Bayesian principal component analysis with mixture priors

A central issue in principal component analysis (PCA) is that of choosing the appropriate number of principal components to be retained. Bishop (1999a) suggested a Bayesian approach for PCA for determining the effective dimensionality automatically on the basis of the probabilistic latent variable model. This paper extends this approach by using mixture priors, in that the choice dimensionality and estimation of principal components are done simultaneously via MCMC algorithm. Also, the proposed method provides a probabilistic measure of uncertainty on PCA, yielding posterior probabilities of all possible cases of principal components.     

论我国民间组织设立制度之完善

民间组织设立是公民的结社自由得以实现和民间组织成长兴盛的关键.我国现行的双重许可登记制度给民间组织设立设置了过高的门槛,使得大量民间组织无法合法设立,"强政府--弱社会"的格局并未改善,制度完善势在必行.政府对结社自由的限制必须坚持最低限度、法律保留、利益平衡和标准客观等基本原则,在此基础上提出的单一许可登记制兼顾了公民、民间组织、社会和国家的不同需要,有利于实现保障结社自由和限制结社自由的相对平衡,并由此促进国家与社会之间良性互动关系的形成.     

Older Drivers Retiring From the Road: An Application of the Selection,Optimization, and Compensation Model

Purpose: This study uses the selection, optimization, and compensation (SOC) model to compare older adults who have given up driving, those who still drive, and those who drive less to identify differences in the three groups. Design and Methods: This cross-sectional study of 281 older adults is part of the Naturally Occurring Retirement Community Demonstration Project. Study participants completed interviews that included questions on demographics, health and functioning, mental health, social support, and current levels of engagement in activities including current driving status. Results: Data suggest that driving retirement is a process and that a substantial number of people are in the transitional stage, where they are less functional than those who still drive and more similar to those who have retired from the road. Implications: Given the similarity of those who drive less to those who have given up driving, front-line professionals and policy makers must work together to ease the transition to driving retirement for those without adequate ability to effectively compensate for their inability to continue to drive safely.     

A call for the development of “good research practices” (GRP) guidelines

It is proposed that the scientific community develop and implement “Good Research Practices”; (GRP) guidelines in order to improve the quality of research, reduce the incidence of scientific misconduct, and save large sums of monies from being wasted.     

Enhancing the Career Development of Individuals Who Have Criminal Records

Large numbers of individuals are involved in the criminal justice system. Upon release, most have difficulty finding employment and stabilizing economic resources, which contribute to recidivism. To date, the role of work in the lives of ex‐offenders has virtually been ignored in the vocational literature. The purpose of this article is to increase awareness of this group by highlighting vocational implications of having a criminal record; reviewing existing interventions demonstrated to be beneficial (e.g., teaching skills prior to release, restorative justice interventions); and providing suggestions to more readily include this group in future practice, research, and policy.     

(Re)Conceptualizating Race/Ethnic Relationships in US Schools: Toward a Multifaceted and Multilevel Framework

Since the Civil Rights Movements, the emphasis on confronting power, inequality, and racism in US schools has receded. So too has the movement to reverse racial/ethnic segregation and enhance student interactions. Instead, much popular and academic discourse focuses on standardized tests and achievement gaps, leaving the social aspects of schooling and race/ethnic interactions under-explored and largely ignored. Meanwhile, racial/ethnic tensions, hierarchies, inequalities, and the patterns, institutions, and systems that maintain them persist. During a period of growth in the percentages of Latina/o and Asian American/Pacific Islander students, this article argues for the importance of theorizing, researching, and reconceptualizing race/ethnic interactions in schools. Key to this process is adopting a multifaceted and multilevel approach. This involves moving beyond dichotomous thinking and instead adopting a framework that explores (1) the strengths of quantitative and qualitative research; (2) cross- and intra-racial/ethnic relations; (3) the significance of race/ethnicity, class, and gender; (4) a conflict-solidarity continuum of relationships; and (5) the salience of macro-, meso-, and micro-dynamics on school interactions. The adoption of this approach allows for a more complex, nuanced, and contemporary analysis of the phenomena occurring in today’s schools, thereby facilitating the possibility for change.     

Maximum likelihood estimation of variance components in a completely random bib design

ABSTRACT

The purposes of this paper are to abstract from a number of articles variance component estimation procedures which can be used for completely random balanced incomplete block designs, to develop an iterated least squares (ITLS) computing algorithm for calculating maximum likelihood estimates, and to compare these procedures by use of simulated experiments. Based on the simulated experiments, the estimated mean square errors of the ITLS estimates are generally less than*those for previously proposed analysis of variance and symmetric sums estimators.