A general maximum likelihood analysis of measurement error in generalized linear models

This paper describes an EM algorithm for maximum likelihood estimation in generalized linear models (GLMs) with continuous measurement error in the explanatory variables. The algorithm is an adaptation of that for nonparametric maximum likelihood (NPML) estimation in overdispersed GLMs described in Aitkin (Statistics and Computing 6: 251–262, 1996). The measurement error distribution can be of any specified form, though the implementation described assumes normal measurement error. Neither the reliability nor the distribution of the true score of the variables with measurement error has to be known, nor are instrumental variables or replication required.Standard errors can be obtained by omitting individual variables from the model, as in Aitkin (1996).Several examples are given, of normal and Bernoulli response variables.     

The Influence of The People of Puerto Rico Project on Mexican Anthropology

In the 1970s in Mexico, anthropological regional projects were designed to explore new research interests: irrigation works, peasants, rural capitalism, and mines. Julian H. Steward, Eric R. Wolf, and Sidney W. Mintz, participants in the research project on Puerto Rico, were all popular authors among the new generation of anthropologists and were frequently cited in their thesis bibliographies. This article explores the influence of the People of Puerto Rico project at the design level of these new collective and regional projects. Students were distributed within larger areas, covering various climatic and production subareas, in their research training. The important role of cities, industries, haciendas, markets, and government programs was highlighted. I suggest that senior anthropologists and academic leaders who were planning this new anthropological era were more familiar than their students with the conceptual lines of the Puerto Rico Project. I gained greater insight into the difficulties of a regional research enterprise when I did anthropological research in the 1980s at the Tennessee Valley project.     

Identity status differences among Italian adolescents: Associations with time perspective

Based on Marcia's identity status model, this cross-sectional study examined adolescents' identity formation analyzing its association with time perspective. A sample of 1300 Italian adolescents filled in self-report measures assessing two major developmental processes: identity resolution and time perspective. Adolescents who achieved an integrated identity status seemed to primarily adopt a future time perspective and to have a positive view of the past. By contrast, Diffused adolescents reported negative experiences in the past, a lower future orientation and a greater inclination to fatalism compared to others.     

Intimate Partner Violence in Late Life: An Analysis of National News Reports

Intimate partner violence (IPV) in late life takes various forms including physical harm, sexual assault, and murder. Using national newspaper reports of IPV among elders, we identified the types of violence reported most frequently in media and examined how the abuse was conceptualized by reporters. We found that most cases of IPV reported involved murder, with men as perpetrators and women as victims. Caregiving stress and health problems were frequently cited as contributing factors in the cases. Interpreting these findings from a feminist perspective, we suggest implications for practitioners working with older adults.     

Using simulation to manage project supply chain in the offshore oil and gas industry

This paper is aimed at comparing simulation against spreadsheets as decision support tools to properly manage project supply chain in the offshore oil and gas industry. The paper presents a case study related to the problem of sizing a chain for pipeline laying from an offshore field in the Barents sea to the Russian coast. Results obtained through a spreadsheet developed by an oil and gas company have been compared to the ones gathered from an ad hoc simulation model. A simulation model with no stochastic variable has been introduced: results are quite similar to the ones of the spreadsheet, which allowed to validate the simulation model. However, the spreadsheet cannot take into account the continuous move of the pipe-lay vessel while laying the pipes and it does not consider stochastic variables whose effect in real life is not negligible. Both weaknesses above are discussed.     

Measuring Citizen Satisfaction with Aspects of Public Services from a Local Authority and Determining Their Importance: A Case Study

The measurement of service quality is a theme of great importance to service providers, particularly public agencies. Over the years their role has been changing by providing more and more high quality services, away from basic ones. In this paper the service quality of a local government is analyzed through the measurement of customer satisfaction. The analysis, based on a questionnaire survey, identified and classified the most essential factors that make up the customer satisfaction with the services provided by the Demographic Department of Gioia del Colle, a town in southern Italy.

The performance of the truncated mixed control chart

Abstract

When the mixed chart proposed by Aslam et al. (2015 Aslam, M., M. Azam, N. Khan, and C.-H. Jun. 2015. A mixed control chart to monitor the process. International Journal of Production Research 53 (15):4684–93. doi:10.1080/00207543.2015.1031354.[Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) is in use, the sample items are classified as defective or not defective and, depending on the number of defectives, the quality characteristic X of the sample items are also measured. In this case, an Xbar chart decides the state of the process. The previous conforming/non-conforming classification truncates the X distribution and, because of that, the mathematical development to obtain the ARLs is complex. Aslam et al. (2015 Aslam, M., M. Azam, N. Khan, and C.-H. Jun. 2015. A mixed control chart to monitor the process. International Journal of Production Research 53 (15):4684–93. doi:10.1080/00207543.2015.1031354.[Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) didn’t pay attention to the fact that the X distribution is truncated and, due to that, they obtained incorrect ARLs.     

Economic Disparities and Life Satisfaction in European Regions

This paper investigates the role of economic variables in predicting regional disparities in reported life satisfaction of European Union (EU) citizens. European subnational units (regions) are defined according to the first-level EU nomenclature of territorial units. We use multilevel modeling to explicitly account for the hierarchical nature of our data, respondents within regions and countries, and for understanding patterns of variation within and between regions. Main findings are that personal income matters more in poor regions than in rich regions, a pattern that still holds for regions within the same country. Being unemployed is negatively associated with life satisfaction even after controlled for income variation. Living in high unemployment regions does not alleviate the unhappiness of being out of work. After controlling for individual characteristics and modeling interactions, regional differences in life satisfaction still remain, confirming that regional dimension is relevant for life satisfaction.     

Identification of the mental workload of public employees in the administrative sector at a public university

In the workplace there are risk factors that can overwhelm the health of the worker causing physical and psychological disorders. Among these disorders, is occupational stress. Thus, this research proposes to measure the mental workload of job stress from the identification of demand, control and social support. It is an observational cross-sectional epidemiological character, performed with the Rectory office workers at the State University of West Paraná (Unioeste). Data collection was due to the application of the "Job Stress Scale" (JSS) and in its reduced version adapted to Portuguese. The survey sample consisted of 44 individuals. Statistical analysis was correlated inversely with medium intensity (r = -0.404) between age and social support. For males was found between control and age (r = 0.603). According to the data obtained, we conclude that most workers are exposed to passive work, leading to loss of skills or disinterest in the job. This study highlights the importance of research in the area and the need for new actions that change the conditions of stress at work.