Table Grapes: There Is More to Vitiviniculture than Wine…

Table grapes are fruits intended for fresh human consumption due to their sensory attributes and nutritional value. The objective of this chapter is to review the existing knowledge about table grapes, including a description of different varieties, with particular emphasis on the new highly appreciated seedless varieties. Following an introductory note on the world distribution and production of table grapes, also considering the impact of climate change, selected varieties of table grapes will be characterized in terms of their physiology, postharvest features, and consumer preferences. A morphological description of each variety, with emphasis on grape skin, grape rachis and grape cluster will be included. A final note on the drying of table grapes into raisins, and the most appropriate varieties for drying, will be given. The major changes occurring throughout the growth, development, and ripening phases of table grapes production will be discussed, regarding both physical (skin color and skin and pulp texture) and chemical (phenolic compounds, sugar content and acidity) parameters, as well as growth regulators.

CROWDFUNDING AS AN ALTERNATIVE FINANCING FOR SMES AND START-UPS IN MALAYSIA: AN INTRODUCTORY NOTE FROM THE LEGAL PERSPECTIVE

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups have consistently contributed to a country’s tax revenue, technology advancement, and innovation, job creation as well as economic outputs. However, they are facing great challenges or setbacks in securing funding from external sources. To overcome the fundraising issues or financing lacuna, many entrepreneurs have resorted to crowdfunding as an alternative source of their equity or debt financing. Crowdfunding, being a significant aspect of the recent fintech innovation and digital disruption, has been put under the spotlight and received high expectations from all stakeholders to be an effective solution to SMEs and start-ups. This article would be focusing on crowdfunding with financial returns, namely, equity crowdfunding (ECF) and crowdlending/peer-to-peer lending (P2P). The research methodology employed by this article is primarily based on the literature review of various legislations, scholarly articles, research papers, government policies, books, and other publications concerning the ECF and P2P from different disciplines. At the end of this article, the author opined that crowdfunding could be a useful alternative financing method for SMEs and start-ups in Malaysia as it helps the capital formation and bridges the financing gaps for them. Countless benefits could also be offered to the society and economy at large with the proper crowdfunding regulations in place. Upon reviewing the Guidelines on Recognised Markets issued by the Securities Commission Malaysia (Guidelines), the author argues that the Guidelines is a carefully crafted and balanced regulation, albeit there is room for improvement.

Integrative taxonomy reveals a new species of Leptobrachella (Anura: Megophryidae) from the mountains of northern Thailand

The genus Leptobrachella is one of the most speciose and taxonomically troubling groups of Asian anurans. Herein, we describe a new species of Leptobrachella from Doi Inthanon, Chiang Mai Province, Thailand based on the integration of morphological, acoustic and molecular data. The new species, Leptobrachella murphyi sp. nov., is morphologically distinguished from its congeners on the basis of body size, dorsal skin texture and coloration, ventral coloration and pattern, degree of webbing and fringing on the fingers and toes, iris coloration in life, pattern of markings on flanks and pattern of body macroglands. It also differs from its phylogenetically close congeners by an uncorrected p-distance of >9.6% for a fragment of 16S rRNA. The advertisement call of the new species consists of 4.5–4.7 kHz (at 15 °C) and without a distinct introductory note. Leptobrachella murphyi sp. nov. likely occurs across the Thanon Thong Chai Range and analyses provide evidence of unknown biodiversity and species composition on Doi (mountain) Inthanon. In addition, the congeneric species L. minima was also confirmed in Doi Inthanon. The coexistence pattern of Leptobrachella in Doi Inthanon deserves further study. As Thailand’s highest mountain and biodiversity reservoir, the need for further biological exploration is urgent given ongoing habitat loss and degradation.

Introductory Note

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Views adopted by the Committee under article 5(4) of the Optional Protocol, concerning A.S., D.I., O.I., and G.D. V. Italy, Communication No. 3042/2017 (U.N. Hum. Rts. COMM.)

On January 27, 2021, the United Nations Human Rights Committee (HRC or Committee) published two separate decisions in response to communications brought against Malta and Italy. Both decisions concerned the same incident, which occurred on October 11, 2013, where over 200 migrants drowned in a shipwreck in the Mediterranean. The first complaint brought against Malta was dismissed by the Committee on procedural grounds. In the second case, A.S., D.I., O.I. and G.D. v. Italy, the HRC found that Italy had failed to protect the right to life of the migrants under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). This introductory note discusses the significance of the Committee's findings in this decision and its ramifications with respect to the protection of human rights at sea.

The Sixteenth Abercrombie Lecture 2019: an introductory note

The Sixteenth Abercrombie Lecture took place at the University of Liverpool on 2 September 2019. Here, Peter Batey, Emeritus Professor of Planning at Liverpool and a former editor of Town Planning Review, briefly introduces the Abercrombie Lecture series and the speaker, Professor Bruce Stiftel.