Aquatic Ecosystem Response to Storm Water Abatement Measures in the Ravines of the GVSU Allendale Campus: Establishment of Base-line Biological Condition

The ravine tributary streams surrounding Grand Valley State Universities Allendale campus represent unique and understudied ecosystems, worthy of significant restoration efforts and of long-lasting protection. They are variously affected by storm water runoff, representing a spectrum from severely impacted to relatively pristine. Quantitative macroinvertebrate samples taken from six streams in late June 2007, indicated that insect diversity was positively correlated to ammonium (p=0.057), while total abundance was negatively correlated to phosphate and chlorophyll-a concentration (n.s.). In addition, phosphate, nitrate, sulfate and iron concentrations were elevated in streams that experience significant storm-water runoff and these streams also tended to have lower macroinvertebrate abundance, diversity and richness. These elevated nutrients, phosphorus in particular, were rapidly taken up by the benthic algae as evidenced by declining nutrients, and increased algal pigment and organic matter concentration from up to down-stream (n.s.). Biological uptake did not translate into increased macroinvertebrate abundance, likely because of the flashy discharge regime. Combination of non EPT (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera) metrics indicated that the Shire and Junkyard ravines were in better condition than sites at Isengard and Fangorn—patterns which strongly suggest that extent of storm-water runoff has negatively impacted the macroinvertebrate communities. The fish community assessment indicated that blacknose dace (Rhinichthys atratulus), a species known to prefer cold, clean water, was most abundant in the Shire—the most pristine ravine stream sampled. Comparing length/weight data in the sampled streams to state standards indicated that these dace are not as fit as typically found in other water bodies whereas other taxa, namely the white sucker (Catostomus commersonii) and creek chub (Somotillus atromaculatus) are indistinguishable from state fitness standards. We were successful establishing biological base-line conditions prior to the initiation of a campus wide storm-water abatement program and can use these benchmarks to gage the long-term efficacy of restoration using physicochemical, population, community and ecosystem functional attributes measured in these unique ecosystems

The Role and the Experiences of the Sports Team Captain

The role of the sports team captain is often underestimated in terms of the responsibility involved, the essential attributes and knowledge required. The qualities and expertise of the captain can potentially have a great effect on the performance of the team. To date there has been very little research conducted on the role and experiences of the sports team captain. The purpose of this study is to outline the role and the experiences of the sports team captain, with particular emphasis on the responsibilities, the influencing factors and the power of the captain. Ten former or current captains of state and national sports teams currently residing in Perth, Western Australia, were each interviewed using an open ended, flexible interview schedule. A combination of inductive and deductive content analysis of the verbatim interview transcripts was used to establish common and unique themes pertaining to the role, attitudes and experiences of the sports team captain. The major theme to emerge from the data was be yourself\u27\u27. The findings demonstrated that· the duties of the captain are primarily determined by the role and nature of the coach. Other factors including the nature and profile of the sport, type and level of competition, number of support personnel, team stability and length of the playing season also influenced the extent of the captain\u27s responsibilities. With ii the exception of cricket, the captain has little authority or involvement in team selection and strategies. The major duties of the captain involve (a) representing the team in either a public relations capacity or in discussions with the coach and management, and (b) identifying and solving problems within the team

The Portrayal of African American Youth in the Media: A Textual Analysis

African American communities receive a substantial amount of attention in the media. From newspapers to major television outlets, often times the lead stories involve African American communities. The media’s portrayal often times focuses on African American’s status in society regarding their employment and income status, involvement in the criminal justice systems and other social service systems and their educational standing. Additionally, social policies and the impact of media on populations is discussed in the available literature. This study uses Schneider and Ingram’s theory (1993) of social construction of target populations to examine the ways African American youth are portrayed within the Star Tribune and Pioneer Press. By using grounded theory, codes and themes were identified in the discourse. The most common theme depicts African American youth as contenders (negative and strong) followed by portrayals as deviants (negative and weak). Less frequently African American youth were portrayed as dependents (positive and weak) and the least common portrayal depicts them as advantaged (positive and strong). The most frequent media portrayal of African American youth as negative and strong may perpetuate society’s current beliefs about this population and may limit the possibility of change. Furthermore, the lack of positive portrayals may suggest that society does not yet view this population in this way despite evidence that African American youth are just as likely to be positive and successful as other groups. Future research should focus on the portrayals of African American youth in various parts of the country to gain a better understanding of the overall portrayal or how it may differ from one area to the next. Additionally, future research should explore the effect and accuracy these portrayals have within the African American

The effects of technology on interpersonal relationships among Rowan University students ages 18 - 25

The purposes of this study were to (a) determine how young adults are communicating with each other and (b) understand what is driving them to communicate using different methods of communication. After completing a literature review, the researcher conducted primary research using survey instruments and interviews. What people are trying to communicate determines how they are going to relay messages. The urgency of a message affects how respondents answer the message

The Portrayal of African American Youth in the Media: A Textual Analysis

African American communities receive a substantial amount of attention in the media. From newspapers to major television outlets, often times the lead stories involve African American communities. The media\u27s portrayal often times focuses on African American\u27s status in society regarding their employment and income status, involvement in the criminal justice systems and other social service systems and their educational standing. Additionally, social policies and the impact of media on populations is discussed in the available literature. This study uses Schneider and Ingram\u27s theory (1993) of social construction of target populations to examine the ways African American youth are portrayed within the Star Tribune and Pioneer Press. By using grounded theory, codes and themes were identified in the discourse. The most common theme depicts African American youth as contenders (negative and strong) followed by portrayals as deviants (negative and weak). Less frequently African American youth were portrayed as dependents (positive and weak) and the least common portrayal depicts them as advantaged (positive and strong). The most frequent media portrayal of African American youth as negative and strong may perpetuate society\u27s current beliefs about this population and may limit the possibility of change. Furthermore, the lack of positive portrayals may suggest that society does not yet view this population in this way despite evidence that African American youth are just as likely to be positive and successful as other groups. Future research should focus on the portrayals of African American youth in various parts of the country to gain a better understanding of the overall portrayal or how it may differ from one area to the next. Additionally, future research should explore the effect and accuracy these portrayals have within the African American community

Uniaxial compression and creep behavior of a porous state change material

A reconfigurable tooling system (RTS) has been developed for use in manufacturing composite parts and molding liquid polymers. The RTS utilizes a state-change material that may also be useful as a water-soluble tooling material. The state-change material transitions from a liquid state to a solid state and then back to a liquid state. The material in its liquid state consists of glass microspheres in a solution of water-based binder and water. Through the application of heat and vacuum, the material can be hardened. When the material is in its solid state, the glass microspheres are glued together by small amounts of binder remaining in capillarity. Previous studies have been conducted to determine certain mechanical properties of the material in its hardened state. The focus of this study is to characterize variations of the state-change material in uniaxial compression at both ambient and elevated temperatures. Additionally, the room temperature uniaxial compression data is applied to a uniaxial compression creep study. The results show that material variation and test temperature significantly affect the compression and creep properties

The relationship of cell morphology, density, and mechanical properties in a rigid polyurethane foam

Polyurethane foam, used as a supporting or insulating material, is sometimes formed in complex molds with significant variations in geometry and size. This work investigates the relationships between cell morphology, density, and mechanical properties in a molded polyurethane material using relatively small cylindrical molds. Understanding these relationships will help mechanical designers analyze and predict the responses of foam components accurately; Three mold sizes are used to study changes in cell morphology (cell area, cell diameter, aspect ratio, cell angle, cell edge length, cell face thickness, and cell edge thickness), density, and mechanical properties (Young\u27s modulus, peak yield, and collapse stress) with respect to vertical and radial positions. In addition, five time periods (1-day, 2-days, 7-days, 30-days, and 90-days) are used to determine aging effects on density and compressive mechanical properties of small diameter molds. Finally, theoretical equations are used to compare the experimental and theoretical density and mechanical properties

A comprehensive approach to using primary sources in elementary curriculum development

A teacher resource packet was created that teachers can use at the third through sixth grade levels to effectively implement the use of primary sources into their existing curriculum to promote greater historical understanding, imagination, emapthy and critical thinking. This project is intended to change teacher behaviors of teaching using an archival view of history to one that applies critical thinking and promotes in-depth student understanding of historical events

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Use and Mild Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS)

ABSTRACT CONTINUOUS POSITIVE AIRWAY PRESSURE USE AND MILD OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA SYNDROME (OSAS) by Michelle L. Nelson The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2014 Under the Supervision of Jennifer Doering, PhD, RN Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is an increasingly recognized sleep disorder that affects an estimated ten percent of middle-aged women and 25 percent of middle-aged men. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the standard treatment for individuals with moderate to severe OSAS. However, it is estimated that 80 percent of individuals with OSAS have a milder form of the disease. The use of CPAP therapy in persons with mild OSAS has not been widely researched and whether CPAP is efficacious in this population remains inconclusive. OSAS has both psychological and physiological effects on people. Two common effects of CPAP use in persons with moderate and severe OSAS are reduced excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and reduced blood pressure. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of CPAP use on blood pressure and EDS in persons with mild OSAS. CPAP use was defined as using CPAP for more than 4 hours per night for more than 70 percent of nights recorded by the CPAP machine. The study design was a retrospective chart review of electronic medical records (EMR) from a sleep medicine clinic in the southeastern United States. The sample consisted of 60 participants with mild OSAS who were divided into two groups based upon the amount of CPAP use recorded in the EMR (4 or more hours of nightly use 70% of nights, n = 45 and less than 4 hours of nightly use 70% of nights, n = 15). Blood pressure (systolic and diastolic) and daytime sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale) data were collected on each participant before the initiation of CPAP therapy and at six weeks follow up. Independent samples t-tests were conducted to examine the differences between the groups from baseline to six-week follow-up on the outcome variables. No statistical significance was found for daytime sleepiness (t [34] = .865, p = .393) or either systolic (t [52] = .911, p = .367) or diastolic (t [52] = 1.002, p = .321) pressures. Sleepiness scores in the group who used CPAP four or more hours a night 70% of nights decreased 6.6 points from baseline to 6 weeks, and decreased 8.1 points in the group who used CPAP less than 4 hours a night 70% of the nights. Both groups experienced clinically significant decreases in daytime sleepiness from nearly excessive daytime sleepiness (ESS score \u3e10) before CPAP initiation to nearly no daytime sleepiness at six weeks follow up. There were significant limitations in data collection around both the EMR and the CPAP machine reporting that have implications for practice, research, and policy. Recommendations include standardization of CPAP use reporting across machine type and improving quality around data entry in the EMR. These results support the continued need to research the effectiveness of CPAP in persons with mild OSAS

Addressing Elder Abuse and Neglect: Prevalence of Elder Abuse Records for Medicare/Medicaid Residents in Nursing Homes or Community Settings

Abuse and neglect of the elderly constitute a violation of the individual’s personal rights, and often have lasting and detrimental effects. Annually, approximately 1-2 million elderly individuals are victims of maltreatment, and these individuals are three times more likely to die than those individuals who are not victims of abuse or neglect (Glauser & Pfeiffer, 2015). This public health problem is of great concern to clinicians and administrators who are responsible for care of the elderly. However, the burden of elder abuse and neglect is difficult to calculate and track because abuse and neglect in this population often go unreported (Saylor, 2016)