This plot tool is appropriate for the proposed model as it produces an appropriate representation of the trajectory of the studied mobile.
First, we ran retrospective and prospective simulations of the population dynamics of bearded vultures in a scenario of poisoning and no availability of AFS (scenario 4 Table 2) to 1) assess the effectiveness of AFS given their observed trend during the last 20 years, and 2) evaluate the potential effectiveness of AFS on the expected trajectories of the study population.
Statistical significance of differences between trajectories of the study groups in the piecewise-linear-random-coefficient model was assessed by 95%-prediction-bands.
These model-based, forecasted endpoints and trajectories of the study sample constitute the background - the simulated placebo group - against which potential drug effects can be contrasted.
From these definitions, parallel evolution of some characters can be identified when the evolutionary trajectories of the studied lineages in the morphological space defined by this subset of characters (1) start with the same morphotypes, (2) evolve in parallel and are overlapping, and (3) end with the same forms.
If the 95%-prediction-bands of one group (e.g. lower protein) does not overlap with the average trajectory of the other study group (i.e. maternal depression - EPDS > 13), there is a significant difference between these trajectories with a 5%-probability error.
This technology allows to automatically relocate fitted animals, which often results into a high-frequency sampling of their trajectory during the study period.
See Supplemental Fig. 1 for a spaghetti plot of individual participants' BTL trajectory across the study.
To achieve this objective, the methodology was developed in two different aspects, that is, (1) analysis of change patterns by binary image of change trajectories overlaid with different natural geographic factors, in which Relative Change Intensity (RCI) metric was established and used to make comparisons, and (2) analysis based on pattern metrics of main trajectories in the study area.
We are also measuring the primary outcome (and a few other selected outcomes) via telephone at 6-months following baseline to examine the time trajectory of changes during the study period.
Unfortunately, we are not aware of any study assessing and demonstrating differences in trajectories of prevalence between the study groups over a period of 16 years.
