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Examining the Relationship Between BMI and Academic Performance
No full textEvidence regarding the direct effect of weight on academic achievement is not entirely conclusive; however it is clear that overweight students face additional barriers to learning. These barriers are likely to contribute to a diminished academic performance among overweight students (Action for Healthy Kids, 2004). Although previous literature indicates links between activity preference and academic performance, as well as between activity preference and obesity (Action for Healthy Kids, 2004), it is still uncertain whether or not a direct link exists between Body Mass Index (BMI) and academic performance. The present study assesses BMI, activity preference, and early literacy development as measures of participants’ health, activity level and academic performance. BMI was calculated using the height and weight obtained from participants. The Preschool Early Literacy Indicators (PELI) assesses early literacy skills for preschool-aged children. Activity preference, as measured by Leary’s Preschool Activity Preference (2009), evaluates participants’ preference for active or sedentary activities. Participants consisted of over 400 preschool students from various preschools located in West Michigan. This current study suggests an inverse relationship between BMI and academic performance, specifically that high BMI relates to low PELI scores. In order to do so, it is first necessary to demonstrate that the positive relationship between activity preference and academic performance and the inverse relationship between activity preference and BMI exists within the current data. In demonstrating the existence of these relationships this study seeks to remove activity preference as a primary indicator of low PELI scores, suggesting instead a direct inverse relationship between high BMI and low PELI scores. If supported, this inverse relationship suggests that BMI is a primary indicator of academic performance
Detection of halogenated flame retardants in polyurethane foam by particle induced X-ray emission
No full textA novel application of particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) has been developed to detect the presence of chlorinated and brominated flame retardant chemicals in polyurethane foams. Traditional Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) methods for the detection and identification of halogenated flame retardants in foams require extensive sample preparation and data acquisition time. The elemental analysis of the halogens in polyurethane foam performed by PIXE offers the opportunity to identify the presence of halogenated flame retardants in a fraction of the time and sample preparation cost. Through comparative GC-MS and PIXE analysis of 215 foam samples, excellent agreement between the two methods was obtained. These results suggest that PIXE could be an ideal rapid screening method for the presence of chlorinated and brominated flame retardants in polyurethane foams. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
Chasing Prince Charming: Partnering consequences of holding unrealistic standards for a spouse
No full textAlthough social scientists have generally assumed that people\u27s standards for a spouse shape their marital behavior, systematic investigations of the role of mate standards in partnering have been rare. Using survey data collected from 471 unmarried individuals and their peer informants, this study used a novel, residual-based approach to quantify the attainability (rather than the absolute stringency) of people\u27s standards for a spouse. Regression analyses using this index of unrealistic criteria revealed that holding less realistic standards for a marriage partner was associated with several indicators of a propensity to delay or forgo marriage, including greater difficulty establishing high-quality romantic relationships, lower expectations to marry one\u27s current partner, and lower levels of psychological and behavioral investment in marrying
Facebook or Memory: Which Is the Real Threat to Your Relationship?
No full textThis study examined the role of Facebook friends lists in identifying potential sexual and committed relationship alternatives and the effects this had on relationship investment in a sample of 371 young adult undergraduates. A Facebook versus memory experimental protocol was developed to test whether Facebook friends lists act as primers for recognition of potential sexual and committed relationship partners and whether identifying these potential partners (either from Facebook or from memory) caused lower relationship investment. Facebook friends lists did act as memory primers for potential partners, but only for sexual partners, and the effect was stronger for men than it was for women. However, identifying potential partners through Facebook actually lowered a person\u27s perceptions of the quality of their alternatives. In contrast, merely thinking about potential alternatives from one\u27s social sphere lowered relationship satisfaction and commitment with one\u27s current committed partner. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to current work on the negative effects of Facebook use on relationship outcomes
News from Hope College, Volume 46.4: April, 2015
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Surface Stimulation as a Potential Treatment for Phantom Limb Pain
No full textPhantom limb pain is a post-amputation phenomenon where an amputee experiences painful sensations in their missing limb. We hypothesize that by eliciting natural sensations in the missing limb; phantom limb may be reduced or eliminated. Nerves in both the upper and lower extremities were tested. Stimulation was applied to the median, ulnar, and fibular nerves on able-bodied subjects. The hand and foot sensation thresholds as well as the maximum stimulation were determined to define an optimal stimulating parameter space. Stimulation values within that area were tested at 50μs, 100μs and 500μs pulse widths, all at 25%, 50%, and 75% of the range between the hand and foot thresholds and maximum stimulation. An amplitude of 60% of the optimal stimulating parameter space was used while a combination of frequencies, burst lengths, and inter-burst lengths were varied in hopes of eliciting a natural sensation such as tapping or pressing. The type, magnitude, and location of sensation were recorded for each trial. A tapping or pulsing sensation was achieved in both the upper and lower extremity when the frequency was decreased to 1-4 Hz, while the different combination of burst lengths and interburst lengths did not result in a noticeable difference of types of sensation
Pessimists Can Thrive, Too: State Hope Improves Mental Health
No full textIn positive psychology, the predominant conceptualization of hope focuses on specific future outcomes, which are achieved through willpower (the motivation to achieve a goal) and way-power (the ability to find many routes to reach a goal; Snyder et al., 1996). Optimism is the general expectancy of positive outcomes (Scheier, Carver, & Bridges, 1994). Chang et al. (2013) examined the intersection of trait hope and optimism-pessimism for predicting depression in adult, primary-care patients. Our purpose was to replicate and extend their findings in college students, predicting depression and flourishing. College students (N=255) completed self-report measures of state hope and hopelessness (Snyder et al., 1996; Dunn et al., 2014), and optimism-pessimism (Scheier et al., 1994). Scores were centered to reflect high and low levels of hope and hopelessness, and distinguish optimistic from pessimistic participants. Stepwise regression analyses tested our variables as independent and interacting predictors of depression and flourishing. State hope, state hopelessness, and optimismpessimism were independent predictors of depressive symptoms and flourishing. The significant interactions between each hope measure and optimism-pessimism indicated that the impact of state hope and hopelessness was more potent in pessimists than in optimists. In pessimistic participants that had high state hope or low state hopelessness, levels of depression and flourishing approached those that had otherwise been associated only with optimists. We discovered state hope’s powerful undoing effect on depression, as well as its ability to boost levels of flourishing in pessimistic young adults. These findings have applied implications for mental healthcare professionals who work with college students. The findings suggest that promoting the cultivation of genuine hope and of eroding hopelessness each play significant roles in decreasing mental illness and increasing mental health. Specifically, states of increased hope and decreased hopelessness can significantly alleviate depression symptoms and promote flourishing even in pessimistic students
Elevating Saint Germanus of Auxerre: Architecture, Politics, and Liturgy in the Reclaiming of Monastic Identity
No full textMetal-organic coordinated multilayer film formation: Quantitative analysis of composition and structure
No full textMetal-organic coordinated multilayers are self-assembled thin films fabricated by alternating solution-phase deposition of bifunctional organic molecules and metal ions. The multilayer film composed of alpha,omega-mercaptoalkanoic acid and Cu (II) has been the focus of fundamental and applied research with its robust reproducibility and seemingly simple hierarchical architecture. However, internal structure and composition have not been unambiguously established. The composition of films up to thirty layers thick was investigated using Rutherford backscattering spectrometry and particle induced X-ray emission. Findings show these films are copper enriched, elucidating a 2:1 ratio for the ion to molecule complexation at the metal-organic interface. Results also reveal that these films have an average layer density similar to literature values established for a self-assembled monolayer, indicating a robust and stable structure. The surface structures of multilayer films have been characterized by contact angle goniometry, ellipsometry, and scanning probe microscopy. A morphological transition is observed as film thickness increases from the first few foundational layers to films containing five or more layers. Surface roughness analysis quantifies this evolution as the film initially increases in roughness before obtaining a lower roughness comparable to the underlying gold substrate. Quantitative analysis of topographical structure and internal composition for metal-organic coordinated multilayers as a function of number of deposited layers has implications for their incorporation in the fields of photonics and nanolithography. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
