A study of the relationship between protective behaviors and drinking consequences among undergraduate college students

The authors identified the number, type, and frequency of protective behaviors that undergraduate college students who consume alcohol use to prevent alcohol-related consequences. Their hypothesis was that students who engage in more types of protective behaviors with greater frequency would be less likely to experience alcohol-related consequences. Participants consisted of a randomly selected sample of 1,355 undergraduates aged 18 years and older at a large public university. Students completed a mailed questionnaire on alcohol and health behaviors in spring 2002. The findings (after adjustment for covariates) indicated that self-protective behaviors are inversely associated with alcohol-related problems for women but not for men. The influences of gender and racial and ethnic differences are considered in relation to prevention and intervention programs aimed at reducing alcohol-related consequences on college campuses.     

Facilitators and barriers to employment: the perspectives of people with psychiatric disabilities and employment service providers

This study examined the perspectives of people with psychiatric disabilities and employment service providers regarding factors that most directly help or hinder consumer efforts to obtain and maintain employment. Forty-four adults with serious mental illness (SMI) (consumers) and 30 providers participated in 12 focus groups across Massachusetts. We began both consumer and provider groups by posing two broad questions: 1) what factors most help people with SMI get and keep jobs (facilitators), and 2) what factors most prevent people with SMI from getting and keeping jobs (barriers)? Data were analyzed qualitatively and both person and environmental factors were highlighted. Among facilitators, participants agreed that quality consumer-provider relationships and individualized employment services are most instrumental in helping consumers achieve employment goals. Participants identified a range of environmental barriers, including issues related to the service system, entitlement programs, non-human resources, and social stigma. Implications for services are discussed.     

Adaptation of the older worker to occupational challenges

The occupational adaptation practice model guided the search for and the analysis of the literature on the older worker. The purpose of this literature review was to: identify the occupational challenges that older workers experience, determine ways in which the occupational therapist can promote the occupational adaptation of older workers, and articulate the research and policy changes implied in the model related to health and improved productivity. The analysis of the worker's personal characteristics, work tasks, and environments highlighted the types of occupational challenges that may overwhelm the older worker's adaptive capacity. Straining adaptive capacity of the older worker leads to degradation in levels of mastery. The occupational therapist and others could assist the older worker to achieve relative mastery in response to occupational challenges through ergonomic solutions, training, assistive devices, management policy, and health promotion. Combined efforts of the employer, of the occupational therapist, and of the older work to capitalize on the older worker's years of experience, existing skills, and knowledge facilitates higher job satisfaction, better performance, and an increased sense of well-being in the older worker.     

Vital connections

Scientists are currently exploring the structure and behavior of complex biological systems, which consist of networks of interacting entities. A recent paper in Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B Biological Sciences describes the distinctive characteristics of aging-related proteins in the yeast protein-protein interaction network. In this Perspective, I discuss the implications of these findings for longevity research.     

Simulation for the complex Bingham distribution

The complex Bingham distribution is relevant for the shape analysis of landmark data in two dimensions. In this paper it is shown that the problem of simulating from this distribution reduces to simulation from a truncated multivariate exponential distribution. Several simulation methods are described and their efficiencies are compared.     

Walking a tightrope: Dilemmas of participant observation of groups in conflict

This article addresses issues that develop in the conduct of comparative participant observation research. The two groups in which the authors became involved as participant observers were the Unification Church of the Korean evangelist Reverend Sun Myung Moon and the emerging network of organizations involved in the practice of deprogramming. Each group was dedicated to the destruction of the other. Five major methodological problems, common to conducting investigation on single groups, are discussed in the context of researching these two antagonistic groups: 1) role definition and justification; 2) pressures to go native; 3) public pressure to take a stand; 4) evolving commitments; and 5) gaining comparable information and insights. The authors describe their efforts to resolve these problems and maintain a good rapport with both groups. This paper is the product of a joint effort. The order of authorship is random and does not imply any difference in the importance of contributions.     

Can the birth quantity be known one year earlier?]

In order to carry out the population control policy, efforts are needed to control pregancies and births. Studies show that 3 types of people may deliver babies next year: 1) those who are married at the end of the current year but have not become pregnant, 2) those who have 1 child at the present time and plan to have an additional child for special reasons, and 3) those who may get married during the 1st season of the coming year. Persons from the 1st 2 categories are easy to calculate or estimate. Persons from the 3rd category represent the core in predicting the birthrate for the coming year. Marriage ages and the distribution of dates for marriage are the 2 major sources of information for estimating the total number of persons who belong to the 3rd category. In the 1st step, we need to figure the ratio between the number of marriages in the 1st season and the total marriages for the whole year. Based upon available data for the past 3 years, a formula can be used to calculate this ratio. The marriage numbers for the 1st season of 1982 multiplied by the above percentage will be the possible number of marriages for 1982. Then, the possible number of births can be calculated by taking the birth ratio multiplied by possible marriages for 1982. Using the same method, the possible birth numbers for 1983 can be calculated. The above information shows that the total predicted births for 1983 includes 3 elements: 1) the number of those who aare married but not pregant and plan to give birth in 1983, 2) the number of those who received special permission to have a 2nd child in 1983, and 3) the number of those who may get married in 1982 and 1983 and who may give birth in 1983.     

Optimal estimation of a finite population mean under generalized random permutation models

Employing certain generalized random permutation models and a general class of linear estimators of a finite population mean, it is shown that many of the conventional estimators are “optimal” in the sense of minimum average mean square error. Simple proofs are provided by using a well-known theorem on UMV estimation. The results also cover certain simple response error situations.