Scottish social survey data, past present and future:Does Scotland need its own data strategy?

The UK now has a National Data Strategy. In this paper we explore whether or not in addition Scotland needs its own specific data strategy. This paper is intended to be a ‘think piece’ or critical essay, the motivation being to encourage debate about Scottish social survey data. Post-devolution, with the emergence of new forms of governance and new institutional arrangements, the political desire to research Scotland in the 21st Century has been brought into sharper resolution. Social and economic life in Scotland shares both similarities and differences with life south of the border. It is important that these characteristics are correctly identified with empirical data rather than simply being assumed. Scotland is a small territory with a good social science tradition and a healthy research sector. There is an increasing amount of survey data collecting measures relating to social and economic life in Scotland. These include both United Kingdom or Great Britain based surveys with a Scottish component, and Scotland focussed surveys. In this paper we outline a number of key issues relating to Scottish social science data resources. We provide a number of critical recommendations for social science data collection in Scotland. Finally, we examine the potential benefits of a comprehensive data strategy

Mobility and Clinic Switching Among Postpartum Women Considered Lost to HIV Care in South Africa.

This version is the Accepted Manuscript, and was published in final edited form as: J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2017 April 01; 74(4): 383–389. doi:10.1097/QAI.0000000000001284OBJECTIVE: Retention in HIV care, particularly among postpartum women, is a challenge to national antiretroviral therapy programs. Retention estimates may be underestimated because of unreported transfers. We explored mobility and clinic switching among patients considered lost to follow-up (LTFU). DESIGN: Observational cohort study. METHODS: Of 788 women initiating antiretroviral therapy during pregnancy at 6 public clinics in Johannesburg, South Africa, 300 (38.1%) were LTFU (no visit ≥3 months). We manually searched for these women in the South African National Health Laboratory Services database to assess continuity of HIV care. We used geographic information system tools to map mobility to new facilities. RESULTS: Over one-third (37.6%) of women showed evidence of continued HIV care after LTFU. Of these, 67.0% continued care in the same province as the origin clinic. Compared with those who traveled outside of the province for care, these same-province "clinic shoppers" stayed out-of-care longer {median 373 days [interquartile range (IQR): 175-790] vs. 175.5 days (IQR: 74-371)} and had a lower CD4 cell count on re-entry [median 327 cells/μL (IQR: 196-576) vs. 493 cells/μL (IQR: 213-557). When considering all women with additional evidence of care as engaged in care, cohort LTFU dropped from 38.1% to 25.0%. CONCLUSION: We found evidence of continued care after LTFU and identified local and national clinic mobility among postpartum women. Laboratory records do not show all clinic visits and manual matching may have been under- or overestimated. A national health database linked to a unique identifier is necessary to improve reporting and patient care among highly mobile populations

Data curation standards and social science occupational information resources

Occupational information resources - data about the characteristics of different occupational positions - are widely used in the social sciences, across a range of disciplines and international contexts. They are available in many formats, most often constituting small electronic files that are made freely downloadable from academic web-pages. However there are several challenges associated with how occupational information resources are distributed to, and exploited by, social researchers. In this paper we describe features of occupational information resources, and indicate the role digital curation can play in exploiting them. We report upon the strategies used in the GEODE research project (Grid Enabled Occupational Data Environment, http://www.geode.stir.ac.uk). This project attempts to develop long-term standards for the distribution of occupational information resources, by providing a standardized framework-based electronic depository for occupational information resources, and by providing a data indexing service, based on e-Science middleware, which collates occupational information resources and makes them readily accessible to non-specialist social scientists

Data curation standards and the messy world of social science occupational information resources

Occupational information resources – data about the characteristics of different occupational positions – play a unique role in social science research. They are of relevance across diverse research disciplines and in numerous disparate contexts. They are also very widely available, typically freely downloadable from research-oriented academic web-pages. But they are also one of the most uncoordinated types of information resource that social scientists routinely come across. In this paper we describe issues in curating occupational information resources during the GEODE research project (Grid Enabled Occupational Data Environment, http:/www.geode.stir.ac.uk). This project attempts to develop long-term standards for the distribution of occupational information resources, by providing a standardised framework electronic depository for occupational information resources, and by providing a data-indexing service, premised upon eScience middleware, which collates occupational information resources and makes them readily accessible to non-specialist social scientists

Innovative Methods to Strengthen Internal KYTC Communications

Communication is the linchpin of every organization. Poor communication leads to inefficiencies, frustration among staff, and employee disaffection and disengagement. Although some state transportation agencies have adopted comprehensive strategic plans for internal communications, many have taken a more piecemeal approach, with some Offices and units (e.g., incident management) developing their own plans that apply only to their operations. The latter approach is less than ideal because establishing a comprehensive communications plan provides an organizing framework for all communications within an organization and is critical for uniting staff around a shared sense of purpose and equipping them with the tools they need to realize the organization’s mission and vision. Crafting a solid communications plan also helps to clarify responsibilities, map information flows, break down informational and disciplinary silos, and strengthen employee engagement. If the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) were to embark on the development of a strategic plan for internal communications, it would benefit from adopting several best practices: (1) treating communication as a core competency, (2) improving mentorship opportunities, (3) minimizing clutter by eliminating information redundancies and cutting extraneous content from messages, and (4) seizing opportunities to build employee engagement throughout the agency. As a precursor to developing the communications plan, the Cabinet would benefit from conducting a thorough communications audit to identify communication strengths and weaknesses and identify performance metrics to measure the effectiveness of communications. If a plan was formally adopted, KYTC staff would need to devise a communications toolbox that contains strategies and tactics for increasing engagement and streamlining information flows. Regular performance assessments can be used to identify when and how the communications plan and toolkit should be updated

Annual Survey of Virginia Law: Taxation

This article covers legislative changes and judicial decisions affecting Virginia taxation from July, 1991 to July, 1992. Its purpose is to alert Virginia\u27s tax and general practitioners to these developments

KYTC Department of Aviation Aircraft Maintenance Technician (AMT) Program Optimization

The aviation industry is a linchpin of Kentucky’s economy. Major firms such as UPS, Amazon, and DHL have major hubs at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF) and Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG). As of December 2022, 4,570 aircraft mechanics and service technicians (AMTs) were employed in the state. Demand in this sector is poised to grow. As such, it is critical to understand what resources Kentucky has available to train the next generation of professionals and the number of people the aviation industry is likely to employ statewide over the next decade. Kentucky and the surrounding states are home to 35 programs that train AMTs. Most of Kentucky’s AMTs graduate from Jefferson Community and Technical College and Somerset Community College (Maysville Community and Technical College is launching an AMT program), schools in southern Ohio, or arrive from out of state. Each year, Kentucky adds over 300 AMTs through immigration to Kentucky and graduates from AMT programs. AMT programs are critical sources of workers, but schools struggle to keep faculty on staff, with turnover in the 30-40% range due to low pay. Based on historical data, two mathematical models were developed to forecast the number of AMT jobs Kentucky will add between 2023 and 2035. These models suggest the number of AMTs will increase to a range between 2,311 and 3,027. Based on these projections, supply and demand for AMTs will reach equilibrium in 2027. To ensure Kentucky avoids a shortage of AMTs, expanding the number of training and certification programs and running programs at or near their capacity is critical

Strict extensions in pointfree topology

Extensions of spaces have been constructed and used since the 19th century, for example, to form the complex sphere from the complex plane by adding a point at in nity. Once topological spaces were invented in the 20th century, completions and compactications became important examples of extensions. Banaschewski wrote that extension problems have a """"philosophical charm"""" in that they seem to ask the question: """"What possibilities in the unknown are determined by the known?"""" Strict extensions were first defined for topological spaces by Stone. The idea was initially translated into the pointfree setting by Hong, and has since been extensively studied. Just recently, interest has been shown in studying strict extensions in the asymmetric setting of biframes, for example, by Frith and Schauerte. The intention of this dissertation is to provide a systematic and detailed exposition of strict extensions of frames and nearness frames, which can be used as a reference on this topic. For instance, someone interested in pursuing strict extensions of biframes might obtain the relevant background from reading this text, although the topic of strict extensions of biframes itself will not be discussed here