Que faut‐il voir dans les écarts de rémunération entre les travailleurs immigrés des pays du Golfe: l'effet d'a priori patronaux ou la simple conséquence de coûts d'opportunité différents?

Les auteurs s'intéressent aux disparités salariales entre les différents groupes de migrants qualifiés qui travaillent en grand nombre pour le secteur privé dans les États du Conseil de coopération du Golfe. Ils se demandent notamment si la prime salariale des Occidentaux (par rapport aux travailleurs venus d'Asie ou d'autres États arabes) découle d'éventuels a priori des employeurs. L'analyse, qui repose sur des données de 2012–2014 et sur deux méthodes de décomposition classiques, infirme l'hypothèse: les caractéristiques observables relatives à la productivité expliquent entre un tiers et trois quarts des écarts; le coût d'opportunité de la migration, supérieur pour les Occidentaux, explique la portion restante.     

Conservative linear programming with mixed multiple objectives

In an ordinary linear program a single objective vector is constructed and one attempts to choose a decision vector to optimize this objective. Often multiple criteria exist or exact estimates for the components of a single objective vector are not entirely clear. For these cases a conservative decision-maker may want to choose an alternative that maximizes the objective value under the worst foreseeable circumstances. Herein we develop a unified framework for applying the maximin criterion to problems with various degrees of uncertainty attached to the objective vector. Three cases are solved via linear programming: (1) Complete Information, (2) Partial Information, and (3) Total Ignorance. It is shown that the functional value of the maximin solution decreases in a convex manner with increasing uncertainty. In addition certain relationships between maximin and efficient solutions are provided. Finally, an extension to integer constrained decision variables is presented.     

Fossil fuel supplies simulation 1972–1979

Fossil fuels are an important source of energy for Ontario Hydro and purchases exceed $100 million per year. This paper describes a computer simulation of the inventory situation over an eight-year period, which is being used to assess the relationship between order flexibility and the target carry-over stocks at the beginning of each shipping season. A simple way of presenting the results for management evaluation is illustrated. Variations of the model are used to assess random influences, such as strikes, and to determine the economic balance between holding costs and stock-outs.     

Satisfaction with Life and Psychosocial Factors among Underserved Minorities with Type 2 Diabetes

The objective of this study was to examine the association between biomedical markers of disease management and psychosocial constructs, while also assessing the correlates and predictors of variability for satisfaction with life (SWL) among African American and Hispanic participants with type 2 diabetes. Data were collected from 142 participants during their first visit within a collaborative care program. Pearson product moment correlations, a multiple linear regression, and a one-way analysis of variance were used to examine the research questions. Researchers found psychological distress, social support, and spirituality accounted for twice the amount of variance in SWL for African American participants compared to Hispanic participants. Social support was the strongest predictor of SWL for African American participants, while psychological distress was the strongest predictor of SWL for Hispanic participants. Social support moderated the relationship between psychological distress and SWL for Hispanic participants, but not African American participants. Spirituality did not moderate the relationship for either ethnic group. One significant relationship was noted for BMI and somatization; otherwise, no significant relationships were documented between psychosocial-spiritual and biomedical constructs, which may relate to limited variability in HbA1c. Clinicians and researchers who work with underserved minority patients with uncontrolled diabetes may see improvement in patients’ SWL when screening, treating, and/or studying psychological distress, interpersonal strain, and existential struggles. It is important for practitioners and researchers to consider ethnic group differences in their work since some dissimilarity existed.