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The role of gut microbiota in early life and its impact on gut health and subsequent diseases remain unclear. There is a lack of research and awareness in this area, especially in the Asia-Pacific region, including Malaysia. This paper reports the position of a Malaysian Working Group on some key issues surrounding gut microbiota in early life and its role in gut health and diseases, as well as experts' stand on probiotics and prebiotics. The group reached a consensus that certain factors, including elective caesarean; premature deliveries; complementary feeding; use of antibiotics, prebiotics and/or probiotics; and exposure to the external environmental, have an impact on gut microbiota in early life. However, as evidence is lacking, especially from the Asia-Pacific region, further studies are needed to understand how gut microbiota in early life affects subsequent diseases, including allergy, inflammatory bowel disease, obesity and infantile colic. Lastly, although beneficial in acute diarrhoeal disease and probably allergic eczema, probiotics (and/or prebiotics) should be used cautiously in other gut dysbiotic conditions until more data are available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper surveys the recent literature on the economic impacts of SARS, MERS, and COVID‐19, which Asian countries have experienced in the past two decades. In particular, we provide a detailed summary of how each of the past infectious diseases has impacted on the Asian economies and the extent of that impact. This paper also documents how the governments of Asian countries have responded to the COVID‐19 shocks with their economic policies, and discusses the effectiveness of these economic policies to mitigate the COVID‐19 shocks on their economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Much of intra‐Asian labour migration is regulated on the basis of governing tools that aim at managing cross‐border movement of workers on a strictly temporary, employer‐tied basis. The key elements involved in the operationalization of strictly temporary migration are recruitment, remittances and return; these three 'Rs' are also central to global policy discussions around the migration‐development nexus. The core premise of this paper is that this strict framework results in a particular form of migrant precarity which in turn shapes migrant transnationality, leaving migrants with severely circumscribed labour agency. This leads to the argument that temporary migration paradigm as practiced in much of Asia constitutes involuntary transnationalism. The paper ends by arguing that based on proactive migrant rights activism, the involuntary character of transnationalism is being challenged by bringing a different set of 'Rs' into the discussion derived from global social policy and global justice perspectives: regulation, redistribution and rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Asia–Pacific region's rapid growth and poverty reduction in recent decades have been accompanied by rising income and wealth inequality. Technological progress, globalization, deregulation and market‐oriented reform, and financialization have generated many new opportunities, but rewarded capital more than labor, benefited skilled workers more than the unskilled, widened spatial inequality, and produced a growing number of the superrich. For some countries, population aging has also contributed to rising inequality. The present paper provides an update on recent trends of income and wealth inequality in the Asia–Pacific region, examines causes behind rising inequality, and discusses policy actions needed to tackle inequality. It also assesses how the COVID‐19 has likely worsened inequality in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the backdrop of significant uncertainties largely propelled by the ongoing trade spat between the United States and China, to what degree can the Asian region move forward in terms of de facto trade integration? Drawing on the new economic geography literature, this paper offers new insights into the literature on trade regionalism in Asia by empirically illustrating how Asian economies can tap into the regional market potential. Specifically, the paper examines the scope for further de facto integration among the Asian countries engaged in the negotiation for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement by estimating foreign market potential (FMP) indices. To preview the main findings, the empirical analysis demonstrates that the share of intra‐regional trade in total RCEP trade flows and, consequently, the ratio between within‐ and outside‐RCEP trades are significantly lower than what they could potentially be. The paper makes a case that the enhancement of de jure integration among these economies through the RCEP must be accompanied by efforts to improve de facto integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the food regime approach was originally built on the influential world‐system analytical framework, it is worth highlighting human geographers' efforts to transcend world‐system theory (and the food regime approach) to emphasise how different types of political‐economic processes operate relationally and differentially across regions in the capitalist world. Meanwhile, other geographical perspectives and approaches, such as "critical GIS," have contributed to the re‐imagination of regions relationally at a range of geographical scales, operating as distinct pathways for commodities over time. Accordingly, drawing on the more‐than‐qualitative relational approach supported by critical GIS and the regional and political geography literature, this paper applies centrality analysis – a quantitative social network analysis – and time‐series analysis to explore and visualise the transformation of the trade networks of high‐value crops in Asia. The paper argues that applying a more‐than‐qualitative relational approach to food regime scholarship can advance our understanding of the emerging regional dynamics in the global food system. Particularly, the findings of this paper show that the rise of China in the global food system has been accompanied by the emergence of Thailand and Vietnam as central actors. Such a multipolar food regime is applicable to address a regional food system, as its regional centrality is defined by clusters of states with more diffuse centrality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: “Political will” is oft‐cited as the major obstacle to government's anti‐corruption efforts. Notwithstanding, there is remarkably little systematic analysis of the concept, with some scholars describing it as the “slipperiest concept in the policy lexicon,” whereas others are calling for its empirical relevance. This paper tries to unpack the “black box” of political will by making it an empirically relevant concept drawing on evidence from two Asian countries; Singapore and Bangladesh. Four key indicators based on the works of earlier scholars are used including origin of the initiative; comprehension and extent of analysis; credible sanctions; and resource dedication and sustenance are used. The paper also uses Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index, World Bank's World Governance Indicators (Control of Corruption and Government Effectiveness), and Political, Economic and Risk Consultancy's annual survey in Asia, as outcome measures. Based on the empirical evidence from the two countries, the paper shows that political will indeed has a positive influence on government's anti‐corruption efforts. Although political will may not be sufficient, it is a necessary condition to fight corruption, and that the difference between the positions of Singapore and Bangladesh on various global corruption league tables may be attributed to political will. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies 10 Asian economies' experiences during two episodes of financial crises in 1997–08 and 2007–09. Our analysis of five crisis‐hit Asian countries shows that overinvestment via credit expansion and foreign financing has an adverse effect on banking sectors while income inequality contributes significantly to financial distress. With five no‐crisis emerging markets included in our Asia analysis, we find that export‐oriented growth backed up by domestic savings is financially less risky than investment‐led growth facilitated by capital inflows. Since such different strategies of output growth to deal with falling demand are related ultimately to the same factor–rising inequality, this distributional problem must be overcome effectively to enhance financial stability and ensure growth sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental conditions significantly affected development in the Asian tropics. This paper investigates the relationship between weather risk and agriculture in four regions with distinct climatological features. Using new data, we estimate the scale of crop output sensitivity to rainfall shocks across ecological zones. Output was sensitive to shocks in regions with low levels, concentrated spells and high volatility of rainfall. Canal irrigation protected some districts while unirrigated regions remained vulnerable. Regions with high rainfall levels and long seasons remained protected. Regions with large interruptions deterred investment and were underdeveloped while regions with small interruptions invited investment‐led growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Regional Science Policy & Practice is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Excessive relative humidity (RH) in combination with high temperature can lead to heat stress, often measured by the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT). The Clausius‐Clapeyron (CC) relationship implies that warming reduces RH if no extra moisture is added. Over coastal regions like eastern Asia, however, the predominant summer monsoon favours increased moisture transport from surrounding oceans as a result of enhanced evaporation driven by surface temperature increase. This would lessen the RH reduction by potentially two‐thirds. Based on two ensembles of climate model simulations, this paper examines the competing effects of near‐surface temperature, humidity and circulation patterns in this region and the consequential health risks. Under a high emissions scenario (RCP8.5/SSP5‐8.5), surface temperature could increase by 4 – 7°C with WBGT increases of several degrees by the end of the 21st century. Devastating extreme heat health events could therefore become a frequent occurrence as a result. Overall, our results show how humidity can be just as important as temperature when considering the risks to society of excessive heat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historical research on the race between education and technology has focused on the West but barely touched upon 'the rest'. A new occupational wage database for 50 African and Asian economies allows us to compare long‐run patterns in skill premiums across the colonial and post‐colonial eras (c. 1870–2010). Our data reveal three major patterns. First, skilled labour was considerably more expensive in colonial Africa and Asia than in pre‐industrial Europe. Second, skill premiums were distinctly higher in Africa than in Asia. Third, in both regions, skill premiums fell dramatically over the course of the twentieth century, ultimately converging to levels long observed in the West. Our paper takes a first step to explain both the origins of the Africa–Asia gap and the drivers of global skill premium convergence, paying special attention to the colonial context that shaped demand, supply, and labour market institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws on initial investigation into the relationship between liberal arts education in Asia and youth citizenship to examine the roles of the "institution" and the "student" in citizenship formation. The paper begins with a discussion of how emerging liberal arts education institutes in Asian cities incorporate notions of citizenship into their visions and curricular programmes, using selected cases of Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore. This is followed by a focus on the liberal arts college in Singapore to preliminarily analyse the ways in which a particular brand of citizenship is being produced and negotiated in/through campus space. The contention is that recent liberal arts initiatives in East Asia may be read as constitutive of higher education's ethico‐political experiment of youth citizenship, but one that produces ambiguous contours of a "liberal arts educated citizen." The paper contributes to wider scholarship on citizenship education and institutional geographies of (youth) citizenship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Postpartum depression (PPD) is a chronic mood illness that typically develops in the first few months after giving birth. It affects 17.2% of women worldwide, and its deleterious consequences on infants, children, and mothers have elicited global public concern. Therefore, this paper aims to present an overview of the relationship between emotional support and PPD among postpartum mothers in the Asia region. Methods: An extensive search using various keywords was conducted in Science Direct, PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, JSTOR, Springer Link, and Taylor Francis. The screening process was compliant with the PRISMA guideline, while the quality of the selected studies was assessed using the QuADS tool. Results: The analysis included 15 research from 12 different countries with 6031 postpartum mothers. A decreased risk of PPD for postpartum mothers is shown to be significantly correlated with greater emotional support, and vice versa. Discussion: Asian women are less likely to seek emotional assistance than other mothers, which is influenced by culture. There needs to be more research on the impact of culture on postpartum mothers' emotional support. Additionally, this review hopes to raise awareness among the mothers' friends and family as well as the medical community to be more attentive to postpartum mothers' emotional needs and offer specialized assistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beech has long been the subject of ecological research in many fields. Recent studies using new methods are now being conducted. This special feature focuses on local beech forests and offers a collection of articles to readers of Ecological Research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we leverage on a case study about the governance of groundwater and the hazard of land subsidence in Yunlin, Taiwan, to address the state's political strategies of producing 'hydro‐social territories'. Our goal is to examine how local agents and their knowledge of the socio‐technological system shape groundwater use, with particular attention on how that system has changed due to the governmentalized regulation of groundwater resources as a means to mitigate land subsidence. Drawing from the local agrarian development and its tube well irrigation networks that underlie the groundwater‐scape in this research, the paper demonstrates that the 'hydro‐social territory' itself is complicated, as local farmers who rely on groundwater are never fully controlled by the state, regardless of whether or not they use groundwater for agricultural cultivation or other purposes, yet at the same time, the intention of governmentalizing the local groundwater regime is concealed and has become more concrete with the introduction of new sciences and technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secularization, expansion of higher education, and urbanization have led to disenchantment with politics and the erosion of political trust in many societies. Religion may continue to be salient, however, how these forces interact with enduring religious influences to shape political trust is unclear. This paper examines the issue using Asian Barometer Survey (2001–2016) data with hierarchical age–period–cohort (HAPC) models. Our results show supportive evidence for the following findings: in East and Southeast Asia, urbanization is associated with less political trust for most religions except Islam; education is associated with less political trust; education's effect is the most salient for the atheists and Buddhists, but it disappears among the Muslims. The findings suggest the power of modernization and secularization significantly differs across cultures and religions. We should not simply perceive religion as a universally conservative force; instead, we need to understand religions through an integrated macro‐micro perspective by situating it in the social contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asia has the fastest growing population and economy, but it is also the most disaster‐prone region in the world. Resilience to disaster impacts from natural hazards will be key to the long‐term sustainability of this rapidly growing region. The first step to building resilience is to identify the key threats that this region faces. We describe these key threats as Black Elephants: a cross between a "black swan" and the proverbial "elephant in the room" — they are extreme events that are known but difficult to address and often ignored. We examine the primary drivers of these looming risks and find that the drivers include underestimated or intensifying hazards, growing exposure, high vulnerability, and unaccounted complexities from multi‐hazard events. In mitigating these key risks, we discuss psychological barriers to action and highlight the importance of information, language, and hope. The known but complex impacts from natural hazards in Asia must be further acknowledged and managed in order to build a more sustainable, resilient future in an increasingly globally connected world. Plain Language Summary: Asia has the fastest growing population and economy in the world, but it is also the most disaster prone region and is home to many Black Elephant disaster risks. Black Elephant risks are a cross between extreme events that are known, but difficult to address, and are especially relevant to Asia's development. In this paper, we characterize drivers of these risks, including underestimated or changing hazards, growing number of people, places, and things that are potentially affected by hazards, high vulnerability of built and social systems when exposed to hazards, and growing impacts from multi‐hazard events. Analysis of the drivers of Black Elephant events offer insights for improved resilience to Black Elephant events. In addressing Black Elephant disaster risks, we recommend leveraging the power of language, hope, and existing information for improved resilience in this region. Key Points: Black Elephant events are extreme events that are known, but difficult to address, and are especially relevant to Asia's development and sustainabilityAnalysis of the drivers of Black Elephant events offer insights for improved resilience to these eventsIn addressing Black Elephant events, we recommend leveraging the power of language, hope, and existing information [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we introduced a new report, Coprinopsis afrocinerea, a coprinoid mushroom from Pakistan. This species was collected several times during the monsoon season; it was found growing on animal dung and on sandy soil mixed with wood chips and leaf litter. This taxon was identified through morphological (macro‐ and micromorphology) techniques and molecular (ITS‐region) markers. Results showed that Pakistani collection's macro‐ and micro‐morphological characters match the type specimen of Coprinopsis afrocinerea. In the phylogenetic tree, sequences of our collections fall within section Cinereae and are clustered with type sequences of Coprinopsis afrocinerea with strong statistical support. This species has already been reported from Africa and is described here for the first time from Asia. Previously, only seven species of Coprinopsis have been reported from Pakistan, and in this study, the number of known taxa has increased to eight. This paper provides a detailed morphological and molecular analysis of this species to differentiate it from closely related taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of World Food Policy is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract: Why is context important in human resource management (HRM) research? What and how contextual factors may be studied when investigating an organisational phenomenon? Against a positivist trend of decontextualisation in HRM research, this paper addresses these questions by situating them in an international context. It argues that context is important in making sense of what is happening at workplaces in order to provide relevant solutions. It also outlines three layers of context and draws on an empirical story to illustrate how the utilisation and conceptualisation of context may be underpinned by the researcher's intellectual and social upbringing and theoretical orientation. The paper calls for more qualitative studies to redress the imbalance in HRM research. It also calls for a more open‐minded, inductive, and inclusive approach to indigenous research that may present very different contexts, ways of contextualising, and knowledge paradigms from the dominant discourses prevailing in HRM research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study the role of trade openness in the economic reallocation from the agriculture to the manufacturing sector in 34 sub‐Saharan African countries between 1970 and 2016. The results show that the long‐term evolution of trade openness negatively impacts the long‐run and the short‐run dynamics of structural change. Moreover, this impact goes through aggregate exports not aggregate imports. By breaking down global exports, we find that commodities exports have a negative impact while manufacturing exports positively impact structural change. These results are explained by the fact that, contrary to Asian countries, African countries have failed to put trade at the service of industrialisation by following the logic of comparative advantage. More precisely, they have failed to invest the revenues from commodities exports to improve the quality of infrastructure in order to remove the constraints on the economic relocation to labour‐intensive manufacturing activities. Unlike previous studies, we address the endogeneity problem by using a dynamic ordinary least squares method after a pooled mean group method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers a unique perspective in the field of environmental economics and research by linking CO2 emissions (CO2e) and monetary policies. Through a newly‐developed predictive model, the study estimated the impact of monetary policies on CO2e along with control variables, including income, remittances, urbanization, fossil fuels, and human capital in selected Asian economies for the period 1990–2014. Data were analyzed using the Pedroni and Kao co‐integration tests, panel fully‐modified (PFM‐LS), and panel dynamic least squares (PD‐LS) techniques for data analysis. Some of the main findings are as follows. First, the results showed a significant long‐term positive relationship between expansionary monetary policy and CO2e. Second, the contractionary monetary policy serves an effective measure to mitigate CO2e. Third, improvements in human capital have a positive impact on reducing CO2e. Fourth, remittances and fossil fuels are also prime determinants of CO2e. Based on the present findings, the paper proposes important implications and a predictive tool for policymakers to design effective policies and strategies for reducing CO2e. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geographical indications (GIs) that identify products of origin were born in Southern Europe and extensively internationalized thanks to the World Trade Organization 1994 Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights Agreement. This paper investigates how GIs have developed in ASEAN and Asia, the most active new area for GIs worldwide. We explore the different legislations and their practical implementation in eight out of 10 ASEAN countries with a sui generis system (Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Laos, Singapore, Myanmar); and in India and Japan, two Asian countries with active GI policies. Building on a comparative analysis of these countries and the EU regulations on GIs, this paper focuses on the following aspects of the GI system: the sui generis institutional system and the kind of goods protected by GIs, the scope of protection against misuses, the nature of the applicants, and the nature of control of the GI before and after registration. The paper then identifies convergences and shared challenges and recommends some strategies to ensure the success of GIs in Asia. The main challenges shared by Asian countries concern the numerous registered GIs that are not used on the market, that is, they are Sleeping Beauties waiting to be awakened. This is explained by the convergence among ASEAN and Asian countries to a top‐down state‐driven approach. To move forward, we recommend more involvement of collective organizations to bring together value chain stakeholders who should play a central role in drawing up and managing GIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Studies on malnutrition suggest low body mass index (BMI) may be associated with poor clinical outcomes. We investigated published data to identify whether low BMI could predict short-term and long-term clinical outcomes in Asian hospitalized patients.Methods: A search was conducted in the PubMed database including terms "body mass index" or "BMI" or "malnutrition" or "undernutrition" AND "Asia" or "Asian" AND "outcome" or "complication" or "mortality" or "survival" or "ICU" for publications in English in the past 10 years. Papers with data and clinical outcomes from Asian hospitalized patients with BMI <18.5 kg/m2 and sample size >50 were included. Forest plots were constructed to determine the odds of hospital complications, hospital mortality, intensive care unit (ICU) mortality, and 5-year mortality in patients with BMI <18.5 kg/m2 vs BMI ≥18.5 kg/m2 .Results: Twenty-three studies were included, 16 of which were analyzed for the association between low BMI and clinical outcomes. The prevalence of BMI <18.5 kg/m2 varied from 3% to 48% in different disease settings and Asian areas. Patients with BMI <18.5 kg/m2 had significantly higher ICU mortality (odds ratio [OR], 1.92; 95% CI, 1.84-2.01), higher hospital mortality (OR, 2.48; 95% CI, 2.42-2.55), and higher 5-year mortality (OR, 2.74; 95% CI, 2.08-3.63). Complications during hospital stay were significantly higher in patients with BMI <18.5 kg/m2 (OR, 1.99; 95% CI, 1.65-2.40).Conclusions: Low BMI defined as <18.5 kg/m2 may predict worse short-term and longer-term outcomes in Asian hospitalized patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper builds on Lefebvre's concept of rhythmanalysis in order to extend our understanding of geographies of encounter in everyday social life. Focusing on the encounters that take place at maid agencies that match migrant domestic workers with local employers in Singapore, we develop the conceptual construct of choreography to show how bodies in spaces of encounter are rhythmically ordered to move through space in particular ways at specific speeds and times. The concept is also useful in studying encounters between migrants and citizens not just as serendipitous events but as purposively designed. Foregrounding the tangled relationalities that exist between maid agents, domestic workers, and employers, we show how employers' interactions with the materialities of the migration industry – such as the spatial arrangement of the maid agency and the biodata used in the selection of workers – set particular diagrammatic rhythms into motion, prefiguring corporeal migrant–local encounters before they begin. We depict migrant women's punctuated rhythms of moving and waiting, revealing how the eurythmia of the maid agency both conceals and is dependent on the arrhythmia of their bodies. Finally, by emphasising that choreography requires both design and performance, we investigate how migrant women are able to overturn the ordering of rhythms through improvisational moments. Attending to the practices of the maid agency allows us to reveal how relations of power between migrants and locals are reproduced within contexts of temporary labour migration. Focusing on the encounters that take place at the maid agencies that match migrant domestic workers with local employers in Singapore, we develop the conceptual construct of choreography from Lefebvre's rhythmanalysis to show how bodies in spaces of encounter are rhythmically ordered to move through space in particular ways at specific speeds and times. The concept is useful in studying encounters between migrants and citizens not just as serendipitous events but as purposively designed. Attending to the practices of the maid agency allows us to reveal how relations of power are reproduced within contexts of temporary labour migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper calculates poverty and inequality elasticities using the latest‐available World Bank primary survey household consumption expenditure data for the rapidly growing urban sectors of India, Indonesia, and China. Our approach compares the conventional use of the overly simple headcount measure to the poverty gap squared (PG2) measures of poverty and focuses the effectiveness of reducing inequality on the disutility of the poor using a microeconomic utility‐based point elasticity measure of poverty loss. The calculations show that reducing urban inequality is more effective in reducing (1) urban poverty than promoting growth and (2) poverty distress more than that in the rural sector. The optimal policy prescription is to reduce urban inequality by targeting the urban very poor using the PG2 measure. Further research is required to identify and quantify the determinants of the point elasticity magnitudes and the possible directions of causation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skepticism toward CSR is increasing. Management research on CSR tends to focus on positive outcomes from the practice of CSR, such as enhanced financial performance and best practice business cases. Less attention is devoted to why CSR is under siege. This paper argues that CSR is intimately connected with the way that capitalism is practiced, and that poor CSR outcomes are often the result of five "shortcomings" of contemporary capitalism: runaway self‐interest, quarterly focus, elite orientation, volume orientation, and one‐pattern capitalism. To evidence this, I employ a two‐stage approach: a "diagnostic" stage that investigates current challenges facing capitalism and how they affect CSR, and a "clinical" stage that identifies potential solutions based on a qualitative data set collected in Asian business contexts. The proposed solutions suggest ways that researchers, practitioners, and policymakers can conceptualize, design, and implement CSR programs that better fulfill CSR's promise to business and society. Based on these results, I conclude with ideas on how CSR research can be strengthened by exploring the under‐researched linkages among CSR, modern capitalism, and global institutional contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within migration studies, the division or 'gap' between internal and international migration research has grown over the past few decades despite growing calls to bring these literatures back into conversation. While distinctions between internal and international migration remain relevant in a world in which states retain the power to shape human movements across scales, this division within migration studies is problematic in light of the increasing complexity of human mobility. Scholars seeking to close the 'gap' highlight the common structural drivers of international and internal migration, and note an increasingly myopic focus on international migration overlooking the important economic and social contributions of internal migrants. While in basic alignment with these arguments, the contributions to this special issue focus instead on critically interrogating the relationship between internal and international migration research with the aim of provoking new insights across disciplinary and categorical boundaries. Each of the papers examines migration phenomena occupying the intellectual and empirical space between normative definitions of 'internal' and 'international' migration in order to relink them methodologically and empirically in contemporary migration research. The contributions included here draw on these migration phenomena that do not fit neatly into normative definitions of 'internal' and 'international' migration with the aim of not only narrowing or closing the 'gap', but of retheorising the relationship between them. The collective focus of this special issue, therefore, is to challenge ontological assumptions of 'migration' as a definable object of study and to theorise migration as a co-constituted and relational process. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyze the role of public expenditures on secondary and higher education for achieving inclusive growth, using a computable general equilibrium model of India. Our policy simulations show that increasing public education expenditure leads to higher growth and lower inequality. Expenditure on secondary education leads to better outcomes compared to equivalent expenditure on higher education. Exogenous technological progress enhances the positive effects of public education spending. The findings of the paper call for policy initiatives to boost spending on secondary education, as well as technological progress, for achieving inclusive growth in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leveraged buyout markets in the Asia Pacific have grown substantially since the 1980s and now play an important role in the market for corporate control. This paper undertakes an international comparative analysis of the emergence and growth of leveraged buyout firms in the Asia Pacific and their role in corporate restructuring, with a focus on Australia, Japan and South Korea. Three distinct periods in the development of these markets are identified. The paper highlights the importance of state involvement and changes in domestic economic policy around financial crises, where governments created new rules to facilitate buyouts as an organisational restructuring solution to distressed companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper investigates the impact of Asia's demand rebalancing and supply‐side productivity changes on long‐term economic growth in Asia and worldwide. Results from a panel vector autoregression model show that a productivity–neutral demand‐rebalancing shock has no permanent effect on Asian output, whereas labour productivity shocks have significant, positive and permanent effects. Simulations using a global intertemporal multisector general equilibrium model suggest that labour productivity shocks increase the foreign GDP over time, but rebalancing shocks have a negative international spillover effect. In addition, labour productivity shocks help in rebalancing. Structural reforms promoting labour productivity growth along with rebalancing policies across Asia can achieve higher economic growth worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper reexamines the relationship between technological capabilities and FDI decisions at the firm level. The data cover 118 300 Japanese firms in all manufacturing industries. The R&D of Japanese firms has a noticeably weaker relationship with FDI in Asia than with FDI in industrial countries. This finding is confirmed to be robust even when alternative estimation techniques are used and when R&D expenditure data are replaced by patent data. The estimation results also reveal non-negligible fixed entry costs for FDI, a finding consistent with the observation that only approximately 2 percent of the firms invest abroad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we provide the first household‐level empirical multievent study of temporary internal migration as a consequence of tropical storms. In order to do, so we combine three waves of the Vietnam Household Living Standard Survey with geo‐referenced tropical cyclone data from the Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship. Based on the resulting panel dataset, we study temporary emigration patterns evolving in the aftermath of occurring storms in the sample communes. We find robust empirical evidence in favor of a significant push effect on temporary migration. Occurring storms increase the likelihood that a household sends members to other regions in Vietnam. Storms also tend to increase the number of absent household members and absence time. Moreover, we show that occurring storms increase both seasonal and long‐term absences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study extends the cushion hypothesis to examine cultural differences in the role of willingness to take financial risk in an individual's objective financial outcomes (e.g., the experience of material hardship) and in an individual's assessment of their financial well‐being. Using data collected in South Korea, Taiwan, and the United States, we find support for a cushion (i.e., weaker relationship) in the association between material hardship and present and future financial well‐being. A cushion was also observed in a weaker association between willingness to take financial risk and expectations for future financial security but not in the experience of material hardship or current money management stress. Our results suggest that cultural context influences an individual's objective situation as well as their subjective assessment of that situation. This paper adds to existing literature by documenting a cushion effect beyond risk taking to include a person's objective financial situation and financial well‐being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates the spatial politics of fieldwork in Vietnam in order to think through the connections between whiteness, masculinity, and geography. In drawing attention to how the consumption of alcohol underwrites daily activities in Vietnam, as well as fieldwork activities, I show that research ethics are underpinned by unique spatial contexts that do not conform to conventional accounts of masculinity and whiteness in the global North. I make three interrelated arguments. First, I argue that debates in geography about whiteness and masculinity must be understood alongside fieldwork experiences in the global South. Second, I invite geographers to think through how research ethics are shaped by spatially contingent productions of whiteness and masculinity. Lastly, I challenge geographers to keep pace with how disruptive categories like whiteness and masculinity are produced outside of the global North. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid spread of information and communication technology (ICT) in Asia offers the promise of a "digital revolution" for agriculture. But realizing such gains will depend on overcoming digital poverty traps, whereby significant numbers of poor smallholders inhabiting remote regions are unable to take advantage of the benefits of ICT for agriculture and thus remain mired in poverty. This phenomenon is illustrated in a model of a poor household located in a remote region that cannot accumulate sufficient ICT skills. To avoid such outcomes, policies need to be targeted at both the lack of access by smallholders to ICT for farming and their insufficient skills to use the new technologies. Increased public investments to extend "last‐mile infrastructure" in digital services are necessary but not sufficient. Complementary investments in developing rural infrastructure, appropriate ICT business models and services, and improvement of the digital literacy of smallholders are also essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The information technology and business process (IT&BP) offshoring sector in Asia continues to experience internal challenges and pressures from the external environment that lead to employee attrition. Despite the many human resources (HR)‐related interventions and practices, there remains a considerable turnover rate, not just within individual firms but across the entire IT&BP offshoring industry. We therefore question the current state of HR management within the sector and review the literature from 2000 to 2020. Utilizing the antecedents, decisions, and outcomes (ADO) organizing framework, we synthesize the different HR practices, their antecedents, and their outcomes. Our synthesis enables us to identify areas for future research, guided by the ADO framework, such as strengthening the theoretical grounding for the investigation of HR practices, greater contextualization regarding Asian culture, and acknowledgement of recent and emerging trends. These avenues can both build knowledge and inform practice as to how to effectively manage HR in the IT&BP offshoring sector in Asia, thereby reducing the high employee attrition rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Torenia gracilis, a species closely similar to Bonnaya antipoda, was published by Bentham in Wallich's Numerical List without description and was later synonymised under B. verbenifolia, now a synonym of B. antipoda. In this paper, the nomenclature of T. gracilis Benth. (nom. inval.) is discussed and this taxon is treated within Bonnaya as B. gracilis sp. nov. with a detailed description and comments on its taxonomic identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asian countries are at different stages of demographic transition. While Central and South Asian countries are relatively young and will remain so for some time, East and Southeast Asia are expected to age at an unprecedented rate in the next few decades. Japan has reached the future first. Other nations, such as China, are still young but ageing faster than many advanced economies, including Australia and the USA. This demographic shift has considerable implications for the development of social policy. Here too, countries differ widely. This paper sets the context for the rest of the volume. The focus is mostly on countries in East and Southeast Asia, but it includes contrasting comparisons to key regional countries such as India and Australia. First, the paper presents the context: the demographic, urbanization, and social trends facing Asia. Second, it tackles the allocation of resources for the elderly, in particular, by summarizing approaches to two areas of social policy most pertinent to population ageing: retirement income and health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present paper, we discuss three unintended consequences of European Integration; the division between the pro‐ and anti‐integrationists, doubts on the benefits of the free movements and the burden of the welfare state. Since 2017, Europe has regained confidence and optimism has returned due to sustained economic recovery and election victories of prointegration politicians, most notably in France. The European Union is embarking on co‐operation in defense and security, providing a new reason to support integration. Uncertainty over Brexit and immigration remain among the causes for grave concern. But Europe and Japan have taken a joint stance against protectionism, while Asia is yet to decide whether to do so as an integrated entity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The situation of youth in relation to the labour market is a matter of serious concern for many governments, and an issue of increasing focus in international policy discussions. This paper draws on comparable school to work transition survey data to examine the nature of youth employment in four important and generally successful Asian economies that are relatively engaged in international trade, though to varying extents: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Nepal and Vietnam. In all four, many young people continue to be engaged in self‐employment or unpaid family work; while in some cases, this may reflect the lack of opportunities for wage work in the formal sector, often such outcomes may be positive choices on the part of the young people. The availability of formal jobs for young people varies across the four countries, with the extent and diversity of industrialisation or exports being one important factor, as well as the level of education. In Vietnam, the country most advanced in these areas, the availability of formal jobs is significantly greater than in the other countries and is large on an international scale, while in Bangladesh and Cambodia, the textiles and garment sectors have played an important role in creating formal work opportunities, especially for females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers argue that programmes promoting SHGs often attract women already active in the public domain ('self-selection effect'), excluding those most in need of assistance. This exaggerates estimates of the effects of the programme ('programme effects'). This paper attempts to test the significance of the programme effect of SHGs by comparing empowerment levels of newly inducted and older members of SHGs, based on a survey conducted in six municipalities in West Bengal, India. Results indicate that programme effects operated only to reduce tolerance of domestic violence and enhance status of members within the household. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of the Australasian Journal on Ageing ( AJA) in the Asia- Oceania region has been developing over the 30 years of the journal's publication, and review of its current and potential future roles is timely in the context of a number of developments in the region. This review describes the regional reach of the AJA, presents an analysis of regional content published over the 5 years to 2012, discusses the regional context with reference to other journals published in the region, and proposes several strategies for advancing the AJA's regional role. Pursuing these strategies would realise the AJA's potential as a vehicle for promoting the exchange of multidisciplinary knowledge on ageing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is an evidence based therapy and is now recommended by national organizations in many high income countries. CBT is underpinned by the European values and therefore for it to be effective in other cultures it needs to be adapted. Aims: This paper describes an evidence based approach to culturally adapt CBT in Asian context, areas of focus for such adaptation and lessons learned. Methods: An environmental scan of the literature, description of local CBT associations and perspectives from these organizations. Results: Cultural adaptation of CBT focuses on three main areas; 1 awareness of culture and related issues, 2 assessment and 3 adjustment in therapy techniques. Conclusions: The last decade has seen an increase in culturally adapted CBT in Asia, however, more work needs to be done to improve access to CBT in Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across Asia, countries have signed the UNCRPD and to a greater or lesser extent are pursuing inclusive education (IE). In this article, we present case studies from Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, and China analyzing them for common themes around the education of students intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), and noting commonalities, challenges, and emerging issues. While the definition of IE (being the philosophy, process and practice of welcoming, valuing and supporting all learners in general education environments) and the conceptual distinction between integration and segregation are clear in the UNCRPD and subsequent comments, the terminology used in some of the countries is inconsistent with these definitions. This makes interpretation of reports from government instrumentalities difficult. In some cases, misuse of terminology allows justification of practices that are contrary to the UNCRPD. Terminology differences coupled with challenges of finding data related to the education of children with IDD, if the data exist, make a regional analysis of progress towards IE complex. In our paper, we have drawn on previous reviews and reports to discuss common issues and make suggestions for ways forward. Our findings add to the few other reviews from Asia on IE and draw attention to the continuing need for improved access to any education at all for learners with IDD. Provision of IE is caught up in dilemmas in the region about teacher preparation and professional learning, and how to provide specialist support in inclusive settings. School structure decisions including staffing provision and class sizes affect the education outcomes of students with IDD. School leadership, with the fundamental role of translating policy into practice, is critical for the development of IE and must be aligned with system and country priorities. Collaboration across the region has the potential to share best practice and continue to improve the educational opportunities for learners with IDD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic growth in Asia has increased in the past three decades and has heightened energy demand, resulting in rising greenhouse gas emissions and severe air pollution. To tackle these issues, fuel switching and the deployment of renewables are essential. In the present paper, we discuss the environmental regulations, mainly carbon pricing, implemented in Asia and discuss their achievements. Empirical studies using microdata have shown that carbon pricing in Asia can reduce carbon emissions by promoting energy efficiency. At the macro level, we observe some evidence of fuel switching from coal to natural gas among major emitters. However, more carbon pricing is necessary in Asia if we aim for the decarbonization of the economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper details Australian commercial and academic silicon research. Areas of interest include silicon metal, polysiloxane polymers, copolymers, cyclics, emulsions, microemulsions, silanes, silane coupling agents, sol-gel chemistry and water-treatments, porous silicon, polysiloxane degradation, silicon hydrogel contact lenses, silanolate synthesis, siloxane interfacial polymerisation, hydrosilylation, polysiloxane electrolytes for lithium ion batteries, silanes for PBX materials, octafunctionalized polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS), POSS hybrids, sol-gel hydrogenation catalysts, silane modification of silica, sol-gel energy storage, silicate grout stabilisation, GeoPolymer concretes, aerogel insulating foams, 'Phaco-Ersatz' Accommodating Gel-Intraocular Lens technologies. Strong collaborative opportunities, in silicon, with Asia, exist with organisations such as: 1) The Asian Silicon Society and 2) The Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) Indonesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]