Groundwater under Hope College\u27s Campus: Suspended Load Characterization

Urban groundwater has received considerable study over the past 30 years due to contamination and subsequent remediation. However, less attention has been paid to the solid suspended load in urban groundwater. This study investigated the fine, near-nano fraction (4.2-0.7 µm) of solids present in groundwater wells penetrating a shallow (3-7m below grade), homogeneous, sandy Midwest aquifer. Two relationships were examined: (1) Whether suspended particle concentration and size distribution are related to current or historical surface land use; and, (2) Whether naturally-occurring suspended fractions can be distinguished from anthropogenic suspended load. Samples were collected from 11 wells and 1 drainage ditch within a 1 km2 area. Land use areas consisted of street, lawn, sidewalk, parking lot, former industrial location, storm surge basin on former industrial location, municipal drainage ditch, and surface drainage ditch sites. Suspended particle concentrations and size distributions were determined using spectrophotometric techniques, dynamic imaging particle analysis, and adapted Navier-Stokes settling calculations. Suspended load chemistry was evaluated by SEM-EDS and PXRD analysis and was utilized as a first approximation to distinguish naturally-occurring material from anthropogenically-derived particles. Preliminary results show the total suspended load concentrations (SLC) range from ~ 140 to 4900 ppm. The highest SLC concentration was observed in the groundwater (GW) beneath a residential lawn. GW under streets, sidewalks and surge basins had intermediate SLC values (1500-2550 ppm), and GW associated with a former industrial site and parking lot had consistently lower SLC (280-1030 ppm). Composition analysis of the ≤ 0.76 µm fractions from different locations indicated that silicates of quartz, feldspar and clay are common natural suspended matter throughout the aquifer. The most conspicuous anthropogenic material is graphite/graphitized carbon black, distinguishing the street, sidewalk and surge-basin sites from other land uses. Results suggest that current land-use practices may have greater influence on GW SLC, while historical activities more heavily influence particulate chemistry

Sustaining the use of Positive Education coping skills to meet the challenges of the emerging adulthood period

The Positive Education approach is a whole-school program implemented in primary and secondary school settings that aims to equip students with effective coping skills. During the transition to adulthood (often termed “emerging adulthood”), young people encounter a variety of challenges and are expected to draw on their own resources to cope. The current qualitative study aimed to provide initial insights into whether young people exposed to Positive Education training at school continue to use these coping strategies during emerging adulthood, when they have left the school setting. Twenty-one graduates (9 male, 12 female, 18 – 19 years old) of a Victorian independent school who had received four years of explicit Positive Education training completed semi-structured interviews via telephone. The interviews focused on the challenges the participants encountered after leaving school, skills they used to cope with those challenges, and factors that affected their use of Positive Education skills. Qualitative analysis showed that all participants were using skills that are taught within Positive Education to some extent, once they had left the secondary school setting. Young people identified a range of barriers and enablers to their continued use of these skills beyond the school setting. The findings suggest that Positive Education training may be helpful in preparing young people for the challenges of the emerging adulthood period. However, further program development is needed to promote the sustained use of these skills.

Impact of Sugar Substitutes on Glucose Control in Diabetic Patients

Objective: To evaluate the impact of nonnutritive sugar substitutes on glycemic control in patients with diabetes. Data Sources: A comprehensive review of the literature was conducted in PubMed (1966-March 2012) and Scopus. A combination of MeSH terms and keywords were used, including acesulfame, aspartame, diabetes, neotame, rebiana, saccharin, stevia, and sucralose. Study Selection and Data Extraction: Clinical studies evaluating the impact of nonnutritive sweeteners on measures of diabetic control, including, but not limited to, blood glucose levels, postprandial blood glucose, and hemoglobin A1c were selected for review. Searches were limited to only nonnutritive sweeteners available in the US. Data Synthesis: Nine clinical trials that evaluated nonnutritive sweeteners in a total of 490 patients with diabetes were found. Doses of sweeteners in the studies varied from below acceptable daily intake levels for 3 consecutive days to daily dosing for up to 18 weeks and up to 3.5 times the acceptable daily intake levels. No significant differences in overall effects on glycemic control and insulin response were found. Conclusions: Nonnutritive sweeteners do not appear to affect glycemic control in patients with diabetes. Patients should be counseled to maintain an appropriate energy balance in their diet, with or without the use of nonnutritive sweeteners

The Effect of Marriage verses Cohabitation on Sexual Communication in Latino, African American, and Caucasian Adults

This study focuses on the effect of communication on sexual relationship satisfaction when comparing cohabiting couples with married couples. Communication is an important part of relational and sexual satisfaction. Research was conducted using scholarly journal articles and quantitative data from questionnaires. Fifty-four questionnaires were completed by males and females that were at least forty years, married or cohabitating, and identified as Latino, African American, or Caucasian. The data from the questionnaires found that both heterosexual and homosexual couples in domestic partnerships had better sexual communication than those who were married. People from diverse backgrounds can relate to the data collected because marriage and sexual communication are relevant to people all over the worl

Biomarkers of Rehabilitation Therapy Vary According To Stroke Severity

Biomarkers that capture treatment effects could improve the precision of clinical decision making for restorative therapies. We examined the performance of candidate structural, functional,and angiogenesis-related MRI biomarkers before and after a 3-week course of standardized robotic therapy in 18 patients with chronic stroke and hypothesized that results vary significantly according to stroke severity. Patients were 4.1 ± 1 months poststroke, with baseline arm Fugl-Meyer scores of 20–60. When all patients were examined together, no imaging measure changed over time in a manner that correlated with treatment-induced motor gains. However, when also considering the interaction with baseline motor status, treatment-induced motor gains were significantly related to change in three functional connectivity measures: ipsilesional motor cortex connectivity with (1) contralesional motor cortex (p = 0 003), (2) contralesional dorsal premotor cortex (p = 0 005), and (3) ipsilesional dorsal premotor cortex (p = 0 004). In more impaired patients, larger treatment gains were associated with greater increases in functional connectivity, whereas in less impaired patients larger treatment gains were associated with greater decreases in functional connectivity. Functional connectivity measures performed best as biomarkers of treatment effects after stroke. The relationship between changes in functional connectivity and treatment gains varied according to baseline stroke severity. Biomarkers of restorative therapy effects are not one-size-fits-all after stroke

How We Close the Gaps: Our Interprofessional Team Approach to Meeting Quality Measures

Define the role/function of an interprofessional team in the management of complex outpatients. Identify the types of patients that would benefit most from a team-based approach. Implement elements of our team-based patient care model into individual practices

Diabetes Causes the Accelerated Loss of Cartilage During Fracture Repair Which Is Reversed by Insulin Treatment

Fracture healing in diabetic individuals and in animal models of diabetes is impaired. To investigate mechanisms by which diabetes may affect fracture healing we focused on the transition from cartilage to bone, a midpoint in the fracture healing process. Femoral fractures were induced in mice rendered diabetic by multiple low dose streptozotocin treatment and compared to matching normoglycemic mice. One group of diabetic animals was treated with slow release insulin to maintain normal serum glucose levels. The results indicate that there was relatively little difference in the initial formation of the fracture callus on day 10. However, on day 16 the diabetic group had significantly smaller callus, greater loss of cartilage and enhanced osteoclastogenesis that was normalized by treatment with insulin when assessed by histomorphometric analysis. Chondrocyte apoptosis was significantly higher in diabetic mice and this increase was blocked by insulin. These changes were accompanied by diabetes-increased mRNA levels of RANKL, TNF-α, and ADAMTS-4 and -5 measured by real-time PCR, which was reversed by insulin treatment. On days 16 and 22 bone formation within the callus of diabetic mice was significantly less than the normoglycemic and brought to normal levels by insulin treatment. These results suggest that a significant effect of diabetes on fracture healing is increased chondrocyte apoptosis and osteoclastogenesis that accelerates the loss of cartilage and reduces the anlage for endochondral bone formation during fracture repair. That insulin reverses these effects demonstrates that they are directly related to the diabetic condition

Role of Corpus Callosum Integrity in Arm Function Differs Based on Motor Severity After Stroke

While the corpus callosum (CC) is important to normal sensorimotor function, its role in motor function after stroke is less well understood. This study examined the relationship between structural integrity of the motor and sensory sections of the CC, as reflected by fractional anisotropy (FA), and motor function in individuals with a range of motor impairment level due to stroke. Fifty-five individuals with chronic stroke (Fugl-Meyer motor score range 14 to 61) and 18 healthy controls underwent diffusion tensor imaging and a set of motor behavior tests. Mean FA from the motor and sensory regions of the CC and from corticospinal tract (CST) were extracted and relationships with behavioral measures evaluated. Across all participants, FA in both CC regions was significantly decreased after stroke (p \u3c 0.001) and showed a significant, positive correlation with level of motor function. However, these relationships varied based on degree of motor impairment: in individuals with relatively less motor impairment (Fugl-Meyer motor score \u3e 39), motor status correlated with FA in the CC but not the CST, while in individuals with relatively greater motor impairment (Fugl-Meyer motor score ≤ 39), motor status correlated with FA in the CST but not the CC. The role interhemispheric motor connections play in motor function after stroke may differ based on level of motor impairment. These findings emphasize the heterogeneity of stroke, and suggest that biomarkers and treatment approaches targeting separate subgroups may be warranted