Not 'Islands, Entire of Themselves': Exploring the Spatial Context of City-level Robbery Rates

The current study examines spatial dependence in robbery rates for a sample of 1,056 cities with 25,000 or more residents over the 2000-2003 period. Although commonly considered in some macro-level research, spatial processes have not been examined in relation to city-level variation in robbery. The results of our regression analyses suggest that city robbery rates are not spatially independent. We find that spatial dependence is better accounted for by spatial error models than by spatial lag models. Further exploration of various spatial weights matrices indicates that robbery rates of cities within the same state are related to robbery rates of other cities within the same state, regardless of their proximity. Our analyses illustrate how systematic inquiry into spatial processes can alert researchers to important omitted variable biases and identify intriguing problems for future research.

The physical effect of lumbar spinal supports

A study has been performed to investigate the physical effects of lumbar spinal supports. Two groups were studied, a group of normal male subjects and a group of male low back pain patients. Five different spinal supports were investigated and their effects upon the skin temperature, spinal movements and intra-abdominal pressures of these individuals were examined. The results show surprisingly similar patterns for the widely varying designs of support. The findings also suggest that the longer term wearing of a spinal support results in a degree of physical dependence. The results of this study are aimed at improving the prescription and use of spinal supports in the treatment of low back pain.