Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An analysis of skills development in a transitional economy: the case of the South African labour market

This article evaluates the extent to which both the supply and retention of scarce skills are adequate for South Africa to compete with similar emerging, transitional economies in the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India and China) countries, a grouping it has recently joined. The aim of this article is to analyse the basis for skills shortages, policy measures taken and capacity to implement plans. Using a labour market approach to skills formation and integrating this with institutional analysis, this article critically evaluates the nature of the skills shortage, barriers to skills retention, HR strategies for talent management and public policy questions. This analysis concludes that South Africa is adversely affected by a shortage of intermediate and certain high-level skills. This analysis identifies four propositions for further investigation by policy-makers and researchers. The implications of this analysis underline the importance of appropriate labour market supply-side policy measures and firm-level HR strategic choices for skills retention and utilization.
Migration Gewachsener Umgebungen Auf Ein Zentrales, Datenschutzorientiertes Log-Management-System-Erfahrungen Am Leibniz-Rechenzentrum

Der Umgang mit personenbezogenen Daten, wie sie sich auch in Serverund Systemprotokollen finden, ist in den Datenschutzgesetzen und der aktuellen Rechtsprechung geregelt – allerdings in einer Form, die von juristischen Laien nur mit erheblichem Aufwand interpretiert werden kann. Wir haben uns diese Mühe gemacht und beschreiben in diesem Beitrag die Erstellung einer Log-Richtlinie für ein wissenschaftliches Rechenzentrum, ihre wesentlichen Inhalte, die werkzeuggestützte Umsetzung und Kontrolle sowie unsere im Projektverlauf und Betrieb gewonnenen Erfahrungen.
Managing Economic Volatility and Crises: Volatility, Income Distribution, and Poverty

ABSTRACT: This study examines the link between macroeconomic volatility and income distribution, including potential transmission channels. Few cross-country studies have directly examined this link: most have explored either the relation between growth and poverty or between growth and income distribution, and, in some cases, between volatility and growth. Analyzing the volatility–inequality link confronts the well-known challenge of linking the macro- and micro-sides of an economy; this study does not attempt to push the envelope in that direction. Rather, the study uses a cross-country regression framework and finds that output volatility has a negative impact on equality (the income share of the bottom quintile), although this finding is not entirely robust across country groups. The study also finds empirical support for some of the presumed main transmission channels, notably inflation, financial sector depth, and government social security expenditures. Accordingly, the main pro-poor policy responses to volatility or negative income shocks would be to contain inflation, develop financial markets, and ensure countercyclical social security spending. Developing labor markets and establishing well-targeted social safety nets are also key ongoing challenges in this regard, to reduce the vulnerability of low-income groups. INTRODUCTION Macroeconomic volatility can affect poverty through its impact on growth as well as its impact on income distribution . Conversely, changes in poverty may be decomposed into a growth effect and an income distribution effect . (See Box 3.1.) Both effects depend on the initial levels of development and income distribution.
Serological responses to human papillomavirus type 6 and 16 virus-like particles in patients with cervical neoplastic lesions

Serum samples from 36 cervical carcinoma patients, 33 patients with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions, and 31 cytologically normal women were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using human papilloma virus type 6 (HPV 6) and HPV 16 virus-like particles as antigens. Forty serum specimens from 1-year-old children were used to assign cutoff points. When serum samples from the subjects infected with HPV 16 were tested in an HPV 16 ELISA detecting immunoglobulin A (IgA), IgG, and IgM binding, 61% showed IgA, 44% showed IgG, and 39% showed IgM reactivity. Of HPV 6- or 11- or HPV 18-infected subjects. fewer than 17% showed IgA or IgG responses and 33% showed IgM reactivity. In contrast, 13% showed IgA, 10% showed IgG, and 16% showed IgM reactivity in the HPV DNA-negative controls. The results suggest that the IgA and IgG responses are HPV 16 specific and the IgM response is cross-reactive to different HPV types. On the other hand, the serological responses to HPV 6 did not differ in the patient and control groups. The percentages of patients positive for both IgA and IgG antibodies were significantly higher in the groups with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (12% [4 of 33]; P = 0.04) and cancer (17% [6 of 36]; P = 0.02) than in the healty women (0% [0 of 31]), and the percentages for either IgA or IgG were higher for the cancer group (47% [17 of 36]; P = 0.01) than in the normal group (19% [6 of 31]). Most sera positive for IgA and IgG in the patient groups showed higher titers than those in the normal group. All these results suggest that high IgA and IgG responses are good indicators for estimating HPV 16 infection.
Secure multicast software delivery

Nowadays, purchased software is delivered via sending CD-ROMs or downloading from the Internet. These solutions are either time-consuming or not scalable when the number of end-users becomes large. In this paper, we explore the use of multicast technology as an option for software delivery. We present a global structure for multicast software delivery and look into security issues, mainly focusing on access control in establishing a secure multicast recipient group. A communication schema between each entity in a multicast software delivery system is described in detail. We also describe briefly the implementation of our current prototype for a multicast software delivery system. Such electronic software delivery is the first phase of our ongoing project towards unattended software installation, configuration and upgrade.
Uncertainty, expectations, and fundamentals: whatever happened to long-term oil prices?

One of the major features of the oil market during the 1990s was the relative stability of the long-term oil price. While the spot price exhibited sharp price volatility, that volatility was only partially transmitted to the back end of the futures curve which was anchored around the $20--22 per barrel range. However, as oil prices rose sharply during the boom years, the consensus on the oil price that would balance the long-term fundamentals of the oil market broke down and the whole futures curve became subject to a series of shifts. Our empirical evidence suggests that in the late 1990s and early 2000s there was limited evidence of adjustment between short-term and long-term oil prices. These dynamics, however, changed in early 2005 with the long-term price making most of the adjustment towards the prompt price. We suggest an interpretation of the long-term behaviour of oil prices based on the insights of two models. The first is based on a signal extraction mechanism and shows that when the private beliefs by investors about the long-run determinants of oil prices become less precise relative to the information contained in the current spot price, then the expected future oil price becomes closer to the current spot price. The second model is based on Bayesian updating and shows that if the variability of the spot price increases and/or if the spot price remains higher over a sustained period of time than anticipated by investors, then the probability distribution of the parameter capturing the speed of mean reversion will shift and the expected future price will move closer to the current spot price. Our analysis predicts that in the face of increased uncertainty the long-term and short-term prices are bound to exhibit similar movements. These changes have important consequences on the oil price formation process. Copyright 2011, Oxford University Press.
Effect of Exercise on Cardiac Output, Left Coronary Flow and Myocardial Metabolism in the Unanesthetized Dog

Cardiac output, left coronary artery flow, central aortic blood pressure and myocardial metabolism have been studied in the intact unanesthetized dog during exercise. Cardiac output and left coronary artery flow increase 350 to 400% during moderately severe exercise. The primary mechanical determinant of this increase appears to be cardio-acceleration; the stroke volume and stroke coronary flow contribution is relatively mild. Myocardial oxygen usage increases 300% or more with only a small elevation of the percentage of extraction of oxygen. The large increase of coronary flow in the dog and the significant elevation in hematocrit supply the extra oxygen.
An output-capacitor-free cascode low-dropout regulator with low quiescent current and high power supply rejection

This paper presents the design of an output-capacitor-free cascode low-dropout regulator (LDR) with low quiescent current and high power supply rejection (PSR) over a wide range of frequency. In the proposed LDR topology, power NMOS transistors are cascoded to isolate the core regulator from power supply ripples, thus providing high PSR even without any external filtering capacitors. By biasing the cascoding NMOS transistors with ultra-low power auxiliary LDRs whose controllers draw currents from a voltage doubler, the whole system achieves high PSR with very low quiescent current consumption. System modeling and design issues are discussed. An experimental prototype was successfully fabricated with a standard 0.35-µm CMOS process, occupying an active chip area of 0.092 mm2. The input is 1.8 V and the preset output is 1.2 V with a maximum load current of 10 mA. The quiescent current at no load is only 39 µA. The measured PSR at full load is better than −37.5 dB up to 50 MHz, without using off-chip capacitors. The line and load regulations are 0.45 mV/V and 0.50 mV/mA, respectively.
Learning in mathematics: effects of procedural and conceptual instruction on the quality of student interaction

Quantitative analyses from our previous research indicated that collaboration is more effective when learning with conceptual instruction than when learning with procedural instruction. To explain this differential effect, we analyzed student interaction during instruction. First analyses show that the conceptual instruction elicited more fruitful interaction behavior than the procedural instruction. Furthermore, in the procedural condition, students more often split potential learning opportunities between each other, yielding decreased practice opportunities.
Social Entrepreneurs and Social Inclusion: Building Local Capacity or Delivering National Priorities?

Abstract Western governments have increasingly sought to tap the potential of the voluntary and community sectors in delivering neighborhood-based initiatives to combat social exclusion. The particular attributes claimed for the ‘third sector’ include closeness to the community and a capacity for flexibility and innovation. In-depth evaluation of the UK’s Neighbourhood Support Fund, a ‘flagship’ program designed to combat the social exclusion of disaffected young people living in deprived inner urban areas, demonstrates that to operate successfully in the current policy environment, community-based projects not only need these skills but must also acquire managerial capacity. In particular they have to be able meet the increasing demand from central government for detailed performance data. Successful community based projects therefore not only need to have the capacity for entrepreneurial activity but must now also have managerial skills not traditionally associated with the ‘not for profit’ organisations.
Outcome in neurocritical care: Advances in monitoring and treatment and effect of a specialized neurocritical care team

Objective:To review current advances in the treatment of critically ill neurologic patients, including specialized care by neurointensivists. Design:Review article. Main Discussion and Conclusions:Significant developments in the fields of neurology and neurosurgery have led to improved treatments for the critically ill neurologic patient. The major areas reviewed include neuromonitoring, disease-specific treatments, and specialized neurocritical care units and team. The current trend is for the application of the so-called multimodality neuromonitoring, which includes the use of several monitoring techniques, including intracranial pressure, brain electrophysiology, brain metabolism and oxygenation, and cerebral blood flow, among others. Many new therapies that have been introduced are discussed, including thrombolytic therapy for acute ischemic stroke, induced hypothermia for comatose survivors of cardiac arrest, and endovascular coiling for ruptured cerebral aneurysms. Lastly, the introduction of neurointensivists and neurocritical care units has been associated with reduced hospital mortality and resource utilization without changes in readmission rates or long-term mortality rates.
Efficacy of Right Unilateral Ultrabrief Pulse Width ECT: A Preliminary Report

Background and Objectives Ultrabrief (right unilateral) electroconvulsive therapy (UB-RU ECT) is a newer form of ECT, which uses a shorter pulse width than the standard ECT (0.3 vs 1.0 millisecond, respectively). As a result, the use of UB ECT may provide a means of further decreasing ECT-related cognitive adverse effects. In 2011, the University of Texas Southwestern Department of ECT in Austin adopted a UB ECT protocol. The purpose of this study was to perform a preliminary evaluation of the effectiveness and efficiency of UB-RU ECT. This study also examined whether sex, age, or diagnosis affected response rates. Methods This retrospective chart review identified 62 patients treated with the UB ECT protocol. An analysis of ECT response rates and demographic characteristics was conducted based on the data from clinical evaluations and Patient Health Questionnaire 9. Results Sixty-eight percent of patients in the study responded to ECT; 55% responded to UB pulse width RU ECT with another 13% responding when switched to standard pulse width bilateral ECT. The mean number of treatments in an index ECT series was 12.5. There was no statistically significant difference in response rates between bipolar and unipolar depressed patients. Men required progression to bilateral treatment more than women. Conclusions This UB ECT protocol demonstrated a similar response rate when compared to standard ECT protocols; however, an increase in the number of treatments was required. Ultrabrief protocols are a viable option for both bipolar and unipolar depression. In men, UB ECT protocols may be less advantageous due to a need to overcome a potentially higher seizure threshold in men; however, additional research is needed to confirm this finding.
Development as Freedom in a Digital Age: Experiences from the Rural Poor in Bolivia

Under what conditions can new technologies enhance the well-being of poor communities? The study designs an alternative evaluation framework (AEF) that applies Amartya Sen's capability approach to the study of information and communications technologies (ICTs) in order to place people's well-being, rather than technology, at the center of the study. The AEF develops an impact chain that examines the mechanisms by which access to, and meaningful use of, ICTs can enhance people's informational capabilities and improve people's human and social capabilities. This approach thus uses people's individual and collective capabilities, rather than measures of access or use, as its principal evaluative space. Based on empirical evidence from indigenous communities' use of new technologies in rural Bolivia, the study concludes that enhancing poor people's informational capabilities is the most critical factor determining the impact of ICTs on their well-being. Improved informational capabilities, like literacy, do enhance the human capabilities of poor and marginalized peoples to make strategic life choices and achieve the lifestyle they value. Evaluating the impact of ICTs in terms of capabilities thus reveals no direct relationship between improved access to, and use of, ICTs and enhanced well-being; ICTs lead to improvements in people's lives only when informational capabilities are transformed into expanded human and social capabilities in the economic, political, social, organizational, and cultural dimensions of their lives. The study concludes that intermediaries are bound to play a central, even fundamental, role in this process. They help poor communities to enact and appropriate ICTs to their local socio-cultural context so that their use becomes meaningful for people's daily lives, enhances their informational capabilities, and ultimately improves their human and social capabilities.
Risk-Aversion Behavior in Consumption/Investment Problems

In this paper, we study the risk-aversion behavior of an agent in the dynamic framework of consumption/investment decision making that allows the possibility of bankruptcy. Agent's consumption utility is assumed to be represented by a strictly increasing, strictly concave, continuously differentiable function in the general case and by a HARA-type function in the special case treated in the paper. Coefficients of absolute and relative risk aversion are defined to be the well-known curvature measures associated with the derived utility of wealth obtained as the value function of the agent's optimization problem. Through an analysis of these coefficients, we show how the change in agent's risk aversion as his wealth changes depends on his consumption utility and the other problem parameters, including the payment at bankruptcy. Moreover, in the HARA case, we can conclude that the agent's relative risk aversion is nondecreasing with wealth, while his absolute risk aversion is decreasing with wealth only if he is sufficiently wealthy. At lower wealth levels, however, the agent's absolute risk aversion may increase with wealth in some cases.
Flood Risk = Hazard • Values • Vulnerability

Abstract Worldwide, flooding is probably the number one cause of losses from natural events. No region in the world is safe from being flooded. As the flood risk is a function of the flood hazard, the exposed values and their vulnerability, the increase in flood losses must be attributed to changes in each of these aspects. While flood protection measures may reduce the frequency of inundation losses, appropriate preparedness measures lessen the residual financial risk considerably. Besides public and private measures, insurance is a key factor in reducing the financial risk for individuals, enterprises, and even whole societies. In recent years, the demand for flood insurance has been growing. This is forcing the insurance industry to develop appropriate solutions. At the same time it is vital for the insurers to know the probable maximum losses they might face as the result of an extreme event.
Global Disorder: An Important Agenda for 21st Century Population Studies

Poor underprivileged countries face a long period of high population increase, while poverty and natural resource limits provide growing constraints to the management of population increase. Demography appears increasingly to turn to the study of populations well underway in the fertility transition. The "development optimism" implied in this shift needs to be set against the evidence of rapidly growing inequalities, between and within countries. The question needs to be raised whether fertility reductions will reach replacement levels everywhere. Das Gupta's recent contribution on the role of institutional and socio-political change for the demographic transition appears to offer a very viable framework for further research on historical Europe as well as current non-European states. However, it needs to be extended in the direction given by Castells' theories on the process of social exclusion in the information age in order to incorporate situations where fertility stabilises well over replacement level. The social implications of such a scenario are a challenge to both science and politics.
Roma health issues: a review of the literature and discussion

Objectives. Roma health issues are under-studied from a comprehensive, epidemiological perspective. The Roma peoples (including ‘Travellers’) have been living in and around Central and Eastern Europe for centuries, and may be one of the oldest systematically oppressed minority groups in Europe. This review examines the research literature in regard to the health and epidemiology of this group with the aim of examining the breadth and depth of the literature and reflecting on the primary and applied research needed to address the health needs of Roma groups. Design. Internet, database and ancestral searches were conducted via such electronic databases as Medline and PubMed. Ancestral searches involved consulting previous literature reviews in select topical areas and obtaining all appropriate, primary literature. The time parameters of the search began with the year 1990 to current but was later expanded to 1985–2003 in order to capture slightly older published work. Results. This paper describes what is known concerning Roma health via a review of the published studies, with special emphasis on population health and epidemiological studies. One hundred and twenty-nine articles are reviewed and discussed. The majority of research (50%) examines the genetic characteristics of this group. Conclusions. Surveillance and population health indices for this international minority population is scarce to lacking in the published literature. Concluding comments focus on the unique character of the study population and the need for scientific studies of Roma health issues and the cultural concerns which might affect them.
The role of legitimacy in social enterprise‐corporate collaboration

Purpose - This article explores the role of organizational legitimacy in understanding the emergence and development of ‘cross-sector collaboration’ between social enterprises and corporations. Design/methodology/approach - An in-depth case study of a long-standing but fragile partnership between a UK-based Fair Trade social enterprise and a large corporate retailer provides exploratory findings on the role of legitimacy at different stages of the collaboration process. Findings - The findings highlight how pragmatic and moral legitimacy are mobilized by the social enterprise to justify collaboration throughout three major stages: (1) the very decision of cross-sector collaboration, (2) the choice of the partner and the framing of the partnership, and (3) the evolution of the collaboration. Research limitations/implications - While Fair Trade is not the only sector in which social enterprise-corporate partnerships take place, it has been a pioneering domain revealing the potential as well as the challenges of such partnerships. Taking into account the role of legitimacy throughout the collaborative process is crucial both for comprehensive research and for informed practice. Originality/value - Although it is documented by a single case study, this paper opens new research avenues to examine social enterprise-corporate collaborations by developing a ‘non-functionalist’ view of such collaborations and showing the importance of legitimacy in understanding why and how they emerge, develop and sometimes fail.