Lévy Processes,Phase-Type Distributions,and Martingales

Lévy processes are defined as processes with stationary independent increments and have become increasingly popular as models in queueing, finance, etc.; apart from Brownian motion and compound Poisson processes, some popular examples are stable processes, variance gamma processes, CGMY Lévy processes (tempered stable processes), NIG (normal inverse Gaussian) Lévy processes, and hyperbolic Lévy processes. We consider here a dense class of Lévy processes, compound Poisson processes with phase-type jumps in both directions and an added Brownian component. Within this class, we survey how to explicitly compute a number of quantities that are traditionally studied in the area of Lévy processes, in particular two-sided exit probabilities and associated Laplace transforms, the closely related scale function, one-sided exit probabilities and associated Laplace transforms coming up in queueing problems, and similar quantities for a Lévy process with reflection in 0. The solutions are in terms of roots to polynomials, and the basic equations are derived by purely probabilistic arguments using martingale optional stopping; a particularly useful martingale is the so-called Kella-Whitt martingale. Also, the relation to fluid models with a Brownian component is discussed.     

A history and a survey of lattice path enumeration

In celebration of the Sixth International Conference on Lattice Path Counting and Applications, it is befitting to review the history of lattice path enumeration and to survey how the topic has progressed thus far.     

科学认知范式的形成及其检讨——对中国传统哲学理解方法的讨论

近代自然科学成果被介绍到中国之后,中国学者将其视为对中国传统思想资源具有特别功能和特殊价值的学术研究方法。对科学作为学术研究方法意识的形成和科学在中国传统哲学研究中的应用两方面进行深入分析发现,科学认知范式在开掘中国传统哲学资源中的科学价值、建立新的学科、推动中国传统哲学转型等方面都具有积极意义,但对中国传统哲学中的人文精神可能产生消极影响。     

学校欺负相关研究的回顾与社会学反思

对学校欺负相关研究的回顾发现,当前研究仍处于探索阶段,对于学校欺负核心概念仍然没有达成共识;理论研究处于"松散状态";现状研究对核心问题尚未探讨;研究方法与研究视角单一;干预策略本土化研究尚少。透过社会学视角,未来学校欺负研究应转向欺负行为背后,探讨谁在欺负与受欺负;明确学校欺负核心概念的内涵与外延;建立学术共同体提升理论研究与现状研究,尤其是对个案研究,在此基础上开展社会支持系统下的学校欺负干预实验,提升本土化研究水平。     

生命体验与审美超越?--评宁颖芳新诗集《倒影》

《倒影》是陕西作家宁颖芳2015年出版的新诗集。诗人通过雨雪霜露、山花水木、节日季候、悬崖石头、蝴蝶飞马、古宅旧巷、香水钥匙等意象或书写一段爱情，或寄寓一缕哲思，或对自我内心隐秘进行探寻，表达对生活的感悟。透过诗句意象，读者不难感受到作者浓浓的诗情，睿智的表达，敢于正视人生的孤独意识和从中获得生命意义的勇气。正是这种生命体验所获得的勇气使诗人敢于打破理想主义的梦魇，实现审美的超越，拥抱现实主义的清辉。     

Development of a Model of Holistic Reflection to facilitate transformative learning in student midwives

Background

Reflective practice is considered an essential aspect of personal and professional development, and critical reflection is considered the cornerstone of being an accountable and autonomous practitioner. Tertiary education should lay the foundations of lifelong learning by ensuring students develop into critically reflective and reflexive practitioners, who demonstrate self-awareness and an ability to reflect on personal values and beliefs and their impact on the wider healthcare system. This level of reflective practice is essential to effect change at both an individual and societal level. Reflection should therefore be embedded into education programs as a learning, teaching and assessment strategy.

Prepared for Practice? Graduating Social Work Students' Reflections on Their Education,Competence and Skills

The paper encompasses the views of 13 Swedish graduating social work students on their education, competence, skills and expectations for their future roles as social workers. It presents the findings of the first phase of a longitudinal study where students in Sweden and Australia are followed from university and during the first 18 months in the profession. A qualitative methodology was employed and semi-structured interviews were conducted with the students just prior to graduating. The most salient theme was the strong wish for more time in contact with the field. All of the students would have preferred at least one additional period of field placement. A strong wish for clarity, particularly in relation to understanding what it means to practise social work, emerged. Although most of the graduates talked about their self-development and described themselves as having become more critical and more self-confident, they perceived themselves as more or less unprepared for most social work positions and expected to receive considerable support and guidance in their workplaces. The proportion of theoretical and research courses in comparison to the teaching of practice skills and field placements within Swedish social work education is discussed.     

从青年价值观演变反思青年文化建设

青年文化塑造青年价值观，青年文化变迁必定会在青年价值观中得到反映，最终带动青年价值观的改变。青年价值观演变的总体态势和青年价值观当下的总体特征表明，逐渐被物化的时代背景并没有削弱主流价值观的影响力。但不同程度的价值观偏离正影响着部分青年群体。要以社会主义核心价值观为“魂”，融汇中西文化优秀成分，关注文化微观视域，大力推进青年文化建设。     

社会工作专业课程体系建构的行动反思——以中华女子学院山东分院社会工作专业建设为例

本文根据女子院校高职高专层面社会工作专业课程体系的建设经验,在对社会工作专业课程体系进行5年行动研究的基础上,尝试着对课程体系的建构进行了行动性反思。在此基础上,提出了今后专业课程发展的趋向及后续研究的跟进。     

Book reviews

This article reviews the development of an experiential learning exercise at Kingston University, designed to involve service users and carers in assessing students' readiness to practise. The new social work degree places increased emphasis on practice learning and equipping social workers with the knowledge, skills and tools for the job. This article draws out some of the strengths and advantages of involving ‘experts by experience’ in helping students to develop awareness of self, their impact on others and effective communication skills, ultimately promoting an understanding of reflective practice early in their training. It also acknowledges some of the problems and dilemmas in providing an equitable experience for all students. The students are provided with this learning/assessment experience as part of a module in the first year of the undergraduate social work degree programme and have to pass this element of the module, in addition to the academic component, in order to progress to level two.

The terms ‘service users’ and ‘carers’ and ‘experts by experience’ are used interchangeably in this article. The Steering Group at Kingston University, involved in the development of the exercise discussed, are aware of the power and impact of language and have expressed preference to being referred to as ‘experts by experience’.