label: url

en: Psychosocial Factors and Change in Time Spent Studying by Students in Japan during the COVID-19 Pandemic

en: This study examines predictive associations between psychosocial variables as independent variables and ``Change in Time Spent Studying by Students'' as the dependent variable. Data collected by the Cabinet Office of Japan amid the COVID-19 pandemic are analyzed with multivariate models to screen for the best combination of variables that can account for the effects on the dependent variable. A series of binary logistic regression analyses illuminates that the model with motivation to study, anxiety, life satisfaction, satisfaction with health status, and satisfaction with social bonds as explanatory variables is the fittest of all tested models. In particular, the importance of motivation, anxiety, and life satisfaction is deliberated regarding their effects on study-related variables. Furthermore, these variables' implications for evidence-based school policies and curricula are discussed.

en: JAILA Journal

ja: JAILA Journal


en: Development of Introductory Software on Bayesian Inference Modeling for Stan and R

en: Purpose of study: Stan is a new programming language used for Bayesian inference that implements the Hamiltonian Monte Carlo (HMC) algorithm. There is a high possibility that, going forward, this language will be widely adopted within the healthcare domain as well for research that makes use of Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods. We have developed a new software, with the principle aim of helping healthcare researchers become acquainted with Bayesian inferences. This software is free and makes it simpler to run models written using Stan. Materials and methods: The current software ``Fatsia'' is an operation management tool or macro tool that controls data files, Stan files, Stan, and R. The core specifications for Fatsia are as follows: The operation windows were positioned in a manner that followed the procedure for running the MCMC modeling on Stan. Several MCMC models were prepared as templates, with the user able to directly run the template they selected, or to edit that template. Results and findings: The free software, Fatsia, that we developed met the above specifications. It could be operated via a graphical user interface (GUI), with the use of keyboard input outside of the necessary procedures, reduced to the smallest degree possible. When controlling Stan and R, Fatsia can export Stan files to R and commands R to execute MCMC methods on the R console. Conclusions: The usefulness of Fatsia was in streamlining the procedure for executing an MCMC using Stan. With Fatsia, we were able to run Stan MCMC models with the smallest possible amount of keyboard use. When compared with OpenBUGS or RStudio, the operation of Fatsia is easier, showing a high degree of utility. Hence, the implementation of more MCMC templates can be expected in the future.

en: Niigata Journal of Health and Welfare

ja: Niigata Journal of Health and Welfare


en: Development and Evaluation of Interactive Smartphone App for Visualization of Bayesian Inference Using R-Shiny

ja: R-Shinyを用いた，インタラクティブなベイズ推測視覚化のためのスマートフォンアプリの開発と評価

en:
Purpose

This work studies the porting of B.T.V.T.I., a Bayesian inference visualization program for PCs, to smartphones and tablets. The function of the program's operations was evaluated after porting and a user survey was conducted to evaluate its utility in learning and understanding Bayesian inference.

Method

The R and Shiny programming languages were used for the porting, while the survey was carried out via Google Forms.

Result

The BTVTI-R program, with its user interface re-arranged for smartphones, afforded a nearly identical reproduction of B.T.V.T.I. operations. However, screen size restrictions disabled the porting of those B.T.V.T.I. techniques that had several types of input data. A survey question asked to ascertain how interesting this app had made Bayesian statistics for its users revealed that 65.6% of respondents were interested in it.

Discussion

The connectivity of BTVTI-R with the server, believed to be unstable when the program was left unattended for a short period of time, was a cause of concern as it could impair the convenience of operations. As indicated by the survey results from respondents familiar with Bayesian inference, this application could, in combination with books and classroom lectures, be a useful tool for learning this topic. Further, it is possible that this simple application, if integrated into a smartphone, might spark interest about Bayesian inference in the minds of novice learners.

ja:
目的

既存のPC用ベイズ推測視覚化プログラム，B.T.V.T.I.をスマートフォン・タブレット用に移植した．移植後のBTVTI-Rについて動作を検証した．さらにユーザーにアンケート調査を行い，ベイズ推測の学習・理解への有用性を評価した．

方法

移植にはRとShinyを用いた．アンケート調査にはグーグルフォームを使用した．

結果

ユーザーインターフェースを改設計したBTVTI-RはほぼB.T.V.T.I.の動作を再現することができた．ただし画面サイズの制約のため，B.T.V.T.I.において入力データ種が多数である一部の推測画面を移植することはできなかった．アンケート調査において「このアプリを使うことによってベイズ統計に興味を持ちましたか」に対して，「とても興味が湧いた」「興味が湧いた」「やや興味が湧いた」の回答が計65.6%となった．

考察

BTVTI-Rは短時間の放置でサーバーとの再接続が生じ，操作の利便性を損ねる可能性があると考えられた．アンケート調査においてベイズ推測に見聞や知識のある者の回答から，本アプリは書籍や座学などと組み合わせて用いることがベイズ推測の学習に有用である可能性が考えられた．またBTVTI-Rのような簡便な操作のアプリをスマートフォンに提供することが，未経験で関心の少ない学習者にベイズ推測に関する興味を惹起させる効果を有する可能性が考えられた．

en: Niigata Iryo Fukushi Gakkaishi

ja: 新潟医療福祉学会誌


en: Development of the Python3 based Bayesian inference dynamic visualization tool ``B.T.V.T.I.'' with multiplatform support designed to assist decision-making in healthcare and welfare

ja: 保健医療福祉における意思決定支援のための，Python3を用いたマルチプラットフォームに対応したベイズ推測動的視覚化ツール「B.T.V.T.I.」の構築

en:
Objective:To address the three pending issues that were raised after the release of B.I.T. (Bayesian inference tool). A Bayesian inference visualization tool expands the user experience by providing support to multiple platforms; it adds robustness to calculations instead of approximation and offers various inference visualization options other than the normal distribution.

Method:Using Python3, NumPy, SciPy, and the plotting tool Matplotlib, we created a new Bayesian inference visualization tool that runs on multiple operating systems and assures a robust calculation of the posterior probability. In addition, new cases of Bayesian inferences other than the normal distribution were collected for visualization.

Results:The newly developed B.T.V.T.I. (Bayesian tool for various types of inferences) runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux (Ubuntu). It is a software program with twelve Bayesian inference visualization screens, out of which nine have the statistical function implementation of SciPy. The program calculates and displays graph curves of the posterior distribution and posterior probability values at the same time as the observed values and variables are input. However, because a different programming language is used, its operation screen is different from that of B.I.T.

Discussion:The future expandability of B.T.V.T.I. to other devices, the application and limits of SciPy, and future implementation and visualization of the uncited Bayesian inference cases were discussed. Ideally, users must be familiar with the principle, premises, and applications of the Bayesian inference to use this software.

ja:
【目的】以前ベイズ推測視覚化ツールであるB. I. T. を開発・リリースした後に懸案となっていた事項のうち以下3点，マルチプラットフォームに対応することでユーザーの使用機会を拡張すること，計算に概算ではなく堅牢性を備えること，正規分布の推測以外のより多様な推測を視覚化することを実現する．

【方法】Python3とNumPy，SciPyとグラフ表示ツールであるmatplotlibを用いて，複数のコンピュータOSで動作し，事後確率の堅実な計算を担保する，新たなベイズ推測視覚化ツールを作成した．視覚化するベイズ推測は正規分布の推測以外のものを新たに収集した．

【結果】構築されたB.T.V.T.I.はWindows，MacOS，Linux上で動作した．12のベイズ推測視覚化画面を実装し，うち9つにSciPyの統計関数を実装したプログラムとなった．観測値と変数の入力と同調して事後分布のグラフ曲線と事後確率値を計算し表示するが，使用したプログラミング言語が異なるため，その操作画面はB.I.T.と異なるものとなった．

【考察】B.T.V.T.I.の他のデバイスへの今後の拡張性とSciPyの適用とその限界，現状で未引用なベイズ推測事例の今後の実装と視覚化について論じた．本ソフトを用いるにあたってベイズ推測の原理，前提や適用を理解した上で用いるのが望ましい．


en: Self-assessed reading comprehension in English among adults in Japan: Implications of lifestyle and information technology

en: This study commences with statistical data analysis of Japanese adults' self-assessment of their English reading comprehension and various explanatory variables. Data from the Japanese General Social Survey (JGSS) were analyzed in two stages. In the first stage, a series of bivariate analyses were conducted with demographic, socio-economic, and lifestyle-related indicators as independent variables and self-assessed reading comprehension in English as the dependent variable. In the second stage, several multivariate models were constructed to determine which model best accounts for the effects on the dependent variable. The variables in the category of lifestyle-related factors—which includes the degree of information technology (IT) utilization—surfaced as predictive of the variable on self-assessed reading comprehension in English for Japanese adults. Subsequent to the analyses, implications and possibilities of IT as a reading resource for Japanese adult learners of English are discussed.


en: Development of J-Assist, a statistical analysis support tool for Julia

en: Julia is a new programming language that was released in 2012. Similar to Python, in the future, Julia has the potential for use in numerical analysis applications. In this study, we developed a free software named J-Assist that automatically executes statistical analysis operations in Julia version 1.4, which could introduce and popularize Julia among researchers and clinicians in the field of health and medical welfare. J-Assist provides a simple graphical user interface and is easy to install. Through this study, we demonstrate that it is possible to configure a system that automatically executes calculations and scripts in Julia. We compare J-Assist with EZR and Jupyter Notebook. J-Assist can be considered a simpler version of EZR. However, the execution languages used in J-Assist and EZR are different. J-Assist is intended for users who are new to Julia and programming and want to use Julia for quick statistical analysis; by contrast, Jupyter Notebook is suitable for users who want to develop complex programs and perform other complex analyses in Julia. This study also discusses the limitations of the current J-Assist software and functions that might be added to it in the future to expand its applicability for statistical analysis.


en: A study on the relationship between domestic noise complaints and local government ordinances in Japan

ja: 我が国の家庭生活騒音苦情と対応する自治体条例の関連について

en: 新潟医療福祉学会誌


en: B.I.T.: Development of a dynamic visualization tool for Bayesian inference on various types of normal distributions for medical decision-making and education


en: Interdisciplinary analyses of lifestyle-related factors, social capital, and proficiency in English as a foreign language among students at a university in Japan

en: This study examines observable tendencies and statistical associations between lifestyle-related factors and components of social capital, on the one hand, and variables for English language proficiency on the other. A survey was carried out at Doshisha University in July 2017 to collect the pertinent data from the students taking English language courses. The results illuminated that following variables, e.g., were associated with variables representing English language proficiency: (1) preference for music over sports, (2) classification of average weekly minutes spent studying English outside classrooms, (3) whether or not the respondent has family members, relatives, or friends who are good at English, (4) whether or not the respondent thinks that he/she has many friends, (5) whether or not the respondent has friends from other countries with whom English is used to communicate mutually, and (6) the number of days having been abroad. Not only the presence of similarities between language and music, but also the positive effects of specific social capital as manifested in the above-mentioned variables (3), (4), and (5) that promote the exposure to and the use of English language have been suggested, though positive effects of general social capital were not validated in this study. Other lifestyle-related factors of importance that had to be omitted from this paper shall be addressed in future studies.


en: English language education for engineering majors at a university in Japan: Predictive factors and reflections on screening for effective and riveting in-class activities

en: JAILA Journal


en: Components of social capital and marital status: A global perspective

en: Utilizing data on 65 countries from the International Institute of Social Studies and the United Nations' Population Division, this study examines the extent of the goodness of fit between components of social capital (COSC) and marital status of male and female subpopulations in various age brackets, by means of Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficient analysis. Subsequently, Spearman's correlation coefficient analysis is executed for the combinations of variables that have resulted in high R2 values in the first phase of the analyses. The results elucidated high levels of the goodness of fit as well as correlations between single males (25-59 years of age) and ``Civic Activism.'' In particular, single males between 35 and 39 years of age demonstrated the highest values both in terms of R2 and rs. For the female subpopulations, single women between 20 and 49 years of age had relatively high levels not only of the goodness of fit but also of correlations, again, with the variable ``Civic Activism.'' In conclusion, micro-level studies, as well as research scrutinizing the possible role of the Internet technology, are suggested as potential future topics.


en: Prefecture-level social capital in Japan: An interdisciplinary perspective


en: Social capital and health in malaria-prevalent areas of the Solomon Islands

en: The Kobe Journal of Medical Sciences

ja: The Kobe Journal of Medical Sciences


en: The logistic regression and ROC analysis of group-based screening for predicting diabetes incidence in four years


en: Cost-effectiveness analysis of influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations among elderly people in Japan


en: Subjective Happiness among Adults in Japan during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Socioeconomic Status, Psychosocial Variables, and Loneliness as Predictors

en: CSRDA Discussion Paper Series

ja: CSRDA Discussion Paper Series


en: Addition of simple input completion function to Fatsia

en: Niigata Journal of Health and Welfare


en: Community-based disaster health management and social capital in Indonesia

en: Report of Research Center for Urban Safety and Security


en: Smoking status of Japan in comparison with selected countries in the world

ja: Report of Research Center for Urban Safety and Security