An Empirical Validation of the Regression Point Displacement Design Using Within-Study Comparison Logic: Emerging Possibilities and Cautions

Background The regression point displacement (RPD) design is a quasi-experiment (QE) that aims to control many threats to internal validity. Though it has existed for several decades, RPD has only recently begun to answer applied research questions in lieu of stronger QEs. Objectives Our primary objective was to implement within-study comparison (WSC) logic to create RPD replicates and to determine conditions under which RPD might provide estimates comparable to those found in validating experiments. Research Design We utilize three randomized controlled trials (two cluster-level, one individual-level), artificially decomposing or creating cluster structures, to create multiple RPDs. We compare results in each RPD treatment group to a fixed set of control groups to gauge the congruence of these repeated RPD realizations with results found in these three RCTs. Results RPD’s performance was uneven. Using multiple criteria, we found that RPDs successfully predicted the direction of the RCT’s intervention effect but inconsistently fell within the .10 SD threshold. A scant 13% of RPD results were statistically significant at either the .05 or .01 alpha-level. RPD results were within the 95% confidence interval of RCTs around half the time, and false negative rates were substantially higher than false positive rates. Conclusions RPD consistently underestimates treatment effects in validating RCTs. We analyze reasons for this insensitivity and offer practical suggestions to improve the chances RPD will correctly identify favorable results. We note that the synthetic, “decomposition of cluster RCTs,” WSC design represents a prototype for evaluating other QEs.

Relationship Between Students’ Learning Outcomes in WAEC and NECO Arabic Language Examinations in North-Central Nigeria

Despite the fact that the certificates being awarded by senior school WAEC and NECO are said to be comparable, yet, stakeholders in the education sector doubt their correspondence in terms of students’ learning outcomes. While some students only register for NECO believing that they could not pass WAEC. This was part of what necessitated this study by determining the correspondence between students’ learning outcomes in senior school WAEC and NECO Arabic Language examinations in North-central from 2015 to 2019 academic sessions. This study was a descriptive study of the correlational type. Only the results of candidates that sat for WAEC and NECO Arabic Language examinations were logically selected for this study via a researcher-designed proforma. Thus, 948 students constituted the sample size for this study using a multistage sampling procedure. Data collected were analyzed using the percentage to answer the research questions while the Pearson’s chi-square at 0.05 alpha level was used to test the hypotheses. Findings indicated that a significant association existed between students’ learning outcomes in WAEC and NECO Arabic examinations in North-central Nigeria. It was therefore recommended that teachers of Arabic should work harder to sustain their students’ performance in Arabic Language.

Influence of Counter Movement Jump Session with Different Rest Intervals on Muscle Damage and Soreness

Objectives: Plyometrics has been used in sports training and many aspects of this modality are poorly understood. This study measures the magnitude of variations of serum creatine kinase (CK) activity and perceived muscle soreness after one session of Countermovement Jump (CMJ) session and compares 1 and 3 minutes rest intervals between each sets.Methods: A group of 30 young male was dividing in two groups and performed ten sets of ten CMJ with 1 or 3 minutes rest interval between sets. Before and after session (24, 48, and 72-h) they informed the muscle soreness perception and blood samples were collected for dosage of serum CK activity. Two (time) x Two (treatment) ANOVA was used to test differences in serum CK activity and muscle soreness. The alpha level was set at 0.05.Results: Serum CK activity measured 48 h after session augments ~2 and ~1.5 times in 1 min and 3 min rest interval respectively. No significant difference between groups that rests 1 or 3 minutes between sets was found. Muscle soreness rises 24 h after session without significant differences between groups.Conclusions: The findings show that the CMJ increases perceived muscle soreness and increases the serum CK activity, and the intervals of rest do not modulate these variables.

Cointegration Test and Projection of Total Rubber and Tin Production and Their Effect on The Environment in Province of Bangka Belitung Island

The cointegration test in this study aims to see the long-term balance relationship between the amount of rubber and tin production produced in the Province of Bangka Belitung Islands. This time series test uses historical data from 2002-2015. In addition to seeing the cointegration relationship, it will also be seen how the projection results are produced until 2025. This cointegration test results that the amount of rubber and tin production produced in the Province of Bangka Belitung Islands does not have a significant relationship between the two variables as evidenced by a probability value of 0.1366. The probability value that is greater than 5% of the alpha level means that these two variables are independent of each other and the projection results show that tin and rubber production has an upward trend from 2016-2025. The projected value of tin production is not as high as the projection value of rubber plantations with a percentage difference of 11.67%. It is also time for the community to develop the plantation sector and move away from the mining sector which has been undertaken in line with the increasing environmental damage that has been generated.

Analysis of the Impact of Distance and Temperature in Determining Transfer Power Using Laser Applications

This article aimed to analyze the impact of distance and temperature in determining transfer power using laser applications. This study used instruments consisting of a power meter, photovoltaic, laser, and DC power supply. This research was using experimental method. The impact of distance and temperature in determining transfer power using laser applications was concluded based on the results of calculation analysis, measurements of photovoltaic output power, distance, temperature, and laser input power. The impact of distance and temperature in determining transfer power using laser applications showed that the probability value or p-value was lower than the error/alpha level (a) (2.207E-18 <0.05). Likewise, the calculated F value is greater than the significance F (15290048>4.68386E-27). With the applicable provisions in testing the hypothesis, that the conclusion in this article rejected the null hypothesis (H0 : The distance and temperature have not an impact in determining transfer power using laser applications), and accepted the alternative hypothesis (H1:The distance and temperature have an impact in determining transfer power using laser applications).

Technical Efficiency Analysis of shallot Farming in Bima Regency- NTB Province Using the Cobb-Douglas Stochastic Frontier Production Function

Bima Regency is the center for the development and production of the largest shallot commodity in NTB Province. However, the productivity of shallots in Bima Regency still needs to be increased in order to achieve maximum production. The purpose of this study is to analyze the factors that influence shallot farming and to analyze the technical efficiency of farmers in conducting shallot farming. Bima Regency is the research area determined by purposive sampling because it is the center of shallot development in NTB Province. The research data was taken by conducting interviews with 35 respondents who were determined by proportional sampling. Then the data obtained were analyzed using the Cobb Douglas Stochastic Frontier production function approach using the Frontier 4.1 software program. Based on the results of the analysis, it was found that the production factor of the number of seeds, urea fertilizer and labor had a significant effect on the production of shallots at the alpha level of 5 percent while pesticides and KCL fertilizers had a significant effect on the production of shallots at the alpha level of 15 percent. The level of technical efficiency of onion farming in Bima Regency is classified as efficient because it has a value of 0.9569. Farmers can still improve efficiency in onion farming by optimizing the use of superior seeds, labor, balanced fertilizer application, and increasing farmers' skills in adopting innovation and using onion cultivation technology.

Built to Scale: A Corpus-Based Analysis of Adjective Scales in the Mcgill Pain Questionnaire

Modern medical diagnosis relies on precise pain assessment tools in translating clinical information from patient to physician. The McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) is a clinical pain assessment technique that utilizes 78 adjectives of different intensities in 20 categories to quantify a patient’s pain. The questionnaire’s efficacy depends on a predictable pattern of adjective use by patients experiencing pain. In this study, I recreate the MPQ’s adjective intensity orderings using data gathered from patient forums and modern NLP techniques. I extract adjective intensity relationships by searching for key linguistic contexts, and then combine the relationship information to form robust adjective scales. Of 17 adjective relationships predicted by this research, only 4 diverge from the MPQ’s orderings, which is statistically significant at the 0.1 alpha level. The results suggest predictable patterns of adjective use by people experiencing pain, but call into question the MPQ’s categories for grouping adjectives.

Sensory Organization Test Conditions Influence Postural Strategy Rather than Footwear or Workload

Background: Postural strategies such as ankle, hip, or combined ankle-hip strategies are used to maintain optimal postural stability, which can be influenced by the footwear type and physiological workload. Purpose: This paper reports previously unreported postural strategy scores during the six conditions of the sensory organization test (SOT). Methods: Fourteen healthy males (age: 23.6 ± 1.2 years; height: 181 ± 5.3 cm; mass: 89.2 ± 14.6 kg) were tested for postural strategy adopted during SOT in three types of occupational footwear (steel-toed work boot, tactical work boot, low-top work shoe) every 30 min during a 4-h simulated occupational workload. Postural strategy scores were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance at 0.05 alpha level. Results: Significant differences among postural strategy scores were only evident between SOT conditions, and but not between footwear type or the workload. Conclusions: Findings indicate that occupational footwear and occupational workload did not cause a significant change in reliance on postural strategies. The significant changes in postural strategy scores were due to the availability of accurate and/or conflicting sensory feedback during SOT conditions. In SOT conditions where all three types of sensory feedback was available, the ankle strategy was predominantly adopted, while more reliance on hip strategy occurred in conditions with absent or conflicting sensory feedback.

Tipping the Scales: A Corpus-Based Reconstruction of Adjective Scales in the McGill Pain Questionnaire

Modern medical diagnosis relies on precise pain assessment tools in translating clinical information from patient to physician. The McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) is a clinical pain assessment technique that utilizes 78 adjectives of different intensities in 20 categories to quantify a patient’s pain. The questionnaire’s efficacy depends on a predictable pattern of adjective use by patients experiencing pain. In this study, I recreate the MPQ’s adjective intensity orderings using data gathered from patient forums and modern NLP techniques. I extract adjective intensity relationships by searching for key linguistic contexts, and then combine the relationship information to form robust adjective scales. Of 17 adjective relationships predicted by this research, 10 show agreement with the MPQ, which is statistically significant at the .5 alpha level. The results suggest predictable patterns of adjective use by people experiencing pain, but call into question the MPQ’s categories for grouping adjectives.