Reliability growth during a development testing program

Binomial and trinomial mathematical models for reliability growth studies - statistical analysis of system failure

The effectiveness of parenting programmes: a review of Campbell reviews

Parenting practices predict important outcomes for children, and parenting programmes are potentially effective means of supporting parents to promote optimal parenting for pre-adolescent children. The aim of this review was to evaluate the effectiveness of parenting programmes by summarising findings of relevant systematic reviews published in the Campbell Library. Six Campbell systematic reviews evaluated the effectiveness of a range of parenting programmes in the primary and secondary prevention of behavioural problems (among children aged 0 – 3 years), early onset conduct disorder (among children aged 3 – 12 years), outcomes for parents and children with ADHD, outcomes for particular groups of parents and children (i.e., with intellectual disabilities and teenagers), and the psychosocial functioning of parents. The findings of these reviews show that parenting programmes can be effective in improving the emotional and behavioural adjustment of children in the first 12 years of life, in addition to enhancing the psychosocial wellbeing of their parents. The findings also suggest that further research is needed to assess effectiveness of programmes for specific subgroups of parents (e.g., fathers, teenagers, parents with intellectual disabilities) and to assess the long-term effectiveness of parenting programmes

RXTE confirmation of the intermediate polar status of IGR J15094-6649

Aims. To establish the X-ray properties of the intermediate polar candidate IGR J15094-6649 and therefore confirm its inclusion into the class. Methods. 42 856 s of X-ray data from RXTE was analysed. Frequency analysis was used to constrain temporal variations and spectral analysis used to characterise the emission and absorption properties. Results. A spin period of 809.7+-0.6 s is present, revealed as a complex pulse profile whose modulation depth decreases with increasing X-ray energy. The spectrum is well fitted by either a 19+-4 keV Bremsstrahlung or Gamma=1.8+-0.1 power law, with an iron emission line feature and significant absorption in each case. Conclusions. IGR J15094-6649 is confirmed to be an intermediate polar.Comment: 3 pages, 5 figures. Submitted to A&

Tests for exponentiality against NBUE alternatives: a Monte Carlo comparison

Testing of various classes of life distributions has been addressed in the literature for more than 45 years. In this paper, we consider the problem of testing exponentiality (which essentially implies no ageing) against positive ageing which is captured by the fairly large class of new better than used in expectation (NBUE) distributions. These tests of exponentiality against NBUE alternatives are discussed and compared. The empirical size of the tests is obtained by simulations. Power comparisons for different popular alternatives are done using Monte Carlo simulations. These comparisons are made for both small and large sample sizes. The paper concludes with a discussion in which suggestions are made regarding the choices of the test when a particular alternative is suspected