Sunscreen Use and Screening in College Athletes: An Evidence-Based Pilot Project

Background: Melanoma is the third most common cancer in individuals ages 15 – 29. The greatest risk for melanoma is ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. Collegiate athletes are exposed to 1,000 more sun hours per year than the average adult, placing them at higher risk for melanoma. Evidence supports sunscreen education and screening to promote protective behaviors in young adults. Objective: This evidence-based pilot project implements the standardized screening of sunscreen use and sun protective behaviors in women’s soccer players ages 18 to 21 years old at the University of San Diego. Methods: The Sun Exposure and Protection Index (SEPI), reflecting both UV exposure risk and sun protective behaviors, was administered to female soccer players before and after the intervention period. Athletes were instructed to apply SPF 50 to the face, neck, and chest once daily for 7 days while practicing on the soccer field. Educational materials about sun safety were provided. Principles of the Iowa Model and Health Belief Model guided this pilot project. Outcomes: Twenty-two athletes participated in this pilot. 86.4% reported using sunscreen 5 or more days during the intervention period. 100% reported sunscreen use 3 or more days during intervention period, compared to 45.4% prior to implementation. The average score on the SEPI Part 2 prior to the pilot was 10. After intervention, there was an average reduction of 1.45 points in SEPI Part 2 scores, representing an increased propensity for sun protection and improved sun protection behaviors. Sun exposure screening should be considered as primary prevention in college athletes, who are at an elevated lifetime risk of ultraviolet radiation exposure. Furthermore, providing sunscreen and educational materials prior to sun exposure may decrease the risk of future melanoma in this high-risk population

An Electrically Compensated Trap for Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry: Investigation and Charaxterization

Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) offers the highest performance of any mass spectrometer. FT-ICR MS can routinely achieve mass measurement accuracies better than 5 ppm, while offering mass resolving powers that can be orders of magnitude higher than any other mass spectrometric technique. Nevertheless, there is still a need for improvement. One limitation arises from the finite dimensions of the electrodes that supply the trapping electric field that is necessary to confine the ions in a direction parallel to the magnetic field. The problem is the dependence of frequency on ion mode amplitudes or position (see Chapter 1). One strategy to combat this problem is mechanical or electrical trap compensation (see Chapter 2). The work described in this thesis implements an electrically compensated trap for reducing the inhomogeneities in the trapping electric field, thereby decreasing the positional dependence of frequency and increasing performance. The compensated trap evaluated here was designed by Don Rempel and manufactured by the IonSpec Corporation. It has three pairs of auxiliary (compensation) ring electrodes to which independent voltages are applied. The superposition of the fields produced by these auxiliary ring electrodes creates a more ideal trapping electric field, which in the limit would be a three dimensional quadrupolar field. The outcome is a significant improvement in mass resolving power and signal-to-noise ratio when compared to an uncompensated or unmodified trap (see Chapter 3 and 5). To obtain optimum performance from any electrically compensated trap, the compensation voltages applied must be tuned. We developed a tuning method (see Chapter 4) that efficiently and effectively tunes the compensation voltages on the basis of the experimentally observed cyclotron frequency centroids from ion clouds of different mode amplitudes. The compensation voltages require tuning to account for deviations from the theory used in the design process (see Chapter 7). As the electric field is improved by effective compensation, it becomes important to look at the variations in frequency caused by the magnetic field (see Chapter 6). Another advantage that is offered by an electrically compensated trap is the ability to shape the electric field to suit new needs of an experiment. For example, electrical trap compensation may allow implementation of a highly-selective, non-destructive ion isolation event and high energy collisionally-activated dissociation in the ICR trap (see Chapter 8)

Sources of Liquidity in the Great Credit Crunch

(Statement of Responsibility) by Ezekiel Brustkern(Thesis) Thesis (B.A.) -- New College of Florida, 2010(Electronic Access) RESTRICTED TO NCF STUDENTS, STAFF, FACULTY, AND ON-CAMPUS USE(Bibliography) Includes bibliographical references.(Source of Description) This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The New College of Florida, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.(Local) Faculty Sponsor: Khemraj, Tarro