Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The integration of identified employability skills into the Namibian vocational education and training curriculum

Since the advent of the 21 century the world has been experiencing rapid changes in knowledge, technology and information. These changes pose challenges to the providers of education and training in general and vocational education and training in particular. The impact of technological advancement and the nature of organisational changes in the workplace demand skills of an increasingly higher level – particularly skills in the areas of information technology, problem solving and communication. The problem identified in this study was that graduates from vocational training centres (VTCs) in Namibia did not have appropriate employability skills needed at the workplace, as indicated by Namibian employers. The aim of this study was to identify the types of employability skills considered important by employers at the workplace and to determine how such skills could be integrated into the vocational education and training curriculum in Namibia. A literature review conducted revealed that employers require workers with the following key, core or employability skills: communication, information technology, working with numbers, working with others, problem solving and improving one’s own learning and performance. The population for this study was 493 employers providing on-the-job training or employing vocational training centre graduates. A total of 244 out of the 493 employers responded. The population of the study represented the following occupational sectors: auto trades, building construction trades, metalwork trades and electrical engineering trades. Data for the study were collected through reviewing the literature on employability skills, a survey questionnaire to employers and face-to-face interviews conducted with selected employers during the research. The following questions were explored in the questionnaire and structured interviews: i) Which employability skills are important at the workplace? ii) Who is responsible for developing employability skills? iii) If it is the responsibility of vocational training centres to foster employability skills, at which educational level should employability skills education be introduced? iv) How should the acquisition of employability skills be promoted? v) How should employability skills be assessed?
The fungibility of health aid reconsidered

This paper draws further attention to the importance of taking into account off-budget aid when estimating the degree of foreign aid fungibility. It does so by re-evaluating the results of a recent, influential paper which concluded that health aid is fully fungible in the long run. Allowing for the presence of off-budget aid indicates that the degree of fungibility of health aid is much more uncertain than at first blush appears. Under plausible assumptions about the role of off-budget aid, the conclusion of full fungibility is overturned and at most only a limited degree of fungibility is found.
People Re-identification Using a Graph Kernels Approach

This paper addresses people re-identification problem for visual surveillance applications. Our approach is based on a rich description of each occurrence of a person thanks to a graph encoding of its salient points. The appearance of persons in a video is encoded by bags of graphs whose similarities are encoded by a graph kernel. Such similarities combined with a tracking system allow us to distinguish a new person from a re-entering one into the video. The efficiency of our method is demonstrated through experiments.
Explaining Asymmetric Volatility : A New Approach *

An important stylized fact of stock volatility is that when a stock price drops (rises), the volatility of its returns typically rises (falls). This paper uses a new framework to test different hypotheses for this “negative” asymmetric relation between returns and volatility. A structural model is developed to directly account for the effects of financial and operating leverage. A new metric for volatility asymmetry allows us to quantify those impacts. It is found that financial leverage and (to a lesser extent) operating leverage more than account for the negative asymmetry in equity. If we strip out their effects, we find that “intrinsic” firm volatility has a (moderate) positive asymmetry. This provides indirect evidence against the risk premium and crisis explanations. Moreover, using international stock indices data and the leverage model above, I offer direct tests of the risk premium and crisis explanations. JEL Classification: G12
Exploiting Large Memory Using 32-Bit Energy-Efficient Manycore Architectures

Recent advances in processor manufacturing has led to integrating tens of cores in a single chip and promise to integrate many more with the so-called manycore architectures. Manycore architectures usually integrate many small power efficient cores, which can be 32-bit cores in order to maximize the performance per Watt ratio. Providing large physical memory (e.g. 1 TB) to such architectures thus requires extending the physical address space (e.g. to 40 bits). This extended physical space has early been identified as a problem for 32-bit operating systems as they can normally support at maximum 4 GB of physical space, and up to 64 GB with memory extension techniques. This paper presents a scalable solution which efficiently manages large physical memory. The proposed solution decomposes the kernel into multiple units, each running in its own space, without the virtual memory mechanism (directly in physical mode). User applications, however, continue to run in the virtual mode. This solution allows the kernel to manage a large physical memory, while allowing user space applications to access nearly 4 GB of virtual space. It has been successfully implemented in ALMOS, a UNIX-like operating system, running on the TSAR manycore architecture, which is a 32-bit virtual 40-bit physical manycore architecture. Moreover, the first results show that this approach improves both the scalability and the performance of the system.
Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization Investment Decisions and Coordination Problems in a Market with Network Externalities: an Experimental Study

We study decision-making and the associated coordination problems in an experimental setting with network externalities. Subjects decide simultaneously in every round how much to invest out of a fixed endowment; the gain from an investment increases with total investment, so that an investment is profitable iff total investment exceeds a critical mass. The game has multiple, Pareto-ranked equilibria; we find that whether first-round total investment reaches critical mass predicts convergence towards the Pareto optimal full-investment equilibrium. Moreover, first-round investments and equilibrium convergence vary with critical mass and group size in a complex way that is explicable by subtle effects of strategic uncertainty on decision making.
"I Felt Like the Enemy and the Savior All at Once": English Teacher Identity in a Methods Course Wiki.

This study explores the identity constructions of two cohorts of preservice teachers enrolled in English methods courses during a semester of field experience. This research employs a qualitative methodology and documents the nature of participant’s responses posted to online wiki forum. Data sources include archived electronic interactions and course assignments such as reflective journals. Constant-comparative method as described by Creswell (2007), content analysis as described by Marshall & Rossman (2006), and Gee’s (2003) notion of affinity identity are used to examine the discourses and ideologies of methods students as they construct notions of English teacher identity. Study findings indicate a focus on the social practices of the domain of teaching secondary English and an absence of English Language Arts pedagogy and content, suggesting that developing teachers perceive the identity of an English teacher as a solitary, selfless giver who is responsible for nearly every aspect of classroom experience and interaction. “I FELT LIKE THE ENEMY AND THE SAVIOR ALL AT ONCE”: ENGLISH TEACHER IDENTITY IN A METHODS COURSE WIKI
Competition & Innovation: New Evidence from US Patent and Productivity Data

Is there any evidence that innovation and technological progress are contained by competition and fostered by monopoly power? Our results based on a newly constructed dataset of US manufacturing industries observed over two decades suggest that this is not the case.On the contrary, using both patent statistics and productivity growth as alternative measures of innovation and technical change, we observe faster technological advances in more competitive markets. These results are robust to changes in the econometric techniques used to model nonlinearity in the competition-innovation relationship and to the inclusion of non-manufacturing industries in the estimation sample.
Social Capital and European Democracy

PART I Theoretical perspectives on social capital 1. Social capital and democracy in modern Europe "Kenneth Newton^E 2. The origins of social capital "Paul Whiteley^E 3. Collective action theory and the analysis of social capital "Jacint Jordana^E PART II Voluntary activity, participation and social capital - case studies of different countries 4. Civic engagement and volunteering in the Netherlands: a Putnamian analysis "Joep de Hart and Paul Dekker^E 5. Contracting out of the participation function: social capital and checkbook participation "William A. Maloney^E 6. Voluntary associations and social capital in Finland "Martii Siisiainen^E 7. The transformation of the voluntary sector in Norway: a decline in social capital "Per Selle^E 8. Facets of social capital in new democracies: the formation and consequences of social capital in Spain "Mariano Torcal and Jose Ramon Montero^E 9. The myth of American exceptionalism: a three-nation comparison of associational membership and social capital "Dietlind Stolle and Thomas R. Rochon^E PART III 10. The political effects of social capital and moral behaviour in Anglo-American democracies "Eric M. Uslaner^E 11. Social capital, active membership in voluntary associations and some aspects of political participation: an empirical case study "Jaak B. Billiet and Bart Cambre^E
Health and Wellbeing of Occupants in Highly Energy Efficient Buildings: A Field Study

Passive houses and other highly energy-efficient buildings need mechanical ventilation. However, ventilation systems in such houses are regarded with a certain degree of skepticism by parts of the public due to alleged negative health effects. Within a quasi-experimental field study, we investigated if occupants of two types of buildings (mechanical vs. natural ventilation) experience different health, wellbeing and housing satisfaction outcomes and if associations with indoor air quality exist. We investigated 123 modern homes (test group: with mechanical ventilation; control group: naturally ventilated) built in the years 2010 to 2012 in the same geographic area and price range. Interviews of occupants based on standardized questionnaires and measurements of indoor air quality parameters were conducted twice (three months after moving in and one year later). In total, 575 interviews were performed (respondents’ mean age 37.9 ± 9 years in the test group, 37.7 ± 9 years in the control group). Occupants of the test group rated their overall health status and that of their children not significantly higher than occupants of the control group at both time points. Adult occupants of the test group reported dry eyes statistically significantly more frequently compared to the control group (19.4% vs. 12.5%). Inhabitants of energy-efficient, mechanically ventilated homes rated the quality of indoor air and climate significantly higher. Self-reported health improved more frequently in the mechanically ventilated new homes (p = 0.005). Almost no other significant differences between housing types and measuring time points were observed concerning health and wellbeing or housing satisfaction. Associations between vegetative symptoms (dizziness, nausea, headaches) and formaldehyde concentrations as well as between CO2 levels and perceived stale air were observed. However, both associations were independent of the type of ventilation. In summary, occupants of the mechanically ventilated homes rated their health status slightly higher and their health improved significantly more frequently than in occupants of the control group. As humidity in homes with mechanical ventilation was lower, it seems plausible that the inhabitants reported dry eyes more frequently.
Liver Directed Therapy for Renal Cell Carcinoma

Background: Metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) to the liver portrays a poor prognosis and liver directed therapy remains controversial. We aimed to determine potential selection criteria for patients who might benefit from this strategy. Materials and Methods: We evaluated 247 consecutive patients with RCC metastatic to the liver from a prospectively maintained database. Results: Eighteen patients received liver directed therapy (18/247, 7%). Ten patients underwent liver resection (10/247, 4%) and eight patients underwent radiofrequency ablation (RFA, 8/247, 3%). All were rendered free of disease in the liver. Five had synchronous liver disease and underwent synchronous resections with their primary. Mortality was 0%. Fourteen had single (surgery 7, RFA 7) and four (surgery 3, RFA 1) had multiple liver lesions, respectively. Median size of lesions was 5cm (0.5 - 10cm) and 2.5cm (1 - 6cm) in the surgery and RFA groups, respectively. Median DFI was 10 months, and no difference was observed in those with a longer vs. shorter than median DFI (p = 0.95); liver specific progression free survival for the surgery and RFA groups were 4 and 6 months, respectively (p= 0.93). 1, 3 and 5-year actuarial survivals for the whole group were 89%, 40%, 27%. Median survival for the surgery group was 24 (3 to 254+) months, and for the RFA group 15.6 (7-56+) months (p = 0.56). Metachronous liver disease was associated with prolonged survival (p = 0.02). Conclusions: Liver directed therapy for RCC is safe. For highly selected patients with metachronous liver RCC metastases, liver directed therapy should be considered in a multidisciplinary manner.
Carbocyanine Postmortem Neuronal Tracing: Influence of Different Parameters on Tracing Distance and Combination with Immunocytochemistry

SUMMARY Carbocyanines (DiI, DiA, DiO) are able to travel along membranes by diffusion and therefore have been used as postmortem neuronal tracers in aldehyde-fixed tissues. Surprisingly, detailed data on the influence of different parameters on tracing distances are still missing. This study was carried out to optimize tracing procedures and to reveal the validity of the combination of postmortem tracing with immunocytochemistry. Carbocyanine crystals were applied to the cervical spinal cord, sciatic nerves, and brachial plexuses of humans and guinea pigs. Incubation in the dark at 37C for 12-15 weeks proved optimal to achieve longest tracing distances (28.9 ± 2.2 mm) in human and animal tissues. Longer incubation times and incubation temperatures higher than 37C did not result in longer tracing distances. No differences were evident between adult and newborn animals and between central and peripheral nervous system. The diffusion coefficient for DiI was calculated to be 2.5 × 10-7 cm2sec-1. After application of DiI to nerves of guinea pig extraocular muscles, DiI-positive afferent perikarya were observed in the anteromedial part of the trigeminal ganglion. These perikarya were identified by calcitonin gene-related peptide immunoreactivity (CGRP-IR). The percentage of CGRP-IR neurons after tracing was concordant with the percentage of CGRP-IR in trigeminal ganglia exclusively processed for CGRP-IR without previous postmortem tracing. These results demonstrate carbocyanines to be specific tracers for exact neuronal mapping studies.
Dynamics of Unclosed Triangles in Alliance Networks: Disappearance of Brokerage Positions and Performance Consequences

We depart from previous research on brokerage advantages in interorganizational networks by shifting focus to the dynamics of brokerage positions. We investigate causes of the disappearance of these positions and its influence on organizational performance. Using a subnetwork consisting of a broker and its two partners as the unit of analysis, we postulate that the brokerage position disappears either when the two partners develop ties or when the ties between the broker and the partners dissolve. We predict that the patterns of interactions in which this subnetwork is embedded exert multilevel influences on the disappearance, and that embedded structures promoting persistence constrain brokerage advantages. Our analysis of codeshare alliance data in the global airline industry supports the theory and demonstrates that the persistence of brokerage positions decreases broker performance. The findings explain why brokerage positions rarely persist and why the persistence of brokerage positions does not benefit brokers.
The rheological behavior of concentrated colloidal dispersions

A simple model for the rheological behavior of concentrated colloidal dispersions is developed. For a suspension of Brownian hard spheres there are two contributions to the macroscopic stress: a hydrodynamic and a Brownian stress. For small departures from equilibrium, the hydrodynamic contribution is purely dissipative and gives the high‐frequency dynamic viscosity. The Brownian contribution has both dissipative and elastic parts and is responsible for the viscoelastic behavior of colloidal dispersions. An evolution equation for the pair‐distribution function is developed and from it a simple scaling relation is derived for the viscoelastic response. The Brownian stress is shown to be proportional to the equilibrium radial‐distribution function at contact, g(2;φ), divided by the short‐time self‐diffusivity, D0s(φ), both evaluated at the volume fraction φ of interest. This scaling predicts that the Brownian stress diverges at random close packing, φm, with an exponent of −2, that is, η’0 ∼ η(1 − φ/φm)−2, .
Incubating an Illusion? Long‐Term Incubator Firm Performance after Graduation

Local economic development policies worldwide perceive business incubation as an effective measure to promote regional growth through the support of young and innovative ventures. The common assumption is that incubation promotes firm growth, in particular after these firms graduated from their incubator organisations. However, knowledge regarding the performance of incubated ventures after they have (successfully) completed their incubation is almost non-existent. This article investigates the long-term development of 324 graduate firms from five German business incubators (incubated between 1990 and 2006). The present study does not suffer from a survivor bias, meaning that performance data of non-surviving firms is also included. Using employment and sales measures as performance indicators, this study contradicts existing results with regard to long-term graduate performance. Findings of this paper do not support the presumption of sustainable and strong firm growth beyond incubation.
On the Spiral Structure of NGC 2915 and Dark Matter

NGC 2915 is a blue compact dwarf galaxy embedded in an extended, low surface brightness H I disk exhibiting a two-armed spiral structure and a central barlike component. Commonly accepted mechanisms are unable to explain the existence of these patterns, and Bureau et al. proposed disk dark matter (scaling with the H I distribution) or a rotating triaxial dark halo as alternative solutions. In an attempt to explore these mechanisms, hydrodynamic simulations were run for each case and compared to observations using customized column density and kinematic constraints. The spiral structure can be accounted for by both an unseen bar or triaxial halo, the former fitting the observations slightly better. However, the large bar mass or halo pattern frequency required make it unlikely that the spiral wave is driven by an external perturber. In particular, the spin parameter λ is much higher than predicted by current cold dark matter structure formation scenarios. The massive disk models show that when the observed gas surface density is scaled up by a factor about 10, the disk develops a spiral structure resembling closely the observed one, in perturbed density as well as perturbed velocity. This is consistent with more limited studies in other galaxies and suggests that the disk of NGC 2915 contains much more mass than is visible, tightly linked to the neutral hydrogen. A classic (quasi-)spherical halo is nevertheless still required, as increasing the disk mass further to fit the circular velocity curve would make the disk violently unstable. Scaling the observed surface density profile by an order of magnitude brings the disk and halo masses to comparable values within the disk radius. The surface density remains under Kennicutt's star formation threshold for a gaseous disk, and no stars are expected to form, as required by observations.
The AGN-Starburst Connection, Galactic Superwinds, and MBH-σ

Recent observations of young galaxies at redshifts z ~ 3 have revealed simultaneous AGN and starburst activity, as well as galaxy-wide superwinds. I show that there is probably a close connection between these phenomena by extending an earlier treatment of the MBH-σ relation. As the black hole grows, an outflow drives a shell into the surrounding gas. This stalls after a dynamical time at a size determined by the hole's current mass and thereafter grows on the Salpeter timescale. The gas trapped inside this bubble cools, forms stars, and is recycled as accretion and outflow. The consequent high metallicity agrees with that commonly observed in AGN accretion. Once the hole reaches a critical mass, this region attains a size such that the gas can no longer cool efficiently. The resulting energy-driven flow expels the remaining gas as a superwind, fixing both the MBH-σ relation and the total stellar bulge mass at values in good agreement with observations. Black hole growth thus produces starbursts and ultimately a superwind.
American Theocracy: The Peril and Politics of Radical Religion, Oil and Borrowed Money in the 21st Century

events—which, they contend, continue to shape African life long after the original conflicts themselves have abated. The essays in the collection address two main themes. The first is the generational tensions that have resulted from changing realities in the particular cultures under examination. In part, shifting attitudes toward, and the availability of, traditional ideologies of masculinity have brought about differences of opinion between younger men and their elders. But, as many of the chapters assert, situations of conflict and the resulting changes in economic, social, and political circumstances have intensified these differences. Detailed expositions of gang warfare resulting from such isolation in Sierra Leone, South Africa, and Nigeria provide a picture of the frustration of young men with a system that excludes them at nearly every level. The second theme focuses on the consequence of the manipulation of memory in preand post-conflict situations. In post-conflict contexts, remembered events can be constructed in such a way as to privilege one group over another. It is often the case that victorious regimes attempt to rewrite history in an attempt to preserve their authority. Particularly in the essays dealing with Guinea-Bissau, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe, the reconstruction of memory and, consequently, key narratives created in the wake of victory have shaped the manner in which conflict and recovery have been managed—which the authors of these chapters carefully reveal.