The Bangladesh government officially recognised hijras as members of a distinct gender category in 2013. Historically, hijras have been stigmatised and socially marginalised, while male same-sex sexual practice remains criminalised under enduring British colonial law (penal code, section 377). Employing a constructivist methodology, this study uses qualitative research methods including in-depth interviews and focus groups to explore the impacts and effects of the state’s recognition in the daily lives of hijras in the peripheral city of Rajshahi. In addition to local hijra participants, the research includes stakeholders from government and non-government sectors and civil society as key informants. Drawing on the work of Nancy Fraser and Alex Honneth on recognition and recognition infrastructure, as well as postcolonial critiques of NGO-ization and Western discourses on human rights and identity, the project presents a critical account of the impact and limits of state recognition processes. These data demonstrate that hijra continue to experience misrecognition and mistreatment despite their legal status. Hijra participants described traditional forms of kinship and livelihood connected to hijra community and identity as incompatible with ‘new’ forms of subjectivity fostered by political recognition. Newly formed Community-based Organizations align their activities with the agendas of external actors, such as NGOs and the state. These actors deploy neoliberal political ideologies to frame independence and self-sufficiency as essential to dignity and self- esteem. Hijras unable to embody these new social values described ongoing intersectional experiences of stigma and discrimination, and increased market vulnerability due to the unsustainability of traditional hijragiri practices and forms of kinship. ‘New’ forms of hijra identity connected to education and employment opportunities involved moderation of hijra identity filtered through Western discourses on transgender diversity and rights. Despite formal legal status, assumptions about biological difference operate to deny greater autonomy and security for many hijras, while simultaneously stabilising conventional heteronormative religious and cultural values. The illusive and paradoxical nature of recognition exacerbates systemic inequalities and injustice experienced by hijras whose lives continue to be characterised by stigma and economic precarity. This thesis illustrates the complex and contradictory effects of political recognition processes for traditional gender minority subjects in Global South contexts.

In recent years, reducing crude protein (CP) in poultry diets has gained considerable attention as a strategy to lower feed costs and mitigate environmental impacts. Escalating prices of protein-rich ingredients, particularly soybean meal, have intensified the need for alternative feeding approaches, leading to renewed interest in reduced protein (RP) diets in modern egg production systems. Reduced protein diets are defined by a reduction in dietary CP while maintaining essential amino acids (AA) levels, primarily through partial replacement of soybean meal with crystalline AA. The effectiveness of RP diets depends on precise formulation, particularly the inclusion of essential AA such as arginine (Arg), which is critical for laying hens. Beyond AA supplementation, nutrient digestibility is a critical determinant of the efficiency of RP diets. Exogenous enzymes, particularly phytase, are widely used to enhance nutrient availability and AA utilisation, although much of the supporting evidence is derived from broiler studies. Similarly, carbohydrase enzymes, including xylanase and β-glucanase (XB), are incorporated into wheat-based diets to degrade nonstarch polysaccharides (NSP), thereby improving nutrient utilisation and gut health. However, their efficacy in laying hens remains inconsistent, highlighting the need for further investigation under RP feeding conditions.

To address these knowledge gaps, this thesis explores these areas over a general introduction (Chapter 1), a literature review (Chapter 2), and a series of three trials, comprising chapters 3, 4, and 5, and finally, a general conclusion (Chapter 6). Chapter 3 investigated the optimal inclusion levels of phytase and XB in RP diets for hens during the post-peak laying phase from 35 to 57 weeks of age. The study included eight dietary treatments comprising two CP levels (standard protein [SP; 16.5% CP] and RP [14.5% CP]), two phytase inclusion levels (60 and 120 g/ton, equivalent to 600 and 1,200 FTU/kg, respectively), and two XB inclusion levels (100 g/ton, providing 1,220 U/kg xylanase and 152 U/kg β-glucanase; and 150 g/ton, providing 1,830 U/kg xylanase and 228 U/kg β-glucanase). The results of the study in chapter 3 demonstrated significant improvements in apparent energy digestibility (P = 0.003) and protein digestibility (P = 0.013), along with a marked reduction in protein excretion (P < 0.001), indicating enhanced nutrient utilisation and reduced environmental impact.

Building on these findings, Chapter 4 examined the role of functional Arg sources in RP diets for older laying hens from 60 to 75 weeks of age. Eight dietary treatments were evaluated, including SP (15.8% CP), RP (13.8% CP), and six groups of RP diets supplemented with two inclusion levels (0.06% and 0.12%) of Arg, guanidinoacetic acid (GAA), or citrulline (Cit). The results of the study in chapter 4 showed that a moderate CP reduction of two percentage points, combined with higher Cit supplementation (0.12%), improved egg mass, egg weight, yolk weight, and bone strength, highlighting the importance of Cit supplements in maintaining performance under RP conditions. Finally, Chapter 5 focused on optimising AA balance and energy to protein ratios in RP diets. Nine dietary treatments were evaluated, consisting of three CP levels (17%, 15.5%, and 14%) and three dietary energy levels (90%, 95%, and 100% of the recommended apparent metabolizable energy (AME), corresponding to 2453, 2589, and 2725 kcal/kg, respectively). The results of the study in chapter 5 found that reducing CP from 17% to 15.5% while maintaining 100% AME improved feed efficiency and preserved egg quality in hens between 20 and 35 weeks of age. Collectively, these studies explored three important aspects of challenges within RP diets and determined the effects of enzyme supplementation, supplemental arginine alternatives, and optimal energy to protein ratios. This holistic strategy offers a practical pathway to maintain productivity while improving nutrient efficiency and decreasing nitrogen excretion, thereby potentially reducing the environmental footprint of egg production.

As cost-of-living pressures increase and the rental crisis worsens, many families are moving houses more often.

New research, published by the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute last month, shows children growing up in rental properties move houses every 2.3 years on average.

In Australia, more than 30% of households rent properties.

Moving houses can be a stressful time at any age. But it can be particularly difficult for kids during early childhood and primary school years.

Angkorian stoneware ceramics were a portable repertoire of Angkorian imperial culture –alongside temples, statuary, inscriptions, roads, reservoirs, and ritual practices. They are uniquely informative for studying imperial integration: they are both ubiquitous within the Angkorian empire’s cultural footprint (9th–15th centuries CE), and traceable to well-documented kiln complexes in Cambodia and northeast Thailand. Complementing epigraphic and architectural evidence, this study uses Neutron Activation Analysis to match 184 provincial sherds from Thala Borivat (Stung Treng) and Sambor (Kratie) to established kiln-reference groups, using provenance as an archaeological proxy for connectivity, corridor use, and uneven provincial access. Results show contrasting distributions: Sambor is dominated by gray and white wares from Angkor and Cheung Ek, consistent with downstream Mekong corridors, whereas Thala Borivat shows stronger inputs from Angkor and northeast Thailand, consistent with overland-to-river transshipment. These corridor-structured contrasts point to state-assisted distribution through multiple routes of imperial infrastructures, alongside locally mediated consumption and differentiation in wealth and ritual/political status among regional centers.