Publications by authors named "Karen Holt"

This paper focuses on notions of "addiction" among users of online child sexual exploitation material (CSEM) through a comparative analysis of two qualitative studies. The first is a 17-month anthropological ethnography (participant observation, interviews, and focus groups) in UK group programs for CSEM users, and the second is based on interviews with individuals in sexual offense treatment units of a US prison. We thematically analyze the narratives of 103 CSEM users at different timepoints and settings from pre-trial to incarceration.

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Incels, a portmanteau of the term , operate in online communities to discuss difficulties in attaining sexual relationships. Past reports have found that multiple elements of the incel culture are misogynistic and favorable towards violence. Further, several violent incidents have been linked to this community, which suggests that incel communities may resemble other ideologically motivated extremist groups.

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Sextortion, a portmanteau of "sexual" and "extortion," is the threat to distribute intimate, sexual materials unless a victim complies with certain demands. Cyber sextortion is part of a larger continuum of image-based sexual offending in which images are used for harm. Despite the serious nature of this crime, there exists a dearth of empirical knowledge of sextortion.

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Minimal research has considered the extent to which pedophile social support forum users disclose physical relationships with minors in the course of their posts. As these forums cater to those who express sexual interests in minors, the users may be at higher risk for contact offenses and require unique treatment and supervision. To address this gap in the literature, this study utilized a quantitative analysis of the posts from 806 users from four separate pedophile support forums to identify the correlates of self-disclosed contact with minors.

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This study employs a mixed methods approach, using quantitative analysis to discuss significant patterns, and qualitative analysis to provide descriptive accounts of homicide incidents. Seven hundred and five homicides that occurred in a northeastern city between January 1999 and December 2007 are examined to answer the following research question: Do the situated transactions of firearm homicides differ from those involving other weapons? The quantitative analyses found distinct patterns in offender intent, criminogenic tendencies, and situational attributes between firearm and other weapon homicides. The qualitative analysis revealed that firearms are most often utilized in homicides that can be understood as "doing crime," where offenders and victims are engaged in a criminal lifestyle and firearms are an extension of this activity.

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Weight of evidence and biological relevance are important concepts for risk assessment and decision-making over the use of GM crops; however, their meanings are not well defined. We use problem formulation to clarify the definition of these concepts and thereby identify data that are relevant for risk assessment. Problem formulation defines criteria for the acceptability of risk and devises rigorous tests of the hypothesis that the criteria are met.

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This study sought to gain insight into the attitudes, beliefs, and values that shape bondage/discipline/sadomasochism (BDSM) activities and to explore the degree and consequences of unintended or non-negotiated harms, including physical, emotional, and sexual violence. A qualitative approach, consisting of 22 semistructured interviews and over 150 hours of observations of BDSM events and activities, was used to develop an in-depth exploration of the lived experiences of participants. Thematic analysis was employed to elucidate the ways in which participants define and in some cases experience harm.

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Zebrafish have become a popular organism for the study of vertebrate gene function. The virtually transparent embryos of this species, and the ability to accelerate genetic studies by gene knockdown or overexpression, have led to the widespread use of zebrafish in the detailed investigation of vertebrate gene function and increasingly, the study of human genetic disease. However, for effective modelling of human genetic disease it is important to understand the extent to which zebrafish genes and gene structures are related to orthologous human genes.

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The overwhelming number of male victims of clergy sexual abuse led to assumptions regarding sexual preference of clergy offenders. The present study examined 9,540 records (incidents) of alleged cleric sexual abuse in the United States between 1950 and 1999 to explore situational factors of the abuse by victim gender. No evidence was found to suggest that male victims were purposefully targeted more than female victims; rather, the abuse appeared to be more a function of opportunity.

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Chromosome deletions in the mouse have proven invaluable in the dissection of gene function. The brown deletion complex comprises >28 independent genome rearrangements, which have been used to identify several functional loci on chromosome 4 required for normal embryonic and postnatal development. We have constructed a 172-bacterial artificial chromosome contig that spans this 22-megabase (Mb) interval and have produced a contiguous, finished, and manually annotated sequence from these clones.

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Transgenic plants severely suppressed in the activity of cinnamoyl-CoA reductase were produced by introduction of a partial sense CCR transgene into tobacco. Five transgenic lines with CCR activities ranging from 2 to 48% of wild-type values were selected for further study. Some lines showed a range of aberrant phenotypes including reduced growth, and all had changes to lignin structure making the polymer more susceptible to alkali extraction.

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The agronomic and pulping performance of transgenic trees with altered lignin has been evaluated in duplicated, long-term field trials. Poplars expressing cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) or caffeate/5-hydroxy-ferulate O-methyltransferase (COMT) antisense transgenes were grown for four years at two sites, in France and England. The trees remained healthy throughout the trial.

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