Method Of Paired Comparisons Research Articles

Manipulation of Hearing Aid Gain and Tinnitus Relief: A Paired Comparison Study.

Objectives:The objective of the study is to compare amplification strategies on tinnitus relief. A repeated measure research design was used to determine the best strategy that provides a significant relief on tinnitus and improvements in speech perception.Methods: We recruited 20 participants in the age range of 30-60 years (mean age = 47.95 years) having mild to moderately severe sloping sensorineural hearing loss with continuous tonal tinnitus. We grouped the participants into mild and severe, based on the scores obtained in the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory. We evaluated tinnitus pitch and loudness using the adaptive method. Besides, we assessed signal to noise ratio 50 (SNR 50) from each of the programs. We carried out a paired comparison method to determine the best strategy among the 3 in which the maximum preference score was obtained on tinnitus relief by a test hearing aid programmed with 3 programs.Results: Each group of participants significantly preferred the strategy for the gain in hearing aid set at tinnitus pitch on tinnitus. However, there was no significant difference between the SNR 50 scores in the 3 gain settings.Conclusion: An additional gain set at tinnitus pitch after alleviating hearing loss by the prescriptive method was found to be the best strategy for effective masking of tinnitus and that led to tinnitus relief without compromising speech perception.

Does CIECAM02 color appearance model work well for fluorescent samples?

AbstractIn this work, the validity of a chosen color appearance model, CIECAM02 is examined for perceived lightness and brightness of fluorescent samples against some near achromatic backgrounds. To this end, the visual assessment technique and the paired comparison method have been conducted and the results are compared to those obtained by CIECAM02 color appearance model. Opposed to the initial expectation, the results show that the CIECAM02 is not an adequate model for prediction of lightness and brightness of fluorescent samples over a set of gray backgrounds.

Bradley-Terry Model for Assessing the Performance of Ten Odi Cricket Teams Adjusting for Home Ground Effect

The analysis of sports data, especially cricket is an interesting field for the statisticians. Every year, a large number of cricket tournaments take place among the cricket playing nations. It is of interest to study their performance when they play with each other in a one-day international (ODI) match or a test match. In this study, we assess the performance of top ten cricket teams in the ODI cricket match and make a comparison among them. The abilities of teams change over time. As a result, not a single team dominates the game over a long period. Therefore, a paired comparison method is more reliable and appropriate to compare more than two teams at the same time based on the outcomes of the matches they play. Arguably, a team’s performance also depends on whether they play at home or away. In this study, we consider Bradley-Terry model, a widely accepted model for pairwise comparison. In that, we consider home and away effect to demonstrate how the home advantages differ among these teams.

The efficiency of Stavropol breed ewes crossing with crossbred rams(? Kalmyk fat-tailed+ ? Dorper)

The purpose of this work was to determine the efficiency of using crossbred rams(? Kalmyk fat-tailed + ? Dorper) for crossing with Stavropol breed ewes in order to obtain lamb meat. In order to carry out the research and production experiment, two groups of Stavropol breed ewes with 40 heads in each group were formed according to the paired comparison method. In late October – early November 2019, ewes from group 1 were inseminated with the sperm of Stavropol breed rams and ewes from group 2 were inseminated with the sperm of crossbred rams (? Kalmyk fat-tailed + ? Dorper). It was found that the conception rate of ewes from the 2nd experimental group was 2.5% higher than in the control group. 44 lambs were obtained from the ewes of the 2nd experimental group, which was 4 heads or 10% more than from the 1st control group. Crossbred lambshave increased growth and they are significantly superior to purebred herdmates of Stavropol breed in live weight at the age of five months by 3.3 kg (P> 0.999), at the age of six months by 4.2 kg (P> 0.999), and at the age of seven months by 5.1 kg (P> 0.999). The study of exterior traits indicates that crossbred animals have higher indices of format, chest, blockiness and massiveness, while purebred animals of Stavropol breed are distinguished by higher indices of long legs and overgrowth.

Assessment of the Readiness and Resilience of Czech Society against Water-Related Crises

This assessment of societal readiness and resilience to water-related situations in the Czech Republic focuses on an interdisciplinary approach in the Czech Republic for solving this problem. The goal of the article is to evaluate and characterize the preparedness for handling water-related crises. The analysis is carried out via a SWOT analysis, which is a universal analytical method used to understand and interpret strengths and weaknesses and to identify opportunities and threats. For the calculation of the weight factor of the SWOT analysis, an assessment was determined based on the multicriteria analysis. The pair comparison method was used to determine the relative importance of the parameters of the strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The Fuller Triangle method was chosen for the system used to make the comparisons of the individual criteria. The uniqueness of the study consists of the issue of water management, which is thus reflected from a non-traditional perspective, being a contemporary model—the paradigm of the view on the preparedness of the planning documentation as one of the characteristics of societal resilience for water-related crises. The result of the research is the fact that a positive approach prevails in the researched area from the perspective of preparedness for water-related crises. For the creation of the conditions, the factors arising from the internal environment currently prevail slightly over those arising from the external environment.

A unified approach for temperature and strength control of concrete

The development of theoretical and experimental research in the field of quality control has led to the development of many methods for assessing the strength of concrete. The temperature-strength control (TSCC) method, which is based on the relationship between concrete temperature and curing time, is the most adapted method for quickly determining the strength of the concrete in the formwork during the early phase of curing. The concrete strength tests must be carried out in accordance with the requirements of the standards. The most adapted standards are ASTM C1074 (USA); NEN 5970 (Netherlands); ST-NP SRO SSK-04-2013 (Russia). However, there are no existing approaches to TSCC that consider all the advantages of each method. Using the method of paired comparison, the authors determined the weights of the significance of each criterion of methods and tasks for TSCC. Based on of the obtained results a unified approach to temperature-strength control of concrete has been formed considering the assessment of its applicability. This approach will solve the problem of limitation of the application of most methods, which in its basis have the best methods in solving tasks of control stages. The unified approach to temperature-strength control of concrete will allow to achieving high quality and durability of concrete and reinforced concrete structures.

Analysis of sound characteristics to design an annoyance metric for rattle sounds in the automotive industry

In this research, a new objective psychoacoustic metric for predicting the annoyance level of the rattle sounds in the automotive industry is proposed. Compared to previous works, in addition to the standard psychoacoustic metrics, new statistical measures of average relative prominence and normalised number of peaks are introduced and employed. A subjective listening test was conducted to elicit the perception of annoyance level of the rattle sounds by the car users. The subjective test was based on the new method of paired comparison with indirect magnitude estimation, developed and proposed in this study by the authors. Accuracy of the metric proposed was checked by the coefficient of determination and error measures. The perceived annoyance metric proposed can be tuned for predicting other similar impulsive sounds in other disciplines as well. Also, the authors would like to encourage other researchers to employ the subjective test method proposed for other similar applications.

Cost management of a construction company based on functional cost analysis

In conditions of environmental instability and uncertainty, one of the factors for the effective functioning and development of a construction company is high-quality and continuous cost management. The cost management process is aimed at maximizing profits by increasing the efficiency of the use of all resources. It requires constant monitoring to make adjustments to the planned costs and their amounts. Cost management is impossible without careful analysis. Along with the traditional methods of cost management, it is advisable for construction companies to apply functional cost analysis, which is an effective tool for optimizing costs and the quality of production functions performance. The research studies a construction company. Particular attention in the study is paid to indirect costs due to an increase in their share in the structure of the construction products cost. Within the framework of the functional cost analysis, an ABC analysis was carried out and a Pareto curve was modelled. It allowed us to focus on the allocated cost areas and classify the processes into main, basic and supportive ones. The significance of the identified processes was determined using the paired comparisons method. The results obtained allow us to draw a conclusion about the correspondence of the share of cost items and their significance for the analyzed construction company. The research materials are of interest and practical importance for the CEOs of construction companies.

Влияние демографических и антропометрических показателей на содержание антитромбина III у пациенток с тяжелой формой преэклампсии

A natural anticoagulant antithrombin III can serve as a possible marker of severe pre-eclampsia. The concentration variability of antithrombin III is known, depending on some demographic and anthropometric patient data. Objective. To study the connection between antithrombin III levels and the values of demographic and anthropometric indicators in patients with severe pre-eclampsia and normal pregnancy. Patients and methods. In order to achieve the objective of the study, two groups of 50 pregnant women in each were formed. Indicators were evaluated using the paired comparison method. Such indicators were age, presence or absence of obesity, ationality and gestation period. Results. Studies showed that the presence of obesity in pregnant women is accompanied by a decrease in the level of antithrombin III, more pronounced in severe pre-eclampsia. The group of pregnant women with the lowest level of antithrombin III against the background of severe pre-eclampsia was also determined, depending on the nationality: among the Crimean Tatars, they were pregnant with obesity, regardless of age, and among the Slavs – pregnant women who had increased body mass index combined with older age. Conclusion. The data obtained revealed the features of the connection between anthropometric and demographic indicators of patients with severe pre-eclampsia and the level of antithrombin III, allowing the use of antithrombin III as a prognostic marker of severe pre-eclampsia. Key words: antithrombin III, marker, complications, prognosis, severe pre-eclampsia

Strategic planning of construction and reconstruction of the facilities of the heat supply systems with the use of scenario approach

Some topical issues of strategic planning of construction and reconstruction of heat supply systems are considered in the article, taking into account the features of its organization in the certain territories of our country with different climatic, economic, city-planning and social conditions. The article presents the results of the analysis of the strategic documents of the heat supply development in various countries, which showed the need of formation of management instruments, providing the possibility of planning of specific scenarios of the heat supply development in the territories of our country. The key conditions of strategic planning, are revealed. They include providing the solution of social and environmental problems as well as the matters of energy security of consumers, which are in the centre of global environmental challenges now. The legislative arrangements and the experience of the use of "Heat Supply Schemes" in the territories of the Russian Federation are chosen as the materials. The scenario approach with the use of the method of the hierarchy analysis is considered to be the basis for planning of construction and reconstruction of the facilities of the heat supply systems. According to the scientific approach, chosen in the research, the level hierarchy of the strategic planning process is offered. The major factors, influencing the development of heat supply of territories are analysed, the main factors and their purposes, as well as the basic scenarios of the development, are described. The authors offer four scenarios for the choice of options for construction and reconstruction of the facilities of heat supply systems, taking into account the practice of its organization in various countries. The importance of the basic scenarios for the strategic development of the heat supply system in the territory is estimated according to the hierarchy levels on the basis of the method of paired comparisons with the subsequent aggregation of the received results. The approbation of the offered management instrument on the example of the urban area allow to prove the scenario of the decentralized heat supply of the explored territory as the most perspective scheme as well as to raise the questions of possible expansion of the offered management instrument.

Micro Family Businesses in the Czech Republic from the Perspective of Multiple Criteria Decision-Making

Research background: Family businesses are undoubtedly important in both the Czech and international economy. They also play a crucial part in globalization. They have always been providing the largest job source in the private sector all over the world. However, over all these years, there has not been a unified definition of family business, which makes the government hard to distinguish between family and non – family business. Thus, this complicated the administrative and legal process. Finally, in 2019, the definition of the family business in the Czech Republic has been specified, which has facilitated many administrative and legal processes. Simultaneously, the management of Czech family businesses is currently facing the first “post-revolutionary” transition of generations. Many family businesses are deciding whether to maintain or to change the type of business entities. Purpose of the article: This article aims to determine the most advantageous legal form of business for micro family businesses. Methods: This article uses the Saaty pair comparison method and TOPSIS method. In addition to the methods of analysis, synthesis, and comparison, the selected methods of multiple criteria decision making are used in the article. Findings & Value added: The results of the decision analysis revealed that, based on the criteria considered (legal, accounting, tax and managerial), the most optimal legal form of the family business is self-employed. Apart from the results, the research adds value to this topic for the Czech business environment, in which future scholars can compare between the Czech Republic and the other countries.

МАТРИЧНАЯ МОДЕЛЬ ОЦЕНКИ ОТНОСИТЕЛЬНОЙ ЗНАЧИМОСТИ МЕРОПРИЯТИЙ РСЧС

Purpose. To increase management efficiency of the population protection system in man-made disasters, estimation of readiness rate for carrying out activities to protect the population with subsequent estimation of population protection territorial indices in emergencies is proposed. With this purpose, it is necessary to develop a model for assessing major United state system of prevention and elimination of emergency situations activities relative significance: sheltering the population in civil defense shelters, evacuating population from emergency zones, using respiratory protecting equipment, carrying out medical protection activities and providing emergency-rescue operations and other urgent works in emergency zones. Methods. With in the systematic approach framework, mathematical modeling, expert evaluation method, hierarchy analysis method and its modifications, as well as elements of decision-making theory have been used in the research. The article presents an approach based on paired comparisons method to assess relative significance of major United state system of prevention and elimination of emergency situations activities in conditions of chemical, radiation, hydrodynamic hazards, and fire and explosion hazard, where the criteria mutual superiority in terms of population protection effectiveness in implementing each of the considered man-made hazards is determined. To conduct paired comparisons, a criteria relative superiority scale is used. Mathematical results processing of paired comparisons is carried out in accordance with the rules of hierarchy analysis method and includes the following operations: compiling an indicators matrix for comparing major United state system of prevention and elimination of emergency situations activities to protect the population from man-made hazards, normalizing the elements of the matrix columns, constructing a normalized values matrix, and forming a local priorities vector. The paired comparisons procedure involves a group assessment of local priorities vector as geometric mean of criteria paired comparisons matrix elements corresponding to each member of the expert group judgments. Findings. A matrix model for assessing relative significance of major United state system of prevention and elimination of emergency situations activities is built, based on hierarchy analysis method and expert evaluation method. The stages of constructing a mathematical model are considered, the procedures of paired comparisons and criteria significance matrix formation are described in detail, a relative significance matrix of major United state system of prevention and elimination of emergency situations activities for protecting the population from typical man-made hazards is calculated on the example of a specific territory. A method for conducting group assessment of local priorities vector is proposed, a procedure for verifying the constructed matrix model for assessing relative significance of United state system of prevention and elimination of emergency situations activities is described. Research application field. The resulting matrix model for assessing major United state system of prevention and elimination of emergency situations activities relative significance can be used to calculate readiness rate for carrying out activities for population protection in man-made disasters and subsequent activities for population protection efficiency evaluation. Conclusions. The developed model valid application will make it possible to ensure grounded decisions adoption on the need to take activities to protect the population in man-made disasters, to increase the United state system of prevention and elimination of emergency situations activities effectiveness assessments reliability, and to ensure assessments adequacy for the Civil Defense in Emergencies activities effectiveness.

Peculiarities of the influence of autonomic state on academic performance depending on the evaluation system

Introduction. Academic performance is a criterion of adaptation to the learning environment and depends on individual and typological characteristics of the effects of the autonomous system on the activity. Different evaluation systems characterize different facets of learning capacity. The purpose of this research is to identify the properties of the effects of the autonomous system on schoolchildren’s academic performance using traditional evaluation system and paired-comparison method. Materials and Methods. The sample consisted of 30 eleventh year students of a comprehensive secondary school. Autonomic regulation was assessed using a questionnaire. Academic performance was measured retrospectively using two methods. The results of continuous academic assessment during the Year 9 were analyzed. At the end of the school year the teacher evaluated academic performance using a paired-comparison method. Data were processed using cluster analysis. Results. The findings suggest that regardless of the evaluation system, academic performance is more determined by the functional condition of the sympathetic divisions which are responsible for actions requiring quick responses than by parasympathetic divisions which are associated with automatic activity in ‘rest’ conditions. Evaluation conducted by means of paired-comparison method has shown correlations between academic performance and intensity of sympathicotonia. Students with average sympathicotonia demonstrated below average level of academic achievements. Above average level of performance was shown in students with maximal or minimal sympathicotonia intensity depending on the discipline. The authors believe that paired-comparison method of evaluation is accompanied by including not only the performance but its physiological cost as well. It is expressed in the correlation between the academic performance and intensity of sympathicotonia which is demonstrated in tension or anxiety. Conclusions. The study concludes that the peculiarities of the effects of the autonomous system on schoolchildren’s academic performance when using paired-comparison method include the correlation between the academic performance and functional status of autonomous regulation segmental mechanisms with greatest impact being made by intensity of sympathicotonia. Keywords High school students; Academic performance; Paired-comparison method; Autonomic regulation; Sympathicotonia; Sympathetic division; Parasympathetic division.

Formation of Organizational Forms of Internal Control and Audit

The purpose of this research paper is to improve the processes of designing, implementing, and applying audit methods and procedures within the corporate governance system, to clarify and formulate a single and understandable apparatus of “corporate governance”, which will allow us to determine the place and role of internal audit in the corporate governance system. The paper uses a complex methodology for studying the topic, including methods such as analysis and synthesis, comparison, and statistical assessment. Key findings of current study are a system of quantitative and qualitative indicators that expresses the economic interests and control parameters of a group of corporate governance entities. It will help to evaluate the level of performance of the analytical facility using the paired comparison method. Relevance of the topic is related to the fact that the creation and development of internal audit function are connected to the creation and development of joint-stock companies caused by post-soviet privatization of property in Georgia. There is a substantial volume of research that gives a general perspective about the internal audit of corporate governance, but the creation of the conceptual model of internal audit in the corporate governance system and its auditory assessment methods remain the least scrutinized field of economic science.

Bayesian Analysis of the Weibull Paired Comparison Model Using Numerical Approximation

The method of paired comparisons (PC) is widely used to rank items using sensory evaluations. The PC models are developed to provide basis for such comparisons. In this study, the Weibull PC model is analyzed under the Bayesian paradigm using noninformative priors and different loss functions, namely, Squared Error Loss Function (SELF), Quadratic Loss Function (QLF), DeGroot Loss Function (DLF), and Precautionary Loss Function (PLF). Numerical approximation is used to illustrate the entire estimation procedure. A real dataset showing usage preferences for different cellphone brands, Huawei (HW), Samsung (SS), Oppo (OP), QMobile (QM), and Nokia (NK), is used. Quadrature method is used to evaluate the Bayes estimates, their posterior risks, preference probabilities, predictive probabilities, and posterior probabilities to establish and verify ranking order of the competing cellphone brands under study. The results show that the paired comparison model under the study using Bayesian approach involving various loss functions can offer mathematical approach to evaluate cellphone brand preferences. The ranking provided by the model is justifiable according to the usage preference for these cellphone brands. The ranking given by the model indicates that cellphone brand Samsung is preferred the most and QMobile is the least preferred. The plausibility of the model is also assessed using the Chi square test of goodness of fit.

Subjective Salience of Birdsong and Insect Song with Equal Sound Pressure Level and Loudness.

Birdsong is used to communicate the position of stairwells to visually impaired people in train stations in Japan. However, more than 40% of visually impaired people reported that such sounds were difficult to identify. Train companies seek to present the sounds at a sound pressure level that is loud enough to be detected, but not so loud as to be annoying. Therefore, salient birdsongs with relatively low sound pressure levels are required. In the current study, we examined the salience of different types of birdsong and insect song, and determined the dominant physical parameters related to salience. We considered insect songs because both birdsongs and insect songs have been found to have positive effects on soundscapes. We evaluated subjective saliences of birdsongs and insect songs using paired comparison methods, and examined the relationships between subjective salience and physical parameters. In total, 62 participants evaluated 18 types of bird songs and 16 types of insect sounds. The results indicated that the following features significantly influenced subjective salience: the maximum peak amplitude of the autocorrelation function, which signifies pitch strength; the interaural cross-correlation coefficient, which signifies apparent source width; the amplitude fluctuation component; and spectral content, such as flux and skewness.

Subsidence risk assessment based on a novel hybrid form of a tree-based machine learning algorithm and an index model of vulnerability

Among natural hazards, land subsidence (LS) is considered to be one of the most significant natural disasters which occur in populated and inhabited regions of Iran. The Varamin aquifer, as one of the regions near the capital of Iran, where this geo-hazard has occurred widely and extensively, requires conducting comprehensive researches on LS. In this research, for LS risk assessment, the combination of a GIS-based hybrid model of the fuzzy-support vector machine (FSVM) as a new approach in the LS hazard assessment and an index model of vulnerability for LS vulnerability assessment were employed. From the hazard assessment viewpoint and according to the review of literature, fifteen factors affecting subsidence were arranged, and these parameters were normalized with the fuzzy membership functions based on their type of impact on LS. Moreover, for overlapping the parameters, the support vector machine (SVM) model and its three main kernels functions were used. Then, seventy percent (2919 pixels) of the data were used for the train and thirty percent (1251 pixels) were used for the test. The results of hazard model verification using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) showed the RBF kernel has the best performance result. From the vulnerability assessment viewpoint, an index model was developed using nine factors that can be damaged and affected by the LS, based on the literature review. In this regard, the Saaty’s paired comparison method was used to assign a weight to each of the vulnerability parameters, and then the parameters were aggregated to build the vulnerability map. Considering the vulnerability, 21% of the Varamin aquifer was classified as high and very high. Lastly, the risk map was obtained with the overlay of the hazard and vulnerability maps. The resulting map can be used by risk managers to make decisions that lead to reducing injuries and damages of LS.

Method for assessing the information content of factors forming the cognitive independence of students

The article describes the problem of awakening the cognitive activity of students, arising due to revolutionary transformations in teaching technologies. It shows the need to study the factors that affect cognitive activity and assesses the information content of those factors. Based on the method of pair comparisons, a technology for ranking the factors affecting cognitive activity has been developed. A mathematical model of the formation and processing of expert assessment results and an example of calculations are given, and the feasibility of including the subsystem for evaluating factors affecting cognitive activity in the computer control system of the university is shown. The structure of an adaptive e-learning system based on the technology of taking into account the factors that form the cognitive independence of students is described Experiments carried out in 3 universities of Ukraine have shown that the use of the developed mathematical model and information technology allows to increase significantly academic performance and to decrease the frequency of refusals from independent work of students using the e-learning environment.

Usefulness of model-based iterative reconstruction in low-dose lumbar spine CT after spine surgery with metal implant: a phantom study.

The major problems of computed tomography (CT) imaging include radiation exposure and severe artifacts caused by operative implants. To evaluate the usefulness of the metal artifact reduction algorithm and model-based iterative reconstruction (MBIR) in postoperative low-dose (LD) spine CT. A CT torso phantom was scanned at standard-dose (SD) and LD settings. The CT images were reconstructed by three methods: hybrid iterative reconstruction (HIR); metal artifact reduction; and MBIR. The radiation dose of the phantom imaging was evaluated by volume CT dose index (mGy), dose length product (DLP, mGy × cm), and effective dose (mSv). The image quality of the six images was visually evaluated and analyzed using Scheffe's paired comparison method. The average preference of each method was calculated based on the comparative scores. The task transfer function (TTF) and noise power spectrum for HIR and MBIR were also measured. The respective radiation-dose-related parameters of the SD and LD conditions were: volume CT dose index = 10.2 and 1.2 mGy; DLP = 277.9 and 33.9 mGy × cm; and effective dose = 4.2 and 0.5 mSv. The average preference for diagnostic acceptability of MBIR at LD was not significantly different from the other reconstructions of SD data. MBIR successfully reduced metal artifacts in the LD condition. The 10% TTF was higher for HIR at SD and higher for MBIR at LD. MBIR is useful for LD spine CT after spine surgery with metal implant.

The Method of Evaluating Impacts of Knowledge Management on Job Satisfaction and Intellectual Level of Work

This paper aims to propose main facets and indices that characterize knowledge management (KM), job satisfaction (JS), and intellectual level of work (ILW), and introduce a method of determining degrees of their impacts based on explaining their relation theoretically. A method of examining the impacts of KM on JS of four classes of employees (general employee, expert, middle-manager, top-manager) is proposed. Then a method of evaluating ILW resulting from JS is considered. First, the main facets and indices that characterize KM, JS, and ILW in organizations are proposed, and then their relation is theoretically explained. Second, the relation between five facets of KM and six indices of JS is determined by first regression and a method of determining relation between five facets of KM and four indices of ILW is proposed using advanced pair-comparison method.