Heterogeneity and varying effect in hazards regression

In the analysis of survival data, when nonproportional hazards are encountered, the Cox model is often extended to allow for a time-dependent effect by accommodating a varying coefficient. This extension, however, cannot resolve the nonproportionality caused by heterogeneity. In contrast, the heteroscedastic hazards regression (HHR) model is capable of modeling heterogeneity and thus can be applied when dealing with nonproportional hazards. In this paper, we study the application of the HHR model possibly equipped with varying coefficients. An LRR (logarithm of relative risk) plot is suggested when investigating the need to impose varying coefficients. Constancy and degeneration in the plot are used as diagnostic criteria. For the HHR model, a ‘piecewise effect’ (PE) analysis and an ‘average effect’ (AE) analysis are introduced. For the PE setting, we propose a score-type test for covariate-specific varying coefficients. The Stanford Heart Transplant data are analyzed for illustration. In the case of degeneration being destroyed by a polynomial covariate, piecewise constancy and/or monotonicity of the LRRs is considered as an alternative criterion based on the PE analysis. Finally, under the framework of the varying-coefficient HHR model, the meanings of the PE and AE analyses, along with their dynamic interpretation, are discussed.     

Health,Quality of Care and Quality of Life: A Case of Frail Older Adults

This study explores the relationship between health, quality of care of geriatric case management and quality of life for the purpose of furthering the understanding of the relationship between quality of life and geriatric case management. Using survey data from a group of frail older adults, this study assesses the relative merit of two mediation hypotheses: one considering health as a mediator for quality of care of geriatric case management and quality of life, and the other considering quality of care of geriatric case management as a mediator for health and quality of life. The study findings show that quality of care of geriatric case management, measured by client satisfaction, was not a mediator between health and quality of life (measured by life satisfaction). There was a significant positive association between quality of care of geriatric case management and quality of life. Although the significant association between quality of care of geriatric case management and quality of life could not be mediated by either self-rated health or self-reported physical activity levels, it was completely mediated by health satisfaction. These findings provided preliminary empirical evidence to support a significant relationship between quality of care of geriatric case management and quality of life.     

Computerization of a medium-sized hospital without an internal DP department

The conventional approach to computerization in a large hospital is to establish an internal data processing (DP) department and DP professionals then begin to develop computer-based information systems (CBIS). For medium-sized hospitals, however, this approach is doubtful. The limitation of financial resources and the lack of skilled systems professionals force the medium-sized hospital to consider different approaches. In this paper, we present a conceptual framework for the computerization of a medium-sized hospital based upon the viewpoint of top management. Based on the conceptual framework presented, a PC-based application software package has been developed, tested, and implemented at Cheng-Ching Hospital in Taiwan. Our study shows that a medium-sized hospital can initiate and conduct computerization in very short time with low cost and without an internal DP department.     

Do Caregivers’ Health Conditions Impact Children’s Externalizing Behavior? The Roles of Caregivers’ Parenting Frustration and Family Cohesion

Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal - The present study aimed to explore whether caregivers’ parental frustration mediates the relationship between parental health and children’s...     

Counting Importance: The Case of Life Satisfaction and Relative Domain Importance

The purpose of this study was to explore whether the use of relative domain importance as a weighting mechanism at the individual level improved the correlation between the global life satisfaction and domain satisfaction measures. Results from telephone interviews with adults 50 years old or above in Chicago suggest that compared to simple average of domain satisfactions, using discrete domain importance rating as a weighting factor did not improve the correlation between global life satisfaction measure and domain satisfactions. However, the correlation was improved by using domain ranking. The findings suggest that the weighted average of domain satisfactions using domain ranking is a better indicator of global life satisfaction than the simple sum or average of domain satisfactions.     

Commitment of Juveniles to Training Schools

The study analyzes commitment rates to training schools, average length of stay and the facility utilization in the various states over the period 1979–1990. Based on a regression analysis of the data, we found that only the bed ratio, which is the number of beds per 100,000 eligible population, and average length of stay in training schools are significant in explaining the changes of commitment rate over the years. The paper focuses on the meaning of the variation between states on the commitment rate, the average length of stay and facility utilization might have in terms of correctional policy. There is also a discussion of our findings that the only significant variables in explaining commitment rate change were institutional variables that influence correctional policy.     

Issues in Evaluating Importance Weighting in Quality of Life Measures

For most empirical research investigating the topic of importance weighting in quality of life (QoL) measures, the prevailing approach has been to use (1) a limited choice of global QoL measures as criterion variables (often a single one) to determine the performance of importance weighting, (2) a limited option of weighting methods to develop importance weighting, and (3) a limited number of domains to construct the (formative-indicator) measures. Although limitations resulted from a limited choice of global QoL measures as criterion variables to determine the performance of importance weighting and a limited option of weighting methods to develop importance weighting have been recognized previously, little attention has been paid to the impact of non-comprehensive domains in QoL measures constructed based on the formative-indicator approach. Using empirical data, this article revealed the potential impacts of non-comprehensive domains on the evaluation of importance weighting in QoL measures. Results presented in this article showed that both of the two most popular methods of evaluating the performance of importance weighting in QoL measures, correlation and moderated regression analysis, could produce misleading results in the situation when QoL measures constructed using the formative-indicator approach did not include comprehensive domains. Issues discussed in this article are of great importance to research in the field of QoL, especially on the topic of importance weighting in QoL measures.     

跨领域法学学科的方法论:从法律与宗教谈起

一、绪论近年来,世界各国无不强调事关国力的经济发展与军事发展,社会上也普遍存在着一股盲目追求物质文明的风气,社会上各个角落,纷纷充斥着一股乖戾的风气,社会顿时成为"都市丛林",人人自危。不过,可喜的是,渐渐地,在缺乏精神文明的畸形现象持续一段时间后,人性的