Sleep complaints and daytime sleepiness among pharmaceutical students in Tripoli

Background: The effect of sleep difficulties has achieved a great deal of attention recently, with university students considered as a homogenized population, particularly affected by sleep habits.Aim: The objective of this study was to investigate whether Libyan college students experience sleep disturbance during their academic programmes. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in the college of Pharmacy, Tripoli University, during February 2010. A total of 201 students, including 179 females (89.05%) and 22 males (10.95%), were recruited from different academic levels. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and included a number of life-style variables. Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) was used for the assessment of daytime sleepiness. Results: This study showed that the total sleep time (TST) on a weeknight was 6.40 h and 67 students reported napping during daytime. The TST plus naps totalled 7.39 h. Out of eight possible dozing situations, we found that the mean score for ESS was 8.78. In addition, 79 students showed an ESS score of 10. Furthermore, our results showed that the majority of students (92%) reported poor sleep satisfaction with quality and duration of sleep hours. Thinking about difficulty of study but not increasing education programs or tea/coffee consumption is associated with sleep difficulties reported. Moreover, 77.6% of students reported an irregular sleepwake schedule. Conclusion: These findings indicate that students experienced excessive daytime sleepiness. The TST of pharmaceutical students in Libya, as in other developing countries, is less than those reported by Western students. Students experienced various environmental demands during their college years and, their quality of sleep was negatively affected.Keywords: college students; sleep habits; sleep disorders; Epworth Sleepiness Scal

A Rock Strikes Back: Women\u27s Struggles for Equality in the Development of the South African Constitution

In 1991, South African women’s organisations formed the Women\u27s National Coalition (WNC) to identify and advocate for women\u27s primary needs in the post-apartheid Constitution. The outcome of this advocacy was South Africa’s adoption, in 1996, of one of the most comprehensive protections of gender and sexuality rights of any national constitution. I argue that the WNC became a key actor in the development of the Constitution by drawing from a tradition of women’s organising in South Africa that emphasised women’s legitimacy in and value to public politics. The WNC rejected masculinist framings of politics and instead demanded that political structures change to be inclusive of and sensitive to women’s needs

Assessment of Rangelands Around Molepolole Village of Botswana to Ascertain Its Potential to Support Free Range Beef Cattle Despite Its Long Term Use as a Grazing Area

In Botswana, cattle rearing can either be in farms or in communal grazing areas. In communal grazing areas, carrying capacities are never adhered to, hence degradation sometimes occurs. This negatively impact on the livestock industry since cattle are mainly free ranging. This therefore calls for periodic checks of grass species to determine whether grazing areas still have potentials to sustain livestock production. A study was done to take stock of grass species and bush encroachment status around the biggest village of Botswana, known as Molepolole. The survey looked at species composition, distribution and production. The survey was done by using line transects, quadrats and plots in the northern and western direction of the village. In each quadrat, grass species were identified, counted by species, height measured and biomass determined by clipping. In plots, woody plants were counted for all species. The survey revealed that despite heavy grazing and periodic droughts the grazing area still has some grass species of good grazing value and the area is being threatened to being encroached by woody species. Thus there is still a potential for use of the area for grazing but at lower stocking rate. However, it was noted that the area needs some restoration by controlling bush encroachment and reintroduction of good grass species

Forecasting cryptocurrency prices using LSTM, GRU, and bi-directional LSTM : a deep learning approach

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT : Data used for this article are publicly available and collected from https://finance.yahoo.com (accessed on 23 July 2022).Highly accurate cryptocurrency price predictions are of paramount interest to investors and researchers. However, owing to the nonlinearity of the cryptocurrency market, it is difficult to assess the distinct nature of time-series data, resulting in challenges in generating appropriate price predictions. Numerous studies have been conducted on cryptocurrency price prediction using different Deep Learning (DL) based algorithms. This study proposes three types of Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs): namely, Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU), and Bi-Directional LSTM (Bi-LSTM) for exchange rate predictions of three major cryptocurrencies in the world, as measured by their market capitalization—Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Litecoin (LTC). The experimental results on the three major cryptocurrencies using both Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) and the Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) show that the Bi-LSTM performed better in prediction than LSTM and GRU. Therefore, it can be considered the best algorithm. Bi-LSTM presented the most accurate prediction compared to GRU and LSTM, with MAPE values of 0.036, 0.041, and 0.124 for BTC, LTC, and ETH, respectively. The paper suggests that the prediction models presented in it are accurate in predicting cryptocurrency prices and can be beneficial for investors and traders. Additionally, future research should focus on exploring other factors that may influence cryptocurrency prices, such as social media and trading volumes.https://www.mdpi.com/journal/fractalfractam2024Mathematics and Applied MathematicsSDG-08:Decent work and economic growthSDG-09: Industry, innovation and infrastructur

From information to engagement: exploring communication platforms for the government-citizen interface in South Africa

An effective communication interface between government and citizens can strengthen government responsiveness and deepen citizen engagement. Such communication and information exchange takes many formats, especially given the various platforms and technologies available. This article situates communication options and strategies in the context of: reported challenges around engagement practices; expressed public preferences for particular communication platforms; and existing barriers to ICTs and other infrastructures in South Africa. Using both qualitative and quantitative data, the research reported here explores two questions: What are the most suitable platforms to improve government-citizen communication in South Africa? How could ICTs and other platforms be better used to promote improved communication and more meaningful citizen engagement around public services? We argue for a differentiated approach to communicating with citizens that acknowledges social realities and preferences if technology is to benefit socio-economic processes in a democratic South Africa

Three essays in macroeconomics

This thesis explores three essays in macroeconomics with an application to Botswana. The first chapter studies the transmission path of the impact and response to a negative shock to commodity prices on resource-rich developing economies using a medium-scale dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) model. The model incorporates a detailed fiscal block and is calibrated for Botswana. The results show that a negative shock on diamond prices has a negative impact on mining GDP, government revenues, and total GDP. The main channel of propagation is the fiscal effect, a fall in government spending due to the fall in resource revenues. The analysis demonstrate that without macroeconomic policy intervention, the impact of the shock is deep and prolonged. In contrast, a macroeconomic policy response that includes a modest decrease in government spending, an increase in public debt and an increase in tax rates alongside an expansionary monetary policy mitigates the impact of the shock on the economy. The second chapter presents a large monthly macroeconomic dataset for Botswana to be used for empirical macroeconomic analysis and forecasting that require “big data”. The dataset consists of 96 economic indicators that represent a broad coverage of the economy in line with earlier compilations of datasets of this type. The variance explained by static factors and dynamic factors demonstrate that the dataset allows for a factor representation. A forecasting demonstration suggests that dynamic factor models using the large macroeconomic dataset have a higher predictive ability for trimmed-mean core inflation, headline inflation and credit growth compared to a benchmark autoregressive model. This dataset will therefore be useful for macroeconomic policy and research in Botswana. Notably, the dynamic factor models could also be included in the central bank’s forecasting toolkit. Lastly, chapter three analyses the macroeconomic effects of external shocks transmitted through commodity prices using a generalised dynamic factor model based on a large quarterly macroeconomic dataset for Botswana. The study uses sign restrictions to identify three external shocks that drive the dynamics of the domestic economy. The analysis show that commodity price changes due to a global demand shock have a statistically and economically significant impact on several key macroeconomic variables: output expands, inflation rise and the trade balance improves. Commodity-specific price shocks have a moderate effect on the economy, with domestic inflation more responsive to an oil price shock while output is more sensitive to a diamond price shock in the short run. Overall, the global demand shock explain a greater share of the commodity price movements and the variation of other domestic macroeconomic variables

Forecasting Cryptocurrency Prices Using LSTM, GRU, and Bi-Directional LSTM: A Deep Learning Approach

Highly accurate cryptocurrency price predictions are of paramount interest to investors and researchers. However, owing to the nonlinearity of the cryptocurrency market, it is difficult to assess the distinct nature of time-series data, resulting in challenges in generating appropriate price predictions. Numerous studies have been conducted on cryptocurrency price prediction using different Deep Learning (DL) based algorithms. This study proposes three types of Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs): namely, Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU), and Bi-Directional LSTM (Bi-LSTM) for exchange rate predictions of three major cryptocurrencies in the world, as measured by their market capitalization—Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Litecoin (LTC). The experimental results on the three major cryptocurrencies using both Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) and the Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) show that the Bi-LSTM performed better in prediction than LSTM and GRU. Therefore, it can be considered the best algorithm. Bi-LSTM presented the most accurate prediction compared to GRU and LSTM, with MAPE values of 0.036, 0.041, and 0.124 for BTC, LTC, and ETH, respectively. The paper suggests that the prediction models presented in it are accurate in predicting cryptocurrency prices and can be beneficial for investors and traders. Additionally, future research should focus on exploring other factors that may influence cryptocurrency prices, such as social media and trading volumes

An economic examination of non-profit accountability to client-communities in South Africa

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2019.ENGLISH SUMMARY : The target of non-profit organisation (NPO) accountability is efficacy in achieving the mission, the efficiency with resource use, risk-minimising and guarding against corruption (Mook, 2012). However, for a long time, the focus has been on efficient use of money and policing maleficence. The emphasis on functional accountability has created a narrow view off accountability as answering to donors at the expense of being accountable to the people they serve (Gent, Crescenzi, Menning & Reid, 2013; Mook, 2010: Murtaza, 2012). There has however been a shift inspired by normative ideas about the NPOs’ responsibility to their clients beyond “a moral responsibility to provide services that reflect their true needs” (Guo, 2007, p. 459). Despite this shift and the arguments for greater accountability to NPO clients, we still know very little about the role of client-communities as principals of NPOs. These principals have even received limited treatment in the theoretical economics literature (Jegers, 2015). This study, therefore, provides an economic investigation of the NPOs’ accountability to client-communities using South Africa as a case study. Its first applies spatial econometric techniques to test the hypothesis that if NPOs are responsive to the needs of the people, a correlation between NPO density and need should be evident. The study then draws from principal-agent theory and the rights-based approach to formulate a framework and construct propositions that can guide research on NPO accountability to client-communities. This research test three of the propositions: two related to the leadership characteristics correlated with greater accountability to these stakeholders and the other to the implications of greater NPO accountability for community satisfaction with the NPO’s operations. The findings showed that NPOs are geographically concentrated due to agglomeration benefits from knowledge and skills, as well as the availability of private philanthropic resources, but have broad geographic reach in terms of meeting the needs of communities. The organisations are also accountable to communities, which translated to favourable evaluations by community members. However, the findings showed that NPOs are more likely to be responsive if altruistic leaders with more education and experience control the organisations. Furthermore, revenue, location and organisational type are significant conditions for community accountability and the mediators of its relationship with community satisfaction. Overall, the findings lead to the conclusion that NPOs in South Africa, especially small community-based organisations are accountable to client-communities. Nonetheless, we identified several limitations which could be addressed by future research.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Geen opsomming beskikbaar.NEDERLANDSE SAMENVATTING : Het uiteindelijke doel van non-profit ‘accountability’ is het realiseren van de doelstellingen van de betrokken organisatie, met een efficiënt gebruikt van middelen, beperking van risico, en het vermijden van corruptie (Mook, 2012). In de praktijk heeft de nadruk echter vooral gelegen in een efficiënt gebruik van fondsen en het vermijden van wangedrag, waardoor een beperkte visie is ontstaan op ‘accountability’: de focus lag eerder op de donors dan op de begunstigden van de organisaties (Gent, Crescenzi, Menning & Reid), 2013, Mook, 2010; Murtaza, 2012). Recentelijk is er echter een verschuiving waar te nemen, geïnspireerd door normatieve ideeën over de verantwoordelijkheid van non-profit organisaties ten opzichte van hun begunstigden die verder gaat dan ‘a moral responsibiility to provide services that relfect their true needs’ (Guo, 2017; p. 459). Dit neemt niet weg dat nog steeds weinig geweten is over de rol van begunstigden (of begunstigde gemeenschappen) als prinicipalen van non-profit organisaties, ook niet in de theoretische literatuur (Jegers, 2015). Het voorliggend proefschrift beoogt daarom een economische studie van de ‘accountability’ van non-profit organisaties t.o.v. hun begunstigden, uitgevoerd met Zuid-Afrikaanse data. Het werk begint met een econometrische analyse die de volgende hypothese test: non-profit organisaties die sneller inspelen op de behoeften van hun begunstigden zullen zich eerder vestigen daar waar deze behoeften het grootst zijn. Vervolgens wordt, op basis van een principaal-agent benadering gecombineerd met een rechtengebaseerde benadering een theoretisch kader met bijhorende stellingen tot stand gebracht om een beter inzicht te verschaffen in ‘accountability’ t.o.v. begunstigden of begunstigde gemeenschappen. Twee proposities worden empirisch getest: de relatie van leiderschapskenmerken en ‘accountability’ t.o.v. begunstigden, en de relatie tussen ‘accountability’ en tevredenheid van de bereikte gemeenschappen met de activiteiten van de non-profit organisatie. Uit de analyses blijkt dat non-profit organisaties geografisch geconcentreerd zijn ten gevolge van agglomeratievoordelen op het vlak van kennis en vaardigheden, maar ook van de beschikbaarheid van filantropische middelen, weliswaar met een ruim bereik in termen van het vervullen van de behoeften van de gemeenschappen. De organisaties legden ook voldoende verantwoording af t.o.v. de betrokken gemeenschappen, met een hoge tevredenhed tot gevolg. Daartegenover staat dat de organisaties sneller geneigd zijn tot reële ‘accountability’ als hun altruïstische leiders hoger opgeleid zijn en meer ervaring hebben. Daarenboven mediëren inkomen, locatie, en organisatietype de relatie tussen ‘accountability’ en tevredenheid van de begunstigde gemeenschappen. Samengevat kunnen we tot het besluit komen dat non-profit organisaties in Zuid-Afrika, en meer in het bijzonder de kleinere die ingebed zijn in de gemeenschappen, ruimschoots verantwoording afleggen aan hun begunstigden. Dit neemt niet weg dat er nog verschilende beperkingen en moeilijkheden zijn. Deze kunnen het voorwerp uitmaken van verder onderzoek.Doctora

Understanding volunteerism in South Africa : a mixed methods approach

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The past two decades have seen a growing interest in volunteering in South Africa as the new democracy struggles with providing services while ensuring the economic and social inclusion of its populace. This interest is inspired by the desire, especially by government, to harness the benefits of volunteering to assist in dealing with the challenges of unemployment, poverty and inadequate levels of service delivery. However, because individual characteristics, needs and attitudes are linked to volunteering, it requires a careful understanding of its determinants and motivations if its potential for development is to be realised (Anheier & Salamon, 1999). This research therefore investigated which human, social and cultural capital variables best explain volunteering in South Africa. The aim was to understand how the interaction of poverty, inequality, and religious adherence in the country influence the chances of volunteering, the choice of activity and the sense people make of their participation. The understanding of this interaction is important, because as much as volunteering is “hailed as supporting democratic and participatory principles” the reality may be that it “perpetuates existing power imbalances”, and thereby serves to entrench existing inequalities (Hustinx, Cnaan & Handy, 2010, p. 426). To achieve the above aims the researcher adopted a holistic approach to the study of volunteering, with both an integrated theory and research design. Consequently, Wilson and Musick’s (1997) integrated resources theory of volunteering guided the study. Additionally, in line with the research aims and theory, a sequential mixed methods design was employed, consisting of two phases. In research Phase I, the 2001 South African wave of the World Values Survey was examined through logistic and descriptive analysis to examine the patterns and determinants of volunteering. In research Phase II, the study investigated which human, social and cultural capital factors feature in volunteers’ interpretations of their actions. The findings of Phase I revealed that most South Africans partake in formal volunteering and prefer to do so in religious, community and health and sports organisations. Additionally, they showed that, true to the findings of other studies, human capital is an important determinant of volunteering. The results indicate that human capital factors such as educational attainment and income form the basis for certain groups to be excluded from volunteer activities. Another interesting result among the human capital variables was the negative relationship between employment and volunteering. Prejudice and civic-mindedness were consistent positive predictors of volunteering among the social capital variables, while religiosity also came out as a significant predictor of volunteering. Participants’ narratives in research Phase II revealed that altruism and egoistic influences are important factors in decisions to volunteer. This is evident in how they understood volunteering as being an expression of ‘Ubuntu’, but at the same time a means to employment. Indeed, these two themes emerged as the most common themes in participants’ constructions. Most participants noted giving back to their communities as a reason, yet some also mentioned volunteering as a means to survive the harsh township life of poverty, unemployment and crime and violence. This instrumentalising of volunteering was also evident in the participants’ reasons to stay committed.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Oor die afgelope twee dekades was daar ʼn groeiende belangstelling in vrywilligheidswerk in Suid Afrika, soos die nuwe demokrasie sukkel om dienste te lewer asook ekonomiese en sosiale insluiting vir sy mense te verseker. Die belangstelling word ge-inspireër deur die begeerte, veral van die regering af, om die aktiwiteit se voordele om die probleme van werkloosheid, armoede en onvoldoende vlakke van diens- lewering te tuis. Egter, as gevolg van individuele karaktertrekke, behoeftes en houdings wat geheg is aan vrywilligheidswerk, is dit nodig vir ʼn begrip van die bepalings en motivering agter dit, as dit die potensiaal het om ontwikkeling aan te spoor (Anheier & Salamon, 1999). Met hierdie navorsing het ek ondersoek watter menselike, sosiale en kulturele veranderlikes vrywilligheidswerk in Suid Afrika die beste verduidelik. My doel is om te verstaan hoe die interaksie tussen armoede, ongelykhede en godsdienstige nakomste in die land, die kanse van vrywilligheidswerk, die keuse van aktiwiteit en die sin wat mense maak van hulle deelname impak. Dis belangrik om hierdie interaksie te verstaan, want alhoewel vrywilligheidswerk “[is] hailed as supporting democratic and participatory principles” die realiteit is dat “[it] perpetuates existing power imbalances”, en deur dit word ongelykhede vergerger (Hustinx et al., 2010, p. 426). Om die bogenoemde doelwitte te bereik, het ek ʼn holistiese benadering van die studie van vrywilligheidswerk aangeneem, met beide ʼn gëintegreerde teorie en navorsing ontwerp. Wilson en Musick’s (1997) gëintegreerde hulpbronne teorie van vrywilligheidswerk het die studie gelei. In lyn met die navorsing se doelwitte en teorie, het ek ʼn sekwensiële gemengde metodes ontwerp gebruik wat uit twee fase bestaan. In Fase I van die navorsing het ek die World Value Survey (2001) van Suid Afrika ontleed in ʼn logiese en beskrywende vorm om die patrone van die bepalings van vrywilligheids werk te ondersoek. In Fase II van die navorsing het ek die hulpbronne verwante faktore wat te vore kom in vrywilliges se interpretasies van hul aksies, ondersoek. Die resultate van Fase I wys dat meeste Suid Afrikaners deelneem aan formele vrywilligheidswerk en verkies om so te doen in ʼn godsdientige, gemeenskaplike, gesondheids of sport organisasie. Hulle wys ook dat, dieselfde soos in ander studies, menselike kapitaal ʼn baie belangrike bepaling is van vrywilligheidswerk. Die resultate bewys dat menselike kapitaal faktore soos ovoeding en inkomste die rede is hoekom sekere groepe uitgesluit is uit vrywilligheidswerk aktiwiteite. ʼn Ander interessante resultaat in die menselike faktore is dat daar ʼn negatiewe verhouding is tussen mense wat werk en vrywilligheidswerk. A Vooroordeel en burgerlike gee was die enigste twee faktore wat konstante, positiewe veranderlikes van vrywilligheidswerk in verband met menselike kapitaal was. Godsdiens het ook sterk voorgekom as ʼn rede vir vrywilligheidswerk, veral kerk bywoning. Deelnemers se beskrywings in Fase II van die navorsing wys dat altrϋisme en egoїstiese invloede belangrike faktore is in die keuse om vrywillige werk te doen. Die getuienis van hierdie is in die feit dat hulle vrywillige werk sien as ʼn uitdrukking van ‘Ubuntu’ en op dieselfde tyd ʼn manier om werk te bekom. Hierdie twee temas het na vore gekom uit verduidelikings vir hulle eerste vrywilligheidswerk. Baie deelnemers het gesê dat hulle terug gee aan hulle gemeenskappe. Dit was nog ʼn rede om vrywilligheidswerk te doen. Sommige het ook gesê dat vrywilligheidswerk een manier is om die swaar township lewe van armoede, werkloosheid, geweld en misdaad te oorleef. Dit was ook ʼn rede vir baie van die vrywilliges om getrou te bly aan vrywilligheidswerk