TDAI affiliate faculty member Professor Nora Bello (Animal Sciences) will present a talk on her work investigating a biological network of reproductive traits in a swine production system and the findings which have practical implications for integrated and differential management within complex biological systems.
Zoom link: https://osu.zoom.us/j/97008058653?pwd=clQ3OVI5NWNnTjVkVDNqcDZtcnRIQT09#success
Abstract
Integrated management of biological systems requires understanding of the underlying interconnections between multiple traits. Structural equation models (SEMs) are a type of multiple-variable modeling strategy that enables systems-level insight by parameterizing relationships as potential functional links in a network. Our objective in this study was to investigate a biological network of reproductive trains in a swine production system. Data from a designed experiment yielded observations on multiple reproductive performance traits in 200 sows and 440 gilts. Structural equation models combined with the inductive causation algorithm, both adapted to a hierarchical Bayesian framework, were employed to search for, estimate, and infer upon functional links between the traits within each parity group. Results indicated potentially distinct parity-specific reproductive networks with opportunities for tailored managerial interventions. Cross-validation analyses indicated substantial network stability both for the general structure and for individual links, though results about directionality of such links were unstable in this study and will need further investigation. An assessment of relative statistical power in sows and gilts indicated that the observed network discrepancies may be partially explained on a biological basis. In summary, our results suggest distinctly heterogeneous mechanistic networks of reproductive physiology for gilts and sows, consistent with physiological differences between the groups. These findings have practical implications for integrated understanding and differential management within complex biological systems.
Bio
Originally from Argentina, South America, Dr. Nora M. Bello earned her Veterinay Medicine degree at Catholic University of Cordoba. She then pursued graduate studies in Animal Science and in Statistics at Michigan State University, before joining the faculty at Kansas State University Department of Statistics and 11 years later, the Animal Sciences faculty at The Ohio State University, where she is currently a Professor. Dr. Bello is an active research collaborator with an extensive publication record including over 100 refereed journal articles, over 160 abstracts presented at scientific meetings and extensive funding by US federal agencies. Throughout her career, she has worked extensively both in the US and abroad spanning the teaching/research/extension components of the land-grant mission with a focus on statistics applied to the agricultural and biological sciences. More information and a complete CV, refer to https://ansci.osu.edu/our-people/nora-m-bello-phd-dvm.
