Approximation of density functions by orthogonal series with grouped data

Summary Letg(x) andf(x) be continuous density function on (a, b) and let {ϕ_j} be a complete orthonormal sequence of functions onL ₂(g), which is the set of squared integrable functions weighted byg on (a, b). Suppose that over (a, b). Given a grouped sample of sizen fromf(x), the paper investigates the asymptotic properties of the restricted maximum likelihood estimator of density, obtained by setting all but the firstm of the ϑ_j’s equal to0. Practical suggestions are given for performing estimation via the use of Fourier and Legendre polynomial series. Research partially supported by: CNR grant, n. 93. 00837. CT10.     

Between organization and spontaneity of protests: the 2010–2011 Tunisian and Egyptian uprisings

ABSTRACT

This paper investigates the role of social groups in mobilizing resources for protests in repressive contexts. In particular, it examines the impact of organizations and informal groups on individual engagement in the protests developed in 2010 in Tunisia and in 2011 in Egypt. The empirical analysis draws on the following data sources: the second wave of the Arab Barometer (2010–2011), two focus groups in Egypt conducted between 2011 and 2015 with members of trade unions and of Popular Committees who had participated in the 2011 protests in Egypt, eight semi-structured interviews conducted in 2017 to workers in Tunisia who had engaged in the 2010–2011 protests, and interviews conducted in January and February 2011 to 100 women in Tunisia within a study tackling police violence against women during the Tunisian uprisings.

Findings show that both in Egypt and Tunisia protests were neither spontaneous nor fully organized as formal organizations and informal and spontaneous groups strictly interconnected in sustaining protests. In Egypt, established Islamic charity networks provided the structural basis for Popular Committees to engage in the 2011 protests and the initially spontaneous workers’ groups, institutionalized through the legalization of EFITU, were crucial for national wide protests occurred throughout 2011. In Tunisia, the major trade union UGTT was essential for mobilizing workers in the initial stages of protests but was backed by informal and spontaneous groups of workers during the process of protest diffusion.

Results remark that the 2010–2011 Tunisian and Egyptian uprisings were therefore well-grounded on intermediate mobilizing structures capable to survive in the interstices of an authoritarian context. Findings suggest to consider that, in repressive context, spontaneous groups and more established and formal organizations continuously switch from one form to another, overlap, and transform themselves faster than they would do in democratic contexts.     

Research into work stress in Italy: A review

This paper reviews the development of stress research in Italy from the late 1960s onwards. It focuses on 1975 as the year when the first real studies on work stress were published, and interest was kindled in the psychological factors which affect physical health and in the physiological correlates of work stress. Much important work in these aspects of occupational health was started at this time at the Clinic of Work in Milan and at the University of Perugia. By the 1980s, Italian psychologists were also showing considerable interest in work stress, and the more psychological literature had begun to exceed that of a medical and physiological orientation. Despite this progress, stress research in Italy is still in its infancy, and the recognition of stress as an issue for management and trade unions is weak.     

Alterations in the Emotional Regulation Process in Gambling Addiction: The Role of Anger and Alexithymia

This study aims at the assessment of alexithymia and anger levels in 100 treatment-seeking pathological gamblers compared with controls, who were matched for age, gender and education. Furthermore a positive correlation between alexithymia, anger and severity of gambling disorder and a relationship between gambling behaviour and anger after controlling for alexithymia, are investigated. Finally the role that gender plays in anger in pathological gamblers was also evaluated. Psychological assessment includes the South Oaks Gambling Screen, State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-2 and the twenty-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Statistical analysis of the results shows a higher level of anger in pathological gamblers than in controls, together with alterations in emotional processing. Severity of gambling behaviour positively correlates with alexithymia scores, state-anger and trait-anger. Moreover, a significant contribution of anger in predicting gambling behaviour was suggested after controlling for alexithymia. In conclusion, anger and alexithymia must be regarded as relevant components of the assessment of pathological gamblers, in order to select the best therapeutical strategies to prevent self-defeating behaviours and to reduce drop-out from treatments.     

Exploring the absolutist vs relativist perception of poverty using a cross-country questionnaire survey

Questionnaires eliciting the absolutist vs relativist perception of poverty are administered to 1941 undergraduate students in eight countries - Bolivia, Brazil, Italy, Kenya, Laos, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. We find that the perception of poverty expressed by a large fraction of respondents exhibits both absolutist and relativist concerns, with the former components prevailing over the latter. High-income countries exhibit a significantly more pronounced relativist attitude. Personal characteristics such as past experience of material hardship and relative standard of living play a germane role in shaping respondents’ views.     

Who are the objects of positive and negative gossip at work?: A social network perspective on workplace gossip

Gossip is informal talking about colleagues. Taking a social network perspective, we argue that group boundaries and social status in the informal workplace network determine who the objects of positive and negative gossip are. Gossip networks were collected among 36 employees in a public child care organization, and analyzed using exponential random graph modeling (ERGM). As hypothesized, both positive and negative gossip focuses on colleagues from the own gossiper's work group. Negative gossip is relatively targeted, with the objects being specific individuals, particularly those low in informal status. Positive gossip, in contrast, is spread more evenly throughout the network.     

Ergonomic investigation on pedestrian crossing with traffic light signalization

This article is about the risk behavior adopted by pedestrians at crosswalks with traffic light equipment. It was observed that many pedestrians take risk to cross the Presidente Vargas Avenue. This avenue is located in downtown in Rio de Janeiro city, Brazil, and has a heavy vehicular traffic and intense pedestrian flow. Many pedestrians cross the four lanes of avenue dangerously disobeying the traffic light indications. To conduct this research about pedestrian's behavior at crosswalks, a model known as Communication-Human Information Processing Model - C-HIP Model was used. Investigating the stages by C-HIP model perspective, using methods and techniques for each stage, enabled to identify which factors can contribute to pedestrians to disobey traffic signs and adopt a risky behavior in pedestrian crossing.