Studying the Motivations Behind Sexual Agreements: A First Look at the Motivations Behind Agreement (MBA) Scale for Male Couples

Sexual agreements are ubiquitous among male couples, yet little is known about motivations behind agreements and their association with sexual risk for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Qualitative interviews with 39 couples informed the development of the items in the Motivations Behind Agreement (MBA) scale. The scale was validated via exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using quantitative data from two (790 and 882 men) independent samples of couples. The EFA yielded two factors: relationship quality enhancement motive (RQEM) and sex life enhancement motive (SLEM). The CFA indicated satisfactory global model data fit. Finally, in predicting sexual risk, RQEM and SLEM showed significant interactions with agreement type. For men with monogamous agreements, higher RQEM was associated with less condomless anal sex (CAS) with an outside partner of discordant or unknown serostatus (aOR = 0.15; 95% CI = 0.05, 0.46). For men with nonmonogamous agreements, higher RQEM was associated with less CAS (aOR = 0.76; 95% CI = 0.60, 0.97) while higher SLEM was associated with greater odds of CAS (aOR = 1.57; 95% CI = 1.18, 2.08). Men whose agreements were highly motivated by relationship enhancement were less likely to engage in sexual risk with outside partners regardless of agreement type. HIV-prevention interventions targeting male couples will benefit from incorporating an understanding of couples’ agreement motivations.     

A new discrete probability distribution with integer support on (−∞, ∞)

ABSTRACT

A new discrete probability distribution with integer support on (?∞, ∞) is proposed as a discrete analog of the continuous logistic distribution. Some of its important distributional and reliability properties are established. Its relationship with some known distributions is discussed. Parameter estimation by maximum-likelihood method is presented. Simulation is done to investigate properties of maximum-likelihood estimators. Real life application of the proposed distribution as empirical model is considered by conducting a comparative data fitting with Skellam distribution, Kemp's discrete normal, Roy's discrete normal, and discrete Laplace distribution.     

Measurement of fuzziness: A general approach

A new general index for the measurement of fuzziness has been suggested in this paper. It has been shown that a continuous, S-concave function of the fuzzy membership values will suffice for constructing an index of fuzziness. The general index satisfies all the postulates for an index of fuzziness proposed by De Luca and Termini (1972).We are indebted to M. Smithson for comments on an earlier draft paper.     

Past Present: Discordant Gay Male Couples,HIV Infection History,and Relationship Dynamics

Discordant couples are unique because partners do not share the same serostatus. Yet research overlooks how they became discordant, mistakenly assuming that they have always been that way and, by extension, that being discordant impacts the relationship in a similar manner. This study examines HIV infection history and its impact on relationship dynamics using qualitative data from 35 discordant gay male couples. Most couples were discordant when they met (69%); however, many were not (31%). Those couples that met discordant felt being discordant had a lesser impact on their sexual and relational satisfaction, while those that did not meet discordant felt it had a greater impact, reporting sexual frustration and anxiety over seroconverting. This suggests that relationship dynamics may differ for discordant couples depending on HIV infection history. HIV prevention and counseling services for discordant couples can be better tailored and more effective when differences in HIV infection history are recognized.     

A deprivation-based axiomatic characterization of the absolute Bonferroni index of inequality

We investigate several properties of the Bonferroni inequality index, including its welfare theoretic interpretation. We also interpret and characterize the absolute Bonferroni index as the average of subgroup average depression indices, where to each income we associate a subgroup containing all persons whose incomes are not higher than this income. An aggregate depression index for a subgroup has been derived axiomatically as the sum of gaps between the subgroup highest income and all incomes not higher than that.      

Global Cities,Public Transportation,and Social Exclusion: A Study of the Bus System in Abu Dhabi

As cities of the Gulf Cooperation Council grow and integrate with global markets, questions relating to their unique social compositions continue to emerge. Abu Dhabi has been competing with other cities in the region through massive investments in infrastructure and megaprojects, including the provision of public transportation. The paper examines the issues of bus ridership in Abu Dhabi and relates it to the broader debates on social exclusion and transportation. As a globalizing city with a majority expatriate population, and with a large presence of blue-collar workers, unique rifts in the society are further complicating the ‘usual’ prejudice against buses. The paper reports on results from fieldwork including surveys and observations. It concludes that the bus system could be more effective in fostering social inclusion if a broader accessibility planning approach is used.     

Ethical indices of income mobility

Ethical indices of income mobility measure the change in welfare resulting from mobility. The concept of mobility we explore consists of a welfare comparison between the actual time path of the income distribution with a hypothetical time path obtained by supposing that starting from the actual first-period distribution, the remaining income receipts exhibit complete immobility.     

A discrete analog of Gumbel distribution: properties,parameter estimation and applications

A discrete version of the Gumbel distribution (Type-I Extreme Value distribution) has been derived by using the general approach of discretization of a continuous distribution. Important distributional and reliability properties have been explored. It has been shown that depending on the choice of parameters the proposed distribution can be positively or negatively skewed; possess long-tail(s). Log-concavity of the distribution and consequent results have been established. Estimation of parameters by method of maximum likelihood, method of moments, and method of proportions has been discussed. A method of checking model adequacy and regression type estimation based on empirical survival function has also been examined. A simulation study has been carried out to compare and check the efficacy of the three methods of estimations. The distribution has been applied to model three real count data sets from diverse application area namely, survival times in number of days, maximum annual floods data from Brazil and goal differences in English premier league, and the results show the relevance of the proposed distribution.     

The Variance as a subgroup decomposable measure of inequality

An inequality index is called subgroup decomposable if it can be expressed as a weighted sum of inequality values calculated for population subgroups plus the contribution arising out of differences among subgroup means. Theil (1967) and Shorrocks (1980) pointed out two important requirements for subgroup decomposable inequality indices. Shorrocks (1980) has shown that Theil's mean logarithmic deviation, for which the weights of subgroup terms are respective population shares, is the only relative inequality index that fulfils these two properties. In this paper we show that the variance is the only absolute inequality index to satisfy the population share weighted subgroup decomposability property, which in turn implies that it also meets the two properties suggested by Theil and Shorrocks. A numerical illustration of several inequality indices in also presented in the paper. JEL classification numbers:D31, D63.     

Distributed Computer System Capacity Planning and Capacity Loading

The availability of micro-, mini-, and super computers has complicated the laws governing the economies of scale in computers and has increased the tendency to decentralize and distribute computing power. The optimal design of such a system requires integration of computers of varying power and a strategy for capacity loading. This paper considers the problem of capacity planning and capacity loading of a distributed computer system as a hierarchy of decisions. A linear programming model is developed for the initial capacity planning problem. A loading model that accounts for variations in arrival and processing rates of the jobs in a dynamic environment is developed to support the operations.