Path analyses between Linoleic acid (LA) or Docosahexanoic acid (DHA), log-transformed cardiac Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Calcium ATPase (SERCA2a) activity and body temperature (Tb) in all hamsters (summer, winter, cooling, torpid and inter-bout arousal) and for torpid animals only.

The model detects potential causal effects between LA or DHA and SERCA activity (SERCA2a ∼ LA 18:2n-6, SERCA2a ∼ DHA 22:6n-3), and between SERCA activity and Tb (Tb ∼ SERCA2a) of the hamsters. The “Estimates” correspond to the coefficients of the different regressions calculated by the model, and inform on the relative strength of the respective dyadic relations.