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Hierarchical Citizenship and Racialised Discretion: Police and Consular Officers’ Handling of Capital Cases in Malaysia
Get PDFThis article examines the death penalty in Malaysia, where foreign nationals have historically been sentenced to death at a disproportionately high rate. The international community has recognised that foreign defendants are disadvantaged in alien criminal justice systems and made efforts to address this through the United Nation's Vienna Convention on Consular Relations 1963, to which Malaysia is a signatory and has incorporated its obligations into domestic legislation. However, data from our 49 interviews with criminal justice professionals and officials at consulates in Kuala Lumpur and our review of 77 court judgments found that foreign nationals are not equally disadvantaged. Some consulates are notified in a timely fashion of the arrest of a national for a capital offence; others are not, and the level of assistance provided by consulates varies considerably. We utilise border criminological theorising on ‘hierarchical citizenship’ and ‘racialised discretion’ to understand these discriminatory differences
The impact of the global minimum tax on incentives for business location, investment and profit shifting
No full textIn 2021, over 140 countries agreed to what is widely considered to be the most significant reform of international business taxes in a century: the introduction of a global minimum tax (GMT) at a rate of 15% on the profits of large MNEs. We study the reform’s impact on three inter-related MNE decisions: the location of investment, the size of investment conditional on location, and the extent to which profit is shifted to a low-tax country. We extend existing models of the impact of taxation on investment incentives to allow for profit shifting and the GMT. We also develop and quantify a measure of the economic cost of tax-induced distortions to location. We apply our model to taxes in 34 OECD countries. Raising the GMT rate reduces profit shifting as the benefits are reduced. This raises the MNE’s tax liability and its cost of capital, reducing its aggregate investment. The impact on location choice is more subtle, as the dispersion in effective tax rates across countries first rises, then falls, as the GMT rate rises. At a GMT rate of 15%, we estimate that there is a small rise in the dispersion, implying greater distortions to location decisions
Anastasius of Sinai and the fate of the Chalcedonian Church under the Umayyad Caliphate
Get PDFThis thesis examines for the first time the fate of the eastern Roman imperial church in Egypt after its severance from Constantinople in 642 during the Arab-Muslim conquests of the Middle East and North Africa through the lens of its principal witness, the monk, polemicist, and raconteur Anastasius of Sinai (d. after 701 CE). The ecclesiastical history of the Roman Near East after the Council of Chalcedon in 451 is often presented as a battle between the imperial center at Constantinople, for whom Chalcedon served as the official doctrinal policy of the Roman state, and the eastern provinces, which dissented from Chalcedon but which the state nevertheless imposed upon them, often by force. Consequently, the Arab-Muslim conquests are viewed as the rupture that enabled these regions to liberate themselves from the confessional constraints of the empire and fully embrace their true religious identity. I argue against conventional scholarly narratives that the imperial church remained a vital force in the region throughout the sixth century and seventh centuries until the 680s, and that the loss of eastern Roman political hegemony in the Levant did not immediately result in a triumphant confessional reversal. Unique features of Egypt’s ecclesiastical structure, the Roman empire’s own doctrinal politics, and the emergence of a new ruling dynasty in the caliphate slowly coalesced over the second half of the seventh century and reached a tipping point in 685, which reversed the Chalcedonians’ dominance of Egypt’s institutional church. Against standard views, I argue for an Egyptian context for Anastasius’s writings, and explore their relevance for ecclesial and social history in this period. As our sole named Chalcedonian author whose works have survived from this period, Anastasius’s corpus plays a crucial role in comprehending these critical changes, which reflect the emergence of a specifically Islamicate Christianity more broadly
Substantial variation in the cost of blood group and save and crossmatch: a systematic review
Get PDFBlood transfusion is one of the most common interventions in hospitals. Blood tests that support this widespread practice are considered routine, such as ‘group and save’ (also known as ‘type and screen’), yet there has been very limited evaluation of the needs for these tests and the associated costs. The aim of this systematic review is to synthesise international evidence on the costs of group and save and crossmatch tests, and their component processes. 72 studies published between 2012 and 2023 were identified and data were extracted. Most cost estimates were derived from local institutional sources with few using national reference data, and reporting methods varied widely. Median unit costs for group and save tests were £19.8 (IQR £11.8 to £52.5) overall, £13.8 in the UK, and £57.4 in the USA. Crossmatch costs were £9.6 (IQR £5.9 to £37.3). Understanding costs for group and save testing will inform hospital teams making decisions about sample requirements for procedures with a low likelihood of transfusion. It also provides benchmarking to assess the impact of implementing electronic systems to improve safety and efficiency of transfusion practice
The archive of Friedrich Stählin and the urban topography of ancient Metropolis (Thessaly)
No full textIn 2023, a previously unknown collection of archival material relating to the work of Friedrich Stählin (1874–1936) was donated to the Institute of Classical Archaeology of the Friedrich-AlexanderUniversität Erlangen-Nürnberg. This article offers an example of how this material can contribute to Thessalian archaeology, using the site of Metropolis (modern Mitropoli, formerly Paliokastron) as a case study. After offering an overview of the preserved archival material and a brief summary of more recent archaeological work at ancient Metropolis, the article explores the contributions of Stählin’s notes to our understanding of the site’s urban topography. In particular, the article focuses on three so-far unresolved questions (the extent of Metropolis’ city walls, the location of the so-called »Temple of Aphrodite«, and the findspot of several exceptionally rich graves), before examining the study’s wider implications for the history of ancient urbanism in the region of Thessaly
What happened to rocky planets?: An atmosphere-interior perspective from numerical modelling
Get PDFA satisfactory model describing why Earth, Venus, and Mars, differ so substantially is yet to be described; centuries of planetary science have yielded insightful - but incomplete - explanations. Meanwhile, observations of planets beyond the Solar System are revealing novel environments which raise challenges to our existing theories.Multiple lines of evidence suggest the presence of 'magma oceans' early in rocky planets' lifetimes. During these important natal periods, planet-scale feedbacks emerge via exchange of energy and material between mantles and atmospheres. Some magma oceans are sustained indefinitely; others solidify, providing initial conditions for solid-body geodynamics, secondary atmospheres, and the potential for habitability. Both scenarios are observable on exoplanets today.I present a numerical framework for modelling planetary evolution over deep time, capturing the physics of mantle dynamics, tides, volatile partitioning, atmospheric chemistry, convection, radiative transfer, and escape. Applying this holistic model resolves the history of rocky (exo)planets from their birth to the present.Diverse atmospheres are formed in equilibrium with deep magma oceans: from H2- to CO2-dominated compositions, beyond previously-adopted simplified mixtures. Corresponding radiative properties can sustain magma oceans for billions of years. Atmospheric temperature structure, tied to the efficacy of energy transport, regulates planet-scale evolution - including that of the deep interior. Tidal feedbacks, from interior-atmospheric coupling, further regulate magma ocean longevity. My simulations show that global physical-chemical interactions set exoplanets' observables, making a connection between measurable atmospheric properties and otherwise hidden processes. Evolution tracks of L 98-59 d (a case study) are consistent with recent JWST & TESS observations: L 98-59 d formed volatile-rich, with a substantial atmosphere and a reducing interior - a scenario inaccessible to simplified models, pointing to a continuum of atmospheric evolution scenarios.Space missions, ground-based telescopes, and lab experiments are expanding the horizon of planetary science. The interdisciplinary modelling framework developed here provides a connection between these missions and experiments - yielding a comprehensive picture of the geological, chemical, physical, and climatic evolution of rocky planets in the Solar System and beyond
A mechanically active nucleus pulposus-on-a-chip for studying mechanobiology and therapeutic strategies in intervertebral disc disease
Get PDFIntervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration is the primary contributor to low back pain, the leading cause of disability worldwide. Although various triggers have been associated with IVD degeneration, its precise aetiology remains unclear. Consequently, current treatments fail to address the underlying degradative processes. Mechanical loading plays a critical role in IVD homeostasis, and aberrant mechanical stimulation has been identified as a key driver of extracellular matrix degradation in the proteoglycan-rich core of the IVD—the nucleus pulposus (NPs). Elucidating the molecular mechanisms of IVD mechanotransduction could therefore be pivotal in identifying effective drug targets. However, we are lacking easy-to-use, reliable models to study IVD’s mechanobiological mechanisms in human cells. Here, we present the first mechanically active, microscale, human cell-based NP-on-a-Chip (NPoC) model that mimics the native NP microenvironment and enables controlled investigation of mechanically induced degenerative processes. Starting from primary human NP cells, we demonstrate that hypoxic culture (i.e. 2% O2) results in 3D constructs with gene expression levels of NP markers (ACAN, COL2A1, CDH2, OVOS2), and matrix composition (collagen type II and glycosaminoglycans) comparable with the native NP tissue. NPoC constructs respond to cyclic compression in an intensity- and duration-dependent manner. Physiological compression (10%) enhances glycosaminoglycan deposition, whereas hyperphysiological compression (30%), especially if prolonged in time (16 h d−1), induces upregulation of inflammatory and catabolic markers (PTGS2, MMP13), matrix degradation, and increased apoptosis—thus recapitulating clinical hallmarks of NP degeneration. As a proof of concept for the platform’s perspective utility in therapeutic screening, we demonstrate that inhibition of the mechanoresponsive channel TRPV4 with GSK205 restores baseline expression levels of mechanosensitive and catabolic genes. The new NPoC is thus suitable for studying NP mechanobiology and screening mechanotransduction-targeting drugs, and it may facilitate the future discovery of disease modifying therapies for discogenic low back pain
Infectious disease outbreak controllability: biological, social and public health factors
Get PDFEarly in an infectious disease outbreak, key policy questions include whether and how the outbreak can be brought under control. In the epidemiological modelling literature, analyses of outbreak controllability have often focused on metrics such as reproduction numbers (which quantify the number of infections generated by each infected individual). However, whether an outbreak can be controlled is a complex question, depending on both the precise definition of ‘under control’ used and numerous factors affecting decision-makers’ ability to implement transmission-reducing measures. Here, based on discussions at the Isaac Newton Institute’s ‘Modelling and inference for pandemic preparedness’ programme (5–30 August 2024), we describe a wide range of factors affecting outbreak controllability in practice. Programme participants came from institutions in ten countries, enabling discussions to reflect experiences of using models to inform policy in different settings. We divide the factors according to whether they relate predominantly to characteristics of the pathogen, host population or available interventions, and describe policy considerations when assessing whether an outbreak is controllable
Urban scavengers as providers of ecosystem services: waste management and carbon reduction in a rapidly urbanizing African city
Get PDF1. Scavengers, such as spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta), African wolves (Canis lupaster), hooded vultures (Necrosyrtes monachus) and stray dogs (Canis lupus familiaris), are crucial for waste management in urban ecosystems, particularly in areas with poor waste management and sanitation.
2. This study quantifies their economic and carbon capture services by comparing the cost of their waste disposal with alternatives and estimating the CO2 emissions avoided by consuming organic waste.
3. Through semi-structured interviews with 409 households in Mekelle, Ethiopia, we estimated the annual disposal of meat and organic waste and explored residents' perceptions of the ecosystem services.
4. Our results showed that approximately 1,058,200 animals (chickens, sheep and goats) were slaughtered annually at home, which is equivalent to 3286 animals per square kilometre. This generates approximately 1240.6 metric tons of meat waste (3.85 tons per square kilometre).
5. Scavenging of this meat waste could prevent an estimated 1063.34 metric tons of carbon emissions annually, which corresponds to an economic value of approximately USD99,507. Furthermore, 32,656 metric tons of other organic food waste are produced each year (101.4 tons per square kilometre), which is sufficient to sustain an estimated population of 3051 spotted hyenas in Mekelle.
6. Predators/scavengers in our study area process approximately 5026 metric tons of organic waste annually, providing a waste disposal offset valued at around USD100,510 per year. Spotted hyenas are the primary contributors, processing 4455 metric tons of human-generated organic waste, which translates to a value of approximately USD89,100 annually. Stray dogs follow, processing 519 metric tons, valued at USD10,380 per year, while African wolves process 51.5 metric tons, contributing a value of USD1030 annually.
7. In conclusion, the main predators/scavengers in our study area provide essential urban ecosystem services, from waste management to CO2 emissions reduction. These species are highly specialized in the consumption of organic waste, and residents recognize the benefits they provide in waste removal, further highlighting the potential for beneficial co-existence between wildlife and humans.
8. Practical implication: Future research should explore diverse urban settings to understand how religious practices, cultural differences, and urbanization influence waste generation and human–wildlife interactions
Dataset for Understanding low pressure CO2 insertion chemistry in epoxide/CO2 copolymerization catalysis
No full textDataset associated with Understanding low pressure CO2 insertion chemistry in epoxide/CO2 copolymerization catalysis. Publication at Nature Chemistry