The Impact of Ambient Scent Environment on Residents’ Wellness and Their Perception of Interior Environments in Long-Term Care Facilities

University of Minnesota Ph.D. dissertation. May 2019. Major: Design, Housing and Apparel. Advisors: Abimbola Asojo, Michael Oakes. 1 computer file (PDF); xii, 205 pages.The elderly population is continuously growing, and the number of older adults living in an institutional setting has been steadily but slowly increased. Because of a higher chance of having psychological disorders among people living in institutional settings than people living in non-institutional settings, providing a supportive institutional setting to the residents is critical to enhance their wellness. The theory of supportive design suggests healthcare facilities can lower people’s stress levels via three conditions (i.e., perceived control, social support, and positive distractions). The present study builds on research on supportive design by investigating the impact of positive distractions and ambient scent environment intervention on nursing home residents' health and wellness. When considering ways to promote wellness, complementary and alternative medicine is another method that has promise. An ambient scent environment, especially, has been widely explored for its impact on people’s health status (e.g., physical and psychological health). Therefore, this study conducted a single-blind and placebo-randomized controlled study to investigate impacts of ambient scent environment, as a positive distraction, on residents’ depression levels and quality of sleep. The recruited residents (N=58) were randomly assigned into either the intervention group, which received a 1% dilution of lavender scent for two weeks nearby their bedside, or the placebo group, which received a non-scent for two weeks. Their depression levels were measured by the Geriatric Depression Scale, and their quality of sleep was measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index at baseline and follow-up, which was two-weeks from the baseline. In a post-experimental interview, the residents were also asked three things they liked and wanted to improve in the living environment. Based on the t-tests, both intervention and placebo groups had improvement on depression, and only the intervention group had improvement on quality of sleep. However, further regression analyses indicated the intervention had no measurable effect on either depression or quality of sleep. The responses from the open-ended questions support the theory of supportive design in that the residents reported appreciation of and desire for perceived control, social support, and positive distraction in their living environment. Regarding the effectiveness of ambient scent environment, more controlled studies with rigorous methodology and larger samples are needed to build on the findings

Building Community and Fostering Health and Well-Being through a Collaborative School Based Project

This article presents lessons learned from collaborative service-learning projects aimed at bridging the gap between theory and practice by providing students design experiences in authentic settings. Interior design students gained disciplinary and civic benefits while problem solving for a preK-5 elementary school calming room, dining room, and teacher sanctuary. The elementary school teachers and staff reported the redesigned calming room supported students’ emotional and self-regulation skills. Teachers and staff also reported the dining room and teacher sanctuary supported the school community well-being. The authors’ present findings and hope the article can serve as a model for educators interested in community building service-learning projects in school environments

Ground-based Observations of the Polar Region Space Environment

Jang Bogo Station (JBS), the second Korean Antarctic research station, was established in Terra Nova Bay, Antarctica (74.62°S 164.22°E) in February 2014 in order to expand the Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI) research capabilities. One of the main research areas at JBS is space environmental research. The goal of the research is to better understand the general characteristics of the polar region ionosphere and thermosphere and their responses to solar wind and the magnetosphere. Ground-based observations at JBS for upper atmospheric wind and temperature measurements using the Fabry-Perot Interferometer (FPI) began in March 2014. Ionospheric radar (VIPIR) measurements have been collected since 2015 to monitor the state of the polar ionosphere for electron density height profiles, horizontal density gradients, and ion drifts. To investigate the magnetosphere and geomagnetic field variations, a search-coil magnetometer and vector magnetometer were installed in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Since JBS is positioned in an ideal location for auroral observations, we installed an auroral all-sky imager with a color sensor in January 2018 to study substorms as well as auroras. In addition to these observations, we are also operating a proton auroral imager, airglow imager, global positioning system total electron content (GPS TEC)/scintillation monitor, and neutron monitor in collaboration with other institutes. In this article, we briefly introduce the observational activities performed at JBS and the preliminary results of these observations

MiR-29 and MiR-140 Regulate TRAIL-induced Drug Tolerance in Lung Cancer

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) has chemotherapeutic potential as a regulator of an extrinsic apoptotic ligand, but its effect as a drug is limited by innate and acquired resistance. Recent findings suggest that an intermediate drug tolerance could mediate acquired resistance, which has made the main obstacle for limited utility of TRAIL as an anti-cancer therapeutics. We propose miRNA-dependent epigenetic modification drives the drug tolerant state in TRAIL-induced drug tolerant (TDT). Transcriptomic analysis revealed miR-29 target gene activation in TDT cells, showing oncogenic signature in lung cancer. Also, the restored TRAIL-sensitivity was associated with miR-29ac and 140-5p expressions, which is known as tumor suppressor by suppressing oncogenic protein RSK2 (p90 ribosomal S6 kinase), further confirmed in patient samples. Moreover, we extended this finding into 119 lung cancer cell lines from public data set, suggesting a significant correlation between TRAIL-sensitivity and RSK2 mRNA expression. Finally, we found that increased RSK2 mRNA is responsible for NF-κB activation, which we previously showed as a key determinant in both innate and acquired TRAIL-resistance. Our findings support further investigation of miR-29ac and -140-5p inhibition to maintain TRAIL-sensitivity and improve the durability of response to TRAIL in lung cancer

A Qualitative Study of Hospital Interior Environments during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Human beings have encountered different infectious diseases. However, there is not much validated data available on the physical environments of hospitals when responding to highly contagious viruses, such as COVID-19. This study was conducted to assess the physical environments of hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic. There exists a need to analyze whether the physical environments of hospitals were conducive or obstructive to medical practice during the pandemic. A total of forty-six staff working in intensive care units, progressive care units, and emergency rooms were invited to participate in a semi-structured interview. Out of this group, fifteen staff members participated in the interview. They were asked to list the changes made to the hospital’s physical environment during the pandemic, which included equipping the hospital environment for medical practice and protecting staff from becoming infected. They were also asked about desirable improvements that they believe could increase their productivity and ensure safety. The results indicated the difficulty in isolating COVID-19 patients and converting a single occupancy room into a double occupancy room. Isolating COVID-19 patients made it easier for staff to care for the patients, but it made them feel isolated and at the same time increased the walking distance. Signs indicating a COVID area helped them to prepare for medical practices ahead of time. Glass doors provided greater visibility and enabled them to monitor the patients. However, the dividers installed at nursing stations were obstructive. This study suggests that further research should be conducted once the pandemic is over

Improving home-like environments in long-term care units: an exploratory mixed-method study

Abstract Although the number of older adults requiring care is rapidly increasing, nursing homes have long faced issues such as the absence of a home-like environment. This exploratory mixed-method study investigated how residents (n = 15) in a long-term care unit in South Korea perceive home-like features and privacy in their living spaces. The results indicated that most participants were satisfied with the homeliness and privacy of their environment, but some were unhappy with the level of privacy. Most participants had low scores on the Geriatric Depression Scale and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, indicating low levels of depression and sleep disorders. Sleep quality was affected by factors such as sensory environment, staff visits, and room temperature. Although participants appreciated social support and private rooms, they expressed a desire for larger rooms. Overall, this study provides preliminary insights into older adults’ views on their living spaces in long-term care with implications for improving their quality of life

DataSheet_1_Microplastic contamination and microbial colonization in coastal area of Busan City, Korea.docx

This study investigated the potential role of the concentration, shape, size, and polymer type of microplastics (MP), in addition to the microbial community in six coastal areas of Busan city, South Korea. The results showed that the average MP concentration was 94 ± 41 particles·m-3, and particles sized 20 μm –300 μm accounted for 67.5 ± 9.6% of the total MP abundance throughout the study sites. Further, polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polystyrene (PS) polymers were abundant among the collected fragment- and fiber-shaped MPs, implying that highly populated and industrialized areas are major sources of MPs contamination. Moreover, the bacterial diversity and taxa-based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing was significantly different between MPs and seawater (SW) samples. Specifically, Psychrobacter, Pseudomonas, Flavobacterium, and Winogradskyella were significantly enriched in MPs compared with SW (p <0.05). Redundancy analysis revealed that nutrient concentrations, salinity, and temperature potentially contributed to shaping the microbial communities on MPs. These results indicate the dynamic and complicated interactions of MP contamination with the physiochemical and environmental factors of the surrounding area. Our findings would help in understanding of MP contamination levels in marine environments and their characteristics, as well as bacterial colonization on plastics in urban coastal areas of Busan, South Korea.</p

The Impact of Design Interventions on Occupant Satisfaction: A Workplace Pre-and Post-Occupancy Evaluation Analysis

Understanding how occupants perceive the built environment is a growing interest in sustainability research. This article looks into how design interventions in a workplace renovation project impact occupants&rsquo; satisfaction through a pre-and post-occupancy survey. In two years (from 2016 to 2018), an interdisciplinary research team from the University of Minnesota administered online occupancy surveys at the headquarters of the Cuningham Group, a national renowned design firm in Minnesota. The surveys included 12 indoor environmental quality categories (with 26 criteria on a 7-point Likert scale) that measured how occupants perceived their existing workplace and the renovated environment. Mann&ndash;Whitney U tests and Chi-square tests were conducted for 12 indoor environmental quality categories between the pre-and post-surveys. Results showed that occupants&rsquo; satisfaction significantly increased with the design interventions in the renovated workplace. Perceived work performance and health also improved in the post-survey. Among 12 indoor environmental quality categories, occupants perceived the biggest improvements in lighting such as adjustability and quality of task lighting. Design interventions in electric lighting, especially improved ease of control, effectiveness of automatic systems, plus visual and acoustic comfort, contributed to occupants&rsquo; satisfaction. Overall, the pre-and post-occupancy evaluation survey analysis confirmed the positive impact of the renovated Cuningham Group facility. The article presents a comprehensive measure of the impact of the data-driven design interventions derived from pre-and post-occupancy evaluation surveys on occupant satisfaction

The Impact of Design Interventions on Occupant Satisfaction: A Workplace Pre-and Post-Occupancy Evaluation Analysis

Understanding how occupants perceive the built environment is a growing interest in sustainability research. This article looks into how design interventions in a workplace renovation project impact occupants’ satisfaction through a pre-and post-occupancy survey. In two years (from 2016 to 2018), an interdisciplinary research team from the University of Minnesota administered online occupancy surveys at the headquarters of the Cuningham Group, a national renowned design firm in Minnesota. The surveys included 12 indoor environmental quality categories (with 26 criteria on a 7-point Likert scale) that measured how occupants perceived their existing workplace and the renovated environment. Mann–Whitney U tests and Chi-square tests were conducted for 12 indoor environmental quality categories between the pre-and post-surveys. Results showed that occupants’ satisfaction significantly increased with the design interventions in the renovated workplace. Perceived work performance and health also improved in the post-survey. Among 12 indoor environmental quality categories, occupants perceived the biggest improvements in lighting such as adjustability and quality of task lighting. Design interventions in electric lighting, especially improved ease of control, effectiveness of automatic systems, plus visual and acoustic comfort, contributed to occupants’ satisfaction. Overall, the pre-and post-occupancy evaluation survey analysis confirmed the positive impact of the renovated Cuningham Group facility. The article presents a comprehensive measure of the impact of the data-driven design interventions derived from pre-and post-occupancy evaluation surveys on occupant satisfaction