Panel regression models for measuring multidimensional poverty dynamics

This work concerns the study of poverty dynamics and the analysis of the influencing socio-demographic factors. A fuzzy and multidimensional approach has been chosen in order to define two different poverty measures. A panel regression model has been estimated and particular attention has been paid to the treatment of the unobservable heterogeneity among longitudinal units. The specified model combines autoregression with variance components. The empirical analysis has been conducted using the data set of the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS) from 1991 to 1997. This work was co-financed by Murst funds for the projects “Occupazione e disoccupazione in Italia: misura e analisi dei comportamenti”. The paper is the result of the common work of all the authors; in particular G. Betti has written Sects. 2,5.1 and 5.3.1; A. D’Agostino has written sections 4, 5.2 and 5.4; L. Neri has written Sects. 1, 3, 5.3.2 and 6.     

Markov Chains and De-initializing Processes

We define a notion of de-initializing Markov chains. We prove that to analyse convergence of Markov chains to stationarity, it suffices to analyse convergence of a de-initializing chain. Applications are given to Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithms and to convergence diagnostics.     

Convergence of Heavy-tailed Monte Carlo Markov Chain Algorithms

Abstract.  In this paper, we use recent results of Jarner & Roberts ( Ann. Appl. Probab., 12, 2002, 224) to show polynomial convergence rates of Monte Carlo Markov Chain algorithms with polynomial target distributions, in particular random-walk Metropolis algorithms, Langevin algorithms and independence samplers. We also use similar methodology to consider polynomial convergence of the Gibbs sampler on a constrained state space. The main result for the random-walk Metropolis algorithm is that heavy-tailed proposal distributions lead to higher rates of convergence and thus to qualitatively better algorithms as measured, for instance, by the existence of central limit theorems for higher moments. Thus, the paper gives for the first time a theoretical justification for the common belief that heavy-tailed proposal distributions improve convergence in the context of random-walk Metropolis algorithms. Similar results are shown to hold for Langevin algorithms and the independence sampler, while results for the mixing of Gibbs samplers on uniform distributions on constrained spaces are rather different in character.     

新质生产力背景下教育数字化赋能创新型人才培养

新质生产力由“高素质”劳动者和“新质料”生产资料两种要素构成。在高等教育领域,培养“高素质”劳动者重点是指培养学生的创新性和创造力;提供“新质料”生产资料的重点是实施教育数字化,践行个性化教育理念。为实现教育强国建设目标,亟须在新质生产力理论引领下,依托教育数字化实施个性化教育,为大批量培养创新型人才开辟新的赛道。其培养目标为：培养学生强烈的好奇心和坚强的意志力、批判性思维与创新思维、学会学习与自主发展能力、系统分析与解决问题能力。其培养体系为：依托教育数字化重塑个性化教育物理空间、学习生态、评价机制和保障体系,推动学习方式向智能化、泛在化和自主化方向发展,使因材施教的千年梦想成为可能。     

Convergence of Slice Sampler Markov Chains

We analyse theoretical properties of the slice sampler. We find that the algorithm has extremely robust geometric ergodicity properties. For the case of just one auxiliary variable, we demonstrate that the algorithm is stochastically monotone, and we deduce analytic bounds on the total variation distance from stationarity of the method by using Foster–Lyapunov drift condition methodology.     

结构助词“的”的使用规律

对结构助词“的”的使用规律。从句子、语义、语用三个平面加以考察。“的”的取舍对句法、语义结构关系产生影响时,必须用“的”;对句法、语义结构的改变没有影响时,“的”的取舍由语用上的需要决定。“的”的取舍在句法、语义规则上具有强制性,在语用规则上具有选择性。     

A crash course in implementation theory

This paper is meant to familiarize the audience with some of the fundamental results in the theory of implementation and provide a quick progression to some open questions in the literature. Received: 26 March 2001/Accepted: 21 May 2001     

Improving Permanency: Caseworker Perspectives of Older Youth in Another Planned Permanent Living Arrangement

Researchers conducted focus groups with 52 child welfare caseworkers across five county child welfare agencies to understand their approach to working with and views about outcomes for youth in Another Permanent Planned Living Arrangement (APPLA). Analysis of the focus groups yielded five themes, including (a) youth and family factors contributing to APPLA as a case designation, (b) caseload intensity relative to this specific population, (c) perceptions of organizational support, (d) lack of focus on legal permanency, and (e) overemphasis on independent living services. The range of viewpoints from these child welfare professionals spoke to the complexities of addressing the needs for older youth in care and to identifying strategies to improve permanency outcomes for this population. The implications for practices that account for individual, organizational, and systemic factors impacting legal permanency for older youth are discussed.     

Environmental Health and Safety Philosophy

Abstract

Objective: This study examines ethnic identity and body image in black and white college females. Participants: Researchers surveyed 118 students at 2 universities, 1 traditionally white and 1 historically black. Methods: Correlations and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) were used to investigate the relationship between race, ethnic identity, and body dissatisfaction. Results: There was no relationship between a woman's ethnic identity and her body dissatisfaction. Although white women scored higher on body dissatisfaction measures, women in both groups who had higher body dissatisfaction scores also choose smaller ideal body types. Results suggest that identification with an ethnic group may not shield women from being dissatisfied with their bodies. Conclusion: Colleges and universities should be aware that many women could experience body dissatisfaction and develop diverse programs that target women from different ethnic groups.