Four criteria to evaluate providers' service-delivery response to new contraceptive introduction

This article presents an evaluation framework developed to assess the first-level effects of introducing the Standard Days Method (SDM) in Peru Ministry of Health clinics. Four questions are asked: 1) To what extent do providers routinely achieve SDM service delivery standards? 2) Is the time invested in SDM delivery consistent with program norms? 3) How does SDM delivery compare with delivery of established methods? and 4) How does SDM introduction affect delivery of established methods? A study at 62 clinics demonstrated the framework's usefulness. The Standard Days Method introduction had positive overall effects on the quality of care but provider training needed adjustments.     

Thinking politics and fashion in 1960s Cuba: How not to judge a book by its cover

Theory and Society - This article presents fashion as a mechanism of domination and political legitimacy, focusing on Soviet-type state socialist regimes. In particular, it documents some dynamics...     

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.     

Lower posterior death probabilities from a quick medical response in road traffic accidents

Introduction: We use data from Spain on roads and motorways traffic accidents in May 2004 to quantify the statistical association between quick medical response time and mortality rate. Method: Probit and logit parameters are estimated by a Bayesian method in which samples from the posterior densities are obtained through an MCMC simulation scheme. We provide posterior credible intervals and posterior partial effects of a quick medical response at several time levels over which we express our prior beliefs. Results: A reduction of 5 min, from a 25-min response-time level, is associated with lower posterior probabilities of death in roads and motorways accidents of 24% and 30%, respectively.     

Dirty money? The politics of representation in Cuban revolutionary banknotes

This article examines the visual politics of Cuban postrevolutionary banknotes, focusing on the series minted in 1961. It is argued that the iconography of this series – which stresses the revolutionary merits of Fidel Castro and his movement, and associates the latter with the independence wars – portrays the Castro-led Cuban Revolution as the fulfilment of the nation’s aspiration to sovereignty. The article maintains that the design of the 1961 banknote series articulates tropes that convey a fidelista imaginary, presenting the visual rhetoric of currencies as a mechanism of propaganda and persuasion.     

Trends in Alcohol Consumption Among Undergraduate Students at a Northeastern Public University, 2002–2008

Abstract

Objective: This study examined alcohol consumption patterns and trends at a public university in the Northeast from 2002 to 2008. Participants: Stratified random sampling was used to select undergraduate students enrolled in courses during spring semesters in 2002, 2004, 2006, and 2008. Methods: Data were collected during regularly scheduled classes for 4 measures of alcohol consumption and 5 demographic categories using the Core Alcohol and Drug Survey. Results: Four groups showed significant increases in both frequency and volume of alcohol consumption—students who were female, over 21 years of age or over, living off-campus, or performing well academically. There were no decreasing trends for any demographic group. These results differ from national college health surveys, which have shown alcohol use remaining steady during this period. Conclusions: Campus-specific trend data can provide unique perspectives and guide programming efforts. These trends suggest a need for new intervention strategies on this campus.     

LEVERAGE ADJUSTMENTS FOR DISPERSION MODELLING IN GENERALIZED NONLINEAR MODELS

For normal linear models, it is generally accepted that residual maximum likelihood estimation is appropriate when covariance components require estimation. This paper considers generalized linear models in which both the mean and the dispersion are allowed to depend on unknown parameters and on covariates. For these models there is no closed form equivalent to residual maximum likelihood except in very special cases. Using a modified profile likelihood for the dispersion parameters, an adjusted score vector and adjusted information matrix are found under an asymptotic development that holds as the leverages in the mean model become small. Subsequently, the expectation of the fitted deviances is obtained directly to show that the adjusted score vector is unbiased at least to O(1/n) . Exact results are obtained in the single‐sample case. The results reduce to residual maximum likelihood estimation in the normal linear case.     

Erectile dysfunction is a marker for obstructive sleep apnea

Purpose: To investigate the prevalence of erectile dysfunction (ED) in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with and without any other comorbidities.

Methods: The patient group was newly diagnosed as having OSA (apnea–hypopnea index [AHI]?>?5/h) using a polysomnographic examination. A group of subjects with simple snoring were included into the control group. Clinically relevant comorbidities were systematically assessed in face-to-face interviews. All patients were asked to complete the 15-item International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-15) questionnaire for the evaluation of ED. The patients with OSA and ED were evaluated according to these comorbidities.

Results: Of the 94 patients, 39 patients were excluded because of severe diseases. OSA was observed in 38 (69.1%) of the 55 patients. ED was seen in 24 (63.2%) patients with OSA, and in 8 (47.1%) patients without OSA (p?>?0.05). There were no statistical differences between the groups’ ages, IIEF scores, and body mass index (BMI) scores. There were statistically significant differences between the groups’ AHI scores (p?p?Conclusion: The rate of ED was higher in patients with OSA who had no other comorbidities. Therefore, ED can be a sensitive marker of OSA.     

Optimized estimation for population mean using conventional and non-conventional measures under the joint influence of measurement error and non-response

Most of the research work in the theory of survey sampling only deals with the sampling errors under the assumptions: (i) there is a complete response and (ii) recorded information from individuals is correct but in practice it is not always true. Non-sampling errors like non-response and measurement errors (MEs) mostly creep into the survey and become more influential for estimators than sampling errors. Considering this practical situation of non-response and MEs jointly, we proposed an optimum class of estimators for population mean under simple random sampling using conventional and non-conventional measures. Bias and mean square error of the proposed estimators are derived up to first degree of approximation. Moreover, a simulation study is conducted to assess the performance of new estimators which proves that proposed estimators are more efficient than the traditional Hansen and Hurwitz estimator and other competing estimators.     

Compromise allocation in multivariate stratified surveys with stochastic quadratic cost function

In many real life situations the linear cost function does not approximate the actual cost incurred adequately. The cost of traveling between the units selected in the sample within a stratum is significant, instead of linear cost function. In this paper, we have considered the problem of finding a compromise allocation for a multivariate stratified sample survey with a significant travel cost within strata is formulated as a problem of non-linear stochastic programming with multiple objective functions. The compromise solutions are obtained through Chebyshev approximation technique, D ₁- distance and goal programming. A numerical example is presented to illustrate the computational details of the proposed methods.