Infants of Mothers with Cocaine Use: Review of Clinical and Medico-Legal Aspects

Illicit drug use is a global problem that also affects pregnant women. Substance use and alcohol abuse during pregnancy may have various harmful consequences for both mothers and foetuses. Intrauterine exposure to illicit substances can be investigated through maternal reports and toxicological tests on mothers’ and/or newborns’ samples. While the negative effects of alcohol and opioid use on pregnancy, the foetus, and/or newborn are well established, the effects of cocaine use remain controversial. We performed a review of the literature to evaluate the current state of knowledge of the effects of intrauterine cocaine exposure on newborns’ and children’s long-term development and to highlight possible implications for health professionals dealing with women who use cocaine during pregnancy. Although intrauterine cocaine exposure has been associated with reduced infant measurements, no specific amount of cocaine use exerting such effects has been determined, and no long-term effects have been confirmed. The evidence of cocaine use during pregnancy justifies a clinical and social takeover of the mother and newborn without assuming that there will certainly be long-term damage related to intrauterine cocaine exposure, but also considering other possible associated factors.

Effect of sintering temperature on microstructures and mechanical properties of ZK60 magnesium alloys

In this study, ZK60 Mg alloys were prepared via hot-press sintering under a constant pressure of 30 MPa as well as Ar atmosphere. The sintering temperature was determined to be in the range of 450–600 °C with an interval of 50 °C. The effect of sintering temperature on the microstructures and mechanical properties of the alloys was investigated. All the four sintered alloys mainly exhibited an α-Mg-phase structure and equiaxed grain microstructure. However, a specific amount of melt, enriched in Zn element, formed when the sintering temperature reached 500 °C. Thus, only the alloy sintered at 450 °C maintained the nominal composition of the alloy powder, and exhibited the favorable yield strength and hardness, which was 135.1 MPa and 57 HV, respectively. The alloys sintered at 550 °C and 600 °C exhibited a reduced yield strength and hardness due to the loss of Zn element.

Measuring The Impact of an Administrative Fine on a Company And Its Future Survival: a Case Study From The Czech Republic

An administrative fine is a monetary penalty that may be imposed by a supervisory authoritity as an administrative punishment. Such a fine adversely interferes in the cash flow generation of the company in question. The fine can be described as an investment carrying opportunity costs with no economic returns. However, according to the judgment of the Constitutional Court of the Czech Republic Pl. ÚS 3/02 of 13 August 2002 it is submitted that the fine cannot be imposed in such an amount that would ultimately be liquidating for the sanctioned entrepreneur. The assessment of whether the specific amount of the fine imposed represents such an intensive interference with the entrepreneur's property that his business activity becomes pointless (i.e., in the long run only for the payment of a fine) is elaborated in this article. Based on a case study from the Czech Republic, this article deals with an example of a suitable methodological procedure, on the basis of which it is possible to evaluate the impact of a specific amount of fine imposed on the property of a sanctioned entrepreneur and assess ex ante whether (i) continuity of his business will be interrupted in the future, i.e., when, as a result of the payment of the fine, he eventually goes bankrupt in the form of insolvency or over-indebtedness and / or (ii) his business activity will only serve to pay the fine and thus become "pointless". The presented economic narrative and methodology are relevant for policy makers and, particularly, for supervisory authorities imposing the fines or assessing the requests for remission.

Biphasic Drug Release from Rolled-Up Gelatin Capsules with a Cylindrical Cavity

Biphasic drug delivery systems are used for quick release of a specific amount of drug for immediate amelioration of a patient’s state, followed by sustained release, to avoid repeated administration. This type of delivery is often necessary for pain management and the treatment of many pathologies, such as migraines, hypertension, and insomnia. In this work, we propose a novel architecture of a biphasic release media that does not need the rapidly disintegrating layer and that allows for easily setting the sustained release rate. A drug-containing capsule is made by rolling up a thermally crosslinked gelatin strip on which drug reservoirs are formed by casting. The quick-release reservoir (QRR) is placed at the strip’s extremity, from which the rolling starts, while the sustained-release reservoir (SRR) is formed in the middle part of the strip. The strip is rolled around a cylinder that is a few millimeters wide, which is removed after rolling. The roll is stabilized by transglutaminase-catalyzed crosslinking of the consecutive shells. A biphasic release is successfully demonstrated with the use of model fluorescent drugs for single-dye and double-dye systems in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) solution with pH = 7.4. In vitro, the drug from the QRR, placed at the walls of the cavity of the roll, is released immediately upon the capsule’s contact with the PBS solution. The drug from the SRR, embedded between the roll’s layers, diffuses steadily, with the lag time defined by the radial position of the reservoir.

Optimization of the Composition of Silicone Enamel by the Taguchi Method Using Surfactants Obtained from Oil Refining Waste

The aim of this work is to optimize the composition of a two-component silicone enamel consisting of an aluminum pigment and a polyphenylsiloxane polymer to obtain the maximum dispersion of the pigment in the coating. The following products were used as surfactants: AS-1, PEPA, and Telaz. To assess the effect of surfactants on the dispersion of the pigment, computer-optical microscopy was used. The results of the studies showed that all the studied surfactants cause an improvement in the dispersion of the pigment. According to the degree of influence on the dispersion of the pigment, surfactants can be arranged in a row: PEPA > Telaz > AS-1. When the PEPA content in the enamel is 0.25 g/dm3, a decrease in the diameter of the pigment particles by 46% (from 26 to 14 microns) is recorded, with an increase in their specific amount by 2 times (from 258 to 550 pcs). Optimal enamel compositions allow a reduction in the corrosion rate by 11 times (from 0.6 to 0.053 mm/year) and improvement to the decorative properties of coatings (roughness, gloss, etc.). The effectiveness of the AS-1 product (obtained from oil refining waste) as a dispersant additive in silicone enamel has been proven.

Towards optimal ATM cash replenishment using time series analysis

Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) are still largely used to dispense cash to the customers. ATM cash replenishment is a process of refilling ATM machine with a specific amount of cash. Due to vacillating users demands and seasonal patterns, it is a very challenging problem for the financial institutions to keep the optimal amount of cash for each ATM. In this paper, we present a time series model based on Auto Regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) technique called Time Series ARIMA Model for ATM (TASM4ATM). This study used ATM back-end refilling historical data from 6 different financial organizations in Pakistan. There are 2040 distinct ATMs and 18 month of replenishment data from these ATMs are used to train the proposed model. The model is compared with the state-of- the-art models like Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) and Amazon’s DeepAR model. Two approaches are used for forecasting (i) Single ATM and (ii) clusters of ATMs (In which ATMs are clustered with similar cash-demands). The Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) and Symmetric Mean Absolute Percentage Error (SMAPE) are used to evaluate the models. The suggested model produces far better forecasting as compared to the models in comparison and produced an average of 7.86/7.99 values for MAPE/SMAPE errors on individual ATMs and average of 6.57/6.64 values for MAPE/SMAPE errors on clusters of ATMs.

Reconstructing the Einstellung effect

The Einstellung effect was first described by Abraham Luchins in his doctoral thesis published in 1942. The effect occurs when a repeated solution to old problems is applied to a new problem even though a more appropriate response is available. In Luchins' so-called water jar task, participants had to measure a specific amount of water using three jars of different capacities. Luchins found that subjects kept using methods they had applied in previous trials, even if a more efficient solution for the current trial was available: an Einstellung effect. Moreover, Luchins studied the different conditions that could possibly mediate this effect, including telling participants to pay more attention, changing the number of tasks, alternating between different types of tasks, as well as putting participants under time pressure. In the current work, we reconstruct and reanalyze the data of the various experimental conditions published in Luchins' thesis. We furthermore show that a model of resource-rational decision-making can explain all of the observed effects. This model assumes that people transform prior preferences into a posterior policy to maximize rewards under time constraints. Taken together, our reconstructive and modeling results put the Einstellung effect under the lens of modern-day psychology and show how resource-rational models can explain effects that have historically been seen as deficiencies of human problem-solving.

Kinetic model of wealth distribution by trading stocks with geometric brownian motion

In this paper, we consider the wealth distribution obtained by trading (buying–selling) stocks whose prices follow the geometric Brownian motion (GBM), when both number of the ticker symbol of the stock and maximum number of the traded stock are limited to unity. The binary exchange of the cash and stock between two agents is expressed with the Boltzmann-type kinetic equation. The distribution function of the number of the agents with the specific number of the stock or specific amount of the cash can be demonstrated, theoretically, when the price of the stock is constant. The distribution function of the number of the agents with the specific amount of the total asset can be approximated by [Formula: see text]-distribution, when the price of the stock follows the GBM. Finally, the rule in the binary-exchange-game approximates the distribution function of the number of the agents with the specific amount of the total asset to the Feller–Pareto-like distribution at the high wealth tail.

Digital Transformation of the procedure for bringing foreign citizens to administrative responsibility

  The subject of this research is the procedure for imposing administrative fine on foreign citizens and stateless persons, with or without administrative expulsion. The object of this research is the public relations that arise in the process of bringing the indicated persons to administrative responsibility. The goal consists in formulation of the proposals aimed at amendment of the procedure for bringing foreign citizens and stateless persons to administrative responsibility in the Russian Federation in the conditions of digitalization of government actions. Recommendation is made to amend the procedure for bringing to administrative responsibility in case of violating the migration legislation of the Russian Federation. Considering the proactive approach of the government towards digitalization of the migration sphere, the author offers the development and implementation of the “Automated Information System for Migration Control”, which would acquire the personal records of a migrant (identity, marital status, fact of committing an offence, or other information affecting the imposition of penalty) from other automated information systems. The article substantiates the need for bringing foreign citizens to administrative responsibility by the internal affairs officials based on the suggestions of the indicated system, formed using the artificial intelligence technologies, namely machine learning. The author offers to implement the rating that in the instance of imposing administrative fine would allow calculating a specific amount, or in the instance of administrative expulsion –the accurate time limit for closing entry. Transformation of the procedure for bringing to administrative responsibility would lead to more equitable court decisions, eliminate the possibility of selecting the norm by an official at his own discretion, and reduce the burden on the courts.  

Optimization of energy consumption per kg of pure meat by electrical and thermal systems in broiler chicken farms

ABSTRACT The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of electrical and thermal systems optimization on energy consumption in broiler farms. Experiments were conducted in 4 different climates (cold, hot, dry, and temperate) with four treatments (4 broiler farms in each region) and 5 iterations (5 rearing periods per farm) on the Ross 308 strain of broiler chicken in a completely randomized basic design. The results showed that the solutions applied in cold and dry climates had a significant effect on reducing energy consumption (P<0.05). In the hot climate, although the reduction in energy consumption was observed after the application of the solutions, the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05). Also, the application of solutions in temperate climates created a significant difference in the specific amount of thermal energy consumption per kilo of meat and total energy (P<0.05). Overall, the results of the present experiment showed that optimizing the electrical and thermal systems of broiler houses could reduce energy consumption in all climates.