Digital Commons Network^™

Living Below The Line: Economic Insecurity And Older Americans, Insecurity In Massachusetts, 2022, Jan Mutchler, Nidya Velasco Roldán, Yan-Jhu Su

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

New estimates from the 2022 Elder Index^TM reveal that the cost of living in Massachusetts has increased substantially in recent years for older adults, especially for renters. The Elder Index measures the necessary costs faced by households made up of one or two older adults, calculated county by county for the entire United States. Estimated costs are higher in Massachusetts than in any other state in the nation. Within the Commonwealth, the Elder Index is lowest in Western Massachusetts, and highest in Metro Boston, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, with differences in the Elder Index across locations accounted for largely …

Emeriti News Spring 2023, Emeriti Council

Emeriti News

• Message from the Chair:
• Medallion Scholars
• Campus Updates from WMU News
• Wednesday II events, Spring Semester 2023
• Fall 2023: Provisional Unconfirmed Topics
• News from WMU Emeriti
• In Memory of
• New Faculty Senate Representative
• Council Scholarships
• From Your Emeriti Council

Fact Book, Academic Year 2022, Systems Intelligence & Data Analytics, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Fact Book

The Fact Book presents important campus information in data tables and charts. Included are details regarding students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Generally, data are broken out by college, rank, level, gender, age and ethnicity for both spring and fall semesters, past to present. There are a few academic year tables that include information on tuition & fees, student credit hours by program, and degrees conferred. We wish to thank the many individuals and departments at the University for their contributions to the Fact Book.

The Americans Progress Forgot? An Interdisciplinary Study Of The Role Of Media In Opiate Politics, Rachael M. Erickson

Senior Theses

The most recent opioid crisis in the United States was largely described, by politicians, the media, and subsequently members of the voting public, as being an issue primarily affecting rural White communities. This phenomenon is shaped by the fact that the rate at which White Americans use opiates is outpaced by the frequency with which White American use of opiates is described as an issue of human interest in opinion or editorial articles in news media. In this thesis I aim to understand how the racialized public and political perception of opiate use is shaped by local media.

The following …

Understanding The Barrier To Integrating Empathy Education Into Pre-Medical Curriculum, Angela Galluzzo

Honors Theses

The overwhelming consensus in healthcare research over the past two decades supports that healthcare providers demonstrating empathy is an integral component of quality of care and health outcomes. The benefits of empathy in patient-provider relationships range from stronger immune responses from patients to a lowered burden on the healthcare system to fewer malpractice lawsuits against providers. Even with this research suggesting that providers should be empathetic throughout patient interactions, there are barriers to implementation. The barrier that my research will focus on is time–specifically how time constraints throughout professional schooling prevent a broad education that would teach providers how to …

Nursing Care Of Family Caregivers: Interventions And Considerations Regarding Current Issues Facing Family Caregivers Of Persons With Dementia Relevant To Nursing Practice, Alayna Kent

Senior Honors Theses

There are an estimated 6.5 million Americans age 65 and older who are currently living with Alzheimer’s dementia. A large majority of these individuals receive care from a nonprofessional family caregiver, typically in the home setting. It is well documented that family caregivers of dementia patients experience many unique challenges. These challenges provide valuable opportunities for nurses to provide helpful interventions to aid this vulnerable population. An integrated review of the recent literature was conducted, and articles were chosen by a method modeled after the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) flowsheet. The research was then analyzed …

Peran Program Pengembangan Petani Sebagai Implementasi Csr Pt. Smgp Terhadap Resistensi Masyarakat, Ahmad Taufik, Indra Lestari

Jurnal Ilmu Kesejahteraan Sosial

The presence of mining projects or power plants that utilize or exploit natural resources has the potential for environmental, social, and economic problems for the community. There are many cases of rejection from communities around the project area, which can even lead to conflict and anarchic actions that cause losses for several parties. Meanwhile, there are demands for energy sustainability amidst the current crisis in the availability of fossil energy. Therefore, the government provides support through several policies, one of which is encouraging the implementation of Corporate Social Responsibility so that core project activities can take place with attention to …

Implementasi Tahapan Pengembangan Masyarakat Dalam Program Perhutanan Sosial, Ahmad Nur Faizal, Moch. Ilham Noer Sunan

Jurnal Ilmu Kesejahteraan Sosial

The community's dependence on the forest makes the community's position vulnerable when access to the forest is restricted. The restrictions on community access to forests impact on emerging social problems such as poverty, conflict, and illegal logging. Responding to this problem, the government rolled out a social forestry program to improve people's lives. This research uses a qualitative approach with data collection techniques through observation, semi-structured interviews, and documentation to study in depth how the community development stages are implemented in the social forestry program in Burno Village. The results showed that there were community development efforts from CDK Lumajang …

Model Perencanaan Strategis Dalam Service Organization : Sebuah Kajian Literatur, Rakhmiana, Johanna Debora Imelda

Jurnal Ilmu Kesejahteraan Sosial

In Indonesia, several types of HSOs include government organizations, private organizations, and non-profit organizations. Strategic planning is crucial for HSOs as it helps them to map their direction and goals, manage their resources, identify opportunities and challenges, coordinate their activities, and measure and evaluate their performance. To assist in strategic planning, various mapping models can be used. One of the models that can be used is Scenario- Based Road Mapping (SBRM). This research is a literature review that discusses different strategic planning models for HSOs, which can help organizations formulate more effective and adaptive strategies. These models can help HSOs …

Multimorbidity In Diverse Populations: Stratified Analysis Of Race/Ethnicity, Age, Obesity, And Healthcare Costs, Manal Alshakhs

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

This research aims to fill an essential gap in understanding how Body Mass Index (BMI) cutoffs relate to multimorbidity across races in the United States (US). Given the significant and growing rates of obesity and multimorbidity, as well as the known differences in healthy fat distribution among different races, this is an important area of research. BMI is a widely used but imperfect measure of obesity, as it does not account for differences in body composition. However, it is still used as a diagnostic tool. It is vital to ensure that the cutoffs used to define obesity are appropriate for …

The Effect Of A Pharmaceutical Ghrelin Agonist On Lifespan In C57bl/6j Male Mice: A Controlled Experiment, Kathryn A Kaiser, Inga Kadish, Thomas Van Groen, Daniel L Smith, Stephanie Dickinson, Beate Henschel, Erik S Parker, Andrew W Brown, David B Allison

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Interventions for animal lifespan extension like caloric restriction (CR) have identified physiologic and biochemical pathways related to hunger and energy-sensing status as possible contributors, but mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. Prior studies using ghrelin agonists show greater food intake but no effect on lifespan in rodent models. This experiment in male C57BL/6J mice tested the influence of ghrelin agonism for perceived hunger, in the absence of CR, on longevity. Mice aged 4 weeks were allowed to acclimate for 2 weeks prior to being assigned (N = 60/group). Prior to lights off daily (12:12 cycle), animals were fed a ghrelin …

Variations In Sex-Steroid Receptor Levels In The Jaw Muscle Across Sex And Reproductive State In The Mouthbrooding Cichlid Fish, Astatotilapia Burtoni, Marie Drozda

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Plasma Metabolites Associated With Cognitive Function Across Race/Ethnicities Affirming The Importance Of Healthy Nutrition, Einat Granot-Hershkovitz, Shan He, Jan Bressler, Bing Yu, Wassim Tarraf, Casey M Rebholz, Jianwen Cai, Queenie Chan, Tanya P Garcia, Thomas Mosley, Bruce S Kristal, Charles Decarli, Myriam Fornage, Guo-Chong Chen, Qibin Qi, Robert Kaplan, Hector M González, Tamar Sofer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: We studied the replication and generalization of previously identified metabolites potentially associated with global cognitive function in multiple race/ethnicities and assessed the contribution of diet to these associations.

METHODS: We tested metabolite-cognitive function associations in U.S.A. Hispanic/Latino adults (n = 2222) from the Community Health Study/ Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) and in European (n = 1365) and African (n = 478) Americans from the Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities (ARIC) Study. We applied Mendelian Randomization (MR) analyses to assess causal associations between the metabolites and cognitive function and between Mediterranean diet and cognitive function.

RESULTS: Six metabolites were consistently associated …

Oral Health Considerations For Aging Patients Living With Hiv/Aids, Madeleine Daily Dds, Susan Liu Dds, Yuna Park Dds, Mph, Ms, Emily Byington Msw, Ivette Estrada Ma, Mphil, Sunil Wadhwa Dds, Carol Kunzel Phd

The New York State Dental Journal

People living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH) have an increased life expectancy due to advances in antiretroviral therapy. In 1996, the life expectancy for a 20-year old living with HIV was 39-years old; today, it is >70-years old. As life expectancy increases, PLWH are burdened with age-associated comorbidities. This paper reviews the interaction between aging and HIV and how it affects social, physical, and oral health issues. The shift in demographics presents new challenges for clinicians in how to identify, address, and manage these complex manifestations. This review summarizes how to approach HIV-related changes when providing care as a dental clinician.

Resident Reported Changes To Social Engagement And Quality Of Life Due To Increased Physical Activity Within A Senior Living Facility, Sydney Leroy

Capstone Projects

The purpose of this Doctoral Capstone Experience (DCE) was to see if regular participation in an exercise program could promote positive changes in social engagement and overall quality of life for older adults residing in an independent or assisted living facility. A standardized assessment and interview were completed with each participating resident before and after a 6-week exercise program to assess any changes in social engagement and quality of life. As a result, recruitment for this study and overall resident participation increased by advertising new and existing exercise classes throughout the senior living facility. In addition to the already scheduled …

Exploration Of Driving Rehabilitation Best Practices To Sustain An Occupation Focused Driver Rehabilitation Program, Kelsey East

Capstone Projects

In the United States driving dominates as the primary mode of transportation connecting people to resources including work, school, stores, and hospitals. Driving enables individuals to participate in the occupations they need or want to do, which is why it is a critical Instrumental Activity of Daily Living (IADL). Because driving falls within an occupational therapist’s scope of community mobility, many driving rehabilitation specialists have a background in occupational therapy. Driving rehabilitation is an expanding practice area, with emerging evidence supporting the use of an IADL based assessment for determining fitness to drive. Therefore, the main goal of this doctoral …

Emotional, Behavioral, And Physical Health Consequences Of Loneliness In Young Adult Survivors Of Childhood Cancer: Results From The Childhood Cancer Survivor Study, Chiara Papini, Ameera A Fayad, Mingjuan Wang, Fiona S M Schulte, I-Chan Huang, Yu-Ping Chang, Rebecca M Howell, Deokumar Srivastava, Wendy M Leisenring, Gregory T Armstrong, Todd M Gibson, Leslie L Robison, Kevin C Oeffinger, Kevin R Krull, Tara M Brinkman

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Young adults in the general population are at risk of experiencing loneliness, which has been associated with physical and mental health morbidities. The prevalence and consequences of loneliness in young adult survivors of childhood cancer remain unknown.

Methods: A total of 9664 young adult survivors of childhood cancer (median age at diagnosis 10.5 years [interquartile range (IQR), 5-15], 27.1 years at baseline [IQR, 23-32]) and 2221 siblings enrolled in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study completed a self-reported survey question assessing loneliness on the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 at baseline and follow-up (median follow-up, 6.6 years). Multivariable models evaluated the prevalence …

Disability Advocates Of Kent County (Dakc) Consumer Follow-Up For Aging In Place, Bianca Cordova

Capstone Projects

Disability Advocates of Kent County (DAKC) is a non-profit organization with an occupational therapy (OT) department that aims to keep primarily community-dwelling, low-income, older adults safe and independent in their home. The organization provides home assessments which identifies the barriers and supports for daily activities within the home. After the home assessment evaluation, adaptive equipment and/or home modification recommendations are provided. Literature supports the restorative approach DAKC uses to facilitate aging in place. There was a lack of quantitative and qualitative evidence on how consumers were aging in place post-intervention. This capstone project focused on creating a pilot follow-up program …

Dreams And Dream Work Of Older Adults In Transition: A Review Of The Literature, Tamara J. Hinojosa

All Faculty Scholarship (Archived)

Older adults face unique life transitions related to retirement from paid work, relocation of residence to higher levels of care, and bereavement/end-of-life. Research exploring dream content and dream work for older adults can facilitate understanding about their unconscious experiences and emotions, can promote greater understanding about their mental health needs, and support dream work methods that enhance well-being for older adults in transition. Although studies in this area are minimal, there is more research about the transitions of bereavement and death for older adults as compared to research in the areas of retirement and relocation of residence for older adults. …

State: The Magazine Of Illinois State University, Spring 2023, Illinois State University, University Marketing And Communications

State: The Magazine of Illinois State University (1999-present)

Illinois State University alumni magazine

A Systematic Literature Review Of Mobile Applications To Assist People With Mild To Moderate Dementia In Their Daily Lives, Zehang Cheng, Kamal Sabran

Malaysian Journal of Computing (MJoC)

The popularity of smartphones has made mobile apps an essential tool for people in managing their daily lives. Helping people with dementia to make good use of mobile apps can reduce the stress on the patient's family and society. Mild and moderate dementia can be eliminated Mild and moderate dementia may be mitigated through simple teaching and human-centered design approaches that accommodate individuals with difficulty using mobile apps. This paper aims to identify the functionality and usability of mobile apps for people with dementia by reviewing mobile apps that assist people with mild to moderate dementia in their daily lives. …

Longitudinal Changes In Alzheimer’S-Related Plasma Biomarkers And Brain Amyloid, Murat Bilgel, Abhay Moghekar, Henrik Zetterberg, Bruno Jedynak, Multiple Additional Authors

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Introduction Understanding longitudinal plasma biomarker trajectories relative to brain amyloid changes can help devise Alzheimer’s progression assessment strategies.

Methods We examined the temporal order of changes in plasma amyloid-β ratio (Aβ42/Aβ40), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), neurofilament light chain (NfL), and phosphorylated tau ratios (p-tau181/Aβ42, p-tau231/Aβ42) relative to 11C-Pittsburgh compound B (PiB) positron emission tomography (PET) cortical amyloid burden (PiB−/+). Participants (n = 199) were cognitively normal at index visit with a median 6.1-year follow-up.

Results PiB groups exhibited different rates of longitudinal change in Aβ42/Aβ40 (β = 5.41 × 10-4, SE = 1.95 × 10-4, p = 0.0073). …

Pilot Clinical Trial Of Macimorelin To Assess Safety And Efficacy In Patients With Cancer Cachexia, Megan Herodes, Lindsey J Anderson, Samuel Shober, Ellen A Schur, Solomon A Graf, Nicola Ammer, Ramiro Salas, Marco Marcelli, Jose M Garcia

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Cancer cachexia is associated with reduced body weight, appetite and quality of life (QOL) with no approved treatments. Growth hormone secretagogues like macimorelin have potential to mitigate these effects.

METHODS: This pilot study assessed the safety and efficacy of macimorelin for 1 week. Efficacy was defined a priori as 1-week change in body weight (≥0.8 kg), plasma insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 (≥50 ng/mL) or QOL (≥15%). Secondary outcomes included food intake, appetite, functional performance, energy expenditure and safety laboratory parameters. Patients with cancer cachexia were randomized to 0.5 or 1.0 mg/kg macimorelin or placebo; outcomes were assessed non-parametrically.

RESULTS: …

Interpersonal Connection: Examining Synchrony In Emotions And Physiology In Friends During Interactions, Joia Lynette Wesley

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Interpersonal synchrony is the alignment of emotions, behaviors, and physiology and is associated with prosocial behaviors and subjective connectedness. Few studies have examined synchrony in friend dyads. The present study compared emotional and physiological synchrony during emotional and neutral interactions, explored how social role may influence empathy, and tested if friendship characteristics predicted synchrony. Participants were 56 friend dyads recruited from a predominantly White, Midwestern university. The study included two sessions. In the first session, participants completed prequestionnaires and each participant identified three emotionally salient situations that they had not shared with their friend. The second session was an interaction …

Altered Lateralization Of The Cingulum In Deployment-Related Traumatic Brain Injury: An Enigma Military-Relevant Brain Injury Study, Emily L Dennis, Mary R Newsome, Hannah M Lindsey, Maheen Adamson, Tara A Austin, Seth G Disner, Blessen C Eapen, Carrie Esopenko, Carol E Franz, Elbert Geuze, Courtney Haswell, Sidney R Hinds, Cooper B Hodges, Andrei Irimia, Kimbra Kenney, Inga K Koerte, William S Kremen, Harvey S Levin, Rajendra A Morey, John Ollinger, Jared A Rowland, Randall S Scheibel, Martha E Shenton, Danielle R Sullivan, Leah D Talbert, Sophia I Thomopoulos, Maya Troyanskaya, William C Walker, Xin Wang, Ashley L Ware, John Kent Werner, Wright Williams, Paul M Thompson, David F Tate, Elisabeth A Wilde

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) in military populations can cause disruptions in brain structure and function, along with cognitive and psychological dysfunction. Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) can detect alterations in white matter (WM) microstructure, but few studies have examined brain asymmetry. Examining asymmetry in large samples may increase sensitivity to detect heterogeneous areas of WM alteration in mild TBI. Through the Enhancing Neuroimaging Genetics Through Meta-Analysis Military-Relevant Brain Injury working group, we conducted a mega-analysis of neuroimaging and clinical data from 16 cohorts of Active Duty Service Members and Veterans (n = 2598). dMRI data were processed together along with …

Baseline Characteristics Of The North American Prodromal Synucleinopathy Cohort, Jonathan E Elliott, Jennifer Mcleland, Susan R Criswell, Yo-El S Ju, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

OBJECTIVE: Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is widely considered a prodromal synucleinopathy, as most with RBD develop overt synucleinopathy within ~10 years. Accordingly, RBD offers an opportunity to test potential treatments at the earliest stages of synucleinopathy. The North American Prodromal Synucleinopathy (NAPS) Consortium has created a multisite RBD participant, primarily clinic-based cohort to better understand characteristics at diagnosis, and in future work, identify predictors of phenoconversion, develop synucleinopathy biomarkers, and enable early stage clinical trial enrollment.

METHODS: Participants ≥18 years of age with overnight polysomnogram-confirmed RBD without Parkinson's disease, dementia, multiple system atrophy, or narcolepsy were …

Penilaian Domain Pengkajian Paripurna Pasien Geriatri (P3g) Sebagai Faktor Yang Berpengaruh Terhadap Kejadian Pneumonia Nosokomial Pada Pasien Usia Lanjut Yang Dirawat Di Rumah Sakit Umum Pusat Nasional Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo, Hildebrand Hanoch Victor, Edy Rizal Wahyudi, C. Martin Rumende, C. H. Soejono, A. G. Rooshoeroe, Hamzah Shatri, Leonard Nainggolan, Cosphiadi Irawan

Jurnal Penyakit Dalam Indonesia

Introduction. Nosocomial pneumonia is a lung infection that occurs after the patient is hospitalized for more than 48 hours, without any signs of pulmonary infection at the time of treatment. When compared with young individuals, elderly individuals are more likely to have community-sourced and nosocomial infections with worse outcomes. Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) domains are expected to explain the factors that contribute to nosocomial pneumonia in elderly patients. This study aimed to determine the proportion of elderly treated at Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo National Central General Hospital who experienced nosocomial pneumonia and whether the CGA domains influence the occurrence of nosocomial …

Exploring Happiness : The Life Course Study Of Older Shanghainese Women In Shanghai And Hong Kong, Archibald Malcolm Wang

Lingnan Theses (Doctoral degree)

The main concern of this study is to investigate the effect of life course experience on the level of happiness among older women. To assess various independent variables of happiness. The paper analyzed the heterogeneous effect of older people's happiness through the SIT and SET theories from the Life Course Model. The importance of life course narration also concerns their backgrounds and personal experiences. Regarding the applied method, this research elected comparative studies and narrative analysis for fieldwork. The author collected primary data to assess the effects of happiness by two surveys, including 1000 women, to test the tandem studies …

Cognitive Dysfunction In Older Breast Cancer Survivors, Adele Crouch

Dissertations

Up to 75% of the more than 3.5 million breast cancer survivors (BCS) living in the United States report cognitive dysfunction. However, little is known about cognitive dysfunction among older BCS, who may be at greater risk. Therefore, the purpose of this dissertation was to characterize cognitive dysfunction in older BCS. Specific aims included:

(1) synthesize the literature regarding cognitive dysfunction in older BCS

(2) examine the relationships between a) objective cognitive function (immediate memory, delayed memory, attention, executive function-working memory, verbal fluency) and subjective cognitive function (attention); b) demographic factors, medical factors, treatment factors, and cancer-related symptoms (depressive symptoms, …

Improving Outcomes Through Patient Empowerment At Transition Of Care: A Fall Prevention Program For Stroke Survivors, Tiffany M. Hoke

Dissertations

Stroke survivors fall 7 times more annually than same-aged healthy adults; and most fall within the first 2 to 6 months post stroke after transition of care home from the acute setting. These falls cause hip fractures and other bodily injury, further compounding post-stroke mobility, fear of falling, social isolation, and social dependence while collectively yielding poorer outcomes at greater financial burden.

To date, no fall prevention program has targeted stroke survivors as they prepare for transition of care home from the acute setting.

The purpose of this practice inquiry is to develop an evidence-based fall prevention program aimed at …