The Moving Middle: Migration, Place Premiums and Human Development in Bolivia

Over half of Bolivian heads of household are lifetime migrants. This paper looks at the long term impact of internal migration over human development in Bolivia. Three issues frame these effects. First, twenty five years of rural to urban migration have transformed the demographic profile of Bolivian society. The new middle third is younger, more bilingual and better educated, with more access to social services than in the past. The poorest of the poor, however, did not migrate to the extent of the non-poor. Second, urban workers make approximately four times as much wages as identical workers in rural areas, controlling for age, ethnicity, and years of schooling. Two caveats dampen this place premium effect: schooling quality and informal insurance mechanisms that make migration more costly. Third, increases in human development can be associated to an “urbanization dividend” that made social services more accessible to first and second generation migrants over a twenty-five year period. Future increases in human development, however, are likely to depend on providing quality services and expanding socials services to the rural poor, rather on gains from urbanization. The key policy challenges of the future include both an expansion of services to the poorest of the poor in rural areas and breaking down discrimination barriers against women and indigenous people in urban labor markets.Migration, human development, poverty, employment, schooling

The Moving Middle: Migration, Place Premiums and Human Development in Bolivia

Over half of Bolivian heads of household are lifetime migrants. This paper looks at the long term impact of internal migration over human development in Bolivia. Three issues frame these effects. First, twenty five years of rural to urban migration have transformed the demographic profile of Bolivian society. The new middle third is younger, more bilingual and better educated, with more access to social services than in the past. The poorest of the poor, however, did not migrate to the extent of the non-poor. Second, urban workers make approximately four times as much wages as identical workers in rural areas, controlling for age, ethnicity, and years of schooling. Two caveats dampen this place premium effect: schooling quality and informal insurance mechanisms that make migration more costly. Third, increases in human development can be associated to an “urbanization dividend” that made social services more accessible to first and second generation migrants over a twenty-five year period. Future increases in human development, however, are likely to depend on providing quality services and expanding socials services to the rural poor, rather on gains from urbanization. The key policy challenges of the future include both an expansion of services to the poorest of the poor in rural areas and breaking down discrimination barriers against women and indigenous people in urban labor markets.Migration, human development, poverty, employment, schooling

Human Development Trends since 1970: A Social Convergence Story

This paper uses a unique data set of the Human Development Index to describe long-run human development trends for 111 countries, from 1970 to 2005. The first part of the paper shows trends by region, period and index subcomponent. We find that 110 of the 111 countries show progress in their HDI levels over a 35-year period. HDI growth is fastest for low-HDI and middle-HDI countries in the pre-1990 period. The life-expectancy and education subcomponents grow faster than income. The assessment of HDI progress is sensitive to choice of measurement. The second part of the paper focuses on the differences between income and non-income determinants of human development. First, HDI growth converges, both absolutely and conditionally, when running HDI growth rates on initial levels of HD. Second, we find that the income and non-income components of HDI change have a near-zero correlation. Third, we look at determinants of the non-income components of the HDI. We find that income is not a significant determinant of HDI change once we include urbanization, fertility and female schooling. Fourth, we test the effects of institutions, geography and gender on HDI growth. We find that the most robust predictors of HDI growth are fertility and female schooling. We check this result using years of women’s suffrage as an instrument for changes in gender relations, and find that it is a significant predictor of HDI progress for the whole sample.human development, education, health and demographic trends, cross-country comparisons, measurement and analysis of poverty

Multistability and localization in coupled nonlinear split-ring resonators

We study the dynamics of a pair of nonlinear split-ring resonators (a `metadimer') excited by an alternating magnetic field and coupled magnetically. Linear metadimers of this kind have been recently used as the elementary components for three-dimensional metamaterials or 'stereometamaterials' [N. Liu {\em et al}, Nature Photon. {\bf 3}, 157 (2009)]. We demonstrate that nonlinearity offers more possibilities with respect to real-time tunability and a multiplicity of states which can be reached by varying the external field. Moreover, we demonstrate almost total localization of the energy in one of the resonators in a broad range of parameters.Comment: 3 pages, 5 figure

A direct synthesis of c-glycosyl compounds

Lactone 4 (R = Bn) can be converted into C-glycosyl compounds by reaction with an organometallic reagent followed by reduction with Et,SiH and BF3.Et20

Transparency and Accountability in Bolivia: Does Voice Matter?

Using a survey of clients, doctors and nurses in thirty municipal hospitals, this study examines the scope and determinants of corruption in Bolivia`s public health sector. The authors find that `voice` mechanisms such as citizen activism and oversight are significant in exposing bribery and deterring the overpricing of medical supplies. The existence of `exit` options, such as recourse to private health service providers, additionally serves to deter corruption. Hierarchical controls, such as administrative regulations and procedures, seem to have little impact on hospital corruption, though further research is needed to verify this finding.

Synthesis of 4,11-dideoxydaunomycinone by a Claisen/Diels-Alder sequence

The synthesis of 3 from ketone 6 by a Claisen/Diels-Alder sequence uncovered some fascinating differences between the benzene and naphthalene series. The most direct pathway to 3 is 6-20-21-16-17-18

Measuring the effects of class scheduling on student success in secodary school chemistry using content-based versus logical thinking-based online commercial programs

The guiding question of every educational decision is supposed to be “What is best for the student?” Many secondary schools have  experimented with a variety of class scheduling patterns in an effort to maximize teacher expertise as well as student time and access to coursesmostly relying on anecdotal data to support decisions. Schools entering the 21st century often turned to the use of technology as a method to ensure student achievement. This study evaluated the effectiveness of two commercially available online programs. An online chemistry contentdrillprogram, Study IslandÓ, and a Web-based program aiming to improve logical-thinking skills, Lumosity., were considered in this research. These Information and Communication Technology (ICT) programs were  evaluated based on pre- and post-test scores of 74 pre- Advance  Placement (pre-AP) chemistry students on the American Chemical Society's California Chemistry Diagnostic Exam (CA Dx). Also, reported are the results of the effect of class scheduling versus student achievement on the CA Dx exam after experiencing these braintraining programs. [AJCE 4(3), Special Issue, May 2014

Continuous-time controlled branching processes

Controlled branching processes with continuous time are introduced and limiting distributions are obtained in the critical case. An extension of this class as regenerative controlled branching processes with continuous time is proposed and some asymptotic properties are considered

Editorial: Seismic microzonation and risk reduction

Editorial on the Research Topic Seismic microzonation and risk reductio