The Demographic Effects of Colonialism: Forced Labor and Mortality in Java, 1834–1879

We investigate the demographic effects of forced labor under an extractive colonial regime: the Cultivation System in nineteenth-century Java. Our panel analyses show that labor demands are strongly positively associated with mortality rates, likely resulting from malnourishment and unhygienic conditions on plantations and the spread of infectious diseases. An instrumental variable approach, using international market prices for coffee and sugar for predicting labor demands, addresses potential endogeneity concerns. Our estimates suggest that without the abolition of the Cultivation System average overall mortality in Java would have been between 10 and 30 percent higher by the late 1870s.

PSXV-28 Late-Breaking: Impact of beef genotypes and finishing systems on beef consumer acceptability and the effect of demographic factors on consumer sensory preferences

Beef genotypes and diets can improve the eating quality and consistency of beef. A 2-yr study was conducted to evaluate the effects of beef genotypes and diet on consumer acceptability of beef. Steaks were from Red Angus (RA) and RA x Akaushi (AK) crossbreed, fed one of two finishing systems: grazing (GRASS) and feedlot (GRAIN). Consumers (n = 105 in each year) evaluated cooked steaks for flavor, tenderness, juiciness, and overall acceptability using a 9-point hedonic scale. Demographical information was collected and used as covariates in the statistical model. There was no difference in sensory attributes (P > 0.05) between the genotypes, except that steaks from AK tended to be juicier than RA (P = 0.06). Sensory attributes were scored better in GRAIN than GRASS beef (P < 0.01) for all variables. There was a genotype by system interaction for flavor (P = 0.02), where beef from RA had a lower flavor rating in GRASS than in GRAIN, and no difference was observed for AK. Demographic effects showed that gender and beef consumption location had significant effects on flavor. Flavor scores were higher for females than males (6.1 vs 5.7, P = 0.02), and higher from consumers who eat beef in restaurants than consumers who do not eat beef in restaurants (6.6 vs 5.3, P < 0.01). Juiciness scores were impacted by the frequency of beef consumption. Panelists who eat beef once every 2–3 weeks rated the steaks juicier than those who eat beef once every 2–3 months (6.5 vs 4.3, P = 0.04), and consumers who eat grass-fed beef twice a year rated the steaks worse than those who eat it less than once a year (P = 0.02). Our results suggest that the beef finishing system had a marked impact on consumer acceptability, and AK might produce meat juicier than RA. Some demographic factors may influence consumer perceptions of beef.

Analysis of spatial determinants of poverty in Kelantan

This study examines socio-demographic effects on poverty and measures spatial patterns in poverty risk looking for high risk of areas. The poverty data were counts of the numbers of poverty cases occurring in each 66 districts of Kelantan. A Poisson Log Linear Leroux Conditional Autoregressive model with different neighbourhood matrices was fitted to the data. The results show that the contiguity neighbour was performed nearly similar to Delaunay triangulation neighbourhood matrix in estimate poverty risk. Apart from that, the variables average age, number of non-education of household head and number of female household head significantly associated with the number of poor households head. Kursial was found as the highest risk area of poverty among 66 districts in Kelantan.

Toward a Theory of Prolific Liars: Building a Profile of Situational, Dispositional, and Communication Characteristics

Who are prolific liars and what are their defining characteristics? Prior work suggests prolific liars tend to be younger and self-identify as male compared to everyday liars, but little research has developed a theory of prolific liars beyond demographic data. Study 1 (N = 775) replicated the prior demographic effects and assessed prolific liars through their situational (e.g., cheating), dispositional (e.g., Dark Triad traits), and communication characteristics (e.g., language traces, interpersonal perceptions of dishonesty). Prolific lying associated with more cheating, the use of fewer adjectives, and being high on psychopathy compared to everyday lying. Study 2 (N = 1,022) largely replicated these results and observed a deception consensus effect reported in other studies: the more that people deceived, the more they believe others deceived. This piece concludes with a theoretical explication of prolific white and big liars, combining evidence that identifies them through situational, dispositional, and communication characteristics.

Mathematical modelling of the COVID-19 pandemic with demographic effects

In this paper, a latent infection susceptible–exposed–infectious–recovered model with demographic effects is used to understand the dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemics. We calculate the basic reproduction number ($${R}_{0}$$ R 0 ) by solving the differential equations of the model and also using next-generation matrix method. We also prove the global stability of the model using the Lyapunov method. We showed that when the $${R}_{0}<1$$ R 0 < 1 or $${R}_{0}\le 1$$ R 0 ≤ 1 and $${R}_{0}>1$$ R 0 > 1 or $${R}_{0}\ge 1$$ R 0 ≥ 1 the disease-free and endemic equilibria asymptotic stability exist theoretically. We provide numerical simulations to demonstrate the detrimental impact of the direct and latent infections for the COVID-19 pandemic.