Impact of Home Field Advantage: Analyzed Across Three Professional Sports

We examined the impact of home-field advantage in the NFL, NBA, and MLB. We defined home-field advantage as winning more than 50% of the home games. Additionally, we took into consideration how season length could act as a moderator and influence the impact of home-field advantage. We collected data from the 2015 NBA and MLB seasons and the 2015 and 2016 NFL seasons to determine statistical significance. In total, we got data from 4,141 games to analyze. We found that there is statistical significance that the home team has a better chance of winning than the away team across the NFL, NBA, and MLB. We also found that season length has a significant impact on home team winning percentage

Formation of Cosmic Dust Bunnies

Planetary formation is an efficient process now thought to take place on a relatively short astronomical time scale. Recent observations have shown that the dust surrounding a protostar emits more efficiently at longer wavelengths as the protoplanetary disk evolves, suggesting that the dust particles are coagulating into fluffy aggregates, "much as dust bunnies form under a bed." One poorly understood problem in this coagulation process is the manner in which micron-sized, charged grains form the fractal aggregate structures now thought to be the precursors of protoplanetary disk evolution. This study examines the characteristics of such fractal aggregates formed by the collision of spherical monomers and aggregates where the charge is distributed over the aggregate structure. The aggregates are free to rotate due to collisions and dipole-dipole electrostatic interactions. Comparisons are made for different precursor size distributions and like-charged, oppositelycharged, and neutral grains

Bullous hemorrhagic lichen sclerosus of the breast: a report of two cases and review of the literature

Lichen sclerosus (LS) is a chronic dermatologic condition characterized by atrophic porcelain-appearing plaques that can cause intense discomfort and eventually lead to destruction of local architecture. Lichen sclerosus most commonly arises in the anogenital area, but up to 20% of cases can present on extragenital skin. Rarely, LS can also present with hemorrhage and bullae; the mechanism by which this occurs is unknown. We report two cases of bullous hemorrhagic LS of the breast arising in 66-year-old and 77-year-old women. Bullous hemorrhagic LS of the breast is exceedingly rare, with few reported cases, and presents a diagnostic challenge to clinicians

Family-centered rounds and medical student performance on the NBME pediatrics subject (shelf) examination: a retrospective cohort study

Objective To determine the association between family-centered rounds (FCR) and medical student knowledge acquisition as assessed by the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) pediatric subject (shelf) exam. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted of third-year medical students who graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine between 2009 and 2014. This timeframe represented the transition from ‘traditional’ rounds to FCR on the pediatric inpatient unit. Data collected included demographics, United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 and 2 scores, and NBME subject examinations in pediatrics (PSE), medicine (MSE), and surgery (SSE). Results Eight hundred and sixteen participants were included in the analysis. Student performance on the PSE could not be statistically differentiated from performance on the MSE for any year except 2011 (z-score=−0.17, p=0.02). Average scores on PSE for years 2009, 2010, 2013, and 2014 were significantly higher than for SSE, but not significantly different for all other years. The PSE was highly correlated with USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 examinations (correlation range 0.56–0.77) for all years. Conclusions Our results showed no difference in PSE performance during a time in which our institution transitioned to FCR. These findings should be reassuring for students, attending physicians, and medical educators

Cultural Resources Investigation Report of the Proposed Bear Creek SUD Water System Improvements Project in Lavon, Collin County, Texas

Sphere 3 Environmental, Inc. (Sphere 3) conducted an intensive pedestrian cultural resources survey of approximately 5.1 hectares (12.7 acres) of land designated as the Area of Potential Effects (APE) on January 31 through February 1, 2019, in response to water system improvements proposed by Bear Creek Special Utility District (SUD). The project area is located on the east side of Lake Road, the north side of Moore Lane, and both sides of Texas State Highway 78. The facilities tracts and waterline are owned by Bear Creek SUD. The waterline will be owned by Bear Creek SUD. The cultural resources survey was conducted under Texas Antiquities Permit #8745 to identify properties eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) or listing as a State Antiquities Landmark (SAL). A total of 64 shovel tests were excavated across the project area. Two archaeological localities were identified, Site 41COL316 and Isolated Find #1. Site 41COL316 was identified as a multi-component indeterminate prehistoric and indeterminate historic low-density artifact scatter in a highly disturbed cultivated upland flat terrace. Prehistoric artifacts recovered from the site consisted of five lithic fragments exhibiting minimal cultural modification. Historic artifacts, likely scattered from domestic activities at a nearby residence, consist of two chronologically diagnostic amethyst bottle glass shards. Additional cultural objects collected included: a clam shell fragment, several amber, aqua, and colorless bottle glass fragments evaluated as likely greater than 50 years old, and several iron objects. Recent cultural objects (less than 50 years old) within this scatter include amber bottle fragments with paper beer labels attached thereunto, contemporary store label affixed to lighter, and amber glass shards exhibiting no patina, wear, of other signs of aging and are attributed as discarded materials from the occupants of vehicles traversing the road forming the site’s east boundary. The site’s integrity has been destroyed by many years of use for cultivating row crops since prior to the 1960s. Isolated Find #1 consists of a buried single translucent colorless bottle glass shard, for which site delineation revealed no additional historic cultural association. Project records and artifacts were curated at the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory (TARL) in Austin, Texas. The site and Isolated Find #1 have been evaluated as not eligible for inclusion in the NRHP or for listing as a SAL. Sphere 3 therefore recommends that construction of water system improvements proceed as planned without further cultural resource investigations

Concert recording 2015-11-01a

[Track 01]. Pulcinella / Eugene Bozza -- [Track 02]. Prelude to cantata no. 156 / J.S. Bach ; arranged by Sigurd Rascher -- [Track 03]. Molly on the shore / Percy Grainger ; arranged by Paul Cohen -- [Track 04]. Prelude no. 2 in C# minor / George Gershwin ; arranged by Sigurd Rascher -- [Track 05]. Sonata for alto saxophone and piano. Allegro ; [Track 06]. Andantino cantabile ; [Track 07]. Allegro vivace / Lawson Lunde

Concert recording 2016-04-23c

[Track 01]. Unfamiliar territory. Local spirits ; [Track 02]. As night falls ; [Track 03]. Shortcuts / Michael Markowski -- [Track 04]. Phantastes / James Greeson -- [Track 05]. Escapades. Closing in ; [Track 06]. Reflections ; [Track 07]. Joyride / John Williams -- [Track 08]. Sultana / John Mackey

Cultural Resources Investigation Report Of The Proposed City Of Jefferson 48-Inch RCP (Pipeline) Drainage Improvements Along Valve Street In Marion County, Texas

Sphere 3 Environmental, Inc. (Sphere 3) conducted an intensive pedestrian cultural resources survey of approximately 0.12 hectares (0.29 acres) of land designated as the Project Area/Area of Potential Effects on September 16 and 17, 2020, in response to the proposed pipeline replacement in Jefferson, Texas. The City of Jefferson retained Sphere 3 to conduct a cultural resources survey of the proposed pipeline replacement location. The cultural resources survey was conducted to identify properties eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) or worthy of listing as a State Antiquities Landmark (SAL). A total of 12 shovel tests were excavated across the project area. Four historic era archaeological sites (41MR296, 41MR297, 41MR298, and 41MR299) were identified as a result of the survey. All cultural objects recovered from shovel testing, except for modern objects less than 50 years old and excessive numbers of structural materials such as brick and concrete fragments, and all documents associated with this investigation were curated at the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory in Austin, Texas. For the excessive numbers of structural materials, a representative sample will be retained and submitted to TARL for permanent curation. Site 41MR296 has been evaluated as not eligible for inclusion in the NHRP and not worthy of designation as a SAL. Sites 41MR297, 41MR298, and 41MR299 have been determined to be unknown as to eligibility for inclusion in the NRHP or worthy of listing as a SAL. The client has agreed to conduct the proposed construction in such a way as to not impact the three archaeological sites with unknown eligibility. Sphere 3 therefore recommends construction be allowed to proceed without further cultural resource investigations