Evaluation of Air Force and Navy Demand Forecasting Systems

In March 1993, the JLSC selected the Navys Statistical Demand Forecasting System as the standard DOD forecasting system. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the performance and accuracy of the Navy Statistical Demand Forecasting system, relative to the Air Force Requirements Data Bank forecasting system in an Air Force environment. To compare the performance of each forecasting system, the research used three different approaches. The first approach looked at time series components and evaluated how each forecasting system reacted to different data patterns. From this approach, it was found that under the presence of a trending component, the Statistical Demand Forecasting system generated more accurate forecasts than the Requirements Data Bank system did. It was also found that under the presence of outliers. the SDF system computed more accurate forecasts than the RDB system did. The second approach looked at the actual Air Force data and evaluated the forecast accuracy established by each forecasting technique. The results demonstrated that there was no significant difference in the forecast accuracy between the two forecasting systems

Archaeoentomological Perspectives on Dorset Occupations in Newfoundland: A Case Study from the Site of Phillip’s Garden (EeBi-1)

The Dorset Paleo-Inuit occupied the island of Newfoundland for over 800 years (1990 BP to 1180 BP), producing a unique and identifiable archaeological record. Despite this, our current understanding of this sea-mammal hunting population is essentially based on past analysis of architecture, artefacts, and animal remains. While these data show that the Dorset intensively used sites at different locations through the Arctic and Subarctic, very little information is known regarding their impact on their surroundings and the environment. Our research is based on soil samples collected at the site of Phillip’s Garden, which is considered to be one of the most intensely occupied sites within the Dorset culture’s geographic range. Beetles, which are known to be ecological specialists, were used as a proxy in this research in order to document the composition and fluctuation in vegetation, and environmental change through time at the site. The analysis demonstrates that the Dorset communities of Phillip’s Garden harvested trees, and modified the environment and the flora surrounding their settlement more intensively than previously thought.Entre 1990 AA et 1180 AA, l’île de Terre-Neuve a connu une période d’occupation de plus de 800 ans par la culture dorsétienne. Cette occupation, documentée dans les données archéologiques, a laissé des traces uniques et visibles. Malgré cette richesse archéologique laissée par les Dorsétiens, notre compréhension de cette culture axée sur la chasse aux mammifères marins est principalement basée sur les données architecturales, artéfactuelles et zooarchéologiques. Ces données ont permis de démontrer que la culture dorsétienne a occupé de façon très intensive plusieurs sites localisés dans l’Arctique et le Subarctique. Cependant, peu d’informations sont fournies par ces données quant à l’impact de cette culture sur son environnement et ses lieux d’occupation. Les données utilisées au cours de notre recherche ont été récupérées dans des échantillons de sols ayant été prélevés sur le site de Phillip’s Garden, considéré comme l’un des sites les plus intensément occupés par la culture dorsétienne. En tant que spécialistes de leur niche écologique, les coléoptères ont été utilisés dans cette recherche afin de documenter la composition et les modifications visibles dans la végétation du site à travers le temps. Cette analyse permet de changer notre perception de l’étendue des modifications faites à la flore et à l’environnement par les Dorsétiens établis au site de Phillip’s Garden, modifications dues entre autres à l’exploitation des arbres

SELF-ASSEMBLED MONOLAYERS AND METHODS FOR USING THE SAME IN BIOSENSING APPLICATIONS

Cross - linked amphiphile constructs that form self - as sembled monolayers ( SAMs ) on metal surfaces such as gold surfaces are disclosed . These new SAMs generate well packed and highly oriented monolayer films on gold sur faces . A method for using the SAMs in the fabrication of biomolecule sensors is also disclosed

Experience of mobile nursing workforce from Portugal to the NHS in UK: influence of institutions and actors at the system, organization and individual levels.

In UK, since 2010 shortages of nurses and policy changes led many health service providers to become more active in recruiting nurses from the European Union Member States. This article analyses the experience of Portuguese nurses working in the English NHS considering the individual and organizational factors that affect the quality and duration of nurses' migration experience, future career plans and expectations. Twenty-seven semi-structured interviews were conducted at the individual, organizational and policy levels in UK with Portuguese nurses and NHS healthcare staff in 2015-16. The results demonstrate that organizational settings, conditions, actors' attitudes and level of support influence nurses' level of commitment to their employer and their overall mobility experience. Professional achievements, professional and personal sources of support made these nurses evaluate their overall mobility experience as positive, even overcoming personal challenges such as homesickness. The results reveal that migration is accomplished through constant interaction between institutions and individual actors at different levels. Understanding the influencing factors as well as the complex and dynamic nature of a professional's decision-making can design more effective retention responses

Dietary Plant Sterol Esters Must Be Hydrolyzed to Reduce Intestinal Cholesterol Absorption in Hamsters

Background: Elevated concentrations of LDL cholesterol are associated with the development of atherosclerosis and therefore are considered an important target for intervention to prevent cardiovascular diseases. The inhibition of cholesterol absorption in the small intestine is an attractive approach to lowering plasma cholesterol, one that is addressed by drug therapy as well as dietary supplementation with plant sterols and plant sterol esters (PSEs). Objective: This study was conducted to test the hypothesis that the cholesterol-lowering effects of PSE require hydrolysis to free sterols (FSs). Methods: Male Syrian hamsters were fed atherogenic diets (AIN-93M purified diet containing 0.12% cholesterol and 8% coconut oil) to which one of the following was added: no PSEs or ethers (control), 5% sterol stearate esters, 5% sterol palmitate esters (PEs), 5% sterol oleate esters (OEs), 5% sterol stearate ethers (STs; to mimic nonhydrolyzable PSE), or 3% FSs plus 2% sunflower oil. The treatments effectively created a spectrum of PSE hydrolysis across which cholesterol metabolism could be compared. Metabolic measurements included cholesterol absorption, plasma and liver lipid concentration, and fecal neutral sterol and bile acid excretion. Results: The STs and the PEs and SEs were poorly hydrolyzed (1.69–4.12%). In contrast,OEs were 88.3% hydrolyzed. The percent hydrolysis was negatively correlated with cholesterol absorption (r=20.85; P \u3c 0.0001) and positively correlated with fecal cholesterol excretion (r = 0.92; P \u3c 0.0001), suggesting that PSE hydrolysis plays a central role in the cholesterol-lowering properties of PSE. Conclusions: Our data on hamsters suggest that PSE hydrolysis and the presence of FSs is necessary to induce an optimum cholesterol-lowering effect and that poorly hydrolyzed PSEs may lower cholesterol through an alternative mechanism than that of competition with cholesterol for micelle incorporation

Design and Synthesis of a New Class of Twin-Chain Amphiphiles for Self-Assembled Monolayer-based Electrochemical Biosensor Applications

A new class of twin-chain hydroxyalkylthiols (mercaptoalkanols) featuring a nearly constant cross-section and the potential for modification of one or both termini are available with complete regioselectivity through Pd-mediated couplings of benzene diiododitriflate, including an example of a previously unreported coupling to generate an ortho-substituted arene bis acetic acid. Selfassembled monolayers (SAMs) prepared from the new amphiphiles demonstrate improved stability in an electrochemical sensor system compared with monolayers prepared from analogous single chain thiols

Pyridine is an organocatalyst for the reductive ozonolysis of alkenes

Whereas the cleavage of alkenes by ozone typically generates peroxide intermediates that must be decomposed in an accompanying step, ozonolysis in the presence of pyridine directly generates ketones or aldehydes through a process that neither consumes pyridine nor generates any detectable peroxides. The reaction is hypothesized to involve nucleophile-promoted fragmentation of carbonyl oxides via formation of zwitterionic peroxyacetals

Re\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3eO\u3csub\u3e7\u3c/sub\u3e-catalyzed reaction of hemiacetals and aldehydes with O-, S-, and C-nucleophiles

Re(VII) oxides catalyze the acetalization, monoperoxyacetalization, monothioacetalization and allylation of hemiacetals. The reactions, which take place under mild conditions and at low catalyst loadings, can be conducted using hemiacetals, the corresponding O-silyl ethers, and, in some cases, the acetal dimers. Aldehydes react under similar conditions to furnish good yields of dithioacetals. Reactions of hemiacetals with nitrogen nucleophiles are unsuccessful. 1,2-Dioxolan-3-ols (peroxyhemiacetals) undergo Re(VII)-promoted etherification but not allylation. Hydroperoxyacetals (1-alkoxyhydroperoxides) undergo selective exchange of the alkoxide group in the presence of either Re2O7 or a Brønsted acid

Re\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3eO\u3csub\u3e7\u3c/sub\u3e-catalyzed reaction of hemiacetals and aldehydes with O-, S-, and C-nucleophiles

Re(VII) oxides catalyze the acetalization, monoperoxyacetalization, monothioacetalization and allylation of hemiacetals. The reactions, which take place under mild conditions and at low catalyst loadings, can be conducted using hemiacetals, the corresponding O-silyl ethers, and, in some cases, the acetal dimers. Aldehydes react under similar conditions to furnish good yields of dithioacetals. Reactions of hemiacetals with nitrogen nucleophiles are unsuccessful. 1,2-Dioxolan-3-ols (peroxyhemiacetals) undergo Re(VII)-promoted etherification but not allylation. Hydroperoxyacetals (1-alkoxyhydroperoxides) undergo selective exchange of the alkoxide group in the presence of either Re2O7 or a Brønsted acid