Economic property and the theorisation of ground rent

The theory of capitalist ground rent that Marx develops in CapitalVol. III is customarily regarded as either unproblematic, or susceptible to technical improvements. This paper argues that there are profound difficulties in Marx's theorization of ground rent and the relation of landed property to capitalist production in agriculture, and draws attention to the concepts of 'property' and 'commodity' that Marx deploys. The persistence of a philosophical anthropology in the later works of Marx emerges clearly in the deficiencies of these concepts when used in the analysis of capitalist agricultural production.     

Monitoring deliberate self-harm presentations to general hospitals

Monitoring of deliberate self-harm (DSH) presentations to hospitals (and in other settings) is receiving increased attention in many countries. This is due to greater recognition of the size of the problem and awareness of its relevance to suicide prevention policy initiatives, because of the strong association between DSH and suicide. A system for monitoring all DSH presentations has been in place in the general hospital in Oxford for 30 years. Based on our experience, in this paper we describe procedures for monitoring, including case definition and identification, linkage of persons and episodes in order to investigate repetition of DSH and other outcomes (including deaths), and data protection and ethical issues. We also provide details of how to carry out monitoring, including different models of data collection, and what data to collect. Finally we consider the potential uses of the data for both clinical and research purposes, including evaluation of national suicide prevention initiatives.     

Identification of human skeletal remains by comparison of bony details of the cranium using computerized tomographic (CT) scans

A case is described where a cranium from an unknown individual is identified by comparison of antemortem and postmortem computerized tomographic (CT) images of the bony structure of the skull. While on at least one occasion CT scans of individual cranial landmarks have been used to identify unknown remains, this study is remarkable because positive identification of a deceased individual was accomplished by performing a CT scan on an unidentified cranium and comparing multiple landmarks and images with corresponding features in an antemortem CT scan of a missing man. Bony details of the frontal and sphenoid sinuses, ethmoid and mastoid air cells, sagittal cranial suture, and the torcula (the internal occipital protuberance) were exactly the same on both CT scans, confirming them as the same person.