Bureaucratic institutional design. The case of the Italian NHS

We propose a model where a regional government’s choice of the number of bureaucratic agencies operating in a region depends upon the degree of substitutability and complementarity of the bureaucratic services being demanded. We show that, if the government perceives the citizens’ demand as a demand for substitutable services, it will choose provision by two independent agencies. If the government perceives the citizens’ demand as a demand for complementary services, it will choose provision by a single consolidated agency. Exogenous shocks to the number of citizens amplify these incentives. Evidence from the Italian National Health Service (NHS) supports this hypothesis. Results show a positive effect of proxies of substitutable services on the number of regional Local Health Authorities (LHAs) and a negative effect of proxies of complementary services. The major immigration amnesties, taken as shocks to the number of citizens entitled to the service, magnify these effects

The Dynamic Phase Transition for Decoding Algorithms

The state-of-the-art error correcting codes are based on large random constructions (random graphs, random permutations, ...) and are decoded by linear-time iterative algorithms. Because of these features, they are remarkable examples of diluted mean-field spin glasses, both from the static and from the dynamic points of view. We analyze the behavior of decoding algorithms using the mapping onto statistical-physics models. This allows to understand the intrinsic (i.e. algorithm independent) features of this behavior.Comment: 40 pages, 29 eps figure

Homogeneous and inhomogeneous contributions to the luminescence linewidth of point defects in amorphous solids: Quantitative assessment based on time-resolved emission spectroscopy

The article describes an experimental method that allows to estimate the inhomogeneous and homogeneous linewidths of the photoluminescence band of a point defect in an amorphous solid. We performed low temperature time-resolved luminescence measurements on two defects chosen as model systems for our analysis: extrinsic Oxygen Deficient Centers (ODC(II)) in amorphous silica and F+ 3 centers in crystalline Lithium Fluoride. Measurements evidence that only defects embedded in the amorphous matrix feature a dependence of the radiative decay lifetime on the emission energy and a time dependence of the first moment of the emission band. A theoretical model is developed to link these properties to the structural disorder typical of amorphous solids. Specifically, the observations on ODC(II) are interpreted by introducing a gaussian statistical distribution of the zero phonon line energy position. Comparison with the results obtained on F+ 3 crystalline defects strongly confirms the validity of the model. By analyzing experimental data within this frame, we obtain separate estimations of the homogenous and inhomogeneous contributions to the measured total linewidth of ODC(II), which results to be mostly inhomogeneous.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure

Conflict exposure and labour market outcomes. Evidence from longitudinal data for the Gaza Strip

This paper documents the effect of variations in the individual-level intensity of conflict exposure on various labour market outcomes for Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip. Combining individual-level longitudinal employment data and geolocalised information on conflict-related events, we show that an increase in conflict exposure of the individual, while it does not affect the employment status on average, it has a heterogeneous impact on job transitions depending on the worker being employed in the private or the public sector. We also find that, for those in the private sector, higher conflict exposure reduces the labour income and the number of hours worked. For those in the public sector, the effect of conflict is instead null on both the labour income and the number of hours worked and it is positive on wages. Finally, we provide suggestive evidence that these results are explained by the combination of two mechanisms, namely the conflict-induced change in the health conditions of the workers (which affects the labour supply) and in the level of the local economic activity (which affects the labour demand)

Nexo energía-agua en el contexto del cambio climático en los países en desarrollo: Experiencias de América Latina, África Oriental y Austral

Versión en francés disponible en la Biblioteca Digital del IDRC: Les liens entre l’eau et l’énergie au regard des changements climatiques dans les pays en développement Les expériences vécues en Amérique latine, en Afrique de l’Est et en Afrique australe"El acceso a los recursos energéticos y el acceso a los recursos hídricos están interconectados y ambos temas son cruciales para el fortalecimiento de la capacidad de adaptación al cambio climático. A pesar de la creciente investigación sobre la relación entre cambio climático y recursos hídricos por un lado, y la relación entre disponibilidad de agua y energía renovable para el desarrollo, por otro lado, no se ha hecho lo suficiente para integrar la investigación en cambio climático, agua y energía a nivel local en el contexto de los países en desarrollo. El Centro Internacional de Investigaciones para el Desarrollo lanzó un proyecto en el 2010, “Energía y Agua Limpias: Una Evaluación de Servicios para la Adaptación Local al Cambio Climático”, con el fin de determinar los factores que propiciaban o impedían el uso de tecnologías descentralizadas de energía renovable en el suministro de agua para ayudar a que las comunidades se adaptaran mejor a la variabilidad y cambio climáticos y para facilitar un acceso equitativo a estos servicios y a la vez garantizar su solidez, dada la situación de creciente incertidumbre. Cuatro equipos de investigación se involucraron en este proyecto: la Fundación Bariloche (Argentina), la Clean Energy Incubator de la Universidad de Texas en Austin (Estados Unidos), el Energy Research Centre de la Universidad de Ciudad del Cabo (Sudáfrica), la Energy, Environment and Development Network for Africa (AFREPREN/FWD) (Kenia), que produjo informes de evaluación en profundidad tanto en América Latina como en África Austral y África Oriental...

Migration in Libya: a spatial network analysis

This paper provides the first systematic analysis of migration to, within, and from Libya. The data used in the analysis are from the Displacement Tracking Matrix data set of the International Organization for Migration. The analysis uses this unique source of data, combining several techniques to analyze various dimensions of migration in Libya. First, the paper provides a detailed description of the demographic characteristics and national composition of the migrant populations in Libya. Next, it discusses the determinants of migration flow within Libya. The findings show that migration in Libya can be characterized as forced migration, because conflict intensity is the main determinant of the decision to relocate across provinces. Finally, the paper describes the direction, composition, and evolution of international migration flows passing through Libya and identifies the mechanisms of location selection by migrants within Libya by identifying hotspots and cluster provinces

Liens entre l'eau et l'énergie au regard des changements climatiques dans les pays en développement : les expériences vécues en Amérique latine, en Afrique de l'Est et en Afrique australe

Version espagnole disponible dans la Bibliothèque numérique du CRDI : El nexo energía-agua en el contexto del cambio climático en los países en desarrollo: Experiencias de América Latina, África Oriental y Austral"Les questions interdépendantes que sont l’accès aux ressources hydriques et l’accès aux ressources énergétiques sont essentielles au renforcement de la capacité d’adaptation aux changements climatiques. En dépit de travaux de recherche de plus en plus nombreux sur la relation entre les changements climatiques et les ressources hydriques, d’une part, et sur le rapport entre la disponibilité de l’eau et l’énergie renouvelable au service du développement, d’autre part, peu d’efforts ont été consentis pour replacer la recherche sur les changements climatiques, l’eau et l’énergie réalisée à l’échelon local dans le contexte des pays en développement. En 2010, le Centre de recherches pour le développement international (CRDI) a donné le coup d’envoi au projet Eau et énergie propres – évaluation des services relatifs à l’adaptation aux changements climatiques ayant pour objectif d’évaluer les facteurs qui favorisent et entravent l’utilisation des technologies d’énergies renouvelables décentralisées pour les services d’approvisionnement en eau afin d’aider les collectivités à mieux s’adapter à la variabilité du climat et aux changements et de soutenir l’accès équitable à ces services et leur pérennité dans un contexte de plus en plus incertain. Quatre équipes de recherche prennent part à ce projet, soit : Fundacion Bariloche, (Argentine); Clean Energy Incubator de l’Université du Texas à Austin (États-Unis); Energy Research Centre de l’Université du Cap (Afrique du Sud); Energy, Environment and Development Network for Africa (AFREPREN/FWD) (Kenya). Au terme de leurs travaux, ces équipes ont rédigé des rapports d’examen approfondi portant sur l’Amérique latine, l’Afrique australe et l’Afrique de l’Est...