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Trend Effects (trend + effects)
Selected AbstractsModified median polish kriging and its application to the Wolfcamp,Aquifer dataENVIRONMETRICS, Issue 8 2001Olaf Berke Abstract In geostatistics, spatial data will be analyzed that often come from irregularly distributed sampling locations. Interest is in modelling the data, i.e. estimating distributional parameters, and then to predict the phenomenon under study at unobserved sites within the corresponding sampling domain. The method of universal kriging for spatial prediction was introduced to cover the problem of spatial trend effects. This is done by incorporating linear trend models, e.g. polynomial functions of the spatial co-ordinates. However, universal kriging is sensitive to additive outliers. An outlier resistant method for spatial prediction is median polish kriging. Both methods have certain advantages but also some drawbacks. Here, universal kriging and median polish kriging will be combined to the robust spatial prediction method called modified median polish kriging. An example illustrates the method of modified median polish kriging along with piezometric-head data from the Wolfcamp,Aquifer. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Dietary lactulose decreases apparent nitrogen absorption and increases apparent calcium and magnesium absorption in healthy dogsJOURNAL OF ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY AND NUTRITION, Issue 3-4 2001A. C. Beynen To study the effect of lactulose on the route of nitrogen excretion, we fed six healthy, adult dogs on diets containing either 0, 1 or 3 g lactulose/MJ metabolizable energy according to a 3 × 3 Latin square design. The results were analysed to identify statistically significant linear trend effects of lactulose. Faecal pH was significantly lowered by lactulose. Faecal ammonium and nitrogen excretion tended to be raised by lactulose feeding whereas urinary urea excretion was significantly reduced. Lactulose feeding significantly lowered apparent nitrogen digestibility. It is concluded that lactulose feeding shifts nitrogen excretion from urine to faeces in dogs which may be beneficial for liver patients. The data are in line with the concept that lactulose stimulates bacterial growth in the colon which in turn enhances faecal nitrogen excretion and lowers the entry of colonic ammonia into the bloodstream, leading to a lesser workload for the liver and less urinary nitrogen excretion. Lactulose consumption was also found to produce a dose-dependent increase in the apparent absorption of calcium and magnesium, but not phosphorus. [source] Modeling the effects of El Niño, density-dependence, and disturbance on harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) counts in Drakes Estero, California: 1997,2007MARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE, Issue 1 2009Benjamin H. Becker Abstract Harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) haul-out site use may be affected by natural or anthropogenic factors. Here, we use an 11-yr (1997,2007) study of a seal colony located near a mariculture operation in Drakes Estero, California, to test for natural (El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), density-dependence, long-term trends) and anthropogenic (disturbance or displacement related to oyster production activities) factors that may influence the use of haul-out subsites. Annual mariculture related seal disturbance rates increased significantly with increases in oyster harvest (rs= 0.55). Using generalized linear models (GLMs) ranked by best fit and Akaike's Information Criteria, ENSO and oyster production (as a proxy for disturbance/displacement) best explained the patterns of seal use at all three subsites near the mariculture operations, with effects being stronger at the two subsites closest to operations. Conversely, density-dependence and linear trend effects poorly explained the counts at these subsites. We conclude that a combination of ENSO and mariculture activities best explain the patterns of seal haul-out use during the breeding/pupping season at the seal haul-out sites closest to oyster activities. [source] The trend of mean BMI values of US adults, birth cohorts 1882,1986 indicates that the obesity epidemic began earlier than hitherto thoughtAMERICAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN BIOLOGY, Issue 5 2010John Komlos Background: The trend in the body mass index (BMI) values of the US population has not been estimated accurately because the time series data are unavailable and the focus has been on calculating period effects. Objectives: To estimate the trend and rate of change of BMI values by birth cohorts stratified by gender and ethnicity born 1882,1986. Methods: We use loess additive regression models to estimate age and trend effects of BMI values of US-born black and white adults measured between 1959 and 2006. We use all the National Health Examination Survey and National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data. Results: The increase in BMI was already underway among the birth cohorts of the early 20th century. The rate of increase was fastest among black females; for the three other groups under consideration, the rates of increase were similar. The generally persistent upward trend was punctuated by upsurges, particularly after each of the two world wars. The estimated rate of change of BMI values increased by 71% among black females between the birth cohorts 1955 and those of 1965 is indicative of the rapid increases in their weight. Conclusions: We infer that transition to postindustrial weights was a gradual process and began considerably earlier than hitherto supposed. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 22:631,638, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] |