On Being Gay in Barbados: “Bullers” and “Battyboys” and their HIV Risk in a Societal Context of Stigma

Limited research exists about gay men in the Caribbean region. A qualitative study was conducted to characterize gay men in Barbados, their HIV risk, and the impact of stigma on their lives. The 2 main groups of gay men (“bougies” and “ghetto”) reflect social class and level of “outness” in broader society. Homophobia, stigma, and buggery (sodomy) laws increase their HIV vulnerability. The need for anti-discrimination legislation and tools for self-development were identified for gay men to realize their strengths, develop their self-worth, and protect themselves from HIV.     

Three scenarios for the future of work

After presenting a historical overview of the concept of work and the different meanings that it has acquired over the centuries, the author analyses the value it holds for Europeans, and the impact on work and employment of the popular rhetoric about a technological revolution and its “inevitable” consequences. She then considers the future of work in the light of three scenarios: a “dismantling of labour law”, a “technological revolution” (where automation brings an end to employment), and an “environmental transition”. She argues that the latter is compatible with the imperative to take action on climate change and the expectations placed in work and employment.     

An Assessment,Using the Multiphasic Environmental Assessment Procedure (MEAP), of a Rural Life-Care Residential Center for the Elderly

This study reports the findings of an assessment of a life-care center for elderly persons in a rural area using the Multiphasic Environmental Assessment Procedure (Moos and Lemke, 1979a). The study assesses the physical and architectural features, the social climate, and the policies and programs of the home. The results are compared to previous assessments of sheltered-care facilities, and the findings of the study support similar research conducted by Moos and Lemke. The facility's selection process leads to a population with similar characteristics, tending to promote a harmonious environment. The residents have a positive perception of their personal environment which encompasses the physical and social environment and organizational structure. This type of environment offers a smooth transition from living in a private residence to a residential life-care center.     

A Descriptive Study of Home Modifications for People with Dementia and Barriers to Implementation

This study describes home environmental features, safety issues, and health-related modifications in a community dwelling sample of 82 elderly people with dementia. Main barriers to the accessibility of the homes were steps both inside and outside the home. The majority of the caregivers had made home modifications that pertained mainly to physical limitations. Home modifications to support cognitive deficits were made to a lesser extent. The main barrier to the implementation of home modifications to accommodate the care recipient's memory loss was skepticism about their usefulness. Regarding the removal of physical barriers, financial constraints were most frequently mentioned.     

Some properties of modified integrated squared error estimators for the stable laws

The estimation procedure of Paulson, Holcomb and Leitch (1975) for the parameters of the stable laws is shown to be similar in spirit to the modified X²minimum procedure. This observation suggests that a class of modified integrated squared error procedures may be developed for the stable laws as well as much more generally. For the stable case, some influence curves, asymptotic covariances, and efficiencies are given, and the robustness of maximum likelihood estimators is discussed.     

Detecting year-of-birth mortality patterns with limited data

Summary.  Late life mortality patterns are of crucial interest to actuaries assessing risk of longevity, most obviously for annuities and defined benefit pension schemes. The stability of public finances is also affected, as the governments have very substantial risk of longevity in the form of state benefits and public sector pension schemes. One important explanatory variable for late life mortality patterns is year of birth. Previous work has demonstrated various techniques for detecting such patterns, but always with long time series of mortality rates. The paper describes two alternative ways to detect such patterns, even with missing population data or the absence of a time series. The paper finds support for the idea that different birth cohorts have different rates of aging.     

考虑环境因素的陕西省制造业绩效研究

在评价制造业绩效时,环境因素是一个要考虑的影响因子。基于方向性环境距离函数,选取陕西省不同要素密集行业2005—2011年数据,比较了考虑环境因素和不考虑环境因素两种情形下的陕西省制造业绩效。研究发现,考虑CO2排放后制造业在生产前沿上的行业数目减少,陕西省制造业的整体绩效不高且规模收益总体上呈递减趋势;技术密集型制造业的平均绩效最高,主要是技术进步较快所致,劳动密集型行业绩效主要依赖规模效率变化的推动,而资本密集型行业绩效的追赶效应最为明显;大多数劳动、资本密集型行业表现出技术退步趋势,前沿面移动效应不明显,企业管理水平不高,投入结构有待优化,技术进步缓慢。针对研究结果最后提出了相应的对策建议。     

辽宁省中小型矿山生态环境保护管理及对策

针对中小型矿山生态环境保护问题,采用调查分析的方法,分析了辽宁省矿山企业生态保护管理存在的问题,提出从系统科学、环境科学、地质灾害治理、循环经济、资源经济、可持续发展等方面进行综合管理,为辽宁省的中小型矿山企业的地质灾害治理和生态环境保护提供思路。     

创业环境问题研究述评

创业环境问题的研究是目前创业研究中的热点之一。文章从不同视角对创业环境问题的中外研究成果进行了归纳和综合述评,并对未来的主要研究方向进行了分析,以便为创业环境问题的进一步研究提供借鉴和参考。     

环境公益诉讼法律制度研究——以环境民事公益诉讼为中心

环境问题的日益严重,客观上需要立法加以保障和有效实施,而环境民事公益诉讼正是维护环境公共利益、实现环境权从理论到实践的重要途径。针对目前我国环境民事公益诉讼制度在法律上的空白以及现行法律在环境公益保护方面存在的问题,本文在借鉴国外立法经验的前提下,从现实和法理的角度出发,提出了建立具有中国特色的环境民事公益诉讼法律制度的构想。