Bivariate uniform deconvolution

We construct a density estimator in the bivariate uniform deconvolution model. For this model, we derive four inversion formulas to express the bivariate density that we want to estimate in terms of the bivariate density of the observations. By substituting a kernel density estimator of the density of the observations, we then obtain four different estimators. Next we construct an asymptotically optimal convex combination of these four estimators. Expansions for the bias, variance, as well as asymptotic normality are derived. Some simulated examples are presented.     

Containment through mobility: migrants’ spatial disobediences and the reshaping of control through the hotspot system

ABSTRACT

This article deals with the modes of (contested) control that are at play at the Mediterranean frontier for containing, dividing and discipling unruly mobility. Building on ethnographic research conducted on the island of Lesvos and of Lampedusa, it focuses on the implementation and the functioning of the Hotspot System in Greece and in Italy, analysing beyond the fences of detention centres and by looking at the broader logistics of channels, infrastructures and governmental measures deployed for regaining control over migration movements. The article argues that more than control in terms of surveillance and tracking, the Hotspot System contributes to enforce forms of containment through mobility that consists in controlling migration by obstructing, decelerating and troubling migrants’ geographies – more than in fully blocking them. The article takes into account migrants’ refusals of being fingerprinted, showing how migrants radically unsettle the association between seeking refuge and lack of choice, enacting their right to choose where to go and claim asylum.     

From Fragmentation to Comprehensiveness in Network Governance

Public networks are increasingly implemented at different government levels and across policy areas to increase coordination of services, decision-making and services delivery. Network governance is one promising theoretical perspective through which networks have been studied by different scholars and schools of thought. However, the literature on network governance is still fragmented, sectorial and issues-based. An overarching framework for the comprehensive analysis of the accumulate knowledge is missing. To address this limitation, we propose a comprehensive framework for analyzing the development of the findings in the field. The framework includes four building blocks that reflect the main issues debated in literature: the conditions affecting the choice of a mode of network governance, the modes of network governance, the dimensions of meta-governance and the outcome evaluation. The framework would support academics and policy makers who deal with network governance in different policy domains. The article concludes with a discussion of the proposed framework and its applications in future research.     

The analysis of incontinence episodes and other count data in patients with overactive bladder by Poisson and negative binomial regression

Clinical studies in overactive bladder have traditionally used analysis of covariance or nonparametric methods to analyse the number of incontinence episodes and other count data. It is known that if the underlying distributional assumptions of a particular parametric method do not hold, an alternative parametric method may be more efficient than a nonparametric one, which makes no assumptions regarding the underlying distribution of the data. Therefore, there are advantages in using methods based on the Poisson distribution or extensions of that method, which incorporate specific features that provide a modelling framework for count data. One challenge with count data is overdispersion, but methods are available that can account for this through the introduction of random effect terms in the modelling, and it is this modelling framework that leads to the negative binomial distribution. These models can also provide clinicians with a clearer and more appropriate interpretation of treatment effects in terms of rate ratios. In this paper, the previously used parametric and non‐parametric approaches are contrasted with those based on Poisson regression and various extensions in trials evaluating solifenacin and mirabegron in patients with overactive bladder. In these applications, negative binomial models are seen to fit the data well. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Entscheiden und Gestalten für Pflegekräfte: Die „Kür“ der institutionellen Altenarbeit

Limited financial resources and the establishment of standards of care define the work of employees in the care for the elderly. The residents, their family members and the employees share the aim of individual care which exceeds the bottom quality, the priority aim of executive-staff. In order to provide individual care it is essential for nursing-staff to have potential capacities for decision-making and participation. To empirically investigate the situation concerning decision-making and participation, I conducted guided interviews with nursing-staff and executive-staff in a residential home for the elderly in Linz. Amongst others the results show a massive area of conflict, which is based on the different constructions of care work by nursing-staff on the one hand and executive-staff on the other hand.     

Rank-order choice-based conjoint experiments: Efficiency and design

In a rank-order choice-based conjoint experiment, the respondent is asked to rank a number of alternatives of a number of choice sets. In this paper, we study the efficiency of those experiments and propose a D-optimality criterion for rank-order experiments to find designs yielding the most precise parameter estimators. For that purpose, an expression of the Fisher information matrix for the rank-ordered conditional logit model is derived which clearly shows how much additional information is provided by each extra ranking step. A simulation study shows that, besides the Bayesian D-optimal ranking design, the Bayesian D-optimal choice design is also an appropriate design for this type of experiments. Finally, it is shown that considerable improvements in estimation and prediction accuracy are obtained by including extra ranking steps in an experiment.     

The potential of Web sites as a relationship building tool for charitable fundraising NPOs

The Internet and especially the new challenges within Web 2.0 provide organizations with the possibility of encouraging two-way communication and engaging publics in dialogue. Charitable fundraising nonprofit organizations (NPOs) can particularly benefit from the Web's relationship building potential. This study aims to explore the potential of Web sites as an online-communication tool of Swiss NPOs. Via content analysis, the Web sites of 134 Swiss charitable fundraising NPOs were examined in order to point out how those organizations are using the Web to create dialogic relationships with their most important stakeholder groups, which are potential donors and the media. Results indicate that the potential of the Internet for dialogic communication is not used efficiently by most NPOs. Nevertheless, NPOs seem to be acknowledging the importance of engaging publics in dialogue, as most of them replied to information requests from potential donors and the media.¹     

The role of local government in migrant and refugee settlement in regional and rural Australia

Government responsibility for the settlement of newly arrived refugees and migrants in Australia is shared between the federal, state and local levels. While Australia's settlement policies are predominantly top‐down and Commonwealth driven with some state involvement, local government has the potential to play a greater role in facilitating the settlement of newly arrived migrants and refugees. A growing body of literature in Australia and overseas highlights the role of local‐level policies in supporting integration and social cohesion, which is arguably even more crucial in the context of migrant and refugee settlement in regional and rural areas. This paper draws on focus groups with 90 local stakeholders in eight local government areas in Victoria to propose a typology of local government involvement that shows the variable but potentially significant role of local government in the regional and rural settlement of recent arrivals. We argue that Australia's over 560 local governments provide crucial but underutilised governance resources for improving the settlement process. This finding has implications for settlement policies and funding, intergovernmental coordination, and the retention of migrants and refugees in regional and rural communities in Australia.