Analyzing Child Mortality in Nigeria with Geoadditive Survival Models

Child mortality reflects a country's level of socio-economic development and quality of life. In developing countries, mortality rates are not only influenced by socio-economic, demographic and health variables but they also vary considerably across regions and districts. In this paper, we analyze child mortality in Nigeria with flexible geoadditive survival models. This class of models allows to measure small-area district-specific spatial effects simultaneously with possibly nonlinear or time-varying effects of other factors. Inference is fully Bayesian and uses recent Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) simulation. The application is based on the 1999 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey. Our method assesses effects at a high level of temporal and spatial resolution not available with traditional parametric models

Geoadditive Latent Variable Modelling of Count Data on Multiple Sexual Partnering in Nigeria

The 2005 National HIV/AIDS and Reproductive Health Survey in Nigeria provides evidence that multiple sexual partnering increases the risk of contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. Therefore, partner reduction is one of the prevention strategies to accomplish the Millenium development goal of halting and reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS. In order to explore possible association between sexual partnering and some risk factors, this paper utilizes a novel Bayesian geoadditive latent variable model for count outcomes. This allows us to simultaneously analyze linear and nonlinear effects of covariates as well as spatial variations of one or more latent variables, such as attitude towards multiple partnering, which in turn directly influences the multivariate observable outcomes or indicators. Influence of demographic factors such as age, gender, locality, state of residence, educational attainment, etc., and knowledge about HIV/AIDS on attitude towards multiple partnering is also investigated. Results can provide insights to policy makers with the aim of reducing the spread of HIV and AIDS among the Nigerian populace through partner reduction

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

Geoadditive latent variable modelling of count data on multiple sexual partnering in Nigeria

The 2005 National HIV/AIDS and Reproductive Health Survey in Nigeria provides evidence that multiple sexual partnering increases the risk of contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. Therefore, partner reduction is one of the prevention strategies to accomplish the Millenium development goal of halting and reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS. In order to explore possible association between sexual partnering and some risk factors, this paper utilizes a novel Bayesian geoadditive latent variable model for count outcomes. This allows us to simultaneously analyze linear and nonlinear effects of covariates as well as spatial variations of one or more latent variables, such as attitude towards multiple partnering, which in turn directly influences the multivariate observable outcomes or indicators. Influence of demographic factors such as age, gender, locality, state of residence, educational attainment, etc., and knowledge about HIV/AIDS on attitude towards multiple partnering is also investigated. Results can provide insights to policy makers with the aim of reducing the spread of HIV and AIDS among the Nigerian populace through partner reduction.factor loading; geographical variations; latent variable model; MCMC; Nigeria; semiparametric Poisson model

Studies of photoabsorption by atomic hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen

Quantitative measurement of atomic photoionization cross sections of atomic hydrogen, oxygen, and nitroge

Bayesian Geoadditive Seemingly Unrelated Regression

Parametric seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) models are a common tool for multivariate regression analysis when error variables are reasonably correlated, so that separate univariate analysis may result in inefficient estimates of covariate effects. A weakness of parametric models is that they require strong assumptions on the functional form of possibly nonlinear effects of metrical covariates. In this paper, we develop a Bayesian semiparametric SUR model, where the usual linear predictors are replaced by more flexible additive predictors allowing for simultaneous nonparametric estimation of such covariate effects and of spatial effects. The approach is based on appropriate smoothness priors which allow different forms and degrees of smoothness in a general framework. Inference is fully Bayesian and uses recent Markov chain Monte Carlo techniques

Deterministic creation, pinning, and manipulation of quantized vortices in a Bose-Einstein condensate

We experimentally and numerically demonstrate deterministic creation and manipulation of a pair of oppositely charged singly quantized vortices in a highly oblate Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC). Two identical blue-detuned, focused Gaussian laser beams that pierce the BEC serve as repulsive obstacles for the superfluid atomic gas; by controlling the positions of the beams within the plane of the BEC, superfluid flow is deterministically established around each beam such that two vortices of opposite circulation are generated by the motion of the beams, with each vortex pinned to the \emph{in situ} position of a laser beam. We study the vortex creation process, and show that the vortices can be moved about within the BEC by translating the positions of the laser beams. This technique can serve as a building block in future experimental techniques to create, on-demand, deterministic arrangements of few or many vortices within a BEC for precise studies of vortex dynamics and vortex interactions.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figure

Efficacy of compassion-focused therapy in a sample of youth with substance use disorder in Ogbomoso, Nigeria

The problem of substance use disorder among the young population in recent times remains a significant threat to the psychosocial  and economic fabrics of the entire society, despite several efforts channelled towards its amelioration. The present study investigated the efficacy of compassion-focused therapy on substance use disorder among youth in Ogbomoso, Nigeria. This pre-test post-test control group experimental study compared a compassion-focused therapy (CFT) plus treatment-as-usual (TAU) to TAU-alone in 20 young individuals with substance use disorder. Participants were purposively selected and randomly assigned to treatment (CFT+TAU) and comparison (TAU-alone) groups. Participants’ mean age was 21.08±1.86 years. Assessments occurred at intake, 10-weeks, and 1-month follow-up with a standardized questionnaire. Independent-sample t-test, 2x2 analysis of covariance and one-way repeated  measure of ANOVA were used for analyses at 0.05 significant level. Individuals in the CFT+TAU group reported significantly lower substance use disorder symptoms compared to those in the TAU-alone group. There was an overall significant difference between the SUD means of participants that received CFT+TAU at pre-test, post-test, and 1-month follow-up. CFT provide effective treatment of substance use disorder among Nigerian population; its utilization is therefore recommended. Keywords: Compassion-focused therapy, substance use disorder, youth, Nigeri

Observation of vortex dipoles in an oblate Bose-Einstein condensate

We report experimental observations and numerical simulations of the formation, dynamics, and lifetimes of single and multiply charged quantized vortex dipoles in highly oblate dilute-gas Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs). We nucleate pairs of vortices of opposite charge (vortex dipoles) by forcing superfluid flow around a repulsive gaussian obstacle within the BEC. By controlling the flow velocity we determine the critical velocity for the nucleation of a single vortex dipole, with excellent agreement between experimental and numerical results. We present measurements of vortex dipole dynamics, finding that the vortex cores of opposite charge can exist for many seconds and that annihilation is inhibited in our highly oblate trap geometry. For sufficiently rapid flow velocities we find that clusters of like-charge vortices aggregate into long-lived dipolar flow structures.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, 1 EPAPS fil