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In the literature, derivations of exact null distributions of rank-sum statistics are often avoided in cases where one or more ties exist in the data. By deriving the null distribution in the no-ties case with the aid of the classical q-series results of Euler and Rothe, we demonstrate how a natural generalization of the method may be employed to derive exact null distributions even when one or more ties are present in the data. It is suggested that this method could be implemented in a computer algebra system, or even a more primitive computer language, so that the normal approximation need not be employed in the case of small sample sizes, when it is less likely to be very accurate. Several algorithms for determining exact distributions of the rank-sum statistic (possibly with ties) have been given in the literature (see Streitberg and Röhmel 1986; Marx et al. 2016), but none seem as simple as the procedure discussed here, which amounts to multiplying out a certain polynomial, extracting coëfficients, and finally dividing by a binomal coëfficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deserts and semi-desert countries have become increasingly affected by dust storms in recent years. In this research, the effect of the real-time multivariate of the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) index on the frequency of dust storms in the west of Iran (Sarpol-E-Zahab, Islamabad Gharb, Kermanshah, and Kangavar stations located in Kermanshah province) during February-July for the period 1987-2022 and the frequency percentage of this index for Phases 7-2 (7, 8, 2 and 1) and Phases 3-6 (3, 4, 5 and 6) were investigated. The results of the analysis of the relationship between the MJO and dust storms showed that between 57 and 75% of dust storms occurred in phases 7-2 of the MJO and 25 to 42% in phases 3-6. Phases 7-2 of the MJO have a higher percentage of dust storms than phases 3-6. According to the results of the Mann-Whitney test, the displacement of phases 7-2 and phases 3-6 of the MJO have significantly led to dust storms at the Kermanshah and Kangavar stations. Due to the suitability of the HYSPLIT model for tracking dust storms, the paths of dust entering Kermanshah province were investigated with this model. Tracking the paths of dust entering Kermanshah province with the HYSPLIT model and analyzing the wind speed and direction maps of 850 hPa level indicate an increase in the speed of westerly winds. The increase in the speed of westerly winds and the decrease in soil moisture in phases 7-2 and 3-6 have caused the movement of dust particles from Iraq, eastern parts of Syria, and Khuzestan province to the studied area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Low concentrations of S100B have neurotrophic effects and can promote nerve growth and repair, which plays an essential role in the pathophysiological and histopathological alterations of major depressive disorder (MDD) during disease development. Studies have shown that plasma S100B levels are altered in patients with MDD. In this study, we investigated whether the plasma S100B levels in MDD differ between genders. Methods We studied 235 healthy controls (HCs) (90 males and 145 females) and 185 MDD patients (65 males and 120 females). Plasma S100B levels were detected via multifactor assay. The Mahalanobis distance method was used to detect the outliers of plasma S100B levels in the HC and MDD groups. The Kolmogorov–Smirnov test was used to test the normality of six groups of S100B samples. The Mann–Whitney test and Scheirer-Ray-Hare test were used for the comparison of S100B between diagnoses and genders, and the presence of a relationship between plasma S100B levels and demographic details or clinical traits was assessed using Spearman correlation analysis. Results All individuals in the HC group had plasma S100B levels that were significantly greater than those in the MDD group. In the MDD group, males presented significantly higher plasma S100B levels than females. In the male group, the plasma S100B levels in the HC group were significantly higher than those in the MDD group, while in the female group, no significant difference was found between the HC and MDD groups. In the male MDD subgroup, there was a positive correlation between plasma S100B levels and years of education. In the female MDD subgroup, there were negative correlations between plasma S100B levels and age and suicidal ideation. Conclusions In summary, plasma S100B levels vary with gender and are decreased in MDD patients, which may be related to pathological alterations in glial cells.

Background: Low concentrations of S100B have neurotrophic effects and can promote nerve growth and repair, which plays an essential role in the pathophysiological and histopathological alterations of major depressive disorder (MDD) during disease development. Studies have shown that plasma S100B levels are altered in patients with MDD. In this study, we investigated whether the plasma S100B levels in MDD differ between genders. Methods: We studied 235 healthy controls (HCs) (90 males and 145 females) and 185 MDD patients (65 males and 120 females). Plasma S100B levels were detected via multifactor assay. The Mahalanobis distance method was used to detect the outliers of plasma S100B levels in the HC and MDD groups. The Kolmogorov–Smirnov test was used to test the normality of six groups of S100B samples. The Mann–Whitney test and Scheirer-Ray-Hare test were used for the comparison of S100B between diagnoses and genders, and the presence of a relationship between plasma S100B levels and demographic details or clinical traits was assessed using Spearman correlation analysis. Results: All individuals in the HC group had plasma S100B levels that were significantly greater than those in the MDD group. In the MDD group, males presented significantly higher plasma S100B levels than females. In the male group, the plasma S100B levels in the HC group were significantly higher than those in the MDD group, while in the female group, no significant difference was found between the HC and MDD groups. In the male MDD subgroup, there was a positive correlation between plasma S100B levels and years of education. In the female MDD subgroup, there were negative correlations between plasma S100B levels and age and suicidal ideation. Conclusions: In summary, plasma S100B levels vary with gender and are decreased in MDD patients, which may be related to pathological alterations in glial cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rotator cuff injury is a common condition that affects the shoulder and is characterized by damage to the tendons and muscles in the shoulder area. This type of injury can lead to decreased shoulder function, pain, and decreased quality of life for those affected. As such, finding effective treatments for rotator cuff injury is important for improving patient outcomes and reducing the impact of this condition on patients and society. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of SH (Sodium Hyaluronate) and PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) in treating rotator cuff injuries in the shoulder. Patients who were diagnosed with Rotator Cuff Injury (RCI) and received treatment at the hospital were selected as the study subjects and divided into four groups. Various treatments were given to patients in each group. Two-way ANOVA and Mann–Whitney tests were used to analyze the results. The study found that patients who received ultrasound-guided platelet-rich plasma combined with sodium hyaluronate had significantly higher shoulder function recovery rates and better quality of life compared to the other groups. They also reported significantly lower pain scores compared to the other groups. The results suggest that ultrasound-guided platelet-rich plasma combined with sodium hyaluronate can effectively improve the shoulder function of patients with rotator cuff injury, reducing pain and improving their overall well-being. This has implications for improving patient outcomes and reducing the impact of rotator cuff injury on patients and society by providing a promising treatment option for this common condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) (2010), more than one million metric tons of oil are spilled into oceans annually, resulting in severe and far-reaching consequences for marine ecosystems. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to offer insights into enhancing environmental protection and preparedness for more efficient responses. This is achieved by studying simulations of oil spill trajectories presented in 18 different scenarios within the semi-enclosed coastal basin of Kaštela Bay in the Adriatic Sea. Given the sensitivity of this area, incident simulations were generated using the Potential Incident Simulation, Control, and Evaluation System (PISCES II) simulator. Three worst-case scenarios are introduced in order to give an insight into the potential incident impact on the marine environment. Furthermore, observing through forward stepwise generated multiple regression model (F=2.734; R=0.517; p=0.097) variable height of wave was identified as a statistically significant predictor of speed at which oils spread in (b=1.965; p=0.047). In addition, the non-parametric Mann–Whitney U test was applied for the validity of the calculated regression model assessment. The paper provides insights into linear relations between the most appropriate predictor (height of wave) and criterion (speed at which oil spreads), and it can be used as a starting point for risk assessment analyses of the incidents. Furthermore, the results of this research provide a possibility to ensure that safe and effective preparedness measures are set in place. Last but not least, results are implicitly pointing to the benefits and sufficiency of equipment for responding to real-life oil pollution incidents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inhomogeneities of trace elements content in dust of snow cover were studied in two industrial Siberian cities Tobolsk and Tyumen. The clustering method was used, for which standardized values of the content of trace elements in the snow dust of both cities were used. Eight clusters have been identified, which were divided into two classes by location: Tyumen and Tobolsk. The classes were divided into groups: non-specific and specific ones, of which the two subgroups were distinguished: technogenic and natural. The average values of trace elements in nominal terms were calculated for each cluster. Clusters C1, C2, C4, C7, C8 are characterized by a high content of heavy metals V, Cr, Ni, Cu, Co, Zn, Cd, W, Pb. Background clusters C5 and C6 have a low content of trace elements. Specific technogenic C4 contains more copper than other clusters, and C2 contains more lead. Sources of the formation of technogenic clusters are emissions into the atmosphere of enterprises of the fuel and energy complex, foundry and machine-building industries, and transport. The heterogeneity of the content of microelements in the snow dust under background conditions is demonstrated. The microelements are divided into natural background (cluster C5) and the background with anthropogenic pollution with higher content of Ag and Sn (cluster C6). In urban conditions, a solid phase of snow with a low and minimal content of trace elements in dust (cluster C3) is formed. Increased content of Ni and a reduced content of Pb and Sc is noted in the C3 cluster relative to C5 щту. Using the Mann-Whitne test, it was revealed that the content of trace elements in snow dust within the cities Tyumen and Tobolsk are different for the following elements: Li, V, Cr, Cu, Zn, Ga, As, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ag, Cd, Sb, Cs, Ba, Pb. Mean values in are higher than similar ones in Tyumen. The content of Zn, As, Rb, Sc elements in urban clusters differs by more than two times relative to the background ones. In the case of elements Sn, Cs, W, the content of them in the snow dust of Tyumen is higher than that of Tobolsk. The method of clustering makes possible to identify natural background values (C5) and to calculate more precise values of the coefficient Kc as well as to determine the index of the integral pollution. In Tobolsk, the index is indicative of high and dangerous level of pollution, especially in the zone of technogenic impact. The average level is typical for the city of Tyumen.

At present, financial report fraud is becoming more frequent with the continuous development of the world economy. How to provide early warning before financial report fraud occurs has become more and more important. The purpose of this paper is to set up a logistic regression model, namely an ex-ante warning model, which can provide early warning before financial report fraud occurs, by comparing the governance of financial report fraudulent companies and non-fraudulent ones. First, this paper uses the “fraud triangle” theory as a framework to find the relevant proxy variables for fraud opportunities, fraud pressure, and fraud rationalization. Second, the study uses T-test, Mann-Whitney test and chi-square test to identify statistically significant differences among these proxy variables. Hypotheses were made about the relationship between the coefficient values and the presence of false behavior in the reports. Finally, an ex-ante fraud warning model is set up from the indicators with statistically significant differences, meanwhile the hypotheses regarding the behavior of the indicators and their impact on the model are tested. The overall accuracy of the ex-ante fraud early warning model developed in this paper is 70.9%. How to further debug the model to make the screening of fraudulent companies more accurate is the difficulty and further research direction of the article.

Factorial analyses offer a powerful nonparametric means to detect main or interaction effects among multiple treatments. For survival outcomes, for example, from clinical trials, such techniques can be adopted for comparing reasonable quantifications of treatment effects. The key difficulty to solve in survival analysis concerns the proper handling of censoring. So far, all existing factorial analyses for survival data have been developed under the independent censoring assumption, which is too strong for many applications. As a solution, the central aim of this article is to develop new methods for factorial survival analyses under quite general dependent censoring regimes. This will be accomplished by combining existing nonparametric methods for factorial survival analyses with techniques developed for survival copula models. As a result, we will present an appealing F -test that exhibits sound performance in our simulation study. The new methods are illustrated in a real data analysis. We implement the proposed method in an R function surv.factorial (.) in the R package compound.Cox. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study comparatively analyzed the productivity level of 48 commercial sunflower hybrids, under the specific crops conditions of the Western Plain of Romania. The field experiment took place within ARDS Lovrin, agricultural year 2021-2022. 27 hybrids from the Imazamox class (IH; IH1 to IH27) and 21 hybrids from the Tribenuron Methyl class (TMH; TMH1 to TMH21) were cultivated. The cultivation of the 48 hybrids was carried out under the conditions of a chernozem type soil, and non-irrigated system. In the case of Imazamox class hybrids (IH), the production varied between 2012.47 kg ha-1 (IH4) and 3,545.08 kg ha-1 (IH1, and IH23). In the case of hybrids from the Tribenuron Methyl class (TMH), production varied between 2,437.64 kg ha-1 (TMH17) and 3,713.15 kg ha-1 (TMH4, and TMH19). Based on the production data recorded for each hybrid, the average value was calculated for each class of hybrids (IH-Avg=3,038.13 kg ha-1, TMH-Avg=3,287.98 kg ha-1). In order to verify whether there are differences between the two groups IH (N=27) and TMH (N=21) regarding the recorded production, the Null Hypothesis (H0) was defined. The application of the t-test for Equality of Means, led to the value of t=2.302 with p=0.02. Additionally, the non-parametric Mann-Whitney test was applied. The U=180 value with p=0.03 also indicated significantly different productions between the related series of the two classes of hybrids. The increase in production (kg ha-1, %) was calculated for each class of hybrids (ΔIH, ΔTMH) and a classification was made within each class. The cluster analysis facilitated the clustering of sunflower hybrids in relation to the recorded production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: SMS texting systems have been considered a potential solution to reduce missed appointments in primary care. Existing research in this area focuses on qualitative studies investigating the attitudes of SMS text users and receivers. Objective: This study aimed to examine appointment data from an independent general practitioner (GP) surgery in Wrexham, United Kingdom, with approximately 15,000 patients, to determine the impact of text messaging systems on reducing missed appointments. The objective of this study was to investigate whether the use of text messages can effectively reduce missed appointments. Methods: To collect data for the study, SQL reports were run on EMIS Web, the United Kingdom's most widely used clinical system. The data spanned 10 years, from September 1, 2010, to March 31, 2020. Data accuracy was verified by cross-referencing with appointment diary records. Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests, chosen for their suitability in comparing groups in nonparametric settings, were conducted in Microsoft Excel due to its accessibility. Results: Statistical analyses were conducted to compare data before and after implementation of the text messaging system. The results revealed a significant 42.8% reduction in missed appointments (before: 5848; after: 3343; P <.001). Further analysis of demographic characteristics revealed interesting trends, with no significant difference in missed appointments between genders, and variations observed across different age groups. The median number of missed appointments was not significantly different between genders (women: 1.55, IQR 1.11-2.16; men: 1.61, IQR 1.08-2.12; P =.73). Despite the prevalence of mobile phone use among young adults aged 20-25 years, the highest rates of missed appointments (848/7256, 11.7%) were noted in this group, whereas the lowest rates were noted in the 75-80 years age group (377/7256; 5.2%; P <.001). Analysis by age and gender indicated inconsistencies: women aged 20-25 years (571/4216) and men aged 35-40 years (306/3040) had the highest rates of missed appointments, whereas women aged 70-75 years (177/4216) and men aged 75-80 years (129/3040) had the lowest rates (P <.001 for both). Conclusions: This study demonstrates that SMS text messaging in primary care can significantly reduce missed appointments. Implementing technology such as SMS text messaging systems enables patients to cancel appointments on time, leading to improved efficiency in primary care settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study determines the compliance of indoor air quality (IAQ) in areas served by different heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems in a naval ship, namely centralised and split unit air conditioning systems. A total of nine IAQ parameters, which include physical parameters (temperature, relative humidity (RH) and air movement (AM)), chemical parameters (formaldehyde (CH2O), particulate matters (PM10), total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) and carbon dioxide (CO2)) and biological parameters (total bacterial count (TBC) and total fungal count (TFC) were assessed using calibrated handheld IAQ devices at ten different areas in the ship. The results show that the percentage of compliance is higher in areas served by centralised air conditioning systems as compared to split unit air conditioning systems. The Mann-Whitney test (p-value < 0.05) shows significant difference between the centralised and split unit air conditioning areas for all the IAQ parameters except for temperature. These findings indicate that centralised air conditioning systems, which can introduce fresh air into their served areas contribute to the decrease of concentration of chemical and biological parameters, provided that the units are well maintained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The physical condition of an occupant's home represents a significant factor in determining the dweller's overall quality of life. This paper provides a statistical framework for measuring housing quality in an urban area through a standardized index. This index is constructed using principal component analysis, incorporating demographic, geographic, and economic factors from the New York City Housing and Vacancy Survey. This metric allows for investigating differences in housing quality based upon ownership status. Analysis of the index demonstrates that renters face more housing quality issues than owners. Several of the index's input variables driving these differences were found to exhibit varying effects on housing quality over time, possibly due to events such as the 2008 financial crisis. Implementing this novel statistical framework, housing quality indices can be constructed for other cities to examine housing disparities and inform policies aimed at improving quality of life for urban residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to examine the relationship between the bargaining power of farmers in trade and their plans for future economic activity. While there is existing evidence shedding light on the factors influencing trading power and its consequences, there remains a compelling exigency for scientific substantiation clarifying the aforementioned nexus. A questionnaire was designed and utilized to collect primary data from farmers in Albania (with a sample size of 640). Factor analysis, reliability test and non-parametric statistical methods were used. Evidence was found in support of the aforesaid relationships. Hence, farmers who have plans for investments reflect a higher bargaining power in trading, as opposed to those without such plans. Moreover, interest in increasing farm activity is significantly associated with improved bargaining power in trade. This study enriches the literature, especially in the agribusiness field, by offering additional insights from a transition and developing country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of GeSec: Revista de Gestao e Secretariado is the property of Sindicato das Secretarias e Secretarios do Estado de Sao Paulo (SINSESP) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The age of big data has fueled expectations for accelerating learning. The availability of large data sets enables researchers to achieve more powerful statistical analyses and enhances the reliability of conclusions, which can be based on a broad collection of subjects. Often such data sets can be assembled only with access to diverse sources; for example, medical research that combines data from multiple centers in a federated analysis. However these hopes must be balanced against data privacy concerns, which hinder sharing raw data among centers. Consequently, federated analyses typically resort to sharing data summaries from each center. The limitation to summaries carries the risk that it will impair the efficiency of statistical analysis procedures. In this work, we take a close look at the effects of federated analysis on two very basic problems, non-parametric comparison of two groups and quantile estimation to describe the corresponding distributions. We also propose a specific privacy-preserving data release policy for federated analysis with the K-anonymity criterion, which has been adopted by the Medical Informatics Platform of the European Human Brain Project. Our results show that, for our tasks, there is only a modest loss of statistical efficiency.

Morphometric studies of scoria cones have a long history in research. Their geometry and shape are believed to be related to evolution by erosion after their formation, and hence the morphometric parameters are supposed to be related with age. We analysed 501 scoria cones of four volcanic fields: San Francisco Volcanic Field (Arizona, USA), Chaîne des Puys (France), Sierra Chichinautzin (Mexico), and Kula Volcanic Field (Turkey). All morphometric parameters (cone height, cone width, crater width, slope angles, ellipticity) were derived using DTMs. As new parameters, we calculated Polar Coordinate Transformed maps, Spatial Elliptical Fourier Descriptors to study the asymmetries. The age groups of the four volcanic fields were created and their slope distributions were analysed. The age groups of individual volcanic fields show a statistically significant decreasing tendency of slope angles tested by Mann–Whitney tests. By mixing the age groups of the volcanic fields and sorting them by age interval, we can also observe a general, statistically significant decrease. The interquartile ranges of the distributions also tend to decrease with time. These observations support the hypothesis that whereas the geometry of individual scoria cones differs initially (just after formation), general trends may exist for their morphological evolution with time in the various volcanic fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, due to limited water resources in Malayer plain, irrigation methods are changing from surface to under pressure. The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in soil quality due to changes in irrigation methods. For this purpose, 14 farms and 2 orchards equipped with sprinkler and drip irrigation system were selected and their soil quality changes compared with the corresponding values before implementation were evaluated by Mann-Whitney statistical test. Soil quality parameters included acidity (pH), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), organic matter (C), electrical conductivity of solutes (ECe) and potassium (K). The zoning map of the studied quality parameters was also prepared using ArcGIS software before and after the implementation of pressurized irrigation systems. The results showed that the difference between the values of the studied parameters before and after the implementation of pressurized irrigation systems including ECe, pH and C were non-significant at the level of 5% probability and the changes of P, K and N were significant. The results of measuring the qualitative parameters showed an increase in the mean values of pH, N, P and C from 7.72 to 7.80, 0.067 to 0.121 mg/kg, 11.01 to 17.95 mg/kg and 0.68 to 0.80%, respectively, compared with before the implementation of pressurized irrigation systems. However, ECe and K values of field soils decreased from 1.06 to 0.53 dS/m and 255.1 to 156 mg/kg, respectively. The results showed that changing the irrigation method reduced potassium and increased soil phosphorus and nitrogen.

Teaching style becomes more challenging especially during Movement Control Order (MCO) due to Covid-19 pandemic. Thus, online learning be one of the new teaching styles used during MCO at all educations level. Therefore, to study the effectiveness of this style, this paper is to investigate the effect of the new teaching style on engineering student's performance by determining the difference of overall scores between batches for each program in Vector Calculus (VC) course with ordinary and new teaching styles at Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment (FKAB), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). Nonparametric test is used in this study is Mann Whitney to analyze the difference of the teaching style. The finding revealed that that students' achievements in VC course could significantly distinguished by two batches of students with different teaching and assessment modes. In contrast, JKKP program shows there is no significant difference in overall scores between batches with different teaching styles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Jurnal Ekonomi Syariah Teori dan Terapan is the property of Universitas Airlangga and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Semi-transparent photovoltaics (STPVs) have received increasing attention as an energy-efficient building envelope that uses renewable energy. It is necessary to find the optimal combination of the azimuth angle and tilt angle to install the STPV and to secure high-power generation. However, various constraints limit the installation of STPVs at optimal angles. In other words, there may be a conflict between the building envelope design and STPV design depending on the circumstances, thereby limiting the design. Therefore, this study presents a statistical analysis of power generation with respect to angle to determine the possibilities in building envelope design. Two identical STPV modules each were installed at five azimuth and tilt angles (i.e., two STPV modules each on 25 sides), and the power generation for one year was measured. Then, 1392 h of data were sampled and a statistical analysis was conducted to compare the power generation. First, the representative values were set after comparing the power generation of the two modules at each angle through the Mann–Whitney test. Then, the power generation of each angle was compared through the Kruskal–Wallis test, and a post hoc analysis was conducted. As a result, power generation for five azimuth angles (e.g., +90° (west), +45° (southwest), 0° (south), −45° (southeast), and −90° (east)) was statistically identical in performance at tilt angles of 3° and 15°. Therefore, it is more desirable to focus designs on securing more area than considering optimal azimuth angle in the generation of maximum power through STPVs, at tilt angles of 3° and 15°. Moreover, STPVs for the tilt angles of 75° and 90° were statistically identical in performance when facing west, southwest, southeast, and east. This suggests that, when an STPV is installed at 75° or 90° of the tilt angle, if it cannot be installed on the south, it will provide statistically identical performance even if it is installed at any other azimuth angle. In light of these findings, this study concludes by providing guidelines for the application of STPVs in early architectural design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The widespread usage of granite in the building sector motivated us to conduct this research and examine the material's sustainability in terms of the investigated characteristics. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the statistical analysis results for the mineralogical impact on radiological hazards indices, such as the equivalent of radium, absorbed gamma dose rate, annual effective dose, internal and external hazard indices, as well as the gamma-ray index, that were calculated to estimate the environmental risks associated with these granites used as building materials, to protect the public from excessive radioactivity exposure. We focused primarily on statistical significance at a 95% confidence level. We employed a non-parametric test (Kruskal–Wallis Test) rather than a one-way ANOVA, to determine the statistical significance of the samples due to the lack of homogeneity or normality among them. To assess the difference between the samples, we used the Mann–Whitney Test on each pair of samples. Additionally, Pearson correlation coefficients for all the mineralogical results are computed. The presence of K-rich minerals (Kefeldspars, biotite) and accessories such as uranophane, uranothorite, allanite, xenotime, fergusonite, aeschynite, zircon, cassiterite, apatite, and sphene, which are mostly found in granitic rocks, determines the level of natural radioactivity of the investigated granites. Most of the rock samples analyzed have indicators of radioactive dangers that are within the acceptable level range, indicating that they are suitable for use as building materials. On the other hand, some samples have environmental criteria that are higher than international standards, indicating that they are unsuitable for use as construction materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The educational services faced a difficult challenge to continue education in light of the Corona epidemic crisis, because of that it become clear the importance of the response strategy in developing local communities and finding solutions and alternatives for the continuation of education, as the Corona pandemic directly affected the city as a whole and the functioning of educational services in particular. The problem of the research is manifested by the increasing inadequacy of educational services performance as a result of the Corona pandemic crisis, and the weak development of means of communication, staff and methods that are in line with this pandemic. Therefore, the research aims to activate the role of the local response strategy in managing and organizing educational services in order to confront the epidemic crisis and develop the performance of educational services. The research hypothesized that there is an impact of effective response strategies on educational services in light of crises, especially the crisis of the Corona pandemic. The study area (Al-Doura area) was chosen as a model to know and study the most important response strategies followed for the continuation of education in light of the epidemiological crisis. The research used the descriptive analytical method through the use of the statistical program (spss) to apply descriptive statistics for a sample (for teachers and students), and to test hypotheses between the study variables and the point of view of (students and teachers). The results showed that the use of the response strategy with its elements (guiding, organizational, planning, and technical) by educational institutions will lead to the success of educational services in the face of the Corona pandemic crisis. Therefore, The research recommends the necessity of adopting e-learning to limit the spread of the epidemic among students and teachers, and using the modern technological methods, as well as pointing to the importance of training teachers and students on how to use e-learning platforms and programs, in order to continue giving education and achieve the best results after recovering from the epidemic crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stoupající tlak na rozhodování ve všech sférách lidského života se řadí mezi základní fenomény současné doby. Nejen ve firmách je tento jev způsoben zvyšujícími se nároky kladenými na celou společnost a potažmo na jednotlivé pracovníky. Článek v první části předkládá přehled doposud známých a užívaných nástrojů, které pracovníkům usnadňují jednu ze základních, dnes již nejen manažerských, funkcí – rozhodování. Na základě dostupné literatury dospěje předložená rešerše k představení vlastního návrhu možného rozřazení nejužívanějších rozhodovacích metod. Samotné zmapování jednotlivých nástrojů by však nebylo kompletní, pokud by využití těchto metod nebylo ověřeno v praxi. Hlavním cílem tohoto článku je zanalyzovat aplikaci několika základních metod rozhodování ve vybraných podnicích s důrazem na nově využívané nástroje, jako je datová analýza a principy business intelligence.

The article presents findings of the pilot empirical research on the performance of the ‘Mathematical Methods in Psychology’ e-course as an open digital educational resource for the implementation of blended learning using the ‘flipped classroom’ model at the university. The students' attitudes toward blended learning in the e-course format, their self-esteem of involvement in the learning process, as well as the educational results were examined. The main benefits for the students are the following: the accessibility of tutorials and information about their individual learning trajectory at any time; the convenience of self-preparation for classes. The students characterize the activity at seminars as active interaction with classmates and a teacher and involvement in the learning process. In general, the students positively assessed the use of digital resources in the blended learning educational process as a modern approach and expressed their wish to study other subjects or courses in this format (at other universities in Russia and abroad as well). No essential difficulties in taking the e-course were revealed. There is a correlation between the students’ positive evaluations of their own educational outcomes and their positive attitude to the new format (р < 0,001). The educational outcomes of the students after passing the e-course statistically significantly improved (р < 0,001). The blended learning group educational results are significantly higher as compared to traditional in-class education group (р < 0,001). The study was conducted at the Moscow State University of Psychology and Education. The total sample size N = 387 students of psychology departments, the experimental group size N = 78. The comparison group of traditional full-time education students (N = 309) is balanced with the experimental group in the following context parameters: gender and age, major academic disciplines, same teacher, MSUPE students.

Waiting inside the airport for the next flight (i.e., transfer) might be very lengthy and boring. Thus, many passengers have opted to get out of the airport to participate in transit tours, which are mini all-inclusive packages of the necessary tour components. However, due to the novelty of the operation, the existing literature has not covered this issue yet. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to develop a theoretical framework to explain the transit tour concept. From there, the four cases of Seoul Incheon Airport, Singapore Changi Airport, Tokyo Narita Airport and Beijing Capital Airport were investigated to understand participants' perceptions of the transit tours. Outcomes of the analysis of reviews posted on tripadvisor.com suggested that the tours were perceived differently among airports. Based on these findings, practical implications for tour providers, airports and tourism administration organizations were discussed.

Background: The health and well-being of medical students along with their successful progression is an important concern for society. Studies across the world demonstrated a high prevalence of psychiatric morbidity and low self-esteem among medical students requires immediate attention and effective management. Aim: To compare the symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress between the groups who have cleared all papers in the first attempt with those who have got supplementary at least in one paper during their MBBS course. Materials and Methods: Raven's Progressive Matrices Scale, Eysenck personality Questionnaire, Sinha's Anxiety Scale, Stress Reaction Check (SRC) List, and 16-Personality Factors questionnaires were used along with performance score was recorded for the objective of the study. Results: Nonparametric tests, Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon are used and found that RSPM scores and EPQ Lie-scale scores are statistically different as the P < 0.05. Overall performance and psychological problems association are found out using Spearman's correlation test and it is found that Factor C and Tough poise under 16 PF are significantly correlated. Conclusions: The study concluded that there is a significant difference between the abstract reasoning between the two groups of students measured by RSPM. When the students are compared by taking gender as grouping variable the study concluded psychosis, lie scale value is significantly different in the two groups and the mean value is higher in the female group. It is also concluded that the stress level measured by SRC is significantly different and the mean value is higher in the female group. Furthermore, the global factors Tough poise and independence are found to be significantly different in two groups with 16 PF questionnaire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article deals with assessing and analyzing the standard of living of the population of a particular region. The objective of the article is to assess changes in the standard of living of the population of the Republic of Buryatia that occurred in 2012–2018 compared to 2005–2011. Assuming a relationship between the standard of living and structure of household expenditures, the authors analyze structural shifts in six components of the population's monetary expenditures. The article provides point and interval estimates of structural shifts obtained by the bootstrap method; statistical significance is checked by the Mann–Whitney and permutation test. Based on the calculation results, it is concluded that the standard of living in the Republic of Buryatia has decreased, which is reflected in characteristic changes in the structure of consumer spending, an increase in the share of mandatory payments and contributions, as well as a negative difference in household income and expenses. The estimates of structural shifts given in the article can be used as benchmarks or target indicators by the authorities in developing measures to improve the standard of living the republic's population. The methodology described in the study can also be used to analyze the standard of living at the federal district and national levels, as well as in interregional comparisons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Out of currently available semi-automatic tools for detecting diagnostic probes relevant to a pathophysiological condition, ArrayMining and GEO2R of NCBI are most popular. The shortcomings of ArrayMining and GEO2R are that both tools list the probes ordering them on the basis of their individual statistical level of significances with only difference of statistical methods used by them. While the latest tool GEO2R outputs either top 250 or all genes following its own ranking mechanism, ArrayMining requires number of probes to be inputted by the user. This study provided a way for automatic selection of probe-set that can be obtained from the voting of outputs resulted from statistical methods, t-Test, Mann-Whitney Test and Empirical Bayes Moderated t-test. It was also intriguing to find that the parameters of these statistical methods can be represented as a mathematical function of group fisher's discriminant ratio of a disease-control expression data-pair. Result of this fully automatic method, APT shows 88.97 percent success in comparison to 80.40 and 87.60 percent successes of ArrayMining and GEO2R respectively to include reported probes. Furthermore, out of 10 fold cross validation and 5 new test cases, APT shows a better performance than both ArrayMining and GEO2R in regards to sensitivity and specificity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper will be analyzed the application of the t-test against the nonparametric Mann - Whitney test in the analysis of health insurance benefit costs in the Republic of Srpska on large samples. This research aims to examine which method produces better results when testing statistical hypotheses. The adequacy of the statistical tests will be tested on primary health insurance cost data for 1,044,690 insureds in 2017. For two samples of size 4,000, the sampling distribution of the difference in two means has a skewness coefficient of 0.05 and a kurtosis coefficient of 3.09. Jarque - Bera test does not reject the hypothesis of normality of distribution with a p-value of 0.135. On the other hand, in the Mann - Whitney test, the real risk of the first species, when there is a difference in skewness between the samples, may be less than 0.001 compared to the nominal risk level of 0.05. Based on the results obtained, it is suggested to use the t-test instead of the Mann - Whitney test if the sample is large enough, which should be verified by the bootstrap method.

Two Rapid, direct, ecological friendly and economical spectrophotometric methods were used for estimation of meloxicam in the market Tablet dosage form. The First method is based on the use the fourth order derivative spectrum (D4) and the second method is depend-ed on the ratio of the area under the curve for the two peaks in the drug (Compensated area under the curve). The linear calibration graphs of the two methods were measured in the con-centration range (5-35)mg/l and the average of recoveries for local market Tablet (AWA)® were 99.8% for D4 method and 100.2% for CAUC method which indicating a good accuracy and precision for these methods. In this study, the results obtained by these suggested meth-ods have been successfully statistically compared by t-test and Mann-Whitney test showed a good agreement.

The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of the educational process in the transition to the level system of higher education in comparison with the specialty system.During the transition to the level system of education, the curriculum, a set of disciplines and the correlation between different types of educational activity in almost every discipline have significantly changed.Comparative evaluation of the effectiveness of training in the specialty system and the level system for those disciplines that have passed from the specialty system and the level system, is able to assess the indicated transition, limited only by these disciplines. Therefore, the parameters of comparison are indicators of the development of students who have been trained in the specialty system and students studying in the level system. The studies were carried out on the basis of experimental data obtained by testing undergraduate students and specialty students.For detailed analysis, the separation of each of the two complete samples into approximate statistical intervals in which the comparison is being made.For the estimation in each statistical interval, differences in the average values of the accepted development indices and differences in the profiles of development indices within the samples and between the samples are analyzed. The most significant differences in the level of development of undergraduate and specialty students are revealed in the statistical interval "Normal", in which undergraduate students are inferior to specialty students in eight out of ten indicators. In the statistical intervals "More than normal" and "Less than the normal", undergraduate students in general are slightly inferior to specialty students. The study presents the comparison results for each accepted development indicator.Reduction in the development level of undergraduate students in comparison with specialty students can be the result of several factors. At present, the reason of the decrease is not possible to be indicated.

Given the specificity of leadership, as well as the characteristics of the leader and their associates, but also the current business situation, it is necessary to adapt at all times in order to achieve maximum results together with employee satisfaction. The goal of the article is to explore the presence of different leadership styles (authoritarian, democratic, and laissez-faire) in Croatian enterprises. Survey research was conducted on a sample of enterprises, and level of usage of different leadership styles was measured using Leadership Styles Questionnaire. Six groups of enterprises were compared using Mann-Whitney test according to the level of usage of different leadership styles: (i) small and medium enterprises ( ≤ 250 employees); (ii) large enterprises ( > 250 employees); (iii) enterprises in the growth and maturity phase (leaders); (iv) enterprises in the stagnation phase (followers); (v) enterprises with the main orientation towards international market, and (vi) enterprises with the main orientation towards domicile market. Results indicated that democratic style is the most present in all groups of enterprises, but in some groups of enterprises autocratic and laissez-faire are also often present.

This research focuses on the application of three soft computing techniques including Minimax Probability Machine Regression (MPMR), Particle Swarm Optimization based Artificial Neural Network (ANN-PSO) and Particle Swarm Optimization based Adaptive Network Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS-PSO) to study the shallow foundation reliability based on settlement criteria. Soil is a heterogeneous medium and the involvement of its attributes for geotechnical behaviour in soil-foundation system makes the prediction of settlement of shallow a complex engineering problem. This study explores the feasibility of soft computing techniques against the deterministic approach. The settlement of shallow foundation depends on the parameters γ (unit weight), e 0 (void ratio) and C C (compression index). These soil parameters are taken as input variables while the settlement of shallow foundation as output. To assess the performance of models, different performance indices i.e. RMSE, VAF, R 2, Bias Factor, MAPE, LMI, U 95 , RSR, NS, RPD, etc. were used. From the analysis of results, it was found that MPMR model outperformed PSO-ANFIS and PSO-ANN. Therefore, MPMR can be used as a reliable soft computing technique for non-linear problems for settlement of shallow foundations on soils. Image 1 • Hybridization of ANN and ANFIS with PSO for soft computing. • Developed MPMR, ANN-PSO and ANFIS-PSO models for shallow foundation reliability. • Performance indices for comprehensive comparisons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article considers a Mann–Whitney test of distributional effects in a multivalued treatment. Specifically, we first show that, under the unconfoundedness condition, the counterfactual distributions are weighted averages, with weights satisfying some moment restrictions. We estimate the weights directly from those restrictions by maximizing a globally concave objective function and then construct the Mann–Whitney statistics with the estimated distributions. We show that our Mann–Whitney statistics are efficient, attaining the semiparametric efficiency bound which is also derived here. A simulation study and an application to the analysis of racial discrimination illustrate the practical value of the proposed approach. • Mann–Whitney test of distributional effects in a multivalued treatment. • The semiparametric efficiency bound for Mann–Whitney indicator is derived under the unconfoundedness condition. • A simple and efficient estimator of Mann–Whitney indicator is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mann-Whitney test is applied for testing the means of two non-normal populations. The Mann-Whitney test in the presence of Neutrosophy present in this paper. The design and implantation of the proposed test under neutrosophic statistic are given. Two methods to apply this test will be given. The application of the proposed test is given with the aid of melting points of alloy data. The comparison of the proposed test with the Mann-Whitney test under classical statistics is given. The comparison shows the effeteness, efficiency, and flexibility of the proposed test over the Mann-Whitney test under classical statistics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the spatial-temporal inadequacy of large-scale general circulation models (GCMs), linking large-scale GCM data with small-scale local climatic data has found great interest. In this paper, in order to downscale minimum and maximum temperatures and precipitation predictands, the performance of three statistical downscaling techniques including Long Ashton Research Station-Weather Generator (LARS-WG), statistical downscaling model (SDSM), and artificial neural network (ANN) was compared based on Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change-Fifth Assessment Report (IPCC-AR5) in northwest Iran. For this purpose, a nonparametric test named Mann-Whitney test, Spearman correlation coefficient, and the root mean square error (RMSE) were utilized to assess the efficiency of downscaling models. To scrutinize the climate change impacts, periods of 1961–1990 and 1991–2005 were considered as the baseline and verification periods, respectively. The findings revealed the superior performance of the ANN model for minimum and maximum temperatures, while for precipitation predictand, the SDSM represented the best performance among the models. Simulation results for future temperature indicated an ascending trend as 0.1–1.3 °C, 0.3–1.7 °C, and 0.5–2.1 °C for LARS-WG, SDSM, and ANN techniques, respectively. On the other hand, simulation outputs for the precipitation indicated a descending trend of 10–30% in future precipitation of the region according to downscaling models under Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5 (RCP8.5) pessimistic scenario of Hadley Center Coupled Model version 3 (HadCM3) GCM model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate power calculations are essential in small studies containing expensive experimental units or high-stakes exposures. Herein, power of the Wilcoxon Mann–Whitney rank-sum test of a continuous outcome is formulated using a Monte Carlo approach and defining P (X < Y) ≡ p as a measure of effect size, where X and Y denote random observations from two distributions hypothesized to be equal under the null. Effect size p fosters productive communications because researchers understand p = 0.5 is analogous to a fair coin toss, and p near 0 or 1 represents a large effect. This approach is feasible even without background data. Simulations were conducted comparing the empirical power approach to existing approaches by Rosner & Glynn, Shieh and colleagues, Noether, and O'Brien-Castelloe. Approximations by Noether and O'Brien-Castelloe are shown to be inaccurate for small sample sizes. The Rosner & Glynn and Shieh, Jan & Randles approaches performed well in many small sample scenarios, though both are restricted to location-shift alternatives and neither approach is theoretically justified for small samples. The empirical method is recommended and available in the R package wmwpow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to identify the essential aspects regarding the technical-tactical organization on the offensive phase between the Spanish football team Real Madrid and the Romanian football team FCSB, to interpret and compare the differences that are noticed between these two football teams, in order to establish a model that will lead to the optimization of the trainings of the Romanian football teams. The study aimed to identify the essential aspects regarding the technical-tactical organization on the offensive phase between the Spanish football team Real Madrid and the Romanian football team FCSB, to interpret and compare the differences that are noticed between these two football teams, in order to establish a model that will lead to the optimization of the trainings of the Romanian football teams. The exploratory study involved in the comparative technical-tactical analysis of a top team of Europe and a club team from Romania, started from the premise that the technical-tactical component, represented by behaviors, organization, tactical conception of the game, aspects regarding the collective relations, the forms, the actions that are established between the players, taken as a whole, are defining, essential, determinant in the qualitative evolution, in obtaining the performances, aspects that make the difference between the value level of the football teams. The research methods used are: bibliographic study method, observation method, comparative analysis method, case study method, statistical-mathematical method, video recording method. In order to verify the hypotheses we used the nonparametric Mann-Whitney test (U), setting a significance threshold (p) of 0.05. The values obtained by adding the ranks were introduced in the calculation formulas to determine the values of U1 and U2, and subsequently they were compared with the values in the Mann-Whitney table. The obtained results revealed a significant difference regarding the behavioral organization mode on the offensive phase, aspects revealed both in descriptive and quantitative form. The interpretation of the results in terms of the notes received by the two teams in all the components of the defensive organization phase were rendered with the help of graphs that showed a clear superiority of the Spanish Real Madrid football team over the Romanian FCSB team. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work we investigate performance of the bus transit system of city Tbilisi based on the statistical analysis of the passenger flow during the year 2019. In order to detect the changes in the system during the transitional period 2018-2019, some statistics of the mentioned period are compared with that of 2017, investigated by the joint research project of Tbilisi City Hall and an international engineering and consulting group SYSTRA. Passenger flow during 2019 is also analyzed with regard to the working and festive days and by seasonal trends as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]