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The Presence of Halogenated Flame Retardants and Heavy Metals Suggests Electronic Waste Recycling in Mardi Gras Beads
No full textGas Chromatography/Mass Spectroscopy (GC/MS), Scanning Electron Microscope/Energy Dispersal Spectroscopy (SEM/EDS), and X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) were utilized to detect halogenated flame retardants as well as heavy metals in Mardi Gras beads. XRF was the primary method of elemental detection and GC/MS allowed for the identification of specific flame retardants found within the beads. XRF spectroscopy revealed that the majority of beads had concentrations of bromine above 400 ppm and concentrations of chlorine above 3,500 ppm, suggesting widespread use of brominated and chlorinated flame retardants. XRF data also showed that over 64% of the beads had lead concentrations greater than 100 ppm, which is the U.S. Consumer Product and Safety Commission (CPSC) limit for lead in children’s products. Several flame retardants which are known to originate from printed circuit boards and various plastic housings for electronics were found by GC/MS to be present in the beads. SEM/EDS identified silicon, aluminum and other typical e-waste constituents in most of the beads. The similar elemental compositions of Mardi Gras beads and e-waste indicate that significant recycling of e-waste into polystyrene beads is occurring
Differential Photochromic v. Electrochromic Ring Opening of Quinazolinespirehexadi enenones
No full textWe are working to develop a new class of photooxidants based on organic photochromes that would add an additional level of gating to the process of photoinduced charge transfer (PICT) initiation of cation radical reactions. Photochromes with long wavelength isomers (LW) capable of acting as photooxidants but with short wavelength isomers (SW) less capable of doing so are sought. The parent perimidinespirehexadienone (PSHD) photochrome meet the basic requirements for such a system, but with a very modest difference in excited state reduction potential between SW and LW, thus minimal capacity for gating, and very modest photooxidizing power. Quinazolinespirohexadienones (QSHDs), PSHD analogs in which the naphthalene bottom has been replaced with a quinoline, are modestly more electron deficient and potentially more potent photooxidants. Our group has previously published QSHD synthesis and photochemistry, including the proof of direction of photochromic ring opening into the LW isomer. We have subsequently discovered that QSHD opens in the opposite direction upon one electron reduction to form a different electrochromic LW isomer. Computations of bond lengths, bond orders, and molecular orbitals help us rationalize these results
Asphalt Recovery from Used Roofing Shingles
No full textOver eleven million tons of asphalt roofing shingles are discarded in the United States annually, and there is interest in separating asphalt from the other components of the shingles. Separations based upon dissolving asphalt in solvents and upon mechanical agitation in non-solvents at elevated temperatures were investigated. Agitation in boiling water and boiling propylene glycol was not effective in separating asphalt from other components, and produced suspensions of particles that were difficult to separate from the liquid. Asphalt solubility in five common organic solvents was tested, and toluene was selected by qualitative observation of the solutions and consideration of potential process hazards of tetrahydrofuran. Experiments were performed to quantify mass transfer in the solution process. Samples were taken as 1-6 g samples of shingles were stirred with 75-150 mL of toluene for 10-40 minutes. A colorimeter was used to determine the asphalt concentration. Stir rate, shingle particle size and type were also varied during testing. Analysis is ongoing, and the results will be applied in a preliminary process design for a large-scale process
Perceived Religious Discrimination of the Affordable Care Act: A Millennial Generation Perspective
No full textThe Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 is changing the American healthcare system. Worldwide media attention has been given to the controversial question: should all people be entitled to basic health-care, including surveys from the Kaiser Family Foundation, Pew Research Center, and the Wall Street Journal. However, minimal research has focused on the perspectives of the millennial generation. The purpose of this project was to survey the beliefs of Hope College students regarding the Affordable Care Act, specifically focusing on potential religious discrimination. While our study was inconclusive regarding perceived religious discrimination, it revealed that students have limited knowledge of the Affordable Care Act, and their knowledge sources are diverse
Benefiting from a Free Lunch?: The Effects of the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) on School Performance in Michigan
No full textThe Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), also referred to as the Community Eligibility Option (CEO), of the 2010 Healthy, Hunger-free Kids Act is a unique piece of federal public policy that expands the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). CEP eliminated the need for individual applications for subsidized lunches by providing funds for schools to feed all enrolled students breakfast and lunch if the school meets a 40% identified student requirement. Michigan, Kentucky, and Illinois were the first states to begin the phase-in of the program. This paper utilizes data from the Michigan Department of Education for the school years beginning in 2007-2013, which nicely frame 2011, the first year that CEP was an option for schools. This paper utilizes difference-in-difference analysis with school fixed effects to measure the effect of CEP participation on the school outcomes of attendance, standardized test scores, and expulsions. The results will indicate the degree to which an expansion from a means tested school meals program to a universal program impact school performance. The results indicate that CEP participation is correlated with a decrease in test scores, attendance rates, and expulsions. Further evaluation is needed to explain these results
Does Financial Aid Affect Academic Performance? The Effects of Student Aid on GPA
No full textIncreasing numbers of students are attending higher education institutions. From 2001 to 2011 enrollment in degree-granting institutions increased by 32 percent. Over the past seven years, the proportion of students receiving any amount of aid at these institutions has increased by 10 percentage points. As more individuals receive aid and pursue college degrees, it is important to recognize the potential financial aid has for effecting where students attend and how they perform when they get there. Using a dataset internally acquired through Hope College, this research focuses on the effect of financial aid on student academic performance as measured by GPA. Understanding the factors that contribute to greater academic performance can help both students and institutions. The empirical results of this research, though not causal, show a positive correlation between merit financial aid and collegiate GPA, though the magnitude of this relationship diminishes with the addition of controls for observable student ability. Needs-based aid appears to decrease GPA, although this correlation may be confounded by unobservable student characteristics, such as the student\u27s financial resources and necessity of maintaining school year employment. The main control factors of race, gender, and past academic history prove to be the biggest indicators of collegiate academic performance and significantly affect student GPA
The Effects of Dynamic and Ballistic Stretching with Differing Rest Intervals Prior to Vertical Jump in DIII Male Football Players
No full textStretching programs are often utilized in sports for injury prevention and to warmup muscles prior to competition. Varied stretching techniques exist (eg. static, dynamic, and ballistic); however, controversy exists regarding which stretching technique will provide the greatest benefit on subsequent vertical jump height. In addition, little is known regarding how the time interval between stretching and jumping will affect performance. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of dynamic and ballistic stretching on vertical jump height with differing rest intervals between stretch and vertical jump in DIII male football players. It was hypothesized that dynamic stretching would increase vertical jump height to a greater degree than ballistic stretching, and that vertical jump height would decrease as the length of the rest interval between stretching and jumping increased. Ten DIII male football players aged between 19 and 22 were chosen to participate. After being familiarized with testing and stretching procedures, each participant had his vertical jump height measured 0, 5, 15, and 30 min after both ballistic and dynamic stretching. A minimum of 48 hours separated each testing session. The stretching program and rest interval between stretch and jump were counterbalanced for each participant to rule out any order effects. If results suggest that one stretching protocol is more effective than the other at maximizing vertical jump height, then athletes will be encouraged to use that protocol prior to competitions where they will be jumping (eg. football, volleyball, basketball, etc.). Furthermore, results may also reveal the ideal time interval between stretching and performance
The Effect of Rest Time After Stretching on Vertical Jump Height
No full textThe exact effects of stretching on power production are uncertain. This uncertainty could be due to a lack of control for rest time after stretching before performance. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between rest time after stretching and its effect on power production in recreationally active college students. A total of 17 participants volunteered for this study. Each participant performed the same stretch protocol including static and dynamic stretches after jogging for 5-minutes to warm up. Subjects were randomly assigned to groups for different rest intervals before vertical jump (0, 5, 15, 30). In following testing sessions, participants performed the remaining rest intervals until they had performed all four of them. After stretching and allotted rest time, participants jumped three countermovement jumps using the Vertec Apparatus. The highest of the three jump values was their final value. The results were analyzed using a pairwise comparisons test. Mean values were 15.03 inches +/- 4.50 (prestretching), 16.68 inches +/- 4.82 (0 minutes rest), 16.38 inches +/- 4.75 (5 minutes rest), 16.44 inches +/- 4.90 (15 minutes rest), and 15.41 inches +/- 3.46 (30 minutes rest). Significant differences were seen in vertical jump performance when comparing the pre-test data to the 0-minute rest condition (p=0.002), 5-minute rest condition (p=0.021), and 15-minute rest condition (p=0.012). Significant differences were also seen when comparing the 0-minute rest condition with the 30-minute rest condition (p=0.019). This data shows that our stretching protocol enhanced vertical jump height at 0, 5, and 15 minutes rest. There was also a significant drop in jump height from 0 to 30 minutes, indicating that the beneficial effects of stretching wore off sometime between 15 and 30 minutes rest
Gratitude and Hope: A Two-Way Street
No full textThis study examined hope in relationship to other human strengths such as gratitude, self-control forgiveness, and patience. The purposes of this study were to 1) test whether hope-related measures were significant predictors of other human strengths, 2) determine which strengths best predicted hope, and 3) test hope against self-control to determine which was the strongest predictor of gratitude, forgiveness (of self and others), and patience. A sample of undergraduates (N=175 F, 80 M) completed self-reported trait measures of cognitive hope, comprehensive hope, hopelessness, gratitude, self-forgiveness, forgiveness of others, patience, and self-control. Trait hope measures were significantly and positively correlated with trait measures of gratitude, selfcontrol forgiveness of others, self-forgiveness, and patience. Trait hopelessness was inversely correlated with each of these strengths. Multiple regressions showed that trait measures of hope and hopelessness together accounted for greater variance in gratitude scores than self-control, followed by selfforgiveness, forgiveness of others, and patience scores. Of the three hope-related measures, comprehensive trait hope was the best predictor of gratitude and forgiveness of others, whereas trait hopelessness best predicted self-forgiveness and self-control. Of all of the strengths measures, gratitude was the best predictor of cognitive trait hope, comprehensive trait hope, and trait hopelessness. This study advances positive psychology by presenting hope as a significant predictor of other human strengths. Hope was strongest in predicting gratitude, and gratitude significantly predicted each hope and hopelessness measure. This suggests that cultivating genuine hope may increase levels of gratitude, and that bolstering gratitude may generate hope
Effects of Acute Bach Flower Administration on Anxiety-like Behaviors in Long-Evans Rats
No full textHerbal remedies are becoming increasingly popular with the general public but are not often subjected to rigorous experimental trials; therefore, determining their effectiveness as a treatment option poses a challenge. To test the claim that Bach Flower Remedies have anxiolytic properties, we designed an experiment to study the effects of acute Bach Flower Solution administration on anxiety-like behaviors in 20 male Long-Evans rats. Bach Flower Solution is a mixture of 40 drops (~2ml) of herbal extracts such as Aspen, Mimulus, Rock Rose, and 80 drops (~40ml) of a proprietary mix called Rescue Remedy that were dissolved in a 27% ethanol solution. The rats were orally dosed with Bach Flower Solution or a control solution for two days weekly and underwent behavioral testing on the second day of each week. Dosage concentrations were increased ten-fold for the third and fourth weeks of testing. Two well-known methods of behavioral testing in rats were used: the Elevated Plus Maze (EPM) for anxiety-like behaviors and the Forced Swim Test (FST) for depression-like behaviors. The EPM consisted of 5 minute trials per subject and the FST consisted of 10 minute trials per subject. Previous testing conducted on the effects of chronic treatment using the same Bach Flower Solution elicited significant results during the EPM. Thus, it was hypothesized that acute dosage of Bach Flower Solution would significantly reduce anxiety-like behaviors in rat models, defined by increased time spent in the open arms of the EPM, as well as decreased total float time and longer latency to float in the FST. Results from the EPM and FST were not significant for the lower or higher concentration dosages. Expanding the quantity and quality of research in this field may open up new possibilities for clinical treatment of anxiety disorders that could greatly benefit society