The effect of skewness and kurtosis on the one-sampleTtest and the impact of knowledge of the population standard deviation

PurposeDue to the fact that crime and violence affect the economy and the business environment, and since the economic environment affects entrepreneurs' expectations and therefore their decisions, this study analyzes the effect of both violence and crime on the confidence of entrepreneurs from the state of Rio de Janeiro.Design/methodology/approachMaking use of time series methodology, the authors provide OLS and GMM estimates for the effects of violence and crime on the business confidence index of entrepreneurs in Rio de Janeiro. The analysis of the Rio de Janeiro case is relevant since Rio de Janeiro is the second state, after São Paulo, with the largest participation in the Brazilian GDP, and crime and violence have very high indicators in this state. The analysis comprises the period between January 2012 and July 2018 (monthly data).FindingsThe results suggest that violence and crime negatively impact business confidence in Rio de Janeiro. The estimates reveal that, among all economic and noneconomic variables, the third variable with the greatest impact on business confidence is “cargo thefts.” An increase of one standard deviation in this variable reduces business confidence by approximately 2.48 basis points, while increases of one standard deviation in “violent deaths,” “commerce thefts” and “extortion” reduce business confidence by approximately 1.24, 1.46 and 1.47 bp, respectively. The impacts caused by these violence and crime variables are greater than the effect caused by an increase of one standard deviation in the real interest rate.Practical implicationsThe findings reveal that a stable economic environment with economic growth is as important to business confidence as the adoption of policies aimed at increasing public security through the fight against crime and violence.Originality/valueIf on the one hand the literature provides evidence that crime is harmful to the economy, on the other hand no study has so far analyzed the impact of crime and violence on business confidence. This type of analysis is relevant since confidence is an important aspect in the expectation formation process and thus to production and investment decisions and economic activity. Thus, this study is the first to analyze the effects of crime and violence on business confidence and consequently, the first to explore the consequences of crime on the economy through the expectations channel.

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An investigation of atmospheric temperature profiles in the Australian region using collocated GPS radio occultation and radiosonde data

Atmospheric Measurement Techniques ◽

10.5194/amt-4-2087-2011 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 4 (10) ◽

pp. 2087-2092 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

K. Zhang ◽

E. Fu ◽

D. Silcock ◽

Y. Wang ◽

Y. Kuleshov

Keyword(s):

Standard Deviation ◽

Radio Occultation ◽

Atmospheric Temperature ◽

Radiosonde Data ◽

Data Sets ◽

Temperature Profiles ◽

Gps Radio Occultation ◽

The One ◽

Distinct Features ◽

The Impact

Abstract. GPS radio occultation (RO) has been recognised as an alternative atmospheric upper air observation technique due to its distinct features and technological merits. The CHAllenging Minisatellite Payload (CHAMP) RO satellite and FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC (Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate) RO constellation together have provided about ten years of high quality global coverage RO atmospheric profiles. This technique is best used for meteorological studies in the difficult-to-access areas such as deserts and oceans. To better understand and use RO data, effective quality assessment using independent radiosonde data and its associated collocation criteria used in tempo-spatial domain are important. This study compares GPS RO retrieved temperature profiles from both CHAMP (between May 2001 and October 2008) and FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC (between July 2006 and December 2009) with radiosonde data from 38 Australian radiosonde stations. The overall results show a good agreement between the two data sets. Different collocation criteria within 3 h and 300 km between the profile pairs have been applied and the impact of these different collocation criteria on the evaluation results is found statistically insignificantly. The CHAMP and FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC temperature profiles have been evaluated at 16 different pressure levels and the differences between GPS RO and radiosonde at different levels of the atmosphere have been studied. The result shows that the mean temperature difference between radiosonde and CHAMP is 0.39 °C (with a standard deviation of 1.20 °C) and the one between radiosonde and FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC is 0.37 °C (with a standard deviation of 1.24 °C). Different collocation criteria have been applied and insignificant differences were identified amongst the results.

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Static and Dynamic Studies of Gasoline in View of its Octane Number and its Toxic Effect

JOURNAL OF ADVANCES IN CHEMISTRY ◽

10.24297/jac.v12i7.2802 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 12 (7) ◽

pp. 451-459

Author(s):

Ashraf Yehia El-Naggar ◽

Mohamed A. Ebiad

Keyword(s):

Toxic Effect ◽

Aromatic Hydrocarbons ◽

Octane Number ◽

Liquid Fuel ◽

Positive Impact ◽

Hydrocarbon Composition ◽

Different Temperatures ◽

Different Seasons ◽

The One ◽

The Impact

Gasoline come primarily from petroleum cuts, it is the preferred liquid fuel in our lives. Two gasoline samples of octane numbers 91 and 95 from Saudi Arabia petrol stations were studied. This study was achieved at three different temperatures 20oC, 30oC and 50oC representing the change in temperatures of the different seasons of the year. Both the evaporated gases of light aromatic hydrocarbons (BTEX) of gasoline samples inside the tank were subjected to analyze qualitatively and quantitatively via capillary gas chromatography. The detailed hydrocarbon composition and the octane number of the studied gasoline samples were determined using detailed hydrocarbon analyzer. The idea of research is indicating the impact of light aromatic compounds in gasoline on the toxic effect of human and environment on the one hand, and on octane number of gasoline on the other hand. Although the value of octane number will be reduced but this will have a positive impact on the environment as a way to produce clean fuel.

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The Development of Agritourism in the Podkarpackie Voivodeship in the Light of International and National Conditions

Przedsiębiorczość - Edukacja ◽

10.24917/20833296.13.18 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 13 ◽

pp. 244-261

Author(s):

Mariola Tracz ◽

Małgorzata Bajgier-Kowalska ◽

Radosław Uliszak

Keyword(s):

Development Strategy ◽

Current State ◽

Central Statistical ◽

Central Statistical Office ◽

Tourism Resources ◽

The One ◽

The Impact ◽

District Offices ◽

Socio Economic Factors

Podkarpackie Voivodeship is one of the regions of Poland in which the number of agritourism entities is very high. Therefore tourism plays a significant role in its development strategy. The aim of the paper is to identify the current state of agritourism and the changes that have occurred in the region in the years 2000–2016. Specific objectives are to determine the distribution of agritourism farms and their offer, together with a comprehensive analysis of the environmental and socio-economic factors, as well as the impact of the Slovak-Ukrainian border. The report was developed on the statistical materials from the Polish Central Statistical Office, Podkarpackie Agricultural Advisory Centre in Boguchwała and data collected from municipalities and district offices that is published on their websites, as well as through interviews with 100 owners of agritourism farms in the Podkarpackie Voivodeship. The research has shown, on the one hand, the decline in the number of farms in the region and, on the other hand, the increase in the diversity of the tourist offer of these entities. Distribution of agritourism farms is closely linked to the attractiveness of natural environment and quality of secondary tourism resources. Traditional agritourism has not yet fully used its countryside, as well as cross-border advantages of its location.

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Laughter on the Fringes

10.1093/oso/9780190697099.001.0001 ◽

2019 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Anna Peterson

Keyword(s):

The Other ◽

Literary Canon ◽

Autobiographical Writing ◽

Treasure Trove ◽

Old Comedy ◽

Other Hand ◽

Aggressive Humor ◽

The One ◽

The Individual ◽

The Impact

This book examines the impact that Athenian Old Comedy had on Greek writers of the Imperial era. It is generally acknowledged that Imperial-era Greeks responded to Athenian Old Comedy in one of two ways: either as a treasure trove of Atticisms, or as a genre defined by and repudiated for its aggressive humor. Worthy of further consideration, however, is how both approaches, and particularly the latter one that relegated Old Comedy to the fringes of the literary canon, led authors to engage with the ironic and self-reflexive humor of Aristophanes, Eupolis, and Cratinus. Authors ranging from serious moralizers (Plutarch and Aelius Aristides) to comic writers in their own right (Lucian, Alciphron), to other figures not often associated with Old Comedy (Libanius) adopted aspects of the genre to negotiate power struggles, facilitate literary and sophistic rivalries, and provide a model for autobiographical writing. To varying degrees, these writers wove recognizable features of the genre (e.g., the parabasis, its agonistic language, the stage biographies of the individual poets) into their writings. The image of Old Comedy that emerges from this time is that of a genre in transition. It was, on the one hand, with the exception of Aristophanes’s extant plays, on the verge of being almost completely lost; on the other hand, its reputation and several of its most characteristic elements were being renegotiated and reinvented.

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Freedom of Expression versus Privacy and the Right to Reputation

10.1093/oso/9780198795957.003.0009 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Dirk Voorhoof

Keyword(s):

Public Interest ◽

Freedom Of Expression ◽

Media Freedom ◽

Investigative Journalism ◽

The Public ◽

The Right Of Privacy ◽

The One ◽

Grand Chamber ◽

The Right ◽

The Impact

The normative perspective of this chapter is how to guarantee respect for the fundamental values of freedom of expression and journalistic reporting on matters of public interest in cases where a (public) person claims protection of his or her right to reputation. First it explains why there is an increasing number and expanding potential of conflicts between the right to freedom of expression and media freedom (Article 10 ECHR), on the one hand, and the right of privacy and the right to protection of reputation (Article 8 ECHR), on the other. In addressing and analysing the European Court’s balancing approach in this domain, the characteristics and the impact of the seminal 2012 Grand Chamber judgment in Axel Springer AG v. Germany (no. 1) are identified and explained. On the basis of the analysis of the Court’s subsequent jurisprudence in defamation cases it evaluates whether this case law preserves the public watchdog-function of media, investigative journalism and NGOs reporting on matters of public interest, but tarnishing the reputation of public figures.

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Preaching and Sermons

10.1093/oso/9780199683710.003.0016 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Robert H. Ellison

Keyword(s):

Eighteenth Century ◽

North Atlantic ◽

Religious Revival ◽

Early Nineteenth Century ◽

Denominational Identity ◽

The North ◽

The North Atlantic ◽

The One ◽

The Impact

Prompted by the convulsions of the late eighteenth century and inspired by the expansion of evangelicalism across the North Atlantic world, Protestant Dissenters from the 1790s eagerly subscribed to a millennial vision of a world transformed through missionary activism and religious revival. Voluntary societies proliferated in the early nineteenth century to spread the gospel and transform society at home and overseas. In doing so, they engaged many thousands of converts who felt the call to share their experience of personal conversion with others. Though social respectability and business methods became a notable feature of Victorian Nonconformity, the religious populism of the earlier period did not disappear and religious revival remained a key component of Dissenting experience. The impact of this revitalization was mixed. On the one hand, growth was not sustained in the long term and, to some extent, involvement in interdenominational activity undermined denominational identity; on the other hand, Nonconformists gained a social and political prominence they had not enjoyed since the middle of the seventeenth century and their efforts laid the basis for the twentieth-century explosion of evangelicalism in Africa, Asia, and South America.

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Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Dynamic Contrast Enhanced MRI and Diffusion Weighted MRI for Benign and Malignant Breast Cancer Discrimination: A Preliminary Experience

Cancers ◽

10.3390/cancers13102421 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (10) ◽

pp. 2421

Author(s):

Roberta Fusco ◽

Vincenza Granata ◽

Mauro Mattace Raso ◽

Paolo Vallone ◽

Alessandro Pasquale De Rosa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Standard Deviation ◽

Univariate Analysis ◽

Mean Value ◽

Blood Oxygenation ◽

Breast Lesions ◽

Dce Mri ◽

Malignant Lesions ◽

The Mean ◽

And Diffusion ◽

Skewness And Kurtosis

Purpose. To combine blood oxygenation level dependent magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD-MRI), dynamic contrast enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI), and diffusion weighted MRI (DW-MRI) in differentiation of benign and malignant breast lesions. Methods. Thirty-seven breast lesions (11 benign and 21 malignant lesions) pathologically proven were included in this retrospective preliminary study. Pharmaco-kinetic parameters including Ktrans, kep, ve, and vp were extracted by DCE-MRI; BOLD parameters were estimated by basal signal S0 and the relaxation rate R2*; and diffusion and perfusion parameters were derived by DW-MRI (pseudo-diffusion coefficient (Dp), perfusion fraction (fp), and tissue diffusivity (Dt)). The correlation coefficient, Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney U-test, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis were calculated and area under the ROC curve (AUC) was obtained. Moreover, pattern recognition approaches (linear discrimination analysis and decision tree) with balancing technique and leave one out cross validation approach were considered. Results. R2* and D had a significant negative correlation (−0.57). The mean value, standard deviation, Skewness and Kurtosis values of R2* did not show a statistical significance between benign and malignant lesions (p > 0.05) confirmed by the ‘poor’ diagnostic value of ROC analysis. For DW-MRI derived parameters, the univariate analysis, standard deviation of D, Skewness and Kurtosis values of D* had a significant result to discriminate benign and malignant lesions and the best result at the univariate analysis in the discrimination of benign and malignant lesions was obtained by the Skewness of D* with an AUC of 82.9% (p-value = 0.02). Significant results for the mean value of Ktrans, mean value, standard deviation value and Skewness of kep, mean value, Skewness and Kurtosis of ve were obtained and the best AUC among DCE-MRI extracted parameters was reached by the mean value of kep and was equal to 80.0%. The best diagnostic performance in the discrimination of benign and malignant lesions was obtained at the multivariate analysis considering the DCE-MRI parameters alone with an AUC = 0.91 when the balancing technique was considered. Conclusions. Our results suggest that the combined use of DCE-MRI, DW-MRI and/or BOLD-MRI does not provide a dramatic improvement compared to the use of DCE-MRI features alone, in the classification of breast lesions. However, an interesting result was the negative correlation between R2* and D.

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Reproduction and biomarker responses of Eisenia fetida after exposure to imidacloprid in biochar-amended soil

Biochar ◽

10.1007/s42773-021-00103-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ngitheni Winnie-Kate Nyoka ◽

Ozekeke Ogbeide ◽

Patricks Voua Otomo

Keyword(s):

Eisenia Fetida ◽

Field Studies ◽

Application Rate ◽

Land Application ◽

Acetylcholinesterase Inhibition ◽

Beneficial Effects ◽

Pesticide Pollution ◽

The One ◽

The Impact ◽

Amended Soil

AbstractTerrestrial and aquatic ecosystems are increasingly threatened by pesticide pollution resulting from extensive use of pesticides, and due to the lack of regulatory measures in the developing world, there is a need for affordable means to lessen environmental effects. This study aimed to investigate the impact of biochar amendment on the toxicity of imidacloprid to life-cycle parameters and biomarker responses of the earthworm Eisenia fetida. E. fetida was exposed to 10% biochar-amended and non-amended OECD artificial soils spiked with 0, 0.75, 1.5, 2.25 and 3 mg imidacloprid/kg for 28 days. An LC50 of 2.7 mg/kg was only computed in the non-amended soil but not in the biochar-amended soil due to insignificant mortality. The EC50 calculated in the non-amended soil (0.92 mg/kg) for reproduction (fertility) was lower than the one computed in the biochar amended (0.98 mg/kg), indicating a decrease in toxicity in the biochar-amended substrate. Significant weight loss was observed at the two highest imidacloprid treatments in the non-amended soil and only at the highest treatment in the biochar-amended substrate, further highlighting the beneficial effects of biochar. Catalase activity decreased significantly at the two highest concentrations of non-amended soil. Yet, in the amended soil, the activity remained high, especially in the highest concentration, where it was significantly higher than the controls. This indicated more severe oxidative stress in the absence of biochar. In all non-amended treatments, there was a significant acetylcholinesterase inhibition, while lower inhibition percentages were observed in the biochar-amended soil. In most endpoints, the addition of biochar alleviated the toxic effects of imidacloprid, which shows that biochar has the potential to be useful in soil remediation. However, there is still a need for field studies to identify the most effective application rate of biochar for land application.

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PP469 From Theory To Practice: Which Value Framework Is Applied For Onco-Hematology Therapies In Italy? A 5-year Retrospective Analysis

International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care ◽

10.1017/s0266462320001816 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 36 (S1) ◽

pp. 37-37

Author(s):

Americo Cicchetti ◽

Rossella Di Bidino ◽

Entela Xoxi ◽

Irene Luccarini ◽

Alessia Brigido

Keyword(s):

Real World ◽

Ad Hoc ◽

Grey Literature ◽

National Level ◽

Pharmaceutical Products ◽

European Medicines Agency ◽

The Real ◽

R Process ◽

The One ◽

The Impact

IntroductionDifferent value frameworks (VFs) have been proposed in order to translate available evidence on risk-benefit profiles of new treatments into Pricing & Reimbursement (P&R) decisions. However limited evidence is available on the impact of their implementation. It's relevant to distinguish among VFs proposed by scientific societies and providers, which usually are applicable to all treatments, and VFs elaborated by regulatory agencies and health technology assessment (HTA), which focused on specific therapeutic areas. Such heterogeneity in VFs has significant implications in terms of value dimension considered and criteria adopted to define or support a price decision.MethodsA literature research was conducted to identify already proposed or adopted VF for onco-hematology treatments. Both scientific and grey literature were investigated. Then, an ad hoc data collection was conducted for multiple myeloma; breast, prostate and urothelial cancer; and Non Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) therapies. Pharmaceutical products authorized by European Medicines Agency from January 2014 till December 2019 were identified. Primary sources of data were European Public Assessment Reports and P&R decision taken by the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA) till September 2019.ResultsThe analysis allowed to define a taxonomy to distinguish categories of VF relevant to onco-hematological treatments. We identified the “real-world” VF that emerged given past P&R decisions taken at the Italian level. Data was collected both for clinical and economical outcomes/indicators, as well as decisions taken on innovativeness of therapies. Relevant differences emerge between the real world value framework and the one that should be applied given the normative framework of the Italian Health System.ConclusionsThe value framework that emerged from the analysis addressed issues of specific aspects of onco-hematological treatments which emerged during an ad hoc analysis conducted on treatment authorized in the last 5 years. The perspective adopted to elaborate the VF was the one of an HTA agency responsible for P&R decisions at a national level. Furthermore, comparing a real-world value framework with the one based on the general criteria defined by the national legislation, our analysis allowed identification of the most critical point of the current national P&R process in terms ofsustainability of current and future therapies as advance therapies and agnostic-tumor therapies.

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