Large Positive Correlation Research Articles

Normal standards for ventilatory function using an automated wedge spirometer.

A computer attachment was developed for a wedge spirometer that provided an immediate printout of a forced expiratory vital capacity, maximal mid-expiratory flow, forced expiratory volume in one second, the indirect maximal breathing capacity, peak or maximal expiratory flow, and maximal flow at 75 per cent, 50 per cent, and 25 per cent of the forced vital capacity. The maximal breathing capacity was measured in a separate maneuver. The circuitry was straightforward and relatively simple. The special purpose spirometer was in operation for more than 4 years without major problems and was especially useful in surveys as well as routine assessment of ventilatory function in a pulmonary function laboratory. Prediction standards of measurements of ventilatory function were derived from 879 male and 452 female, healthy nonsmokers, ranging in age from 15 to 79 years, who resided in Manitoba, Canada, which is essentially pollution-free. Negative correlations were obtained for each lung function with age; the largest negative correlations were obtained with maximal expiratory flow at 25 per cent of vital capacity and the forced expiratory volume in one second. All parameters correlated positively with height; the largest positive correlation was with the forced vital capacity.

A longitudinal study of growth curve. 1. Growth of babies

Heights and weights of infants (142 boys and 117 girls) who were physically examined at an infant health center in Osaka Prefecture during 1964 and 1967 were followed up monthly for one year from birth. The following results were obtained by the analysis of the data.1) The average height and weight of the male and female infants investigated were slightly larger at every age of month than the standard set by the Ministry of Welfare in 1960. However, the infants investigated can be considered as a relatively unbiased sample of the population of Japanese healthy infants at least as far as size and growth of body build, as the body build of infants during the period of the investigation were slightly larger than those in 1960.2) Relatively large positive correlations were found between height (weight) of a infant measured at different age of month. Moreover, when male and female infants were classified into three groups (large, normal, small) according to their height (weight) at the time of birth, and height (weight) of each group was followed up for a year, it was found that in both boys and girls, the absolute values of difference of mean height (weight) among three groups at the time of one year old was almost the same as that observed at the time of birth.3) However, a relatively large variation of relative body size of a infant at different month ages and large coefficients of variation observed on the monthly increasement of height (weight) in every interval between two successive age of month suggested that there were relatively large individual variation in the growth of infants.4) Using Rao's method, the standard growth curves of height and weight of infants and their 99% confidence bands were obtained for groups of male and female infants classified by their height (weight) at the time of birth, on the assumption that the deviations of any individual growth process from population growth curve have a multivariate normal distribution. It was found that in every group, the standard growth curve of height (weight) was expressed in the three degree polynomial in age of month and it corresponded well with the observations.

Skin temperature in hot environment.

It has been suggested that the immersion of subjects into a hot water bath (Bath Method) may be useful and simple method for testing human heat tolerance. It is probable that the bath method may fail to evaluate valid heat tolerance because of the forced uniformization of skin temperature. To confirm the validity of the bath method, sublingual temperature and skin temperature of forehead, chest, back, forearm, thigh and calf were examined when the two adult male subjects were exposed to various hot air environment in the nude for an hour in the sitting position. The following results were obtained.1) On every skin temperature measured at six different regions, the difference of skin temperature between the two subjects observed under the very hot condition was smaller than that observed under the cooler condition.2) The range of skin temperature (the difference between the highest and the lowest value among skin temperatures measured at six different regions) was rather small under very hot conditions.3) Relatively large positive correlations were found among every skin temperature measured at six different regions. It was revealed by the principal component analysis that skin temperatures at various regions were controlled mostly by a single common factor.The above findings indicate that the forced uniformization of skin temperature brought about by the bath method will not necessarily interfere with the valid evaluation of human heat tolerance.

勤労者の血液性状に関する検討

In order to establish the normal regions of several hematological measurements in healthy workers, specific gravity of whole blood, red cell count, white cell count, hemoglobin content, hematocrit value and red cell sedimentation rate were examined on 4967 healthy men and 4980 healthy women working in an electronic company in the fall of 1967. 1) Frequency distributions of specific gravity of whole blood, red cell count, hemoglobin content and hematocrit value were found to be close to normal, while these of the logarithmic values of white cell count and red cell sedimentation rate were found to be close to normal in both men and women, although many of the distributions were slightly asymmetric. It was also noticed that the type of the distribution of red cell sedimentation rate found in men was slightly different from that in women. Means and standard deviations of the hematological measurements were calculated by age and by sex (Tab. 2). The age and sex differences of the mean were statistically significant in most of them (Tab. 3), though the value of difference of the mean, relative to the value of the means, by age was small in all hematological measurements. Based on the above findings about the distribution of the hematological measurements, criterions of screening for mass blood examination of workers was proposed (Tab. 9). 2) Means of specific gravities of whole blood, red cell counts, white cell counts, hemoglobin contents and hematocrit values found in this investigation were slightly lower than the so-called normal values hitherto reported. These lower means are supposedly caused by the use of cubital venous blood as blood specimen and by the use of new test method blood and apparatus such as an automatic cell counter and cyanmetohemoglobin. 3) Relatively large positive correlation coefficients were found between four blood measurements-specific gravities of whole blood, red cell counts, hemoglobin contents, hematocrit values-in both men and women. Moreover, the factor pattern for eight variables concerning hematological measurements and body size obtained by principal component analysis and varimax rotation showed in all age and sex groups that about 80% of total communality was to be attributed to four common factors and that all coefficients of the first factor for the above four hematological measurements were large. So, it will be reasonable to presume that any one of the above four hematological measurements can be representative of all the other three hematological measurements to certain extent, although of course each measurement, specific gravity of whole blood, red cell count, hemoglobin content and hematocrit value, has the hematological meaning in its own right.

Effectiveness of the Components of Lactation in Selecting for Milk Production in Hariana Cattle

First-lactation milk yields of 521 Hariana cows were analyzed. Period of calving (each 5 years except the fourth one, which was 4 years) significantly affected persistency, peak yield, lactation length, and yield. Persistency was also significantly affected by season of calving. Heritabilities by paternal half-sister correlations were 0.01, 0.49, 0.21, and 0.40 for persistency, peak yield, lactation length, and yield. Persistency was phentoypically correlated positively with lactation length and lactation yield only. Peak yield and lactation length had large positive correlations with lactation yield. Genetically, peak yield and lactation length were positively correlated with lactation yield. Peak yield and persistency were negatively associated both phenotypically and genetically. Comparatively, selection for peak yield would lead to a large correlated increase in lactation yield in these animals. But selection for either the fifth monthly production or the first three monthly cumulative production is expected to lead to a better result.

Observer error and measurements of the metacarpal.

Abstract The thickness of the cortex and the diameter of the 2nd metacarpal were measured from radiographs of a random sample of normal women aged 55–64 years by three observers on two separate occasions. Significant differences were found both between and within observer measurements; these observer differences were particularly large for the measurement of cortical thickness. Errors in the measurement of the metacarpal diameter were small, although in some cases significant. There were significant but not large positive correlations between the cortical thickness and the metacarpal diameter. The 2nd metacarpal of the right hand was found to have a thicker cortex and a larger diameter than those of the left. The results of the investigation suggest that in comparative studies all the radiographs should be placed together in random order and that all observers should measure every radiograph in as short a time as possible: and that the choice of metacarpal should be consistent.

Effects of Vaccinations with Strain 19 Brucella abortus, Triple Bacterin, or Endotoxins on Serum Alkaline Phosphatase in Dairy Calves

Routine vaccination of dairy heifers for brucellosis, with Strain 19 Brucella abortus, and with triple bacterin for blackleg, malignant edema, and pasteurellosis (shipping fever) is followed by a very large depression in serum alkaline phosphatase activity (SAP). This was serendipitously observed in another experiment and subsequently verified in controlled experiments. The reduction in phosphatase activity was not accompanied by important reductions in feed intake. Phosphatase activity levels were depressed from two to eight days after vaccination and probably to a lesser degree after 11 days. Additional experiments indicated that Strain 19 brucella vaccine from different manufacturers had a comparable effect on depressing phosphatase, but that the diluent for the brucella vaccine and the triple bacterin did not have an important influence. Phosphatase activity in bull calves was affected comparably to that in heifers. Endotoxins in amounts comparable to those in the Strain 19 brucella caused a significant reduction in SAP in one experiment, but not in another. There were considerably different levels of phosphatase activity in calves of comparable age, size, and condition in different herds, and also of individual animals within herds. Within treatments, there were large positive correlations between SAP levels for the same animals in samples obtained prior to vaccination and several days later.

Authoritarianism and attitudes toward police.

A questionnaire composed of an authoritarian measure and two assessments of attitudes toward police was administered to 103 Ss. Large positive correlations obtained between authoritarianism and attitudes toward police. This relationship may be partially explained as a function of high authoritarian S's insecurity, as a result of which the police become a mediating force in an otherwise threatening environment. No sex differences were observed, but age was correlated inversely with both authoritarianism and attitudes toward police.

Replication study of two unusual findings on the influence of delayed auditory feedback on retention.

This study compared the accuracy of recall of connected meaningful material practiced under delayed auditory feedback with and without instructions to Ss that they would be asked to recall the material. No significant differences were found, confirming the results of a prior experiment. The relationship between retention of DAF-practiced material and voice change was insignificant, in marked contrast to a prior finding of a large and significant positive correlation.

Simultaneous dust and ozone soundings over North and central America

Simultaneous soundings of ozone and submicron dust over north and Central America are reported. The results show considerably more dust in the equatorial stratosphere than in the higher-latitude stratosphere. An increase in the dust concentration is observed near the level of the tropical tropopause and as far north as 60°. The occasional secondary dust maximum and dust layers between the local tropopause and the altitude of the tropical tropopause is attributed to a form of transport other than eddy diffusion. There appears to be a large positive correlation of dust and ozone in the region of the secondary dust maximum. The possibilities of the dust source's being meteoric, volcanic, or stratospheric are discussed.

Efficiency of conversion of food to wool. III. Wool production of ewes selected for high clean wool weight and of random control ewes on restricted and unrestricted food intakes in pens

The clean wool production (W), gross energy intake (I), and body weight (B) of individually fed medium Peppin ewes representative of two groups, one (selected, S) genetically superior in W to the other (control, C), have been measured under restricted and ad libitum feeding of lucerne chaff in pens. Differences in favour of the S group were observed for W and W/I under both regimes, the respective relative values of S/C being under restricted feeding 110/100 and 112/100, and under ad libitum feeding 113/100 and 112/100. Of these between-group differences, only W/I on restricted feeding was significant (P < 0.05). Differences between groups for B and I were small and not significant. On restricted feeding the S/C values were 98/100 for both; on ad libitum feeding they were 99/100 for B and 101/100 for I. When the data from the two feeding regimes were combined, the between-group differences in both W and W/I were significant (P < 0.05), but no significant group x nutritional level interaction was observed in any character. The two levels of nutrition in the pens yielded wool production rates similar to those observed contemporaneously on natural pastures. There were large positive phenotypic correlations between net efficiency (W/I under restricted feeding) and gross efficiency (W/I under ad libitum feeding), and between net efficiency and W under both regimes. There were also positive phenotypic correlations between I and both W (moderate) and B (large) under ad libitum feeding. W/I accounted for 92% of the between-group (genetic) and 70% of the within-group (phenotypic) variation in W. There was no significant difference in plasma protein-bound iodine (PBI) between S and C ewes, while correlations between W and PBI were not significant within either group. The energetic efficiency of the wool production process is discussed; in this experiment no more than 1.5% of the energy consumed appeared as energy in the form of wool fibre.

The efficiency of conversion of feed to wool during limited and unlimited feeding of flocks selected on clean fleece weight

The wool growth of rams from the Trangie Fleece Plus, Random, and Fleece Minus selection flocks was measured during periods of limited and unlimited feeding in pens. There were large positive genetic and phenotypic correlations between net efficiency (measured during limited feeding) and both wool growth and gross efficiency (measured during unlimited feeding). Net efficiency was phenotypically correlated with voluntary intake of feed. Gross efficiency accounted for 95 per cent of the genetic and 62 per cent of the phenotypic variation in wool growth. The change from limited to unlimited feeding produced genotype x environment interactions with fibre cross sectional area, rate of wool growth and efficiency of conversion, the superiority of the high producing flock being relatively greater during unlimited feeding.

Solar Flare Effects on Living Organisms Confined in Magnetic Fields

Solar flares were found to influence progeny yields in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster in culture bottles placed on the poles of permanent magnets. The progeny yields varied inversely with the solar flare activity, with the south pole progeny showing a slightly greater variation than the north pole progeny. A small positive correlation was found between the progeny and barometric pressure. For control cultures (no magnetic field), on the other hand, a large positive correlation with pressure but no correlation with solar flares were found. It is assumed that the solar flare effect in magnetic fields is due to ionizing particles, and an empirical relationship including both pressure and solar flare factors was worked out which gave more significant correlations. The solar flare correlation also was higher for magnets oriented east-west than for those oriented north-south. (D.L.C.)

FURTHER OBSERVATIONS OF THE HORIZONTAL MOVEMENTS OF AURORA

A previous paper showed that systematic motions of aurora parallel and normal to the geomagnetic meridians could be deduced from successions of all-sky camera photographs. More reliable deductions which are based on a much larger number of observations, including some from a station inside the auroral zone, are reported in this paper. Both southward and northward speeds increase with geomagnetic latitude to the auroral zone where they become constant, or even decrease slightly, before continuing to increase inside the auroral zone. A seasonal variation of north–south speeds does not appear to exist. A diurnal variation of north–south speeds, dependent on geomagnetic latitude, is evident, the speeds decreasing to a minimum during the morning hours to the south of the auroral zone and increasing to a maximum during the same hours to the north of the zone. Large positive correlations exist between north–south speeds and departures of the magnetic field intensity from normal. East–west speeds either decrease or remain constant with increasing geomagnetic latitude. A significant seasonal variation of east–west speeds is not evident. Eastward speeds are at a maximum between 03 and 04 hours L.M.T., and are associated with negative magnetic bays; westward speeds, between 21 and 22 hours L.M.T., and are associated with positive magnetic bays.

Some Nonparametric Tests for Student's Hypothesis in Experimental Designs

Abstract In experimental designs the quantities investigated are often grouped into blocks as a method of obtaining a higher precision for the experiment. This grouping may result in high correlation among observations within the same block. If the positions of the treatments within a block are assigned at random, the amount of correlation is difficult to determine and may vary greatly between treatments and from block to block. Also for many experiments the variances of the observations may differ substantially between treatments and from block to block. When one or both of these complications arise, the t-statistic is not necessarily applicable for comparing the effects of the treatments under investigation. This paper presents some nonparametric tests of Student's hypothesis which are usually valid for a well-known type of experimental design if there is statistical independence among blocks (number of blocks ≧4). These nonparametric results are reasonably efficient (compared to those based on the t-statistic) for the case where the totality of observations are independent, normally distributed, and have the same variance. High precision can sometimes be obtained by designing the experiment to yield large positive correlation within blocks and then using the non-parametric results.

Some Nonparametric Tests for Student's Hypothesis in Experimental Designs

Abstract In experimental designs the quantities investigated are often grouped into blocks as a method of obtaining a higher precision for the experiment. This grouping may result in high correlation among observations within the same block. If the positions of the treatments within a block are assigned at random, the amount of correlation is difficult to determine and may vary greatly between treatments and from block to block. Also for many experiments the variances of the observations may differ substantially between treatments and from block to block. When one or both of these complications arise, the t-statistic is not necessarily applicable for comparing the effects of the treatments under investigation. This paper presents some nonparametric tests of Student's hypothesis which are usually valid for a well-known type of experimental design if there is statistical independence among blocks (number of blocks ≧4). These nonparametric results are reasonably efficient (compared to those based on the t-statistic) for the case where the totality of observations are independent, normally distributed, and have the same variance. High precision can sometimes be obtained by designing the experiment to yield large positive correlation within blocks and then using the non-parametric results.