Abstract:Informal arisan-style groups help smooth income when catch volatility spikes, yet defaults can cascade through overlapping membership. We calibrate an agent model with empirically observed degree distributions and shock processes drawn from landing-price series. Inter-cooperative bridge members accelerate contagion unless repayment windows are staggered across neighboring villages.
Abstract:Coarseware dumps near hypothesized workshop foundations often mix domestic refuse with production debris. Thin-section analysis of oxidized and reduced sherd groups ties temper suites to local alluvial mixes while glaze drips on misfired stacks support in situ firing rather than import-only consumption models argued from typology alone.
Abstract:Asynchronous specialist review promises elasticity but creates backlog risk when doctors batch callbacks. We fit generalized Pareto tails to observed wait-time histograms from a regional pilot and compare M/G/1 approximations with simulation. Policy curves show how modest increases in nurse-led prescreening reduce tail quantiles more than uniform slot lengthening.
Abstract:Mesopredators in metropolitan parks exploit anthropogenic refuse streams that blur isotopic baselines. We compare δ13C and δ15N in guard hair against reference keratin from marine, terrestrial C3, and C4 food waste proxies. Bayesian mixing posteriors highlight individuals with marine signatures consistent with shoreline foraging rather than inland compost bins alone.
Abstract:Adaptive comfort standards derived in temperate climates may mis-rank warm-humid school days. We log indoor dry-bulb, globe, and relative humidity in six secondary rooms while students report sensation votes. During monsoon withdrawal, elevated vapor pressure drives discomfort even when operative temperature sits inside conventional summer comfort polygons.
Abstract:Municipal tender texts increasingly advertise ecological credentials without measurable criteria. We scrape five years of national portal notices and train a lexicon-augmented classifier on a hand-labeled subset of boilerplate versus substantive environmental clauses. Precision improves when structural features such as penalty tables and certification codes are included alongside bag-of-words cues.
Abstract:Buffer rules around Ramsar-listed wetlands often assume static land tenure. We facilitated sketch-map digitization with herder committees and overlaid GPS tracks from dry-season movements. Corridor bundles avoid core breeding habitat for waterbirds while revealing pinch points where road expansion could force night grazing closer to embankments.
Abstract:High-frequency pressure transducers capture aquifer response when sea level jumps during extratropical storms. We pair shallow coastal wells with regional barometric records and quantify lag-dependent coherence in the 2–30 hour band. Results separate confined intervals with stable efficiency from leaky sections where tidal harmonics dominate residuals after surge peaks.
Abstract:Background: In order to define support services for families of children with disabilities, it is very important to understand which factors contribute to the family quality of life. Objectives: The objectives of this study was to determine the difference in the quality of life of families of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities and families of children without intellectual and developmental disabilities during the Covid-19 pandemic in Montenegro. Methods: The sample consisted of 110 respondents: 41 family members of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (19 families of children with autism, 13 families of children with cerebral palsy, 6 families of children with Down syndrome, 3 families of children with epilepsy) and 69 families of kindergarten employees who do not have children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Data were collected using the FQOL questionnaire in the domains of financial well-being, family relationships, support services, occupation and vocational training, and leisure and recreation. Results: A statistically significant difference was found within the concept of initiative (p=0.025), the concept of achievement (p=0.0001), and the concept of satisfaction (p=0.002) in the domen financial well-being, as well as in the concept of opportunity in the domain of leisure and recreation (p=0.014). The concept of opportunity was rated lowest in the domains of financial well-being and preparation for occupation and vocational training. Respondents from both groups gave the concept of importance the highest marks in the domains of financial well-being, family relationships, support services, preparation for occupation and vocational training, and leisure and recreation. Conclusion: It is necessary to improve support for families of children with disabilities to improve their financial well-being and to allow them time for rest and recreation. Support programs for all families need to be improved to better cope with challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Abstract:The South African education system is characterised by persistently unequal structures between well‑resourced and under‑resourced schools, continued poor learner performance, and high school dropout rates. Although public expenditure on education particularly in the provision of resources to historically disadvantaged schools has increased substantially over the past two decades, improvements in educational outcomes have not increased substantially. In contrast, more affluent schools consistently achieve higher average performance levels than public funded schools.\nThe literature attributes South Africa’s low academic learner performance to a complex and multidimensional set of factors. Commonly cited determinants include learners’ low socio‑economic status, inadequate school resources, and ineffective school management. These disparities are particularly evident when comparing Grade 12 (Matric) results between independent (private) schools and public schools. The differences in performance outcomes strongly suggest that socio‑economic conditions and access to adequate school resources play a critical role in learners’ academic success. Drawing on data from the 2023 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), this study examines factors influencing learner performance in schools of specialisation (SOS), with a specific focus on the availability of schools’ resources and human capital as determinants of academic outcomes.\nThe primary aim of this study is to analyse the effectiveness of school resource allocation and management in enhancing the quality of Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programmes within schools of specialisation and propose a framework that is aimed at enhancing resource allocation at these schools in Sedibeng region Gauteng. The research methodology for this study was primarily qualitative, with selected quantitative elements incorporated to enhance the depth and rigour of analysis.