County-level USA: No Robust Relationship between Geoclimatic Variables and Cognitive Ability

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bryan J Pesta ◽  
John Fuerst ◽  
Emil O. W. Kirkegaard
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Ability ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Cold Weather ◽  
Regression Equations ◽  
County Level ◽  
Spatial Lag ◽  
Average Temperature ◽  
Wrong Direction ◽  
Race Ethnicity ◽  
Demographic Covariates

Using a sample of ~3,100 U.S. counties, we tested geoclimatic explanations for why cognitive ability varies across geography. These models posit that geoclimatic factors will strongly predict cognitive ability across geography, even when a variety of common controls appear in the regression equations. Our results generally do not support UV radiation (UVR) based or other geoclimatic models. Specifically, although UVR alone predicted cognitive ability at the U.S. county-level (β = -.33), its validity was markedly reduced in the presence of climatic and demographic covariates (β = -.16), and was reduced even further with a spatial lag (β = -.10). For climate models, average temperature remained a significant predictor in the regression equation containing a spatial lag (β = .35). However, the effect was in the wrong direction relative to typical cold weather hypotheses. Moreover, when we ran the analyses separately by race/ethnicity, no consistent pattern appeared in the models containing the spatial lag. Analyses of gap sizes across counties were also generally inconsistent with predictions from the UVR model. Instead, results seemed to provide support for compositional models.

scholarly journals County-level USA: No Robust Relationship between Geoclimatic Variables and Cognitive Ability

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bryan J. Pesta ◽  
John G. R. Fuerst ◽  
Emil Kirkegaard
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Ability ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Cold Weather ◽  
Regression Equations ◽  
County Level ◽  
Spatial Lag ◽  
Average Temperature ◽  
Wrong Direction ◽  
Race Ethnicity ◽  
Demographic Covariates

Using a sample of ~3,100 U.S. counties, we tested geoclimatic explanations for why cognitive ability varies across geography. These models posit that geoclimatic factors will strongly predict cognitive ability across geography, even when a variety of common controls appear in the regression equations. Our results generally do not support UV radiation (UVR) based or other geoclimatic models. Specifically, although UVR alone predicted cognitive ability at the U.S. county-level (β = -.33), its validity was markedly reduced in the presence of climatic and demographic covariates (β = -.16), and was reduced even further with a spatial lag (β = -.10). For climate models, average temperature remained a significant predictor in the regression equation containing a spatial lag (β = .35). However, the effect was in the wrong direction relative to typical cold weather hypotheses. Moreover, when we ran the analyses separately by race/ethnicity, no consistent pattern appeared in the models containing the spatial lag. Analyses of gap sizes across counties were also generally inconsistent with predictions from the UVR model. Instead, results seemed to provide support for compositional models.

Race, Ethnicity, and Trial Avoidance: A Multilevel Analysis

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 422-451
Author(s):  
Jacqueline G. Lee ◽  
Rebecca L. Richardson
Keyword(s):  
Racial Disparities ◽  
Multilevel Analysis ◽  
Hierarchical Linear Modeling ◽  
County Level ◽  
Racial Threat ◽  
Linear Modeling ◽  
Race Ethnicity ◽  
Black Defendants ◽  
White Defendants ◽  
Threat Theory

Minority criminal defendants are more likely than White defendants to exercise their right to trial, which is concerning given that research also consistently finds trial sentences to be harsher than those obtained via pleas. However, guilty pleas are not the only disposition available for avoiding a trial; pretrial diversions and case dismissals also serve as mechanisms for trial avoidance. Using hierarchical linear modeling, we find that Black criminal defendants are more likely than Whites to go to trial rather than receive other case disposition. Relationships for Hispanic defendants are less consistent. Fewer county-level effects emerge than expected, providing little to no support for racial threat theory. Results suggest that Black defendants are less often able or willing to avoid a trial, a finding which highlights and perhaps helps to explain racial disparities in final sentencing outcomes.

scholarly journals Climate models can correctly simulate the continuum of global-average temperature variability

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (18) ◽  
pp. 8728-8733 ◽  
Author(s):  
Feng Zhu ◽  
Julien Emile-Geay ◽  
Nicholas P. McKay ◽  
Gregory J. Hakim ◽  
Deborah Khider ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Models ◽  
Initial Conditions ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Deep Ocean ◽  
Critical Element ◽  
Average Temperature ◽  
Global Mean Temperature ◽  
Low Frequency Variability ◽  
Climate Forcings ◽  
Global Mean

Climate records exhibit scaling behavior with large exponents, resulting in larger fluctuations at longer timescales. It is unclear whether climate models are capable of simulating these fluctuations, which draws into question their ability to simulate such variability in the coming decades and centuries. Using the latest simulations and data syntheses, we find agreement for spectra derived from observations and models on timescales ranging from interannual to multimillennial. Our results confirm the existence of a scaling break between orbital and annual peaks, occurring around millennial periodicities. That both simple and comprehensive ocean–atmosphere models can reproduce these features suggests that long-range persistence is a consequence of the oceanic integration of both gradual and abrupt climate forcings. This result implies that Holocene low-frequency variability is partly a consequence of the climate system’s integrated memory of orbital forcing. We conclude that climate models appear to contain the essential physics to correctly simulate the spectral continuum of global-mean temperature; however, regional discrepancies remain unresolved. A critical element of successfully simulating suborbital climate variability involves, we hypothesize, initial conditions of the deep ocean state that are consistent with observations of the recent past.

scholarly journals Intelligence and Religiosity among Dating Site Users

Psych ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-33
Author(s):  
Emil O. W. Kirkegaard ◽  
Jordan Lasker
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Ability ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Religious Groups ◽  
Large Dataset ◽  
Religious Conviction ◽  
Final Model ◽  
Religious People ◽  
Model Versus ◽  
Demographic Covariates ◽  
The Relationship

We sought to assess whether previous findings regarding the relationship between cognitive ability and religiosity could be replicated in a large dataset of online daters (maximum n = 67k). We found that self-declared religious people had lower IQs than nonreligious people (atheists and agnostics). Furthermore, within most religious groups, a negative relationship between the strength of religious conviction and IQ was observed. This relationship was absent or reversed in nonreligious groups. A factor of religiousness based on five questions correlated at −0.38 with IQ after adjusting for reliability (−0.30 before). The relationship between IQ and religiousness was not strongly confounded by plausible demographic covariates (β = −0.24 in final model versus −0.30 without covariates).

scholarly journals Patients with Epididymo-Orchitis and Meteorological Impact in Taiwan: A Nationwide Population-Based Study

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Jui-Ming Liu ◽  
Ying-Hsu Chang ◽  
Te-Wei Ho ◽  
Fung-Wei Chang ◽  
See-Tong Pang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Linear Correlation ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Cold Weather ◽  
Population Based Study ◽  
Average Temperature ◽  
Sunshine Hours ◽  
Common Infectious Disease ◽  
Positive Linear Correlation ◽  
Meteorological Impact ◽  
Central Weather Bureau

Background. Epididymo-orchitis is a common infectious disease among men, especially men aged 20 to 39 years. The aim of this study was to analyze possible associations of various meteorological indicators on the incidence of epididymo-orchitis in Taiwan.Methods and Materials. This nationwide population-based study collected data on cases of epididymo-orchitis that were newly diagnosed from 2001 to 2013 in Taiwan. Monthly meteorological indicators, including average temperatures, humidity, rainfall, total rain days, and sunshine hours, were collected from the Central Weather Bureau of Taiwan. Data for a total of 7,233 patients with epididymo-orchitis were collected for this study.Results. The monthly incidence of epididymo-orchitis was positively correlated with temperature, rainfall, and sunshine hours. The average monthly temperature had a linear correlation with the incidence of epididymo-orchitis (ß=0.11). The monthly average temperature is significantly related, with a positive linear correlation, to the incidence of epididymo-orchitis in Taiwan.Conclusion. This finding may constitute useful information in terms of helping physicians to distinguish between patients with epididymo-orchitis and testicular torsion in hot or cold weather.

scholarly journals County‐Level Factors Associated With Cardiovascular Mortality by Race/Ethnicity

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bongeka Z. Zuma ◽  
Justin T. Parizo ◽  
Areli Valencia ◽  
Gabriela Spencer‐Bonilla ◽  
Manuel R. Blum ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Healthcare Access ◽  
Ethnic Disparities ◽  
County Level ◽  
Cvd Risk Factors ◽  
Cvd Risk ◽  
Race Ethnicity ◽  
Racial Ethnic ◽  
Hispanic White ◽  
Cvd Mortality

Background Persistent racial/ethnic disparities in cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality are partially explained by healthcare access and socioeconomic, demographic, and behavioral factors. Little is known about the association between race/ethnicity‐specific CVD mortality and county‐level factors. Methods and Results Using 2017 county‐level data, we studied the association between race/ethnicity‐specific CVD age‐adjusted mortality rate (AAMR) and county‐level factors (demographics, census region, socioeconomics, CVD risk factors, and healthcare access). Univariate and multivariable linear regressions were used to estimate the association between these factors; R 2 values were used to assess the factors that accounted for the greatest variation in CVD AAMR by race/ethnicity (non‐Hispanic White, non‐Hispanic Black, and Hispanic/Latinx individuals). There were 659 740 CVD deaths among non‐Hispanic White individuals in 2698 counties; 100 475 deaths among non‐Hispanic Black individuals in 717 counties; and 49 493 deaths among Hispanic/Latinx individuals across 267 counties. Non‐Hispanic Black individuals had the highest mean CVD AAMR (320.04 deaths per 100 000 individuals), whereas Hispanic/Latinx individuals had the lowest (168.42 deaths per 100 000 individuals). The highest CVD AAMRs across all racial/ethnic groups were observed in the South. In unadjusted analyses, the greatest variation ( R 2 ) in CVD AAMR was explained by physical inactivity for non‐Hispanic White individuals (32.3%), median household income for non‐Hispanic Black individuals (24.7%), and population size for Hispanic/Latinx individuals (28.4%). In multivariable regressions using county‐level factor categories, the greatest variation in CVD AAMR was explained by CVD risk factors for non‐Hispanic White individuals (35.3%), socioeconomic factors for non‐Hispanic Black (25.8%), and demographic factors for Hispanic/Latinx individuals (34.9%). Conclusions The associations between race/ethnicity‐specific age‐adjusted CVD mortality and county‐level factors differ significantly. Interventions to reduce disparities may benefit from being designed accordingly.

scholarly journals California Autism Prevalence by County and Race/Ethnicity: Declining Trends Among Wealthy Whites

2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (11) ◽  
pp. 4011-4021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cynthia Nevison ◽  
William Parker
Keyword(s):  
Rate Of Change ◽  
County Level ◽  
Lower Income ◽  
California Department ◽  
Private Care ◽  
Opting Out ◽  
White Parents ◽  
Race Ethnicity ◽  
Year 2000 ◽  
Autism Prevalence

Abstract County-level ASD prevalence was estimated using an age-resolved snapshot from the California Department of Developmental Services (DDS) for birth years 1993–2013. ASD prevalence increased among all children across birth years 1993–2000 but plateaued or declined thereafter among whites from wealthy counties. In contrast, ASD rates increased continuously across 1993–2013 among whites from lower income counties and Hispanics from all counties. Both white ASD prevalence and rate of change in prevalence were inversely correlated to county income from birth year 2000–2013 but not 1993–2000. These disparate trends within the dataset suggest that wealthy white parents, starting around 2000, may have begun opting out of DDS in favor of private care and/or making changes that effectively lowered their children’s risk of ASD.

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