Longitudinal analysis of personal networks. The case of Argentinean migrants in Spain

This paper discusses and illustrates various approaches for the longitudinal analysis of personal networks (multilevel analysis, regression analysis, and SIENA). We combined the different types of analyses in a study of the changing personal networks of immigrants. Data were obtained from 25 Argentineans in Spain, who were interviewed twice in a 2-year interval. Qualitative interviews were used to estimate the amount of measurement error and to isolate important predictors. Quantitative analyses showed that the persistence of ties was explained by tie strength, network density, and alters’ country of origin and residence. Furthermore, transitivity appeared to be an important tendency, both for acquiring new contacts and for the relationships among alters. At the network level, immigrants’ networks were remarkably stable in composition and structure despite the high turnover. Clustered graphs have been used to illustrate the results. The results are discussed in light of adaptation to the host society.     

VOLUNTARY ACTIVITIES AND DAILY HAPPINESS IN THE UNITED STATES

This article analyzes differences in daily happiness between those individuals in the United States who perform voluntary activities during the day and those who do not. Using the Well‐Being Module of the American Time Use Survey 2010, we find that those who devote any time to voluntary activities during the day report higher levels of daily happiness than those who do not. Comparing the happiness obtained from a range of activities, we find that volunteering is among the most enjoyable, indicating that time spent on voluntary activities is utility‐enhancing. We document that the effect of voluntary activities on the experienced utility of individuals can be decomposed into a “time‐composition” effect and an “activity” effect, with the latter explaining between 11% and 46% of the observed difference. (JEL D13, J16, J22)     

Methodological issues when analysing the role of physical activity in gastric cancer prevention: a critical review

The beneficial effect of physical activity (PA) has been confirmed in several types of cancer (especially colon and breast tumours). However, the role of PA as a risk factor directly related to the incidence of gastric cancer is still open to doubt. This is in part due to the fact that most studies have not considered gastric sub-site or histology of oesophageal cancer, as well as the different approaches used in order to measure PA. Indeed, some studies have tried to link gastric cancer to PA intensity and timing, whereas others have focused on a specific PA type such as recreational, occupational or sporting activity. Furthermore, most of them do not use validated questionnaires, and others create a PA index and employ different unit measures (metabolic equivalents, hours/week, times per week, etc.), which makes it difficult to compare its findings. Under these circumstances, this brief critical review aims to explore and show all the methodological issues that need to be taken into account in order to objectify the link between PA and gastric cancer, as well as provide alternative solutions to these matters.     

Testing the Determinants of Income Distribution in Major League Baseball

Using data from U.S. Major League Baseball, this article compares parametric and nonparametric Gini coefficients for each team and year. We employ a panel-data model to investigate the time-series and cross-sectional factors affecting the Gini coefficients and the parameters of the preselected distribution. We find that much of within-team income distribution is determined by time-related variables, with the 1994 MLB strike having an especially strong effect. A team's market potential does not seem to affect its salary distribution, but the average age of the players on a team's roster does. Furthermore, inequality first increases with team payroll, then decreases before increasing again.     

Opposition to the Legitimacy of Hate Crime Laws: The Role of Argument Acceptance, Knowledge, Individual Differences, and Peer Influence

Hate crime laws are a highly controversial legal approach in society's response to intergroup violence. Argument acceptance, knowledge, and individual differences were examined in relationship to attitudes about these laws. These variables were also considered in terms of efforts to influence a peer's beliefs about hate crime laws. One-hundred and sixty-seven participants completed a measure of knowledge of human rights laws, Gough's Pr scale, the Selznick and Steinberg anti-Semitism scale, and Cuellar's Machismo scale. Hate crime attitudes were measured on an affect rating scale and six statements reflecting arguments favoring and opposing hate crime laws. Peer influence was examined on Interpersonal Power Inventory (IPI). Results showed that while most participants endorsed positive attitudes about hate crime laws, men—and both women and men who endorsed machismo attitudes—were more likely to agree with media distortion and identity politics arguments opposing hate crime laws. The Pr and machismo scales predicted greater effort on the IPI to influence peer attitudes about hate crime laws, after controlling for demographic differences of the participants. These findings indicate that more explicitly biased individuals were more effortful in trying to change the attitudes of peers concerning the legitimacy of hate crime laws.     

Using spatial models as priors in astronomical image analysis

Optical astronomers now normally collect digital images by means of charge-coupled device detectors, which are blurred by atmospheric motion and distorted by physical noise in the detection process. We examine Bayesian procedures to clean such images using explicit models from spatial statistics for the underlying structure, and compare these methods with those based on maximum entropy.

This is an undated version of Molina and Ripley (1989) containing brief details of later work. Sections 1–5, 7 and 8 follow that paper and describe the deconvolution of galaxies. Further examples have been published in Molina et al. (1992a) for an astronomical audience. Work on the deconvolution of planetary images from Molina et al. (1992b, c) is reported in Section 6 with examples included in Section 7.     

A selection criterion for choosing between functional forms of income distribution

The value of Elderton's k - criterion can be bounded for a given pdf. This paper presents these bounds for the most widely used distribution functions for income and computes the value of K for household incomes as reported in the Consumer Population Survey. The variance for theK are also estimated using the bootstrap, jackknife and delta methods. We find that the K can be used to narrow the field of potential pdfs for income and that all three methods for estimating the variance coincide in flagging low precision in the estimated K.