The sovereign crisis and Italy’s potential output

We evaluate the effects of the European sovereign crisis on Italian potential output (natural output, in the absence of nominal rigidities) by simulating a New Keynesian model. Our results are as follows. First, the 2011–2013 recession subtracted 1.6 percentage points from potential output growth and widened the output gap. Second, the 2013 reforms limited the reduction in output capacity to 1.4 points and enhanced long-run growth by 3. Third, once a balanced budget is achieved in the medium term, reductions in either labor or capital income taxes would boost potential output growth by 0.2 points per year.     

Probabilistic frontier regression models for binary type output data

This paper proposes a probabilistic frontier regression model for binary type output data in a production process setup. We consider one of the two categories of outputs as ‘selected’ category and the reduction in probability of falling in this category is attributed to the reduction in technical efficiency (TE) of the decision-making unit. An efficiency measure is proposed to determine the deviations of individual units from the probabilistic frontier. Simulation results show that the average estimated TE component is close to its true value. An application of the proposed method to the data related to the Indian public sector banking system is provided where the output variable is the indicator of level of non-performing assets. Individual TE is obtained for each of the banks under consideration. Among the public sector banks, Andhra bank is found to be the most efficient, whereas the United Bank of India is the least.     

Maternal and paternal reactions to child sadness predict children's psychosocial outcomes: A family‐centered approach

Parents' reactions to children's emotions shape their psychosocial outcomes. Extant research on emotion socialization primarily uses variable‐centered approaches. This study explores family patterns of maternal and paternal responses to children's sadness in relation to psychosocial outcomes in middle childhood. Fifty‐one families with 8‐ to 12‐year‐old children participated. Mothers and fathers reported their reactions to children's sadness and children's social competence and psychological adjustment. Cluster analyses revealed three family patterns: Supportive (high supportive and low non‐supportive reactions from both parents), Not Supportive (low supportive reactions from both parents), and Father Dominant (high paternal supportive and non‐supportive reactions, low maternal supportive and non‐supportive reactions). Supportive families had children with higher social competence and more internalizing symptoms whereas Father Dominant families had children with lower social competence and fewer internalizing symptoms. Not Supportive families had children with average social competence and fewer internalizing symptoms. Findings are discussed in relation to the “divergence model” which proposes that a diverse range of parental responses to children's sadness, rather than a uniformly supportive approach, may facilitate children's psychosocial adjustment.     

Changes in preschool children’s social engagement positively predict changes in social competence: A three‐year longitudinal study of portuguese children

To test the hypothesis that social engagement is a foundational aspect of other peer social competence indicators during early childhood, 160 Portuguese preschool children (“3‐year‐olds”) were observed at least in two different school years, using a battery of validated social competence assessments based on direct observations and child interviews. Multilevel growth models tested whether social engagement predicted initial values and linear changes in the other social competence indicators. Results were consistent with the hypothesis, insofar as both initial values and changes in social engagement significantly predicted initial values and changes in other social competence indicators. Additionally, the number of children's reciprocated friendships was also predicted by social engagement. These results are discussed from the perspectives of conceptual frameworks that consider individual differences in social competence during early childhood as a consequence of attachment histories and/or emotional competence.     

Mentorship experiences during registrar training: reflections of Black African specialists in the Western Cape

In order to meet the significant staffing challenges to health care provision in South Africa, the need to support the training and retention of Black medical specialists has been identified. This small qualitative study aimed to explore experiences of mentorship among a group of Black medical specialists in hopes of understanding the value and potential challenges that these relationships raise. Ten Black medical specialists were interviewed about their experiences of being mentored during their registrar training. The interview data was analysed using discourse analysis, and the results comprise of three main themes, namely: Difficulty accessing mentorship, a lack of Black and/or female role models and finally, experiences of feeling excluded from soft networks. The experiences explored in this study indicate the need for open dialogue within the mentorship dyad regarding certain taken-for-granted assumptions surrounding race, so as to aid the provision of more effective and satisfying mentorship outcomes.     

When difference creates dissonance: understanding the ‘engine’ of intercultural learning in study abroad

Why do some study abroad students improve their intercultural skills, while others revert to less sophisticated ways of making sense of cultural difference? Both intercultural competence theory and transformative learning theory attempt to explain why student intercultural learning occurs, but they only provide partial answers. Building on our previous study assessing intercultural competence in a 2015 field school in India, this article applies the concept of cognitive dissonance to explain the process behind intercultural learning. In the context of study abroad, students experience cognitive dissonance when they encounter cultural differences or similarities that confound previously held expectations about culture. Adapting Maertz, Hassan, and Magnusson’s cognitive dissonance resolution framework, we employ qualitative analysis of students’ written reflections to show how the resolution of cognitive dissonance could act as the ‘engine’ of intercultural learning.     

Temperament,mothers' reactions to children's emotional experiences,and emotion understanding predicting adjustment in preschool children

It is expected that both children and their parents contribute to children's development of emotion knowledge and adjustment. Bidirectional relations between child temperament (fear, frustration, executive control) and mothers' reactions to children's emotional experiences were examined to explore how these variables predict children's emotion understanding, social competence, and problem behaviors. Preschool‐aged children (N = 306) and their mothers were assessed across four‐time points. Children's temperament and mothers' non‐supportive reactions to children's emotional experiences were assessed when children were 36 and 45 months of age. Emotion understanding was assessed when the children were 54 months of age and teachers reported on children's problem behaviors and social competence when the children were 63 months of age. Covariates included family income, child cognitive ability, gender, and child adjustment at 36 months. Results from path analyses demonstrated that bidirectional relations between children's temperament and mothers' non‐supportive reactions were not significant. However, mother's non‐supportive reactions directly predicted fewer problem behaviors, and children's emotion understanding mediated the relation between children's executive control and their later social competence. As such, emotion understanding appears to be one mechanism through which executive control might impact social competence.     

残疾文化胜任力:一个理论概念的嬗变研究

残疾文化胜任力是残疾研究领域的一项重要议题,为残疾研究开辟了全新的视野。残疾文化胜任力的嬗变过程经历了研究视角的转型、概念内涵的探明、实践目标的定型三个发展阶段。研究视角的转型包括从“同质化”向“文化多元化”的转型,以及从“文化胜任力”向“残疾文化胜任力”的转型。残疾文化胜任力的内涵包括意识胜任力、态度胜任力、知识胜任力和技能胜任力。残疾文化胜任力的实践目标包括观念性目标、机制性目标与能力性目标。残疾文化胜任力对我国残疾人事业高质量发展具有启示价值,并在残疾人工作研究、残疾人工作实务和残疾人工作策略方面具有视角创新、工具创新与思路创新的价值。     

设区的市立法权限限制研究

根据《立法法》第七十二条之规定,设区的市立法权限涉及城乡建设与管理、环境保护、历史文化保护等方面的事项;法律对设区的市制定地方性法规的事项另有规定的,从其规定。但《立法法》对设区的市立法权限的规定,未能顾及“较大的市”和部分新赋权的设区的市立法的实际需求。在立法实践中,某些设区的市制定的地方性法规越过了立法权限的边界,存在越权立法的现象。因此,需要调整设区的市立法权限的限制模式,建立纵向合理的立法“分权”体制,赋予设区的市相对完整的地方立法权,并通过立法批准等控权机制加强对设区的市立法的监督和指导。     

农机服务发展与粮食生产效率研究:2004—2016——基于变系数随机前沿分析

采用“两步法”研究了农机服务发展与中国粮食生产效率的关系.基于2004-2016年全国31省份粮食生产投入产出的面板数据,利用变系数随机前沿分析方法测算了中国粮食生产的技术变化、技术效率以及全要素生产率,然后构建农机服务发展影响粮食生产效率的OLS回归模型.结果表明:(1)31省份粮食生产的投入要素产出弹性和技术效率存在明显差异,2008年粮食技术变化最为明显,粮食全要素生产率的增长在2008年高达5%.(2)农机服务在2008年以后对粮食全要素生产率的增长具有显著的促进作用,农机服务对粮食TFP的作用存在一定的滞后效应.(3)农机服务发展与劳动产出弹性具有替代关系,与化肥和机械产出弹性具有互补关系.在三大粮食作物中,小麦机械化程度最高,水稻和玉米的机械化程度还有待提升.