Assessment of Multiple Constructs of Social Integration for Older Adults Living in Nursing Homes

A variety of terms and measures have been used in the literature to denote being socially integrated, and many studies of older adults focus on only social networks or social support and often only include those living in the community. The purpose of this study was to assess multiple constructs of social integration (i.e., social networks, social capital, social support, and social engagement) for older adults in nursing homes. Data were collected from 140 older adults at 30 nursing homes in Kansas. We interviewed older adults\u27 in-person using a survey questionnaire, and used multilevel confirmatory factor analysis to analyze the data. The final model that included the four constructs had acceptable fit (χ2 = 174.71; df = 112; p \u3c .01; CFI = .93; RMSEA = .06; SRMR-W = .06; SRMR-B = .12). The results showed that the proposed model was supported at the individual level. At the between-level, social networks and social support were supported. Study results have methodological and practice/policy implications for the study of older adults in long term care settings. In particular, this study contributes to understanding how to operationally define and differentiate social integration variables in studies of older adults, particularly when study data are hierarchical

Geologic analysis of ERTS-1 imagery for the State of New Mexico

There are no author-identified significant results in this report

Exploring and applying symbioses between a Hawaiian endemic orchid and mycorrhizal partner for conservation

M.S

Lithologic discrimination and alteration mapping from AVIRIS Data, Socorro, New Mexico

Geologic maps are, by their very nature, interpretive documents. In contrasts, images prepared from AVIRIS data can be used as uninterpreted, and thus unbiased, geologic maps. We are having significant success applying AVIRIS data in this non-quantitative manner to geologic problems. Much of our success has come from the power of the Linked Windows Interactive Data System. LinkWinds is a visual data analysis and exploration system under development at JPL which is designed to rapidly and interactively investigate large multivariate data sets. In this paper, we present information on the analysis technique, and preliminary results from research on potassium metasomatism, a distinctive and structurally significant type of alteration associated with crustal extension

Neuropsychiatric Profiles in Dementia

This is the author's accepted manuscript. The original is available at http://pt.wkhealth.com/pt/re/lwwgateway/landingpage.htm;jsessionid=Wy1M9PqrBY1LGf0bN3QqF0h42YJqr4mTnW1ZdGT87Wllb4qvTbQb!-396536289!181195628!8091!-1?sid=WKPTLP:landingpage&an=00002093-201110000-00006We compared patterns of neuropsychiatric symptom across four dementia types (AD, VAD, DLB, PDD), and two mixed groups (AD/VAD, AD/DLB) in sample of 2,963 individuals from the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center Uniform Data Set between September 2005 and June 2008. We used confirmatory factor analysis to compare neuropsychiatric symptom severity ratings made by collateral sources on the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI-Q) for people with Clinical Dementia Rating scores of 1 or higher. A three factor model of psychiatric symptoms (mood, psychotic, and frontal) was shared across all dementia types. Between-group comparisons revealed unique neuropsychiatric profiles by dementia type. The AD group had moderate levels of mood, psychotic, and frontal symptoms while VAD exhibited the highest levels and PDD had the lowest levels. DLB and the mixed dementias had more complex symptom profiles. Depressed mood was the dominant symptom in people with mild diagnoses. Differing psychiatric symptom profiles provide useful information regarding the non-cognitive symptoms of dementia

Successful Strategies for Discharging Medicaid Nursing Home Residents with Mental Health Diagnoses to the Community

The state and federal push to transition Medicaid residents from nursing homes to the community calls for effective discharge strategies targeted to residents’ diverse needs. This exploratory, mixed-methods study utilized the Minimum Data Set to describe demographics, health characteristics, and transition patterns of Kansas Medicaid residents with mental health diagnoses who were discharged from nursing homes from 2005 to 2008. Discharged residents (n = 720) had multiple comorbidities, and more than half remained in the community following their first nursing home event. In-depth interviews with nursing home staff (n = 11) explored successful discharge strategies. Successful strategies support an ecological approach to meeting individual, family, organizational, and community needs. This includes creating/sustaining a culture of discharge, encompassing informal and formal community supports in the discharge process, proactively addressing physical environment needs, and assisting individuals and their family members in managing physical and mental health conditions. Findings suggest that policies in the areas of preadmission screening, caregiver support, and revised Medicaid reimbursement are needed to better support continuity of care and promote discharge for nursing home residents with complex care needs. Future research could examine individual and family perspectives on the discharge process and track outcomes when transitioning between settings

Diminished temperature and vegetation seasonality over northern high latitudes

Global temperature is increasing, especially over northern lands (>50° N), owing to positive feedbacks1. As this increase is most pronounced in winter, temperature seasonality (ST)—conventionally defined as the difference between summer and winter temperatures—is diminishing over time2, a phenomenon that is analogous to its equatorward decline at an annual scale. The initiation, termination and performance of vegetation photosynthetic activity are tied to threshold temperatures3. Trends in the timing of these thresholds and cumulative temperatures above them may alter vegetation productivity, or modify vegetation seasonality (SV), over time. The relationship between ST and SV is critically examined here with newly improved ground and satellite data sets. The observed diminishment of ST and SV is equivalent to 4° and 7° (5° and 6°) latitudinal shift equatorward during the past 30 years in the Arctic (boreal) region. Analysis of simulations from 17 state-of-the-art climate models4 indicates an additional STdiminishment equivalent to a 20° equatorward shift could occur this century. How SV will change in response to such large projected ST declines and the impact this will have on ecosystem services5 are not well understood. Hence the need for continued monitoring6 of northern lands as their seasonal temperature profiles evolve to resemble thosefurther south.Lopullinen vertaisarvioitu käsikirjoitu

Neuropsychiatric Profiles in Dementia

We compared patterns of neuropsychiatric symptoms across 4 dementia types [Alzheimer disease (AD), vascular dementia (VAD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and Parkinson disease dementia], and 2 mixed groups (AD/VAD and AD/DLB) in sample of 2,963 individuals from the National Alzheimer\u27s Coordinating Center Uniform Data Set between September 2005 and June 2008. We used confirmatory factor analysis to compare neuropsychiatric symptom severity ratings made by collateral sources on the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire for people with Clinical Dementia Rating scores of 1 or higher. A 3-factor model of psychiatric symptoms (mood, psychotic, and frontal) was shared across all dementia types. Between-group comparisons revealed unique neuropsychiatric profiles by dementia type. The AD group had moderate levels of mood, psychotic, and frontal symptoms whereas VAD exhibited the highest levels and Parkinson disease dementia had the lowest levels. DLB and the mixed dementias had more complex symptom profiles. Depressed mood was the dominant symptom in people with mild diagnoses. Differing psychiatric symptom profiles provide useful information regarding the noncognitive symptoms of dementia