A Simple Model for the Statistical Analysis of Large Arrays of Mortality Data: Rectangular vs. Diagonal Structure

A simple descriptive model is proposed for the analysis of large, non-additive mortality arrays. Similar in form to additive-plus-multiplicative models discussed by other authors, the model goes one step further by introducing a diagonal term. An exemplary application of the model to French male post-War mortality data demonstrates three important characteristics of the data being analyzed: 1) the structure of the data matrix is largely additive; 2) some rectangular non-additivity exists, implying that mortality has declined with varying speed at different ages or, equivalently, that the shape of the age-curve of mortality has changed over time; and 3) residual non-additive diagonal structure exists, indicating that some "peculiar" cohorts have had mortality experiences which deviate by as much as 2 or 3% from levels which would be expected considering only the age and period of death

Modelling Online Gaming Metacognitions: The Role of Time Spent Gaming in Predicting Problematic Internet Use

© 2020, The Author(s). In recent years there have been growing concerns about problematic Internet use (PIU) as potential mental health problem. Among the many activities available on the Internet, the time spent gaming appears one of the most frequent risk factors in developing PIU. The aim of the current study was to model the relationship between negative affect, metacognitions about online gaming, frequency of online gaming and PIU. A total of 326 Italian gamers (mean age = 27 years, SD = 5.65 years; 93.3% males) participated in the study. The pattern of relationships specified by the theoretical model was examined through path analysis. Results showed that negative affect was directly associated with all other variables. Specifically, positive, strong and direct associations were found between negative affect and both positive and negative metacognitions about online gaming. Moreover, negative metacognitions about online gaming were strongly linked to PIU. Overall, the theoretical model was supported showing that metacognitions about online gaming may play a role in the association between time spent on online gaming to a broader pattern of PIU. Results are discussed within the context of the metacognitive model of psychopathology and clinical implications based on this model are outlined

Mortality in Italy: Contours of a Century of Evolution

Contour maps of Italian male and female mortality rates from age 0 to 79 and from 1870 to 1979 graphically display persistent global and prominent local patterns of mortality, simultaneously over age, by period, and for cohorts. The maps give demographers visual access to previously recognized features of the evolution of Italian mortality as well as focusing attention on some neglected features. Use of contour maps to display various kinds of mortality data, including mortality comparisons, may help demographers better understand the social and biological determinants of mortality

Tailoring correlations of the local density of states in disordered photonic materials

We present experimental evidence for the different mechanisms driving the fluctuations of the local density of states (LDOS) in disordered photonic systems. We establish a clear link between the microscopic structure of the material and the frequency correlation function of LDOS accessed by a near-field hyperspectral imaging technique. We show, in particular, that short- and long-range frequency correlations of LDOS are controlled by different physical processes (multiple or single scattering processes, respectively) that can be---to some extent---manipulated independently. We also demonstrate that the single scattering contribution to LDOS fluctuations is sensitive to subwavelength features of the material and, in particular, to the correlation length of its dielectric function. Our work paves a way towards a complete control of statistical properties of disordered photonic systems, allowing for designing materials with predefined correlations of LDOS.Comment: 5+9 pages, 5+6 figures. Fixed confusion of references between the main text and the supplemental material in version

The importance of thinking styles in predicting binge eating

Impulsivity, Body Mass Index, negative emotions and irrational food beliefs are often reported as predictors of binge eating. In the current study we explored the role played by two thinking styles, namely food thought suppression and desire thinking, in predicting binge eating among young adults controlling for established predictors of this condition. A total of 338 university students (268 females) participated in this study by completing a battery of questionnaires measuring the study variables. Path analysis revealed that impulsivity was not associated with binge eating, that Body Mass Index and negative emotions predicted binge eating, and that irrational food beliefs only influenced binge eating via food thought suppression and desire thinking. In conclusion, thinking styles appear an important predictor of binge eating and they should be taken into consideration when developing clinical interventions for binge eating