Parallel and interacting stochastic approximation annealing algorithms for global optimisation

We present the parallel and interacting stochastic approximation annealing (PISAA) algorithm, a stochastic simulation procedure for global optimisation, that extends and improves the stochastic approximation annealing (SAA) by using population Monte Carlo ideas. The efficiency of standard SAA algorithm crucially depends on its self-adjusting mechanism which presents stability issues in high dimensional or rugged optimisation problems. The proposed algorithm involves simulating a population of SAA chains that interact each other in a manner that significantly improves the stability of the self-adjusting mechanism and the search for the global optimum in the sampling space, as well as it inherits SAA desired convergence properties when a square-root cooling schedule is used. It can be implemented in parallel computing environments in order to mitigate the computational overhead. As a result, PISAA can address complex optimisation problems that it would be difficult for SAA to satisfactory address. We demonstrate the good performance of the proposed algorithm on challenging applications including Bayesian network learning and protein folding. Our numerical comparisons suggest that PISAA outperforms the simulated annealing, stochastic approximation annealing, and annealing evolutionary stochastic approximation Monte Carlo.     

Attitudinal and behavioral differences between cigarette users who do and do not identify as “smokers”

Objective: The current research aimed to understand differences in smoking-related identity among college students and to illustrate the distinct characteristics of nonidentified smokers (NIS). Participants: Students from 2 colleges in Massachusetts (N = 538; April 2016). Methods: Respondents reported by online survey whether or not they had smoked a cigarette in the past 30 days and if they self-identified as smokers. Nonsmokers (NIS) and identified smokers (IS) were then compared on their smoking attitudes and behavior. Results: NIS made up 12.5% of the sample and 64% of all tobacco users. NIS perceived themselves as less addicted and were more confident in their ability to quit smoking. They also were less likely to smoke alone, buy their own cigarettes, or have friends who smoked. Conclusions: College health officials can best motivate NIS to quit smoking by focusing on peer norms and the potential of long-term addiction.     

Racial/Ethnic Minority Vocational Research Trends: An 11‐Year Update

This study extends Flores et al.'s ( 2006 ) 36‐year analysis of racial/ethnic minority (REM) career research to identify recent trends in choice of topics and leading individual and institutional contributors. The authors identified 166 articles on REM career research published from 2005 to 2015 in the Journal of Vocational Behavior, The Career Development Quarterly, the Journal of Career Assessment, and the Journal of Career Development. Of these studies, 92% were empirical, with more than three quarters of these using quantitative rather than qualitative methodology. Most frequently, the empirical studies (n = 153) were based on samples of high school (30.7%) or undergraduate (34.6%) students. The authors discuss the implications of their findings and suggest ways to expand REM career research in the future.     

“Big Fish in a Small Pond”: Chinese Migrant Shopkeepers in South Africa

The steady growth of Chinese migrants to South Africa in the past decade provides an opportunity to use Sen's (2001, Development as Freedom. Oxford: Oxford University Press) capabilities approach in the field of immigration. This theoretical framing reveals that the Chinese employ, what I call, a small pond migration strategy – utilizing mobility to maximize their social, economic, and human capital. I argue that the Chinese move to South Africa because of a desire to venture out of China and pursue freedoms associated with being one's own boss. Once in South Africa, they choose to stay because of comfortable weather and a slower pace of life, despite losing freedoms associated with high crime in Johannesburg. The findings suggest alternative ways of understanding factors of migration as well as a model that explains migration from more developed countries to less developed ones.     

中国发展的政治基础——以人民民主为中心的考察

中国发展离不开中国政治在其中的作用。在中国的政治逻辑中,人民民主既是国家的形态,也是国家的目标。它多维度地定义和规范着国家的结构、运行与发展,从而使中国的国家与社会生活既遵循民主与现代化要求,又遵循中国的自我意志。只要中国能够在现有的制度框架下,以人民民主为取向,时刻保持政治与经济的有机互动,自觉地进行政治建设,推进民主发展,中国的未来发展不仅不会引发政治问题,相反还能从中国独特的政治体系中获得有效的动力和保障。原因在于:一是中国的经济与社会发展已完全迈入现代化的轨道,已成为一种不可逆的发展;二是中国的政治体系具有现代性,而且其本质上是开放的,因而具有很强的适应性和发展性,否则,中国是不可能创造今天这样的发展局面的。     

试论古代罗马帝国的葬式及其变化

罗马人最初流行的土葬,与古人入土为安的观念有关;随后由于战争的影响,火葬在罗马人当中盛行起来.公元1世纪后期达于鼎盛的火葬,既是罗马奴隶制繁荣的产物,也是希腊灵肉二元论思想影响的结果.从3世纪开始,土葬又重新成为罗马帝国中主要流行的葬式,这是由当时社会历史条件的变更所造成的.在当时,土葬是一种比火葬要便宜得多的葬式,3世纪的社会经济危机既造成了较高的死亡率,又导致了生活的普遍贫困化,因此,大部分人选择用土葬方式埋葬自己的亲人.异教民众当中土葬方式的推行,与基督徒的土葬传统不谋而合,这对于基督教在帝国内的传播是一个有利的契机.基督教的土葬在外表形式上继承自犹太教,但其思想内容却渊源于肉体复活论.这种理论既造就了一种中庸和自然主义的死亡观,也促成了一种简朴和实用的葬俗.     

论血缘文化的锁定及其突破——中国传统伦理的近现代转换

血缘是中国文化的最本质要素,它建构、锁定了以家庭为核心,以"家国一体"为主要构架的中国伦理;在承载几千年的历史使命之后,在遭遇西方文明的碰撞之时,血缘文化及其建构的中国伦理在合法性上遭受了质疑;从过去的封建小农经济到今天的大工业社会,中国伦理的失范与重建成为一代代学人所共同关注的核心。     

论《监督法》的立法完善

《监督法》的实施使我国监督法治生态发生了积极变化,但并没有完全实现其立法期待.因此,需要从立法的角度思考《监督法》的完善.一是增设“法律责任”的专门规定,对监督对象与监督主体法律责任的适用条件及其责任形式作出“直接且明确”的规定.二是完善监督公开的制度设计,实现以公开为原则以不公开为例外、以主动公开为原则以申请公开为例外、以实时公开为原则以事后公开为例外、以实质公开为原则以形式公开为例外的基本要求.三是创设观审制等新的监督制度.     

中国地方人民代表大会预算监督研究

加强地方人民代表大会预算监督不仅有助于深化预算改革,而且有助于进一步完善人民代表大会制度和社会主义民主。人大预算监督包括信息、对话与强制三个维度。基于这三个维度的全国范围的问卷调查发现,随着预算改革的推进,人大预算监督已经开始从原来的程序性监督迈向实质性监督,但是地方人大的预算监督仍然面临许多挑战。在未来的改革中,需要进一步加强人大预算监督,促使政府更好地对人民负责。     

不对称信息下风险投资家与风险企业家之间的委托代理问题研究

风险投资体系以多重激励和不对称信息为特征,风险投资的三方利益主体之间存在着双重委托-代理关系,有效控制代理风险是风险投资高效运作的基本前提。本文基于信息经济学原理,分析了风险投资家与风险企业家之间代理风险的成因,并从委托人的角度讨论了风险治理的原则和投资契约的构造。