Strong Positive Coefficient Research Articles

Multivariate Statistical Approach and Assessment of Pollution of Water and Sediments in Karstic Springs of Transboundary Aquifer Žumberak–Samoborsko Gorje Mountain (Croatia/Slovenia)

This study highlights the geochemistry of water and sediments of the karstic springs of the transboundary aquifer (TBA) Žumberak–Samoborsko Gorje Mt. (NW Croatia). After calculating pollution indices, the analysis showed that the sediments are unpolluted. The geo-accumulation index (Igeo) showed only the elements Ba and Rb, indicating moderate levels of pollution, with the highest values in springs Vapnik and Bistrac. Statistical analysis confirmed their natural origin. The water of these springs is under possible anthropogenic influence as indicated by elevated concentrations of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP). According to a principal component analysis (PCA) for elements in sediments, PC1 described a combined lithogenic and oxidative–reductive influence, PC2 described a combined geological background including total organic carbon (TOC) content and oxidative–reductive influence, while TOC had the greatest influence on PC3. Depending on element composition, the factor scores related to PC1 and PC2 resulted in two different groups of sites, while the factor scores concerning PC1 and PC3 did not show separation in two groups. The hierarchical cluster analysis showed three clusters in relation to the content of the elements. The correlation coefficient between the sediment and related water samples showed that the springs placed in a low-permeability formation (dolomite) had a strong positive coefficient of correlation.

The Relationship Between Education Level and Wages: Based on Regression Model Analysis

This paper focused on finding how a higher level of education affects peoples wages in China. Based on a popular social phenomenon that citizens in China are more likely to graduate from college, this study was focused on seeking the relationship between higher levels of education and wages. With the assumption that one of the elements that gives people the incentive to receive a higher level of education. This study used the data set from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) in the 2020 individual survey. This research uses different approaches to conduct the variables that could affect wages and uses the multiple linear regression model to estimate the effect. The result indicates that the higher education degree people achieved in China should have a strong positive coefficient on their future wages. And the subgroup of their future confidence and their authority in the working field also demonstrate a positive relationship with wages.

Developing a DNAm Surrogate to Predict Cognitive Functioning among Older Adults

AbstractBackgroundBlood‐based epigenetic measures are being developed and used to predict aging‐related health outcomes. Specifically, researchers have developed “epigenetic clocks” based on predictions of chronological age and age‐related health declines by DNA methylation. However, these markers are meant to predict aging per se and are not disease specific. Recently, scholars have developed “DNAm surrogates” to predict specific outcomes. This methodological technique has yet to be applied to cognitive functioning despite its potential to improve prediction of cognitive health in later life and provide insight into the role of biological aging.MethodThis study developed a novel DNAm surrogate measure for cognitive functioning (DNAmCogScore) based on an elastic net approach linking using 833,865 CpG sites predicting the Telephone Interview Cognitive Status score (TICS) available in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a nationally representative sample of older adults in the United States. Additionally, we evaluate the association of this DNAm surrogate and other neuropathology biomarkers. We used used ridge regression to create DNAmCogScore with 50% of the sample for training and 50% for testing (N = 2009 for each subsample). The Irish Longitudinal Study of Aging (TILDA) will be used for validation (results forthcoming).ResultWe find a positive association and modest predictive value between DNAmCogScore and TICS (see Figure 1, r = .4). Table 1 shows the strong associations with the DNAmCogScore and demographic characteristics. Overall, we find a strong positive coefficient between DNAmCogScore with attenuation after controlling for demographic characteristics, from 1.12 in Model 1 to .20 in Model 3, but remaining statistically significant throughout. Table 3 shows modest negative correlations between DNAmCogScore and NfL, pTau181, and GFAP (ranging from ‐.24 to ‐.36) and no correlation with AB42:40.ConclusionThis study is among the first to create a DNA methylation surrogate measure of cognitive functioning. Our measure is associated with cognitive functioning, even after adjusting for key demographic characteristics. And it has the expected association with other more neuropathology biomarkers. Overall, it suggests that changes in DNA methylation may be a molecular‐level mechanisms by which biological aging impacts cognitive health, and this measure may provide useful prediction of cognitive impairment before the onset of symptoms.

Causes of the upper-level warm temperature anomaly (UWTA) associated with March–May heavy rainfall in Tanzania

This study diagnoses the cause of the upper-level warm temperature anomaly (UWTA) associated with March–May (MAM) heavy rainfall of 1980–2010 in Tanzania in terms of the empirical orthogonal function (EOF), singular value decomposition (SVD) and dynamical diagnosis. EOF reveals the dominance of enhanced UWTA over the entire study region with strong warming to the northern coast, central, south-western highlands (SWH) and western part of the country. SVD depicts a monopole positive co-variability between the UWTA of the entire study area and SSTA over the entire domain of the Indian Ocean with strong positive coefficients to the central equatorial and western Indian Ocean (WIO). The lead-lag correlation coefficients between the three months running mean for the normalized WIO SSTA and UWTA indices show that, the UWTA formation starts early before MAM with the highest peak in February–April (FMA). The ascending branch of the Walker circulation is the dominant primer for the vertical uplift of warm moist air from the WIO during MAM while convective coupled Kelvin waves (CCKWs) dominate in FMA season. In both seasons, strong positive zonal temperature advection anomalies over the WIO spread towards the study area thereby dominating diabatic cooling and further increase the upper-level tropospheric temperature. Thus, diabatic heating due to enhanced uplift of warm and moist air from enhanced warm SSTA of the WIO warms the upper-level troposphere (i.e., also the UWTA) of the study area through the zonal temperature advection.

The Performance of the Kernel Regression Model for Assessing the Impact of Money Supply on Industrial Growth in Nigeria

This study examined the performance of the kernel model over the linear regression model for a real-life application in Nigeria. The linear regression and kernel regression model was used to assess the impact of the volume of money supply in Nigeria on industrial growth in Nigeria. The source of data for this study was the secondary source of data collection. Findings showed that there exist a weak positive coefficient of determination measure between volume of money supply and industrial growth which implies that the volume of money weakly explains the total amount of variation in industrial growth using the linear regression model while the kernel model found a strong positive coefficient of determination value which implies that the kernel model was adequate and far better than the linear model for estimating industrial growth in Nigeria. Also, it was found that volume of the money supply does not impact significantly on industrial growth in Nigeria using the linear model while it was found that volume of money impacts significantly on industrial growth using the kernel model. Further findings showed that the residual standard error value for the smoothed model is relatively more efficient than that of the linear model which was attributed to the performance of the kernel regression model.

Photosynthetic response and nitrogen use efficiency of sugarcane under drought stress conditions with different nitrogen application levels

Drought stress which often occurs during early growth stage is one constraint in sugarcane production. In this study, the response of sugarcane to drought and nitrogen application for physiological and agronomical characteristics was investigated. Two water regimes (well-watered and drought stress from 60 to 120 day after transplanting) and four nitrogen levels (0, 4.4, 8.8 and 13.2 g pot−1 equivalent to 0, 90, 180 and 270 kg ha−1, respectively) were assigned in a Split-plot design with three replications. The results showed that photosynthetic responses to light intensity and intercellular CO2 concentrations of sugarcane were different between fertilized and non-fertilized treatments. Photosynthetic rates of 180 and 270 N treatments, normally, were significantly higher than that of 90 N, but not significant at drought conditions. Photosynthetic rates of 0 N treatment were the lowest under both conditions. Higher nitrogen application supported higher photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and chlorophyll content because of higher nitrogen concentration accumulated into the leaf. Drought significantly reduced the potential photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, SPAD, leaf area, and biomass production. Higher nitrogen applications with larger root system could support higher photosynthetic activities to accumulate more dry mass. Strong positive coefficient between photosynthetic and biomass nitrogen use efficiency and drought tolerance index may suggest that higher nitrogen use efficiency could help plants have higher ability to tolerate drought stress.

Factors Influencing Tobacco Production among Contracted Farmers in Kenya: A Case of Bungoma County

In Kenya tobacco is grown by about 20,000 small scale contracted and non-contracted farmers on over 15,000 hectares of land. Current annual production is estimated at 16,000 tons per year. Despite tobacco being grown intensively in some regions in Kenya, it is not a significant crop in terms of broader national agricultural production with recent government data indicating that it constitutes a mere 0.6% of total agricultural gross marketed production(Republic of Kenya 2015). Whereas contract farming has empirical validation on improving farmers’ income, there are production constraints that accompany it. The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors influencing tobacco production among contracted farmers in Kenya: A case of Bungoma County. The objective of the study was toestablish the extent to which demographic characteristics influence tobacco production among contracted farmers in Bungoma County. The study was built on the theory of economic efficiency. Both descriptive and inferential statistics was used to analyze the factors influencing tobacco production. From a target population of 3000, a sample of 341 was selected. Semi-structured questionnaire was used as instrument of data collection. Content validity was measured through expert judgment while reliability measured by use of test re-test method and Karl Pearson’s co-efficient of correlation [r] determined from the two samples. The strong positive coefficient [r], greater than 0.7 was considered. The data obtained was analyzed using both descriptive statistics and inferential statistics and presented in tables. The study established that Educational level greatly influenced tobacco production with most of the farmers having attained only secondary education. Both age and gender had weak insignificant negative correlation with tobacco production.The study therefore recommends that farmers should prioritize education to equip them with necessary knowledge and skills to improve on-field tobacco management practices

Path analysis of prenatal mercury levels and birth weights in Korean and Taiwanese birth cohorts

Prospective cohort studies of the effect of mercury (Hg) exposure on birth weight have shown conflicting results. We combined data from Taiwanese and Korean birth cohorts, and assessed the effects of Hg exposure on birth weight. The first cohort was drawn from the Mothers and Children's Environmental Health (MOCEH) study performed in Korea from 2006 to 2010. The second cohort was enrolled from 2004 to 2005 and included singleton term births from the Taiwan Birth Panel Study (TBPS). In total, 1147 pregnant women were included in this study. A pooled analysis was performed to obtain combined estimates of the association between prenatal total Hg exposure and birth weight. A significant negative association between maternal and cord blood Hg and birth weight in the high-Hg group (Hg level>25th percentile) was detected (maternal blood: β=−0.056; 95% CI, −0.100 to −0.013, cord blood: β=−0.075; 95% CI, −0.121 to −0.028). Hg level showed a negative coefficient in the path analysis, indicating an adverse effect on birth weight (total effects: β=−0.177, P=0.01 in MOCEH, β=−0.204, P=0.03 in TBPS), but fish consumption exhibited a strong positive coefficient. In addition, fish consumption exerted a significant indirect effect on birth weight through exposure to cord blood Hg. Exposure to hazardous contaminants and beneficial nutrients may be highly correlated in those who frequently consume fish. Moreover, Hg in cord blood may adversely affect birth weight.

Concentration Risk: A Critical Component of Credit Risk Management in Banks (A Case Study on SBI & its Associate Banks)

‘Concentration Risk: A critical component of Credit Risk management in Banks’ was a Case Study, which was conducted for SBI and Associate Banks using secondary data. Twelve year data from 1996 to 2007 were collected from Reserve Bank of India report. Aim of our study was to analyse trends in Non-Performing Assets, Studying relationship of diversified portfolio of Credit Advances and Non-Performing Assets of SBI & its Associate Banks to explore the relationship between concentration risk profile and NPAs level. All eight banks under SBI group were selected for study. The occupation Index for the banks was obtained from RBI report. The relationship of diversified portfolio of advances namely Agriculture, Industry, Transport operators, Professional and other services, Personal loans, Trade, Finance and All others along with Non-performing Asset of SBI group were considered for the study. The study was extended to Rural, Urban, Semi-urban, Metropolitan and All India regions. To extract the relationship between NPA level of SBI & associate Banks and the concentration profile, coefficient of correlation was evaluated and test of significance was conducted by t- test. The results were verified through factor analysis and regression analysis between the parameters. It was found that the relationship between NPA of SBI & its associate banks had strong positive coefficient of correlation with individual NPA of banks.The concentration index of occupations Industry and Personal loan are significant in all the regions.The concentration index of occupations Trade and Agriculture are not significant in all the regions. The factor Analysis and the regression Analysis confirms the result obtained earlier.

Welchen Zusammenhang zwischen Preis und Qualität sollte der Wettbewerb auf Konsumgütermärkten herstellen? / Which Price-Quality Relationship Should Competition Induce on Consumer Goods Markets ?

Summary Not only that consumers take it often for granted that product prices are good indicators of product quality, but also many experts in consumer economics expect a high positive price-quality relationship. However, for more than 50 years numerous studies in more than 10 countries all over the world have shown low price-quality correlation coefficients, mostly close to 0.2. These results have been interpreted twofold: (a) consumers cannot use prices as valid indicators of quality and (b) markets do not function well. In contrast to the second interpretation, this paper argues that, according to the economic theory of price formation, prices are not an indicator of quality, but an indicator of scarcity. This allows the conclusion that workable consumer goods markets, as seen from a welfare point of view, should be characterized by low or even negative correlations between price and objective quality rather than by strong positive coefficients. All the more it is the availability of valid information about product quality which is necessary to enable consumers to avoid inefficient product choices.

A New Look at Old Coefficients

For more than 50 years, numerous studies have shown low price–quality correlation coefficients, mostly close to 0.2. That prices fail to function as valid indicators of product quality has been interpreted as informational market failure. This article, however, argues, that, according to the economic theory of price formation, prices are not an indicator of quality, but an indicator of scarcity. This allows the conclusion that workable consumer goods markets, at least as seen from the consumer’s point of view, should be characterized by low or even negative correlation coefficients rather than by strong positive coefficients.

Effects of Early Auditory Experience on the Spoken Language of Deaf Children at 3 Years of Age

By age 3, typically developing children have achieved extensive vocabulary and syntax skills that facilitate both cognitive and social development. Substantial delays in spoken language acquisition have been documented for children with severe to profound deafness, even those with auditory oral training and early hearing aid use. This study documents the spoken language skills achieved by orally educated 3-yr-olds whose profound hearing loss was identified and hearing aids fitted between 1 and 30 mo of age and who received a cochlear implant between 12 and 38 mo of age. The purpose of the analysis was to examine the effects of age, duration, and type of early auditory experience on spoken language competence at age 3.5 yr. The spoken language skills of 76 children who had used a cochlear implant for at least 7 mo were evaluated via standardized 30-minute language sample analysis, a parent-completed vocabulary checklist, and a teacher language-rating scale. The children were recruited from and enrolled in oral education programs or therapy practices across the United States. Inclusion criteria included presumed deaf since birth, English the primary language of the home, no other known conditions that interfere with speech/language development, enrolled in programs using oral education methods, and no known problems with the cochlear implant lasting more than 30 days. Strong correlations were obtained among all language measures. Therefore, principal components analysis was used to derive a single Language Factor score for each child. A number of possible predictors of language outcome were examined, including age at identification and intervention with a hearing aid, duration of use of a hearing aid, pre-implant pure-tone average (PTA) threshold with a hearing aid, PTA threshold with a cochlear implant, and duration of use of a cochlear implant/age at implantation (the last two variables were practically identical because all children were tested between 40 and 44 mo of age). Examination of the independent influence of these predictors through multiple regression analysis revealed that pre-implant-aided PTA threshold and duration of cochlear implant use (i.e., age at implant) accounted for 58% of the variance in Language Factor scores. A significant negative coefficient associated with pre-implant-aided threshold indicated that children with poorer hearing before implantation exhibited poorer language skills at age 3.5 yr. Likewise, a strong positive coefficient associated with duration of implant use indicated that children who had used their implant for a longer period of time (i.e., who were implanted at an earlier age) exhibited better language at age 3.5 yr. Age at identification and amplification was unrelated to language outcome, as was aided threshold with the cochlear implant. A significant quadratic trend in the relation between duration of implant use and language score revealed a steady increase in language skill (at age 3.5 yr) for each additional month of use of a cochlear implant after the first 12 mo of implant use. The advantage to language of longer implant use became more pronounced over time. Longer use of a cochlear implant in infancy and very early childhood dramatically affects the amount of spoken language exhibited by 3-yr-old, profoundly deaf children. In this sample, the amount of pre-implant intervention with a hearing aid was not related to language outcome at 3.5 yr of age. Rather, it was cochlear implantation at a younger age that served to promote spoken language competence. The previously identified language-facilitating factors of early identification of hearing impairment and early educational intervention may not be sufficient for optimizing spoken language of profoundly deaf children unless it leads to early cochlear implantation.

Environmental factors and cancer mortality in Italy: correlational exercise.

Mortality rates for 21 cancer sites in 20 Italian regions have been correlated with several economic and dietary variables (including alcohol and coffee consumption), patterns of cigarette smoking and reproductive habits. In both sexes, a large number of strong correlations emerged, the most notable ones being the strong positive coefficients between cigarettes sold in the early 1950s and lung cancer mortality in middle-aged males in the early 1970s, between gross internal product or meat consumption and cancer of the intestines in both sexes, between total per caput consumption and cancer of the prostate and between mean age at first birth, gross internal product and milk consumption and cancer of the breast. Cancer of the ovary was positively correlated with mean age at the first birth, and negatively with average number of births. Among the unexpected correlations observed, the most remarkable ones were the strong positive coefficient between skin cancer mortality and latitude (which can however be explained in terms of different constitutional characteristics of skin color in various Italian regions), and the pattern of coefficients emerging for gastric cancer, showing positive correlations with gross internal product or meat and negative ones with bread, pasta or fish. These and other results (including the analysis of several first-order partial correlation coefficients) are discussed with regard to their limitations and major points of interest, and in comparison with similar studies conducted on different populations.

Economic and Demographic Determinants of Educational Commitment: Massachusetts, 1855

More than half the variance in length of school session in a cross section of 329 localities in Massachusetts in 1855 can be explained by the share of Irish in.the town's population, the family per dwelling ratio, and a proxy for the share of male merchants over 15 in the population, all of which enter regression equations with strong positive coefficients. This paper considers what these results may tell us about a number of hypotheses that link industrialization and educational revitalization in antebellum Massachusetts, discusses independent confirmation of these basic relationships, and concludes with a more general discussion of the implications of this Massachusetts evidence.