linked to schizophrenia

How the 22q11.2 deletion predisposes to psychiatric disease is unclear. Here, the authors examine living human neuronal cells and show that 22q11.2 regulates the expression of genes linked to autism during early development, and genes linked to schizophrenia and synaptic biology in neurons. It is unclear how the 22q11.2 deletion predisposes to psychiatric disease. To study this, we generated induced pluripotent stem cells from deletion carriers and controls and utilized CRISPR/Cas9 to introduce the heterozygous deletion into a control cell line. Here, we show that upon differentiation into neural progenitor cells, the deletion acted in trans to alter the abundance of transcripts associated with risk for neurodevelopmental disorders including autism. In excitatory neurons, altered transcripts encoded presynaptic factors and were associated with genetic risk for schizophrenia, including common and rare variants. To understand how the deletion contributed to these changes, we defined the minimal protein-protein interaction network that best explains gene expression alterations. We found that many genes in 22q11.2 interact in presynaptic, proteasome, and JUN/FOS transcriptional pathways. Our findings suggest that the 22q11.2 deletion impacts genes that may converge with psychiatric risk loci to influence disease manifestation in each deletion carrier.Peer reviewe

Combining NGN2 Programming with Developmental Patterning Generates Human Excitatory Neurons with NMDAR-Mediated Synaptic Transmission

SUMMARY Transcription factor programming of pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) has emerged as an approach to generate human neurons for disease modeling. However, programming schemes produce a variety of cell types, and those neurons that are made often retain an immature phenotype, which limits their utility in modeling neuronal processes, including synaptic transmission. We report that combining NGN2 programming with SMAD and WNT inhibition generates human patterned induced neurons (hpiNs). Single-cell analyses showed that hpiN cultures contained cells along a developmental continuum, ranging from poorly differentiated neuronal progenitors to well-differentiated, excitatory glutamatergic neurons. The most differentiated neurons could be identified using a CAMK2A::GFP reporter gene and exhibited greater functionality, including NMDAR-mediated synaptic transmission. We conclude that utilizing single-cell and reporter gene approaches for selecting successfully programmed cells for study will greatly enhance the utility of hpiNs and other programmed neuronal populations in the modeling of nervous system disorders

Corruption, international business transactions and the OECD

In 1997, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) adopted the Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions (hereinafter 'Convention'), which required each member state to make foreign bribery a crime in their respective jurisdictions by transcribing the Convention into domestic legislation. However, by mid-2011, the collective OECD member states (as well as the countries aspiring to OECD membership) had achieved only moderate success in their progressive goal of eradicating foreign bribery in international business transactions within their economic, legal and political jurisdictions. The lack of significant demonstrable success, whether attributable to a flagging commitment to the ambitious goals of the Convention or to the considerable complexities of corruption, has effectively rendered the collective response of the member states unstable and in jeopardy. Transparency International, a self-proclaimed global civil society organisation established to combat corruption, has warned that 'Unless enforcement is sharply increased, existing support could well erode' (2010b: 8). This chapter considers the scope of the challenge of corruption (in Part 1), traces aspects of the OECD response to the various challenges of corruption (Part 2), highlights the civil cases against bribery (as well as its various defences) (Part 3), and sets out various prospects for reform (Part 4)

The evolution of Indigenous corporations : where to now?

Since 1976, Indigenous Australians have been able to provide for the constitution of Aboriginal councils and the incorporation of associations of Aboriginals under the Aboriginal Councils and Associations Act 1976 (Cth). The introduction of these business structures sought to provide Indigenous Australians with the power to adopt and pursue culturally appropriate businesses structures and practices. While the legislation marked a step forward in the empowerment of Indigenous Australians, the criticism of the Act led to its eventual repeal and the introduction of the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (Cth). In light of Australia’s endorsement of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, this article considers the evolution of Indigenous corporations in Australia and assesses the extent to which Indigenous business structures have enabled Indigenous Australians to operate their businesses in a manner commensurate with their culture and traditions

Late Pleistocene evolution of Antelias valley (Lebanon): speleogenic approach applied on Kassarat cave system with implication of U/Th datations records.

Lebanon landscape is characterized by tow karstic mountain chains with a variety of surface karstic forms as well as endokarstic network systems. A research project on Lebanon's karst geomorphology was conducted recently by EDYTEM laboratory CNRS-UMR 5204, France and Saint-Joseph University of Beirut and aims at reconstituting: i) speleogenic evolution based on geomorphologic indicators, ii) karstogenesis evolution related with the downcutting of the Mediterranean hydrographic network (Antelias river), iii) palaeogeographical stages of these valleys

Submission to the Commonwealth Treasury: Review of Sanctions in Corporate Law: Consultation Paper

This submission addresses the release of the Commonwealth Treasury’s consultation paper on the Review of Sanctions in Corporate (March 2007). The University of Western Sydney (UWS) has a corporate law academic group within the School of Law, who wish to provide an informed debate on these critical issues. Some of the suggestions that have been provided in this submission are of a policy nature and observe under which circumstances the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) uses the different penalties available to it within the corporations’ law domain. The consultation paper, Review of Sanctions in Corporate Law, reviews the criminal, civil and administrative sanctions present under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001 (Cth). It additionally looks at the defences that may be available for directors in case of breaches of directors’ duties and it considers certain changes to the provisions of market manipulation in the Corporations Act. The observation of the UWS Corporate Law Academics can be summarised in the following manner: • Introduction of administrative penalties in the instances of low level offences. • There is a need to update Schedule 3 in the Corporations Act. • The provisions in relation to civil penalties need to be clarified in certain instances • Administrative sanctions are important and need to stay as a part of company law. • There is no need to create a new general defence. The UWS Corporate Law Academics proposes to reform the business judgement rule defence and extend it to other breaches of directors’ duties. • The market manipulation provisions require some clarification as to the definition of market manipulation but there is no need to include new elements to the definition (for instance, recklessness)

Control of cave levels in Kanaan, Kassarat and Jeita karst systems (Central Mount Lebanon, Lebanon)

International audienceMount Lebanon is a mountainous Mediterranean karst ridge, consisting of high plateaus reaching 3,088 m altitude and entrenched by deep valleys. Fluvial drainage systems run on a steep gradient and reach the Mediterranean Sea coast in less than 30 km distance. In Central Mount Lebanon, the downstream parts of Antelias and Kalb valleys host the Kanaan cave (160 m), the Kassarat cave (4.6 km) and the Jeita cave (10.05 km), whose subterranean rivers are connected to the karst springs located close to the contact between the Cretaceous aquidude and the Jurassic karst aquifer. The area thus comprises a dammed Jurassic aquifer in which all the studied cave levels developed at certain altitudes. A geomorphological study performed by speleological and geomorphological surveys and completed by analyses of cave sediments allowed the formulation of a first evolutionary framework of the karst system. Several features suggest a long-term and multi-stage evolution of the karst in both Antelias and Kalb valleys. The horizontal caves develop between 60 and 160 m a.s.l. and constitute water table caves in a steeply dipping structure (Mount Lebanon's western fold). These cave levels are part of an ancient system that developed near the water table controlled by the position of the aquiclude and correspond to the base level of a past fluvial network. An important phase of base level cave development is documented in the relict passages above 90 m a.s.l. Speleogenetic features between 90 and 160 m developed in a phreatic environment where paragenesis or "per ascensum erosion" processes occurred during base level rise. Epiphreatic features were identified at 60-70 m in Kassarat and Jeita caves. Typical morphological features such as horizontal solution passages and solution notches suggest a phase of stillstand of the base-level. The evolution of the water table level from a paragenetic rise above 90 m to a continuous lowering below 90 m and with a temporary stillstand phase at 70-60 m, is related to the fluvial base-level evolution. Preliminar chronological constraints for the evolution of the karst system are discussed based on U/Th dating of speleothems and cave levels (90-160 and 60-70 m) and their relationship with the altitude of the low-gradient surfaces. The cave levels between 90 and 160 m are related to a water table rise that caused an alluviation process at the river's mouth probably during the Pliocene transgression phase of the Mediterranean Sea (PHS). Abandoning of the upper cave levels (90-160 and 60-70 m) is the result of a continuous lowering of the water table related to fluvial incision. The lowering of the water table level below 90 m is mainly related to the fluvial incision of the acquiclude in a high geodynamic context (Mount Lebanon uplift) during the Pleistocene