Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Money And Real Fluctuations In The Chilean Economy, Andres Acuña, Carlos Oyarzun

Andrés A. Acuña

Differential Impairment As An Indicator Of Sex Bias In Dsm-Iv Criteria For Four Personality Disorders, Christina D. Boggs, Leslie C. Morey, Andrew E. Skodol, M. Tracie Shea, Charles A. Sanislow, Carlos M. Grilo, Thomas H. Mcglashan, Mary C. Zanarini, John G. Gunderson

Charles A. Sanislow, Ph.D.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the possibility of sex bias in the diagnostic criteria for borderline, schizotypal, avoidant, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorders. A clinical sample of 668 individuals was evaluated for personality disorder criteria using a semistructured interview, and areas of functional impairment were assessed with both self-report and semistructured interview. The authors used a regression model of bias to identify bias as differences in slopes or intercepts between men and women in the relationship between each diagnostic criterion and level of impairment. The results suggest that most of the diagnostic criteria examined do not seem …

Preliminary Evidence For Medication Effects On Functional Abnormalities In The Amygdala And Anterior Cingulate In Bipolar Disorder, Hilary P. Blumberg, Nelson H. Donegan, Charles A. Sanislow, Susan Collins, Cheryl Lacadie, Pawel Skudlarski, Ralitza Gueorguieva, Robert K. Fulbright, Thomas H. Mcglashan, John C. Gore, John H. Krystal

Charles A. Sanislow, Ph.D.

RATIONALE: Abnormal amygdala and frontocortical responses to emotional stimuli are implicated in bipolar disorder (BD) and have been proposed as potential treatment targets.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate amygdala and frontocortical responses to emotional face stimuli in BD and the influences of mood-stabilizing medications on these responses.

METHODS: Functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed while 17 BD participants (5 unmedicated) and 17 healthy comparison (HC) participants viewed faces with happy, sad, fearful, or neutral expressions.

RESULTS: The group by stimulus-condition interaction was significant (p<0.01) for amygdala activation, with the greatest effects in the happy face condition. Relative to HC, amygdala increases were greater in unmedicated BD, but lower in medicated BD. Rostral anterior cingulate (rAC) activation was decreased in unmedicated BD compared to HC; however, BD participants taking medication demonstrated rAC activation similar to HC participants.

CONCLUSIONS: Although the sample sizes were small, these preliminary results suggest that …

9. The Problem Of Child Sexual Abuse: Response., Jennifer J. Freyd, Frank W. Putnam, Thomas D. Lyon, Kathryn A. Becker-Blease, Ross E. Cheit, Nancy B. Siegel, Kathy Pezdek

Thomas D. Lyon

10. Development Of Temporal-Reconstructive Abilities., William J. Friedman, Thomas D. Lyon

Thomas D. Lyon

Hub-And-Spoke Or Else? Free Trade Agreements In The 'Enlarged' European Union, Luca De Benedictis, Roberta De Santis, Claudio Vicarelli

Luca De Benedictis

The object of this paper is to estimate if and how the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) and the Baltic Free Trade Agreement (BFTA) exerted a significant impact on intra-European trade, effectively reducing the influence of the European Association Agreements (EAs) in shaping the European trade structure has a hub-and-spoke system – with the EU15 being the hub and the CEECs the spoke. This paper analyses bilateral trade flows between eight CEECs and EU-23. We estimate a gravity equation using a system GMM dynamic panel data approach. Results support the assumptions that gravity forces and “persistence effects” matter. With …

Online Teaching Practices (Both Best And Worst), Michael Nelson, Bhagyavati, Gail Miles, Amber Settle, Dale Shaffer, Jake Watts, Robert P. Webber

Amber Settle

How Costly Is It For Poor Farmers To Lift Themselves Out Of Subsistence, Laure C. Dutoit, Olivier Cadot, Marcelo Olarreaga

Olivier Cadot

The main objective of this paper is to provide estimates of the cost of moving out of subsistence for Madagascar's farmers. The analysis is based on a simple asset-return model of occupational choice. Estimates suggest that the entry (sunk) cost associated with moving out of subsistence can be quite large---somewhere between 124 and 153 percent of a subsistence farmer's annual production. Our results make it possible to identify farm characteristics likely to generate large gains if moved out of subsistence, yielding useful information for the targeting of trade-adjustment assistance programs.

From Law To Social Science And Back Again - The First Step. Remarks On The Juristic Origin Of Some Weberian Concepts, Peter Cserne

Péter Cserne

No abstract provided.

Az Alkotmánybíróság És A Közgazdasági Érvelés [Constitutional Courts And Economic Reasoning], Peter Cserne

Péter Cserne

No abstract provided.

Evaluating Brazilian Mutual Funds With Stochastic Frontiers, Andre Santos, Joao Tusi, Newton Da Costa Jr, Sergio Da Silva

Sergio Da Silva

We evaluate the performance of 307 Brazilian stock mutual funds employing stochastic frontiers. We list the top ten actively managed funds and the bottom ten for the period April 2001−July 2003, and show that a fund’s efficiency increases with management skill to beat the market. We also find that portfolios with low volatility tend to be more efficient. Yet we find no relationship between fund size and performance, though this might be blurred by a survivorship bias.

Travel Hysteresis In The Us Current Account After The Mid-1980s, Roberto Meurer, Guilherme Moura, Sergio Da Silva

Sergio Da Silva

Following the real appreciation of the US dollar in the first half of the 1980s, travel expenditures in the current account soared. Employing standard regression techniques as well as Markov−switching regime analysis we show that such expenditures did not return to their pre−appreciation levels thereafter. The permanent increase suggests the presence of travel hysteresis in the US current account after the mid−1980s.

Travel Hysteresis In The Brazilian Current Account, Roberto Meurer, Guilherme Moura, Sergio Da Silva

Sergio Da Silva

The strong Brazilian currency between 1994 and 1998 led Brazilians to an unprecedented increase in their travels abroad. Even after the 1999 currency crisis, travel patterns did not recover to their pre−exchange rate devaluation levels. The occasional exchange rate valuation has left long−lasting effects by changing habits, and thereby generating a travel hysteresis in the Brazilian current account.

Trafficking Of North Korean Refugees In China, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

No abstract provided.

Gender And Institutions: Creating An Enabling Environment, Nuket Kardam

Nüket Kardam

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Dopamine In Reinforcement: Changes In Reinforcement Sensitivity Induced By D1-Type, D2-Type, And Nonselective Dopamine Receptor Agonists, Natalie A. Bratcher, Valeri Farmer-Dougan, James Dougan, Byron A. Heidenreich, Paul A. Garris

James Dougan

Dose-dependent changes in sensitivity to reinforcement were found when rats were treated with low, moderate, and high doses of the partial dopamine D₁-type receptor agonist SKF38393 and with the nonselective dopamine agonist apomorphine, but did not change when rats were treated with similar doses of the selective dopamine D₂-type receptor agonist quinpirole. Estimates of bias did not differ significantly across exposure to SKF38393 or quinpirole, but did change significantly at the high dose of apomorphine. Estimates of goodness of fit (r²) did not change significantly during quinpirole exposure. Poor goodness of fit was obtained …

The Albion Statement: Healthy People, Places, And Communities: A 2025 Vision For Michigan’S Food And Farming, Kenneth Dahlberg

Kenneth Dahlberg

Assessing The Readiness And Training Needs Of Non-Urban Physicians In Public Health Emergency And Response, Chiehwen Ed Hsu

Chiehwen Ed Hsu

No abstract provided.

Translating Research Into Homelessness Policy And Practice: One Perspective From The United States, Dennis P. Culhane

Dennis P. Culhane

Like social scientists everywhere, homelessness researchers in the US are usually ignored. Good science that identifies what causes homelessness, sound evaluations which document that certain programs will never work, and even evidence that promising solutions deserve broad replication, are often disregarded. Such wanton indifference for science would constitute malpractice in the field of medicine, but it sometimes passes as acceptable policy in the field of social welfare. Ideology, politics and preservation of the status quo usually prevail. So, what’s a well intentioned researcher to do? Persevere and become more tactical. After all, policy failures can’t be ignored forever. Like good …

8. The Science Of Child Sexual Abuse., Jennifer J. Freyd, Frank W. Putnam, Thomas D. Lyon, Kathryn A. Becker-Blease, Ross E. Cheit, Nancy B. Siegel, Kathy Pezdek

Thomas D. Lyon

Three Decades Of Italian Comparative Advantages, Luca De Benedictis

Luca De Benedictis

The paper explores the structure of Italian Revealed Comparative Advantages (RCA), focusing on the export structure itself, on its changes over time and on its degree of persistence. The analysis is developed with the use of visual statistical tools and nonparametric statistical techniques that allow to estimate the empirical distribution of the Balassa (1965) Index, and to track its dynamics during three decades, from the 1970s to present. The main results of the analysis are that the structure of Italian RCA is highly persistent, but is changing; the structure is very different when it is examined at a macro-regional level; …

Revisiting Federalism In Nigeria, Ozy B. Orluwene Jp, Jones M. Jaja Phd

Dr Ozy B.Orluwene,JP

Abstract The paper takes a cursory look at the origin and practice of federalism in Nigeria. Federalism, according to Ali Mazuri, is the institutionalization of compromise relations that are noted for high degree of de-centralization, rigid and written constitutions, plurality of leadership among others. Theoretically, federalism is crafted to deal with sociologically complex polity as presented in Nigeria’s multi ethnic, multi-linguistic and multi-religious compositions. This is adopted with a view to ensuring unity among the people and faith in their father land, so as to further the end of liberty, equality and justice in the country. The paper will further …

Are Voters Better Represented?, Brian Newman, John D. Griffin

Brian Newman

Studies of political participation and representation often contend that elected officials respond more to the preferences of voters than those of nonvoters, but seldom test this claim. This is a critical assumption because if true, biases in who participates will lead to biased representation. Office holders might respond disproportionately to voters’ preferences because voters tend to select like-minded representatives, voters tend to communicate their preferences more, and only voters can reelect representatives. We find that voter preferences predict the aggregate roll-call behavior of Senators while nonvoter preferences do not. We also present evidence supporting the three explanations advanced to account …

Utilizing The Power Of Continuous Process Improvement In Technical Services, Lisa A. Palmer, Barbara C. Ingrassia

Lisa A. Palmer

In summer 2003 the Lamar Soutter Library initiated a Continuous Process Improvement project. The project’s goal was to reduce time and/or save money by examining and improving work processes. The charge for the Technical Services team was to reduce turnaroud time of certain processes by 50% or more, including (1) book acquisitions (from order to shelving) and (2) implementation of serials title changes. The team utilized value-added flow analysis to examine the processes and then did a six-month pilot project testing their recommendations.

The Team met weekly over four months to identify the specific steps involved in each process, review …

"U.S. Presidential Elections," At The Club, Yale University, David R. Mayhew

David Mayhew

No abstract provided.

Estimated Age Effects In Baseball, Ray Fair

Ray C Fair

Age effects in baseball are estimated in this paper using a nonlinear fixed-effects regression. The sample consists of all players who have played 10 or more ``full-time'' years in the major leagues between 1921 and 2004. Quadratic improvement is assumed up to a peak-performance age, which is estimated, and then quadratic decline after that, where the two quadratics need not be the same. Each player has his own constant term. The results show that aging effects are larger for pitchers than for batters and larger for baseball than for track and field, running, and swimming events and for chess. There …

On The Influence Of Extreme Parties In Electoral Competition With Policy-Motivated Candidates, Georges Casamatta, Philippe De Donder

Georges Casamatta

We study and compare equilibrium platforms in models of unidimensional electoral competition with two and four policy motivated parties. We first analyze the plurality game, where the party getting the most votes is elected and implements its proposed platform. Restrictions on the set of credible announcements are needed to get existence of equilibria. Comparing equilibria with two and four parties, we obtain that moderate parties react to the introduction of extreme parties by proposing the same or more extreme equilibrium platforms. We then study the proportional system, where the policy implemented is a weighted sum of the proposals, with the …

Deliberative Democracy And The Politics Of Recognition, Cillian Mcbride

Cillian McBride

No abstract provided.

Evaluación Y Descentralización, Fernando González-Laxe

Fernando González-Laxe

No abstract provided.

Levels Of Consciousness, Archetypal Energies, And Earth Lessons: An Emerging Worldview, Carroy U. Ferguson

Carroy U "Cuf" Ferguson, Ph.D.

Worldviews emerge from our individual and collective Levels of Consciousness at given points in time and space and from what we come to “believe” is possible or not. In my own experience, my research on Consciousness, and my study of various cultures, societies, and Consciousness literature, I have identified at least seven Levels of Consciousness, twenty-five Archetypal Energies, and various Earth Lessons, which we seem to commonly experience as human beings, in our own unique personal, societal, and global life spaces.