Digital Commons Network^™

Facing Obstacles As A Senior, Catherine Mccarthy

All Student Theses

Seniors are individuals who need the most assistance because they are a growing population in our society. It is estimated that by the year 2020, those 65 years and over will reach 55 million and those 85 years and over will number 7.3 million. Seniors need the most attention because daily items such as personal care, preparing a meal, going to the grocery store or housework become very challenging. This is when you need to acquire services that can help daily for these tasks. The Department of Aging plays a vital role when becoming a senior over the age of …

Prospective Associations Of Homocysteine, Executive Function, And Depressive Symptoms, Peter J. Dearborn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Associations of cardiovascular risk factors, cognitive performance, and depressive symptoms have been well established. However, the directionality of these associations as well as the specificity of these associations with respect to executive function are less clear. Additionally few studies have determined whether genetic risk factors, such as apolipoprotein-E4 (APOE-E4) genotype, and age moderate the associations of cardiovascular risk factors such as homocysteine with changes in depressive symptoms and how these associations may be mediated by cognitive performance. The primary aim of this study was to analyze the bidirectional associations of a full range of cognitive domains and symptoms of depression …

Aging, Inflammation, And Gut Microbiota In Mice, Jody Demeo

Honors Projects

Inflammation and gut microbiota are two areas of study that can be linked to aging in the body. As a person ages, systemic inflammation tends to increase, and changes in microbiota in the gastrointestinal system occur as well.

Effects Of Temperature And Hydrology On Growth And Recruitment Of Shovelnose Sturgeon In The Lower Mississippi River, Jared Mccarty Porter

Theses and Dissertations

I evaluated the effects of thermal and hydrologic conditions on growth and recruitment of Shovelnose Sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus) in the lower Mississippi River and assessed mortality. Duration of water temperatures 12-24°C had a positive influence and temperatures below 11°C had a negative influence on annual growth. Duration of water temperatures above 28°C, duration of floodplain inundation, duration of low water, and minimum and maximum river stage did not influence annual growth. Duration of water temperatures 18-20°C and 18-24°C had a positive influence on recruitment, and duration of temperatures at and below 10°C had a negative influence on recruitment. Duration of …

Rescuing Age-Related Proteolysis Deficits With Methylene Blue, Shane E. Pullins

Theses and Dissertations

The average lifespan is constantly increasing with the advent of new medical techniques, and age-related cognitive decline is becoming a prevalent societal issue. Even during healthy aging, humans and rats exhibit progressive deficits in episodic/declarative memory. In laboratory rats, age-related memory impairment can be assessed with trace fear conditioning (TFC). Recent research implicates ubiquitin proteasome system-mediated protein degradation in the synaptic plasticity supporting memory formation and retrieval. In rats, aging leads to decreased basal proteolytic activity in brain structures known to support the acquisition and retrieval of trace fear memories, and our preliminary data suggests activity-dependent proteasome activity declines in …

Astaxanthin Attenuates Mptp Induced Neurotoxicity And Modulates Cognitive Function In Aged Mice, Beth Grimmig

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Parkinson’s disease is the second common neurodegenerative disease and is most frequently diagnosed in individuals over 60. There are no available medications that can prevent or restore the loss of neurons that correspond to motor impairments in patients. Identifying novel therapeutic compounds that are capable of slowing and reversing the extensive neurodegeneration that occurs in PD remains an important goal of the field. While basic research has identified potential therapeutic agents, studies often use young model organisms to demonstrate efficacy of the target compound. This approach ignores the impact of the aged CNS on the disease process, and likely contributes …

Life-Long Creativity: Changing The Narrative Of Aging And Retirement, Jennifer K. Gippel Dr

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

The current narratives and stereotypes around retirement and aging are both inaccurate and incomplete. The popular media regularly portrays retirees and older citizens as blissfully happy but bland; or physically feeble and forgetful. Rarely are they portrayed as achievers and vibrant problem solvers. Instead they are perceived by policy makers as a problem to be solved. This project offers a different narrative ― one that presents retirement and aging as a unique time of creative opportunity, possibility, and freedom to choose. The primary outcome of the project is two chapters of a book entitled: Retirement by design: How to discover …

Association Between Latent Toxoplasma Gondii Infection And Alzheimer's Disease, Cynthia Elizabeth Wyman

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Many studies have found an association between Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity and behavioral and cognitive changes in animal models and in humans. In addition, early findings have suggested an association between T. gondii seropositivity and Alzheimer's disease (AD). We sought to determine whether there is an association between T. gondii seropositivity and AD as well as cognitive functioning (including memory, working memory, processing speed, language functioning, executive functioning) in a large, well-characterized sample of subjects with AD and matched controls without dementia. Method: Using ELISA assays, we determined anti-T. gondii IgG antibody titers in 114 control subjects and in 105 …

Age-Related Host Factors Regulate Lung Cancer Progression., John Caleb Greenwell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cancer is largely a disease of the elderly. In the United States alone, 87% of all cancers in 2017 will be diagnosed in individuals aged 50 years or older. Among them, lung cancer is the deadliest, accounting for 1 in 4 cancer deaths. The 5-year survival rate is below 20%, a number which has not changed substantially over the past several decades. This underscores a desperate need for new strategies in prevention, early detection and treatment of this deadly disease. While tobacco use is unquestionably the number one risk factor for the development of lung cancer, the majority of diagnoses …

Association Between Latent Toxoplasma Gondii Infection And Alzheimer's Disease, Cynthia Elizabeth Wyman

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Many studies have found an association between Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity and behavioral and cognitive changes in animal models and in humans. In addition, early findings have suggested an association between T. gondii seropositivity and Alzheimer's disease (AD). We sought to determine whether there is an association between T. gondii seropositivity and AD as well as cognitive functioning (including memory, working memory, processing speed, language functioning, executive functioning) in a large, well-characterized sample of subjects with AD and matched controls without dementia. Method: Using ELISA assays, we determined anti-T. gondii IgG antibody titers in 114 control subjects and in …

How Did I Get Here? Testing The Translation Of The Morris Water Maze And The Influence Of Hemoglobin A1c On Spatial Navigation Performance, Colleen Pappas

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Changes in cognitive status occur with aging and significant attention has been placed on developing interventions to possibly delay cognitive decline and identifying risk factors that exacerbate cognitive deficits. One issue that arises when studying interventions is that they do not always effectively translate from animal models to human subjects. When testing potentially modifiable risk factors related to cognitive impairment, more sensitive metrics could help in identifying targets for intervention at earlier time-points. Therefore, the aims of the current dissertation were twofold. The first study examined the ability to translate between species using a common behavioral paradigm, the Morris water …

Development Of Markers For Embryonic Reproductive Competence In Assisted Reproduction, Xin Tao

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

In humans, early embryo development is a complex process that consists of sequential events: oocyte maturation, fertilization, embryonic growth and implantation. Disruption of these highly regulated processes results in reproductive failure and infertility. This study characterizes and describes embryonic aneuploidy, mitochondrial content level and endometrial microbial environment related to reproductive competence, in particular instances in which failure results.

To examine the molecular underpinnings of mammalian gamete and early embryo chromosome segregation, we established a comprehensive chromosomal screening (CCS) method for mice poly bodies, oocytes and embryos by the application of whole genome amplification (WGA) and next generation sequencing (NGS). First, …

Microstructural Studies Of Ag/W And Ag3sn/Cu3sn Alloys For Electrical Circuit Breaker Contacts, Haibo Yu

Doctoral Dissertations

Contact materials composed of Ag and W have been used in circuit breakers and other electrical switching systems for decades due to their excellent properties. A series of standard acceptance tests have been established by UL (Underwriters Laboratories) to ensure that circuit breakers meet certain criteria for performance and safety. These standard tests include: overload/temperature-rise, endurance and short-circuit conditions. In this dissertation, a study on the near-surface microstructures exhibited by untested commercial Ag/W circuit breaker contacts, and by those that have been subjected to the UL standard tests, is presented. The microstructural characteristics were investigated to deduce the degradation mechanisms …

Characterizing Short And Long Term Mixture Aging Of A Full-Scale And Non-Trafficked Asphalt Test Section, Braden T. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Ideally, asphalt pavements are designed to achieve sufficient stiffness prior to the application of traffic to resist rutting while also maintaining enough flexibility after years of service to minimize the amount of durability/brittleness related distresses (e.g. cracking and weathering). Multiple factors have caused an industry transition to mixes which are much more susceptible to crack, and durability related distresses are often the primary mechanism by which pavements fail. To restore a balance between rutting and durability distresses in asphalt pavements, the industry has started investigating balanced mix designs (BMDs). While mitigating only rutting or cracking behaviors is a straightforward exercise …

Effects Of Aging And Dietary Phytoestrogens On Sperm Production In Sprague Dawley Rats, Brian Cutler

Masters Theses

Estrogens, in addition to testosterone, are physiologically relevant to normal sperm production in the testis and sperm maturation in the epididymis. Previous studies from our lab demonstrated that daily sperm production declines from 15 to 18 months of age in Sprague Dawley rats, and treatment with estrogen during this period attenuated the age-associated decline. Phytoestrogens are present in standard rodent diets at high levels (350-650 mg/kg) and may be potential endocrine disruptors. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of removing dietary phytoestrogens during aging on sperm production. Retired breeder Sprague Dawley rats were obtained at 9 …

The Role Of P16 In Controlling Mammary Epithelial Cell Senescence And Brca1-Deficient Tumorigenesis, Alexandria Scott

Open Access Dissertations

A major risk factor of breast cancer is aging. Aging is caused partly by cellular senescence, a tumor suppressive mechanism that prevents the proliferation of cells at risk of transformation. p16INK4A (p16), an inhibitor of CDK4 and CDK6, plays a critical role in controlling senescence. Functional inactivation of p16 is frequently detected in human breast cancers. However, loss of p16 alone in mice does not result in mammary tumorigenesis. How p16 loss contributes to mammary cell aging and tumorigenesis in vivo is not fully understood. We reported that senescence was induced in mammary epithelial cells (MECs) during aging with increased …

Influence Of Expectations Of Aging On Older Women’S Use Of Dietary Supplements Using The Health Promotion Theory, Barbara Emily Hekel

Theses and Dissertations

The use of vitamins, minerals and herbal supplements by older adults is increasing and changing. There are concerns about supplement quality, safety, and vitamin D overuse. Little is known about supplement use by nursing home residents and about factors that influence older women to use supplements. The current study describes the supplement use of 247 nursing home residents and 110 independent living women 65 years or older in the Midwestern United States. A secondary analysis of 247 medication administration records describes the prevalence of vitamin, mineral, and herbal supplement use of nursing home residents. Using the health promotion theory, the …

Evaluating The Relationship Of Temperature And Growth Of A Larval Colorado River Catostomid, C. Latipinnis, Through Otolith Aging And Stable Isotopes (Δ18o), Adam Lawrence Barkalow

Biology ETDs

Knowledge of early life history strategies and ecological dynamics of larval fish growth and development is invaluable for effectively managing and conserving common and endangered fish species. Isotopic analysis of otoliths (bony structures of the inner ear) from larval Flannelmouth Suckers Catostomus latipinnis obtained from the Colorado River in Grand Canyon could greatly facilitate understanding of thermally-regulated growth rates, thermal preferences, and ontogenetic habitat use by these fishes. Colorado River water temperatures in the Grand Canyon are highly modified from projected historic water temperatures present before closure Glen Canyon Dam. Cold water as result of Glen Canyon dam and hypolimnetic …

Pain And Physical Function In A Socioeconomically Diverse Sample Of Black And White Adults, Angela Sardina

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Musculoskeletal pain alters physiological function and these changes may be evidenced as early as middle age. Previous research has concluded that middle-aged adults are a high-risk group for chronic pain and report functional limitations similar to older adults. However, few studies have explored the unique individual factors (e.g., sociodemographic, health, and psychosocial characteristics) that may drive the pain experience; and more research is needed that examines the relationships between musculoskeletal pain and physical function, using objective performance measures, in a sample of racially and socioeconomically diverse adults.

Data from the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span …

A Descriptive Study Of The Elderly In California Substance Abuse Treatment Programs, David Berenschot

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

As gerontologists may know, there are a great deal of studies and a variety of academic literature on the misuse of alcohol and prescription medication amongst the elderly population. While there is a plethora of information on alcohol and prescription misuse, there is little reported data about the prevalence of other substance misuse experienced by this population. This study aims to help to fill that gap in the data by using quantitative methods to describe the scope of substance abuse of individuals 55-years or older. This study utilizes data from the Treatment Data Set Admission (TEDS-A). The TEDS-A is a …

Biomarkers And Neuropsychological Change: A Pilot Study Of Three Months Of The Interactive Physical And Cognitive Exercise System (Ipaces™) For Older Adults, Jessica Stark

Honors Theses

The current pilot study of the interactive Physical and Cognitive Exercise System (iPACES™) examined the relationship between biomarkers and cognitive change over three months of neuroexergaming, wherein older adults pedaled and steered along a virtual bike path to complete a list of errands (Memory Lane™). Executive function and saliva were measured at baseline, mid (6-week), and three months. Results revealed moderate to large correlations between executive function and salivary biomarkers cortisol, BDNF, and IGF1. These findings suggest that neuroexergaming interventions such as iPACES™ may impact both cognitive and neurobiological pathways and perhaps could be an effective way to promote healthy …

Age-Related Changes In Visual Spatial Performance, Samantha Farrell

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Visual spatial skills allow individuals to understand the relationship between objects, people, and the environment for their everyday activities. Visual spatial abilities incorporate visual, motor, and cognitive components, each of which changes across the lifespan. The current study examined the effects of age-related changes and practice type on visual spatial performance. Participants between 40 and 79 years of age were asked to complete the Block Design Task (BDT) by using nine blocks to recreate various designs. Both accuracy and latency were measured to examine these changes. Task difficulty and practice type were varied and cognitive abilities were measured via MMSE …

Oxytocin Mitigates The Negative Consequences Of Chronic Social Isolation In Prairie Voles (Microtus Ochrogaster), Elyse Kathleen Mcmahon

Master’s Theses

Chronic stressors, such as chronic isolation in social mammals, can elevate glucocorticoids (CORT), which may affect cellular aging mechanisms such as increasing levels of oxidative stress and shortening telomere lengths. Prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) are a useful model species to study chronic isolation due to their social and pair-bonding behaviors. Recent work in prairie voles suggests that oxytocin and social support may mitigate some of the negative consequences of social isolation, possibly by reducing CORT levels. We investigated the influences of isolation, oxytocin or social support on stress physiology, behavior, and cellular aging. Voles were divided into six groups: isolated …

From A Traveling Daughter: A Photographic Memoir, Lilian Murnen

Honors Projects

“World sits outside the door, A voice in your heart is calling, The ends of the world await, Traveling daughter, Feel the sunshine on your face, Starlight guides your feet, Earth and Sky will carry you, Journey after journey, One mountain to the next, Voice in your heart is calling.” (Abigail Washburn, “Song of the Traveling Daughter” translated from Mandarin Chinese)

My family keeps me safe, but it is this safety that protects me from the discomfort that is necessary for growth. Like Abigail Washburn’s “voices,” my discontent and my curiosity call me to venture far beyond what I can …

The Duc Healthy Aging Website: Providing Online Occupation-Based Information, Haley Caruthers, Samantha Talavera, Jackeline Ulloa, Stephanie Vera

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Access to current, evidence-based health information is an important step to the promotion of health and wellness for all age groups, including OAs. Since the virtual world is easily accessible and is being used more frequently by OAs, an effective way to convey relevant up-to-date health information is through a website devoted to the dissemination of health promotion information tailored for OAs, including tips for integrating healthy habits into their lifestyle. Dominican University of California’s (DUC) Healthy Aging website, developed in May 2014, contains relevant and evidence-based research, including activities and local community based programs that promote healthy aging on …

The Mechanism Of Life Span Extension In Rpd3-Mutant Drosophila, Jared Keith Woods

Doctoral Dissertations

It was previously discovered that mutations in rpd3, a gene coding for the mammalian histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) homologue, led to an increased lifespan in Drosophila (Rogina et al., 2002). From changes in dSir2 gene expression observed in this initial study and the fact that flies on a calorically restricted diet did not live longer, it was hypothesized that the mechanism of longevity extension overlapped with that of caloric restriction (CR). CR is one of the most effective ways to extend life span in a variety of species ranging from yeast to mammals. CR affects many aspects of metabolism …

Ionotropic Glutamate Receptors In Aplysia Californica And Molecular Changes In The Aging Nervous System, Justin B. Greer

Open Access Dissertations

Aplysia californica is a marine snail with well-defined neural circuits and a relatively short life span of one year, making it a useful model for studies of neural function and aging. Many of these neural circuits likely use L-Glutamate as the excitatory neurotransmitter. The goal of this dissertation was to molecularly characterize ionotropic L-Glutamate receptors in A. californica, and describe molecular changes in these receptors during aging in well-defined neural circuits. The evolutionary relationship between ionotropic L-Glutamate receptors of A. californica and vertebrates was first studied to evaluate the relevance of A. californica as a model of ionotropic L-Glutamate receptor …

Effective Boronizing Process For Age Hardened Inconel 718, Aria Khalili

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Boronizing or boriding is a technique to mitigate wear damage in industrial valves made of age-hardenable Inconel^® 718 which is a nickel-based superalloy. Boriding involves immersing the part in a patented boron-based compound and heating over 800 ^oC.

Boriding combined with aging has a detrimental thermal effect and was the subject of this investigation. The effects on hardness, wear and grain size, of boriding and aging separately, subsequently, and simultaneously, were investigated to observe the microstructure and mechanical properties.

The results show that boriding has negligible effect on the grain size and the hardness of the substrate. Besides, …

Physical Activity Levels & Successful Aging, Ryan R. Bourque

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

Hypothesis: Greater levels of physical activity have a positive correlation with greater levels of independence as well as better outcomes with respect to self-perceived health-related quality of life for elderly individuals (65+ years of age).

Walking In Waves, Sarah David

All NMU Master's Theses

The following thesis consists of a story collection, the majority of which are flash fiction pieces. The thesis consists of two sections. The first section, “Walking in Waves,” is composed of stories about familial relationships and the balancing act of motherhood. Some of these stories play with unique formats or degrees of speculative fiction. Many are rather lyrical in nature. The second section is a novella-in-flash; entitled “Tiny’s Jazz Magic,” this series of stories tells the tale of a woman and her young daughter in 1920’s Storyville, New Orleans.