Re: st: Re: xsampsi produces inconsistent results

[Steve Samuels <sjsamuels@gmail.com>]

In other words,  the effect size (3.651 = delta/sd)  is unrealistic;
the program is computing  n = 1 per group, with df = 0.  That the
program fails here is reasonable, although the error message could be
better.

Steve



On Sun, Jun 6, 2010 at 12:00 AM, Joseph Coveney <jcoveney@bigplanet.com> wrote:
> Michael McCulloch wrote:
>
> I'm using -xsampsi- to estimate sample sizes for a crossover experiment.
> I compared two examples, each with alpha=0.25, and beta=0.20.
>
> Experiment 1 (where mean difference =30, and its standard deviation =
> 45):
>        xsampsi, alpha(0.025) beta(0.20) delta(30) stddev(45)
>
> Experiment 2  (where mean difference =2.3, and its standard deviation
> = 0.63):
>        xsampsi, alpha(0.025) beta(0.20) delta(2.3) stddev(.63)
>
> The first example produces a result, but the second leads to error
> message:
>        "Need to install package 'nct' to compute non-central t distribution"
>
> However, I have installed -nct-.
>
> Any feedback would be appreciated!
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> The complete output of your second case is shown below.
>
> You can see that it's trying to compute a t statistic of an N of 1, which gives
> rise to a negative degrees of freedom for the quantile computation, which gives
> rise to a missing value for the t quantile, which when fed to -nct- (set trace
> on to see the call to -nct-) gives rise to a nonzero return code, which is
> trapped with the omnibus (and in this case erroneous) error message.
>
> -xsampsi- is user-written, not official.  I recommend contacting the author
> with the bug report.
>
> In the meantime, you can use simulation to do your power analysis.
>
> Joseph Coveney
>
> . xsampsi, alpha(0.025) beta(0.20) delta(2.3) stddev(.63)
> Sample size for cross-over trial (AB/BA)
> according to Senn 1991:  'Cross-over trials in clinical research'
> Parameters below expressed in terms of the basic estimator, the treatment
> contrast.
> ---------------
>
> Alpha level    = 0.025  Power      = 0.800
> Zalpha         = 2.241  Zbeta      = 0.842
>
> Detectable effect size             = 2.300
> Std.dev. of basic estimator        = 0.630
>
> Approximate N (normal)             =    1
> Critical value of t(df=-1,0.013)   =    .
> Noncentrality parameter of t       = 3.651
> Need to install package 'nct' to compute non-central t distribution
> r(999);
>
>
> *
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>



-- 
Steven Samuels
sjsamuels@gmail.com
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Saugerties NY 12477
USA
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*
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