The econometrics of female labor supply and children

This is a survey of applied econometric research on the effects of children on female labor supply. Reasons for interest in the topic, and a basic model and terminology, are reviewed. Concerns are raised about the possible endogeneity of child status variables, and about the instrumental variables approach for dealing with this problem. Alternative ways of conceptualizing and estimating child status effects are considered, together with selected empirical evidence. Relevant developments from the household demand literature are summarized. Basic issues of model choice are also discussed.     

Life Satisfaction Judgments and Item-Order Effects Across Cultures

We conducted two studies to investigate the item-order effect on life satisfaction judgments. In Study 1, Japanese and American participants completed various life-domain satisfaction items either before or after completing general life satisfaction items. American respondents weighed the best life domains more strongly than Japanese respondents, in particular when they answered domain satisfaction items before making life satisfaction judgments. Overall, Japanese tended to weigh the worst life domains more heavily when making life satisfaction judgments than Americans. We hypothesized that the Japanese patterns of life satisfaction judgments come from the chronic attention to others’ perspective. To examine this hypothesis in Study 2, Japanese participants were exposed to either the “other are not watching” or the “other are watching” manipulation. As expected, when Japanese participants were led to believe that “others are not watching,” they judged their overall life satisfaction based more heavily on the best life domains (like Americans in Study 1).     

Passing Encounters East and West: Comparing Japanese and American Pedestrian Interactions

This study examined the microinteractions of pedestrians in Japan and in the United States as they walked past a confederate. Specifically, the effects of culture, condition (avoid, look-only, and look plus smile) and sex of confederate on glances, smiles, nods, and greetings by passing pedestrians were examined in a field study on over 1000 participants. The hypotheses of (1) lower responsiveness in Japanese pedestrians than in American pedestrians and (2) increased responsiveness as a function of condition were supported in a series of log-linear analyses of pedestrian glances, smiles, nods, and greetings. Both of these main effects were, however, qualified by Culture X Condition interactions on smiles, nods, and greetings, with the large condition effects present in the American pedestrians, but absent in the Japanese pedestrians. The results are discussed in terms of the functions of glances, smiles, nods, and greetings in these brief encounters and how differing cultural norms affect Japanese and American responsiveness. Finally, the limitations of this study and the broader utility of this research paradigm are discussed.

Age related variation of salivary testosterone values in healthy Japanese males

Objective. We examined age associated variation in salivary testosterone values among Japanese males as well as anthropometric measurements.

Methods. Salivary samples were collected in pretreated sodium azide treated tubes. The first series: 15–79-year-old males (n = 99); two morning and two evening samples were collected at home for two days. The second series: 90-year-old males (n = 29); one morning sample was collected. Testosterone values were determined using an iodine125-based radioimmunoassay kit modified for saliva.

Results. Results show 1) a significant decrease in salivary testosterone values from 20s to 40s and older, 2) no significant decline after 40 through 90 years old, 3) no significant age-related differences in the degree of intraindividual diurnal fluctuation across age groups of 40–70s, and 4) higher BMI is associated with the lower salivary testosterone among 40–70s.

Conclusions. These results suggest that neither a constant decrease of salivary testosterone values or markedly reduced intraindividual fluctations are universal aspects of aging. Older males may maintain relatively high testosterone levels compared to younger men and a relatively ‘robust’ neuroendocrinological system.     

Counselors’ and Counseling Students’ Attitudes toward Transgender Persons

Issues related to persons who are transgender have gained large interest in recent years, but discrimination and differential health outcomes for persons who are transgender continue. This article reviewed the 14 existing studies on attitudes toward persons who are transgender, none dealing exclusively with counselors and/or counselors in training. This study involved investigation of those attitudes with a sample of 95 counselors and counselors in training. Findings indicated that counselors tend to have positive attitudes. Greater personal familiarity and multicultural competence as well as being female were associated with more positive attitudes, whereas quantity of diversity training was not related and professional experience was related to more negative attitudes.     

在线超临界流体萃取-超高效液相色谱-光电二极管检测器联用分析胡椒粉中的胡椒碱

本文介绍的联用分析系统是将超临界流体萃取(SFE)系统与超高效液相色谱(UHPLC)系统联用。使用在线SFE-UHPLC系统,可以完成对胡椒粉中胡椒碱成分的高速萃取和分析。整个分析过程包括萃取时间在内只需要7min。将此方法的萃取回收率与其他萃取方法进行比较,SFE方法得到的回收率与其他方法相当。这种在线SFE-UHPLC方法操作简单,分析速度快。这一方法对于分析固体样品中的化合物组分非常有用,可以有效避免繁琐的样品预处理过程。     

Bayesian generalized fused lasso modeling via NEG distribution

The fused lasso penalizes a loss function by the L₁ norm for both the regression coefficients and their successive differences to encourage sparsity of both. In this paper, we propose a Bayesian generalized fused lasso modeling based on a normal-exponential-gamma (NEG) prior distribution. The NEG prior is assumed into the difference of successive regression coefficients. The proposed method enables us to construct a more versatile sparse model than the ordinary fused lasso using a flexible regularization term. Simulation studies and real data analyses show that the proposed method has superior performance to the ordinary fused lasso.     

Inquiry into effects of prebaiting on removal census in a vole population

Summary A field work with two plots of grid, a snap trap being set on each station spaced 5 m apart, was executed in the summer of 1968 to evaluate prebaiting in census trapping by comparing the result in one plot, prebaited for three days, with that in the other not prebaited. Since the population was as high as some 230 per acre on the average in density and formed of the vole,Microtus montebelli, alone, sufficient samples were gathered irrespective of the plot size as small as 50×50 m. Owning to the circumstances, multiple collisions inflicted so intense influence on sampling especially in the prebaited plot thatz-equation for census adjusted to the effect was well applicable to the data in either plot. In sampling, the fact that small voles are apt to be caught later than large voles was statistically evidenced in either sex, and yet any proof that males tend to be caught prior to females was not offered. It was ascertained in either plot that the daily catch was realized according to the same rule through the whole period of trapping in both external belt and internal square within the plot; hence it follows that no considerable immigration occurred. One of the beneficial effects of prebaiting is sure to be that the probability of capture was markedly enhanced in the prebaited plot, and a second is supposed, though inconclusively, to be that a good sampling could be executed consistently through the census period giving rise to no inordinate catches perhaps due to heterogeneous sampling as was seen in earlier days in the not prebaited plot. The supposition has derived from the condition that most of the whole population is trappable, which is established by interrelation among population density, size of home range and trap spacing. It was suggested that the effect of prebaiting should be evaluated from the view-point of the interrelation, because the basic utility of prebaiting consists in that it may help to our utlimate purpose to estimate the whole population. Contribution from JIBP-PT No. 55, carried out by the grant from the expenditure of Education Department to the specific study on “Dynamics of Biosphere”     

New regression formula to estimate the whole population for recapture-addicted small mammals

Summary We have devised a census formula of curvilinear regression suitable for capture-recapture data of recapture-addicted populations of the Japanese field vole (Microtus montebelli) obtained under a grid-plan with single-catch traps in order to estimate the whole population. The equation is founded on the assumption that the trappable population on the initial day is increased in way of an exponential curve until it reaches to the whole during one trapping period. The effect of trap-preoccupation by marked and multiple collisions is considered in the formula. As a result of its application to field data of the vole, it has turned out that the equation is required for the data gained under the trapping plan with trap spacing 10m, but not for those under the plan with spacing 5m, to estimate the whole. A convenient method of analysis of the formula is offered here, but we have been yet unable to introduce assymptotic variance of estimates. Contributions from JIBP-PT No. 19, carried out by the grant from the expenditure of Education Department to the specific study on “Dynamics of Biosphere”.