Partial Least-squares Analysis Research Articles

Using Partial Least Squares and Regression to Interpret Temperature and Precipitation Effects on Maize and Soybean Genetic Variance Expression

Partial least squares (PLS) is a statistical technique that can evaluate the association of large numbers of external environmental variables with biological responses. PLS is a good method for analyzing the relative importance of variables and compressing the data for regression analyses. The objective of this study was to use PLS and regression analyses on soybean (Glycine max L.) and maize (Zea mays L.) variety trial results for five (soybean) or three (maize) maturity group (MG) tests, at five Tennessee locations spanning 14 years, in order to determine the environmental effects (weekly minimum and maximum air temperature and precipitation) on the expression of yield genetic variance (Vg). Overall, PLS excelled at identifying combinations of weather variables to develop models with high R2 values (41–59%) relative to the regression analysis (R2 = 34–44%), but they did not address the effects of specific variables as in regression analysis. In both maize and soybean, differences in genetic variance occurred among MG tests and locations. Overall, precipitation was the driving variable for maize Vg, indicating maize is more sensitive to rain events during the growing season than soybean, i.e., with each cm of precipitation, maize Vg increased by 11.38–23.78 (Mg ha−1)2. The results suggest that ensuring adequate water, particularly during weeks 3 and 6, is critical for maize Vg, regardless of the MG test and location. Genetically modified soybean cultivars responded similarly to conventional cultivars, suggesting no Vg response differences due to the glyphosate tolerance trait. These results have important implications for irrigation timing for the maximum expression of genetic differences in maize and soybean cultivars, particularly for management planning during future stochastic weather events.

Analysis of umami taste and their contributing compounds in edible fungi based on electronic tongue, sensory evaluation, and chemical analysis.

Edible fungi are rich in nutrients and have unique umami taste, which varies with genotypes, growth conditions, and harvest time. In this study, umami compounds in 12 species of edible fungi are analyzed and identified by electronic tongue. Through principal component analysis and discriminant factor analysis, these 2 methods could be successfully distinguished the variety of 12 edible fungi. Besides, the umami intensity of edible fungi soup is also evaluated by sensory and chemical analysis methods, for example, Tricholoma matsutake is 5.60±0.34 and 5.17±0.38, Coprinus comatus is 7.70±0.23 and 9.83±0.34 through sensory evaluation and electronic tongue respectively, followed by establishing the correlation from the response data by PLS (partial least squares analysis). According to the PLS model, with a correlation coefficients of calibration models greater than 0.7 and the low root mean square error of calibration and root mean square error of prediction values, the results correlate well with each other. Therefore, we can indicate that the electronic tongue is able to analyze and evaluate the umami intensity of edible fungi to some extent.

A Prospective Study of Lipids in Adult Women With Turner Syndrome.

Turner syndrome (TS) is a rare genetic syndrome with an increased mortality, mainly attributed to cardiovascular disease. This work aimed to investigate and correlate the lipid profile in adult women with TS to clinical characteristics. A 12-year prospective cohort study, including 4 study visits, was conducted at a specialist hospital. A total of 102 women with TS qualified for inclusion. Excluding missing variables and participants lost to follow-up, 86 women (mean age 38.1 years; range, 18.4-62.1 years) were included in this study. Fifty-three women completed the study. Repeated-measurement analysis was performed, using total cholesterol (Total-C), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), triglycerides (TGs), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) as outcome variables and age, karyotype, body mass index (BMI), treatment with statins, antidiabetics, and hormone replacement therapy as explanatory variables. Principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares (PLS) analysis were performed at the first study visit. Hyperlipidemia was present in 30% of the TS cohort. Total-C increased with age (0.12 mmol/L/y; P = .016). LDL (P = .08), TGs (P = .14), and HDL (P = .24) were not associated with age. BMI significantly increased total-C (0.19 mmol/L/kg/m2; P = .006), LDL (0.63 mmol/L/kg/m2; P < .001), and TGs (0.80 mmol/L/kg/m2; P < .001) and decreased HDL (-0.59 mmol/L/kg/m2; P < .001). PCA and PLS analysis found correlations between weight and BMI and total-C, LDL, and TGs. Hyperlipidemia is more prevalent in adult women with TS across adulthood compared to the background population. Total-C, LDL, TGs, and HDL were significantly associated with BMI characterizing the atherogenic profile in adult women with TS.

TRAINING, LEADERSHIP STYLE, AND WORK ENVIRONMENT ON EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE: THE ROLE OF WORK MOTIVATION

Organizations must have a strategy to improve employee performance. One of the strategies is to provide training, evaluate the leadership style applied by the head of the field, and create a comfortable work environment, which can be a solution to improve employee performance. This research is a quantitative data collection tool questionnaire with a sample of 99 employees using the PLS (Partial Least Square) analysis tool. The results of this study indicate that leadership style training and the work environment have a positive and significant effect on work motivation. Training, leadership style, work environment, and motivation positively and significantly affect employee performance. Work motivation mediates the relationship between training and employee performance. Work motivation mediates the relationship between leadership style and employee performance. Work motivation mediates the relationship between the work environment and employee performance.

Exploring the link between microbial community structure and flavour compounds of traditional fermented yak milk in Gannan region

Traditional fermented yak milk has immense cultural and nutritional significance for Tibetan herders. In this study, we investigated the microbial community structure and flavour compounds in traditional fermented yak milk from three distinct regions of Gannan to explore the relationship between microbial composition and flavour compounds. The findings revealed significant variations in flavour compounds and the bacterial microbiota among the samples from the three regions. The dominant species identified in fermented yak milk were Streptococcus salivarius subsp. Thermophilus, Lactobacillus helveticus, and Kluyveromyces marxianus. Bidirectional orthogonal partial least-squares (O2PLS) analysis highlighted five bacterial genera and three fungal genera as contributors to the production of flavour-related compounds. Furthermore, regression analysis revealed that the Lactobacillus and Streptococcus genera were associated with the production of 2,3-pentanedione as well as eight predicted KEGG pathways. These findings provide valuable insights into the intricate relationship between flavour compounds and microbiota in traditional fermented yak milk.

The Effect of Profitability, Good Corporate Governance, and Environmental Disclosure on Firm Value in Mining Companies Listed on The Indonesia Stock Exchange

The purpose of this research is to examine and analyze the influence of profitability, good corporate governance, and environmental disclosure on the firm value of mining companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange. The research method utilized is descriptive research with a quantitative approach. The study population encompasses all mining companies registered on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) within the period from 2019 to 2022. In this study, a non-probability sampling technique was employed, specifically purposive sampling, resulting in a sample size of 72 from a span of 18 companies over 4 years. The variables under scrutiny include Return on Assets (ROA) as a measure of profitability, the proportion of independent board commissioners as an indicator of good corporate governance, the number of GRI disclosures as an indicator of environmental disclosure, and Tobin’s Q as a gauge of firm value. The analytical methodology and hypothesis testing were carried out using the Partial Least Square (PLS) method with SmartPLS 3.2.9 software. The PLS analysis consists of three stages: Outer Model, Inner Model, and Hypothesis Testing. The hypothesis testing results show that profitability has a significant impact on firm value, while good corporate governance and environmental disclosure do not exhibit a significant influence on firm value. These findings contribute to the understanding of how these factors interplay within the mining sector. However, this study has several limitations, including the variables used, the company's disclosures, and the limited period. Subsequent research can address these limitations and delve deeper into exploring the relationships of these variables or other variables with firm value.

Imagining emotional future events in PTSD: clinical and neurocognitive correlates.

Emotional future thinking serves important functions related to goal pursuit and emotion regulation but has been scantly studied in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The current study sought to characterize emotional future thinking in PTSD and to identify clinical and neurocognitive profiles associated with potential alterations in the level of detail in narratives of imagined future events. Fifty-eight, trauma-exposed, war-zone veterans, who were classified into current PTSD, past PTSD, and no-PTSD groups, were asked to vividly imagine future events in response to positive and negative cue words occurring in the near and distant future. These narratives were scored for internal (i.e., pertaining to the main event) and external (i.e., tangential to the main event) details. Participants also performed neurocognitive tasks of generative ability, working memory, and relational verbal memory. Linear mixed modeling revealed that the current and past PTSD groups generated fewer internal details than the no-PTSD group across positive and negative cue words and across temporal proximity. Partial leastsquares analysis revealed that symptom severity for all PTSD clusters was inversely associated with production of internal details, albeit with the association relatively weaker for intrusion symptoms. Among the neurocognitive tasks, only relational verbal memory was associated with production of internal details. These findings suggest, as predicted, that functional avoidance may underlie reduced detail generation but also point to potential additional mechanisms to be further investigated. That future event simulation remains overgeneral even when PTSD symptoms abate highlights the importance of addressing alterations in future thinking in this population.

The influence of Organizational Culture and Teamwork on Employee Engagement: Role of Achievement Motivation as a Mediation

This study aims to determine the influence of organizational culture, teamwork on employee engagement mediated by achievement motivation. The method used in this study is quantitative research. The population in this study is halo BCA employees who work for more than a year total 292 employees. The sampling technique using accidental sampling (convenience sampling) with the slovin formula was obtained by 168 respondents. Data analysis using SEM PLS (Partial Least Square) analysis technique. The results showed that organizational culture variables, achievement motivation had a positive and significant effect on employee engagement. Teamwork does not have a positive effect on employee engagement, and teamwork through mediation of achievement motivation has a positive and significant effect on employees, as well as mediated by achievement motivation, organizational culture and teamwork can strengthen the influence on employee engagement at halo BCA BSD.&#x0D; &#x0D; Keywords: Organizational Culture, Teamwork, Achievement Motivation, Employee Engagement

In-depth exploration on the effects of organic nitrogen addition during different fermentation periods on the quality of cider

Nitrogen is an essential element for the growth and metabolism of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and has a great impact on the quality of cider. In this study, the effects of organic nitrogen addition at different stages of fermentation process on the quality of cider were systematically explored. The main projects included the analysis of fermentation rate, yeast growth, organic acids, amino acids, and volatile aroma compounds. The results indicated that organic nitrogen addition speeded up fermentation rate and shortened fermentation time. The organic nitrogen addition before fermentation and at the early stationary phase altered the composition of organic acids in cider. Moreover, with the addition of organic nitrogen at three stages of fermentation (pre-fermentation, logarithmic and stable phases of yeast growth), the total concentrations of volatile aroma substances in ciders were 10.57 mg/L, 11.97 mg/L and 11.05 mg/L respectively, which were all significantly higher than that in control group (9.69 mg/L). A close relationship between free amino acids consumed during fermentation and volatile aroma compounds produced was revealed by partial least-squares regression analysis. Overall, this study provided a new strategy for cider quality improvement by evaluating the effects of organic nitrogen on the aroma composition of cider.

Detection of Toxic Contaminants in Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizers Using Infrared Spectroscopy

Recent fatalities due to methanol and 1-propanol toxicity in alcohol-based hand sanitizers has led the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban 594 different hand sanitizer brands. The FDA also introduced methanol testing in alcohol-based hand sanitizers before allowing the products to enter the United States This requirement creates a need for inexpensive, rapid, and portable testing methods to measure methanol and 1-propanol concentrations in alcohol-based hand sanitizers. Here we study the performance of infrared (IR) spectroscopy for measuring methanol and 1-propanol concentrations in an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, and compare the performance of two portable spectrometers, Texas Instruments near-infrared (NIR) spectrometer (TI NIR) and NeoSpectra mid-infrared (MIR) spectrometer. The IR absorbance spectra were measured in transmission mode at different path lengths for 52 different hand sanitizer samples spiked with 0%–1% v/v concentrations of methanol and 1-propanol. A partial least-squares regression analysis shows ability to detect contaminant concentrations with a correlation coefficient of determination ( r2) up to 0.99 and root mean square error of prediction as low as 0.34% v/v.

Unravelling The Auditors’ Dilemma: Ethics Or Money? A Case Of Indonesia Auditors

Purpose: This study aims to examine several influencing factors of auditors’ behavior in ethical dilemma situations and whether auditor behavior in ethical dilemmas is driven by the love of money Methodology/Approach: This study populations are all external auditors in Indonesia period 2019 with 282 auditors as samples. Partial Least Squares analysis (PLS) was used to analyze the data obtained. Findings: This study reveals that in an ethical dilemma situation, experience and level of education do not affect auditor behavior. However, idealism and love of money affect auditor behavior. While an auditor's experience increases the love of money, the more experienced an auditor is, the lower the level of love of money is. In dilemma situations, the love of money mediates the effect of education and experience on ethical behavior. Excessive love for money can arise through the process of socialization that is obtained and maintained in life. Practical implications: These findings prove that love of money mediate the relationship between the influencing factor of auditor’s behavior Originality/value: The novelty of this study lies in love of money as intervening variable on the relationship between the influencing factor of auditor’s behavior in ethical dilemma situations which has never been done in previous research.

Association between gene expression and functional-metabolic architecture in Parkinson's disease.

Gene expression plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). How gene expression profiles are correlated with functional-metabolic architecture remains obscure. We enrolled 34 PD patients and 25 age-and-sex-matched healthy controls for simultaneous 18 F-FDG-PET/functional MRI scanning during resting state. We investigated the functional gradients and the ratio of standard uptake value. Principal component analysis was used to further combine the functional gradients and glucose metabolism into functional-metabolic architecture. Using partial least squares (PLS) regression, we introduced the transcriptomic data from the Allen Institute of Brain Sciences to identify gene expression patterns underlying the affected functional-metabolic architecture in PD. Between-group comparisons revealed significantly higher gradient variation in the visual, somatomotor, dorsal attention, frontoparietal, default mode, and subcortical network (pFDR < .048) in PD. Increased FDG-uptake was found in the somatomotor and ventral attention network while decreased FDG-uptake was found in the visual network (pFDR < .008). Spatial correlation analysis showed consistently affected patterns of functional gradients and metabolism (p = 2.47 × 10-8 ). PLS analysis and gene ontological analyses further revealed that genes were mainly enriched for metabolic, catabolic, cellular response to ions, and regulation of DNA transcription and RNA biosynthesis. In conclusion, our study provided genetic pathological mechanism to explain imaging-defined brain functional-metabolic architecture of PD.

Enhancing Antioxidant Properties of Prunus spinosa Fruit Extracts via Extraction Optimization

Prunus spinosa fruit, commonly known as blackthorn or sloe, possesses a wide range of health-promoting properties, including antioxidant and antibacterial activities. In this study, we investigated the effects of various extraction parameters, such as temperature, time, and solvent composition, on the extraction of bioactive compounds from P. spinosa fruit. Response surface methodology was employed to optimize these parameters and evaluate their impact on the antioxidant properties of the extracts. Furthermore, techniques such as ultrasound (US) and pulsed electric field (PEF) were applied, both individually and in combination, to explore their potential effects on the extraction process. The optimal extraction technique proved to be the combination of PEF and US, followed by stirring. The most suitable solvent was 75% ethanol, whereas the optimum extraction time and temperature were 30 min and 80 °C, respectively. Our findings revealed that under the optimum extraction parameters, a significant improvement in the extraction efficiency of bioactive compounds from P. spinosa fruit was achieved. More specifically, the optimal conditions, according to partial least squares (PLS) analysis, were a combination of all three extraction modes (PEF‒US‒ST), the shorter extraction time of the present study (30 min), and the corresponding higher temperature (80 °C). As expected, the presence of ethanol was considered necessary, even in an amount of 25%. The total polyphenol content was found to be 30.74 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g, the total flavonoids content 3.23 mg rutin equivalents (RtE)/g and the total anthocyanins 125.2 μg cyanidin-3-O-glucoside equivalents (CyE)/g. HPLC-DAD analysis showed that neochlorogenic acid was the polyphenol with the highest concentration (4.13 mg GAE/g) in P. spinosa fruit. The antioxidant activity of the optimized, according to PLS analysis, extract was evaluated and found to be 146.09 μmol ascorbic acid equivalent (AAE)/g determined by ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay, and by the radical scavenging activity (DPPH) assay was 18.56 μmol AAE/g. Additionally, the ascorbic acid was determined to be 119.4 mg/100 g. Overall, this study contributes valuable insights into the extraction optimization process and the potential applications of P. spinosa fruit in the development of functional foods and pharmaceutical products.

Effect Analysis of Hydrogen Peroxide Using Hyperspectral Reflectance in Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] under Drought Stress.

Due to global climate change, adverse environments like drought in agricultural production are occurring frequently, increasing the need for research to ensure stable crop production. This study was conducted to determine the effect of artificial hydrogen peroxide treatment on sorghum growth to induce stress resistance in drought conditions. Hyperspectral analysis was performed to rapidly find out the effects of drought and hydrogen peroxide treatment to estimate the physiological parameters of plants related to drought and calculate the vegetation indices through PLS analysis based on hyperspectral data. The partial least squares (PLS) analysis collected chlorophyll fluorescence variables, photosynthetic parameters, leaf water potential, and hyperspectral reflectance during the stem elongation and booting stage. To find out the effect of hydrogen peroxide treatment in sorghum plants grown under 90% and 60% of field capacity in greenhouses, growth and hyperspectral reflectance were measured on the 10th and 20th days after foliar application of H2O2 at 30 mM from 1st to 5th leaf stage. The PLS analysis shows that the maximum variable fluorescence of the dark-adapted leaves was the most predictable model with R2 = 0.76, and the estimation model suitability gradually increased with O (R2 = 0.51), J (R2 = 0.73), and P (R2 = 0.75) among OJIP parameters of chlorophyll fluorescence analysis. However, the estimation suitability of predictions for moisture-related traits, vapor pressure deficit (VPD, R2 = 0.18), and leaf water potential (R2 = 0.15) using hyperspectral data was low. The hyperspectral reflectance was 10% higher at 20 days after treatment (DAT) and 3% at 20 DAT than the non-treatment in the far red and infra-red light regions under drought conditions. Vogelmann red edge index (VOG REI) 1, chlorophyll index red edge (CIR), and red-edge normalized difference vegetation index (RE-NDVI) efficiently reflected moisture stress among the vegetation indices. Photochemical reflectance index (PRI) can be used as an indicator for early diagnosis of drought stress because hydrogen peroxide treatment showed higher values than untreated in the early stages of drought damage.

α-Galactosidase interacts with persistent organic pollutants to induce oxidative stresses in rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in agricultural soil often triggered metabolic alterations and phytotoxicity in plants, ultimately threatening crop quality. Unraveling the phytotoxic mechanisms of POPs in crops is critical for evaluating their environmental risks. Herein, the molecular mechanism of POP-induced phytotoxicity in rice (Oryza sativa L.) was analyzed using metabolic profile, enzyme activity, and gene expression as linkages, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, polychlorinated biphenyls, and phthalate esters. Despite no observable changes in phenotypic traits (e.g., biomass and length of aboveground), the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were promoted under stresses of the tested POPs, particularly 2,2′,4,4′-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). Metabolomics analysis revealed that ROS contents positively correlated with metabolic perturbation levels (r = 0.83), among which the galactose metabolism was significantly inhibited when exposed to DBP, DEHP, or BDE-47. The α-Galactosidase (α-Gal) involved in galactose metabolism was targeted as the key enzyme for the phytotoxicity of DBP, DEHP, and BDE-47, which was revealed by the inhibition of saccharide levels (45.5−82.1%), the catalytic activity of α-Gal (18.5−24.3%), and the gene expression (28.5−34.5%). Molecular docking simulation suggested that the three POPs occupied the active sites of α-Gal and formed a stable protein-ligand complex, thus inhibiting the catalytic activity of α-Gal. Partial least-squares regression analysis indicated that α-Gal activity was negatively associated with hydrogen bond acceptor, rotatable bond, and topological polar surface area of POPs. The results offered novel insights into the molecular mechanisms of phytotoxicity of POPs and provided important information for evaluating the environmental risk of POPs.

The Effect of Sak Compliance, Material Mistakes, Financial Distress on Audit Opinion and Kap's Reputation in Manufacturing Companies Listed on The Indonesia Stock Exchange in 2019-2021

The population in this study are manufacturing companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) in 2019- 2021. There are 24 companies with 72 samples in this study. Data analysis techniques and hypothesis testing in this study used application analysis of Partial least squares with the Outer Model and Inner Model tests. The results of this study prove that Compliance with Financial Accounting Standards (SAK) has a positive and significant effect on audit opinion, Material misstatement has no positive and significant effect on audit opinion, Financial Distress has no significant effect on audit opinion, SAK compliance has no significant effect on KAP Reputation, Material misstatement has no significant effect on KAP Reputation, Financial Distress has a positive and significant effect on KAP Reputation, Audit Opinion has no significant effect on KAP Reputation in manufacturing companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange.

ANALISIS FAKTOR-FAKTOR YANG MEMPENGARUHI NILAI PERUSAHAAN PADA PERUSAHAAN MAKANAN DAN MINUMAN YANG TERDAFTAR DI BURSA EFEK INDONESIA DENGAN KEBIJAKAN DIVIDEN SEBAGAI VARIABEL INTERVENING (2019-2021)

Investment decisions and appropriate funding decisions can effect company profits and the distribution of dividends to shareholders and firm value. The purpose of this study is to analyze and examine factors Influencing firm value in food and beverage companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange with dividend policy as an intervening variable (2019-2021). The population in this study are all food and beverage companies that have listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange during 2019-2021 period, totaling 72 companies. The sampling technique is determined by purposive sampling. Data analysis and hypothesis test of this study use Partial Least Square – Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). &#x0D; The results of the direct effect hypothesis test using the Smart PLS 3.0 application show that investment decisions have a significant positive effect on dividend policy, funding decisions have an insignificant negative effect on dividend policy, investment decisions have a significant positive effect on firm value, funding decisions have an significant negative effect on firm value, dividend policy has an insignificant positive effect on firm value. The results of the indirect effect hypothesis test show that the investment decisions variable has a significant positive effect on firm value through dividend policy, funding decisions have an insignificant negative effect on firm value through dividend policy.

Analisis Pengaruh Pembiayaan Murabahah, Musyarakah dan Mudharabah Terhadap Profitabilitas Bank Pembiayaan Rakyat Syariah di Indonesia Dengan Non Performing Financing (NPF) Sebagai Variabel Moderasi Periode 2017-2020

This research is motivated by the existence of phenomena that occur that are not in accordance with existing theories and the existence of inconsistent previous research. This study aims to determine the effect of Murabahah Financing, Musyarakah Financing and Mudharabah Financing on the Profitability of Islamic People's Financing Banks in Indonesia with Non-Performing Financing as a moderating variable for the 2017-2020 period. This study uses a quantitative approach. The data in this study used monthly time series data from 2017-2020 obtained from SPS OJK and analyzed using the PLS (Partial Least Square) analysis technique via Warp-PLS version 7.0. The results of the research on the first model (the effect of murabahah financing on bank profitability with NPF as a moderating variable) show that murabaha financing has a significant positive effect on bank profitability (ROA) by obtaining a sign p-value

ANALYSIS OF INCREMENTAL INNOVATION AND RADICAL INNOVATION ON THE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE OF LAMPIT PRODUCT MSMES IN THE WETLAND AREA OF HULU SUNGAI UTARA REGENCY

The performance of MSMEs of HSU lampit products began todecline due to the lack of innovation from the MSMEs of thelampit products themselves. Every MSME must be ready tomake changes by innovating because MSMEs will becomplicated to compete with their competitors if there is noinnovation. MSMEs are required to constantly innovate intoday's increasingly modern era. Competition is something thatmust be faced by a business unit. The objectives of this study are(1) Analyzing incremental innovations on the competitiveadvantage of LAMPIT product MSMEs in the wetland area ofHulu Sungai Utara Regency, (2) Analyzing radical innovationstoward the competitive advantage of LAMPIT product MSMEsin the wetland area of Hulu Sungai Utara Regency. The researchmethod using the research approach used is a quantitativeapproach. The data collected through the questionnaire was thenanalyzed using the PLS (Partial Least Square) analysis modelusing the help of SmartPLS software version 3. The result of thisstudy is that incremental innovations and radical innovationshave a significant effect on the competitive advantage of LampitProduct MSMEs in the wetland area of Hulu Sungai UtaraRegency.

Effect of pony morphology and hay feeding methods on back and neck postures.

The application of hay feeding devices, such as the use of hay nets or slow feeders, can help with the management of weight in ponies; however, there is still a lack of knowledge regarding their effect on equine posture. Therefore, the aim of the study was to assess the effect of different feeding devices on the posture of ponies using morphometric analysis. Two different breed types, Shetland type (SH, n = 5) versus Welsh Cob type (WC, n = 4), were fed the same forage in four different ways: on the ground (G), using a fully filled haynet (HF), using a partially filled haynet (HL)and using a slow-feeder hay box (HB). Video recordings were obtained and then geometric morphometric analysis was applied. Breed morphology was confirmed by body morphometric measurements. Data were analysed statistically usingone-way ANOVA, canonical variate analysis (CVA), principal component analysis (PCA), partial least-squares (PLS) analysis andmultivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). Moreover, a mixed model was performed to study differences in mandibular angle. SH and WC ponies were shown to have significantly different body morphometric measurements. The geometric morphometric analysis results showed that ponies arch their back and modify their neck shape differently according to the feeding method and their morphological group. For the neck, the SH and WC ponies adapted similarly to the use of small-holed hay nets, but their posture varied when feeding from the ground or hay box. The back postures consistently differed according to the breed type and feeding method. The mandibular angle for both breed types was reduced with all the feeding devices compared to feeding from the ground. Further studies are needed to evaluate the long-term effects of slow-feeding devices on posture and mandibular angle, taking into consideration animals with different morphologies.