The game is up: proposals on incorporating effective case management into criminal investigations

Over recent years, there has been a marked change in the handling of criminal cases before the Courts. The introduction of the Criminal Procedure Rules in 2005, along with initiatives such as Simple Speedy Summary Justice and more recently, Stop Delaying Justice, has created a shift away from slow moving cases and ambush defences. As a result, there is a presumption that criminal cases will progress from the very first hearing, fewer hearings are being adjourned and advocates on both sides are expected to be better prepared and ready to disclose their case from the outset. This paper will present an argument that it is now time to bring the principles behind these initiatives into the investigation stage of proceedings. By promoting better case management from the point of arrest, it is submitted that delays in resolving cases can be even further reduced, without affecting, but potentially improving fairness for all parties. Whilst the disclosure is given by many investigators, there is currently no rule that states that disclosure must be given at the police station stage. The authors contend that a requirement to provide disclosure at the police station, even in summary form, will allow more effective advice to be given to suspects and in turn improve the interview process. Early disclosure should prevent delays in bringing cases before the court and will also assist in ensuring that progress is made at the first hearing. Furthermore, by avoiding the need for unnecessary police bail appointments, and timely charging procedures, it is contended that summary justice can be achieved efficiently, fairly and in a manner that reduces tactical considerations in the police station

Oxidation of GaN: An ab initio thermodynamic approach

GaN is a wide-bandgap semiconductor used in high-efficiency LEDs and solar cells. The solid is produced industrially at high chemical purities by deposition from a vapour phase, and oxygen may be included at this stage. Oxidation represents a potential path for tuning its properties without introducing more exotic elements or extreme processing conditions. In this work, ab initio computational methods are used to examine the energy potentials and electronic properties of different extents of oxidation in GaN. Solid-state vibrational properties of Ga, GaN, Ga2O3 and a single substitutional oxygen defect have been studied using the harmonic approximation with supercells. A thermodynamic model is outlined which combines the results of ab initio calculations with data from experimental literature. This model allows free energies to be predicted for arbitrary reaction conditions within a wide process envelope. It is shown that complete oxidation is favourable for all industrially-relevant conditions, while the formation of defects can be opposed by the use of high temperatures and a high N2:O2 ratio

A universal chemical potential for sulfur vapours

The unusual chemistry of sulfur is illustrated by the tendency for catenation. Sulfur forms a range of open and closed S$_n$ species in the gas phase, which has led to speculation on the composition of sulfur vapours as a function of temperature and pressure for over a century. Unlike elemental gases such as O$_2$ and N$_2$, there is no widely accepted thermodynamic potential for sulfur. Here we combine a first-principles global structure search for the low energy clusters from S$_2$ to S$_8$ with a thermodynamic model for the mixed-allotrope system, including the Gibbs free energy for all gas-phase sulfur on an atomic basis. A strongly pressure-dependent transition from a mixture dominant in S$_2$ to S$_8$ is identified. A universal chemical potential function, $\mu_{\mathrm{S}}(T,P)$, is proposed with wide utility in modelling sulfurisation processes including the formation of metal chalcogenide semiconductors.Comment: 12 pages, 9 figures. Supporting code and data is available at https://github.com/WMD-Bath/sulfur-model [snapshot DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.28536]. Further data will be available from DOI:10.6084/m9.figshare.1513736 and DOI:10.6084/m9.figshare.1513833 following peer-revie

ARClothMasks: A Pandemic Startup Journey

Covid-19 changed the way the world operated when it became a pandemic in 2020. The need for personal protection equipment was unexpected and suppliers were not prepared for the demand. The government mandate of masks furthered the need of PPE across the nation. To help fill this shortage, many companies began to retool their manufacturing processes from clothing to masks. This thesis will dive into one PPE company and its journey from the start of the pandemic. The business plan for the company will follow it along with graphs and charts that help tell the tale of the startup

Sizing up nanoelectronics: gauging the potential for new productivity wave

The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, in cooperation with the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), hosted a conference on nanoelectronics and the economy in Austin on Dec. 3, 2010. Economists and scientists explored how information technology has affected U.S. productivity and output growth and prospects for the future.Technological innovations ; Productivity