Hypertension among Oral Contraceptive Users in El Paso, Texas

On the U.S.-Mexico border, residents frequently cross into Mexico to obtain medications or medical care. We previously reported relatively high prevalence of hypertension among Latina oral contraceptive users in El Paso, particularly those obtaining pills over the counter (OTC) in Mexico. Here, we examine factors associated with having hypertension among 411 OTC users and 399 clinic users. We also assess hypertension awareness and interest in using blood pressure kiosks. Women age 35 to 44 and who had BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 had higher odds of having hypertension. 59% of hypertensive women had unrecognized hypertension, and 77% of all participants would use a blood pressure kiosk; there were no significant differences between clinic and OTC users. Alternative approaches to increase access to health screenings are needed in this setting, where OTC pill use among women with unrecognized hypertension confers unique health risksPopulation Research Cente

Project C.O.R.E.: Coaching Opportunities with Real Experiences

Retention and graduation rates of VCU men of color (MOC) is significantly lower than white men and women of color. Due to demonstrated significant attrition occurring after the sophomore year, Project C.O.R.E. (Coaching Opportunities with Real Experiences) is proposed as a sophomore-focused program that builds upon an existing freshman course on professional development for MOC. While the first-year course introduces students to a VCU support network, Project C.O.R.E. aims to increase university retention by expanding the student support network to members of the local community. Students are paired with community coaches, predominantly VCU alumni, to enhance their career and life-skills development. This program provides continued community, guidance, and support to encourage MOC to continue on the path to graduation

Agri-environmental diversification: Linking environmental, forestry and renewable energy engagement on Scottish farms

AbstractIn this paper we broaden the debate on agri-environmental scheme participation to include farm woodland expansion and renewable energy production, developing a conceptualisation of ‘agri-environmental diversification’. Utilising structural equation modelling, we assess a telephone survey of 2416 Scottish farmers, undertaken in 2013. Findings demonstrate the path dependencies of farming participants, with those already engaged in each of these activities the most likely to plan to be involved in future. Similar factors have influenced the uptake of all three activities since 2005, and intention to increase involvement by 2020. Farmers who are: younger, better educated, information-seeking, certified as organic, receive subsidies, have non-farming income and plan to continue farming in the medium term, are more likely to plan for future engagement in the three activities. Environmental attitudes are also important, but a stronger relationship was found between observation of environmental gains from agri-environmental schemes and the three forms of agri-environmental diversification, suggesting that scheme involvement enables farmers to learn to produce, recognise and value environmental goods. We argue that when assessed within the broader perspective of agri-environmental diversification, agri-environmental scheme participation may represent an initial step on a farming trajectory that involves multiple forms of agri-environmental engagement

Flood plain management through allocation of land uses–a dynamic programming model

Despite heroic structural measures, flood damages continue to rise. This research develops a means for identifying more nearly optimal patterns of land use with particular reference to timing, depth, and duration of flooding. The major premise is that flood plain management is best viewed as a problem of allocating land uses to land parcels. A dynamic programming model is developed to determine what combination of downstream uses, which require flood protection, and upstream uses, which may increase runoff or provide protection through longer water retention, should be encouraged. The dynamic programming model and an associated simplified routing technique are demonstrated on a real watershed. Desirable extensions of the model are identified. One major result of the project is the realization of a need to classify watersheds by the degree of effective interdependence among land use decisions so as to determine the most appropriate types of analytical model s and public sector interventions for particular cases. Thinking about flood management as a problem of land use allocation is shown to be a fruitful conceptualization for exploring the issues, for developing models, and for identifying appropriate public sector interventions.U.S. Geological SurveyU.S. Department of the InteriorOpe

Science of entropy-stabilized ultra-high temperature materials: predictive and multi-physics modelling

Our team is exploring a new concept in the development of ultra-high temperature materials - engineering the configurational entropy contribution to the free energy. We are doing this by using compositions with multiple refractory elements in near equi-molar concentrations. The work has focused primarily on unique refractory alloys that combine multi- and single-component sublattices; these are di-borides with layered sublattices, as well as nitrides, carbides, and carbo-nitrides with interpenetrating multi-and single-component face-centered-cubic sublattices. Please click Additional Files below to see the full abstract

Science of entropy-stabilized ultra-high temperature materials: synthesis, validation and properties

A multidisciplinary effort to identify new ultra-high temperature materials combines both computational and experimental efforts exploring the potential of multi-principle element transition metal carbides, nitrides, and borides for improved properties. The elements of focus for this project include the group IV, V, and VI transition metals (Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Bn, Ta, Cr, Mo, W) combined as carbides, nitrides, or borides. This presentation will describe synthesis, validation, and evaluation of these Entropy Stabilized Ultra-High Temperature Materials (ES-UHTM). Both thin film physical vapor deposition and field-assisted bulk sintering techniques are used with the goal to synthesize single phase ES-UHTM. A five-cathode deposition tool has been successfully used to prepare thin film carbides such as (Nb,W,Ti,Zr,Ta)C as a single phase with the rocksalt structure. Films are prepared with thicknesses up to several microns to facilitate fundamental property measurements. Multiple compositions of equimolar, five-component, metal diborides and as well as several metal carbides have also been successfully fabricated as bulk specimens via high-energy ball milling and spark plasma sintering. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and aberration corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy with high-angle annular dark-field and annular bright-field (HAADF and ABF) imaging and nanoscale compositional mapping have all been used to evaluate the success in achieving single phase states with random and homogeneous distributions of cations. Experimental successes in achieving single phase compositions are compared to theoretical predictions described in a companion presentation. Material properties such as thermal conductivity, diffusivity and oxidation resistance are evaluated to assess performance relative to theoretical prediction and conventional UHTCs. Thermal conductivity is determined using the time domain thermal reflectance technique on thin film specimens for comparison to theoretical predictions for these multiple principle element compositions. Thin film diffusion couples (two-layer films), in which four of the principle transition metals are found in both films and one element of each thin film differs, are prepared to study diffusivity in these ES-UHTMs. Oxidation resistance is been characterized using Joule heating of bulk specimens to ultra-high temperatures (T\u3e1500C) in controlled argon-oxygen atmospheres to determine oxide phases formed and their distribution, comparing carbides and borides of the same metal composition. Properties of these unique ES-UHTM are evaluated with the intent to enable tailoring of material performance via exploration of the large compositional space available

Characterization of the thermal properties of entropy stabilized oxides and high entropy diborides

Entropy stabilized oxides and high entropy diborides are promising new materials capable of withstanding extreme environments consisting of high temperatures and pressures. In these novel materials, thermal characterization is essential for understanding and predicting performance at elevated temperatures. Moreover, these systems provide a unique opportunity to study the nature of thermal transport and phonon scattering in multicomponent, high-entropy materials. Please click on the file below for full content