Advances in the corporate governance practices of Johannesburg Stock Exchange companies

Since the 20th century, corporate governance mechanisms have been developed globally to curb the negative effects of the agency problem. South Africa was a pioneer with the publication of the first King Report on corporate governance in 1994. Given the paucity of research on corporate governance in the country, the researchers set out to investigate the corporate governance practices of 230 companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange over the period 2002 to 2010. Annual corporate governance scores were compiled by means of content analysis of the sample companies’ annual reports. The empirical findings revealed an increasing compliance trend towards 2010. Although the sample companies tended to improve the disclosure of their corporate governance practices over time, their practices were not per se acceptable (where acceptability implies meeting the King II recommendations). Inexperienced directors and managers might benefit from more training to enhance their understanding of the application of corporate governance principles.Keywords: corporate governance, King II Report, South Africa, compliance, disclosur

Sound Analogies with Phoneme Embeddings

Vector space models of words in NLP---word embeddings---have been recently shown to reliably encode semantic information, offering capabilities such as solving proportional analogy tasks such as man:woman::king:queen. We study how well these distributional properties carry over to similarly learned phoneme embeddings, and whether phoneme vector spaces align with articulatory distinctive features, using several methods of obtaining such continuous-space representations. We demonstrate a statistically significant correlation between distinctive feature spaces and vector spaces learned with word-context PPMI+SVD and word2vec, showing that many distinctive feature contrasts are implicitly present in phoneme distributions. Furthermore, these distributed representations allow us to solve proportional analogy tasks with phonemes, such as p is to b as t is to X , where the solution is that X = d . This effect is even stronger when a supervision signal is added where we extract phoneme representations from the embedding layer of an recurrent neural network that is trained to solve a word inflection task, i.e. a model that is made aware of word relatedness

Киев-Еганское месторождение нефти

Рассматривается геологическое строение Киев-Еганского нефтяного месторождения Томской области, описываются его нефтеносные объекты, отмечается значение данного месторождения с точки зрения поисков нефтяных и газовых месторождений в восточном направлении

Supersymmetric coupling of a self-dual string to a (2,0) tensor multiplet background

We construct an interaction between a (2,0) tensor multiplet in six dimensions and a self-dual string. The interaction is a sum of a Nambu-Goto term, with the tension of the string given by the modulus of the scalar fields of the tensor multiplet, and a non-local Wess-Zumino term, that encodes the electromagnetic coupling of the string to the two-form gauge field of the tensor multiplet. The interaction is invariant under global (2,0) supersymmetry, modulo the equations of motion of a free tensor multiplet. It is also invariant under a local fermionic kappa-symmetry, as required by the BPS-property of the string.Comment: 12 pages, LaTe

Investigation into limiting dilution and tick transmissibility phenotypes associated with attenuation of the S24 vaccine strain

Abstract Background Babesia bovis is the causal agent of Asiatic redwater, transmitted by the pandemic tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus. Disease control may target the tick vector using acaricides or anti-tick vaccines, or the parasite using chemoprophylaxis or anti-parasite vaccines. Current anti-parasite vaccines comprise live blood vaccines using attenuated B. bovis strains. Attenuation is attained by rapid passage that may result in different phenotypes such as reduced virulence, non-transmissibility by the tick vector, inability to sequester in the host (lack of limiting dilution) and limited genetic diversity. Attenuation and phenotypes may be linked to selection of subpopulations during rapid passage. The South African B. bovis S24 vaccine strain comprise a subpopulation that present low virulence, non-transmissibility, lack of limiting dilution phenotype and the presence of a single A558 Bv80 allele. The S24 strain could be co-transmitted with a field strain (05-100) suggesting sexual recombination. The present study investigated the change in phenotype for the S24 vaccine strain during rapid passage and co-transmission. Methods Vaccine phenotype change during passage as well as co-transmissibility was monitored using Bv80 allele specific PCR, limiting dilution and Illumina-based genome sequencing. Results The S24 population could not be rescued from the S16 passage as previously attained suggesting that selection of the S24 vaccine strain was a serendipitous and stochastic event. Passage from S16 to S24 also resulted in loss of the limiting dilution phenotype. Genome sequencing indicated sexual recombination during co-transmission with the 05-100 field strain. Analysis of the recombinant strain indicate that VESA1, smORF and SBP2 family members are present and may be responsible for the limiting dilution phenotypes, while various regions may also be responsible for the tick transmission phenotype. Conclusions The molecular basis for tick transmission and limiting dilution phenotypes may be defined in future using selection based on these traits in combination with sexual recombination

Deskripsi Tingkat Kepuasan Masyarakat terhadap Pelayanan di Satuan Penyelenggara Administrasi Surat Izin Mengemudi Kepolisian Resor Kota Manado Menggunakan Regresi Logistik Ordinal

DESKRIPSI TINGKAT KEPUASAN MASYARAKAT TERHADAP PELAYANAN DI SATUAN PENYELENGGARA ADMINISTRASI SURAT IZIN MENGEMUDI KEPOLISIAN RESOR KOTA MANADO MENGGUNAKAN REGRESI LOGISTIK ORDINALABSTRAKPelayanan publik pada dasarnya berkaitan dengan aspek kehidupan yang sangat luas. Dalam kehidupan bernegara, pemerintah memiliki fungsi untuk memberikan berbagai pelayanan publik yang sebaik-baiknya untuk memenuhi kebutuhan masyarakat. Polri yang merupakan salah satu bagian pemerintah yang bertugas memberikan pelayanan kepada masyarakat terlebih khusus dalam hal pengurusan dan penerbitan surat izin mengemudi. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendeskripsikan tingkat kepuasan masyarakat terhadap pelayanan di Satpas Polresta Manado dan menentukan variabel yang berpengaruh signifikan. Penelitian dilakukan di Satpas Polresta Manado dan beberapa tempat, seperti Yayasan Don Bosco Manado dan Universitas Sam Ratulangi Manado selama 5 bulan sejak Februari sampai Juli 2017. Data yang digunakan adalah data primer yang diperoleh melalui kuisioner yang dibagikan kepada responden. Dengan menggunakan regresi logistik ordinal diperoleh bahwa sebesar 86% masyarakat puas terhadap kinerja Polri. Variabel yang berpengaruh signifikan adalah cara pelayanan yang ramah dan sopan, informasi dalam mengisi formulir, serta fasilitas yang disediakan.Kata kunci: regresi logistik ordinal, surat izin mengemudi, dan pelayanan publik DESCRIPTION OF SATISFACTION LEVEL OF THE COMMUNITY ON SERVICE AT ADMINISTRATION UNIT DRIVING LICENSE OF MANADO CITY POLICE USING ORDINAL LOGISTIC REGRESSION ABSTRACTPublic service is basically related to a very broad aspect of life. In the life of the state, the government has a function to provide the best public services to meet the needs of the community. Polri which is one part of the government in charge of providing services to the public, especially in terms of the management and issuance of driver's license. This study aims to describe the level of public satisfaction of service in Satpas Polresta Manado and determine the variables that have significant effect. The research was conducted at Satpas Polresta Manado and several place such as Don Bosco Manado Foundation and Sam Ratulangi University Manado for 5 month from February to July 2017. The data used are primary data obtained through questionnaires distributed through respondents. By using ordinal logistic regression, 86% of the people are satisfied with the performance of the Polri. The variables that have a significant influence is the way the service friendly and polite, the information in filling out the form, as well as the facilities provided

A diachronic triangular perspective on landscapes:A conceptual tool for research and management applied to Wadden Sea salt marshes

Strong disciplinary academic fragmentation and sectoral division in policies lead to problems regarding the management of landscapes. As a result, there is a focus on the preservation and development of either cultural or natural landscapes. We argue that framing landscapes as "natural" or "cultural" will not help sustainable management. The goal of this paper is to show that even what is referred to as nature, virtually always features an intricate combination of physical geography, biology, and cultural history. It provides an analytical framework that visualizes the three forces at play in physical landscapes. Therefore, we introduce a diachronic triangular approach to study and manage landscapes from a holistic point of view, allowing an exchange of different perspectives. To test this approach, we have applied our model to a diachronic case study on Wadden Sea salt marshes. That area has been influenced by physical-geographical, biological, and cultural landscape forces, which are still visible in the landscape to a large extent. By placing different landscape zones in the triangular concept for different time periods, we can identify and visualize these driving forces through time for this specific landscape. These all play their specific roles in the appearance of the landscape over time in a close mutual interconnection. More importantly, we show that the diverse and complex interplay between these forces makes the current-day landscape what it is. We therefore conclude that the diachronic triangular approach provides a conceptual tool to define and operationalize landscape management in the Wadden Sea area. We welcome similar approaches in other landscapes to assess the usefulness of the diachronic triangular landscape approach

WhatsApp-propriate? A retrospective content analysis of WhatsApp use and potential breaches in confidentiality among a team of doctors at a district hospital, South Africa

Background. There has been a steady increase in the use of electronic media and instant messaging among healthcare professionals, where it has been almost universally adopted in the workplace. The use of WhatsApp and its perceived benefits in healthcare have been extensively studied; however, there are concerns regarding the potential for ethical breaches in confidentiality through shared electronic patient information.Objectives. To identify the usage characteristics and incidence of shared patient information with WhatsApp use in a team of medical doctors in an unobserved and unregulated setting.Methods. We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional content analysis of WhatsApp messages (n=3 340) among a team of 20 doctors in a South African district hospital over 6 months. All messages found within this time period were allocated unique identifiers. The text and image messages were thematically grouped into four categories, i.e. clinical care, resource allocation, social and administrative. Messages that contained patient-identifying information were included in the analysis.Results. Of a total of 3 340 messages sent, 220 (6.6%) contained patient-identifying information. Of these, 109 (3.3%) contained non-anonymised patient information, while in 111 (3.3%) messages, the information was anonymised. The likelihood of sharing patient identifiers was proportionally much higher in shared images (odds ratio (OR) 5.1; 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.2 - 8.2; p<0.0001) compared with text messages, and in messages that related to clinical care (OR 9.3; 95% CI 2.2 - 38.8; p=0.0023) compared with those sent for resource allocation, and social or administrative purposes.Conclusions. Non-anonymised patient identifiers were found in 3.3% of messages, constituting the potential for breaching patient confidentiality. While WhatsApp groups have significant utility in co-ordinating aspects of clinical care, resource allocation, as well as social and administrative functions, the safe use of WhatsApp should be promoted to ensure that patient confidentiality is maintained

Searching for a light Fermiophobic Higgs Boson at the Tevatron

We propose new production mechanisms for light fermiophobic Higgs bosons ($h_f$) with suppressed couplings to vector bosons ($V$) at the Fermilab Tevatron. These mechanisms (e.g. $qq'\to H^\pm h_f$) are complementary to the conventional process $qq'\to Vh_f$, which suffers from a strong suppression of $1/\tan^2\beta$ in realistic models with a $h_f$. The new mechanisms extend the coverage at the Tevatron Run II to the larger $\tan\beta$ region, and offer the possibility of observing new event topologies with up to 4 photons.Comment: 15 pages, including 5 eps-figure

Nuttalliella namaqua: A Living Fossil and Closest Relative to the Ancestral Tick Lineage: Implications for the Evolution of Blood-Feeding in Ticks

Ticks are monophyletic and composed of the hard (Ixodidae) and soft (Argasidae) tick families, as well as the Nuttalliellidae, a family with a single species, Nuttalliella namaqua. Significant biological differences in lifestyle strategies for hard and soft ticks suggest that various blood-feeding adaptations occurred after their divergence. The phylogenetic relationships between the tick families have not yet been resolved due to the lack of molecular data for N. namaqua. This tick possesses a pseudo-scutum and apical gnathostoma as observed for ixodids, has a leathery cuticle similar to argasids and has been considered the evolutionary missing link between the two families. Little knowledge exists with regard to its feeding biology or host preferences. Data on its biology and systematic relationship to the other tick families could therefore be crucial in understanding the evolution of blood-feeding behaviour in ticks. Live specimens were collected and blood meal analysis showed the presence of DNA for girdled lizards from the Cordylid family. Feeding of ticks on lizards showed that engorgement occurred rapidly, similar to argasids, but that blood meal concentration occurs via malpighian excretion of water. Phylogenetic analysis of the 18S nuclear and 16S mitochondrial genes indicate that N. namaqua grouped basal to the main tick families. The data supports the monophyly of all tick families and suggests the evolution of argasid-like blood-feeding behaviour in the ancestral tick lineage. Based on the data and considerations from literature we propose an origin for ticks in the Karoo basin of Gondwanaland during the late Permian. The nuttalliellid family almost became extinct during the End Permian event, leaving N. namaqua as the closest living relative to the ancestral tick lineage and the evolutionary missing link between the tick families