Consistent and rate-optimal density estimation from heteroscedastic data groups

We consider the problem of estimating a density function based on aggregated data where the data group sizes may differ from each other. The reconstruction of the target density can be regarded as a nonlinear statistical inverse problem. We introduce some estimation procedures which are capable to use the observations from all groups by some nonstandard deconvolution techniques. General consistency and rate-optimality under common smoothness constraints are developed. We give some numerical simulations and a data-driven bandwidth selector.     

WILLINGNESS TOUPEE

In this paper we tackle the hairy problem of male pattern baldness. We survey balding men and elicit their willingness to pay to move from their current situation to a more plentiful one. Then we comb‐over the results. What's the average willingness to pay to move from a glistening cue ball to a luscious mane? About $30,000. (JEL B12)     

Exploring the Conceptual Foundation of Continuity Management in the Context of Societal Safety

Public and private actors with critical roles for ensuring societal safety need to work proactively to reduce risks and vulnerabilities. Traditionally, risk management activities have often been performed in order to ensure continuous functioning of key societal services. Recently, however, business continuity management (BCM), and its analytical subcomponent business impact assessment (BIA), has been introduced and used more extensively by both the private and public sector in order to increase the robustness and resilience of critical infrastructures and societal functions and services. BCM was originally developed in the business sector but has received a broader use during the last decade. Yet, BCM/BIA has gained limited attention in the scientific literature—especially when it comes to clarifying and developing its conceptual basis. First, this article examines and discusses the conceptual foundation of BCM concepts, including practical challenges of applying the concepts. Based on recent conceptual developments from the field of risk management, a developed conceptualization is suggested. Second, the article discusses challenges that arise when applying BCM in the societal safety area and provides some recommendations aiming to improve the clarity and quality of applications. Third, the article provides suggestions of how to integrate the overlapping approaches of BIA and risk assessment in order to improve efficiency and effectiveness of proactive, analytic processes. We hope that the article can stimulate a critical discussion about the key concepts of BCM, their wider use in societal safety, and their connection to other concepts and activities such as risk assessment.     

Using arts-based materials to explore the complexities of clinical decision- making in a social work methods course

High-impact educational practices through use of arts-based materials (ABM) enrich student learning by deepening emotional and cognitive understanding of others, providing new perspectives on issues, and engaging students in critical reflection. As a form of multimodal learning, using ABM in the classroom engages students in visual, verbal, nonverbal, and experiential learning, which has been shown to contribute to improved learning outcomes. This article describes a high-impact, whole-minded, project in an MSW clinical practice course that involved ABM. The authors provide recommendations for others who are interested in incorporating high-impact ABM projects into their teaching.     

Transaction fee economics in the Ethereum blockchain

We study the economic determinants of transaction fees in the Ethereum blockchain. We estimate an empirical model based on queueing theory and analyze the factors determining the “gas price” (transaction cost per unit of service, “gas”). Using block- and transaction-level data from the Ethereum blockchain, we show that changes in service demand significantly affect the gas price—when there is high block utilization, per-unit fees increase on average, with strong nonlinear effect above 90% utilization. The transaction type is another important factor—larger fraction of regular transactions (direct transfers between users) is associated with higher gas price.     

Everyday Meaning of Neighboring in Old Age in an Urban District

ABSTRACT

Contact and assistance between neighbors are prominent forms of social exchange in a spatial context. For older adults, the neighborhood gains in importance when mobility disabilities increase. This explorative study, therefore, aimed to investigate given and received neighborhood help and the everyday meaning of neighboring among older adults in an urban district. Study participants were aged 60 years and older (N = 100) living in an urban district of Zurich, Switzerland. Results highlight that older adults reported vivid interactions with their neighbors and that reciprocity exists between given and received neighborhood help. Besides that, daily contact and neighborhood help affect the perceived feeling of neighboring. Data indicate that neighboring is a meaningful resource for coping with everyday life situations in old age in an urban context.     

Vegetation management and benthic macroinvertebrate communities in urban stormwater ponds: implications for regional biodiversity

Urban Ecosystems - Designed ecosystems (e.g., gardens or engineered ponds) are increasingly common components of urban landscapes and contribute valuable ecosystem services. However, management of...     

Physiological contagion in parent–child dyads during an emotional challenge

Parents and children mutually influence each other’s behavior, but little work has examined how parent–child dyads influence one another’s physiological responding under conditions of emotional challenge. This is important to examine because physiological substrates underlie the development of self‐regulation. We examined this in 97 parent–child dyads who participated in a frustrating laboratory challenge that first perturbed the affective state of the dyad and then allowed recalibration. Children were between 3 and 7 years of age (M = 5.80 years, SD = 1.25 years; 41 boys). Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and pre‐ejection period (PEP) were assessed continuously as measures of parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system activity, respectively. Actor–partner interdependence models were used to quantify the extent of physiological contagion between partners. The expected actor effects were found for RSA and PEP, and a partner effect was found for RSA only. Specifically, parents’ RSA reactivity to perturbation influenced children’s RSA reactivity during recalibration. This provides additional evidence for parent–child coregulation, during which parents support their children’s regulatory efforts. We found no partner effects for PEP. Taken together, our results suggest that the two ANS branches may serve different regulatory functions, with parasympathetic functioning relating more strongly to social interactions and dyadic challenges like those in the current study. This study provides the first evidence of physiological contagion in an emotionally challenging context between parents and children.