The Effects of Pre and Post Exercise Low-Level Laser Therapy on Biochemical Markers of Skeletal Muscle Fatigue in Equines

Our objective was to determine whether administering low-level laser therapy before or after exercise had the greatest effect on biochemical markers of skeletal muscle fatigue in equines such as cortisol and blood lactate. Twelve quarter horses were divided into three groups: Group A received no laser therapy, Group B received laser therapy before exercise, and Group C received laser therapy after exercise. A Class II ERCHONIA ® PL500 handheld low-level laser was utilized for treatment with a wavelength of 635nm. Exercise was utilized using a horse walker system for 30 minutes five days a week for three weeks. Blood was collected via jugular venipuncture at time zero and then once a week for the remainder of the study. According to the results of this study, there is no evidence to suggest that laser therapy had a significant effect on equine cortisol or lactate, regardless if it was performed before or after exercise. However, there was an interaction between group and time for both lactate and cortisol. The results also showed that lactate increased as time increased as a result of lactic acid build up due to exercise, and cortisol decreased over time, which could be due to several possible variables such as weather. Several factors could have altered the results of this study, such as age, gender, weather, and diet of the equine subjects

Working Families’ Access to Early Childhood Education

In this brief, using data from the Census Bureau, state administrative systems, and a Carsey survey of working parents, author Jessica Carson examines the child care landscape of the Upper Valley of New Hampshire and Vermont and links these findings to a discussion of early childhood education policy and practice. She reports that 96 percent of Upper Valley parents surveyed said child care is necessary in order for them to work. The number of slots offered by licensed (home- and center-based) early childhood education providers in the Upper Valley is 2,000 short of the estimated number of young children whose parent or parents are in the labor force. Further, the cost of licensed care for an Upper Valley family with just one infant is equivalent to 16 percent of median family income, more than twice the 7 percent that the federal government considers affordable. She discusses possible multipronged strategies and policies to address the challenges working parents face accessing early childhood care and education in the Upper Valley and beyond

Device removes hydrogen gas from enclosed spaces

Hydrogen-oxidant galvanic cell removes small amounts of hydrogen gas continually released from equipment, such as vented silver-zinc batteries, in enclosed compartments where air venting is not feasible. These cells are used in satellite compartments

Rural Areas with Seasonal Homes Hit Hard by COVID-19

In this data snapshot, author Jess Carson finds that rural counties where at least 25 percent of the housing units are for seasonal use are hit especially hard by COVID-19 compared with urban and other kinds of rural counties

SNAP use increased slightly in 2012

This brief uses data from the American Community Survey to examine rates of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) receipt in 2012, track changes since the onset of the recession, and monitor receipt by region and place type. It also explores changes in SNAP receipt among households that may be at particular risk for food insecurity and considers rates among some less traditionally at-risk populations, exploring changes in their rates of receipt over time. Author Jessica Carson writes that reports of SNAP receipt in 2012 increased among populations at particular risk for food insecurity, including households with children, seniors, the poor, and householders with a disability, as well as populations less often considered at risk, including married couples and households without children. Despite increased reliance on SNAP, the program is presently facing substantial cuts in the U.S. House and Senate in the coming weeks. Carson concludes that any cuts to program funding should consider the vulnerable populations that have increasingly relied on these benefits in a tenuous economy where the social safety net is already frail

On Equilibrium in Monopolistic Competition

The price, output, and quality of a monopolistic competitor are determined by maximizing the difference between its revenue and its cost, where cost is measured exclusive of the rent on its product-specialized inputs. It can be argued that such a firm must have unique inputs that are specialized to its unique product—since product differentiation is otherwise compatible with perfect competition—and the uniqueness of these inputs allows them to earn positive rent, even in long-run equilibrium. The inclusion of rent in cost gives rise to the traditional Chamberlinian solution, in which (rent-inclusive) average cost is tangent to demand and therefore downward-sloping. But if rent is excluded, average cost may be constant or even upward-sloping in equilibrium, and in this sense, monopolistic competition need not give rise to excess capacity or to production facilities that are too small. The basic conclusion is that monopolistic competition improves welfare—that is to say, it creates consumer and producer surplus—by creating variety without necessarily reducing output.

Liquid pump for astronaut cooling

The Apollo portable life support system water-recirculation pump used for astronaut cooling is described. The problems associated with an early centrifugal pump and how these problems were overcome by the use of a new diaphragm pump are discussed. Performance comparisons of the two pump designs are given. Developmental problems and flight results with the diaphragm pump are discussed

Toward a More Equal Footing: Early Head Start In Maine

In this brief, author Jessica Carson explores the characteristics of Early Head Start (EHS) in Maine, compares them to the national landscape, and connects these findings to a discussion of the federal and state policy climates. She reports that Maine has 837 EHS slots for more than 8,000 poor children age 0–2 in Maine. Limited funding means that EHS is unable to reach the vast majority of children living below the poverty line. Nearly half of Maine’s EHS enrollees participate via the home visitation service delivery model, compared with 37.3 percent nationwide. Although state supplemental funds pay for a small share of all Maine EHS slots (60 of the 837 slots in 2015-2016), in a climate where early childhood education and care is expensive, these slots provide critical access to some of Maine’s most vulnerable families. More broadly, because EHS can reach only a small number of Mainers, the state might consider ways to bolster the stability of this population in other ways, including through state home visitation funds and child care funds more generally. This research was supported by a grant from the Portland-based John T. Gorman Foundation, whose mission is to advance ideas and opportunities that can improve the lives of disadvantaged people in Maine

Mapping the Food Landscape in New Hampshire

In this brief, Jess Carson explores the food landscape of New Hampshire, documenting where lower incomes and low population density might lead to food insecurity, and mapping the locations of various food sources. Much of the northern and western parts of the state have high proportions of low-income residents and low population density, compared with more southern parts of the state. In terms of food sources, retail locations roughly mirror the state’s population distribution, with many options throughout the southern tier of the state and concentration around the Interstate 93 corridor into Northern New Hampshire. While many food support sites, like school-based food programs and retailers that accept SNAP also match the population distribution, community-organized food pantries are more closely aligned with the distribution of low-income populations across the state. Although this brief provides a tool for understanding how to focus investments and efforts around expanding access to fresh, nutritious food, challenges of nutrition and health cannot be addressed through improving access alone. Instead, policymakers and practitioners should continue to consider ways to make food accessible, available and affordable amid this new understanding of the food landscape