The Best and Worst Times of Life: Narratives and Assessments of Subjective Well-Being by Anamnestic Comparative Self Assessment (ACSA) in the Eastern Cape,South Africa

The Anamnestic Comparative Self Assessment (ACSA) measure of subjective well-being (SWB) aims to reduce the problems of cultural bias and relativity to external standards by allowing people to define the endpoints or ‘anchors’ of the measurement scale. In medical terminology anamnestic denotes ‘based on memory’. The ACSA uses subjects’ memories of the best and worst periods in their lives to define the anchors of the scale. They then assess their current quality of life relative to these personal anchors. The South African pilot study tested the match between self-assessment of SWB with ACSA and the conventional single-item measures of life satisfaction and happiness used in the South African Quality of Life Trends Study and analysed the narratives of the best and worst times of life. The quota sample of 46 consisted of 26 residents of Makana district in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, and 20 patients undergoing treatment in the local TB hospital. Mean SWB ratings with all three measures of life satisfaction, happiness and ACSA were between 5 and 6 on a 0–10-point scale. Ratings on all three scales were positively correlated. However, on ACSA the TB patients rated their current SWB 1.84 points lower than the community respondents, suggesting a greater sensitivity of this measure. It was observed that the starting points of the life stories produced by respondents to define the anchor periods for ACSA were related to their current assessment of SWB. A typology was developed that combined the starting point of the life stories with current SWB. The majority of community respondents matched the ‘Achiever’ type who scored positively on ACSA (i.e., above the mid-point of the scale) and whose life stories started with the worst period of their lives and proceeded to the best period. The TB patients were the only respondents to represent the ‘Survivor’ type whose morale had recovered after misfortune in life. ‘Survivors’ started their narratives with the best period in their lives, then moved to the worst (often health-related) one, and gave positive ACSA ratings. Based on the qualitative analysis of narratives, it is concluded that ACSA is a sensitive measurement instrument and therefore particularly useful for monitoring the effects of treatments and social interventions in longitudinal studies. However, further research is required to verify its cross-cultural validity.

充分利用土地资源推进县域经济发展

土地资源是人类一切活动的载体,是发展县域经济的基石,是推进县域经济发展的动力.发展县域经济既是贯彻十六大精神的战略要求,又是县域经济发展的客观需求,更是全面建设小康社会的重要举措.因此,必须紧紧抓住充分利用土地资源这个纲,才能有效地推进县域经济尽快进入高速发展的快车道.怎样充分利用土地资源,发展县域经济,本文提出几点探讨性意见.     

德国功能派翻译理论述评

功能派翻译理论是20世纪70年代德国学者提出的翻译理论.主要理论有赖斯的文本类型和语言功能理论,曼塔利的翻译行为理论,威密尔的目的论和诺德的功能加忠诚理论,其核心是翻译目的或译文功能.该理论体系以目的为总则,把翻译放在行为理论和跨文化交际理论的框架中,为西方翻译理论界开辟了一条新的研究道路,它对中国译学的理论研究具有很高的参考和借鉴价值.     

网络技术与民族文化的创新

网络技术的产生和应用对民族文化的发展既是机遇又是挑战,创新才是民族文化把握机遇和应对挑战的惟一途径。创新民族文化首先要继承优秀的传统文化,祛除其糟粕。创新民族文化还要随时代的发展不断创造新的民族文化的内容和形式。创新民族文化更要让民族文化参与全球化进程,让世界了解和认同本民族文化,同时也要引进外来文化来促进民族文化的发展。     

Does parents’ valuation of children’s health mimic their valuation of own health?

A single latent variable model of health status and therapeutic health care utilization is estimated for parents and own children of 6,557 US households. The equation system that identifies latent health status simultaneously determines a number of indicators of general health, including presence of morbidity symptoms, mobility limitations, medication needs, and utilization of therapeutic health care services. The main goal of the paper was to obtain an unbiased estimate of parents’ marginal substitution rate between own and child health. Results indicate that parents’ valuation of their children’s health exceeds their valuation of own health by almost twofold on average.

财政科技支出绩效管理模式研究

财政科技支出的绩效管理是公共财政管理的重要内容.研究财政科技支出绩效管理,能够规范财政科技资金管理,提高财政科技资金使用效益.财政科技投入绩效管理应根据不同的科技活动,设立不同的绩效目标,建立绩效评价指标体系,实施绩效评价.财政绩效目标是绩效评价对象或被评价组织在绩效周期内所要达到的工作目标和成果,是绩效管理的出发点.绩效目标的制定是绩效管理的重要环节.财政科技支出绩效目标的制定必须充分反映科研活动规律、体现公共财政制度的要求,以及适应中国的国情.财政科技支出绩效评价指标是进行绩效评价的基本要素,其构架要遵循相关性、经济性、重要性和客观性等四项原则,财政科技取出绩效评价则是根据已确定的绩效目标和指标体系,采取科学的方法对财政科技支出进行综合性评价和分析,形成绩效评价结果.     

Quadratic estimators of covariance components in a multivariate mixed linear model

It is known that the Henderson Method III (Biometrics 9:226–252, 1953) is of special interest for the mixed linear models because the estimators of the variance components are unaffected by the parameters of the fixed factor (or factors). This article deals with generalizations and minor extensions of the results obtained for the univariate linear models. A MANOVA mixed model is presented in a convenient form and the covariance components estimators are given on finite dimensional linear spaces. The results use both the usual parametric representations and the coordinate-free approach of Kruskal (Ann Math Statist 39:70–75, 1968) and Eaton (Ann Math Statist 41:528–538, 1970). The normal equations are generalized and it is given a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of quadratic unbiased estimators for covariance components in the considered model.     

Wer das Stabilisieren vergisst: Warum eine schöne Abschlusspräsentation noch kein gutes Ende bedeutet

Many organizational change projects fail — despite a well thought out concept, professional project management and a binding implementation timetable. The reason why the expected success doesn’t materialize often lies with the missing maintenance. Once the project is officially completed and the client and project manager withdraw, the manner in which the organization will take up these changes is seldom systematically dealt with. Difficulties often arise when no discrete stabilizing measures are planned. We have derived four central action areas which will be clarified by way of practical examples. It will also be shown what is important to pay attention to in the stabilization phase so that a lasting success of the organizational change project can be ensured.