"I loved interacting with this younger generation": Exploring the impact of a virtual service-learning program on social connectedness among older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic

Pervasive feelings of social isolation and loneliness have been longstanding among up to half of older adults, and have received increased attention amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Programs to address loneliness and facilitate meaningful connections are vital for physical and mental wellbeing. The purpose of this study was to explore older adults' experiences participating as volunteers in the Aging is Very Personal (AIVP) service-learning program in relation to feelings of social connectedness. As part of an interprofessional gerontology course, 112 undergraduate students interviewed 55 older adult volunteers via Zoom on the lived experience of aging. Older adult volunteers were surveyed on their experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic and the virtual AIVP program. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and reflexive thematic analysis of open-ended questions. Participants reported participation in AIVP had a positive effect on their mood (86%) and made them feel more socially connected (71%). Six themes summarized their experiences: reduced feelings of social isolation; brought me joy; created meaningful intergenerational relationships; gave me a sense of purpose; facilitated genuine engagement; and created important learning opportunities for future health professionals. Virtual AIVP was identified as a valuable program to improve mood and feelings of social connectedness.

BUILDING COMMUNITY-BASED PARTNERSHIPS TO PROMOTE DIVERSE, INTERGENERATIONAL SERVICE-LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

The next generation of healthcare providers require experiential learning opportunities which incorporate participation from historically marginalized, diverse populations. A longstanding interprofessional gerontology service-learning program with a measured ability to positively influence student perspectives working with older adults while reducing rates of social isolation among older participants, underwent recent changes in the recruitment of older adults to ensure increased participation from historically marginalized populations. Building partnerships with community-based organizations serving BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and rural older adults played an integral role in building a more diverse participant group for shared, intergenerational learning. Opportunities for student reflection via group debriefs and individual, written reflections promote a greater understanding and preparedness to work with diverse older adult populations.

Age Limitations for Presidential Candidates? Exploring Student Perspectives Using Classroom Debates

Ahead of the 2020 Presidential Election, Donald Trump (age 73) and his primary opponent, Joseph Biden (age 76) received extensive criticism regarding the aptness of their candidacies based upon their current ages. While the United States Constitution requires candidates to have “attained the age of thirty-five years”, no age cap for presidential candidates exists. In response to timely public discussion, undergraduate interprofessional gerontology students worked in assigned groups to prepare to debate either in favor of, or in opposition to a constitutional amendment capping the age of presidential candidates. Following classroom debates, course faculty moderated in-depth conversation examining cogent arguments made throughout the debates. After attending this session, participants will understand the logistics of planning in-class debates, moderating post-debate student discussions, and evaluation methods of student debate performance and on a corresponding reflective writing assignment. Student and faculty takeaways and prospective classroom debate ideas will be provided.

The social maps of children approaching adolescence: Studying the ecology of youth development

This article reports the first results of the three-year longitudinal study of the social maps of children beginning the transition to adolescence. This exploratory study is guided by Bronfenbrenner's conception of the ecology of human development, stressing the importance of a phenomenological orientation to development in the context of ecological transitions. The study focuses on characteristics of children's social networks (the web of relationships in which the individual is involved) as a function of neighborhood type, socioeconomic status, and level of physical maturation. The social heterogeneity of the social network (e.g., the relative salience of peers versus adults) is a primary concern. The child's and parent's perceptions of the network, of the people available to help the child, and the child's friends are compared within the context of ecological, socioeconomic, and maturational factors. The results (for 111 sixth-grade children from three contrasting neighborhood schools) shed some light on age segregation and the overall heterogeneity of the social environments of children facing the transition to adolescence. They provide a context and a baseline for the longitudinal study.

Some thoughts on school size and its effects on adolescent development

What do we know about the effects of school size on adolescent development? This article addresses this issue, based on a review of the available evidence. While this evidence is sketchy, it does offer three important hypotheses to guide our efforts to understand the human ecology of adolescence. First, school size matters, particularly to academically marginal students. Second, school size is not a simple linear effect. Rather, it involves a "threshold effect," so that increases in size above roughly 500 (in a secondary school) do not have an appreciable effect. Third, recent trends have "conspired" against youth by simultaneously producing larger schools - so that most schools are above the size threshold - and "forcing" ever larger numbers of academically marginal students into these secondary schools. This article explores these hypotheses and their significance for youth development.

Lichen metabolites prevent UV light and nitric oxide-mediated plasmid DNA damage and induce apoptosis in human melanoma cells

In humans both UV-A and UV-B can cause gene mutations and suppress immunity, which leads to skin cancer, including melanoma. Inhibition of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) appears particularly promising as ROS and RNS production by both UV-A and UV-B contributes to inflammation, immunosuppression, gene mutation and carcinogenesis. We evaluated the effect of two lichen compounds, sphaerophorin (depside) and pannarin (depsidone) on pBR322 DNA cleavage induced by hydroxyl radicals (()OH), and by nitric oxide (NO), and their superoxide anion (O(2)(-)) scavenging capacity. In addition, we investigated the growth inhibitory activity of these compounds against human melanoma cells (M14 cell line). Sphaerophorin and pannarin showed a protective effect on plasmid DNA and exhibited a superoxide dismutase like effect. The data obtained in cell culture show that these lichen metabolites inhibit the growth of melanoma cells, inducing an apoptotic cell death, demonstrated by the fragmentation of genomic DNA (COMET and TUNEL Assays) and by a significant increase of caspase-3 activity, and correlated, at least in part, to the increase of ROS generation, These results confirm the promising biological properties of sphaerophorin and pannarin and encourage further investigations on their molecular mechanisms.

Homoeostatic systems for sterols and other lipids

Fatty acids and sterols are vital components of all eukaryotic cells. Both are used as building blocks for numerous cellular processes such as membrane biosynthesis or hormone production (sterols). Furthermore, these compounds elicit a variety of effects intracellularly as they can act as signalling molecules and regulate gene expression. The metabolism of fatty acids and sterols represents a very intricate network of pathways that are regulated in a precise manner in order to maintain lipid homoeostasis within a cell. Using the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model system, we touch upon some of the aspects of achieving and maintaining this lipid homoeostasis.

Research on religious variables in five major adolescent research journals: 1992 to 1996

A review of quantitative research studies published between 1992 and 1996 in five major adolescent journals revealed that 11.8% (109 of 922) included a measure of religion. This percentage (11.8%) is 3 to 10 times higher than that found in previous reviews of empirical research in psychological and psychiatric journals, suggesting that adolescent research journals are more sensitive to the role of religious factors on mental health than research in related disciplines. The results are discussed in the context and philosophy of the adolescent research and in comparison with related disciplines.

The stress of being a poor child in America

This article explores the human ecology of child poverty. It focuses on the psychologic meanings of poverty in American society. Issues of shame linked to economic inequality rather than limited resource possession are at the core of clinical issues associated with poverty.

The effects of political violence on Palestinian children's behavior problems: a risk accumulation model

Interviews with 150 Palestinian mothers and their children living amidst the Intifada in the West Bank were conducted to assess exposure to political violence and family negativity as risk factors associated with behavioral problems as measured by the Child Behavior Checklist. The number of risks present in the child's life was significantly correlated with the number of behavioral problems the child exhibited (R = .53, p < .001). The analysis further examined the role of gender, age, and community context in moderating the impact of high levels of accumulated risk on children's behavioral problems. Under conditions of high accumulated risk, boys evidenced more problems than girls, and younger children exhibited more problems than older children. Community context (as indicated by a high or low level of political violence) was a significant factor for girls but not for boys.

Gene evolution of epoxide hydrolases and recommended nomenclature

We have analyzed amino acid sequence relationships among soluble and microsomal epoxide hydrolases, haloacid dehalogenases, and a haloalkane dehalogenase. The amino-terminal residues (1-229) of mammalian soluble epoxide hydrolase are homologous to a haloacid dehalogenase. The carboxy-terminal residues (230-554) of mammalian soluble epoxide hydrolase are homologous to haloalkane dehalogenase, to plant soluble epoxide hydrolase, and to microsomal epoxide hydrolase. The shared identity between the haloacid and haloalkane dehalogenases does not indicate relatedness between these two types of dehalogenases. The amino-terminal and carboxy-terminal homologies of mammalian soluble epoxide hydrolase to the respective dehalogenases suggests that this epoxide hydrolase, but not the soluble epoxide hydrolase of plant or the microsomal epoxide hydrolase, derives from a gene fusion. The homology of microsomal to soluble epoxide hydrolase suggests they derive from a gene duplication, probably of an ancestral bacterial (epoxide) hydrolase gene. Based on homology to haloalkane dehalogenase, the catalytic residues for the soluble and microsomal epoxide hydrolases are predicted. A nomenclature system based on divergent molecular evolution is proposed for these epoxide hydrolases.

Challenges we face in understanding children and war: a personal essay

War is a correlate of child abuse in several respects. War generally elevates the level of violence in the warring society, and thus increases risk for abuse. War disrupts communities and families (and thereby presumably undermines social support systems and increases single parenthood). War kills and maims children and their caregivers; it is abuse. This article presents an analysis of psychological and cultural issues faced by professionals dealing with children exposed to war zones. The premise for this article lies in the recognition that "war" is so powerfully loaded on subjective and ideological meanings for all adults (including professionals) that self-reflection and cultural criticism is a necessary condition for going forward effectively with children.

Psychological child maltreatment. A developmental view

This article explores the concept of psychological child maltreatment. It begins with a definition of psychological maltreatment in terms of care-giver behavior that thwarts the meeting of the needs of children. It focuses on five forms of psychological maltreatment that are of concern to the practitioner: rejecting (sending messages of rejection to the child), ignoring (being psychologically unavailable to the child), terrorizing (using intense fear as a weapon against the child), isolating (cutting the child off from normal social relationships), and corrupting (missocializing the child into self-destructive and antisocial patterns of behavior).

Child maltreatment as a community problem

This report reviews research on the community dimensions of child maltreatment and presents a study conducted in the United States designed to illuminate further the importance of social environmental effects on family functioning. The study involves 77 community areas within the Chicago, Illinois, metropolitan area. Child maltreatment rates are related to indicators of socioeconomic and demographic well being for these neighborhoods and for the subunits within them. The results reveal a strong influence of socioeconomic and demographic factors on child maltreatment rates. A further analysis involves selecting pairs of neighborhoods for additional study. In this phase of the research the character of socioeconomically similar areas with contrasting patterns of child maltreatment is revealed. The high-risk areas are characterized by social disorganization and lack of social coherence, in contrast to the low-risk areas which evidence a stronger social fabric. These effects extend to differences in child abuse fatalities.

What children can tell us about living in danger

Developmental challenges faced by children growing up in situations of chronic danger linked to community violence and communal conflict are reviewed. The concept of post-traumatic stress disorder is expanded to include situations of chronic and on-going traumatic stress associated with dangerous environments--war zones and inner city neighborhoods plagued by violence and crime. Of particular importance is the impact of chronic stress and danger on the child's world view, the child's social map, and the child's moral development. On the basis of field work in 5 war zones, the article points to the importance of adult-led "processing" of the young child's experience to his or her psychological coping and moral development. Some of the contradictions operating in such environments are explored--for example, that "fanatical" ideology may provide short-term support for adults and children but also may serve to prolong communal conflict, impede the necessary processing of experience, and increase vulnerability in the long run.

What children can tell us about living in danger

Developmental challenges faced by children growing up in situations of chronic danger linked to community violence and communal conflict are reviewed. The concept of post-traumatic stress disorder is expanded to include situations of chronic and on-going traumatic stress associated with dangerous environments--war zones and inner city neighborhoods plagued by violence and crime. Of particular importance is the impact of chronic stress and danger on the child's world view, the child's social map, and the child's moral development. On the basis of field work in 5 war zones, the article points to the importance of adult-led "processing" of the young child's experience to his or her psychological coping and moral development. Some of the contradictions operating in such environments are explored--for example, that "fanatical" ideology may provide short-term support for adults and children but also may serve to prolong communal conflict, impede the necessary processing of experience, and increase vulnerability in the long run.

Rapid induction of na/h exchange activity in barley root tonoplast

Na(+)/H(+) exchange activity in barley (Hordeum vulgare cv CM-72) root tonoplast was induced by Na(+) even in the presence of inhibitors of protein synthesis. Induction occurred with a half-time of only 15 minutes. When salt-treated roots were transferred to a nutrient solution containing no Na(+), the activity disappeared with a similar time course. The data suggest that Na(+)/H(+) exchange was due to activation of an existing protein rather than to de novo protein synthesis.

NaCl Induces a Na/H Antiport in Tonoplast Vesicles from Barley Roots

Evidence was found for a Na(+)/H(+) antiport in tonoplast vesicles isolated from barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv California Mariout 72) roots. The activity of the antiport was observed only in membranes from roots that were grown in NaCl. Measurements of acridine orange fluorescence were used to estimate relative proton influx and efflux from the vesicles. Addition of MgATP to vesicles from a tonoplast-enriched fraction caused the formation of a pH gradient, interior acid, across the vesicle membranes. EDTA was added to inhibit the ATPase, by chelating Mg(2+), and the pH gradient gradually dissipated. When 50 millimolar K(+) or Na(+) was added along with the EDTA to vesicles from control roots, the salts caused a slight increase in the rate of dissipation of the pH gradient, as did the addition of 50 millimolar K(+) to vesicles from salt-grown roots. However, when 50 millimolar Na(+) was added to vesicles from salt-grown roots it caused a 7-fold increase in the proton efflux. Inclusion of 20 millimolar K(+) and 1 micromolar valinomycin in the assay buffer did not affect this rapid Na(+)/H(+) exchange. The Na(+)/H(+) exchange rate for vesicles from salt-grown roots showed saturation kinetics with respect to Na(+) concentration, with an apparent K(m) for Na(+) of 9 millimolar. The rate of Na(+)/H(+) exchange with 10 millimolar Na(+) was inhibited 97% by 0.1 millimolar dodecyltriethylammonium.

Identifying the sexually abused deaf child: the otolaryngologist's role

As a primary physician for most deaf children, the otolaryngologist must be able to identify signs and symptoms of sexual abuse. Child sexual abuse is a topic of national concern as epidemiologic data indicate more than 100,000 American children become victims annually. This paper provides an overview of the incidence, demographic characteristics, risk factors, and dynamics of child sexual abuse within both the general handicapped and, specifically, the hearing imparied populations. Strategies for identifying the sexually abused hearing impaired child are delineated including the physical appearance and behavioral manifestations of child victims, as well as the characteristics of abusive caretakers and perpetrators. Case summaries are presented which illustrate these characteristics. A national center specializing in the evaluation and treatment of abused handicapped children is described.

Families at risk for destructive parent-child relations in adolescence

This paper examines the parental, adolescent, and family system characteristics that place a family at risk for destructive parent-child relations in adolescence. It is based on a study of 62 families, all of which contained a youth (age 10-16) and 2 parents and were referred because of the adjustment problems of the adolescent. A 3-member team visited the family at home to administer a 3 1/2-hour battery of questionnaire, interview, and observation instruments. These included a measure of risk for destructive parent-child relations (the Adolescent-Abuse Inventory); the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist; a measure of the family as an interactional system (FACES); the Cornell Parent Behavior Description; and assessments of adolescent physical maturation, interparental conflict, cognitive functioning, life events (A-FILE), and demographic and socioeconomic factors. The results permit identification of families as high risk for destructive parent-child relations using the parental scores on the Adolescent-Abuse Inventory. The high-risk group tends to be "chaotic" and "enmeshed" (FACES), to include more stepparents, to be more punishing and less supportive (Cornell Parent Behavior Description), and to be more stressed by life changes (A-FILE). Adolescents in the high-risk families are characterized by significantly more developmental problems (both internalizing and externalizing), and the number of such problems correlates significantly with the risk for destructive parent-child relations. The development of adolescent psychopathology appears to interact with the evolution of a high-risk family system to produce destructive relationships between parents and their adolescent offspring. Stepfamilies appear especially vulnerable to this dysfunctional evolution.

The perspective of evil in understanding and treating child abuse

This paper places the problem of child abuse in the perspective of evil. In so doing it calls into question the amoral assumptions of social science and human services. The current social science paradigm paradoxically dismisses evil as a real factor in the world, despite its concern for indisputably moral issues such as child abuse. The practical advantages of a perspective incorporating evil are several. Among them are a more realistic appreciation of the need for mechanisms of social control in preventing abuse, the role of confession and conversion, and the role of pastoral care as a support system for families.

High-risk neighborhoods and high-risk families: the human ecology of child maltreatment

Based on multiple regression analysis to identify the socioeconomic, demographic, and attitudinal correlates of neighborhood differences in the rate of child abuse and neglect, a pair of neighborhoods matched for socioeconomic level was selected, one high risk, the other low risk. Interviews with expert informants ranging from elementary school principals to mailmen were used to develop neighborhood profiles. Samples of families were drawn from each neighborhood and interviews conducted to identify stresses and supports, with special emphasis on sources of help, social networks, evaluation of the neighborhood, and use of formal family support systems. The results lend support to the concept of neighborhood "risk." Families in the high-risk neighborhood, though socioeconomically similar to families in the low-risk neighborhood, report less positive evaluation of the neighborhood as a context for child and family development. Furthermore, they reveal a general pattern of "social impoverishment" in comparison with families in the low-risk neighborhood.

Defining the comminity context for parent-child relations: the correlates of child maltreatment

This report presents the results of studies designed to illustrate the use of child maltreatment report data as social indicators of the quality of life for families. It addresses the feedback function of family-support systems and links maltreatment to the overall balance of stresses and supports in the neighborhood context of families. This study focuses on the reported incidence of child abuse and neglect at 2 levels of neighborhood analysis within a single metropolitan county-20 neighborhood areas and 93 census tracts. Multiple-regression analysis is used to develop predictive equations using socioeconomic, demographic, and some attudinal data as the independent variables. For the 20 subareas, 81% of the variance and for the 93 census tract, 52% of the variance is accounted for. Data on the source of reports tend to discount the widely held position that biased reporting accounts for the negative correlation between socioeconomic status and chold maltreatment. The results are related to an emerging ecological perspective on human development.

A preliminary study of some ecological correlates of child abuse: the impact of socioeconomic stress on mothers

The ecological correlates of child abuse and maltreatment are explored. A model which focuses on the degree to which mothers are given support for the parent function is considered. This model, based on studies by Gil (1970) and Bronfenbrenner's (1974c) analysis of "support systems for parents", is examined empirically. Data on rates of child abuse/maltreatment for counties in New York State - based on reports made pursuant to a new, more stringent 1973 reporting law - are examined in light of indices of socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of the 58 counties under study. The data suggest that the degree to which mothers in a particular county are subjects to socioeconomic stress without adequate support systems accounts for a substantial proportion (36%) of the variance in rates of child abuse/maltreatment across New York counties, while economic conditions more generally affecting the family account for 16% of the variance. Application of them empirical model (based on the stepwise multiple regression analysis) to 2 additional samples of child abuse/maltreatment reports (1974) in New York State counties yields results consistent with the initial sample from which the multiple regression equation was drawn.