Attempting the Impossible: A Plea for Legal Economy

Attempting the Impossible: A Plea for Legal Econom

The Akan Law of Property.

"The Akan Law of Property" endeavours to describe the present position of land-tenure in a homeonomic group of Gold Coast peoples. It attempts neither to expound the ancient customary law, nor to give a definitive restatement of the modern law - and that for a very good reason. The law of the Gold Coast today is a law in transition, from an entirely unwritten body of rules fortified by long-established usage, but subject as customary law so often is in its unwritten stages to local exceptions and shifting emphases, and designed for the simple needs of a people without commerce or permanent agriculture, to a twentieth-century legal system suitable for the requirements of a modern economy based on cash-crops and trade. The crystallization of valuable rights in land, claimed concurrently by a hierarchy of holders from the paramount stool to the individual cultivator, is illustrative of this change in purpose. The complex and fluid nature of land-rights in the Southern Gold Coast at the present time, due to this transition and the partial reception of English law, has for long led responsible persons to call for a statement of the modern law, and at the same time has deterred anyone from making the attempt. The existing authorities are brief or out-of-date. No-one would minimise the valuable contributions of Sarbah, Danquah and Rattray to our knowledge of Akan law; but there has been up till now no book solely or even largely devoted to the Akan law of property, nor one which has set out to synthesize the developing customary law with the many decisions of the superior courts on that law. Nor has much attention been paid to the decisions of native courts, which often reflect changing attitudes in advance of official recognition. "The Akan Law of Property" is divided into three Parts: Part I deals with the Persons of Akan Law - the Stool, the Family, and the Individual. Part II covers the Institutions of Akan Law - sale, pledge, tenancy, gift, caretakership, succession. Part III deals with Miscellaneous Topics; the use of writing, the function of long possession, and the application of registration to Akan tenure. Part I; the land-rights of stools are set out, the vague term "stool land" is analysed into its component parts, the modern separation (formerly inconceivable) between the chief and his stool is shown. The complicated and varied problems (both of fact and law in each particular case) whether a stool has rights of ownership, or only of jurisdiction, or both, are considered in a separate chapter. In the sphere of the family, the term "family property" is also divided, so as to show the exact interrelation between a family and its members, and especially the weakening control now exercised by a family over its members. The rights of citizens and "strangers" (the latter of increasing importance today) are also examined. Part II: dealings with rights in land are considered in the complexity induced by concurrent separation of interests, and the diversity of possible subject-matter. The more interesting features here include (1) the virtual disappearance of the ancient pledge; (2) the growth of new forms of tenancy; (3) the institution of "caretakership"; (4) developments in the customary law of testate and intestate succession, particularly through the demand that widows and children of males should be provided for. Part III; the efforts of the superior courts to fill the gap caused by the absence of rules of prescription or limitation in Akan law are examined; whilst the chapter on WRITING reveals the consequences of the not always happy marriage between English and African law. In Chapter XIII present legislation and experiments relevant to registration of title, and a tentative scheme for recording titles, are set out, with an eye to the future development of Gold Coast land-law, in which it is expected that registration will play a large part. Apart from the mass of new material presented here, the method used in collecting this material is largely novel. The Akan law being mainly unwritten, reliance had to be placed on the personal receipt of oral information on the spot: the method thus differs widely from that customary in legal research (except for the investigations into customary law in the Punjab and Indonesia). In Africa up to now most of the collection of information on customary laws has been made by anthropologists, and not by lawyers. "The Akan Law of Property" thus represents a new venture in the techniques of legal research

Development of a fluorine-18 radiolabelled fluorescent chalcone: evaluated for detecting glycogen"

Background: Glycogen is a multibranched polysaccharide of glucose produced by cells to store energy and plays a key role in cancer. A previously reported fluorescent probe (CDg4) was shown to selectively bind glycogen in mouse embryonic stem cells, however the molecule was not evaluated in cancer cells. We report the synthesis and biological evaluation of a dual-modality imaging probe based on CDg4, for positron emission tomography (PET) and fluorescence microscopy. Results: A fluorine-18 radiolabelled derivative of CDg4, ([18F]5) for in vivo quantification of total glycogen levels in cancer cells was developed and synthesised in 170 min with a non-decay corrected radiochemical yield (RCY n.d.c) of 5.1 ± 0.9 % (n = 4) in >98% radiochemical purity. Compound 5 and [18F]5 were evaluated in vitro for their potential to bind glycogen, but only 5 showed accumulation by fluorescence microscopy. The accumulation of 5 was determined to be specific as fluorescent signal diminished upon the digestion of carbohydrate polymers with α-amylase. PET imaging in non-tumour bearing mice highlighted rapid hepato-biliary-intestinal elimination of [18F]5 and almost complete metabolic degradation after 60 min in the liver, plasma and urine, confirmed by radioactive metabolite analysis. Conclusions: Fluorescent compound 5 selectively accumulated in glycogen containing cancer cells, identified by fluorescence microscopy; however, rapid in vivo metabolic degradation precludes further investigation of [18F]5 as a PET radiopharmaceutical

Measuring Metacognition in Cancer: Validation of the Metacognitions Questionnaire 30 (MCQ-30)

Objective The Metacognitions Questionnaire 30 assesses metacognitive beliefs and processes which are central to the metacognitive model of emotional disorder. As recent studies have begun to explore the utility of this model for understanding emotional distress after cancer diagnosis, it is important also to assess the validity of the Metacognitions Questionnaire 30 for use in cancer populations. Methods 229 patients with primary breast or prostate cancer completed the Metacognitions Questionnaire 30 and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale pre-treatment and again 12 months later. The structure and validity of the Metacognitions Questionnaire 30 were assessed using factor analyses and structural equation modelling. Results Confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses provided evidence supporting the validity of the previously published 5-factor structure of the Metacognitions Questionnaire 30. Specifically, both pre-treatment and 12 months later, this solution provided the best fit to the data and all items loaded on their expected factors. Structural equation modelling indicated that two dimensions of metacognition (positive and negative beliefs about worry) were significantly associated with anxiety and depression as predicted, providing further evidence of validity. Conclusions These findings provide initial evidence that the Metacognitions Questionnaire 30 is a valid measure for use in cancer populations

Impact of naturally spawning captive-bred Atlantic salmon on wild populations: depressed recruitment and increased risk of climate-mediated extinction

The assessment report of the 4th International Panel on Climate Change confirms that global warming is strongly affecting biological systems and that 20–30% of species risk extinction from projected future increases in temperature. It is essential that any measures taken to conserve individual species and their constituent populations against climate-mediated declines are appropriate. The release of captive bred animals to augment wild populations is a widespread management strategy for many species but has proven controversial. Using a regression model based on a 37-year study of wild and sea ranched Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) spawning together in the wild, we show that the escape of captive bred animals into the wild can substantially depress recruitment and more specifically disrupt the capacity of natural populations to adapt to higher winter water temperatures associated with climate variability. We speculate the mechanisms underlying this seasonal response and suggest that an explanation based on bio-energetic processes with physiological responses synchronized by photoperiod is plausible. Furthermore, we predict, by running the model forward using projected future climate scenarios, that these cultured fish substantially increase the risk of extinction for the studied population within 20 generations. In contrast, we show that positive outcomes to climate change are possible if captive bred animals are prevented from breeding in the wild. Rather than imposing an additional genetic load on wild populations by releasing maladapted captive bred animals, we propose that conservation efforts should focus on optimizing conditions for adaptation to occur by reducing exploitation and protecting critical habitats. Our findings are likely to hold true for most poikilothermic species where captive breeding programmes are used in population management

A Bayesian palaeoenvironmental transfer function model for acidified lakes

A Bayesian approach to palaeoecological environmental reconstruction deriving from the unimodal responses generally exhibited by organisms to an environmental gradient is described. The approach uses Bayesian model selection to calculate a collection of probability-weighted, species-specific response curves (SRCs) for each taxon within a training set, with an explicit treatment for zero abundances. These SRCs are used to reconstruct the environmental variable from sub-fossilised assemblages. The approach enables a substantial increase in computational efficiency (several orders of magnitude) over existing Bayesian methodologies. The model is developed from the Surface Water Acidification Programme (SWAP) training set and is demonstrated to exhibit comparable predictive power to existing Weighted Averaging and Maximum Likelihood methodologies, though with improvements in bias; the additional explanatory power of the Bayesian approach lies in an explicit calculation of uncertainty for each individual reconstruction. The model is applied to reconstruct the Holocene acidification history of the Round Loch of Glenhead, including a reconstruction of recent recovery derived from sediment trap data.The Bayesian reconstructions display similar trends to conventional (Weighted Averaging Partial Least Squares) reconstructions but provide a better reconstruction of extreme pH and are more sensitive to small changes in diatom assemblages. The validity of the posteriors as an apparently meaningful representation of assemblage-specific uncertainty and the high computational efficiency of the approach open up the possibility of highly constrained multiproxy reconstructions

P14.01 An example of too much too soon? A review of caesarean sections performed in the first stage of labour in Kenya

Objective: Caesarean Section (CS) has potential short and long-term complications and is associated with excess maternal death. Decisions to perform (CS) are frequently made by inexperienced and unsupported non-specialist doctors, sometimes resulting in inappropriate decision-making and surgery. Our study assesses decision-making for CS in the first stage of labour in Kenya. Method: A panel of one UK and six Kenyan expert obstetricians reviewed clinical data extracted from 87 case-notes, that were randomly selected from a series obtained from seven referral hospitals in five Kenyan counties over six months in 2020. Following a preliminary review of the data and email discussion, an online panel was convened to discuss outstanding cases where consensus was yet to be reached. Agreement was reached by the panel in all but 5 cases. Results: In 41.3% cases, CS was considered appropriate, including 8% where CS was performed too late. The decision to delivery interval exceeded 2 h in 58.6% cases, including 16 cases of non-reassuring fetal status. In 10.3% it was considered that due to delay, further reassessment should have occurred. In 9.1% the CS was done too soon. There was insufficient information available to make a full assessment in 21.8% of cases. In 11.5% the CS was inappropriate. Conclusion: This review demonstrates that unnecessary caesarean sections are being performed, while some with appropriate indications are subject to delays. There is need for improved support for decision-making, coupled with improved record-keeping, improved quality of fetal monitoring during labour and more timely surgery when necessary

Laser-driven X-ray and neutron source development for industrial applications of plasma accelerators

Pulsed beams of energetic X-rays and neutrons from intense laser interactions with solid foils are promising for applications where bright, small emission area sources, capable of multi-modal delivery are ideal. Possible end users of laser-driven multi-modal sources are those requiring advanced non-destructive inspection techniques in industry sectors of high value commerce such as aerospace, nuclear and advanced manufacturing. We report on experimental work that demonstrates multi-modal operation of high power laser-solid interactions for neutron and X-ray beam generation. Measurements and Monte-Carlo radiation transport simulations show that neutron yield is increased by a factor ~ 2 when a 1mm copper foil is placed behind a 2mm lithium foil, compared to using a 2cm block of lithium only. We explore X-ray generation with a 10 picosecond drive pulse in order to tailor the spectral content for radiography with medium density alloy metals. The impact of using >1ps pulse duration on laser-accelerated electron beam generation and transport is discussed alongside the optimisation of subsequent Bremsstrahlung emission in thin, high atomic number target foils. X-ray spectra are deconvolved from spectrometer measurements and simulation data generated using the GEANT4 Monte-Carlo code. We also demonstrate the unique capability of laser-driven X-rays in being able to deliver single pulse high spatial resolution projection imaging of thick metallic objects. Active detector radiographic imaging of industrially relevant sample objects with a 10ps drive pulse is presented for the first time, demonstrating that features of 200µm size are resolved when projected at high magnification

Performance of Three-Biomarker Immunohistochemistry for Intrinsic Breast Cancer Subtyping in the AMBER Consortium

Classification of breast cancer into intrinsic subtypes has clinical and epidemiologic importance. To examine accuracy of immunohistochemistry (IHC)-based methods for identifying intrinsic subtypes, a three-biomarker IHC panel was compared to the clinical record and RNA-based intrinsic (PAM50) subtypes