Digital Commons Network^™

The Effect Of Obesity On Comorbidities: A Benchmark Study, Kaley Nolen

MSN Capstone Projects

Obesity is distinguished by a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30. Tremmel et al. (2017) reports obese individuals are at a greater risk for developing cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. In 2014, approximately 641 million adults were classified as obese (Zhang et al., 2018). This epidemic has drastically worsened over the last two decades resulting in obesity ranking as the fifth most common cause of death globally (Safaei et al., 2021). Okunogbe et al. (2021) states, slowing the incidence rate of obesity by 5% will save approximately $3.3 billion annually between 2020-2060. The pathophysiology and cause of obesity is …

Age & Dementia Friendly Plymouth: A Community Needs Assessment, Caitlin E. Coyle, Beth Rouleau, Ceara Somerville

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

This report describes research undertaken by the Center for Social & Demographic Research on Aging (CSDRA) within the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston, on behalf of the Town of Plymouth. The goals of this project were to investigate the needs, interests, preferences, and opinions of Plymouth’s residents age 55 or older in support of the Council on Aging’s (COA’s) objective to identify and serve the needs of all Plymouth citizens 55 and older. The contents of this report are meant to inform the Town of Plymouth, the Plymouth COA, the Center for Active Living, and organizations that …

Multimodal Analysis Of Secondary Cerebellar Alterations After Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury, Finian Keleher, Hannah M Lindsey, Rebecca Kerestes, Houshang Amiri, Robert F Asarnow, Talin Babikian, Brenda Bartnik-Olson, Erin D Bigler, Karen Caeyenberghs, Carrie Esopenko, Linda Ewing-Cobbs, Christopher C Giza, Naomi J Goodrich-Hunsaker, Cooper B Hodges, Kristen R Hoskinson, Andrei Irimia, Marsh Königs, Jeffrey E Max, Mary R Newsome, Alexander Olsen, Nicholas P Ryan, Adam T Schmidt, Dan J Stein, Stacy J Suskauer, Ashley L Ware, Anne L Wheeler, Brandon A Zielinski, Paul M Thompson, Ian H Harding, David F Tate, Elisabeth A Wilde, Emily L Dennis

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Importance: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is known to cause widespread neural disruption in the cerebrum. However, less is known about the association of TBI with cerebellar structure and how such changes may alter executive functioning.

Objective: To investigate alterations in subregional cerebellum volume and cerebral white matter microstructure after pediatric TBI and examine subsequent changes in executive function.

Design, setting, and participants: This retrospective cohort study combined 12 data sets (collected between 2006 and 2020) from 9 sites in the Enhancing Neuroimaging Genetics Through Meta-Analysis Consortium Pediatric TBI working group in a mega-analysis of cerebellar structure. Participants with TBI or …

Economic Equity And People With Disabilities: Development And Characterization Of A Novel Index, Bhavneet Walia, Katherine Mcdonald, Joy Hammel, Lex Frieden, Michael Morris, Barry Whaley, Vinh Nguyen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Here we develop two new social indices: The ADA PARC Absolute Economic Opportunity Index and the ADA PARC Relative Economic Opportunity Index. These indices allow us novel examinations of economic equity between people with and without disabilities within a U.S. State and between people with disabilities in different states using aggregations of multiple component economic indicators. These represent the first efforts to offer U.S. indices of this focus, an important development given the distinct economic needs of people with disabilities and the value in accounting for distinct national policies. The indices rely on U.S. Census and other data on economic …

Recent Developments In Frailty Identification, Management, Risk Factors And Prevention: A Narrative Review Of Leading Journals In Geriatrics And Gerontology, Elsa Dent, Peter Hanlon, Marc Sim, Juulia Jylhävä, Zuyun Liu, Davide L. Vetrano, Erwin Stolz, Mario U. Pérez-Zepeda, Daniel R. Crabtree, Caroline Nicholson, Jenny Job, Rachel C. Ambagtsheer, Paul R. Ward, Sandra M. Shi, Quan Huynh, Emiel O. Hoogendijk

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Frailty is an age-related clinical condition characterised by an increased susceptibility to stressors and an elevated risk of adverse outcomes such as mortality. In the light of global population ageing, the prevalence of frailty is expected to soar in coming decades. This narrative review provides critical insights into recent developments and emerging practices in frailty research regarding identification, management, risk factors, and prevention. We searched journals in the top two quartiles of geriatrics and gerontology (from Clarivate Journal Citation Reports) for articles published between 01 January 2018 and 20 December 2022. Several recent developments were identified, including new biomarkers and …

Psychological Safety And Conflict Management Among Nurse Practitioners In Interprofessional Teams, Scott Tyler Faust

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative correlational study explored the relationships between perceived psychological safety, conflict management styles, and perceived conflict management success among nurse practitioners (NPs) operating in interprofessional acute or critical care teams in the United States. Despite existing literature on conflict management and psychological safety, there is a noticeable gap concerning the interplay of these factors, specifically among NPs. A multi-item survey was developed from validated measures to assess psychological safety, conflict management success, and conflict management style. The final sample included 944 NPs. The findings revealed a statistically significant difference in the scores of perceived psychological safety, depending on the …

Gelation Of Cytoplasmic Expanded Cag Rna Repeats Suppresses Global Protein Synthesis, Yuyin Pan, J Lu, Xinran Feng, S Lu, Y Yang, G Yang, Shudan Tan, Liang Wang, Pilong Li, Shouqing Luo, B Lu

Peninsula Medical School

RNA molecules with the expanded CAG repeat (eCAGr) may undergo sol–gel phase transitions, but the functional impact of RNA gelation is completely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that the eCAGr RNA may form cytoplasmic gel-like foci that are rapidly degraded by lysosomes. These RNA foci may significantly reduce the global protein synthesis rate, possibly by sequestering the translation elongation factor eEF2. Disrupting the eCAGr RNA gelation restored the global protein synthesis rate, whereas enhanced gelation exacerbated this phenotype. eEF2 puncta were significantly enhanced in brain slices from a knock-in mouse model and from patients with Huntington’s disease, which is a CAG …

Using The Five Ps: Conceptualizing Covid-19-Related Mental Health Concerns, Christine D. Gonzales-Wong, Scott Peters

Teaching and Supervision in Counseling

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in rising mental health concerns. As individuals experience loneliness, anxiety, and depression related to the pandemic, counselors-in-training navigate their treatment of clients while also living through the pandemic and its polarization. The authors present the Five Ps, a case conceptualization model that supervisors can use to help beginning counselors consider the history and context of the presenting concerns of clients, in addition to utilizing clients’ strengths in treatment. The authors provide a case illustration using the Five Ps in a supervision setting and discuss implications for supervision and future research.

Exploring The Dynamic Reading Of Environment Towards A Multidimensional Legibility, Putri Mahsa Gantari, Ferro Yudistira

ARSNET

This study investigates the understanding of legibility, defined as the coherency of built environment features. Legibility enables production of mental image that helps individuals with their spatial navigation. The current discussion positions legibility as an objective aspect in the process of making sense of the environment. The study argues that such a process has dynamics that reflect individuals' subjectivity, therefore further study is important to reconcile the objective and subjective reading of legibility. This research qualitatively investigates legibility using a case study of an indoor environment of a shopping mall in East Jakarta. The analysis was conducted based on the …

A Duel Role: Nurses As Family Caregivers, Megan Thomas Hebdon, Vyshnavi Pottepalli, Dona Ravandi, Zainah Siddiqi, Saneeva George, Aashi Vishnoi, Carolyn Phillips, Jung Kwak

Sigma Foundation for Nursing Research Grant Reports

The purpose of this study is to understand the emotional and financial wellbeing for nurses who balance the dual caregiving role of "nurse" and "family caregiver," (referred as dual role caregiver henceforth) and develop a stakeholder-informed dual role caregiver support intervention prototype.

Older Women As Active Online Agents: Diversifying Cultural Conceptions Of “Grannies” Through Social Media, Hanna Varjakoski

Journal of International Women's Studies

With the advent of social media, the media environment has become more participatory for its users, making it possible for older adults to produce content for social media and be agential in online spaces. This article observes a group of older women known as Activist Grannies (Aktivistimummot in Finnish) and 60+ Finnish women bloggers who identify as “grannies” to discover what kind of agency social media potentially enables for older women. In addition, this article explores the cultural knowledge produced by older women’s self-representations as activist grannies and “granny bloggers.” I demonstrate that social media offers a space to …

Research Progress On Constituent Structure And Extraction Technique Of The Polysaccharide From Agaricus Blazei, Cui Guomei, Liu Lina, Tian Guangrui, Li Shunfeng, Xu Fangfang, Wang Anjian

Food and Machinery

The composition, structure and functional properties of Agaricus blazei polysaccharide were summarized. The extraction techniques of polysaccharides and the features of different extraction methods were enumerated and compared. The problems in the research of A. blazei was discussed， such as unsystematic basic research, immature technological conditions, imperfect equipment and facilities, and low degree of specificity in seeds. In the end，the research direction of A. blazei polysaccharide was prospected.

Immortal Longings: Perpetuity In Context, Lawrence M. Friedman

Buffalo Law Review

No abstract provided.

Older Peoples' Lived Experiences Of Personalised Care In Care Homes: A Meta‐Ethnography, Gary Hodge, Iain Lang, Richard Byng, Susie Pearce

School of Nursing and Midwifery

AbstractBackgroundGuidance and policy on personalised (or person‐centred) care of older people living in care homes advocates that all residents must have their preferences considered, and that all care provided must be reasonably adjusted to meet the person's specific needs. Despite this, research that considers what matters to residents in terms of the care they receive is limited.ObjectivesOur review aims to explore care home residents' lived experiences of personalised care and understand what really matters to them.MethodsSix electronic databases (CINHAL, Medline (Ovid), Embase, PubMed, Web of Science & PsychInfo) and Google Scholar (grey literature) were searched to identify qualitative studies relating …

Exploring Race: The Collaborative Inquiry Experience Of A Group Of Black Social Work Faculty, Lusta Phanord, Amber D. Bell, Deneen Harris, Crystal George-Moses, Erica Bosque, Carla Fagan, Bianca Brandon

Title III Professional Development Reports

Through a partnership presentation, presenters discussed the co-inquiry group process through which they explored their experiences as Black faculty who teach race based content in social work programs. They shared insights into what it means, what it takes, and what it costs to teach such content, and the benefits of the group process.

Web-Based Presence For Social Connectedness In Long-Term Care: Protocol For A Qualitative Multimethods Study, Anna Garnett, Halyna Yurkiv, Richard Booth, Denise Connelly, Lorie Donelle Phd, Rn, Fcan

Publications

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic and resultant restrictions on social gatherings significantly impacted many peoples' sense of social connectedness, defined as an individual's subjective sense of having close relationships with others. Older adults living in long-term care homes (LTCHs) experienced extreme restrictions on social gatherings, which negatively impacted their physical and mental health as well as the health and well-being of their family caregivers. Their experiences highlighted the need to reconceptualize social connectedness. In particular, the pandemic highlighted the need to explore novel ways to attain fulfilling relationships with others in the absence of physical gatherings such as through the use …

Beyond Prognosis Communication: Exploring The Existential Dimensions Of Palliative Care Conversations With Adults With Advanced Cancer, Elise C. Tarbi

Dissertations

Communication about prognosis is integral to effective palliative care. However, prognosis communication often entails considering mortality, which can trigger existential questions. We understand very little about how existential experience is communicated in palliative care conversations. To fill this gap, this dissertation addresses the following aims: (1) Clarify the concept of the existential experience within the context of adults with advanced cancer (Chapter 2); (2) Describe how patients, families, and clinicians communicate about existential experience in palliative care conversations (Chapter 3); and (3) Explore the intersection between prognosis communication and existential dimensions of conversation (Chapter 4).

Recurrent Lower Urinary Tract Infections: More Than An Infection For Older Women, Sencer Gani̇dağli, Ercüment Öztürk, Zeynel Abi̇di̇n Öztürk

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: Older adults tend to have more urinary tract infections (UTIs). The frequency of recurrent lower urinary tract infections (rLUTIs) increases with age. rLUTIs are associated with long-term chronic effects on geriatric syndromes in older adults. We aimed to investigate possible risk factors that influence rLUTIs in older adults based on comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA). Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study included 235 older adults admitted to Gaziantep University?s Geriatric Outpatient Clinic between June 1 and November 30, 2022. All patients underwent CGA. The Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), the European Quality of Life-Five Dimension (EQ-5D) questionnaire, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality …

Effects Of Progressive Functional Ankle Exercises In Spastic Cerebral Palsy, Plantarflexors Versus Dorsiflexors: A Randomized Trial, Melek Volkan Yazici, Gamze Çobanoğlu, Gökhan Yazici, Bülent Elbasan

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: Children with cerebral palsy (CP), even those who have very mild impairment, have lower muscle strength than their typically developing peers. The ankle dorsiflexors (DFs) and plantarflexors (PFs) of children with CP are especially weak. Weakness in the ankle muscles causes problems in functional skills, mobility, and balance in spastic CP (SCP). The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of progressive functional exercises (PFEs) on the DF, PF, or dorsi-plantar flexor (DPF) muscles in children with SCP, specifically, the functional mobility, balance, and maximum voluntary contraction (MVC), and compare the effects of strengthening these muscles individually …

Correlation Of Metal Ions With Specific Brain Region Volumes In Neurodegenerative Diseases, İsmet Murat Melek, Berna Kuş, Zülal Kaptan, Emi̇ne Petekkaya

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: There are reports stating that deteriorations in metal homeostasis in neurodegenerative diseases promote abnormal protein accumulation. In this study, the serum metal levels in Alzheimer?s disease (AD) and Parkinson?s disease (PD) and its relationship with the cortical regions of the brain were investigated. Materials and methods: The patients were divided into 3 groups consisting of the AD group, PD group, and healthy control group (n = 15 for each). The volumes of specific brain regions were measured over the participants? 3-dimensional magnetic resonance images, and they were compared across the groups. Copper, zinc, iron, and ferritin levels in the …

2023.10.23 - Academic/Student Affairs, Enrollment, And Technology Committee Meeting Minutes, Northeastern Illinois University Board Of Trustees

Board of Trustees - 2023

Meeting materials for the NEIU Academic/Student Affairs, Enrollment, and Technology Committee

The Neural Correlates Of Narcissism: Is There A Connection With Desire For Fame And Celebrity Worship?, Sydney Ash, Dara Greenwood, Julian Paul Keenan

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

(1) Objective: Narcissism is characterized by emotional regulation deficits, a lack of empathy for others, and extreme self-focus. Narcissism has also been linked to an increased desire for fame and celebrity worship. Here, the neuroscience underlying narcissism is examined in order to determine what regions and networks of the brain are altered when non-narcissistic individuals are compared to participants with both grandiose and vulnerable narcissism. (2) Methods: The behavioral relationships between grandiose narcissism and desire for fame and vulnerable narcissism and celebrity worship are explored, along with a possible relationship at the neural level between these constructs. In this paper, …

Older Adult Falls In The Community: Does Unsafe Home Environment Have A Risk Role Through The Mediating Effect Of Functional Limitations?, Debasree Das Gupta, Uma Kelekar, Sidney C. Turner

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Background and Objectives: Fall incidents from unsafe home environment are frequent in older-adult homes but the literature is ambiguous whether it is the presence/absence, or the interplay of such conditions and physical functioning that is of salience. We therefore estimated whether unsafe home environment adversely associated with subsequent falls among older adults and what proportion of this association was mediated through limitations in daily and instrumental activities of daily living (ADL/IADL).

Research Design and Methods: Using a nationally representative sample of community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries (≥65 years) in the 2018-2019 National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS; n=2,599), we conducted bivariate …

Tuberculosis Presentation And Outcomes In Older Hispanic Adults From Tamaulipas, Mexico, Belinda Medrano, Miryoung Lee, Gretchen L. Gemeinhardt, Javier E. Rodríguez-Herrera, Moncerrato García-Viveros, Blanca I. Restrepo

School of Medicine Publications

Older people are at high risk of developing and dying from pulmonary infections like tuberculosis (TB), but there are few studies among them, particularly in Hispanics. To address these gaps, we sought to identify host factors associated with TB and adverse treatment outcomes in older Hispanics by conducting a cross-sectional study of TB surveillance data from Tamaulipas, Mexico (2006–2013; n = 8381). Multivariable logistic regressions were assessed for older adults (OA ≥65 years) when compared to young (YA, 18–39 years) and middle-aged adults (40–64 years). We found that the OA had features associated with a less complicated TB (e.g., lower …

A Scoping Review Of Nutrition Health For Older Adults: Does Technology Help?, Dara L. Lobuono, Michael Milovich Jr.

Rita & Larry Salva School of Nursing and Health Professions Departmental Research

The technological developments in healthcare may help facilitate older adult nutritional care. This scoping review includes research in technology and nutrition to (1) explain how technology is used to manage nutrition needs and (2) describe the forms of technology used to manage nutrition. Five major databases were the foundation for papers published from January 2000 to December 2020. The most common type of technology used is software to (1) “track, plan, and execute” nutrition management and for (2) “assessing” technology use. “Track, plan, and execute” includes tracking food intake, planning for changes, and executing a plan. “Assessing” technology use is …

Depression By Gender And Associated Factors Among Older Adults In India: Implications For Age-Friendly Policies, Ronak Paul, T. Muhammad, Rashmi Rashmi, Palak Sharma, Shobhit Srivastava, Preeti Zanwar

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

Inspite of implementing policies to control mental health problems, depression remains a severe health concern among older adults in India. We examined self-reported differences in the depression among older men and women in India and examined associated factors for gender differences in depression at the population level. We utilized nationally representative data from the Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI) wave I, for years 2017-2019. Our analytical sample comprised of 30,637 older adults ages 60 years and above (14,682 men and 15,655 women). We conducted descriptive statistics and Chi-Square tests followed by binary logistic regression and multivariate decomposition analyses to …

The Darkest Moments, Gwendolyn Goguelet

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

Association Between Whole Blood-Derived Mitochondrial Dna Copy Number, Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol, And Cardiovascular Disease Risk, Xue Liu, Xianbang Sun, Yuankai Zhang, Wenqing Jiang, Meng Lai, Kerri L Wiggins, Laura M Raffield, Lawrence F Bielak, Wei Zhao, Achilleas Pitsillides, Jeffrey Haessler, Yinan Zheng, Thomas W Blackwell, Jie Yao, Xiuqing Guo, Yong Qian, Bharat Thyagarajan, Nathan Pankratz, Stephen S Rich, Kent D Taylor, Patricia A Peyser, Susan R Heckbert, Sudha Seshadri, Eric Boerwinkle, Megan L Grove, Nicholas B Larson, Jennifer A Smith, Ramachandran S Vasan, Annette L Fitzpatrick, Myriam Fornage, Jun Ding, April P Carson, Goncalo Abecasis, Josée Dupuis, Alexander Reiner, Charles Kooperberg, Lifang Hou, Bruce M Psaty, James G Wilson, Daniel Levy, Jerome I Rotter, Joshua C Bis, Claudia L Satizabal, Dan E Arking, Chunyu Liu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background The relationship between mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNA CN) and cardiovascular disease remains elusive. Methods and Results We performed cross-sectional and prospective association analyses of blood-derived mtDNA CN and cardiovascular disease outcomes in 27 316 participants in 8 cohorts of multiple racial and ethnic groups with whole-genome sequencing. We also performed Mendelian randomization to explore causal relationships of mtDNA CN with coronary heart disease (CHD) and cardiometabolic risk factors (obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia).

The Effects Of Mindfulness On Depression In Dialysis Patients, Nakeia Saddler

Dissertations

Abstract

Problem: Depression is a prevailing global health issue and a typical complication of dialysis patients. This quality improvement project's purpose was to evaluate mindfulness on depression in dialysis patients, aged 18-93, who are on dialysis and participated in a mindfulness program over three months.

Methods: A descriptive, prospective, and retrospective design was used to assess depression pre- and post-implementation of a mindfulness telephone line over three months. A convenience sample of twenty adults aged 18-83 who use this hemodialysis center on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday was utilized. The Iowa Model is the framework selected to guide the implementation of …

Providing Personalized Interest-Based Activities To Prevent Delirium: A Multicomponent Quality Improvement Initiative In An Acute Care Setting, Qianwen Liu, Elena V. Donoso Brown, Shauni Johnson, Autumn Moss-Corcoran

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Hospital-induced delirium is a prevalent condition across inpatient settings, frequently impacting older adults’ recovery. A 10-week multi-component quality improvement (QI) project was designed for an existing delirium prevention program in four acute care units, aiming to support patient and caregiver engagement in delirium prevention activities.

Method: The participants were hospitalized adults who were 70 years of age and older and met specific inclusion criteria. The project provided personalized interest-based activities, orientation stimulation, and caregiver education. An abbreviated version of the Modified Interest Checklist was used to identify the participants’ activity choices. Activity daily logs, satisfaction survey, and …