Understanding And Confronting Alcohol-Induced Risky Behavior Among College Students

Confronting alcohol abuse is a challenge for most higher education institutions.  Each year, students are admitted to hospitals for issues arising from the misuse of alcohol.  The deaths of some engaged in alcohol related activities is especially worrisome.  Factors such as age and financial standing could impact the likelihood of abuse.  So-called drinking “games” have potentially altered student perceptions of alcohol consumption and may lead to reckless behavior.  This study looks at perceptions of alcohol use among college students and investigates the level of support a late night shuttle system might garner if offered to students on a college campus. &nbsp

In Vivo Retinal Pigment Epithelium Imaging using Transscleral Optical Imaging in Healthy Eyes.

To image healthy retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells in vivo using Transscleral OPtical Imaging (TOPI) and to analyze statistics of RPE cell features as a function of age, axial length (AL), and eccentricity. Single-center, exploratory, prospective, and descriptive clinical study. Forty-nine eyes (AL: 24.03 ± 0.93 mm; range: 21.9-26.7 mm) from 29 participants aged 21 to 70 years (37.1 ± 13.3 years; 19 men, 10 women). Retinal images, including fundus photography and spectral-domain OCT, AL, and refractive error measurements were collected at baseline. For each eye, 6 high-resolution RPE images were acquired using TOPI at different locations, one of them being imaged 5 times to evaluate the repeatability of the method. Follow-up ophthalmic examination was repeated 1 to 3 weeks after TOPI to assess safety. Retinal pigment epithelial images were analyzed with a custom automated software to extract cell parameters. Statistical analysis of the selected high-contrast images included calculation of coefficient of variation (CoV) for each feature at each repetition and Spearman and Mann-Whitney tests to investigate the relationship between cell features and eye and subject characteristics. Retinal pigment epithelial cell features: density, area, center-to-center spacing, number of neighbors, circularity, elongation, solidity, and border distance CoV. Macular RPE cell features were extracted from TOPI images at an eccentricity of 1.6° to 16.3° from the fovea. For each feature, the mean CoV was < 4%. Spearman test showed correlation within RPE cell features. In the perifovea, the region in which images were selected for all participants, longer AL significantly correlated with decreased RPE cell density (R Spearman, Rs = -0.746; P < 0.0001) and increased cell area (Rs = 0.668; P < 0.0001), without morphologic changes. Aging was also significantly correlated with decreased RPE density (Rs = -0.391; P = 0.036) and increased cell area (Rs = 0.454; P = 0.013). Lower circular, less symmetric, more elongated, and larger cells were observed in those > 50 years. The TOPI technology imaged RPE cells in vivo with a repeatability of < 4% for the CoV and was used to analyze the influence of physiologic factors on RPE cell morphometry in the perifovea of healthy volunteers. Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references

Weiterfuehrende Untersuchungen zur Uebertragung eines PM-Herstellungsverfahrens fuer cadmiumfreie Silber-Kontaktwerkstoffe vom Labor-in den Technikumsmassstab Schlussbericht

SIGLEAvailable from TIB Hannover: D.Dt.F.QN1(16,27) / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekBundesministerium fuer Forschung und Technologie (BMFT), Bonn (Germany)DEGerman

Korrosionsverhalten von AlLi-Werkstoffen im Meeresklima und bei Meerwasserbeanspruchung unter besonderer Beruecksichtigung der Korrosionsbedingungen an Baugruppen Endbericht

Genietete mehrkomponentige Leichtbaustrukturen, die die innovative AlLiMgCu-Legierung '8090' enthalten, werden - im Vergleich zu genieteten Komponenten, die aus der konventionellen Lithiumfreien AlMgCu2-Legierung gefertigt sind - auf ihr langzeitmaessiges Spalt- und Kontaktkorrosionsverhalten unter Meerwasserbedingungen hin untersucht. Aus den Forschungsergebnissen resultiert, dass das Korrosionsverhalten von Nietbaugruppen wesentlich durch die beteiligten Kontaktkorrosionspartner beeinflusst wird. Eine zusaetzliche Ueberlagerung des Korrosionsmechanismus an genieteten Verbundbauteilen durch Spaltkorrosion wird nicht ausgeschlossen. Der feststellbare Korrosionsangriff am Blech- und Profihalbzeug genieteter Baugruppen in direkter Umgebung der Verbindungselemente ist bei der AlLiMgCu-Legierung tiefgreifender als in der koventionellen, Lithium-freien Legierung AlCuMg2. Darueber hinaus neigt der AlLi-Werkstoff zur Rissbildung durch den Nietvorgang. Andererseits werden Nietwerkstoffe aus Aluminium-Legierungen (AlCuMg1 T4 / Universalniet; AlCuMg2 T6 / Schliessring) weniger stark angegriffen wenn sie mit der unteralterten AlLiCuMg-Legierung 8090 in Kontakt sind als wenn sie mit der AlCuMg2-Legierung 2024 T3(51) in elektrisch leitender Verbindung stehen. Sofern die Problematik der Rissneigung der AlLiCuMg-Legierung 8090 im unteralterten Warmauslagerungszustand geloest und bei Fuege- und Nietvorgaengen zur Komponentenherstellung isolierende Dichtmasse sachgerecht angewendet wird, werden durch den Einsatz der AlLi-Legierung 8090 keine wesentlichen kontakt-oder spaltkorrosionsbedingten nachteile gegenueber dem spezifisch schwereren Werkstoff 2024 T3(51) erwartet. (orig.)Riveted light-weight structure components containing the innovative age hardening AlLiMgCu-alloy '8090' are being compared to components containing the conventional Lithium-free AlCuMg2-alloy '2024' regarding their long term crevice and galvanic corrosion behavior under sea water conditions. The results indicate that the corrosion behavior of riveted components are mainly influenced by the galvanic coupling partners. The corrosion mechanism may additionally be superimposed by crevice corrosion. The corrosion attack detected in the vicinity of fasteners grows deeper in AlLi-extrusions and -sheets that the Li-free alloy. Beyond that the AlLi-alloy tends to showing cracks due to riveting. However, the aluminum fasteners are attacked less severe if they are contacted with the underaged AlLi-semi finished products rather than with the alloy 2024 T3(51). If the problem of crack occurrence in the underaged AlLiMgCu-alloy can be solved and isolating sealants are properly applied when joining or fastening components, no serious disadvantages due to crevice or galvanic corrosion should arise when employing the AlLi-alloy 8090 instead of the specifically heavier 2024 T3(51) material. (orig.)SIGLEAvailable from TIB Hannover: F93B1119 / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekBundesministerium fuer Forschung und Technologie (BMFT), Bonn (Germany)DEGerman