Single‐Period Two‐Product Assemble‐to‐Order Systems with a Common Component and Uncertain Demand Patterns

We consider a single‐period assemble‐to‐order system that produces two types of end products to satisfy two independent and stochastic customer orders. Each type of product is used to fulfill a particular customer order and these two products share a common component. Furthermore, one customer may confirm her order before the other one, and the manufacturer needs to make a commitment immediately upon the receipt of each customer order on how many products to be delivered. We propose a model for optimizing the inventory and production decisions under the above ATO environment. We also extend our model to the situation where the manufacturer can fulfill the unsatisfied low‐priority demand using the left‐over inventories after fulfilling the high‐priority demand, in case the low‐priority customer arrives first. Numerical experiments are conducted, which provide some interesting insights on the impact of uncertain demand pattern.     

Personality and Life Events as Predictors of Adolescents’ Life Satisfaction: Do Life Events Mediate the Link Between Personality and Life Satisfaction?

This study examined the association among personality traits, life events and life satisfaction, and the underlying pathways from personality traits to life satisfaction. A total of 1,961 adolescents were recruited from 21 secondary schools in Hong Kong. The adolescent version of the Chinese Personality Assessment Inventory (CPAI-A), the Chinese Adolescent Life Events Checklist (CALEC) and the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) were employed to assess their personality, life events and life satisfaction, respectively. Multiple regression analysis showed there was an additional value of the indigenously derived scales of CPAI-A, including the Family Orientation, Harmony and Ren-Qing scales, in predicting life satisfaction beyond the universal personality traits. Results also indicated that there was a partial mediation effect of negative life events on personality traits in the prediction of life satisfaction.     

Nonparametric inference for the joint distribution of recurrent marked variables and recurrent survival time

Time between recurrent medical events may be correlated with the cost incurred at each event. As a result, it may be of interest to describe the relationship between recurrent events and recurrent medical costs by estimating a joint distribution. In this paper, we propose a nonparametric estimator for the joint distribution of recurrent events and recurrent medical costs in right-censored data. We also derive the asymptotic variance of our estimator, a test for equality of recurrent marker distributions, and present simulation studies to demonstrate the performance of our point and variance estimators. Our estimator is shown to perform well for a wide range of levels of correlation, demonstrating that our estimators can be employed in a variety of situations when the correlation structure may be unknown in advance. We apply our methods to hospitalization events and their corresponding costs in the second Multicenter Automatic Defibrillator Implantation Trial (MADIT-II), which was a randomized clinical trial studying the effect of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators in preventing ventricular arrhythmia.     

MEASUREMENT ERROR IN STYLIZED AND DIARY DATA ON TIME USE

We investigate the nature of measurement error in time-use data. Analysis of "stylized" recall questionnaire estimates and diary-based estimates of housework time from the same respondents of a British survey gives evidence of systematic biases in the stylized estimates and large random errors in both types of estimates. We examine the effect of these measurement problems on three common types of statistical analyses in which the time-use variable is used as: (1) a dependent variable, (2) an explanatory variable, and (3) a basis for cross-tabulations. We develop methods to correct the biases induced by these measurement errors.     

Qualities of Peer Relations on Social Networking Websites: Predictions From Negative Mother–Teen Interactions

This study examined associations between characteristics of teenagers' relationships with their mothers and their later socializing behavior and peer relationship quality online. At age 13, teenagers and their mothers participated in an interaction in which mothers' and adolescents' behavior undermining autonomy and relatedness was observed and indicators of teens' depressive symptoms and social anxiety were assessed. At age 20, youth self‐reported on their online behaviors, youths' social networking webpages were observationally coded to assess peer relationship quality online, and symptoms of depression and social anxiety were reassessed. Results suggested that problematic mother–teen relationships were predictive of youths' later preference for online communication and greater likelihood of forming a friendship with someone met online, yet poorer quality in online relationships. Findings are discussed within a developmental framework suggesting the importance of considering youths' family interactions during early adolescence as predictors of future online socializing behavior and online interactions with peers.     

'Your friends don't understand': Invisibility and unmet need in the lives of 'young carers'

This paper is based on a study of the experiences of people identified as ‘young carers’, commissioned by the National Assembly for Wales as part of a wider review of carers’ needs and services. Following a brief review of some of the previous research in this area, the paper reports key findings of the research, using the words of children and young people as much as possible. It then goes on to explore some of the wider implications of this and other research for the identification and support of ‘young carers’ and their families, and for the understanding of the needs and wishes of children and young people so defined. The paper concludes with an alternative definition of a ‘young carer’ and with some recommendations for professional practice, suggesting that the role of social work is crucial in this area of service.     

The Critical Role of Ocean Container Transport in Global Supply Chain Performance

With supply chains distributed across global markets, ocean container transport now is a critical element of any such supply chain. We identify key characteristics of ocean container transport from a supply chain perspective. We find that unlike continental (road) transport, service offerings tend to be consolidated in few service providers, and a strong focus exists on maximization of capital intensive resources. Based on the characteristics of ocean container transport as part of global supply chains, we list a number of relevant and challenging research areas and associated questions.     

Integrative Families and Systems Treatment: a middle path toward integrating common and specific factors in evidence-based family therapy

A moderate common factors approach is proposed as a synthesis or middle path to integrate common and specific factors in evidence-based approaches to high-risk youth and families. The debate in family therapy between common and specific factors camps is reviewed and followed by suggestions from the literature for synthesis and creative flexibility in manual development. A preliminary integrative model termed Integrative Family and Systems Treatment is offered as one option in developing and testing a moderate common factors approach. Such a model might then be studied in eventual clinical trials with other well-developed evidence-based protocols to further address the common versus specific factor debate. Implications for further research and practice are offered.     

A paradox of social change: how the quest for liberation reproduces dominance in higher education and the field of social work

Transformative societal change rests upon challenging the status quo with the constant work of self-implication. Self-implication in the neo-colonial processes at work within state structures is not easily noticed, nor easily discussed, regardless of one’s social location among various dimensions of privilege and oppression. In both higher education and the profession of social work, one of the major barriers to advancing the social change needs of groups who come from a multiplicity of differences is the still prevalent overemphasis on essentialism and identity-based politics, which was originally inspired and promoted by the anti-racism social movement. The anti-racism movement needs to take into consideration the overarching power of neo-colonialism and hegemonic masculinity that influences and affects the overall discourse, structures and social processes in human relations. Differences across the spectrum of one’s identity carry inherent contradictions, tensions and paradoxes, such that no one can claim innocence regarding whose voice should be heard at a particular moment or within a particular spatial or institutional context.     

“Aging males” symptoms and general health of adult males: a cross-sectional study

A cross-sectional study was conducted to explore the prevalence and severity of health-related complaints perceived by adult males of Hong Kong by using the Hong Kong Traditional Chinese versions of the Aging males’ symptoms (AMS) scale and the 5-dimensional and 3-level European Quality of life (EQ-5D-3L) questionnaire. A total of 825 adult males aged 40 years or above were surveyed, and observed that 80% of the population was living with little-to-mild levels of aging symptoms with mean total scores ranged between 26.02?±?7.91 and 32.99?±?7.91 in different age groups. Such symptoms were correlated with age, especially for the somato-vegetative and sexual symptoms. The most severe AMS symptoms were observed in the oldest age group at 70 years or above, with 76%, 34% and 70% living with moderate-to-severe levels of somato-vegetative, psychological and sexual symptoms, respectively. The result was highly correlated with the EQ-5D-3L questionnaire. Secondly, the Hong Kong Aging males’ symptoms (AMS) scale was shown to have good reliability with test–retest coefficient at 0.79 (ranged 0.66–0.87) and Cronbach’s alpha coefficient at 0.88 (ranged 0.70–0.84). In summary, the population of Hong Kong male adults was commonly living with little-to-mild levels of aging symptoms, whereas their severity was correlated with age.