Data Driven Modeling: An Application in Scheduling

This paper presents a data driven modeling (DDM) approach to certain types of optimization problems. DDM relinquishes control of the completed model to the user department rather than the operations research (OR) staff. The approach emphasizes development of models that are dependent on data maintained and understood by the users. The data base consists of coded user rules which describe when changes will occur in the problem structure and data which captures the generalization of the problem. Both the rules and data can be updated by user department personnel. These data drive a matrix generator controlled by the rules which uses the data base as input to generate the specific model formulation. This DDM system is designed by OR consultants or staff to allow independence of use along with low-cost and minimal-effort maintenance. The DDM approach is illustrated with an application to a real-world medical scheduling problem.     

Social Background Differences in Early Family Behavior

Social background has historically been recognized as a major factor influencing family behavior, though recent work has largely emphasized racial/ethnic influences. Here we use 1994 – 1995 and 2001 – 2002 Add Health data to examine the cohabitation, first marriage, and first birth experience of young women. In a multistate life table context, hypothetical cohorts specified in terms of race and mother’s education are followed, from age 11 to age 24, as they move through 6 family‐related statuses. The results indicate that, for both Black and White women, a higher level of maternal education is generally associated with less cohabitation, less marriage, fewer first births, and a higher percentage of women who experience none of those transitions before age 24. Racial and social background differences are conceptually and empirically distinct. Because mother’s education is associated with substantially different trajectories of early family behavior for both Blacks and Whites, we argue that social background merits increased attention in research on contemporary American family patterns.     

A framework for the comparison of maximum pseudo-likelihood and maximum likelihood estimation of exponential family random graph models

The statistical modeling of social network data is difficult due to the complex dependence structure of the tie variables. Statistical exponential families of distributions provide a flexible way to model such dependence. They enable the statistical characteristics of the network to be encapsulated within an exponential family random graph (ERG) model. For a long time, however, likelihood-based estimation was only feasible for ERG models assuming dyad independence. For more realistic and complex models inference has been based on the pseudo-likelihood. Recent advances in computational methods have made likelihood-based inference practical, and comparison of the different estimators possible.     

The roles of human capital and social capital in the economic integration of new arrivals from Mainland China to Hong Kong

Although it has been hypothesized in the literature that both human capital and social capital are important for the economic performance of new immigrants, few studies have examined these relationships empirically, especially in understudied populations such as Chinese populations. This study simultaneously examines the roles of human capital and social capital in the economic integration of new arrivals from Mainland China to Hong Kong, using a random sample of immigrants. In the early stage of immigration (less than 6 months after arrival), we find little support for the presumed positive effects of both human capital and social capital on employment status among new arrivals in Hong Kong. Follow-up studies are underway to investigate the dynamic relationship between social capital and economic integration in this group of new arrivals, and whether social capital, especially friendship networks, plays a more important role in the economic integration of new immigrants 1 or 2 years after arrival.     

Some indications of limits to framing the policy preferences of the civically engaged: Interplay of social capital,race attitudes,and social justice frames

Our experiment, which tested support for a hypothetical social welfare program, found that the civically engaged as a whole were resistant to social justice framing employing universalistic versus particularistic standards. We suggest the lack of a framing effect was due to the use of a preexisting, shared “symbolic racism” frame. Social justice framing did succeed for those whose attitudes toward symbolic racism were ambivalent or neutral. Other factors including sex, income level, political participation, and ideology significantly influenced choice. These results provide some indications of limits to experimental framing of policy preferences of the civically engaged in their institutional settings.     

An Exploratory Study of Financial Remittances Among Non-Resident Indians in the United States

Remittances by immigrants and temporary workers of Indian origin in industrialized countries are a growing part of India’s economy. In this exploratory study we examine the social and economic characteristics affecting the remittance pattern of working households (or families) of Indian origin residing in the United States. As most previous studies have been undertaken at the macroeconomic level, our main contribution lies in identifying the household level factors that may influence remittances. Using an online and a mail-in survey of 39 households we find some of the significant factors affecting remittances. We also validate some of the remittance-related policies of the Indian government.

大学生职业生涯规划教育探讨

当前我国大学生就业形势日趋严峻,对大学生开展职业生涯规划教育显得尤为迫切。本文试图从对大学生进行职业生涯规划教育的意义入手,并对当前大学生职业生涯规划教育的现状进行原因分析．进而提出成立专门的大学生职业生涯规划教育机构与咨询机构、加快高校大学生职业生涯规划课程建设、加强高校职业生涯规划教育队伍建设、在具体操作中实施全程分级式指导、把职业生涯规划与大学生自主创业结合起来和主动谋求社会资源的支持等对策建议。     

城市工业文化遗产保护与利用泛论

保护利用工业遗产,可谓善待社会历史资源、改善城市空间环境、保持城市生机魅力与原真印记的科学文明之举。作为我国南方工业重镇,广州应借鉴国内外的先进经验,创建自己的经典范例。     

人力资本与流动人口的社会融入

社会融入是一个经典的社会学话题,而流动前后获得的各类人力资本是移民融入的决定要素之一.文章实证研究了国内流动人口的人力资本对社会融入的影响.总体而言,人力资本大都提升收入水平,促进社区参与,增强对流入地文化理念的接纳和长期居留意愿.但是,人力资本与不同融入维度之间的关系并非整齐划一,对经济的影响最大,对文化的影响最小;在多个人力资本变量中,岗位就业年数对融入的影响最为一致,其作用不亚于正规教育.这些都表明,人力资本与融入之间存在一种有差别的关系,因融入的维度和测量指标而异.但是,不是提高了收入,流动人口就能全面融入:提升流动人口流入前的人力资本,强化流动后的工作经验积累,对于流动人口的全面融入至关重要.