Evaluation of methods of reducing community noise impact around San Jose municipal airport

A computer simulation of the airport noise impact on the surrounding communities was used to evaluate alternate operational procedures, improved technology, and land use conversion as methods of reducing community noise impact in the airport vicinity. In addition, a constant density population distribution was analyzed for possible application to other airport communities with fairly uniform population densities and similar aircraft operational patterns. The introduction of sound absorption material (SAM) was found to reduce community noise annoyance by over 25 percent, and the introduction of refan was found to reduce community annoyance by over 60 percent. Replacing the present aircraft was found to reduce the noise problem to very small proportions, and the introduction of an advanced technology twin was found to essentially eliminate the community noise problem

Multi-decade changes in pollen season onset, duration, and intensity: a concern for public health?

Longitudinal shifts in pollen onset, duration, and intensity are public health concerns for the growing number of individuals with pollen sensitization. National analyses of long-term pollen changes are influenced by how a plant's main pollen season (MPS) is defined. Prior Swiss studies have inconsistently applied MPS definitions, leading to heterogeneous conclusions regarding the magnitude, directionality, and significance of multi-decade pollen trends. We examined national pollen data in Switzerland between 1990 and 2020, applying six MPS definitions (2 percentage-based and 4 threshold-based) to twelve relevant allergenic plants. We analyzed changes in pollen season using both linear regression and locally estimated scatterplot smoothing (LOESS). For 4 of the 12 plant species, there is unanimity between definitions regarding earlier onset of pollen season (p < 0.05), with magnitude of 31-year change dependent on specific MPS definition (hazel: 9-18 days; oak: 5-13 days; grasses: 8-25 days; and nettle/hemp: 6-25 days). There is also consensus (p < 0.05) for modified MPS duration among hazel (21-104% longer), nettle/hemp (8-52% longer), and ash (18-38% shorter). Between-definition agreement is highest for MPS intensity analysis, with consensus for significant increases in seasonal pollen quantity (p < 0.05) among hazel, birch, oak, beech, and nettle/hemp. The largest relative intensification is noted for hazel (110-146%) and beech (162-237%). LOESS analysis indicates that these multi-decade pollen changes are typically nonlinear. The robustness of MPS definitions is highly dependent on annual pollen accumulation, with definition choice particularly influential for long-term analysis of low-pollen plants such as ragweed. We identify systematic differences between MPS definitions and suggest future aerobiologic studies apply multiple definitions to minimize bias. In summary, national pollen onset, duration, and intensity have shifted for some plants in Switzerland, with MPS definition choice affecting magnitude and significance of these variations. Future public health research can determine whether these temporal and quantitative pollen changes correlate with longitudinal differences in population pollen sensitization

Sampling Plans for Control-Inspection Schemes Under Independent and Dependent Sampling Designs With Applications to Photovoltaics

The evaluation of produced items at the time of delivery is, in practice, usually amended by at least one inspection at later time points. We extend the methodology of acceptance sampling for variables for arbitrary unknown distributions when additional sampling infor- mation is available to such settings. Based on appropriate approximations of the operating characteristic, we derive new acceptance sampling plans that control the overall operating characteristic. The results cover the case of independent sampling as well as the case of dependent sampling. In particular, we study a modified panel sampling design and the case of spatial batch sampling. The latter is advisable in photovoltaic field monitoring studies, since it allows to detect and analyze local clusters of degraded or damaged modules. Some finite sample properties are examined by a simulation study, focusing on the accuracy of estimation

Top Management Team Diversity: A systematic Review

Empirical research investigating the impact of top management team (TMT) diversity on executives’ decision making has produced inconclusive results. To synthesize and aggregate the results on the diversity-performance link, a meta-regression analysis (MRA) is conducted. It integrates more than 200 estimates from 53 empirical studies investigating TMT diversity and its impact on the quality of executives’ decision making as reflected in corporate performance. The analysis contributes to the literature by theoretically discussing and empirically examining the effects of TMT diversity on corporate performance. Our results do not show a link between TMT diversity and performance but provide evidence for publication bias. Thus, the findings raise doubts on the impact of TMT diversity on performance

Monitoring the rotary motors of single FoF1-ATP synthase by synchronized multi channel TCSPC

Confocal time resolved single-molecule spectroscopy using pulsed laser excitation and synchronized multi channel time correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) provides detailed information about the conformational changes of a biological motor in real time. We studied the formation of adenosine triphosphate, ATP, from ADP and phosphate by FoF1-ATP synthase. The reaction is performed by a stepwise internal rotation of subunits of the lipid membrane-embedded enzyme. Using fluorescence resonance energy transfer, FRET, we detected rotation of this biological motor by sequential changes of intramolecular distances within a single FoF1-ATP synthase. Prolonged observation times of single enzymes were achieved by functional immobilization to the glass surface. The stepwise rotary subunit movements were identified by Hidden Markov Models (HMM) which were trained with single-molecule FRET trajectories. To improve the accuracy of the HMM analysis we included the single-molecule fluorescence lifetime of the FRET donor and used alternating laser excitation to co-localize the FRET acceptor independently within a photon burst. The HMM analysis yielded the orientations and dwell times of rotary subunits during stepwise rotation. In addition, the action mode of bactericidal drugs, i.e. inhibitors of FoF1-ATP synthase like aurovertin, could be investigated by the time resolved single-molecule FRET approach.Comment: 12 pages, 9 figure

Ambivalence toward men: comparing sexism among Polish, South African and British university students

This study extends the literature on attitudes toward gender roles by exploring whether the nature of sexism (i.e., benevolence and hostility directed at men) differs among university students from two under-researched countries, Poland (n = 190) and South Africa (n = 188), in a comparison with students in the United Kingdom (n = 166). Based on empirical literature applying Ambivalent Sexism Theory, and in the light of the socio-political context, it was hypothesized that: (1) both hostile and benevolent attitudes toward men in Poland would be more liberal than in South Africa and more conservative than in the United Kingdom, and (2), women would exhibit more hostile but less benevolent attitudes than men in relatively more conservative South Africa. The Ambivalence to Men Inventory was used to measure the two types of sexist attitudes about men. Findings supported the first hypothesis for hostile attitudes and partially for benevolent attitudes. South African and Polish students were more benevolent and hostile to men than British students, and students from South Africa were more hostile than those from Poland. Moreover, as predicted, a significant country-by-gender interaction revealed that South African women had more hostile and less benevolent attitudes to men than South African men. No such gender gap was present in the case of hostile attitudes in Poland and benevolent attitudes in the United Kingdom. Findings are discussed in terms of Ambivalent Sexism Theory and the countries’ socio-cultural context

Implementation of an emergency medicine research associates program: Sharing 20 years of experience

© 2018 Abar et al. Introduction: The use of research associates (RA) programs to facilitate study enrollment in the emergency department was initiated during the mid-1990s. The University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) was an early adopting site for this model, which has experienced considerable growth and development over the past 20 years. Methods: Our goal was to detail the Emergency Department Research Associates (EDRA) program processes developed at the URMC that has led to our program’s sustainability and productivity. These processes, and the lessons learned during their development, can assist institutions seeking to establish an RA program or refine an existing program. Results: Defined procedures for selecting, training, and monitoring EDRAs have been created and refined with the goal of maximizing study enrollment and minimizing protocol deviations. Our EDRA program functions as a paid service center for investigators, and our EDRAs engage in a variety of study-related activities including screening and enrolling patients, administering surveys, collecting bio-specimens, and making follow-up calls. Over the past two years, our program has averaged 222 enrollments/month (standard deviation = 79.93), gathering roughly 25 participants per study per month. Conclusion: Our EDRA model has consistently resulted in some of the highest number of enrollments across a variety of recently funded, multi-center studies. Maintaining a high-quality EDRA program requires continual investment on the part of the leadership team, though the benefits to investigators within and outside the department outweigh these costs. [West J Emerg Med. 2018;19(3)606-612.