Integrated marked Poisson processes with application to image correlation spectroscopy

Image correlation spectroscopy (ICS) is an experimental technique used in the study of cell tissue, specifically to obtain information about protein aggregates. This paper discusses a filtered Poisson process model of ICS, and uses this to obtain the sampling distribution of an estimator of interest, using spectral methods. Integrals of third- and fourth-order spectra are involved, and methods proposed in the literature are studied numerically. They are found to be infeasible methods, requiring months of computing time. An alternative method is proposed and is illustrated on some actual ICS experiments. A novel feature in this study is the use of a SIMD-class parallel computer, a MasPar MP-2 machine, to obtain some statistical properties of the estimation method.     

Euler buckling in a wheelbarrow obstacle course: a catastrophe with complex lag

This article studies human physical work capacity under increasing load from a general systems theory perspective. There are several points of generalization between the structure of nonliving (building materials) and living systems (humans) with respect to stress, strain, and fatigue. A catastrophe model for Euler buckling was transposed and tested for human performance in a wheelbarrow obstacle course under varying loads. Subjects were 129 employees of a Midwest manufacturing plant. A cusp model was hypothesized and verified (R2 = .68, control R2 = .11) where vertical load was the asymmetry factor, and body balance, height, and sex-related differences all contributed to bifurcation. A catastrophe model in codimension 10 was also invoked to explain memory in the system. Principal control variables were exercise habits, weight, balance, and sex-related differences (R2 = .75). The core model of human load-to-failure was concluded to be similar to that for Euler buckling: additional complexities were discovered which were attributed in part to systemic memory. Discussion points included the use of large dimension catastrophe models for problems involving complex lag effects, and the transposability of the model to the organizational systemic level.     

Have women become more proletarianized than men?

La relation entre les genres et les classes marxistes est analysée dans les recensements décennaux canadiens et les rapports mensuels sur la main-d'oeuvre entre 1931 et 1984. Pendant cette période, la distribution des hommes et des femmes au sein de la petite bourgeoisie, des familles a travailleurs bénévoles, de la bourgeoisie et de la classe ouvrière est examinée. Une analyse du personnel de surveillance et de direction, des professionnels, des employés dans la vente et les services cléricaux et des collets bleus au sein de la classe ouvrière, y est aussi incluse. Ayant comparé les proportions selon les sexes (les femmes comme un pourcentage de l'homme) entre ces classes et la main-d'oeuvre, tant dans les secteurs agricoles qu'ailleurs, on a conch que la femme se retrouve plus rapidement prolétarisée que l'homme. Ceci est basé sur: (1) la sous-représentation des femmes relativement aux hommes dans les classes qui possèdent des biens (la bourgeoisie et la petite bourgeoisie); (2) la détérioration progressive entre 1931 et 1984 dans la position des femmes relativement aux hommes dans les classes propriétaires; (3) la sur-représentation croissante des femmes relativement aux hommes au sein des familles à travailleurs bénévoles dans les établissements appartenant à la petite bourgeoisie; (4) la détérioration progressive de la position des femmes relativement aux hommes parmi les postes de surveillance et de direction; (5) la concentration croissante des femmes dans les services cléricaux ou de vente au sein de la classe ouvrière et (6) la ségrégation croissante des femmes dans les occupations non productives de la classe ouvrière. Les implications de ces découvertes sont discutées au terme de l'étude, particulièrement en ce qui concerne les femmes sur la ferme ou dans les postes cléricaux et de direction. The relationship between gender and Marxist classes is analyzed in the Canadian decennial censuses and monthly Labour Force Surveys between 1931 and 1984. During this period, the distribution of women and men among the petty bourgeoisie, unpaid family workers, bourgeoisie, and working class is examined. Also included is an analysis of managerial and supervisory personnel, professionals, clerical and sales employees, and blue-collar manual workers within the working class. After comparing the sex ratios (women as a percentage of men) between these classes and the labour force in both the agricultural and non-agricultural sectors, it is concluded that women have been undergoing a much more rapid proletarianization than men. This is based on: 1/the under-representation of women relative to men in property-owning classes (bourgeoisie and petty bourgeoisie); 2/the progressive deterioration between 1931 and 1984 in the position of women relative to men in the property-owning classes; 3/the increasing over-representation of women relative to men among unpaid family workers in petty bourgeois establishments; 4/the progressive deterioration in women's position relative to men in managerial and supervisory positions; 5/the growing concentration of women among clerical and sales positions within the working class; and, 6/the increasing segregation of women in unproductive working-class jobs. At the end of the paper, the implications of these findings are discussed, particularly for women on the farm and in managerial and clerical positions.     

On the construction of a class of efficient row-column designs

In this paper a method for the construction of a class of row-column designs with good statistical properties and high efficiency is presented. The class of designs produced is shown to exhibit balance, orthogonality and adjusted orthogonality. The efficiencies of these designs are investigated in detail, and they are shown to be very high, and possibly maximal in some cases.     

The Social Transformation of Trust in Government

The phenomenon of declining political trust among the American public has been widely discussed, with the explanations often focusing on specific historical events or the unique problems of American political institutions. We first demonstrate that public doubts about politicians and government are spreading across almost all advanced industrial democracies. The pervasiveness of this trend suggests that common social forces are affecting these nations, and we examine the social correlates of the decrease in trust. We find the greatest declines are among the better-educated and upper social status. These results suggest that changing citizen expectations, rather than the failure of governments, are prompting the erosion of political support in advanced industrial democracies.     

Grass,Sweat, and Sun: An Exploratory Study of the Labor Market for Gardeners in South Texas*

Objective. This article takes a first exploratory step in understanding the market for home gardeners in the southwest borderlands (Laredo, Texas). Methods. A questionnaire was administered by a household member familiar with the present study who employed at least one gardener utilizing the snowball method of sample selection. Usable data (surveys) were collected from 244 individuals: 122 gardeners and 122 employers. Results. Gardeners in Laredo are almost exclusively male, Hispanic, Spanish speaking, and heads of household. Gardeners tend to be Mexican by birth and nationality, work full time as a gardener, be middle aged, and possess a middle school education. Distinctions between full‐time and part‐time gardeners (employment status) as well as formal and informal gardeners (employment process) are discussed. Cross‐tabulation analyses suggest a strong relationship between employment status and process (relationship) with health insurance coverage, enrollment in Social Security, and year‐around work. Logistic regression results also indicate previous work experience as a gardener, medical insurance, and year‐around work as a gardener are the significant variables in determining full‐time employment as a gardener. For informality, logistic regression results suggest Mexican citizenship, Mexican birthplace, and lack of Social Security are the significant explanatory variables. Conclusion. Gardening enables a mostly informal workforce from Mexico to work in south Texas in pursuit of the American dream—the ability to make a living in a way of one's own choosing.     

What Do Grandmothers Think about Self‐esteem? American and Taiwanese Folk Theories Revisited

The study investigates European American and Taiwanese grandmothers’ folk theories of childrearing and self‐esteem, building on an earlier comparison of mothers from the same families. Adopting methods that privilege local meanings, we bring grandmothers’ voices into the conversation about childrearing, thereby contributing to a deeper understanding of intergenerational nuances in folk theories. In each cultural case, 16 grandmothers of 3‐year‐olds participated in in‐depth interviews that were customized according to local communicative norms. Although self‐esteem emerged as a central organizing concept in the folk theories of European American mothers, grandmothers spoke in two voices, either echoing their daughters or invoking a counter‐discourse of wariness towards self‐esteem. By contrast, Taiwanese mothers and grandmothers resembled one another—but differed from their American counterparts—in treating self‐esteem as peripheral in childrearing. Results contribute to the growing consensus that self‐esteem is a culture‐specific childrearing goal and suggest that the European American tendency to valorize self‐esteem varies by generation.