Sappho was a right-on adolescent: growing up lesbian

Beginning with the interaction between the coming-out process and adolescent development, this paper explores the young lesbian experience. The words and perceptions of over 20 young lesbians are used to depict the experience from their own points of view.     

INFLUENCE DIAGNOSTICS FOR THE NORMAL LINEAR MODEL WITH CENSORED DATA

Methods of detecting influential observations for the normal model for censored data are proposed. These methods include one-step deletion methods, deletion of observations and the empirical influence function. Emphasis is placed on assessing the impact that a single observation has on the estimation of coefficients of the model. Functions of the coefficients such as the median lifetime are also considered. Results are compared when applied to two sets of data.     

A COMPARISON OF FAMILY ADAPTATIONS TO HAVING A CHILD WITH CYSTIC FIBROSIS

The effect of Cystic Fibrosis (CF) on the structure and social climate of the family was examined with self-report scales and independent observations of family functioning. Families in which the child with CF was not the firstborn were found to be functioning more healthily than those in which the child was the firstborn. This was found on 7 of 10 family environment scales, a family hierarchy test, and on all three of the family system scales used by the independent observers (power, cohesion and closeness). Significant correlations between specific family variables and problem behaviors and social competencies were also found.     

Planning without vision— Roots of the urban disaster

Urban planning, especially in the United States, arose in reaction to the forces of industrialization. Yet urban development remained subordinate to the deeper powers of the rising technological order and failed to find an independent inspiration, ideal, or initiative by which cities could integrate the bewildering social changes. A kind of self-defeat is proclaimed in the very language of planning. How did this happen? Even to begin to perceive the causes, it is necessary to search in the history, philosophy, and customs of the society within which urban planning emerged.     

Estimation of stage-specific developmental times and survivorship from stage frequency data

Summary An algorithm for estimating mean stage durations, the standard deviations associated with the means, and stage-specific survivorships from stage frequency data is presented. The algorithm is based on an age-structured, distributed delay simulation model which usesErlang distributions to determine the probability of maturity for individuals in each stage. If the data set extends beyond the first generation, the algorithm requires a fecundity rate, as well as stage frequencies, as input. Goodness-of-fit was measured using a weighted least squares calculation summed over all observed stages and all sampling dates.     

Confidence Sets Based on Thresholding Estimators in High-Dimensional Gaussian Regression Models

We study confidence intervals based on hard-thresholding, soft-thresholding, and adaptive soft-thresholding in a linear regression model where the number of regressors k may depend on and diverge with sample size n. In addition to the case of known error variance, we define and study versions of the estimators when the error variance is unknown. In the known-variance case, we provide an exact analysis of the coverage properties of such intervals in finite samples. We show that these intervals are always larger than the standard interval based on the least-squares estimator. Asymptotically, the intervals based on the thresholding estimators are larger even by an order of magnitude when the estimators are tuned to perform consistent variable selection. For the unknown-variance case, we provide nontrivial lower bounds and a small numerical study for the coverage probabilities in finite samples. We also conduct an asymptotic analysis where the results from the known-variance case can be shown to carry over asymptotically if the number of degrees of freedom n ? k tends to infinity fast enough in relation to the thresholding parameter.     

Facial reactions in preschoolers: A descriptive study

The facial behavior during a marble rolling game was analyzed for two samples of children between the ages of 2 and 5 years using the Facial Action Coding System (FACS). In addition, for a subsample of children temperament ratings were available. Analysis of coding reliability showed that frequency as well as temporal location coding can be reliably performed for preschoolers. The facial movements show a frequency distribution which is highly similar in both samples. Movements of the mouth, especially the components of smiling, and some movements of the eye region, were observed frequently. Most other facial movements were infrequent events. The more often shown facial movements were stable over a period up to 18 months. In addition, sum-scores of emotion-relevant Action Units were meaningfully related to infant temperament characteristics.     

Informal Shelter Providers: Low Income Households Sheltering the Homeless

Despite the important role they play in preventing homelessness, those who shelter people who can not afford housing of their own have been neglected by researchers. This study examines the characteristics of these low income informal shelter providers. While informal shelter providers were similar to a comparison group of low income households that did not shelter others, there were also significant differences between the two groups. Informal shelter providers were more much more likely to live in single family dwellings, they were more likely to be long-term residents of the community, they were more likely to have experienced homelessness themselves, and they devoted a disproportionate share of their incomes to housing.     

Capitalized investments with entry and exit options and paradoxical tax effects

Investment decisions are often characterized by uncertainty, irreversibility, and timing flexibility. We use a binomial model to investigate the interdependencies of effects from profit taxation and both an option to delay and an option to abandon on investment decisions. We show that increasing the tax rate can lead to paradoxical tax effects, i.e. it may foster an investor’s willingness to invest. By contrast, if we abstract from the abandonment option, such paradoxical effects cannot be identified. Hence, we show that paradoxical tax effects can be caused by an abandonment option. Our results are helpful for investors facing risky investment opportunities and for improving typical valuation approaches.