bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
International Law between the Duty of Memory and the Right to Oblivion
Authors: Morte Gabriele Della
Published: March 2014

From the viewpoint of international law, the relationship among law, memory, and oblivion has long attracted great interest. The instruments for balancing oblivion and memory vary considerably from one experience to another, but today the question that arises is whether the traditional view that they can be balanced is still valid, or whether new constraints have since been placed on this relationship.
Compensation and Damages in International Law and their Relevance for the Valuation of Expropriated Armenian Property
Authors: Marboe Irmgard
Published: March 2014

The issue of compensation and damages plays a prominent role in any legal system. This article explores to what extent the guiding principles of compensation and damages under international law could be of interest for the valuation of claims for expropriated Armenian property in the context of acts and omissions by the Ottoman Empire in 1915 and the years following. It addresses various bases of claims, in particular the legal rules on expropriation. The discussion includes the difference between lawful and unlawful expropriation and underlines the importance of the valuation date. Furthermore, various methods for the valuation of assets are introduced as far as they are relevant for the valuation of expropriated property. Finally, the issue of interest, by which the passing of time is usually compensated, is briefly addressed.
Economic-Legal Perspectives on the Armenian Genocide
Authors: Karamanian Susan L.
Published: March 2014

The Armenian Genocide of 1915, while causing substantial loss of life, also had enormous economic consequences. Important new scholarship has established that depriving Armenians of their homes, businesses, and personal effects was a means of ensuring their removal from Turkey. The findings establish that Armenian property was then misappropriated to benefit Turkey. The economic harm continues today, largely unmitigated. Mere economic loss due to State action, alone, is difficult to fit within the accepted definition of genocide. Yet, the mass killings and deportations surrounding the property losses make the economic harm legally relevant. Further, the economic dimension has significance, the genocide aside. Claims for reparation, which arise out of contract and property law, are the most viable legal option for many of the heirs of the Armenians. Pursuing claims, however, is costly and time-consuming. Ideally, the significance of the claims and the difficulties of a piece-meal approach to resolving them could lead to an international claims settlement process for the benefit of the affected Armenians.
Jumping Hurdles Backwards: The Armenian Genocide and the International Criminal Court
Authors: Jacobs Dov
Published: March 2014

This article discusses whether the International Criminal Court (ICC) could be considered as a possible avenue to address the Armenian Genocide. In light of the jurisdictional limits of the Court, it is argued that it is unlikely that it will ever be a suitable forum in this respect. Indeed, not only are the alleged perpetrators all deceased, but the ICC does not have retroactive jurisdiction. Moreover, it might be the case that some factual aspects of the events might make the crimes against humanity characterisation more adequate. The article concludes with a discussion of the necessity of accepting the limitations of law, notably criminal law, in addressing past events of such magnitude. Ignorance of these limitations makes the operation of trying to get the ICC to address the issue akin to the impossible task of jumping hurdles backwards.
Establishing State Responsibility for Historical Injustices: The Armenian Case
Authors: Roscini Marco
Published: March 2014

The article aims to identify a legal structure for the determination of state responsibility for historical injustices by using the deportations and mass killings of the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire (1915-1916) as a case study. It first determines whether the conduct was unlawful at the time it was committed and concludes that the 1948 Genocide Convention cannot be applied retroactively to the events in question and that customary international law provided, at the time, that the treatment by a state of its subjects was within its domestic jurisdiction. The Ottoman Empire, however, breached a series of treaties that provided for the amelioration of the conditions and for the protection of Christian minorities in the empire. The article then discusses whether the conduct was attributable to the state under the law of state responsibility in force at the time of the commissi delicti and argues that while the conduct of the Ottoman ministers, local authorities, and the military can be attributed to the Ottoman Empire, the attribution of the actions of other entities and individuals involved in the killings is more problematic.
The Spirit of the Law: Following the Traces of Genocide in the Law of Abandoned Property
Authors: Akçam Taner
Published: March 2014

The aim of the article is to explain how the laws and decrees regarding ‘abandoned properties’ from both the Ottoman and Turkish Republican eras were constructed. The central argument is that, even though these laws and regulations were part of the genocidal program of 1915, they cannot totally deny the rights of Armenians relative to these properties.
Foundations of Non-Muslim Communities: The Last Object of Confiscation
Authors: Çetinoğlu Sait
Published: March 2014

This article focuses on a specific component of the expropriation of property from non-Muslim minorities that began the Armenian Genocide and similar expropriations from Greeks, the long period of dispossession of the property of non-Muslim foundations resulting from use of the 1936 requirement that all non-Muslim foundations provide the government a list of their immovable properties and go through a complex permitting process regarding property acquisition. This has been an important part of the capital accumulation process in the Turkish Republic for decades. The confiscations beginning in the late 1960s constitute a continuous breach due to the fact that these properties have never been returned to their owners. As result, these claims for the return of such property could be taken to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).
Reparations for Genocide: Group Harm and the Limits of Liberal Individualism
Authors: Theriault Henry C.
Published: March 2014

In recent years, there has been a handful of lawsuits billed as attempts to gain reparations for the Armenian Genocide. These suits, however, have concerned only ancillary wrongs done to individuals, not the culpable harm done to the Armenian group as a whole through genocide. As such, these suits do not actually pursue reparations for the Armenian Genocide. Not only do awarded or negotiated reparations not function to address the damage done by the Armenian Genocide as a force of group destruction – a force whose consequences remain debilitating today politically, economically, culturally, and socially – but the basis of the cases is not the genocide. In fact, misrepresented as genocide reparations cases, they displace genuine reparation claims. The focus on individual suits and exclusion of genuine group reparations are a function of the limits of the Western liberal individual intellectual and political system that grounds international law. Only through fundamental changes in the guiding assumptions of that system will adequate, that is, true group reparations become viable.
Faith, An Alien and Narrow Path of Christian Ethics in Migration
Authors: Asamoah-Gyadu Johnson Kwabena
Published: March 2014

Abstract

The rise of African immigrant communities in the diaspora, especially in Europe and North America, have contributed significantly to the renewal of Christian presence in those contexts. There are significant numbers of the membership of African immigrant congregations who are economic migrants and whose immigration statuses have not been regularized. The average undocumented migrant lives a very difficult life due to the inability to provide authentic papers for work. This affects the lives of immigrants in several ways, including access to healthcare and education for children. In those circumstances the temptation to survive by assuming false identities is very strong.

The mission of immigrant churches includes the provision of ‘protection’ for their vulnerable members who need to survive a physically precarious diaspora. That African immigrants often reinterpret their problems in terms of attacks from supernatural forces and envious witches at ‘home’ in Africa informs the approach of the leadership to care and counselling. This paper proposes to identify the pastoral problems of African immigrant Christians within the context of situation ethics and how the inability to regularize their stay in Europe and North America affects Christian morality and mission in ‘alien lands’.
The French Counter-Reformation
Authors: Woodcock Philippa
Published: March 2014

This article discusses the redecoration of the rural French parish church in the French diocese of Le Mans from 1620–1688. Scholars have argued that the diocese’s prolific commissions of terracotta statues and retables represented the impact of the Council of Trent’s drive to educate the clergy and instill in them a sense of connoisseurship; the clergy led the diocese as patrons. Yet, these works of art are also quite particular to the region, suggesting that other factors were responsible for their proliferation. This article examines the statues and retable of St-Léonard-des-Bois, commissioned in c. 1630 and 1684. Using previously unavailable archival material, it proposes two new patrons for these commissions, and reconsiders the motives for clerical and secular leadership in this rural parish. It demonstrates that the rural world was not isolated and it is significant that both patrons came from beyond the parish. The article evaluates the influence upon the statues and retable of the centralising ‘Counter-Reformation’ and local factors such as geography, regional traditions, and local events. It argues that the rural Counter-Reformation had a paradoxical identity. It belonged to wider currents in Catholic Reform, and in the case of St-Léonard, was driven by two patrons determined to create a new position for themselves. However, as both of these commissions were accepted by the church’s fabrique, it is evident that subject choices persistently reflected older traditions, and images responded to very local circumstances.
THE JUDGMENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE ON THE IMMUNITY OF FOREIGN STATES: A MISSED OPPORTUNITY
Authors: Conforti Benedetto
Published: March 2014

According to the author, the immunities of foreign States (or their organs) are becoming increasingly unacceptable in a world which does not tolerate privileges or the impossibility for individuals to assert their rights. In the decision under review, the ICJ was not able to give any signal in the direction of the progressive development of international law, at least with regard to disputes on gross violations of human rights, as it had done in other occasions (see, for instance, the obiter dictum on erga omnes obligations in the decision of 1970 in the case of the Barcelona Traction). In particular, no signal was given as far as the last resort argument advanced by Italy was concerned, i.e. that under the circumstances of the case, the denial of immunity to Germany was justified since no remedy alternative to Italian courts was available to the victims of the Nazi crimes in question. This notwithstanding the existence of some State practice which could be used to support that argument. The author hopes that the Italian judgments which led to the dispute between Italy and Germany will convince the courts of other jurisdictions to abandon the attitude favoring State immunity in cases relating to serious violations of human rights, similarly to what occurred in the 1920s, when Italian courts advocating the distinction between acts jure imperii and jure gestionis were gradually followed by the courts of other States. The matter is very much in the hands of domestic courts and it is up to them to overcome the excessive conservatism of the ICJ.
JUS COGENS AND JURISDICTIONAL IMMUNITIES OF STATES AT THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE: “A CONFLICT DOES EXIST”
Authors: Espósito Carlos
Published: March 2014

In its judgment of 3 February 2012 in Jurisdictional Immunities of the State (Germany v. Italy: Greece intervening), the International Court of Justice has examined the relationship between jus cogens and the rule of State immunity. The Court has denied the existence of a jus cogens exception to that rule, primarily on the basis of the distinction between peremptory norms as rules of substance and jurisdictional immunities as rules of procedure. For the Court, a conflict between rules on jurisdictional immunities, “essentially procedural in nature”, and substantive rules of jus cogens is conceptually impossible. This article criticizes the approach and reasoning of the Court regarding the absolute separation between procedural and substantive rules, and argues that a legal conflict may exist between jus cogens and jurisdictional immunities. Moreover, it sustains that the decision of the Court does not bring about an ideal kind of stability for the international legal order nor is it an encouraging legal message to national judges dealing with public interest claims arising from serious violations of international law.
ARE ITALIAN COURTS DIRECTLY BOUND TO GIVE EFFECT TO THE JURISDICTIONAL IMMUNITIES JUDGMENT?
Authors: Sossai Mirko
Published: March 2014

The answer to the question of whether Italian courts are directly bound to give effect to the Jurisdictional Immunities decision depends on both the content of the obligations established by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) concerning remedies and the peculiarities of the Italian legal system. While the ICJ affords a certain margin of appreciation to Italy in the implementation of the dispositif, the requirement that judicial decisions infringing Germany’s immunity must cease to have effect confirms a consistent trend towards the expansion of the subjective scope of ICJ judgments. The problem of whether action by either the executive or the legislative branches of government is an essential prerequisite for court implementation of the ICJ judgment should be solved by having regard to both preexisting domestic judicial proceedings and the hierarchical rank of the obligation to comply under domestic law. It is argued that national courts have to ensure the direct application of the Jurisdictional Immunities judgment in ongoing proceedings where no decision has become final. In addition, recent practice shows that even the tension between the duty to comply and the principle of res judicata might be resolved by the judiciary, giving prevalence to the former.
COLLECTIVE ACTIONS IN ICSID ARBITRATION: THE ARGENTINE BONDS CASE
Authors: de Luca Anna
Published: March 2014

This comment deals with collective actions in ICSID arbitration. This topic has emerged as one of the hottest issues in international investment law after the recent Decision on Jurisdiction and Admissibility in the case Abaclat and others v. Argentina. In this decision the majority of the ICSID Arbitral Tribunal considers as admissible the collective action of about 60,000 Italian bondholders represented by the Association for the Protection of Investors in Argentine Securities. The decision issued by the Abaclat Tribunal could open the way to mass claims in international arbitrations based on international agreements on the protection of foreign investments (so-called BITs), brought by holdout creditors in case of sovereign insolvency. A critical review of some selected issues dealt with by the Tribunal will be presented. First of all, this comment addresses the qualification of the Italian investors’ mass claims as treaty claims (rather than as contractual claims). Secondly, the qualification of the claimants’ security entitlements in the Argentine bonds as investments made in Argentine territory pursuant to the Argentina-Italy BIT is analysed. Finally, the method and reasoning followed by the Tribunal in order to admit bondholders’ mass claims under BITs in ICSID arbitration are critically discussed. In this respect, the conclusion is drawn that the Tribunal has conflated questions regarding subjective jurisdictional requirements under the ICSID Convention and Argentina-Italy BIT with questions of claims’ admissibility, as well as issues related to parties’ consent to ICSID arbitration with mere procedural issues.
TREATY-BASED INVESTMENT ARBITRATION AND THE MFN CLAUSE: THE POSSIBLE COMMON DENOMINATOR BETWEEN JURISDICTION AND ADMISSIBILITY
Authors: Savarese Eduardo
Published: March 2014

This essay considers, in the framework of treaty-based investment arbitration, the use of the most-favoured-nation (MFN) clause in order to assert the jurisdiction of an international tribunal. It points out the two approaches that have emerged from arbitral decisions delivered in the last decade up until the most recent cases of Impregilo and Hochtief. According to the first approach, one of “extensive interpretation”, international investment law is to be comprehensively considered under both its substantive and procedural aspects. In this perspective, MFN clauses may be interpreted as a means to ensure facilitated access to international arbitration. Conversely, according to the “consensual” approach, insofar as treaty clauses which concern the dispute settlement resolution by arbitration are the main expression of a State’s consent to international jurisdiction, they cannot be modified or derogated by MFN clauses. However, it will be demonstrated that arbitral decisions have not led to genuinely conflicting outcomes. Indeed, the common line of the arbitral practice favourable to the extensive interpretation of MFN clauses relies on the difference between jurisdiction and admissibility, as the Hochtief decision demonstrates. As far as issues of mere admissibility are concerned, the MFN clause may work as an instrument facilitating access to an arbitral tribunal, if all the jurisdictional requirements have been met.
Two new species of Graffenrieda (Melastomataceae: Merianieae) from Colombia and Panama
Authors: Almeda Frank , Marcela Alvear , Mendoza Humberto
Published: March 2014

Two new species of Graffenrieda (Melastomataceae: Merianieae) are described from Colombia and Panama. Graffenrieda jefensis, a Panamanian endemic from Cerro Jefe, is characterized by a calyptrate calyx that falls away as a unit at anthesis, 5-merous flowers, 3-locular ovary, and conspicuous persistent calyx teeth. Graffenrieda maklenkensis, a Colombian endemic from the Cordillera Oriental in the northern Andes of Colombia, has a calyx that is fused in bud but ruptures into four (rarely three) lobes at anthesis that lack external calyx teeth, 4-(5)-merous flowers, a 3-(4)-locular ovary, and hypanthial indumentum (at anthesis) that is minutely lepidote intermixed with glandlike or resinous scurfy trichomes. Each species is illustrated, compared with presumed relatives, and provided with a conservation assessment using IUCN guidelines.
Nirvanguina Zhang & Webb (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae), a new record for China, with description of a new species
Authors: LU LIN , ZHANG YALIN , WEBB M. D.
Published: March 2014

The previously monotypic leafhopper genus Nirvanguina Zhang & Webb (Deltocephalinae, Drabescini, Paraboloponina), recorded from Australia and New Guinea, is recorded from mainland Asia (China) for the first time and a new species, N. pectena sp. nov., from Fanjingshan Mountain in Guizhou Prov., China, is described and illustrated.
Six new species of the Platypalpus pallidiventris-cursitans group (Diptera: Hybotidae) from the Caucasus
Authors: KUSTOV SEMEN , SHAMSHEV IGOR , GROOTAERT PATRICK
Published: March 2014

Six new species of the genus Platypalpus are described from the Caucasus: P. abagoensis sp. nov. (Russia: Republic of Adygea), P. arzanovi sp. nov. (Russia: Krasnodarskiy Territory, Rostov Prov.), P. gazaryani sp. nov. (Russia: Republic of Adygea), P. kamyshanovensis sp. nov. (Russia: Krasnodarskiy Territory), P. odintsovi sp. nov. (Russia: Krasnodarskiy Territory), P. neberdzaensis sp. nov. (Russia: Krasnodarskiy Territory).
Two new species of Phyllodistomum Braun, 1899 (Trematoda: Gorgoderidae Looss, 1899) from Great Barrier Reef fishes
Authors: HO HEI WA , BRAY RODNEY A. , CUTMORE SCOTT C. , WARD SELINA , CRIBB THOMAS H.
Published: March 2014

Two new species of Phyllodistomum Braun, 1899 are described from the urinary bladder of fishes of the Great Barrier Reef. Phyllodistomum hoggettae n. sp. is described from Plectropomus leopardus (leopard coralgrouper) (Serranidae) and P. vaili n. sp. is described from Mulloidichthys vanicolensis (yellowfin goatfish) and M. flavolineatus (yellowstripe goatfish) (Mullidae). These species are compared with 26 previously described marine Phyllodistomum species and found to be distinct in combinations of body shape, sucker ratio and shape of the gonads. Preliminary molecular data also demonstrate that they are distinct from each other and for those other species for which data are available.
A new species of Luchoelmis Spangler & Staines (Coleoptera: Elmidae) from Argentina and its probable larva
Authors: ARCHANGELSKY MIGUEL , BRAND CECILIA
Published: March 2014

A new species of riffle beetle from southwestern Argentina, Luchoelmis kapenkemkensis, is described. Its diagnostic characters are illustrated and the key for the identification the species of the genus is updated. A larva, very likely belonging to this species, is also described and compared to other related larvae.
A taxonomic synopsis of Limnogeton Mayr, 1853 (Insecta: Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Belostomatidae)
Authors: RIBEIRO JOSÉ RICARDO I. , MEYIN-A-EBONG SOLANGE E. , LE-GALL PHILIPPE , GUILBERT ERIC
Published: March 2014

The Afrotropical Belostomatidae fauna has long proved to be a difficult taxonomic problem, not so much for the overwhelmingly large number of species involved but rather because of a lack of trained specialists. The rarity of some taxa also contributes to confusion, because some species remain poorly described or are known only from one or two specimens. During a visit to the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France and the Musée Royal de l'Afrique Centrale, Tervuren, Belgium, it was possible to comprehensively review the Limnogeton species based mainly on the specimens housed in the aforementioned collections. An updated key to adults of all species presently included in the genus, particularly based on male genitalia characters studied during the present study, has been provided.
Two new species of the genus Callicera Panzer (Diptera: Syrphidae) from the Palaearctic Region
Authors: SMIT JOHN
Published: March 2014

Two new species of the genus Callicera Panzer are described from the Palaearctic region: C. exigua sp. nov. from the Russian Altay and C. scintilla sp. nov. from Jordan. A key is provided for all Callicera species of the Palaearctic Region.
The Hybrid Tracheoesophageal Puncture Procedure
Authors: Damrose Edward J. , Cho Do-Yeon , Goode Richard L.
Published: March 2014

Objectives:

This report aimed to describe a novel and efficient method of tracheoesophageal puncture using a hybrid device assembled from 2 commercially available puncture kits; to demonstrate the utility of this technique in the performance of primary and secondary procedures, under general and local anesthesia, with and without flap reconstruction; and to evaluate the efficacy of concurrent puncture and valve placement.

Methods:

Thirty-four patients who underwent either primary or secondary tracheoesophageal puncture for voice restoration. Charts were reviewed retrospectively for complications, time to first valve change, operative time, and blood loss.

Results:

Using this novel hybrid device, simultaneous puncture and valve placement was achieved in 34 consecutive patients. There was 1 major complication; blood loss was negligible; and the procedure could be accomplished in all cases. There were no cases of prosthesis failure as a result of the insertion technique.

Conclusion:

Concurrent tracheoesophageal puncture and voice prosthesis placement is a simple and efficient method of voice restoration in the laryngectomized patient and can be more easily accomplished with a hybrid device assembled from the components of 2 commercially available puncture kits. It can be performed under local as well as general anesthesia. The procedure is adaptable to a variety of clinical situations.
A novel missense SMPD1 gene mutation, T460P, and clinical findings in a patient with Niemann–Pick disease type B presenting to a lipid disorders clinic
Authors: Grasko Yael , Hooper Amanda J , Burnett John R , Watts Gerald F
Published: March 2014

Niemann–Pick disease, type B (NPD-B; OMIM 607616) is an inborn error of metabolism where reduced concentrations of the enzyme acid sphingomyelinase (ASM; EC 3.1.4.12) lead to multisystem disease though with survival into adulthood. The natural history of NPD-B is one of progressive hypersplenism and gradual deterioration of pulmonary function. We describe a 46-year-old South African man of French Huguenot descent who presented to a lipid disorders clinic with mixed hyperlipidaemia. Clinical examination and imaging findings revealed the presence of massive hepatosplenomegaly, interstitial lung disease and subclinical atherosclerosis; there were no neurological or cognitive abnormalities. Laboratory testing showed thrombocytopaenia, increased liver transaminases and mild hyperbilirubinaemia. Lysosomal enzyme analysis showed markedly reduced ASM activity, suggestive of NPD. DNA sequence analysis of the SMPD1 gene revealed that he was a compound heterozygote for the previously reported c.1829_1831delGCC (ΔR608) mutation and a novel missense mutation c.1378A > C (p.T460P). In conclusion, we describe the clinical findings of a case of NPD-B with mixed hyperlipidaemia, compound heterozygous for the SMPD1 ΔR608 mutation and a novel mutation, T460P.
Prosecutors’ perspectives on using recorded child witness interviews about abuse as evidence-in-chief
Authors: Burrows Kimberlee S , Powell Martine B
Published: March 2014

Over the past two decades, numerous English-speaking countries have implemented legislative reform to allow children’s investigative interviews about abuse to be electronically recorded and made available for use as evidence-in-chief at trial. Prior evaluations suggest that the procedure has both advantages and disadvantages for prosecutors. This study adopted a constructive approach by eliciting contemporaneous and detailed feedback from 19 Crown prosecutors about the challenges of using electronically recorded interviews as evidence-in-chief and suggestions for how these challenges may be addressed. Thematic analysis revealed concerns in several areas; (a) the quality of questioning in interviews, (b) the jurors’ engagement with the witness, (c) the sense of formality and solemnity of evidence, (d) the clarity of the evidence and (e) the child’s preparedness for cross-examination. These themes are discussed within the context of the broader child testimony literature and recommendations for improvement are offered.
Role theory in symbolic interactionism: Czech Republic, Germany and the EU
Authors: Beneš Vít , Harnisch Sebastian
Published: March 2014

The literature on norm socialization and Europeanization has largely focused on successful norm diffusion, but thus far it has hardly addressed the norm backlash from the respective societies. To more fully grasp the interaction between member states’ roles and their institutional preferences we provide a conceptual model for the de-composition of national role conceptions. This model is applied in case studies on German and Czech European policies in the constitutionalization process of the European Union. The paper illustrates how the composition of Czech and German roles has changed over time and how these national role conceptions shape the countries’ respective institutional preferences. We conclude that historical role experience is considered as a powerful explanatory tool for the policies of today’s European Union member states.
Challenges of Caring
Authors: Simmons Henry C.
Published: March 2014

Congregational expectations for care in the last third of life create challenges for church professionals. The last third of life is typically long and complex as people are living long and dying sicker. Current social and church demographics create new demands for and limits on caring; for some church professionals, the personal demands for caring pose a particular challenge. Four strategies may help: conversations sustained over time, shared congregational rituals and experiences, living “as if,” and political hospitality.
Perspectives on Aging and the Elderly in the Hebrew Bible
Authors: Knight Douglas A.
Published: March 2014

The texts in the Hebrew Bible dealing with old age and the elderly should be understood in light of multiple contexts—the socioeconomic settings of real life in ancient Israel; the material indications that life expectancy must have hovered around age 40, which was probably considered elderly and suffering the ailments of old age; and the literature from surrounding cultures that depicts the afflictions of old age.
Haroun and Luka: A study of Salman Rushdie’s talismanic stories
Authors: Roy Madhumita , Roy Anjali Gera
Published: March 2014

Salman Rushdie’s Haroun and the Sea of Stories (1990) and Luka and the Fire of Life (2010) are telling instances of his hybridization of Eastern and Western narrative and aesthetic traditions. However, scholarly attention paid, perhaps rightfully, by the overlapping discourses of postcolonialism and postmodernism to the themes of Rushdie’s hybridity and cosmopolitanism has led to only a token acknowledgement of his indigenous influences. Particularly, the Islamic storytelling tradition of the dastan has been completely overlooked. While acknowledging that many narrative traditions of the West and the East, such as fairy tales, fantasies, boys’ adventure stories, as well as One Thousand and One Nights, Kathasaritsagar, Panchatantra, mythography, and so on, intersect in Rushdie’s children’s stories, this article seeks to foreground Rushdie’s embeddedness in the Indo-Islamic visual, narrative, and performative cultural heritage through tracing the dastan elements in Haroun and Luka.
Lip morphometry in 600 North Indian adults: a data base study for sexual dimorphism
Authors: Goel Archana , Patnaik VVG , Puri Nidhi
Published: March 2014

The study comprised lip morphometry of 600 North Indian adults (300 males and 300 females). The aim of the study was to create base data of various linear and vertical measurements of the upper and lower lips and width of the mouth. This standard may serve as a guideline for sexual dimorphism as well as for restoration or enhancement of esthetic and plastic surgery for the lips in the north Indian population, which will enable the surgeon to offer a better cosmetic result. Prior informed written consent from all the subjects was obtained. The exclusion and inclusion criteria for the subjects were predefined. The analysis shows the sexual dimorphism in most parameters of lips being greater in males. The results were compared with the available data for north white Americans, Malays, Malaysian Indians, Italians, western Indians and Caucasians. In the population under study, the measurements differ in all dimensions with Malays, Italians and Caucasians and show resemblance to the Malaysian Indians. Knowledge of the proportion between the upper and lower lips helps in surgical correction of the region. This study highlights the applied significance of observations of the present study to forensic, namely racial and sex dimorphic, criteria of identification.
A simple depressed skull fracture in an old man with Paget disease: forensic implications in a rare case
Authors: Gitto Lorenzo , Arunkumar Ponni , Maiese Aniello , Bolino Giorgio
Published: March 2014

Skull fractures occur when forces striking the head exceed the mechanical integrity of the calvarium. A depressed skull fracture is a break in a cranial bone with depression of the bone into the brain. A depressed fracture may be open ( compound), with a skin laceration over the fracture, or closed ( simple), when the overlying tissue is not disrupted. The association between simple depressed fracture of the skull and elderly is rare. Paget disease of the bone is a chronic disease characterized by the deposition of abnormal bone tissue, more fragile than normal bone. We report a case of a 92-year-old man who was found supine on the floor in his residence, showing multiple signs of trauma. X-rays and computed tomography scans were performed, showing a simple depressed skull fracture on the right occipital-temporal area and even the characteristics of Paget disease of the skull. The first hypothesis was death due to voluntary homicide. A detailed study of clinical reports, laboratory tests, radiograph scans, and post mortem examination data allowed us to reconstruct the event. Death was finally ruled due to a mild passive trauma, suggesting the unlawful killing of a human without criminal intent, meaning involuntary manslaughter.
Neuropsychology of domestic violence: A comparative preliminary study of executive functioning
Authors: Becerra-García Juan Antonio
Published: March 2014

In neuropsychological studies of executive functioning in domestic violence offenders, the different investigations conducted have only studied differences within this group or in relation to control groups of non-offenders. To minimize the limitations in relation to comparison groups, the purpose of this study was to compare executive functioning in domestic violence offenders in relation to different groups of offenders (i.e. sexual, violent and non-violent) and a control group of non-offenders, with all groups matched on socio-demographic and clinical characteristics. Executive functioning was tested of all participants with the Trail Making Test (direct and derived scores). Compared with the control group, the domestic violence offenders and sex offenders exhibited the poorest performance on the Trail Making Test part B (time) and on the B-A derived index; whereas, the violent offenders group (i.e. convicted of assault, wounding, homicide etc.) showed a high number of errors in part B. These findings suggest that domestic violence offenders exhibit similar performance on the TMT as sex offenders, where both have poorer cognitive flexibility and executive control. Other violent offenders exhibited different patterns of difficulty on this test (e.g. more impulsivity responses). Executive functioning may be a central psychological process that could help explain the interrelations between domestic and sexual aggression, and could be a relevant construct for common treatment of domestic batterers and sex offenders.
Fetal laceration during caesarean section and its medico-legal sequelae
Authors: Esposito Ciro , Escolino Maria , Paternoster Mariano , Buccelli Claudio , Graziano Vincenzo , Falco Marianna , Alicchio Francesca , Cerulo Mariapina , Settimi Alessandro , Savanelli Antonio
Published: March 2014

Fetal laceration is a recognized complication of caesarean delivery. The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence, type, location, risk factors and long-term consequences of accidental fetal incised wounds during caesarean delivery. During a five-year period, we observed 25 cases of fetal lacerations caused by the scalpel during hysterotomy. In 20 of these cases, we observed these lesions as consultants for the Neonatologic Care Unit; the other five cases came under our care after an insurance claim for damages against the gynaecologist. All the infants had a lesion located to the head. In only 5 of the 25 cases the lesion was reported in the operative summary, and only 16 of the 25 mothers had signed an informed consent before surgery. With regard to the 20 cases diagnosed at the Neonatologic Care Unit, the lesion was closed using single stitches in nine cases, and with biological glue in 11 cases. Concerning the five cases that underwent legal proceedings against the gynaecologist, a clinical examination was performed by an expert in Public Health and Social Security in collaboration with a paediatric surgeon to evaluate the degree of biological damage. In all five cases, the result of the legal challenge was monetary compensation for the physical and moral damage caused by the gynaecologists to the patients and their parents. Accidental fetal lesions may occur during caesarean delivery; the incidence is significantly higher during emergency caesarean delivery compared to elective procedures. Patients should sign an informed consent in which they should be informed about the risk of the occurrence of fetal lacerations during caesarean delivery in order to avoid legal complications.
Domain-oriented variability modeling for reuse of simulation models
Authors: Lee Hyesun , Yang Jin-Seok , Kang Kyo Chul , Pyun Jai-Jeong
Published: March 2014

Reusability is an important quality attribute for defense modeling and simulation (MS) due to the ever-changing combat simulations and new requirements. There has been research conducted worldwide for reusing simulation models. The methods proposed in these studies (including One Semi-Automated Forces (OneSAF)) support reuse of simulation components in the development of new models. As the reuse units in the existing methods are at the simulation component level, when existing components do not satisfy new simulation requirements, new components have to be developed and maintained separately from the existing ones. However, simulation components in the same domain tend to have common parts; behavior models for tactical missions and battlefield functions in the same domain are derived from the same tactical doctrine/manual, and thus they tend to have a common structure. There is a need for a new method to maximize reusability by providing “fine-grained” reuse, i.e. composing simulation components from reusable fine-grained modules (i.e. behaviors/functions). We address the problem by applying the product line engineering concept to the development of simulation components. Commonalities and variabilities (CVs) of domain-specific simulation requirements and CVs of tactical behaviors and battlefield functions are identified in domain-oriented variability modeling. Then, the CVs are used to design and implement domain-specific simulation component assets with domain-specific tactical behaviors and battlefield functions while embedding the identified variabilities. These domain-specific component assets are instantiated based on selections of variabilities and then integrated to develop a simulation model. Feasibility of the method was demonstrated in an infantry squad combat domain of the Republic of Korea armed forces.
Research output of health research institutions and its use in 42 sub-Saharan African countries: results of a questionnaire-based survey
Authors: Kebede Derege , Zielinski Chris , Mbondji Peter Ebongue , Sanou Issa , Kouvividila Wenceslas , Lusamba-Dikassa Paul-Samson
Published: March 2014

Objective

To describe and analyse research output from surveyed national health research institutions in Africa.

Design

The survey used a structured questionnaire to solicit information from 847 health research institutions in 42 countries of the World Health Organization African Region.

Setting

Eight hundred and forty-seven health research institutions in 42 sub-Saharan African countries.

Participants

Key informants from the health research institutions.

Main outcome measures

Volume, type and medium of publications, and distribution of research outputs.

Results

Books or chapters for books accounted for the highest number of information products published (on average 16.7 per respondent institution), followed by patents registered in country (8.2), discussion or working papers (6.5) and conference proceedings (6.4). Publication in a peer-reviewed journal constituted only a minor part of research output (on average about 1 paper per institution). Radio and TV broadcasts on health research accounted for the highest number of products issued by institution staff (on average 5.5 per institution), followed by peer-reviewed journals indexed internationally (3.8) or nationally (3.1). There were, on average, 1.5 press releases, 1.5 newspaper or magazine articles, and 1.4 policy briefs per institution. Over half of respondent institutions (52%) developed briefs and summaries of articles to share with their target audiences, 43% developed briefs for possible actions and 37% provided articles and reports upon request. Only a small proportion of information products produced were available in institutional databases.

Conclusions

The research output of health research institutions in the Region is significant, but more effort is needed to strengthen research capacity, including human and financial resources.
The Imbalanced Sex Ratio and the High Bride Price
Authors: Widmer Alexandra
Published: March 2014

This article examines changes and continuities in the epistemic and methodological presence of “race” in British imperial demography from 1920 to 1960. It does so in relation to population-level interventions aimed at improving reproduction in the New Hebrides. Through an examination of the sex ratio in relation to debates about demographic decline, the article describes aspects of how sexual selection was connected to race thinking. Taking a balanced sex ratio as a marker of well-adapted, healthy populations—biologically and culturally—the British authorities in the New Hebrides attempted to regulate the bride price in an attempt to level the imbalanced sex ratio. They believed that this intervention would reduce the marriage age of men while also appeasing missionary agendas of changing marriage and kinship practices. I use the metaphor of a “watermark” to think through the conceptual and methodological absent/presence of race in colonial demography and colonial administrators’ attitudes toward and interventions in local reproductive practices.
Constructing the East–West Boundary
Authors: Ma Eunjeong , Lynch Michael
Published: March 2014

This article presents a case study of a recent controversy over the use of computed tomography (CT) as a diagnostic technology in South Korean hospitals. The controversy occurred in the wake of a series of conflicts in the late twentieth century over the legitimate placement of healing practices, medicinal substances, and medical technologies within Korea’s separate “Western Medicine” (WM) and “Korean Medicine” (KM) systems of health care and pharmaceutical distribution. The controversy concerned an attempt to use hi-tech imaging technology—the epitome of modern medicine—in a clinic that maintains a strong ideological attachment to Korean healing traditions. A close study of this dispute, based on interviews, participant observation, and documentary analysis, showed that discursive positions taken about the translatability of medical technologies changed with the context of dispute, and did not reflect a stable epistemic boundary between rival medical paradigms.
Childlessness and Mental Well-Being in a Global Context
Authors: Tanaka Kimiko , Johnson Nan E.
Published: March 2014

Pronatal norms exist in various countries to varying degrees. Depending on the strength of pronatalism, adults who remain childless can experience negative sanctions that could affect their happiness and life satisfaction. We test these ideas on childless respondents from 36 nations in two waves of the World Values Survey (1994-1999 and 1999-2004). Childless adults are unhappier and less satisfied if they live in highly pronatalist nations than in other nations. The negative relationship between childlessness and life satisfaction is stronger for childless people in strongly pronatalist nations that have below-replacement fertility or low-to-medium scores on the Human Development Index than in strongly pronatalist nations with at- or above-replacement fertility or high scores on the Human Development Index. The findings show the importance of taking national-level contextual factors into account in understanding the mental well-being of childless people.
Rapid Systematic Review of Normal Audiometry Results as a Predictor for Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo
Authors: Dorresteijn Paul M. , Ipenburg Norbertus A. , Murphy Kathryn J. , Smit Michelle , van Vulpen Jonna K. , Wegner Inge , Stegeman Inge , Grolman Wilko
Published: March 2014

Objective

To evaluate whether absence of hearing loss on pure‐tone audiometry (PTA) is reliable as a diagnostic test for predicting benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) in adult patients with vertigo.

Data Sources

PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library.

Methods

A systematic literature search was conducted on December 10, 2013. Relevant publications were selected based on title, abstract, and full text. Selected articles were assessed for relevance and risk of bias using predetermined criteria. Prevalence and the positive and negative predictive value (PPV and NPV) were extracted.

Results

Of 603 retrieved publications, 1 article with high relevance and moderate risk of bias was included. In this study, the prevalence of BPPV was 28%. The PPV of hearing loss assessed by PTA was 31% (95% CI, 17‐49) and the NPV was 73% (95% CI, 61‐83). The absence of hearing loss on PTA decreased the risk of BPPV by 1%.

Conclusion and Recommendation

There is insufficient high‐quality evidence regarding the diagnostic value of the absence of hearing loss, assessed by PTA, for predicting BPPV in adult patients with vertigo.
Simondon, Individuation and the Life Sciences: Interview with Anne Fagot-Largeault
Authors: Bardini Thierry
Published: March 2014

In this interview, Anne Fagot-Largeault discusses with Thierry Bardini her recollections of the life and work of French philosopher Gilbert Simondon (1924–1989). The discussion covers Simondon’s theory of individuation and considers its influences on contemporary thinkers such as Gilles Deleuze and François Laruelle. Fagot-Largeault situates Simondon’s thinking within the broader context of 20th-century biological research and the development of life sciences. Informed by her personal association and experiences working with Simondon, her reminiscences shed light on the unique character of Simondon as a person and as a thinker.
Efficacy of intraperitoneal and intravenous lidocaine on pain relief after laparoscopic cholecystectomy
Authors: Yang So Young , Kang Hyun , Choi Geun Joo , Shin Hwa Yong , Baek Chong Wha , Jung Yong Hun , Choi Yoo Shin
Published: March 2014

Objectives

This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluated intraperitoneal (IP) lidocaine administration and intravenous (IV) lidocaine infusion for postoperative pain control after laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC).

Methods

Patients who underwent LC were randomized to either group IV (intravenous lidocaine infusion), group IP (intraperitoneal lidocaine administration), or group C (control, IP and IV saline). Outcome measures were total postoperative pain severity (TPPS), total fentanyl consumption (TFC), frequency of administering patient-controlled analgesia (FPB), and a pain control satisfaction score (PCSS).

Results

Significantly reduced TPPS, TFC and FPB scores were observed in groups IP ( n = 22) and IV ( n = 26) compared with controls ( n = 24). PCSS was higher in groups IP and IV than in controls. At 2 h postoperation, TPPS was significantly lower in group IP than group IV; at 0–2 h postoperation, FPB was lower in group IP than group IV.

Conclusions

The IP administration of lidocaine and IV lidocaine infusion significantly reduced postoperative pain and opioid consumption in LC patients, compared with control infusions. For convenience, IV lidocaine could be used for pain reduction following LC; IP administration places additional burden on the surgeon.