scholarly journals Common errors in filling in spreadsheets and how to avoid them

Author(s):  
S. N. Lysenkov

Errors during research can occur not only at the stage of planning, data collection and statistical analysis, but also at the stage of filling in spreadsheets. In most cases they can be easily corrected, otherwise results may be distorted. These errors can be categorized into invalid format and input errors. In the first case, the mixing of the absence of data and the zero values is especially dangerous, since it can lead to systematic errors: overestimation (if the zero values are filled in as the absence of data) or underestimation (if the absence of data is filled in as zero values) of the mean or the prevalence. Input errors are most often random, and their effect decreases with increasing sample size, but for the better analysis they should also be corrected as much as possible. The article provides an algorithm that allows you to find input errors and correct them before statistical analysis.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyoshiro Sasaki ◽  
Yuki Yamada

A Registered Reports system is key to preventing questionable research practices. Under this system, manuscripts, including their detailed protocols (i.e., hypothesis, experimental design, sample size, and methods of statistical analysis), are reviewed prior to data collection. If a protocol manuscript is accepted, publication of the full manuscript including the results and discussion is guaranteed in principle regardless of whether the collected data support the registered hypothesis. However, this assurance of publication might be broken under the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The present paper reports the first author’s real-life experience related to the collapse of the assurance of publication in the Registered Reports system and discusses the disbenefits of this collapse. Furthermore, we propose the implementation of a journal section specific to protocol manuscripts as a solution to the crisis of the Registered Reports system.


2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. e280
Author(s):  
Yamna Waseem ◽  
Muhammad Wahdan Naseeb ◽  
Muhammad Osama Farooqui ◽  
Muhammad Anzal Imran ◽  
Hafsa Zarnab ◽  
...  

Objectives To determine the prevalence of nail-biting among children in Karachi and its association with behavioral disorders.                           Methodology Sample size was parents of 171 children between the ages 4-10 selected by convenience sampling. Data collection was conducted with a use of questionnaire in two hospitals of Karachi. All participants of the study were explained the purpose of the study and written consent was obtained. Results The overall prevalence of nail-biting in the sample was 39.2%. The prevalence in boys and girls was not statistically significant (P = 0.06). The mean total SDQ score was 15.3 (SD = 5.3) and the mean prosocial score was 6.8 (SD = 2.2). The comparison of the effect of a child’s schooling neither showed any significant effect on nail-biting frequency (P = 0.093) nor on SDQ score (P = 0.845). Conclusion To conclude more research should be done on the importance of nail biting in children, parents and pediatricians alike should pay special attention to children that bite their nails.


Author(s):  
Adnan Manasreh ◽  
Ahmed A. M. Sharadqh ◽  
Jawdat S. Alkasassbeh ◽  
Aws Al-Qaisi

<p>This paper aims to present the details regarding telecommunication network security through cryptology protocols. The data was based on scientific data collection and the quantitative method was adopted. The questionnaire was developed and the primary respondents were approached who were working in 4 telecommunication networking companies namely Huawei, Ericsson, SK Telecom and Telefonica. The sample size of the research was 60 participants and the statistical analysis was used to analyze research. The finding shows that cryptology protocol such as SSH, SSL, Kerberos PGP and SET are implemented within the companies in order to secure network.</p>


2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Maskal ◽  
Rajat Jain ◽  
Donald Fedrigon III ◽  
Emily Rose ◽  
Manoj Monga ◽  
...  

Introduction: This study sought to characterize delays and estimate resulting costs during nephrolithiasis surgery. Methods: Independent observers documented delays during ureteroscopy (URS) and percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) procedures. Fifty index cases over a period of three months was considered sufficient to observe the generalizable trends. Operating room staff, excluding the surgeons, were blinded. Time-related metrics and delays preventing case progression were recorded using a smartphone-accessible data collection instrument. Delays were categorized as: 1) missing equipment; 2) missing personnel; 3) equipment malfunction; or 4) delay due to case complexity. The first two categories were regarded as preventable and the latter two non-preventable. Results: Forty URS and 18 PCNL cases were included. There was a total of 56 delays in 35 (65%) cases. Twelve (67%) PCNLs and 23 (58%) URSs had delays (p=0.57). The mean cumulative delay per case was 3.5±3.2 minutes. Pre-start delays (n=17) were 4.5±3.5 minutes on average while intraoperative delays (n=39) were 3.1±2.9 minutes (p=0.167). Delays were evenly spread among the four categories. Thirty-one (55%) delays were preventable (mean 3.7±3.2 minutes) while 25 (45%) were non-preventable (mean 3.2±3.2 minutes) (p=0.58). This translates to $137 per case in preventable costs. Conclusions: Preventable operative delays are encountered frequently in nephrolithiasis surgery, translating to significant additional charges and costs. We demonstrate a rationale for the development of improved communication and workflow protocols to increase efficiency in endourological surgeries. Key limitations are the observational nature of the study and sample size.


Author(s):  
Kyoshiro Sasaki ◽  
Yuki Yamada

In psychology, a Registered Reports system is key to preventing questionable research practices. Under this system, manuscripts, including their detailed protocols (i.e., hypothesis, experimental design, sample size, and methods of statistical analysis), are reviewed prior to data collection. If a protocol manuscript is accepted, publication of the full manuscript including the results and discussion is guaranteed in principle regardless of whether the collected data support the registered hypothesis. However, this assurance of publication might be broken under the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: Begrudging withdrawal of an accepted protocol manuscript due to a difficulty to meet the deadline by compelling reasons (e.g., pandemic) has occurred. The present paper reports the first author’s real-life experience related to the collapse of the assurance of publication in the Registered Reports system and discusses the disbenefits of this collapse. Furthermore, we propose the implementation of a journal section specific to protocol manuscripts as a solution to the crisis of the Registered Reports system.


2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 13-20
Author(s):  
Lia Kamila ◽  
Liawati . ◽  
Suci Lailani Alipah

ABSTRAK Indikator D/S di wilayah kerja Puskesmas Saguling Desa Cipangeran pada tahun 2016 menunjukkan masih rendahnya kunjungan balita dalam kegiatan posyandu dengan rata-rata hanya memcapai 41,5%, sedangkan target standar palayanan kota jumlah D/S yaitu 85%. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui keteraturan ibu dalam mengunjungi Posyandu dari faktor pengetahuan di Desa Cipangeran Kecamatan Saguling Kabupaten Bandung Barat tahun 2017. Metode penelitian ini menggunakan metode analitik dengan pendekatan cross sectional. Data yang digunakan adalah data primer. Populasi seluruh balita di wilayah kerja Puskesmas Saguling tahun 2016 sebanyak 424 ibu balita, besar sampel yang diambil 81 ibu balita, pengambilan sampel dengan menggunakan Sampel Random Sampling, pengumpulan data dengan hasil kuesioner berisi pertanyaan untuk mendapatkan data yang berkaitan dengan variabel yang diteliti. Hasil penelitian pengetahuan ibu balita didapatkan hampir setengah berada dikategori cukup yaitu 47 ibu balita (58%), namun masih ada ibu balita yang memiliki pengetahuan baik yaitu 18 ibu balita (22%), dan ibu balita yang memiliki pengetahuan kurang yaitu 16 ibu balita (20%). Kesimpulan dari penelitian didapatkan tingkat pengetahuan ibu balita yang tidak teratur dalam mengunjungi Posyandu di Desa Cipangeran Kecamatan Saguling Kabupaten Bandug Barat hampir setengah ibu balita berpengetahuan cukup. ABSTRACT The D / S indicator in the working area of ​​Saguling Public Health Center of Cipangeran Village in 2016 indicates that the low number of toddler visits in posyandu activities reaches an average of 41.5%, while the standard target for city / city is 85%. The purpose of this study is to determine the regularity of mothers in visiting Posyandu from knowledge factor in Cipangeran Village, Saguling District, West Bandung regency in 2017. This research method using analytical method with cross sectional approach. The data used is primary data.The population of all toddlers in the working area of Saguling Publich Health Center in 2016 were 424 mother, the sample size was 81 mother, using Random Sampling , data collection with questionnaires containing questions to obtain data related to the variables studied. The result of the research of the knowledge of the mother of the toddler is almost sufficient, namely 47 mothers (58%),but there are still mother who have good knowledge that is 18 mother of toddler (22%) and mother with less knowledge that is 16 mother of balita (20%). The conclusion of the research is the level of knowledge of irregular mother in visiting Posyandu in Cipangeran Village, Saguling, of West Bandung district, almost half of the toddler are knowledgeable enough.


Author(s):  
Ellen Winner

This book is an examination of what psychologists have discovered about how art works—what it does to us, how we experience art, how we react to it emotionally, how we judge it, and what we learn from it. The questions investigate include the following: What makes us call something art? Do we experience “real” emotions from the arts? Do aesthetic judgments have any objective truth value? Does learning to play music raise a child’s IQ? Is modern art something my kid could do? Is achieving greatness in an art form just a matter of hard work? Philosophers have grappled with these questions for centuries, and laypeople have often puzzled about them too and offered their own views. But now psychologists have begun to explore these questions empirically, and have made many fascinating discoveries using the methods of social science (interviews, experimentation, data collection, statistical analysis).


Symmetry ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 679
Author(s):  
Jimmy Reyes ◽  
Emilio Gómez-Déniz ◽  
Héctor W. Gómez ◽  
Enrique Calderín-Ojeda

There are some generalizations of the classical exponential distribution in the statistical literature that have proven to be helpful in numerous scenarios. Some of these distributions are the families of distributions that were proposed by Marshall and Olkin and Gupta. The disadvantage of these models is the impossibility of fitting data of a bimodal nature of incorporating covariates in the model in a simple way. Some empirical datasets with positive support, such as losses in insurance portfolios, show an excess of zero values and bimodality. For these cases, classical distributions, such as exponential, gamma, Weibull, or inverse Gaussian, to name a few, are unable to explain data of this nature. This paper attempts to fill this gap in the literature by introducing a family of distributions that can be unimodal or bimodal and nests the exponential distribution. Some of its more relevant properties, including moments, kurtosis, Fisher’s asymmetric coefficient, and several estimation methods, are illustrated. Different results that are related to finance and insurance, such as hazard rate function, limited expected value, and the integrated tail distribution, among other measures, are derived. Because of the simplicity of the mean of this distribution, a regression model is also derived. Finally, examples that are based on actuarial data are used to compare this new family with the exponential distribution.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1916
Author(s):  
Ágnes Kinyó ◽  
Anita Hanyecz ◽  
Zsuzsanna Lengyel ◽  
Dalma Várszegi ◽  
Péter Oláh ◽  
...  

Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is an autoimmune blistering disease of elderly patients that has shown increasing incidence in the last decades. Higher prevalence of BP may be due to more frequent use of provoking agents, such as antidiabetic dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor (DPP4i) drugs. Our aim was to assess DPP4i-induced bullous pemphigoid among our BP patients and characterize the clinical, laboratory and histological features of this drug-induced disease form. In our patient cohort, out of 127 BP patients (79 females (62.2%), 48 males (37.7%)), 14 (9 females and 5 males) were treated with DPP4i at the time of BP diagnosis. The Bullous Pemphigoid Disease Area Index (BPDAI) urticaria/erythema score was significantly lower, and the BPDAI damage score was significantly higher in DPP4i-BP patients compared to the nonDPP4i group. Both the mean absolute eosinophil number and the mean periblister eosinophil number was significantly lower in DPP4i-BP patients than in nonDPP4i cases (317.7 ± 0.204 vs. 894.0 ± 1.171 cells/μL, p < 0.0001; 6.75 ± 1.72 vs. 19.09 ± 3.1, p = 0.0012, respectively). Our results provide further evidence that DPP4i-associated BP differs significantly from classical BP, and presents with less distributed skin symptoms, mild erythema, normal or slightly elevated peripheral eosinophil count, and lower titers of BP180 autoantibodies. To our knowledge, this is the first case series of DPP4i-related BP with a non-inflammatory phenotype in European patients.


Buildings ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 21
Author(s):  
Thomas Danel ◽  
Zoubeir Lafhaj ◽  
Anand Puppala ◽  
Sophie Lienard ◽  
Philippe Richard

This article proposes a methodology to measure the productivity of a construction site through the analysis of tower crane data. These data were obtained from a data logger that records a time series of spatial and load data from the lifting machine during the structural phase of a construction project. The first step was data collection, followed by preparation, which consisted of formatting and cleaning the dataset. Then, a visualization step identified which data was the most meaningful for the practitioners. From that, the activity of the tower crane was measured by extracting effective lifting operations using the load signal essentially. Having used such a sampling technique allows statistical analysis on the duration, load, and curvilinear distance of every extracted lifting operation. The build statistical distribution and indicators were finally used to compare construction site productivity.


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