Multivariate statistical analysis partial least squares projections

There are apparently many multivariate statistical methods partly overlapping in scope [11]. For most problems occurring in practice, we have found the use of two methods sufficient, as discussed below. The first method is called principal component analysis (PCA) and the second is the partial least-squares projection to latent structures (PLS). A detailed description of the methods is given in Appendix A. In the following, a brief description is presented. 

When compounds are selected according to SMD, this necessitates the adequate description of their structures by means of quantitative variables, "structure descriptors". This description can then be used after the compound selection, synthesis, and biological testing to formulate quantitative models between structural variation and activity variation, so called Quantitative Structure Activity Relationships (QSARs). For extensive reviews, see references 3 and 4. With multiple structure descriptors and multiple biological activity variables (responses), these models are necessarily multivariate (M-QSAR) in their nature, making the Partial Least Squares Projections to Latent Structures (PLS) approach suitable for the data analysis. PLS is a statistical method, which relates a multivariate descriptor data set (X) to a multivariate response data set Y. PLS is well described elsewhere and will not be described any further here [42, 43]. 

Linear or nonlinear multiple regression analysis is used as a statistical tool to derive quantitative models, to check the significance of these models and of each individual term in the regression equation. Other statistical methods, such as discriminant analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), or partial least squares (PLS) analysis (see Partial Least Squares Projections to Latent Structures (PLS) in Chemistry) are alternatives to regression analysis (see Che mo me tries Multivariate View on Chemical Problems)Newer approaches compare the similarity of molecules with respect to different physicochemical or other properties with their biological activities. 

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