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Legal Tug-of-War: The Institutional Challenges of the Domestic Prosecution of War Crimes in Ukraine
Get PDFThis article examines the complexities of prosecuting war crimes in Ukraine following Russia's February 2022 invasion. The unprecedented scale of the atrocities presented national prosecutors and judges with significant challenges in solving multifaceted legal issues. The research aims to provide a detailed understanding of the roles, responsibilities and investigations of various entities in the national legal and judicial system of Ukraine.
The article offers a comprehensive overview of the criminal prosecution infrastructure in Ukraine, emphasizing the key role played by the national legal and judicial system. It examines the issues of responsibility, methods and investigations of war crimes, and also outlines the general challenges facing the national criminal prosecution system in Ukraine.
The author reveals the intricacies of the Ukrainian criminal justice system and illustrates its multifaceted duties and functions. Highlighting the critical role of national legal and judicial systems, the article identifies challenges that highlight the complexity of prosecuting war crimes at the national level.
The analysis reveals key aspects of the prosecution of war crimes in Ukraine. Obstacles in navigating the legal field, collecting and preserving evidence, providing reliable witnesses and overcoming jurisdictional barriers emphasize the need to strengthen investigative capabilities and promote international cooperation. The identified challenges emphasize the need to strengthen training and capacity building initiatives in the legal and judicial sectors. The main challenge is to promote systemic changes in the legal culture with an emphasis on accountability for international crimes. Addressing these challenges requires a multifaceted approach that includes legal reform, capacity building, international cooperation, and cultural change in recognizing the importance of prosecuting international crimes. Ukraine can effectively carry out justice for such egregious crimes with the help of a comprehensive strategy
Square Pegs, Round Holes: Issues and considerations from running a cluster Randomised Control Trial in people who smoke and experience homelessness
Get PDFCluster randomised control trials (cRCT) are a type of RCT whereby instead of individuals being randomised to conditions, randomisation is performed at the setting known as ‘cluster’ level. cRCT’s are appropriate for studies when there is a risk of contamination and where individuals within a group may influence others behaviour (e.g., in health care, educational and community settings). cRCTs invite additional considerations, i) designing and planning the trial i.e., statistical issues, defining the clusters, randomisation, selection bias, and ii) when reporting trial outcomes i.e., reporting suitable statistical approaches to account for violations of the assumption of independence within clusters.
Following recommendations from our own PPI work, a cRCT design was adopted for our trial offering e-cigarettes or usual care to people accessing homeless services. It avoids disagreements between individuals within the same setting that otherwise might occur if randomisation occurred at an individual level, because e-cigarettes are offered which have a monetary value. This presentation will outline some of the key challenges of using a cRCT design for a smoking cessation study within the homeless sector. Examples include: 1) heterogeneity within and between services, and the implications for defining clusters and stratification; 2) Attempts were made to recruit participants via expressions of interest (EOI) before clusters were informed of their allocated arm, to reduce bias and minimise participants only signing up if the centre is known to be in the e-cigarette arm. Yet, issues around sporadic attendance and sometimes distrust and uncertainty of engaging with the unknown, EOI were not always possible and cross-checking EOIs against actual participation posed challenges.
There is a need for more trials to explore treatment approaches for people experiencing homelessness in order to address smoking-related health inequalities. Our experience highlights this is achievable. Applying a flexible and pragmatic approach to cRCT best practice guidelines is challenging but not insurmountable
Deploying Patch-based Segmentation Pipeline for Fibroblast Cell Images at Varying Magnifications
Get PDFCell culture monitoring necessitates thorough attention for the continuous characterization of cultivated cells. Machine learning has recently emerged to engage in a process, such as a microscopy segmentation task; however, the trained data may not be comprehensive for other datasets. Most algorithms do not encompass a wide range of data attributes and require distinct system workflows. Thus, the main objective of the research is to propose a segmentation pipeline specifically for fibroblast cell images on phase contrast microscopy at different magnifications and to achieve reliable predictions during deployment. The research employs patch-based segmentation for predictions, with U-Net as the baseline architecture. The proposed segmentation pipeline demonstrated significant performance for the UNet-based network, achieving an IoU score above 0.7 for multiple magnifications, and provided predictions for cell confluency value with less than 3% error. The study also found that the proposed model could segment the fibroblast cells in under 10 seconds with the help of OpenVINO and Intel Compute Stick 2 on Raspberry Pi, with its optimal precision limited to approximately 80% cell confluency which is sufficient for real-world deployment as the cell culture is typically ready for passaging at the threshold
‘The Alchemy of Race and Rights’: The Logic of Historicizing Contempo-rary Narratives on Race, Youth and Gangs
Get PDFIn the United Kingdom (UK), race scholars continue to reinvigorate (Phillips et al., 2019; Nijjar, 2018) long established criticisms (Gilroy, 2008; Hall et al., 1978) on the need to historicize contemporary concerns about race, crime, and punishment. Scholars remark on apprehensions with an entrenched racialization of crime, particularly the typification of racialized peoples as normalized suspects and consequently subjects of punishment. As Phillips et al., (2019) note racialized peoples have become inextricably linked with deviance, in the public consciousness. Meting out extraordinary punishment for the racialized has been rationalized on this basis, to appease a public for whom penalty indicates the greater likelihood of the social stability purportedly threatened by the so-called typical deviant (Cox, 2018; Gilroy, 2008; Hall et al., 1978). The opening quotations emphasize the entrenched intersection between race, youth, and punishment, signifying how calls to historicize can also be read as calls to expand the customary explanatory scope, prioritizing concerns for youth’s vulnerability over their normalization as risky. This relational distinction between vulnerability and risk is crucial: while risk informed approaches rationalize amplified punitiveness (Miller, 2022, 2020), vulnerability approaches rationalize judiciousness, protection, and care (Honneth, 2003, 1995; Bottoms, 1980). Against this backdrop, this chapter explores statutory approaches to the contemporary, urban youth gang phenomenon as a relevant case for historicization. Indeed, within the UK, scholarship references a ‘race-gang nexus’ (Williams, 2015: 18; see also Nijjar, 2018), contending the phenomenon has been given a Black and or ethnic face (Hallsworth and Young, 2008: 185), despite knowledge that consumption of concomitant, contributory cultural artefacts like rap [and drill] music ‘include youths of all races, classes, and nationalities’ (Tatum, 1999: 341). Guided by corresponding concerns, the chapter draws from the critical race theory (CRT) tradition, particularly CRT scholar Patricia L. Williams’ influential ‘Alchemy of race and rights’ (1991: 6) logic, to historicize an account of the racialization of contemporary youth gang concerns. Williams’ thesis corresponds with the CRT (Crenshaw et al., 1995; Bell, 1992) position that racialized peoples were excluded from expanding universal rights, flowing from the enlightenment, and instituted coterminous with modernity. Williams’ thesis allows observation of statutory responses to the youth gang—particularly the gang’s racialization—as a process constituted by the contemporary reproduction of a historic race, rights paradox. According to this, expectations for a synthesis of race and rights represents an ‘Oxymoronic oddity’ (Williams, 1991: 6), signifying how young black men, in particular, suffer the suppression of rights never conferred in the first place, to racialized peoples
Low electric field induction in BaTiO3-epoxy nanocomposites
Get PDFEpoxy is widely used material, but epoxy has limitations in terms of brittleness in failure, and thus researchers
explore toughening and strengthening options such as adding a second phase or using electromagnetic fields
to tailor toughness and strength, on demand and nearly instantaneously. Such approach falls into the category
of active toughening but has not been extensively investigated. In this research, Si-BaTiO3 nanoparticles were
used to modify the electro-mechanical properties of a high-performance aerospace-grade epoxy so as to study
its response to electric fields, specifically low field strengths. To promote uniform dispersion and distribution, the Si-BaTiO3 nanoparticles were functionalised with silane coupling agents and mixed in the epoxy Araldite LY1564
at different content loads (1, 5, 10 wt%), which was then associated with its curing agent Aradur 3487. Real-time
measurements were conducted using Raman spectroscopy while applying electric fields to the nanocomposite
specimens. The Raman data showed a consistent trend of increasing intensity and peak broadening under
the increasing electric field strength and Si-BaTiO3 contents. This was attributed to the BaTiO3 particles’ dipolar displacement in the high-content nanocomposites (i.e., 5 wt% and 10 wt%). The study offers valuable insights on how electric field stimulation can actively enhance the mechanical properties in epoxy composites, specifically in
relatively low fields and thin, high-aspect-ratio composite layers which would require in-situ mechanical testing
equipped with electric field application, an ongoing investigation of the current research
Accuracy Improvement of the Huygens' Principle-Based Method for UWB Microwave Imaging
No full textIn recent years, microwave imaging has been
recognized as a promising non-ionizing and non-invasive
alternative for several medical applications, including breast cancer screening. To broaden the limits of microwave imaging, new research and novel techniques are necessary. In this paper, a new fitting approach for an efficient evaluation of Green's function in a specific medium and its application to a Huygens’ principle (HP)-based method for microwave imaging are discussed. We have demonstrated that a sum of sine fitting function allows us to accurately reconstruct a dielectrics homogeneity map of a cylinder containing an inclusion, achieving detection, localization and characterization of the inclusion size. Moreover, it significantly reduces image noise and artifacts. Validation of the novel methodology through analytical simulations has been performed and presented, illustrating the effectiveness of the methods
E-cigarette support for smoking cessation: Identifying the effectiveness of intervention components in an online randomised optimisation trial
No full textThis is an online study of 1214 UK smokers which aimed to determine which combination(s) of five intervention components can help smokers to stop smoking by using an e-cigarette. A balanced five-factor randomised factorial design was used, guided by the Multiphase Optimisation Strategy (MOST). The five intervention components were: i) tailored advice on which e-cigarette device to purchase; ii) tailored advice on which e-liquid nicotine strength to purchase; iii) tailored advice on which flavour to purchase; iv) brief information on relative harms of e-cigarettes vs smoking; v) text message support. Participants completed a baseline survey online and were then randomised to either receive or not receive each intervention component (resulting in 32 possible combinations). Tailored advice on device, nicotine strength and flavour were based on responses to baseline questions and were displayed at the end of the survey (for participants randomised to receive that condition). Follow up data was collected via a second online survey after 12 weeks to collect information on abstinence rates and adherence to intervention components. Logistic regressions were used to model the main effects and two-way interactions on the primary outcome (4-weeks abstinence) and secondary outcomes (7-day point prevalence and ≥50% smoking reduction). The full dataset and syntax (as SPSS files) are available.
Link to protocol: https://www.qeios.com/read/9RDLJA.3
Link to trial registry: https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN54776958
Link to published paper: To follow (currently under review with Addiction
Breast Cancer Detection using Machine Learning Approaches on Microwave-based Data
No full textMicrowave breast imaging is being investigated by research groups worldwide for its promising applications in early cancer detection, overcoming key limitations of conventional imaging systems. In this framework, artificial intelligence may play an important role to enhance the performances of new systems, based on this novel technology, for breast cancer detection. Research is being carried out to demonstrate the potential of implementing machine learning tools that have already been investigated for conventional mammography and MRI. This work presents the retrospective implementation of several supervised machine learning approaches on the microwave data obtained by MammoWave device in the framework of a clinical trial. Two different approaches are explored and explained in detail: the application of artificial intelligence directly on the MammoWave raw data and on dedicated features extracted from microwave images. Both approaches lead to promising results with high (>80%) and quite balanced specificity and sensitivity
Assessing the performance gap of two dynamic thermal modelling software tools when comparing with real-time data in relation to thermal loss
Get PDFManaging thermal loss is a key topic that needs further investigation as it has a direct link to reducing the energy load in buildings. One of these thermal loss management methods can be the use of shading devices. Dynamic thermal models normally used at the early stages of the building design can play an important role in the decision-making process regarding the use of shading devices. This paper presents the results of a real-world study assessing the potential of using a sealed cellular blind as a passive energy conservation method, where the real-world results are compared with the simulated results generated with environmental design solutions limited thermal analysis software (EDSL Tas) and integrated environmental solutions virtual environment (IES VE). During the real-world study, a positive impact of having blinds was seen whereby the window surface temperature increased and office heating energy consumption was lowered. Both software tools were able to predict a similar trend of results for the window surface temperature in with and without blind scenarios whereas for energy consumption although in the presence of a blind a consistent correlation is seen between measured and calculated values but not without a blind. This can be attributed to the inability of the software tools in demonstrating the effect of in filtration in the absence of a blind or shading device i.e., a clear window scenario.Practical Application: The performance gap analysis regarding thermal loss between dynamic thermal models and real-world settings within buildings can enhance the predictability of the building energy software tools used by designers. Early design inputs within buildings can prevent costly building re-work to improve the building’s energy performance. This can also improve the understanding within the building industry of the importance of reducing thermal loss through the use of shading devices and ensuring the software tools used to model these devices are as close to real-world settings as possible
Understanding Digital Transformation Challenges: Evidence from Brazilian and British Manufacturers
No full textThe implementation of digital projects and practices by large manufacturing companies is hindered by many technical and non-technical challenges, whether they are in developed or emerging economies. The purpose of this work is to discuss the challenges faced by large Brazilian and British firms to implement smart factories. A qualitative research approach was applied in 9 case studies – 5 Brazilian and 4 British companies from the automotive, electro-electronic and telecommunications sectors. The data collection instruments, once validated by experts, included semi-structured interviews, and non-participating observations, followed by content analysis. All challenges for digitalization were identified, mapped, and organized in clusters: technological, managerial, social, and macro-environmental. Several practices to overcome the digitalization obstacles were identified, such as: 1. clearly communicate the digital strategy and focus the efforts on people to develop a digital mindset; 2. motivate the workforce to engage with external partners to create a sense of urgency for digital change; 3. innovate quickly, gradually, and humbly, which motivates intra- and inter-collaborations. Thriving in this context requires incremental and disruptive changes that challenge corporate mindsets, undo organizational boundaries, and impact the use of legacy systems. Depending on how the company manages these challenges, they can facilitate or hinder its ability to establish collaborative practices for innovation purposes. This research contributes to a better understanding of how barriers for digital transformation inside and outside the firm influence practitioners and policymakers