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Fixing Illicit Financial Flows between Nigeria, United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates: Corruption’s Bermuda Triangle
No full textNo"Fixing Illicit Financial Flows between Nigeria, the UK, and UAE: Corruption's Bermuda Triangle" delves into one of the most pressing challenges in global finance - illicit financial flows (IFFs). This groundbreaking book examines how vast sums of Nigeria’s wealth vanish into the financial systems of the UK and UAE, depleting the country's economic resources. With a focus on real estate, banking, and professional sectors, the authors critically assess the existing laws and regulations in all three countries and explore the gaps that allow corruption and money laundering to thrive. Supported by empirical research, the book highlights the urgent need for reform in international financial practices and offers innovative solutions to curb the outflow of illicit wealth from Nigeria. A must-read for policymakers, legal scholars, and anyone interested in the intersection of law, finance, and development in Africa
Experiences of Fasting during Ramadan in British Muslims: Psychological, Social and Health Behaviour
Get PDFYesRamadan is a month-long religious festival observed by Muslims worldwide, characterised by intermittent fasting. This qualitative study addressed the need to understand how fasting is experienced by Muslims residing in Western cultures, aiming to inform policies that create a more supportive environment. Practicing Muslims, both men and women, were recruited in the North of England in the United Kingdom (UK). Data were collected by individual interviews (N=7) and focus group discussion and then analysed using Social Ecological Theory as a framework. Fasting was managed at the individual level through instrumental food choice and eating practices, and by adapting sleep routines. Disrupted sleep routines posed a challenge for those who had to adhere to Western working schedules, leading to perceived detriments to cognitive function and mood. The sense of belonging associated with Ramadan was seen as a motivating factor for fasting. Breaking the fast (Iftar) was marked by social activity and the availability of traditional fried foods. Participants identified the wider Western culture and environment as challenging for those who are fasting. These findings imply a need for policies that enable flexible working practices for Muslims during Ramadan
Rescaling Geoeconomics: The role of local illicit authority in global megaprojects
No full textYesThis article examines the influence of violent non-state actors (VNSAs) on the construction of large-scale infrastructure projects in conflict?affected territories. Recentering such territories, it challenges state?centric geoeconomic narratives, which often overlook the significant role of local illicit authorities in shaping project outcomes. The study demonstrates how geoeconomic ambitions, such as regional or global influence and energy security, depend on negotiating with local actors in contested territories. The findings reveal the blurred boundaries between domestic and international authority in these regions and suggest that megaprojects must account for multi?scalar authority dynamics. We illustrate our argument by analyzing the construction of two megadam projects: the Hidroituango dam in Colombia�s Antioquia department and the Myitsone dam in Myanmar�s Kachin State. Drawing on original evidence collected during extensive fieldwork comprising semi?structured interviews and observations in these two conflict?affected regions, we show that the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia and Myanmar�s Kachin Independence Army, respectively, exercised authority in regions where the state�s monopoly on violence was limited. These VNSAs obstructed or facilitated megaprojects based on tactics including extortion and community representation.AHRC/ESRC, ESRC DTP (Grand Union Grant ESP0006491-1923618), Minerva Research Initiative, Air Force Office of Scientific Research (FA9550-22-1-0338)The full-text of this article will be released for public view at the end of the publisher embargo, 24 months after first publication
Monitoring bone healing: Integrating RF sensing with AI
Get PDFYesThis study presents the development of an advanced machine learning model based on a two-dimensional (2D) Radio Frequency (RF) sensing framework for refined monitoring of femoral bone fractures. Utilising MATLAB simulations, we created a comprehensive dataset enhanced with variations in bone diameter, muscle thickness, fat thickness, and hematoma size, augmented with multiple sensor configurations (two, four, six, and eight sensors). The model aims to provide a frequent, non-invasive assessment of the fracture healing process compared to conventional imaging methods. Our approach leverages data from six RF sensors, achieving a high overall accuracy of 99.2% in classifying different fracture stages, including “no fracture” and varying degrees of hematoma sizes. The findings indicate that increasing the number of sensors up to six significantly enhances detection accuracy and sensitivity across all fracture stages. However, the marginal improvement from six to eight sensors was not statistically significant, suggesting that a six-sensor configuration offers an optimal balance between performance and system complexity. The results demonstrate significant potential for this technology to revolutionise orthopaedic treatment and recovery management by offering continuous, real-time monitoring without radiation exposure. The proposed system enhances personalised patient care by integrating RF sensing with artificial intelligence, enabling timely interventions and more informed, data-driven treatment strategies. This research lays a robust foundation for future advancements, including three-dimensional modelling and clinical validations, toward the practical implementation of non-invasive fracture monitoring systems.This work was supported in part by U.K. Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) under Grant EP/X039366/1; and in part by HORIZON-Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)-RISE, Marie Skłodowska-Curie, Research and Innovation Staff Exchange (RISE), titled: FractuRe Orthopaedic Rehabilitation: Ubiquitous eHealth Solution (Robust) under Grant 101086492
The Impact of Text-Based Financial Constraints on Stock Price Crash Risk: Evidence From the UK Firms
No full textYesThis paper employs a textual analysis approach to quantify financial constraints information from the narrative sections of annual reports in the UK firms. Then, the paper examines the impact of this information on the stock price crash risk in 250 firms from 2005 to 2021. The paper also analyses the moderating role of adopting the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) on the impact of text-based financial constraints on stock price crash risk. It is found that text-based financial constraints are positively associated with stock crash risk measures. It is also observed that adopting the IFRS weakens the positive impact of financial constraints on stock price crash risk. These results are robust to several controls and model specifications. The findings also have several implications for investors and other market participants for seeking evidence of the credibility of annual reports in reflecting relevant information that highlights financial constraints.The full-text of this article will be released for public view at the end of the publisher embargo on 8 Jan 2027
When mass meets prestige: The impact of symbolic motivations, inspirations, and purchase intentions for Masstige products
No full textYesLuxury brands are increasingly targeting the middle class through ‘masstige marketing’ as the trendy business opportunity,' which combines luxury and mass appeal. This strategy aims to make high-end brands more accessible to a wider audience, catering to the desires and preferences of the middle class. Grounded in the Mass Prestige (Masstige) theory, this study examines the direct and indirect impact of Symbolic motivations (snob, Veblen, and bandwagon) on Masstige Purchase Intention (MPI) via Inspiration Towards Masstige (ITM) as a mediator. Moreover, the contingent impact of Brand Credibility (BC) between ITM and MPI was assessed. Two independent studies were conducted among consumers of clothing and car brands. Results supported all the hypothesized paths reflecting symbolic motivations as important predictors of MPI directly and through the underlying mechanism of ITM. However, significant differences were observed in the impact size of the Veblen and bandwagon motivations on ITM and MPI among clothing and car brand consumers. Moreover, results revealed that BC significantly interacts with ITM to augment the MPI in both studies. However, this contingent impact was stronger to enhance MPI among the consumers of car brands than clothing brands. Furthermore, study implications and future research directions are presented in detail
A quantitative study examining infographic assessment guidelines for undergraduate nursing students with specific learning difficulties (SpLDs)
Get PDFYesThis research investigates the perceived clarity and usefulness of infographic versus traditional text-based assessment guidelines among undergraduate nursing students with and without specific learning difficulties (SpLDs). Through quantitative analysis, the study reveals that undergraduate nursing students with SpLDs significantly prefer infographics over text-based guidelines, both in terms of clarity and usefulness (p < .001). Interestingly, there were no statistically significant differences in the perceptions of students without SpLDs. These findings suggest that the use of infographics as a tool for presenting assessment guidelines could contribute to more inclusive educational practices. The research further highlights the potential of infographics to not only make complex information more accessible but also to cater to diverse learning needs. As higher education institutions strive to be more inclusive, adapting assessment guidelines to suit the varied learning styles and cognitive needs of all students, particularly those with SpLDs, becomes increasingly important. This paper provides initial evidence to support the adoption of infographic-based assessment guidelines as a step towards achieving this goal
Exploring the carbon emission reduction effects of corporate climate risk disclosure: Evidence from the Chinese A-share listed enterprises
No full textYesThis study reexamines the need for Chinese enterprises to disclose climate risk information in the context of their significant contribution to climate change. The paper proposes climate risk disclosure indicators based on a sample of Chinese A-share listed companies from 2010 to 2020 and their annual reports. It explores the relationship and influencing mechanism between corporate climate risk disclosure and carbon emissions levels. The results of empirical research show that disclosing climate risk information reduces carbon emissions levels, and this mitigating effect is significantly enhanced by the moderating effects of executive environmental experience, investor attention, and government environmental supervision. Heterogeneity analysis further indicates that state-owned enterprises, those with a solid corporate green culture, or industries with high pollution emissions can better exert the carbon emission reduction effect of climate risk disclosure. In addition, physical climate risk disclosure is preferred in terms of short-term carbon emissions. In contrast, transformational climate risk disclosure is selected for long-term carbon reduction goals. Finally, empirical economic analysis indicates that high-quality climate risk disclosure can appropriately mitigate the negative impact of corporate carbon emissions on solvency and profitability compared to firms with lower disclosure levels, highlighting the importance of climate risk disclosure quality.This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China [No. 72091515], the Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province (2022JJ40647), and Excellent Young Scholar Project of the Hunan Provincial Department of Education (23B0004)
Evaluation of indole-based organometallics as transfer hydrogenation catalysts with anticancer activity
No full textYesHalf-sandwich complexes containing transition metals offer a wide range of applications owing to their interactions with a variety of targets/molecules that are not accessible for some organic scaffolds. The use of such complexes is therefore a way to provide new mechanisms of drug action. Here, we report a series of neutral metal complexes of the type [(arene)M(O-cyclohexyl-1H-indole-2-carbothiolate)Cl] that have the ability to reduce the coenzyme NAD+ at physiological conditions in the presence of sodium formate as an hydride donor. The influence of the metal ion (Ru, Os, Rh, Ir) is studied to establish some structure-activity relationships. The [(η6 -pcym)Ru(O-cyclohexyl-1H-indole-2-carbothioate)Cl] is the most active catalyst of this family of complexes with a turnover frequency (TOF) of 14.79 h-1 for the transfer hydrogenation reaction of NAD+ to give 1,4-NADH in the presence of formate. Further in vitro studies were carried out to determine a relationship between catalytic activity and potency as an anticancer drug, with the rhodium complex promisingly showing 7x more selectivity towards cancer cells (A2780) than normal cells (PNT2). Preliminary in vivo studies demonstrated the importance of co-treatment with formate to enhance activity. This work gives insights into the mechanism of action of this family of indole-based organometallic complexes
Ultrasonic micro‑injection moulding: characterisation of interfacial friction by varying feedstock shape and high‑speed thermal imaging for microneedle feature replication
No full textYesThis study explores the interfacial friction in ultrasonic micro-injection moulding by using different polymer feedstock
shapes, characterisation of micromoulding melts through thermal imaging and assessing microneedle feature replication.
Industry standard polypropylene pellets and discs with different thicknesses were used for varying the amount of interfacial
friction during sonication. High-speed thermal imaging and tooling containing sapphire windows were used to visualise
the melt characteristics. Moulded products were characterised using laser-scanning confocal microscopy to quantify
microneedle replication. The study demonstrates that (i) the interfacial area for the different feedstock shapes affects the
heating in ultrasonic micro-injection moulding significantly, (ii) disc-shaped feedstocks result in initially higher flow front
velocities and exhibit dominance of viscoelastic heating over interfacial friction and (iii) industrial pellet feedstocks provide
a good combination interfacial friction and viscoelastic heating and more viscosity reduction in overall leading to better
microreplication efficiency. The results presented could have a significant impact on the process development of ultrasonic
micro-injection moulding where process repeatability can be improved by controlling the interfacial friction. The research
provides an essential contribution to the development of this process, where interfacial frictional heating can be tailored
specifically for miniature functional components, offering improved precision and reduced energy use when compared with
conventional methods.This research work was undertaken in the context of MICROMAN project (“Process Fingerprint for Zero-defect Net-shape MICROMANufacturing”, http://www.microman.mek.dtu.dk/). MICROMAN is a European Training Network supported by Horizon 2020, the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (Project ID: 674801)