Dynamic Critical Behavior of the Swendsen-Wang Algorithm: The Two-Dimensional 3-State Potts Model Revisited

We have performed a high-precision Monte Carlo study of the dynamic critical behavior of the Swendsen-Wang algorithm for the two-dimensional 3-state Potts model. We find that the Li-Sokal bound ($\tau_{int,E} \geq const \times C_H$) is almost but not quite sharp. The ratio $\tau_{int,E} / C_H$ seems to diverge either as a small power ($\approx 0.08$) or as a logarithm.Comment: 35 pages including 3 figures. Self-unpacking file containing the LaTeX file, the needed macros (epsf.sty, indent.sty, subeqnarray.sty, and eqsection.sty) and the 3 Postscript figures. Revised version fixes a normalization error in \xi (with many thanks to Wolfhard Janke for finding the error!). To be published in J. Stat. Phys. 87, no. 1/2 (April 1997

The Effect of Partner Sex: Nondisclosure of HIV Status to Male and Female Partners Among Men who Have Sex with Men and Women (MSMW)

A common concern within HIV prevention is that HIV positive MSMW do not disclose their HIV status to female partners who are thus at increased risk for HIV infection. The present study uses unique data to examine whether MSMW disclose more often to male rather than female partners. Data were collected on most recent male and/or female primary partner and four most recent casual partners from 150 MSMW (50 African American, 50 Latino, 50 White). MSMW reported on 590 partners (31% female; 69% male). Disclosure was coded as disclosure before sex, disclosure after sex, or nondisclosure. A series of multinomial logistic regressions with partners clustered within respondents were conducted to evaluate effects of respondent characteristics and partner characteristics on timing of disclosure. In bivariate and multivariate analyses there were no significant differences in odds of disclosure to male and female partners before or after sex. Although MSMW were substantially less likely to disclose to HIV negative partners before sex compared to HIV positive partners regardless of sex, when we fully interacted the multivariate model by partner sex, the odds of disclosure to HIV negative male partners compared to HIV positive male partners before sex were significantly higher than the odds of disclosure to HIV negative female partners compared to HIV positive female partners. Patterns of mutual nondisclosure and nonreciprocal disclosure were observed with both primary and casual partners. The paper makes additional methodological contributions to the measurement and analysis of disclosure

Issues facing the future health care workforce: the importance of demand modelling

This article examines issues facing the future health care workforce in Australia in light of factors such as population ageing. It has been argued that population ageing in Australia is affecting the supply of health care professionals as the health workforce ages and at the same time increasing the demand for health care services and the health care workforce

The state of HRM in the Middle East:Challenges and future research agenda

Based on a robust structured literature analysis, this paper highlights the key developments in the field of human resource management (HRM) in the Middle East. Utilizing the institutional perspective, the analysis contributes to the literature on HRM in the Middle East by focusing on four key themes. First, it highlights the topical need to analyze the context-specific nature of HRM in the region. Second, via the adoption of a systematic review, it highlights state of development in HRM in the research analysis set-up. Third, the analysis also helps to reveal the challenges facing the HRM function in the Middle East. Fourth, it presents an agenda for future research in the form of research directions. While doing the above, it revisits the notions of “universalistic” and “best practice” HRM (convergence) versus “best-fit” or context distinctive (divergence) and also alternate models/diffusion of HRM (crossvergence) in the Middle Eastern context. The analysis, based on the framework of cross-national HRM comparisons, helps to make both theoretical and practical implications

Geospatial Semantics: Why, of What, and How?

Abstract. Why are notions like semantics and ontologies suddenly getting so much attention, within and outside geospatial information communities? The main reason lies in the componentization of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) into services, which are supposed to interoperate within and across these communities. Consequently, I look at geospatial semantics in the context of semantic interoperability. The paper clarifies the relevant notion of semantics and shows what parts of geospatial information need to receive semantic speci-fications in order to achieve interoperability. No attempt at a survey of ap-proaches to provide semantics is made, but a framework for solving interopera-bility problems is proposed in the form of semantic reference systems. Particular emphasis is put on the need and possible ways to ground geospatial semantics in physical processes and measurements. 1. Introduction: Wh