Ageing in place and social isolation in rural dwelling older adults : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Health Psychology at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand

This research set out to answer three related research questions. Firstly, if and how rural dwelling older adults experience social isolation; secondly, what aspects of community were seen as contributing to or buffering against social isolation; and thirdly, how these aspects affected older adults’ ability to age in place in their rural communities. This research used a social constructionist informed thematic analysis to analyse the interviews from seven participants over the age of 65 who lived in rural areas of the Manawatu-Whanganui Region classed as ‘rural with low urban influence’ under Statistics New Zealand’s Urban/Rural Profile (2004). The findings from this research revealed that the participants did not experience social isolation from surrounding urban centres due to increased accessibility but did experience some social isolation within their rural communities due to social, demographic and economic changes in their localities. These changes had significant implications for possible social interactions and the participant’s ability to age in place and was influenced by whether a participant felt included or excluded in their rural community. The participants formed two definitions of social isolation based on their experiences. One, based on travel time relative to distance; and the other based on expectations of social interaction frequency when living a ‘rural lifestyle’ in a ‘rural community’. These findings contribute to the literature on social isolation, ageing in place, and age friendly rural communities within a New Zealand context, by drawing attention to the nuanced ways in which social isolation might be experienced, and by reflecting on the significance of the connections between people and places in the construction of ‘communities’

Early Stages of Diversification of the Mellinger Farm

Farms that achieve economies of scale by specializing and growing in size are common in US agriculture. Small and mid-sized farms, however, need a different kind of economy. Economies of scope rely on managing diverse enterprises, to access more profitable markets and reduced cost of off-farm inputs. Research, much of it from developing countries, has demonstrated that diversified production systems have ecological and economic benefits, but research on the process of diversification in US agriculture is needed. In the Agroecosystems Management Program (AMP), The Ohio State University, we are investigating the effects of the early stages of diversification on a model farm (Mellinger Farm) that has been producing primarily corn and soybeans for the past few decades. We are examining the costs and returns, particularly in the form of ecosystem services that accrue during the first three years of the diversification process. The diversification scenario includes a small grain, an oilseed crop, 3 years of a diverse pasture mix, with and without pastured broiler chicken during the first two years, and mixed vegetables. Improved yield and increased arthropod species diversity suggest that ecosystem services are beginning to accrue in the first year after diversification. Vegetable production was profitable in 2017 without the use of any off-farm inputs other than tillage and fencing. Increased arthropod diversity on 2nd year pasture plots demonstrates the importance of longer term pasture in a diversified rotation. We expect the impact of ecosystem services to increase over time in terms of measurable parameters such as yield, soil health, and biodiversity. As a result, we expect the reduction of off-farm inputs like fertilizer and pesticides to increase profitability over time

excerpts from The Names

A new poetry collection, The Names, from which these excerpts come, will appear spring, 2016

Winter Quarter General Faculty Meeting Agenda and Minutes, February 17, 1981

Agenda and minutes from the Winter Quarter General Faculty Meeting held on February 17, 1981

Fall Quarter Faculty Meeting Agenda and Minutes, November 18, 1980

Agenda and minutes from the Fall Quarter Faculty Meeting held on November 18, 1980

Pulmonary MRI contrast using Surface Quadrupolar Relaxation (SQUARE) of hyperpolarized 83Kr

Hyperpolarized 83Kr has previously been demonstrated to enable MRI contrast that is sensitive to the chemical composition of the surface in a porous model system. Methodological advances have lead to a substantial increase in the 83Kr hyperpolarization and the resulting signal intensity. Using the improved methodology for spin exchange optical pumping of isotopically enriched 83Kr, internal anatomical details of ex vivo rodent lung were resolved with hyperpolarized 83Kr MRI after krypton inhalation. Different 83Kr relaxation times were found between the main bronchi and the parenchymal regions in ex vivo rat lungs. The T1 weighted hyperpolarized 83Kr MRI provided a first demonstration of surface quadrupolar relaxation (SQUARE) pulmonary MRI contrast

Fremont\u27s Expeditions Through Kansas, 1842-1854

John Charles Fremont made five exploring expeditions through Kansas. The first three expeditions were made at the expense and under the direction of the United States Government. The two later ones were private ventures financed principally at the expense of Senator Thomas H. Benton, Fremont\u27s father-in-law, and himself. A full account of the five exploring expeditions could almost form a complete history of the Trans-Mississippi West during that time--June, 1842, to February, 1854. The purpose of the study was to examine these five expeditions as they apply to Kansas, and to determine what results were achieved by his travels and subsequent reports. Special emphasis was given to his accounts of the Kansas scene, especially his influence in changing the concept of \u27 the Great American Desert. A study was made of the available Fremont papers. The bulk of the Fremont personal papers were destroyed many years ago in a warehouse fire in New York. In writing the account of his five expeditions through Kansas various sources were used. Of the first two Fremont wrote official reports; the third he described in full in his Memoirs of My Life (1886); the fourth and fifth he left without official record, although his letters and documents help reconstruct the expeditions. Bigelow’s Life of Colonel Premont (1856) and Upham\u27s Life, Explorations, and Public Services of John Charles Fremont (1856) help, as secondary sources, to give us a graphic account of the fourth expedition. S. N. Carvalho in his Incidents of Travel and Adventure in the Far West gives the most complete and authentic account of the fifth expedition

Academic Council Meeting Agenda and Minutes, November 3, 1980

Agenda and minutes from the Wright State University Academic Council Meeting held on November 3, 1980

Investigating lung responses with functional hyperpolarized xenon-129 MRI in an ex vivo rat model of asthma

Purpose: Asthma is a disease of increasing worldwide importance that calls for new investigative methods. Ex vivo lung tissue is being increasingly used to study functional respiratory parameters independent of confounding systemic considerations but also to reduce animal numbers and associated research costs. In this work, a straightforward laboratory method is advanced to probe dynamic changes in gas inhalation patterns by using an ex vivo small animal ovalbumin (OVA) model of human asthma. Methods: Hyperpolarized (hp)129Xe was actively inhaled by the excised lungs exposed to a constant pressure differential that mimicked negative pleural cavity pressure. The method enabled hp129Xe MRI of airway responsiveness to intravenous methacholine (MCh) and airway challenge reversal through salbutamol. Results: Significant differences were demonstrated between control and OVA challenged animals on global lung hp129Xegas inhalation with P < 0.05 at MCh dosages above 460 µg. Spatial mapping of the regional hp gas distribution revealed an approximately three-fold increase in heterogeneity for the asthma model organs. Conclusion: The experimental results from this proof of concept work suggest that the ex vivo hp noble gas imaging arrangement and the applied image analysis methodology may be useful as an adjunct to current diagnostic techniques

Letter from Lilburn W. Boggs to George Sibley, March 26, 1839

Transcript of Letter from Lilburn W. Boggs to George Sibley, March 26, 1839. Boggs discusses hiring an engineer for the Missouri Board of Internal Improvements