Decoupled Solar Thermal Chemical Electrolysis of Water to Produce Hydrogen

Solar thermal chemical research at Valparaiso University focuses on using concentrated solar energy to produce hydrogen, which can be used to generate electricity in fuel cells. A two-step solar electrolytic process has been proposed for chemical systems such as Fe2O3/Fe3O4, Co3O4/CoO, and Mn2O3/MnO. This new process produces hydrogen using ideally 63-82% less electricity than the traditional electrolytic process. Theoretical solar-to-electrical efficiencies are approximately 19-40%, a range comparable to similar solar thermal chemical processes. Preliminary experimental work with the Fe2O3/Fe3O4 system has validated the chemical possibility of each step of the process. Future work seeks to determine if the proposed processes are all chemically possible, optimize their operation on a small scale and explore their viability on an industrial scale

Sterile Tubing Changes to Prevent CLABSIs in the NICU

Purpose Statement: NICU patients have a decreased risk of CLABSI infections when two-person sterile central line changes are implemented into central line maintenance bundles compared to bundles that only use one-person clean line change techniques. Background: Neonates admitted to the neonatal care intensive care unit (NICU) often require the placement of central lines for the administration of medications, fluids, parental nutrition, and hemodynamic monitoring. Despite their many advantages, central lines can lead to serious infections, known as cental line associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI). These infections are not related to an infection from another site and develop within forty-eight hours of removal. CLABSIs are a major contributor to morbidity and mortality in the NICU population and are costly to hospital systems. According to Mobley & Bizzarro, infants who develop CLABSIs can cost up to an additional $50,000 and add as many as ten days to their hospital stay when compared to other infants without CLABSIs (2017). An evidence-based approach that has shown to improve patient outcomes and reduce CLABSIs is the use of a bundle, which is utilized upon insertion and during maintenance of the central line. Based on the available research, the most common CLASBI bundle elements include: using maximum standard barrier precautions, using a specific skin preparation & line dressing protocol, daily central line need assessments, a two-person line change technique, specific education and training for staff, and quarterly audits (Payne et al., 2018). The St. Cloud Hospital NICU currently utilizes these practices expect for a two-person line change with sterile technique.https://digitalcommons.centracare.com/nursing_posters/1162/thumbnail.jp

Information Seeking Behavior of Engineers

Research paper for SI 551 Information Seeking Behavior with Dr Soo Young RiehEngineers are largely specialists trained in areas such as mechanical, chemical, and electrical engineering, yet they work in a broad range of environments, such as research and development, design, testing, manufacturing, construction, management, consulting and sales. Engineers need to seek highly specialized information when working in the industry and need information to provide a product, system, process or service to their customer. The purpose of this study is to understand how engineers find the information they need to effectively perform their job. What sources do most engineers turn to first and why? Do they depend on their corporate library, do they subscribe to databases? Do they read reports, catalogs, handbooks, and trade journals? How do engineers organize their own information - do they form their own systems for papers, computer files, drawings, etc? Are there any cultural barriers that impede their search for information? By studying practicing engineers, we would like to try to understand how they solve their problems when searching for information at work.https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/135952/6/Information Seeking Behavior of Engineers.pdf-

Reducing Recidivism for Youth through an Integrated Residential and Community-Based Program

Purpose: Reportedly, 95% of youth in the juvenile justice system have had prior involvement with the juvenile justice system, suggesting that intervention does not adequately address the needs of these youth (Sedlack & Bruce, 2010; OJJDP, 2003). The purpose of this project was to address the problem of recidivism with an emphasis on preparing for transition from residential placements to community engagement. Methods: An extensive literature review was conducted in order to understand the occupational performance deficits that youth in the juvenile justice system face in transitioning to their community. The information obtained from the literature review was then analyzed using the Person Environment Occupation model (Law et al., 1996). Areas of need for youth were identified through completion of the systematic analysis and include: (a) vocation, (b) leisure, (c) education, (d) health management and maintenance, and (e) social participation, which are all important aspects of occupational performance within the youth’s community. In addition, the following key principles emerged from the systematic analysis: (a) self-determination, (b) engagement in meaningful occupations, (c) care through an interdisciplinary team, and (d) mentorship. Results: Based on the methodology described above, we developed An Occupation-Based Community Re-Integration Program: Residential Occupational Therapy Services and Aftercare for youth who are transitioning back to their community. Interventions were created to improve the youth’s occupational performance to integrate into the community after discharge from the residential treatment center. This program is intended for use while youth are in the residential treatment facility and as a guide for transition to the community with a community interdisciplinary. Within each area of occupation, phases build upon one another in order to facilitate successful performance in all areas of occupation once youth are in the community. Conclusion: Several barriers may limit the implementation of this program, such as limited funding and resources, dedication from the residential treatment facility staff, the youth’s family, and members of the youth’s community interdisciplinary team, and the effectiveness and validity of the program have not yet been researched. Several areas of strength include the program being based on literature and grounded in theory for development of the program, the program addresses a need for this population, and is able to be modified and adapted to fit the needs of the youth

Pre-capacity building in loosely-coupled collaborations: Setting the stage for future initiatives

This article examines the benefits and limitations of ‘loosely-coupled’ research collaborations between university faculty and 12 grassroots community-based organisations (CBOs). The authors assert that community-based research projects that develop the knowledge base within CBOs, and can be described as ‘pre-capacity building’ work, can be an important stepping stone to the subsequent development of more formal and strategic capacity-building partnership ventures. However, such projects must be approached carefully with a clear understanding of the ‘threshold dimensions’ that must be met before proceeding with any collaboration. Written as a cautionary tale, the authors identify some of the problems that arise when the threshold stage is poorly executed, and more generally speak to the dangers of initiating even loosely-coupled collaborations in the absence of an explicit and well-established campus commitment to and support for community engagement and partnerships. Keywords: Community capacity-building, community-university partnerships, community research, collaboratio

High Tunnels for Local Food Systems: Subsidies, Equity, and Profitability

High tunnels (HTs) constitute a growing, local level response to the globalization of our food. As semi-permanent greenhouses, HTs bring practical on-farm solutions to biophysical growing constraints; they extend the growing season and buffer delicate crops from extreme weather events. In 2009, the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) began subsidizing the construction of HTs with the documented goals of increasing environmental stewardship and the added benefit of promoting local foods. However, many questions remain about the impacts of HT’s. Who is benefiting from the NRCS HT program? Will farmers continue to adopt HTs in the absence of government subsidies? What is their production potential? This paper explores the impacts of the NRCS HT program and high tunnels on farms, consumers, and the local food movement. Preliminary results indicate that farms with high tunnels are expanding around areas with the greatest demand for local produce. The combined results from farmers who use high tunnels and the United States government who pays for the leads us to conclude that high tunnels are a growing part of the U.S. food system with the potential to increase access to local produce.https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/fss2014/1007/thumbnail.jp

The protease/antiprotease balance determines influenza susceptibility and can be modified by oxidants and antioxidants

The respiratory epithelium functions as a central orchestrator to initiate and organize responses to inhaled stimuli. Proteases and antiproteases are secreted from the respiratory epithelium and are involved in respiratory homeostasis. Modifications to the protease/antiprotease balance can lead to the development of lung diseases such as emphysema or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Furthermore, altered protease/antiprotease balance, in favor for increased protease activity, is associated with increased susceptibility to respiratory viral infections such as influenza virus. We demonstrated that inhaled oxidants, such as cigarette smoke, alters intracellular regulation and extracellular modifications of a key respiratory antiprotease, secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI). Additionally, we established that SLPI is a novel anti-influenza biomarker that restricts influenza infection in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, we investigated the effect of nutritional antioxidants, such as sulforaphane (SFN), on SLPI expression and found that SFN induced SLPI expression and secretion using in vivo and in vitro models. Finally, we detailed that smokers have increased secretions of an influenza-activating protease, transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2) and that SFN supplementation reduced TMPRSS2 secretion, which protected against influenza infection in vitro. Taken together, these studies establish the integral role of the respiratory protease/antiprotease balance in the context of an influenza infection and after oxidant/antioxidant exposure. Further, these findings have broad implications for other inhaled oxidants, such as wood smoke and ozone, and offer the use of SFN as possible nutritional therapeutic to boost respiratory mucosal responses and/or protect against influenza infection.Doctor of Philosoph

Comparison of the Effects of Early Pregnancy with Human Interferon, Alpha 2 (IFNA2), on Gene Expression in Bovine Endometrium

Interferon tau (IFNT), a type I IFN similar to alpha IFNs (IFNA), is the pregnancy recognition signal produced by the ruminant conceptus. To elucidate specific effects of bovine IFNT and of other conceptus-derived factors, endometrial gene expression changes during early pregnancy were compared to gene expression changes after intrauterine application of human IFNA2. In experiment 1, endometrial tissue samples were obtained on Day (D) 12, D15, and D18 postmating from nonpregnant or pregnant heifers. In experiment 2, heifers were treated from D14 to D16 of the estrous cycle with an intrauterine device releasing IFNA2 or, as controls, placebo lipid extrudates or PBS only. Endometrial biopsies were performed after flushing the uterus. All samples from both experiments were analyzed with an Affymetrix Bovine Genome Array. Experiment 1 revealed differential gene expression between pregnant and nonpregnant endometria on D15 and D18. In experiment 2, IFNA2 treatment resulted in differential gene expression in the bovine endometrium. Comparison of the data sets from both studies identified genes that were differentially expressed in response to IFNA2 but not in response to pregnancy on D15 or D18. In addition, genes were found that were differentially expressed during pregnancy but not after IFNA2 treatment. In experiment 3, spatiotemporal alterations in expression of selected genes were determined in uteri from nonpregnant and early pregnant heifers using in situ hybridization. The overall findings of this study suggest differential effects of bovine IFNT compared to human IFNA2 and that some pregnancy-specific changes in the endometrium are elicited by conceptus-derived factors other than IFNT

Relationships Between Self-regulation and use of Parenting Strategies for Eating and Physical Activity Behaviors Among Mexican-Heritage Mothers

It is important to understand theoretically based support behaviors that can promote healthy eating and active living among Mexican-heritage mothers. This study examined the relationship between maternal self-regulation (the capacity to plan, guide, and monitor one’s behavior flexibly in the face of changing circumstances) and use of parenting strategies among mothers residing along the Texas-Mexico border. Mothers (n = 116) were recruited from three geographic regions within Hidalgo County, Texas. A 21-item survey was administered to measure self-regulation through goal setting and limit setting. The Parenting Strategies for Eating and Activity Scale (PEAS) was used to measure parenting strategies such as limit setting, discipline, monitoring, and control. Pearson correlations and multiple linear regression analyses were used to identify relationships between self-regulation (goal setting and impulse control) and parenting strategies. Sociodemographic characteristics of mothers are also reported. On average mothers were 36 years old (SD = 7.44), married (82%), identified as Mexican (90%), and had fewer than 9 years of education (68%). Pearson correlations revealed goal setting to be positively associated with limit setting (r = .246, p \u3c .001), control (r = .203, p = .03), and monitoring (r = .336, p \u3c .001). Regression analyses revealed limit setting (β = .246, p \u3c .001), control (β = .203, p = .03), and monitoring (β = .336, p \u3c .001) as parenting strategies that were associated with goal setting (R2 = 0.12). Findings suggest that programs should include goal setting to facilitate use of parenting strategies to support healthy behaviors that promote healthy eating and physical activity. Emphasizing malleable behaviors rather than deficits in parenting strategies could allow for higher receptivity to behaviors that can promote health in a family context