Use of senior centers as a moderator of stress related distress among Latino elders

Little is known about the moderating effects of community services on psychological distress among Latino elders. This study explores the use of senior centers as an intervention strategy to moderate the harmful impact of stress on psychological distress. The study was conducted using data from the 1988 National Survey of Hispanic Elderly People (N=2,299). To examine the direct and moderating effects of the use of senior centers on the relationship between stress and psychological distress we applied multiple regression analysis to an initial model, a direct effect model, and a moderating model. The results indicated that, under stressful life situations, respondents who used senior centers experienced lower levels of psychological distress than those who did not. Implications of the findings for senior centers and for further research are discussed.     

When Southern Symbolism Meets the Pork Barrel: Opportunity for Executive Leadership*

Objectives. Many empirical studies have sought to explain executive‐legislative relations at the federal level; however, much less research on this topic is available at the state level. This article examines legislative‐gubernatorial relations in Georgia using the highly visible, emotion‐laden, and politically costly issue of changing the state flag. Methods. Using probit models, estimated probabilities for various sets of hypothetical legislators are constructed to explain the vote in each house of the Georgia General Assembly. Results. In the absence of executive pressure, constituency characteristics, specifically district racial composition, dominated legislative decision making on the governor's initiative. In the Senate, where there was adequate time for lobbying before the vote, the carrot of additional school construction funding weighed heavily in legislators' vote calculus. Conclusions. This study demonstrates that governors can, and do, use district‐specific benefits as a tool to help ensure the success of their legislative agendas.     

Impersonal probability as an ideal assessment based on accessible evidence: A viable construct?

When risk analysts and others refer to the true probability of an event, it is not easy to give it a meaning which is sound and useful as a communication device for regulatory, research planning, and related purposes. An interpretation is herein offered which, unlike Bayesian probability, is impersonal and does not depend on a particular assessor; unlike Carnap's logical probability, it does not depend on information actually to hand. It is a generalization of frequency and propensity interpretations of impersonal probability applicable to unique events: an ideal assessment based on currently accessible (not in general perfect) evidence. The argument is illustrated from decision-aiding experience which motivated the enquiry.This work was supported by the National Science Foundation, Division of Social and Economic Sciences. The author thanks John Pratt, Marvin Cohen, Dennis Lindley, Jon Baron, Kathy Laskey, and Stephen Watson for their most helpful review. They do not necessarily share his views.     

Input-output technologies and the effects of tariff reductions

Using input-output (IO) tables from several developed countries (United States, EEC, and Japan) and one developing country (Brazil), we calculate the effects of tariff removal using various combinations of these tables to represent technologies for the countries included in the Michigan Computational Model of World Production and Trade. Among the IO tables, Brazil's reflected unusually high shares of value added, low labor shares, and small supply elasticities. Supply elasticities for the developed countries were somewhat lower than for the United States. Using the Michigan model, our calculated effects of tariff reductions are overstated using the U.S. IO table to represent technologies for other developed countries. Further, for developing countries that use import licensing, the model shows considerable sensitivity to IO table specification. It is especially important, therefore, for computational purposes to obtain the most accurate information possible about IO structures of developing countries.     

Optimal superimposed codes and designs for Renyi''s search model

Renyi (Bull. Amer. Math. Soc. 71 (6) (1965) 809) suggested a combinatorial group testing model, in which the size of a testing group was restricted. In this model, Renyi considered the search of one defective element (significant factor) from the finite set of elements (factors). The corresponding optimal search designs were obtained by Katona (J. Combin. Theory 1 (2) (1966) 174). In the present work, we study Renyi's search model of several significant factors. This problem is closely related to the concept of binary superimposed codes, which were introduced by Kautz and Singleton (IEEE Trans. Inform Theory 10 (4) (1964) 363) and were investigated by D'yachkov and Rykov (Problems Control Inform. Theory 12 (4) (1983) 229), Erdos et al. (Israel J. Math. 51 (1–2) (1985) 75), Ruszinko (J. Combin. Theory Ser. A 66 (1994) 302) and Furedi (J. Combin. Theory Ser. A 73 (1996) 172). Our goal is to prove a lower bound on the search length and to construct the optimal superimposed codes and search designs. The preliminary results have been published by D'yachkov and Rykov (Conference on Computer Science & Engineering Technology, Yerevan, Armenia, September 1997, p. 242).     

From Philanthropy to Social Welfare,Philip Klein. San Francisco,Jossey-Bass Inc., 1968. 307 Pages. $8.50 Hardbound

Interdisciplinary collaboration of health care professionals is necessary if quality health care is to be assured. Social work's concern for the social functioning of human beings should be reflected in its organization of health-care services. To achieve this end, social work education should be structured to prepare students for collaborative activities. This paper describes the process and difficulties of planned change undertaken at the Wayne State University School of Social Work with other health-related schools, in the conception, design, and implementation of an interdisciplinary course and practicum for graduate social work and nursing students.     

Developmental Theory: A Yardstick for Ethnic Minority Content

Knowledge pertaining to ethnicity and culture within the social work curriculum is incorporated currently on a fragmented basis. Often this knowledge is presented from the narrow view of personality theory. Oversimplifications and gross generalizations of cultural variables of ethnic minority groups are present. This paper presents three significant theoretical constructs from developmental theory—the societal-institutional facet, the group-interactional facet and the individual-psychological facet—as a framework to aid in the identification and incorporation of ethnic minority content within the social work curriculum.     

Which Neuropsychiatric Disorder Is More Associated With Divorce?

The social disruption experienced by people with neuropsychiatric disorders may be pervasive and manifest in divorce. It has been estimated that 90% of marriages involving a partner with bipolar disorder culminate in divorce. To verify this information we studied the results of the 2004 National Nursing Home Survey. We found that the percentage of divorced residents was 7%. However, “lonesome” status (widowed, divorced, separated, never married, and single) was prevailing in 79% of residents. The rates of divorce were highest among bipolar, paranoid, and schizophrenic residents (18%, 12%, and 12%, respectively). Lonesome status was also highest among bipolar, paranoid, and schizophrenic residents (85%, 84%, and 83%, respectively). Never married status was highest among those with schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive residents, and bipolar patients (12%, 12%, and 11%, respectively). We conclude that shizophrenic and bipolar patients are very likely to never get married or to end up divorced.