Physiological health parameters among college students to promote chronic disease prevention and health promotion

This study aimed to provide physiologic health risk parameters by gender and age among college students enrolled in a U.S. Midwestern University to promote chronic disease prevention and ameliorate health. A total of 2615 college students between 18 and 25 years old were recruited annually using a series of cross-sectional designs during the spring semester over an 8-year period. Physiologic parameters measured included body mass index (BMI), percentage body fat (%BF), blood serum cholesterol (BSC), and systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure. These measures were compared to data from NHANES to identify differences in physiologic parameters among 18-25 year olds in the general versus college-enrolled population. A quantitative instrument assessed health behaviors related to physical activity, diet, and licit drug use. Results suggest that average physiologic parameters from18 to 25 year olds enrolled in college were significantly different from parameters of 18-25 year olds in the general population. Generally, men reported higher percentiles for BMI, SBP, and DBP than women, but lower %BF and BSC percentiles than women at each age. SBP and DBP significantly increased with age and alcohol use. Students in the lowest (5th) and highest percentiles (95th and 75th), for most age groups, demonstrated DBP, BMI, and %BF levels potentially problematic for health and future development of chronic disease based on percentiles generated for their peer group. Newly identified physiologic parameters may be useful to practitioners serving college students 18–25 years old from similar institutions in determining whether behavior change or treatment interventions are appropriate

Influence of counteranion and humidity on the thermal, mechanical and conductive properties of covalently crosslinked ionenes

Thiol-ene photopolymerization was used to generate a series of covalently crosslinked, imidazolium-containing ionene networks. A variety of counteranions were chosen so as to investigate the influence of size and basicity on the thermal, mechanical and conductive properties of the resulting networks. Anhydrous conductivities at 20 °C were found to be on the order of 10−6 to 10−10 S/cm and correlated to some degree with Tg; however, Tg-normalization of the curves indicated that this relationship between polymer structure and conductivity was more complex. VFT fitting, along with free ion concentration and ion mobility data, were investigated in order to provide additional insight. Also of interest in this study was the influence of humidity on ionic conductivity. Hydrophilic networks with anions such as [Cl], [NO3] or [OMs] were found to exhibit 3- to 5-orders of magnitude enhancement in ionic conductivity (up to 10−3 S/cm) when the relative humidity was increased to 70% while the more hydrophobic networks ([PF6] and [NTf2]) were not influenced. Further experimentation (water uptake, DSC) indicated that the observed enhancements in conductivity were likely due to a combination of plasticization and water-assisted ion transport

Evaluation of Foliar Insecticide Application Timing for the Control of Western Bean Cutworm in Field Corn, 2018

The objective of this field trial was to determine if application timing affects the efficacy of single applications of foliar insecticides at preventing feeding damage by the western bean cutworm (WBC), an important pest of corn and dry beans in the North American Corn Belt. This study was located at the University of Nebraska- Lincoln’s Henry J. Stumpf International Wheat Center in Perkins County, NE (40.856851°N, −101.701335°W). The experimental design used was an RCB design with a total of 10 treatments (three insecticides applied at three application timings, plus an untreated check) and four replications; the treatment design was an incomplete 4 × 3 factorial in which the UTC occurred during the ideal application timing only. Seeds of DKC62-95 (Monsanto Company, St. Louis, MO), a non-Bt hybrid with RR2 herbicide tolerance, were planted on 5 May 2018 using a commercial 8-row planter at 32,000 seeds/acre at approximately 1.40–1.75 inches deep in 30-inch rows. Individual plots measured 20 ft (8 rows) wide x 35 ft long. Standard agronomic practices for the region were followed for irrigation, fertilization, and weed management inputs. No insecticide applications were made other than the experimental treatments

Evaluation of Foliar Insecticides for the Control of Western Bean Cutworm in Field Corn, 2018

The objectives of this field trial were to evaluate the efficacy of single applications of foliar insecticides at preventing feeding damage by the western bean cutworm (WBC), an important pest of corn and dry beans that has undergone a rapid range expansion into the eastern Corn Belt during the last 18 yr. This study was conducted within the historic range of WBC, at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Henry J. Stumpf International Wheat Center in Perkins County, NE (40.856851°N, −101.701335°W). An RCB design with a total of 16 treatments (including an untreated check) and four replications was used. Plots measured 20 ft (8 rows) wide × 35 ft long. The trial was planted on 5 May 2018 using a commercial 8-row planter at 32,000 seeds/acre at an approximate depth of 1.40–1.75 inches in 30-inch rows. The seeds planted were DKC62-95 (Monsanto Company, St. Louis, MO), non-Bt hybrid with RR2 herbicide tolerance. Irrigation, fertilization, and weed management inputs in plots followed standard agronomic practices for the region, with no insecticide applications other than the experimental treatments

Analysis of Scattered Signal to Estimate Reservoir Fracture Parameters

We detect fracture corridors and determine their orientation and average spacing based on an analysis of seismic coda in the frequency-wave number (f-k ) domain. Fracture corridors have dimensions similar to seismic wavelengths which causes scattering. The distribution of energy in shot records in the f-k domain depends upon the orientation of the records relative to the fracture strike. In the direction normal to fractures, scattered waves propagate with slower apparent velocities than waves propagating along the fracture channels. The associated f-k spectral differences allow the identification of the preferred fracture orientation and spacing. We apply our technique to a fractured reservoir in the Lynx field, in the Canadian foothills. The estimated preferential fracture orientation is about N40 E, which agrees with regional stress measurements. The average fracture spacing is 75 m on the West side of the survey, while fractures are more sparse on the East side. We also apply the Scattering Index methodology (Willis et al., 2006) to the same data, post-stack and pre-stack. This technique has higher resolution to map fracture distribution, intensity and orientation, and therefore complements the spectral method in providing an integrated description of reservoir fractures.United States. Dept. of Energy (award number DE-FC26-06NT42956)Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Earth Resources Laborator

A comparison of LWD and wireline dipole sonic data

Data measured by both wireline and LWD tools in the same borehole are compared. Discrepancies in shear velocities as calculated from the data are on average around 5% and discrepancies between compressional velocities are less than 3%. The consistency of the bias between logs suggest it is related to the calculation of velocity. Comparison of industry and ERL velocity processing show excellent agreement and give an example of possible spread of velocity data due to processing chain. A short section of data in an unconsolidated zone shows velocity differences of just over 10% with an opposite trend to the over all bias. Dispersion analysis of the waveforms show this is consistent with a damaged zone surrounding the borehole wall caused by drilling.Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Earth Resources LaboratoryMassachusetts Institute of Technology. Borehole Acoustics and Logging Consortiu

Chalcophile element processing beneath a continental arc stratovolcano

The chalcophile elements are important both in terms of their economic value and as potential tracers of magmatic processes at convergent margins. However, because of analytical difficulties, comprehensive datasets of chalcophile element concentrations for volcanic rocks are rare. Here, we present analyses of a near complete suite of chalcophile elements (S, Cu, Ag, Se, As, Sb, Sn, W, Mo, Pb, Bi, Tl, Zn, Ga, Co) for volcanic rock samples collected from a typical continental arc stratovolcano in southern Chile (Antuco). Enrichment in Pb, Bi, W, Tl, Sb and As relative to Parental-MORB indicates that these elements have been mobilised from the subducting slab into the sub-arc mantle wedge, in contrast to Cu and Ag. Very low Se concentrations suggest that Se, like S, was lost during co-eruptive degassing of the Antuco magmas. Previous studies on oceanic arcs have demonstrated that as higher fO2 subduction-related magmas ascend through the overlying lithosphere, magnetite fractionation may trigger sulfide fractionation during crystallisation. If such a process is extensive and has a sharp onset, this would result in a plummet in the Cu, Se and Ag contents of the residual melt. At Antuco, although a decrease in the Fe2O3(T) and TiO2 concentrations at ∼55 wt.% SiO2 (∼3 wt.% MgO) indicates magnetite fractionation, this is not associated with a corresponding drop in Cu contents. Instead, we observe a general decrease in Cu and a decrease in Cu/Ag with increasing SiO2 and decreasing MgO. Furthermore, Cu/Ag in the most primitive Antuco rocks are lower than the global MORB array, indicating that the melts were sulfide saturated at an early stage in their crustal evolution. Through modelling fractional crystallisation, we show that only a minor volume (0.5–0.6 vol.%) of fractionating sulfide is needed to produce divergent trends in Cu and Ag, as observed in the Antuco samples. Our results show that sulfide fractionation occurred from an early stage during the crustal evolution of Antuco's magmas. We infer that this was promoted by stalling in the lower crust, which for oxidised magmas at depths >20 km is within the sulfide stability field. However, elevated DyN/YbN of the Antuco magmas compared to oceanic island arc magmas provides an additional, or alternate mechanism to inducing sulfide fractionation in the lower crust prior to ascent, through initial garnet fractionation. Fractional crystallisation within this depth range meant that later magnetite fractionation had only a minor impact on the partitioning behaviour of the chalcophile elements. In contrast, arc magmas transiting thinner crust may not experience sulfide saturation until a later stage in their evolution, induced by magnetite fractionation. Our results imply that convergent margin crustal thickness, and therefore the depth range of magmatic differentiation, determines the dominant control on initial magmatic sulfide saturation and therefore the primary distribution of chalcophile elements. This implies that secondary processes are required to explain the transport and concentration of sulfides and chalcophile elements at shallower crustal levels

The urban-rural divide: Hypertensive disease hospitalisations in Victoria 2010–2015

BackgroundHypertension is present in 23–32 per cent of Australians, making it one of the most prevalent diseases in the country. It is the greatest risk factor for cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in Australia and it affects rural populations at a higher rate than urban residents.AimsThe aims of this study were to investigate the differences in hypertensive disease hospitalisations across rural and urban Victoria, and to determine predicting variables.MethodsHospital admission data from 1 July 2010 to 30 June 2015 were obtained through the Victorian Admitted Episodes Dataset and other organisations. Data included various patient demographics for each hospital admission entry. The rates of hospitalisation for each Local Government Area were analysed. Further regression analysis was undertaken to examine the association between hypertensive disease hospitalisation and various predictor variables.ResultsFrom 2010–2015 11,205 hypertensive disease hospital admissions were recorded of which 64.8 per cent were female, 74.7 per cent admissions were at urban hospitals, and 65.0 per cent were public patients. Hospitalisation rates were consistently higher in rural areas than in urban areas, and rural residents on average stayed in hospital for longer. Significant predictor variables for hypertensive disease hospitalisation included various indicators of socioeconomic disadvantage, GPs per 1,000 population and GP attendance per 1,000 population.ConclusionHypertensive disease hospitalisation in Victoria continues to rise and rates of hospitalisation of rural Victorians continue to be higher than their urban counterparts. Females were hospitalised almost twice as often as males. Further research is required to identify the specific factors that impede access to health services, particularly in the identified high-risk populations

Focused cardiac ultrasound screening for rheumatic heart disease by briefl y trained health workers: a study of diagnostic accuracy

Background Echocardiographic screening for rheumatic heart disease (RHD) can identify individuals with subclinical disease who could benefi t from antibiotic prophylaxis. However, most settings have inadequate resources to implement conventional echocardiography and require a feasible, accurate screening method. We aimed to investigate the accuracy of screening by non-expert operators using focused cardiac ultrasound (FoCUS). Methods In this prospective study of diagnostic accuracy, we recruited schoolchildren aged 5 to 15 years in Fiji to undergo two blinded tests. The index test was a FoCUS assessment of mitral and aortic regurgitation, performed by nurses after an 8-week training programme. The reference standard was the diagnosis of RHD by a paediatric cardiologist, based on a standard echocardiogram performed by a skilled echocardiographer. The primary outcome was the accuracy of the index test with use of the most sensitive criteria (any regurgitation). Findings We included 2004 children in the study. The index tests were done between September, 2012, and September, 2013, by seven nurses in eight schools in Fiji. The diagnostic accuracy of the screening test (area under receiver operator characteristic curve) was 0·89 (95% CI 0·83–0·94). When the primary cut-off point (any regurgitation) was used for analysis, sensitivity was 84·2% (72·1–92·5) and specifi city was 85·6% (83·9–87·1). The sensitivity of individual nurses ranged from 66·7% to 100% and specifi city 74·0% to 93·7%. Interpretation Screening by briefl y trained nurses using FoCUS was accurate for the diagnosis of RHD. Refi nements to training and screening test methods should be studied in a range of settings, and in parallel with investigations of the long-term clinical and cost-eff ectiveness of screening for RHD