Standardizing services: transnational authority and market power

Services account for more than 70 percent of GDP in the OECD countries and 50 percent of developing and transition countries. Standardization works to impose common norms on highly differentiated current practice as to availability, provision, and use of services. Some rely on public services, others provide consumer protection or relate to security matters involving liability issues for users and providers alike. Service standards reflect the development of a transnational hybrid authority which exercises a distinct form of market power in the reorganisation of the global capitalist economy towards services

Transnational private authority, regulatory space and workers' collective competences: Bringing local contexts and worker agency back in

The impact of transnational private regulation on labour standards remains in dispute. While studies have provided some limited evidence of positive effects on 'outcome standards' such as wages or occupational health and safety, the literature gives little reason to believe that there has been any significant effect on 'process rights' relating primarily to collective workers' voice and social dialogue. This paper probes this assumption by bringing local contexts and worker agency more fully into the picture. It outlines an analytical framework that emphasizes workers' potential to act collectively for change in the regulatory space surrounding the employment relationship. It argues that while transnational private regulation on labour standards may marginally improve workers access to regulatory spaces and their capacity to require the inclusion of enterprises in them, it does little to increase union leverage. The findings are based on empirical research work conducted in Sub-Saharan Africa

Governance by Contract? The impact of the International Finance Corporation's Social Conditionality on Worker Organization and Social Dialogue

This study considers the question of the relationship between private labour regulation and workers' capacity to take collective action through the lens of an empirical study of the International Finance Corporation's (IFC) 'performance standards' system of social and environmental conditionality. The study covered some 150 IFC client businesses in four world regions, drawing on data made public by the IFC as well as the results of a dedicated field survey that gathered information directly from workers, managers and union representatives. The study found that the application of the performance standards system has had remarkably little impact on union membership and social dialogue. In those few cases where change could be causally linked to the standards, the effect depended on the presence of workers' organizations that already had the capacity to take effective action on behalf of their members. The study also uncovered some prima facie evidence of breaches of freedom of association rights occurring with no reaction from IFC. The study concludes that the lack of impact is largely due to the private contractual structure that supposedly guarantees standards compliance

Les arènes de la normalisation internationale à l'épreuve de la participation de la société civile : résultats du projet INTERNORM

Les normes internationales occupent une place de plus en plus importante dans la gouvernance des marchés et ont souvent une incidence directe sur la santé, la sécurité et l'environnement. Mais la société civile est le plus souvent absente des procédures de normalisation. Il est recommandé de favoriser la participation des acteurs de la société civile dans la normalisation par une mise en forme des travaux de normalisation à même d'encourager leur mobilisation selon les thèmes et enjeux abordés et par l'organisation de l'expertise plurielle requise pour une participation effective à même de leur conférer une certaine influence

The international standardisation arena and the civil society participation stakes : results of the INTERTERM project

International standards are playing an increasingly important role in market governance while frequently exerting direct effects on health, safety and the environment. Yet civil society, more often than not, is absent from the standardisation procedures. The recommendation made here is to foster the participation of civil society actors in standardisation by framing standardisation topics in a way that will encourage the mobilisation of these actors in accordance with their repertoire of actions and interests and by organising the plural expertise required for the effective participation that is necessary if they are to exert an influence

Improving Maternal Mental Health Following Preterm Birth Using an Expressive Writing Intervention: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Evaluations of evidence-based, easily accessible, psychological interventions to improve maternal mental health following very preterm birth are scarce. This study investigated the efficacy and acceptability of the expressive writing paradigm for mothers of very preterm infants. The level of maternal posttraumatic stress and depressive symptoms was the primary outcome. Participants were 67 mothers of very preterm babies who were randomly allocated into the intervention (expressive writing; n = 33) or control group (treatment-as-usual; n = 32) when their infant was aged 3 months (corrected age, CA). Measurements were taken at 3 months (pre-intervention), 4 months (post-intervention), and 6 months CA (follow-up). Results showed reduced maternal posttraumatic stress (d = 0.42), depressive symptoms (d = 0.67), and an improved mental health status (d = 1.20) in the intervention group, which were maintained at follow-up. Expressive writing is a brief, cost-effective, and acceptable therapeutic approach that could be offered as part of the NICU care

The redox-active drug metronidazole and thiol-depleting garlic compounds act synergistically in the protist parasite Spironucleus vortens

Spironucleus vortens is a protozoan parasite associated with significant mortalities in the freshwater angelfish, Pterophyllum scalare. Control of this parasite is especially problematic due to restrictions on the use of the drug of choice, metronidazole (MTZ), on fish farms. Use of garlic (Allium sativum) is undergoing a renaissance following experimental validations of its antimicrobial efficiency. Ajoene ((E,Z)-4,5,9-trithiadodeca-1,6,11-triene 9-oxide), is a stable transformation product of allicin, the primary biologically active component of garlic. In the current study, an ajoene oil crude extract had a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 40 μg/ml against S. vortens. GC-MS and NMR spectroscopy revealed this ajoene extract contained a mixture of the (E) and (Z)-ajoene isomers along with diallyl disulphide (DADS) and diallyl trisulphide (DATS). The only component of the ajoene crude oil found to substantially inhibit S. vortens growth by optical density monitoring (Bioscreen C Reader) was (Z)-ajoene (MIC 16 μg/ml). Ajoene oil acted in synergy with MTZ in vitro, reducing the individual MIC of this drug (4 μg/ml) by 16-fold, and that of ajoene oil by 200-fold with a fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) index of 0.263. This synergistic interaction was confirmed in vivo. S. vortens-infected P. scalare angelfish dosed orally with 0.5% (v/w) MTZ combined with 0.05% (v/w) ajoene displayed a significant reduction in faecal trophozoite count, whilst those fed on 0.5% MTZ flakes (half the recommended oral dose) alone did not. This study demonstrates for the first time the synergistic interaction between the synthetic drug MTZ and natural ajoene oil both in vitro and in vivo. Future work should evaluate the potential synergy of ajoene and MTZ against MTZ-resistant bacteria and protists

Spatial and temporal variability of soil moisture in non-flooded landscape units in Namibian Zambezi region

Climate variability will continue to impact the spatial and temporal variability of soil moisture in different landscapes across the world; and in turn the variability may affect crop production. Non-flood areas in the Namibian Kwalala Landscape of Zambezi (NKLOZ) region are generally relegated to second place, as somewhat marginal for the successful production of major crops such as maize ( Zea mays L.). Even when flood water has receded, non-flooded areas which get affected during floods, are still avoided for crop production. This is because residual moisture following the rainy season, is suspected to fall far short of the longer growing duration of maize, to the extent that farmers are too apprehensive to grow maize in such areas. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of seasonal rainfall on spatial and temporal variability of soil moisture within the Namibian Kwalala Landscape of Zambezi (NKLOZ) ecology, and the extent to which soil moisture status and soil temperature patterns (STEPs) characterise soil type (STP) productive potential. Three sensors were setup up at 20, 40 and 60 cm landscape of the NKLOZ, after digging a one-metre trench at each site. Soil moisture and temperature data were retrieved and monitored using Decagon DataTrac 3 software. ANOVA multiple regressions were used to analyse the effects of soil depth, rainfall, and soil temperature on soil moisture. Seasonal rainfall in the NKLOZ during the growing period between October and April (2012-2015) significantly (P < 0.05) and positively affected soil moisture, both in time and space, in recharging soil moisture to sufficiently meet maize crop water requirements in the region. Although it appeared like high amounts of soil moisture sufficiency were as a result of the events of seasonal rainfall received during the growing period, anything received between mid-January and Mid-March was still below the historical minimum and maximum decadal; and in any case late for early planted maize crop. Average soil moisture data indicated for loamy soil (8.30), sandy loam (14.30) and sand at the respective sites suggested a large rainfall season-soil texture interaction. Such an interaction should inform the prudence of production of maize from the point of view of a smart or robust crop system growing planning and management.La variabilit\ue9 climatique continuera d\u2019avoir un impact sur la variabilit\ue9 spatiale et temporelle de l\u2019humidit\ue9 du sol dans diff\ue9rents paysages du monde; et \ue0 son tour, la variabilit\ue9 peut affecter la production agricole. Les zones non inondables de la r\ue9gion namibienne du paysage de Kwalala du Zamb\ue8ze (NKLOZ) sont g\ue9n\ue9ralement rel\ue9gu\ue9es au deuxi\ue8me rang, car elles sont quelque peu marginales pour la r\ue9ussite de la production de grandes cultures telles que le ma\uefs ( Zea mays L.). M\ueame lorsque les eaux de crue se sont retir\ue9es, les zones non inond\ue9es qui sont affect\ue9es lors des inondations sont toujours \ue9vit\ue9es pour la production agricole. En effet, l\u2019humidit\ue9 r\ue9siduelle apr\ue8s la saison des pluies est soup\ue7onn\ue9e d\u2019\ueatre bien en de\ue7\ue0 de la dur\ue9e de croissance plus longue du ma\uefs, dans la mesure o\uf9 les agriculteurs craignent trop de cultiver du ma\uefs dans ces zones. L\u2019objectif de cette \ue9tude \ue9tait de d\ue9terminer l\u2019effet des pr\ue9cipitations saisonni\ue8res sur la variabilit\ue9 spatiale et temporelle de l\u2019humidit\ue9 du sol dans l\u2019\ue9cologie du paysage namibien de Kwalala du Zamb\ue8ze (NKLOZ), et dans quelle mesure l\u2019\ue9tat d\u2019humidit\ue9 du sol et les mod\ue8les de temp\ue9rature du sol (STEP) caract\ue9risent le sol potentiel de production de type (STP). Trois capteurs ont \ue9t\ue9 install\ue9s \ue0 20, 40 et 60 cm du paysage du NKLOZ, apr\ue8s avoir creus\ue9 une tranch\ue9e d\u2019un m\ue8tre sur chaque site. Les donn\ue9es d\u2019humidit\ue9 et de temp\ue9rature du sol ont \ue9t\ue9 r\ue9cup\ue9r\ue9es et surveill\ue9es \ue0 l\u2019aide du logiciel Decagon DataTrac 3. Les r\ue9gressions multiples de l\u2019ANOVA ont \ue9t\ue9 utilis\ue9es pour analyser les effets de la profondeur du sol, des pr\ue9cipitations et de la temp\ue9rature du sol sur l\u2019humidit\ue9 du sol. Les pr\ue9cipitations saisonni\ue8res dans la NKLOZ pendant la p\ue9riode de croissance entre octobre et avril (2012-2015) de mani\ue8re significative (P <0,05) et ont affect\ue9 positivement l\u2019humidit\ue9 du sol, \ue0 la fois dans le temps et dans l\u2019espace, en rechargeant l\u2019humidit\ue9 du sol pour r\ue9pondre suffisamment aux besoins en eau des cultures de ma\uefs dans la r\ue9gion . Bien qu\u2019il soit apparu que des quantit\ue9s \ue9lev\ue9es d\u2019humidit\ue9 du sol \ue9taient dues aux \ue9v\ue9nements de pr\ue9cipitations saisonni\ue8res re\ue7ues pendant la p\ue9riode de croissance, tout ce qui a \ue9t\ue9 re\ue7u entre la mi-Janvier et la mi-Mars \ue9tait toujours inf\ue9rieur au minimum et au maximum d\ue9cennaux historiques; et en tout cas en retard pour les premi\ue8res cultures de ma\uefs. Les donn\ue9es d\u2019humidit\ue9 moyenne du sol indiqu\ue9es pour le sol limoneux (8,30), le loam sableux (14,30) et le sable sur les sites respectifs sugg\ue8rent une grande interaction saison des pluies-texture du sol. Une telle interaction devrait \ue9clairer la prudence de la production de ma\uefs du point de vue d\u2019un syst\ue8me de culture intelligent ou robuste qui accro\ueet la planification et la gestion

Su bstance P Sti m ulates and In h ibits Intesti nal Peristalsis via Distinct Receptors1

ABSTRACT The tachykinins substance P (SP) and neurokinin A participate in the neural control of intestinal peristalsis

Is parasite clearance clinically important after malaria treatment in a high transmission area? A 3-month follow-up of home-based management with herbal medicine or ACT

Argemone mexicana (AM), a validated herbal medicine for uncomplicated malaria, seems to prevent severe malaria without completely clearing parasites in most patients. This study, in a high transmission area of South Mali, explores whether residual parasitaemia at day 28 was associated with subsequent malaria episodes and/or anaemia. Three hundred and one patients were randomly assigned to AM or artesunate/amodiaquine as first line treatment, of whom 294 were followed up beyond the standard 28 days, to 84 days. From day 29 to day 84, there were no significant differences between treatment groups in new clinical episodes of uncomplicated malaria (0.33 vs 0.31 episodes/patient), severe malaria (< 6% per month of patients aged ≤ 5 years) or moderate anaemia (hematocrit < 24%: 1.1% in both groups at day 84). Total parasite clearance at day 28 was not correlated with incidence of uncomplicated or severe malaria or of moderate anaemia over the subsequent two months. Total parasite clearance at day 28 was not clinically important in the context of high transmission. If this finding can be confirmed, some antimalarials which are clinically effective but do not completely clear parasites could nevertheless be appropriate in high transmission areas. Such a policy could be tested as a way to delay resistance to artemisinin combination therapies