Decoding plastic pollution in the geological record: A baseline study on the Caribbean Coast of Colombia, north South America.

This study presents the first report of plastics in the geological record (rocks and formations composed of plastics) along the central Caribbean Coast of Colombia, northern coast of South America. These novel records of pollution include two rock types (plastiglomerates and quartz plastisandstones), two altered plastic types (pyroplastics and plasticrusts), two soil types (plasticlasts and anthrosols), and a series of artifacts (fossils) found near human settlements. All of them were analyzed using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy.

Are sediment textural parameters an "influencer" of microplastics presence in beach environments?

Diverse litter studies on Colombia's Central Caribbean Coast have presented the Microplastic issues regarding typology, magnitudes, and distribution. No studies have examined MPs' presence and abundances in relation to sediment grain size and the sediments statistical parameters (mean, median, sorting, skewness, kurtosis). This work attempts to fill this information gap in a study of 15 sampling sites along Colombia's Central Caribbean Coast.

A demonstration of the application of the new paradigm for the evaluation of forensic evidence under conditions reflecting those of a real forensic-voice-comparison case.

The new paradigm for the evaluation of the strength of forensic evidence includes: The use of the likelihood-ratio framework. The use of relevant data, quantitative measurements, and statistical models. Empirical testing of validity and reliability under conditions reflecting those of the case under investigation.

Reliability of human-supervised formant-trajectory measurement for forensic voice comparison.

Acoustic-phonetic approaches to forensic voice comparison often include human-supervised measurement of vowel formants, but the reliability of such measurements is a matter of concern. This study assesses the within- and between-supervisor variability of three sets of formant-trajectory measurements made by each of four human supervisors. It also assesses the validity and reliability of forensic-voice-comparison systems based on these measurements.

Investigation of product quality between extemporaneously compounded progesterone vaginal suppositories and an approved progesterone vaginal gel.

The purpose of this investigation was to compare quality parameters, including product appearance, content uniformity, pH, weight uniformity, microbial limit testing and preservative effectiveness testing on extemporaneously compounded progesterone vaginal suppositories obtained from 10 randomly chosen compounding pharmacies (90 suppositories each) across the United States, to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved prescription progesterone gel product (Prochieve/Crinone) which is manufactured in a cGMP regulated facility. The content uniformity and pH were determined using qualified methods. The microbial limits testing and preservative effectiveness testing were conducted according to compendial methods.