Marginal methods for clustered longitudinal binary data with incomplete covariates

Many analyses for incomplete longitudinal data are directed to examining the impact of covariates on the marginal mean responses. We consider the setting in which longitudinal responses are collected from individuals nested within clusters. We discuss methods for assessing covariate effects on the mean and association parameters when covariates are incompletely observed. Weighted first and second order estimating equations are constructed to obtain consistent estimates of mean and association parameters when covariates are missing at random. Empirical studies demonstrate that estimators from the proposed method have negligible finite sample biases in moderate samples. An application to the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center (NACC) Uniform Data Set (UDS) demonstrates the utility of the proposed method.     

Welfare Reform

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF) on a growing constituency that may require welfare assistance: grandparents raising grandchildren. A brief review of the demographics of grandparent caregivers is followed by an exploration of welfare reform legislation, including work requirements and the Healthy Marriage Initiative (HMI). The importance of state-level policies in assisting grandparent-headed households, particularly health care, school enrollment, and housing policies, are also discussed. The paper concludes by offering implications for welfare policies in terms of their impact on intergenerational households headed by grandparents.     

In Memoriam

This article discusses the origin of social work education in Africa as an export of colonial powers. Social work or social work education has not been the product of a progressive social metamorphosis but rather that of foreign methodologies imposed on African societies. Consequently, the essence of social work education lacks relevance in terms of its philosophical, value and ideological base. Thus students who graduate from such a system of education tend to remain, to some extent, unfamiliar with indigenous knowledge systems and lack adequate knowledge in working with the people. The paper further argues that, while the origin of social work education is well known, its future direction, development and focus on the continent remain unknown, at worst haphazard, ad hoc and undirected with serious implications for the mission and vision of the profession. Social work in Africa has been without a platform to foster discourse on its nature, character and direction. Transformation of social work education from being Euro-centric to being Afro-centric has to be spearheaded by an organization that can provide a forum for dialogue, leadership and a contextual framework. The article therefore examines the need for such a forum and briefly discusses past efforts in this direction in an attempt to provide a direction for transformation.     

五四运动中的江苏省教育会

五四运动期间,江苏省教育会这一半官方的教育社团自始至终穿插其中。运动发生时,教育会积极运动学生、参与学生运动,对学生报以同情态度,通过支持学生合理抗议政府的方式,企图避免学生卷入政治漩涡中。运动后期,学生参与政治之事越来越多,诸多政党也把学生群体作为其势力发展的重要对象,这显然与教育会固守的教育独立思想和实现“江苏自治”的政治主张相违背,于是教育会一方面与政党争夺学生资源,另一方面又对学生运动实行控制和压制,力求在这种夹缝中求得生存发展。     

国际税收争议强制仲裁解决机制研究

国际税收强制仲裁解决机制指的是仅当启动条件成就时即适用仲裁程序解决国际税收争议。同传统的MAP相比,强制仲裁解决机制具有效率高、公正性强、裁决结果便于执行等优势。但是,考虑到强制仲裁解决机制受限于MAP、透明度有限、纳税主体参与度不高等不足,以及许多国家对税收主权的担忧,该项制度当前在世界范围内并未被大规模适用。然而,从国际税收强制仲裁解决机制的不断完善以及未来发展趋势来看,其在国际税收争议的解决中将扮演愈发重要的角色。鉴于此,为掌握国际税收争议中的主动权,保障自身合法权益,我国确有必要引入国际税收强制仲裁解决机制。其可行性前提是：明确MAP为强制仲裁的前置程序并规范MAP的相关内容;确定强制仲裁程序的适用范围;阐明作出仲裁裁决的方式;明晰仲裁裁决的效力与执行;赋予纳税主体更多参与仲裁程序的权利。     

《儒林外史》的结构方式：“递入”与“互见”

“递入”与“互见”是构成《儒林外史》独特结构形态的主要方式,前者以时间的相连形成文本结构的统一,后者藉空间的呼应促成人物故事的完整,两者的巧妙运用使《儒林外史》中人物各传联接成一个血脉贯通的有机整体。《儒林外史》的结构方式以及由此形成的结构形态对近代章回小说产生了深刻的影响,是导致近代章回小说叙事结构发生嬗变的重要因素。     

抗战时期美国图书馆协会对华援助的初步考察

抗战期间,日本疯狂轰炸中国的文化机构,大量珍贵的图书资料在战乱中被毁。美国图书馆协会对中国高校、图书馆进行了援助,使战时中国得到了宝贵的书籍。虽其行为要受到美国国务院的制约,但在某种程度上达到了中美文化交流的目的,同时也反映了美国的国家利益。     

大学生创新创业的探索与实践——以山西农业大学为例

大学生就业难早已成为社会关注的焦点问题。为了缓解这种压力,鼓励和提升大学生的自主创业能力,以创业促进就业不失为扩大大学生就业的一项重要举措。目前,大学生自主创业环境还不成熟,尚需采取各种措施,完善创业环境,促进大学生自主创业。结合山西农业大学在创业教育方面进行的探索与实践,探讨了转变大学生就业观念,激发大学生的自主创业意识,打好学生创业知识基础,培养学生自主创业能力,优化创业社会环境,对于提高大学生自主创业能力的重要性;并结合实际有针对性地提出社会实践、组建高校社团、建立大学生创业信息平台等对大学生就业的积极促进作用,提出了解决高校大学毕业生创新创业问题的新举措。     

基金业绩分析——基于有向学习网络的研究

本文使用LASSO算法构建了基于基金持股数据的基金间动态学习网络,将基金研究中传统的无向网络扩展为有向网络,并检验了正向学习与反向学习两种不同的学习模式(信息利用方式) 对基金业绩的影响,进而探讨了其背后的经济含义。实证结果表明:当基金作为被学习者(信息被观测方)时,被正向学习会显著提高其业绩,被反向学习会显著降低其业绩;当基金作为主动学习者(信息观测方)时,无论是正向学习还是反向学习均不会对其业绩造成显著影响;对基金学习动机的分析表明,基金参与学习是为了提升相对自己上期的业绩、防止业绩倒退,且反向学习相对更加有效。本文分析了信 息传递方向、信息利用方式对基金业绩的影响,为如何将统计学习方法应用于金融问题的分析提供了一个新的视角。