Indirect Causal Relationships Research Articles

Strength of spatial correlation between gray matter connectivity and patterns of proto-oncogene and neural network construction gene expression is associated with diffuse glioma survival.

Like other forms of neuropathology, gliomas appear to spread along neural pathways. Accordingly, our group and others have previously shown that brain network connectivity is highly predictive of glioma survival. In this study, we aimed to examine the molecular mechanisms of this relationship via imaging transcriptomics. We retrospectively obtained presurgical, T1-weighted MRI datasets from 669 adult patients, newly diagnosed with diffuse glioma. We measured brain connectivity using gray matter networks and coregistered these data with a transcriptomic brain atlas to determine the spatial co-localization between brain connectivity and expression patterns for 14 proto-oncogenes and 3 neural network construction genes. We found that all 17 genes were significantly co-localized with brain connectivity (p < 0.03, corrected). The strength of co-localization was highly predictive of overall survival in a cross-validated Cox Proportional Hazards model (mean area under the curve, AUC = 0.68 +/- 0.01) and significantly (p < 0.001) more so for a random forest survival model (mean AUC = 0.97 +/- 0.06). Bayesian network analysis demonstrated direct and indirect causal relationships among gene-brain co-localizations and survival. Gene ontology analysis showed that metabolic processes were overexpressed when spatial co-localization between brain connectivity and gene transcription was highest (p < 0.001). Drug-gene interaction analysis identified 84 potential candidate therapies based on our findings. Our findings provide novel insights regarding how gene-brain connectivity interactions may affect glioma survival.

Detecting causal relationship of non-floodplain wetland hydrologic connectivity using convergent cross mapping

The hydrologic connectivity of non-floodplain wetlands (NFWs) with downstream water (DW) has gained increased importance, but connectivity via groundwater (GW) is largely unknown owing to the high complexity of hydrological processes and climatic seasonality. In this study, a causal inference method, convergent cross mapping (CCM), was applied to detect the hydrologic causality between upland NFW and DW through GW. CCM is a nonlinear inference method for detecting causal relationships among environmental variables with weak or moderate coupling in nonlinear dynamical systems. We assumed that causation would exist when the following conditions were observed: (1) the presence of two direct causal (NFW → GW and GW → DW) and one indirect causal (NFW → DW) relationship; (2) a nonexistent opposite causal relationship (DW → NFW); (3) the two direct causations with shorter lag times relative to indirect causation; and (4) similar patterns not observed with pseudo DW. The water levels monitored by a well and piezometer represented NFW and GW measurements, respectively, and the DW was indicated by the baseflow at the outlet of the drainage area, including NFW. To elucidate causality, the DW taken at the adjacent drainage area with similar climatic seasonality was also tested as pseudo DW. The CCM results showed that the water flow from NFW to GW and then DW was only present, and any opposite flows did not exist. In addition, direct causations had shorter lag time than indirect causation, and 3-day lag time was shown between NFW and DW. Interestingly, the results with pseudo DW did not show any lagged interactions, indicating non-causation. These results provide the signals for the hydrologic connectivity of NFW and DW with GW. Therefore, this study would support the importance of NFW protection and management.

Cadmium accumulation in brown rice (Oryza sativa L.) depends on environmental factors and nutrient transport: A three-year field study

Cadmium (Cd) accumulation in brown rice is a complex process in agroecosystems and is influenced by multiple factors, such as climate, soil properties, and nutrient transport. However, during the Cd transport process (soil-root-straw-brown rice), it remains unclear how Cd concentration in brown rice (BCd) is causal relationship to environmental factors and nutrient transport. The differences in precipitation, soil properties, nutrient transport, and Cd transport were studied through a three-year fixed-point field trial and linked them to the standard of Cd and nutrient absorption and transport processes. The results showed that the available Cd concentration (ACd), and BCd in 2020 were lower than those in 2019 and 2021, but monthly precipitation (MP) was higher in 2020 than in 2019 and 2021. The MP and niche metrics were significantly negatively associated with ACd and BCd. However, the relationship between the form and location of different nutrient elements and Cd in roots, Cd in straws, and BCd also varied during the transport of nutrient elements and Cd from soil to root to straw to brown rice. Structural equation modelling analysis showed that nitrogen (N 15.5 %), phosphorus (P 14.1 %), silicon (Si 4.2 %), and iron (Fe 7.6 %) transport were more closely related to BCd than to potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and manganese (Mn). The increase in MP significantly inhibited the increase in BCd, whereas the MP led to a decrease in BCd by affecting the transport of N and Fe. Among them, Si, Fe, and BCd had indirect causal relationships, whereas N, P, and BCd had direct causal relationships. Particularly, P is a crucial nutrient in reducing BCd in the Cd transport process. Our results highlight a strong causal relationship between environmental factors and nutrient transport and BCd, and provide a theoretical basis for fertiliser application in Cd-contaminated agroecosystems.

INDIVIDUAL PREDISPOSITION AND TAX KNOWLEDGE: GENDER DIFFERENCE ON TAXPAYER COMPLIANCE OF BATIK MSME

Changes in the business world due to the COVID-19 pandemic have directly affected the Individual predisposition of business people. The government provides several economic stimuli so that the Indonesian economy and adjustments to tax regulations harmonization of tax regulations. Harmonization of tax regulations is expected to help income from the tax sector with taxpayer compliance in paying taxes. The purpose of this study is to analyze the individual predisposiotion of Batik SME’s in the Special Region of Yogyakarta in carrying out tax payment obligations due to the latest legislation harmonization of tax regulations. This research uses the method of purposive sampling with the number of respondents 50 male respondents and 50 womans respondents. Data were processed using WarpPLS 7.0 to aim of examining direct and indirect causal relationships as well as significant and insignificant ones. The results of the study explain that variableIndividual Predispositon male respondents did not affect taxpayer compliance even though the mediation variable Harmonization of Tax Regulations was added, while for woman respondents this had a direct effect. The tax knowledge variable is directly and significantly related to male and woman taxpayer compliance. The mediation variable Harmonization of Tax Regulations has a significant effect on male respondent taxpayer compliance, but the mediation variable provides an insignificant relationship so that this variable fully mediates for woman respondents.

Multiscale Partial Symbolic Transfer Entropy for Time-Delay Root Cause Diagnosis in Nonstationary Industrial Processes

Nonstationary characteristics and lack of time delays analysis remain two large obstacles to diagnosing fault root cause in industrial processes. However, ignoring these two issues, many traditional methods tend to introduce some spurious or indirect causal relationships that interfere with root cause judgments. In this article, multiscale partial symbolic transfer entropy (MPSTE) is proposed to handle the above-mentioned problems. On the one hand, a multivariate multiscale filter module of MPSTE is designed to estimate the information transfer on multiple time scales and detect time delays while considering the indirect causality of the multivariate industrial system. On the other hand, to capture the causal information from the nonstationary processes, MPSTE introduces a segmental symbolization procedure and maps time series into finite rank vectors, overcoming the limitation of stationarity. Moreover, two causal criteria for MPSTE are constructed to identify the direction and significance level of causality correspondingly. MPSTE can thus provide sufficient information for causal relationships and exclude spurious causality. Finally, a causal diagram construction strategy with time delay based on MPSTE is established to diagnose the root cause and trace the fault propagation path. The results of experimental verification in a coal mill rig prove the effectiveness of the proposed strategy.

Mapping of Soil Organic Carbon Stocks Based on Aerial Photography in a Fragmented Desertification Landscape

Northern China’s agropastoral ecotone has been a key area of desertification control for decades, and digital maps of its soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks are needed to reveal the gaps between the actual SOC levels and baseline to support land degradation neutrality (LDN) under the Sustainable Development Goals. However, reliable soil information is scarce, and accurate prediction is hindered by the fragmented landscape, which is a dominant characteristic of desertified land. To improve the patchiness identification and accuracy of SOC prediction, we conducted field surveys and collected low-altitude aerial images along the desertification degrees (severe and extremely severe, moderate, slight) in the Horqin Sandy Land. Linear regressions were performed on the relationships between the normalized difference vegetation index and the fractional vegetation cover (FVC) extracted from aerial images, and regression kriging was applied to predict SOC stocks based on the soil-forming factors (vegetation, climate, and topography). Our prediction and cross-validation showed that the fragmented structure and prediction accuracy of SOC stocks were both greatly improved for desertified land. The FVC (R2c = 0.94) and evapotranspiration (R2c = 0.86) had significant positive effects on SOC stocks, respectively, with indirect and direct causal relationships. Our results could provide soil information with better patchiness and accuracy to help policymakers determine the future LDN status in this fragmented desertification landscape. As drone technology becomes more available, it will fully support digital mapping of soil properties.

Ocular associations in hyperlipidaemia: A rural hospital based study

The incidence of hypercholesterolemia is ever increasing as the co morbid conditions such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, stressful life is on a rise. Ocular conditions associated with hypercholesterolemia are issues which are minimally discussed. : This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2019 to June 2019. Complete eye examination was performed including visual acuity examination, refraction, tear film evaluation, slit lamp examination, measurement of intraocular pressure using rebound tonometer, gonioscopy, direct and indirect ophthalmoscopy Total of 81 patients were examined, out of which males were 55, females were 26. Most common ocular finding was Xanthoma and Xanthelasma in 61(70%) patients. Arcus juvenalis was noted in 12 (14.63%), Lipid keratopathy in 23(29.26%). Other comorbidities associated were Hypertensive Retinopathy, diabetic retinopathy, Pre senile cataract, Primary open angle Glaucoma, Branch retinal vein occlusion which has indirect causal relationship. Along with systemic workup, Hypercholesterolemia also warrants a routine detailed ocular examination even if the patient is asymptomatic. This aids in early diagnosis and management of the co-existing ocular morbidities.

Chinese Residents’ Perceived Ecosystem Services and Disservices Impacts Behavioral Intention for Urban Community Garden: An Extension of the Theory of Planned Behavior

Urban community gardens (UCGs), greenspace cultivated and managed for vegetables by local communities, provide substantial ecosystem services (ES) and are warmly welcomed by residents. However, they also have many ecosystem disservices (EDS) and are almost always refused by the decision-makers of the government, especially in China. Better understanding the residents’ perceived ES and EDS and the impact on the behavioral intention (BI) toward UCGs is of great value to solve the conflicts between residents and the government concerning UCGs and to develop sustainable UCGs. Following the theory of planned behavior (TPB), we measured perceived ES/EDS, attitudes (ATT), perceived behavioral control (PBC), subjective norm (SN), and BI of 1142 residents in Changsha, China, and investigated their direct and indirect causal relationships using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results showed that: (1) ATT, PBC, and SN significantly and positively impact the BI of UCGs and together explained 54% of the variation of BI. (2) The extended TPB model with additional components of perceived ED/EDS improved the explanatory ability of the model, explaining 65% of the variance of BI. Perceived ES and perceived EDS showed significant direct positive and negative impacts on UCGs, respectively. They also indirectly impacted BI by influencing ATT, PBC, and SN. The findings of this study can extend our understanding of residents’ attitudes, behavior, and driving mechanism toward UCGs, and can help decision makers to design better policies for UCG planning and management.

Entrepreneurial Intention in Higher Vocational Education: An Empirically-Based Model With Implications for the Entrepreneurial Community

This study explores how entrepreneurship education and government policies influence the entrepreneurial intention of students receiving higher vocational education. It employs an empirically-based model that tests the effects of perceived entrepreneurial education and perceived entrepreneurial policy on entrepreneurial self-efficacy and entrepreneurial intention. This study also analyzes the moderating effect of gender. The model was constructed based on the Theory of Reasoned Action. A total sample of 462 Chinese students from public and private higher vocational colleges were randomly selected to participate in this study, and their responses were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results of the research model showed that perceived entrepreneurial education and policy had positive direct influences on entrepreneurial self-efficacy and intention, respectively. Subsequently, students’ entrepreneurial self-efficacy had a direct influence on their entrepreneurial intention. On the other hand, perceived entrepreneurial education and policy had multiple indirect influences on entrepreneurial intention mediated by entrepreneurial self-efficacy in higher vocational education. The findings also showed that gender did not significantly moderate the above direct and indirect causal relationships among the dimensions of the research model. Some implications for building better entrepreneurial community are provided. These include enabling students to obtain knowledge that is closely related to practice and to perceive the value of entrepreneurship education by creating participatory projects and teaching methods, issuing policies that college students care most about, proactively informing students about policy content in a clear and concise way, and fully considering the side effects of government policies and the compatibility among different kinds of policies.

Income Diversification Strategies of Italian Peri-Urban Farms: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

On-farm diversification in non-agricultural activities has been increasingly recognized as a rewarding farm strategy through which farmers produce on-farm non-agricultural goods and services. The main objective of this paper is to explore to what extent the condition of peri-urbanity affects farm income diversification in Italy by looking at the push and pull factors that allow peri-urban farmers to re-organize their business by developing diversification strategies that are tightly connected to the demand of goods and services coming from the urban society. A structural equation modeling (SEM) statistical technique has been applied to estimate direct and indirect causal relationships among the multiple variables involved. The SEM analytical approach allowed us to untie the complexity of the push and pull factors connections and to highlight the most significant ones. The strengths of the structural paths provide evidence on the key diversification strategies adopted by peri-urban farms.

Elevation and micro environmental conditions directly and indirectly influence forests’ soil seed bank communities

The soil seed bank (SSB) plays an important role in determining future community composition and health of forests. The extent to which abiotic conditions alter the abundance and diversity of the future forest composition via modulating the regenerative capacity of the SSB and their relationship with each other is not fully understood. We studied how elevation and abiotic conditions (canopy openness, slope, aspect, soil pH, and a natural gradient of these soil nutrients: total nitrogen [N], total carbon [C], C:N ratio, available phosphorus [P], available potassium [K], calcium [Ca], iron [Fe], magnesium [Mg], manganese [Mn], and sulfur [S]) affect community characteristics, calculated as: (1) seedling abundance, (2) species richness, (3) Shannon-Weiner diversity index, (4) Simpson index, (5) Chao 2 richness estimator, (6) number of species represented by only one individual, and (7) number of species that occur only in one plot. We used soils sampled in 13 1-ha plots along an altitudinal gradient from 400 to 1850 m above sea level. We determined both direct and indirect causal relationships between abiotic factors and SSB community characteristics using linear mixed models and structural equation modeling. Increased elevation and canopy openness resulted in lower species richness and diversity as well as fewer rare species. However, greater canopy openness resulted in higher abundance. Abundance and richness of the SSB were lower in steeper slopes, but this negative effect appeared to be along an indirect pathway through soil pH and nutrients such as soil Mn and S. Soil P had a significant negative relationship with SSB characteristics for all indices evaluated here, except for SSB abundance, which was positively affected by increased soil pH. Our results highlight the role of abiotic factors in forest regeneration and resilience through their influence on the soil seed bank community. This study is one of the very first to provide data on the SSB along a wide elevational range in subtropical forests, and can be the basis to assess the regeneration potential and health of the study region.

Customer satisfaction and trust interaction model

The purpose of this study is to identify and analyze the interaction between customer satisfaction and trust in a structural model. Sample consists of 210 Suzuki motor bikes’ users, aged 17-64, domiciled in Medan. Structural equation model approach is used to process raw data. Respondents' opinions were taken proportionally throughout the Medan city sub-districts. Questionnaires were submitted accidentally. The results show that customer satisfaction and trust partially had positive and significant effect on brand equity and repurchase intention. Brand equity did not show any indirect causal relationship mediator of the three exogenous variables to repurchase intention. Programs related to customer satisfaction and trust better increase brand equity and repurchase intention directly. Interaction variable existence in research model increases Chi-Square probability, decreases standard deviation, and increases t-value. Interaction variable creates synergy on the influence of customer satisfaction and trust to increase brand trust. Any programs to increase brand equity through customer satisfaction and trust should be implemented, simultaneously. The two exogenous variables will bring out the synergy that comes from this interaction.

THE IMPACT OF LEADERSHIP BEHAVIOR ON SCHOOL PERFORMANCE

Abstract: Principal leadership is an important component that determines the direction and achievement of school performance. The purpose of this study was to identify the behavior and formulate a theoretical model of the Structural Equation Model (SEM) dimension of the principal leadership on school performance. This study used a qualitative approach using the phenomenological method. Participants in this study were 8 principals and 16 teachers from 8 private junior high schools in the Bogor City and Regency. Data collection employed in-depth interview techniques, observation of work behavior, and document review. Data validity was based on credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability criteria during the data collection. Data analysis was carried out through the stages of organizing data, sorting them into manageable units, searching and finding patterns, synthesizing, and drawing conclusions. This research finds the following: 1) the leadership behavior of private secondary school principals to achieve optimal school performance tends to be situational and conditional; 2) interrelation in the form of direct or indirect causal relationships between the principal leadership behavior and the school performance can be formulated in the form of the theoretical SEM consisting of a four-level dimension of the principal leadership.

تحليل المسار بين أعداد خريجي التعليم والبطالة في الاقتصاد المصري خلال الفترة (1990- 2017): دراسة تحليلية قياسية

يهدف البحث الجاري إلى تحليل المسار بيـن أعداد خـريجـي التعليم والبطالة في الاقتصاد المصري خلال الفتـرة(1990- 2017)، وذلک من خلال استخدام المنهج الوصفي والأسلوب الاحصائي للنماذج الاحصائية المتعددة المتغيـرات Multivariate Analysis، وذلک باستخدام أسلوب تحليل المسارات Path Analysis والذي يعد أسلوبا احصائيا لاختبار نموذج سببـي يهدف إلى الوصول إلى تقديـرات کمية للتأثيـرات السببية، على أن يتم استخدام بـرنامج AMOS وذلک لاختبار مسارات النموذج المقتـرح الذي يوضـح العلاقات السببية المباشرة وغيـر المباشرة بيـن المتغيـرات المکونة للنموذج. وذلک للتحقق من فرضية الدراسة المتمثلة في: هل توجد علاقة بيـن معدل البطالة في مصر وکل من: أعداد خـريجـي الدبلومات الفنية، أعداد خـريجـي التعليم المتوسط وفوق المتوسط، أعداد خـريجـي التعليم الجامعي وفوق الجامعي، معدل النمو السکاني، النمو الاقتصادي (متمثل في نصيب الفرد من الناتج المحلي الإجمالي)؟،ولقد تم تقسيم الدراسة إلى أربعة أجـزاء تتمثل في: الإطار النظري للبطالة ومـحــدداتها – طرفي المسار: البطالة ومخـرجات التعليم (1990- 2017) - تحليل المسار بيـن البطالة ومحدداتها، والتـي خلصت إلى قبول فرضية الدراسة لوجود علاقة عکسية بيـن کل من البطالة U والنمو الإقتصادي Z، بينما وجدت علاقة طردية بيـن البطالةU وکل من : معدل النمو السکانيH، خـريجـي الدبلومات الفنية X1،وخـريجـي التعليم المتوسط وفوق المتوسطX2 وخـريجـي التعليم الجامعي وفوق الجامعيX3 ، کما وجدت علاقة طردية بيـن المتغيـر الوسيط المتمثل في النمو الاقتصادي Z وکل من: X1، X2، X3 ، علما بأن هناک تأثيـر مباشر من المتغيـراتX1، X2، X3 على متغيـر البطالة، کما يوجد تـأثيـر غيـر مباشر من المتغيـراتX1، X2، X3 على متغيـر البطالة من خلال المتغيـر الوسيط (النموالاقتصادي Z). The current research aims to analyze the path between the numbers of graduates of education and unemployment in the Egyptian economy during the period (1990 - 2017), by using the descriptive approach and the statistical method of multivariate analysis, using the path analysis method, which is a statistical method for testing a model Causal aims to reach quantitative estimates of causal effects, to be used AMOS program to test the paths of the proposed model that shows the direct and indirect causal relationships between the variables forming the model. This is to verify the study hypothesis: Is there a relationship between the unemployment rate in Egypt and each of: the numbers of technical diploma graduates, the numbers of graduates of intermediate and above average education, the numbers of graduates of university education and above university, the rate of population growth, economic growth (represented in per capita Gross domestic product)? The study has been divided into four parts: the theoretical framework of unemployment and its determinants - both ends of the path: unemployment and education outcomes (1990 - 2017) - an analysis of the path between unemployment and its determinants, It concluded that the study hypothesis was accepted for the existence of an inverse relationship between both unemployment U and economic growth Z, while there was a positive relationship between unemployment U and both: population growth rate H, graduates of technical diplomas X1, graduates of intermediate and above intermediate X2 and graduates of university education and above university X3, and there was also a positive relationship Between the intermediate variable represented in the economic growth Z and each of: X1, X2, X3, note that there is a direct impact from the variables X1, X2, X3 on the unemployment variable, as there is an indirect effect of the variables X1, X2, X3 on the unemployment variable through the intermediate variable (Economic growth Z).

Boreal-forest soil chemistry drives soil organic carbon bioreactivity along a 314-year fire chronosequence

Abstract. Following a wildfire, organic carbon (C) accumulates in boreal-forest soils. The long-term patterns of accumulation as well as the mechanisms responsible for continuous soil C stabilization or sequestration are poorly known. We evaluated post-fire C stock changes in functional reservoirs (bioreactive and recalcitrant) using the proportion of C mineralized in CO2 by microbes in a long-term lab incubation, as well as the proportion of C resistant to acid hydrolysis. We found that all soil C pools increased linearly with the time since fire. The bioreactive and acid-insoluble soil C pools increased at a rate of 0.02 and 0.12 MgC ha−1 yr−1, respectively, and their proportions relative to total soil C stock remained constant with the time since fire (8 % and 46 %, respectively). We quantified direct and indirect causal relationships among variables and C bioreactivity to disentangle the relative contribution of climate, moss dominance, soil particle size distribution and soil chemical properties (pH, exchangeable manganese and aluminum, and metal oxides) to the variation structure of in vitro soil C bioreactivity. Our analyses showed that the chemical properties of podzolic soils that characterize the study area were the best predictors of soil C bioreactivity. For the O layer, pH and exchangeable manganese were the most important (model-averaged estimator for both of 0.34) factors directly related to soil organic C bioreactivity, followed by the time since fire (0.24), moss dominance (0.08), and climate and texture (0 for both). For the mineral soil, exchangeable aluminum was the most important factor (model-averaged estimator of −0.32), followed by metal oxide (−0.27), pH (−0.25), the time since fire (0.05), climate and texture (∼0 for both). Of the four climate factors examined in this study (i.e., mean annual temperature, growing degree-days above 5 ∘C, mean annual precipitation and water balance) only those related to water availability – and not to temperature – had an indirect effect (O layer) or a marginal indirect effect (mineral soil) on soil C bioreactivity. Given that predictions of the impact of climate change on soil C balance are strongly linked to the size and the bioreactivity of soil C pools, our study stresses the need to include the direct effects of soil chemistry and the indirect effects of climate and soil texture on soil organic matter decomposition in Earth system models to forecast the response of boreal soils to global warming.

The migration–tourism nexus in the EU28

This study explores the nexus between tourism and migration on an intra-European scale over the period 2000–2015. Complex-network analysis and gravity models were the investigation methods preferred. For each year under study, we built two country-to-country networks to map and reveal the connections between states as shaped by migration stocks and tourism flows, respectively. Then, the main determinants of the correlation patterns between the two networks were investigated by several econometric analysis. Results point to a quite similar topological structure for the tourism and migration networks as well as to a significant and reciprocal direct influence between tourism and migration movements inside the European Union. No relevant indirect causal relationship is present in the tourism–migration nexus instead.

Causal network construction based on convergent cross mapping (CCM) for alarm system root cause tracing of nonlinear industrial process

In terms of an alarm system, the propagation of a fault is identified as the main reason for low efficiency and the leading cause of dramatic industrial accidents. Thus, tracing the root causes of faulty conditions that lead to alarm floods is necessary. For root cause tracing, a widely accepted method is to characterize the process by causality at first and then trace the root causes. This work focuses on the former part. The conventional techniques to deal with causal analysis of industrial processes have difficulty in handling the nonlinearity of variables, obtaining accurate probability density and time lag, etc. In this work, a novel causal network construction method based on convergent cross mapping (CCM) that accurately describe process causality was proposed to deal with the above problems. First, the original monitoring variables were determined by a maximum Lyapunov method to determine whether they were chaotic time series, which aims to judge whether the application conditions of CCM can be satisfied. Then, some characteristic variables are selected from original variables through data preprocessing and descending dimension methods, which are defined as nodes that constitute the causal network. Second, the CCM-based methods are used to identify the causal direction and indirect causal relationship between variables, so as to construct the structure of the causal network. Since the CCM based on deterministic systems theory, it can handle nonlinearity and does not rely on the sample distribution. Finally, the weight of the edges in the graph is calculated to obtain the causal network which describes the process causality and serves as the basis for subsequent root causes tracing of alarms. The effectiveness of the proposed method is illustrated via a real industrial case study.

Relações lógico-inferenciais no uso dos conectivos porque e já que: um estudo comparativo entre Ensino Fundamental e Ensino Superior

This paper presents a comparative study between Elementary School and Undergraduate Education investigating the use of connectives já que and porque in sentences with inferential causal relations established through inductive and deductive logical reasoning. As the acquisition of some connectives is related to schooling and consequent exposure to the written modality, this work can contribute to raising questions about the relationship between the acquisition of this modality and its influence on the way we interpret logical-inferential relations. In this paper, we present a forced-choice judgment test in which participants should choose between the connectives já que and porque when they are exposed to sentences with direct and indirect causal relationships. Our hypothesis was that, in indirect cause relationships, individuals with more experience in reading would choose já que, but individuals with little experience should choose mainly porque in both cases.

Effects of Mechanical Site Preparation on Microsite Availability and Growth of Planted Black Spruce in Canadian Paludified Forests

Low productivity caused by paludification in some parts of the closed black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P) dominated boreal forest threatens the provision of ecosystem services, including wood fiber production. The accumulation, over time, of organic matter in paludified soils leads to an anaerobic environment that reduces microbial activity, decelerates decomposition of organic matter, and generates nutrient-poor microsites for regeneration. Consequently, it results in significant impacts on site productivity. Considering its ability to disturb the soil, mechanical site preparation (MSP) is viewed as a potential treatment that can help restore productivity of paludified sites following harvesting. We conducted a field experiment to verify if (1) the availability of microsites conducive to reforestation varies with MSP, microtopography (slope and aspect) and initial OLT conditions; (2) the growth of planted seedlings depends on the intensity of mechanical disturbance of the organic layer, type of microsite, planting density, presence of Ericaceae, and the planting position and depth; (3) there are direct and indirect causal relationships between microsites availability after MSP, OLT, microtopography, planting quality and seedlings growth; and (4) if mechanical site preparation and microsite type exposed affect the Ericaceae cover after planting. Our results confirmed that MSP is effective in establishing conditions that permit a productive regeneration cohort on these paludified sites. To ensure successful establishment of plantations on these sites, it is necessary, however, to distinguish between those that are slightly or moderately paludified from those that are highly paludified, as treatment effectiveness of different MSP types depends on organic layer thickness. Our results also show that preference should be given to some microsite types as clay and mixed-substrate microsites for planting to ensure sufficient availability of water and nutrients for seedlings.

Introduction pathways and socio‐economic variables drive the distribution of alien amphibians and reptiles in a megadiverse country

AbstractAimsWe identify alien reptiles and amphibians, invaders or not, in Brazil and evaluate the following: (a) which alien species are found in the country; (b) where they originate from; (c) how they are distributed; (d) why and how they were introduced; and (e) which factors affect the record incidences and local richness of these species.LocationBrazil.MethodsWe conduct a comprehensive survey of different data sources to collect records of alien amphibians and reptiles. We then use a causal model approach to evaluate the influence of space, climate, anthropogenic predictors, and introduction pathways on alien richness and number of records.ResultsWe find a total of 2,292 records of 136 species of alien reptiles and amphibians. Although species from many regions of the world can be found, most are snakes, lizards and anurans originating in the Americas. Although records of alien amphibians and reptiles are found throughout Brazil, they are concentrated in more economically developed areas. Socio‐economic measures have both a direct and indirect causal relationship over the distribution of alien species and affect all introduction pathways, which are key factors explaining the alien species’ distribution. Pet trade was directly related to alien diversity, while all the three introduction pathways contributed to explain the number of records.Main ConclusionsWe reveal a high diversity of alien amphibians and reptiles widespread in an already megadiverse country. The finding that alien richness occurs in highly populated and wealthy areas and that it is linked to the pet trade helps to direct efforts towards the surveillance and prevention of the spread of alien species in Brazil. A higher record incidence is associated with species introduced accidentally or for human consumption, mainly represented by a few already invasive widespread species, impairing management measures.