In a response to Caulkins' and Reuter's paper in this edition, David Bolt accepts that arresting and imprisoning criminals is ‘no longer seen as the end‐game’. He is supportive of…
Abstract
In a response to Caulkins' and Reuter's paper in this edition, David Bolt accepts that arresting and imprisoning criminals is ‘no longer seen as the end‐game’. He is supportive of a harm‐reduction approach, but raises practical issues about its implementation. In particular, he highlights the difficulties of defining and measuring harm.
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Carrier sanctions oblige commercial entities to check the validity of passengers’ documents and deny boarding where no valid documents are shown, or where fraud is suspected. The…
Abstract
Carrier sanctions oblige commercial entities to check the validity of passengers’ documents and deny boarding where no valid documents are shown, or where fraud is suspected. The necessity to flee to safer countries at a time of particular political unrest has necessitated the use of fraudulent documents, which the sanction regime and subsequent case law have attempted to curtail. However, increased investigation into legitimacy of travel documents has induced the taking of dangerous routes to reach Britain. In particular, danger is posed by oncoming traffic, and where entry is attempted clandestinely, within lorries. Men, accounting for the majority of irregular entrants, are more likely to experience danger. Due to the very nature of their precarious position, potential asylum seekers may not hold travel documents, which induce the taking of dangerous routes to make asylum applications once in Britain. This chapter will attempts to link carrier sanctions, danger, and humanitarian obligations.
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Three men decided to set up on their own in the fiercely competitive road trailer market. Chris Phillips reports on the enthusiasm which keeps the company thriving — and the…
Abstract
Three men decided to set up on their own in the fiercely competitive road trailer market. Chris Phillips reports on the enthusiasm which keeps the company thriving — and the problems which threaten its future.
During the past few years the British Food Journal has reported a great many prosecutions under the Food and Drugs Act in respect of “ foreign bodies ” in food. Examples have been…
Abstract
During the past few years the British Food Journal has reported a great many prosecutions under the Food and Drugs Act in respect of “ foreign bodies ” in food. Examples have been cigarette ends and pieces of metal or wood in bread, rat dirt and mouse dirt in cereals, nails or small pieces of metal in sausages, splinters of glass in milk, and a host of similar instances. Some of the prosecutions have been for selling food unfit for human consumption, but many have been for selling food not of the substance demanded. I confess that I have always had some doubt whether a loaf is entirely unfit for human use merely because it contains a clean piece of metal quite easily seen and removed. Still, justices never seem to have any difficulty in convicting the vendor under one Section or another. The older readers of the British Food Journal will remember that until the Act of 1938 came into force it was impossible to institute proceedings under the “ prejudice to the purchaser ” Section unless there was a Public Analyst's certificate. I laboured for many years to get this restriction eliminated. First, I was able to persuade my colleagues on the Departmental Committee on the Composition and Description of Food (which reported in 1934) to make a recommendation in that direction, although it was rather doubtful whether it fell within the terms of reference. Then, contrary to the strong representations of the Society of Public Analysts, but with the approval of the Ministry of Health, I persuaded the Joint Committee of Lords and Commons on the Bill of 1938 to enact that a Sampling Officer should be entitled at his discretion to submit or not to submit a sample for analysis. What I had in mind was this: first, that it was sheer waste of time and money to consult an Analyst when an offence could be quite effectively proved without an analysis. Secondly, a wide range of cases in which what was sold was not of the nature demanded could be better proved by an Inspector or by trade evidence than by analysis in a chemical laboratory. Examples particularly in my mind were the substitution of haddock for hake, witches for lemon soles, sheep's liver for calves' liver, the sale of foreign produce as home‐grown, the sale of apples, plums and other fruit of different kinds from those under whose names they were sold, the sale of margarine for butter when the facts were admitted by the vendor, the improper description of wines which could better be proved by skilled tasters than by analysts, and, of course, though to a minor extent, the inclusion of foreign bodies such as those mentioned above. I had always felt that the public needed vastly better protection than could be given by chemical analysis alone, and that the scope of the Act was quite unduly restricted. But I do not pretend that I anticipated such a spate of prosecutions in respect of the accidental and careless admission of foreign bodies in loaves and the rest. One evident cause for this is that the public, through their association with the local Food Office, have become enforcement conscious. In the old days a normal purchaser of a loaf containing a piece of wood did not dream of taking more drastic action than remonstrating with the baker. Now, everyone's first instinct is to repair to the Food Office or the Town Hall with official complaint. Now that I am on the shelf and no longer concerned either with enforcing the Food and Drugs Act or with defending those charged with offences, I find it interesting to contrast present‐day practice with that of forty odd years ago.
Olatunji David Adekoya, Chima Mordi, Hakeem Adeniyi Ajonbadi and Weifeng Chen
This paper aims to explore the implications of algorithmic management on careers and employment relationships in the Nigerian gig economy. Specifically, drawing on labour process…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the implications of algorithmic management on careers and employment relationships in the Nigerian gig economy. Specifically, drawing on labour process theory (LPT), this study provides an understanding of the production relations beyond the “traditional standard” to “nonstandard” forms of employment in a gig economy mediated by digital platforms or digital forms of work, especially on ride-hailing platforms (Uber and Bolt).
Design/methodology/approach
This study adopted the interpretive qualitative approach and a semi-structured interview of 49 participants, including 46 platform drivers and 3 platform managers from Uber and Bolt.
Findings
This study addresses the theoretical underpinnings of the LPT as it relates to algorithmic management and control in the digital platform economy. The study revealed that, despite the ultra-precarious working conditions and persistent uncertainty in employment relations under algorithmic management, the underlying key factors that motivate workers to engage in digital platform work include higher job flexibility and autonomy, as well as having a source of income. This study captured the human-digital interface and labour processes related to digital platform work in Nigeria. Findings of this study also revealed that algorithmic management enables a transactional exchange between platform providers and drivers, while relational exchanges occur between drivers and customers/passengers. Finally, this study highlighted the perceived impact of algorithmic management on the attitude and performance of workers.
Originality/value
The research presents an interesting case study to investigate the influence of algorithmic management and labour processes on employment relationships in the largest emerging economy in Africa.
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Ruhizan Liza Ahmad Shauri and Kenzo Nonami
The purpose of this paper is to propose an assembly robot that exhibits specific human‐like skills, with minimal structural cost and a number of external sensors.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to propose an assembly robot that exhibits specific human‐like skills, with minimal structural cost and a number of external sensors.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors have employed vision processing using multiple cameras to determine targets and postures and propose strategies to determine the pose of a target and to prevent collisions between the fingers and obstacles in an environment with mixed objects. Furthermore, a dynamic trajectory planner integrates the vision and force sensors of the robot hand for the assigned task.
Findings
The authors obtained satisfactory experimental results for autonomous real‐time grasping and screwing. The results verified the capability of the robot for handling small objects.
Research limitations/implications
More effective robotic manipulation requires a higher degree of target orientation data, which will be a future study of this research.
Practical implications
Practicality has been established through results, indicating the capability of the robot to implement human‐like skilled manipulation of small objects. This can potentially reduce the high labor cost associated with the small‐scale manufacture of custom‐made products.
Originality/value
Screwing of nuts of minimum M2 size (diameter, 4.6 mm) and M8‐M10 bolts (head diameter, 15‐19.6 mm; length, 50‐80 mm) by cooperating two seven‐link arm manipulators and three‐fingered hands shows the robot's capability to manipulate small objects.
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Magnus Bolt Kjer, Venkata Karthik Nadimpalli, Christian Leslie Budden and David Bue Pedersen
Conventional powder bed fusion systems, with their high costs, proprietary nature and restrictive fees, limit research opportunities. This study aims to unveil an affordable…
Abstract
Purpose
Conventional powder bed fusion systems, with their high costs, proprietary nature and restrictive fees, limit research opportunities. This study aims to unveil an affordable, open-source hardware, open-source software laser-based metal powder bed fusion system. Recognizing the distinction between DIY and open-source hardware is crucial for widespread acceptance.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors present a comprehensive system architecture using object process methodology for functions and architecture, a design structure matrix to model system dependencies and classical technical drawing exploded views for select subsystems. Modularization enables high adaptability, fostering potential adoption.
Findings
The fully open system enables unrestricted research, mirroring common industrial metal laser-based powder bed fusion (L-PBF) systems. While “open” systems are available for purchase, they remain closed-source, lacking source code and technical drawings sharing, hindering contribution and co-development. The authors’ is the pioneering and sole open-source metal L-PBF system, boasting 1,500+ print hours. A series of industrial and academic adopters are currently implementing the system.
Originality/value
The open system, slicer software and controller offer unique process control, supporting multimaterial printing. The authors shared the design on the OpenAM GitHub page under the CERN-OHL-P v2 Open Source Hardware license. While it is functional for additive manufacturing (e.g. aluminum, tool steel, titanium and stainless steel), the entire process chain is actively evolving, ideal for co-development with the additive manufacturing community.