bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Hearing Impairment in Municipal Refuse and Glass Recycling Collection Operatives
Authors: Wynn Philip A , Preston Rachel 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Several international regulatory bodies and researchers have identified employees in the municipal refuse and recycling industry as potentially at risk of noise induced hearing loss. Whilst materials recycling facilities have been subject to research regarding the health effects of hazardous exposures, the roadside recycling collection aspects of the industry has been identified as requiring further investigation. The requirement for characterization of such risk has been increased in the European Union by legislation that has led to increased rates of municipal recycling in the waste disposal industry. In particular, the introduction of glass recycling collection rounds over recent years, alongside long-established refuse collection activities, has given rise to possible further increased levels of industrial noise exposure, beyond that of refuse collection alone. This cross-sectional study describes hearing threshold categorization in 201 male full-time refuse collection workers, most of whom had many years of employment in municipal refuse collection, and all of whom, in the 3–4 years preceding the study, had commenced a work pattern of alternating weeks of municipal glass recycling collection and refuse collection. During this period there was no compulsory use of personal hearing protective equipment. No excess of hearing loss was found in this group, irrespective of years in refuse collection duties or when compared with those studied with additional responsibilities as a driver of refuse wagons (a task not considered to lead to excessive noise exposure). Further research into hearing loss in such employees is merited, given the short time period of exposure to noise from glass collection, but the possible benefit of undertaking detailed full shift personal noise exposure in this group is proposed.
Anthem: a user customised tool for fast and accurate prediction of binding between peptides and HLA class I molecules
Authors: Mei Shutao , Li Fuyi , Xiang Dongxu , Ayala Rochelle , Faridi Pouya , Webb Geoffrey I , Illing Patricia T , Rossjohn Jamie , Akutsu Tatsuya , Croft Nathan P , Purcell Anthony W , Song Jiangning 
Published: December 2020

AbstractNeopeptide-based immunotherapy has been recognised as a promising approach for the treatment of cancers. For neopeptides to be recognised by CD8+ T cells and induce an immune response, their binding to human leukocyte antigen class I (HLA-I) molecules is a necessary first step. Most epitope prediction tools thus rely on the prediction of such binding. With the use of mass spectrometry, the scale of naturally presented HLA ligands that could be used to develop such predictors has been expanded. However, there are rarely efforts that focus on the integration of these experimental data with computational algorithms to efficiently develop up-to-date predictors. Here, we present Anthem for accurate HLA-I binding prediction. In particular, we have developed a user-friendly framework to support the development of customisable HLA-I binding prediction models to meet challenges associated with the rapidly increasing availability of large amounts of immunopeptidomic data. Our extensive evaluation, using both independent and experimental datasets shows that Anthem achieves an overall similar or higher area under curve value compared with other contemporary tools. It is anticipated that Anthem will provide a unique opportunity for the non-expert user to analyse and interpret their own in-house or publicly deposited datasets.
Mesophication of Oak Landscapes: Evidence, Knowledge Gaps, and Future Research
Authors: Alexander Heather D , Siegert Courtney , Brewer J Stephen , Kreye Jesse , Lashley Marcus A , McDaniel Jennifer K , Paulson Alison K , Renninger Heidi J , Varner J Morgan 
Published: December 2020

AbstractPyrophytic oak landscapes across the central and eastern United States are losing dominance as shade-tolerant, fire-sensitive, or opportunistic tree species encroach into these ecosystems in the absence of periodic, low-intensity surface fires. Mesophication, a hypothesized process initiated by intentional fire exclusion by which these encroaching species progressively create conditions favorable for their own persistence at the expense of pyrophytic species, is commonly cited as causing this structural and compositional transition. However, many questions remain regarding mesophication and its role in declining oak dominance. In the present article, we review support and key knowledge gaps for the mesophication hypothesis. We then pose avenues for future research that consider which tree species and tree traits create self-perpetuating conditions and under what conditions tree-level processes might affect forest flammability at broader scales. Our goal is to promote research that can better inform restoration and conservation of oak ecosystems experiencing structural and compositional shifts across the region.
A Thematic Analysis of Mental Health Student Perceptions of Working With Older Persons With Serious Mental Illness
Authors: Santos Stephanie , Zechner Michelle 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Older people with serious mental illness (SMI) are a rapidly growing population that is expected to double in the US by 2030 (Pratt, Mueser, Bartels, & Wolfe, 2013). Negative attitudes towards older adults and people with SMI are reported for medical, nursing, and mental health students, but little research has examined mental health student attitudes about older adults living with SMI (Nochajski, et al., 2009; Smith & Cashwell, 2010). Education can improve attitudes towards vulnerable populations (Frailing & Slate, 2016). This retrospective qualitative study aimed to identify mental health profession student’s perceptions of working with older adults with SMI throughout a fifteen-week, online, mental health course, that educated students on the unique needs of older adults with SMI, available community services and resources, barriers to adequate services, and the effects of ageism. Undergraduate (n=13) and graduate (n=3) forum responses were gathered at three time points (Week 1, Week 5, and Week 15) to examine their attitudes about working with older adults with SMI. De-identified responses were aggregated. Conventional content analysis was used to identify themes. Two researchers manually coded aggregated information, and met to reach consensus regarding underlying themes. Content analysis suggested the following themes: negative feelings towards older adults, personal experiences with older adults, generational differences, cultural views of aging, attitudes about aging, and generational differences. Suggestions for future work with mental health students to reduce stigma and encourage them to work with older adults with SMI will be presented.
Hands and Health at Home: An Innovative Intergenerational Program for Meals on Wheels Clients
Authors: Gatward Meghan , Logue Rachel , Vanderlaan Courtney , Brown Susan 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Homebound older adults represent an understudied population who are at greater risk of losing hand strength and manipulation skills that, in turn, can lead to increased disability and cognitive declines (Dayanidhi and Valero-Cuevas, 2014). The Hands and Health at Home program was developed through a partnership with the University of Michigan’s School of Kinesiology and Michigan Medicine’s Ann Arbor Meals on Wheels program to demonstrate the feasibility of an intergenerational approach to address unmet needs of Meals on Wheels recipients. Undergraduate movement science student trainers were paired with a client who they visited twice weekly for 5 weeks. Students received training, including mock training scenarios, from an interprofessional team with backgrounds in social work, nursing, and neurorehabilitation. Home training protocols were developed using commercially available games and occupational therapy tools with the aim of improving hand function and facilitating socialization. Pre- and post-assessments included hand strength and dexterity, and client-reported measures of physical function and self-efficacy. Feedback from clients and students was overwhelmingly positive with several students indicating that the experience had stimulated interest in pursuing gerontology careers. Changes in quantitative assessments were variable across clients although pinch strength increased significantly in the non-dominant hand (p&lt;0.02) and was predictive of measures of self-efficacy (r=.78, p&lt;0.02). To our knowledge, this pilot program is the first of its kind and demonstrates the value of an intergenerational approach aimed at improving quality of life in Meals on Wheels clients, and may be of benefit for other underserved older members of the community.
Navigating Conflicting Rights Among Residents, Visitors, and Families in Long-Term Care Facilities
Authors: Perone Angela 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Background: An abundance of long-term care regulations creates a bevy of rights for nursing facility residents, staff, and families. Front-line workers and managers have significant discretion and responsibilities for interpreting these rights. Building on street-level-bureaucracy theory (Lipsky, 2010), which focuses on how front-line workers implement policy, this study examines how staff at various levels (direct care, mid-level professional, top management) resolve conflicting rights. Methods: This study employs a novel advanced multi-method qualitative design with semi-structured staff interviews (n=90), content analysis of long-term care facility policies (n=75), and participant observation of two facilities for a multi-layered comparative case study. Findings: Data analysis revealed variations in staff responses to conflicting rights regarding autonomy and safety (e.g. fall prevention, dementia, coronavirus) and discrimination (i.e. sexual/racial harassment). While harassment was rampant, direct care workers responded more deferentially to residents and often justified harassment as part of a customer service job in one’s home. Staff at all levels relied on teams to develop creative problem-solving approaches, but team composition and discretion varied significantly between facilities and staff levels. While staff included few social workers, staff heavily relied on them to adjudicate conflicting rights. Implications: Conflicting rights impact resident care and relationships among residents, staff, and families. This research provides policymakers and practitioners with new data about how staff resolve conflicting rights, which can facilitate stronger policies to support an overburdened and underpaid long-term care workforce. This research also expands street-level-bureaucracy theory to include managers and reveals how various team approaches can produce diverse solutions.
The Impact of Leadership Styles on Quality and Financial Performance in High Medicaid Nursing Homes
Authors: Lord Justin , Davlyatov Ganisher , Ghiasi Akbar , Weech-Maldonado Robert 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
This study examines the association between leadership styles on resident quality and financial performance in under resourced nursing homes (70% or higher Medicaid census). The Bonoma/Slevin leadership model was used to classify managers into four categories, autocrat, consultative autocrat, consensus manager, and shareholder manager. Survey data from 391 nursing home directors (response rate of 37%) from 2017- 2018, were merged with secondary data from LTCFocus, Area Health Resource File, Medicare Cost Reports, and Nursing Home Compare. Two models were ran to examine the effect of leadership styles on the dependent variable(s) nursing home STAR data (quality) and operating margin (financial performance). The independent variables were composite scores for leadership styles, with autocrat as the reference group. Control variables included organizational (ownership, chain affiliation, size, occupancy, payer mix, staffing, and race/ethnicity), and county factors (Medicare Advantage penetration, per capita income, poverty, education, unemployment, and competition). Multivariate regression was used to model the relationship between leadership styles and nursing home quality and financial performance. The consultative autocrat was associated with lower quality (p &lt; 0.05), while the consensus manager was associated with lower profit margin (p &lt; 0.05), as compared to autocratic leadership. The consultative autocrat, who solicits information from the staff yet still makes all significant decisions, is associated in lower quality; however, a consensus manager, who delegates their authority to the group, is associated with lower financial performance. Under-resourced nursing homes who face dual pressures need to recognize trade-offs of different decision making styles for quality and financial performance.
Exploring the Effects of Arts Intervention Groups on Well-Being Among Older Adults
Authors: Ihara Emily , McNeil Kathryn , Lopez-Piper Adriana , Eber Maxine , Tompkins Catherine , Matto Holly , Dhokai Niyati , Ambegaonkar Jatin 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Engaging in the arts reportedly improves well-being, but research is limited on the specific effects for community-dwelling older adults. The purpose of this randomized controlled trial was to examine how taking part in different arts interventions (dance & music), affects older adults’ overall well-being compared to a social conversation control group. Sixty-four participants (mean = 71 years old) participated twice weekly in a 10-week intervention that included ballroom dancing (n=23), ukulele playing (n=17), and social conversation (n=24). At the conclusion, three focus groups were held to assess participants’ experiences and subjective evaluation of the interventions’ impact. Twenty-two out of the sixty-four participants (dance= 8, ukulele = 6, social conversation = 8) took part in focus groups. Transcripts of the recorded focus groups were independently coded and compared. Common themes were agreed-upon by two researchers. Focus groups revealed positive outcomes for participants in all three groups. Several themes emerged across the intervention groups compared to the control group, including participants feeling challenged as they crossed their comfort zones, reporting increased confidence, enhanced social connections, and a sense of accomplishment when learning new skills. Community-dwelling older adults reported improved health-related outcomes after taking part in arts and social conversation sessions. Implementation of community-engaged arts intervention programs for older adults in the future may examine motivators which attract participants, foster positive social connections during sessions, and use participant-empowering pedagogical adaptations to retain participants. These factors can increase the efficacy of arts-engaged programs and help improve well-being in older adults.
A Longitudinal Study of the Impact of Loneliness on Personal Mastery Among Older Adults in Singapore
Authors: Takagi Emiko , Saito Yasuhiko , Chan Angelique W M 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
This study uses longitudinal data to examine the association between older adults’ sense of mastery and loneliness. We examined the data of a nationally representative sample of adults 60 years and older in Singapore (Wave1, n=4,990) from the Panel of Health and Aging among Older Singaporeans Survey. The initial participants were followed up in 2011 (Wave2, n=3,103) and in 2015 (Wave3, n=1,572). At each wave, emotional loneliness was assessed using the UCLA three-item loneliness scale and sense of mastery was measured with the five items from the Pearlin Mastery Scale. We conducted cross-lagged regression analyses where loneliness and personal mastery scores in each wave were treated as endogenous variables along with covariates including demographic characteristics, health conditions, and the overall strength of social network measured by Lubben Social Network Scale. The results showed that loneliness in wave 1 and wave 2 respectively predicted a lower level of personal sense of mastery in subsequent waves. However, the other direction, the influence of personal mastery in wave 1 and wave 2 on loneliness at subsequent waves, was not significant. Furthermore, the analysis showed that older adults’ relatively strong social network was related to a lower level of loneliness and a higher sense of mastery at Wave 3. The finding suggests that loneliness plays a critical role in influencing older adults’ personal sense of mastery and that the strength of social network is an important mediator of loneliness and personal sense of mastery amongst older adults and a potential area for intervention.
Loneliness and Purpose in Life Are Important Predictors for Future Care Planning
Authors: Mak Wingyun , Sörensen Silvia 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Experiencing purpose and social connection in later life is associated with better quality of life, better cognition, less morbidity, and lower risk of mortality. People who experience less purpose in life are more likely to report loneliness (Neville et al., 2018), and those with vision impairment are at greater risk for loneliness than the general population (Brunes et al., 2019). Planning for future care may be one way to enhance late life outcomes, but it is unclear how loneliness and purpose in life are related to planning behaviors in older people with vision loss. Using a sample of 200 older adults who were diagnosed with macular degeneration, this study explored the association of loneliness and purpose in life on future care planning variables after controlling for basic health and demographic variables. Hierarchical regressions showed that 1) people who are lonelier (β=.26, p&lt;.05) but report greater purpose in life (β=.19, p&lt;.05) are more aware of future care needs (ΔR2= .14, p&lt;.001); 2) people who are lonelier (β=-.16, p&lt;.05) but report greater purpose in life (β=-.46, p&lt;.001) are less avoidant of planning (ΔR2= .14, p&lt;.001); and 3) people who report greater purpose in life are more likely to gather information (β=.24, p&lt;.05; ΔR2= .04, p&lt;.05) and establish concrete plans related to planning for future care (β=.25, p&lt;.05; ΔR2= .06, p&lt;.001). These results suggest that having purpose in later life may boost planning behaviors, while those who are lonely may need help translating their awareness of future care needs into planning behaviors.
More Exercise Is Linked to Less Loneliness in Adult Day Health Attendees
Authors: Mak Wingyun 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
There is a growing evidence that more physical activity is linked to less loneliness (Cigna, 2018; Pels & Kleinert; 2016). It is less clear whether this relationship persists in older adults who are attending adult day health services and often have multiple comorbidities. In this study, we examined whether spending more time exercising would significantly predict whether adult day health attendees reported loneliness. We used UAS-NY data from a sample of 221 adult day health attendees from 2019 to early 2020 who scored five or greater on the Nursing Facility Level of Care Index, which is a score derived from assessments of cognition, communication and vision, mood and behavior, functional status, continence, and nutritional status. A logistic regression showed that after controlling for demographic variables, cognition, health, and quality of family relationships, participants were less likely to report loneliness if they had been attending adult day health services for at least six months or more (B=.86, p&lt;.05), spent less time alone (B=-.45, p&lt;.05), and exercised more (B=.47, p&lt;.05; χ2(3)=15.6, p=.001). These results suggest that in addition to participating in adult day services and spending more time with others, exercising may have an impact on the experience of loneliness.
The Association Between Hearing Loss and Completion of Advance Care Planning Among Older Adults
Authors: Han Junghee , Park Junghyun 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Background: Ensuring access to quality end-of-life (EOL) care for all older adults is emerging public health concern. Hearing loss (HL) is the third most common chronic disease affecting older adults and a major impediment to access healthcare services. However, little is known about the impact of HL on advance care planning for older adults. Method: A sample of 1,862 older adults (≥65 years) was drawn from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS). HL was determined by self-report and advance care planning was measured by asking if an individual completed living wills or the Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care (DPAHC). Covariates included age, gender, race, marital status, education, religion, nativity, depression, region, facility status, regular doctor availability, Medicaid, hospitalization, cognition, perceived health status and a presence of chronic disease. Results: Descriptive statistics revealed that nearly 67% of older adults with HL completed the DPAHC, and the majority of them (71%) also had living wills. Multivariable logistic regression analyses showed that HL was significantly associated with completion of DPAHC and living wills, after controlling for a list of covariates (OR=0.50, p&lt;0.05). Conclusions: The findings show HL is a significant predictor of completion of any type of advance directives. Facilitating effective communication in advance care planning for older adults with HL is needed. Healthcare provider should make health information accessible to them to get quality EOL care.
Conscious and Non-Conscious Processes Regulate Minority Older Adults’ Sedentary Behavior
Authors: Maher Jaclyn , Hevel Derek , Sappenfield Kourtney , Scheer Heidi , Zecca Christine , Kennedy-Malone Laurie 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that sedentary behavior (SB), or time spent sitting, is regulated by both conscious (e.g., intentions) and non-conscious (e.g., habits) motivational processes. Much of the work investigating these processes has employed summary-based measures of typical motivation and behavior. This study employed ecological momentary assessment (EMA) methods and accelerometry to determine the extent to which conscious and non-conscious processes regulate minority older adults’ momentary decisions to engage in SB. Over the course of the 8-day study, minority older adults (N=91; age range: 60-89 years, 96% Black/African American) answered 6 EMA questionnaires/day on a mobile phone and wore an ActivPAL activity monitor to measure SB. EMA questionnaires assessed momentary intentions to limit SB over the next two hours. SB habit strength was self-reported at an introductory session. Results from a multilevel linear regression model indicated that on occasions when individuals had stronger intentions than usual to limit SB, they subsequently engaged in less SB (b=-3.72, p&lt;0.01). Individuals who had stronger SB habits, tended to engage in more SB (b=3.00, p&lt;0.01). An additional multilevel model revealed that habits did not significantly moderate the association between momentary intentions and subsequent SB (b=-1.06, p=0.09). In conclusion, minority older adults’ momentary SB appears to be directly influenced by both conscious and non-conscious motivational processes, though the interactive effects are unclear. Interventions to reduce minority older adults’ SB should include content to increase intentions to limit SB (e.g., information on instrumental and affective consequences) and disrupt habitual SB (e.g., action planning).