bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Más allá del aula: el papel de la Asociación Española Universitaria de Traductores e Intérpretes en Formación en la adquisición de competencias
Authors:   Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (España), Olalla-Soler Christian
Published: December 2015

El objetivo del presente artículo es describir el papel que desempeña la Asociación Española Universitaria de Traductores e Intérpretes en Formación (AETI) en la formación de traductores e intérpretes. Para ello, se exponen los resultados de un estudio empírico en el cual se compara la valoración de quince competencias del Libro banco. Título de Grado en Traducción e Interpretación (ANECA, 2004) entre 60 estudiantes socios de AETI y 60 estudiantes no socios de todos los cursos de la licenciatura y del grado en Traducción e Interpretación. En los resultados generales se muestra que AETI funciona como complemento formativo al servir de fuente de información y de recursos para la formación de los estudiantes, ya que les aporta una serie de conocimientos y habilidades que no siempre son fáciles de adquirir en un aula.
Expectativas de los estudiantes taiwaneses de español: una entrevista a principiantes universitarios
Authors:   Universidad Católica Fujen (Taiwán), Cortés Moreno Maximiano
Published: December 2015

En el presente trabajo exponemos los resultados de una entrevista realizada a 30 alumnos de 1.er curso del Departamento de Español de la Universidad Fujen (Taiwán) a principios de 2013. Dicha entrevista consta de 20 ítems en torno a diversos aspectos del aprendizaje del español: las asignaturas que deben cursar los alumnos, los materiales utilizados en clase, la utilidad del español para su vida actual y futura, etc. Los datos obtenidos en la entrevista ponen de manifiesto que los universitarios taiwaneses tienen una opinión formada y razonada acerca de qué asignaturas, qué materiales didácticos, qué actividades de aprendizaje y qué métodos de enseñanza se adaptan mejor a sus intereses y necesidades. Esta investigación en el aula para la acción tiene como propósito averiguar en qué medida la oferta docente está en condiciones de satisfacer sus expectativas discentes.
Gentilicios y lexicografía
Authors:   Universidad de La Laguna (España), García Padrón Dolores , Morera Pérez Marcial ,   Universidad de La Laguna (España)
Published: December 2015

El campo de usos de los gentilicios posee una enorme complejidad denotativa y connotativa. A pesar de ello, se constata que una descripción lexicográfica exhaustiva y coherente es siempre posible, porque se trata de un material conceptual que presenta un grado de integración bastante alto. Esta sistematización, que sitúa el sentido de ‘perteneciente o relativo a’ en la cúspide de la jerarquía semántica y desciende a acepciones sustantivas muy concretas, pasando por los sentidos intermedios de ‘natural de’, ‘producido en’, ‘extraído de’, ‘procedente de’, etc., y las aplicaciones figuradas que haya podido desarrollar cada una de estas acepciones rectas a lo largo de la historia, hace que no haya la más mínima razón teórica para mantener esa práctica lexicográfica tradicional que reduce las acepciones de las palabras que nos ocupan a las dos acepciones consabidas de ‘natural de’ y ‘perteneciente o relativo a’, exclusivamente. El trabajo aborda estos hechos desde una perspectiva semántica y se ofrece al final del mismo la descripción lexicográfica del gentilicio hispánico gallego,-ga, como muestra ilustrativa de esta propuesta.
Discovering language variation in WhatsApp text interactions
Authors:   Universitat Politècnica de València (España), Pérez-Sabater Carmen
Published: December 2015

This paper reports the process and outcomes of an instructional project to familiarise postgraduate students with research. The study presents MobileVar, a project which complies with the philosophy of the Bologna Declaration regarding students’ acquisition of research competences. By studying language variations in WhatsApp text interactions, participants were encouraged to develop innovative ideas to make a tangible contribution to the field of language and Computer-mediated Communication. Specifically, the research undertaken consisted in analysing new trends in digital communication by observing if the language used in WhatsApp text interactions constituted a new language variety. Authentic messages in Catalan, English and Spanish were studied from the perspective of the strategies of ‘oralised’ written texts addressed by Yus (2011) and other scholars. The debriefing session revealed that age is a determining factor in the pervasive use of non-standard language. From an educational perspective, students’ involvement in a project for research purposes allowed them to develop the strategies needed to carry out research in tertiary education, such as critical thinking, data collection and interpretation, and collaboration with others. Consequently, the relevance of the study is twofold: on the one hand, it increased the competence of postgraduate students in discourse studies research; on the other hand, it connects with Baron’s (2013) proposal regarding the fundamental role of mobile communication in the way written and spoken language is used today, given the current profusion of mobile communication technologies.
Foundational considerations for the development of the Globalcrimeterm subontology: A research project based on FunGramKB
Authors:   Universidad de Granada (España), Felices Lago Ángel
Published: December 2015

This paper describes the theoretical foundations, the general methodological guidelines and the specific tasks for the development of the Globalcrimeterm project, a domain-specific subontology based on a specific area of criminal law (international cooperation against terrorism and organized crime) within the architecture of FunGramKB, which is a multipurpose lexico-conceptual knowledge base for natural language processing (NLP) systems. One of the features of this subontology is, firstly, its commitment to structure its concepts under the postulates of deep semantics, unlike the more traditional approach only oriented towards surface semantics, and, secondly, to orientate the tasks of terminologists and knowledge engineers who wish to expand the general knowledge of FunGramKB Core Ontology and, at the same time, integrate the specialized knowledge through its representation in a domain-specific subontology such as Globalcrimeterm.
The linker between LOV2‐Jα and STK plays an essential role in the kinase activation by blue light in Arabidopsis phototropin1, a plant blue light receptor
Authors: Kashojiya Sachiko , Yoshihara Shizue , Okajima Koji , Tokutomi Satoru
Published: December 2015

Phototropin (phot), a blue light receptor in plants, is composed of several domains: LOV1, LOV2, and a serine/threonine kinase (STK). LOV2 is the main regulator of light activation of STK. However, the detailed mechanism remains unclear. In this report, we focused on the linker region between LOV2 and STK excluding the Jα‐helix. Spectroscopy and a kinase assay for the substituents in the linker region of Arabidopsis phot1 LOV2‐STK indicated that the linker is involved in the activation of STK. A putative module in the middle of the linker would be critical for intramolecular signaling and/or regulation of STK.
Thermal and chemical unfolding pathways of PaSdsA1 sulfatase, a homo‐dimer with topologically interlinked chains
Authors: Aguirre César , Goto Yuji , Costas Miguel
Published: December 2015

Understanding the mechanisms as to how interlinked proteins entangle and fold is a challenge. PaSdsA1 sulfatase is a homo‐dimer containing two zinc atoms per monomer. The monomer chains are interlinked in a dimerization domain. To study the unfolding pathways denaturation experiments were performed. In the native protein three forms coexist in chemical equilibrium, each with a different number of zinc atoms. In the chemical unfolding of the holo‐dimers the entanglement of the chains is preserved and acts as a ‘folding seed’, allowing the unfolding process to be reversible. Thermal irreversible unfolding of the holo‐dimers favours dissociation, producing monomers that are SDS‐stabilized. The thermal unfolding of these monomers is reversible. However, it is not possible to form dimers from unfolded monomers.
A novel bipartite UNC‐101/AP‐1 μ1 binding signal mediates KVS‐4/Kv2.1 somatodendritic distribution in Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Zhou Xin , Zeng Jia , Ouyang Chenxi , Luo Qianyun , Yu Miao , Yang Zhenrong , Wang Hui , Shen Kang , Shi Anbing
Published: December 2015

Potassium channels such as Kv2.1 are targeted to specific subcellular compartments to fulfill various functions. However, the mechanisms for their localization are poorly understood. Here, we show that KVS‐4/Kv2.1 somatodendritic localization in Caenorhabditis elegansDA9 neuron requires UNC‐101(AP‐1 μ subunit). We define a bipartite sorting signal within KVS‐4 consisting of a C‐terminal EQMIL and N‐terminal WNIIE motifs. The bipartite signal is sufficient to target nonpolarized transmembrane protein MIG‐13 into DA9 somatodendritic compartments. Furthermore, we found that AP‐1 interacts with the bipartite signal through UNC‐101/AP‐1 μ N‐terminal predicted Longin‐like domain. Our results provide new insight into the mechanisms of Kv2.1 post‐Golgi sorting and targeting.
Mutational probing of protein aggregates to design aggregation‐resistant proteins
Authors: Kamal Mohamad Zahid , Kumar Virender , Satyamurthi Kundarapu , Das Kushal Kumar , Rao Nalam Madhusudhana
Published: December 2015

Characterization of amorphous protein aggregates may offer insights into the process of aggregation. Eleven single amino acid mutants of lipase (LipA of Bacillus subtilis) were subjected to temperature‐induced aggregation, and the resultant aggregates were characterized for recovery of activity in the presence of guanidinium chloride (GdmCl). Based on activity recovery profiles of the aggregates, the mutants could be broadly assigned into four groups. By including at least one mutation from each group, a mutant was generated that showed an increase of ~ 10 °C in melting temperature (Tm) compared to the wild‐type and did not aggregate even at 75 °C. This method explores characterization of amorphous protein aggregates in the presence of GdmCl and helps in identifying mutations involved in protein aggregation.
Hardiness
Authors: Maddi Salvatore R.
Published: December 2015

Hardiness is the personality pattern of attitudes and strategies that helps people turn stressful circumstances from potential disasters into growth opportunities. To do this, the hardiness attitudes of commitment, control, and challenge constitute the necessary courage, and the hardiness strategies of problem‐solving coping, socially supportive interactions, and beneficial self‐care constitute the hard work for which courage is necessary. There is considerable evidence from research, consulting, and counseling that shows the importance of hardiness in these stressful times. Available are validated assessment and training procedures for hardiness.
Defense Mechanisms
Authors: Cramer Phebe
Published: December 2015

This entry focuses on
how
defense mechanisms change with age, and presents several theories to explain
why
change occurs. Also considered are the different approaches used to assess defense use. Both cross‐sectional and longitudinal findings are discussed. The relation between defense use and personality variables, IQ, and psychological and physical health are examined.
Self‐Transcendence/Gerotranscendence
Authors: Wadensten Barbro
Published: December 2015

Through his theory of gerotranscendence, Tornstam has introduced a new understanding of aging, stating that human development is a lifelong process that continues into old age and that, when optimized, ends in a new perspective. The theory of gerotranscendence focuses on two phenomena: the old person and the aging process itself. The theory describes both the experience of growing old and the characteristics of a normal and positive old age. Guidelines which describe different ways to support older people in their process toward gerotranscendence have been derived. They are intended to be used as a supplement to enrich the care of older people.
Retirement, Workforce Aging And
Authors: Rudolph Cort W. , Toomey Eileen
Published: December 2015

Issues surrounding workforce aging and retirement represent important contemporary concerns for the study of work and aging. Research has suggested myriad reasons for workforce aging, including population aging and various economic pressures. A related issue, the changing nature of retirement, has also contributed to our understanding of the aging workforce. Indeed, redefinitions of retirement, including shifts away from early retirement in favor of increased work longevity, will continue to impact the landscape of working into the future.
Identity
Authors: Kroger Jane
Published: December 2015

Erik Erikson first used the concept of identity to refer to the intersection of one's biological givens and psychological needs, interests, and values with opportunities for expression and recognition afforded by the social context. While the developmental task of identity formation generally presses for some initial resolution during adolescence, identity continues to evolve throughout adulthood. Recent theory and research are presented to identify various identity pathways commonly experienced during adulthood as well as the impact that different identity resolutions have on later psychosocial tasks of adulthood. Future directions for theory and research on adult identity development are discussed.
L
ehman,
H
arvey
C
. (1889–1965)
Authors: Simonton Dean Keith
Published: December 2015

Although Harvey C. Lehman began his career studying the play activities of children, and later issues in educational psychology, he eventually devoted the bulk of his career to research on the relation between age and achievement. This work culminated in his 1953 book
Age and Achievement
, still the most comprehensive treatment of the topic. Besides treating the career trajectories for creativity, leadership, sports, and entertainment, he examined many associated issues, such as the relationship between quality and quantity, the differences across domains, and any changes across historical time.
Memory Training
Authors: Richmond Lauren L.
Published: December 2015

Memory training regimes provide a potentially exiting avenue by which older adults could alleviate some of the negative cognitive effects associated with aging. However, there are many important issues to consider before being sold on memory training as a viable intervention. This entry will explore some of these issues and the approaches that have been leveraged to address these shortcomings. Future work in this area will further our understanding of the potential for instantiating far‐reaching effects of memory training, and, more importantly, real‐world benefits from this sort of intervention.
Problem Solving
Authors: Hoppmann Christiane A. , Kozik Pavel
Published: December 2015

Research on everyday problem solving has been shaped by different research traditions that collectively have contributed to a better understanding of how individuals of different ages appraise and approach the problems they encounter as part of their daily lives. The purpose of this entry is to review research on everyday problem solving emanating from different research traditions, to identify key methodological challenges that this line of work has to confront, and to highlight future avenues.
Personality Disorders
Authors: Rosowsky Erlene , Molinari Victor
Published: December 2015

This entry defines personality disorder (PD) and provides a brief historical account of PD nomenclature until DSM‐5. Prevalence rates of PD are discussed vis‐à‐vis the wide variability of estimates due to a variety of methodological concerns especially the age‐insensitivity of DSM criteria. The authors identify the difficulties of establishing valid assessment of PD pathology in old age, in part related to the unique presentation of PDs in late life because of the specific developmental challenges and losses of this age period and frequent comorbidity with other mental health conditions. Those with PDs tend to be less resilient to aging stressors than those without PDs. The cornerstones of treatment are to forge and maintain a therapeutic alliance, follow a coordinated treatment plan, and modify the environment to use their remaining strengths and to teach social skills and coping strategies in order to reduce interpersonal friction and distress.
Singlehood
Authors: McCann Brandy Renee
Published: December 2015

Singlehood in later life is a subjective experience that includes individuals who have never been married, or who are divorced, separated, or widowed. More women than men are single in late life. Women who become single as older adults tend to stay single, whereas older men tend to remarry. Similar to married older adults, single older people both give care to and receive care from family and friends, and occasionally former partners. Unlike their married counterparts, single older adults are more likely to face health and financial disadvantage in later life. Research on singlehood in later life is fraught with measurement problems because asking for a person's current marital status may mask their actual relationship history and obscure cohabiting relationships and other nontraditional attachments. Cohort is an important variable to consider when investigating singlehood as the baby boomer generation has experienced more varied relationship histories than its predecessors.
Person–Environment Fit
Authors: Hesketh Beryl , Griffin Barbara
Published: December 2015

Person–Environment fit theory and research has been applied to many areas of organizational behavior such as career and job choice, selection, human factors, training, work commitment, turnover, and retirement transition. Approaches include obtaining separate measures of the person and the environment (atomistic approach), perceived discrepancies between the person and the environment (mechanistic approach), and direct estimates of subjective fit (molar approach). Studies variously focus on needs–supplies fit, abilities–demands fit, and supplementary and complementary fit. Fit theories most relevant to late‐career development and transition have emerged from the field of vocational psychology. Summaries are provided of several models including the theory of work adjustment (Dawis & Lofquist, 1984) and its application to retirement transition. Methodological issues are discussed, and ideas suggested for future research.
Pulmonary System
Authors: Sanchez Maria Elena Vega , Kim Victor
Published: December 2015

Diseases and conditions of the respiratory system can be caused by the inhalation of cigarette smoke, chemicals, allergens, and other irritants. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States and its main risk factor is tobacco exposure. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease covers two disease processes: chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Aging lung is an age‐related phenomenon that differs from emphysema because there is no evidence of alveolar wall destruction. Knowledge of these age‐related changes is of great importance in order to distinguish the effects of aging from those of diseases. Aging is associated with an overall decline in respiratory function that is attributable to changes in the chest wall and lungs. There are also alterations in the ability of the respiratory system to protect against environmental injury and infection which may increase the risk of pulmonary complications in this vulnerable age group.
Interference
Authors: Karl Healey M.
Published: December 2015

Interference occurs when information that is irrelevant to the current task disrupts cognitive processing. Irrelevant information can come from distracting stimuli in the environment, inappropriate response tendencies, and task‐irrelevant memories and thoughts. Older adults are more susceptible to the detrimental effects of each of these sources of interference. Susceptibility to interference contributes to age‐related deficits in many cognitive domains including visual search, problem solving, and memory. Theories of why older adults are susceptible to interference implicate an impaired ability to inhibit irrelevant information.
Adult Attachment Theory
Authors: Chopik William J. , Edelstein Robin S.
Published: December 2015

Adult attachment theory is a dominant framework for understanding behavior, emotion, and cognition in adult close relationships. It is rooted in the assumption that the underlying motivational systems that support parent–child relationships are also influential in adult intimate relationships. Current research in adult attachment examines changes in an individual's approach to close relationships over time and across the lifespan; the enduring influence of early experiences on social behavior; and the association between attachment orientations and health. The current state of knowledge on these topics and directions for future research are discussed.
Major Nursing Home Policy
Authors: Barsness Sonya , Boudreau‐Scott Denise , Schoeneman Karen C.
Published: December 2015

Modern nursing home policy to address quality of care and life for nursing home residents, along with increased government involvement, began with the passage of the landmark Nursing Home Reform Act in 1987. Since then additional initiatives have attempted to strengthen nursing home operations, oversight, and protection of residents' rights. Rebalancing efforts have required individuals to be served in the setting of their choice that is appropriate to them. Increased focus on quality of life has fueled the culture change movement and influenced current and future nursing home policy to reflect a transition from institution to home via person‐centered care.
General Ecological Model
Authors: Scheidt Rick J.
Published: December 2015

The general ecological model (also known as the ecology theory of aging or the competence‐press model) is perhaps the most influential rubric guiding theory development, empirical research, and programmatic application in environmental gerontology. It articulates components of the ecological equation (B = (f) P, E, P X E), plays host to evolving theoretical considerations that involve environmental transactions of older people, and guides both preventive and ameliorative interventions designed to provide better “fit” or match between the needs and resources of older people and the demands posed by their everyday environments. Appraisal of the current and future status of the model is discussed in this entry.
Assisted Living
Authors: Polivka Larry , Rill Lisa
Published: December 2015

Assisted living cannot be defined in a clear‐cut manner because the concept covers a wide range of congregate living arrangements, with numerous variations within each model. The original vision was based on in‐home models of care that provided services to meet the long‐term care needs of impaired persons, allowing them to “age in place” in the least restrictive environment for as long as possible in order to preserve their quality of life. The core values include resident autonomy and choice, social engagement, and privacy and dignity. Currently, the biggest problem in assisted living for policy makers and those in need of long‐term care is the relatively meager number of assisted living beds available to less affluent older people. Our primary goal should be to expand access for publicly supported residents and avoid regulatory schemes that would undermine the assisted living quality‐of‐life values.
Harmonization
Authors: Piccinin Andrea M. , Fortier Isabel , Saliba Matilda
Published: December 2015

Data harmonization involves creating commensurate variables across multiple datasets. Comparing research findings across nations and the study of rare characteristics both depend on it. Harmonization can be implemented either prospectively or retrospectively, based on when the process is begun relative to the original data collection. Some variables can be harmonized through logic and matching of definitions, but others provide additional challenges that will require a psychometric approach. Development of infrastructure to facilitate harmonization and methods to refine its use with abstract concepts such as many of those studied in aging will provide many opportunities to improve scientific research to meet current challenges and impediments to progress.
Retirement Attitudes
Authors: Adams Gary A. , Feinauer Dale M.
Published: December 2015

The phrase “retirement attitudes” refers to an evaluative assessment that may be based on or expressed as thoughts, feelings, and behavioral intentions about the topic of retirement. Retirement is a broad term that is sometimes used to refer to the event or point in time when one changes from working to being retired. It can also be used to refer to the process of retirement that includes a period of time leading up to the retirement event and the role status that follows that event. In this entry the concepts of retirement and attitudes are described and a framework for understanding their dimensionality is developed. This framework is then used to describe some commonly studied retirement attitudes.
Sexual Disorders and Aging
Authors: Hillman Jennifer
Published: December 2015

Sexuality and aging is a multidimensional construct, including knowledge, attitudes, and a wide range of behaviors. Prevalence data indicate that many men and women engage in vaginal sex, oral sex, and masturbation well into their eighties and nineties. Findings also suggest that approximately half of all women and men in their seventies experience sexual dysfunction, including vaginal dryness and erectile dysfunction. Additional factors related to sexuality and aging include the availability of a partner, normative biological changes (e.g., menopause), the impact of illness (e.g., arthritis; diabetes; prostate and breast cancer), medications' sexual side effects, and the use of male performance enhancing drugs (e.g., Viagra). Emergent issues include the medicalization of elderly sexuality, awareness of sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS, challenges for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender elders, and the impact of technology (e.g., the Internet). Practice guidelines from the American Psychological Association emphasize a biopsychosocial perspective in which gender, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, and age cohort must also be examined as contributing factors.
Computer‐Assisted Telephone and Personal Interviews
Authors: Yan Ting
Published: December 2015

Computer‐assisted telephone and personal interviews are two popular modes of data collection that involve the use of computers. These modes are often used alone, as the primary method of data collection, and are also used in combination with each other and other modes of data collection in surveys. The use of computers in telephone and personal interviews offers numerous advantages for data quality compared to personal interviews that employ paper‐and‐pencil questionnaires. Further, the use of computers makes it possible to collect additional data that can be used to monitor and improve survey data quality.
Skin
Authors: Robert Ladislas , Labat‐Robert Jacqueline
Published: December 2015

The skin is the largest organ of the body according to age and sex. It has several vital functions, including protection of the body, regulation of temperature, and hydration. This entry describes its anatomical and histological structure, and its cellular and molecular components. Skin is rich in extracellular matrix (a connective tissue); this aspect of its composition is also described as well as its age‐dependent modifications.
Item and Source Memory
Authors: Spaniol Julia
Published: December 2015

Memory for contextual details (source memory) shows greater age‐related decline than memory for content (item memory). The age‐related deficit in source memory can be traced to declines in executive and associative processes. Age‐related declines in the structural and functional integrity of prefrontal and medial temporal brain regions play a causal role in older adults' source memory deficit, but the size of the deficit is influenced by additional factors, such as memory strategies, emotion, motivation, and cultural processing biases.
Expressive Arts
Authors: Adams‐Price Carolyn E. , Morse Linda W.
Published: December 2015

Expressive creativity is characteristic of the products of both eminent artists and more everyday creators, and may change in style and significance in later life. Research on the works of eminent creators suggests that products requiring the integration of knowledge tend to be produced later in life than very abstract products, but the most creative individuals in any domain can be productive across the lifespan. Literary and visual arts produced in late life may or may not have a late‐life style different from those produced earlier. Among contemporary artists, self‐perceived creativity tends to increase with age. Newer research suggests that participation in the expressive arts can improve older adults' well‐being, especially if the participation is intensive and long‐term enough for expertise to develop.
Correlates of Wisdom
Authors: Ardelt Monika , Oh Hunhui
Published: December 2015

Several rating measures and standardized scales of general and personal wisdom have been developed, ranging from cognitive to noncognitive assessments of wisdom. Although correlations of wisdom partly depend on its measurement, several general patterns emerge: Personality qualities related to human development, psychological well‐being, a concern for others, and openness to experience are consistent predictors of wisdom; standardized scales of personal wisdom are positively related to subjective well‐being; age seems to have a curvilinear association with wisdom across the lifespan, with lower scores during the early and last years of life; and gender is unrelated and education positively related to cognitively oriented wisdom (sub)scales. It appears that wise persons know how to live a life that is happy, fulfilling, and directed toward the well‐being of others.
Definition of Mental Disorder
Authors: Beaudreau Sherry A. , Gould Christine E.
Published: December 2015

Mental disorder encompasses cognitive and psychological conditions experienced as distressing or detrimental to functioning. Cognitive disorders are common in late life and present unique challenges in clinical settings, such as co‐occurring behavioral and psychological symptoms. Psychological conditions arise less commonly in older than younger individuals. Identifying the cognitive and biomarker features of mental disorders represents a major zeitgeist in psychiatry with potential to improve detection of these disorders, particularly among older individuals, who most often have subsyndromal rather than diagnostic levels of symptoms using current classification systems.
Marital Trajectories
Authors: Proulx Christine M.
Published: December 2015

Researchers have long been interested in the shape that trajectories of marital quality take over time. Original work on this topic had suggested marital quality followed a U‐shaped curve, in which marital quality started off high, declined in the middle years, and rebounded in the later years of marriage. Contemporary advances in research methods and statistical approaches for longitudinal data do not support this U‐shaped pattern and instead draw attention to the multiple trajectories experienced within marriage. These approaches show that some marriages do decline, whereas others are quite stable and some even experience increases in marital quality over time. Thus, there is little evidence for the
honeymoon‐is‐over effect
and, instead, the findings reviewed here provide evidence for the enduring dynamics/maintenance model of marriage, which suggests that couples enter marriage with individual differences that lead to stability in happiness over time.
Childless Older Adults
Authors: Dykstra Pearl A.
Published: December 2015

Current older adults have historically low levels of childlessness. There has been a tendency to view childless older adults as a problem group, but findings show they are not more prone to poor psychological well‐being and social isolation than older parents. At the end of life, however, nonparents are more likely to enter institutional care than parents. To understand the consequences of childlessness for later life it is critical to unravel the interplay of parenthood history, marital history, and gender.
Grounded Theory Method
Authors: Harrison Tracie C. , Manning Amelia , Nayback‐Beebe Ann Marie
Published: December 2015

Grounded theory methodology has undergone many changes over the past 50 years, moving from a primarily postpositivist approach for theory creation using interview and observational techniques to a postmodern analytical tool for mapping out conditions using multiple forms of data. This entry reviews the recent developments and trends in gerontological grounded theory research. Overall, methodologists have created at least four major versions of grounded theory embedded in objectivist, social constructionist, and postmodern philosophical perspectives. These have been used to inform gerontological and developmental research. As the methodology expands, more creative approaches that maintain the rigor but allow for greater insight will undoubtedly surface.
Human Resource Management Practices
Authors: Kammeyer‐Mueller John D.
Published: December 2015

Human resource management is a field of research and practice that addresses the evaluation, placement, development, compensation, and retention of employees. The goals of any human resource program are defined at the organizational level as a component of the strategic planning process. The process then moves to staffing, which includes recruiting, hiring, and placing individuals in appropriate organizational roles. The training and development function involves providing initial skills development to newcomers, along with evaluating performance over time and providing appropriate ongoing developmental experiences. These processes all work in tandem with compensation practices, incorporating base pay, incentives, and nonmonetary benefits. Because human resources decisions influence many important outcomes for workers, there is also an extensive legal framework regulating employment.
Physical Health and Social Class
Authors: Agrigoroaei Stefan
Published: December 2015

As shown by researchers in multiple disciplines, one of the most well‐established determinants of physical health is social class. Lower social class is associated with poorer physical health and higher risk of mortality. In this entry, conceptual and methodological aspects are discussed with a focus on understanding social health disparities and the efforts to decrease them. Specifically, empirical evidence is presented with regards to the nature of health inequalities across the lifespan and in specific social groups (e.g., race/ethnicity), the mechanisms that account for the association between social class and health, and the factors that explain individual differences in the health effects of lower social class.
Processing Speed
Authors: Albinet Cédric T.
Published: December 2015

Processing speed is the rate at which fundamental cognitive operations can be carried out. Processing speed is involved in everyone's daily functioning and increases throughout childhood until young adulthood and declines slowly thereafter. This entry presents the state of the art concerning the research about this processing resource. After having addressed how processing speed can be accurately and independently measured, the emphasis will be on the relationships processing speed maintains with other higher order cognitive functions, such as fluid intelligence, and how this cognitive process is affected by normal aging.
Control Beliefs Across Adulthood
Authors: Lang Frieder R.
Published: December 2015

Control beliefs reflect an individual's expectancies that future events or outcomes will result as a consequence of one's behavior or state of mind. Three issues are addressed: A first section reviews definitions of control as well as findings on stability and change of control beliefs across adulthood. A second section discusses the age‐specific implications of control beliefs with regard to actual control versus illusions of control across adulthood. The third section gives a short overview of the effects of control beliefs on positive aging outcomes such as health, well‐being, and longevity. The concluding section discusses how such issues relate to models of adaptation in old age.
Retirement, Early Decisions
Authors: von Bonsdorff Monika E.
Published: December 2015

Retirement is one of the major life transitions during the life course. As the population in industrialized countries ages, larger numbers of employees will be faced with the decision whether or not to retire early or continue working. These decisions may be defined as individuals' motivated decisions to decrease commitment to work and to withdraw from work‐related activities before reaching pension‐eligible age or before eligibility for full social security. Several theories are currently used to understand how individuals form their retirement decisions and what individual‐, meso‐, and macrolevel factors affect these decisions.
Inhibitory Deficit Hypothesis
Authors: Hasher Lynn
Published: December 2015

The inhibitory deficit hypothesis, or inhibitory theory, is an attention‐based, general model of cognition that accounts for age differences in patterns of spared and impaired functioning in healthy older adults, patterns also seen in other populations such as those with attention deficits, those with depression, and individuals who are out of phase with their circadian rhythms. Efficient inhibitory processes enable goals to regulate thought and action by suppressing otherwise automatic activation of goal‐irrelevant information. Deficits in inhibitory regulation result in heightened distractibility, greater knowledge of irrelevant information, sustained access to no longer relevant information, greater reliance on environmental cues, reduced working memory capacity, greater proactive interference, poorer retrieval of details, greater production of highly probable responses, and the implicit use of the recent past in new situations. Differences among individuals and among groups result from the efficiency of inhibition operating in the service of goals.
Hospice
Authors: Powell Jason L.
Published: December 2015

This entry examines the concept, history, and philosophy of hospice care. It explores how it takes place for those people who are incurably ill who are cared for in institutions such as hospitals and nursing homes or who choose to die at home. This is associated with palliative care. Chronic disease is an important issue when discussing end‐of‐life care, because hospice patients are no longer predominantly just (for example) cancer patients but also now have diagnoses that include multiple chronic conditions. In the United States, Medicare and health insurance providers are the major systems that provide support for hospice care. Globally, the World Health Organization claims palliative care is important for the prevention and relief of suffering by means of identification and treatment of problems, including physical, psychosocial, and spiritual.
Life Cycles, Creative
Authors: Weinberg Bruce A.
Published: December 2015

How creativity varies over the life cycle has long been a subject of interest, having attracted researchers from a wide range of fields. Traditionally, research has focused on differences in the age at which people make important contributions across innovative domains, showing, for instance, that mathematicians do important work at earlier ages than historians. More recent work has emphasized differences in life‐cycle creativity across individual innovators at a point in time and changes in the age–creativity pattern over time within fields. This entry discusses how life‐cycle creativity can inform our understanding of the creative process and shape innovation policy.
Immigrant and Refugee Elders
Authors: Lewis Denise C. , Spivey Savannah E.
Published: December 2015

Dramatic changes in social circumstances, cultural dissonance, and struggles within intergenerational relations are challenges immigrant elders face as they navigate new territory within unfamiliar societies. In the United States, traditional cultural values and notions of American independence influence ways both younger and older immigrants plot a course through changing identities, responsibilities, understandings, and manifestations of behaviors surrounding intergenerational relations. Coping with events and circumstances different from traditional norms and routines involves adjustments and adaptations.
Comorbidity
Authors: Wray Linda Ann
Published: December 2015

Comorbidity
,
multimorbidity
, and
multiple chronic conditions
are terms often used interchangeably to define the existence of two or more health problems, a fact of life for many adults as they age. Although aging itself does not cause the health problems, increasing numbers of conditions are related to advancing age as the result of exposure to years of social and behavioral risks. Older adults' experience of living with multiple conditions and decisions around their treatment are complicated by a lack of consensus on how to measure the multiple conditions and what conditions to include, as well as to limited evidence on why some conditions cluster and others do not, resulting in consequences that may be additive, multiplicative, or interactive. A better understanding of those issues is crucial given the challenges to individuals and societies caused by population aging and the increasingly acknowledged need for patient‐centered care in the United States and around the world.
Reduced brain connectivity and mental flexibility in mild traumatic brain injury
Authors: Pang Elizabeth W. , Dunkley Benjamin T. , Doesburg Sam M. , da Costa Leodante , Taylor Margot J.
Published: December 2015

Objective

A mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), or concussion, has known neuropsychological sequelae, and neuroimaging shows disturbed brain connectivity during the resting state. We hypothesized that task‐based functional connectivity measures, using magnetoencephalography (MEG), would better link the neurobiological underpinnings of cognitive deficits to specific brain damage.

Methods

We used a mental flexibility task in the MEG and compared brain connectivity between adults with and without mTBI.

Results

Affected individuals showed significant reductions in connectivity. When challenged with a more difficult task, these individuals were not able to “boost” their connectivity, and as such, showed deterioration in performance.

Interpretation

We discuss these findings in the context of limitations in cognitive reserve as a consequence of a mTBI.
Facile Synthesis of Highly Efficient Lepidine‐Based Phosphorescent Iridium(III) Complexes for Yellow and White Organic Light‐Emitting Diodes
Authors: Tao Peng , Li Wei‐Ling , Zhang Jing , Guo Song , Zhao Qiang , Wang Hua , Wei Bin , Liu Shu‐Juan , Zhou Xin‐Hui , Yu Qi , Xu Bing‐She , Huang Wei
Published: December 2015

Highly efficient lepidine‐based phosphorescent iridium(III) complexes with pentane‐2,4‐dione or triazolpyridine as ancillary ligands have been designed and prepared by a newly developed facile synthetic route. Fluorine atoms and trifluoromethyl groups have been introduced into the different positions of ligand, and their influence on the photophysical properties of complexes has been investigated in detail. All the triazolpyridine‐based complexes display the blueshifted dual‐peak emission compared to the pentane‐2,4‐dione‐based ones with a broad single‐peak emission. The complexes show emission with broad full width at half maximum (FWHM) over 100 nm, and the emissions are ranges from greenish–yellow to orange region with the absolute quantum efficiency (ΦPL) of 0.21–0.92 in solution, i.e., ΦPL = 0.92 (18), which is the highest value among the reported neutral yellow iridium(III) complexes. Furthermore, high‐performance yellow and complementary‐color‐based white organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs) have been fabricated. The FWHMs of the yellow, greenish–yellow OLEDs are in the range of 94–102 nm, which are among the highest values of the reported yellow or greenish–yellow‐emitting devices without excimer emission. The maximum external quantum efficiency of monochrome OLEDs can reach 24.1%, which is also the highest value among the reported yellow or greenish–yellow devices. The color rendering indexes of blue and complementary yellow‐based white OLED is as high as 78.
Photoluminescence from Liquid‐Exfoliated WS2Monomers in Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) Polymer Composites
Authors: Vega‐Mayoral Victor , Backes Claudia , Hanlon Damien , Khan Umar , Gholamvand Zahra , O'Brien Maria , Duesberg Georg S. , Gadermaier Christoph , Coleman Jonathan N.
Published: December 2015

While liquid phase exfoliation can be used to produce nanosheets stabilized in polymer solutions, very little is known about the resultant nanosheet size, thickness, or monolayer content. The present study uses semiquantitative spectroscopic metrics based on extinction, Raman, and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy to investigate these parameters for WS2nanosheets exfoliated in aqueous poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) solutions. By measuring Raman and PL simultaneously, the monolayer content can be tracked via the PL/Raman intensity ratio while varying processing conditions. The PL is found to be maximized for a stabilizing polymer concentration of 2 g L−1. In addition, the monolayer content can be controlled via the centrifugation conditions, exceeding 5% by mass in some cases. These techniques have allowed tracking the ratio of PL/Raman in a droplet of polymer‐stabilized WS2nanosheets as the water evaporates during composite formation. No evidence of nanosheet aggregation is found under these conditions although the PL becomes dominated by trion emission as drying proceeds and the balance of doping from PVA/water changes. Finally, bulk PVA/WS2composites are produced by freeze drying where >50% of the monolayers remain unaggregated, even at WS2volume fractions as high as 10%.
Sulfidation of NiMn‐Layered Double Hydroxides/Graphene Oxide Composites toward Supercapacitor Electrodes with Enhanced Performance
Authors: Chen Jingwei , Wang Xu , Wang Jiangxin , Lee Pooi See
Published: December 2015

Supercapacitors can deliver high‐power density and long cycle stability, but the limited energy density due to poor electronic and ionic conductivity of the supercapacitor electrode has been a bottleneck in many applications. A strategy to prepare microflower‐like NiMn‐layered double hydroxides (LDH) with sulfidation is delineated to reduce the charge transfer resistance of supercapacitor electrode and realize faster reversible redox reactions with notably enhanced specific capacitance. The incorporation of graphite oxide (GO) in NiMn LDH during sulfidation leads to simultaneous reduction of GO with enhanced conductivity, lessened defects, and doping of S into the graphitic structure. Cycling stability of the sulfidized composite electrode is enhanced due to the alleviation of phase transformation during electrochemical cycling test. As a result, this sulfidation product of LDH/GO (or LDHGOS) can reach a high‐specific capacitance of 2246.63 F g−1 at a current density of 1 A g−1, and a capacitance of 1670.83 F g−1 is retained at a high‐current density of 10 A g−1, exhibiting an outstanding capacitance and rate performance. The cycling retention of the LDHGOS electrode is also extended to ≈ 67% after 1500 cycles compared to only ≈44% of the pristine NiMn LDH.