bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Do regulations protect workers from occupational exposures to carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic (CMR) agents in France?
Authors: Havet Nathalie , Penot Alexis , Plantier Morgane , Charbotel Barbara , Morelle Magali , Fervers Béatrice
Published: December 2017

Objective

This article explores the impact of regulations on the implementation of collective protections in France to occupational exposure to carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic (CMR) agents.

Methods

Individual data from the French national cross-sectional survey of occupational hazards conducted in 2010 were analysed. We investigated whether stricter regulations and longer exposures were associated with higher level of collective protection using multivariate logistic regressions.

Results

General ventilation, for which effect is limited as collective protection for CMR products, was present in 19% of situations involving CMR agents while isolation chambers, the most effective form of protection, were only very rarely implemented. Multilevel logistic regressions show that exposure situations to products classified as category 1 or 2 by the European Union do not have a higher probability of benefiting from a collective protection measures. Exposures to products with a Binding Occupational Exposure Limit Value selectively benefited from a better level of protection. Exposures to agents entered on the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) list of proven or probable carcinogens benefited more from effective collective protections than products suspected to be carcinogens but not yet classified by IARC.

Conclusions

These results suggest that the dissemination of evaluations of carcinogens by the IARC translate into improved protective measures even though the IARC classification has no mandatory impact on regulations.
Geospatial relationship of road traffic crashes and healthcare facilities with trauma surgical capabilities in Nairobi, Kenya: defining gaps in coverage
Authors: Shaw Brian I , Wangara Ali Akida , Wambua Gladys Mbatha , Kiruja Jason , Dicker Rochelle A , Mweu Judith Mutindi , Juillard Catherine
Published: December 2017

Background

Road traffic injuries (RTIs) are a cause of significant morbidity and mortality in low- and middle-income countries. Access to timely emergency services is needed to decrease the morbidity and mortality of RTIs and other traumatic injuries. Our objective was to describe the distribution of roadtrafficcrashes (RTCs) in Nairobi with the relative distance and travel times for victims of RTCs to health facilities with trauma surgical capabilities.

Methods

RTCs in Nairobi County were recorded by the Ma3route app from May 2015 to October 2015 with latitude and longitude coordinates for each RTC extracted using geocoding. Health facility administrators were interviewed to determine surgical capacity of their facilities. RTCs and health facilities were plotted on maps using ArcGIS. Distances and travel times between RTCs and health facilities were determined using the Google Maps Distance Matrix API.

Results

89 percent (25/28) of health facilities meeting inclusion criteria were evaluated. Overall, health facilities were well equipped for trauma surgery with 96% meeting WHO Minimal Safety Criteria. 76 percent of facilities performed greater than 12 of three pre­selected ‘Bellweather Procedures’ shown to correlate with surgical capability. The average travel time and distance from RTCs to the nearest health facilities surveyed were 7 min and 3.4 km, respectively. This increased to 18 min and 9.6 km if all RTC victims were transported to Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH).

Conclusion

Almost all hospitals surveyed in the present study have the ability to care for trauma patients. Treating patients directly at these facilities would decrease travel time compared with transfer to KNH. Nairobi County could benefit from formally coordinating the triage of trauma patients to more facilities to decrease travel time and potentially improve patient outcomes.

Level of evidence

III
The development of the East African margin during Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous times: a perspective from global tectonics
Authors: Reeves Colin V.
Published: December 2017

The eastern margin of Africa resulted from the first successful trans-Gondwana rupture which retraced, in part, the earlier unsuccessful Karoo rift system. Widespread volcanism in southern Africa (182 Ma, Toarcian) presaged NW–SE-directed extension between East Gondwana and West Gondwana (Africa). Rifting turned progressively north–south in orientation, leading quickly to ocean growth off Somalia and off central Mozambique while, elsewhere, strike-slip within the stretched margin came to predominate. East Gondwana, including Madagascar, was demonstrably still intact at 151.4 Ma (M22, Kimmeridgian) but, as the two large continental fragments disengaged from each other, pure north–south movement became possible. After about 140 Ma (Berriasian), East Gondwana itself started to fragment off Western Australia but little separation occurred as far west as Madagascar before Aptian times (126.1 Ma). Nevertheless, the geometry of the Australia–India opening required that, in the interval 140 – 120 Ma, Madagascar–India pursued a path against Africa different from that of Antarctica. The arcuate Davie Fracture Zone, 1800 km in length, functioned as a pure strike-slip transform off the Tanzania–Mozambique coast for this fragment until the early Aptian demise of the Somali mid-ocean ridge. The active transform east of the Lebombo in southern Africa, meanwhile, relocated progressively eastwards, finally to outboard of the Mozambique Ridge at 136 Ma (Valanginian), leaving most if not all of the stretched continental crust and its volcanosedimentary load attached to Precambrian Africa.
Proximal Aberrant Crypt Foci Associate with Synchronous Neoplasia and Are Primed for Neoplastic Progression
Authors: Drew David A. , Mo Allen , Grady James J. , Stevens Richard G. , Levine Joel B. , Brenner Bruce M. , Anderson Joseph C. , Forouhar Faripour , O'Brien Michael J. , Devers Thomas J. , Rosenberg Daniel W.
Published: December 2017

Aberrant crypt foci (ACF) are the earliest morphologically identifiable lesion found within the human colon. Despite their relatively high frequency in the distal colon, few studies have examined the molecular characteristics of ACF within the proximal colon. In the following study, clinical participants (n = 184) were screened for ACF using high-definition chromoendoscopy with contrast dye-spray. Following pathologic confirmation, ACF biopsies were subjected to laser capture microdissection (LCM), and epithelial cells were evaluated for somatic mutations with a customized colorectal cancer mutation panel using DNA-mass spectrometry. Samples were further characterized for microsatellite instability (MSI). Logistic models were used to associate proximal ACF with synchronous (detected during the same procedure) neoplasia. Thirty-nine percent of participants had at least one histologically confirmed proximal ACF. Individuals with a proximal ACF were significantly more likely to present with a synchronous neoplasm (P = 0.001), and specifically, a proximal, tubular, or tubulovillous adenoma (multivariable OR = 2.69; 95% confidence interval, 1.12–6.47; P = 0.027). Proximal ACF were more likely to be dysplastic (52%) compared with distal ACF (13%; P < 0.0001). Somatic mutations to APC, BRAF, KRAS, NRAS, and ERBB2 were detected in 37% of proximal ACF. Hyperplastic ACF were more often MSI-high, but there were no differences in MSI status observed by colonic location. In summary, ACF are identified in the proximal colons of approximately 40% of individuals undergoing chromoendoscopy and more often in patients with synchronous proximal adenomas.

Implications: This study provides the most complete set of data, to date, that ACF represent the earliest step in the adenoma–carcinoma sequence but remain below the detection limit of conventional endoscopy.

Visual Overview: http//mcr.accrjournals.org/content/molcanres/16/3/486/F1.large.jpg. Mol Cancer Res; 16(3); 486–95. ©2017 AACR.
Increased Aortic Diameters on Multidetector Computed Tomographic Scan Are Independent Predictors of Incident Adverse Cardiovascular Events
Authors: Qazi Saadia , Massaro Joseph M. , Chuang Michael L. , D’Agostino Ralph B. , Hoffmann Udo , O’Donnell Christopher J.
Published: December 2017

Background—

Adverse aortic remodeling, such as dilation, is associated with multiple cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. We sought to determine whether measures of enlarged aortic diameters improve prediction of incident adverse CVD events above standard CVD risk factors in a community-dwelling cohort.

Methods and Results—

Participants from the Framingham Offspring and Third Generation Cohorts (n=3318; aged 48.9±10.3 years), who underwent noncontrast thoracic and abdominal multidetector computed tomography during 2002 to 2005, had complete risk factor profiles, and were free of clinical CVD, were included in this study. Diameters were measured at 4 anatomically defined locations: the ascending thoracic aorta, descending thoracic aorta, the infrarenal abdominal aorta, and lower abdominal aorta. Adverse events comprised CVD death, myocardial infarction, coronary insufficiency, index admission for heart failure, and stroke. Each aortic segment was dichotomized as enlarged (diameter ≥upper 90th percentile for age, sex, and body surface area) or not enlarged; the hazard of an adverse event for an enlarged segment was determined using multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards models. Over a mean 8.8±2.0 years of follow-up, there were 177 incident adverse CVD events. In models adjusted for traditional CVD risk factors, enlarged infrarenal abdominal aorta (hazard ratio=1.57; 95% confidence interval=1.06 to 2.32) and lower abdominal aorta (hazard ratio=1.53; 95% confidence interval=1.00 to 2.34) were associated with an increased hazard of CVD events. Enlarged ascending thoracic aorta and descending thoracic aorta were not significantly associated with CVD events.

Conclusions—

Among community-dwelling adults initially free of clinical CVD, enlarged infrarenal abdominal aorta and lower abdominal aorta, on noncontrast multidetector computed tomography scans, are independent predictors of incident adverse CVD events above traditional risk factors alone.
The qdesha in Hosea 4:14: Putting the (Myth of the) Sacred Prostitute to Bed
Authors: DeGrado Jessie
Published: December 2017

Despite a lack of evidence for the practice of sacred prostitution in the ancient Middle East, scholars have continued to understand the wordqdešɔin Hosea 4:14 to denote a female officiant who performed sexual acts in a cultic setting. This article argues that the understanding of theqdešɔas a cultic prostitute has appealed to interpreters for over two millennia because the Hebrew word has a semantic range that includes both female cultic functionaries and prostitutes. The lexeme denotes a class of women who are employed outside of the patrimonial estate, including priestesses or prostitutes (but never both at the same time). When the prophet indicts the Israelites for sacrificing with qdešot, he deploys a pun that strengthens his metaphor of Israel as a wayward woman.
2 Sam 4:6: A Case of Textual Criticism Interfacing with Hebrew Verb Syntax
Authors: Muraoka Takamitsu
Published: December 2017

We propose revisiting Wellhausen’s restoration of the Hebrew text of 2 Sam 4:6 on the basis of the Septuagint and revising his Qal סֹקְלָה to Piel מְסַקְלָה out of consideration of the syntagmatic patterns of the verb.
A Near Eastern Treaty Parallel to Ezekiel’s Dry Bones
Authors: Davis Andrew R.
Published: December 2017

An unnoticed parallel between Ezekiel 37:7 and a line from Esarhaddon’s Succession Treaty bolsters the claim that Ezekiel’s vision of dry bones was drawn from the Near Eastern treaty curse tradition.
Effects of plant and animal waste-based compost amendments on the soil food web, soil properties, and yield and quality of fresh market and processing carrot cultivars
Authors: Habteweld Alemayehu W. , Brainard Daniel , Kravchenko Alexandra , Grewal Parwinder S. , Melakeberhan Haddish
Published: December 2017

A substantial knowledge gap exists on how compost source and rate of application affect nematode community-based soil food web structure, soil health, soil physiochemistry, and crop yield and quality in short- and full-season crops. We tested effects of plant (PC)- and animal (AC)-based compost at 1, 1.5 and 2× the standard nitrogen (N) rate on processing carrot ‘Cupar’ and fresh market ‘Sugarsnax 54’ (short-season crop) over 2-3 growing seasons. Low abundance of nematodes and domination of herbivores and bacterivores indicate that the field is biologically stressed. While outcomes of most measured parameters varied by compost source and/or rate, an increase in soil food web structure with time was most consistent. A combination of the variable outcomes and correlation patterns suggest that a multifactor analysis may best quantify compost-driven changes in soil ecosystems as opposed to looking for changes in a single parameter.
Plant-parasitic nematodes in some economically important crops in Myanmar – species, possible damage and control measures
Authors: Min Yu Yu , Toyota Koki
Published: December 2017

Rice, pulses and oilseed crops are major exporting crops in Myanmar. Many plant-parasitic nematodes, such asMeloidogyne incognita,M. javanica,M. graminicola,Ditylenchus angustus,Hirschmanniella oryzae,Heterodera cajaniandPratylenchusspp., have been detected in these crops in different cropping patterns and are considered one of the reasons for their low yields. Previous surveys have shown potential impact to yield losses in the crops. This Forum article provides collective information on species of the major plant-parasitic nematodes, possible damage and available control measures to such economically important crops in Myanmar.
Children and Religion in the Archaeological Record of Ancient Israel
Authors: Garroway Kristine
Published: December 2017

The current scholarly milieu has placed great interest in the topics of children and family household religion of ancient Israel; however, scholarship exploring the intersection of the two has not yet been undertaken. This article draws attention to children as vital participants in that domestic cult. Using theories of socialization and enculturation, the article explores how ancient Israelite children interact with the religion that surrounded them daily. This child-centered approach examines textual, archaeological, and ethnographical data and concludes that the process of enculturating ancient Israelite children with household religion produced children who were both passive and active participants in the domestic cult. In doing so, the article informs our knowledge of family household religion, while at the same time expanding our understanding of a child’s role within the Israelite household.
Maqlû i.73–121 and Trial Procedure
Authors: Holtz Shalom E.
Published: December 2017

In the Akkadian anti-witchcraft ritual Maqlû, the incantation in i.73–121 exemplifies the theme of conducting adjudicatory proceedings against the witch in the divine courtroom. In particular, the patient’s presentation of the witch in effigy and the demand for judgment accord well with similar features attested in Neo-Babylonian trial records. Study of the incantation in light of these court records reveals the incantation’s attention to the details of legal procedure.
The Dwelling of ˀIlu in Baˁlu and ˀAqhatu
Authors: Richey M.
Published: December 2017

In an arrival formula that recurs throughout the Ugaritic epicsBaˁluandˀAqhatu, the dwelling of the chief god, ˀIlu, is described as encompassing, among other things, a {dd}. Scholars have understood this term in various ways, chiefly as “field,” “mountain,” and “defense.” I argue that the etymological rationales grounding the first two semantic analyses are unsound, and that the case for the third understanding, by far the least commonly adopted, can be strengthened by observing a Sabaic cognate that occurs together with terms for land holdings. On these grounds, I offer the English translation “pasture” as the best approximation of the semantics of Ugaritic {dd}. This situates ˀIlu as a tent-dwelling pastoralist, for which there are suggestive parallels elsewhere in West Semitic texts, including the Hebrew Bible.
Use and Utility of the Non-Traditional Security Concept in the Context of the South China Sea Arbitration
Authors: Maier-Knapp Naila
Published: December 2017

The arbitral award in 2016 has had a positive impact on the credibility of the Philippines and other Southeast Asian claimant countries in the South China Sea. However, questions about China’s divisive influence in the neighbourhood remain more relevant than ever and necessitate inquiry into the use and utility of dialogue on non-traditional security (NTS) issues in building confidence in times of low confidence, with specific reference to the period of the arbitration process and ruling.
Migrant Domestic Workers as ‘Agents’ of Development in Asia
Authors: Lee Sohoon , Piper Nicola
Published: December 2017

Temporary contract migration represents the predominant form of legal migration policy in Asia. With its rationale of the filling of jobs and provision of income-generating opportunities, it is linked to the migration–development nexus debate. This paper focuses on the impact of migrants’ agency as development actors within a transnational sphere. The mainstream migration–development nexus debate and policy prescriptions imagine diaspora groups as the ideal conduit for grassroots-driven development initiatives. While ‘diaspora group-led’ initiatives assume long-term, if not permanent, migration, temporary migration creates a dynamic that is fundamentally distinct. Temporality of migration, as mandated by bilateral agreements and promoted by global institutions in Asia, shapes migrant agency and migrants’ development aspirations in essentially different ways, but temporary contract migrants are nevertheless constructed as the ‘agents of development’ at the macro level of politics and policies, while receiving limited research attention. This paper analyses temporality, migrant agency and the migration–development nexus debate in relation to female domestic workers who epitomise the feminisation of migration and constitute the largest number of newly hired migrants in many key source countries in Southeast Asia. This introduces a gender dimension to our discussion of temporary migration in its link to migrants’ developmental agency.
The ASEAN Economic Community and National Sovereignty
Authors: Rüland Jürgen
Published: December 2017

The article examines whether, and how far, the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) has triggered a discourse on labour migration in ASEAN member countries which exhibits a tendency towards securitising the free flow of labour. It begins with the observation that fears linger in ASEAN’s member countries that market liberalisation may not only lead to a flooding with imported goods, but also intensify intra-regional labour migration. The ushering in of the AEC can thus be considered a critical juncture facilitating ideational changes and so exacerbating labour migration politicisation. Resting on the Copenhagen School’s securitisation theory and a discourse analysis of 72 newspaper articles, and based on a taxonomy of politicisation, the article’s major findings are that the level of politicisation is limited in the four countries under investigation. Surprisingly, it is higher in Indonesia than in Singapore and Malaysia where securitisation effects would have been expected. Explanations suggest that issues such as terrorism and maritime border concerns are currently more conducive for securitisation. In Indonesia and Singapore, the level of politicising post-AEC labour migration is higher than in Malaysia and the Philippines due to deeply inculcated vulnerability and survival discourses, which let elites respond seismically to global and regional developments.
The Role of Familiarity in the Destination Image
Authors: Pérez Tapia Gema
Published: December 2017

The present study aims to explain more deeply the theory of destination image and its process of formation in culturally distant countries, specifically regarding familiarity as a factor of influence. To achieve this aim, a questionnaire was administered to 307 South Korean citizens in order to examine Koreans’ image of Spain as a tourist destination, and the level of familiarity with the destination. The findings reveal that familiarity has a moderating effect on the destination image, and the main information source that most contributes to a positive image is provided by ‘relatives, friends, and/or acquaintances’. This paper contributes to the literature by showing the importance of familiarity on image formation and has significant management implications in the context of helping to create an appropriate image of a tourist destination.
Working in Mecca
Authors: Lücking Mirjam
Published: December 2017

On the island of Madura, various forms of pilgrimage–migration, a fusion of labour migration and pilgrimage, challenge the Indonesian government’s regulation of pilgrims’ and labourers’ mobility to the Gulf. Among the Madurese people, alternative channels of travelling to Mecca are increasingly popular and informal; personal networks appear to be considered more reliable and accountable than the state’s guidance. The Madurese people’s strong desire to perform the pilgrimage to Mecca, local conceptions of migration in search of success and incomprehensible bureaucratic procedures in the official channels of migration and pilgrimage motivate people to circumvent state structures. Moreover, rumours about the ‘Madurese mafia’ in Mecca and the religious elite’s connections to the ‘Holy Land’ strengthen religious and ethnic affiliations. Local loyalties challenge the state’s sovereignty over actual practices of semi-legal approaches to migration and pilgrimage.
The eu Water Framework Directive – Challenges, Gaps and Potential for the Future
Authors: Hendry Sarah
Published: December 2017

This article assesses the progress of the European Union’s Water Framework Directive from a legal and policy perspective. Emerging judgments from the Court of Justice of the European Union are providing new clarity, for example on cost recovery for water services and the application of the ‘no deterioration’ principle. The article reflects on transposition, especially in the uk; analyses several aspects that have been especially challenging, for policy-makers, regulators and water users; and identifies some missing elements. Challenges include the meaning of ‘good status’ and the derogations to achieving the same; the article will suggest that the derogations are needlessly complex, and that ‘good status’ as a binding obligation has had unintended consequences. Absent from the text currently is provision for drought, climate change and ecosystem services, and it concludes that each of these could usefully be part of the Commission’s review in 2019.
Large-scale Water-related Innovative Renewable Energy Projects and the Water Framework Directive
Authors: van Hees Sander
Published: December 2017

This article discusses two legal issues that relate to the conflict between the interest of protecting water quality under the Water Framework Directive (wfd), versus the interest of promoting the use of innovative water-related renewable energy, with regard to the quota in the Renewable Energy Directive. These legal issues are: first, the conflict between the provisions of the wfd and the Renewable Energy Directive as expressed by the no-deterioration obligation, and second, the lack of integration between the Renewable Energy Directive and the derogation clause of the Water Framework Directive. Tidal energy and salinity gradient energy (blue energy) are used as a case study to show the practical relevance of the legal issues for innovative water-related renewable energy techniques. The final section discusses solutions to the legal issues. These are first, the application of adaptive management in combination with phased deployment in order to deal with uncertainty, and second, the introduction of detailed renewable energy plans per Member State in order to increase integration between the wfd and the Renewable Energy Directive.
Legal Instruments in Spatial Planning to Ban Building in Flood Zones: From Water Test to Planological Protection via “Water Sensitive Open-air Areas”
Authors: De Smedt Peter
Published: December 2017

In Flanders, the Government has recently established an innovative policy framework to preserve the water storage capacity in flood-prone areas. In this context, the concept of ‘Signal Areas’ (signaalgebieden) has been created. These areas are still undeveloped areas with a hard planning destination (residential and industrial areas) located in flood-prone areas. The framework outlines in what way one needs to deal with the flood risk in these areas. In order to implement this policy relating to signal areas in spatial planning, a recent draft decree has introduced water sensitive open-air areas where a relative ban on building applies. The aim is to achieve a prompt, effective implementation of the new water storage policy on the field based on a programmatic approach. In this contribution, the author will provide an insight into the legal design of the above-mentioned concepts and instruments, and how they can contribute to a stronger linkage between water management and spatial planning.
Premature Obsolescence: Suggestions for Legislative Counter-measures in German and European Sales & Consumer Law
Authors: Brönneke Tobias
Published: December 2017

Obsolescence – the premature wear and tear of products – is currently a considered topic. There have been a number of recent developments in this area: the European Consumer Organisation (beuc) has recently launched a flagship campaign on durable goods; the European Economic and Social Committee delivered an own-initiative opinion;, the German Environment Protection Agency (uba) has commissioned two comprehensive studies concerning this issue; the European Commission has suggested a Directive on certain areas relating to contracts for online and other distance sales of goods; and, a law providing explicitly for criminal prosecution of planned obsolescence has been recently enacted in France. This article uses the planned evaluation and review of Directive 1999/44/ec as an opportunity to examine what legislative measures could be adopted to counteract premature wear and tear of consumer goods. The author argues for a new system based on existing warranty rights and the norms of the European product legislation, which will generate consumer- and environment-friendly results, whilst also providing flexible measures for the industry.
Karbala in London: Battle of Expressions of Ashura Ritual Commemorations among Twelver Shia Muslims of South Asian Background
Authors: Dogra Sufyan Abid
Published: December 2017

The roots of the struggle for authority among various groups of Twelver Shias of South Asian background living in London revolves around the idea of what is ‘true and authentic’ Shia Islam. The theological and political genealogy of this power struggle can be traced by examining the history of Shia Islam in South Asia. This article provides historical analyses and ethnographic accounts of Shia Islam and how it is practised in London. It investigates the influence of London-based Iranian and Iraqi Shia transnational networks on South Asian Hussainias and those who attend them. While some London-based Shias of South Asian origin conform to the Iran-backed reformist versions of globally standardised ritual commemoration of Ashura, others detest this and search for religious reinterpretations that assert South Asian ways of commemorating the Ashura ritual.
A Minority in the Making: The Shia Muslim Community in Norway
Authors: Bøe Marianne , Flaskerud Ingvild
Published: December 2017

In this article, we document and discuss transnational links and localising dynamics that are relevant for a young Shia community in the making in Norway. The Shia community is a minority in the Muslim minority population of Norway, and has been an almost neglected field of research. With this article we therefore aim to add knowledge to this field. First we provide an overview of the development of Shiism in Norway, and then we examine what kind of dynamics have come to the fore in ritual practice and in shaping a Norwegian Shia Muslim identity, through institutionalisation, knowledge, production and visibility.
Towards a United Shia Youth Community
Authors: Schlatmann Annemeik
Published: December 2017

Twelver Shia Muslims in the Netherlands, a minority within the Muslim minority, are living as an ethnically fragmented community that is organised along ethnic lines.1 In recent years, Shia young adults started to realise that maintaining the Shia tradition in the Netherlands requires uniting on what binds them—Shia belief and the Dutch language. In 2011, on the occasion of Muharram, youth organisations organised the first joint Dutch-language gathering for all Shia youth in the Netherlands. In order to fulfill the widely felt need of youth for knowledge about Shia Islam and its practice in the Dutch context, the structure of this gathering was different from traditional Muharram gatherings. In the absence of a Dutch-speaking religiously trained authority familiar with the everyday Dutch life of Muslim youth, a youth leader fulfilled the role of lecturer. This article focuses on this Muharram gathering.
Singapore and Its Free Trade Agreement with the European Union: Rationality ‘Unbound’?
Authors: Mohan Mahdev
Published: December 2017

Querying Poulsen’s view that some States negotiate investment treaties in ‘bounded’ rational ways, this article focuses on how the recently concluded European Union-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (EUSFTA) illustrates the evolution of Singapore’s treaty practice. Singapore has abandoned the ‘old’, and has joined the bandwagon of next-generation FTAs; yet, shrewdly, it is not fully convinced about the ‘new’ either. For example, the EUSFTA does not include a most-favoured nation clause, and does not commit to an appeals mechanism, unlike its Canadian and Vietnamese counterparts. Singapore’s caution appears to be motivated by a pragmatic desire to avoid the pitfalls that these provisions could bring with them, as Investor-State arbitration (ISA) jurisprudence demonstrates, and to study the implications of a recent decision by the EU’s highest court regarding the FTA. Indeed, that shows that the EU itself is now equally wary of the ISA regime removing disputes from the jurisdiction of national courts.
International Investment Law and Practice in the Kingdom of Cambodia: An Evolving ‘Rule Taker’?
Authors: Weeramantry Romesh
Published: December 2017

Cambodia has undertaken several initiatives to attract foreign direct investment (FDI), which has been growing rapidly in recent years, particularly through participating in Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) investment agreements and free trade agreements (FTAs). This article first outlines Cambodia’s arbitration law and practice, its Law on Investment, the court system, problems relating to corruption, and foreign direct investment (FDI) patterns. It then surveys trends in Cambodia’s comparatively belated signing of investment treaties, and their main contents (including recent treaties with India and Hungary, adopting very different models). The article then discusses the only investment arbitration instituted against Cambodia, which was successfully defended, followed by a comment on the future prospects for Cambodia’s investment treaty program.
International Investment Arbitration in Laos: Large Issues for a Small State
Authors: Weeramantry Romesh , Mohan Mahdev
Published: December 2017

Laos is no stranger to international investment arbitration. Despite its status as one of Southeast Asia’s least developed countries, it has had an Investment Law for more than two decades and is also a party to several bilateral and Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN)-related investment agreements. More recently, two investment treaty claims have been made against it, one of which has given rise to an award challenge that went all the way to Singapore’s highest court. This article will examine the history, evolution and current iteration of Laos’ relationship with international investment law and focus on the two investment treaty claims instituted against Laos. The article concludes with an appraisal of Laos’ need to maintain its investment treaty programme, despite the difficulties that may have arisen as a result of it being a respondent in investment treaty arbitrations.
Foreign Direct Investment in the Philippines and the Pitfalls of Economic Nationalism
Authors: Reyes Anselmo
Published: December 2017

Recent trends in Philippine growth and foreign direct investment (FDI) reveal only modest achievements, when compared with other ASEAN countries, and little impact on income inequality. These outcomes are attributed to the policy of economic nationalism in the Philippines’ constitutional and legislative framework for FDI, whereby government reserves ‘strategic’ fields to Filipinos, while foreigners face hurdles in making investments. The account doubts whether foreign nationals can safeguard investments by recourse to Philippine BITs as those reinforce economic nationalism by requiring FDI to comply with Philippine law. Poulsen’s observation that developing countries entered into bilateral investment treaties (BITs) oblivious of the risks does not seem applicable to the Philippines, which has deftly used BITs to advance economic nationalism. Litigation before domestic courts is not an alternative for protecting investor rights, but international commercial arbitration may become so in due course. The account concludes with proposals for future policy.
Shifts in Maximum Audiovisual Integration with Age
Authors: Jansen Samantha D. , Keebler Joseph R. , Chaparro Alex
Published: December 2017

Listeners attempting to understand speech in noisy environments rely on visual and auditory processes, typically referred to as audiovisual processing. Noise corrupts the auditory speech signal and listeners naturally leverage visual cues from the talker’s face in an attempt to interpret the degraded auditory signal. Studies of speech intelligibility in noise show that the maximum improvement in speech recognition performance (i.e., maximum visual enhancement or VEmax), derived from seeing an interlocutor’s face, is invariant with age. Several studies have reported that VEmaxis typically associated with a signal-to-noise (SNR) of −12 dB; however, few studies have systematically investigated whether the SNR associated with VEmaxchanges with age. We investigated if VEmaxchanges as a function of age, whether the SNR at VEmaxchanges as a function of age, and what perceptual/cognitive abilities account for or mediate such relationships. We measured VEmaxon a nongeriatric adult sample () ranging in age from 20 to 59 years old. We found that VEmaxwas age-invariant, replicating earlier studies. No perceptual/cognitive measures predicted VEmax, most likely due to limited variance in VEmaxscores. Importantly, we found that the SNR at VEmaxshifts toward higher (quieter) SNR levels with increasing age; however, this relationship is partially mediated by working memory capacity, where those with larger working memory capacities (WMCs) can identify speech under lower (louder) SNR levels than their age equivalents with smaller WMCs. The current study is the first to report that individual differences in WMC partially mediate the age-related shift in SNR at VEmax.
Aging Impairs Audiovisual Facilitation of Object Motion Within Self-Motion
Authors: Roudaia Eugenie , Calabro Finnegan J. , Vaina Lucia M. , Newell Fiona N.
Published: December 2017

The presence of a moving sound has been shown to facilitate the detection of an independently moving visual target embedded among an array of identical moving objects simulating forward self-motion (Calabro et al., Proc. R. Soc. B, 2011). Given that the perception of object motion within self-motion declines with aging, we investigated whether older adults can also benefit from the presence of a congruent dynamic sound when detecting object motion within self-motion. Visual stimuli consisted of nine identical spheres randomly distributed inside a virtual rectangular prism. For 1 s, all the spheres expanded outward simulating forward observer translation at a constant speed. One of the spheres (the target) had independent motion either approaching or moving away from the observer at three different speeds. In the visual condition, stimuli contained no sound. In the audiovisual condition, the visual stimulus was accompanied by a broadband noise sound co-localized with the target, whose loudness increased or decreased congruent with the target’s direction. Participants reported which of the spheres had independent motion. Younger participants showed higher target detection accuracy in the audiovisual compared to the visual condition at the slowest speed level. Older participants showed overall poorer target detection accuracy than the younger participants, but the presence of the sound had no effect on older participants’ target detection accuracy at either speed level. These results indicate that aging may impair cross-modal integration in some contexts. Potential reasons for the absence of auditory facilitation in older adults are discussed.
The Number of Stimulus-Onset Asynchronies Affects the Perception of the Sound-Induced Flash Illusion in Young and Older Adults
Authors: Chan Jason S. , Connolly Shannon K. , Setti Annalisa
Published: December 2017

The sound-induced flash illusion is a multisensory illusion occurring when one flash is presented with two beeps and perceived as two flashes. Younger individuals are largely susceptible to the illusion when the stimulus onset asynchrony between the first and the second beep falls within the temporal window of integration, but the susceptibility falls dramatically outside of this short temporal range. Older individuals, in particular older adults prone to falling and/or mild cognitive impairment, show an extended susceptibility to the illusion. This suggests that they have inefficient multisensory integration, particularly in the temporal domain. In the present study, we investigated the reliability of the illusion across younger and older people, guided by the hypothesis that the experimental context, i.e., exposure to a wider or smaller number of stimulus onset asynchronies, would modify the intra-personal susceptibility to the illusion at shorter asynchronies vs. longer asynchronies, likely due to the gathering of model evidence based on Bayesian inference. We tested 22 young adults and 29 older adults and verified these hypotheses. Both groups showed higher susceptibility to the illusion when exposed to a smaller range of asynchronies, but only for longer ones, not within the 100 ms window. We discuss the theoretical implications in terms of online perceptual learning and practical implications in terms of standardisation of the experimental context when attempting to find normative values.
Interviewing Interpreted as a Spiritual Exercise and Social Protest
Authors: Scharen Christian A.B.
Published: December 2017

In The Weight of the World, sociologist Pierre Bourdieu describes his work as a spiritual exercise. Not known for his religious convictions, his admission is worthy of exploration. In this paper, I build on the conclusion of my book, ‘Fieldwork in Theology’, by drawing on my own interviews with clergy in spaces of social marginality in the usa as a means for evaluating Bourdieu’s claims. I draw upon theologian Kathryn Tanner to claim how God might be present in and through such spiritual exercise. Exactly because of the work entailed to give up oneself for another, and to critically engage in learning about the other, even across multiple divides, this work acts simultaneously as spiritual exercise and social protest against the divisions – racial, economic, religious, and so on – which so often are the source of harm today. Such theological engagement with research method offers a new direction for theological researchers.
A (Multi-) Story-formed Community: The Bible and Politics at Ebenezer Baptist Church
Authors: Norris Kristopher , Speers Sam
Published: December 2017

This article analyzes the ways multiple formative narratives interact to shape the identity and political practices of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, home of Martin Luther King. We argue that the two key narratives of gospel story in scripture and the church’s particular civil rights legacy form the identity and practice of this community in complicated ways: sometimes they are synthesized, sometimes one narrative is temporally merged into the other, and sometimes they operate as competing narratives, generating a tension. We offer three anecdotes from our original research that illustrate the relationship between these narratives and demonstrate that Ebenezer is a community whose identity and political practices are formed by the overlap and interplay of multiple narratives.
Islamic Governance, National Governance, and Bank Risk Management and Disclosure in MENA Countries
Authors: Elamer Ahmed A. , Ntim Collins G. , Abdou Hussein A.
Published: December 2017

We examine the relationships among religious governance, especially Islamic governance quality (IGQ), national governance quality (NGQ), and risk management and disclosure practices (RDPs), and consequently ascertain whether NGQ has a moderating influence on the IGQ–RDPs nexus. Using one of the largest data sets relating to Islamic banks from 10 Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries from 2006 to 2013, our findings are threefold. First, we find that RDPs are higher in banks with higher IGQ. Second, we find that RDPs are higher in banks from countries with higher NGQ. Finally, we find that NGQ has a moderating effect on the IGQ–RDPs nexus. Our findings are robust to alternative RDP measures and estimation techniques. These results imply that the quality of disclosure depends on the nature of the macro-social-level factors, such as religion that have remained largely unexplored in business and society research, and, therefore, have important implications for policy makers.
It is Written in Your Eyes: Hostile Attributions and Self-Directed Gaze Perception in Incarcerated Violent Adolescent Male Offenders
Authors: Karadenizova Zhana M. , Dahle Klaus-Peter
Published: December 2017

To date, we have frugal knowledge about the hostile attribution bias (HAB) and the biased gaze perception in violent adolescent offenders. This however is a major contributing factor in understanding delinquent behavior. Using a computer-based approach, presenting faces modulated in gaze direction (0°, 2°, 4°, 6°, 8°) and valence (angry, fearful, happy, neutral), the present study examined the impact of HAB of the feeling of being stared at in a sample of 27 adolescent offenders (aged 17-24 years). The study was conducted institution-intern in the Department for Social Therapy of a German correctional facility. Results showed that in comparison with faces with negative expressions, happy faces were more likely to be perceived as self-directed. Interestingly, emotion showed significant influence of the gaze perception in only two viewing angles (2° and 6°), revealing the role of the facial expression in highly ambiguous conditions. Furthermore, hostility did not modulate the relationship between the self-referential gaze perception and (negative) facial expression. Possible frameworks and limitations of the study are discussed.
Explaining a Dark Side: Public Service Motivation, Presenteeism, and Absenteeism
Authors: Jensen Ulrich Thy , Andersen Lotte Bøgh , Holten Ann-Louise
Published: December 2017

Public service motivation (PSM) has many bright sides, but recent studies also find dark sides, connected to, for instance, higher stress and burnout. However, results on the PSM–absenteeism association are inconclusive. One reason could be that PSM increases presenteeism (going to work even when ill), which in turn increases absenteeism and counteracts—or even exceeds—PSM-based reductions of absenteeism. Based on a three-wave panel study of Danish public and private sector employees, we find a strong positive association between PSM and presenteeism and indications that the PSM–absenteeism link is mediated by presenteeism. The findings suggest that going to work even on days when employees feel ill is a potential dark side of PSM and that it may have long-term consequences for the extent to which employees are absent from their jobs due to sickness. This cautions managers not to expect that high PSM automatically guarantees high performance and low absence.
Beyond the Jobs versus Amenities Debate: Understanding the Migration of Educated Workers and Implications for Planning
Authors: Nelson Marla , Ehrenfeucht Renia
Published: December 2017

A skilled workforce is essential to regional growth and competitiveness, yet what is needed to attract and retain a talent base is a matter of long-standing debate. Through a qualitative longitudinal study of educated professionals who moved or returned to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, we identify the particular aspects of “jobs” and “amenities” respondents valued, highlight the complex and relational nature of the migration process, and examine how locational priorities shift as life circumstances change. Understanding the place-specific and institutional qualities that affect mobility and how individuals negotiate the migration process are essential to attract and retain skilled workers.
Disclosing Sex Trading Histories to Providers: Barriers and Facilitators to Navigation of Social Services Among Women Impacted by Commercial Sexual Exploitation
Authors: Gerassi Lara , Edmond Tonya E. , Fabbre Vanessa , Howard Abby , Nichols Andrea J.
Published: December 2017

Sex trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) can lead to devastating health and mental health consequences for women, such as elevated rates of substance use, trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and HIV. Consequently, engagement with services that address addiction, mental health, and housing, and provide general advocacy is critically important to women’s increased safety, stabilization, and quality of life. The purpose of this study is to identify perceived barriers and facilitators to service access and engagement with social services among women involved in CSE. Drawing from a larger grounded theory study that partnered with an anti-trafficking coalition and a substance use treatment center for women, in-depth, semistructured interviews were conducted with 30 adult women who traded sex as adults and 20 service providers who come into contact with this population. Women engaging in services were sampled through maximum variation sampling ( n = 24) and women not engaged with services ( n = 6) were recruited through snowball sampling. Providers were recruited through purposive sampling through the coalition ( n = 10) and nominations sampling ( n = 10). Open and focused coding were conducted. Multiple enhancements to methodological and analytic rigor were taken, including collaboration with multiple key stakeholders, use of nonstigmatizing language, self-reflexivity processes, analytic memo-writing, and member checking. Findings suggest that women experienced judgment when disclosing sex trading in social service intakes, and individual and group sessions from providers and other women in the groups. Although some women saw disclosure as helpful in addressing the complex feelings stemming from sex trading, as well as the desire to help or relate to other women in similar situations, they also identified risk of harm and multiple barriers to disclosing during intake meetings and individual sessions with providers as well as group sessions with providers and other clients. Implications for individual and group practice are discussed.