Some comments on Latin squares and on Graeco-Latin squares,illustrated with postage stamps and old playing cards

We present some comments on Latin squares and on Graeco-Latin squares, with special emphasis on their use in statistics and in a historical context. We also comment on the Knut Vik square, the knight’s move design and the knight’s tour, as well as the Magic Card Puzzle. We consider the well-known 36 officers problem studied by Euler (Verhandelingen uitgegeven door het zeeuwsch Genootschap der Wetenschappen te Vlissingen, vol. 9 (Middleburg 1782), pp. 85–239, 1779/1782), and give two examples of diagonal Latin squares of order 6 due, respectively, to Abbé François-Guillaume Poignard (Chez Guillaume Fricx, Imprimeur &; libraire ruë Bergestract, à l’enseigne des quatre Evangelistes, Bruxelles [4] 79 pp. (p. 71 folded), 1704) and József Dénes (J Lond Math Soc Ser 2, 6(4):679–689, 1970). We illustrate our comments with images of postage stamps and old playing cards. An extensive annotated bibliography ends the paper.     

The Relationship between female sexual arousal and response bias in women with and without provoked vestibulodynia

Smaller correlations have typically been found between genital and subjective sexual arousal in female versus male samples. This study evaluated the association between response bias and the relationship between genital and subjective arousal (i.e., concordance) in women with (n = 20) and without (n = 21) provoked vestibulodynia. Participants (M = 21.27 years, SD = 2.27) underwent blood flow imaging via a laser Doppler imager to assess genital responsiveness to a visual erotic stimulus; subjective arousal was assessed during and following the film. The relationships between three types of subjective arousal ratings (perceived sexual arousal, perceived genital responsiveness, and reported desire to engage in sexual activity) and two forms of socially desirable responding (impression management and self-deceptive enhancement) were examined. Concordance estimates were statistically non-significant in both groups, with the exception of the desire to engage in sexual activity, which was moderately correlated with genital arousal in the control group. Impression management was not a statistically significant moderator of the relationship between genital and subjective arousal, but was moderately negatively related to the three forms of subjective arousal ratings in the provoked vestibulodynia group. The results highlight the importance of assessing response bias in laboratory studies comparing women with and without sexual dysfunction.     

Caregiver drug use and arrest as correlates of child trauma exposure

This study proposed to determine the prevalence of substance use and drug-related arrests among caregivers of children referred to Child Protective Services (CPS), examine the relationship between substance use and arrests among caregivers, and examine the main effects and interaction of substance use and arrests in predicting child trauma exposure. Secondary data was collected from CPS files for a randomly selected group of 1127 children. Findings indicated that rates of caregiver substance misuse and arrests were higher than the general population, which was expected. When controlling for demographic and other variables, there was a main effect of substance use and arrests on child trauma exposure, but no significant interaction. Implications for caregivers engaged in substance use and/or involvement with the criminal justice system are discussed, as well as clinical and research implications for children exposed to trauma related to caregiver behaviors.     

Correlates of Depressive Symptom Severity in Problem and Pathological Gamblers in Couple Relationships

Problem and pathological gamblers (PPG) often suffer from depressive symptoms. Gambling problems have negative consequences on multiple aspects of gamblers’ lives, including family and marital relationships. The objectives of the current study were to (1) replicate the results of studies that have suggested a stronger and more significant relationship between gambling and depression in PPG than in non-problem gamblers (NPG) and (2) explore specific correlates of depressive symptom severity in PPG in couple relationships. Variables demonstrated to be significantly correlated with depressive symptoms in the general population were selected. It was hypothesized that gender, age, gambler’s mean annual income, perceived poverty, employment status, clinical status (i.e., problem or pathological gambler versus non-problem gambler), trait anxiety, alcoholism, problem-solving skills, and dyadic adjustment would be significant predictors of depressive symptoms. Sixty-seven PPG were recruited, primarily from an addiction treatment center; 40 NPG were recruited, primarily through the media. Results revealed that PPG reported significantly greater depressive symptoms than did NPG. Further, elevated trait anxiety and poor dyadic adjustment were demonstrated to be significant and specific correlates of depressive symptom severity in PPG. These findings contribute to the literature on depressive symptomatology in PPG in relationships, and highlight the importance of the influence of the couple relationship on PPG.     

Awareness of LGBT Aging Issues Among Aging Services Network Providers

Very little research exists examining the interactions between community-based aging service providers and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) older adults. It is unclear whether mainstream aging services acknowledge the needs of this community. We asked direct care providers and administrators in the Michigan aging services network to describe their work with LGBT older adults. We found there are very few services specific to the needs of older LGBT adults and very little outreach to this community. At the agency level, resistance to providing services was found.     

Book Review

Principles of Biostatistics. Marcello Pagano and Kimberlee Gauvreau. Belmont, CA: Duxbury, 1993. xviii + 524 pp. + disk. $53.25. Reviewed by Todd G. Nick     

Nuclear Plant Systems Analysis Research at EPRI

A synopsis is given of research projects on probabilistic systems analysis conducted by the Risk Assessment Program of the Electric Power Research Institute. A brief outline of the value of systems analysis both within PRA and as a stand-alone discipline is used to show how the objectives of the research program are related to industry needs. Research projects and their deliverables are discussed in relation to three objectives: (1) to improve the credibility of the methods and results, (2) to provide computer tools and technology transfer, and (3) to develop use of the methods to improve safety and availability in operation. Recent achievements and future plans are briefly described and an up to date list of relevant EPRI publications is provided.     

Analysis of Effects of Operational Execution on Repeat Purchasing for Heterogeneous Customer Segments

Many retailers are increasingly turning to home delivery as a new arena of operational competition. This study controlled for industry by investigating the online home delivery grocery business, and an analysis of 1,919 customers of home delivery grocers identified four groups of online customers based on reasons for selecting this service. These four groups were next linked to operational execution in terms of service, product, and Internet quality, and found to vary in predicable ways. Subsequent to the initial data collection, five month's of post hoc longitudinal purchasing history was collected on the four groups of online customers to determine the relative profitability. Finally, as a follow‐on analysis, the study used regression to predict future consumer purchases based upon operational execution. Time savings and service quality emerged as the two most important independent variables in terms of future buying from such online home delivery services.