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Background: We attempted to determine effects of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) on variety and frequency of fruit and vegetable intake by students in schools from different locales. Methods: Data were derived from the 2011-2012 Indiana FFVP Student Survey completed by 4229 fourth-sixth graders. Effects were studied within 2 groups, 39 city and suburb schools, and 12 town and rural schools. Differences in students' responses over time to 2 items measuring variety and 10 items measuring fruit and vegetable intake frequency were determined with multilevel regression models. Results: Town and rural students were 1.2 times more likely to eat different kinds of fruit (p = 0.04) and vegetables (p = 0.01) daily, and increased fruit (+1.0 time/day; p < 0.01) and vegetable intake frequency (+0.5 times/day; p = 0.03). City and suburb students increased fruit intake frequency (~0.8 times/day; p < 0.01) but not vegetable intake frequency or daily variety (p > 0.05). Conclusions: FFVP improved fruit and vegetable eating behaviors in the "town and rural" group, but was only partially effective in the "city and suburb" group. Strategies to implement FFVP may need to differ depending on school locale.

An abstract of the article "Students' Feedback to Improve the USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) in Indiana" by Yi-Chun Lin et al. is presented.

The recent record-breaking Laurentian Great Lakes water levels have led to severe erosion along many shorelines, but quantification of this erosion has not yet been widely reported. In this paper, novel shoreline measurements of Lake Michigan erosion, using a LiDAR-equipped unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The vehicle surveyed two beaches, Dune Acres and Beverly Shores, along the Indiana shoreline of southern Lake Michigan over the period 2018–2019, which are compared to existing aircraft-based LiDAR surveys. The UAV surveys reveal extensive shoreline erosion and recession at both beaches since the low water conditions of 2012–2013, with both beaches losing 70.7 and 64.8 m3/m of dry beach volume. Shoreline recession over this period was nearly 35 m for both beaches. In the period 2018–2019, the UAV measurements reveal continued beach erosion and the transition of beach topography to a steep, actively eroding foredune. Storm erosion resolved by short-interval surveys highlight the episodic nature of shoreline erosion, with 8 m3/m of material lost over a stormy two-week period at Dune Acres. While large, the erosion and recession observed at both beaches is in keeping with limited historical observations of shoreline change during high water episodes. However, the observed overall shoreline recession slopes of 1:29 (water level rise : recession) are much less than historical slopes, suggesting that the beaches are not yet in equilibrium with the high water levels and that erosion will continue in the foreseeable future while lake levels remain high. • A novel LiDAR-equipped unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) provides timely estimates of shoreline erosion at two Lake Michigan beaches during period of rapid, large water level increase. • Shoreline recession at both beaches between 2013 and 2019 is nearly 35 m, with 70 m3/m of material lost to submergence and erosion. • The presently-observed shoreline recession slope of 1:29 suggests that at the time of the 2019 surveys both beaches were not yet in equilibrium with the elevated water levels. • While the observed erosion is significant, it is consistent with Lake Michigan beach erosion during similar periods of water level increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]