Avoiding the perfect storm of juror contempt

Concern over juror contempt and improper conduct is one of the factors that prompted the Law Commission’s early review of Contempt of Court. This article argues that any reform of the law of contempt in relation to juries and jury trials should be based on rigorous and reliable empirical evidence, not anecdotal evidence, exceptional cases or untested assumptions about juries. It reports the first findings of recent research conducted with juries at Crown Courts examining juror understanding of contempt, awareness of recent prosecutions of jurors, willingness to report improper conduct, as well desire for deliberation guidance and written judicial directions. Based on empirical evidence, this article argues for a three-pronged approach to minimising juror contempt in the new media age. It also argues that calls for the removal or relaxation of s.8 of the Contempt of Court Act are misguided and based on a myth that the current law prevents detailed jury research

Ethnicity and the Fairness of Jury Trials in England and Wales 2006-2014

Government statistics show that members of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups are disproportionately stopped and searched, arrested, charged and in prison. However, until the 2010 study Are Juries Fair? there was no reliable evidence to say whether BAME defendants were also disproportionately convicted by juries in England and Wales. The 2010 study provided the first large-scale quantitative analysis of all jury verdicts in the Crown Court over an 18-month period in 2006-2008, and found that, contrary to popular belief, BAME defendants were not more likely than White defendants to be convicted by juries in England and Wales. This article provides a substantially updated and expanded analysis of ethnicity and jury trials in England and Wales, covering all jury verdicts against all defendants in the Crown Court over an eight-year period from 2006-2014 and comprising a dataset of over three million charges and almost 400,000 jury verdicts. It finds that BAME defendants are disproportionately charged with offences tried in the Crown Court and BAME defendants plead not guilty to these charges consistently more often than White defendants and are therefore over-represented amongst defendants facing a jury verdict. However, BAME defendants are not disproportionately convicted by juries in England and Wales. For offences that make up over three-quarters of all jury verdicts, jury conviction rates were either similar for White and BAME defendants or White defendants were convicted substantially more often than BAME defendants. There has also not been any substantial change in the overall jury conviction rates for BAME (or White) defendants over the eight-year period. This new and more extensive analysis confirms one of the most important indications of the 2010 study: that one stage in the criminal justice process in England and Wales where members of BAME groups appear not to be treated disproportionately is when a jury reaches a verdict by deliberation

Global oceanic emission of ammonia: constraints from seawater and atmospheric observations

Current global inventories of ammonia emissions identify the ocean as the largest natural source. This source depends on seawater pH, temperature, and the concentration of total seawater ammonia (NHx(sw)), which reflects a balance between remineralization of organic matter, uptake by plankton, and nitrification. Here we compare [NHx(sw)] from two global ocean biogeochemical models (BEC and COBALT) against extensive ocean observations. Simulated [NHx(sw)] are generally biased high. Improved simulation can be achieved in COBALT by increasing the plankton affinity for NHx within observed ranges. The resulting global ocean emissions is 2.5 TgN a−1, much lower than current literature values (7–23 TgN a−1), including the widely used Global Emissions InitiAtive (GEIA) inventory (8 TgN a−1). Such a weak ocean source implies that continental sources contribute more than half of atmospheric NHx over most of the ocean in the Northern Hemisphere. Ammonia emitted from oceanic sources is insufficient to neutralize sulfate aerosol acidity, consistent with observations. There is evidence over the Equatorial Pacific for a missing source of atmospheric ammonia that could be due to photolysis of marine organic nitrogen at the ocean surface or in the atmosphere. Accommodating this possible missing source yields a global ocean emission of ammonia in the range 2–5 TgN a−1, comparable in magnitude to other natural sources from open fires and soils

Biological effects of soft denture reline materials on L929 cells in vitro.

Soft denture reline materials have been developed to help patients when their oral mucosa is damaged or affected due to ill-fitting dentures or post-implant surgery. Although reports have indicated that these materials leach monomers and other components that do affect their biocompatibility, there is little information on what cell molecules may be implicated in these material/tissue interactions. The biocompatibility of six soft liners (Ufi Gel P, Sofreliner S, Durabase Soft, Trusoft, Softone and Coe Comfort) was evaluated using a mouse fibroblast cell line, L929. Within 2 h of material disc preparation, each of the materials was exposed by direct contact to L929 cells for periods of 24 and 48 h. The effect of this interaction was assessed by alamarBlue assay (for cell survival). The expression of integrin α5β1 and transforming growth factor β1 was also assessed using plate assays such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Trusoft, Softone and Coe Comfort showed significantly reduced cell survival compared with the other soft lining materials at each incubation period. Furthermore, there were significant differences with these same materials in the expression of both integrin α5β1 and transforming growth factor β1. Soft liner materials may affect cell viability and cellular proteins that have important roles in wound healing and the preservation of cell viability and function in the presence of environmental challenges and stresses

Nanotechnology—Applications in Prosthodontics: A Literature Review

Nanoscale particles are not new to nature or science. However, the recent leaps in areas, such as microscopy have given scientists new tools to understand and take advantage ofphenomena that occur naturally when matter is organized at the nanoscale. Nanotechnology is not simply working at ever smaller dimensions; rather, working at the nanoscale enablesscientists to utilize the unique physical, chemical, mechanical, and optical properties of materials that naturally occur at that scale. In this article, we have made an attempt to have an early glimpse on impact of nanotechnology in the field of dentistry

Data-Driven Stability Assessment of Multilayer Long Short-Term Memory Networks

Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs) are increasingly being used for model identification, forecasting and control. When identifying physical models with unknown mathematical knowledge of the system, Nonlinear AutoRegressive models with eXogenous inputs (NARX) or Nonlinear AutoRegressive Moving-Average models with eXogenous inputs (NARMAX) methods are typically used. In the context of data-driven control, machine learning algorithms are proven to have comparable performances to advanced control techniques, but lack the properties of the traditional stability theory. This paper illustrates a method to prove a posteriori the stability of a generic neural network, showing its application to the state-of-the-art RNN architecture. The presented method relies on identifying the poles associated with the network designed starting from the input/output data. Providing a framework to guarantee the stability of any neural network architecture combined with the generalisability properties and applicability to different fields can significantly broaden their use in dynamic systems modelling and control

Synergy of stereo cloud top height and ORAC optimal estimation cloud retrieval: evaluation and application to AATSR

In this paper we evaluate the retrievals of cloud top height when stereo derived heights are combined with the radiometric cloud top heights retrieved from the ORAC (Optimal Retrieval of Aerosol and Cloud) algorithm. This is performed in a mathematically rigorous way using the ORAC optimal estimation retrieval framework, which includes the facility to use independent a priori information. Key to the use of a priori information is a characterisation of their associated uncertainty. This paper demonstrates the improvements that are possible using this approach and also considers their impact on the microphysical cloud parameters retrieved. The AATSR instrument has two views and three thermal channels so is well placed to demonstrate the synergy of the two techniques. The stereo retrieval is able to improve the accuracy of the retrieved cloud top height when compared to collocated Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO), particularly in the presence of boundary layer inversions and high clouds. The impact on the microphysical properties of the cloud such as optical depth and effective radius was evaluated and found to be very small with the biggest differences occurring over bright land surfaces and for high clouds. Overall the cost of the retrievals increased indicating a poorer radiative fit of radiances to the cloud model, which currently uses a single layer cloud model. Best results and improved fit to the radiances may be obtained in the future if a multi-layer model is used

"How should we go about jury research in Scotland?": a response

It is certainly important that research is carried out in Scotland to better understand the workings of the Scottish jury, especially given its unique features. In light of the call by the Post-Corroboration Safeguards Review for reliable empirical evidence about jury decision-making in Scotland, it is all the more important that this research should be done prior to, and inform, any changes made to the Scottish jury system. Unfortunately the research programme set out by Chalmers and Leverick in the previous issue of the Criminal Law Review 1 would fail in its aims to assist this reform process because the authors are confused about how the Review’s questions can be answered through jury research, they fail to appreciate fundamental differences in the research methods used to study juries, and as a consequence they argue for an amendment to the Contempt of Court Act that is completely unnecessary to answer authoritatively the important questions set out by the Post-Corroboration Safeguards Review. In this article I explain the key differences in jury research methods and, based on this, identify which methods are needed to answer the PCSR questions. I also set out the key errors of the research plan devised by Chalmers and Leverick. This is done in the sincere hope that if any jury research is conducted in Scotland to answer the Review’s important questions it is done so based on a proper understanding of which research methods need to be used to answer each of the Review’s questions—and an understanding of why none of this requires any amendment to the contempt of court act

LONDRES (Reino Unido). Planos de población (1732)

Dedicatoria : "To the Most Noble, Right Noble, and Right Homble the Dukes, Marquinsses... of England Benefactors & Subscriber, to Mr Ogilby's Atlas and Survey In acknowledgment whereof this Map is dedicated, by Their humble Sert Wrn Morgan His Majts.Cosmagrapher". Relelcion de los nobles a los que esta dedicadoFecha de publicación tomada de :"Tooley's dictionary of Mapmakers", TRing, 1979, p. 335Orientado con lis en rosa de treinta y dos vientosToponimia de calles y plazasRelación de las calles y callejuelas de Londres, Westminter y Southware indicadas por clave numérica y con referencias para su localización en el planoRelación de los distritos municipales indicados por clave alfanuméricaTraza una reticula para la localización de las calles en el planoIntercala las vistas de algunos de los edificios más notables de la ciudadLeyenda explicativa de diversos aspectos del mapa y de la situación, organización municipal y población de LondresDocumento incompleto, faltando un número no determinado de hojas, que contendrían datos importantes, como su escalaEnmarcado por orla de motivos vegetales, incompleta por falta de varias hojas. Representación de ciervos en los parques y navios en el río TámesisForma parte de la Colección Mendoz