Effects of prenatal exposure to abnormal rainfall on cognitive development in Vietnam

Population and Environment - The foetal origins hypothesis postulates that shocks while in utero can have long-term detrimental effects on the health and human capital formation of children. Using...     

A Stepwise AIC Method for Variable Selection in Linear Regression

In this article, we study stepwise AIC method for variable selection comparing with other stepwise method for variable selection, such as, Partial F, Partial Correlation, and Semi-Partial Correlation in linear regression modeling. Then we show mathematically that the stepwise AIC method and other stepwise methods lead to the same method as Partial F. Hence, there are more reasons to use the stepwise AIC method than the other stepwise methods for variable selection, since the stepwise AIC method is a model selection method that can be easily managed and can be widely extended to more generalized models and applied to non normally distributed data. We also treat problems that always appear in applications, that are validation of selected variables and problem of collinearity.     

Validity of Domain Satisfaction Across Cohorts in the US

Domain satisfaction, a relatively under-researched topic in subjective well-being research, is designed to capture satisfaction in multiple aspects of life (e.g., family, health). In view of the life course perspective, perceptions toward such different domains of life are most likely influenced by the historical and social climate that individuals uniquely experience over their life span. However, little is known about whether domain satisfaction is a valid measure across cohorts, which reflect differing life experiences at each life stage. This study examines the psychometric properties (e.g., validity and reliability) of a domain satisfaction measure across seven theoretically meaningful cohorts (e.g., Baby Boomers) using a nationally representative sample of American adults from multiple waves of the General Social Survey (n = 15,302). Results from confirmatory factor analysis showed that the validity of the domain satisfaction measure was not consistent across cohorts; unlike when all samples (e.g., cohorts were not considered) were analyzed together. A series of follow-up analyses also revealed that temporally proximate cohorts that were born around the same time were more likely to be psychometrically comparable, while temporally distant cohorts were not. In summary, this study provides empirical evidence suggesting that the validity of domain satisfaction is sensitive to cohort effects, and researchers need careful consideration when comparing cohorts chronologically further apart.     

多文化共生:跨国移民与多元文化的新日本

美国人类学家玛格丽特·米德60年前在其未出版的一本著作题目中使用了"学习共同生活在一个世界".60年后的今天,这个题目还是那么贴切.日本近年展开的"多文化共生"项目就是走向"全人类生活在一个世界"之基本目标的一个尝试.     

Estimation of principal points for a multivariate binary distribution using a log-linear model

This article proposes a method for estimating principal points for a multivariate binary distribution, assuming a log-linear model for the distribution. Through numerical simulation studies, the proposed parametric estimation method using a log-linear model is compared with a nonparametric estimation method.     

Mechanism Games With Multiple Principals and Three or More Agents

We consider a class of mechanism games in which there are multiple principals and three or more agents. For a mechanism game in this class, a sort of folk theorem holds: there is a threshold value for each of the principals such that an allocation is achieved at a pure‐strategy sequential equilibrium of the game if and only if (i) it is incentive compatible and (ii) it attains an expected utility for each principal that is greater than or equal to the threshold value for the principal.     

Generalization of Fisher's z-transformation

We deal with the asymptotic expansions of the means and the variances of the correlation coefficients in truncated bivariate normal populations. The Fisher's z-transformation is generalized for stabilizing variance in a truncated normal population. The Hermite moments are introduced, and the relationship among cross moments, central cross moments, and Hermite moments are discussed.