Nonparametric Ranked-set Sampling Confidence Intervals for Quantiles of a Finite Population

Ranked-set sampling from a finite population is considered in this paper. Three sampling protocols are described, and procedures for constructing nonparametric confidence intervals for a population quantile are developed. Algorithms for computing coverage probabilities for these confidence intervals are presented, and the use of interpolated confidence intervals is recommended as a means to approximately achieve coverage probabilities that cannot be achieved exactly. A simulation study based on finite populations of sizes 20, 30, 40, and 50 shows that the three sampling protocols follow a strict ordering in terms of the average lengths of the confidence intervals they produce. This study also shows that all three ranked-set sampling protocols tend to produce confidence intervals shorter than those produced by simple random sampling, with the difference being substantial for two of the protocols. The interpolated confidence intervals are shown to achieve coverage probabilities quite close to their nominal levels. Rankings done according to a highly correlated concomitant variable are shown to reduce the level of the confidence intervals only minimally. An example to illustrate the construction of confidence intervals according to this methodology is provided.     

“Perceived neighbourhood” and tolerance relations: the case of Arabs and Jews in Jaffa,Israel

This paper examines the complex social reality of mixed ethnic residential areas, as reflected in drawn perceived neighbourhoods of Jews and Arabs living in homogenous and mixed neighbourhoods in Jaffa, Tel Aviv. Through in-depth interviews conducted among 89 Jaffa's residents, it illustrates how different perceptions about the residential area and its residents (including attitudes, emotions, feeling of fear/safety, collective identity and tolerant relations) are reflected in the form, size and consensus area of residents' perceived neighbourhoods. The study finds a clear association between tolerant attitudes and the size and consensus area of the perceived neighbourhoods. Arabs perceive their neighbourhood as significantly larger than Jews do and are characterised by a larger consensus area. These findings are explained by the Arab's strong social cohesion, common national identity, rootedness in Jaffa, as well as by tolerant attitudes towards Jaffa's Jewish population. The study demonstrates the interrelation between the spatial, social and perceptual dimensions associated with the mixed residential area, and illustrates how these dimensions are reflected in drawn perceived neighbourhoods.     

Sampling from partially rank-ordered sets

In this paper we introduce a new sampling design. The proposed design is similar to a ranked set sampling (RSS) design with a clear difference that rankers are allowed to declare any two or more units are tied in ranks whenever the units can not be ranked with high confidence. These units are replaced in judgment subsets. The fully measured units are then selected from these partially ordered judgment subsets. Based on this sampling scheme, we develop unbiased estimators for the population mean and variance. We show that the proposed sampling procedure has some advantages over standard ranked set sampling.     

Mapping of bioclimatic comfort for potential planning using GIS in Aydin

People are relaxed (satisfied or well-off) in what is described as comfortable climatic conditions. In such conditions, a person’s energy balance is not disturbed because of stresses from extreme heat or cold. Bioclimatic structure has been well researched and should be a consideration in the planning process for arranging comfortable spaces. It represents the understanding that energy balance is one of the basic elements of a sustainable landscape design. The goals of this study have been to create ideal places for human thermal comfort and to advance objectives focused on the importance of sustainable and ecological landscape planning and design work, along with their accompanying economic benefits. In this study, which focuses on the climate of the Province of Aydin, the most suitable areas for bioclimatic comfort have been identified. The climate values for the Aydin Province have been taken from a total of 22 meteorological stations. Stations at altitudes ranging from 11 to 871 m were used to note the climate changes that occurred. The average temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed from each station, including data collected using Geographic Information System (GIS) software, were transferred. GIS maps were then created from the imported data, and areas of optimal comfort around the city of Aydin were determined. The results show the range that is suitable for a bioclimatic comfort zone in Aydin. The bioclimatic comfort range was determined to be roughly 17 °C for Aydin, and the city of Aydin demonstrated a comfort range between 14 and 19 °C. As a result, the city of Aydin was shown to be a suitable area for bioclimatic comfort.     

Green preparation of a novel red mud@carbon composite and its application for adsorption of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid from aqueous solution

This study reports the eco-friendly preparation of a novel composite material consisting of red mud and carbon spheres, denoted as red mud@C composite, and its application for the removal of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid herbicide (2,4-D) from aqueous solution. The preparation route has a green approach because it follows the low-energy consuming one-step hydrothermal process by using starch as a renewable carbon precursor and red mud as a waste from aluminum production industry. Characterization of the red mud@C composite was performed by FT-IR, TGA, SEM, TEM, BET, XRD, and Raman microscopy analyses. The batch adsorption studies revealed that the red mud@C composite has higher 2,4-D adsorption efficiency than those of the red mud and the naked carbon spheres. The maximum removal at initial pH of 3.0 is explained by considering the pKa of 2,4-D and pH of point of zero charge (pH_pzc) of the composite material. The adsorption equilibrium time was 60 min, which followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model together with intra-particle diffusion model. The isotherm analysis indicated that Freundlich isotherm model better represented the adsorption data, with isotherm parameters of k [15.849 (mg/g) (mg/L)^?1/n] and n (2.985). The prepared composite is reusable at least 5 cycles of adsorption-desorption with no significant decrease in the adsorption capacity.

     

Transport of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in soil

The effect of soil properties on the transport of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was studied in a set of laboratory column experiments, using different combinations of size fractions of a Mediterranean sandy clay soil. The AgNPs with average size of ∼30 nm yielded a stable suspension in water with zeta potential of −39 mV. Early breakthrough of AgNPs in soil was observed in column transport experiments. AgNPs were found to have high mobility in soil with outlet relative concentrations ranging from 30% to 70%, depending on experimental conditions. AgNP mobility through the column decreased when the fraction of smaller soil aggregates was larger. The early breakthrough pattern was not observed for AgNPs in pure quartz columns nor for bromide tracer in soil columns, suggesting that early breakthrough is related to the nature of AgNP transport in natural soils. Micro-CT and image analysis used to investigate structural features of the soil, suggest that soil aggregate size strongly affects AgNP transport in natural soil. The retention of AgNPs in the soil column was reduced when humic acid was added to the leaching solution, while a lower flow rate (Darcy velocity of 0.17 cm/min versus 0.66 cm/min) resulted in higher retention of AgNPs in the soil. When soil residual chloride was exchanged by nitrate prior to column experiments, significantly improved mobility of AgNPs was observed in the soil column. These findings point to the importance of AgNP-soil chemical interactions as a retention mechanism, and demonstrate the need to employ natural soils rather than glass beads or quartz in representative experimental investigations.     

Natural tree collectives of pure oriental spruce [Picea orientalis (L.) Link] on mountain forests in Turkey

Distribution area of oriental spruce [Picea orientalis (L.) Link.] in the world is only in the north-east of Turkey and Caucasian. Because of being the semi monopoly tree with respect to its distribution and representing the upper forest line, it is necessary to analyse, evaluate and model the stand structures of oriental spruce forests in Turkey. In this research, some sampling plots were selected in timberline and treeline in the subalpine forest zone in Turkey. In these sampling plots some information about occurrence and development of the tree collectives was obtained. A total of 12 sampling plots (6 in timberline and 6 of them in treeline) were studied and horizontal and vertical stand profiles were obtained, while number of trees ranges between 2-86 in the tree collectives in treeline and in timberline 3-12. According to this, area per tree in treeline and in timberline is determined as 1.02 m2 and 3.75 m2 on an average respectively. Mean age of trees to reach breast height is 43 years in treeline sampling plots and 22 years in timberline sampling plots. According to the ratio of h (mean height) / d1.30 (diameter at breast height), stand stability values were calculated and it was determined if the stands were stable on the basis of the sampling plots. Stability values of the sampling plots changed between 33 and 75.     

Order restricted randomized designs and two sample inference

This paper develops a new design that relies on subjective judgment ranking to compare subsets of experimental units. This judgment ranking is used along with restricted randomization to improve statistical inference for the contrast between two levels of a treatment. The new design assigns the judgment ranked units in a subset to different treatments. Such an assignment translates the positive dependence among units within each subset into negative dependence for the estimators of treatment means, and hence leads to a reduction in variance for the contrast. For the proposed design, a test for the difference in means of two treatment levels is developed along with an associated confidence interval. It is shown that the null distribution of the proposed test is approximated reasonably well with the Student’s t-distribution for sample sizes as small as 6. A simulation study indicates that the proposed design is advantageous compared to its competitors in the literature for both high and low quality rankings. The new design’s advantage increases with the quality of rankings.     

Combining ranking information in judgment post stratified and ranked set sampling designs

Judgment post stratified (JPS) and ranked set sampling (RSS) designs rely on the ability of a ranker to assign ranks to potential observations on available experimental units. In many settings, there are often more than one rankers available and each of these rankers provide judgment ranks. This paper proposes two sampling schemes, one for JPS and the other for RSS, to combine the judgment ranks of these rankers to produce a strength of agreement measure for each fully measured unit. This strength measure is used to draw inference for the population mean and cumulative distribution function. The paper shows that the estimators constructed based on this strength measure provide a substantial improvement over the same estimators based on judgment ranking information of a single best ranker.