Analyzing State Sequences with Probabilistic Suffix Trees: The PST R Package

This article presents the PST R package for categorical sequence analysis with probabilistic suffix trees (PSTs), i.e., structures that store variable-length Markov chains (VLMCs). VLMCs allow to model high-order dependencies in categorical sequences with parsimonious models based on simple estimation procedures. The package is specifically adapted to the field of social sciences, as it allows for VLMC models to be learned from sets of individual sequences possibly containing missing values; in addition, the package is extended to account for case weights. This article describes how a VLMC model is learned from one or more categorical sequences and stored in a PST. The PST can then be used for sequence prediction, i.e., to assign a probability to whole observed or artificial sequences. This feature supports data mining applications such as the extraction of typical patterns and outliers. This article also introduces original visualization tools for both the model and the outcomes of sequence prediction. Other features such as functions for pattern mining and artificial sequence generation are described as well. The PST package also allows for the computation of probabilistic divergence between two models and the fitting of segmented VLMCs, where sub-models fitted to distinct strata of the learning sample are stored in a single PST

Analyzing and Visualizing State Sequences in R with TraMineR

This article describes the many capabilities offered by the TraMineR toolbox for categorical sequence data. It focuses more specifically on the analysis and rendering of state sequences. Addressed features include the description of sets of sequences by means of transversal aggregated views, the computation of longitudinal characteristics of individual sequences and the measure of pairwise dissimilarities. Special emphasis is put on the multiple ways of visualizing sequences. The core element of the package is the state se- quence object in which we store the set of sequences together with attributes such as the alphabet, state labels and the color palette. The functions can then easily retrieve this information to ensure presentation homogeneity across all printed and graphical displays. The article also demonstrates how TraMineRâÂÂs outcomes give access to advanced analyses such as clustering and statistical modeling of sequence data.

Pathways of Paid Work, Care Provision, and Volunteering in Later Careers: Activity Substitution or Extension?

It is well established that what happens to older people in one domain (like paid work) is likely to be related to what happens in another domain (like family caring or voluntary work). There is, however, limited research on the interplay between multiple activity domains in later careers. Research tends to focus on one domain (such as employment), and bring in aspects from other domains (such as volunteering) to explain outcomes. This article instead examines the interplay between 3 domains—paid work, care provision, and volunteering—using sequence analyses, cluster analyses, and loglinear modeling. It assesses 2 competing perspectives. The role substitution perspective suggests people take on activities (such as volunteering) to replace the loss of other activities (such as paid work). The role extension perspective alternatively suggests that people that are active in one area are likely to be active in others as well. Using the first 6 waves of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), we examine 10-year pathways taken by individuals aged 50+ in relation to paid work, care provision, and volunteering. We find little support for either view of role substitution or extension. The 3 activity domains were largely independent of each other, suggesting that the factors influencing involvement in different combinations of activities are more complex. Nevertheless, we found some indicative evidence that part-time work and volunteering were complementary. Gender was important for the combination of pathways in paid work and care provision

Analyzing and Visualizing State Sequences in R with TraMineR

This article describes the many capabilities offered by the TraMineR toolbox for categorical sequence data. It focuses more specifically on the analysis and rendering of state sequences. Addressed features include the description of sets of sequences by means of transversal aggregated views, the computation of longitudinal characteristics of individual sequences and the measure of pairwise dissimilarities. Special emphasis is put on the multiple ways of visualizing sequences. The core element of the package is the state se- quence object in which we store the set of sequences together with attributes such as the alphabet, state labels and the color palette. The functions can then easily retrieve this information to ensure presentation homogeneity across all printed and graphical displays. The article also demonstrates how TraMineR’s outcomes give access to advanced analyses such as clustering and statistical modeling of sequence data

Intervenções baseadas em mindfulness em mulheres reclusas: uma revisão sistemática da literatura

A terceira geração das Terapias Cognitiva-Comportamentais, a qual é caracterizada pela abordagem terapêutica baseada na aceitação e mindfulness, tem contribuído para o tratamento da população em diversos contextos. Estudos científicos têm demonstrado a sua eficácia no contexto prisional, contudo os efeitos psicológicos na população reclusa feminina ainda são pouco claros. Assim, com o presente estudo, pretendeu-se conhecer a eficácia das Intervenções Baseadas em Mindfulness (MBIs) na saúde mental de mulheres reclusas. Através de uma Revisão Sistemática de literatura, realizou-se o apuramento e a identificação de estudos relevantes para a problemática, com recurso a quatro bases de dados, nomeadamente MEDLINE/PubMed, PsycInfo, Scopus e Web of Science. Identificaram-se quatrocentos e trinta e quatro artigos para triagem que, após a aplicação dos critérios de inclusão e exclusão, culminou com uma amostra final de vinte artigos. No geral, a análise dos vinte artigos aponta para a eficácia das MBIs na melhoria da saúde mental de mulheres reclusas. Os efeitos psicológicos mais comuns são a redução do stresse, da ansiedade, da depressão e de problemas de comportamento, nomeadamente a impulsividade/agressividade. Considerações sobre as implicações para a prática, políticas e futuras investigações são ainda discutidas no presente estudo, uma vez que a implementação de MBIs no contexto prisional sugere medidas de prevenção/intervenção vantajosas em termos de custo/eficácia para o combate ao drástico crescimento do encarceramento da população feminina.The third generation of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies, which is characterized by a therapeutic approach based on acceptance and mindfulness, has contributed to the treatment of the population in several contexts. Scientific studies have demonstrated its effectiveness in the prison context, however the psychological effects on incarcerated females are still unclear. Thereby, the present study aimed to understand the efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs) in the mental health of female prisoners. This Systematic Literature Review involved a comprehensive search within the MEDLINE/PubMed, PsycInfo, Scopus, and Web of Science databases to identify relevant studies which could answer the research question. Four hundred and thirty four articles were identified but only twenty studies met the eligibility criteria. Overall, the results of the present study suggest the efficacy of MBIs in improving female prisoners’ mental health. The most common psychological effects found were reduction of stress, anxiety, depression and behavior problems, such as impulsiveness/aggressiveness. Considerations about the implications for practice, policy and future research are further discussed in the present paper, as MBIs appear to be a cost-effective prevention/intervention strategy to fight the incarceration rate of women

Educação física como meio facilitador de aprendizagens de padrões matemáticos em crianças de 3 anos

A educação física e a matemática, embora constituam domínios integrados numa mesma área de conteúdo da educação pré-escolar, a da área de expressão e comunicação, são muitas vezes utilizadas de forma desassociada pelos educadores, ou seja, ou abordam a matemática ou dinamizam sessões de educação física, não usufruindo da possível interligação entre estes domínios na sua intervenção pedagógica para potencializar as aprendizagens das crianças. Este estudo procura aprofundar o conhecimento sobre esta relação e propor formas de articulação que potenciem o desenvolvimento e aprendizagem das crianças. Este estudo de cariz qualitativo e quantitativo contou com a participação de vinte e quatro crianças de três anos de idade em contexto de Jardim de Infância. Como objetivo principal esta investigação pretende dar resposta à seguinte questão: “Será que a educação física promove aprendizagens de padrões matemáticos?”. Para tal, foi fulcral a utilização de diversos procedimentos metodológicos e instrumentos, tais como observação participante, notas de campo e entrevistas semiestruturadas, bem como averiguar se toda a intervenção educativa contextualizada teve algum impacto nas conceções das crianças acerca dos padrões de repetição. Os resultados demonstraram que tanto as sessões de educação física como as sessões de matemática, com padrões de repetição em contexto de sala de atividades, tiveram um valor acrescentado nas conceções das crianças e no desenvolvimento do conhecimento acerca dos padrões de repetição. Contudo, o grupo de crianças que realizou as sessões de educação física teve ainda uma maior facilidade na construção dos padrões de repetição. Os resultados realçam a importância da ligação entre diferentes áreas de conteúdo, neste caso entre a matemática e a educação física, bem como a exploração do jogo, no contexto das aprendizagens das crianças no Pré-escolar.Physical Education and Mathematics, although they constitute domains integrated in the same content area of pre-school education, the area of expression and communication are often used separately by educators, which means that they either address Mathematics or streamline sessions of Physical Education, not taking advantage of the possible interconnection between these domains in their pedagogical intervention to enhance children's learning. This study seeks to deepen the knowledge about this relationship and suggest articulated ways that enhance the development and learning of children. This qualitative and quantitative study included the participation of twenty-four three-year-old children in a kindergarten context. As main focus, this investigation intends to answer the following question: “Does Physical Education promote learning of mathematical patterns?”. To do so, it was crucial the use of various methodological procedures and instruments, such as participant observation, field notes and semistructured interviews, as well as verifying whether the entire contextualized educational intervention had any impact on the children's conceptions about repetition patterns. The results indicated that both Physical Education and Mathematics sessions, with repetition patterns in the context of an activity room, had an added value in the children's conceptions and in the development of knowledge about repetition patterns. However, the group of children who performed the Physical Education sessions had an even greater ease in constructing the repetition patterns. The results highlight the importance of connecting different content areas, in this case between Mathematics and Physical Education, as well as the development of the game, in the children's learning in Preschool context

The Swiss Household Panel 1999-2003: data for research on micro-social change

"Die Umfrage Leben in der Schweiz des Schweizer Haushalt Panels (SHP) bietet eine einzigartige longitudinale Datenbasis an. 1999 wurden 7.799 Personen von 5.074 Haushalten über ihre Lebensbedingungen befragt. Sämtliche 14-jährigen und älteren Personen, die in diesen Haushalten wohnen, sollen fortan während zehn bis fünfzehn Jahren in jährlichem Abstand befragt werden. Die Erhebung wird mittels computerunterstützten Telefoninterviews (CATI: Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing) durchgeführt. Mittlerweile konnten die ersten zwei Befragungswellen erfolgreich realisiert werden. Anders als bei den vorwiegend auf sozioökonomischen Bedingungen ausgerichteten Panels - wie dem SOEP in Deutschland und dem BHPS in England - deckt das SHP ein breites Spektrum von Themen und sozialwissenschaftlichen Forschungsansätzen ab. Das Faktenmaterial wird ergänzt durch 'subjektive' Beurteilungen. Die Trägerschaft des SHPs besteht aus dem Schwerpunktprogramm SPP 'Zukunft Schweiz', dem Bundesamt für Statistik und der Universität Neuchâtel." (Autorenreferat)"The Living in Switzerland survey of the Swiss Household Panel (SHP) provides a unique longitudinal database in Switzerland. In 1999, 7,799 members of 5,074 households – from a stratified random sample of the permanent resident population of Switzerland – were interviewed about their living conditions. All household members aged 14 years and older are to be interviewed annually for 10 to 15 years. The SHP survey is conducted using computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI). To date, the first two waves have been carried out successfully. In comparison with panels such as the SOEP in Germany and the BHPS in Britain concentrating on socio-economic conditions, the SHP covers a broader range of topics and approaches in the social sciences. Subjective assessments complement the factual information. The SHP is a joint project run by the Swiss Priority Programme (SPP) 'Switzerland towards the Future', the Swiss Federal Statistical Office and the University of Neuchâtel." (author's abstract

Sexualidade na terceira idade: estudo de caso

Esta investigação debruçou-se sobre o tema da Sexualidade na Terceira Idade: Estudo de Caso. É nossa intenção compreender melhor as questões relativas à sexualidade, em especial, à problemática associada à Terceira idade e, a partir daí, contribuir para alterar a visão de que a vida sexual ativa é uma prerrogativa dos jovens. Importa, por isso, desmistificar e esclarecer que a sexualidade desaparece com o envelhecimento. Compreender o processo de envelhecimento inerente à nossa humanidade é o primeiro passo, porquanto não deixamos de ser quem somos e como somos pelo facto de vivermos mais anos. Quem se encontra nesta fase da vida, Terceira idade precisa viver a sua vida e a sua sexualidade livremente e com dignidade. Reconhecendo a necessidade de melhor conhecer e esclarecer as questões da sexualidade na Terceira idade desenvolvemos o estudo aprofundado de dois casos, ambos com idades superiores a 65 anos. Foi nosso objetivo compreender como percecionam e vivenciam a sexualidade e quais os fatores que interferem na vivência da mesma. As informações foram recolhidas através das conversas informais, das notas de campo e das entrevistas exploratórias. Depois das informações extraídas das entrevistas serem metodizadas resultaram, para cada caso, quadros cronológicos de eventos, biogramas e narrativas biográficas. Como a presente investigação recorre ao método: Estudo de caso, é fulcral apresentar uma análise interpretativa tendo como suporte as narrativas de cada sujeito.Universidade do Algarve, Escola Superior de Educação e Comunicaçã

Sequence analysis of call record data: exploring the role of different cost settings

Sequence analysis is widely used in life course research and more recently has been applied by survey methodologists to summarize complex call record data. However, summary variables derived in this way have proved ineffective for post-survey adjustments, owing to weak correlations with key survey variables. We reflect on the underlying optimal matching algorithm and test the sensitivity of the output to input parameters or ‘costs’, which must be specified by the analyst. The results illustrate the complex relationship between these costs and the output variables which summarize the call record data. Regardless of the choice of costs, there was a low correlation between the summary variables and the key survey variables, limiting the scope for bias reduction. The analysis is applied to call records from the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing, which is a nationally representative, face-to-face household surve