Support Networks of Gay Male and Lesbian Youth

The support networks of 90 self-identified urban gay male and lesbian youth (ages 14 to 21 years) are examined. The youth, who are predominantly black and Latino/a, indicated an average of eight persons in their support networks, most of whom were close friends. Other significant groups included were parents, siblings, other relatives, and lovers or partners. A large majority of the support network members knew that the youth were gay or lesbian. Youth were moderately to very satisfied with the support they received from the network members—being more satisfied with the support provided by those who knew of their homosexuality compared to those who suspected or were unaware. Nonetheless, most youth felt that they did not have enough friends, and that they often to seldom felt lonely. These two feelings correlated positively with suicide ideation and attempts; and feeling lonely also correlated positively with drug use.     

Spatial and Temporal Aspects of the Density-Distance Relationship

Abstract

Numerous studies of the relationship between urban population density and distance from the city's center have shown that: (1) Cross-sectionally, the relationship between density and distance is negative, such that density crests in the interior of the city and declines toward the periphery. (2) Longitudinally, the slope of the density-distance relationship becomes flatter as central densities decline as neighborhoods age and thin and as fringe areas develop and increase in population. Most studies have worked with the total relationship between density and distance, ignoring cross-sectional and longitudinal variants from the general pattern for subareas of the metropolis. Large cities seldom develop uniformily in concentric patterns focused upon the CBD. More typical is the axial pattern described by Hurd or the sectoral pattern by Hoyt in which development is axial along principal arteries of transportation with inner-axial areas developing at later points in time. This paper pursues intra-urban differences in growth and development as expressed in the density-distance relationship. Our focus is on between-sector differences in the density-distance relationship at given points in time and upon temporal differences in the relationship through time for individual sectors. Our aim is to specify in a more detailed fashion the link between general urban dynamics and the changing density-distance relationship. The data are for the Cleveland metropolitan area, 1930–1970.     

Sovereign bond holdings and monetary policy operations in the euro area

This paper investigates the relationship between sovereign bond holdings of banks and refinancing operations by the ECB for countries in the euro area. We use data collected by Bruegel as well as a new dataset compiled from the annual statements of national central banks to estimate panel regression models. Our findings support the hypothesis that the ECB’s refinancing operations have increased resident banks’ exposure to domestic sovereign bonds. This is in line with the moral suasion theory advanced in the literature. These results strengthen the case for regulatory changes aimed at reducing the sensitivity of banks to sovereign risk.     

II. „Nicht alles Gute ist auch gleichzeitig zu haben“

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Moving beyond the child care debate toward implications for social and political agendas

Early nonmaternal child care, for at least some portion of the week, is now the reality for most families in the United States. Ongoing debates surrounding what these changes mean for our society have focused on the possible negative consequences of extended nonmaternal care and the potential impact of such arrangements on children's later development. The NICHD-Early Child Care Research Network (ECCRN) Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development has made great strides toward addressing methodological limitations in previous research through a series of landmark examinations of child functioning from transition to school through 15 years-of-age. The primary goal of this commentary is to put the child care findings into a broader developmental, social, and political context by reframing the discussion to move beyond the current daycare debate and consider implications for social policy and research agendas. Given that daycare has become a normative social institution, we first consider what the research findings mean for the healthy social–emotional and cognitive growth of children. Second, we articulate the implications of the data for social interventions to improve those outcomes. Finally, we address the issue of what political changes are necessary to produce those improvements.     

Economically optimal markovian sampling policies for process monitoring

A variable delay process sampling procedure is considered in a Markov chain structure. The paper extends the basic sampling method given in Arnold (1970). Analytic properties of the process are developed for expected sample size and distribution of the sample size. A primary concern in the paper is the development of an objective function to enhance ability to select optimal sampling policies. The objective function involves cost due to sampling and protection costs for detecting undesirable conditions.