Health-related disabilities and matching of spouses: Analysis of Swedish population data

Recent research concerning the incidence of reported work-limiting disabilities in the married population indicates a degree of interdependence between spouses' disabilities. This pattern is consistent with several hypotheses. Spouses tend to share many lifestyle traits that might lead to common health outcomes. Alternatively, their joint reports might reflect a shared preference for income benefits or workplace accommodations available to disabled individuals. Another possibility is that disabled individuals tend to be matched in the process of marital formation. This paper investigates the latter hypothesis. Taking advantage of a unique data set from the Swedish population, we select a sample of recently married couples and trace them back in time to their single years. Our analysis indicates nonrandom matching on the basis of disability status. After controlling for observed traits such as age and education, we find a residual correlation between future spouses that is positive and strongly significant. The magnitude of the correlation is within the range of residual correlations obtained from other studies that address marital matching in the contexts of education and earnings. The authors wish to thank anonymous referees and the editors of this journal for helpful comments and prompt reviews. Responsible editor: Christian Dustmann.     

The evaluation and monitoring of a Medicaid second surgical opinion program.

The evaluation of newly implemented and controversial programs often present real problems for the evaluator. When a program is accompanied by a legislatively mandated evaluation, the issues become even more acute. The evaluator, wanting to impact on policy, must strike a balance between the adherence to principles of scientific inquiry, yet be responsive to the needs of policymakers. This paper describes the evaluation and follow-up monitoring of a recently established second opinion program for Medicaid recipients. The program was to terminate in 17 months unless extended by the Wisconsin Legislature. The evaluation found, among other things, marked reductions in the use of surgical services after implementation of the second opinion program. Based in large part on the evaluation, the program was extended with a provision for continued monitoring. The paper discusses the factors that contributed to the evaluation having a major impact on the decision to extend the program.     

Employment after childbearing and women's subsequent labour force participation: evidence from the British 1958 birth cohort

Data on women from the British 1958 Cohort Study is used as evidence on the determinants of their labour force participation at age 33. A conventional cross-sectional model of full or part-time employment makes use of some longitudinal material not normally included in such models. Whether the woman made the hitherto customary break from. employment at the time of the first maternity is included in recognition that this cohort was among the first generation to be offered Statutory Maternity Leave. Results suggest that the presence of children (still) inhibits full-time employment and raises the probability of part-time employment; that income effects on participation have continued to weaken while wage elasticity for full-time employment is high. Continuity of employment straight after childbearing raises the chances of subsequent full-time employment, but by no means guarantees it. Gains from maternity leave and other family friendly employment policies have been far from uniform.All correspondence to Heather Joshi. Our research was supported by the ESRC Grant R000234600. Helpful comments by John F. Ermisch, Siv Gustafsson and two anonymous referees are gratefully acknowledged. Responsible editors: Siv S. Gustafsson, John F. Ermisch.     

Running hard and falling behind: a welfare analysis of two-earner families

This paper investigates the commonly asserted proposition that long term economic changes have put the family in a financial bind. Structural parameters of a family utility model are obtained by estimating simultaneous labor supply functions for a two-earner household. We find evidence indicating that the average 1990‘s two-earner family would prefer to receive the 1980‘s real wage package (were it available) instead of the real wage package it actually faces. The degree to which the 1990‘s family is worse off (in terms of the changes in the real wage package) is roughly equivalent to an hour of leisure per week. Received September 25, 1995 / Accepted February 5, 1997     

析J.M.库切小说《耻》中超越种族的生存困惑

库切的代表作<耻>是一部寓意丰富、思想深刻的小说,从不同角度解读会获得不同的启示.本文以小说揭示新南非新旧交替时代种族问题为出发点,深层剖析作品所反映的人类共同的生存境遇,展示作家对人类苦难的深切同情和其人道主义的终极关怀.     

选择造就品质——以萨特哲学解读《哈利·波特》

罗琳在塑造《哈利·波特》系列小说的主要人物时表现出了哲学家的睿智,而萨特的存在主义可以对罗琳的哲学思想进行深度解读。伏地魔和哈利.波特的出生背景相似,之后却形成了迥异的性格。根据萨特的观点,出生以自在的形式存在,而品质却由自为所决定;通过选择,自为不断地否定自身,逐步形成特定的品质。伏地魔的残忍、诡秘、霸道,哈利.波特的勇敢、爱和责任心都是通过一次次的选择而逐渐定型并得到强化的。人物的选择造就了其性格品质,这恰好印证了萨特的哲学思想:存在先于本质。     

单项2n阶J-自伴微分算子谱的离散性

本文研究了一项2n阶复系数J-对称微分算式生成的J-自伴微分算子谱的离散性,得到了一项2n阶J-自伴微分算子的谱是离散的充分条件.     

Likelihood-based inference for a class of multivariate diffusions with unobserved paths

This paper presents a Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm for a class of multivariate diffusion models with unobserved paths. This class is of high practical interest as it includes most diffusion driven stochastic volatility models. The algorithm is based on a data augmentation scheme where the paths are treated as missing data. However, unless these paths are transformed so that the dominating measure is independent of any parameters, the algorithm becomes reducible. The methodology developed in Roberts and Stramer [2001a. On inference for partial observed nonlinear diffusion models using the metropolis-hastings algorithm. Biometrika 88(3); 603–621] circumvents the problem for scalar diffusions. We extend this framework to the class of models of this paper by introducing an appropriate reparametrisation of the likelihood that can be used to construct an irreducible data augmentation scheme. Practical implementation issues are considered and the methodology is applied to simulated data from the Heston model.     

Birth-multiple catastrophe processes

Birth-multiple catastrophe processes are analyzed where the birth transition rates are assumed to be constant while catastrophes are distinguished by having possibly different destinations and possibly different transition rates. The transient probability functions of such birth-multiple catastrophe systems are determined. The solution method uses dual processes, randomization, and sample path counting. Solutions are explicit in terms of being a finite linear combination of products of exponential functions of time, t, and nonnegative integer powers of t. The coefficients within this expansion follow a pattern of rational functions of the transition rates.     

Regression models for analyzing clustered binary and continuous outcomes under an assumption of exchangeability

Scientific experiments commonly result in clustered discrete and continuous data. Existing methods for analyzing such data include the use of quasi-likelihood procedures and generalized estimating equations to estimate marginal mean response parameters. In applications to areas such as developmental toxicity studies, where discrete and continuous measurements are recorded on each fetus, or clinical ophthalmologic trials, where different types of observations are made on each eye, the assumption that data within cluster are exchangeable is often very reasonable. We use this assumption to formulate fully parametric regression models for clusters of bivariate data with binary and continuous components. The regression models proposed have marginal interpretations and reproducible model structures. Tractable expressions for likelihood equations are derived and iterative schemes are given for computing efficient estimates (MLEs) of the marginal mean, correlations, variances and higher moments. We demonstrate the use the ‘exchangeable’ procedure with an application to a developmental toxicity study involving fetal weight and malformation data.