cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diffusion of explosives through frozen and unfrozen sand

Areas subject to military conflict or military training sometimes contain unexploded ordinance and/or explosives residues resulting from detonations. A variety of past field and modeling studies have investigated the behavior of explosives in soils in warm climates, but the behavior in cold climates, including frozen soil and snow, has been less studied. In northern areas of military conflict, and at Army military training grounds in cold regions, winter weather exists for many months of the year. The impact of temperature and moisture changes in the soil, due to changing weather conditions, can have a large effect on the fate and transport of the explosives. The basic transport parameters for the behavior of the contaminant in frozen soil are unknown, yet these parameters are needed for problem assessment both for simple estimates and full numerical studies. In this paper we discuss sample results of controlled laboratory experiments performed to investigate the diffusion of 2,4-DNT through sand, under two conditions each of temperature and moisture. Based on the experimental data we present preliminary effective diffusion coefficients for the conditions. The concentrations show clear transport of the contaminant due to vapor diffusion and sorption. Sorption is a controlling feature of diffusion of explosives in sand. Diffusion rates and concentration on the particles increase with temperature. In both frozen and unfrozen sand, higher moisture content causes faster diffusion rates but lower particle concentration levels than in the corresponding dry cases.
The Nitrate Dependence of the Dysprosium Distribution Coefficient at Constant Ionic Strength in the Synergistic System Kerosene/HTTA/TBP/Dilute HNO3

Abstract Analysis of dysprosium distribution data determined at varying nitrate concentration but constant ionic strength indicates that the dysprosium exists in the aqueous phase as Dy (NO3)+1 2. The corresponding complex which is extracted into the organic phase is taken to be Dy(NO3)(TTA)2(TBP)2.
The metabolism and function of 1α-hydroxyvitamin D3

High activity [6-3H]-1α-hydroxyvitamin D3 has been chemically synthesized and shown to be converted rapidly to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 in both rats and chicks. This rapid conversion takes place prior to initiation of intestinal calcium transport which suggests that 1α-hydroxyvitamin D3 must be converted to 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D3 before it functions, although direct action of 1α-hydroxyvitamin D3 cannot be totally excluded. The conversion of 1α-hydroxyvitamin D3 takes place in the liver and not intestine of the rat. On the other hand, both liver and intestine of chicks can carry out this conversion. The 1α-hydroxyvitamin D3 rapidly disappears from blood and intestine of rats being essentially absent 12 hours after a 325 pmole dose, while the formed 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 persists much longer.
Your data deserve better than pies and bars: An R graphics workshop for the timid

Conventional data displays such as pie charts, bar charts, and tables are generally ineffective at communicating the logic of an argument. Effective alternatives exist are less well-known. Reasons for the prevalence of pie charts, bar charts, and tables include: they are native to Office software; engineers and engineering educators generally lack training in visual rhetoric; new designs require additional work and technical skill of the author; and audiences resist change. This workshop addresses some of these barriers to change. The superior alternative to pie charts, bar charts, and (some) tables is the dot plot, a display type absent from Office but native to R, an open-source software environment originating in the statistics community. Workshop participants learn why dot plots are effective and how to create them using R. The workshop is designed for R beginners. The agenda includes active learning, demonstration, and discussion. Programming topics are developed using self-paced tutorials. Participants, from any discipline, interested in learning why and how to improve their graphical communication of quantitative data are welcome. Participants should bring wireless-capable laptops. After completing the workshop, participants should be able to describe the limitations of pie charts, bar charts, and tables, cite principles underlying more effective graphs, and use R to create dot plots. By developing participants' technical skills and rhetorical skills in this way, we serve the greater goal of improving their abilities to explore data and communicate findings, helping them use the logic of a display design to better support the logic of their argument.
Aerodynamic and acoustic characteristics of the adult AfricanAmerican voice

Laryngeal aerodynamic and acoustic characteristics of African American voice production were examined from vowel samples produced by ten adult female and ten adult male speakers. The data were compared with that for a control group consisting of ten adult female and ten adult male White speakers, matched for age, height, and weight. All measures were analyzed using Cspeech 4.0. Aerodynamic measurements, extracted from a glottal airflow waveform, included maximum flow declination rate, alternating glottal airflow, minimum glottal airflow, and airflow open quotient. Acoustic measures included fundamental frequency and sound pressure level. No significant mean differences between the African American and White speakers were found, except for maximum-flow declination rate. The White speakers produced significantly higher declination rates than the African American speakers. The factor of sex for the African American speakers was statistically significant for the measures of maximum-flow declination rate, alternating glottal airflow, open quotient, and fundamental frequency, consistent with the functioning of the White speakers. The results suggest that during vowel production, where the vocal tract is in a fairly static position, acoustic and aerodynamic characteristics for African American and White Speakers are comparable.
Production of atmospheric neutrons by solar γ rays

It is shown that atmospheric neutrons may be produced by solar gamma ray reactions ( gamma ,n) on O/sup 16/ and N/sup 14/. It is assumed that these gamma rays exist and that they can have maximum energies between 340 and 1700 Mev. The intensity of the neutrons is calculated as a function of atmospheric depth, and compared with balloon observations. (T.F.H.)
The Structure of Students' Perceptions of Impactful, Helpful Events in Career Exploration Classes

We assessed perceptions of helpful events reported by college students enrolled in career exploration classes. Perceptions were collected through written, narrative self-reports, which were coded u...
Rates of Adverse Events of Long-Acting Opioids in a State Medicaid Program

Background Despite widespread use and emerging safety concerns, data on the comparative safety and effectiveness of long-acting opioid (LAO) analgesics are weak. Objective To compare rates of adverse events among patients newly prescribed an LAO. Methods A retrospective observational cohort study using Medicaid administrative claims data was conducted examining time until first adverse outcome among patients with new prescriptions for methadone, extended-release (ER) oxycodone, ER morphine, or transdermal fentanyl. Adverse outcomes included emergency department (ED) encounters or hospitalizations for opioid-related adverse events, all-cause ED encounters or hospitalizations, death, and diagnoses for opioid-related adverse effects. Cox proportional hazards models were used to adjust for a variety of measured covariates overall and within subgroups of patients with and without cancer. Results This study included 5684 subjects. Patients prescribed ER oxycodone were 55[corrected]% less likely (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 0.45; 95% CI 0.26 to 0.77) to experience an ED or hospitalization involving an opioid-related adverse event, 23% lower risk of hospitalization (adjusted HR 0.77; 95% CI 0.66 to 0.91), 41% lower risk of constipation (adjusted HR 0.59; 95% CI 0.35 to 1.00), and a 29% lower risk of death (adjusted HR 0.71; 95% CI 0.54 to 0.94) compared with those prescribed ER morphine. Among subjects with noncancer pain, fentanyl was associated with a higher risk of ED encounters (adjusted HR 1.27; 95% CI 1.02 to 1.59) and methadone was associated with a greater risk of overdose symptoms (adjusted HR 1.57; 95% CI 1.03 to 2.40) compared with ER morphine. Conclusions Our results support a modest safety advantage with ER oxycodone compared with ER morphine. Among subjects with noncancer pain, fentanyl and methadone were associated with an increased risk of an adverse event compared with ER morphine. Additional studies are needed to confirm our findings and further clarify risks associated with different LAOs.
Coryphopterus kuna , a new goby (Perciformes: Gobiidae: Gobiinae) from the western Caribbean, with the identification of the late larval stage and an estimate of the pelagic larval duration

A new goby, Coryphopterus kuna, is described from the Atlantic coasts of Panama and Mexico. The species is distinguished from other Coryphopterus spp. by the low median fin and pectoral fin ray counts and the morphology of the pelvic fin. The pelvic fins are fully joined with a rounded outline and have branched and longer innermost pelvic fin rays. There is no frenum connecting the two pelvic fin spines and the fin is heavily speckled with black spots in the male holotype. The late larval stage of C. kuna is identified by DNA sequence matching and is morphologically similar to other larval Coryphopterus spp. but has a distinct melanophore pattern. Examination of the otolith microstructure reveals a relatively long pelagic larval duration of 63 days with a narrowing of the later daily increments suggesting delayed metamorphosis. The species is the first vertebrate to include gene sequence barcoding under the Barcode of Life Data System (BOLD) in the species description.
The Cost of Prostate Cancer Chemoprevention: A Decision Analysis Model

Background: The Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial found reduced prostate cancer prevalence for men treated with finasteride. The public health cost of wide-scale chemoprevention is unclear. We developed a model to help clarify the cost effectiveness of public use of prostate cancer–preventive agents. Methods: A Markov decision analysis model was designed to determine the lifetime prostate health-related costs, beginning at the age of 50 years, for men treated with finasteride compared with placebo. Model assumptions were based on data from the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial, a literature review of survival and progression rates for patients treated with radical prostatectomy, and costs associated with prostate cancer disease states. Results: Chemoprevention with finasteride resulted in a gain of 13.7 life years per 1,000 men at a cost of $704,000 per life year saved (LYS). However, if finasteride is assumed to not increase the incidence of high-grade tumors, it renders a gain of 21.4 life years per 1,000 men at a cost of $434,000 per LYS; finasteride must cost $15 monthly to reach $100,000 per LYS. When applied to a population at higher risk (lifetime prevalence of ≥30%) for developing prostate cancer, the cost of finasteride must be reduced from its current cost ($62/mo) to <$15 per month for the cost effectiveness to fall below $50,000 per LYS. Conclusions: Given the natural history of treated prostate cancer, implementation of chemoprevention would require an inexpensive medication with substantial cancer risk reduction to be cost effective. Targeting populations at higher risk for developing prostate cancer, however, allows for considerable flexibility in the medication cost to make prostate cancer chemoprevention a more attainable goal. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2006;15(8):1485–9)
Social determinants of cardiovascular reactivity: Effects of incentive to exert influence and evaluative threat

The effects on cardiovascular reactivity of incentive to influence the judgements of the experimenter and the threat of social evaluation were examined in a sample of 60 male and 60 female undergraduates. Participants either were guaranteed $5.00 to prepare and deliver a brief speech or were told that the money was contingent on an evaluation by the experimenter. Participants believed that their speech would be rated for either simple clarity or verbal intelligence. The contingent incentive increased systolic blood pressure reactivity by 6.5 mmHg (32%). Evaluative threat increased systolic reactivity by 7.1 mmHg (36%). These interpersonal processes could increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and are likely to affect the degree of cardiovascular reactivity in laboratory studies.
The Genome Sequence DataBase (GSDB): Improving data quality and data access

In 1997 the primary focus of the Genome Sequence DataBase (GSDB; www. ncgr.org/gsdb ) located at the National Center for Genome Resources was to improve data quality and accessibility. Efforts to increase the quality of data within the database included two major projects; one to identify and remove all vector contamination from sequences in the database and one to create premier sequence sets (including both alignments and discontiguous sequences). Data accessibility was improved during the course of the last year in several ways. First, a graphical database sequence viewer was made available to researchers. Second, an update process was implemented for the web-based query tool, Maestro. Third, a web-based tool, Excerpt, was developed to retrieve selected regions of any sequence in the database. And lastly, a GSDB flatfile that contains annotation unique to GSDB (e.g., sequence analysis and alignment data) was developed. Additionally, the GSDB web site provides a tool for the detection of matrix attachment regions (MARs), which can be used to identify regions of high coding potential. The ultimate goal of this work is to make GSDB a more useful resource for genomic comparison studies and gene level studies by improving data quality and by providing data access capabilities that are consistent with the needs of both types of studies.
Postoperative Studies of Adrenal Function in Primary Aldosteronism

During the first month after removal of a unilateral aldosterone-producing adenoma, sodium conservation is poor and restriction of sodium intake may result in adrenal insufficiency. The excretion of aldosterone is reduced and does not increase in response to stimulation by administration of corticotropin, angiotensin, and by restriction of sodium intake. Chronic hypervolemia in patients with primary aldosteronism can result in selective suppression of the ability of the adrenal gland to secrete normal amounts of aldosterone immediately after removal of an aldosterone-secreting tumor.
MIOCENE MAMMALIAN FAUNAS, OGALLALA GROUP, PAWNEE BUTTES AREA, WELD COUNTY, COLORADO

Abstract The Pawnee Buttes of northeastern Colorado lie within spectacular outcrops of Oligocene (White River Group) and Miocene (Ogallala Group) strata that form part of the Chalk Bluffs, an 150 mile long escarpment near the state line. These deposits were some of the earliest High Plains units to be explored by vertebrate paleontologists (Marsh, 1870; Cope, 1873). Consequently their fossil remains yielded the first information on North American faunas of mid- and late Tertiary time. Many parties subsequently exploited these deposits; their work, and his own investigations, were monographed by Galbreath in 1953. The present paper reviews the literature, a substantial part of the collections, as well as later stratigraphic work to present a revised litho- and biostratigraphy focused on the Pawnee Buttes area of eastern Weld County, Colorado. The oldest post-White River Group unit is the Martin Canyon Formation, the type locality of which is in adjacent Logan County. It contains an early Hemingfordian faun...
Intraoperative arterial blood pressure lability is associated with improved 30 day survival

Background Arterial blood pressure lability, defined as rapid changes in arterial blood pressure, occurs commonly during anaesthesia. It is believed that hypertensive patients exhibit more lability during surgery and that lability is associated with poorer outcomes. Neither association has been rigorously tested. We hypothesized that hypertensive patients have more blood pressure lability and that increased lability is associated with increased 30 day mortality. Methods This was a retrospective single-centre study of surgical patients from July 2008 to December 2012. Intraoperative data were extracted from the electronic anaesthesia record. Lability was calculated as the modulus of the percentage change in mean arterial pressure between consecutive 5 min intervals. The number of episodes of lability >10% was tabulated. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to determine the association between lability and 30 day mortality using derivation and validation cohorts. Results Inclusion criteria were met by 52 919 subjects. Of the derivation cohort, 53% of subjects were hypertensive and 42% used an antihypertensive medication. The median number of episodes of lability >10% was 9 (interquartile range 5–14) per patient. Hypertensive subjects demonstrated more lability than normotensive patients, 10 (5–15) compared with 8 (5–12), P 10% was associated with decreased 30 day mortality, odds ratio (OR) per episode 0.95 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.92–0.97], P Conclusions Intraoperative arterial blood pressure lability occurs more often in hypertensive patients. Contrary to common belief, increased lability was associated with decreased 30 day mortality.
Is the Rule of Law a Law of Rules? Judgments of Rule of Law Violations

In this paper, we present findings from two experiments that measure individuals’ reactions to rule of law violations by an authority figure, with the goal of assessing which interpretation of the rule of law is naturally invoked. We created a variety of hypothetical scenarios that allowed us to gauge the independent effects of rule adherence, outcome fairness, and the violator’s intentions on the participants’ judgments of the violation. We found that adherence to legitimate rules was considered desirable when those rules worked to produce a fair outcome. But when following legitimate rules would lead to an unfair outcome, our participants paid little attention to the rules and, in some cases, punished an individual for obeying the rules when those rules led to an unjust result. In our second experiment, we focused on studying this conflict within different contexts, finding again that our participants thought it appropriate for a judge to disregard the rules of evidence to ensure a fair verdict, and for a teacher to break a school’s strict blind grading policy to ensure that students received fair grades. However, a third context revealed the formal rule of law at work: Our participants’ responses indicated a clear preference for strict rule adherence by an umpire in a baseball game, even if it meant that one of the teams would unfairly suffer.
Plugging Paravalvular Leaks After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: Why and How?∗

Paravalvular leaks or paravalvular regurgitation (PVR) occur after most transcatheter aortic valve replacements (TAVRs) utilizing the first- and second-generation devices. They are generally mild and are seemingly of no clinical significance, although controversy exists on this point [(1,2)][1].
The hydrogen fluoride solvent system—VI: The acid strength of BF3, PF5 and SbF5 in liquid HF

Abstract The thermodynamics solvolysis constant of the BF 4 − ion in liquid anhydrous hydrogen fluoride was determined to be 7·7 × 10 −3 by a method of solubility measurements. From the extensive solvolysis of its salt, it was concluded, therefore, the BF 3 was not a strong acid in liquid HF. By the same method, however, no appreciable solvolysis of the salts of PF 5 and SbF 5 in liquid HF was detected, indicating, consequently that PF 5 and SbF 5 were strong acids in liquid HF. A new method of preparation for KPF 6 and TlSbF 6 in liquid HF is described. The solubility product constants of AgBF 4 , KPF 6 and TlSbF 6 in liquid HF at 0°C were found to be 2·96 × 10 −3 , 1·32 × 10 −3 , 5·84 × 10 −2 and 2·76 × 10 −4 respectively.
City slickers: poor performance does not deter Anolis lizards from using artificial substrates in human‐modified habitats

Summary As animals move through their environments, they encounter a variety of substrates, which have important effects on their locomotor performance. Habitat modification can alter the types of substrates available for locomotion. In particular, many types of artificial substrates have been added to urban areas, but effects of these novel surfaces on animal locomotion are little known. In this study, we assessed locomotor performance of two Anolis lizard species (A. cristatellus and A. stratulus) on substrates that varied in inclination and surface roughness. Rough substrates represented the tree trunks and branches typically used in natural forest habitats, whereas smooth, vertical substrates captured the qualities of artificial surfaces, such as posts and walls, available in human-modified habitats. We then observed habitat use to test the habitat constraint hypothesis – that lizards should more frequently occupy portions of the habitat in which they perform better. Increased inclination and decreased surface roughness caused lizards to run slower. Both A. cristatellus and A. stratulus ran slowest on the smooth, vertical surface, and A. cristatellus often slipped and fell on this surface. In contrast to predictions, both species frequently used smooth, vertical substrates in the wild. Anolis cristatellus occupied artificial substrates 73% of the time in human-modified habitats despite performing worse than A. stratulus on the smooth, vertical track. We therefore rejected the habitat constraint hypothesis for anoles in these human-modified habitats. Despite overall poor performance on the smooth, vertical track, A. cristatellus had a significant morphology–performance relationship that supports the prediction that selection should favour smaller lizards with relatively longer limbs in human-modified habitats. The smaller bodied A. stratulus performed better than A. cristatellus on smooth, vertical substrates and therefore may not be exposed to the same selective pressures. We contend that habitat modification by humans may alter morphology-performance–habitat use relationships found in natural habitats. This may lead to changes in selective pressures for some species, which may influence their ability to occupy human-modified habitats such as cities.
Interaction between CO2 concentration and flow rate on peripheral airway resistance

In the present study, we investigated the interaction between CO2 concentration and rate of delivered flow on peripheral airway resistance (Rp) in the intact canine lung. Dogs were anesthetized, intubated, paralyzed, and mechanically ventilated with room air to maintain end-tidal CO2 between 4.8 and 5.2%. Using a wedged bronchoscope technique, we measured Rp at functional residual capacity. The relationship between CO2 concentration and Rp was measured at flow rates of 100 and 400 ml/min with 5, 3, 2, 1, and 0% CO2 in air. Measurements were made at the end of a 3-min exposure to each gas. At low flow rates (100 ml/min) responses to hypocapnia were small, whereas at high flow rates (400 ml/min) responses were large. The PC50 (defined as the CO2 concentration required to produce a 50% increase in Rp above baseline Rp established on 5% CO2) at 400 ml/min (1.73%) was significantly larger than that at 100 ml/min (0.38%). We also directly measured the relationship between Rp and flow rate with 5% CO2 (normocapnia) or 1% CO2 (hypocapnia) delivered into the wedged segment. Increases in normocapnic flow caused small but significant decreases in Rp. In contrast, increases in hypocapnic flow from 100 to 400 ml/min caused a 108% increase in Rp. Thus the response to hypocapnia is augmented by increasing flow rate. This interaction can be explained by a simple model that considers the effect of local ventilation-perfusion ratio and gas mixing on the local CO2 concentration at the site of peripheral airway contraction.
How to Hackathon: Socio-technical Tradeoffs in Brief, Intensive Collocation

Hackathons are events where people who are not normally collocated converge for a few days to write code together. Hackathons, it seems, are everywhere. We know that long- term collocation helps advance technical work and facilitate enduring interpersonal relationships, but can similar benefits come from brief, hackathon-style collocation? How do participants spend their time preparing, working face-to- face, and following through these brief encounters? Do the activities participants select suggest a tradeoff between the social and technical benefits of collocation? We present results from a multiple-case study that suggest the way that hackathon-style collocation advances technical work varies across technical domain, community structure, and expertise of participants. Building social ties, in contrast, seems relatively constant across hackathons. Results from different hackathon team formation strategies suggest a tradeoff between advancing technical work and building social ties. Our findings have implications for technology support that needs to be in place for hackathons and for understanding the role of brief interludes of collocation in loosely-coupled, geographically distributed work.
“Don’t be dumb—that’s the rule I try to live by”: A closer look at older teens’ online privacy and safety attitudes

Popular media often characterize youths’ use of social media as overwhelmingly negative, reporting that teens engage in reckless, unsafe behaviors with little thought to their online privacy or safety. Typically, these popular media accounts are based on adults’ prescriptive views of youths’ attitudes and behaviors. Using qualitative methods including background questionnaires and focus groups, we gathered older teens’ attitudes about online privacy and safety to provide a more complete narrative from a teen perspective. Findings suggest that older teens are concerned with their online privacy and feel discomfort with unintended audiences seeing their personal information, yet most feel tension to share personal information with friends. They are less concerned about safety, tending to feel safe online and to employ protective measures, but viewing older and younger generations as less knowledgeable about online safety. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of these findings for teac...
The Buddhist Virtues of Raging Lust and Crass Materialism in Contemporary Japan

AbstractThe idea that Japanese Buddhism is in a state of inevitable decline is widely accepted by scholars, clerics, and journalists as both demographic fact and doctrinal truth. However, this analysis fails to capture the complicated dynamic between the longstanding narrative of decline and the equally longstanding reality of Buddhist survival. Using animated music videos, plastic figurines, and illustrated merchandise created in collaboration between the for-profit company Hachifuku and the small Tokyo temple Ryōhōji as examples of a broader trend, this article shows that the very things that are taken as evidence of Buddhist decline – crass materialism, raging lust, and blissful ignorance of the finer points of doctrine – are actually the things that allow Buddhism to survive and thrive in contemporary Japan. I conclude with a critical analysis of the political economy of the decline narrative, showing that religious studies scholars, mass media, and Japanese ecclesial institutions all benefit from a s...
Shopping for Explanations

We were shocked by the Random Sample “born to shop?” (7 September, p. 1301). Such a study hardly deserves the notice of a premier science journal. The Random Sample summarizes a “study” of sex-based differences in the ability of modern city dwellers to remember the locations of particular
Essential competencies in entry-level pediatric physical therapy education.

Background:The Section on Pediatrics (SoP) convened an Education Summit in July 2012 to examine, discuss, and respond to documented inconsistencies and challenges in teaching pediatric physical therapy (PT) content in entry-level professional education programs. Despite previous attempts by the SoP
Quantitative Structure Retention Relationship Models in an Analytical Quality by Design Framework: Simultaneously Accounting for Compound Properties, Mobile-Phase Conditions, and Stationary-Phase Properties

Quantitative structure retention relationships (QSRRs) can play an important role in enhancing the speed and quality of chromatographic method development. This paper presents a novel (compound-classification-based) QSRR modeling strategy that simultaneously accounts for the analyte properties, mobile-phase conditions, and stationary-phase properties. It involves the adoption of two models: (A) partial-least-squares discriminate analysis (PLS-DA) to classify compounds into subclasses having similar interactive relationships between the mobile-phase conditions and stationary phase; (B) L partial least squares (L-PLS) to predict the compound’s retention time based on the mobile-phase conditions, stationary phase, and compound properties. For the retention time of a compound to be modeled, the most favorable compound class is identified in an optimization framework that simultaneously minimizes both the compound misclassification rate (based on PLS-DA) and the retention time prediction error (based on L-PLS)...
Selected Processes in SMEs, Targeting to South Bohemia Region and Trade Sector

Process management plays an important role in making up the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises. This issue is researched in the long term at the Economic University of South Bohemia. The paper presents a comparison of trends in the average level of functioning of core processes (selling, human resources, marketing and finance) in the South Bohemian Region MSP for 3 years in the sector of trade. The first data was obtained under the grant GAJU 068/2010/S in 2010, and the second group of data was obtained from the grant GAJU 039/2013/S and GAJU 079/2013/S in 2013. From all the chosen processes within the research sample, significant changes can be shown only in the processes of human resources management and production where improvement of functioning of the processes was achieved. In the research project were used secondary data (financial statements of SMEs, who took part in the research and primary data which were obtained primarily through quantitative methods questionnaire supplemented by qualitative method of in-depth interviews.
Effect of Molecular Structure on the Relative Hydrogen Peroxide Scavenging Ability of Some α-Keto Carboxylic Acids

The α-keto carboxylic acid, pyruvic acid (1) was found to be a very effective peroxide scavenger but is subject to an aldol-like self-condensation/polymerization reaction. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the hydrogen peroxide, H2O2, scavenging ability of 3-methyl-2-oxobutanoic acid (2), 4-methyl-2-oxopentanoic acid (3), and 2-oxo-2-phenylacetic acid (phenylglyoxylic acid, 4) in the pH range 2-9 at 25°C and the effect of molecular structure on the relative reactivity. The reaction with H2O2 was followed by UV spectrophotometry at 220 or 260 nm and high-performance liquid chromatography. Pseudo-first order, buffer-independent decarboxylation kinetics were observed in the presence of molar excess H2O2. The second-order rate constants for 2-4 followed a sigmoidal shape and mechanism similar to pyruvic acid. Pyruvic acid was a superior H2O2 scavenger to 2-4 over the pH range 2-9 but 4 was more reactive than 2 and 3 at pH values above 6. There was a qualitative correlation between the degree of keto-group hydration and reactivity of the acids in the pH range 4-6 while the data above pH 7 suggested that the intrinsic decarboxylation step for 4 was faster than for pyruvic acid. Differences in reactivity to molecular structure were analyzed.
Methodology of Automated Protection Analysis for Large Distribution Feeders With High Penetration of Photovoltaic Systems

This paper presents highly automated methods to study the protective device coordination in large distribution systems with high penetration of distributed photovoltaic (PV) generation. A real distribution feeder with large-scale distributed PV generation has been modeled and verified using the analysis tool OpenDSS and utilizing extensive field measurements. With the accurate and validated feeder model, thorough protection coordination of the system is investigated by applying all the possible phase and ground faults under various scenarios. Under varying PV penetration levels and with different PV interface transformer connections, settings for the phase and ground relay and recloser are verified/defined, such that proper coordination is achieved for the entire feeder under all operating conditions, corresponding to both fuse-clearing and fuse-saving schemes. An optimization-based design of protective devices is introduced that ensures proper protection coordination under thousands of possible fault cases. The automated protection analysis has been implemented using OpenDSS with the MATLAB COM interface, and this approach and these tools can be extended to analyze and design protection coordination of any large distribution feeder, as well as to use as a screening tool while evaluating large scale PV on distribution feeders.
Do/Feel Good: Health Risk Display Formats and Decision-Making

Healthcare is experiencing a shift from traditional one-way communication to a two-way communication process in which the patient is expected to be an active participant in the decision. This shift has heightened the need to understand what formats are most effective for communicating health information to patients and the underlying mechanism(s) by which risk information influences decision-making. The goal of this paper is to investigate these questions. We investigate consumer responses to five different presentation formats and test a model of decision-making involving three different decision paths – a cognitive path, an affective path, and a cognitive fluency path. We find that the impact of display format on decision-making is mediated consecutively by verbatim and gist knowledge and that processing fluency enhances this cognitive process as well as creates a path on its own. In addition, we find evidence of an affect-driven decision path. Implications of these findings for better engaging patients and encouraging improved decision-making are discussed.
Surgical therapy for Crohn's disease

Recurrence of disease after restorative operation for Crohn's disease is the rule rather than the exception. In fact, studies using colonoscopic surveillance show that minute recurrent lesions appear early on after operation in the majority of patients. Radical extirpation of disease does not reduce the rate of recurrence but only predisposes to the development of short bowel syndrome. Unfortunately, although in preliminary studies some prophylactic drug regimens seem to delay recurrence, no agent has been shown to be sufficiently potent to change this basic picture. Cure is possible in many cases of predominately colonic disease, but this comes at the expense of a permanent ileostomy. Despite these gloomy statistics, 70% or more of patients require one or more operations during their course. This conundrum is managed by using conservative indications for operation and by bowel-conserving operative procedures. Thus employed and carried out, operation has a favorable impact on the quality of life of these patients. Similarly conservative surgical treatment of the perineal complications, which are frequent and devastating, can be of enormous benefit.
A Logistic Normal Mixture Model for Compositional Data Allowing Essential Zeros

The usual candidate distributions for modeling compositions, the Dirichlet and the logistic normal distribution, do not include zero components in their support. Methods have been developed and refined for dealing with zeros that are rounded, or due to a value being below a detection level. Methods have also been developed for zeros in compositions arising from count data. However, essential zeros, cases where a component is truly absent, in continuous compositions are still a problem. The most promising approach is based on extending the logistic normal distribution to model essential zeros using a mixture of additive logistic normal distributions of different dimension, related by common parameters. We continue this approach, and by imposing an additional constraint, develop a likelihood, and show ways of estimating parameters for location and dispersion. The proposed likelihood, conditional on parameters for the probability of zeros, is a mixture of additive logistic normal distributions of different dimensions whose location and dispersion parameters are projections of a common location or dispersion parameter. For some simple special cases, we contrast the relative efficiency of different location estimators.
An Electrochemical Immunosensor for Rapid and Sensitive Detection of Mycotoxins Fumonisin B1 and Deoxynivalenol

Abstract We report an electrochemical immunosensing method for rapid and sensitive detection of two mycotoxins, fumonisin B1 (FB1) and deoxynivalenol (DON). A disposable screen-printed carbon electrode (SPE) was used as sensing platform. The working electrode part of SPE was modified by gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and polypyrrole (PPy)-electrochemically reduced graphene oxide (ErGO) nanocomposite film for effective anti-toxin antibody immobilization, enhanced electrical conductivity, and biocompatibility. Under optimized test conditions, the limit of detection and linear range achieved for FB1 were 4.2 ppb and 0.2 to 4.5 ppm (%RSD = 4.9%); and the corresponding values for DON were 8.6 ppb and 0.05 to 1 ppm (%RSD = 5.7%). The immunosensor can specifically detect the target toxin in co-existing toxins environment. The sensor exhibited high sensitivity and low matrix interference when tested using extracts obtained from spiked corn samples. Hence, our electrochemical immunosensing scheme can be adopted for highly sensitive and rapid detection of multiple co-contaminant mycotoxins in food and feed products.
Dual Action Fat Transfer to Improve Fat Grafting Efficiency and Viability

While liposuction has long remained a staple of the plastic surgeon's arsenal, recent attention has focused on autologous fat grafting for a wide variety of uses. This technique has demonstrated utility in both cosmetic and reconstructive surgery for volume and contour correction. Plastic surgeons have continued to expand on fat grafting indications and it now represents the standard of care for the correction of post-mastectomy reconstruction contour irregularity, where moderate to large volumes are frequently needed for adequate aesthetic correction.1 As the practice has gained traction there has been an increase in the number of techniques for the harvesting, processing, and eventual transfer of autologous adipose tissue.1,2 Centrifuging, decanting, hand processing, and various off-shelf filtering units have helped improve the efficiency and long-term viability of fat grafting, however, there remains no agreed-upon gold standard for the practice. One major limitation of many of these methods is the time required to harvest and process the fat with traditional single-surgeon suction-assisted lipectomy (SAL). Additionally, some have raised questions as to the effect of high-pressure harvesting on long-term graft viability.2,3 This letter's aim is to demonstrate a simple technique, which increases harvesting efficiency, while also attempting to maximize the potential for graft viability. …
Scandal and Censure: A Reinvestigation of the Socio-Political Forces Surrounding the Disappearance of Aimee Semple McPherson

Abstract This paper sets the oft-told narrative of McPherson’s disappearance and alleged sexual misconduct into important aspects of the historical context of her era. Although the accusations against the evangelist were widely embraced by the Pentecostal community—and although they continue to exhibit a shaping effect upon her legacy and legend—this paper uses primary historical research to reexamine these events through the lens of emerging, powerful cultural forces, including entrenched female biases common in the post-Victorian era, the ascendance of the American mob, the public’s rejection of prohibition and revulsion against the Women’s Temperance Union and recent Suffragist gains, and the desire of the religious establishment to censure McPherson for casting off role assignment proclivities. This paper will revisit the story and provide a theory that offers compelling, unexplored evidence that connects these events in McPherson’s life with the rowdy and colorfully distinctive characteristics of her time.
Ultraviolet (UV)-reflective paint with ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) improves decontamination of nosocomial bacteria on hospital room surfaces

ABSTRACTAn ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) generator (the TORCH, ClorDiSys Solutions, Inc.) was used to compare the disinfection of surface coupons (plastic from a bedrail, stainless steel, and chrome-plated light switch cover) in a hospital room with walls coated with ultraviolet (UV)-reflective paint (Lumacept) or standard paint. Each surface coupon was inoculated with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) or vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis (VRE), placed at 6 different sites within a hospital room coated with UV-reflective paint or standard paint, and treated by 10 min UVC exposure (UVC dose of 0–688 mJ/cm2 between sites with standard paint and 0–553 mJ/cm2 with UV-reflective paint) in 8 total trials. Aggregated MRSA concentrations on plastic bedrail surface coupons were reduced on average by 3.0 log10 (1.8 log10 Geometric Standard Deviation [GSD]) with standard paint and 4.3 log10 (1.3 log10 GSD) with UV-reflective paint (p = 0.0005) with no significant reduction diffe...
A reconsideration of the effect of crude oil price volatility on unemployment in the United States

This study begins by asking whether fluctuations in the price of crude oil have affected employment in the United States. After reviewing previous assessments of the issue, the existence of an empirical relationship between unemployment and crude oil price volatility is established using Granger causality. Subsequently, the nature of the relationship is estimated with the results suggesting that at least three full years are required before the measurable impacts of a percentage change in the real price of crude oil on the change in unemployment are exhausted. Finally, the structural stability of the functional relationship between the change in unemployment and the volatility of the price of crude oil and the percentage change in gross national product is examined.
A Pregnant Woman with Spina Bifida: Need for a Multidisciplinary Labor Plan

Women with spina bifida present both obstetrical and anesthesia challenges. They are more likely to require a caesarian delivery and traditionally neuraxial anesthesia has been avoided due to concerns of worsening neurologic disability. The case of a pregnant woman with a history of a surgically corrected lipomeningocele and tethered cord is presented to illustrate the need for a comprehensive labor plan.
Acute Necrotizing Encephalopathy Mimicking ADEM

Acute necrotizing encephalopathy (ANE) is a rare and devastating disorder characterized by fever and rapid progression to coma after common viral infections. Most cases of ANE are sporadic; however, the observation of multiple cases in the same family with recurrent episodes of ANE led to the identification of a genetic form of the disorder, called ANE1, and to the discovery of the causative mutation in RANBP2.
Model predictive energy scheduling for building microgrid

This paper presents a model predictive control (MPC) approach to economic scheduling for a building microgrid at California State University, Long Beach. We first propose a peak demand cost model to extend MPC-based microgrid energy scheduling. The corresponding objective function is then formulated as a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) problem. The MPC framework is implemented into MILP optimization to construct MPC-MILP, which is formulated to compensate for uncertainties in day-ahead demand and photovoltaic (PV) power forecasts. Next, we provide the forecast modeling for demand and PV power to improve the accuracy of MPC-MILP. The simulation results show that the MPC-MILP optimization approach provides superior cost minimization over strategies such as MILP, which controls the microgrid subject to one calculation using day-ahead forecasts.
Vocabulary Acquisition, Psychology of

Having a vocabulary means knowing words: how to pronounce them, their meanings, the forms they can take, and their uses in sentences. Normal children are remarkable word learners, but imitation cannot explain how they extract words from the speech stream or relate sounds to meanings. Rather, vocabulary knowledge is acquired piecemeal. Even infants work at word learning, attending to the acoustic cues in the speech stream and becoming most sensitive to their native language's sounds. Slightly older children use constraints on meaning, or learning strategies, to make assumptions about how the words they hear relate both to the world and to other words, thereby organizing their vocabularies from early on in the learning process. Children are similar in the first 50 or so words produced, but the talk they hear also affects vocabulary acquisition. Thus, there are both cognitive developmental and sociocultural influences on patterns of word learning. There are many sources for vocabulary innovation, like language borrowings, that help vocabularies grow in later life. Also, vocabulary organization skills shown by young children very likely serve acquisition throughout the lifespan. Thus, studying vocabulary acquisition means studying the robust human ability to extract, organize, and use information.
Maternal Zika virus infection and newborn microcephaly-an analysis of the epidemiological evidence.

Abstract Purpose To evaluate whether existing data and evidence support a causal link between maternal Zika virus (ZIKV) infection and newborn microcephaly. Methods I quantified and compared the prevalence of all and severe microcephaly in Brazil, during and before 2015–2016, to assess whether an outbreak has occurred, used time series analysis to evaluate if the presumed outbreak was linked to a previous outbreak of ZIKV infections, and quantitatively synthesized published data from observational studies testing this association. Results The prevalences of microcephaly in 2015–2016 were similar or lower than background levels (prevalence ratio [PR] for all microcephaly: 0.19; 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 0.17, 0.20). Changes in the number of cases of ZIKV infections at times matching 11–18 weeks of pregnancy were not followed by changes in the number of microcephaly cases (PR for infection at 12 weeks: 1.02; 95% CI: 0.99, 1.05). In observational studies, the prevalence of microcephaly was not significantly increased in newborns of Zika-infected mothers (average PR: 1.30; 95% CI: 0.84, 2.02). Conclusions Existing evidence is insufficient to claim maternal ZIKV infection causes microcephaly. Although a public health response seems sensible, it should be consistent with existing knowledge and consider risks, potential benefits and harm, and competing priorities.
Discussion of “Quality and statistical thinking in parliament and beyond”

I very much thank Dr. Saraiva for his paper and his talk. It is far too easy for academic researchers, even researchers in applied statistics and quality engineering, to lose proper perspective abo...