Co-2-plex polynomials

This paper offers a generalization of the independence polynomial, the co-k-plex polynomial. The resulting family of polynomials carries combinatorial information on a class of independence systems defined over the vertex set of a finite graph. Specifically, we offer a recursion formula and examples of the co-2-plex polynomial on certain graphs. In addition, we characterize the class of graphs whose co-2-plex polynomial will have all real roots.     

The quality of student life: Toward a coherent conceptualization

Under various guises, the concept of the quality of student life (QSL) has received much attention in the higher education literature. Unfortunately, its various uses have in common that they all lack conceptual coherence. In an effort to remedy this situation, and render QSL useful for researchers, administrators and student services personnel, this paper does three things. First, a conceptual framework is used as a means of organizing a wide-ranging review of relevant literatures across several disciplines. Integration of the inferences derived yields a new formal definition of QSL. Next, building on a critique of four theoretical models of QSL, a new ecological formulation is advanced which stresses the need to consider various on- and off-campus contexts if efforts to assess student satisfaction and happiness are to be meaningful. Third, a number of salient methodological issues are examined in light of this formulation. To the extent that these approaches collectively yield a more coherent conceptualization of QSL, it is concluded that the idea of QSL deserves much greater prominence than it now enjoys.     

Inter-generation differences in occupation

As one of the steps taken to test the validity of the 1951 population census data in England and Wales some of the information on a sample of census schedules was compared with the relevant entries int he birth register for the persons whose names appeared on the schedules. In the course of this procedure it was possible to compare the occupation of the son at the time of the census with the occupation of the father when the son was born. This paper gives an account of the inter-generation changes in the occupational shifts involved in social mobility. Generally speaking, only one-quarter of the sons were following occupations either the same as that of the fater, or close enough to it to be within the same order of the classification of occupations. In these changes the main departures from selections of a “free choice” character were that agricultural workers' sons tended more often to choose manual occupations in woodwork, building and transport, etc; sons of fathers in mining and quarrying occupations showed a tendency to enter, as alternative employment, building, stationary engine driving, and labouring; there is a suggestion that rather more sons of workers in metal manufacture or engineering than would be expected took employment in commercial, etc., or clerical occupations; sons of fathers in commercial, finance and insurance occupations found their way more often into administration and managerial or professional and technical, or clerical occupations; sons of fathers in professional and technical occupations entered commercial, finance and insurance occupations more often than males in general; and sons of clerks showed a marked tendency to prefer professional and technical occupations. In terms of socio-economic groups the analysis shows a net generation shift toward the administrative, professional and managerial groups. In this net shift the major contributions, relative to their numbers and over and above a free choice selection, were made by the sons of shopkeepers, etc., and clerks.     

Occupational prestige from preference orientations via the Markov Chain: An alternative to respondent ranking techniques

This paper suggests a method of determining occupational prestige structures through simulation of transfer of credit processes involving the Markov Chain. The method required recording present and preferred occupations of a representative sample of employed persons. Following the example of Blau (1956) and Empey (1956) the concept “preferred occupation” is suggested as clearly distinct from occupational choice which has been treated by other researchers (Musgrave 1967; Carol and Parry 1968; Kuvlesky and Bealer 1966; Haller and Sewell 1967; Solcum 1956; and Philband and Gregory 1956). A series of Markov Chain interactions transforms the present-preferred occupation matrix, “controls” for structure limitations on ambitions and social distance, and generates a hierarchical model of occupational prestige structures. This paper examines the methodological and theoretical issues implicit in the measurement of prestige and the establishment of prestige hierarchies, and describes the procedures of the application of the Markov Chain to occupational preference responses. It reports the results of the application of this technique to a pilot sample and compares the resulting hierarchy with those derived from NORC measures and the Duncan socioeconomic index.     

Is the Gene-Environment Interaction Paradigm Relevant to Genome-Wide Studies? The Case of Education and Body Mass Index

This study uses data from the Framingham Heart Study to examine the relevance of the gene-environment interaction paradigm for genome-wide association studies (GWAS). We use completed college education as our environmental measure and estimate the interactive effect of genotype and education on body mass index (BMI) using 260,402 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Our results highlight the sensitivity of parameter estimates obtained from GWAS models and the difficulty of framing genome-wide results using the existing gene-environment interaction typology. We argue that SNP-environment interactions across the human genome are not likely to provide consistent evidence regarding genetic influences on health that differ by environment. Nevertheless, genome-wide data contain rich information about individual respondents, and we demonstrate the utility of this type of data. We highlight the fact that GWAS is just one use of genome-wide data, and we encourage demographers to develop methods that incorporate this vast amount of information from respondents into their analyses.     

Health education evaluation and beliefs and practices in rural Tamil Nadu. 2. Family planning and antenatal care

This paper, which reports on the effect of health services in Kanniambadi block, is a continuation of a previous paper on knowledge, attitude and practice surveys in 3 blocks in North Arcot District, Tamil Nadu. It was found that knowledge of family planning is poor, especially for temporary methods, even in the service area. However, both attitudes and practice showed a definite improvement in the service area. Knowledge of antenatal care was also poor, with only slight improvement in the service area. The influence of different factors on family planning and implications for health education are discussed. More use of group methods, and more education about temporary methods is recommended, as well as close linkage between health and development programs.     

Religion and Trends in Euthanasia Attitudes among U.S. Adults, 1977–2004

Though many studies address the role of religion in predicting social attitudes over time, none has examined this relationship specifically for euthanasia. Using a large, nationally representative data source, this study seeks to address this void. Our findings indicate that considerable differences exist among religious denominations regarding the legalization of euthanasia. Specifically, we note a liberalizing trend for all included denominations. We also demonstrate substantial differences in the rates of liberalization, particularly in comparison to conservative Protestants. We conclude with an assessment of our findings relative to previous studies on religion and public opinion.