The perception of the values of urban space by senior citizens of Valparaiso

This paper is framed within the context of the Fondecyt Research Project (No. 1061179) entitled “Senior Citizens' quality of life in an Urban Habitat: Valparaiso, a Case Study.” It investigates how certain topographical conditions in the urban habitat impact on the quality of life of the population's most senior age group. Following a theoretical approach, we discuss some of the initial results obtained in our field research, integrating a quantitative technique of territorial analysis, GIS maps, and the qualitative techniques of Focus Groups and ethnographic interviews. The study of senior citizens' perceptions of their quality of life in Valparaiso indicates that the city's irregular topography and character as a heritage city mediate how the elderly perceive the urban space, creating social networks and a sense of community uniquely their own.     

Low-pass filter design using locally weighted polynomial regression and discrete prolate spheroidal sequences

The paper concerns the design of nonparametric low-pass filters that have the property of reproducing a polynomial of a given degree. Two approaches are considered. The first is locally weighted polynomial regression (LWPR), which leads to linear filters depending on three parameters: the bandwidth, the order of the fitting polynomial, and the kernel. We find a remarkable linear (hyperbolic) relationship between the cut-off period (frequency) and the bandwidth, conditional on the choices of the order and the kernel, upon which we build the design of a low-pass filter.The second hinges on a generalization of the maximum concentration approach, leading to filters related to discrete prolate spheroidal sequences (DPSS). In particular, we propose a new class of low-pass filters that maximize the concentration over a specified frequency range, subject to polynomial reproducing constraints. The design of generalized DPSS filters depends on three parameters: the bandwidth, the polynomial order, and the concentration frequency. We discuss the properties of the corresponding filters in relation to the LWPR filters, and illustrate their use for the design of low-pass filters by investigating how the three parameters are related to the cut-off frequency.     

The Relationship Between Social Leisure and Life Satisfaction: Causality and Policy Implications

Social leisure is generally found to be positively correlated with life satisfaction in the empirical literature. We ask if this association captures a genuine causal effect by using panel data from the GSOEP. Our identification strategy exploits the change in social leisure brought about by retirement, since the latter is an event after which the time investable in (the outside job) relational life increases. We instrument social leisure with various measures of the age cohort specific probability of retirement. With such approach we document that social leisure has a positive and significant effect on life satisfaction. Our findings shed some light on the age-happiness pattern. Policy implications are also discussed.     

性产业中老年客人群体艾滋病风险及性网络状况——基于广西某边境县的实证分析

近年来,我国艾滋病疫情发展显示,50岁以上年龄男性报告病例数增加明显,且以性途径传播为主。研究采取定性和定量结合方法,深入广西某边境县当地低交易价格性服务场所进行观察和访谈,并针对40名小姐,108名客人发放问卷、进行梅毒、艾滋病病毒抗体检测。对当地性网络的研究发现,当地低交易价格性产业已经形成较为稳定的性网络。小姐在其间有着较高的邻连度,而部分活跃的客人表现出更大的桥梁作用。同时,网络成员之间保持了相当长期的交往,网络成员之间的"熟悉"成为采取安全性行为的消解因素。诸多因素构成了通过该网络将老年人群暴露于艾滋病风险的可能性。     

中国农村地区的家庭禀赋与外出务工劳动力回流

中国农村地区家庭禀赋对个人的行为决策有着重要的影响,需要学术界予以更多的关注。为了考察外生性的家庭禀赋对劳动力就业流动的影响,文章通过构建新生代外出务工劳动力和户主子女的回流决策两个计量模型来进行经验论证。分析结果表明,农村劳动力的迁移选择是综合考虑家庭禀赋状况的理性决策,尤其是对于年轻一代的外出劳动力。家庭经济资本的增加会阻碍家庭外出务工成员的回流。外出劳动力回流的概率起初随着家庭人力资本和家庭自然资本的增长而上升,达到一定程度后开始下降。家庭成员只有拥有较为丰富的人力资本,外出务工劳动力才能对家庭社会资本加以充分利用。另外,分析显示年轻一代劳动力和第一代劳动力对家庭社会资本和自然资本的利用是有差异的。     

“发展型”或“政策型”生育率下降?——基于翼城“农村二孩”试点的分析

中国生育率在过去30年持续下降至较低水平,围绕下降的主要动因及其政策涵义的争论热烈。文章以"农村二孩"试点之一的翼城为案例,重新梳理和检视了在已有研究中较为忽视的翼城试点出台的背景和政策实施细则,并从多个方面考察了翼城生育政策对生育行为和生育意愿的影响。与已有研究对翼城试点的认识不同,政策文献回顾表明:"农村二孩"生育政策只是在初婚时间、生育子女数和生育间隔方面做出一些技术性"调整"以缓解国情与民情的矛盾,并没有实质性地改变实施计划生育这一基本国策的初衷。多维度数据分析交叉印证了在实施限制性的生育政策以后,社会经济发展变量不能解释生育率的下降,翼城现有生育行为和生育意愿更多是政策干预的结果,是政策促成的外生性转变,而非由于社会经济发展导致低生育意愿的内生性转变。     

论俄罗斯海洋强国战略

俄罗斯海洋强国战略是其强国战略的组成部分。总体上看,其根本目的是通过全面发展海洋事业谋求国家社会和经济的发展以及长治久安;其主要内容包括建设海洋经济强国、海军强国和海洋科技强国,其中,以发展海洋经济为重点,表现为开发海底油气资源、发展海上航运业、布局渔业产业、复兴船舶工业、恢复海军实力和开展海洋科学研究这六大方面。     

A Preliminary Comparison Study of Online and Face-to-Face Counseling: Client Perceptions of Three Factors

This preliminary study examined the similarities and differences between online and face-to-face counseling with regard to general mental health, working alliance, and social presence. Participants included 50 current counseling clients (37 face-to-face, 13 online) who all were recruited through online mediums. Results indicated that online counseling clients perceived a significantly stronger working alliance on the total Working Alliance Inventory-Short Form as well as the Goal subscale than did those who received face-to-face only counseling. No significant differences existed between the groups on general mental health or social presence. These results suggest that a more controlled study with a larger sample might find that a strong working alliance can be developed through online counseling.     

A Review of: “An Insider's View of Sexual Science since Kinsey” edited by Ira L. Reiss

Masters, Johnson and Kolodny a volume which claims that risk understated by public This paper presents a brief analysis of the key data contained in MJK's book using simple mathematical models. The paper shows that the unconditional per partner risk of infection for the sexually active heterosexuals in the MJK study is exceeded by the similar risk for typical gay men in San Francisco by a factor of nearly fifty; that the conditional probability of infection given exposure via vaginal sex is about 2% for men and 3% for women per partner (both of these numbers are lower than the corresponding infec‐tivities for unprotected anal sex among gay men); and that an AIDS epidemic among the general heterosexual population would occur only if the average number of sexual partners per year exceeds about 5.3, an unlikely number given the data in MJK's study.