Multilevel modelling of survey data: impact of the two-level weights used in the pseudolikelihood

Approaches that use the pseudolikelihood to perform multilevel modelling on survey data have been presented in the literature. To avoid biased estimates due to unequal selection probabilities, conditional weights can be introduced at each level. Less-biased estimators can also be obtained in a two-level linear model if the level-1 weights are scaled. In this paper, we studied several level-2 weights that can be introduced into the pseudolikelihood when the sampling design and the hierarchical structure of the multilevel model do not match. Two-level and three-level models were studied. The present work was motivated by a study that aims to estimate the contributions of lead sources to polluting the interior floor dust of the rooms within dwellings. We performed a simulation study using the real data collected from a French survey to achieve our objective. We conclude that it is preferable to use unweighted analyses or, at the most, to use conditional level-2 weights in a two-level or a three-level model. We state some warnings and make some recommendations.     

Strategic CSR for innovation in SMEs: Does diversity matter?

Both corporate social responsibility and diversity influence firms' innovation, yet their relationship and links to innovation remain uncertain, especially among small to medium-sized enterprises. Relying on strategic and institutional CSR perspectives and a value-in-diversity approach, this study examines the mediating roles of gender and nationality diversity on the CSR–innovation link at the organizational level. With a sample of 1348 SMEs from Luxembourg, the results show that strategic CSR can promote both types of diversity, but only nationality diversity triggers technological innovation. Nationality diversity emerges as a partial mediator of the relationship between CSR and SMEs’ technological innovation. Thus, strategic CSR, through the genuine pursuit of such diversity, can help SMEs attain positive returns on their product or process innovation. These results have important theoretical and managerial implications.     

Lessons from the flipside: How do acquirers learn from divestitures to complete acquisitions?

We examine whether experience from prior divestitures is associated with higher completion likelihood in subsequent acquisitions. We argue that through divestitures, firms could extract meaningful knowledge that is helpful for completing their acquisitions, such as a general understanding of acquisition deal-making stages, and the stories and aims of the target in an M&A transaction. In addition, viewing divestitures as the flipside of acquisitions, we conjecture that the selling firm can observe how the divested component of their business is acquired, and vicariously learn from these observations. We also investigate the relative importance of learning from divestiture vis-à-vis acquisition experience in determining acquisition deal completion. Finally, we contend that the effect of learning from divestitures on acquisition deal completion depends on acquisition experience and deal value. We find evidence supporting our conjectures in a sample of 2164 M&A transactions from the worldwide computer and printing industries between 1991 and 2010.     

The Heart in Haart: Quality of Life of Patients Enrolled in the Public Sector Antiretroviral Treatment Programme in the Free State Province of South Africa

This paper reports on the quality of life of patients enrolled in the public sector antiretroviral treatment programme in the Free State province of South Africa. Statistical analysis of cross-sectional data reveals that it is not access to treatment per se that enhances the quality of life of those who have come forward for ART. Rather, it is the health benefits associated with treatment, levels of stigmatisation, quality health care services, and the ability of persons to access support and care, both from within and outside the health care sector, that are independently associated with improvements in and differences in levels of quality of life.     

从隔阂到认同——藏民族和藏区题材油画创作的当代性转变

藏民族和藏区题材的创作已经在中国近现代美术史上成为油画艺术中国性的重要体现,改革开放后的三十年,藏族、藏区、藏文化的油画创作表现出越来越丰富的多元化取向,藏民族题材美术创作中出现了许多受当代社会意识形态以及文化环境影响的新内容与新思潮,其中包括：民族化探索与写实主义的强势延续、民族风情观和猎奇心理的退市、香格里拉情结的疏远与商业文化的介入、民族性观念的嬗变与文化强势心理的转变等等。这些变化意味着实质意义上的民族文化的交流与融合,意味着艺术创作中的民族情感以及艺术创作态度从隔阂到认同的转变。     

高职院校在线课程思政创新实践与思考 ——以中药鉴定技术课程为例

江苏农牧科技职业学院中药制药技术专业的核心课程中药鉴定技术教学团队积极开展课程思政研究,将中华传统优秀文化和社会主义核心价值的传播融入在线课程教学的各环节,自觉将立德树人根本任务贯穿于教育教学的全过程,为高职院校培养高素质中医药人才提供理论和路径参考,为落实立德树人创新课程思政教育提供借鉴.     

Working for Patients? The Right Approach?

This paper is a slightly revised version of a Memorandum requested by the House of Commons Social Services Select Committee to assist the Committee in its analysis of the White Paper Working for Patients (Cm 555). It was submitted to the Committee on 28 February 1989. The paper follows up the authors'earlier study of the reform of the NHS (Barr, Glennerster and Le Grand, 1988), prepared at the request of the Select Committee prior to the publication of the White Paper.
The success or failure of the White Paper depends crucially on the precise details of the way in which its proposals are implemented. The Working Papers, although providing some more information as to how the White Paper's proposals will be implemented, do not in the main address the issues that concern us here.
Given the inescapable tension between cost and quality, quality control will be absolutely critical if the incentives to economize on the use of resources are not on occasion to lead to unacceptable reductions in quality — reductions which might well apply differentially by socioeconomic group.     

Growth,inequality and poverty in Vietnam: How did trade liberalisation help the poor, 2002–2008

Using the Vietnamese Living Standards Surveys for 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2008, we explore how provinces with differential access to trade liberalisation reforms differ in their pro-poor growth performance in Vietnam. Using both non-parametric and parametric estimation, we find strong, robust evidence of pro-poor growth in provinces with greater exposure to trade liberalisation. Using censored and uncensored regressions, the study also shows that increased wages play a critical role in this outcome. Our analysis enables identification of the core mechanisms through which the poor materialise their gains from trade-driven growth in a transition economy.     

Measuring sport performances under pressure by classification trees with application to basketball shooting

Measuring players'' performance in team sports is fundamental since managers need to evaluate players with respect to the ability to score during crucial moments of the game. Using Classification and Regression Trees (CART) and play-by-play basketball data, we estimate the probabilities to score the shot with respect to a selection of game covariates related to game pressure. We use scoring probabilities to develop a player-specific shooting performance index that takes into account for the difficulty associated to score different types of shots. By applying this procedure to a large sample of 2016–2017 Basketball Champions League (BCL) and 2017–2018 National Basketball Association (NBA) games, we compare the factors affecting shooting performance in Europe and in the United States and we evaluate a selection of players in terms of the proposed shooting performance index with the final aim of providing useful guidelines for the team strategy.     

《山海经》比勒尔英译本的副文本研究

副文本是翻译活动中不可或缺的重要因素,它围绕并伴随正文本,对正文本形成补充与强化,同时协调读者与文本之间的关系。基于杰拉德·热奈特的副文本理论,通过对《山海经》安妮·比勒尔英译本中具有代表性的副文本要素及其作用的研究表明,比勒尔译本的副文本在建构文化形象、彰显译者风格、促进译本接受等方面发挥了重要作用,其成功于中国典籍外译实践而言,具有一定借鉴意义。