Digital Commons Network^™

Sensor-Controlled Digital Game For Heart Failure Self-Management: Protocol For A Randomized Controlled Trial, Kavita Radhakrishnan, Christine Julien, Matthew O'Hair, Rachel Tunis, Grace Lee, Angelica Rangel, James Custer, Tom Baranowski, Paul J Rathouz, Miyong T Kim

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Heart failure (HF) is the leading cause of hospitalization among older adults in the United States. There are substantial racial and geographic disparities in HF outcomes, with patients living in southern US states having a mortality rate 69% higher than the national average. Self-management behaviors, particularly daily weight monitoring and physical activity, are extremely important in improving HF outcomes; however, patients typically have particularly low adherence to these behaviors. With the rise of digital technologies to improve health outcomes and motivate health behaviors, sensor-controlled digital games (SCDGs) have become a promising approach. SCDGs, which leverage sensor-connected technologies, offer the …

Socio-Emotional Resilience Among Older Adults During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Cindy J. Lahar, Angela L. Nadeau, Jayne Violette, Summer Roberts, Diana Reindl

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

The detrimental impact of social isolation on health and well-being has been reported in older adults (Prohaska, et al., 2020). Yet findings also demonstrate that older adults have a motivational shift to prioritize emotionally meaningful goals and experiences (Carstensen, 1993; Sakaki, et al., 2019), prioritize emotional meaning in situations, focus on positive emotions and stimuli over negative feelings and live in the present rather than focus on future preparedness. Socioemotional selectivity theory (SST) (Carstensen, 1993; Carstensen, Fung & Charles, 2003) suggests that older adults have a limited sense of time left in life and shift their focus to meaningful and …

Academic Senate - Agenda, 5/9/2023, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Agendas

No abstract provided.

A Qualitative Multiple Case Study Of Rural Spousal Caregivers’ Experience With Health Promotion, Tamara L. Braley

Theses & Dissertations

Rural spousal caregivers caring for a person living with moderate to severe dementia at home are at risk of serious health consequences because they are unable to attend to their own personal health needs. Insufficient evidence exits that informs how contextual components of the rural spousal caregiving situation prevent caregivers from practicing personal health promotion and wellness while caregiving during the later stages of dementia. The aims of this qualitative, descriptive, multiple case study were to: 1) describe transition points in the rural spousal caregiver’s role across the dementia disease trajectory, 2) describe the rural spousal caregiver’s experience with personal …

The Exacerbating Role Of Technological And Connectivity Challenges On Older Detroiters’ Health In A Pandemic, Nicholas Schroeck, Carrie Leach

Seattle Journal of Technology, Environmental, & Innovation Law

The COVID-19 pandemic hit communities of color hard. The City of Detroit was particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 due to racial, socioeconomic, and environmental health factors. To analyze the exacerbating role of technology and connectivity challenges on older Detroiters' health in a pandemic, we first examined Detroit’s demographics. This analysis involved looking at the continued evolution of the City's population toward older adults, as well as the impact of COVID-19 and the healthcare services on Detroit’s elder population. Next, we examined Detroit’s internet access challenges, including the presence of digital exclusion among older adults in Detroit, the impact of COVID-19 on …

2023 Spring Commencement Program: Winona State University, Winona State University

WSU Commencement Programs

This is the Winona State University Spring 2023 commencement program. Commencement was on Friday, May 5, 2023.

Caring For Former Caretakers: Utilizing Collage To Explore Transition, Development Of A Method, Noelle Leblanc

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Older adulthood often comes with a variety of challenges both emotional and physical. The transition to an assisted living program can be challenging to cope with. Older adults may face isolation and loneliness, while grappling with changes in their identity as result of factors like decline in health, loss of an ability, or changes in social support. Arts based interventions were administered individually among a group of older adults to test if collage could be utilized to explore themes of role shift, transition and identity. Clinical observations along with post-session reflective artwork is included. Assisted living residents participated in a …

Implementing The Timed Up And Go Test To Prevent Falls, Shamika Allen

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Falls are the most reported injury within the geriatric population. Behavioral health patients have the most injurious falls, with falls impacting multiple things such as staffing, cost, injury, and quality of life for the patient (Ocker et al., 2020). Currently, the standardized fall assessment for new patients upon admission is the Morse Fall Scale (MFS). This fall assessment was intended to assess the level of fall risk for patients who are on an acute medical floor during their hospital stay. The Timed Up and Go test (TUG) is a fall assessment that has been used in geriatric patients to assess …

Introduction Of A Spinal Care Pathway Triage Protocol In The Secondary Care Setting, Tonicia I. Boston

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Back pain is considered the leading cause of disability worldwide. Providing effective multidisciplinary care for clients with chronic back pain (CBP) has been an ongoing issue globally. Improper care management of CBP creates personal, economic, and societal burdens that significantly affect patients, their families, and the healthcare system. Purpose: This quality improvement project aimed to successfully integrate a spinal care pathway (SCP) electronic decision support tool (e-tool) into a multidisciplinary spinal care program, to improve providers’ satisfaction with care delivery and their satisfaction with CBP patient outcomes. Methods: This DNP project used an evidence-based quality improvement (EBQI) design to …

Emotion-Focused Dyadic Coping Styles Used By Family Carers Of People With Dementia During The Covid-19 Pandemic, C Colclough, E Miles, J Rusted, R Perach, Et Al

Peninsula Medical School

Emotional wellbeing of family carers and people with dementia is associated with not only how each individual copes with stress and conflict, but also by how they cope together. Finding ways to positively cope together was particularly important during COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, when other avenues of emotional support were less available. We explored how carers experienced and used emotion-focused dyadic coping styles during the COVID-19 pandemic. In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted during the pandemic with 42 family carers, supplemented by quality of life scores collected both pre- and during the pandemic and household status. Abductive thematic analysis identified five styles …

Board Of Trustees Agenda, May 5 2023, Indiana State University Board Of Trustees

Board of Trustees

No abstract provided.

Older Adult Aerobic Capacity, Muscular Strength, Fitness And Body Composition After 20+ Years Of Exercise Training: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Eric Leslie, Vincent Luna, Ann L. Gibson

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 16(3): 620-637, 2023. Older adults (³ 65 years) are recommended to participate in regular exercise to maintain health in late adulthood. The impact of long-term (20+ years) exercise training that align with the American College of Sports Medicine’s (ACSM) recommended guidelines has not been evaluated for older adults. To address this, a systematic review and meta-analyses were performed regarding the effects of long-term exercise training on older adult aerobic capacity, muscular fitness, and body composition that meet the ACSM’s recommendation for weekly training volume. Ten studies with individuals that performed cardiorespiratory or resistance exercise met …

Caretaker Burnout In Nj In Response To The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Study Focusing On Quality Of Life, Challenges And Coping Strategies., Abdullah Junayed, Joanna Petrides

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

There is a scarcity of literature regarding caretaker burnout in response to Covid-19, however one cross section survey study in Italy explored the perceived burden of caretakers of patients with Alzheimer’s disease during the pandemic.1 Maria G. Maggio et al showed that an increase in caregiver burden allowed for a deterioration in personal health conditions causing an increase in perceived stress levels. 1 Along with impaired management of stress and low quality of life, many caretakers were found to utilize avoidance strategies.1 However, the authors pointed out that the dysfunctional coping strategies did not affect stress levels and this study …

Extravasated Brain-Reactive Autoantibodies Perturb Neuronal Surface Protein Expression In Alzheimer's Pathology, Wardah Bajwa, Mary Kosciuk, Randel L. Swanson, Anuradha Krishnan, Venkat Venkataraman, Robert Nagele, Nimish Acharya

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Background: Increased blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability is reported in both the neuropathological and in vivo studies in both Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and age matched cognitively normal, no cognitive impairment (NCI), subjects. Impaired BBB allows various vascular components such as immunoglobulin G (IgG) to extravasate into the brain and specifically bind to various neuronal surface proteins (NSP), also known as brain reactive autoantibodies (BrABs). This interaction is predicted to further enhance deposition of amyloid plaques.

Hypothesis: Interaction between extravasated BrABs and its cognate NSPs lower the expression of that NSPs in AD patients.

Methods: We selected Western blotting technique to study …

Leadership Education In A Changing World: The Efficacy Of Service-Learning As A Pedagogical Asset In Online University Leadership Courses, Sam Perry

Student Scholarship

The purpose of this study is to explore the domains of service-learning, leadership education, and online education to generate new ideas relevant to providing a comprehensive educational experience that successfully aids students to lead in subsequent positions. This is an in integrative literature review with supporting information from 35 sources including journals, books, dissertations, relevant media, and surveys that are used to discuss leadership education, online education, service-learning, and the leadership development potential for students when service-learning assignments are utilized in online leadership courses. Themes from each section will be identified and combined to produce new ideas in employing service-learning …

We Are ... Marshall, May 3, 2023, Office Of Marshall University Communications

We Are ... Marshall: the Newsletter for Marshall University 1999-2023

No abstract provided.

The Association Of Dementia Caregiver Employment With Sleep Quality: Does Being A Spouse Matter?, Jasnoor Kaur

Honors College Theses

Background: Family caregivers for a person living with dementia (PLwD) can experience stress and burden which may relate to health consequences such as poor sleep quality. This study aimed to 1) examine the association between caregiver employment status and sleep quality and 2) understand how this association may be moderated by the relationship of the caregiver to the PLwD.

Methods: A sample of primary caregivers for a PLwD (N = 100) were interviewed in person in 2017. A linear regression with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) global score as the outcome and employment status as the key predictor, and …

Tele-Sim For Nurse Practitioner Clinical Education: An Online, Real-Time, Educational Innovation Using Simulation And Telehealth For Learning Physical Assessment Skills, Kat Tremblay

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Translational and Clinical Research Projects

Background: Increasing numbers of nurse practitioner (NP) educational programs are being offered online, with little or no face-to-face contact among students and instructors. Students express lack of confidence in their physical examination skills and want live instructor demonstrations, observed practice, and real-time feedback from their clinical instructors.

Significance: NP students need to acquire physical examination skills to increase competency in assessing patients for enhanced clinical judgment and improved patient outcomes.

Purpose/Aims: to improve and measure the competency and confidence in the performance of advanced physical assessment skills of NP students in an advanced health assessment (AHA) clinical course with an …

Effect Of High Fat Vs High Sugar Diet On Mtor Signaling Pathway In Skeletal Muscle Of Male And Female Mice, Zereque Powell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Background: Obesity and MetS has been shown to negatively impact protein synthesis rates. Objective: Determine the effects of sex and high fat/high sugar diets on mTOR signaling pathways. Methods: 15 male and 15 female wild type C57BL/6 mice were randomized into 3 groups: High Fat (45% fat), High Sugar (60% carb) and Control. While continuing diets, body weight and body composition were monitored. Following sacrifice, muscles were examined for changes in the mTOR signaling pathway. Results: Mice consuming the HF diet had the highest levels of weight gain. Females expressed higher levels of expression of P-AMPK. Levels of REDD1 were …

Association Of Mitochondrial Dna Copy Number With Brain Mri Markers And Cognitive Function: A Meta-Analysis Of Community-Based Cohorts, Yuankai Zhang, Xue Liu, Kerri L Wiggins, Nuzulul Kurniansyah, Xiuqing Guo, Amanda L Rodrigue, Wei Zhao, Lisa R Yanek, Scott M Ratliff, Achilleas Pitsillides, Juan Sebastian Aguirre Patiño, Tamar Sofer, Dan E Arking, Thomas R Austin, Alexa S Beiser, John Blangero, Eric Boerwinkle, Jan Bressler, Joanne E Curran, Lifang Hou, Timothy M Hughes, Sharon L R Kardia, Lenore J Launer, Daniel Levy, Thomas H Mosley, Ilya M Nasrallah, Stephen S Rich, Jerome I Rotter, Sudha Seshadri, Wassim Tarraf, Kevin A González, Vasan Ramachandran, Kristine Yaffe, Paul A Nyquist, Bruce M Psaty, Charles S Decarli, Jennifer A Smith, David C Glahn, Hector M González, Joshua C Bis, Myriam Fornage, Susan R Heckbert, Annette L Fitzpatrick, Chunyu Liu, Claudia L Satizabal

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Previous studies suggest that lower mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number (CN) is associated with neurodegenerative diseases. However, whether mtDNA CN in whole blood is related to endophenotypes of Alzheimer disease (AD) and AD-related dementia (AD/ADRD) needs further investigation. We assessed the association of mtDNA CN with cognitive function and MRI measures in community-based samples of middle-aged to older adults.

METHODS: We included dementia-free participants from 9 diverse community-based cohorts with whole-genome sequencing in the Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) program. Circulating mtDNA CN was estimated as twice the ratio of the average coverage of mtDNA to nuclear …

An Investigation Of Resistance Training Behavior, Non-Specific Psychological Distress, And Perceived Barriers To Resistance Training In Self-Identifying Female Undergraduate Students, Jody Sobel

Master's Theses

The prevalence and severity of depression symptoms amongst college students, specifically female identifying undergraduate students, is worrisome. There is a great deal of research that suggests a relationship between exercise, specifically resistance training (RT), and mental health. That said, current literature suggests that many female identifying students are not engaging due to perceived barriers. This, perhaps because of the plethora of barriers one can perceive. The purpose of this study was multifold 1) to examine the prevalence and severity of non-specific psychological distress; 2) to determine if there were differences between Kessler 6 Non-Specific Psychological Distress Scale (K6) categories (i.e., …

Lgbtq+ In A Rural Kentucky Town, Caroline A. Kinsman

Honors Theses

This interview series aims to understand the perspectives of LGBTQ+ community members in relation to local government in a small rural town in Kentucky. The purpose is to ascertain the correlation between the LGBTQ+ community's level of feeling accepted and the efforts and attitudes of non-LGBTQ+ officials. In total, six LGBTQ+ individuals were interviewed, and two elected government officials. Themes found within the interview series include reputation, safety, mental health, urgent change, blindness, and lack of responsibility.

Murphy, Jr., George, Dpaac Staff

Manuscript Division Finding Aids

Collection Number: Inclusive Dates: 1883 - 1985 Extent: 86 Cubic Feet Description: George B. Murphy, Jr. was born into the prominent and prosperous family that built the Afro-American newspaper and went on to fight for anti-racist and anti-colonialist causes throughout his life. His collection contains subject files and correspondence regarding people and organizations he was involved with.

Nicotinamide Riboside And Beta-Hydroxybutyrate Activate Parallel Pathways For C. Elegans Lifespan Extension, Mckenzie Peters

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Supplementation with nicotinamide riboside (NR), a form of vitamin B3 and a precursor of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺) extends lifespan in the nematode C. elegans and delays aging-related pathologies in mammals. During aging, levels of NAD⁺ decline causing metabolic dysfunction and oxidative damage. Studies in C. elegans found that when NR was administered during larval development it induced the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPR^mt), which is frequently associated with lifespan extension. Both calorie restriction (CR) and ketogenic diets (KD) have been shown to extend lifespan, in part through increasing NAD⁺ and through increasing levels …

Enhancing Health Tweet Classification: An Evaluation Of Transformer-Based Models For Comprehensive Analysis, Foram Pankajbhai Patel

Computer Science and Engineering Theses - Archive

The task of health tweet classification entails identifying whether a given tweet is health-related or not. While existing research in this area has made significant progress in classifying tweets into specific sub-domains of health, such as mental health, COVID-19, or specific diseases, there is a need for a more comprehensive approach that considers a broader range of health-related topics. This thesis addresses this need by proposing a diverse and comprehensive dataset that includes various existing health-related datasets, data collected through a keyword-based approach, and manually annotated data. However, the use of health-related keywords in a figurative or non-health context poses …

Graduate List - May 2023, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Commencement Lists

No abstract provided.

Medication Safety In Community-Dwelling Older Adults, Fatoumata Jallow

Nursing Dissertations - Archive

This article-based thesis comprises two manuscripts on medication safety strategies in community-dwelling older adults. A phenomenological method was used to conduct semi-structured interviews with 28 community-dwelling older adults over 65 years who took five or more prescription medications daily. Caregivers were encouraged to participate in interviews. The objective of the first manuscript was to explore the roles of patients, pharmacists, and providers in medication safety from the perspective of community-dwelling older adults. Inductive thematic analysis revealed six themes indicating varying perceived roles of medication safety by older adults. In addition, results show that the provider and pharmacist roles overlap but …

Early Therapeutic Effects Of An Angiopoietin-1 Mimetic Peptide In Middle-Aged Rats With Vascular Dementia, Hua Gao, Elizabeth L. Findeis, Lauren Culmone, Brianna Powell, Julie Landschoot-Ward, Alex Zacharek, Trueman Wu, Mei Lu, Michael Chopp, Poornima Venkat

Neurology Articles

BACKGROUND: Vascular Dementia (VaD) refers to dementia caused by cerebrovascular disease and/or reduced blood flow to the brain and is the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer's disease. We previously found that in middle-aged rats subjected to a multiple microinfarction (MMI) model of VaD, treatment with AV-001, a Tie2 receptor agonist, significantly improves short-term memory, long-term memory, as well as improves preference for social novelty compared to control MMI rats. In this study, we tested the early therapeutic effects of AV-001 on inflammation and glymphatic function in rats subjected to VaD.

METHODS: Male, middle-aged Wistar rats (10-12 m), …

Impacts Of Personal Cultural Orientations On College Students’ Psychological Health And Preventive Behaviors During The Covid-19 Period, Joanna Ouyang

Honors Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought dramatic life changes to individuals across the world. Personal cultural orientations of these individuals alter the way individuals respond to the pandemic and their mental wellness. This research investigates how personal cultural orientations impact college students’ mental health primarily anxiety, prevention behaviors and intentions to reduce the spread of COVID-19, and active coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants (n=155) completed measures of independence, ambiguity intolerance, masculinity, gender equality, mental health, prevention behaviors to reduce the spread of COVID-19, and active coping strategies to protect themselves during the pandemic. Results revealed that people with higher …

Mathematics Library News, Aaron Lercher

Faculty Publications

Mathematics Library News is an LSU Libraries newsletter for members of the Mathematics and Experimental Statistics Departments, published roughly once each semester.