Extended Model Formulas in R. Multiple Parts and Multiple Responses.

Model formulas are the standard approach for specifying the variables in statistical models in the S language. Although being eminently useful in an extremely wide class of applications, they have certain limitations including being confined to single responses and not providing convenient support for processing formulas with multiple parts. The latter is relevant for models with two or more sets of variable, e.g., regressors/instruments in instrumental variable regressions, two-part models such as hurdle models, or alternative-specific and individual-specific variables in choice models among many others. The R package Formula addresses these two problems by providing a new class "Formula" (inheriting from "formula") that accepts an additional formula operator | separating multiple parts and by allowing all formula operators (including the new |) on the left-hand side to support multiple responses.Series: Research Report Series / Department of Statistics and Mathematic

Panel Data Econometrics in R: The plm Package

Panel data econometrics is obviously one of the main fields in the profession, but most of the models used are difficult to estimate with R. plm is a package for R which intends to make the estimation of linear panel models straightforward. plm provides functions to estimate a wide variety of models and to make (robust) inference.

Extended Model Formulas in R: Multiple Parts and Multiple Responses

Model formulas are the standard approach for specifying the variables in statistical models in the S language. Although being eminently useful in an extremely wide class of applications, they have certain limitations including being confined to single responses and not providing convenient support for processing formulas with multiple parts. The latter is relevant for models with two or more sets of variables, e.g., different equations for different model parameters (such as mean and dispersion), regressors and instruments in instrumental variable regressions, two-part models such as hurdle models, or alternative-specific and individual-specific variables in choice models among many others. The R package Formula addresses these two problems by providing a new class âÂÂFormulaâ (inheriting from âÂÂformulaâÂÂ) that accepts an additional formula operator | separating multiple parts and by allowing all formula operators (including the new |) on the left-hand side to support multiple responses.

International Interim Governments, Democratization, and Post-Conflict Peace-building: Lessons from Cambodia and East Timor; Strategic Insights, v. 5, issue 1 (January 2006)

This article appeared in Strategic Insights, v.5, issue 1 (January 2006)Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited

Infant Mortality Data: Missing Pieces to Prevention in Lesotho

Lower-middle-income countries (LMICs) like Lesotho lack complete and quality infant mortality data. Without infant mortality data, it can be challenging to develop public health education, programming, and policies to address preventative infant deaths in specific populations (Rao et al., 2004). A literature review identified strategies to improve infant mortality data in LMICs. Through a community engagement model and digital storytelling, community members can gain awareness, begin an ongoing conversation about local public health issues, and participate in an improved data collection system. Infant mortality is often used as an indicator of health for a population; improved infant mortality data can help create a better plan to address the population\u27s health issues for infants and the broader population

Scientists who engage with society perform better academically

Most scientific institutions acknowledge the importance of opening the so-called 'ivory tower' of academic research through popularization, industrial collaboration or teaching. However, little is known about the actual openness of scientific institutions and how their proclaimed priorities translate into concrete measures. This paper gives an idea of some actual practices by studying three key points: the proportion of researchers who are active in wider dissemination, the academic productivity of these scientists, and the institutional recognition of their wider dissemination activities in terms of their careers. We analyze extensive data about the academic production, career recognition and teaching or public/industrial outreach of several thousand of scientists, from many disciplines, from France's Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique. We find that, contrary to what is often suggested, scientists active in wider dissemination are also more active academically. However, their dissemination activities have almost no impact (positive or negative) on their careers

Introduction: state capacity and elections in the study of authoritarian regimes

Studies of multiparty elections in authoritarian regimes have proliferated in recent years. Nevertheless, the available evidence remains inconclusive in terms of when, where, or why elections work to sustain or undermine authoritarian rule. The contributions to the special issue “State Capacity, Elections and the Resilience of Authoritarian Rule” argue that analyzing the extent to which the effect of elections on authoritarian regime resilience is mediated through the factor of state capacity helps to solve this puzzle. This introduction lays the analytical foundation for this discussion by reviewing key terms and concepts, and by highlighting possible theoretical connections between the state capacity literature on the one hand and the electoral authoritarianism literature on the other. Furthermore, it considers the contributions in this special issue, and points out areas of agreement and disagreement between the authors, while simultaneously placing the different arguments within the broader field of enquiry

Studies in the Work of Colley Cibber

Bibliography: p. 63-69. University of Kansas author

Misplaced Focus: Assumptions about Sex Hormones and ACL Injury in Female Athletes

Explaining Anterior cruciate ligament {ACL} injury rate differences between female athletes and male athletes by the role of female hormones is misplaced. We are not in 19.th.century to think, that a woman is “unable” because of her hormonal prepositions and to see this as a “women’s problem”. These injuries require further exploration before they can be labeled as “sex-specific” and as having intrinsic or biological causation. There are different sport opportunities (girls are supposed to be focused on some “feminine” sports and are becoming involved in athletic later than boys) and expected results, which are measured in the same age of boys and girls. Also experience with training of sportsmen has a long history and practice compared to women’s training. The body as a physiological entity is produced throughout the life course of an individual and is not some a priory that can be understood or measured independently of the social life that constructs it