Temporal dynamics of encrusting communities during the Late Devonian: a case study from the Central Devonian Field, Russia

Paleobiology ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 550-568 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michał Zatoń ◽  
Tomasz Borszcz ◽  
Michał Rakociński
Keyword(s):  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Time Interval ◽  
Faunal Turnover ◽  
Central Devonian Field ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Substrate Size ◽  
Mass Extinction Event ◽  
Diversity Dynamics

AbstractIn this study we focused on the dynamics of encrusting assemblages preserved on brachiopod hosts collected from upper Frasnian and lower Famennian deposits of the Central Devonian Field, Russia. Because the encrusted brachiopods come from deposits bracketing the Frasnian/Famennian (F/F) boundary, the results also shed some light on ecological differences in encrusting communities before and after the Frasnian–Famennian (F-F) event. To explore the diversity dynamics of encrusting assemblages, we analyzed more than 1300 brachiopod valves (substrates) from two localities. Taxon accumulation plots and shareholder quorum subsampling (SQS) routines indicated that a reasonably small sample of brachiopod host valves (n=50) is sufficient to capture the majority of the encrusting genera recorded at a given site. The richness of encrusters per substrate declined simultaneously with the number of encrusting taxa in the lower Famennian, accompanied by a decrease in epibiont abundance, with a comparable decrease in mean encrustation intensity (percentage of bioclasts encrusted by one or more epibionts). Epibiont abundance and occupancy roughly mirror each other. Strikingly, few ecological characteristics are correlated with substrate size, possibly reflecting random settlement of larvae. Evenness, which is negatively correlated with substrate size, shows greater within-stage variability among samples than between Frasnian and Famennian intervals and may indicate the instability of early Famennian biocenoses following the faunal turnover. The occurrence distribution of encrusters points to nonrandom associations and exclusions among several encrusting taxa. However, abundance and occupancy of microconchids remained relatively stable throughout the sampled time interval. The notable decline in abundance (~60%) and relatively minor decline in diversity (~30%) suggest jointly that encrusting communities experienced ecological collapse rather than a major mass extinction event. The differences between the upper Frasnian and lower Famennian encrusting assemblages may thus record a turnover associated with the F-F event.

Participant Reactions to Suicide-Focused Research

Crisis ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (5) ◽  
pp. 367-374
Author(s):  
Sarah P. Carter ◽  
Brooke A. Ammerman ◽  
Heather M. Gebhardt ◽  
Jonathan Buchholz ◽  
Mark A. Reger
Keyword(s):  
Medical Records ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Psychiatric Inpatient ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Inpatient Unit ◽  
Online Laboratory ◽  
Psychiatric Inpatient Unit ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Participant Reactions

Abstract. Background: Concerns exist regarding the perceived risks of conducting suicide-focused research among an acutely distressed population. Aims: The current study assessed changes in participant distress before and after participation in a suicide-focused research study conducted on a psychiatric inpatient unit. Method: Participants included 37 veterans who were receiving treatment on a psychiatric inpatient unit and completed a survey-based research study focused on suicide-related behaviors and experiences. Results: Participants reported no significant changes in self-reported distress. The majority of participants reported unchanged or decreased distress. Reviews of electronic medical records revealed no behavioral dysregulation and minimal use of as-needed medications or changes in mood following participation. Limitations: The study's small sample size and veteran population may limit generalizability. Conclusion: Findings add to research conducted across a variety of settings (i.e., outpatient, online, laboratory), indicating that participating in suicide-focused research is not significantly associated with increased distress or suicide risk.

The Influence of Attitudes, Subjective, Norms, and Behavior Controls on Intention to Choose Islamic Banks With Islamic Religiosity as a Moderating Variable (Case Study at Bri Syariah Purwokerto Customers)

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Akhmad Khoyrun Najakh ◽  
Dwiwiyati Astogini ◽  
Sri Martini
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Control ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Subjective Norm ◽  
Subjective Norms ◽  
Islamic Banks ◽  
Control Behavior ◽  
Before And After ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Number Of Customers

The purpose of this study was to analyze the influence of attitudes on the intention to choose Islamic banks, to analyze the effect of subjective norm on the intention to choose Islamic banks. to analyze the effect of the control behavior of the intention to choose the Islamic banks, to analyze the moderating influence of religiosity on the relationship attitudes, subjective norms and behavioral control of the intention to choose the Islamic banks . The method used is a survey with a sampling technique used purposive sampling with a sample size of this study was 100 respondents . Further analysis tools used in this study is multiple regression analysis using SPSS 16.0 software . Based on this study it can be concluded that the attitude does not affect to the intention of choose Bank BRISyariah. Subjective norm positive effect on intention choose Bank BRISyariah. Control behavior does not affect to the intention choose Bank BRISyariah. Relationship between Attitudes, Subjective Norms and Behavior Control with the intention to select Bank BRISyariah not moderated by religiosity.Based on these conclusions can be said that the Bank BRISyariah should improve understanding related to the subjective norm in order to increase the number of customers who use the services of Islamic Banking . Further research is recommended in order to follow up and develop this research to further explore the independent and dependent variables continued before and after behavioral intention or intention to perform a specific action .

Impact of merger on efficiency and productivity : a case study of commercial banks in Malaysia

1970 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 77
Author(s):  
Mahadzir Ismail ◽  
Saliza Sulaiman ◽  
Hasni Abdul Rahim ◽  
Nordiana Nordin
Keyword(s):  
Efficiency Score ◽  
Malmquist Productivity Index ◽  
Productivity Index ◽  
Data Envelopment ◽  
Master Plan ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Domestic Banks ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Efficiency And Productivity

The Financial Master Plan (2001- 2010) aims to enhance the capacity of banking industry so that higher effic iency and productivity can be reaped in the future. This study seeks to determine the impact of merger on the efficiency and productivity ofcommercial banks in Malaysia for the period 1995 until 2005. The study uses a non-parametric approach, nam ely DEA (data envelopment analysis?) to estimate the efficiency scores and to construct the Malmquist productivity index. To enable this estimation, three bank inputs and outputs are used. Amongst the findings are those banks exhibit higher efficiency score after the merger and thefo reign banks are more efficient than the local banks. Productivity of the banks is calculated in both periods, before and after the merger: The results show that, it is the local banks that have improved the most after the merger. The main source of productivity is technical change or innovation. The findings support the existing policy of having larger domestic banks in term of size.

ANALISIS EFEKTIVITAS PROGRAM USAHA AGRIBISNIS PERDESAAN (PUAP) SERTA DAMPAKNYA TERHADAP TINGKAT PENDAPATAN PETANI (STUDI KASUS PADA GABUNGAN KELOMPOK TANI TELUK JAYA)

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yudi Triyanto
Keyword(s):  
Poverty Alleviation ◽  
F Test ◽  
Income Levels ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Program Funding ◽  
Independent Variable ◽  
Farmer Income ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Group Association

Study the effectivity analysis of Program Usaha Agribisnis Perdesaan (PUAP) and its impact on farmer income levels (case study of the Teluk Jaya Farmers Group Association) aims to 1. knowing how large the effectivity of PUAP funds is for income levels in poverty alleviation in Teluk Desa Sentosa Panai Hulu Subdistrict, 2. to analyze and determine the level of income of Gapoktan Teluk Jaya Farming Business in Teluk Sentosa, Panai Hulu Subdistrict before and after receiving PUAP assistance. The results showed that the effectivity of PUAP program funding is very effective and good, it can be seen from the results of the F test of 12.406 with a significant level of 0.000 while the F value of the table is 2.051. When compared to the value of F test (12.406) > Ftable (2.051) at α 5%, it was concluded that simultaneously the effectivity variable and the PUAP program had a positive effect. The increase in income of the Teluk Jaya Farmers Group in Teluk Sentosa after receiving PUAP funds can be known from the t table for the effectivity variable of 2.663 and the PUAP program for 1.270 with a significant value for each independent variable (2.051); (0.073). Whereas for the t table value in the distribution statistics t table with the level of test α = 5% and df1 = 27 of 2,051. Based on the criteria that if the value is t count> t table); namely (2.663> 2,051) (1,270> 2,051) so that it can be concluded that the effectivity variable partially has a positive and significant effect on the income level.Keywords : effectivity variable,  income level, PUAP program

Obesity management through Ayurveda - A Case Study

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dheeraj Kumar Tyagi ◽  
Shivakumar .
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Findings ◽  
Dietary Habit ◽  
Unhealthy Lifestyle ◽  
Lifestyle Management ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Effect Of Treatment ◽  
And Control

Lifestyle disorders are one of the biggest threats for the population living unhealthy lifestyle. Sthoulya (Obesity) is one such disorder which creates lot of physical as well as mental disorder to the sufferer. Due to changing lifestyle, comforts and dietary habit lots of individuals changed their life totally. Obesity is a growing disease in developed and developing countries. Prevalence is drastically hike in past few years. Ayurveda, the science of life with which we can manage and control lots of lifestyle disorders. Focusing on dietary and lifestyle management along with treatment, we can overcome the hazards of obesity which is growing in a uncontrolled manner. The available data is based on the clinical findings only. Aim and objective: To assess the effect of “Guru Cha Atarpanam Chikitsa” in the management of Sthoulya. Setting: Swastharakshana evam Yoga, OPD and IPD, SDMCAH, Hassan. Method: Udwarthana, Parisheka, Shamana Aushadhis, Ahara, and Vihara was followed within the treatment duration and effect of treatment was assessed before and after treatment, advised for follow up. Results: The treatment adopted is effective in the management of Sthoulya and to improve the quality of life.

ER rule classifier with an optimization operator recommendation

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Xiaoyan Wang ◽  
Jianbin Sun ◽  
Qingsong Zhao ◽  
Yaqian You ◽  
Jiang Jiang
Keyword(s):  
Classification Accuracy ◽  
Comprehensive Analysis ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Empirical Knowledge ◽  
Classification Methods ◽  
Turbofan Engine ◽  
Training Samples ◽  
Optimization Operator ◽  
Recommendation Strategy

It is difficult for many classic classification methods to consider expert experience and classify small-sample datasets well. The evidential reasoning rule (ER rule) classifier can solve these problems. The ER rule has strong processing and comprehensive analysis abilities for diversified mixed information and can solve problems with expert experience effectively. Moreover, the initial parameters of the classifier constructed based on the ER rule can be set according to empirical knowledge instead of being trained by a large number of samples, which can help the classifier classify small-sample datasets well. However, the initial parameters of the ER rule classifier need to be optimized, and choosing the best optimization algorithm is still a challenge. Considering these problems, the ER rule classifier with an optimization operator recommendation is proposed in this paper. First, the initial ER rule classifier is constructed based on training samples and expert experience. Second, the adjustable parameters are optimized, in which the optimization operator recommendation strategy is applied to select the best algorithm by partial samples, and then experiments with full samples are carried out. Finally, a case study on a turbofan engine degradation simulation dataset is carried out, and the results indicate that the ER rule classifier has a higher classification accuracy than other classic classifiers, which demonstrates the capability and effectiveness of the proposed ER rule classifier with an optimization operator recommendation.

scholarly journals Changes of Walking Activity During the First Cycle Phases of COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of Seoul, Korea

2021 ◽  
pp. 193758672110265
Author(s):  
Youngjun Park ◽  
Haekwon Chung ◽  
Sohyun Park
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Physical Inactivity ◽  
Voluntary Participation ◽  
Walking Activity ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Acceleration And Deceleration ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
The Government

Aim: This study explores the changes in regular walking activities during the phases of the pandemic. Background: With the spread of COVID-19 transmission, people are refraining from going out, reducing their physical activity. In South Korea, COVID-19 broke out in the 4th week of 2020 and experienced the first cycle phases of the pandemic, such as outbreak, widespread, and decline. In response to the pandemic, the government encouraged voluntary participation in social distancing campaigns, and people reduced their outside activities. Methods: This article examines the decrease and increase of the Prevalence of Regular Walking (≥30 min of moderate walking a day, on ≥5 days a week) by the COVID-19 phases. This study is based on weekly walking data for 15 weeks in 2020, via the smartphone healthcare app, which is managed by 25 public health offices of the Seoul government. Results: According to the findings, the level of prevalence of regular walking (PRW) has a significant difference before and after the outbreak, and every interval of the four-stage COVID-19 phases, that is, pre-pandemic, initiation, acceleration, and deceleration. The level of PRW sharply decreased during initiation and acceleration intervals. In the deceleration interval of COVID-19, the PRW kept increasing, but it has not yet reached the same level as the previous year when the COVID-19 did not exist. Conclusions: As a preliminary study, this study explains empirically how COVID-19 changed PRW in Seoul. It would be helpful to enhance our understanding of the changes in physical inactivity in the pandemic period.

scholarly journals FRI0612-HPR EFFECT OF THERMOFORMABLE ORTHOSES ON FOOT FUNCTION IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS PATIENTS: PRELIMINARY RESULTS FROM AN OPEN CLINICAL TRIAL.

2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 911.2-912
Author(s):  
I. Aachari ◽  
H. Rkain ◽  
F. Safaa ◽  
L. Benzakour ◽  
T. Latifa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽  
Clinical Trial ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Activity Limitation ◽  
Foot Orthoses ◽  
Functional Impact ◽  
Pain Disability ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Foot Function ◽  
The Impact

Background:Orthoses and footwear can play an important role in managing foot pathology in patients whose systemic disease is controlled. Foot orthoses are frequently prescribed in clinical practice as an intervention for people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Objectives:The aim of our study is to evaluate the impact of thermoformable orthoses on the functional index of the foot (FFI) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.Methods:We conducted an open clinical trial, having consecutively included 14 patients (85.7% female, average age 54.8 ± 10 years) suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (median progression time of 9 years [5 - 12]). The average DAS28 was 2.7 ± 1.2 and the functional impact objectified by the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) was on average 0.9 ± 0.7.The median deadline from the start of RA and the onset of the foot problem was 3 years [0 – 7,75]. The foot problem was bilateral in 100% of the cases and inaugural in 85.7% of the cases.We evaluated the functional impact of foot injury for all our patients at baseline and 8 weeks after the use of thermoformable orthoses, based on the FFI (Foot function Index) measuring the impact of foot pathology on function in terms of pain, disability and activity limitation.The comparison of the FFI domains before and after the use of orthoses was carried out using parametric or nonparametric paired tests using The SPSS statistical software.Results:With the use of foot orthoses, FFI values decreased in all subscales (p=0,024) (pain, disability and activity limitation). This reduction was significant for disability (0,011) but not for pain and activity limitation.There were no significant correlations between the global FFI and the progression of RA, the duration of foot damage and the functional impact measured by the HAQ.Table 1. The comparison of the FFI domains before and after the use of orthoses.psignificatif if< 0,05; Test used: Non-parametric test for two linked samples.Conclusion:Foot orthoses were effective as an adjuvant in the management of rheumatoid foot. They significantly reduced disability as measured by the FFI. The absence of factors associated with pain and limitation of activity could possibly be related to the small sample size.Disclosure of Interests:None declared

scholarly journals AB0571 IS RITUXIMAB AN ADEQUATE GLUCOCORTICOID SPARING AGENT IN IDIOPATHIC INFLAMMATORY MYOPATHIES?

2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 1582.1-1582
Author(s):  
B. H. Egeli ◽  
S. Ergun ◽  
Y. K. Gursoy ◽  
A. Cetin ◽  
S. Ugurlu
Keyword(s):  
Disease Activity ◽  
Alternative Treatment ◽  
Statistical Power ◽  
Signs And Symptoms ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies ◽  
Inflammatory Myopathies ◽  
Treatment Methods ◽  
Before And After

Background:Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) are essentially treated aiming improvement of muscle function and extra muscular disease manifestations. The backbone of the treatment is corticosteroids enhancing the survival and patient quality of life. The lack of consensus on target-specific immunosuppressive treatment highlights the need for further studies evaluating alternative treatment methods. Rituximab is potentially a glucocorticoid-sparing agent which was reviewed in multiple studies with small sample sizes due to the rarity of the disease.Objectives:Higher statistical power can enhance the trustworthiness of alternative treatment methods yielding the main objective of this study.Methods:This retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary rheumatology center. Patients were diagnosed with an idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (dermatomyositis [DM], polymyositis [PM]) and were treated with rituximab in order to be included in this study. Clinical signs and symptoms of the presentation were noted during the first patient encounter as well as the follow-up. Parameters of disease activity including acute phase reactants, muscle enzyme levels, and disease-specific autoantibodies were analyzed.Results:The study includes 28 patients (20 DM, 8 PM). The age of diagnosis was 43.44 ± 15.77 years, follow-up duration was 60.7 ± 70.7 months. The presenting signs and symptoms of the patients are shown in Figure 1. The parameters of disease activity before and after treatment are summarized in Table 1. The mean corticosteroid dose decreased from 31.429 ±23.934 mg to 10.278 ±12.001 (p=0.001). Other treatment methods were methotrexate (n=18), Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG) (n=7), and cyclophosphamide (n=2). There were not any deaths during the follow-up. Two patients were lost to follow-up.Table 1.The Parameters of Disease Activity Before and After TreatmentBefore TreatmentAfter TreatmentP ValueCPK, mean ± std (U/L)1426 ± 2049.92263.44 ± 265.630.004LDH, mean ± std (U/L)557.5 ± 365379.78 ± 192.10.03AST, mean ± std (U/L)62.52 ± 5930.16 ± 27.590.01ALT, mean ± std (U/L)56.48 ± 49.2127.64 ± 24.520.008ESR, mean ± std (mm/hour)26.38 ± 28.9820.39 ± 18.760.36CRP, mean ± std (mg/L)19.23 ± 46.1512.53 ± 26.670.5RF, mean ± std (U/mL)0 (0)N/AN/AANA, n (%)3 (10.71)N/AN/AFigure 1.The Presenting Signs and Symptoms of the PatientsConclusion:Rituximab is shown to be effective in treating myositis along with corticosteroids as well as a corticosteroid-sparing agent in retrospective studies and open-label clinical trials; however, lack of statistical power should be underlined. Long term decrease in steroid use and decrease in disease activity markers hints the effective use of rituximab as a glucocorticoid sparing agent as well as its safety with minimal side effects.Disclosure of Interests:None declared

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