Basic Statistical Methods Research Articles

Sport technique as a determinant of athletes’ personality

Background & Aim: In sports, three groups of sports disciplines can be distinguished depending on the way of performing movement actions: a group with a significant degree of kinematic stabilization in the structure of sports technique; a group with a significant degree of stabilization of the dynamic structure of sports technique; a group with a significant degree of variation in sports technique. This study was intended to determine whether sport technique, depending on the degree of stabilisation and variability of movement actions, is a differentiator of athletes’ personality. Method: 90 Polish athletes (men, N=90) from clubs operating in the Polish region of Lower Silesia were purposefully selected for the study as part of three samples: breakdancers (n=30), swimmers (n=30) and shotokan style karatekas (n=30). All the subjects had been considerably successful at international sport competitions. The age of the subjects ranged between 20 and 29 years. The research method chosen was the NEO-FFI Personality Inventory. The basic statistical methods used were a one-way analysis of variance and post-hoc tests. The level of significance was set as the probability of p<0.05. The statistical analysis was performed using the Statistica 13.1 program. Results: Statistically significant differences were revealed in neuroticism among all of the groups studied, in extraversion – between dancers and karatekas, in openness to experience – between dancers and karatekas and between swimmers and karatekas, and in agreeableness – between dancers and karatekas. No statistically significant differences were revealed with regard to conscientiousness. Conclusions: Sport technique is a determinant of athletes’ personality. In addition, sport technique, depending on the degree of stabilisation and variability, is a differentiator of athletes’ personality. Therefore, athletes practising different sport disciplines are characterised by different personalities.

Statistical Literacy Analysis of Mathematics Education Students Through KKNI Assignments

Statistical literacy is a person’s ability to understand, interpret, and present data about basic concepts and statistical procedures. The purpose of this study was to determine the achievement of statistical literacy skills in Mathematics Education students through KKNI assignments, namely routine tasks, Critical Journal Report, and Critical Book Report. The samples in this study were students of semester five bilingual mathematics education. Data were obtained through questionnaires and evaluations of KKNI assignments to analyze statistical literacy. The results showed the average level of statistical literacy of students based on the percentage of the questionnaire described the category well. The statistical literacy analysis process supported by student assignment reports in the form of papers.

A Multi-Criteria Recommendation Framework using Adaptive Linear Neuron

Recent developments in the field of recommender systems have led to a renewed interest in employing some of the sophisticated machine learning algorithms to combine multiple characteristics of items during the process of making recom-mendations. Considerable number of research papers have been published on multi-criteria recommendation techniques. Most of these studies have focused only on using some basic statistical methods or simply by extending the similarity computation of the traditional heuristic-based techniques to model the system. Researchers have not treated the uncertainty that exists about the relationship between multi-criteria modelling approaches and effectiveness of some of the complex and powerful machine learning techniques; in fact, no previous study has investigated the role of artificial neural networks to design and develop the system using aggregation function approach. This paper seeks to remedy these challenges by analysing the performance of multi-criteria recommender systems, modelled by integrating an adaptive linear neuron that was trained using delta rule, and asymmetric sin-gular value decomposition algorithms. The proposed model was implemented, trained and tested using a multi-criteria dataset for recommending movies to users based on action, story, direction, and visual effects of movies. Taken together, the empirical results of the study suggested that there is a strong association between artificial neural networks and the modelling approaches of multi-criteria recommendation technique.

The role of group A β-hemolytic streptococcus in the etiology of acute inflammatory pathology of the pharynx in children and adolescents

Determine the incidence of GABHS in children with catarrhal symptoms (rhinorrhea, cough) and without them. 69 children with signs of acute tonsillopharyngitis (ATP) in the first 2 days of the disease were examined. Patients were divided into 2 groups depending on the presence or absence of rhinorrhea and cough. All patients underwent a comprehensive otorhinolaryngological examination and bacteriological examination of smears from the surface of the posterior pharyngeal wall and lacunae of the tonsils. Obtained data was processed by basic statistical methods. Incidence of GABHS in children with ATP without catarrhal symptoms was 9.5%, with rhinorrhea and cough - 3.7%. Median age for the detection of GABHS in patients with ATP was 5.6 years. A statistically significant symptom of GABHS-positive patients in our study was the enlargement of the anterior cervical lymph nodes; plaques on the tonsils were found only in 20% of cases. GABHS is predominant in patients with ATP without catarrhal phenomena, however, the presence of rhinorrhea and coughing in a patient does not exclude the possibility of the presence of GABHS infection, therefore, patients with ATP should undergo an objective examination for GABHS.

Hydrological regime and physico-chemical water properties of various types of peat bog sites: case study of Mezilesní peat bog, Šumava Mts.

In a period with frequently occurring hydrological extremes, research on areas with a high retention potential is brought into focus. The Šumava Mountains peat bogs are important parts of the landscape in the headwater area of the Otava river basin. The study objective is to describe the variability of discharges and the dynamics of groundwater level changes in various types of peat bogs, and to identify connections between observed physico-chemical water properties. This is assessed by basic statistical methods. The rainfall-runoff process and physico-chemical water properties can be affected by many factors. In this case, strong relations between the observed parameters were identified along with considerable differences in the involvement of various types of peat bog sites in the runoff process. It is evident that the peat bog pattern and its vegetation cover have an essential effect on the hydrological regime and water properties stored in a peat bog.

ВИКОРИСТАННЯ МОЖЛИВОСТЕЙ МОВИ ПРОГРАМУВАННЯ ТА СЕРЕДОВИЩА R У ПСИХОЛОГІЧНИХ ДОСЛІДЖЕННЯХ: Т’ЮТОРІАЛ З БАЗОВИХ МЕТОДІВ

The article belongs to a special modern genre of scholar publications, so-called tutorials – articles devoted to the application of the latest methods of design, modeling or analysis in an accessible format in order to disseminate best practices. The article acquaints Ukrainian psychologists with the basics of using the R programming language to the analysis of empirical research data. The article discusses the current state of world psychology in connection with the Crisis of Confidence, which arose due to the low reproducibility of empirical research. This problem is caused by poor quality of psychological measurement tools, insufficient attention to adequate sample planning, typical statistical hypothesis testing practices, and so-called “questionable research practices.” The tutorial demonstrates methods for determining the sample size depending on the expected magnitude of the effect size and desired statistical power, performing basic variable transformations and statistical analysis of psychological research data using language and environment R. The tutorial presents minimal system of R functions required to carry out: modern analysis of reliability of measurement scales, sample size calculation, point and interval estimation of effect size for four the most widespread in psychology designs for the analysis of two variables’ interdependence. These typical problems include finding the differences between the means and variances in two or more samples, correlations between continuous and categorical variables. Practical information on data preparation, import, basic transformations, and application of basic statistical methods in the cloud version of RStudio is provided.

Reporting of Basic Statistical Methods in Biomedical Journals: Improved SAMPL Guidelines

Statistical methods have become an essential component of all empirical biomedical research. Science requires that these methods are fully reported with complete accuracy so that the evidence base could be fully appraised for validity, reliability, and generalizability. To meet this objective, Statistical Analyses and Methods in Published Literature (SAMPL) guidelines have been prepared for statistical reporting in biomedical publications. This communication proposes substantial improvement of these guidelines to make them more comprehensive, organized, compact, and easier to adopt.

Klíčové ukazatele výkonnosti pro malé a střední nevýrobní podniky, operující v automobilovém průmyslu - předvýzkum

The aim of this article is to identify the results of preliminary research on key performance indicators and their use in the area of small and medium-sized enterprises, which are non-manufacturing companies (authorized dealers of new vehicles) in the automotive industry. The next aim of this article is to outline the position of these companies in the czech economy and to identify their biggest concerns for the future. The whole preliminary research is linked to the creation of a system of key performance indicators for these companies. The purpose of the article is to evaluate the results of preliminary research and define its objectives. Within the methodology, a questionnaire survey was used, according to which a preliminary research was performed. This survey was supplemented by telephone interviews and email communication with respondents. Basic statistical methods of absolute and relative frequencies were used to evaluate the results of the preliminary research, and subsequently the interdependence of various information from the questionnaire was sought. The scientific goal of the article is to define the main research questions for research and to identify the most important findings in this area, which could signal the development and direction of the subsequent research. The result of the whole article is the identification of the main problems and patterns of behavior that characterize these companies. It was found that helping these companies to set performance benchmarks is absolutely necessary, as we encounter a lack of understanding in the use of these benchmarks.

OLD-NEW TYPE SCHOOL BUILDINGS AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT: TEACHER'S PERSPECTIVE – CASE OF IZMIR, TURKEY

The purpose of this research is to examine whether low and high student acheivement and new and old types of buildings have a meaningful relationship with perceptions of teachers on quality of school buildings. Quantitative methods were used in the research. 204 teachers from elementary, middle and high school in Izmir, Turkey completed the scale. Stratified random sampling was used in the research. In data collection, ‘Quality School Building Scale’ was used. For data analaysis, t test were used as well as basic statistical methods. Results show that, as academic achievement, there is a meaningful difference between perception of teachers related to school campus, acoustic dimensions and total scale. The difference is in the favor of schools with lower academic achivement. The same dimensions and total scale have difference that old type is favorable. In this sense, improving the quality of school building is important. Article visualizations:

Comparative analysis of software for the study of statistical methods of control of product quality

The article discusses the comparative analysis of software (MS Excel, Mathcad and Matlab) for the study of statistical methods of product quality control necessary for the training of future specialists in the field of product quality. The choice is determined by the presence of this software in the educational institution. Statistical methods of product quality control are mandatory elements of modern quality management systems implemented at Russian enterprises, the competitiveness of which largely depends on the ability of the company's personnel to apply these methods in practice at all stages of the product life cycle. The analysis of product quality begins with the construction of a histogram to identify avoidable and irremediable defects and compare it with the normal distribution curve. The process of forming the shape of the normal distribution curve can be traced in the construction of control maps based on a scatter plot of the sample. The next step is the construction of dot diagrams, on the basis of which control maps are built (in our case - the control map of Shewhart). The final step in training is the construction of Pareto diagrams to identify the causes of defects with ABC analysis. The authors conducted a comparative analysis of software products MS Excel, Mathcad and Matlab for the implementation of basic statistical methods of product quality control. For training it is proposed to choose MS Excel because of the availability of the Data Analysis package, free analogues that are widely used in enterprises, the ability to store the original data and use them in other programs (data import).

Tracing Knowledge Development Trajectories of the Internet of Things Domain: A Main Path Analysis

The Internet of Things (IoT), as an important technical domain in the future, has received wide attention globally from different disciplines. The research output in this domain, therefore, grew rapidly in the past ten years. This article deeply investigates the knowledge base and knowledge development trajectory of the domain since the IoT was proffered in 1999. By adopting basic statistical and keyword cooccurrence methods, the most influential countries, institutions, journals, and scholars in the domain, as well as the division of core, hot keywords, and subdomains, are investigated. By using the main path analysis method, a survey is conducted on the development trajectory of the domain on the basis of knowledge inheritance; the four core branches—industry, big data, cloud computing, and IoT security; and the three application studies of industry, healthcare, and smart city.

The Impact of Quality Management Systems on the Efficiency of Current Assets Management in Small Commercial Enterprises

Purpose: Financial security and high profits are the basic goals set by the owners and managers running an enterprise. To achieve them, management tools and systems should be introduced to improve the efficiency of resource management that the company has. By optimizing the level of current assets one can reduce costs, which has a positive effect on the company profits and the level of financial liquidity. Therefore, improving the efficiency of wealth management is an important element of business management. The purpose of the article is to show how standardized quality management systems affect the efficiency of managing current assets and their basic components Design/Methodology/Approach: The analysis was carried out on a group of 159 trade companies. The research period covered the years 2015-2017.The enterprises surveyed were divided into those that implemented quality management systems (52 enterprises) and those that do not use this type of solutions (107 enterprises).Then, analyzes were made and the results obtained by the associated enterprises in individual groups were compared. The analysis of financial indicators and basic statistical methods (average, median) were used as the basic research tools. Findings: The introduction of quality management systems is designed to improve the efficiency of business management, also has the large impact on costs. The decrease in costs reduces the price of products and goods sold. Practical Implications: The results demonstrate that quality management systems have the significant impact on the price, which is the most important criterion for buying goods or services Originality/Value: Analysis showed that enterprises which use quality management systems manage their assets more efficiently compared to enterprises that do not use quality management systems

HOW KNOWLEDGEABLE ARE APPLIED LINGUISTICS AND SLA RESEARCHERS ABOUT BASIC STATISTICS?

AbstractDespite the prevalence of quantitative approaches in applied linguistics (AL) and second language acquisition (SLA) research (Gass, 2009), evidence indicates a need for improvement in analyzing and reporting SLA data (e.g., Larson-Hall & Plonsky, 2015). However, to improve quantitative research, researchers must possess the statistical knowledge necessary to conduct quality research. This study assesses AL and SLA researchers’ knowledge of key statistical concepts on a statistical knowledge test. One hundred and ninety-eight AL and SLA researchers from North America and Europe responded to 26 discipline-specific questions designed to measure participants’ ability to (a) understand basic statistical concepts and procedures, (b) interpret statistical analyses, and (c) critically evaluate statistical information. Results indicate that participants generally understood basic descriptive statistics, but performance on items requiring more advanced statistical knowledge was lower. Quantitative research orientation, number of statistics courses taken, and frequent use of statistics textbooks had positive influences on researchers’ statistical knowledge.

IMPROVING STUDENTS’ ENGLISH SPEAKING ABILITY THROUGH JIGSAW

ABSTRACT The aim of this research is to find out the improvement of students’ speaking ability through Jigsaw method of the Management Study Program students of the second semester in the academic year 2018/2019 at Muhadi Setiabudi University taught by and without using Jigsaw. The data of the current study were gathered at multiple points of time before and after the end of the experiment to determine the improvement of student’s speking ability through Jigsaw speaking skills. In practical terms, the sample’s speaking ability were first examined through an English oral test prior to and after some Jigsaw instructional activities were provided. The data were analyzed using basic and inferential statistical methods including mean scores, standard deviations, paired sample t-test, and effect size. The findings showed a remarkable development in the students’ speaking skills through Jigsaw method. The writer holds an experimental research to apply Jigsaw in teaching English speaking. The population is the second semester students of Muhadi Setiabudi University in the academic year 2018/2019 and the sample are two groups of students placed in experiment and control groups. Using oral test as the instrument, the writer collected the data of the students’ speaking ability. The report of the research concludes that Jigsaw improved the English speaking ability of the second semester students in the academic year 2018/2019. By doing small discussion of Jigsaw method it can motivate to develop the student’s braveries to use their knowledge and their experience to solve a problem without other’s opinion. There may be different of view so the students can give different opinion. Beside that the students are also able to give real opinion orally.Keywords: Teaching Method, Improving Students’ Speaking Ability, Jigsaw

The Impact of Cooperative Learning on Developing Speaking Ability and Motivation Toward Learning English

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of cooperative learning in English language classrooms to enhance Iranian students’ speaking skills and motivations. A pre-test–post-test control group design was employed to compare the impact of the cooperative learning approach with that of traditional whole-class instruction on speaking skills and six aspects of learning motivation: intrinsic motivation, integrated regulation, identified regulation, introjected regulation, external regulation, and amotivation. The data of the current study were gathered at multiple points of time before and after the end of the experiment to determine the effectiveness of cooperative learning on the sample’s speaking skills and motivations. In practical terms, the sample’s speaking skills were first examined through an English oral test prior to and after some cooperative learning instructional activities were provided. Next, a seven-point Likert scale-questionnaire was administered to the sample before and at the end of the course to check students’ motivation towards the use of cooperative learning in English classes. The data were analyzed using basic and inferential statistical methods including mean scores, standard deviations, independent and paired sample t-tests, one-way ANCOVA, and effect size. The findings showed remarkable development in the students’ speaking skills after the introduction of cooperative learning techniques. Moreover, the findings suggested significant differences in favor of cooperative learning for improving intrinsic motivation, but no differences were found on other aspects of motivation. In light of the findings, the researchers recommend that teachers could benefit from applying CL in English classes, which may in turn develop students’ speaking skills and motivation.

55 A Review of Stroke Demographics and Outcomes at a Regional Hospital without a Stroke Unit

Abstract Background According to the 2017 National Stroke Register Report; 75% of strokes occur in patients aged 65 years and older. Within the audit 19 stroke units reported that 70.6% of stroke patients were admitted to a stroke unit and their median length of stay of 9 days. Numerous studies have shown better outcomes in patients admitted to a stroke unit versus a medical unit leading to national stroke networks and bypass protocols for patients. However, stroke patients can still be found in non-stroke unit hospitals such as our own. Methods Demographics from HIPE data was collected on all stroke patients admitted to our hospital between January 1st and December 31st 2017. Basic statistical methods were used to analyse the data. Results We analyzed 103 patient records. The average age at presentation was 73 years (range: 35-97) and 60.1% were males. The average length of hospital stay was 16.1 days (range 1- 130 days). Ischemic (77%) events were more common than haemorrhagic events (23%). The three most common co-morbidities were hypertension (45%), hyperlipidemia (30%) and atrial fibrillation (19%). Discharge destination was home (66%), nursing home (14%), national rehabilitation (2%) and an 18% mortality rate within 3 months. The mortality rate was higher in the hemorrhagic (42%) compared to ischemic (11%). Conclusion The average length of stay was 16.1 days, considerably higher than the national stroke unit average of 9. The overall mortality rate was 5% higher than the national of 13%. Limited rehabilitation services and time awaiting national rehabilitation beds contributed to the long LOS. There is a definite need for a dedicated stroke service at our hospital, local analysis suggests that 6 beds would meet the needs of our catchment area; and this would lead to better outcomes for stroke patients. A further locally dedicated stroke audit is needed.

Keep Your Stats in the Cloud! Evaluating the Use of Google Sheets to Teach Quantitative Methods

Teaching quantitative methods at the undergraduate level is a difficult yet rewarding endeavor due to the challenges instructors face in presenting the material. One way to bolster student learning is through the use of statistical software packages. Google Sheets is a cloud-based spreadsheet program capable of many basic statistical procedures, which has yet to be evaluated for use in quantitative methods courses. This article contains pros and cons to using Google Sheets in the classroom and provides an evaluation of student attitudes toward using Google Sheets in an introductory quantitative methods class. The results suggest favorable student attitudes toward Google Sheets and which attitudes toward Google Sheets show a positive relationship with quantitative self-efficacy. Thus, based on the positive student attitudes and the unique features of Google Sheets, it is a viable program to use in introductory methods classes. However, due to limited functionality, Google Sheets may not be useful for more advanced courses. Future research may want to evaluate the use of third-party Google Sheets applications, which can increase functionality, and the use of Google Sheets in online classes.

The Main Performance and Effectiveness Factors of Sustainable Financial Administration Reform Using Multidimensional Statistical Tools

The tax system reform is a part of Slovakia’s comprehensive tax and levies reform. The reform should contribute to improving and making public finances more efficient. Its implementation into practice, however, is problematic due to attitudes and problems on the part of both the professional public and business entities. The aim of the paper is to help public authorities, and also tax policymakers and business entities to understand the perception of the tax system reform focusing on the most important and key factors of its sustainable effectiveness and performance in the context of its non-macroeconomic especially social, technological and process aspects. The analysis reveals the differences in perceptions of key factors from the viewpoint of the three studied groups. The paper is based on the information of the main actors of tax reform. In extensive empirical quantitative research (N = 1500), the data was obtained through the questionnaire survey carried out in four main districts of Slovakia. The data obtained during six months of 2018 using the questionnaire method were processed by basic statistical methods of descriptive statistics, followed by an analysis of major components and the factor analysis using more sophisticated multidimensional statistical tools. The factor analysis is crucial to the present paper as it has identified five significant indicators of the reform assessment and the functioning of the tax system after tax reform. Subsequently, a correspondence analysis has been applied to the item “electronization/computerization—great user comfort” to find out the differences in its perception by the respondents. The article thus provides a new scientific view on the evaluation of the reform of the financial administration’s management system in the Slovak Republic as well as its functioning in the context of its sustainable effectiveness and performance. The research results offer important and exciting implications and also motives for further investigation on the issue.

Discriminant coordinates analysis for multivariate functional data

One of the basic statistical methods of dimensionality reduction is analysis of discriminant coordinates given by Fisher (1936) and Rao (1948). The space of discriminant coordinates is a space convenient for presenting multidimensional data originating from multiple groups and for the use of various classification methods (methods of discriminant analysis). In the present paper, we adapt the classical discriminant coordinates analysis to multivariate functional data. The theory has been applied to analysis of textural properties of apples of six varieties, measured over a period of 180 days, stored in two types of refrigeration chamber.

The effect of compression rate and slope on the incidence of symptomatic Eustachian tube dysfunction leading to middle ear barotrauma: a Phase I prospective study

Symptomatic Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD) and middle ear barotrauma (MEB) are the most common reported complications during hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) treatment. There is no standardized rate of compression (ROC) reported to decrease the incidence rates of ETD and MEB during hyperbaric treatments. Few studies actually demonstrate that the ROC decreases the incidence of ETD or MEB. Our study was designed to determine an optimal hyperbaric chamber compression rate that might reduce the incidence of symptomatic ETD leading to MEB during the compression phase of treatment in a multiplace hyperbaric chamber. Data was collected prospectively over 2,807 elective patient treatments compressed using a U.S. Navy Treatment Table 9 (USN TT9) with a modified ROC. ROC was assigned using two variables, time (10 vs.15 minutes) and slope (linear vs. non-linear compression). Patients were exposed to all four compression schedules in a consecutive daily fashion. We recorded any patient requiring a stop during initial compression due to ear discomfort. Anyone requiring a stop was evaluated post treatment for MEB. Findings were compared to our standard 10-minute linear ROC. Evaluation of the tympanic membrane was accomplished using video otoscopy. Barotrauma when present was classified using both the Teed and O'Neill grading systems. Data was analyzed using basic statistical methods. When comparing four different rates of compression during an elective USN TT9 in a multiplace (Class A) chamber there is a decreased incidence for symptomatic ETD when using a 15-minute linear compression schedule (p-value ⟨0.05). Using a 15-minute linear compression schedule is associated with less symptomatic ETD and less MEB when performing an elective 45 fsw (USN TT9) hyperbaric treatment in a Class A chamber. Asymptomatic ETD and MEB were not considered in this study.