bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
ENHANCING COGNITIVE AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING THROUGH PIANO TRAINING IN OLDER ADULTS WITH MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT
Authors: Lin Rose , Robinson Laura , Freer Elinor , Heffner Kathi 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
Neuropsychiatric symptoms such as depressed mood are increasingly recognized alongside cognitive decline in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). In response to international guidelines advocating a holistic approach to address both emotional and cognitive symptoms, we conducted a descriptive qualitative study to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a 12-week structured piano training program for seven older adults with MCI. This program included weekly one-hour sessions alternating between individual and group formats, focusing on music theory and scales, with 15-minute daily practices. Content analysis of semi-structured interviews revealed that participants found piano training rewarding, they appreciated integrating piano practice into daily routines, which fostered a sense of purpose and enhanced their ability to manage schedules and handling everyday tasks. Notably, 71.4% of participants enrolled in community school piano class following program completion. They valued interacting with peers facing similar cognitive challenges provided comfort and shared understanding of cognitive decline. Positive reinforcement from instructors and tailored support were crucial in sustaining motivation, particularly when frustrations associated with acquiring new skills, as noted in prior and current studies, could worsen neuropsychiatric symptoms. Recognizing their abilities to learn, despite cognitive decline, boosted self-confidence that often compromised by cognitive impairment. Some adopted piano playing as a new strategy to cope with negative emotions, enhancing overall emotional resilience. Our preliminary findings suggest that piano training has potential to improve well-being in older adults with MCI, setting stage for assessing its long-term impact on cognitive and emotional well-being in larger trials.
UNDERSTANDING THE SUBJECTIVITIES OF OLDER ADULTS WITH DEMENTIA IN A RESIDENTIAL CARE FACILITY
Authors: Shen Lingyi 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
China has the largest population of people with dementia. However, inadequate care support is available, leading to families to being overwhelmed and compelled to send their loved ones to residential care facilities. While much attention has been paid to understanding institutional dementia care from the caregivers’ perspectives, seldom does research focus on the experiences of older adults with dementia, especially in China. This study aims to explore the subjectivities of older adults with dementia in a residential care facility in the Chinese context. Over a two-month period, participant observation was conducted with informal conversations in a dementia unit in eastern China. Based on the collective perception, reconstructed memory and oral histories, different individuals’ realities were articulated. Through verbal and physical behaviors such as resistance to care, othering and grouping, older adults with dementia constructed the understanding towards themselves and their surroundings, as well as their own meaning of life. Constant manifestation of intersubjectivity was also observed within the group. Despite their disrupted lived experiences, older adults with dementia maintained their established relationships, with family and beyond, and connections with the broader society through their performance of embodied experiences, disclosing the complexity of family dynamics in contemporary China and the social history of the country. The study also identifies elements that constrain their subjectivities, such as the overuse of antipsychotics and therapeutic lies. A new and dialectical perspective towards the relationship between older adults with dementia and the care institution is provided, informing the development of person-centered dementia care in China.
UNDERSTANDING CHALLENGES & ADAPTIVE STRATEGIES FOR BATHING & SHOWERING AMONG ADULTS WITH MOBILITY DISABILITIES
Authors: Bhowmick Pallabi , Remillard Elena , Daliparthi Meghana , Shahid Kainat , Rogers Wendy , Rice Ian 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
Self-care and bathing activities are among the most challenging and dangerous activities for individuals aging with mobility disabilities, yet their technology needs remain largely unexplored. There is a need for more specificity about the nature of the challenges. Two user needs studies were conducted exploring challenges and strategies for everyday activities among individuals with long-term mobility impairments (lasting at least 10 years). We analyzed data on bathing/showering challenges from a subsample of participants from these two studies (n=28), aged 52–86 (M=64; SD=9.2), who were wheelchair users and were unable to stand due to lower body mobility impairments. Findings reveal several critical issues and adaptive strategies around bathing/showering. 82% of the participants either stopped bathing (i.e., submerging in a tub) or could not bathe without assistance, relying instead on overhead shower systems and adaptations like roll-in, no-threshold showers, grab bars, and shower chairs/benches. Secondly, the majority transitioned to handheld showerheads over fixed showerheads, and to using bathing wands/reacher sticks for greater flexibility in cleaning themselves. Lastly, several participants expressed concerns about the loss of upper body strength with age, making it difficult to use heavy showerheads or adjust water temperature with controls that are difficult to reach and press. These findings underscore the need for customizable, assistive showering devices for individuals who must shower in a seated position, a research area that has received limited attention. Designing a lightweight robotic showerhead with accessible controls could be a promising solution, which would significantly enhance independence and quality of life for these individuals.
INITIAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE WRITING TO HEAL APP: A STRUCTURED WRITING SERIES FOR CAREGIVERS OF SPOUSES LIVING WITH ADRD
Authors: LeRoy Angie , Weiss Samantha , Harris Katherine , Maza Valentina , Wickline Sierra , Henderson Alexandria , Liskovec Leona 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
Caregiving for a spouse living with Alzheimer’s or a Related Dementia (ADRD) is incredibly stressful, and puts caregivers at risk for developing health problems, themselves. Caregivers’ health issues may affect not only their own quality of life but also their ability to care for their spouse. Thus, developing interventions that support caregivers and help mitigate the stress associated with caregiving, is critical. In Part I of the study, we conducted focus groups with people caring for a spouse living with ADRD) to identify opportunities for targeted treatment and potential barriers to a cognitive-based online expressive writing intervention specifically tailored to spousal caregivers. Results from Part I indicated that caregivers had dynamic needs and requested an intervention that was efficient, mobile, and readily accessible. Collaborating with a product designer to review the qualitative results from Part I, the research team determined that an app would be the best-fitting modality for intervention delivery. In Part IIa, we conducted a second wave of focus groups, throughout which we iteratively adapted the design for an app-based writing intervention for stress and grief among spousal caregivers. To prepare for app development, we conducted preliminary usability testing (Part IIb), during which caregivers interacted with a prototype of the future app to complete a number of proposed task flows. In this article, we present methods and results from Parts I & II as well as reviewing our future plans for app development and subsequent beta testing of the intervention in a pilot RCT.
LGBTQ+ IDENTITY SOCIAL SUPPORT AND CARE MECHANISMS AMONG LGBTQ+ MCI/ADRD CAREGIVERS
Authors: Lampe Nik , Akre Ellesse-Roselee , Barbee Harry , McKay Tara 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
LGBTQ+ caregivers for individuals living with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (MCI/ADRD) experience disparities in discrimination, social isolation, healthcare, and financial strain, compared to their heterosexual and cisgender counterparts. In this study, we examine the relationship between the roles of being an LGBTQ+ MCI/ADRD caregiver has on levels of LGBTQ+-identity social support and care outcomes among LGBTQ+ older adults. Using Wave 3 data (N=1,038) of The LGBTQ+ Social Networks, Aging, and Policy Study (QSNAPS), we use descriptive analyses to estimate sample characteristics and Chi-square tests and logistic regressions to test the associations between MCI/ADRD caregiver status and outcomes concerning LGBTQ+-identity social support from family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors as well as various LGBTQ+-affirming care practices. Eighty-three respondents (8.3%) in the QSNAPS Wave 3 sample identified as caregivers for individuals with neurocognitive disorders. Compared to LGBTQ+ non-MCI/ADRD caregivers, LGBTQ+ MCI/ADRD caregivers were: 51.7% less likely to have family support (p&lt;.01) and 49.1% less likely to have neighbor support (p&lt;.05). Compared to LGBTQ+ non-MCI/ADRD caregivers, LGBTQ+ MCI/ADRD caregivers were more likely to receive practical help from others (p&lt; 0.1); and less likely to report their providers’ offices displaying LGBTQ-affirming materials (p&lt; 0.1) and providers using gender-inclusive language (p&lt; 0.1). No significant associations were found between MCI/ADRD caregiver status and other LGBTQ+-affirming care outcomes. Understanding LGBTQ+-identity social support and care mechanisms can inform targeted interventions to reduce health disparities among LGBTQ+ MCI/ADRD caregivers.
VETERAN AND FAMILY PERSPECTIVES OF THE VA NURSING HOME TO HOME PROGRAM
Authors: Haverhals Leah , Manheim Chelsea , Fix Rachel 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
Veterans meeting United States (US) Veterans Health Administration (VA) service-connected disability requirements are eligible for VA provided nursing home (NH) care, resulting in high utilization. In 2023, the VA launched the Nursing Home to Home (NHTH) pilot program at three VA Medical Centers. NHTH’s objective is to identify Veterans residing in VA-contracted NHs interested in returning to live in the community. Through assessments by an interdisciplinary team, care coordination, and follow-up services, efforts are initiated to support appropriate, safe, and successful discharges. From March-July 2024, we conducted N=11 interviews with 13 Veterans and family members to describe their experiences with NHTH. Veterans felt more comfortable at home, had adequate caregiving and home health support, and said their healthcare needs were met. Several shared they were confident in bathing and dressing independently and expressed increased self-determination in improving their mobility. Families and Veterans noted the time from program referral to NH discharge ranged from three to six months, which they felt was appropriate. Families shared the NHTH team was available to answer questions, provide education, and offer help navigating the VA, including identifying services Veterans may be eligible for that families had not been aware of previously. One family member shared the NH had not provided adequate care to the Veteran and was glad the Veteran returned home, and many Veterans noted they would recommend the program to other Veterans. After one year, feedback shared about NHTH has been largely positive, highlighting several benefits and showing potential for expansion.
DECOLONIZING GERONTOLOGY BY REPATRIATING EXPERTISE: THEORY, RESEARCH DESIGN, AND A RESEARCH STUDY EXAMPLE
Authors: Crampton Alexandra 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
This presentation provides a rationale, a research design, and a research example of decolonizing gerontology through integration of Indigenous philosophy and practices. Colonization in gerontology is identified on three levels; reducing complexity of aging into problems for outside experts to solve; associating aging with loss that negates (and potentially threatens) modern values of youth, independence, and productivity; and limiting the research role of older adults to that of consenting research subjects. Decolonization in gerontology explores complexity of lived experience, and expands the research role of older adults to actively challenge, deepen, and redirect the research. My research design incorporates Shawn Wilson’s decolonization work and lessons from the successful repatriation of Ahayu: da by Zuni negotiators. My research example is from a study conducted between July 2021 and July 2024 in a Midwestern retirement community where the average age is 86. Covid restrictions persisted through May, 2023. My research goal was to repatriate gerontological constructs, such as “successful aging” and “older adulthood” through community-engaged research. Data were collected using ethnographic methods of participant observation, in-depth interviews, archival document collection, and frequent consultation with research participants. Although “successful aging” and “older adulthood” were recognized by research participants, these constructs were rejected as non-informative by those confronting major disruption to roles, status, and/or functioning. Construct repatriation included reformulating aging as reckoning with loss of capacities, relationships, and other sources of meaning that had been integral to a sense of self and means of flourishing. Research presentations became a means of shared reckoning.
Global Rumours: The Press, Telegraphy and the Boxer War in China, Summer 1900
Authors: Klein Thoralf 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
In the summer of 1900, at the height of the Boxer War, the European and North American press began to spread the story that all the Western foreigners in Beijing had been massacred. Bringing together the histories of rumour, media and imperialism, as well as global history, this article traces the trajectory of how this press rumour emerged as a result of the interplay between news production, media technology and imperialist discourse. It shows how rumours emerge in response to a lack of reliable information, despite attempts by newsmakers to cling to established standards of objectivity. As the backbone of the transnational media network, telegraphy globalized rumours that would otherwise have remained local. However, the incompleteness of telegraphic information, as well as the spatial layout of the newspaper page, allowed editors to print different, and often downright contradictory, versions of the same story. This endowed press rumours with an unusual complexity. Finally, the rumour of the wholesale killing of Westerners in the Chinese capital owed much to imperialist ‘horizons of expectation’, which shifted the discussion to how the besieged Westerners had died. Even after the truth gradually filtered through, it was some time before the global rumour mill finally ground to a halt.
Learning Biomolecular Models using Signal Temporal Logic
Authors: Krasowski Hanna , Palanques-Tost Eric , Belta Calin , Arcak Murat 
Published: January 2025

AbstractModeling dynamical biological systems is key for understanding, predicting, and controlling complex biological behaviors. Traditional methods for identifying governing equations, such as ordinary differential equations (ODEs), typically require extensive quantitative data, which is often scarce in biological systems due to experimental limitations. To address this challenge, we introduce an approach that determines biomolecular models from qualitative system behaviors expressed as Signal Temporal Logic (STL) statements, which are naturally suited to translate expert knowledge into computationally tractable specifications. Our method represents the biological network as a graph, where edges represent interactions between species, and uses a genetic algorithm to identify the graph. To infer the parameters of the ODEs modeling the interactions, we propose a gradient-based algorithm. On a numerical example, we evaluate two loss functions using STL robustness and analyze different initialization techniques to improve the convergence of the approach.
Cortically-mediated muscle responses to balance perturbations increase with perturbation magnitude in older adults with and without Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Boebinger Scott E. , Payne Aiden M. , Xiao Jifei , Martino Giovanni , Borich Michael , McKay J. Lucas , Ting Lena H. 
Published: January 2025

ABSTRACTWe lack a clear understanding of how cortical contributions to balance are altered in aging and Parkinson’s disease (PD), which limits development of rehabilitation strategies. Processes like balance control are typically mediated through brainstem circuits, with higher-order circuits becoming engaged as needed. Using reactive balance recovery, we investigated how hierarchical neural mechanisms shape balance- correcting muscle activity across task difficulty in older adults (OAs) with and without PD. We hypothesize that feedback loops involving brainstem and cortical circuits contribute to balance control, and cortical engagement increases with challenge, aging, and PD. We decomposed perturbation-evoked agonist and antagonist muscle activity into hierarchical components based on latency using neuromechanical models consisting of two feedback loops with different delays to reflect different neural conduction and processing times. Agonist muscle activity was decomposed into two components that both increased with balance challenge in both groups. The first component occurred ∼120ms and the second occurred ∼210ms, consistent with the latencies of brainstem and transcortical circuits, respectively. Exploratory comparisons to young adults revealed larger transcortical components in OA and PD groups at lower balance challenge levels, consistent with increased cortical involvement with aging. Antagonist muscle activity included destabilizing and stabilizing components, with the destabilizing component correlating to balance ability in OAs but not in PD. These findings demonstrate that neuromechanical models can identify changes in the hierarchical control of balance without direct brain measurements. Identifying cortical contributions during balance control may complement clinical measures of balance ability to inform balance rehabilitation and assistive devices.NEW & NOTEWORTHYA neuromechanical model can decompose perturbation evoked muscle activity into components attributed to brainstem and higher-order sensorimotor feedback based on latency. In older adults with and without PD contributions from higher-order neural circuits increase with balance challenge and are related to clinical measures of balance ability. Interpreting the neural substrates of motor output for balance may reveal individual differences in the hierarchical control of balance, that could inform rehabilitation.
Robust measurement of microbial reduction of graphene oxide nanoparticles using image analysis
Authors: Bennett Danielle T. , Meyer Anne S. 
Published: January 2025

ABSTRACTShewanella oneidensis(S. oneidensis) has the capacity to reduce electron acceptors within a medium and is thus used frequently in microbial fuel generation, pollutant breakdown, and nanoparticle fabrication. Microbial fuel setups, however, often require costly or labour-intensive components, thus making optimization of their performance onerous. For rapid optimization of setup conditions, a model reduction assay can be employed to allow simultaneous, large-scale experiments at lower cost and effort. SinceS. oneidensisuses different extracellular electron transfer pathways depending on the electron acceptor, it is essential to use a reduction assay that mirrors the pathways employed in the microbial fuel system. For microbial fuel setups that use nanoparticles to stimulate electron transfer, reduction of graphene oxide provides a more accurate model than other commonly used assays as it is a bulk material that forms flocculates in solutions with a large ionic component. However, graphene oxide flocculates can interfere with traditional absorbance-based measurement techniques. This study introduces a novel image analysis method for quantifying graphene oxide reduction, showing improved performance and statistical accuracy over traditional methods. A comparative analysis shows that the image analysis method produces smaller errors between replicates and reveals more statistically significant differences between samples than traditional plate reader measurements under conditions causing graphene oxide flocculation. Image analysis can also detect reduction activity at earlier time points due to its utilization of larger solution volumes, enhancing color detection. These improvements in accuracy make image analysis a promising method for optimizing microbial fuel cells that use nanoparticles or bulk substrates.IMPORTANCEShewanella oneidensis(S. oneidensis) is widely used in reduction processes such as microbial fuel generation due to its capacity to reduce electron acceptors. Often, these setups are labor intensive to operate and require days to produce results, so use of a model assay would reduce the time and expense needed for optimization. Our research developed a novel digital analysis method for analysis of graphene oxide flocculates that may be utilized as a model assay for reduction platforms featuring nanoparticles. Use of this model reduction assay will enable rapid optimization and drive improvements in the microbial fuel generation sector.
Stimulation of the Medial SNr Promotes Sustained Motor Recovery and Counteracts Parkinsonian Pathophysiology in Dopamine Depleted Mice
Authors: Aristieta Asier , Parker John E. , Cundiff Mary D. , Fuchs Thomas , Lim Byung Kook , Rubin Jonathan E. , Gittis Aryn H. 
Published: January 2025

AbstractDopamine loss alters the activity of neural circuits in the basal ganglia, contributing to motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and catalepsy. Treatments that reduce basal ganglia pathophysiology alleviate motor symptoms but require maintenance. Cell-type specific interventions can reduce pathophysiology and provide sustained therapeutic benefits, but a lack of understanding of pathways involved limits translation. Here, we establish patterns of neuromodulation and electrophysiological biomarkers at the level of basal ganglia output that predict the duration of therapeutic effects. Focal activation of neurons in the ventromedial substantia nigra reticulata (SNr) engaged a gradual recovery of movement that persisted for hours after treatment, accompanied by a persistent reduction in parkinsonian pathophysiology. Global SNr inhibition, as prescribed by the classic rate model, provided only transient effects on movement and did not reverse network pathophysiology. These findings represent important steps towards developing therapeutic strategies that aim to repair, rather than simply mask, circuit dysfunction in disease.