Evaluating the complex interactions between malaria and cholera prevalence,neglected tropical disease comorbidities,and community perception of health risks of climate change

The burgeoning literature on the climate change–human health nexus has focused almost exclusively on the health impacts of climate change with little attention to how ill-health and disease influence public perception of the health risks of climate change. Based on a cross-sectional survey of 1,253 individuals, linear regression was used to examine the independent effects of malaria and cholera prevalence, and neglected tropical disease comorbidities on perceived health risks of climate change. Individuals who reported more comorbidities had higher scores on perceived health risks of climate change compared with those who did not report any comorbidities. Unexpectedly, at the multivariate level, there were no statistically significant relationships between age of respondents, gender, and educational attainment on the one hand, and perceived health risks of climate change on the other hand. Individuals who were diagnosed with cholera in the past 12 months had higher scores on perceived health risks of climate change but there was no relationship between diagnosis with malaria in the past 12 months and perceived health risks. Individuals who had attained secondary education had lower scores on perceived health risks of climate change compared with those without any formal education. Given that this relationship did not exist at the bivariate level, it indicates that biosocial and sociocultural factors suppressed the relationship between secondary education attainment and perceived health risks of climate change. The findings underscore the complex relationship between perceived health risks of climate change and infectious disease, comorbidities, compositional, and contextual factors at the multivariate level.     

Best linear unbiased interpolation of order statistics

We derive the best linear unbiased interpolation for the missing order statistics of a random sample using the well-known projection theorem. The proposed interpolation method only needs the first two moments on both sides of a missing order statistic. A simulation study is performed to compare the proposed method with a few interpolation methods for exponential and Lévy distributions.     

Single use conservative confidence regions in multivariate controlled calibration

We consider a multivariate linear model for multivariate controlled calibration, and construct some conservative confidence regions, which are nonempty and invariant under nonsingular transformations. The computation of our confidence region is easier compared to some of the existing procedures. We illustrate the results using two examples. The simulation results show the closeness of the coverage probability of our confidence regions to the assumed confidence level.     

COMMUNICATION and FREE-RIDING BEHAVIOR: THE VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTION MECHANISM

We examine experimentally the role of active communication as a mechanism for improving economic efficiency in a voluntary contribution public goods environment. With no communication this environment has been shown to induce significant subop-timality, approaching zero contributions with iteration of the decision environment. Communication is shown to improve group optimality significantly. We examine the robustness of our results in increasingly complex environments and in environments in which there has been a history of communication but active communication is no longer available.     

Infant Mortality by Cause of Death: Main and Interaction Effects

We examine infant mortality among the 1980-1982 live birth cohorts in the state of Florida, specific to five categories of underlying cause of death: infections, perinatal conditions, delivery complications, congenital malformations, and sudden infant death syndrome. The gross and net effects of eight categorical and continuous independent variables, along with 11 first-order interactions, are examined with microlevel data through the use of multinomial logit regression. Findings suggest the complexity of variable effects by cause of death and indicate the simultaneous importance of biological and social factors. It is important that the pattern of interactions suggests an overall dependence of infant life chances on social circumstances. It also suggests that these effects are attenuated for some variables and causes of death at lower birth weights, probably due to advances in health care organization, access, and technology.     

Parameter estimation in a highly non-linear model using simultaneous perturbation stochastic approximation

Often it is necessary to estimate the parameters of a model or unknown system. Various techniques exist to accomplish this task, including Kalman and Wiener filtering, least-mean-square (LMS) algorithms, and the Levenberg-Marquardt(L-M) algorithm. These techniques require an analytic form of the gradient of the function of the parameters to be estimated. A key feature of the simultaneous perturbation stochastic approximation (SPSA) method is that it is a gradient-free optimization technique (Spall; 1992,1998a,b, 1999). In the current problem, the function of parameters to be identified is highly non-linear and of sufficient difficulty that obtaining an analytic form of the gradient is impractical. Therefore, in this paper the

performance of the SPSA algorithm will be examined in terms of parameter selection, data requirements, and convergence performance on this non-linear problem. Results will be reported on both a first-order "standard" implementation of SPSA and on a second-order version of SPSA that tends to enhance convergence.     

ENGAGING COMMUNITY IN A CYCLE OF PRAXIS

This study employed an action research model known as the community wellness cycle of praxis in research with culturally diverse community members from the St Albans region (Melbourne, Australia). The major aim of the study was to gain a theoretical and pragmatic understanding of well-being from a multicultural perspective. In order to meet this aim, a qualitative study was designed to find out (1) What are the community ideals; needs; and strengths of residents of St Albans, and (2) What actions can be undertaken to improve the well-being of the community? The research involved focus groups with a total of 29 Anglo, Maltese, Vietnamese and Italian community members. The first research question was addressed by asking community members systematically about positive and negative aspects of personal, relational and collective well-being. The second research question was addressed by asking community members to generate ideas on what could be done to improve well-being and by identifying issues of concern that emerged throughout the research. The issues identified by participants offer a rich picture of community ideals, strengths and needs, as well as possible actions that could improve personal, relational and collective wellness in St Albans.

Cette étude utilise un approche de recherche action connu sous le nom du cycle de bien-être de praxis de recherche avec des membres culturellement varies dans un banlieue de Melbourne (Australie). Le but principal de l’étude était de comprendre théoriquement et pragmatiquement bien-être dans d'une perspective multiculturelle. Dans ce perspective étude qualitative a été conçue pour identifier (1) ce que sont les opinions des groupes diverses; leurs besoins et leurs atouts, et (2) de quelles actions peuvent être entreprises affin d améliorer le bien-être de ces groupes? La recherche a utilisé 29 Anglo-Australiens, Maltais, Vietnamiens et Italiens. Les premières questions ce sont posées a propos des aspects positifs et négatifs de bien-être individuel et collectif. Ensuite des questions ont été demandé à propos des idées sur ce qui on pourrait être fait pour améliorer le bien-être et en identifiant leurs soucis. Les soucis identifiées par les participants offrent une image riche des images et des représentations leurs atouts leurs, aussi bien que les actions qui pourraient améliorer le bien-être individuel et collective.