multiple correspondence analysis
Recently Published Documents


TOTAL DOCUMENTS

731
(FIVE YEARS 338)

H-INDEX

29
(FIVE YEARS 7)

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincent Were ◽  
Louise Foley ◽  
Eleanor Turner-Moss ◽  
Ebele Mogo ◽  
Pamela Wadende ◽  
...  

Abstract IntroductionLow household socioeconomic status is associated with unhealthy behaviours including poor diet and adverse health outcomes. Different methods leading to variations in SES classification has the potential to generate spurious research findings or misinform policy. In low and middle-income countries, there are additional complexities in defining household SES, a need for fieldwork to be conducted efficiently, and a dearth of information on how [1]classification could impact estimation of disease risk. MethodsUsing cross-sectional data from 200 households in Kisumu County, Western Kenya, we compared three approaches of classifying households into low, middle, or high SES: fieldworkers (FWs), Community Health Volunteers (CHVs), and a Multiple Correspondence Analysis econometric model (MCA). We estimated the sensitivity, specificity, and inter-rater reliability and misclassification of the three methods using MCA as a comparator. We applied an unadjusted generalized linear model to determine prevalence ratios to assess the association of household SES status with a self-reported diagnosis of diabetes or hypertension for one household member. Results Compared with MCA, FWs successfully classified 21.7% (95%CI=14.4%-31.4%) of low SES households, 32.8% (95%CI=23.2-44.3) of middle SES households, and no high SES households. CHVs successfully classified 22.5% (95%CI=14.5%-33.1%) of low SES households, 32.8% (95%CI=23.2%-44.3%) of middle SES households, and no high SES households. The level of agreement in SES classification was similar between FWs and CHVs but poor compared to MCA, particularly for high SES. None of the three methods differed in estimating the risk of hypertension or diabetes. ConclusionsFW and CHV assessments are community-driven methods for SES classification. Compared to MCA, these approaches appeared biased towards low or middle household SES and not sensitive to high household SES. The three methods did not differ in risk estimation for diabetes and hypertension. A mix of approaches and further evaluation to refine SES classification methodology is recommended.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 01-13
Author(s):  
Doubi Bi Tra Serges ◽  
◽  
Djaha Konan Engueran ◽  
Angui Chia Michele Valerie ◽  
Fouha Bi Nady Delphin ◽  
...  

Cassava provides food security for millions of people worldwide. In Cote dIvoire, it is the second most important food crop. The objective of this study is to evaluate the structure and genetic variability of certain qualitative traits in targeted cassava landracesin order to identify the most widespread cassava landraces. Thus, prospecting missions were carried out in different regions of Cote dIvoire to characterize cassavalandraces, from which 180 cassava landrace accessions were characterized using14 morphological markers. Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) showed that among the 14 markers, 10 were relevant fordescribing the total variability within accessions. In addition, the Hierarchical Ascending Classification (HAC) grouped the Ivorianlandraces into five homogeneous groups and also revealed that this morphological diversity is not structured according to the landracesgeographical origin. The study highlighted 131 distinct cultivars among the 180 accessions characterized. Moreover, of the 131 distinct cultivars, four were the most widespread. These are the local cultivars: Yace, Six mois, Blêbou and Trogla. Thus, the study has definitively shown that breeders have a wide choice of parents for developing improved cassava cultivars adapted fromthe populations found in Cote dIvoire.


Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 68
Author(s):  
Arvo Viltrop ◽  
Kaari Reimus ◽  
Tarmo Niine ◽  
Kerli Mõtus

Risk factors related to external biosecurity have been considered to play a major role in the introduction and spread of African swine fever (ASF) in domestic pig populations. The aim of the study was to describe the biosecurity levels and management practices of ASF outbreak and uninfected herds and to identify potential risk factors for ASF introduction. Data collected from the outbreak herds during outbreak investigations and from the randomly selected uninfected herds were analyzed. The biosecurity score in ASF outbreak herds was significantly lower compared to uninfected herds. However, this may reflect general improvement in the application of biosecurity measures in pig farms over time as the data on uninfected herds were collected later, at a time when intensified official controls may have had their effect. Larger herds were more at risk of being outbreak herds compared to smaller herds. The biosecurity parameters significantly associated with the outbreak herd status in multiple correspondence analysis were mostly related to indirect contacts with the outside farm environment. The biosecurity barriers applied in Estonian pig farms have not been sufficient to avoid ASF introduction and need critical evaluation and improvement. Reduction of all contacts between the farm and the external environment should be emphasized in a situation where ASF is circulating in wild boar populations close to pig farms.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 211
Author(s):  
Yanqun Yang ◽  
Danni Yin ◽  
Said M. Easa ◽  
Jiang Liu

The application of facial recognition technology (FRT) can effectively reduce the red-light running behavior of e-bikers. However, the privacy issues involved in FRT have also attracted widespread attention from society. This research aims to explore the public and traffic police’s attitudes toward FRT to optimize the use and implementation of FRT. A structured questionnaire survey of 270 people and 94 traffic police in Fuzhou, China, was used. In the research, we use several methods to analyze the investigation data, including Mann–Whitney U test, Kruskal–Wallis test, and multiple correspondence analysis. The survey results indicate that the application of FRT has a significant effect on reducing red-light running behavior. The public’s educational level and driving license status are the most influential factors related to their attitudes to FRT (p < 0.001). Public members with these attributes show more supportive attitudes to FRT and more concerns about privacy invasion. There are significant differences between the public and traffic police in attitudes toward FRT (p < 0.001). Compared with the public, traffic police officers showed more supportive attitudes to FRT. This research contributes to promoting the application of FRT legitimately and alleviating people’s concerns about the technology.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 10
Author(s):  
CECILIA CRUZ LÓPEZ ◽  
MARIO MIGUEL OJEDA RAMÍREZ

Statistical education is a very important area of research because it builds knowledge and promotes innovation in the courses of this discipline. Based on the advances in this area, changes in the content and approaches of the courses at all educational levels have been promoted in several countries. In this study, we examine programs of introductory statistics courses at the higher education level, seeking to characterize the state of statistical education for non-statisticians in Mexico. The extent to which the Statistical Learning Goals (MAEs) were addressed was explored. Included in the study were 410 statistics course programs from various Mexican institutions. A checklist was constructed to assess the extent to which MAEs were considered in the programs; that is, indicators of the degree of consideration of each of the goals were constructed. Exploratory and descriptive analyses were carried out to identify the extent the goals were met, followed by multiple correspondence analysis to identify associations with the program identification variables. The results showed that the MAEs were applied very little in Mexico, especially those that refer to the development of statistical thinking and culture; the exceptions were the goals of organizing data, building tables and graphs, as well as calculating descriptive statistics. For all this, it was concluded that there is much work to be done on this issue in Mexico. Abstract: Spanish La educación estadística es un área de investigación muy importante porque permite obtener conocimiento y promover la innovación en los cursos de esta disciplina. A partir de los avances en esta área, en varios países se han promovido cambios en los contenidos y enfoques de los cursos en todos los niveles educativos. En este estudio examinamos programas de cursos introductorios de estadística en el nivel superior, buscando caracterizar el estado que mantiene la educación estadística para no estadísticos en México. Se exploró la medida en la que se consideran las Metas de Aprendizaje de la Estadística (MAE) propuestas por Gal y Garfield (1997). Se recopilaron 410 programas de cursos de estadística de diversas instituciones mexicanas. Se construyó una lista de cotejo para evaluar qué tanto se consideran las MAE en el programa; es decir, se construyeron indicadores del grado de consideración de cada una de las metas. Se realizaron análisis exploratorios y descriptivos para identificar qué tanto se atiende cada una de las metas, seguidos de análisis de correspondencia múltiple para identificar asociaciones con las variables de identificación de los programas. Los resultados muestran que las MAE se han aplicado muy poco en México, sobre todo las que se refieren al desarrollo del pensamiento y la cultura estadística; la excepción es la meta que se refiere organizar los datos, construcción de tablas y gráficas, así como calcular estadísticas descriptivas. Por todo esto, se concluye que hay mucho trabajo por hacer en este tema en México.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliana Correia Borges ◽  
Gilson Gonçalves de Oliveira Filho ◽  
Claudio Andre Barbosa de Lira ◽  
Ronaldo Angelo Dias da Silva ◽  
Eduardo da Silva Alves ◽  
...  

The identification of the practitioner’s profile regarding their motivation level for physical exercise engagement could be a behavioral strategy to increase exercise adherence. The present study investigates the associations between motivation levels, modalities practiced, and goals concerning the practice of physical exercise among physical exercise practitioners. A total of 100 physical exercise practitioners, of which 67 were women, took part in this study. The participants were engaged in extreme fitness program, strength training, fight training, Pilates, and functional training. Motivation level (BREQ-3) and expectations regarding regular physical exercise (IMPRAF-54) were assessed. A multiple correspondence analysis demonstrates preferential relationships between descriptive and non-inferential variables. Strength training and fight training practitioners seek these modalities with the goals of “Health” and “Aesthetics,” demonstrating low autonomy in relation to the behavior for the practice of physical exercise. Extreme conditioning program and functional training practitioners have as goal “Pleasure,” demonstrating medium and high levels of autonomy for such practice and Pilates practitioners have the goal of “Stress Control.” To promote and encourage the regular practice of physical exercise, this strategy could be used to take actions that increase the public’s intention to start or continue in a physical exercise program.


Mathematics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (24) ◽  
pp. 3280
Author(s):  
María Inés Barbosa-Camargo ◽  
Antonio García-Sánchez ◽  
María Luisa Ridao-Carlini

In Colombia, the gaps of regional inequalities and social opportunities permeate people’s economic, political, and social participation. Additionally, the initial endowments of individual and socioeconomic background, barriers to financial aid, and academic and personal skills restrict decision-making about studying. In this context, the main objective is to analyze the determinants of dropout rates in Colombia and the differences between the type of institutions, field of study, and regions. We used data from three public administrative agencies for the period 2000–2012. The methodology combines multiple correspondence analysis and a lineal hierarchical model to explain the effect of variables operating at different levels. As a result, we retained four dimensions to represent the individuals’ socioeconomic and financial conditions. The findings obtained from the multilevel model suggest the variation between institutions (11%) and the interaction between institutions and the program cycle (17.8%). It confirms the influence of inequities on desertion. The student chooses between programs with differences in fees and study costs in general, such as quality, social recognition, and employment. In sum, contextual and institutional disparities in the dropout phenomenon’s behavior are explained mainly by the supply conditions in these regions and the individuals’ socioeconomic backgrounds.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 1380
Author(s):  
Eleni Karlafti ◽  
Athanasios Anagnostis ◽  
Evangelia Kotzakioulafi ◽  
Michaela Chrysanthi Vittoraki ◽  
Ariadni Eufraimidou ◽  
...  

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, 195 million people have been infected and 4.2 million have died from the disease or its side effects. Physicians, healthcare scientists and medical staff continuously try to deal with overloaded hospital admissions, while in parallel, they try to identify meaningful correlations between the severity of infected patients with their symptoms, comorbidities and biomarkers. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) have been used recently in many areas related to COVID-19 healthcare. The main goal is to manage effectively the wide variety of issues related to COVID-19 and its consequences. The existing applications of ML to COVID-19 healthcare are based on supervised classifications which require a labeled training dataset, serving as reference point for learning, as well as predefined classes. However, the existing knowledge about COVID-19 and its consequences is still not solid and the points of common agreement among different scientific communities are still unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to follow an unsupervised clustering approach, where prior knowledge is not required (tabula rasa). More specifically, 268 hospitalized patients at the First Propaedeutic Department of Internal Medicine of AHEPA University Hospital of Thessaloniki were assessed in terms of 40 clinical variables (numerical and categorical), leading to a high-dimensionality dataset. Dimensionality reduction was performed by applying a principal component analysis (PCA) on the numerical part of the dataset and a multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) on the categorical part of the dataset. Then, the Bayesian information criterion (BIC) was applied to Gaussian mixture models (GMM) in order to identify the optimal number of clusters under which the best grouping of patients occurs. The proposed methodology identified four clusters of patients with similar clinical characteristics. The analysis revealed a cluster of asymptomatic patients that resulted in death at a rate of 23.8%. This striking result forces us to reconsider the relationship between the severity of COVID-19 clinical symptoms and the patient’s mortality.


Sexes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 523-533
Author(s):  
Mattia Nese ◽  
Greta Riboli ◽  
Gianni Brighetti ◽  
Raffaele Visciano ◽  
Daniel Giunti ◽  
...  

Differences in the content of sexual fantasies across gender have been widely documented, while less attention was given to the role of sexual orientation. Previous studies focused on differences in the prevalence of broad themes consisting of sets of contents. The current study aimed to increase the knowledge about sexual fantasies in heterosexual, homosexual, and bisexual men and women. A descriptive approach that allows visualizing the patterns of fantasies reported by different groups using Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) is presented. A sample of 3136 of young adults, 1754 women (Mage = 22.50, SD = 1.72, range 18–25) and 1382 men (Mage = 22.50, SD = 1.70, range 18–25), completed an online questionnaire assessing the presence of 29 different sexual fantasies. The prevalence of each fantasy among each group is shown. Also, relationships between fantasies and the distribution of groups along the two principal dimensions highlighted by MCA are represented. Heterosexuals women reported fewer fantasies and showed opposite patterns of response compared to heterosexual men. There was a substantial overlapping in the fantasies reported by gay and bisexual men, while responses of lesbian and bisexual women were more differentiated. These results indicate that the content of sexual fantasies varies according to both gender and sexual orientation.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document