Semiparametrically efficient estimation of the average linear regression function

Let Y be an outcome of interest, X a vector of treatment measures, and W a vector of pre-treatment control variables. Here X may include (combinations of) continuous, discrete, and/or non-mutually exclusive "treatments". Consider the linear regression of Y onto X in a subpopulation homogenous in W = w (formally a conditional linear predictor). Let b0(w) be the coefficient vector on X in this regression. We introduce a semiparametrically efficient estimate of the average beta0 = E[b0(W)]. When X is binary-valued (multi-valued) our procedure recovers the (a vector of) average treatment effect(s). When X is continuously-valued, or consists of multiple non-exclusive treatments, our estimand coincides with the average partial effect (APE) of X on Y when the underlying potential response function is linear in X, but otherwise heterogenous across agents. When the potential response function takes a general nonlinear/heterogenous form, and X is continuously-valued, our procedure recovers a weighted average of the gradient of this response across individuals and values of X. We provide a simple, and semiparametrically efficient, method of covariate adjustment for settings with complicated treatment regimes. Our method generalizes familiar methods of covariate adjustment used for program evaluation as well as methods of semiparametric regression (e.g., the partially linear regression model)

Hors de l’ombre : la violence à l’égard des femmes et filles en situation de handicap au Portugal

To live a life free from abuse and violence is a fundamental human right. Yet for many girls and women with disabilities, this remains a difficult goal to achieve. This paper examines the issue of violence against girls and women with disabilities in Portugal, by addressing three key questions: what forms of violence against girls and women with disabilities are more prevalent? How significant is the issue in Portugal? How to ensure the right of girls and women with disabilities to protection against violence? Drawing from 60 semi-structured interviews with women and men with various types of disabilities, the study reveals a high prevalence of situations of abuse among girls and women with disabilities including psychological, physical, sexual, financial and social violence. Results are discussed in light of human rights principles and suggestions are made to develop a research agenda and continue exploring the topic in the near future.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

From Rights to Reality: Of Crisis, Coalitions, and the Challenge of Implementing Disability Rights in Portugal

Applying a political economy lens, this article examines the impact of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), within a political context marked by crisis and austerity. Taking the case of Portugal, a country that faced a financial crisis and underwent an austerity plan, the article seeks to understand the impact of the CRPD at domestic level. What has changed, what has remained the same and what has deteriorated? And how has the disability movement responded and resisted to the crisis? This article addresses these questions and discusses the challenges of implementing disability rights in times of ‘enduring’ austerity.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Study of services to support the inclusion of persons with disability in mainstream environments

This study is part of a series of reports published by EPR that aim to provide evidence of trends and developments in delivery of services to people with disabilities.This particular study presents services from the EPR membership that support the inclusion of persons with disabilities in mainstream environments. This study intends to be a useful resource for service providers, for disability communities, and for policy-makers, including the European Commission.It aims to provide disability service providers with ideas for possible innovations in the contents of service delivery, but also with insights into practical improvements in the methodology and processes supporting services.This study has thus a very hands-on mission to disseminate and support good practice. Representative associations of people with disabilities may find in this document an advocacy resource to advance community inclusion and argue for de-institutionalisation and access to mainstream services in community-based environments. Key recommendations for services have been drawn out. This document also aims to provide analysis of the context within which the services are operating, the relevant legislation and funding mechanisms.This in order for policy-makers to be able to understand and create the right framework for the development of community-based service delivery to people with disabilities. The present study has been drafted based on the inputs from EPR member organisations and with financial support of the European Commission under the Programme for Employment and Social Innovation, “EaSi” (2014–2020). It is one of the resources available to encourage the provision of quality services to people with disabilities in mainstream environments, which suppor ts de-institutionalisation.The focus on de-institutionalisation was initiated in the EU under the impulse of disability movements and with inputs notably from the European Expert Group on theTransition from Institutional to Community-based Care.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Multilevel Preconditioning of Discontinuous-Galerkin Spectral Element Methods, Part I: Geometrically Conforming Meshes

This paper is concerned with the design, analysis and implementation of preconditioning concepts for spectral Discontinuous Galerkin discretizations of elliptic boundary value problems. While presently known techniques realize a growth of the condition numbers that is logarithmic in the polynomial degrees when all degrees are equal and quadratic otherwise, our main objective is to realize full robustness with respect to arbitrarily large locally varying polynomial degrees degrees, i.e., under mild grading constraints condition numbers stay uniformly bounded with respect to the mesh size and variable degrees. The conceptual foundation of the envisaged preconditioners is the auxiliary space method. The main conceptual ingredients that will be shown in this framework to yield "optimal" preconditioners in the above sense are Legendre-Gauss-Lobatto grids in connection with certain associated anisotropic nested dyadic grids as well as specially adapted wavelet preconditioners for the resulting low order auxiliary problems. Moreover, the preconditioners have a modular form that facilitates somewhat simplified partial realizations. One of the components can, for instance, be conveniently combined with domain decomposition, at the expense though of a logarithmic growth of condition numbers. Our analysis is complemented by quantitative experimental studies of the main components.Comment: 41 pages, 11 figures; Major revision: rearrangement of the contents for better readability, part on wavelet preconditioner adde

Convergence of a linearly transformed particle method for aggregation equations

We study a linearly transformed particle method for the aggregation equation with smooth or singular interaction forces. For the smooth interaction forces, we provide convergence estimates in $L^1$ and $L^\infty$ norms depending on the regularity of the initial data. Moreover, we give convergence estimates in bounded Lipschitz distance for measure valued solutions. For singular interaction forces, we establish the convergence of the error between the approximated and exact flows up to the existence time of the solutions in $L^1 \cap L^p$ norm

Stresse profissional e estratégias de coping em consultores externos

Tese de mestrado, Psicologia (Secção de Psicologia dos Recursos Humanos, do Trabalho e das Organizações), Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Psicologia, 2012O presente estudo incide sobre a caracterização do stresse profissional e estratégias de coping de um grupo profissional muito pouco estudado: os Consultores Externos. Para tal, utilizaram-se dois instrumentos de medição – Inventário sobre o Stresse Profissional (Spielberger & Vagg, 1999) e Questionário de Estratégias de Coping (Folkman, & Lazarus, 1988), obtendo-se a participação voluntária de 36 Consultores. Para averiguar se os Consultores apresentam níveis superiores de stresse, recorreu-se à comparação com grupos profissionais previamente estudados: Administrativos e Gestores (Vaz, 2010) e Professores e Bancários (Rafael, 2001). Os Consultores demonstraram um nível global de stresse mais elevado, sendo os stressores mais significativos o “”Trabalho para além do horário”, o “Cumprimento de prazos” e o “Tempo pessoal insuficiente”. Para lidar com o stresse, os Consultores recorrem mais à estratégia de coping “Resolução planeada do problema” e em seguida às estratégias “Assumir responsabilidades” e “Suporte social”. As correlações entre as respostas dos itens do Inventário e as estratégias de coping atingiram alguns níveis significativos, apresentando o valor máximo de .57 entre “Sentir atitudes negativas contra a organização” no domínio do stresse (Severidade) e a subescala “Reavaliação Positiva” e entre a subescala “Coping Confrontativo” e “Interrupções frequentes”, também no âmbito do stresse (Frequência).The present study focus on the characterization of the occupational stress and coping strategies of an understudied professional group: the External Consultants. For that, two instruments of measurement were used – Job Stress Survey (Spielberger & Vagg, 1999) and the Ways of Coping Questionnaire (Folkman, & Lazarus, 1988) - from which 36 Consultant’s voluntary contributions were attained. In order to inquire if Consultants’ possess superior levels of stress, a comparison between previously studied professional groups was made: Administrative workers and Managers (Vaz, 2010) and Teachers and Bankers (Rafael, 2001). The Consultants showed a higher general stress level, with the most significant events being “Working overtime”, the “Meeting of deadlines” and “Lack of personal time”. To cope with stress, Consultants resort most to the “Planed resolution of the problem” coping strategy, followed by “Owning responsibilities” and “Social support”. The correlations between the Inventory’s items and the coping strategies reached some significant levels, being .57 the highest result, between “Feeling negative attitudes towards the organization” on the stress domain (Severity) and the subscale “Positive Reevaluation”, and between the subscale “Confrontational Coping” and “Frequent Interruptions”, also pertaining to stress (Frequency)