Perceptions of aging among rural, midwestern senior citizens: signs of women's resiliency

This study utilized both quantitative and qualitative approaches to examine perceptions of aging among rural-dwelling senior citizens (203 women and 112 men), ages 65 and older. Quantitative results revealed that, despite no significant gender differences in the total number of medical conditions reported, women were less likely than men to report that health problems interfered with their daily functioning. Qualitative analyses revealed that women were particularly like to identify relationships, frame of mind, participating in activities, and religion/spirituality as important contributors to successful aging.     

Optimal and lead-in adaptive allocation for binary outcomes: A comparison of Bayesian methods

We compare posterior and predictive estimators and probabilities in response-adaptive randomization designs for two- and three-group clinical trials with binary outcomes. Adaptation based upon posterior estimates are discussed, as are two predictive probability algorithms: one using the traditional definition, the other using a skeptical distribution. Optimal and natural lead-in designs are covered. Simulation studies show that efficacy comparisons lead to more adaptation than center comparisons, though at some power loss, skeptically predictive efficacy comparisons and natural lead-in approaches lead to less adaptation but offer reduced allocation variability. Though nuanced, these results help clarify the power-adaptation trade-off in adaptive randomization.     

Interculturalism as a New Framework to reduce Prejudice in Times of Crisis in European Countries

With the socio‐economic crisis that is affecting Europe particularly negatively, immigrants have been often reported as additional threats in the job market for established residents. Theories of prejudice, such as the Theory of Self‐interest or that of the Perceived Group Threats, have suggested economic factors to explain these kinds of attitudes towards immigrants. More recently, some scholars have advanced theories of intercultural values to account for individuals’ dispositions towards those perceived as newcomers. The aim of this work is to understand whether or not intercultural values are able to modify the effects that economic factors exert on prejudice in times of crisis. The main objective is to identify whether the kinds of values instilled within societies play a stronger role than other variables, particularly economic factors. The findings show that Interculturalism plays a much greater role than economic factors in influencing attitudes towards outsiders.     

Inclusiveness as Construction of Open Identity: How Social Relationships Affect Attitudes Towards Immigrants in European Societies

Studies of individual and group-level sources of prejudice have contributed to today’s greater understanding of the emergence of prejudice and discriminatory attitudes towards immigrants. Yet, scholars have claimed that future research should investigate institutional and socio-political macro-level factors affecting individuals’ attitudes towards outsiders (Ceobanu and Escandell in Ann Rev Sociol 36:309–328, 2010). To contribute to filling this knowledge gap, this article goes across levels of analysis and theories to provide insights about group-level sources influencing attitudes towards immigrants. These sources are taken into account as both institutional and social factors involved in processes of national identity constructions. To this purpose, this work combines Blumer’s perspective (Pac Sociol Rev 1:3–7, 1958) with both the distinction Weber (Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft. Tübingen, Mohr, 1922) made between open and closed social relationships and some other theoretical contributions that emerged in the field. The findings of a multilevel analysis confirm that, whereby inclusive socio-political factors are involved in the processes of countries’ identity constructions, individuals show more positive attitudes towards immigrants. In addition, in inclusive countries, a society’s high regard for its own traditions and customs influences individual members to appreciate other cultures and show positive dispositions towards outsiders.     

Attachment Style and Tolerance for Ambiguity Effects on Relational Repair Message Interpretation Among Remarrieds

This study examined the role of the dispositional variables of attachment style and tolerance for ambiguity on the interpretation of relational repair messages. Respondents completed questionnaires that measured attachment style and tolerance for ambiguity and made interpretations of hypothetical repair messages from their spouses with varying levels of equivocation. The resulting interpretations were measured along the dimensions of honesty, competence, and politeness using Likert-type scales. Regression and multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVAs) demonstrated that both of the traits influenced the interpretation of repair messages, although in somewhat different ways and along different dimensions.     

Optimization of a product performance using mixture experiments

This article presents a case study of a chemical compound acting as a subsystem of a delay mechanism for starting a rocket engine. The objective of this study was to investigate the proportions of mix components that enable a previously specified burning time. Thus, a linear regression model with normal responses was fitted, but later considered inadequate, as there was evidence that the response variance was not constant. Models fitted by the quasi-likelihood method were tried then. Through the developed model, it was possible to determine the proportion of each component to accomplish the process optimization. For the process optimization, besides considering a specific burning time, it was possible to consider the variance minimization for this time prediction as well.     

Interculturalism in Times of Crisis

This article locates the discussion of this Special Section within the wider analysis of Interculturalism and intercultural dialogue as a new way of framing dynamic inter‐ethnic and broader community relations, and considering how perceived and real crisis affects both states’ and societys’ understandings of ethnicity, culture and diversity. Taking cases from Catalonia, Spain, the European Union, this Special Section's multi‐level approach illustrates how intercultural dialogue can be developed at the sub‐State, State, Region and international levels. By surveying the articles in the Special Section, this introduction critiques the Interculturalism framework and develops it. Crucially, drawing out insights from across these different types of groupings and from theorists offering a range of perspectives, this collection is able to offer new insights on Interculturalism, its relations with Multiculturalism, and forms of intercultural dialogue.     

Optimization of a product performance using mixture experiments including process variables

This article presents a case study of a chemical compound used in the delay mechanism to start a rocket engine. The compound consists in a three-component mixture. Besides the components proportions, two process variables are considered. The aim of the study is to investigate the mix components proportions and the levels of process variables that set the expected delay time as close as possible to the target value and, at the same time, minimize the width of prediction interval for the response. A linear regression model with normal responses was fitted. Through the model developed, the optimal components proportions and the levels of the process variables were determined. For the model selection, the use of the backward method with an information criterion proved to be efficient in the case under study.     

Agricultural Exports,Food Production,and Food Security in Latin America1

Abstract This study assesses the impact of agricultural, export-oriented policies on food consumption through a time-series, cross-sectional regression model. The results of this study lead to three basic conclusions. First, there is a significant negative relationship between agricultural export promotion and food consumption. Economic growth and increasing agricultural exports earnings do not necessarily increase food security. Second, protein consumption per capita constitutes a more sensitive indicator of changes in food consumption and a proxy for the distributional dimension of the food consumption problem. Third, alternative policies should incorporate agricultural export into a broader agroindustrial development strategy aimed at achieving food security both by increasing income and by food production.     

MISSING VALUES, IMPUTATION AND ERROR RATE ESTIMATORS IN DISCRIMINANT ANALYSIS

Error rate is a popular criterion for assessing the performance of an allocation rule in discriminant analysis. Training samples which involve missing values cause problems for those error rate estimators that require all variables to be observed at all data points. This paper explores imputation algorithms, their effects on, and problems of implementing them with, eight commonly used error rate estimators (three parametric and five non-parametric) in linear discriminant analysis. The results indicate that imputation should not be based on the way error rate estimators are calculated, and that imputed values may underestimate error rates.