The jurisprudence of elimination: starvation and force-feeding of Palestinians in Israel's highest court

This paper assesses the functioning of law and legal institutions in Palestine/Israel through the lens of settler colonialism by analysing two thematically interconnected decisions issued by the Supreme Court of Israel, the first involving the starvation of besieged Palestinian civilians and the second involving the force-feeding of Palestinian prisoners. Following a discussion regarding the role of law in settler colonialism, it proceeds to argue that the Court enabled, legitimised and legalised state-sanctioned violence that targeted the native Palestinian population by and through a jurisprudence of elimination in order to facilitate the attainment of Israeli settler-colonial objectives. By so doing, the paper provides further evidence in support of the appropriateness of settler colonialism as a theoretical framework for the case of Israel, including in legal matters.

Anti-termite activities of Indonesia’s essential oils against invasive drywood termite for wood product protection

The Indo-Malayan drywood termite, Cryptotermes cynocephalus (Light) (Kalotermitidae), is considered one of the most invasive drywood termites in the Southeast Asian region. Once infesting a timber, the colony of a drywood termite is very difficult to be controlled. Thus, the best way to mitigate a new infestation of a drywood termite is by applying chemical protection on wood. In recent years, particular attention has been given by researchers to develop and use organic termiticides, such as essential oils extracted from plants as active ingredients. The objective of the present study is to evaluate the repellency performance of several economically important essential oils from Indonesia, such as Clove (Eugenia caryophyllata), Cubeb Pepper (Piper cubeba L), and Lemon Grass (Cymbopogon winterianus Jowitt) against a drywood termite, C. cynocephalus. The test was performed by subjecting various concentrations of essential oil toward C. cynocephalus in the force-feeding test method. Sample weight-loss was evaluated after two weeks test. The results suggested that Clove oil has the highest repellence performance against C. cynocephalus, followed by Lemon Grass and Cubeb Pepper oils. The Termite mortality rate was also recorded to understand the toxicity performance of those essential oils.

Introduction

“Can military medicine be ethical?” is one question that may puzzle readers whose knowledge of medical ethics since 9/11 is colored by the prisons of Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay. To address these and other challenges, Military Medical Ethics in Contemporary Armed Conflict explores controversial topics that include preferential care for compatriot warfighters, force feeding detainees, weaponizing medicine to wage war, medical experimentation, and neural enhancement for warfighters. Less controversial but no less compelling concerns direct our attention to postwar justice: the duty to rebuild war-torn nations and the obligation to care for war-torn veterans.

Detainees and Prisoners of War

International humanitarian law requires equal care for detainees. Following disclosures of abuse at Abu Ghraib, Iraq, multinational forces sought to provide detainees with relatively high standards of care. One result was to cause resentment among host-nation allies who suffered inferior care at local facilities. Abu Ghraib also triggered an intense public debate about the role of medical professionals in enhanced interrogation. Ultimately, the American government declined to prosecute service personnel because enhanced interrogation was not manifestly unlawful. There were, therefore, no grounds for any military officer, or any person of ordinary sense and understanding, to refuse orders to participate in interrogation sessions. Force feeding animates a similar debate about detainee rights. Opposition to force feeding invokes patient self-determination. Arguments supporting force feeding question an inmate’s ability to freely refuse food, affirm the state’s duty to preserve life, and recognize that captured combatants forfeit their right to strike.

Pengukuran Kecernaan Protein dan Energi Metabolis pada Perebusan Biji Alpukat Sebagai Bahan Pakan Alternatif Campuran Ransum Ayam Broiler

Tujuan riset untuk mengetahui nilai kecernaan protein dan energi metabolis pada perebusan biji alpukat sebagai bahan pakan alternatif campuran ransum ayam broiler. Ternak percobaan yang digunakan yakni ayam broiler sebanyak 30 ekor umur 35 hari dengan bobot badan 1.505,12±10,50 g. Bahan dan alat yang digunakan meliputi biji alpukat, penampung ekskreta, HCl 0,2 N dan alat force feeding. Rancangan percobaan memakai Uji T-tes, disetiap perlakuan berisi 15 ekor. Perlakuan yang diujicoba diantaranya tepung biji alpukat tanpa perebusan (P0) dan tepung biji alpukat dengan perebusan 60 menit (P1). Variabel yang diamati yakni kecernaan protein dan energy metabolis murni. Data diolah menggunakan uji t-tes pada taraf 5%. Berdasar uji t-tes menunjukkan bahwa penggunaan tepung biji alpukat secara tunggal dengan perebusan selama 60 menit berpengaruh nyata (p<0,05) terhadap kecernaan protein serta energi metabolis murni pada ayam broiler. Kesimpulan yakni tepung biji alpukat yang direbus selama 60 menit (P1) yang diberikan secara force feeding mampu meningkatkan kecernaan protein dan energi metabolis murni dan dapat menjadi bahan pakan alternatif sebagai campuran ransum ayam broiler.

Toxic Effects of Fumonisins, Deoxynivalenol and Zearalenone Alone and in Combination in Ducks Fed the Maximum EUTolerated Level

Toxic effects among fumonisins B (FB), deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEN) administered alone and combined were investigated in 84-day-old ducks during force-feeding. 75 male ducks, divided into five groups of 15 animals, received daily during the meal a capsule containing the desired among of toxin. Treated animals received dietary levels of toxins equivalent to 20 mg FB1+FB2/kg (FB), 5 mg DON/kg (DON), 0.5 mg ZEN/kg (ZEN) and 20, 5 and 0.5 mg/kg of FB, DON and ZEN (FBDONZEN), respectively. Control birds received capsules with no toxin. After 12 days, a decrease in body weight gain accompanied by an increase in the feed conversion ratio was observed in ducks exposed to FBDONZEN, whereas there was no effect on performances in ducks exposed to FB, DON and ZEN separately. No difference among groups was observed in relative organ weight, biochemistry, histopathology and several variables used to measure oxidative damage and testicular function. A sphinganine to sphingosine ratio of 0.32, 1.19 and 1.04, was measured in liver in controls and in ducks exposed to FB and FBDONZEN, respectively. Concentrations of FB1 in liver were 13.34 and 15.4 ng/g in ducks exposed to FB and FBDONZEN, respectively. Together ZEN and its metabolites were measured after enzymatic hydrolysis of the conjugated forms. Mean concentrations of α-zearalenol in liver were 0.82 and 0.54 ng/g in ducks exposed to ZEN and FBDONZEN, respectively. β-zearalenol was 2.3-fold less abundant than α-zearalenol, whereas ZEN was only found in trace amounts. In conclusion, this study suggests that decreased performance may occur in ducks exposed to a combination of FB, DON and ZEN, but does not reveal any other interaction between mycotoxins in any of the other variables measured.

Die Grundrechtskollision

When fundamental rights collide, the State can be precluded from fully meeting the usual requirements of the human rights order and find itself forced to severely restrict some of the rights involved. The analysis of legal and ethical theory as well as of specific cases (e.g. shooting down of civil airplanes; “rescue torture”; force-feeding a prisoner on a hunger strike) lead the author to a decidedly consequentialist understanding of fundamental rights. The work ends with a critical discussion of reasons and criteria to be taken into account when looking for the best (i.e. least bad) resolution of conflicts of fundamental rights. (Areas: Theories of justice, dogmatics of fundamental rights, legal theory.)