bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Potential Impact of a Proposed Dam on a Platypus Population: A Baseline Study.
Authors: Matthews D.
Published: December 2020

The population of the far North Coast of New South Wales is growing rapidly. It is estimated that the number of people served by the Rous County water supply will increase threefold in the next fifty years. Steps are being taken to manage demand and to provide an additional source of water by pumping from the Wilson River at Lismore. It is recognised that a new dam will eventually be required. The dam currently providing the bulk of the Rous County supply is on Rocky Creek near Dorroughby. A second dam is planned for Rocky Creek about 10 km downstream from the existing dam. This will be built near Dunoon about 20 km to the north of Lismore. A preliminary study of the distribution of platypuses in the affected area has been carried out using a program of passive observation. Of the nine pools observed in the program platypuses have been seen in seven. No attempt has been made to estimate the actual size of the platypus population. There appears to be sufficient evidence that the building of the proposed dam could have an impact on the platypus. Recommendations have been addressed to the planners of the dam urging that special provision be made to minimise its impact on the platypus population.
Biology of The Southern Brown Bandicoot (Isoodon Obesulus) In South-Eastern Tasmania. II. Demography.
Authors: Mallick S.A. , Driessen M.M. , Hocking G.J.
Published: December 2020

We used live-trapping to study the demography of two populations of the southern brown bandicoot, Isoodon obesulus, in south-eastern Tasmania from March 1992 to March 1995. The bulk of I. obesulus captures were in woodland/forest or within 3 m of its verge, with <10% of captures in 'open' pasture. Densities ranged from 0-0.35 animals/hectare. Both populations underwent a significant decline over the study period. This decline is thought to be the result of the exceptionally dry conditions over the three years of the study. Adult sex ratios (male/female) ranged from 0.6- 1.17. The sex ratio of pouch young was female-biased on both grids (range of 0.53-0.73). Isoodon obesulus were sexually dimorphic, with males being both heavier and larger than females. Only two juveniles were recruited to the populations over the entire three years of the study. Breeding among female I. obesulus was greatest in the December, low in the March, moderate in the September, and absent in the June trapping sessions. Mean litter size was 3.05 ± 0.26, with a range of 1-5 pouch young. For males and females, mean longevity for resident animals was 10.0 ± 3.7 and 13.5 ± 3.3 months, respectively. The mean home range area for the two resident males and the five resident females with ≥8 captures was 6.95 ± 1.95 and 3.28 ± 1.02 hectares, respectively. There was minimal overlap between the home ranges of individual I. obesulus.
Population Dynamics and Movement Patterns of Bolam's Mouse, Pseudomys bolami, at Roxby Downs, South Australia.
Authors: Moseby K.E. , Read J.L.
Published: December 2020

Basic ecological data were collected on Bolam's mouse, Pseudomys bolami, during a six year trapping study at Roxby Downs in northern South Australia. Pseudomys bolami inhabited mixed arid land systems in the Roxby Downs area, sheltering in the longitudinal orange sand dunes but foraging at night principally on the adjacent chenopod swales. Distances of up to 334m were traversed in a single night and recapture rates were high within trapping sessions but low between sessions suggesting wide-ranging movements and short-term residency. Dietary observations imply an omnivorous diet. Whilst the closely related P. hermannsburgensis is regarded as having an opportunistic breeding strategy, P. bolami reproduced opportunistically but also regularly in spring and early summer. Different reproductive strategies may be influenced by the latitudinal distribution of P. bolami near the southern margin of the arid-zone, where rainfall can occur at any time of year but winter rainfall is more predictable. This contrasts with P. hermannsburgensis, which inhabits more northerly arid areas where rainfall is erratic and unpredictable. There was a 10 fold fluctuation in P. bolami captures over the trapping period with numbers of P. bolami and house mice, Mus domesticus peaking 12 months after above average rains during 1992. Rodent captures remained high for two years afterwards. Although P. bolami persisted throughout the study period, M. domesticus was only present when conditions were above average. Trap success of P. bolami or M. domesticus did not vary between the five sub habitats at the 1 ha study site. However, trap success of P. bolami was positively related to vegetation cover, particularly cover of low bluebush, Maireana astrotricha. Maireana astrotricha may be important in providing both food and cover for P. bolami, a scenario consistent with the utilisation of spinifex, Triodia spp. by P. hermannsburgensis in the northern arid-zone. Past over- grazing of chenopod shrublands may have reduced cover and contributed to the suggested decline in the distribution of P. bolami.
Seasonal Alopecia in Female Ground Cuscus (Phalanger gymnotis) In Captivity.
Authors: Best R.A.
Published: December 2020

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Target Specificity of Foxoff Baits at Belair National Park.
Authors: Scarman L.J. , Brown S.P. , Farrugia F.J.F. , Marker E.N. , Lane M.
Published: December 2020

Red Foxes (Vulpes vulpes) pose a significant threat to small native mammals in Australia (Saunders et al. 1995) and may restrict the recovery of some populations of native mammals and birds (Norman, Cullen and Dann 1992; Augee, Smith and Rose 1996; Priddel and Wheeler 1996; Seebeck and Booth 1996; Smith and Quin 1996). In the Adelaide area V. vulpes are wide- spread in the hills. They are often reported near houses and are a nuisance because of their predation on backyard poultry. Within Belair National Park, an area of 840 ha located in the Adelaide hills about 8 km from the City Centre, foxes are a potential danger to small native mammals, such as the Southern Brown Bandicoot (lsoodon obesulus).There is a small population of I. obesulus in Belair National Park, (Regel et al. 1996) of which 62 individuals from an area of about 30 ha were recently marked with microchips. A fox baiting program with Foxoff® in autumn 1996 in Belair National Park saw the uptake of 97 poisoned baits, with two fox carcasses located.
John Henry Calaby (1922-1998)
Authors: Sharman G.B.
Published: December 2020

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Reproduction and Captive Breeding as a Tool for Mammal Conservation: The Role of Modem Zoos.
Authors: Bradley MP. , Lambert C. , Power V. , Mills H. , Gaikhorst G. , Lawrence C.
Published: December 2020

There is a growing awareness in the scientific research community of the role that zoological institutions can play in the conservation of threatened or endangered species. Zoos themselves have changed and become more focussed on the contributions they can make to regional conservation objectives, driven in part by the "World Zoo Conservation Strategy" published in 1993. Perth Zoo has committed itself to this strategy and established a collaborative scientific research program with Conservation and Land Management (CALM), WA, to develop captive breeding techniques for a number of Western Australian native species. To achieve this objective, the zoo has established a sub-program known as the Native Species Breeding Program. This consists of 6 specialist keepers who are charged with developing specialised skills in captive husbandry of selected species, and the implementation of research projects. All of the species under study are part of recovery plans, and many of the species are being produced for release under the objectives of those plans and as part of CALM's "Western Shield Project". Mammal species under study are the Numbat, Chuditch, Dibbler, Djoongari (Shark Bay Mouse) and the Wopilkara (Greater Stick Nest Rat). Currently, Chuditch, Numbats and Djoongari bred in captivity have been the subject of re-introduction programs. The results of these breeding programs and the subsequent releases of selected species into different habitats in Western Australia will be presented, along with a discussion of the issues which relate to the limitations of captive breeding as a conservation tool.
Onset and Completion of Bat Flight Linked to Civil Twilight in Adelaide, South Australia.
Authors: Sanderson K.J.
Published: December 2020

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Macroscopic and dermoscopic evaluation used to differentiate subungual haemorrhage from melanocytic lesions
Authors: Phillips Mirain , Oakley Amanda
Published: December 2020

ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTIONSubungual haemorrhage describes blood located between the nail matrix and nail plate caused by trauma. Lack of recalled trauma and long duration of nail pigmentation results in specialist referrals to rule out malignant pathology.
AIMThis report aims to describe the macroscopic and dermoscopic characteristics of subungual haemorrhage and to highlight its clinical differentiation from melanocytic lesions.
METHODSNinety-eight nails were assessed. Pigmentation in fifty-nine was due to subungual haemorrhage and was melanocytic in the remainder (identified by a longitudinal pigmented band).
RESULTSPigmentation in subungual haemorrhage had a clear proximal margin (73%) and the dermoscopic pattern was homogenous (97%), globular (78%) or streaky (34%). Features included peripheral fading (68%) and periungual haemorrhage (5%). Malignancy could be excluded in these cases by careful clinical evaluation.
DISCUSSIONA combination of macroscopic and dermoscopic characteristics help make a confident diagnosis of subungual haemorrhage. A two-stage process can aid clinical diagnosis by looking for known features of subungual haemorrhage and identifying absence of malignant features.
Hydra vulgaris assay as environmental assessment tool for ecotoxicology in freshwaters: a review
Authors: Cera A. , Cesarini G. , Spani F. , Scalici M.
Published: December 2020

Freshwaters are vulnerable ecosystems owing to several anthropogenic impacts, including chemical pollution. Among existing model organisms, the cnidarian Hydra vulgaris is widely used for toxicological tests, with the aim of detecting either toxicity or teratogenicity of different dissolved chemicals. Given the widespread range of applications and developed assays, the aim of this review was to show and discuss the actual use of this model for ecotoxicological assessments in freshwaters as an ‘early warning system’. To achieve this goal, a thorough review was conducted by consulting several search engines for peer-reviewed international articles. Among all resulting articles from literature search, those focusing on H. vulgaris assay applied to environmental pollution were first selected (n=19). Then, only articles that specifically tested freshwater samples collected directly in the field were considered (n=4). The literature search highlighted that Hydra assays are suitable monitoring tools for freshwater ecotoxicity assessment. In addition, H. vulgaris allows testing diverse biomarkers (e.g. molecular, histological, morphological and behavioural) and exploring innovative research fields. So as to be able to assess the impact of emerging contaminants on both habitat and human health, the Hydra assays are demonstrating that they have an increasing potential that must be exploited.
No longer a wacky foreigner
Authors: Edwards Laura C.
Published: December 2020

This study focuses on language socialization during study abroad and specifically second language learning in communities
of practice. Based on oral interviews in French and English, written journals, and weekly surveys, this study examines one participant’s
second language (L2) learning during a semester abroad during which he became a member of two communities of practice: his host family and a
local gaming group. The participant negotiated and became more confident in his L2 identity and learning over time and increasingly
solidified his membership within these groups. This study analyzes the steps taken by the participant using the framework of legitimate
peripheral participation and considers identity and learning that develop within a community of practice.
Trends in sweet cherry production.
Authors: Long Lynn E. , Lang Gregory A. , Kaiser Clive
Published: December 2020

This chapter focuses on the global trend of sweet cherry production. It covers the economics, crop yield, crop quality and organic production. As sweet cherry production continues to expand worldwide, each producer must decide whether to increase production (either through the renovation of old orchards or expansion into new sites), continue at a steady pace or decrease acreage and thus reduce risk but also yields. Since growing cherries is a high risk venture, the best way to proceed will depend on past successes and failures, perceived risks, the possibilities for mitigating those risks and future market potential.
The future of cherry production.
Authors: Long Lynn E. , Lang Gregory A. , Kaiser Clive
Published: December 2020

This chapter provides information on significant contribution of various advances in horticultural production technologies, including electronic sensing, autonomous orchard equipment, machine learning and artificial intelligence and robotics to future cherry production trends. New challenges due to invasive species, climate change and the ever unpredictable geopolitical landscape are also discussed.
Explaining Indigenous Peoples’ Success in State Supreme Courts: Party Capability, Judicial Selection, and Representation
Authors: Reid Rebecca A. , Curry Todd A.
Published: December 2020

The struggles Indigenous Peoples face are unique from other minority groups living in the United States because they exist in an odd, semisovereign status. While the US Constitution outlines that First Nations are sovereign entities, current federal law and policies hold that tribes are simultaneously sovereign and not sovereign. Using an original data set consisting of all cases involving Indigenous Peoples before state supreme courts from 1995 to 2010, we find Indigenous Peoples are more likely to receive positive judicial outcomes when the judiciary is elected and the indigenous population of the state is relatively high.
Judicial Review in a Defective Democracy: Judicial Nominations and Judicial Review in Constitutional Courts
Authors: Rosenthal Maoz , Barzilai Gad , Meydani Assaf
Published: December 2020

Governments reform the process of nominating judges to constitutional courts, seeking to reduce the courts’ involvement in state affairs. Since 2008, reformers have tried to appoint judges who would be more judicially restrained. We examine the rulings of judges on Israel’s Supreme Court in its capacity as Israel’s High Court of Justice on the Israeli executive’s decisions. We show that reformers did achieve their goal of reducing High Court of Justice judges’ decisions supporting petitions against the executive. However, that trend has abated due to existing legal conventions regarding particular policy subsystems.
Electromagnetic response of nanoparticles with a metallic core and a semiconductor shell
Authors: Seyedheydari Fahime , Conley Kevin M , Thakore Vaibhav , Karttunen Mikko , Sihvola Ari , Ala-Nissila Tapio
Published: December 2020

We study the interplay between localized surface plasmon resonances from metallic cores and electromagnetic resonances from semiconducting shells in core@shell nanoparticles in the optical and near-infrared regions. To this end, we consider silver (Ag) spheres as plasmonically active nanoparticles with radii 20 nm, covered with shells of silicon (Si) up to 160 nm in thickness. We use the classical Lorenz-Mie theory to calculate the response of the core@shell nanoparticles to an external electromagnetic field that reveals a high degree of tunability of the Ag surface plasmons with a varying Si shell thickness, and a consequent merging of their Mie resonances. In contrast with pure metallic systems, the use of a low-bandgap semiconducting shell allows for a unique interrelation between its strong characteristic magnetic dipole mode and the localized surface plasmon resonance of the metallic core. This allows control over the forward and backward scattering efficiencies in the near-infrared in accordance with the predictions based on the Kerker conditions. Employing several other core@shell materials (Al@Si, Au@Si and Ag@Ge), we show that this approach to tailoring the absorption and scattering efficiencies, based on Kerker’s conditions, can be further generalized to other similar core@shell systems.
Compactification of Drinfeld moduli spaces as moduli spaces of 𝐴-reciprocal maps and consequences for Drinfeld modular forms
Authors: Pink Richard
Published: December 2020

We construct a compactification of the moduli space of Drinfeld modules of rank

r
r

and level

N
N

as a moduli space of

A
A

-reciprocal maps. This is closely related to the Satake compactification but not exactly the same. The construction involves some technical assumptions on

N
N

that are satisfied for a cofinal set of ideals 

N
N

. In the special case where

A
=

F

q

[
t
]

A=\mathbb {F}_q[t]

and

N
=
(

t
n

)

N=(t^n)

, we obtain a presentation for the graded ideal of Drinfeld cusp forms of level

N
N

and all weights and can deduce a dimension formula for the space of cusp forms of any weight. We expect similar results in general, but the proof will require more ideas.
Indigenous Weather Understanding in Japanese Fishing Communities
Authors: Bulian Giovanni
Published: December 2020

Japan is one of the world’s leading marine fishing nations in globalized industrial fisheries, yet the mainstay of the national fishing industry continues to be small-scale fisheries with their own set of cultural and environmental heritage. The cultural tradition of the Japanese fishing communities still preserves the various ways of understanding local weather, which are mainly based on landscape perception and forecasting knowledge. The prediction of weather conditions for a given location and time is part of a long-established historical tradition related to the need for an “easy” understanding of the climatic and maritime environment. It encompasses a variety of practical experiences, skillful reasoning strategies, and cultural values concerning indigenous environmental knowledge, decision-making strategies, and habitual applications of knowledge in everyday life. Japanese traditional forecasting culture interfaces with modern meteorological forecasting technologies to generate a hybrid knowledge, and offers an example of the complex dialogue between global science and local science. Specifically, interpretations and meteorological observations of local weather are modes of everyday engagement with the weather that exhibit a highly nuanced ecological sophistication and continue to offer a critical discourse on the cultural, environmental, and social context of Japanese small-scale fisheries. Indigenous weather understanding is bound up with community-based cultural heritage—religious traditions, meteorological classifications, proverbs, traditional forecasting models, and selective incorporation or rejection of scientific forecasting data—that offers a general overview of the interaction between community know-how, sensory experience, skills, and cultural practices.
Theoretical Perspectives on LGBTQ Movements
Authors: Josephson Jyl
Published: December 2020

The field of empirical scholarship on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) political and social movements that developed in the late twentieth and early twenty-first century has much to contribute to analysis of these movements and their political and cultural contexts. Empirical studies have examined LGBTQ movements in comparison to other types of social movements, finding similarities and alliances as well as distinctive elements. We have learned how LGBTQ movements operate in different global and local contexts, as well as how they interact with different kinds of political systems. Scholars have studied how broader social attitudes have evolved and responded to LGBTQ movements, and the way that backlash to these movements operate in different times and places.

At the same time, the theoretical literature that grounds and interprets these studies contributes not just to the epistemology of social movements, but to understandings of the purposes of social and political theorizing. Scholars have examined the utility of different frameworks for understanding social movement organizing, such as the use of civil rights, human rights, and sexual citizenship frameworks. Scholars from the social sciences and humanities have at times brought different theoretical approaches to bear on our understanding of LGBTQ movements, evident in different perspectives regarding the theory of homonationalism. Among the exciting intellectual developments of the late 20th and early 21st century is the burgeoning field of trans studies and trans theory, of social and political theory informed by Global South and Indigenous perspectives, and from the queer of color critique literature.
Italy and the European Union
Authors: Bindi Federiga
Published: December 2020

Italy is a founding member state of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) and, subsequently, the European Economic Community (EEC). At the time, membership meant anchoring the newborn Italian democracy, regaining international respectability after the Fascist period renewed vest internationally , and securing much-needed economic support to boost development. While in the 1950s the left side of the political spectrum vehemently opposed ECSC/EEC membership, starting with the late 1980s, European integration became the most important pillar of Italian foreign policy, an issue of shared consensus among different partiesa. The golden period for Italy – that is the phase when Italy was at the peak of its influence in the Communities - was the decade ranging from the mid 1980s to the mid 1990s,. At the time, Italian politicians such as Giulio Andreotti played fundamental roles in key moments of EEC/EU history: enlargement to the south, the single market, the Treaty of the European Union, and especially the creation of the euro are all key events in the history of the European Union which is safe to say would have never happened without the skillful contribution of Italy’s key government actors of the time. As European integration started again to be a contentious issue in domestic politics, so declined Italy’s influence. In more recent years: despite Italy’s formal status as a “big” member of the EU, Rome became less relevant than Madrid in EU decision making procedures. The parochial attitude of Italian elites, the incapacity of long-term programming, and relative government instability are all factors that have contributed to reducing the role of Italy in the EU.
Practice, Policy and Change in the School Education of Roma in Cyprus
Authors: Symeou Loizos
Published: December 2020

Roma and Travelers are one of the largest ethnic minority groups in the European Union and have been subjected to racism for centuries. In Cyprus, a country with a very small Roma population, Roma issues -due to historical and political reasons- and particularly issues relating to the education of Roma have not been adequately addressed in the policy agenda and have not been researched sufficiently. Lacking knowledge on how to access social services funds, medical treatment provisions, education, and work, Roma are largely ignored, avoided, and kept on the margins of the local society; they are victims of prejudice and suffer from low educational achievement. Although school enrollment, attendance, and completion among Roma in Cyprus have increased at all school levels since 2010, the rate of early school-leaving among Roma in Cyprus remains high and only a few Roma attend secondary education, while even fewer complete compulsory lower secondary education at the age of 15. In addition, attendance and completion of upper secondary education among Roma of Cyprus remains extremely low, whereas university education has not yet been achieved by any Roma in Cyprus. As in other parts of Europe, Roma social and financial conditions appear to be directly linked to Roma children’s school attendance and the discouragement of Roma children viewing school as a priority. Although education in Cyprus is a key policy area with the highest number of interventions and evaluations since 2010, the number of measures does not necessarily reflect the ambition or the effectiveness of efforts. Cyprus, therefore, needs to incorporate Roma inclusion in accountable ways in its mainstream actions and measures in order to compensate for the disadvantages faced by Roma and to promote equality by combining its mainstream measures with specific Roma-targeted measures. Such measures should not adopt a one-size-fits-all approach, but should recognize that among the major factors contributing to Roma children’s school disengagement is the distance and inconsistency between the Roma family and the local community environment on the one hand, and the school environment and its workings on the other. The policy of Roma integration thus needs to shift to a policy of inclusion by addressing exclusion and the major issues of antigypsyism, discrimination, and racism. In being accountable, these policies need to set benchmarks to be reached, reported, monitored, and evaluated by a single local agency or institution to be able to coordinate the actions of various ministries. The success of such an agency or institution will largely depend on the establishment of a system of consultation with Roma, who are currently absent from relevant decision-making actions and synergies.
Anthropologies of Cancer
Authors: Surawy-Stepney Nickolas , Caduff Carlo
Published: December 2020

Cancer is a relatively new subject for the discipline of anthropology, but scholarship on the topic has already yielded a distinct and important body of literature. In biomedical terms, cancer can be thought of as the wide range of conditions characterized by the uncontrolled (and ultimately pathological) proliferation of cells. It is a disease that is responsible for the deaths of millions of people worldwide each year. As such, it is the focus of a vast number of discourses and practices in multiple areas, ranging from scientific research and media discussion to health insurance and government regulation, to name just a few. Anthropologists concerned with cancer typically use the methodology that is a hallmark of the discipline, long-term ethnographic fieldwork, in order to investigate these discourses and practices. This involves conducting participant observation among doctors, patients, nurses, family members, scientists, politicians, policymakers, and pharmaceutical representatives.

Cancer is examined as a lived experience, revealing the numerous ways that local, regional, national, and transnational histories and politics shape the embodied realities of disease. Anthropologists also investigate the regimes of risk and statistical analysis to which bodies are subjected and the technologies around cancer, such as methods of screening or vaccination that aim to prevent it and the different ways in which these and other interventions and technologies fit into—or push uneasily against—the local words in which they are implemented. Anthropologists aim to look beyond the problem as simply one of biology and medicine, instead investigating cancer as pervasive within multiple dimensions of social, cultural, political, and economic life. Anthropological studies displace the prominent biomedical notion that cancers are the same in diverse locations and reveal the incoherence and intractability of cancer as an object. In paying close attention to this object in varied settings, anthropologists offer a critical account of discourses and practices that destabilize and decenter some of the assumptions on which global oncology is based.
Boosting fiscal space: the roles of GDP-linked debt and longer maturities
Authors: Kim Jun Il , Ostry Jonathan D
Published: December 2020

This paper assesses how issuance of GDP-linked debt and longer-maturity debt, in comparison to short-term debt, can help boost fiscal space for a given path of primary balances. By explicitly linking debt service to repayment capacity, GDP-linked debt helps to stabilize the debt ratio under growth uncertainty and reduces default risk through risk sharing with investors. Longer-maturity nominal debt also helps reduce default risk via state-contingent variation in the market price of debt. Reduced default risk in both cases lowers borrowing costs and results in higher maximum sustainable debt levels (and fiscal space given initial debt) for a given path of primary balances. Simulation results suggest sizable gains in fiscal space from the introduction of these instruments, though debtor moral hazard could militate against these benefits.
Effects of Animal-Assisted Therapy on Verbal Communication and Agitation in Adults With Dementia in Long-Term Care
Authors: Woltman Jenilee , Saidi Ladan Ghazi
Published: December 2020

The effects of Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) on verbal communication and agitated behaviors of older adults with mild to severe dementia were examined. We conducted a pilot study at a long-term nursing facility in rural Nebraska on five residents with various stages of dementia and agitation (over two reported incidents of agitation within two months). The study consisted of four sessions of assessment with and four sessions without the presence of a certified therapy dog. The assessment battery included a Mean Length of Utterance (MLU), and responding to a Picture Recognition Activity (PRA) task to assess the production and comprehension in verbal communication respectively. Agitation Behavioral Scale (ABS; Corrigan, 1989), and a General Care Survey (GCS) were used to measure agitation and agitated behavior. The results showed statistically significant differences in the performance of all five participants when the dog was present as compared to when it was absent. We observed an increase in verbal communication (57.4% MLU; 28% PRA), and a decrease in agitated behaviors. This pilot study brings evidence that AAT can be a cost-effective, non-pharmaceutical therapy approach for individuals with dementia to decrease agitation and increase communication. References: Corrigan, J. D. 1989. Development of a scale for assessment of agitation following traumatic brain injury. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 11: 261–277.
Managing Older Adults With Cognitive Impairment: An Interprofessional, Standardized Patient Approach
Authors: Varrecchia Shaun , Maritz Carol , Maher Colleen , Strauss Megan
Published: December 2020

Several professional organizations have called for increased preparation of health professionals capable of working with older adults, including those with cognitive impairment. Standardized patients (SP) are often used in interprofessional education (IPE) in the health professions, but limited data exists to support their use when teaching about the care and management of older adults with cognitive impairment. The purposes of this project were to: 1) develop, implement, and assess an interprofessional standardized patient exercise involving physical and occupational therapy students and 2) to evaluate students’ perceptions of a SP encounter on relevance and utility to patients with cognitive impairment. 88 students representing physical therapy (DPT) and occupational therapy (DrOT) were assigned to interprofessional teams to evaluate an SP portraying an older adult with cognitive impairment. At the conclusion of the session the SP provided the group formative feedback. Student teams then completed an assignment to develop a collaborative intervention plan and addressed questions about roles and responsibilities and communication/teamwork. Pre-/post- surveys focusing on the knowledge of roles and responsibilities, communication, and teamwork were completed by all students. Students also completed an evaluation about the SP experience. Results demonstrated student agreement to understanding the role of the other’s profession improved 28.67%; being comfortable communicating with the geriatric population improved 27.31%; and working in interprofessional teams can improve geriatric patient care improved 32.11%. These findings demonstrate that use of SPs has several advantages in teaching students how to work and communicate with individuals with cognitive impairments as an interprofessional team.
The Development and Effectiveness of a Self-Efficacy Enhancement Program for Older Adults With MCI
Authors: Lee Jungeun
Published: December 2020

Purpose: This study aimed to develop a self-efficacy enhancement program and examine its effectiveness in enhancing dementia preventive behaviors by improving cognitive function, dementia knowledge, and self-efficacy, and reducing depression of older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods: An equivalent control group pretest-posttest design was conducted at an advanced general hospital in Seoul. Participants of older adults with MCI visiting clinics were randomly allocated to an experimental group (EG, n=16) and a control group (CG, n=16). The EG was provided with a 8-week intervention (60-minute, weekly) utilizing self-efficacy enhancement strategies and the CG received the usual care. The intervention was an integrated configuration making up of physical, cognitive, and emotional activity and followed by a 4-week maintenance during which both groups engaged in self-learning at home with a dementia preventive guidebook. Outcomes were evaluated at pretest, 1st (8th week), 2nd (10th week) and 3rd posttest(12th week). Results: There were significant differenes in cognitive functions, dementia knowledge, self-efficacy, and dementia preventive behaviors, but not in depression between two groups over the time. Regarding cognitive function’ subdomains, significant differences were observed for visuospatial/executive, attention, language, and delayed recall. Conclusions. The integrated intervention consisting of physical, cognitive, and emotional activities, not a simple merger of single intervention focused on cognitive reinforcement, was effective in improving their cognitive functions, dementia knowledge, self-efficacy, and dementia preventive behaviors. It suggests that this program can be utilized as an education program to prevent dementia for MCI in dementia support centers, public health centers, clinics, and hospitals.
Sex in Late Life: Assessing Adults’ Expectations and the Role of Healthcare Professionals
Authors: Naar Jill , Weaver Raven , Turner Shelbie
Published: December 2020

Sexual activity contributes to quality of life throughout the lifespan. However, stigma about sex in late life influences older adults’ perceptions and healthcare professionals’ perceptions of older adults’ sexual health/behaviors. Using a multi-methods approach, we examined attitudes and knowledge about sexual health/behaviors in late life. Using longitudinal data from the Midlife in the US Study (Wave 1-3; N=7049), we ran age-based growth curve models to analyze changes in levels of optimism about sex in their future. We also piloted a survey with healthcare professionals assessing attitudes, knowledge, and awareness of policy about sexual health/behaviors among older adults. Adults’ expectations became less optimistic with increased age (β = -0.1, SE = 0.003, p < .0001). Men were more optimistic than women at age 20 (p = 0.016), but men’s optimism decreased over the life course at a faster rate than did women’s (p < .0001), so that from ages 40-93, men were less optimistic than women. Among healthcare professionals (N=21), the majority indicated never or rarely asking their clients about sexual history or health/behaviors; however, they indicated some knowledge about issues relevant to older adults (e.g., safe-sex practices, sexual dysfunction). Few indicated awareness about policies related to sexual behavior among residents (i.e., issues of consent, STIs). Among adults, there is a need to address declining optimism for expectations about sex in late life. Health professionals are well-situated to raise awareness and normalize discussions about sexual health, thus countering negative stigma and contributing to increasing optimism for expectations to remain sexually active.
Resilience of Hmong Older Adults: Coping With Loneliness
Authors: Vang Cindy , Sieng Michael , Zheng Mingyang
Published: December 2020

Older refugees are especially susceptible to loneliness with their history of trauma, forced migration, and social isolation in host countries. Rates of loneliness among older immigrants range from 24% to 50%. Despite their heightened vulnerability to loneliness, coping mechanisms among this population remain understudied. The purpose of this study was to examine how community-dwelling Hmong older adults, an aging refugee group, cope with loneliness. The data was drawn from a larger constructivist grounded theory study aimed at understanding the loneliness experiences of community-dwelling Hmong older adults. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted in the Hmong language with 17 Hmong age 65 and older residing in Northern California. Data was collected and analyzed in an iterative and comparative process using initial coding, focused coding, and connecting the focused codes to form categories and subcategories. Five coping mechanisms emerged from the data: (a) religious and spiritual beliefs; (b) social support; (c) wandering; (d) activity engagement; and (e) avoidance and control. Coping mechanisms utilized by Hmong older adults in this study highlighted the resilience of this aging population and the lack of culturally-relevant programs to prevent and address their persistent loneliness and emotional distress. Implications for research, practice, and policy suggests the need for greater culturally- and linguistically-competent services informed by Hmong older adults.
Barriers and Facilitators to Housing With Services: Lessons From The Right Care, Right Place, Right Time Program
Authors: Miller Edward , Simpson Elizabeth , Nadash Pamela , Shellito Natalie , Jansen Taylor , Lin Yan , Cohen Marc
Published: December 2020

The Right Care, Right Place, Right Time initiative (R3) was developed to enable seniors to remain at home as long as possible, while reducing health care costs. It was implemented in four senior housing communities in the Greater Boston area, and consists of two on-site wellness teams (wellness nurse, wellness coordinator), each responsible for about 200 participants across two housing sites. This study aimed to understand barriers and facilitators to implementing R3. Data derived from 31 semi-structured interviews with R3 staff, housing personnel, and community partners (e.g., first responders), as well as 150 key program documents. Facilitating factors in implementing R3 included: top-level management support; formal and informal mechanisms of communication between wellness team members and building staff; substantial discretion, flexibility, and creativity provided to wellness team members; and daily ambulance reports from first responders. Barriers to implementing R3 included: impediments to resident recruitment/engagement; initial role confusion between wellness team members and existing building staff; limited wellness team time at individual intervention sites; challenges establishing systematic relationships with case management staff from the hospitals, AAAs, and insurance companies; and the decentralized approach to data tracking and information exchange. This study suggests several lessons for implementing housing with services initiatives such as R3. Top-level support and buy-in at the organizational level is essential to program development and implementation. Despite early challenges, key program elements can improve over time (communication, data processes, role clarity). Establishing trust with both R3 participants and housing staff is key to building relationships that promote program success.
The Developmental Context of Social Hopefulness and Suicide Risk
Authors: Molaie Ali , Chong Adrienne , Fisher Jane
Published: December 2020

Social disconnectedness, or thwarted belongingness (TB) has been documented as an important risk factor for suicide across the lifespan. Perceived time left (PTL) may impact perceptions of hopelessness for social connectedness and therefore inform developmentally sensitive trajectories of suicide risk. This study examined interpersonal conditions associated with social hopelessness in younger and older adults in order to identify variables important for conceptualizing suicidality across the lifespan. We compared younger and older adults’ perceptions of social hopelessness for characters in vignettes that were depicted as having high or low TB (i.e., described as lonely or not lonely) and high or low PTL (i.e., described as being 35-years-old or 85-years-old). Additionally, we examined the relation between social hopelessness and suicide risk (using the Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire—Revised). Participants included 135 younger (M = 19.32) and 69 older (M = 74.91) adults. Older adults endorsed less social hopelessness than did younger adults on the High TB/Low PTL vignette, t(102.15) = -4.88, p < 0.001, as well as the Low TB/Low PTL vignette, t(194) = -2.04, p = 0.04. Participants with higher suicide risk also endorsed higher social hopelessness on the High TB/Low PTL vignette than did participants with lower suicide risk, t(194) = -2.10, p = 0.04. Younger adults and participants with higher suicide risk across both age groups reported less optimism for characters’ future social connectedness, particularly for those portrayed as older. This study provides support for the importance of developmentally informed conceptualizations of risk factors for suicide, including social hopelessness.
I'd Rather Be . . . : Activities Older Adults Reported Leading to Decreased Engagement With Cognitive Training
Authors: Harrell Erin , Roque Nelson
Published: December 2020

One modifiable risk factor of dementia is cognitive inactivity. Given cognitive ability is closely tied to continual performance of instrumental activities of daily living, cognitive training programs continue to be explored as a way to boost cognition and allow older adults to remain independent longer. While the efficacy of cognitive training is controversial, identifying activities older adults are willing to limit in exchange for cognitive training provides valuable information in relation to designing cognitive training programs that appeal to older adults. Using a qualitative approach, this study highlights activities older adults (ages 64+) noted as contributing to decreased gameplay of a cognitive training program on a tablet device. We found that respondents (61%) noted playing less as a result of entertainment activities (i.e., reading and playing games), social activities (31%) and travel (27%). Findings have implications for device form factor in administering cognitive training and other programs.
Predictors of Cancer Detection Behaviors Among Older Nigerian Men
Authors: Brodie Kelsey , Esiaka Darlingtina , Nwakasi Candidus
Published: December 2020

Recent research emerging from Nigeria suggest an increasing mortality due to cancer, especially among older Nigerian men who are at a higher risk of being diagnosed at fatal or advanced stage of cancer. With older age as a significant risk factor for cancer development such as prostate cancer in men, this study explored factors that influence cancer detection behavior among aging Nigerian men. Specifically, we examined possible predictors of current and future intentions to engage in early cancer detection behaviors among Nigerian men. Participants (N=143), with a mean age of 44.73 (SD = 6.15), responded to measures assessing health (cancer detection behaviors), social (masculinity, self-esteem, attachment), and psychological (active coping) factors. Demographic and ecological questions were also included in the survey. Results revealed that education, masculinity, and anxious attachment were significant predictors of current cancer detection behavior. Education, masculinity, and anxious attachment also predicted future cancer screening intentions. We discuss the implication of result for health policy, health education and cancer prevention interventions for Nigerian men and for the global campaign for early cancer detection.
Promoting the Positive Experience of Caregiving: A Systematic Review of the Positive Aspects of Caregiving Scale
Authors: Lee Yeonjung , Li Lun
Published: December 2020

While caregivers endure considerable challenges, including potentially deleterious effects on their own well-being, the possibility of positive outcomes for caregivers, such as feeling rewarded and satisfied, has been recognized in scholarly research as well. Caregiving outcomes can be complicated by different aspects of caregiving experiences. Particularly, the Positive Aspect of Caregiving (PAC) scale covers four main positive aspects including caregiving personal gains, motivation for caregiving role, caregiver satisfaction, as well as self-esteem and social aspect of caring. The objective of this study is to summarize the research findings based on the PAC scale and further improve the understanding of the positive experience perceived by caregivers. A systematic literature review was conducted to identify the existing evidences. This systematic review identified empirical research studies written in English focusing on a PAC scale that were published in a peer-reviewed journal between 2004 and 2018. Systematic search was carried out within 10 databases. After careful review of 193 abstracts yielded from the databases, 38 journal articles were identified to have used the PAC scale. Analysis of the selected literature provides four themes that how PAC has been used. The themes are to measure caregiving outcomes, test the effect of caregiver program intervention, complement other caregiving outcome scales, and test the validity in other languages and countries. This systematic review highlights the importance of taking into account of the positive experience of caregiving and further to promote it in a way of buffering the negative outcomes of caregiving.
Intergenerational Mentoring on Health Promotion to Improve Healthy Lifestyles Among Latino Families
Authors: Kopera-Frye Karen , Graboski-Bauer Ashley , Gonzalez-Marquez Ana Luisa
Published: December 2020

New Mexico now has the 32nd highest adult obesity rate; approximately one-third are Latinos. Obesity rates in NM for children aged 2-11 years range from 11 – 14%. Mentoring as a health promotion or intervention strategy has become widespread. However, few programs have focused on several generations reciprocally influencing each other in healthy behaviors. Project I’M HIP (Intergenerational Mentoring Health Information Pathways)’s goals included: Providing an innovative, multigenerational educational program to promote greater maternal, child, and grandparent well-being, healthier lifestyle behaviors, and support continued healthy home environments by empowering the families with knowledge. Three cohorts of 30 families (1 parent, 1 child, 1 grandparent/other relative) were recruited for Program I’M HIP. This Program utilized culturally sensitive Evidence-Based Programs (EBPs). Monthly educational sessions focused on physical activity and adapting meals to be healthy. Project outcomes included exercise frequency, Body Mass Index (BMI), and a knowledge quiz assessing healthy meal facts, exercise knowledge via a 10-item quiz; all assessments pre- and post-program. Program outcomes included: 100% of the parents shared at least 1 fact on nutrition or exercise with other relatives, thus affecting another household; paired t-test analyses revealed significant changes in knowledge quiz total scores (t 70 = 5.03, p < .0001), increased exercise frequency (t 72 = 2.106, p < .05); no significant change in BMI from pre- to post-assessments; and children corrected their parents on proper diet; all demonstrating the reciprocal mentoring effects of parent, child, and other relative on health behaviors.