Inequalities for linear combinations of gamma random variables

We study the behavior of the tail probabilities of weighted averages of certain independently and identically distributed random variables as the weights are varied. We show that the upper and lower tails are smallest when all the weights are equal. Our results apply to exponential, chi-squared, gamma, and Weibull random variables.     

Non-engagement of Mid-aged and Elderly Residents in Rural Civic Livability Initiatives

In the context of public budget cuts and rural areas facing depopulation and aging, local governments increasingly encourage citizen engagement in addressing local livability issues. This paper examines the non-engagement of mid-aged and elderly residents (45+ years old) in civic initiatives that intend to improve the livability of their community. We focus on residents of depopulating rural areas in the North Netherlands. We compare their engagement with the behavior of residents in other, not depopulating, rural areas, and urban areas. Using logistic statistical analyses, we found that the majority of the aging residents did not engage in civic livability initiatives during the past two years, and one-third of this group had no intention to do so in the future. In all areas, the main reasons for non-engagement were that residents had other priorities, felt not capable of engaging, or felt that the responsibility for local livability belonged to the local government. Furthermore, it appeared that non-engagement was predominantly explained by the unwillingness to engage, rather than by specific motivations or lacking abilities.     

A breakpoint detection in the mean model with heterogeneous variance on fixed time intervals

Statistics and Computing - This work is motivated by an application for the homogenization of global navigation satellite system (GNSS)-derived integrated water vapour series. Indeed, these series...     

The Role of Probation Officers in Determining Gender Differences in Sentencing Severity*

This study examines the relationship between gender and sentencing severity in the criminal justice system. Analysis focuses (1) on the extent to which gender influences sentencing and (2) on the part played by probation officers' presentence investigations in accounting for these differences. We find males are more likely than females to receive harsh sentences. The gender effect is diminished, but not ellmnished, in multivariate analyses, when controls are introduced for other sociodemographic and legal variables. The length of pretrial detention and the amount of charge reduction also have little impact on the magnitude of this relationship. Presentence recommendations by probation officers, however, have a major effect. Independent of other potential influences, being female greatly increases the likelihood of receiving a non-incarceration sentence recommendation which, in turn, is the primary predictor of final criminal court dispositions. A large portion of the gender effect in sentencing enters during the presentence stage, apparently because probation officers (the court officials who prepare the presentence reports) are influenced by traditional ideas about gender roles. Qualitative data suggest that they believe the sources of crime are different for women and men and that imprisonment is more appropriate as a treatment for men.     

Religiosity and alcohol behavior: An exploration of reference group theory

This study examines the relationship between religiosity and alcohol use and perceived misuse. Unlike most past research, we focus on adults rather than adolescents and distinguish among specific Protestant denominations. We also use a more appropriate statistical technique and place the findings in a theoretical context. The analysis shows that religiosity is clearly related to alcohol use, mainly because people's religion serves as a reference group influencing their behavior. The analysis also shows that religiosity is not related to perceived misuse of alcohol, mainly because societal norms are congruent with religious norms and, hence, appear to overwhelm any effect of religion.     

Theorising visual framing: contingency,materiality and ideology

Visual framing is a popular paradigm for media research around the world but its conceptualisation remains vague and often neglects the richness of images. Just as with framing theory generally, its definition and operationalisation are matters of considerable debate. Visual framing’s many applications may be advantageous for their bridging properties but at the same time demand theoretical refinement. Based on a review of 165 scholarly publications from the humanities and social sciences, this essay first argues that media research tends to emphasise literal depictions more than visual conventions or production, falling short of its interrogative and critical potential. The essay then proposes a model of visual framing that attends more carefully to the contingency and materiality of images in order to strengthen the paradigm’s explanatory and critical value.     

Evolutionary Approaches to Population: Implications for Research and Policy

Evolutionary theory is becoming an increasingly important perspective in many social science disciplines. Ironically, the impact of evolutionary theory has been minimal in the study of human population although among the social sciences it is in demography and related fields that evolutionary approaches would be most appropriate. In this paper I review varying perspectives within evolutionary theory, proceeding to a brief review of theoretical paradigms within the field of demography. I then examine how evolutionary perspectives can interface with these theories, showing how evolutionary approaches elaborate, strengthen, and unify these outlooks. Lastly, I explore the implications of evolutionary approaches for research and policy.     

Politicized expertise – an analysis of the political dimensions of consultants' policy recommendations to developing countries with a case study of McKinsey's advice on REDD+ policies

This article argues that expertise must be seen as politicized. Most of the existing research on the role of experts in policy-making neglects that there are many political factors which influence what and whose expertise is sought and used. This article looks at the role consultants play in shaping public policy in developing countries. Applying concepts from different disciplines a theoretical framework is developed to examine in what ways such politicized expertise undermines notions of neutrality and legitimacy. This framework is then applied to a case study looking at the advice that McKinsey & Company has given developing countries on their deforestation and Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation policies.     

On the measurement and analysis of asymmetry with applications to facial modelling

Summary.  Asymmetry is a feature of shape which is of particular interest in a variety of applications. With landmark data, the essential information on asymmetry is contained in the degree to which there is a mismatch between a landmark configuration and its relabelled and matched reflection. This idea is explored in the context of a study of facial shape in infants, where particular interest lies in identifying changes over time and in assessing residual deformity in children who have had corrective surgery for a cleft lip or cleft lip and palate. Interest lies not in whether the mean shape is asymmetric but in comparing the degrees of asymmetry in different populations. A decomposition of the asymmetry score into components that are attributable to particular features of the face is proposed. A further decomposition allows different sources of asymmetry due to position, orientation or intrinsic asymmetry to be identified for each feature. The methods are also extended to data representing anatomical curves across the face.