Does time inconsistency differ between gain and loss? An intra-personal comparison using a non-parametric elicitation method

Several studies on time preference have found time inconsistency in both gain and loss preferences. However, the relationship between the two within the same person remains unclear; that is, does an individual who demonstrates time inconsistency for gain outcomes do so for losses as well? This paper reports on individuals’ time inconsistency for gains and losses in a laboratory setting. To obtain a precise comparison of individuals’ time inconsistency for gains and losses, we used Rohde’s “DI (decreasing impatience)-index” (Manag Sci 65(4):1700–1716, 2018) and measured the level of time inconsistency, rather than merely identifying whether TI was present. This index represents how strongly a person exhibits present bias, and easily extends to the comparison between gain and loss preferences within the same person. Further, it allows the experiment to test for so-called future bias, which has been a focus area in recent time inconsistency literature. It is elicited through a non-parametric method, which avoids any specification errors in the analysis. Our findings are as follows: first, we found future bias in preferences for not only gains but also losses, and we confirmed that this tendency is consistent with previous findings on preferences for gains. Second, a positive correlation between time inconsistency for gains and losses was found at the individual level. Indeed, we could not find a significant difference between the two in most cases.

     

Challenges to Successful Community-based Integrated Approach to Dementia: A Qualitative Study

The aim of this study is to identify key challenges to successful community-based integrated team approach to the management of older adults with dementia. A nationwide community-based qualitative research strategy was applied. We purposively recruited 24 health-care providers and 13 family caregivers from selected 8 prefectures among 47 prefectures. Face to face interviews were conducted from May to September 2017. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data. Ten themes regarding the challenges were emerged: Ignored wishes, Family caregivers’ full responsibilities, Encouragement, Practical and easy-to-understand information, Essential skills of dementia diagnosis and assessment, Gratitude by helping others, Difference between being kind and overly-kind, Legal barrier against information sharing, Coordination between volunteers and clients, and Conflict avoidance in multidisciplinary collaboration. The findings highlight the need to provide practical and easy-to-understand information for family caregivers, educate physicians in dementia diagnosis and assessment, share personal dementia care information among health-care providers, promote platforms which aim to match dementia care volunteers with older adults with dementia and their families in need of help, and raise awareness of advance care planning among both older individuals and health-care providers.     

A non-homogeneous hidden Markov model for predicting the distribution of sea surface elevation

The prediction problem of sea state based on the field measurements of wave and meteorological factors is a topic of interest from the standpoints of navigation safety and fisheries. Various statistical methods have been considered for the prediction of the distribution of sea surface elevation. However, prediction of sea state in the transitional situation when waves are developing by blowing wind has been a difficult problem until now, because the statistical expression of the dynamic mechanism during this situation is very complicated. In this article, we consider this problem through the development of a statistical model. More precisely, we develop a model for the prediction of the time-varying distribution of sea surface elevation, taking into account a non-homogeneous hidden Markov model in which the time-varying structures are influenced by wind speed and wind direction. Our prediction experiments suggest the possibility that the proposed model contributes to an improvement of the prediction accuracy by using a homogenous hidden Markov model. Furthermore, we found that the prediction accuracy is influenced by the circular distribution of the circular hidden Markov model for the directional time series wind direction data.     

Yoga stretching for improving salivary immune function and mental stress in middle-aged and older adults

Protection against age-related immune suppression is important in elderly individuals. This study determined the effect of yoga on mucosal immune function and mental stress. Saliva samples were collected from 23 adult women (age: 60.4 ± 10.4 years) before and after 90 minutes of yoga stretching or rest to measure secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA), cortisol, and testosterone. The SIgA concentration and secretion rate were significantly higher after yoga than before (p < .05). The cortisol concentration and secretion rate were lower and testosterone secretion rate higher after yoga (p < .05). Yoga stretching can reduce stress and enhance mucosal immune function in elderly women.     

论国际法中的indigenous peoples

自20世纪初以来,在涉及到各国家和地区人们共同体的权利关系问题的讨论中,首先在国际性文件里出现了"indigenous peoples"这一概念,并对其内涵与外延进行了界定。同时,伴随着先住民运动在世界各地的风起云涌以及世界各国家和地区政治、经济、文化等的发展,"indigenous peoples"的内涵与外延也处于不断的变化过程中。然而,由于英文的"indigenous peoples"在汉语中并无直接对应词汇,再加上学术传统的差异等各种原因,造成中西方对其内涵与外延的理解上产生歧义,进而影响到所涉及对象的基本权利以及相互关系的构建。因此,从人类学的视角出发,厘清国际法语境中"indigenous peoples"在中西方文化中内涵与外延的异同,有助于多民族国家各人们共同体权利的维护以及和谐关系的建设。     

Randomized response technique in a National Survey

In order to produce estimates of the number of women having abortions during a 12-month period in the conterminous United States, the randomized response technique was used in the 1973 National Survey of Family Growth. The model applied used 2 unrelated questions in separate half-samples, with a coin as the randomizing device. The randomized response technique resulted in a higher estimate for the number of women with abortions that has previously been obtained through direct questions or reporting systems. The overall estimated proportion who had abortions among women who had been married or who had their own children in the household is 3.0% with a standardized error of 0.8 percentage points; however, there is a wide variation in the half-sample estimates of abortion. Differences between the 2 half-samples led to an examination of possible measurement error. 3 types of errors in measurement which may affect the estimate based on the randomized response technique are: 1) error in the answer to the sensitive question on abortion under the randomized response conditions; 2) error in the answer to the innocuous question under randomized response conditions; and 3) error in the answer to the innocuous question when asked directly. Comparisons between data from the different sources for currently married women suggest that all differences are not due to measurement error and that a large number of women had an unreported and/or illegal abortion in 1973. Although the randomized response models have been in use for at least 10 years, there continues to be a need for work on the field administration and subsequent analysis of these models.     

Inter-organizational collaborative research networks in semiconductor lasers 1975–1994

How does the development of collaborative research networks vary? This paper investigates how research networks have developed in the same technological fields in North America, Europe, and Asia. Exploring inter-organizational co-authored papers published in the Applied Physics Letters from 1975 to 1994, we first map the collaborative research networks and demonstrate that research networks were more developed in scale and scope in North America than in Europe and Asia in semiconductor laser technology. U.S. organizations played a nodal role in networking throughout this time period. Addressing how research networks were more developed in the U.S. than in Japan in particular, this paper concludes that engineer mobility, academic–industry relationships, and entrepreneurial startups were the key factors for the development of collaborative networks during the periods studied.     

Volunteerism and Burnout: Does Satisfaction of Motives for Volunteering Protect Against Symptoms?

VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations - Volunteering leads to many positive outcomes, especially when one’s reasons for volunteering are satisfied by...