bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Integracja-marginalizacja-kryminalizacja, czyli o przestępczości cudzoziemców w Polsce
Authors: Witold Klaus
Published: July 2024

21st century is said to be the century of migration. Owing to the newest technologies people migrate easier and quicker. They also decide to change their place of residence more often – now not only within their countries but also outside it. Greater European integration and resulting increased facility in travelling within the EU facilitate this process. Yet, the most important cause of migration is the drive to improve living conditions. This is the main reason why foreigners from across the globe come to Europe – better life for them and their families. At present in the old EU countries migrants already constitute ten percent of society or even considerably more (according to UN data 14.1% in Spain, 13.1% in Germany, 10.7% in France, 10.4% in the UK), while in Poland this percentage is only 2.2% (although according to more credible OECD data, in 2008 it was as little as 0.2%). The number of foreigners legally residing in Poland permanently in 2009 was 92,500 (Office for Foreigners data), and the number of foreigners legally working in the country was almost 175,000 (Ministry of Labour and Social Policy data). One should also take into account a considerable number of foreigners residing in Poland illegally, estimated by researchers to be between 50 and 450 thousand. Moreover, the Border Guard data show an increase in the number of visitors to Poland – in 2009 7,2 million foreigners crossed Polish borders (which is a 5% increase compared to 2008). However, there are also threats related to migrations and they are of interest to sociologists and criminologists. Foreigners often remain on the margin of society and, as it happens in all marginalised social groups, some of them can turn to crime. Criminal activity of foreigners can be diverse, majority of it being common crimes committed against other foreigners. Organised crime crossing national borders is also a problem, particularly its most dangerous variety, human trafficking. Migrations involve also a clash of cultures which can lead to many previously unknown crimes (like e.g. honour murders, juvenile marriages, or reappearance of vendetta murders). Foreigners as “aliens” in the society often evoke fears, one of them being fear of serious crime – 2008 opinion poll by CBOS indicated that over 90% of Poles are afraid of such treat from foreigners. Yet fear of immigrants has much more in common with unrest and social instability brought by immigrant to the lives of residents than with actual risk of crime. It is worth to recall that one of first criminological studies carried out already in 1920s by Clifford Shaw indicated that crime is related to environment people live in, not to their race or nationality. Looking at the statistics, one may have an impression that [in Poland] there is no problem with foreign delinquency. Suspected foreigners in the peak moment in 2001 constituted 1.3% of all offenders and in 2008 only 0.41%.
Środek karny zakazu wstępu na imprezę masową w systemie prawa karnego
Authors: Mirosława Melezini  , Andrzej Sakowicz
Published: July 2024

The publication discusses the nature, premises, and methods of sentencing a penal measure consisting in prohibition of entry to mass events. The first part shows legal solutions accepted in the European Convention on Spectator Violence and Misbehaviour at Sports Events and in particular at Football Matches accepted on 19 August 1985 by Council of Europe. It is recognised at one of the most important international documents providing for the fight with stadium hooliganism. Although the Convention’s aim is to prevent and control incidents by football spectators, provisions of the Convention apply also to other disciplines which might posit the risk of acts of violence and incidents by spectators (article 1 paragraph 12 of the Convention). Subsequently, there follows an analysis of legal solutions accepted in the current Act of 20 march 2009 on Mass Events Safety and the former Act of 22 January 1997 on Mass Events Safety. In particular, the focus was placed on the evolution of the prohibition of entry to a mass event and the definition of a legal mass event which at present is no longer based on the number of participants predicted by the organiser but on the number of places made available by the organiser. It is a result of common malpractice practice of organisers who used to omit the requirements by declaring less people than were actually expected. 2. Second part of the publication presents statistical data concerning contraventions related to mass sport events between 1999 and 2009 in Poland. The data show that there is a decreasing tendency in mass contraventions and hooligan incidents. At the same time, the data bring the conclusion that most hooligan incidents were committed during mass events. This may prove that objects where such events are organised are still ill-equipped but also that the organisers fail to observe their duties, imposed on them by the Act on Mass Events Safety. This part of publication also drafts a profile of the perpetrators of hooligan events. The study shows they are unmarried males between 15 and 25 with primary or secondary education and without a previous criminal record. 3. Part three of the publication is an analysis of normative solutions of the penal measure consisting in prohibition of entry to mass events. It includes provisions of Criminal Code, Petty Offences Code and Act of 20 march 2009 on Mass Events Safety. The analysis brings a conclusion that introduction of mass entry event ban served the purpose of increasing the safety of mass events and excluding persons who posit a risk to said safety. Thus, introduction of such legal solution to Polish law should be undisputable. Doubts can be raised only if particular solutions are examined, for instance the interpretation of “personal appearance” in a police station during a mass event.
Wątpliwości i kontrowersje wokół definicji handlu ludźmi
Authors: Olga Sitarz
Published: July 2024

The publication discusses introduction of new solutions pertaining to human trafficking to Polish legal system, namely the very definition of the phenomenon in the act of law. The article is divided into 6 parts. In part one, the author indicates the reasons why the law in this area needs to be changed and enumerates the duties imposed on the legislator. Since human trafficking is a very complex criminological phenomenon, part three discusses the problem of the criminological definition of human trafficking. The legislator, creating penal provisions for such deeds must naturally take the phenomenology of human trafficking into account, at the same time bearing in mind that the provisions at this stage of using them will be subject to interpretation. This interpretation, as criminal law is repressive in nature, has its own rules. Hence part four is devoted to selected issues of interpretation in criminal law but only from the point of view of the analysed changes in law. The penultimate part includes discussion of the role and meaning of legal definitions in criminal law, also in the light of international obligations of the Republic of Poland. The final part contains a critical analysis of the definition of human trafficking.
O tzw. "ciemnej liczbie" przestępstw podatkowych
Authors: Leszek Wilk
Published: July 2024

The subject of the study is a research of non-disclosed tax crime, in criminology known as the ''dark number''. Among the factors influenting its extent, we can enumerate: tax institutions' efficiency, citizens' attitudes towards this category of crimes (especially their willingness to inform about tax crimes) and the tax system itself with its rules. Approximate image of the size of non-disclosed tax crime we can obtain within frames of research on the so-called ''informal commercial sector''. Within the ''informal sector'' we can also (but not only) classify all sorts of behaviour connected with avoiding tax payment. Among the research methods we can enumerate: direct methods (concentrating on specific taxpayers) and indirect methods (analysis of macro- economic data). The image of non-disclosed tax crime makes easier estimating the size of the so-called ''tax gap'' (tax revenue non-obtained by the state). Research on the extent of the ''informal sector'' and ''tax gap'' reflect only social and economic importance of tax crime but do not give basis to a more close description of the ''dark number'' of tax crime (in the meaning used in criminology- as a relation- for example 1:9 or as a percentage- for example 80%). Only a comparison of a scale of tax reductions and their structure with reference to the categories of tax offences with the range of general ''tax gap'' can let us estimate the ''dark number'' of tax crime, resulting with the ''tax gap''.
Wyniki badań terenowych nad zjawiskiem prostytucji w Polsce
Authors: Barbara Błońska
Published: July 2024

In the article I would like to present the results of field studies in which I attempted to analyse the phenomenon of prostitution in contemporary Poland. The main task was to localise the phenomenon within the social structure of big urban agglomerations (particularly Krakow and Warsaw) and to investigate how prostitutes function in the society. Partial research problems described in the article were as follows: 1. To find out what prostitutes define as the worst part and the greatest drawback of their profession, how they manage these negative aspects, and who can possibly help them. It was also important to locate possible threats and the ways to eliminate or reduce them. 2. Another issue was the plane of contact with the generally understood state, from the system solutions concerning prostitution (including the answer to the question whether prostitution should be a legal profession) to everyday contact with various state institutions. It was vital if the state institutions responded to prostitutes’ expectations and to what extent, as well what their expectations towards such institutions are and how public assistance for this group should look like. 3. The picture which started to emerge after first interviews left no illusions. The presence of state institutions in prostitutes’ lives is minimal, the state institutions serve mainly to control, not to protect or assist. In a sense, this social group is an abandoned one, owing to abolitionism policy the state has withdrawn from any actions in this sphere. In case of prostitutes, who function under constant threat, the official state organs do not even perform the role provided by the most extreme liberal conceptions, that is even the role of a “watchman” who guards merely physical security. This is why it was so important to investigate who performs this role in the stead of the state, if their actions are effective, in which place of social structure prostitutes obtain actual protection, and, additionally, support and assistance. 4. As a result, a significant part of the study has been devoted to an analysis of social environment in which prostitutes function: with whom they have most frequent contacts, to whom they turn for help, and how they define their place in the society themselves. As a consequence, this subject of field studies – the social environment of prostitution – appeared to be an important and independent research issue. Particularly interesting issues included questions how everyday life of prostitutes looks like, how much their profession interferes with their usual social relations, how their relations with the closest people and families look like, and if they are able to maintain social relations outside their professional group. How the respondents manage their incomes and if they are able to carry out their financial plans seemed a good sign of effective everyday functioning.
Przestępczość w Polsce do roku 2020. Wyniki alternatywnych scenariuszy instytucjonalnych i środowiskowych uwarunkowań przestępczości
Authors: Waldemar Florczak
Published: July 2024

This article presents assumptions and results – along with their exhaustive discussion – of a middle-term crime forecast and its institutional and environmental crime conditioning obtained with a simulation version of WF-CRIME model for Poland for 2012-2020 Moreover, the article presents assumptions and results of two simulation scenario groups which assume realistic changes in current penal policy and environmental conditioning of crime. As for penal policy two cases were analysed: an increase of law enforcement sector (“tightening” scenario) and its decrease (“loosening” scenario) in comparison with the base solution (forecast). In the context of environmental conditioning of crime also two scenarios were drafted – “acceleration” and “deceleration” – in which activity of economic environment is a broadly understood delimitation meta-factor. All analysed scenarios are characterised by realistic assumptions and thus the results should not be considered only in the terms of purely academic discourse of experiment. Presentation of analyses results was preceded by a brief discussion of data sources, applied methodology and the structure of relations between crime and all links of law enforcement system which create simulation system of WF-CRIME model. Appendices enable the reader an independent evaluation of credibility of used data and to track the structure of relations of the system. Based on the performed analysed one can draw a number of conclusions of general nature. First, the possibilities of crime destimulation with the use of institutional measures are very limited. Decrease in general number of crimes in following penal policy toughening is not impressive. Disproportional increase in funds for certain links of the law enforcement system gives a certain chance to increase effectiveness of the whole system: greatest in funding of the judiciary, secondly for public safety. In the light of multiplier and scenario analyses outcomes, directing additional funds to penitentiary system is ineffective, unless its aim is to increase the number of places in existing prisons. Second, environmental factors – external from the point of view of law enforcement system but (at least a part of them) in the set of decisive / quasi-decisive variables from macroeco-nomic point of view - influence crime to a much greater degree than institutional measures. Among these factors, the key role falls to average real salary and economic disparity. Quick economic increase which does not happen at the cost of increase of socioeconomic disparity seems the concise formula for long-term effective crime control. To use metaphor from medi-cine, shaping an anti-criminogenic environment is a treatment of the source, not a treatment of symptoms – the latter can be applied to acting on crime by institutional measures.
Fałszerstwa pieniędzy (banknotów i bilonu) oraz czeków i książeczek oszczędnościowych w Polsce w latach 1918-1939
Authors: Bolesław Sprengel
Published: July 2024

In interwar Poland (between 1918-39) banknotes, coins, saving books, and checks were counterfeited. Coins and banknotes were poor protected, some people have rarely dealt with them, and thereby mostly coins and banknotes were falsified. Foreign countries’ banknotes such as for example US dollars were also falsified. Forgery was done by organized crime groups with their own network of distributors who introduced forgeries into circulation. Skilful craftsmen and even manual workers moonlighted with forgery of coins and banknotes. Quick forgery of newly issued money proves the efficiency of the forgers. In addition to the methods used for centuries they invented also new ones. They showed a great invention in gaining similar or even the original paper to falsify money. Graphic designers, printers, lithographers and artists were employed in the production process. After their activities were exposed, they moved to other part of the country to continue their procedure there. The research shows that distributors where the ones most frequently caught by police. Forgers were seldom given away by the distributors who sometimes even did not each other as the criminal network consisted of several middlemen acting in conspiracy. As more and more people learned to recognize Polish money and the economic situation improved, the scale of counterfeiting of money slightly decreased. This tendency is especially visible in the last years of the Second Polish Republic, although the difficulty of verifying statistical data that show different trends in different sources should make one cautious about their credibility. Based on media reports it must be assumed with high probability that the largest size of this phenomenon took place in the early years of the Second Republic. The available data indicate different frequency of appearance of falsified money in the circulation. Most of it was probably not in Warsaw or other big cities but where people very poorely rec-ognized Polish coins and banknotes. Reports of forgeries from such areas are not most numerous. Regulation on the procedure for taking, sharing and retention of falsified currency and its implementing rules, issued in 1927 by the President of the Republic should be considered as belated. The fight against counterfeiting of money was one of the main tasks of the International Commission of the Criminal Police of which the Polish National Police was an active member. It also cooperated in this area with police forces from other European countries and even with the U.S. Federal Service of Investigation (FBI). In order to make the prosecution of money falsification more effective there was a special office and file of falsifiers and falsified money organized and maintained by the Police Headquarters. The instruments to motivate the police to prosecute counterfeiters were also introduced. Criminalist studies played an important role in the process of detection.
Kulturowa przemoc ze względu na płeć. Przypadek zabójstw na tle honoru
Authors: Agnieszka Gutkowska
Published: July 2024

Crimes related to the offender's cultural background are exceptional, and require special attention in many ways. Firstly, they come as far more shocking than the “typical” offences in a given society, due to their peculiar and infrequent nature. Secondly, as they are so much specific, they pose a serious challenge for law enforcement bodies, and it may seem that they are a significant problem for courts, who must face foreign and often culturally obscure situations and behaviour. This is also an important challenge for researchers, who try their best to define and, most of all, understand the mechanisms leading to such type of crime. The article discusses the specificity of honour killing, characterises the perpetrators and victims, and clarifies the motivational process of perpetrators, who often find themselves entangled in obligations enforced by cultural norms in a degree comparable to what their victims experience. The paper is also an attempt at analysis of the thesis widely found in the literature claiming that abuse towards women (irrespective of their cultural background and creed) stems from the patriarchal social structure, and should not be associated with any particular cultural system . The article claims that in order to properly analyse honour killing cases and create a possibly most effective system of preventing and countering the phenomenon, the expressions and sources of violence against women in different cultures must be precisely and unequivocally defined, and so must be the perpetrators' motivation. This clear division is necessary at the terminological level, to start with. This is why the article introduces the notion of “culture specific gender based violence”. Gender based violence itself is too broad a term to define such polarised cases as economic abuse of a wife by a husband, battering, or even marital rape and honour killing. Classifying honour killings as gender-based violence only, without precise identification of the sources behind such violence, is a dangerous practice, as - in consequence - opinions emerge equalising infringement of women's rights in the western world with those experienced in honour-based cultures or Muslim societies . The claim that women suffer the same violence regardless of culture or creed is not true. There is a dramatic difference between Christian background cultures, which nurture basic human rights, and honour cultures or Muslim communities, in the manner they treat women, and in the extent of socially accepted repression if they infringe the norms. What is even more, without changing the cultural rules or interpretation of religious rules, the position of women who are facing honour killings cannot improve. This is due to the fact that it is the culture and religion, or to be more precise, some elements of those, or instrumental use of those, that are at the source of this type of violence.
Kobietobójstwo - kryminologiczna charakterystyka zjawiska
Authors: Magdalena Grzyb
Published: July 2024

The Polish word for “femicide”, kobietobójstwo, is a composite of two concepts and words, viz. the English word femicide and feminicidio, a term used in the Spanish-speaking world. Femicide was initially a gender-neutral term and essentially referred to the killing of any woman regardless of circumstances, i.e. it did not need to be related to the social and cultural gender role of women or be driven by misogyny or contempt for the female condition. There is an ongoing debate as to whether the term “femicide” denotes any instance of a woman being killed or whether it should be limited to cases where the perpetrator is a man and/or where being a woman is a contributing factor. As the term “femicide” was introduced into academic discourse by feminists in the 20th century, it would seem obvious that the connection between a woman’s death and her sex and status is a fundamental component of the concept of femicide in a given community. Feminists proposed the term as an alternative to the neutral “homicide”, so as to emphasize the hateful and/or misogynistic nature of certain killings of women. Femicide was meant to be an example of a hate crime. Structural inequality and the inferior social standing of women are salient factors in any analysis of the cultural phenomena and practices that can be classified as femicidal. Femicide is not so much a separate manifestation of gender-related violence as an extreme one. It is a reproductive mechanism of the oppression of women and takes the form of various practices. As with all violence against women, femicide is deeply rooted in the historically unequal relations between the sexes and the systematic discrimination against women. Femicide should therefore be defined as the killing of women because they are women, but not necessarily by men. This definition is close to the views that Rashida Manjoo, the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, expressed in her report of May 2012. Manjoo enumerates femicidal practices that she refers to as “gender-related killings of women.” The list includes both intentional (direct) killings of women committed by specific perpetrators and practices that indirectly cause women to die because they are women. These practices stem from the unequal relations between men and women and the oppression of women. Femicide, then, denotes both murder and manslaughter. It could be said that in international and feminist discourse, femicide is regarded as a set of cultural practices with a common denominator around the world, viz. they all cause women to die because they are women. These practices are not limited to voluntary and involuntary killings of women, but include practices that often cause women to die because of their social and cultural conditions.
Problematyka rozmieszczania skazanych w świetle kulturowych aspektów obecności cudzoziemców w polskich zakładach karnych
Authors: Agnieszka Gutkowska  , Michał Fajst
Published: July 2024

The cultural diversity of people serving custodial sentences in Poland is an issue that requires intensive research and analysis. In theory, the number of foreigners in Polish prisons might not seem great enough to warrant the interest of either researchers or practitioners. There are said to be around 500 such people (in custody and provisional detention) annually in a population of approx. 80,000. It has to be borne in mind, however, that the presence of people with a completely alien, and therefore often incomprehensible, cultural code in such a closed environment as a penal institution poses a great challenge, despite their small numbers. This article discusses the results of research conducted on foreigners in selected Polish penal institutions in 2014. The methodology involved analysing case files and conducting in-depth interviews with Prison Service officials and employees as well as the foreign prisoners themselves. These examinations attempted to determine, inter alia, the extent to which the cultural differences that incarcerated foreigners bring with them affect the status of foreigners serving custodial sentences and the way penal institutions function, and how well adapted the Polish prison system is to dealing with people from other cultures. One of the aspects discussed is the issue of accommodating foreigners given custodial sentences. This is analysed from the standpoint of possible cultural differences. According to the current legislation, foreigners are subject to the same rules as Polish prisoners when serving their sentences. The officials who were interviewed stressed that the rules for accommodating foreigners in detention centres and penal institutions are no different from those that apply to Poles – and nor should they be. As the interview progressed, however, these same officials would give examples of situations where the cultural differences of incarcerated foreigners affected e.g. the way they were accommodated in their cells and certain additional difficulties they had in adapting and relating to the prison subculture. Therefore, in practice, despite the lack of regulations and/or recommendations from above, these officials are forced to respond to the additional challenges resulting from the fact that foreigners do not speak Polish and exhibit behavioural patterns that differ to a greater or lesser extent from the norm. The experience and “penitentiary intuition” of the official actually turned out to be the only guide in these situations. The attitude of the foreign inmates themselves is no less important for the proper functioning of a penal institution. The examination shows that most of them are not looking for extra hassles but are trying to serve their sentences with as little trouble as possible. In view of the above, it would seem legitimate to argue that the main reason for there not being greater problems with foreigners in Polish prisons is that there are so few of them.
Wykorzystywanie seksualne małoletniego pokrzywdzonego w rodzinie - wybrane zagadnienia kryminologiczne i penitencjarne
Authors: Małgorzata Szwejkowska  , Dariusz Załuski
Published: July 2024

Incest is a perennial moral taboo. The word usually denotes sexual relations between close family members, and less frequently, in-laws and adoptees. Prohibitions on engaging in these types of sexual relations can be found in every society. The family members prohibited by the criminal law from engaging in sexual relations with each other might have changed and narrowed over the centuries, but this type of deed remains proscribed by most criminal law systems. It is usually noted, however, that the small number of convictions recorded for this type of crime every year is a sign that a clear majority of perpetrators of incest and similar acts go unpunished. Where the legal provisions concerning incest fall short is in their practical ineffectiveness when it comes to preventing victimisation. A general psychological profile of this type of offender has yet to be created, as has a broader profile of the paedophile. This might be difficult because the nature of what causes sexual preference disorders (e.g. paedophilia, sadism and fetishism) has yet to be determined. The results presented in this paper are intended to reveal the character traits that distinguish offenders who incestuously exploit minors and who have been diagnosed as paraphiliacs. The average age of the offenders surveyed was 43 years. This finding accords with results of the studies presented in the international literature, viz. that people convicted of incest and other sexual offences against minors living with them in the same household are older than rapists and paedophiles whose victims do not live with them in the same household. The survey group was dominated by people with primary (including 5 who had completed “special schools” at primary level) or vocational education (most common among those convicted). A mere 7 people who could produce a diploma to prove they had finished secondary school were recorded and most of these qualifications were vocational. No one in the group had higher education. Their level of education was found to match their current occupations, i.e. trades or manual labour that did not require any special qualifications, and to bear out the fact that most of them were of average IQ. Everyone in the group had been diagnosed with one or more sexual preference disorders and for this reason they were all completing remedial programs while serving prison terms. This category of convicts was dominated by people diagnosed as repeat heterosexual paedophiles. It is also worth noting that many in the group had been diagnosed with other psychiatric disorders – especially alcohol dependence syndrome – in addition to sexual preference disorders. The victims were overwhelmingly female (59 or 85.5% of the total). Thirty six of these girls had been sexually exploited by their biological fathers. The sex of the victim would therefore appear to be of crucial importance in terms of threats from friends and relatives living in the same environment.
Związki zielonej kryminologii z kryminologią tradycyjną
Authors: Edyta Drzazga
Published: July 2024

Zielona kryminologia, mimo że od początku funkcjonuje pod szyldem nurtu krytycznego w obrębie kryminologii, powoli zaczyna mieć coraz więcej wspólnego z kryminologią tradycyjną. Przedmiotem artykułu są wzajemne powiązania tego nowego kierunku z tradycyjnymi rozważaniami na temat przestępczości. Zielona kryminologia zdaje się mieć wiele do zaoferowania kryminologii tradycyjnej, wzbogacając ją o perspektywy, które dotychczas były niezauważane lub pomijane. Z kolei dorobek tradycyjnej kryminologii dostarcza użytecznych rozwiązań i koncepcji umożliwiających rozwój zielonej kryminologii.
Theoretical and empirical approaches towards a better understanding of corporate crime in Hungary
Authors: Éva Inzelt
Published: July 2024

The purpose of this study is to collect the relevant data and to formulate the theoretical background of corporate crime from a Central-Eastern European perspective. One of the main goals of the study is to explore and elucidate the complex interrelationships between corporate crime and the Hungarian market economy’s functioning. The different approaches for defining white-collar and corporate crime are summarised. An overview of the theoretical background of such crime is given. The general economic situation in Hungary is discussed, along with various available data, in order to examine the extent of corporate crime in Hungary. A detailed guideline for the empirical study of these crimes is also presented.
Znacznie doświadczenia pobytu w więzieniu dla dynamiki karier przestępczych recydywistów. Perspektywa interakcyjna
Authors: Renata Szczepanik
Published: July 2024

Punktem wyjścia dla rozważań zaprezentowanych w artykule jest stwierdzenie, że kara pozbawienia wolności i pobyt w więzieniu stanowi ważny element kariery przestępczej. Pobyt w więzieniu potraktowany zostało dwojako: po pierwsze – jako czas służący rozwojowi kariery, a po drugie – jako warunek sprzyjający jej zahamowaniu poprzez podejmowanie działań przez skazanego na rzecz zerwania z przestępczym stylem życia. Rozważania podjęte w artykule zmierzają do uzyskania odpowiedzi na pytania: jakie znaczenie dla dynamiki kariery przestępczej (na różnych jej etapach) ma doświadczenie pobytu w więzieniu dla recydywistów? Jakie funkcje pełni pobyt w więzieniu dla „początkujących” karierowiczów, a jakie dla tych, którzy mają doświadczenie wielu pobytów i lat spędzonych w zakładach karnych? Podstawowy materiał empiryczny stanowiły zapisy wywiadów autobiograficznych. Dodatkowe dane pochodziły z analizy dokumentów i wywiadów swobodnych ze skazanymi oraz personelem. Sięgnięcie po metodologię teorii ugruntowanej umożliwiło poznanie wykraczające poza indywidualne biografie jednostek.
Przestępczość nieletnich w myśl ogólnej teorii napięcia Roberta Agnew
Authors: Marcin Jurczyk
Published: July 2024

Przedmiotem tekstu uczyniono przedstawienie teoretycznego kontekstu ogólnej teorii napięcia autorstwa Roberta Agnew, wyjaśniającej przestępczość młodzieży w kategoriach relacji społecznych polegających na negatywnych stosunkach jednostki z innymi. Odniesiono się do prezentacji teorii będących inspiracją do rozwoju tej teorii, m.in. teorii anomii R.K. Mertona, teorii podkultur dewiacyjnych A. Cohena, teorii zróżnicowanych możliwości R. Clowarda i L. Ohlina oraz instytucjonalnej teorii anomii S. Messnera i R. Rosenfelda. Zaprezentowano zagadnienia dotyczące typów napięć, jakich doznaje jednostka w relacji z innymi osobami, strategii adaptacji do przeżywanego napięcia, możliwości ich przewidywania oraz roli relatywnej deprywacji w rozwoju subiektywnie odczuwanego napięcia wśród młodzieży popełniającej czyny karalne. Dalsze rozważania poświęcono prezentacji wyników badań zagranicznych i polskich wykorzystujących twierdzenia teorii napięcia w wyjaśnianiu przestępczości młodzieży.
Crime and criminality in the Republic of North Macedonia. A general overview of the period 1991–2018: Przestępczość w Republice Macedonii Północnej w latach 1991–2018
Authors: Oliver Bacanovic  , Angelina Stanojoska
Published: July 2024

Yugoslavia’s disintegration in the 1990s resulted in the differentiation of five different countries, meaning the building of five different criminal legal systems with many similarities at that time, but also with differences in the years to come. The Republic of North Macedonia brought its first Criminal Code in 1996, decriminalising some of the previous crimes connected to socialist system norms, and criminalising activities characteristic of capitalist social systems. From its basic draft, the Criminal Code had been changed twenty-eight times by 2018 in accordance with crime changes and flows, and societal changes. Using crime statistics published by the Republic of North Macedonia’s State Statistical Office in an annual publication, ‘Perpetrators of Crimes’, this paper’s goal will be to present the trends in crime volume and dynamics, the changes in the breakdown of crimes as result of decriminalisation and criminalisation, and the possible future challenges and changes, as well as the trends and changes to the state’s criminal policy, the frequent use of imprisonment as a sanction, and the very rare use of alternative measures apart from probation. The authors will use the comparative method, basic statistics, and content analysis in the general overview of crime volume and dynamics, crime structure, and structural changes. Such an analysis can help in tackling the most important chronological points during the period in question and connect them with political, social, security, and economic challenges for the country.
Epilogue: Epilog
Authors: John Winterdyk  , Marcel Van der Watt
Published: July 2024

The Epilogue begins by describing the ambiguity of the meaning of human trafficking (HT) before offering a review of the 4P's that represent the primary responses to combatting HT. A brief reference is then made to a 'new' P - participation – and how it can play an essential role in fighting HT. The article then notes that there remains a dearth of research on forced labour trafficking despite its rich history. A summary of the articles is presented with an emphasis on identifying existing gaps in our knowledge and research. The Epilogue concludes with several vital suggestions for future efforts to combat forced labour trafficking.
Three-Dimensional–Printed Patient-Specific Total Cuboid Replacement for Treatment of Post-traumatic Arthritis: A Case Report
Authors: Leatham Paul R. , Highlander Peter D.
Published: July 2024

Cuboid injuries, including fractures, are rare and infrequently occur in isolation. Often, cuboid injuries can be treated nonoperatively. However, when surgery is indicated, appropriate management is necessary for maintaining the associated biomechanics of the midfoot. Current procedures for surgical management of the cuboid include open reduction and internal fixation, application of external fixation, or primary arthrodesis of the calcaneocuboid joint. Secondary procedures for symptomatic or poor outcomes of nonoperative and operative cuboid injuries consist of corrective osteotomy, bone resection, and interpositional arthroplasty. We present a novel surgical technique using a patient-specific three-dimensional–printed total cuboid replacement. This is an alternative treatment for post-traumatic arthritis of the cuboid along with a shortened lateral column. A single case example is given as well as details and discussion of the surgical technique.
Dermatofibromas on the Foot and Ankle: A Clinicopathologic Characterization of 31 Cases
Authors: Hao Xingpei , Freedman David , Yim Joon , Le Michelle , Baglio Robert , Levine David , Saffo Gina , Parthasarathy Priya , Mirkin Gene
Published: July 2024

Background: Dermatofibroma (DF) is a common benign soft-tissue tumor. It occurs anywhere on the body but is commonly seen on the upper and lower extremities. It is frequently found in young to middle-aged adults and predominantly in females.

Methods: Thirty-one patients with DF on the foot and ankle diagnosed and treated during a 6-year period were characterized.

Results: The patients (16 males, 15 females) were aged 7 to 75 years (average, 55 years). Clinically, 17 patients noted painful symptoms, and 14 were painless. Grossly, DF manifested as a raised red, pink, tan, or skin-colored soft mass. The tumor size ranged from 0.3 to 1.5 cm (average, 0.67 cm in diameter). Twenty-six DFs (84%) were localized on the dorsal surface of the foot and ankle, and five (16%) were found on the plantar aspect. Eighteen patients were treated by surgical excision of the tumor (>0.5 cm), and 13 patients had observational follow-up after punch biopsy due to the small size (≤0.5 cm) and benign nature of these lesions. Further follow-up found that only one patient (3.2%) had a local recurrence, 37 months after surgical excision, which was completely reexcised. Histologically, DF is characterized by proliferation of spindle fibroblasts and histiocytes, in a vague fascicular pattern, and thickened collagen bundles.

Conclusions: Dermatofibroma on the foot and ankle predominantly occurs in patients in their 50s, without a preponderance by sex. It needs to be differentiated from other benign and malignant tumors with histologic analysis and immunostaining with factor XIIIa, CD68, and other biomarkers. Treatment options include either surgical excision or observational follow-up after biopsy, depending on the clinical characteristics and effect on functional activity.
Microwave Energy for the Treatment of Painful Intractable Plantar Keratosis: A Retrospective Medical Record Review of Nine Patients
Authors: Bristow Ivan R. , Lilker Raphael
Published: July 2024

Background: Plantar keratoma are common hyperkeratinized, deep-seated lesions, often located on weightbearing areas of the foot. Such lesions are frequently associated with pain and disability. Intractable plantar keratomata (IPK) are highly recurrent and, in most patients, require regular, palliative treatment visits with a significant impact on patient time, cost, and quality of life.

Methods: We undertook a retrospective chart review of 9 patients (with a total of 21 lesions) who underwent a minimum of two treatments using microwave therapy to their IPK. Pain levels were assessed at each of their treatments using a 10-point scale and patients were invited for review for follow-up in the following year. A total of seven patients undertook four treatments and were included in the final analysis.

Results: Mean baseline pain scores significantly dropped with each subsequent treatment, equating to a 90.4% mean reduction in pain between the first and fourth visits, with 71.4% of patients reporting a zero-pain rating at their final treatment visit.

Conclusions: The use of microwave therapy has been shown to be effective in producing significant and prolonged pain reduction in a cohort of patients with painful IPK.
Structure of the human heparan-α-glucosaminide N-acetyltransferase (HGSNAT)
Authors: Navratna Vikas , Kumar Arvind , Rana Jaimin K , Mosalaganti Shyamal
Published: July 2024

Degradation of heparan sulfate (HS), a glycosaminoglycan (GAG) comprised of repeating units of
N
-acetylglucosamine and glucuronic acid, begins in the cytosol and is completed in the lysosomes. Acetylation of the terminal non-reducing amino group of α-D-glucosamine of HS is essential for its complete breakdown into monosaccharides and free sulfate. Heparan-α-glucosaminide
N
-acetyltransferase (HGSNAT), a resident of the lysosomal membrane, catalyzes this essential acetylation reaction by accepting and transferring the acetyl group from cytosolic acetyl-CoA to terminal α-D-glucosamine of HS in the lysosomal lumen. Mutation-induced dysfunction in HGSNAT causes abnormal accumulation of HS within the lysosomes and leads to an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative lysosomal storage disorder called mucopolysaccharidosis IIIC (MPS IIIC). There are no approved drugs or treatment strategies to cure or manage the symptoms of, MPS IIIC. Here, we use cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to determine a high-resolution structure of the HGSNAT-acetyl-CoA complex, the first step in HGSNAT catalyzed acetyltransferase reaction. In addition, we map the known MPS IIIC mutations onto the structure and elucidate the molecular basis for mutation-induced HGSNAT dysfunction.
Specific Sensitivity to Rare and Extreme Events: Quasi-Complete Black Swan Avoidance vs Partial Jackpot Seeking in Rat Decision-Making
Authors: Degoulet Mickaël , Willem Louis-Matis , Baunez Christelle , Luchini Stéphane , Pintus Patrick A
Published: July 2024

Most studies assessing animal decision-making under risk rely on probabilities that are typically larger than 10%. To study Decision-Making in uncertain conditions, we explore a novel experimental and modelling approach that aims at measuring the extent to which rats are sensitive - and how they respond - to outcomes that are both rare (probabilities smaller than 1%) and extreme in their consequences (deviations larger than 10 times the standard error). In a four-armed bandit task, stochastic gains (sugar pellets) and losses (time-out punishments) are such that extremely large - but rare - outcomes materialize or not depending on the chosen options. All rats feature both limited diversification, mixing two options out of four, and sensitivity to rare and extreme outcomes despite their infrequent occurrence, by combining options with avoidance of extreme losses (Black Swans) and exposure to extreme gains (Jackpots). Notably, this sensitivity turns out to be one-sided for the main phenotype in our sample: it features a quasi-complete avoidance of Black Swans, so as to escape extreme losses almost completely, which contrasts with an exposure to Jackpots that is partial only. The flip side of observed choices is that they entail smaller gains and larger losses in the frequent domain compared to alternatives. We have introduced sensitivity to Black Swans and Jackpots in a new class of augmented Reinforcement Learning models and we have estimated their parameters using observed choices and outcomes for each rat. Adding such specific sensitivity results in a good fit of the selected model - and simulated behaviors that are close - to behavioral observations, whereas a standard Q-Learning model without sensitivity is rejected for almost all rats. This model reproducing the main phenotype suggests that frequent outcomes are treated separately from rare and extreme ones through different weights in Decision-Making.
Elevated DNA Damage without signs of aging in the short-sleeping Mexican Cavefish
Authors: Lloyd Evan , Xia Fanning , Moore Kinsley , Zertuche Carolina , Rastogi Aakriti , Kozol Rob , Kenzior Olga , Warren Wesley , Appelbaum Lior , Moran Rachel L , Zhao Chongbei , Duboue Erik , Rohner Nicolas , Keene Alex C
Published: July 2024

Dysregulation of sleep has widespread health consequences and represents an enormous health burden. Short-sleeping individuals are predisposed to the effects of neurodegeneration, suggesting a critical role for sleep in the maintenance of neuronal health. While the effects of sleep on cellular function are not completely understood, growing evidence has identified an association between sleep loss and DNA damage, raising the possibility that sleep facilitates efficient DNA repair. The Mexican tetra fish,
Astyanax mexicanus
provides a model to investigate the evolutionary basis for changes in sleep and the consequences of sleep loss. Multiple cave-adapted populations of these fish have evolved to sleep for substantially less time compared to surface populations of the same species without identifiable impacts on healthspan or longevity. To investigate whether the evolved sleep loss is associated with DNA damage and cellular stress, we compared the DNA Damage Response (DDR) and oxidative stress levels between
A. mexicanus
populations. We measured markers of chronic sleep loss and discovered elevated levels of the DNA damage marker γH2AX in the brain, and increased oxidative stress in the gut of cavefish, consistent with chronic sleep deprivation. Notably, we found that acute UV-induced DNA damage elicited an increase in sleep in surface fish but not in cavefish. On a transcriptional level, only the surface fish activated the photoreactivation repair pathway following UV damage. These findings suggest a reduction of the DDR in cavefish compared to surface fish that coincides with elevated DNA damage in cavefish. To examine DDR pathways at a cellular level, we created an embryonic fibroblast cell line from the two populations of
A. mexicanus
. We observed that both the DDR and DNA repair were diminished in the cavefish cells, corroborating the
in vivo
findings and suggesting that the acute response to DNA damage is lost in cavefish. To investigate the long-term impact of these changes, we compared the transcriptome in the brain and gut of aged surface fish and cavefish. Strikingly, many genes that are differentially expressed between young and old surface fish do not transcriptionally vary by age in cavefish. Taken together, these findings suggest that have developed resilience to sleep loss, despite possessing cellular hallmarks of chronic sleep deprivation.