Single-machine scheduling with periodic due dates to minimize the total earliness and tardy penalty

We consider a single-machine scheduling problem such that the due dates are assigned to each job depending on its order, and the lengths of the intervals between consecutive due dates are identical. The objective is to minimize the total penalty for the earliness and tardiness of each job. The early penalty proportionally increases according to the earliness amount, while the tardy penalty increases according to the step function. We show that the problem is strongly NP-hard, and furthermore, polynomially solvable if the two types of processing times exist.

     

DNA Screening, Pooling Design and Simplicial Complex

Pooling designs are used for DNA library screening. In this paper, we present a construction of pooling design with simplicial complex and establish some general results on the construction.     

Robust penalized logistic regression with truncated loss functions

The penalized logistic regression (PLR) is a powerful statistical tool for classification. It has been commonly used in many practical problems. Despite its success, since the loss function of the PLR is unbounded, resulting classifiers can be sensitive to outliers. To build more robust classifiers, we propose the robust PLR (RPLR) which uses truncated logistic loss functions, and suggest three schemes to estimate conditional class probabilities. Connections of the RPLR with some other existing work on robust logistic regression have been discussed. Our theoretical results indicate that the RPLR is Fisher consistent and more robust to outliers. Moreover, we develop estimated generalized approximate cross validation (EGACV) for the tuning parameter selection. Through numerical examples, we demonstrate that truncating the loss function indeed yields better performance in terms of classification accuracy and class probability estimation.     

Estimation of the scale parameter of the half-logistic distribution with multiply type II censored sample

In this paper, we consider the maximum likelihood and Bayes estimation of the scale parameter of the half-logistic distribution based on a multiply type II censored sample. However, the maximum likelihood estimator(MLE) and Bayes estimator do not exist in an explicit form for the scale parameter. We consider a simple method of deriving an explicit estimator by approximating the likelihood function and discuss the asymptotic variances of MLE and approximate MLE. Also, an approximation based on the Laplace approximation (Tierney & Kadane, 1986) is used to obtain the Bayes estimator. In order to compare the MLE, approximate MLE and Bayes estimates of the scale parameter, Monte Carlo simulation is used.     

Are Networks Flat or Vertical?: Developing a Multi-Level Multi-Dimension Network Model

Extant public administration network literature tend to conceptualize and measure relationships in networks based on the premise that the nodes and ties in networks lie on a single-level horizontal structure. The purpose of the current study is to suggest that networks are inevitably multi-level and multi-dimension structures and propose a multi-level multi-dimension network model (MLMD). More specifically, network relationships such as within-level, inter-level, and inter-sector are offered to depict the multi-layered and multi-sectoral nature of the network relationships among the government and non-government actors. For empirical analysis, the current study constructs a hypothetical network to describe MLMD.     

Gay Seouls: Expanding Religious Spaces for Non-Heterosexuals in South Korea

What Protestant congregations offer spaces for worship and dialogue among persons with different sexual orientations? The academic literature finds or assumes that non-heterosexuals are stigmatized or invisible in theologically conservative congregations and are welcomed in progressive, affirming congregations. This article develops an alternative claim that some conservative or evangelical congregations offer attractive spaces for non-heterosexuals to worship and dialogue. We illustrate with an exploratory study of four congregations in South Korea—two theologically progressive, two evangelical—whose pastors welcomed everybody regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. The “inclusive-evangelical” congregations retained conservative theology on sexuality (sexual relations only within heterosexual marriage) but offered more empathic dialogue with non-heterosexuals than did most evangelical congregations; they also provided more resources, conventional religious culture, and ties to traditional affective networks than the affirming-progressive congregations. Inclusive-evangelical congregations offer an institutional venue for non-heterosexual Christians in Korea to potentially reconcile three central values: conservative Christianity, traditional (Confucian) affective networks, and expressive individualism.     

Residential segregation in metropolitan established immigrant gateways and new destinations, 1990-2000

In the 1990s, many immigrants bypassed established gateways like Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and Miami to create new immigrant destinations across the US. In this paper, we examine how segregation and spatial assimilation might differ between established gateways and new destinations among the 150 largest metropolitan areas. Using data from the 1990 and 2000 censuses, we calculate levels of dissimilarity for Hispanics and Asians by nativity for these two gateway types. Our findings show that segregation levels are consistently lower in new destinations. However, Hispanics in new destinations experienced significant increases segregation during the 1990s, suggesting a convergence in residential patterns by destination type. Nevertheless, in both destinations the native-born are less segregated than the foreign born—consistent with immigrant spatial incorporation. Finally, socioeconomic indicators are generally consistent with predictions of spatial assimilation.     

Intergenerational mobility in the post-1965 immigration era: Estimates by an immigrant generation cohort method

The new second generation of the post-1965 immigration era is observed as children with their parents in 1980 and again as adults 25 years later. Intergenerational mobility is assessed for both men and women in four major racial/ethnic groups, both in regard to children’s status attainment relative to parents and with regard to the rising societal standards proxied by native-born non-Hispanic whites. A profile of intergenerational mobility is prepared using multiple indicators of status attainment: high school and college completion, upper white-collar occupation, poverty, and homeowner ship. The immigrant generation cohort method we introduce accounts for four distinct temporal dimensions of immigrant progress, clarifying inconsistencies in the literature and highlighting differences in mobility between racial/ethnic groups and with respect to different outcome measures. The immigrant generation cohort method consistently finds greater intergenerational mobility than suggested by alternative approaches. Our analysis also shows that the intergenerational progress of women is greater than that of men and provides a more complete record of immigrant mobility overall. Findings for individual racial/ethnic groups accord with some expectations in the literature and contradict others.     

Three Ways to Be Happy: Pleasure,Engagement, and Meaning—Findings from Australian and US Samples

This study examined the contributions of orientations to happiness (pleasure, engagement and meaning) to subjective well-being. A sample of 12,622 adults from the United States completed on-line surveys measuring orientations to happiness, positive affect, negative affect, and life satisfaction. A sample of 332 adults from Australia also completed these surveys as well as a measure of the big five factor personality traits. Hierarchical regressions generally supported the hypothesis that the three orientations to happiness predict subjective well-being (satisfaction with life, positive affect and negative affect) beyond sociodemographic variables and personality. Meaning and engagement explained the greatest variance in all three components of subjective well-being. Overall, these findings support the importance of a eudaimonic approach in addition to the hedonic approach to achieving happiness. Moreover, findings were relatively consistent in both the Australian and US samples. Some of these data were presented at the 8th Australian Centre on Quality of Life Conference, Melbourne, Australia.     

Personality of social robots perceived through the appearance

Past research showed that people are able to perceive the personality of others at zero acquaintances. There are two main ways, verbal and non-verbal methods, which play an important role for one in perceiving personality of others. Extensive research was conducted in relating personality with verbal, paralinguistic and gestures cues. However, there are not much research, to our knowledge, that relates the appearance and perceived personality of robots. The main objective of this research is to relate individual design features with big five perceived personality of the robots. We used the results of rated perceptions across 100 pictorial images of robots and relate the results with the 40 individual design features using General Linear Model (GLM). The initial results of the GLM analysis showed that participants' rating of personality of robot fell along the dimension of perceived friendliness which is a common rotation of extroversion and agreeableness. Some relationships were found between humanlike design features and perceived friendliness of robots. Since participants are more familiar with humans, participants perceived robots with humanlike features friendlier than the others. Some other findings such as color and surface material were found related with participants' perceived friendliness as well. In the future, we will work on the analysis of the main and interaction effects of individual features on user's perceived friendliness.