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In the era of "Big Data," data are often easy to obtain, and key management skills include analysis of the data and interpreting the statistical tests used to get an answer to research questions. In this experiential exercise, students collect and analyze Zillow.com data to determine what factors predict the list price of houses. The exercise combines data collection and data analysis and interpretation using multiple regression, to demonstrate two key skills needed by students studying marketing or management research. From a teaching standpoint the data is dynamic, allowing the exercise to be used over multiple sections and semesters with different results each time it is used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A key management function for any organization is recruitment. An organization needs to attract qualified applicants for open positions and retain effective employees. To enhance the recruitment and retention of employees, job applicants should be given Realistic Job Previews (RJP's) which includes both the positive and negative aspects of the position. Research shows that RJP's provides applicants a clearer view of the tasks of a job, which results in reduced turnover and other benefits. This paper summarizes the research on the effectiveness of RJP's, then presents an experiential exercise in which students write RJP's for various jobs, so they can learn how RJP's are created and gain a better understanding of why RJP's are useful to both job seekers and organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A key Human Resources Management task for organizations is training and development. When an applicant with the needed knowledge and skills cannot be found by recruitment, the organization must train a current employee. In this experiential exercise, students are given a training topic and tasked with creating and delivering a training experience for the other students in the class. The exercise includes instructions for students, a list of training topics, and a sample grade sheet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Applied Technology in Business program at Oakland University is an innovative program using a client/consultant relationship between academia and industry. The program creates a student-centered environment where student teams apply technology learned in class to business problems in partnership with corporate sponsors. Program design characteristics and a model for ongoing program evaluation and review are discussed. The model is used to help insure that the program is meeting its design characteristics and educational objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

M-mode and two-dimensional echocardiograms were obtained in a patient with acute dissecting aneurysm of the ascending aorta. The M-mode echocardiogram disclosed apparent "duplication" of the non-coronary aortic cusp. Two-dimensional echocardiograms showed this finding to be the result of the motion of a flap of torn aortic intima. This new M-mode finding appears to be a highly specific echocardiographic sign for aortic dissection. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Advanced age is associated with increased mortality in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) but the mechanism remains unclear. We performed a pooled analysis of 3,032 patients from the Primary Angioplasty in Myocardial Infarction (PAMI)-2, Stent-PAMI, and PAMI-No Surgery On Site trials to determine which clinical, hemodynamic, and angiographic characteristics in the elderly were associated with in-hospital death. There were 452 patients aged >/=75 years and 2,580 patients aged <75 years. Older patients had a lower number of risk factors for coronary artery disease but more comorbidities. Acute catheterization demonstrated more 3-vessel disease, higher left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic pressure, lower LV ejection fraction, and higher initial rates of Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) trial 2 or 3 flow. Elderly patients were equally likely to undergo percutaneous intervention but had a lower procedural success rate and lower rates of final TIMI 3 flow, and older patients were more likely to have post-AMI complications. In-hospital mortality was 10.2% and 1.8%, respectively (p = 0.001). Cardiac and noncardiac mortality was higher in elderly patients, and no significant differences in causes of death were identified. Multivariate analysis revealed that the strongest predictors of death were age >/=75 years, lower LV ejection fraction, lower final TIMI flow, higher Killip class, need for an intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP), and post-AMI stroke/transient ischemic attack, or significant arrhythmia. Despite avoiding thrombolysis, elderly patients remain at increased risk of bleeding, stroke, and other post-AMI complications, and death. Cardiac risk factor analysis and acute catheterization offer prognostic information but do not completely explain the mechanism of increased in-hospital mortality in the elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to release a molecule from a larger construct in a controlled manner is of great importance to produce effective prodrugs, antibody-drug conjugates, and chemical probes. Amides are ubiquitous functional groups and yet methods to utilise them as molecular release handles are seldom reported. This concept article highlights the advances made in amide release strategies and how these approaches have been utilised., (© 2025 The Author(s). Chemistry - A European Journal published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Context: In the emergency department (ED) setting, prioritizing triage and patient care may lead to challenges in capturing detailed documentation necessary for specific International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) coding in medical records. Consequently, the prevalent use of the "unspecified head injury" code poses concerns about the precision of ED-based administrative billing claims data when analyzed for public health surveillance of nonfatal traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). Understanding the perspective of medical coders can illuminate coding processes and opportunities to enhance coding accuracy for TBI and other head injuries in the ED., Objective: This evaluation explores medical coders' perspectives and challenges when assigning ICD-10-CM codes to head injuries in the ED., Design: This qualitative evaluation utilized a phenomenological approach, which employed semi-structured interviews to understand medical coders' perspectives, processes, and coding determinations for head injuries in the ED., Setting: Interviews were conducted using a HIPAA-compliant video-based platform between July 2022 and January 2023., Participants: Seventeen medical coders with ED coding experience were interviewed. Their backgrounds were diverse, though most had more than 15 years of experience., Main Outcomes: Four qualitative themes emerged, which highlighted challenges with lack of detailed documentation, defaulting to unspecified codes, time, and productivity pressure, and additional insights into coders' assumptions and code determination processes., Results: Medical coders expressed challenges assigning ICD-10-CM codes to the highest level of specificity, citing issues including insufficient documentation by ED providers and terminology variations. Workplace time constraints and pressure for expedited claims also led to defaulting to unspecified codes., Conclusions: This evaluation highlights the need for improved documentation consistency and detail in ED records to facilitate accurate ICD-10-CM coding. Alleviating time pressures, improving algorithms, and offering specialized training opportunities to medical coders could be helpful steps to improve coding specificity and data accuracy for head injuries in the ED., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Context: International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes are used for billing but also for surveillance for injuries such as traumatic brain injuries (TBI). While specificity is possible in the ICD-10-CM scheme, use of the code for unspecified injury of head (SO9.9) remains high., Objectives: This process evaluation sought to understand medical ICD-10-CM coding behaviors for TBI in emergency department (ED) settings., Design: Semi-structured interviews explored the processes that facilitate or hinder ED physicians from selecting specific ICD codes for TBI and potential points of intervention for increased coding specificity and reducing the use of unspecified codes., Setting: Video interviews were conducted with a nationwide sample in the United States., Participants: A purposive snowball sampling strategy was used to recruit 26 ED physicians with experience diagnosing TBI., Intervention: Semi-structured interviews identified factors related to the selection of specific ICD codes for head injury., Main Outcome Measure: Thematic analysis of transcribed data., Results: Four main themes emerged from the data: the impact of training and expertise, factors related to diagnosis, unclear connections with medical coders, and actionable recommendations. Interviews underscored the context surrounding "unspecified" codes for TBI, including demands from patient care, time pressures, issues around how a diagnosis may impact patient management decisions, and considerations related to mapping within the electronic medical record (EMR) where options may default to an unspecified code., Conclusions: Findings from this analysis indicate that ED providers may benefit from more robust training on how documentation can better support ICD-10-CM coding for this type of trauma. Revised EMR structures could support efficient coding specificity and clarity., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Evidence-based interventions for dementia caregivers, such as the Savvy Caregiver Program (SC), seek to address skills and knowledge deficits, caregiver burden, depressive symptoms, and grief. Little research has examined mechanisms by which these interventions accomplish their goals. Caregiver preparedness may be a possible mechanism by which caregiver interventions may confer benefits., Methods: The sample included 76 dementia caregivers who completed the 6-session SC. Participants completed the Anticipatory Grief Scale, Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale, the Preparedness for Caregiving Scale, and the Zarit Burden Interview-Short Form., Results: A repeated measures ANOVA was utilized to determine the interaction between baseline scores and pre-post change in caregiver preparedness. Analysis significantly predicted caregiver burden, ( F (1)  = 6.68, p =.012, partial η 2 =.10), depressive symptom endorsement, ( F (1)  = 6.41, p =.014, partial η 2 =.09, and anticipatory grief, ( F (1)  = 6.22, p =.02, partial η 2 =.1), post-treatment., Conclusions: Pre-post change in caregiver preparedness significantly predicted pre-post change across measures of caregiver burden, depressive symptom endorsement, and anticipatory grief. Findings suggest that caregiver preparedness may be one mechanism by which the SC confers positive outcomes. These findings provide an empirical and theoretical basis for tailoring future dementia caregiver interventions., Clinical Implications: Clinical Interventions may seek to improve caregiver preparedness and subsequent outcomes through utilization of programs like SC.

The controlled liberation of molecules from a constructed framework is a subject of profound interest across various chemical fields. It allows for the masking of a molecule's properties and precise deployment upon a single controllable release event. While numerous methodologies have been developed for amines, alcohols, and thiols, approaches for utilising amides as payload-release handles are still in their early stages of development, despite the prevalence of amides in therapeutic compounds and materials. Herein, is presented a comprehensive strategy for the controlled and selective release of a diverse range of amides with stable linkers. The versatility of this approach is demonstrated by its successful application in the targeted release of various amide-containing drugs in their natural form via the use of commonly used trigger motifs, such as dipeptides or glycosides. As a proof of concept, the FDA-approved antibiotic linezolid has been successfully converted into a prodrug form and released selectively only in the presence of the trigger event. Significantly, in its prodrug state, no activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis was exhibited. Linezolid's full potential was achieved only upon controlled release, where an equipotent efficacy to the free linezolid control was demonstrated, thus emphasising the immense potential of this method., (© 2024 The Authors. Angewandte Chemie International Edition published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Numerous antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) linker technologies exist for the synthesis of ADCs with drug-to-antibody ratios (DARs) being an even integer (typically 2, 4 or 8). However, ADCs with odd-integer DARs are significantly harder to synthesise. Here, we report the synthesis of ADCs loaded with a single warhead, using TetraDVP linkers which simultaneously re-bridge all four interchain disulfides of an IgG1 antibody.

Objectives: Language barriers, isolation, and challenges related to social integration, acculturative stress, and systemic discrimination are correlated with poor physical and mental health outcomes among immigrant populations. Emerging literature highlights the importance of social networks for resiliency and well-being. This study explores the experiences of Venezuelan immigrants in central Florida, factors that have promoted resilience, and considerations for mental health providers to meet the needs of this population., Method: A phenomenological approach was used to engage Venezuelan immigrants who had been in the United States for at least 6 months (n = 48) in dialogue about forced migration, identity, and adaptation. Five focus groups using a semistructured format were conducted to explore aspects of the experience before, during, and after migration. Recruitment was done through word of mouth and community gatekeepers., Results: Participants were 54% female with an average age of 45, 85% had at least 1 college degree, and more than half left Venezuela since 2011. Themes were identified from the focus group transcripts and clustered into three broad areas: characteristics and individual experiences, mental health, and family and social context. Major findings included the need for culturally responsive mental health support, which appeared to mitigate distress and the centrality of social networks in support of resiliency., Conclusions: Findings from the present study suggest that community context, support for ethnic identity, and the ability to foster meaningful connections to others with similar experience and identity are critical factors in resilience. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

A central diagnostic and anecdotal feature of autism is difficulty with social communication . We take the position that communication is a two-way, intersubjective phenomenon-as described by the double empathy problem -and offer up relevance theory (a cognitive account of utterance interpretation) as a means of explaining such communication difficulties. Based on a set of proposed heuristics for successful and rapid interpretation of intended meaning, relevance theory positions communication as contingent on shared-and, importantly, mutually recognized-"relevance." Given that autistic and non-autistic people may have sometimes markedly different embodied experiences of the world, we argue that what is most salient to each interlocutor may be mismatched. Relevance theory would predict that where this salient information is not (mutually) recognized or adjusted for, mutual understanding may be more effortful to achieve. This paper presents the findings from a small-scale, linguistic ethnographic study of autistic communication featuring eight core autistic participants. Each core autistic participant engaged in three naturalistic conversations around the topic of loneliness with: (1) a familiar, chosen conversation partner; (2) a non-autistic stranger and (3) an autistic stranger. Relevance theory is utilized as a frame for the linguistic analysis of the interactions. Mutual understanding was unexpectedly high across all types of conversation pairings. In conversations involving two autistic participants, flow, rapport and intersubjective attunement were significantly increased and in three instances, autistic interlocutors appeared to experience improvements in their individual communicative competence contrasted with their other conversations. The findings have the potential to guide future thinking about how, in practical terms, communication between autistic and non-autistic people in both personal and public settings might be improved., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Williams, Wharton and Jagoe.)

This study examined the use of an equine-assisted brief course module on stress and depression among medical students (n = 28), a demographic known to experience high pressure. Evidence supports that animal-assisted therapies can lead to the improvement of health and quality of life, particularly in terms of cognitive, psychological, and physical benefits. This study used the seven-session Kane Medicine and Horsemanship program; students completed pre- and post-measures one week before and after the course. Participation in the course significantly reduced perceived stress (p: 0.001), depression (p: <0.001), stress severity (p: 0.014), and stress frequency (p: 0.001) among medical students. This approach should be further investigated as an option for improving well-being among medical students., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2020, Chakales et al.)

Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) affect over 50 million persons globally, and the number is expected to rise. In response, health ministries are developing and implementing policies and programs to systemically address the needs of individuals and families affected by ADRD. While national plans of action on ADRD are advancing among European Member States of World Health Organization (WHO), those in the Asia-Pacific and Americas are lagging behind. Since previous studies have largely ignored the Americas and Asia-Pacific-where approximately two-thirds of the global ADRD population resides-this study sought to identify (a) the socioeconomic factors associated with the likelihood of having a national dementia policy, and (b) to examine common and differing features among the national plans in these regions. Employing the dementia policy guidelines of WHO and the Pan American Health Organization as an extraction guide for data collection and analysis, the national dementia plans and available socioeconomic data of 10 Member States were analyzed with comparative and qualitative analyses. Findings suggested at least a 14-fold increase in the likelihood of having a national dementia plan if a Member State had one of the following: a universal health care system, more than 14% of the population 65 years of age or older, or high-income. All the Member States in the study identified dementia as a public health priority, but priorities differed. Inconsistencies included development of information systems, training for health care professionals, and long-term care systems., Competing Interests: Conflict of interests. None declared.

Background and Purpose: The Otago exercise program is a strengthening, balance, and walking program designed to decrease falls among community-dwelling older adults. Few studies have examined the effects of the Otago program in an assisted living environment. The purpose of the current study was to assess the effects of an Otago-based home exercise program in decreasing falls and the risk of falls among older adults living in an assisted living facility., Methods: A retrospective chart review of 30 individuals residing at either of 2 assisted living facilities in central Florida was undertaken. Participants had a mean age of 87 years, were at risk for falls as determined by the Tinetti Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment (POMA), and were provided with an Otago-based intervention by home health physical therapy. The outcome measures were the number of falls in the previous year, the number of falls in the year following the intervention, and Tinetti POMA scores pre- and post-intervention., Results and Discussion: The mean (SD) number of falls significantly decreased from 1.4 (0.9) to 0.5 (0.7) fall per person per year after home health physical therapy with the tailored Otago based-exercise intervention. The intervention resulted in a statistically significant improvement in Tinetti POMA scores from 11.8 (2.5) to 17.6 (3.8)., Conclusions: An Otago-based strengthening, balance, and walking home exercise program can potentially be used to decrease the number of falls and the risk of falling among older adults residing in an assisted living facility.

Objective: The objective of this study was to test effectiveness and feasibility of equine-facilitated cognitive processing therapy (EF-CPT), a manualized adaptation of the cognitive processing therapy model for veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) championed by the Department of Veterans Affairs, in which equine-facilitated activities are integrated into face-to-face sessions., Method: Twenty-seven veterans with a diagnosis of PTSD participated (M age = 51; 78% male) in a pretest-posttest design. Veterans were seen by a single psychologist for 12 sessions of individual EF-CPT. Instruments included: PTSD Checklist (PCL), Trauma Related Guilt Inventory (TRGI), Working Alliance Inventory (WAI), and the Human Animal Bond Scale (HABS). We hypothesized improvement on all measures, low attrition, and good model fidelity. Paired sample t tests were conducted using SPSS., Results: PCL scores improved significantly (M1 = 68.25, M2 = 35.96, p ≤ .001), as did TRGI scores (p ≤ .001 on all scales). HABS and WAI indicated good working relationship. Two individuals attended one session and did not return (both under the age of 50); there was no other attrition (7% rate). Audio of sessions was reviewed for fidelity; there were variations in temporal order of session plans, which is within the acceptable flexibility of the manual., Conclusions and Implications for Practice: This manualized intervention has promise as an effective and well-tolerated treatment for veterans with PTSD. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Objective: Although developmental stages and identity have been studied as part of aging, one category of both identity and biological difference that has received little attention in the medical and public health literature is that of older adults who were born deaf and/or who identify as part of the signing Deaf community., Research Method: Researchers conducted a systematic search of the literature for barriers to care access related to both aging and deafness., Results: Lack of cultural competence among providers, coupled with inconsistent access to interpreters in medical settings, puts deaf individuals at risk for treatment without adequate consent, or insufficient care due to communication barriers or misperceptions of expression or culture., Conclusions/implications: Individuals may face unusual challenges, indicating a serious public health crisis on the horizon as the demographic of deaf older adults continues to grow. This paper will discuss what is known about the intersection of aging, Deaf culture, and health care access, and suggest policy and practice recommendations for the future. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Service dog programs are increasingly being explored as complementary or alternative interventions for military veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This paper details the results of a control group, pre-and-post pilot investigation evaluating the use of a 14-week service dog training program for veterans in central Florida. Thirty veterans diagnosed with PTSD, 15 in the intervention group and 15 in the waitlist controlled group, completed all pretests and posttests measures, consisting of the 136-item Trauma Symptom Inventory-2 and the 36-item World Health Organization-Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0. Compared to demographically similar veterans in the control group, participants who completed the service dog training program demonstrated significant decreases in posttraumatic symptomatology, intra/interpersonal difficulties associated with psychological trauma, and in disabilities secondary to their PTSD. Study findings, in combination with results from two other recently published controlled investigations, provide evidence supporting the endorsement and use of service dog programs as helpful complementary or alternative treatment options for some veterans. Social work practitioners may want to consider referring their veteran clients with PTSD to qualified service dog programs for adjunctive support when they are having difficulty engaging with or benefiting from office-based traditional therapy approaches.

For individuals with dementia, disorientation and both external and internal stimuli may trigger behaviors that are difficult to manage or dangerous to health-care providers. Identification of correlational risk factors to aggressive behavior in patients who are unknown to the hospital can allow providers to adapt patient care quickly. Records for patients aged 60+ who spent at least 24 hours at the hospital other than in the psychiatric unit were used (N = 14 080). The first 4000 records and every 10th person who met criteria (N = 5008) were searched for documentation of dementia (n = 505). Logistic regressions and χ 2 tests were used to examine relationships between variables. Recognition of delirium ( P = .014, Exp(B) = 2.53), coupled with an existing prescription for antipsychotic medication at intake ( P < .001, Exp(B) < 4.37), may be a reliable means of screening for risk and intervening at the earliest possible contact, improving quality of care and safety in acute care for individuals with dementia.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine a baseline level of compassion satisfaction, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress (STS) in firefighters, as well as to examine how these constructs related to perceived organizational support, perceived coworker support, psychological resilience, and debriefing in the fire personnel., Design: This was done through a voluntary nonrandom, cross-sectional administration of surveys., Setting: The study was carried out in the state of Florida., Subjects, Participants: Surveys were e-mailed out to state firefighters. Two hundred seventy surveys were completed by active firefighting personnel across the state., Main Outcome Measure(s): The Professional Quality of Life: Compassion Satisfaction and Compassion Fatigue Version 5 was also sent to establish self-reported levels of compassion satisfaction, burnout, and STS. The Survey of Perceived Organizational Support, Perceived Organizational Support Survey, and the Brief Resilience Survey were also used in addition to questions regarding debriefing activities., Results: Gender, race, and education levels were significantly related to compassion satisfaction in the regression analysis. Organizational support was associated with higher compassion satisfaction as well as lower burnout and STS. Coworker support was associated with higher compassion satisfaction. Psychological resilience was positively associated with higher levels of compassion satisfaction and lower burnout and STS. Those who participated in informal debriefing methods had higher compassion satisfaction as well as lower burnout. Firefighters working at agencies that did not provide mental health professional's services had lower compassion satisfaction., Conclusions: Fire agencies have multiple avenues and policy options to improve the professional quality of life for firefighters.

Objectives: Aggressive behaviors by patients with dementia present risk to health care workers and patients. An information processing model, developed to study aggressive behaviors among children, was applied to study aggression among older hospital patients with dementia. Hypotheses were that delirium and mental health or depression history, would relate to increased risk of aggressive behaviors., Method: Electronic medical records were sampled for one year (n = 5008) and screened using the EMERSE search engine and hand review for dementia (n = 505) and aggressive behavior in individuals with dementia (n = 121). Records were reviewed for mental health history and presence of delirium., Results: Regression analyses found interaction effects representing delirium and mental health or depression history associated with greater risk of aggressive behavior. Significant main effects were found for both dementia and mental health or depression history. Of the lowest risk group, 12% of patients exhibited aggression compared to 24%-35% of those with delirium, mental health or depression history, or the combination of these risk factors., Conclusion: Delirium is the leading correlate of aggressive behaviors in hospitalized patients with dementia, and delirium or history of mental health diagnosis may lead to increased risk of aggressive behaviors in this setting.

This phenomenological study involved focus groups with church-affiliated, African American women and men ( N = 50; ages 50 and older) in southeast Michigan to determine their attitudes and expectations around formal mental health care. Data analysis employed a constant comparative approach and yielded themes related to formal mental health care, along with delineating concerns about defining depression, health, and well-being. Health and well-being were defined as inclusive of physical and spiritual aspects of self. Churches have a central role in how formal mental health care is viewed by their attendees, with prayer being an important aspect of this care. Provider expectations included privacy and confidentiality; respect for autonomy and need for information, having providers who discuss treatment options; and issues related to environmental cleanliness, comfort, and accessibility. Implications include providing effective, culturally tailored formal depression care that acknowledges and integrates faith for this group.

The purpose of this study was to explore the role of non-spousal family support on mental health among older, church-going African American men. The mixed methods objective was to employ a design that used existing qualitative and quantitative data to explore the interpretive context within which social and cultural experiences occur. Qualitative data (n=21) were used to build a conceptual model that was tested using quantitative data (n= 401). Confirmatory factor analysis indicated an inverse association between non-spousal family support and distress. The comparative fit index, Tucker-Lewis fit index, and root mean square error of approximation indicated good model fit. This study offers unique methodological approaches to using existing, complementary data sources to understand the health of African American men.

Dissemination of research is the most challenging aspect of building the evidence base. Despite peer-review, evidence suggests that a substantial proportion of papers leave out details that are necessary to judge bias, consider replication, or initiate meta-analyses and systematic reviews. Reporting guidelines were created to ensure minimally adequate reporting of research and have become increasingly popular since the 1990s. There are over 200 guidelines for authors to assist in reporting a range of study methodologies. Although guidelines are freely available, they are underutilized and there is criticism regarding assumptions about methodologies targeted by guidelines. As journal editors lean into endorsements, social work authors may benefit from considering guidelines appropriate for their work. This paper explores pros and cons of guideline use by authors and journals and presents some suggestions for the field of social work, including assessment of whether profession-specific reporting guidelines are needed, and cautions regarding limitations., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting Interests The author declares no potential conflicts of interest related to the process or material contained in this article. She provides peer reviewing for RSWP as well as a number of other journals.

With an increase in the number of individuals affected by dementia, it is imperative for health care providers to be well versed in the most effective ways to manage neuropsychiatric symptoms, such as aggression. Aggression can be particularly hard to manage because it creates risk of harm for formal and informal caregivers, and options for medical intervention are complex and situation dependent. Although multiple guidelines for management of aggression in dementia are available in the literature, their scope is widespread and suggested treatments often vary, making decision making difficult to navigate for busy clinicians. Using a composite case as a model, the current article provides guidelines that take outpatient providers through the steps needed to provide effective treatment for aggression in individuals with dementia. Shifting the current focal point of health care for aggressive dementia patients toward a more person-centered approach will have a positive impact on patient care. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 43(2), 9-17.]., (Copyright 2017, SLACK Incorporated.)

Social work has moved firmly into a need for partnership training models, as our newest EPAS guidelines explicitly call for interprofessional education (IPE). While IPE is not a new model, we have not been consistently involved in training partnerships. Three professional schools partnered to provide IPE events for social work ( n= 42), medicine ( n= 108), and pharmacy ( n= 49) students. Social work students evidenced positive change on a validated measure of attitudes and beliefs regarding IP practice, and debriefing included rich discussions about challenges of communication and boundaries, and perceptions of hierarchy and skills of other team mates in the context of case based learning, guided by faculty from all three professions.

Although there is substantial evidence to support the impact of burden on caregivers, few studies have compared caregivers to their non-caregiving counterparts on the basis of health and wellbeing outcomes. This study examines the relationship between caregiving and health, and whether other factors may have stronger influence on well-being measures. Using a nationally representative sample of older adults in the United States ( N =3,005), this study examines relationships between caregiving status, gender, and income, and nine outcomes (self-rated physical and mental health, time since seeing a doctor, time since most recent pap smear or prostate-specific antigen [PSA] test, depression, loneliness, stress, anxiety), using logistic and linear regression models. Results support that paradoxically, caregiving was associated with increased likelihood of PSA test in male caregivers, although data also indicated higher levels of anxiety and stress, as might be expected. Income was associated with eight of nine outcomes, and gender predicted depression, anxiety, stress, and self-rated mental health. The study highlighted the importance of psychosocial stressors, such as income and gender on the health outcomes of older adults who may be caregiving. Considering complexity of unique experience is necessary to accurately assess vulnerability to poor mental health or health related outcomes., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Objective: To determine the usage and knowledge of safe limits on personal listening devices (PLD) among college students., Design: First, information on health history was collected. Second, microphone in real ear techniques determined eardrum to free-field correction factors. Third, hearing levels were evaluated and information gathered about knowledge of safe listening behaviors., Study Sample: 180 college students participated in a one-hour session using their PLDs and earphones set to their personal preference., Results: Virtually all participants reported knowledge of hearing loss risk due to PLD use and accurately recognized their own PLD listening levels (p = .01) as either within or exceeding safe sound limits. Forty-four subjects listened at greater than 80-dBA free-field equivalent levels. Only 7% of these participants were aware of these hazardous levels and 15% of participants' exposure surpassed free-field equivalent levels normalized to eight hours., Conclusions: Despite reported knowledge of hearing loss risk due to PLD use in virtually all college students, 1 in 4 were found to listen to their PLDs at free-field equivalent levels greater than 80-dBA, with 94% unaware of their potential risk. Further research is needed to provide accurate PLD listening information and evaluate the possibility of long term PLD intensities that surpass recommended safety levels on hearing loss in adults over time.

This article describes a pilot model to increase palliative care (PC) knowledge and collaboration among providers and to systematically identify chronic multimorbid home care patients who would benefit from focused discussion of potential PC needs. Thirty health care providers from a home-based primary care team attended interdisciplinary trainings. The Palliative Performance Scale (PPS) tool was used to trigger discussions of potential palliative needs at team rounds for patients who scored below a cutoff point on the tool. Palliative Performance Scale implementation added little burden on nurses and triggered a discussion in 51 flagged patients. The tool successfully identified 75% of patients who died or were discharged. Screening was systematic and consistent and resulted in targeted discussions about PC needs without generating additional burden on our PC consult service. This model shows promise for enhancing collaborative patient care and access to PC., (© The Author(s) 2013.)

This article reviews the burden of late-life depression (LLD) from several perspectives, including costs of depression treatment and treatment of other comorbid psychiatric and medical conditions; the impact of LLD on job functioning, disability, and retirement; and how LLD influences others, such as family members and caregivers., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

This article describes lessons learned about implementing evaluations in hospital settings. In order to overcome the methodological dilemmas inherent in this environment, we used a practical participatory evaluation strategy to engage as many stakeholders as possible in the process of evaluating a clinical demonstration project. Demonstration projects, in this context, push the envelope about what is known about effectiveness in novel settings, and turnover of staff and patient populations can present challenges to gathering optimal data. By using P-PE, we built capacity in the environment while expanding possibilities for data collection. Suggestions are made based on our experience.

The University of Alabama's Graduate Geropsychology Education program (GGE) was conceived and implemented in the years prior to the design of the Pike's Peak Model (PPM) of geropsychology training. The GGE program provides a unique opportunity to evaluate the PPM, and this paper outlines the GGE program in the framework of the model. Three primary goals defined the GGE program: recruitment and retention of students in the geropsychology program, a doctoral level interdisciplinary class, and a set of clinical rotations in urban and rural sites. Outcomes were promising, indicating that geropsychology students were able to provide services with positive outcomes to underserved older adults in primary care settings and in a legal clinic, students from several disciplines rated the course very highly, and psychology students indicated that they were likely to continue in the field of geriatric care. Participating students have gone on to careers in geropsychology. Findings from this program support the design of the Pike's Peak Model, and provide support for broader implementation of similar training programs.

Functionalized fullerenes represent a new class of photosensitizer (PS) that is being investigated for photodynamic therapy (PDT) of various diseases, including cancer. We tested the hypothesis that fullerenes could be used to mediate PDT of intraperitoneal (IP) carcinomatosis in a mouse model. In humans this form of cancer responds poorly to standard treatment and manifests as a thin covering of tumor nodules on intestines and on other abdominal organs. We used a colon adenocarcinoma cell line (CT26) stably expressing luciferase to allow monitoring of IP tumor burden in BALB/c mice by noninvasive real-time optical imaging using a sensitive low-light camera. IP injection of a preparation of N-methylpyrrolidinium-fullerene formulated in Cremophor-EL micelles, followed by white-light illumination delivered through the peritoneal wall (after creation of a skin flap), produced a statistically significant reduction in bioluminescence and a survival advantage in mice., From the Clinical Editor: This team of investigators report on functionalized fullerenes, to be used as photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy and demonstrate the efficacy of this method in an intraperitoneal carcinomatosis mouse model., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Photosensitive dyes or photo sensitizers (PS) in combination with visible light and oxygen produce reactive oxygen species that kill cells in the process known as photodynamic therapy (PDT). Antimicrobial PDT employs PS that is selective for microbial cells and is a new treatment for infections. Most antimicrobial PS is based on tetrapyrrole or phenothiazinium structures that have been synthesized to carry quaternary cationic charges or basic amino groups. However we recently showed that cationic-substituted fullerene derivative were highly effective in killing a broad spectrum of microbial cells after illumination with white light. In the present report we compared a new group of synthetic fullerene derivatives that possessed either basic or quaternary amino groups as antimicrobial PS against Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus), Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli) and fungi (Candida albicans). Quantitative structure-function relationships were derived with LogP and hydrophilic lipophilic balance parameters. Compounds with non-quaternary amino groups tended to form nanoaggregates in water and were only effective against S. aureus. The most important determinant of effectiveness was an increased number of quaternary cationic groups that were widely dispersed around the fullerene cage to minimize aggregation. S. aureus was most susceptible; E. coli was intermediate, while C. albicans was the most resistant species tested. The high effectiveness of antimicrobial PDT with quaternized fullerenes suggest they may have applications in treatment of superficial infections (for instance in wounds and burns) where light penetration into tissue is not problematic.