Prevalence of low bone health using quantitative ultrasound in Indian women aged 41–60 years: Its association with nutrition and other related risk factors

The purpose of this study was to find the prevalence of low bone health conditions and assess associated nutritional and other risk factors in Indian women aged 41–60 years. A total of 1,911 women participated in this cross-sectional study. Bone health was assessed using an Omnisense multisite quantitative ultrasound bone densitometer on two sites (radius and tibia). Crude prevalence of osteopenia and osteoporosis was found to be 30.09% and 19.89%, respectively. The Indian women were deficient in a majority of nutrients. Postmenopause, hysterectomy, hyperthyroid, hypothyroid, hypertension, low physical activity, low sun exposure, high stress levels, and low calcium levels were found to be independent risk factors of low bone health.     

Action Learning in the Indian Village as an Alternative to the Traditional Field Practicum in the Foundation Year of the MSW

This paper captures the experiences of the faculty members of a relatively new graduate social work program situated in the largely rural state of Haryana India in reframing the foundation year practicum through community-based and engaged action learning in small villages. Located within Bhagat Phool Singh Vishwavidyalaya (BPSMV), north India's first all women public university, the mission of which is to enhance women's engagement in the greater society through post-secondary, professional and character education, the department is educating social workers for community engagement in social development and in the development of women as an empowered group in society, particularly at the village level. Over a three-year period, the faculty has successfully launched and sustained action learning as an alternative to the traditional practicum in social work education, enhanced civic engagement among students and faculty in three rural villages, and further developed community social work as a principal focus of social work education in India. The paper offers a rationale for action learning in the graduate social work curriculum, describes and documents the department's strategy of action learning, and lays out lessons learned from action learning as a central focus of pedagogy, research, and service within BPSMV Department of Social Work and the rural villages it serves.     

Impact of lightweight and conventional jackhammers on the operator

Jackhammer manufacturers have recently developed lightweight (45-60 lbs) jackhammers intended to reduce the required lifting and pushing forces during operation. However, the vibration characteristics of the lightweight jackhammers and their effect on muscle activity are currently unknown. The objective of this study was to compare the measured vibration and muscle activity between: (i) conventional (90 lb) and light weight (60 lb) jackhammers, (ii) different pavement type/thickness combinations, and (iii) pneumatic and hydraulic jackhammers. Five jackhammers were tested on 4 and 6 inch thick asphalt and concrete pavements by four experienced operators. Analysis of the results revealed that both weight classes averaged 9.7 m/s(2) at the 20 Hz weighted 1/3 octave band frequency, and the TLV of daily exposure for either weight class of jackhammer was less than 1.5 hours/per day. There was an approximately 33% difference in vibration measured on the hand of the operators due to pavement thickness, 30% due pavement type, and no difference due to power source. Conventional jackhammers overall produced higher muscle activity than lightweight jackhammers. Although selection of the correct jackhammer for the job involves many factors including pavement type and thickness, the results of this research can be used to assist in selecting the appropriate jackhammer.     

Supporting Ally Development with Families of Trans and Gender Nonconforming (TGNC) Youth

This article is a call to the field of counseling to bridge the research on trans and gender nonconforming (TGNC) youth identity development, family acceptance, and ally development to promote TGNC-affirming family, school, and community environments for TGNC youth. Opportunities and challenges counselors face in supporting ally development of families of TGNC youth are described. Interventions and strategies are described and recommendations for counselors working with the family members of TGNC youth are provided.     

Selective Maintenance in System Reliability with Random Costs of Repairing and Replacing the Components

In this paper we consider the problem of determining the optimum number of repairable and replaceable components to maximize a system's reliability when both, the cost of repairing the components and the cost of replacement of components by new ones, are random. We formulate it as a problem of non-linear stochastic programming. The solution is obtained through Chance Constrained programming. We also consider the problem of finding the optimal maintenance cost for a given reliability requirement of the system. The solution is then obtained by using Modified E-model. A numerical example is solved for both the formulations.     

A family of estimators of population variance in two-occasion rotation patterns

Abstract

In this article, we have considered the problem of estimation of population variance on current (second) occasion in two occasion successive (rotation) sampling. A class of estimators of population variance has been proposed and its asymptotic properties have been discussed. The proposed class of estimators is compared with the sample variance estimator when there is no matching from the previous occasion and the Singh et al. (2013) estimator. Optimum replacement policy is discussed. It has been shown that the suggested estimator is more efficient than the Singh et al. (2013) estimator and a usual unbiased estimator when there is no matching. An empirical study is carried out in support of the present study.     

Use of several auxiliary variables in estimating the population mean in a two-occasion rotation pattern

ABSTRACT

This paper addresses the problem of estimation of the population mean on the current (second) occasion in two-occasion successive sampling. Utilizing the readily available information on several auxiliary variables on both occasions and the information on the study variable from the previous occasion, an estimation procedure of the population mean on the current occasion has been proposed. Theoretical properties of the proposed estimator have been investigated. Optimum replacement policy to the proposed estimator has been discussed. The proposed estimator has been compared empirically with the sample mean estimator, when there is no matching and the optimum estimator which is a linear combination of the means of the matched and unmatched portions of the sample at the current occasion. Appropriate recommendations have been made for practical applications.     

Influences of Infant‐Directed Speech on Early Word Recognition

When addressing infants, many adults adopt a particular type of speech, known as infant‐directed speech (IDS). IDS is characterized by exaggerated intonation, as well as reduced speech rate, shorter utterance duration, and grammatical simplification. It is commonly asserted that IDS serves in part to facilitate language learning. Although intuitively appealing, direct empirical tests of this claim are surprisingly scarce. Additionally, studies that have examined associations between IDS and language learning have measured learning within a single laboratory session rather than the type of long‐term storage of information necessary for word learning. In this study, 7‐ and 8‐month‐old infants' long‐term memory for words was assessed when words were spoken in IDS and adult‐directed speech (ADS). Word recognition over the long term was successful for words introduced in IDS, but not for those introduced in ADS, regardless of the register in which recognition stimuli were produced. Findings are discussed in the context of the influence of particular input styles on emergent word knowledge in prelexical infants.     

The power functions of the likelihood ratio tests for a simply ordered trend in normal means

Likelihood ratio tests for the homogeneity of k normal means with the alternative restricted by an increasing trend are considered as well as the likelihood ratio tests of the null hypothesis that the means satisfy the trend. While the work is primarily a survey of results concerning the power functions of these tests, the extensions of some results to the case of not necessarily equal sample sizes are presented. For the case of known or unknown population variances, exact expressions are given for the power functions for k=3,4, and approximations are discussed for larger k. The topics of consistency, bias and monotonicity of the power functions are included. Also, Bartholomew's conjectures concerning minimal and maximal powers are investigated, with results of a new numerical study given.