Many biological traits covary with body size, resulting in an allometric relationship. Identifying the evolutionary drivers of these traits is complicated by possible relationships between a candidate selective agent and body size itself, motivating the widespread use of multiple regression analysis. However, the possibility that multiple regression may generate misleading estimates when predictor variables are correlated has recently received much attention. Here, we argue that a primary source of such bias is the failure to account for the complex causal structures underlying brains, bodies, and agents. When brains and bodies are expected to evolve in a correlated manner over and above the effects of specific agents of selection, neither simple nor multiple regression will identify the true causal effect of an agent on brain size. This problem results from the inclusion of a predictor variable in a regression analysis that is (in part) a consequence of the response variable. We demonstrate these biases with examples and derive estimators to identify causal relationships when traits evolve as a function of an existing allometry. Model mis-specification relative to plausible causal structures, not collinearity, requires further consideration as an important source of bias in comparative analyses.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/evl3.258 | DOI Listing |
Front Plant Sci
December 2024
National Navel Orange Engineering Research Center, School of Life Sciences, Gannan Normal University, Ganzhou, China.
Gannan is the largest navel orange production area in China. Most studies have primarily focused on the effects of either soil or topographic factors on the quality of navel oranges. However, there has been a lack of research exploring the relationship between navel orange quality and multiple environmental factors (meteorological, topographic, and soil).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTherap Adv Gastroenterol
December 2024
Department of Gastroenterology, Second Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.
Background: Colorectal adenomas (CAs) represent a significant global health issue, particularly in China, where lifestyle modifications have contributed to their increased prevalence. These adenomas are precursors to colorectal cancer. While high-fiber diets have been shown to decrease risk, the implications of food-specific serum immunoglobulin G reactivity (FSsIgGR) on CAs remain uncertain and warrant further investigation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTher Adv Infect Dis
December 2024
Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, 3000 Arlington Avenue, Mail Stop 1186, Toledo, OH 43614, USA.
Background: Outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy (OPAT) enhances patient safety, improves outcomes, and reduces healthcare costs by decreasing 30-day readmissions and adverse events. However, the optimal structure and follow-up protocols for OPAT programs remain undefined. Identifying high-risk patients for readmission and managing adverse drug events (ADEs) are critical components of OPAT care.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTrauma Surg Acute Care Open
December 2024
University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Introduction: The utility of pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) for high-grade traumatic injuries remains unclear and data surrounding its use are limited. We hypothesized that PD does not result in improved outcomes when compared with non-PD surgical management of grade IV-V pancreaticoduodenal injuries.
Methods: This is a retrospective, multicenter analysis from 35 level 1 trauma centers from January 2010 to December 2020.
ARYA Atheroscler
January 2024
Department of Clinical Nutrition, School of Nutrition and Food Science, Nutrition and Food Security Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
Background: Heart failure (HF), or congestive Heart failure (CHF), is a heart disorder with a number of symptoms caused by the heart's inability to pump blood. Our aim in conducting this study is to investigate the adherence to dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) diet components and the risk of HF in Iranian adult women and men.
Methods: In this hospital-based, case-control study, we included 340 participants (194 men and 146 women) aged 30-70 years who were recently (less than 6 months) diagnosed with HF.
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