bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Demographic Differences in Protean Career Behavior: A Study of a High Demographic Inequality Labor Market
Authors: Abdalla Ikhlas A. , Al Homoud Moudi A. , Muhammad Ali A.
Published: July 2019

The protean career concept is dominating recent career research. Demographic groups are postulated to differ on protean career behavior with implications for career development, social equity and management of an increasingly diversified workforce. The purpose of this paper is to explore the unique contributions of employees’ gender, nationality, sector and age in the deployment of career advancement strategies in the high demographic inequality labor market of Kuwait. This is one of the few studies with an exclusive focus on demographic differences in protean behavior. Most protean career research treats demographic difference as an ancillary focus, even though demographic differences are part of the foundation of psychological sciences. The study utilized a set of questionnaires on a sample of 908 highly educated young employees working in Kuwait. Primary findings are that there are greater demographic differences in protean career in Kuwait than in the West. Men, Kuwaitis, private sector and younger employees deploy significantly more career advancement strategies and have stronger strategy orientations than women, self-initiated expatriates (SIEs), civil servants and older employees. The results are attributed to contextual inequalities in opportunities because they echo the Kuwaiti segmented labor market by gender, nationality and sector. They also reveal that women’s and SIEs’ proactive career histories have not been sustained in the Kuwaiti workplace. These demographic differences in protean behavior suggest that the potential benefits of this behavior are limited to members of particular groups, and any intervention strategies to support career development may, therefore, benefit a large portion of the workforce that is impacted by the inequalities. The originality and value of this study stems from addressing four literature gaps. Specifically, it examines the understudied protean behavior as most studies have focused on attitudes. It centers on demographic differences in protean career behavior, utilizes native and SIE samples working in high inequality non-Western context.
Vertical and Shared Leadership as Predictors of Team Effectiveness: Insights from Healthcare Sector in a Developing Country
Authors: Perano Mirko , Hysa Xhimi , Durmishi Drinalda , Della Piana Bice
Published: July 2019

Team effectiveness is the result of teamwork, with teams scoring high in job performance, job satisfaction, and team viability. In healthcare, teamwork is decisive for the well-being of patients and their satisfaction. Among the scholars, there is an ongoing debate about the best leadership approach to maximize team effectiveness. In this paper, we start from the seminal work of Pearce & Sims (2002) that investigates vertical versus shared leadership as predictors of the effectiveness. Team effectiveness has been analyzed according the constructs of team processes and performance. The vertical/shared leadership have been analyzed from their main constructs: vertical/shared transactional leadership, vertical/shared transformational leadership, and vertical/shared empowering leadership. Differently from Pearce & Sims (2002), this study was conducted in the healthcare sector of a developing country. Data was collected from a questionnaire distributed to 17 public and private healthcare teams as assessed from two sources: team leaders and team members. The sample was composed of 138 participants from the healthcare personnel, distributed in 17 diverse teams. From literature six hypotheses has been developed and descriptive and inferential statistics are also provided. Team effectiveness was found to be significantly predicted by both vertical leadership and shared leadership. The shared leadership was found to be significant predictor of team effectiveness in all its three constructs (transactional, transformational, and empowering shared leadership), whereas the vertical leadership was found to be significant predictor of team effectiveness in only two constructs (transformational and empowering vertical leadership). Theoretical and practical implications for managers in healthcare sector are also provided.
Nexus between Social Capital and Firm Performance: A Critical Literature Review and Research Agenda
Authors: Kanini Kaberia S. , Muathe Stephen M. A.
Published: July 2019

Given the importance of social capital in entrepreneurial success and growth, understanding how it can be exploited for optimal performance of the venture becomes critical. While the Government of Kenya, in recognition of the importance of entrepreneurial ventures in driving the economy, has put in both structural and affirmative measures towards enhancement of social capital and support for entrepreneurs, performance of these businesses still remains significantly low. The objectives of this study were to discuss the key constructs, variables and perspectives underlying the conceptualization of social capital and performance, and the arising controversies. Additionally, the study sought to discuss key methodological issues emerging from existing empirical studies, highlight critical knowledge gaps emanating from critical review of the literature and suggest a robust conceptual framework to guide a further study that would address the highlighted knowledge gaps. This study is anchored on the social capital theory which strongly considers social capital as an essential form of capital; one that no business can ignore and expect to survive or thrive. Other supporting theories include the contingency theory, economic theory, anthropological theory and innovation theories. Among the major gaps identified by this study include methodological gaps; most studies reviewed used descriptive design which is known to be the weakest in establishing cause and effect relationships. Some of the studies had very small sample sizes, known to potentially increase errors. Other gaps include contextual gaps; most of the studies considered established businesses where operations tend to be more standardized and innovation is adequately funded, unlike the low income areas where resources are often limited. Conceptual gaps were identified among studies that used direct relationships. For a broader and deeper appreciation of the relationship between social capital and performance, this study recommends conceptualization of a future study whereby the mediating effect of innovation and the moderating effect of operating business environment are considered, preferably within a low income area with less established / informal businesses within the service sector.
Performance Appraisal and Employee Development in the University of Education, Winneba, Ghana
Authors: Segbenya Moses , Osei Bonsu Ernest
Published: July 2019

The study examined performance appraisal (PA) and employee development in the University of Education, Winneba. The concurrent triangulation strategy or design from the pragmatic perspective was adopted for the study. A multi-stage sampling technique such as simple random, stratified and purposive sampling techniques were used to sample of 159 from a population of 271 (comprising 61 senior members and 210 senior staff) administrative staff of the University of Education, Winneba. Data collection instruments were questionnaire and unstructured interview guide. Quantitative data was analysed with frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations, and Pearson correlation matrix. Pattern matching was used to present the qualitative data after coding and thematic analysis. The study found that administrative staff of the University were not satisfied with the present ranking PA method or system in vogue. Respondents strongly endorsed the need for 360-degree feedback PA system because it provides feedback from multiple sources and had a statistically positive significant relationship with employee development and performance. It was recommended that the management of the division of the human resource of the university should gradually phase out the existing performance appraisal system and introduce the 360-degree feedback performance appraisal system.
The Concept of Slack and the Comprehensive Opportunity and Lost Opportunity Control Model
Authors: Nishimura Akira
Published: July 2019

Enterprise slack, defined as undistributed profit and earned surplus, is a key factor to consider when developing enterprise strategy based on opportunity and risk management. Slack also provides an unrestricted, but indispensable, financial resource for firms to carry out improvement and innovation, exploitation and exploration, and financial activities according to their strategy. In the comprehensive opportunity and lost opportunity control model previously developed by the author (Nishimura, 2015; 2016), slack fulfills its function effectively. Therefore, to make the model more practicable and functional, this paper will examine the substance and functions of slack more definitely by analyzing financial slack and its relationship with business strategy in five innovative manufacturing companies in Japan.
Performance Appraisal of Asset Management Companies in Bangladesh
Authors: Mallik Avijit , Niamatullah Saad , Saha Swarup
Published: July 2019

Mutual funds are a type of collective investment scheme where a large number of small investors pool their savings together and entrust it to an asset manager, who manages the capital to maximize returns in exchange for a management fee. While mutual funds and other collective investment schemes are popular in developed markets, with assets under management (AUM) to GDP ratio of 62% globally, they are yet to gain popularity in Bangladesh, where AUM-to-GDP ratio stands at only 0.53%. However, mutual funds and asset management companies have been growing at high rates, with 37 closed-end and 42 open-end funds now in operation, and there is enormous potential for growth in the mutual fund industry in Bangladesh. Since mutual funds are a new product in the Bangladeshi market, a detailed study was performed in order to distinguish skilled asset managers from unskilled asset managers. In this study, “skill” has been defined as the ability to beat the broad-market DSEX index on after-fee basis, with the underlying logic that managers - all of whom charge a management fee - should at least be able to beat a passive investment in the broad DSEX. For purposes of the study, the weekly NAV at market value was of 76 mutual funds managed by 16 asset management companies (AMCs) were collected. The weekly returns for the DSEX and each fund under consideration were calculated separately. Four well-known measures were used to rank each mutual fund utilizing the weekly returns. The measures were Jensen’s Alpha, the Sharpe Ratio, the Treynor Ratio and the Modigliani M2 Alpha ratio. For AMCs managing multiple funds, the measures were asset-weighted to calculate the measure for the AMC as a whole. Our findings illustrated that only 5 out of 16 AMCs managed to beat the DSEX index and earn an alpha over the benchmark. Our findings were in line with academic consensus which states that active management is a zero-sum game and that the majority of actively managed funds will underperform the index on an after-fee basis. Our recommendation is for AMCs to introduce passively-managed index funds which will at least keep up with the market return and minimize fees and trading costs.
The Impact of Governance on Economic Growth and Human Development During Crisis in Middle East and North Africa
Authors: Hashem Eman
Published: July 2019

The aim of this paper is to determine the impact of governance on economic growth and human development in MENA countries. And whether the financial crisis affects the relationship between governance and Economic growth.

So, this paper is based on data of 20 countries during the period (1996-2017) we used panel data (longitudinal data) which combines cross sectional data and time series data by applying the three longitudinal data model: pooled regression model, fixed effect model and random effect model.

This paper found that there is no relationship between governance and economic growth in MENA countries and no impact of the global financial crisis in 2008 on the relationship between governance and economic growth.

Also, the paper found that there is a significant relationship between governance and human development.
The Rome Statute Complementarity Principle and the Creation of the African Court of Justice and Human and Peoples’ Rights
Authors: Adigun Muyiwa
Published: July 2019

The Rome Statute Complementarity Principle and the Creation of the African Court of Justice and Human and Peoples’ Rights

The Rome Statute places the responsibility of prosecuting crimes recognized under the Statute on state parties and the International Criminal Court (ICC) and will only intervene when such states are unwilling or unable. This is called the principle of complementarity. Thus, African state parties to the Statute are expected to prosecute crimes recognized under the Statute. However, these African state parties and their counterparts who are not parties have decided to create the African Court of Justice and Human and Peoples’ Rights, which, like the ICC, will prosecute the crimes recognized under the Rome Statute if they are unwilling and unable. This study therefore examines the question of whether the creation of the African Court of Justice and Human and Peoples’ Rights is compatible with the obligation of the African state parties under the Rome Statute to prosecute. The study argues that the creation of the Court can be reconciled with the obligation to prosecute under the Rome Statute if the African Union, of which the Court is its judicial organ, is considered to be the agent of the African state parties, which invariably implies that the African state parties are the ones carrying out the prosecution as principals.
Preparation of Validation Materials for Estimating Gluten Recovery by ELISA According to SMPR 2017.021
Authors: Wehling Paul , Scherf Katharina Anne
Published: July 2019

Background: In September 2017, the AOAC INTERNATIONAL Stakeholder Panel for Alternative Methods adopted Standard Method Performance Requirement (SMPR®) 2017.021, “Quantitation of Wheat, Rye, and Barley Gluten in Oats,” as guidance for the validation of methods for measuring gluten in oat products. The SMPR requires prospective methods to demonstrate adequate recovery (50–200%) based on the analysis of a set of reference samples. Objective: This document provides specific methods and data on the preparation of such validation materials and their analysis by an R5 ELISA kit to demonstrate the SMPR recovery estimation procedure. Methods: Seven reference samples were made by spiking wheat, rye, and barley into gluten-free oat flour at two levels, 10 and 20 mg/kg. The levels of gluten were determined by a wet chemical method based on the Codex Alimentarius definition of gluten. Results: The recoveries for wheat, rye, and barley were 122, 425, and 349%, respectively, for the R5 ELISA kit. The wet chemical method for estimating gluten in a sample of pure grain demonstrated repeatability relative SDs ranging from 1.40 to 2.75%. Conclusions: The reference materials are suitable to estimate ELISA kit responses to wheat, rye, and barley and calculate recoveries. Highlights: A series of oat flours spiked with wheat, rye, and barley flours were developed to be used as reference materials. A wet chemical method was established to estimate gluten contents based on the Codex definition. The reference materials are available for purchase to support further method development and validation.
Forensic odontological examinations of alleged torture victims at the University of Copenhagen 1997-2011
Authors: Arge Sára O. , Hansen Steen Holger , Lynnerup Niels
Published: July 2019

Background: Clinical forensic examinations of alleged torture victims have been performed by forensic pathologists at the University of Copenhagen since 1995. In 13.2%/33 of these cases, the examinations were supplemented by a forensic odontological clinical examination. In this study, the forensic odontological cases from the years 1997-2011 are presented and discussed.

Methods: This study includes 33 reports from alleged torture victims (4 females, 29 males) who have been examined by a forensic odontologist at the Copenhagen School of Dentistry in the years 1997-2011. The material available consisted of copies of medical forensic reports and the forensic odontological reports including x-rays. Background data, anamnestic data and results of the forensic odontological clinical examinations were registered as well as the conclusion of the clinical examinations.

Findings: The forensic odontological clinical examinations were complicated by the presence of unspecific injuries and various degrees of active oral pathology. In 27 of the cases it was concluded that the findings were consistent with the alleged torture, in six of the cases the findings were concluded to be highly consistent with the alleged torture.
Symptoms, Quality of Life and level of functioning of traumatized refugees at Psychiatric Trauma Clinic in Copenhagen
Authors: Buhman Cæcilie , Mortensen Erik Lykke , Lundstrøm Stine , Ryberg Jasmina , Nordentoft Merete , Ekstrøm Morten
Published: July 2019

Objective: To characterize physical and mental health in trauma-exposed refugees by describing a population of patients with regard to background, mental health history, and current health problems; and to identify pre- and post-migratory predictors of mental health.

Method: All patients receiving treatment at the Psychiatric Trauma Clinic for Refugees in Copenhagen from April 2008 to February 2010 completed self-rating inventories on symptoms of PTSD, depression, and anxiety as well as level of functioning and quality of life before treatment. Then, associations of pre and post-migratory factors with mental health were explored using linear and logistic regression and Pearson’s correlation coefficients.

Results: Among the patients, the prevalence of depression, somatic disease, pain, psychotic symptoms co-existing with PTSD and very low level of functioning was high. Persecution, being an ex-combatant and living currently in social isolation were significantly associated with PTSD arousal symptoms and self-reported pain.

Conclusions: New treatment modalities should seek to address all of the symptoms and challenges of the patients including psychotic and somatic symptoms and social isolation, and studies of treatment effect should clarify all co-morbidities so that comparable populations can be included in treatment evaluation studies.
Military Medical Ethics for the 21st Century
Authors: Xenakis Stephen N.
Published: July 2019

Military Medical Ethics for the 21st Century covers the broad array of vexing issues arising with warfare in the modern era. The editors anchor this volume in their observation that the past two decades have seen a dramatic increase in asymmetric warfare.
Textbook of Global Mental Health: Trauma and Recovery. A companion guide for field and clinical care of traumatized people worldwide
Authors: Schaap Inke
Published: July 2019

The major aim of this book is to aid the work of those professionals struggling daily at the local level to restore the health and wellbeing of the millions of people whose lives are disrupted each year.
Smiling again after fifteen years of torture
Authors: Musaniwabo Charline
Published: July 2019

I am Charline Musaniwabo. I was born in 1976. My parents were farmers. I lived with them up to April 1994.

My life completely changed during the genocide, having been married forcibly and losing many of my family members. I was born into a family of nine children, four boys and five girls. Five siblings and both my parents died during the genocide. Four of us escaped. I did not get a chance to marry a man I loved, because I was taken by force in 1994 by a neighbour who raped and married me. I live with the three children I conceived with this man.
Sharing my problems soothed my headaches and took me out of loneliness
Authors: Uwimbabazi Berthilde
Published: July 2019

My name is Berthilde Uwimbabazi. I come from the Eastern Province, where I was born in 1960, one of 11 children of my farming parents. I married my husband in 1977. We had five children. When the genocide took place, it found us in Bugesera District. My parents, seven brothers and two of my sisters were all killed. Only one of my sisters and I escaped. However, I also lost my husband and four children. One child was killed by a neighbour. Of the children I had with my husband, I remained only with one – the one I carried on my back during the genocide. I also have another daughter as a result of the rape I experienced in 1998 and an adopted child.
Being patient provides peace
Authors: Veneranda Ntakwasa
Published: July 2019

When I was still young, my parents used to tell us how our family had been deported by the government from Ruhengeri to Nyamata in 1959, when massacres based on ethnic conflicts happened for the first time in Rwanda. My father also told us that the whole region of Bugesera had been a forest and that there were many animals there. Most of my relatives who had been forced into the forest by the government at that time died due to a sleeping sickness caused by tsetse flies. In 1965, six years after my family had been displaced and forced to live in what is currently known as Bugesera District, I was born.
Cognitive behavioral psychotherapeutic treatment at a psychiatric trauma clinic for refugees: description and evaluation
Authors: Buhmann Cæcilie , Andersen Ida , Mortensen Erik Lykke , Ryberg Jasmina , Nordentoft Merete , Ekstrøm Morten
Published: July 2019

Introduction: Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) with trauma focus is the most evidence supported psychotherapeutic treatment of PTSD, but few CBT treatments for traumatized refugees have been described in detail.

Purpose: To describe and evaluate a manualized cognitive behavioral therapy for traumatized refugees incorporating exposure therapy, mindfulness and acceptance, and commitment therapy.

Material and methods: 85 patients received six months’ treatment at a Copenhagen Trauma Clinic for Refugees and completed self-ratings before and after treatment. The treatment administered to each patient was monitored in detail. The changes in mental state and the treatment components associated with change in state were analyzed statistically.

Results: Despite the low level of functioning and high co-morbidity of patients, 42% received highly structured CBT, which was positively associated with all treatment outcomes. The more methods used and the more time each method was used, the better the outcome. The majority of patients were able to make homework assignments and this was associated with better treatment outcome. Correlation analysis showed no association between severity of symptoms at baseline and the observed change.

Conclusion: The study suggests that CBT treatment incorporating mindfulness and acceptance and commitment therapy is promising for traumatized refugees and punctures the myth that this group of patients are unable to participate fully in structured CBT. However, treatment methods must be adapted to the special needs of refugees and trauma exposure should be further investigated.
Mental health interventions and priorities for research for adult survivors of torture and systematic violence: a review of the literature
Authors: Weiss William M. , Uguento Ana M. , Mahmooth Zayan , Murray Laura K. , Hall Brian J. , Nadison Maya , Rasmussen Andrew , Lee Jennifer S. , Vazzano Andrea , Bass Judy , Bolton Paul
Published: July 2019

This research describes the development and findings of a literature review and analysis meant to inform the international torture and trauma treatment community. The review focuses on interventions that have been used among populations affected by torture, based on a review of journals indexed in commonly used search engines. Work on the review began in September 2008 and continued to be updated until March 2014. In total, 88 studies of interventions for torture victims were identified. Studies ranged from randomized controlled trials utilizing evidence-based treatments to case studies employing non-structured, supportive therapies. Based on the results of the analysis, we have included recommendations for interventions that demonstrate effectiveness in treating survivors of torture and other systematic violence who suffer from PTSD, depression, and anxiety.  Priorities for mental health research for survivors of torture and other systematic violence are also recommended.
Editorial
Authors: Hárdi Lilla
Published: July 2019

"It has been a pleasure assisting in the progressive process of the Torture Journal with so many valuable articles on several research areas from authors with exceptional knowledge on the rehabilitation work of torture survivors. It was heartening to see how authors collaborate and engage with the editorial and peer review process, that can often be critical of their work. As this is my last editorial, I have to say good-bye as the Editor in Chief, but wish the new incumbent all the best for the continuing development of the Torture Journal"

Lilla Hárdi, MD, Editor in Chief
Creating community life among immigrant survivors of torture and their allies
Authors: Bothne Nancy , Keys Christopher B.
Published: July 2019

This qualitative study describes how immigrant survivors of torture in the United States built relationships among each other to form a psychological sense of community. Eight men and seven women from 11 different countries were recruited through a torture treatment center and a survivor-led advocacy and support coalition. This qualitative study explored how participants described their experiences of community life. An advisory group that included torture survivors, torture treatment practitioners, abolition advocates, and academic experts guided the study. Data was analyzed using inductive and phenomenological theories. The construct of psychological sense of community articulated by McMillan and Chavis1 provided the conceptual framework for the evaluation of how a psychological sense of community was developed. Torture survivors with their allies formed community boundaries based on a deep understanding of the impact of torture. The safety afforded through the community boundaries was reinforced by shared condemnation of torture in all circumstances. Within the security of the community’s boundaries, members shared their experiences to enable their own and others’ recovery from torture. As community members exchanged advice and support, survivors met one another’s needs, providing physical and emotional relief from the effects of their torture. As individuals and a community, they influenced each other’s identities as survivors rather than victims. Advocating for those who remained vulnerable to torture was important to their identification as survivors. Through these exchanges, community members influenced one another and developed trusting relationships and emotional bonds. This study illuminates how community life enabled survivors to contribute to and benefit from, each other’s journeys.
Measuring change and changing measures: The development of a torture survivor specific measure of change
Authors: Horn Rebecca , Keefe Andy
Published: July 2019

Freedom from Torture is a UK-based human rights organisation dedicated to the treatment and rehabilitation of torture survivors. The organisation has been working towards the development of a clinical outcome tool for a number of years, and the purpose of this paper is to (a) describe the process of developing the tool and the final tool itself, and (b) to outline the system which Freedom from Torture has established to collect, record and analyse the data produced.

A review of the literature revealed that existing measures were not appropriate for measuring psychological and emotional change amongst torture survivors; therefore the organisation undertook to develop a tool specifically designed for this target group. The clinical outcome tool was developed collaboratively by Freedom from Torture clinicians, clients, interpreters and an external consultant. Initial discussions took place with clinicians and clients to develop an understanding of what psychosocial wellbeing and psychosocial distress meant to this unique population of torture survivors, and which issues and features should be included in the clinical outcome tool. A process of discussion and testing of potential approaches led to the development of a draft clinical outcome tool which was translated into 15 languages and then pilot tested with 151 clients. 

The data from the pilot study was analysed and used to produce the final version of the clinical outcome tool. The clinical outcome tool was formally rolled out across the organisation’s five centres in April 2014. Clinicians working with adult clients have been completing it at the beginning of therapy and then again at regular intervals.

The data from the first year is currently being analysed, and the experiences of clinicians, clients and interpreters of using the clinical outcome tool are being reviewed, with a view to continuing to develop and improve the tool and the processes by which it is used. Ultimately, the data will be used to improve the services offered to survivors of torture in the UK.
Editorial – The Torture Journal: A home for all
Authors: Pérez-Sales Pau
Published: July 2019

The presence and work of the previous Editor in Chief, Lilla Hárdi, lives on in this issue which is largely a reflection of her work.

With respect to the future, the members of the editorial team and the Editorial Advisory Board look forward to sharing some of the key ideas for the next steps in the history of the journal in the next issue. We can also look forward to the IRCT’s Scientific Symposium in Mexico in December with its more than 200 presentations. This is a unique opportunity to get a global picture of the field at this time, as well as reviewing past achievements and ways forward. Lastly and importantly, we wish to express again that we welcome and look forward to your contributions; the Torture Journal must strive to be a home for all.
Incommunicado detention and torture in Spain, Part I: The Istanbul Protocol Project in the Basque Country
Authors: Hárdi Lilla , Morentin Benito , Inmaculada Agirre , Inmaculada Albi , Andueza Oihana , Miren Arana , Maitane Arnoso , Olatz Barrenetxea , Barrios Oihana , LF Callado , Itziar Gandarias , Eulate Josefina García de , Gato Elena , Maitane Ibernia , Iturralde Matilde , Jordá Enric , Krakenberger Andres , Landa Mirena Jon , Legorburu Ixone , De Luzuriaga Nagore López , López Neyra G , Markez Iñaki , Medina Elena , Moreno-Pérez Ana , Navarro-Lashayas Migue , Pérez-Sales Pau , Plaza Mari Ángeles , Ruiz de Alegría Anabel , Velasco Teresa , Vidal Luisa , Walther Marc , Zalbidea Urko , Zuazua Julene
Published: July 2019

There is increasing evidence to show that torture is a serious problem in the Basque Country. Whilst such evidence can be found in reports of international human rights monitoring bodies, sentences of Spanish and international courts, and empirical studies, they are limited in not having followed the Istanbul Protocol (IP) in order to evaluate the reliability of torture. A working group composed of professional associations of psychiatrists, psychologists, physicians, and lawyers, in collaboration with the University of the Basque Country, conducted a four-year study on the medical and psychological consequences of torture in incommunicado detainees, including an assessment of credibility in line with the IP. The methodological design included a multi-level peer-reviewed blind assessment and input by an external expert (from the Independent Forensic Expert Group facilitated by the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT)). A sample of 45 Basque people held in short-term incommunicado detention under anti-terrorist legislation (between 1980 and 2012) in Spain who had reported ill-treatment or torture was selected.

The findings are divided into four papers: the present introductory paper; the second analyses the credibility of the allegations of torture and introduces an innovative methodology that enhances the IP, the Standardized Evaluation Form (SEC); the third provides an analysis of the methods of torture and introduces the concept of Torturing Environments; and, in the last paper, the psychological and psychiatric consequences of incommunicado detention are analyzed. The collection of papers are intended to be useful not only in the documentation of torture in the Basque Country and Spain but also as an innovative example of how the IP can be used for research purposes.
Incommunicado detention and torture in Spain, Part IV: Psychological and psychiatric consequences of ill-treatment and torture: trauma and human worldviewsi
Authors: Hárdi Lilla , Navarro-Lashayas Miguel Angel , Pérez-Sales Pau , Lopez-Neyra Gabriela , Martínez Maitane Arnoso , Morentin Benito
Published: July 2019

Background: Most literature on psychological consequences of torture is related to prolonged detention. Psychological consequences of intensive physical and psychological torture in brief detention have not been investigated. The aim of this study is to analyse the psychological impact of torture in short-term incommunicado detention.

Method: A sample of 45 Basque people who had allegedly been subjected to ill-treatment or torture whilst held in incommunicado detention between two and 11 days in Spain in the period 1980-2012 was analysed. The period between detention and evaluation ranged between two and 12 years. Each case was evaluated by several psychiatrists and psychologists. Clinical interviews which followed the Istanbul Protocol were assessed, as were psychometric tests (Post-traumatic Checklist-Civilian version (PCL-C), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Vital Impact Assessment Questionnaire (VIVO)) and external documentary evidence. A cumulative prevalence of psychiatric diagnosis (ICD-10) from the period of detention was established.

Findings. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was the most frequent diagnosis (53%). Enduring personality change after a catastrophic experience was detected in 11% of subjects. Other diagnoses were depressive disorders (16%) and anxiety disorders (9%). Psychometric evaluation at the time of the study showed symptoms of PTSD in 52% of the subjects (with a tendency for these symptoms to diminish over time) and depressive symptoms in 56%. The VIVO questionnaire discerned two subgroups of survivors: “affected” survivors (36%); and “resilient” survivors (64%).

Interpretation. The data demonstrated two important issues: the undervalued damaging effect of intensive torture in short-term detention and the long-lasting psychological damage of the same over time.
A comparative study of the use of the Istanbul Protocol amongst civil society organizations in low-income countries
Authors: Kelly Tobias , Jensen Steffen , Andersen Morten Koch , Christiansen Catrine , Sharma Jeevan Raj
Published: July 2019

The Istanbul Protocol (IP) is one of the great success stories of the global anti-torture movement, setting out universal guidelines for the production of rigorous, objective and reliable evidence about allegations of torture and ill-treatment. The IP is explicitly designed to outline ‘minimum standards for States’. However, it is all too often left to civil society organizations to investigate allegations of torture and ill-treatment. In this context, important questions remain as to how and where the IP can be used best by such organizations. These questions are particularly acute in situations where human rights groups may have limited institutional capacity. This paper explores the practical challenges faced by civil society in using the IP in Low-Income Countries. It is based on qualitative research in three case studies: Nepal, Kenya, and Bangladesh. This research involved over 80 interviews with human rights practitioners. The conclusions of the paper are that the Istanbul Protocol provides a useful framework for documentation, but more comprehensive forms of documentation will often be limited to a very small – albeit important - number of legal cases. In many cases, the creation of precise and standardized forms of evidence is not necessarily the most effective form of documentation for redress or accountability. In the absence of legal systems willing and able to respond effectively to allegations of torture and ill-treatment, there are severe limitations on the practical effectiveness of detailed and technical forms of documentation.
Response by the authors
Authors: Kelly Tobias , Jensen Steffen , Andersen Morten Koch , Christiansen Catrine , Sharma Jeevan Raj
Published: July 2019

We would like to thank the editors and the commentators for their comments and the opportunity to respond. We greatly appreciate the time and effort that such experienced and expert practitioners have taken to read our paper.
Academicus - In the name of Science
Authors: Musaraj Arta
Published: July 2019

Every time we mention the word “Science”, an inner debate, which very soon breaks the borders of our mental schemas, comes out, and becomes the dispute topic. Why is science for and what is science for? The hermetical vision of science, which in different ages of human story testified on how easily, we, humans, can create the mechanisms whish suppress our nature, is challenged by the morality dimension of science a well as by the sentinel function and revealing mission science has in leading our lives in the paths of amelioration. So, science for life, and as life is the wholeness of everything and the unification of all diversities, science has no meaning if it is not comprehensive, as a fidelity demonstration of its mission.
Science, for What? Or: Science with Conscience - The Invisible College of Dissenting Nuclear Scientists
Authors: Ferrarotti Franco
Published: July 2019

The main contention of this essay is that sciences can be seen as belonging to two broad categories: a) demonstrative; b) interpretative. Demonstrative, or «tough», sciences are «natural» sciences; interpretative sciences are philosophy, history, all the social sciences, different as thy are (for instance, history is based on causal imputation; sociology, on conditional comparative approach). At present all sciences cannot presume to offer universally valid «laws», timeless and spaceless, but only general, probabilistic tendencies. Moreover, contrary to a misconception Max Weber’s «Wertfreiheit», no science is neutral. It pertains to the social responsibility of scientists the pratical use of eventual scientific findings (for instance, the atomic or the hydrogen bomb).
Media strategies in lobbying process. A literature review on publications in 2000-2018.
Authors: Mykkänen Markus , Ikonen Pasi
Published: July 2019

This study examines how the media and journalists are used in lobbying processes. To explore the topic a systematic review of the literature in peer-reviewed journals published between January 2000 to June 2018 was undertaken. The findings of this paper indicate that lobbyists and interest groups engage with a plethora of various strategies and systematic methods when influencing or trying to advocate the work of journalists and media organisations. The findings shed the mystery of lobbyists and interest group’s communicative attempts. This study increases the knowledge of the relationships between journalists and lobbyists in lobbying processes. Based on the literature review, the paper presents a categorised model of media influencing strategies in lobbying process.
From the Natural Self-Orgnizaton of Religion to the Modern Magical Realism of the Religious Experience
Authors: Abreu Pederzini Gerardo
Published: July 2019

Religion is a powerful phenomenon arising in and from society. Various efforts have been done to understand religion as a natural phenomenon, which could be framed in the language of science. In this paper, I forward a sui generis approach to the naturality of religion, where religion is explained as one of the next stages in broader natural processes of self-organization. Furthermore, having framed like this the naturality of the religious experience, the paper explores the contemporary debate of current religious expressions. It is suggested that the arrival of science and the modern society have changed some expressions of religious experiences; while, nonetheless, keeping their capacity to self-organize societies. The magical realist society, as the society capable of disguising the magic of religion within the realism of the scientific ethos, is presented and discussed as a modern secular expression of religion, capable to cope with the challenges of science through the dynamics of modernity and capitalism.
The influence of demographic indicators on corruption perception in Slovenia
Authors: Borošak Matic , Šumah Štefan
Published: July 2019

The attitude to corruption and the perception of it (as well as the acceptance or rejection of corruption) depends largely on the customs and traditions in a particular country, with the causes of corruption deriving from the political, economic, social conditions of a particular country and from the historical development, customs and culture. However, the demographic indicators must not be ignored. The existing researches thus show that the perception of corruption, at least to some extent, depends on gender (women are supposedly less corrupt and perceive corruption more; age and education). For the purpose of this article, the influence of demographic indicators (gender, age) on the perception of corruption in Slovenia was researched. The results were compared with the already known researches and it was determined that there are no statistically significant differences in the perception of corruption with regard to gender and age, which shows that Slovenia, in view of the specifics of the corruption perception (although the corruption perception is high in Slovenia), differs from other countries in which researches took place.
Various perspectives of labor and human resources challenges and changes due to automation and artificial intelligence.
Authors: Bayón Pérez Jessica , Arenas Falótico Andrés Jerónimo
Published: July 2019

The constant technological changes and its impact in the labor force are causing a domino effect that can change corporate culture, laws and workers in upcoming years. The importance of Artificial Intelligence for companies is also a mayor subject that may cause conflicts among cities around the world. Seasonal workers, 24 hours contracts, and informal methods of employments are reducing the possibilities of collective agreements and job satisfaction. Consequently, the so-called “Information Society”, labor modifications and role transformations have played a key role and have had an ascending evolution. There are different jobs that have been relegated to a substantial change in different industries due to all the information technology advances and robotics innovations. This process will increase in upcoming decades by establishing new types of jobs to sustain this changing economy. The controversy starts when this “macro” and “micro” vision collide with those people who have been dismissed due to the automation process. Because of the facts mentioned and current market trends, we can confirm that digital changes and transformations will continue to increase.
Organisms and Environments as Combined Systems
Authors: Gagliasso Elena
Published: July 2019

The present paper aims at exploring the relation between organisms (Life) and environments (Earth), and at showing that nowadays we need new conceptual categories to account for such a relation. Over the last thirty years, indeed, the boundaries of what is meant by “environment” and “organisms” have been transformed, and, more precisely, “Earth” and “Life” must be grasped as a “combined system”. But this dynamic, which does not keep separate the organisms from their life-worlds, it is widely present also at the political and cultural level. So, what is well-known on a scientific level, i.e. that it is the life itself which produces the environment and, at the same time, is subjected to the effects of its modifications on the environment, has to be investigated also at the practical level. Here, a sample of such an investigation will be offered through the analysis of the common mediator of the relationship between Life and Earth, i.e. that metabolic exchange between external and internal bodies that consists of “Food”. Then, some reflections on the current forms of the relationship between environment and “Crime” will be provided and some open questions on the recent concept of “environmental crime” will be raised.
Mercadona - A successful business Case
Authors: Hernando Cuñado Jorge , Colvin Díez Jorge , Román Javier Enríquez
Published: July 2019

Mercadona is currently the largest Spanish distribution company, and one of the food companies with the highest turnover in southern Europe, able to grow and adapt to the circumstances of each moment, in what has been considered an unique business model. Juan Roig is its founder and owner, creating an unprecedented business model in Spain, placing the customer at the center of all its activity. It is a family model created in 1975 by Juan Roig’s parents. He took over the responsibility of the company’s management some years later (1981), starting up an expansion strategy that has reached, only in Spain, 1,600 points of sale in 2017. That year, sales reached 21,000 million euros, with 84,000 workers. Juan Roig implemented from its early years a new strategy known as “Total Quality Management”, betting on finding the best products at the lowest prices. These, and other innovative actions in the fields of distribution and marketing, have transformed this Valencian company into one of the great national and international references of distribution.
European Union Nation Branding through Humanitarian and Developmental Initiatives - Focus on EU Aid Volunteers
Authors: Popovska Biljana , Darcq Julie
Published: July 2019

Diverse from the Erasmus program, amongst other EU international interactions, Humanitarian and Developmental initiatives resulting in Nation Branding is a field that is hardly explored. This paper has tried to analyze the concept of supra-nation branding through the EU humanitarian and development program named EU Aid Volunteers Initiative, through focusing on how a supranational organization such as the EU would go about a nation branding initiative that promotes its collective values in Humanitarian and Development Aid. In order to explore the concept of supra-nation branding, it firsts gives a brief introduction about the initiative and identifies the key elements of EU nation branding as well as its humanitarian and development initiatives. Then, it analyzes it through Anholt’s lens and a SWOT analysis, followed by critiques and a conclusion. This analysis proved fruitful in terms of enabling a structural understanding behind the processes employed by the E.U Aid Volunteers Initiative and how it shall enable the E.U to advance its image as a supra-national entity both locally, regionally and internationally. In addition, as the European Union is an entity unlike any other it generates comprehension for future organizations motivated by a collectivity in idealisms and cultural identities, enabling the application of their country’s image abroad through a means of which embodies a form of cultural-humanitarian diplomacy.