Trends and measurement of HIV prevalence in northern Malawi.

BACKGROUND: Most data on HIV prevalence in Malawi come from antenatal clinic (ANC) surveillance and are, therefore, subject to bias. OBJECTIVES: HIV prevalence and risk factors were measured using population-based data to assess the accuracy of ANC surveillance and changes in prevalence and risk factors for HIV over time. METHODS: HIV prevalence was measured in 1988-1993 and 1998-2001 in community controls from case-control studies of mycobacterial disease in Karonga District, Malawi. ANC surveillance studies in the district began in 1999. RESULTS: Age and area-standardized HIV prevalence in women aged 15-49 years in the community was 3.9% in 1988-1990, 12.5% in 1991-1993 and 13.9% in 1998-2001. For men, HIV prevalence was 3.7%, 9.2% and 11.4% in the same periods. In 1988-1993, HIV positivity was associated with occupations other than farming, with increased schooling and being born outside Karonga District. In 1998-2001, non-farmers were still at higher risk but the other associations were not seen. The age- and area-adjusted HIV prevalence in the ANC in 1999-2001 was 9.2%. The underestimate can be explained largely by marriage and mobility. Reduced fertility in HIV-positive individuals was demonstrated in both ANC and community populations. A previously recommended parity-based adjustment gave an estimated female HIV prevalence of 15.0%. CONCLUSIONS: HIV prevalence has increased and continues to be higher in non-farmers. The increase is particularly marked in those with no education. ANC surveillance underestimated HIV prevalence in the female population in all but the youngest age group. Although there were differences in sociodemographic factors, a parity-based adjustment gave a reasonable estimate of female HIV prevalence

Robinson's Squareroot-of-n-consistent Semiparametric Regression Estimator in Stata

This paper describes Robinson's (1988) double residual semiparametric regression estimator and Hardle and Mammen's (1993) specification test implementation in Stata. Some simple simulations illustrate how this newly coded estimator outperforms the already available semiparametric plreg command.Semipar; Semiparametric estimation

Multimedia courseware: Never mind the quality how much will it cost to develop?

This paper evaluates multimedia courseware costing techniques such as the US Airforce Interactive Courseware Method (Golas, 1993), CBT Analyst (Kearsley, 1985), CEAC (Schooley, 1988) and MEEM (Marshall, Samson, Dugard, & Scott, 1994) against the data from ten multimedia courseware developments. The Relative Error and Mean Absolute Relative Error (MARE) are calculated to allow comparison of the different methods

Amphibian and Small Mammal Assemblages in a Northern Virginia Forest Before and After Defoliation by Gypsy Moths (Lymantria dispar)

The introduced European gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) caused substantial defoliation and mortality of oak trees along the North Fork of Quantico Creek in Prince William Forest Park, Prince William County, Virginia, U.S.A., in 1989 and the early 1990s. Results of a drift fence/pitfall study conducted in 1988 were compared to those obtained from the same technique in the same areas in 1993 to elucidate whether the amphibian and small mammal assemblages had changed over time. Number of Lithobates sylvaticus increased significantly in 1993, but the numbers of Lithobates clamitans and Plethodon cinereus were significantly higher in 1988. Total numbers of amphibians caught in both years was similar. Two species of salamanders caught in 1988 were not caught in 1993, and one salamander and one frog caught in 1993 were absent in 1988. Total numbers of small mammals caught in 1993 were significantly greater than in 1988. The increase was due to greater numbers of Blarina brevicauda and Sorex longirostris. The hypothesis that no significant differences in amphibian and small mammal species richness and relative abundance before and after gypsy moth defoliation hypothesis was not supported by the results of this study

Technology as a channel of economic growth in India

After decades of slow growth since Independence from the British Raj, Indian economy registered its own small miracle, when growth rate of GDP per capita surpassed the long term growth rate of many advanced economies. What caused this miracle? In this paper, we search for an answer in the neoclassical growth model. We use productivity as measured by Solow residual as our exogenous shock. Our idea is to quantitatively measure to what extent ‡fluctuations in productivity can account for observed ‡uctuations in macro economic aggregates in India. We find that exogenous fl‡uctuations in productivity can well account for fl‡uctuations in output during the boom periods of 1982 to 1988 and 1993 to 2002. However, fluctuations in productivity alone results in a much worse drop in ouput during 1988 to 1993 than observed in the economy.technology, growth accounting, neoclassical growth, calibration, transition dynamics, India

Grids of stellar models. VIII. From 0.4 to 1.0 Msun at Z=0.020 and Z=0.001, with the MHD equation of state

We present stellar evolutionary models covering the mass range from 0.4 to 1 Msun calculated for metallicities Z=0.020 and 0.001 with the MHD equation of state (Hummer & Mihalas, 1988; Mihalas et al. 1988; D\"appen et al. 1988). A parallel calculation using the OPAL (Rogers et al. 1996) equation of state has been made to demonstrate the adequacy of the MHD equation of state in the range of 1.0 to 0.8 Msun (the lower end of the OPAL tables). Below, down to 0.4 Msun, we have justified the use of the MHD equation of state by theoretical arguments and the findings of Chabrier & Baraffe (1997). We use the radiative opacities by Iglesias & Rogers (1996), completed with the atomic and molecular opacities by Alexander & Fergusson (1994). We follow the evolution from the Hayashi fully convective configuration up to the red giant tip for the most massive stars, and up to an age of 20 Gyr for the less massive ones. We compare our solar-metallicity models with recent models computed by other groups and with observations. The present stellar models complete the set of grids computed with the same up-to-date input physics by the Geneva group [Z=0.020 and 0.001, Schaller et al. (1992), Bernasconi (1996), and Charbonnel et al. (1996); Z=0.008, Schaerer et al. (1992); Z=0.004, Charbonnel et al. (1993); Z=0.040, Schaerer et al. (1993); Z=0.10, Mowlavi et al. (1998); enhanced mass loss rate evolutionary tracks, Meynet et al. (1994)].Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A Supplement Serie

NRA North west salmonid microtagging programme 1987-1994

The microtagging programme began in 1987 using hatchery reared salmon originating from the rivers Caldew and Hodder and subsequently included the Lune (1988) and Ribble (1989). Microtagging of sea trout began in 1991 for the Lune and in 1993 for the Hodder. The report explores the NRA North west salmonid microtagging programme looking at methods, results and recommendations. The report provides salmon microtagging data and returns from 1987 to 1994

The impact of Basel I capital regulation on bank deposits and loans: Empirical evidence for Europe

The Basel Committee on Banking and Supervision established minimum capital requirements for banks in their 1988 Capital Accord. This capital regulation was adopted for European Union banks at the beginning of 1993. After the implementation, a widespread concern emerged about the possible negative impact that higher capital requirements could exert on the level of economic activity, especially on bank lending. This paper investigates the impact of the Basel Accord on bank deposits and loans for eight European countries. We follow the approach taken by Peek and Rosengren (1995a) and test for the regulatory effect in a panel structure with about 2500 individual bank balance sheets for the years 1993-1995. We find that changes in deposits are positively correlated with changes in capital. Lower-capitalized banks show a stronger response to a change in capital than their higher-capitalized competitors. This evidence is consistent with the hypothesis that the implementation of minimum capital requirements had a negative effect on the supply of bank loansBank capital regulation, Basel Accord of 1988, EU Banking

[Diversity at Sarah Lawrence College 1988-1993, October, 1993]

Report by the Committee on Racial Diversity summarizing the progress in increasing racial diversity at the College. Compares statistics from fall 1988 to fall 1993. This report is part of the response to the 1989 Westlands Sit-in.https://digitalcommons.slc.edu/protest/1078/thumbnail.jp

The Wonder of Colors and the Principle of Ariadne

The Principle of Ariadne, formulated in 1988 ago by Walter Carnielli and Carlos Di Prisco and later published in 1993, is an infinitary principle that is independent of the Axiom of Choice in ZF, although it can be consistently added to the remaining ZF axioms. The present paper surveys, and motivates, the foundational importance of the Principle of Ariadne and proposes the Ariadne Game, showing that the Principle of Ariadne, corresponds precisely to a winning strategy for the Ariadne Game. Some relations to other alternative. set-theoretical principles are also briefly discussed