Step-by-Step Model with Latent Parameters for Student Assessments

The article discusses the disadvantages of traditional approaches to statistical processing of assessments of intermediate attestations of students. We proposed a model in which the obtaining of the k grade on an ordinal scale is associated with the successful completion of k certification steps. By analogy with Item Response Theory used for processing test results the probability of a successful step is determined by latent parameters — the student's ability and the difficulty of the step. Methods for determining latent parameters from the estimates obtained and statistical procedures for checking the adequacy of the model are proposed. The data of processing the array of estimates are presented. The processing results confirmed the possibility of using the proposed mo­del for a more accurate assessment of students' ability and the difficulty of attestations.

Analisis Retouching Foto Close Up Karya Petra Sinuraya Menggunakan Teknik Digital

This study aims to describe the concept and process of visualization of the close-up photo retouching technique by Petra Sinuraya. This research method is descriptive analytic research on the work. The subject of this type of research is Petra Sinuraya's close up photography retouching work. Data were analyzed descriptively analytic with percentage analysis using simple statistical procedures. Data obtained by using interview and documentation methods. The instrument was designed based on interview and documentation guidelines, and was developed based on situations that occurred in the field. The research was conducted by taking and selecting documents in the form of 10 pieces of art photos. The results showed that the close-up photo retouching process used by Petra Sinuraya was a digital technique by sharpening skills through the touch of tools available in Photoshop software. The role of composition in the retouching process is very important for client needs so that the photo looks more attractive in the final result. As for what Petra Sinuraya does in Close Up photo retouching is in various ways such as the Spot Hiling Brush for Smoothing the Skin, Burn and dodge tool for eye retouching, Dodge and Burn for Lightening / Darkening Contrast, filter noise and Gaussian blur - for flawless skin. and the Patch tool to enhance photos.

The Failings of Conventional Mediation Analysis and a Design-Based Alternative

Scholars routinely test mediation claims by using some form of measurement-of-mediation analysis whereby outcomes are regressed on treatments and mediators to assess direct and indirect effects. Indeed, it is rare for an issue of any leading journal of social or personality psychology not to include such an analysis. Statisticians have for decades criticized this method on the grounds that it relies on implausible assumptions, but these criticisms have been largely ignored. After presenting examples and simulations that dramatize the weaknesses of the measurement-of-mediation approach, we suggest that scholars instead use an approach that is rooted in experimental design. We propose implicit-mediation analysis, which adds and subtracts features of the treatment in ways that implicate some mediators and not others. We illustrate the approach with examples from recently published articles, explain the differences between the approach and other experimental approaches to mediation, and formalize the assumptions and statistical procedures that allow researchers to learn from experiments that encourage changes in mediators.

Response to comments on our article (Yin YL et al., Parasit Vectors, 10.1186/s13071-021-04739-w) by Yuqing Wang and colleagues

This letter responds to comments on our article (Yin YL et al., Parasit Vectors, 10.1186/s13071-021-04739-w) by Yuqing Wang and colleagues, who wrote a letter entitled “Microarray analysis of circular RNAs in HCT-8 cells infected with Cryptosporidium parvum” and discussed statistical procedures for microarray analysis during C. parvum infection. To further confirm our data, in this letter, a common R package for analyses of differentially expressed genes, namely DESeq2, with Benjamini-Hochberg correction, was used to analyze our microarray data and identified 26 significantly differentially expressed circRNAs using adjusted P value < 0.05 and | Log2 (fold change [FC]) | ≥ 1.0, including our circRNA ciRS-7 of interest. Therefore, the protocol for selecting circRNAs of interest for further study in our article is acceptable and did not affect the subsequent scientific findings in our article.

5/7-POINT “LIKERT SCALES” AREN’T ALWAYS THE BEST OPTION Their validity is undermined by lack of reliability, response style bias, long completion times and limitations to permissible statistical procedures

Some research methods are used by default. Even if they undermine the validity of conclusions, authors no longer justify the use of default approaches and reviewers no longer query them. One such default is the use of bipolar ordinal 5/7-point survey answer formats, often incorrectly referred to as 5/7-point “Likert scales”. This Viewpoint argues that default answer formats should be replaced by thorough assessments of the benefit-to-cost ratio of alternative answer formats for every survey question asked. Benefits of answer formats include enabling respondents to meaningfully express themselves, while keeping respondent burden low. Costs include reducing data quality by introducing bias or over-burdening respondents, or by collecting data at a scale level that limits permissible statistical procedures.

Modeling Complex Systems by Structural Invariants Approach

When modeling complex systems, we usually encounter the following difficulties: partiality, large amount of data, and uncertainty of conclusions. It can be said that none of the known approaches solves these difficulties perfectly, especially in cases where we expect emergences in the complex system. The most common is the physical approach, sometimes reinforced by statistical procedures. The physical approach to modeling leads to a complicated description of phenomena associated with a relatively simple geometry. If we assume emergences in the complex system, the physical approach is not appropriate at all. In this article, we apply the approach of structural invariants, which has the opposite properties: a simple description of phenomena associated with a more complicated geometry (in our case pregeometry). It does not require as much data and the calculations are simple. The price paid for the apparent simplicity is a qualitative interpretation of the results, which carries a special type of uncertainty. Attention is mainly focused (in this article) on the invariant matroid and bases of matroid (M, BM) in combination with the Ramsey graph theory. In addition, this article introduces a calculus that describes the emergent phenomenon using two quantities—the power of the emergent phenomenon and the complexity of the structure that is associated with this phenomenon. The developed method is used in the paper for modeling and detecting emergent situations in cases of water floods, traffic jams, and phase transition in chemistry.

Variables are valuable: making a case for deductive modeling

Following the quantitative turn in linguistics, the field appears to be in a methodological “wild west” state where much is possible and new frontiers are being explored, but there is relatively little guidance in terms of firm rules or conventions. In this article, we focus on the issue of variable selection in regression modeling. It is common to aim for a “minimal adequate model” and eliminate “non-significant” variables by statistical procedures. We advocate an alternative, “deductive modeling” approach that retains a “full” model of variables generated from our research questions and objectives. Comparing the statistical model to a camera, i.e., a tool to produce an image of reality, we contrast the deductive and predictive (minimal) modeling approaches on a dataset from a corpus study. While a minimal adequate model is more parsimonious, its selection procedure is blind to the research aim and may conceal relevant information. Deductive models, by contrast, are grounded in theory, have higher transparency (all relevant variables are reported) and potentially a greater accuracy of the reported effects. They are useful for answering research questions more directly, as they rely explicitly on prior knowledge and hypotheses, and allow for estimation and comparison across datasets.

Peligro geológico, susceptibilidad y riesgo de desastre en la cuenca inambari

Se trata la susceptibilidad al peligro por movimientos de masas de tierra en zonas de geomorfología compleja como la cuenca Inambari y el problema se dirige a conocer cuáles son las característica que inducen a la ocurrencia de deslizamientos en la cuenca Inambari, el objetivo es obtener un documento que explique, que provocan estos movimientos y para esto se adecuó una metodología donde se emplean principalmente métodos de estudio que determinan la peligrosidad, vulnerabilidad y el nivel de riesgo de los deslizamientos, la metodología de investigación es científica cualitativa y de carácter básico aplicado con técnicas computarizadas y procedimientos matemáticos-estadísticos que en la práctica se materializan con el monitoreo y la comprobación de fotointerpretación lo que determinó la valoración de las zonas susceptibles del medio físico al peligro. Se obtienen resultados científicos con relación a la tolerancia de los procesos y a la susceptibilidad. Otros de carácter socioeconómico y cultural se basan en el establecimiento de un Sistema de Alerta Temprana. It is about the susceptibility to danger by movements of earth masses in areas of complex geomorphology as the Inambari basin and the problem is directed to know what are the characteristics that induce the occurrence of landslides in the Inambari basin, the objective is to obtain a document that explains, which cause these movements and for this a methodology was adapted where study methods are mainly used to determine the danger, vulnerability and risk level of landslides, the research methodology is qualitative scientific and basic applied with computerized techniques and mathematical-statistical procedures that in practice are materialized with monitoring and photo-interpretation verification, which determined the assessment of susceptible areas of the physical environment to the danger. Scientific results are obtained in relation to the tolerance of the processes and susceptibility. Other socioeconomic and cultural results are based on the establishment of an Early Warning System.

Mentorship – Propitious Methodology to Improve Low Performers

Mentorship program have a wide array of benefits which imparts an important role in reversing the decline of academics and helps in understanding the challenges encountered. The main objectives of the MP are 1) To address the student’s problematic areas and identify sectors where they need more support. 2) To provide immediate support network to the Low performers and establish small group mentoring program which was based on performance basis. A total of 50 students and 28 faculty were involved in the study. All the 50 students were allotted mentor, in a lottery basis picked by the students, with the mentor to mentee ratio of 1:2. The marks obtained in Mid Term 1 exam was taken as baseline and compared with subsequent exam marks to identify the effectiveness of mentorship program. Further, at the end of terminal exam, 13 students were identified as low performers and were given an extra focused care other than regular mentoring. At the end of the 1st year MBBS, a preformed questionnaire with four Likert scale was taken to understand the effectiveness of mentorship. The marks were expressed in mean ± SD. The marks between the exams were compared using Paired t Test. SPSS 26.0 was used for all statistical procedures. Among the low performers, the comparative improvement in the marks between Terminal and Mid Term II was 18% in Anatomy(p<0.000), 9% in Physiology (p<0.005) and 8% in Biochemistry(p<0.01). Further the comparative improvement in the marks between Mid Term II and Final Professional exams was 5% in Anatomy(p<0.029), 5% in Physiology and 11% in Biochemistry(p<0.001). In addition, analysis of students feedback revealed that 38% of the students have agreed and 54% of them have strongly agreed that mentorship program was effective and beneficial to them. Mentorship Program should be a part of the academic plan and should be implemented in all medical Colleges to bring out efficient Doctors and prevent dropouts of medicos. Students with effective mentors as role