MA  4310,    Fall 2023

MWF 11-12,    Room: AH 301

1.    Instructor:  Demetrio Labate
Instructor Office:  694 PGH
Office Hours: Wed 12-1, Fri 10-11 or by appointment
Phone Number:  (713) 743-3492
E-mail address:  dlabate@math.uh.edu
Homepage:  http://www.math.uh.edu/~dlabate
Grader:
E-mail address: 
Office:
Tutoring hours:
2. Goals and Objectives:
The course is an introduction to statistics for biological and biomedical data. Students will learn to apply exploratory methods, generalized linear models (including linear regression), analysis of variance, cross-sectional studies, and non-parametric methods. The software R will be used during the entire course to illustrate the statistical methods presented during the course and to compute numerical solutions of exercises and assigned problems.
3. Textbook: "Biostatistics: A Foundation for Analysis in the Health Sciences, Eleventh Edition, by Wayne W. Daniel, Chad L. Cross. ISBN: 9781119496700
Note: The older 10-th edition will work equally well for theory and examples. However, the numbering of some problems might have changed.
Note: You can access the data sets (in CSV format) used for the homework problems from this link.
3b. Lecture Notes: I have organized the class materuial into a set of lecture notes:
My lectures notes include several examples of R scripts that are useful to address the topics of the course. Lecture will be updated during the semester.
R resources. Students will learn to use R to compute numerical solutions for the problems assigned during the course. You can run R without the need of installing the package using R Studio Cloud. Alternatively you will have to 1) download R from the Comprehensive R Archive Network CRAN and 2) install Rstudio. Rstudio includes a console, a syntax-highlighting editor that supports direct code execution, and a variety of robust tools for plotting, viewing history, debugging and managing your workspace. Here are some manuals, a tutorial on drawing plots and a few simple examples of R scripts. Additional tutorials are found at the following site.
4. Homework, Examinations and Grading:
The only way to understand and master the material presented in class is by working out the homework problems on your own. You are strongly encouraged to work out the homework problems that are assigned regularly and carefully. Copying the homework from someone else or watching someone else doing the work for you will bring you minimal benefit. The homework will count 30% towards the final grade. There will be (almost) weekly homework assignments posted at the link below. At the end of the semester, your worst HW score will be dropped.

Homework submission and evaluation policy: Every week I will administer an in-class quiz (10 min) based on the homework problems. I will not collect the howmework probelms, unless announced otherwise. The quiz will be at the beginning of the lecture. If you are forced to miss class on that day, you can hand me the homework or e-mail it to me by the DUE DATE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE LECTURE (12PM); note that I might require proof of a valid justification for missing the class. No late homework submissions will be accepted since I will post the solution online right after the quiz or hw due time. A late or missed HW will receive a 0 score. Submitted quizzes and homework assignments should be in a "professional" form which allows a grader to read your solutions without unnecessary effort or ambiguity. In particular, your solution should either be typed or handwritten in a neat and legible form; if you e-mail scanned pages, it should be a single PDF file of size less than 5MB; submitted pages should be ordered with clear indication of which problem is being solved. Collected homework which does not satisfy these guidelines might receive a penalty in the score. The aggregated homework score (this includes the quizzes score) will count 30% towards the final grade. I will drop the worst HW score before computing the aggregated score.

HOMEWORK PROBLEMS:
(the list below will be updated during the semester)

Tests. There will be three tests in class counting 40% towards the final grade (tentatively) on WED SEP 20, MON OCT 16, MON NOV 13. The worst of your 3 tests will be half-dropped; that is, the 3 tests counts 40% towards the final grade, where the best two tests will count 16% each, the worst one will count 8%.
Final exam. The final exam counts 30% towards the final grade. This is scheduled on FRI DEC 8, 11am-1pm.
Makeup test. Makeup tests will be allowed only for justified and unavoidable absences (e.g., a car accident, a medical or family emergency). In this case, if possible, previous authorization should be obtained from the Instructor. In the other cases, you will receive a zero score for a missed test. All arrangements for make-ups must be made via email.
 
    Grading:
To determine your grade I will compute a final score between 0-100 that depends 30% on the homework, 40% on the tests and 30% on the final exam.
The final grade is then determined according to a set point scale (+ and - will also be used):
90-100: A;     80-89: B;   70-79: C;   60-69: D;    0-59: F

 
5 Additional Information:

Reasonable Academic Adjustments/Auxiliary Aids. The University of Houston complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, pertaining to the provision of reasonable academic adjustments/auxiliary aids for disabled students. In accordance with Section 504 and ADA guidelines, UH strives to provide reasonable academic adjustments/auxiliary aids to students who request and require them. If you believe that you have a disability requiring an academic adjustments/auxiliary aid, please contact the Justin Dart Jr. Student Accessibility Center (formerly the Justin Dart, Jr. Center for Students with Disabilities).

Excused Absence Policy. Regular class attendance, participation, and engagement in coursework are important contributors to student success. Absences may be excused as provided in the University of Houston Undergraduate Excused Absence Policy for reasons including: medical illness of student or close relative, death of a close family member, legal or government proceeding that a student is obligated to attend, recognized professional and educational activities where the student is presenting, and University-sponsored activity or athletic competition. Under these policies, students with excused absences will be provided with an opportunity to make up any quiz, exam or other work that contributes to the course grade or a satisfactory alternative. Please read the full policy for details regarding reasons for excused absences, the approval process, and extended absences. Additional policies address absences related to military service, religious holy days, pregnancy and related conditions, and disability.

Recording of Class. Students may not record all or part of class, livestream all or part of class, or make/distribute screen captures, without advanced written consent of the instructor. If you have or think you may have a disability such that you need to record class-related activities, please contact the Justin Dart, Jr. Student Accessibility Center. If you have an accommodation to record class-related activities, those recordings may not be shared with any other student, whether in this course or not, or with any other person or on any other platform. Classes may be recorded by the instructor. Students may use instructor’s recordings for their own studying and notetaking. Instructor’s recordings are not authorized to be shared with anyone without the prior written approval of the instructor. Failure to comply with requirements regarding recordings will result in a disciplinary referral to the Dean of Students Office and may result in disciplinary action.

Resources for Online Learning: The University of Houston is committed to student success, and provides information to optimize the online learning experience through our Power-On website. Please visit this website for a comprehensive set of resources, tools, and tips including: obtaining access to the internet, AccessUH, and Blackboard; requesting a laptop through the Laptop Loaner Program; using your smartphone as a webcam; and downloading Microsoft Office 365 at no cost. For questions or assistance contact UHOnline@uh.edu.

UH Email: Email communications related to this course will be sent to your Cougarnet email for communications related to this course. To access this email, login to your Microsoft 365 account with your Cougarnet credentials.

Academic Honesty Policy. High ethical standards are critical to the integrity of any institution, and bear directly on the ultimate value of conferred degrees. All UH community members are expected to contribute to an atmosphere of the highest possible ethical standards. Maintaining such an atmosphere requires that any instances of academic dishonesty be recognized and addressed. The UH Academic Honesty Policy is designed to handle those instances with fairness to all parties involved: the students, the instructors, and the University itself. All students and faculty of the University of Houston are responsible for being familiar with this policy.

Title IX/Sexual Misconduct. Per the UHS Sexual Misconduct Policy, your instructor is a “responsible employee” for reporting purposes under Title IX regulations and state law and must report incidents of sexual misconduct (sexual harassment, non-consensual sexual contact, sexual assault, sexual exploitation, sexual intimidation, intimate partner violence, or stalking) about which they become aware to the Title IX office. Please know there are places on campus where you can make a report in confidence. You can find more information about resources on the Title IX website at https://uh.edu/equal-opportunity/title-ix-sexual-misconduct/resources/.

Security Escorts and Cougar Ride. UHPD continually works with the University community to make the campus a safe place to learn, work, and live. Our Security escort service is designed for the community members who have safety concerns and would like to have a Security Officer walk with them, for their safety, as they make their way across campus. Based on availability either a UHPD Security Officer or Police Officer will escort students, faculty, and staff to locations beginning and ending on campus. If you feel that you need a Security Officer to walk with you for your safety please call 713-743-3333. Arrangements may be made for special needs. Parking and Transportation Services also offers a late-night, on-demand shuttle service called Cougar Ride that provides rides to and from all on-campus shuttle stops, as well as the MD Anderson Library, Cougar Village/Moody Towers and the UH Technology Bridge. Rides can be requested through the UH Go app. Days and hours of operation can be found at https://uh.edu/af-university-services/parking/cougar-ride/.

Additional resources: Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) can help students who are having difficulties managing stress, adjusting to college, or feeling sad and hopeless. You can reach CAPS (www.uh.edu/caps) by calling 713-743-5454 during and after business hours for routine appointments or if you or someone you know is in crisis. No appointment is necessary for the "Let's Talk" program, a drop-in consultation service at convenient locations and hours around campus. http://www.uh.edu/caps/outreach/lets_talk.html