Attitudes, knowledge, and opinions regarding mental health among undergraduate nursing students

A cross-sectional study involving 235 subjects was conducted in 2011 to compare the opinions of nursing students regarding mental illness and related care practices at two institutions in the state of Paraná, Brazil. Following approval by the ethics committee, data collection was initiated using an instrument containing questions regarding the importance of personal characteristics, knowledge of mental health, and the Opinions about Mental Illness (OMI) scale. Statistical analyses, including the Mann-Whitney test, Chi-squared test, and Spearman correlation at , were performed using SPSSv.15. The students exhibited significantly different characteristics only for Benevolence. Regarding the importance of knowledge about mental health, in comparison with students from the State University of Londrina (Universidade Estadual de Londrina – UEL), students at the State University of Maringa (Universidade Estadual de Maringá – UEM) considered psychological aspects more comprehensively than technical knowledge. We conclude that there are differences between students at these institutions in terms of knowledge and the factor Benevolence. Further studies are necessary to identify the underlying causes of such differences.

Does Health Information Matter for Modifying Consumption?, October 2006

A field experiment was conducted in France to evaluate the impact of health information on fish consumption. A warning given to the treatment group revealed the risks of methylmercury contamination in fish and also gave consumption recommendations. Using difference-indifferences estimation, we show that this warning led to a significant but relatively weak decrease in fish consumption. However, consumption of the most contaminated fish did not decrease despite advice to avoid consumption of these types of fish. Accompanying questionnaires show that consumers imperfectly memorize the fish species quoted in the warning. The results point to the relatively poor efficacy of a complex health message, despite its use by health agencies around the world.

Evaluation of U.S. and European Concrete Pavement Noise Reduction Methods, July 2006

Highway noise is one of the most pressing of the surface characteristics issues facing the concrete paving industry. This is particularly true in urban areas, where not only is there a higher population density near major thoroughfares, but also a greater volume of commuter traffic (Sandberg and Ejsmont 2002; van Keulen 2004). To help address this issue, the National Concrete Pavement Technology Center (CP Tech Center) at Iowa State University (ISU), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), American Concrete Pavement Association (ACPA), and other organizations have partnered to conduct a multi-part, seven-year Concrete Pavement Surface Characteristics Project. This document contains the results of Part 1, Task 2, of the ISU-FHWA project, addressing the noise issue by evaluating conventional and innovative concrete pavement noise reduction methods. The first objective of this task was to determine what if any concrete surface textures currently constructed in the United States or Europe were considered quiet, had long-term friction characteristics, could be consistently built, and were cost effective. Any specifications of such concrete textures would be included in this report. The second objective was to determine whether any promising new concrete pavement surfaces to control tire-pavement noise and friction were in the development stage and, if so, what further research was necessary. The final objective was to identify measurement techniques used in the evaluation.

Woodland Improvement and Crop Trees in Iowa, 2005

Vigorous and Healthy woodlands in Iowa have the unique distinction of being able to provide a wealth of benefits for the landowner and residents of the state. Benefits from a healthy forest include timber and wood resources, watershed protection, fragile site protection, wildlife and bird habitat, aesthetics and beauty, and recreational opportunities.

An Analysis of the Link between Ethanol, Energy, and Crop Markets, November 2006

This study analyzes the impact of price shocks in three input and output markets critical to ethanol: gasoline, corn, and sugar. We investigate the impact of these shocks on ethanol and related agricultural markets in the United States and Brazil. We find that the composition of a country’s vehicle fleet determines the direction of the response of ethanol consumption to changes in the gasoline price. We also find that a change in feedstock costs affects the profitability of ethanol producers and the domestic ethanol price. In Brazil, where two commodities compete for sugarcane, changes in the sugar market affect the competing ethanol market.

Laboratory Study of Structural Behavior of Alternative Dowel Bars, April 2006

Load transfer across transverse joints has always been a factor contributing to the useful life of concrete pavements. For many years, round steel dowels have been the conventional load transfer mechanism. Many problems have been associated with the round steel dowels. The most detrimental effect of the steel dowel is corrosion. Repeated loading over time also damages joints. When a dowel is repeatedly loaded over a long period of time, the high bearing stresses found at the top and bottom edge of a bar erode the surrounding concrete. This oblonging creates multiple problems in the joint. Over the past decade, Iowa State University has performed extensive research on new dowel shapes and materials to mitigate the effects of oblonging and corrosion. This report evaluates the bearing stress performance of six different dowel bar types subjected to two different shear load laboratory test methods. The first load test is the AASHTO T253 method. The second procedure is an experimental cantilevered dowel test. The major objective was to investigate and improve the current AASHTO T253 test method for determining the modulus of dowel support, k0. The modified AASHTO test procedure was examined alongside an experimental cantilever dowel test. The modified AASHTO specimens were also subjected to a small-scale fatigue test in order to simulate long-term dowel behavior with respect to concrete joint damage. Loss on ignition tests were also performed on the GFRP dowel specimens to determine the resin content percentage. The study concluded that all of the tested dowel bar shapes and materials were adequate with respect to performance under shear loading. The modified AASHTO method yielded more desirable results than the ones obtained from the cantilever test. The investigators determined that the experimental cantilever test was not a satisfactory test method to replace or verify the AASHTO T253 method.

Strategic Plan for Improved Concrete Pavement Surface Characteristics, July 2006

Surface characteristics represent a critical issue facing pavement owners and the concrete paving industry. The traveling public has come to expect smoother, quieter, and better drained pavements, all without compromising safety. The overall surface characteristics issues is extremely complex since all pavement surface characteristics properties, including texture, noise, friction, splash/spray, rolling resistance, reflectivity/illuminance, and smoothness, are complexly related. The following needs and gaps related to achieving desired pavement surface characteristics need to be addressed: determined how changes in one surface characteristic affect, either beneficially or detrimentally, other characteristics of the pavement, determine the long-term surface and acoustic durability of different textures, and develop, evaluate, and standardize new data collection and analysis tools. It is clear that an overall strategic and coordinated research approach to the problem must be developed and pursued to address these needs and gaps.

Human Sciences Matters, Fall 2006

A newsletter for alumni and friends of the Iowa State University College of Human Sciences.

Discounting Spotted Apples: Investigating Consumers’ Willingness to Accept Cosmetic Damage in an Organic Product, November 2006

Organic producers have limited methods of avoiding plant diseases that result in cosmetic damage to produce. Therefore, the appearance of organic produce is often less than perfect. We use an experimental auction to investigate how cosmetic damage affects consumers’ willingness to pay for organic apples. We find that 75% of the participants are willing to pay more for organic than for conventional apples given identical appearance. However, at the first sight of any imperfection in the appearance of the organic apples, this segment is significantly reduced. Furthermore, we find that there is a significant effect of interaction between cosmetic damage and product methods. Even though most consumers say they buy organic products to avoid pesticides, we find that cosmetic damage has a larger impact on the willingness to pay for organic apples than for conventional apples.

The Long-Run Impact of Corn-Based Ethanol on the Grain, Oilseed, and Livestock Sectors: A Preliminary Assessment, November 2006

The ongoing growth of corn-based ethanol production raises some fundamental questions about what impact continued growth will have on U.S. and world agriculture. Estimates of the long-run potential for ethanol production can be made by calculating the corn price at which the incentive to expand ethanol production disappears. Under current ethanol tax policy, if the prices of crude oil, natural gas, and distillers grains stay at current levels, then the break-even corn price is $4.05 per bushel. A multi-commodity, multi country system of integrated commodity models is used to estimate the impacts if we ever get to $4.05 corn. At this price, corn-based ethanol production would reach 31.5 billion gallons per year, or about 20% of projected U.S. fuel consumption in 2015. Supporting this level of production would require 95.6 million acres of corn to be planted. Total corn production would be approximately 15.6 billion bushels, compared to 11.0 billion bushels today. Most of the additional corn acres come from reduced soybean acreage. Wheat markets would adjust to fulfill increased demand for feed wheat. Corn exports and production of pork and poultry would all be reduced in response to higher corn prices and increased utilization of corn by ethanol plants. These results should not be viewed as a prediction of what will eventually materialize. Rather, they indicate a logical end point to the current incentives to invest in corn-based ethanol plants.

Soil Survey of Black Hawk County, Iowa, 2005

The general soil map, which is a color map, shows the survey area divided into groups of associated soils called general soil map units. This map is useful in planning the use and management of large areas. To find information about your area of interest, locate that area on the map, identify the name of the map unit in the area on the color-coded map legend, then refer to the section General Soil Map Units for a general description of the soils in your area.

Soil Survey of Clay County, Iowa, 2005

The general soil map, which is a color map, shows the survey area divided into groups of associated soils called general soil map units. This map is useful in planning the use and management of large areas. To find information about your area of interest, locate that area on the map, identify the name of the map unit in the area on the color-coded map legend, then refer to the section General Soil Map Units for a general description of the soils in your area.

Changing Diets in China’s Cities: Empirical Fact or Urban Legend, November 2006

China’s economic reforms, which began in 1978, resulted in remarkable income growth, and urban Chinese consumers have responded by dramatically increasing their consumption of meat, other livestock products, and fruits and by decreasing consumption of grain-based foods. Economic prosperity, a growing openness to international markets, and domestic policy reforms have changed the food marketing environment for Chinese consumers and may have contributed to shifts in consumer preferences. The objective of this paper is to uncover evidence of structural change in food consumption among urban residents in China. Both parametric and nonparametric methods are used to test for structural change in aggregate household data from 1981 to 2004. The tests provided a reasonably clear picture of changing food consumption over the study period.

Evaluation of Virtual Reality Snowplow Simulator Training: A Literature Review, September 2006

Each winter, the Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) maintenance operators are primarily responsible for plowing snow off federal and state roads. Drivers typically work long shifts under treacherous conditions. In addition to properly navigating the vehicle, drivers are required to operate several plowing mechanisms simultaneously, such as plow controls and salt sprayers. However, operators have few opportunities during the year to practice and refine their skills. An ideal training program would provide operators with the opportunity to practice these skills under realistic yet safe conditions, as well as provide basic training to novice or less-experienced operators. Recent technological advancements have made driving simulators a desirable training and research tool. This literature review discusses much of the recent research establishing simulator fidelity and espousing its applicability. Additionally, this report provides a summary of behavioral and eye tracking research involving driving simulators. Other research topics include comparisons between novice and expert drivers’ behavioral patterns, methods for avoiding cybersickness in virtual environments, and a synopsis of current personality measures with respect to job performance and driving performance. This literature review coincides with a study designed to examine the effectiveness of virtual reality snowplow simulator training for current maintenance operators, using the TranSim VS III truck and snowplow simulator recently purchased by the Iowa DOT.

Toolbox to Address Safety and Operations on School Grounds and Public Streets Adjacent to Elementary and Middle Schools in Iowa, August 2006

This study identified transportation safety issues at existing Iowa school sites through on-site observations, traffic data collection, and through interviews with schools, law enforcement, and traffic engineers. Frequently observed problems, such as crossing at unmarked crosswalks, unloading and loading students on the street side, inattentive student safety patrols, and illegal parking, were documented and solutions were recommended for implementation. The results of the study also conclude that regular communications between school officials, traffic engineers, law enforcement, parents, and school transportation personnel are all critical to promoting safe operations within school zones.