Intimate Partner Violence and Other Trauma Exposures in Females With Traumatic Brain Injury

We examined whether females with a history of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and intimate partner violence (IPV) have greater exposure to lifetime trauma relative to females with TBI but no IPV history. Further, we assessed the effects of lifetime trauma on psychological outcomes after TBI. Female participants (n = 70; age M [standard deviation-SD] = 50.5 [15.2] years) with TBI (time since injury median [interquartile range -IQR] = 10.2 [5.3-17.8] years) completed a structured assessment of lifetime history of TBI, including an IPV module to query head injuries from physical violence by an intimate partner. We characterized lifetime trauma exposure with the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) questionnaire and Survey of Exposure to Community Violence (CV). We evaluated psychological functioning with self-report questionnaires of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety symptoms. Compared with those with no IPV history (n = 51), participants reporting IPV-related head injuries (n = 19; 27.1%) reported more ACEs (M[SD] IPV: 4.5[2.9]; No IPV: 1.6[1.8], p < 0.001, d = 1.08) and greater CV (IPV: 17.5[8.4]; No IPV: 7.6[6.1], p < .0001, d = 1.26). Within the full sample, ACEs (β = 0.21, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.04-0.39) and CV (β = 0.07, 95% CI = 0.01-0.13) predicted worse PTSD symptoms, while IPV alone did not. Exposure to all three sources of trauma (ACEs, CV, and IPV) was associated with worse PTSD symptoms relative to fewer traumas. The results highlight the scope of traumatic exposures among TBI survivors and the importance of considering IPV and other lifetime trauma exposure in assessing and managing TBI. Trauma-informed interventions that are modified for TBI-related impairment may offer improved outcomes in managing psychological symptoms.

Algae/Bacteria Ratio in High-Rate Ponds Used for Waste Treatment

Algae, bacteria, and zooplankton were counted in samples drawn from 120- and 150-m 2 high-rate algae ponds (those used for wastewater treatment). The fraction of nondegraded organic matter was estimated by comparing the ratio of biological and chemical oxygen demands and the bacterial, algal, and zooplankton counts to volatile suspended solids. With pond effluent quality at an acceptable level (around 18 mg of dissolved biological oxygen demand), the algae/bacteria ratio was around 1:100 or even higher, the zooplankton count was negligible, and the bacterial concentration was approximately 10 11 cells per liter by direct count. The data for bacteria exceeded those of earlier studies by one to three orders of magnitude.