Investingating the effects of personality and social support on meaning-making after the loss of a spouse

This study examined the impact of individual demographic characteristics (i.e., age and gender), personality traits, and social integration on meaning-making after the death of a spouse. Secondary data were used from the Changing Lives of Older Couples sample (CLOC; Wortman, 1992). These data were collected from mostly White individuals in three metropolitan counties in Detroit, Michigan. Regression analyses were conducted to investigate the influence of hypothesized predictors on meaning-making as assessed six months following the loss. The findings indicated that personality and social integration did not have a significant effect on meaning making; however, the results did indicate that age was positively related to meaning. Additional analysis was conducted for the individual items from the meaning-making scale as the dependent variables. A limitation of this study was concerning reliability for the personality measures Extraversion and Openness. Future research should utilize scales with higher reliability in assessing the five dimensions of personality

“But I’ve always lived here”: Evidence Informed Analysis on Aging in Place

Purpose: The purpose of this poster/presentation is to provide an exploration and analysis of aging in place. To ensure the success of the older adult to remain in their home it is essential to determine and meet the changing needs of the aging population in a way that preserves lifelong health and wellness. Description: The global trend of population aging is on the continual rise due to longer life expectancy and lower fertility rates.1 It is predicted that by the year 2036 one in every four individuals will be a senior citizen. In some areas, the availability of long-term care facilities is not sufficient to meet the needs of the population, resulting in seniors living in hospitals up to 6 months awaiting a room. This problem is expected to continue to grow.1 While age related declines compromise an individual’s ability to maintain their personal wellbeing and household, maintaining independence is essential in the perception of successful aging.2 Aging in place is the primary goal in the aging population; US housing data suggests that this is accomplished by 80% of older adults.2 In addition to benefiting the emotional needs of seniors, aging in place has significant financial benefits on both the individual and the community at large, however the demands of the environment and the abilities of the person must align or a mal-adaptive situation occurs.2 Methods: Search USA: 2010-2019; Ag(e)ing in place, Ag(e)ing in place AND Challenges, Ag(e)ing in place AND quality of life, Ag(e)ing in place AND modification(s), Review of 7 articles Conclusion: Recent evidence is suggesting that in the next 10 years, middle income seniors will no longer be able to afford assisted living facilities so the need for maximizing aging in place will significantly increase. Summary of Use: This poster/presentation provides a summary of the benefits to aging in place, modifications and maintenance requirements for success and analyzes the factors contributing to decision making to ensure successful aging in place. Clinical Relevance: Therapists working in the home health setting are often required to provide appropriate information when asked by their clients if they should or could safely remain in the home, aging in place. This poster/presentation provides therapists with an analysis of the benefits and challenges for individuals desiring to age in place and provides the therapist suitable topics to introduce to the conversation to ensure that an appropriate and evidence-informed decision is made by the client and their family

Senior Recital: Jeremy Perkins, trumpet

This recital is presented in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree Bachelor of Music in Performance. Mr. Perkins studies trumpet with Michael Tiscione and Douglas Lindsey.https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/musicprograms/2217/thumbnail.jp

Creation and internal validation of a clinical predictive model for fluconazole resistance in patients with Candida bloodstream infection

BACKGROUND: Fluconazole is recommended as first-line therapy for candidemia when risk of fluconazole resistance (fluc-R) is low. Lack of methods to estimate resistance risk results in extended use of echinocandins and prolonged hospitalization. This study aimed to develop a clinical predictive model to identify patients at low risk for fluc-R where initial or early step-down fluconazole would be appropriate. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of hospitalized adult patients with positive blood culture for RESULTS: We identified 539 adults with candidemia and 72 CONCLUSIONS: This model is a potential tool for identifying patients at low risk for fluc-R candidemia to receive first-line or early step-down fluconazole

Directed transient long-range transport in a slowly driven Hamiltonian system of interacting particles

We study the Hamiltonian dynamics of a one-dimensional chain of linearly coupled particles in a spatially periodic potential which is subjected to a time-periodic mono-frequency external field. The average over time and space of the related force vanishes and hence, the system is effectively without bias which excludes any ratchet effect. We pay special attention to the escape of the entire chain when initially all of its units are distributed in a potential well. Moreover for an escaping chain we explore the possibility of the successive generation of a directed flow based on large accelerations. We find that for adiabatic slope-modulations due to the ac-field transient long-range transport dynamics arises whose direction is governed by the initial phase of the modulation. Most strikingly, that for the driven many particle Hamiltonian system directed collective motion is observed provides evidence for the existence of families of transporting invariant tori confining orbits in ballistic channels in the high dimensional phase spaces

Comparing various multi-component global heliosphere models

Modeling of the global heliosphere seeks to investigate the interaction of the solar wind with the partially ionized local interstellar medium. Models that treat neutral hydrogen self-consistently and in great detail, together with the plasma, but that neglect magnetic fields, constitute a sub-category within global heliospheric models. There are several different modeling strategies used for this sub-category in the literature. Differences and commonalities in the modeling results from different strategies are pointed out. Plasma-only models and fully self-consistent models from four research groups, for which the neutral species is modeled with either one, three, or four fluids, or else kinetically, are run with the same boundary parameters and equations. They are compared to each other with respect to the locations of key heliospheric boundary locations and with respect to the neutral hydrogen content throughout the heliosphere. In many respects, the models' predictions are similar. In particular, the locations of the termination shock agree to within 7% in the nose direction and to within 14% in the downwind direction. The nose locations of the heliopause agree to within 5%. The filtration of neutral hydrogen from the interstellar medium into the inner heliosphere, however, is model dependent, as are other neutral results including the hydrogen wall. These differences are closely linked to the strength of the interstellar bow shock. The comparison also underlines that it is critical to include neutral hydrogen into global heliospheric models.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, submitted to a special section at A&A of an ISSI team "Determination of the physical Hydrogen parameters of the LIC from within the Heliosphere

Potential missed opportunities for diagnosis of cryptococcosis and the association with mortality: A cohort study

BACKGROUND: Cryptococcosis is one of the most common life-threatening opportunistic mycoses worldwide. Insidious presentation and slow onset of symptoms make it difficult to recognize, complicating the diagnostic process. Delays in diagnosis may lead to increased mortality. We aim to determine the frequency of missed opportunities for diagnosis of cryptococcosis and its effects on mortality. METHODS: To estimate the proportion of individuals with a potentially missed diagnosis for cryptococcosis in hospitalized patients, we conducted a retrospective cohort study using the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient Databases from 2005 to 2015 from eight states. All hospitalized adult patients diagnosed with cryptococcal infection or cryptococcal meningitis were included. Potentially missed diagnoses were defined as admissions coded for a procedure or diagnosis suggestive of cryptococcosis in the 90-days prior to the initial cryptococcosis admission. Generalized estimating equations models were used to evaluate the association between underlying comorbidities and potential missed diagnosis of cryptococcosis and 90-day all-cause in-hospital mortality. FINDINGS: Of 5,354 patients with cryptococcosis, 2,445 (45·7%) were people living with HIV (PLWH). Among PLWH, 493/2,445 (20·2%) had a potentially missed diagnosis, of which 83/493 (16·8%) died while hospitalized compared with 265/1,952 (13·6%) of those without a potentially missed diagnosis (relative risk [RR] 1·04, 95% CI 0·99-1·09). Among HIV-negative patients, 977/2,909 (33·6%) had a potentially missed diagnosis, of which 236/977 (24·2%) died while hospitalized compared with 298/1,932 (15·4%) of those not missed (RR 1·12, 95% CI 1·07-1·16). INTERPRETATION: Missed opportunities to diagnose cryptococcosis are common despite highly efficacious diagnostic tests and are associated with increased risk of 90-day mortality in HIV-negative patients. A high index of clinical suspicion is paramount to promptly diagnose, treat, and improve cryptococcosis-related mortality. FUNDING: National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, Washington University Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

Serving highly vulnerable families in home-visitation programs

Home-visitation programs for families with young children are growing in popularity in the US. These programs typically seek to prevent child abuse and neglect and/or promote optimal development for infants, toddlers, and/or preschool-age children. This paper focuses on improving the capacity of home-visitation programs to meet the complex needs of highly vulnerable families with young children. Poverty, maternal depression and substance abuse, and domestic violence are noted as factors that place young children at risk for poor outcomes. The challenges of providing home-visitation services to families in which these risk factors are present are discussed. Family engagement, matching services to families’ needs, and staff capabilities are highlighted as areas in which improvements can be made to enhance home-visitation programs’ capacity to serve highly vulnerable families. Recommendations are given for improving the effectiveness of home-visitation programs in serving these families, as well for addressing policy and research issues related to the further development and evaluation of these programs.First author draf

Review: The Journal of Dramaturgy, volume 27, issue 1

Contents include: Editors\u27 Note; The Making of a Conference: Practices in Transnational Planning, Programming, and Translation; Tripped Up by the Small Things: Dramaturging Institutional Processes in DEI Work; The New Colossus Project: A Model for Rapid Response Theatre Around Immigration; Pregnant and Performing: Embodied Dramaturgical Methodologies.https://soundideas.pugetsound.edu/lmdareview/1054/thumbnail.jp