Armed violence and poverty in Northeast India: a mini case study for the Armed Violence and Poverty Initiative

YesThis mini report on Northeast India is one of 13 case studies (all of the case studies are available at www.bradford.ac.uk/cics). This research draws upon secondary data sources including existing research studies, reports and evaluations. As DFID does not have any direct development engagement in Northeast India, this report does give any direct programming or policy recommendations. However, it does highlight key issues which need to be addressed for armed violence to be reduced in the region. The authors would like to thank David Seddon for comments made on an earlier draft. The analysis and opinions expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views or policy of DFID or the UK government

Butting Heads: Tackling Football Concussion and Prevention

Hundreds of thousands of sports concussions occur each year in the United States, and almost half of them are the result of a football injury. Even though they may not initially appear serious, concussions can lead to extreme cognitive impairments in those affected. This article highlights the importance of treating concussions properly and educating coaches, parents, and athletes on the value of allowing young athletes to take the time they need to fully recover

Income, work and education: insights for closing the gap in urban Australia

Existing analysis of the Closing the Gap outcomes is limited by the lack of adequate wage data for Indigenous Australians. This paper attempts to redress this situation by using a geography recently developed by the ABS - Significant Urban Areas - to document the crucial relationships between income, labour force status and education. Abstract: Many factors contribute to differences in an individual’s command over resources. One of the factors is differences in labour market engagement and the level of education attainment across different geographical areas. However, existing analysis of the Closing the Gap outcomes is limited by the lack of adequate wage data for Indigenous Australians. Using the newly introduced geography Significant Urban Areas (SUAs), which distinguish between major cities, regional centres and remote areas, this paper analyses average personal income while adjusting for labour force status and education levels. We impute average wage data by focusing on the personal income of people who are employed full-time and assuming that the average weekly personal income is a reasonable approximation of wages. The findings suggest that wage differences between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians in urban areas are minimal after education attainment levels are adjusted for, with a gradient in wages according to the level of qualification. There are gender differences in wages in favour of men, both across SUAs and by education level. This is partly a reflection of the structure of employment and segregation in the labour market, which can reach as high as 40 per cent in some the SUAs. Considering the importance of wage data in the theory of economic development, it is essential that direct information on wages is collected in future surveys with a substantial sample of Indigenous Australians

Formal proofs for broadcast algorithms

Standard distributed algorithmic solutions to recurring distributed problems are commonly specified and described informally. A proper understanding of these distributed algorithms that clarifies ambiguities requires formal descriptions. However, formalisation tends to yield complex descriptions. We formally study two broadcast algorithms and present an encoding framework using a process descriptive language and formalise these algorithms and their specifications using this framework. Following these new formal encodings we discuss correctness proofs for the same algorithms.peer-reviewe

When Do Input Prices Matter For Make-Or-Buy Decisions?

We investigate input pricing regimes that induce efficient make-or-buy decisions by entrants when there is constant returns in the production of the input(s) and simultaneous noncooperative price competition in downstream retail markets. A necessary and sufficient condition for efficient make-or-buy decisions is derived. This condition shows that input prices are relevant for make-or-buy decisions except under restrictive and often unverifiable assumptions on the demand structure, and that the least informationally-demanding way to ensure efficient make-or-buy decisions is to price inputs at marginal cost. The extent to which input prices can depart from marginal cost while still inducing efficient make-or-buy decisions depends on the relative efficiency of the incumbent and the demand displacement ratio, with significant departures possible even for modest efficiency differences when products are nearly homogeneous.Input Pricing Policy, Productive Efficiency.

A degree of employability: a research agenda towards curricula design

The challenge of providing commercial science and technology skills in an academic environment stimulates considerable debate, with industry suggesting it cannot be done. In investigating enhancing employability skills of STEM graduates many institutions are considering new initiatives and policies. This research works towards developing models to change practice in curriculum design by embedding industry frameworks. The application of SFIA in course design intends to improve the student journey from undergraduate to graduate to employee by incorporating skills and language required by professionals, into the heart of HE curricula. The paper reflects the efforts to meet these goals and sets out an agenda for research to identify the impact of the approach. A key deliverable is a transferable model for the development of fit-for-purpose academic curricula in HEIs, fully aligned with industry requirements and needs. The research progresses to clarify the impact and effectiveness of this approach

Risk Management in the Arctic Offshore: Wicked Problems Require New Paradigms

Recent project-management literature and high-profile disasters—the financial crisis, the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the Fukushima nuclear accident—illustrate the flaws of traditional risk models for complex projects. This research examines how various groups with interests in the Arctic offshore define risks. The findings link the wicked problem framework and the emerging paradigm of Project Management of the Second Order (PM-2). Wicked problems are problems that are unstructured, complex, irregular, interactive, adaptive, and novel. The authors synthesize literature on the topic to offer strategies for navigating wicked problems, provide new variables to deconstruct traditional risk models, and integrate objective and subjective schools of risk analysis