Human relations training to reduce racial prejudice through increased self-acceptance and improved communication style

This study investigated the effects of an intensive weekend human relations training workshop between black and white adults 20 to 53 years of age. The results were compared to a no-treatment control group. The total sample was 27. These consisted of 13 females and 14 males, including 2 black females and 3 black males. It was hypothesised: (1) that the treatment group would show significantly greater increase than the untreated group on self-acceptance; (2) that there would be a significantly greater reduction than the untreated group in prejudice (indirect and direct measure); (3) that communication style scores for the treated group would be significantly more constructive than for the untreated group at post-test; and (4) that significant differences would remain significant at delayed post-test. (This did not apply to communication style which was measured at post-test only.) [Continues.

Oxygen and Carbon Isotopes in Modern and Historic Mussels from the Snake River, Idaho, May Show Modern Rise of Corn Production

Stable carbon and oxygen isotope compositions were analyzed from local mussels ranging in age from 0 to 1000 years before the present to identify any trends and seasonal variability in the oxygen and carbon (18O and 13C values), compare trends and averages in 18O and 13C across different time periods and species of mussel, and finally use 18O to gain insight into how climate conditions might have changed in the past 1000 years. The Western Ridged Mussel (Gonidea angulate) and Western Pearlshell Mussel (Margaritifera falcata) are two species of freshwater mussels found in the Snake River in southern Idaho. Both species seasonally produce a calcium carbonate shell outward as they age. Previous research has shown mussels typically form their shells in isotopic equilibrium with the surrounding water and therefore can be a reliable indicator of environmental conditions such as temperature and seasonality. Outer growth bands were sampled sequentially from mussels dated ~1200 years before present, as well as from modern shells. The powdered samples were analyzed using an isotope ratio mass spectrometer in the Department of Geosciences, Boise State University, to obtain δ18O and δ13C values. Modern shells were found to have an average δ18O value of -16.6‰ (VPDB) and an average δ13C value of -8.8‰ (VPDB). δ18O was nearly constant across the shell, but δ13C increased as the mussel grew. Historic shells had homogeneous δ18O values of -16.4‰ and homogeneous δ13C values of -11.6‰. δ18O values of the two time periods are very similar, suggesting no resolvable changes to climatic conditions using this proxy. Increased δ13C values in modern mussels relative to historic mussels suggest a potentially significant increase of C4 plant contribution to the Snake River. We interpret this enrichment to be due to modern production of corn (a C4 plant) along the Snake River, especially since ~2000 CE

Dredging and Disposal in the Chesapeake Bay

The management questions involved in dredging and open water dredged material disposal revolve around three basic issues: 1) stability of the dredged material within the defined disposal area, 2) altered resource value of bottoms affected by dredged material, and 3) mobilization of toxins from contaminated dredged material. These issues encompass all aspects of the physical and biological character of a project site. The actual evaluation of dredging and dredged material disposal has generally concentrated on acute impacts to bottom dwelling organisms, benthos, and or to water column characteristics. This emphasis has resulted in ample evidence that many disposal practices have at least short term detrimental effects. With few exceptions, these studies have failed to assess the relationships between the benthos and the dredged material as a new sediment habitat, or the consequences of altering the hydrodynamic regime, or the resource value of the benthos.https://scholarworks.wm.edu/vimsbooks/1156/thumbnail.jp

Parents with psychosis : a pilot study examining self-report measures related to family functioning

The aims of this study were to examine the utility of various self-report instruments related to family functioning in families where a parent has a psychotic disorder, and to explore associations between these instruments and symptoms in the parent. Twenty-one parents with a psychotic disorders participated in the study. All participants were able to complete the questionnaires and the majority of parents reported levels of parental competence in the average range. Most parents (90%) perceived themselves to be effective parents, however 30% reported low levels of satisfaction with the parenting role. There were significant associations between objective measures of negative symptoms and self-report scores related to problems in ways of coping, and problems with parent-child interactions. Many individuals with psychosis were able to report areas of perceived need related to their role as parents and to the functioning of their families, however there are several limitations in the use of these instruments in this setting.<br /

Baltimore Harbor and channels aquatic benthos investigations : final technical report

This report describes work performed by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, School of Marine Science of the College of William and Mary, Gloucester Point, VA, to document the existing preoperational conditions at four locations in the Chesapeake Bay selected as possible dredged material disposal areas for the deepening of the Baltimore Channel. The work was sponsored by the Baltimore District Corps of Engineers. The objectives of this work were at each of the four potential disposal sites: 1 -document the surface (0-15 em) sediment conditions spatially and temporally 2 - document macrobenthic communities spatially and temporally. 3 - empty the REMOTS sediment profile camera to document visible vertical sediment structure

Improving Rural Bone Health and Minimizing Fracture Risk in West Virginia: Validation of the World Health Organization FRAX® Assessment Tool as a Phone Survey for Osteoporosis Detection

West Virginia ranks second nationally in population ≥ 65 years old placing our state at greater risk for osteoporosis and fracture. The gold standard for detecting osteoporosis is dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), yet over half of West Virginia’s counties do not have this machine. Due to access barriers, a validated phone-administered fracture prediction tool would be beneficial for osteoporosis screening. The World Health Organization’s FRAX® fracture prediction tool was administered as a phone survey to 45 patients; these results were compared to DXA bone mineral density determination. Results confirmed that the FRAX® phone survey is as reliable as DXA in detecting osteoporosis or clinically significant osteopenia: 92% positive predictive value, 100% negative predictive value, 100% sensitivity and 91% specificity when compared to the gold standard. These promising results allow for the development of telephone-based protocols to improve osteoporosis detection, referral and treatment especially in areas with health care access barriers

Competitive location problems : balanced facility location and the one-round Manhattan Voronoi game

We study competitive location problems in a continuous setting, in which facilities have to be placed in a rectangular domain R of normalized dimensions of 1 and ρ≥1, and distances are measured according to the Manhattan metric. We show that the family of 'balanced' facility configurations (in which the Voronoi cells of individual facilities are equalized with respect to a number of geometric properties) is considerably richer in this metric than for Euclidean distances. Our main result considers the 'One-Round Voronoi Game' with Manhattan distances, in which first player White and then player Black each place n points in R; each player scores the area for which one of its facilities is closer than the facilities of the opponent. We give a tight characterization: White has a winning strategy if and only if ρ≥n; for all other cases, we present a winning strategy for Black