Income generation and Facts for Life communication in Vietnam

In1997, UNICEF Vietnam conducted a participatory evaluation, Pathways Forward, to assess the impact of the Income Generation and Facts for Life (FFL) Communication Project, which communicates basic health messages to women who are also participating in a revolving loan scheme. Twenty-five people from UNICEF and the Vietnam Womens Union participated in the month-long evaluation. They used a combination of case studies, interviews, surveys, and social indicators to determine the projects impact on women finishing their final loan cycle in two project communes. A second group studied the projects microcredit component in order to recommend a financial strategy for the future.Evaluators found that while the project had successfully met many of its objectives, the degree of its success varied dramatically between the two communes studied. Further, the evaluation found the projects operational capacity needed to be strengthened so as to support existing microcredit activities.Based on these findings, the Pathways evaluation recommended that UNICEF postpone any future loan disbursements and focus instead on building the projects capacity through increased staffing levels and additional training. It also recommended a number of measures be taken to strengthen FFL communication activities, including training for group leaders and simpler, locally-produced FFL materials.     

Exact distributions of two non-central generalized Wilks's statistics

We derive the exact expressions of the probability density function (pdf) and the cumulative distribution function (cdf) of Wilks's likelihood ratio criterion Λ and Wilks-Lawley's statistic U in the non-central linear and the non-central planar cases. Those expressions are given in rapidly converging infinite series and can be used for numerical computation. For applications, we compute the exact power of these statistics in a multivariate analysis of variance exercise, and show by simulation the precision of our analytic formulae.     

Relationship Between Socio-Economic Values and Wellbeing: An Overview Research in Asia

This paper investigates ten Asian nations to consider how socio-economic values affect happiness and satisfaction. Moreover, it considers whether economic factors can strongly affect wellbeing under certain conditions. Males in Asia are said they have more opportunities to obtain higher happiness and satisfaction but it does not happen in the current study. Unemployment has negative and significant impact with regard to happiness and satisfaction in developing countries yet it does not have the same effect in developed nations. It is believed cultural value positively affects happiness and satisfaction in East Asia but the result in the models is different with no clear relationship between this variable and wellbeing. Furthermore, some people declare that a relative increase of income compared to the lowest group will lead them to lower life satisfaction.     

Exploring Parameter Relations for Multi‐Stage Models in Stage‐Wise Constant and Time Dependent Hazard Rates

Single cohort stage‐frequency data are considered when assessing the stage reached by individuals through destructive sampling. For this type of data, when all hazard rates are assumed constant and equal, Laplace transform methods have been applied in the past to estimate the parameters in each stage‐duration distribution and the overall hazard rates. If hazard rates are not all equal, estimating stage‐duration parameters using Laplace transform methods becomes complex. In this paper, two new models are proposed to estimate stage‐dependent maturation parameters using Laplace transform methods where non‐trivial hazard rates apply. The first model encompasses hazard rates that are constant within each stage but vary between stages. The second model encompasses time‐dependent hazard rates within stages. Moreover, this paper introduces a method for estimating the hazard rate in each stage for the stage‐wise constant hazard rates model. This work presents methods that could be used in specific types of laboratory studies, but the main motivation is to explore the relationships between stage maturation parameters that, in future work, could be exploited in applying Bayesian approaches. The application of the methodology in each model is evaluated using simulated data in order to illustrate the structure of these models.     

Semiparametric Estimation of a Change-point for Recurrent Events Data

One particular recurrent events data scenario involves patients experiencing events according to a common intensity rate, and then a treatment may be applied. The treatment might be effective for a limited amount of time, so that the intensity rate would be expected to change abruptly when the effect of the treatment wears out. In particular, we allow models for the intensity rate, post-treatment, to be at first decreasing and then change to increasing (and vice versa). Two estimators of the location of this change are proposed.     

A survey of time series analysis through parametric models

The paper is a survey of recent works on time series analysis using parametric models. The main emphasis is on linear models, in particular the ARMA model. Usual me¬thods of parameter estimation, goodness of fit tests and the choice of model order are con¬sidered. Some extensions of the methods to related problems are briefly discussed     

Penalized spline joint models for longitudinal and time-to-event data

The joint models for longitudinal data and time-to-event data have recently received numerous attention in clinical and epidemiologic studies. Our interest is in modeling the relationship between event time outcomes and internal time-dependent covariates. In practice, the longitudinal responses often show non linear and fluctuated curves. Therefore, the main aim of this paper is to use penalized splines with a truncated polynomial basis to parameterize the non linear longitudinal process. Then, the linear mixed-effects model is applied to subject-specific curves and to control the smoothing. The association between the dropout process and longitudinal outcomes is modeled through a proportional hazard model. Two types of baseline risk functions are considered, namely a Gompertz distribution and a piecewise constant model. The resulting models are referred to as penalized spline joint models; an extension of the standard joint models. The expectation conditional maximization (ECM) algorithm is applied to estimate the parameters in the proposed models. To validate the proposed algorithm, extensive simulation studies were implemented followed by a case study. In summary, the penalized spline joint models provide a new approach for joint models that have improved the existing standard joint models.     

Sustainable landscaping programs in the United States and their potential to encourage conservation and support ecosystem services

Sustainable landscaping programs are voluntary initiatives that recommend a set of practices to improve the environmental quality of urban ecosystems by providing landscaping materials, guidelines, and educational resources. Our goal was to examine the recommendations and outcomes of these programs in the United States and their value for encouraging conservation practices in residential ecosystems. We conducted a comprehensive web search and identified 193 sustainable landscaping programs in the United States. Programs aim to increase native species richness, affordably manage stormwater runoff, and offer residents meaningful experiences with nature. Sustainable landscaping programs present many opportunities to engage people with local ecological knowledge and conservation practices, provide accessible spaces for environmental education, cultivate interdisciplinary research collaborations, and advance inclusion in conservation. However, assessments of their ecological value are rare, leaving many questions surrounding the benefits to biodiversity and water quality afforded by participation. Many programs also require investments in landscaping materials and certification fees that might limit participation by some households. Future work should examine how recommended practices influence urban biodiversity, identify and address barriers to participation, and generate social-ecological knowledge that can inform future programs.

     

WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A GRANDPARENT IN A NEW COUNTRY: THE LIVED EXPERIENCE AND EMOTIONAL WELL‐BEING OF AUSTRALIAN‐VIETNAMESE GRANDPARENTS

This study attempts to understand the lived experience and emotional well‐being of Australian‐Vietnamese grandparenthood. Thirty‐six grandparents participated in four focus group interviews while three grandparents took part in individual in‐depth interviews where the experiences of the grandparents were further clarified. The findings reveal that Vietnamese grandparents encounter many changes in their lives and their relationships with their children and grandchildren in their new homeland. However, many still seem to play important roles in the family, creating a vital bridge to grandchildren. According to our participants, the grandparents' most important roles are the maintenance of good emotional relationships and support, and the construction of harmony and continuity in their modified extended families. To be able to assume these roles, grandparents need to actively explore and consider accepting new values. For many, a successful grandparenthood brings happiness to the family, positively influences grandparents' life satisfaction and emotional well‐being, and this in turn enhances their quality of life.     

A hybrid genetic algorithm for the batch sequencing problem on identical parallel machines

The batch sequencing problem (BSP) has been the focus of much research thanks to its practical applicability and NP-hard nature. This study aims to solve an extension of the problem from single machine case to parallel machine case. A dispatching rule called the EDD (Earliest Due Date)-Greedy heuristic and a pure genetic algorithm (GA) are proposed, and then combine them through an insertion method called the Gene Bank Strategy. Several test cases of up to 12 machines and 60 jobs are randomly generated and solved. Those experiments show that the introduced hybrid GA can provide far better results than its two component algorithms that can also independently solve the problem.