Does the Feldstein–Horioka puzzle exist among South Asian countries? A regime‐switching approach

A plethora of literature has been undertaken to study the validity of the Feldstein–Horioka (FH) puzzle. However, divergent views continue to persist in the FH puzzle literature. This study explores the empirical validity of the FH puzzle in the case of South Asian countries using annual data from 1960 to 2017. Both panel data approach and Markov‐switching regression approach are used to empirically analyze the FH puzzle. The results of the cointegration test confirm the long‐run relationships between saving and investment in the selected South Asian countries. The results of Markov‐switching regression confirm that the saving‐retention coefficient has shifted from high to low values and also from low to high values. Thus, the FH puzzle exists for a particular time period and mostly depends on the regime shifts in the South Asian countries. The results of panel fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) and dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS) methods also confirm that FH puzzle holds for the South Asian countries. Therefore, the study suggests that any saving promotion policies are desirable for enhancing investment among the South Asian regions.     

Composite Machine Learning Algorithm for Material Sourcing,

This study developed a composite machine learning algorithm for attribution of materials of forensic interest (like ammonium nitrate) to original sources. k-nearest neighbor and random forest models were used for source elimination and classification, respectively, in a two-step, composite algorithm based on particle color, size/shape, and trace element concentration features. Novel approaches for simulation to supplement within-source reference features based on empirically measured multi-lot analyses, an improved hold-one-lot-out method for cross-validation, an assessment of the likelihood of the presence of a reference sample, fusion of the source probabilities from the respective classification models, and the calculation of metrics for assessing ensemble sourcing performance are described. Excellent sourcing predictions were obtained; the sourcing algorithm identified the correct source as the top choice 89% of the time, and the correct source was identified to be an average of 2.7 times more likely than the most likely incorrect source.     

A spatial analysis of county-level outcomes in US Presidential elections: 1988–2000

This paper identifies spatial patterns of county-level presidential election outcomes from 1988 to 2000, and tests the retrospective (reward–punishment) and issue–priority models of voting behavior within the context of county-level geographical clusters. Based on our spatial analyses, we find that: the geographical concentration of the partisan vote has increased at both the global and regional scales. Globally, counties have become more likely to be clustered with similar counties in terms of their partisan support. Regionally, Democrats have increasingly received more votes from the East and the urban areas than Republican candidates while the opposite is true in the West and the rural areas. The regression analyses also support aspects of the issue–priority model of voting behavior, while the retrospective theory is confirmed only for 1996.     

用MSCT沿鼻骨斜面多平面重组技术鉴定鼻骨线性骨折

目的探讨多层螺旋CT(MSCT)沿鼻骨斜面多平面重组(MPR)技术在鼻骨线性骨折法医学鉴定中的应用价值。方法以MSCT轴位平扫和沿鼻骨斜面多平面重组(MPR),对98例头面部外伤患者进行检查。结果 MSCT轴位平扫诊断:鼻骨正常和线性骨折(单侧或双侧)分别为29例和69例,阳性率70.4%。MSCT沿鼻骨斜面多平面重组(MPR)复诊:鼻骨正常的和线性骨折分别为19例和79例,阳性率80.6%。结论采用MSCT沿鼻骨斜面多平面重组技术可发现常规MSCT轴位平扫未能检见的鼻骨线性骨折,对法医学鉴定具有更高的应用价值。     

Influence of Voter Demographics and Newspaper in Shaping Political Party Choice in India: An Empirical Investigation

Choice of political party is an important decision a citizen faces in a democracy. In recent times, as democracies in many countries have matured, a number of studies are focusing on party and candidate choice and their various determinants. India, being the largest democracy, provides a fertile ground for such research. Accordingly, in this paper we concentrate on demographic characteristics, newspaper-reading habits of voters, and their political choice. To study this we have considered a very unique data set collected just before the watershed elections in the state of West Bengal in India, where the ruling Communist coalition was defeated after thirty-four years of power in the state. The survey was conducted using a structured questionnaire to collect information on demographic characteristics of voters and their political choice. The respondents were asked to indicate their party choice from among the three major political parties. As the literature shows that gender, age, education, income levels, marital status, occupational status, and choice of newspaper have significant impact on political choice, we have considered these as predictor variables for our study. From our study it is seen that among the demographic determinants, gender, marital status, and income of the respondents do not influence the choice of political party in our sample. However, occupation and newspaper choice of voters have significant impact on political party choice in our sample. In addition, we have observed that certain categories of age of voters significantly influence decision making of voters along with occupation and newspaper choice categories.     

EXCEL多元回归分析在痕迹数据处理上的应用

在痕迹检验技术中,很多推算公式是由回归分析预测法得出的。多元回归分析预测法的计算,虽然可以用常用计算器进行统计,但是数据复杂繁琐,工作量较大。Excel是一种办公系统软件,运用它的强大数据分析功能,只输入一次原始数据,而后全部以鼠标操作即可自动生成回归方程。文章以一组足迹数据分析为例,首先介绍相关分析,然后建立回归模型,最后计算出相关的回归方程。     

Prosecutorial discretion to defer criminalization: The effects of defendant's ascribed and achieved status characteristics

This research contributes to a further understanding of prosecutorial discretion by exploring tenets of casual attribution theory and etiology of bias theory as each informs an uncertainty avoidance perspective on the prosecutor's decision to divert felony drug defendants from criminal prosecution and into a treatment program. The sociolegal consequences of the exercise of this early screening decision are expressed by both conflict theorists and labeling theorists. Our analysis involves estimating main effects and interaction effects of defendant ascribed status and achieved status on the likelihood of diversion. The findings indicate partial support for hypotheses derived, from the theoretical perspectives pursued. In addition these findings point to a more complex model of the subjective nature of the exercise of prosecutorial discretion, a model that benefits from understanding the salience of minimizing uncertainty in the decision to criminals.     

法治改革的方法论问题

依改革思路所包含的元素多少以及倾向性的政策主张的不同,可以大致把过去30年关于中国法律改革研究划分为一元直线式的改革思路、二元协调式的改革思路与多元协调式的改革思路。此三种法律改革思路,尽管在实际政策主张上可能存在重大分歧,但在知识层面上不是一种相互矛盾或对立的关系,而是一种基础性支持和递进扩展的关系。随着考虑元素的增加,法律改革思路的复杂性呈递增趋势,与实践操作的距离也有可能相对拉近。就目前中国的法律改革现状和趋势看,特别是从中国法治发展战略的宏观层面看,适度提倡和推进多元协调式的法律改革思路问题研究,无论对于拓宽法学的研究方向,或是对于中国的法治实践,都已经显出了某种必要性和迫切性。     

The Impact of Gender and Department Climate on Job Satisfaction and Intentions to Quit for Faculty in Science and Engineering Fields

This study investigates whether gender and the perceptions of department climate affects faculty job satisfaction and intentions to quit (work outcomes) with surveys responses from 308 faculty members in science and engineering fields. The study finds that both gender and department climate are related to work outcomes and that two facets of department climate (affective and instrumental) mediate the relationship between gender and both job satisfaction and intention to quit. This finding suggests that universities can benefit from improving department climate, which then may improve the retention of both male and female faculty, but may have an even greater impact on improving job satisfaction and reducing intentions to quit of female faculty.     

城乡居民收入差异的区域性特点分析

通过分析城乡居民抽样调查资料，建立城乡居民收入差距的回归分析模型，对城乡居民收入差异的区域性特点进行了比较分析。从而为缩小城乡居民收入差距提供了理论参考。