Global imbalances: the perspective of the Banco de México.

Global imbalances (GIs) have been with us for quite some time. To a large extent, for many years they were disregarded by the world economic powers. Such imbalances provided fertile ground for a major financial crisis to erupt. Regretfully, many of the policy measures implemented as a response to the crisis have exacerbated the damaging potential of GIs. The most recent manifestation of this is the rapid expansion of beggar-thy-neighbour policies that an uncoordinated policy response to GIs is leading to. Under this scenario, G20 policymakers should be alert and devote their efforts to search for possible agreed upon solutions to the underlying disequilibria; otherwise, we could be sowing the seeds for a new, potentially more devastating crisis.

Die voorstelling van VIGS-verwante stigma in ’n versameling gedigte deur Afrikaanssprekende hoërskoolleerders

The representation of AIDS-related stigma in a collection of poems by Afrikaans-speaking teenagers This article reports on a discourse analysis of twenty-two poems written by a group of white South African teenagers, with special reference to the construal of people living with HIV/AIDS and the role that stigmatisation plays. The vantage point is that of Christian ethics, while psycho-social models of stigma, and the archetypes of people living with HIV/AIDS (as portrayed by the media) serve as the descriptive framework. The most salient stigma-enhancing factor was found to be the perception that self-stigmatisation is an undeniable reaction to the disease. Although coming to terms with one’s HIV status by finding a deeper meaning in the disease can be regarded as a stigma-reducing response, it may be harmful if personal responsibility for one’s physical and mental well-being is not acknowledged and exercised. The article concludes with a number of recommendations regarding destigmatising intervention messages based on ethical principles

Chinese Minority in a Malay State by Tan Chee-Beng

Review of Chinese Minority in a Malay State: The Case of Terengganu in Malaysia, by Chee Beng Tan, published by Eastern Universities Press, 2002

Review of Opium to Java: Revenue Farming and Chinese Enterprise in Colonial Indonesia, 1860-1910 by James R. Rush

Book review of Opium to Java: Revenue Farming and Chinese Enterprise in Colonial Indonesia, 1860–1910, by James B. Rush, published by Cornell University Press, 1990

Evaluating the effectiveness of a cross-disciplinary genre-focused writing intervention

In tertiary education settings it is imperative for students to move confidently between the academic discourses of a variety of disciplines. Thus, it is merited to aim writing interventions at genres that straddle disciplinary boundaries. Following a survey on preferred genres and text types at the University of Pretoria an essay-writing intervention for second-year undergraduate students was designed and developed. The effectiveness of the intervention was evaluated using a pretest-posttest design. On average the scores of the respondents improved by 7%. The largest improvement was on structure and development (15%), followed by the use of source materials (10%) and academic writing style (7%). An interpretation of the findings, combined with feedback from the respondents, suggested that extensive writing should be introduced soon after the commencement of an essay-writing intervention, and that a series of shorter teaching and learning cycles might be more effective than a single cycle. Furthermore, study units dealing with making and supporting claims might focus more strongly on learning from models than on explicit teaching of a variety of disciplinary conventions and preferences.Keywords: academic essay; academic writing, applied linguistics; cross-disciplinary; genre approach; language teachin

Lexicology, Semantics and Lexicography:

Julie Coleman and Christian J. Kay (Eds.). Lexicology, Semantics and Lexicography: Selected Papers from the Fourth G.L. Brook Symposium, Manchester, August 1998. 2000, xiv + 249 pp. Current Issues in Linguistic Theory Volume 194. ISBN 90 272 3701 8 (Eur.), 1 55619 972 4 (US). Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins. Price US$ 75,00 (Hb)

Species Delimitation Using a Combined Coalescent and Information-Theoretic Approach: An Example from North American Myotis Bats

Coalescent model–based methods for phylogeny estimation force systematists to confront issues related to the identification of species boundaries. Unlike conventional phylogenetic analysis, where species membership can be assessed qualitatively after the phylogeny is estimated, the phylogenies that are estimated under a coalescent model treat aggregates of individuals as the operational taxonomic units and thus require a priori definition of these sets because the models assume that the alleles in a given lineage are sampled from a single panmictic population. Fortunately, the use of coalescent model–based approaches allows systematists to conduct probabilistic tests of species limits by calculating the probability of competing models of lineage composition. Here, we conduct the first exploration of the issues related to applying such tests to a complex empirical system. Sequence data from multiple loci were used to assess species limits and phylogeny in a clade of North American Myotis bats. After estimating gene trees at each locus, the likelihood of models representing all hierarchical permutations of lineage composition was calculated and Akaike information criterion scores were computed. Metrics borrowed from information theory suggest that there is strong support for several models that include multiple evolutionary lineages within the currently described species Myotis lucifugus and M. evotis. Although these results are preliminary, they illustrate the practical importance of coupled species delimitation and phylogeny estimation

Cannabis legalisation and testing for cannabis use in safety- and risk-sensitive environments

The legalisation of cannabis by the High Court of South Africa, which was confirmed by the Constitutional Court, imposes challenges to occupational medical practitioners acting as medical review officers in compliance testing and fit-for-service medical examinations. The lipophilic character of the psychoactive component of cannabis, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), and its prolonged elimination half-life, create challenges for the ethically and scientifically correct management of the legal use of cannabis in risk-sensitive environments. Important issues to consider in testing for cannabis use are: the stance of ‘zero tolerance’; screening and confirmation cut-off concentrations; and the bio-matrices used for testing. Constitutional rights relate to privacy, freedom, autonomy, freedom of religion and the equal enjoyment of rights and privileges, which must be balanced against the health and safety of others

Concept mapping as a strategy to scaffold concept literacy in accounting for extended programmes

While great strides have been made to improve accessibility to higher education in South Africa, successful completion of bachelor's degrees within the prescribed time remains a challenge.  Research suggests that a lack of conceptual understanding by students might be at the heart of the problem. This study, which is grounded in Ausubel's Assimilation Theory as applied by Joseph Novak and his colleagues, investigates the value of concept mapping as a scaffolding technique to improve conceptual understanding. The research involved a quasi-experiment with a test and a control group. It was hypothesised that accounting students in an extended programme who had been introduced to the concept mapping technique would demonstrate an improved grasp of accounting concepts, indicated by an improvement in their marks when composing an explanatory paragraph of accounting concepts after a teaching intervention. However, the post-intervention marks of the test group showed no improvement, and therefore no proof can be offered to support the claim that concept mapping improves conceptual understanding. Pre-and post-intervention questionnaires were used to collect data on confounding variables and also to assess student experiences of concept mapping. An analysis of student experiences indicated enthusiasm for the technique. Limitations of the study included the absence of a pilot study and insufficient time to become familiar with concept mapping. An unforeseen constraint on the study was low student participation