Sexual Function in Women with Deep Endometriosis: Correlation with Quality of Life,Intensity of Pain,Depression, Anxiety,and Body Image

Objectives: We evaluated sexual function, quality of life and perceived body image of women with deep endometriosis in comparison to that of healthy women. Methods: The sample consisted of 41 women with deep endometriosis and 40 healthy women without endometriosis. Sexual, psychological and pain evaluation were performed. Results: The study evidenced that deep endometriosis has a significant impact on sexuality and body image. Conclusions: An integrated and patient-centered approach to medical and psychological and sexual issues is suggested.     

Decomposition of the main effects and interaction term by using orthogonal polynomials in multiple non symmetrical correspondence analysis

The multiple non symmetric correspondence analysis (MNSCA) is a useful technique for analyzing a two-way contingency table. In more complex cases, the predictor variables are more than one. In this paper, the MNSCA, along with the decomposition of the Gray–Williams Tau index, in main effects and interaction term, is used to analyze a contingency table with two predictor categorical variables and an ordinal response variable. The Multiple-Tau index is a measure of association that contains both main effects and interaction term. The main effects represent the change in the response variables due to the change in the level/categories of the predictor variables, considering the effects of their addition, while the interaction effect represents the combined effect of predictor categorical variables on the ordinal response variable. Moreover, for ordinal scale variables, we propose a further decomposition in order to check the existence of power components by using Emerson's orthogonal polynomials.     

Sensitivity Analysis Using Risk Measures

In a quantitative model with uncertain inputs, the uncertainty of the output can be summarized by a risk measure. We propose a sensitivity analysis method based on derivatives of the output risk measure, in the direction of model inputs. This produces a global sensitivity measure, explicitly linking sensitivity and uncertainty analyses. We focus on the case of distortion risk measures, defined as weighted averages of output percentiles, and prove a representation of the sensitivity measure that can be evaluated on a Monte Carlo sample, as a weighted average of gradients over the input space. When the analytical model is unknown or hard to work with, nonparametric techniques are used for gradient estimation. This process is demonstrated through the example of a nonlinear insurance loss model. Furthermore, the proposed framework is extended in order to measure sensitivity to constant model parameters, uncertain statistical parameters, and random factors driving dependence between model inputs.     

Does the compensation level of outside director depend on its personal profile? Some evidence from UK

Combining human capital theory and equity theory, we developed and tested a model in which the outside directors’ total cash compensation is related to the outsider’s profile, as well as to the board and firm characteristics. Consistent with our model, characteristics of the outsider’s profile, in terms of his/her role and responsibility, meeting activities and length of service, are relevant. Only the director’s popularity, as a part of his/her human capital, has a significant effect on his/her compensation. Our empirical results confirm the necessity to create a stronger link between the remuneration policies of the outsider directors and their contribution in a board, in terms of human capital. The remuneration policies adopted by firms should be linked to practices on corporate governance useful for helping outsiders contribute confidently to their work of the board and receive ongoing support and information so they can develop their understanding of the total environment within they work. Then, we suggest having recourse to qualifications and professional skills as well as to specific training or board induction programmes defined by firms themselves. Finally, the Combined Code should promote the adoption and spreading of such practices on market.     

Clustering in weighted networks

In recent years, researchers have investigated a growing number of weighted networks where ties are differentiated according to their strength or capacity. Yet, most network measures do not take weights into consideration, and thus do not fully capture the richness of the information contained in the data. In this paper, we focus on a measure originally defined for unweighted networks: the global clustering coefficient. We propose a generalization of this coefficient that retains the information encoded in the weights of ties. We then undertake a comparative assessment by applying the standard and generalized coefficients to a number of network datasets.     

Behavioural Addictions in Adolescents and Young Adults: Results from a Prevalence Study

Our study aims to assess the prevalence of behavioural addictions in an adolescent population, evaluating the effects of gender and age, and to assess the correlations among different behavioural addictions. 2853 high school students were assessed in order to evaluate the prevalence of behavioural addictions such as Pathological Gambling (PG), Compulsive Buying (CB), Exercise Addiction (EA), Internet Addiction (IA), and Work Addiction (WA), in a population of Italian adolescents. The South Oaks Gambling Screen-Revised Adolescent (SOGS-RA), the Compulsive Buying Scale (CBS), the Exercise Addiction Inventory (EAI), the Internet Addiction Test (IAT), and the Work Addiction Risk Test (WART), were compiled anonymously by the students. Overall prevalence was 7.0% for PG, 11.3% for CB, 1.2% for IA, 7.6% for WA, 8.5% for EA. PG and EA were more common among boys, while gender had no effect on the other conditions. CB was more common among younger (<18 years old) students. The scores of all of these scales were significantly correlated. The strong correlation among different addictive behaviours is in line with the hypothesis of a common psychopathological dimension underlying these phenomena. Further studies are needed to assess personality traits and other clinical disorders associated with these problems behaviours.     

Strong previsions of random elements

LetC be a class of arbitrary real random elements andP an extended real valued function onC. Two definitions of coherence forP are compared. Both definitions reduce to the classical de Finetti's one whenC includes bounded random elements only. One of the two definitions (called strong coherence) is investigated, and some criteria for checking it are provided. Moreover, conditions are given for the integral representation of a coherentP, possibly with respect to a δ-additive probability. Finally, the two definitions and the integral representation theorems are extended to the case whereC is a class of random elements taking values in a given Banach space.     

沈从文故事中对农人目光的文本化(上)

沈从文笔下的乡下人总是用一种独特标准来观察和批判城市以及城里人。这是异乡情调一种典型形式，即“乡下人”对于城市所形成的印象。沈从文将城市读者的“他者”构成叙事话语，所表现出来的始终是一种社会学意义的距离，同时也是一种民族学意义上的，或者性别和世代上的区分。从这种观察中得到的乡村与城市之间的对立通过反语和讽刺反映出来。作者拒绝叙述者无所不知的权威，叙述者的声音始终是不张扬的，而且他的写作是以语言的克制为特征的。从这样的叙事实践中所得到的结果，正是话语与话语对象之间的一种距离，同样也是作家与他所创造的世界之间的协调一致。