Perception of Earthquake Risk in Taiwan: Effects of Gender and Past Earthquake Experience

This study explored how individuals in Taiwan perceive the risk of earthquake and the relationship of past earthquake experience and gender to risk perception. Participants (n= 1,405), including earthquake survivors and those in the general population without prior direct earthquake exposure, were selected and interviewed through a computer‐assisted telephone interviewing procedure using a random sampling and stratification method covering all 24 regions of Taiwan. A factor analysis of the interview data yielded a two‐factor structure of risk perception in regard to earthquake. The first factor, “personal impact,” encompassed perception of threat and fear related to earthquakes. The second factor, “controllability,” encompassed a sense of efficacy of self‐protection in regard to earthquakes. The findings indicated prior earthquake survivors and females reported higher scores on the personal impact factor than males and those with no prior direct earthquake experience, although there were no group differences on the controllability factor. The findings support that risk perception has multiple components, and suggest that past experience (survivor status) and gender (female) affect the perception of risk. Exploration of potential contributions of other demographic factors such as age, education, and marital status to personal impact, especially for females and survivors, is discussed. Future research on and intervention program with regard to risk perception are suggested accordingly.     

The intertwined relationship between depression and marital distress: elements of marital therapy conductive to effective treatment outcome

Within the framework of the interpersonal view of depression, this article examines the linkage between depression and four aspects of marital relationship: stress, support, role expectations, and interactional dynamics. Acknowledging the intertwined relationship between depression and marital adjustment, existing models of martial therapy for married depressed patients are examined for the extent to which they address these four aspects. The empirical evidence for the efficacy of these models is also reviewed, suggesting elements of marital therapy that are conducive to effective treatment outcome.     

民国时期对欧美近代幼教思想中"教"功能理念认知的引述

民国时期,欧美近代幼教思想中有关“教”功能理念的认知开始通过各种途径引述进入中国。这些理念既包括对幼教思想中“教”功能的内涵、对象与目的的理解,而这种理念是递进性的;也包括新兴的儿童学运动对于“教”功能理念的支撑。这些理念关注欧美近代心理科学的进步对欧美近代幼教“教”功能理念的提升作用。欧美近代幼教思想中“教”功能理念在民国的引述具有阶段性,呼应了当时中国幼教面临的三大客观诉求,丰富了民国幼教思想的内涵,促进了近代学前教育思想在中国的传播。     

Lattice and Schröder paths with periodic boundaries

We consider paths in the plane with (1,0$1,0$), (0,1$0,1$), and (a,b$a,b$)-steps that start at the origin, end at height n$n$, and stay strictly to the left of a given non-decreasing right boundary. We show that if the boundary is periodic and has slope at most b/a$b/a$, then the ordinary generating function for the number of such paths ending at height n   is algebraic. Our argument is in two parts. We use a simple combinatorial decomposition to obtain an Appell relation or “umbral” generating function, in which the power zⁿ$z^n$ is replaced by a power series of the form zⁿ_φn(z),$z^n{\phi }_n(z),$ where _φn(0)=1.${\phi }_n(0)=1.$ Then we convert (in an explicit way) the umbral generating function to an ordinary generating function by solving a system of linear equations and a polynomial equation. This conversion implies that the ordinary generating function is algebraic. We give several concrete examples, including an alternative way to solve the tennis ball problem.     

论民国妇女身份的转变对幼儿公育思想的影响——基于民国学者视野的考察(1912-1949)

民国时期,妇女从事职业、服务社会的趋势及妇女解放运动,造成了妇女身份地位的历史转变,并因此与妇女的传统育儿劳动产生矛盾.民国学者希冀通过幼儿公育事业的发展解决此矛盾,提出了许多设想,丰富了民国学前教育的思想内涵.     

Leveraging Big Data Analytics to Improve Quality of Care in Healthcare Organizations: A Configurational Perspective

Big data analytics (BDA) is beneficial for organizations, yet implementing BDA to leverage profitability is fundamental challenge confronting practitioners. Although prior research has explored the impact that BDA has on business growth, there is a lack of research that explains the full complexity of BDA implementations. Examination of how and under what conditions BDA achieves organizational performance from a holistic perspective is absent from the existing literature. Extending the theoretical perspective from the traditional views (e.g. resource‐based theory) to configuration theory, the authors have developed a conceptual model of BDA success that aims to investigate how BDA capabilities interact with complementary organizational resources and organizational capabilities in multiple configuration solutions leading to higher quality of care in healthcare organizations. To test this model, the authors use fuzzy‐set qualitative comparative analysis to analyse multi‐source data acquired from a survey and databases maintained by the Centres for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The findings suggest that BDA, when given alone, is not sufficient in achieving the outcome, but is a synergy effect in which BDA capabilities and analytical personnel's skills together with organizational resources and capabilities as supportive role can improve average excess readmission rates and patient satisfaction in healthcare organizations.     

The robustness of bootstrap estimator of variance

Summary The bootstrap estimation for variance and its robustness in linear regression is considered. It is shown that the bootstrap approximation to the distribution of the estimator of the error variance, based on the least squared estimator, is robust over the Mallows neighborhood. Partially supported by Univeristy of Kansas general research fund.     

Capital budgeting and lagrangian relaxation: A case study

This paper presents a new approach to the classical multiyear capital budgeting problem. Three basic operational principles, arising out of an actual implementation of such a model, are specifically addressed in this approach. These principles are: (1) all budgets except that of the first year possess a degree of flexibility; (2) the user favours a series of near optimal solutions to a single optimal solution; and (3) an effective low cost procedure for dealing with large problems is required. Using the particular example of capital budgeting in the area of highway maintenance, an algorithm is developed and computational results for a variety of problem sizes are presented.     

Culture‐ and Immigration‐Related Stress Faced by Chinese American Families with a Patient Having Schizophrenia

The impact of culture and immigration on the experience of Chinese American families with a member having schizophrenia is explored within the frameworks of family systems and stress and coping. This qualitative study was conducted within an intervention study of family psychoeducation using therapists’ session notes from 103 family sessions and 13 relatives’ group sessions from nine patients and 19 relatives. The high stigma attached to mental illness leading to social isolation, and families’ devotion to caregiving exacerbated caregiver burden. Taboo against discussing dating and sexuality and the consideration of arranged marriages caused unique stress. The insecurity as immigrants and shortage of bilingual services were related to greater enmeshment within these families. Implications on research methodology and practice are discussed.