scholarly journals Promoting physical distancing during COVID-19: a systematic approach to compare behavioral interventions

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tessa F. Blanken ◽  
Charlotte C. Tanis ◽  
Floor H. Nauta ◽  
Fabian Dablander ◽  
Bonne J. H. Zijlstra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Design ◽  
Behavioral Interventions ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Natural Experiment ◽  
Systematic Approach ◽  
Scientific Research ◽  
Contact Network ◽  
Virus Spread ◽  
Immediate Feedback ◽  
Network Modelling

AbstractIn the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, physical distancing behavior turned out to be key to mitigating the virus spread. Therefore, it is crucial that we understand how we can successfully alter our behavior and promote physical distancing. We present a framework to systematically assess the effectiveness of behavioral interventions to stimulate physical distancing. In addition, we demonstrate the feasibility of this framework in a large-scale natural experiment (N = 639) conducted during an art fair. In an experimental design, we varied interventions to evaluate the effect of face masks, walking directions, and immediate feedback on visitors’ contacts. We represent visitors as nodes, and their contacts as links in a contact network. Subsequently, we used network modelling to test for differences in these contact networks. We find no evidence that face masks influence physical distancing, while unidirectional walking directions and buzzer feedback do positively impact physical distancing. This study offers a feasible way to optimize physical distancing interventions through scientific research. As such, the presented framework provides society with the means to directly evaluate interventions, so that policy can be based on evidence rather than conjecture.

scholarly journals Smart Distance Lab: A new methodology for assessing social distancing interventions

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tessa Blanken ◽  
Charlotte Coosje Tanis ◽  
Floor Nauta ◽  
Fabian Dablander ◽  
Bonne Zijlstra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Design ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Natural Experiment ◽  
Scientific Research ◽  
Contact Network ◽  
Central Importance ◽  
Immediate Feedback ◽  
Network Modelling ◽  
Behavioural Interventions ◽  
Social Distancing

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the central importance of human behaviour in mitigating the spread of the virus has become universally recognized. We present a methodology to systematically assess the effectiveness of behavioural interventions to stimulate social distancing. In addition, we demonstrate the feasibility of this framework in a large-scale natural experiment. In an experimental design, we varied behavioural interventions to evaluate the effect of face masks, walking directions, and immediate feedback on visitors’ contacts. We represent visitors as nodes, and their contacts as links in a contact network. Subsequently, we used network modelling to test for differences in these contact networks. We find no evidence that face masks influence social distancing, while unidirectional walking directions and buzzer feedback do positively impact social distancing. The presented methodology represents a practically feasible way to optimize social distancing interventions through scientific research and may directly inform policy.

Getting the Measure of Twins

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Viney
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Effects ◽  
Natural Experiment ◽  
Human Genetics ◽  
Scientific Research ◽  
Identical Twin ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
Modern Biology ◽  
Stephen Jay Gould

Stephen Jay Gould, the biologist and author, once joked that were he an identical twin raised separately from his brother they could ‘hire ourselves out to a host of social scientists and practically name our fee’. In order to monetise Gould’s fantasy, one would want a form of twinship that could operate according to evidential, experimental, somatic and circumstantial ideals. And Gould admits that he and his brother would need to be viewed as ‘the only really adequate natural experiment for separating genetic from environmental effects in humans’. This chapter seeks to interrogate the evidential and experimental circumstances that may underpin the comic quips that guide modern biology. In human genetics, twins are used as experimental bodies that are made to matter in particular ways and for particular people; they become newly ‘animate’ for being enrolled into scientific research. Raised in cultures assumed to be alike or dissimilar, isolated by researchers for being valuable in the measured disentanglement of assembled molecular agents (which are sometimes distinguished from an assemblage referred to as an ‘environment’), twins achieve a status of experimental significance not just for what they do but also for what they are taken to be.

Inter-Ethnic Dynamics in the Wake of Terrorist Attacks: Evidence from the 2015 Baga Massacre

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Belmonte
Keyword(s):  
Ethnic Groups ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Natural Experiment ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
The State ◽  
Terrorist Attacks ◽  
Boko Haram ◽  
Far North ◽  
North East

AbstractThis paper investigates the consequences for inter-group conflicts of terrorist attacks. I study the 2015 Baga massacre, a large scale attack conducted by Boko Haram at the far North-East state of Borno, Nigeria, as a quasi-natural experiment and examine a set of attitudes in the aftermath of the event of Christians and Muslims throughout the country. Comparing individuals, outside the region of Borno, interviewed by Afrobarometer immediately after the massacre and those interviewed the days before within same regions and holding fixed a number of individual characteristics, I document that the informational exposure to the event rendered Christians less amiable to neighboring Muslims and Muslims less likely to recognize the legitimacy of the state. Nonetheless, Muslims increased their view of the elections as a device to remove leaders in office, event that took place 2 months later with the election of the challenger, Muhammadu Buhari. My findings indicate that terrorist attacks may generate a relevant and heterogeneous backlash across ethnic groups.

scholarly journals Complex Network Modelling of Origin–Destination Commuting Flows for the COVID-19 Epidemic Spread Analysis in Italian Lombardy Region

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 4381
Author(s):  
Angela Lombardi ◽  
Nicola Amoroso ◽  
Alfonso Monaco ◽  
Sabina Tangaro ◽  
Roberto Bellotti
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
Epidemic Spread ◽  
Network Modelling ◽  
Lombardy Region ◽  
Commuting Flows ◽  
Dynamic Growth ◽  
Spread Analysis

Currently the whole world is affected by the COVID-19 disease. Italy was the first country to be seriously affected in Europe, where the first COVID-19 outbreak was localized in the Lombardy region. The further spreading of the cases led to the lockdown of the most affected regions in northern Italy and then the entire country. In this work we investigated an epidemic spread scenario in the Lombardy region by using the origin–destination matrix with information about the commuting flows among 1450 urban areas within the region. We performed a large-scale simulation-based modeling of the epidemic spread over the networks related to three main motivations, i.e., work, study and occasional transfers to quantify the potential contribution of each category of travellers to the spread of the epidemic process. Our findings outline that the three networks are characterised by different weight dynamic growth rates and that the network “work” has a critical role in the diffusion phenomenon showing the greatest contribution to the epidemic spread.

scholarly journals W.S. Gosset and Some Neglected Concepts in Experimental Statistics: Guinnessometrics II

2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 252-277 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen T. Ziliak
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Design ◽  
Sample Size ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Small Samples ◽  
Significant Advance ◽  
Economic Approach ◽  
Barley Malt ◽  
Level Of Significance

AbstractStudent's exacting theory of errors, both random and real, marked a significant advance over ambiguous reports of plant life and fermentation asserted by chemists from Priestley and Lavoisier down to Pasteur and Johannsen, working at the Carlsberg Laboratory. One reason seems to be that William Sealy Gosset (1876–1937) aka “Student” – he of Student'st-table and test of statistical significance – rejected artificial rules about sample size, experimental design, and the level of significance, and took instead an economic approach to the logic of decisions made under uncertainty. In his job as Apprentice Brewer, Head Experimental Brewer, and finally Head Brewer of Guinness, Student produced small samples of experimental barley, malt, and hops, seeking guidance for industrial quality control and maximum expected profit at the large scale brewery. In the process Student invented or inspired half of modern statistics. This article draws on original archival evidence, shedding light on several core yet neglected aspects of Student's methods, that is, Guinnessometrics, not discussed by Ronald A. Fisher (1890–1962). The focus is on Student's small sample, economic approach to real error minimization, particularly in field and laboratory experiments he conducted on barley and malt, 1904 to 1937. Balanced designs of experiments, he found, are more efficient than random and have higher power to detect large and real treatment differences in a series of repeated and independent experiments. Student's world-class achievement poses a challenge to every science. Should statistical methods – such as the choice of sample size, experimental design, and level of significance – follow the purpose of the experiment, rather than the other way around? (JEL classification codes: C10, C90, C93, L66)

scholarly journals Development of Biomagz Based on Local Wisdom on Biodiversity Material in High School

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 246-256
Author(s):  
Rina Wahyuningsih ◽  
Sri Sukaesih ◽  
Endah Peniati
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Design ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Student Assessment ◽  
Average Score ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Learning Resources ◽  
Environmental Care ◽  
High Category ◽  
Post Test

This study aims to describe the types of learning resources used previously at SMA N 3 Salatiga, describe the feasibility of Biomagz Based on Local Wisdom, and test the effectiveness of Biomagz Based on Local Wisdom on learning outcomes and student’s environmental care attitude. The method used is research development (R & D). Products are validated by material and media validators, and revised before being tested. Small-scale trials (readability test) use 10 students from class X MIPA 1, while large-scale trials use class X MIPA 2 with the experimental design Pre-experimental Design with the type of Pre-test and Post-test One Group Design. The results of the study show the variety of learning resources used previously including biological, teacher, internet, biology books, and the environment around students. The Feasibility of Biomagz Based on Local Wisdom obtained an average score of 92.21% with very decent criteria. Large-scale trials with an average N-gain value 0.49 in the medium category, the average classical completeness is 85.29%, and the environment care attitude of students is based on the observation result of 92.9% with a high category and the result of the inter-student assessment is 86, 18% with a high category. Based on the results of this study, it can be concluded that Biomagz Based Local Wisdom is well worth and effective on learning outcomes and student’s environmental care attitude.

scholarly journals Scientific and practical fundamentals of growing cabbage (Brassica capitata lizg.) in Uzbekistan

2021 ◽  
Vol 939 (1) ◽  
pp. 012044
Author(s):  
A J Shokirov ◽  
S S Lapasov ◽  
K J Shokirov
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Scientific Research ◽  
Mineral Fertilizers ◽  
Biological Productivity ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Planting Time ◽  
Yield And Quality ◽  
White Cabbage ◽  
Urgent Task

Abstract At present, scientific research is underway to further develop vegetable growing in the secondary crop, in particular to further increase the yield and quality of white cabbage, to select a system of planting time-sowing scheme that maximizes the biological productivity of varieties, and to apply the most optimal standards of fertilization and irrigation. In this regard, the urgent task remains to determine the optimal varieties of cabbage that can be grown in repeated crops, their optimal planting scheme, timing, development and implementation of optimal standards for each variety of mineral fertilizers and irrigation, and its solution is large-scale throughout the country. Besides that a number of problematic issues are addressed, which could allow to get high and high-quality harvest of white cabbage in repeated sowing in grain-free areas.

scholarly journals Basic research in the context of the development of medical substances and technologies

2018 ◽  
pp. 84-86
Author(s):  
Л.В. Кузнецова ◽  
Л.Ю. Бахтина ◽  
И.Ю. Малышев
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Design ◽  
Technology Development ◽  
Scientific Research ◽  
Basic Research ◽  
Pharmaceutical Companies ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Pharmacological Research ◽  
Design And Methods

В кратком обзоре обсуждаются задачи фармацевтических компаний, и вопросы о наиболее рациональном соотношении скорости, стоимости и качества процесса разработки лекарств и технологий (DDD). Делается заключение, что экспериментальный дизайн и методы медико-фармакологических исследований должны разрабатываться на основании современных принципов и представлений о содержании этапов DDD, с особым акцентом на высокое качество научных исследований на этапе открытия. This brief review discusses challenges of pharmaceutical companies and issues of the most rational relationship between the speed, cost, and quality of the process for drug and technology development (DTD). It was concluded that the experimental design and methods of medical and pharmacological research should be developed on the basis of modern principles and ideas about the essence of DTD stages with a particular emphasis on the high quality of scientific research at the stage of discovery.

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