The <i>Hukou</i> system has been a basic institution in Chinese society for several decades. My thesis explores whether, after nearly 30 years of reform and opening up in China, this system still plays a role in individuals lives and if so, what is this role? This study uses qualitative data from policy documents and quantitative data from the China General Social Survey 2003 to examine differences in income and access to welfare services among rural and urban <i>Hukou</i> holders and in <i>Hukou</i> status conversion both before and since the reform era and point out that the <i>Hukou</i> system contributes to inequality in individuals life chances in two dimensions: resource allocation and <i>Hukou</i> status conversion. The findings show that urban residents are advantaged in resource allocation before and in the reform era; the control mechanism of quota and policy for <i>Hukou</i> status conversion from rural to urban in the pre-reform era was replaced by the locally defined but nationally enforced entry conditions or requirements in reform era. The talented people, the CCP members, the people who have permanent jobs in urban areas, and the people whose family members hold urban Hukou are more likely now to overcome the <i>Hukou</i>-based control. The <i>Hukou</i>-based migration control continues on a localized basis and excludes the majority of rural residents from access to the rights enjoyed by urban residents. The findings of this thesis indicate that the consequences of the Hukou system continue today and additional reform still needs to be introduced.

The combined survival status of the insured lives is a critical problem when pricing and reserving insurance products with more than one life. Our preliminary experience examination of bivariate annuity data from a large Canadian insurance company shows that the relative risk of mortality for an individual increases after the loss of his/her spouse, and that the increase is especially dramatic shortly after bereavement. This preliminary result is supported by the empirical studies over the past 50 years, which suggest dependence between a husband and wife. The dependence between a married couple may be significant in risk management of joint-life policies. This dissertation progressively explores Markovian models in pricing and risk management of joint-life policies, illuminating their advantages in dependent modeling of joint time-until-death (or other exit time) random variables. This dissertation argues that in the dependent modeling of joint-life dependence, Markovian models are flexible, transparent, and easily extended. Multiple state models have been widely used in historic data analysis, particularly in the modeling of failures that have event-related dependence. This dissertation introduces a ¡°common shock¡± factor into a standard Markov joint-life mortality model, and then extends it to a semi-Markov model to capture the decaying effect of the "broken heart" factor. The proposed models transparently and intuitively measure the extent of three types of dependence: the instantaneous dependence, the short-term impact of bereavement, and the long-term association between lifetimes. Some copula-based dependence measures, such as upper tail dependence, can also be derived from Markovian approaches. Very often, death is not the only mode of decrement. Entry into long-term care and voluntary prepayment, for instance, can affect reverse mortgage terminations. The semi-Markov joint-life model is extended to incorporate more exit modes, to model joint-life reverse mortgage termination speed. The event-triggered dependence between a husband and wife is modeled. For example, one spouse's death increases the survivor's inclination to move close to kin. We apply the proposed model specifically to develop the valuation formulas for roll-up mortgages in the UK and Home Equity Conversion Mortgages in the US. We test the significance of each termination mode and then use the model to investigate the mortgage insurance premiums levied on Home Equity Conversion Mortgage borrowers. Finally, this thesis extends the semi-Markov joint-life mortality model to having stochastic transition intensities, for modeling joint-life longevity risk in last-survivor annuities. We propose a natural extension of Gompertz' law to have correlated stochastic dynamics for its two parameters, and incorporate it into the semi-Markov joint-life mortality model. Based on this preliminary joint-life longevity model, we examine the impact of mortality improvement on the cost of a last survivor annuity, and investigate the market prices of longevity risk in last survivor annuities using risk-neutral pricing theory.

The <i>Hukou</i> system has been a basic institution in Chinese society for several decades. My thesis explores whether, after nearly 30 years of reform and opening up in China, this system still plays a role in individuals lives and if so, what is this role? This study uses qualitative data from policy documents and quantitative data from the China General Social Survey 2003 to examine differences in income and access to welfare services among rural and urban <i>Hukou</i> holders and in <i>Hukou</i> status conversion both before and since the reform era and point out that the <i>Hukou</i> system contributes to inequality in individuals life chances in two dimensions: resource allocation and <i>Hukou</i> status conversion. The findings show that urban residents are advantaged in resource allocation before and in the reform era; the control mechanism of quota and policy for <i>Hukou</i> status conversion from rural to urban in the pre-reform era was replaced by the locally defined but nationally enforced entry conditions or requirements in reform era. The talented people, the CCP members, the people who have permanent jobs in urban areas, and the people whose family members hold urban Hukou are more likely now to overcome the <i>Hukou</i>-based control. The <i>Hukou</i>-based migration control continues on a localized basis and excludes the majority of rural residents from access to the rights enjoyed by urban residents. The findings of this thesis indicate that the consequences of the Hukou system continue today and additional reform still needs to be introduced.

A series of studies from our lab have investigated the threading polyintercalator approach to sequence specific DNA binding using a 1,4,5,8-naphthalene tetracarboxylic diimide (NDI) intercalating unit connected by flexible peptide linkers. Herein is a report of the sequence specificity, as well as a detailed kinetic analysis, of a threading NDI tetraintercalator. DNase I footprinting using two ~500 base pair DNA fragments containing one designed binding site for the tetraintercalator confirmed highly sequence specific binding. Kinetic analyses include 1H NMR, gel mobility-shift assays, and stopped-flow UV measurements to reveal a polyintercalation binding mode that demonstrates significant similarities between association rate profiles and rate constants for the tetraintercalator binding to its preferred versus a random oligonucleotide sequence. Sequence specificity was found to derive almost entirely from large differences in dissociation rates from the preferred versus random oligonucleotide sequences. Interestingly, the dissociation rate constant of the tetraintercalator complex dissociating from its preferred binding site was extremely slow, corresponding to a 16 day half-life at a benchmark 100 mM [Na+]. This dissociation result for the tetraintercalator is one of the longest bound half-lives yet measured, and to the best of our knowledge, the longest for a DNA binding small molecule. Such a long-lived complex raises the possibility of using threading polyintercalators to disrupt biological processes for extended periods. Current focus is given to deciphering a mechanism for the molecular recognition of the tetraintercalator preferred binding site within a long sequence of DNA. Initial DNase I footprinting results on an approximate 500mer DNA sequence containing three sequential preferred binding sites reveal that the tetraintercalator likely locates its designed binding site by a macro- or microscopic dissociation/re-association type of mechanism. Cooperativity is a possible ally to binding, leaving future studies to distinguish the mechanism for molecular recognition in a manner that is capable of circumventing cooperative binding. Taken together, the threading polyintercalation binding mode presents an interesting topology to sequence specific DNA binding. Extraordinarily long dissociation rates from preferred binding sites offers many future possibilities to disrupt biological processes in vivo. / text

Persistence is one of the core criteria in chemical exposure and hazard assessment. It is often defined as the half-life for the removal of a chemical from a specified environment by transformation. Chemicals with long transformation half-lives may pose high risks for wildlife or humans and be subject to long-range transport to remote areas. It is challenging to measure persistence directly in the field in view of the complexity of the natural environment and spatial and temporal variability in environmental conditions that may affect degradation. The mass balance approach is the most commonly used method for field measurement of persistence. In this thesis an alternative to the traditional mass balance approach that uses benchmarking is proposed and evaluated using models and field application. The benchmarking approach compares the relative behavior of chemicals, rather than measuring the absolute value of a property. The unknown property (persistence in this thesis) of test chemicals can be estimated by comparison against another chemical for which this property is known. In Paper I, the potential of benchmarking to measure persistence in the field was evaluated by modeling. A framework for applying benchmarking to measure persistence in the field was developed. Lake systems with hydraulic residence times of the order of months were identified as appropriate field sites to measure the persistence of chemicals that are close to the regulatory thresholds, which are also on the scale of months. Field studies in two Swedish lakes were conducted. Both are shallow lakes, whereas Norra Bergundasjön (Paper II) has a longer residence time (four months) than Boren (one to two months; Paper III). In Paper II the benchmarking approach was tested to measure the persistence of a group of chemicals that were expected to stay in the water phase. Acesulfame K (artificial sweetener) without observable degradation in the lake was used as the benchmark chemical. The persistence of 9 pharmaceuticals and one X-ray contrast agent was measured to range from &lt;1-2 days (ketoprofen) to 580-5700 days (carbamazepine). The results obtained using the benchmarking approach agreed well with the mass balance approach, indicating that the benchmarking approach can be a valid and useful method to measure persistence in the field. In Paper III the seasonality in chemical persistence was investigated by benchmarking. The seasonal difference in chemical persistence was found to be largest between spring and autumn. The persistence of 5 chemicals in spring were lower than in autumn, mainly attributed to lower temperature and less sunlight in autumn. The spatial variation of the persistence of chemicals was observed by comparing the persistence of chemicals in spring in the two lakes. Thus benchmarking is a useful tool to study the temporal and spatial variation of persistence in the real environment.   Paper IV explores the potential of benchmarking thoroughly and the application of benchmarking in a regulatory context. Benchmarking could facilitate more field measurements of persistence, leading to a better understanding of the temporal and spatial variability of persistence in various environments and a basis for lab-to-field extrapolation. Besides quantitative estimation of persistence in the field, benchmarking can be applied to determine the relative magnitude of persistence, called threshold benchmarking which could be a valuable tool in regulatory processes. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 3: Submitted. Paper 4: Manuscript.</p>

The impact of Johnson's beliefs and his statements of them have frequently been interpreted as excessively dogmatic. Indeed, some critics have chosen to view Johnson as an eccentric, the last defender of an obsolete neo-classical tradition. Moreover, before the twentieth century's reappraisal of Johnson's literary role, the nineteenth had heaped scorn and derision on his perceptive judgment.As a practitioner of most forms of literary criticism, Johnson was particularly qualified to pass judgment on the "faults and beauties" of. literary compositions. His own distinguished career as poet, biographer, essayist and journalist gave him direct and invaluable knowledge of the creative process so that his pronouncements represent a lifelong interest in and association with literature.Johnson was an empirical critic. His point of departure was always the literary text. Although he acknowledged that rules could be formulated from an analysis of poetry, he stressed the danger of rigid standards of measurement. While Johnson exemplified the classical tradition in criticism, he was no slavish conformist to rules even when they had evolved from the ancients in such matters as the unities.Truth, nature and reason were basic to Johnson's criticism. He insisted that conventions should harmonize with the dictates of reason and common sense. Moreover, he took an independent stand when occasion demanded it. Such was his opposition to the pastoral and his censure of the use of excessive mythology in poetry.Johnson was a strong advocate of general principles. He believed that only general effects were indicative of true worth, and so he repudiated both microscopic and telescopic methods of criticism. Particularity, he maintained in Rasselas, was to be avoided because the minute analysis of poetry fragmented the general spirit of the composition.Johnson was a moral critic. He never judged literature solely on aesthetic grounds, nor did he value literature for its own sake. Life and literature were inseparable for him. He supported the established custom in letters that held that poetry should provide utility and pleasure. Moreover, Johnson insisted that poets should teach man the correct view of manners, morals and social relations, for he strongly believed that literature should inculcate goodness, teach society principles of reason and justice and demonstrate the repression of evil.This study was divided into five chapters. Chapter I, "The Critic and Criticism," is devoted to Johnson's pronouncements on the role of the critic and the nature of criticism. Johnson forcefully provides a rationale for the dual function of poet and critic which he so admirably exemplifies. Chapter II, "Little Prefaces, Little Lives," reviews the circumstances that resulted in his last great work and includes a representative sampling of Johnson's critical declarations as it appears in a number of major and minor lives. Chapters III and, IV present an analysis of six major life studies: Dryden, Milton, Addison, Cowley, Swift and Pope. The accounts of these particular poets were selected for detailed comment because they represent Johnson's critical writing at its best. In each spirited rendition, Johnson weaves a rich tapestry of critical and biographical composition that is unrivalled in English letters.Finally, in Chapter V, "Critical Matrices," significant clusters of ideas are identified around which Johnson's critical attitudes adhere in all of his works. Thus it is with admirable consistency of statement, abundant illustration and clarity of example, that Johnson skillfully presents his view on mythology, imagination, decorum and imitation, as well as on the pastoral and the general and particular in literary criticism. Each of these topics, therefore, is discussed at some length in the last chapter, illustrated by examples from the Lives of the English Poets.

The combined survival status of the insured lives is a critical problem when pricing and reserving insurance products with more than one life. Our preliminary experience examination of bivariate annuity data from a large Canadian insurance company shows that the relative risk of mortality for an individual increases after the loss of his/her spouse, and that the increase is especially dramatic shortly after bereavement. This preliminary result is supported by the empirical studies over the past 50 years, which suggest dependence between a husband and wife. The dependence between a married couple may be significant in risk management of joint-life policies. This dissertation progressively explores Markovian models in pricing and risk management of joint-life policies, illuminating their advantages in dependent modeling of joint time-until-death (or other exit time) random variables. This dissertation argues that in the dependent modeling of joint-life dependence, Markovian models are flexible, transparent, and easily extended. Multiple state models have been widely used in historic data analysis, particularly in the modeling of failures that have event-related dependence. This dissertation introduces a ¡°common shock¡± factor into a standard Markov joint-life mortality model, and then extends it to a semi-Markov model to capture the decaying effect of the "broken heart" factor. The proposed models transparently and intuitively measure the extent of three types of dependence: the instantaneous dependence, the short-term impact of bereavement, and the long-term association between lifetimes. Some copula-based dependence measures, such as upper tail dependence, can also be derived from Markovian approaches. Very often, death is not the only mode of decrement. Entry into long-term care and voluntary prepayment, for instance, can affect reverse mortgage terminations. The semi-Markov joint-life model is extended to incorporate more exit modes, to model joint-life reverse mortgage termination speed. The event-triggered dependence between a husband and wife is modeled. For example, one spouse's death increases the survivor's inclination to move close to kin. We apply the proposed model specifically to develop the valuation formulas for roll-up mortgages in the UK and Home Equity Conversion Mortgages in the US. We test the significance of each termination mode and then use the model to investigate the mortgage insurance premiums levied on Home Equity Conversion Mortgage borrowers. Finally, this thesis extends the semi-Markov joint-life mortality model to having stochastic transition intensities, for modeling joint-life longevity risk in last-survivor annuities. We propose a natural extension of Gompertz' law to have correlated stochastic dynamics for its two parameters, and incorporate it into the semi-Markov joint-life mortality model. Based on this preliminary joint-life longevity model, we examine the impact of mortality improvement on the cost of a last survivor annuity, and investigate the market prices of longevity risk in last survivor annuities using risk-neutral pricing theory.

Background: The Good Lives Model (GLM) is a novel strengths-based rehabilitation framework, the principles of which are increasingly being integrated into sexual offender treatment programmes. Previous research has suggested that positive therapist characteristics are empirically associated with treatment change in sexual offender treatment. However, considering the theoretically informed shift from a deficits-based approach to a strengths-based approach in GLM-consistent treatment (GLM-CT), it is reasonable to suggest that therapist characteristics might be reflected differently. Objective: To explore and identify, by expert opinion, what therapist characteristics are important in GLM-consistent treatment and how they might be recognised in a treatment session. Methods: A systematic review of the literature was carried out to appraise the reporting quality of studies that used the Delphi method to develop knowledge on psychotherapeutic models. The empirical study used a three-round Delphi method, a structured consensus-gathering technique, with 28 GLM experts from five different countries. The data in the first round were analysed using content analysis, and data in subsequent round were analysed using descriptive statistics. Results: The systematic review found that the reporting quality in Delphi method studies was respectable in relation to the preparatory stages; however, the reporting quality of aspects of the Delphi methodology important for interpreting the results varied. In regards to the empirical paper, experts endorsed 71 items reflecting the GLM ethos and principles in treatment, listed between twelve categories. Conclusions: The results of the present study suggested that therapeutic characteristics previously identified in sexual offending treatment are indeed important in GLM-consistent treatment. However, additional characteristics were highlighted as important by experts, including emphasis on future-focused and strengths-based language, motivational interviewing skills, flexibility with session material and a good knowledge of clients’ good lives plans. Finally, the results indicated that use of self-disclosure and directiveness in GLM-CT might need to be elucidated in future research.

As vidas-médias dos três primeiros níveis da banda-yrast I=2 construída sobre o estado h11/2- do núcleo de 135Pr, foram medidas, pela primeira vez, através da reação 121,123Sb(16O, 4n)133,135Pr, a 76 MeV, usando-se espectroscopia gama em conjunto com a técnica de medida da distância de recuo (RDM), no Laboratório PELLETRON, São Paulo, e TANDAR/CNEA, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Foram calculadas as probabilidades reduzidas de transição B(E2), com o objetivo de extrair informações sobre os parâmetros de deformação, os quais foram comparados às estimativas feitas pelos modelos teóricos para a região de massa A~130, como o modelo de um rotor triaxial mais quasi-partícula, o modelo geométrico e o TRS (\"Total Routhian Surface\"). Os valores experimentais das vidas-médias, dos B(E2) e dos parâmetros de deformação (B2, y) de 135Pr, foram comparados ao caroço de 134Ce, medido em [Hu77]. Os valores experimentais de Q0 obtidos para os três primeiros níveis da banda h11/2- de 135Pr, antes do backbending, são bastante parecidos aos do 134Ce. Cálculos teóricos para os dois núcleos, usando o programa TRS, forneceram resultados que estão em contraste com os experimentais. / Lifetimes of low-Iying states in I=2 bands built on the h11/2- state in the Z-odd nucleus 135Pr were measured by means of the 121,123Sb(16O,4n)133,135Pr reaction at a bombarding energy of 76 MeV, using in-beam gamma-ray spectroscopy together with the Doppler-Shift Recoil-Distance Technique at the PELLETRON, São Paulo and the TANDAR/CNEA Laboratory, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Reduced transition probabilities B(E2) were extracted in order to calculate the deformation parameters. These values were compared to theoretical models available for the mass region A~130, such as the Triaxial Rotor plus Quasi-Particle, the Cranked-Shell Model, the Geometrical Model and the Total Routhian Surface. The experimental values of 135Pr lifetimes, B(E2) and deformation parameters (B2, y) were compared to those for the 134Ce core, measured in [Hu77]. It was found that Q0 values for the h11/2- excited levels before backbending in 135Pr nucleus are very similar to those of the 134Ce core. TRS calculations were performed for both nuclei giving theoretical results which are in contrast to the experimental values.

What do Black Lives Matter and Freaknik have in common? In this paper, I will argue that moments of Black Lives Matter in Atlanta exhibited refusals and undoings of respectability politics through the method of the ratchet. I define the ratchet as moments of non-normative embodiment and political possibility that refuse statist and Eurocentric norms through slippage of the self and the engagement of Black queer sexual politics. Freaknik is foregrounded as a ripe space for excavating such a display of the politically ratchet in Atlanta. I will look at a few different moments in the Black Lives Matter movement in the city of Atlanta and read each for currents of ratchetness and respectability, highlighting the importance of the ratchet in political imagination and possibility.