Digital Commons Network^™

Understanding Older People’S Voice Interactions With Smart Voice Assistants: A New Modified Rule-Based Natural Language Processing Model With Human Input, Zhengxu Yan, Victoria Dube, Judith Heselton, Kate Johnson, Changmin Yan, Valerie Jones, Julie Blaskewicz Boron, Marcia Shade

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic has expedited the integration of Smart Voice Assistants (SVA) among older people. The qualitative data derived from user commands on SVA is pivotal for elucidating the engagement patterns of older individuals with such systems. However, the sheer volume of user-generated voice interaction data presents a formidable challenge for manual coding. Compounding this issue, age-related cognitive decline and alterations in speech patterns further complicate the interpretation of older users’ SVA voice interactions. Conventional dictionary-based textual analysis tools, which count word frequencies, are inadequate in capturing the evolving and communicative essence of these interactions that unfold over a series …

Mental-Somatic Multimorbidity In Trajectories Of Cognitive Function For Middle-Aged And Older Adults, Siting Chen, Corey L. Nagel, Ruotong Liu, Anda Botoseneanu, Heather G. Allore, Jason T. Newsom, Stephen Thielke, Jeffrey Kaye, Ana R. Quiñones

Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Multimorbidity may confer higher risk for cognitive decline than any single constituent disease. This study aims to identify distinct trajectories of cognitive impairment probability among middle-aged and older adults, and to assess the effect of changes in mental-somatic multimorbidity on these distinct trajectories.

Ihpp 2023 Annual Report, Institute For Health Policy And Practice

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Commencement [Program], May 10-11, 2024, University Of Northern Iowa

UNI Commencement Programs

The program of the commencement ceremonies, including a list of institutional leadership, a list of the departments by college, awards given at the ceremonies, and a list of undergraduate and graduate degree candidates. This commencement program is not an official graduate list.

Contents:

Board of Regents ... 2
Institutional Leadership ... 2
The Academic Procession ... 3
Academic Honorary Organizations ... 4
University Ambassador Organizations ... 5
University Honors Program ... 6
Legacy Graduates ... 6
Military Science ... 7
Merchant Scholarship ... 7
Outstanding Student Leader ... 7
Commencement Student Speakers ... 7
Purple and Old Gold Awards ... …

A Critique Of The Pivotal Ethical Issues In Organ/Tissue Donation & Transplantation, Francis Sarpong

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Organ or tissue donation has proven to be a lifesaving intervention for patients battling failing or failed organs or tissues. However, scholars have raised concerns about just and rational procurement and transplantation in a global shortage. This dissertation addresses normative approaches for organ/tissue procurement, allocation and transplantation to highlight the related pivotal ethical issues. It defends normative approaches such as queuing and nudging, and upholds their universal obligatoriness. It provides illumination about the demands of an effective solution to who shall receive or give organs when not all can. The introductory chapter employs common morality as a principal source of …

Traumatic Brain Injury: Impact Of Falls On Occupational Performance And Their Caregiver, Sarah A. Mcaninch

Graduate Student Scholarship

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the leading causes of disability and expenses in healthcare. Many signs and symptoms occur as a result of TBI making it difficult for medical disciplines to pinpoint healthcare treatments to address these deficits. Falls are not only the leading cause of TBI but also of recurrent TBIs (rTBIs) due to physiological and sensorimotor changes in an individual after injury. The aim of this research is to investigate the gap in knowledge surrounding falls after a TBI by surveying and interviewing caregivers on their experiences with the person they are providing caregiving. Data was …

Vol.51 N.42 May 9th 2024, Voice Media Ventures

Black Voice News

No abstract provided.

A Beginner's Guide To Gerontological Counseling: A Summary Of Considerations For Counselors Providing Psychotherapy To Older Adults In Rural Settings, Kelly D. Higgins

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

The elderly population continues to rapidly increase in the United States, leading to a significant need for mental health care among older adults. While older adults experience significant role changes, increased potential for physical and cognitive limitations, and heightened social isolation, all of which contribute to an increased psychiatric need, very few counselors are specially trained to provide adequate geriatric treatment. This is especially true in rural populations, where accessibility limitations are often more significant and mental health professionals are few and far between. This project provides a brief review of the literature regarding these various considerations, challenges, and areas …

Does Breaking Up Moderate Intensity Continuous Exercise Into Accumulated Bouts Improve Postprandial Metabolic Outcomes In Middle Aged And Older Adults?, Miranda Janis

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Due to the high incidence of CVD in older adults, low levels of habitual physical activity, and poor dietary habits, it is imperative to determine an effective minimal dose of exercise that is attainable to mitigate adverse postprandial (post-meal) responses. This study is the first to our knowledge to assess whether accumulated exercise to expend 25% of the calories consumed in a high-fat meal (HFM) of moderate intensity walking will lower postprandial triglycerides (TRG), glucose (GLU) and metabolic load index (MLI: summation of GLU and TRG), compared to continuous exercise, in middle-aged and older adults (OA). Methods: Ten OA (n=10, …

Neurocognitive Functioning In Adults With Trichotillomania: Predictors Of Treatment Response And Symptom Severity In A Randomized Control Trial, Kathryn E. Barber, Douglas W. Woods, Thilo Deckersbach, Christopher C. Bauer, Scott N. Compton, Michael P. Twohig, Emily J. Ricketts, Jordan Robinson, Stephen M. Saunders, Martin E. Franklin

Psychology Faculty Publications

Trichotillomania (TTM) is associated with impairments in response inhibition and cognitive flexibility, but it is unclear how such impairments relate to treatment outcome. The present study examined pre-treatment response inhibition and cognitive flexibility as predictors of treatment outcome, change in these domains from pre- to post-treatment, and associations with TTM severity. Participants were drawn from a randomized controlled trial comparing acceptance-enhanced behavior therapy (AEBT) to psychoeducation and supportive therapy (PST) for TTM. Adults completed assessments at pre-treatment (n=88) and following 12 weeks of treatment (n=68). Response inhibition and cognitive flexibility were assessed using the Stop Signal …

Αb-Crystallin Phosphorylation Induces A Condensatopathy To Worsen Post-Myocardial Infarction Cardiomyopathy, Md Moydul Islam

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Rare genetic mutations in proteins expressed in cardiomyocytes lead to proteotoxic cardiomyopathies which are characterized by widespread protein-aggregate pathology. However, the mechanistic link between proteotoxicity and protein-aggregates in the more common ischemic cardiomyopathy remains unclear. Our study revealed the mis-localization of desmin, actin, and α-actinin to protein-aggregates in the myocardium of patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy and in mouse hearts undergoing post-myocardial infarction ventricular remodeling. These findings mimic observations in autosomal-dominant cardiomyopathy resulting from the R120G mutation in the chaperone protein CRYAB where desmin is mis-localized into the aggregates. Importantly, we observed increased phosphorylation of CRYAB at serine-59 (pS59-CRYAB) and its …

Emotion Regulation Strategies And Perceived Emotional Intelligence: The Effect Of Age., Iwanna Sepiadou

Adultspan Journal

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between perceived emotional intelligence and the reported use of cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression. We also investigated the possible effects of age on the aforementioned variables. The total sample consisted of 379 people (158 men, 220 women, 1 unreported). Across participants, 273 were young (20-39 years old) and 106 were middle-aged (40-65 years old). We found statistically significant positive correlations between the dimensions of perceived emotional intelligence and the reported use of cognitive reappraisal and negative primarily correlations between the dimensions of perceived emotional intelligence and the reported use of …

Peer (Dyadic) Support: A Feasibility Study For African American Women With Hypertension, Angela Groves

General Submissions: Presentations (Oral and Poster)

Aim 1: To evaluate the feasibility of a peer (dyadic) support intervention to improve diet adherence and reduce systolic blood pressure among African American women with hypertension. Hypothesis: We hypothesize that the peer (dyadic) support intervention will be feasible, participants' diet will improve, and systolic blood pressure will be reduced (5-6 mm Hg). Aim 2: To describe the peer (dyadic) relationship during the intervention.

Perspectives Of Stress And Coping Among Older, College-Educated African American Women, Jacquelyn Victoria Coats

Brown School Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Older African American women have excess rates of stress-associated chronic diseases. Yet, there is limited research exploring the intersectional position of older African American women to identify within-group differences in stress experiences. Specifically, stress and coping among college-educated women in later life has been largely overlooked. As trends show increasing rates of African American women attaining higher education, research investigating stress and coping among this group of high socio-economic status women is a valuable contribution to aging and public health. This study employed constructivist grounded theory methods guided by the Intersectional Life Course Perspective and the Transactional Model of Stress …

Towards A Remote Patient Monitoring Platform For Comprehensive Risk Evaluations For People With Diabetic Foot Ulcers, Gozde Cay, M G Finco, Jason Garcia, Jill L Mcnitt-Gray, David G Armstrong, Bijan Najafi

Center on Aging Staff Publications

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) significantly affect the lives of patients and increase the risk of hospital stays and amputation. We suggest a remote monitoring platform for better DFU care. This system uses digital health metrics (scaled from 0 to 10, where higher scores indicate a greater risk of slow healing) to provide a comprehensive overview through a visual interface. The platform features smart offloading devices that capture behavioral metrics such as offloading adherence, daily steps, and cadence. Coupled with remotely measurable frailty and phenotypic metrics, it offers an in-depth patient profile. Additional demographic data, characteristics of the wound, and clinical …

Viva El Vecindad, Sergio Nino De Rivera

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

This thesis explores the historical origins of courtyard housing, characterized by a central open space surrounded by residential units, has a rich history that dates back to ancient civilizations. Through an in-depth examination of its origins and historical development, this thesis aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how courtyard housing has adapted over time.

The focus then shifts to the unique challenges faced by elderly individuals in contemporary societies, including issues related to accessibility, social isolation, and healthcare. With an aging global population, the demand for housing that caters to the needs of older adults is increasing. Courtyard housing, …

Credentialing Exam Hesitancy In Dietary Management Certificate Program Graduates: A First Look At Perceived Barriers, Sona Donayan

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

Certified dietary managers (CDMs) lead their food services team by ensuring food quality, safety, and palatability while applying nutrition principles to food purchasing, storage, preparation, and service. Despite labor shortages and forecasted growth in both healthcare and food services management jobs, approximately 30% of credentialing exam candidates forego their exam within the first year after completing a didactic career technical education program approved by the Association of Nutrition and Foodservice Professionals. Moreover, very few return to pursue their exam after the first year. This study explored, through the lens of the theory of planned behavior, the perceived obstacles contributing to …

Integrating Geriatric Content Into Traditional Undergraduate Baccalaureate Nursing Curriculum, Gina B. Diaz

Dissertations

Geriatric content in baccalaureate nursing curriculum is essential. Nursing students need the knowledge, skills, and attitude in providing quality care to older adults. The goal of this project was to integrate geriatric content into the traditional undergraduate (TUG) baccalaureate nursing curriculum. This was completed by providing a 16-week didactic learning experience in the classroom and clinical experiences in the community setting and long-term care facility. Fourteen TUG baccalaureate nursing students from a private college participated in the project. Results indicate that the integration of geriatric content into baccalaureate nursing curriculum increases students' knowledge and skills and enhanced attitude towards older …

Lifecourse Patterns Of Productive Engagement Among Rural And Urban Older Adults, Peter C. Sun

Brown School Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Many older adults are engaged in productive activities that have important ramifications for health in later life. However, little is known about rural-urban patterns of productive engagement across the lifecourse. This dissertation used six waves (2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018) of the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study to identify patterns of working, volunteering, and caregiving activities over a ten-year period using multichannel sequence analysis and cluster analysis. The antecedents of the patterns were studied using multinomial logistic regression, and the associations of the patterns with longstanding rural-urban disparities in cognitive functioning and self-rated health were studied using multiple …

Southern Adventist University Commencement Program Spring 2024, Southern Adventist University

Commencement Programs

Program for Southern Adventist University Spring 2024 graduation. The commencement service took place on May 5, 2024 at 9 am and 1 pm in Iles Physical Education Center.

A Literature Review Examining Current And Future Directions Of Dyadic Expressive Therapies Work With Persons With Dementia And Their Informal Caregivers, Olivia Griffin

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The onset of dementia and resulting adjustment of the relationship between the person with dementia (PWD) and their family caregiver can result in stress and strain for both individuals. This relational adjustment, and the stressors caused by the symptoms of dementia can also lead to relational strain. Although research on the use of the arts with PWD and the use of the arts with caregivers exists, as well as research on various interventions with the caregiving dyad, research on the use of the arts specifically with the caregiving dyad is minimal. This paper reviewed the current state of the literature …

Ketamine Infusion Protocol & Patient Education Pamphlet For Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, Ricardo Aranda, Giles Howard

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), formerly known as reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) and causalgia, is a debilitating neurological disease accounting for 1.2% of all chronic pain conditions, with eighty percent being severely disabled (Zhao et al., 2018). Altered pain pathways in CRPS patients result in resistance to traditional methods of analgesia, contributing to poor quality of life and unanticipated hospitalizations. Multiple meta-analysis studies suggest ketamine infusions effectively lower chronic pain scores in CRPS patients. Despite the evidence, a lack of standardized ketamine infusion protocols creates a barrier to provider implementation. This Doctor of Nursing Anesthesia project aimed to develop a …

Incorporating A High Fidelity Transgender Simulation Into Undergraduate Nursing Curriculum, Kacee Child, Jenniepearl Spencer

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects: College of Nursing

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of nursing students participating in a high-fidelity transgender patient simulation. The aims were to increase student knowledge and confidence to improve communication and provide more inclusive and equitable care.

Healthcare providers are not adequately prepared to manage the unique health needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community. Nurses are ideally positioned to address gaps in LGBTQ healthcare by providing culturally competent care. Yet, LGBTQ health education is lacking in most undergraduate nursing school curriculums.

Methods

62 undergraduate nursing students participated in a post-surgical …

Transforming The Discharge Conversation Through Support And Structure: A Scoping Review, Marie Haverfield, Gisselle De Leon, Angelica Johnson, Victoria L. Jackson, Geetali Basu, Jane Dodge

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Background: System level demands and interpersonal barriers can disrupt nurse delivery of high-quality information at discharge, which can contribute to a lack of caregiver preparedness to manage care of the patient and ultimately affect patient health.

Objective: To synthesize evidence on effective nurse communication with informal caregivers during hospital discharge of adult patients with cognitive decline or Alzheimer's disease and related dementia.

Design: A scoping review of inpatient nurse communication with informal caregivers.

Methods: Collected research (published between 2011 and 2023) from three databases (MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and CINAHL), along with a separate search for gray literature …

2024 Spring Commencement Program: Winona State University, Winona State University

WSU Commencement Programs

This is the Winona State University Spring 2024 commencement program. Commencement was on Friday, May 3, 2024.

Quantifying Time Spent Outdoors: A Versatile Method Using Any Type Of Global Positioning System (Gps) And Accelerometer Devices, Wei Liu, Timothy Chambers, Kimberly A. Clevenger, Karin A. Pfeiffer, Zachary Rzotkiewicz, Hyunseo Park, Amber L. Pearson

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Spending time outdoors is associated with increased time spent in physical activity, lower chronic disease risk, and wellbeing. Many studies rely on self-reported measures, which are prone to recall bias. Other methods rely on features and functions only available in some GPS devices. Thus, a reliable and versatile method to objectively quantify time spent outdoors is needed. This study sought to develop a versatile method to classify indoor and outdoor (I/O) GPS data that can be widely applied using most types of GPS and accelerometer devices. To develop and test the method, five university students wore an accelerometer (ActiGraph wGT3X-BT) …

A Behavioral Intervention Checklist To Reduce Re-Hospitalizations In Residents With Mental Illness, Jeffery Davis

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Skilled nursing facilities are an essential component of the continuum of care and, with the rapidly aging population, represent an increasing cost to the healthcare system. The policies beginning in the 1960s promoting the deinstitutionalization of mental health institutions have resulted in increasing numbers of individuals with serious mental illnesses now residing in skilled nursing facilities. The complex needs of individuals with mental illness have been associated with an even greater cost of care, deficient quality, and safety concerns. This quality improvement project analyzed the impact of an evidenced-based, structured behavioral intervention checklist on rehospitalization rates in individuals with mental …

The Lived Spiritual Experience Of Aging Adults (≥65), Eddie Doron Soffer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This phenomenological study explored the lived spiritual experience of aging adults (≥65), filling a gap in the literature relating to aging people’s spirituality in a variety of circumstances. The once-American youth-oriented society is growing older at an unprecedented rate as 76 million individuals of the baby-boomer generation (born 1946–1964) face retirement age. This demographic shift highlights a social problem of millions of aging baby boomers requiring a far-reaching change in the structure of society. This qualitative study aimed to gain insights into the lived experience of the spirituality of a sample of nine adults aged 65 and above by asking …

A Preliminary Report On The Role Of Lipoxin A4 In Reinstating The Blood-Brain Barrier Integrity In A Rodent Model Of Acute Inflammation With Impaired Cerebrovasculature, Minjal Patel, Shruti Varshney, Ananya Nethikunta, George G. Godsey, Mary C. Kosciuk, Ana Rodriguez, Bernd Spur, Kingsley Yin, Randel L. Swanson, Venkat Venkataraman, Robert G. Nagele, Nimish Acharya

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Background: The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is responsible for maintaining brain homeostasis and ultimately proper neuronal function. Disruption of the BBB, leading to increased BBB permeability, has been reported in several neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI). Lipoxins (LXs) are a class of arachidonate-derived eicosanoids, which are a class of specialized pro-resolving lipid mediators (SPMs). SPMs are known to inhibit immune response through inhibition of cellular infiltration, downregulation of pro-inflammatory mediators and upregulation of anti-inflammatory mediators. Hence, LXs are recognized as “breaking signals” in the inflammatory process. One form of LXs, Lipoxin A4 (LXA4) …

How Does Schizophrenia Affect The Expression Of Alpha 7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors In The Brain?, Shruti Varshney, Nimish Acharya

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Schizophrenia (SZ) is a psychiatric disorder with a pathophysiology that has not yet been fully understood. This mental illness is characterized by disruptions in cognition, social activity, affect, and perception, and affects approximately 0.085% of individuals worldwide. The Alpha 7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor (α7nAChR) has been connected to auditory function gating deficits. The purpose of this review is to understand the current literature in how the levels of α7nAChR expression and function are affected by SZ, information that could be used to develop therapies to modulate auditory hallucinations in patients with SZ. A literature search was conducted for peer-reviewed journal …