scholarly journals Trade-offs among transport, support, and storage in xylem from shrubs in a semiarid chaparral environment tested with structural equation modeling

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (33) ◽  
pp. e2104336118
Author(s):  
R. B. Pratt ◽  
A. L. Jacobsen ◽  
M. I. Percolla ◽  
M. E. De Guzman ◽  
C. A. Traugh ◽  
...  

The xylem in plants is specialized to transport water, mechanically support the plant body, and store water and carbohydrates. Balancing these functions leads to trade-offs that are linked to xylem structure. We proposed a multivariate hypothesis regarding the main xylem functions and tested it using structural equation modeling. We sampled 29 native shrub species from field sites in semiarid Southern California. We quantified xylem water transport (embolism resistance and transport efficiency), mechanical strength, storage of water (capacitance) and starch, minimum hydrostatic pressures (Pmin), and proportions of fibers, vessels, and parenchyma, which were treated as a latent variable representing “cellular trade-offs.” We found that xylem functions (transport, mechanical support, water storage, and starch storage) were independent, a result driven by Pmin. Pmin was strongly and directly or indirectly associated with all xylem functions as a hub trait. More negative Pmin was associated with increased embolism resistance and tissue strength and reduced capacitance and starch storage. We found strong support for a trade-off between embolism resistance and transport efficiency. Tissue strength was not directly associated with embolism resistance or transport efficiency, and any associations were indirect involving Pmin. With Pmin removed from the model, cellular trade-offs were central and related to all other traits. We conclude that xylem traits are broadly governed by functional trade-offs and that the Pmin experienced by plants in the field exerts a strong influence over these relationships. Angiosperm xylem contains different cell types that contribute to different functions and that underpin trade-offs.

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Aras Jalal Mhamad ◽  
Renas Abubaker Ahmed

       Based on medical exchange and medical information processing theories with statistical tools, our study proposes and tests a research model that investigates main factors behind abortion issue. Data were collected from the survey of Maternity hospital in Sulaimani, Kurdistan-Iraq. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) is a powerful technique as it estimates the causal relationship between more than one dependent variable and many independent variables, which is ability to incorporate quantitative and qualitative data, and it shows how all latent variables are related to each other. The dependent latent variable in SEM which have one-way arrows pointing to them is called endogenous variable while others are exogenous variables. The structural equation modeling results reveal is underlying mechanism through which statistical tools, as relationship between factors; previous disease information, food and drug information, patient address, mother’s information, abortion information, which are caused abortion problem. Simply stated, the empirical data support the study hypothesis and the research model we have proposed is viable. The data of the study were obtained from a survey of Maternity hospital in Sulaimani, Kurdistan-Iraq, which is in close contact with patients for long periods, and it is number one area for pregnant women to obtain information about the abortion issue. The results shows arrangement about factors effectiveness as mentioned at section five of the study. This gives the conclusion that abortion problem must be more concern than the other pregnancy problem.


2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katja L Krugmann ◽  
Farina J Mieloch ◽  
Joachim Krieter ◽  
Irena Czycholl

Abstract The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the primarily positive affective state of fattening pigs influences various behavioral and physiological parameters such as the pigs’ playing behavior, way of behaving in behavioral tests, body language signals, or diameter, and astroglia cell numbers of hippocampi, salivary immunoglobulin A (IgA) content, or salivary protein composition. Additionally, the suitability of the variables mentioned was examined to assess the pigs’ positive affective state in practice, which still constitutes a latent variable not itself measurable. For this, a dataset including behavioral and physiological data of 60 fattening pigs from 3 different farms with different housing systems was analyzed by the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) method. A hierarchical component model (HCM) was used including the pigs’ positive affective state as a higher-order component (HOC) and the behavioral and physiological parameters as lower-order components (LOC). Playing behavior, body language signals, and behavioral tests were revealed, in this order, to be most influenced by the pigs’ positive affective state since these resulted in the corresponding path coefficients (PC) of PC = 0.83, PC = 0.79, and PC = 0.62, respectively. Additionally moderate and weak R2-values occurred for the endogenous latent variables playing behavior (R2 = 69.8%), body language signals (R2 = 62.7%), and behavioral tests (R2 = 39.5%). Furthermore, the indicator of the “locomotor play” showed the highest indicator reliability (IR) (IR = 0.85) to estimate the latent variable of pigs’ positive affective state. The results of the present study supplement the comprehension and assessment of the pigs’ positive affective state in general.


2015 ◽  
Vol 57 (5) ◽  
pp. 701-725 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hervé Guyon ◽  
Jean-François Petiot

Ratings-based conjoint analysis suffers two problems: the distortion raised by consumer perceptions of brand equity, and the lack of efficiency of probabilistic models for estimating preference shares. This article proposes two new approaches to scale customer-based brand equity using repeated measures and structural equation modeling and to estimate the share of preferences on the basis of a randomized first choice. The outcome is a new tool to predict accurate preference shares, taking into account product utilities (estimated by rating-based conjoint analysis) and the brand equity related to product attributes (estimated as a latent variable with structural equation modeling). An example with three products illustrates this new approach.


2007 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 357-365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Todd D. Little ◽  
Kristopher J. Preacher ◽  
James P. Selig ◽  
Noel A. Card

We review fundamental issues in one traditional structural equation modeling (SEM) approach to analyzing longitudinal data — cross-lagged panel designs. We then discuss a number of new developments in SEM that are applicable to analyzing panel designs. These issues include setting appropriate scales for latent variables, specifying an appropriate null model, evaluating factorial invariance in an appropriate manner, and examining both direct and indirect (mediated), effects in ways better suited for panel designs. We supplement each topic with discussion intended to enhance conceptual and statistical understanding.


2009 ◽  
Vol 105 (2) ◽  
pp. 411-426 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denise Jepsen ◽  
John Rodwell

Dimensionality of the Colquitt justice measures was investigated across a wide range of service occupations. Structural equation modeling of data from 410 survey respondents found support for the 4-factor model of justice (procedural, distributive, interpersonal, and informational), although significant improvement of model fit was obtained by including a new latent variable, “procedural voice,” which taps employees' desire to express their views and feelings and influence results. The model was confirmed in a second sample ( N = 505) in the same organization six months later.


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