Misspecifications of the Normal Distribution

Incorrect statements about the normal distribution are discussed and illustrated with counterexamples.     

Examples of Uncorrelated Dependent Random Variables Using a Bivariate Mixture

A particular mixture of bivariate distributions is used to present examples of dependent uncorrelated random variables and independent random variables. A necessary and sufficient condition for the independence for such a bivariate distribution is given.     

Final report of the Color Additive Scientific Review Panel

The Color Additives Scientific Review Panel considered whether there was information sufficient to perform a carcinogenic risk assessment on the colors D&C Red No. 19 (R-19), D&C Red No. 37 (R-37), D&C Orange No. 17 (O-17), D&C Red No. 9 (R-9), D&C Red No. 8 (R-8) and FD&C Red No. 3 (R-3) and to evaluate the assessments sent to FDA as part of the petitions for use of the colors for drug and external uses by the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association (CTFA). There is a lack of human data concerning the colors for making a human health assessment, so the assessments are based upon the extrapolation of animal data. The risk assessments are determined for exposure to single chemicals. Excluded from consideration are possible effects from exposure to multiple chemicals, such as co-carcinogenesis, promotion, synergism, antagonism, etc. In the light of recent efforts in establishing a consensus in risk assessment, the Panel has determined that the CTFA assessments for R-10, O-17, and R-9 are consistent with present acceptable usages, although it questions some of the assumptions used in the assessments. The Panel identified a number of general assumptions made, and discusses their validity, their impact on total uncertainty, and the potential options to address the gaps in understanding that necessitate the assumption. The Panel also derived revised risk estimates using more "reasonable" assumptions than "worst-case" situations, for 90th percentile and average exposure. For those assumptions that are easily quantifiable, the Panel's estimates are less than an order of magnitude lower than the CTFA risk estimates, indicating that the underestimates and overestimates of the CTFA risk estimates tend to balance each other. The impact of most of the assumptions is not quantifiable. The assessment for R-3 is complicated by the fact that there is no good skin penetrance study for this color. It was assumed that the penetrance is similar to that of another water-soluble xanthene color, R-19. It is expected that the absorption of the color is not likely to exceed that of the smaller molecule, R-19. Therefore, the risk estimates are similar to the CTFA estimates, but with different reasoning. The estimates for R-8 and R-37 are different from the others in that there is a lack of any exposure or toxicological information on these colors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

论应对西方对中国宗教渗透的策略

宗教渗透是西方对我国进行文化渗透的重要手段之一。对于我国而言,不深刻认识宗教渗透的本质,识破种种宗教渗透的阴谋,就不能采取正确的应对策略。因而,应反对过左或过右两个极端。既能有效地反宗教渗透,又能最大程度地争取群众,应该是应对西方对中国宗教渗透的策略的最佳效果。从参与主体的角度看,应把应对西方对我国的宗教渗透当作一个系统工程,参与该工程的主体要各司其职,相互配合。     

Testing the Effects of Similarity on Risky Choice: Implications for Violations of Expected Utility

Our aim in this paper was to establish an empirical evaluation for similarity effects modeled by Rubinstein; Azipurua et al.; Leland; and Sileo. These tests are conducted through a sensitivity analysis of two well-known examples of expected utility (EU) independence violations. We found that subjective similarity reported by respondents was explained very well by objective measures suggested in the similarity literature. The empirical results of this analysis also show that: (1) the likelihood of selection for the riskier choice increases as the pair becomes more similar, (2) these choice patterns are consistent with well-known independence violations of expected utility, and (3) a significant proportion of individuals exhibit intransitive choice patterns predicted under similarity effects, but not allowed under generalized expected utility models for risky choice.     

Demonised,impoverished and now forced into isolation: the fate of disabled people under austerity

Disability Living Allowance (DLA) was introduced in the United Kingdom explicitly to help offset the extra costs of disability. The scrapping of DLA and its replacement with the so-called Personal Independence Payment is causing massive concern across the United Kingdom, not least because it comes in the wake of a large number of other cuts, all of which impact disproportionately on disabled people. These changes reflect the retraction of ‘welfare’ across many European countries. As the government has refused to perform a cumulative impact assessment to date, it has been left to grassroots organisations such as DPAC to assess the damage and put the bigger picture together. An article in the New Statesman reports research showing that by 2018 disabled people are set to lose an astonishing £28.3 billion worth of financial support. These changes are going to affect up to 3.7 million disabled people in total.     

力主统一的文坛斗士——论陈映真对“文学台独”的批判

当下,"文学台独"逆流甚嚣尘上,但文坛斗士、台湾思想界、文学界统派的领军人物陈映真与之进行了毫不妥协的斗争,予以了坚决的批判.具体表现为两大方面:一是坚持台湾文学的中国属性,坚决批判"台湾文学主体论",一是对为"皇民文学"翻案的台独逆流进行彻底的清算.     

“I've been independent for so damn long!”: Independence, masculinity and aging in a help seeking context

This paper draws on semi-structured interviews conducted with 36 older men to examine how older men's understandings of independence relate to their help seeking behaviours and health service use. We argue that discourses of masculinity and successful aging are both represented in men's talk about independence. Recognising that these discourses are intertwined is important for understanding how older men seek help and use health services. We outline the practice and policy implications of viewing older men's help seeking behaviours in this way, and how it might be useful for promoting older men's health.     

卢沟桥事变后日本转变对蒙政策原因探析

九.一八事变后,关东军将其侵略矛头又指向华北和西部内蒙古。先以支持“蒙古独立”为诱饵,笼络当时提倡蒙古高度自治的德王,终将其拉入自己怀抱。卢沟桥事变爆发,日本占领了西部内蒙古,为了更加有效地统治这一新占领区,由煽动“蒙古独立”开始转向提倡“民族协和”。政策转变的原因首先是为了稳固新占领地区的统治;其次是防止已实行“自治”的伪满洲国“兴安蒙古”出现离心倾向;第三是优先考虑维护与汪精卫伪政权的关系。     

先验主义:美国十九世纪的语文经验

本文探讨了19世纪先验主义思潮在美国民族文化独立运动中所起到的作用和贡献。通过对这个时期的语文经验讨论和研究,作者认为美利坚民族利用先验主义的思潮进一步推动了美利坚民族走向文化独立的步伐,从而使这个民族具有了不同于其它民族的识别特征。