How Do International Students Study for Their University Degree Programme Using Technologically-Assisted Tools and Platforms?

Due to the current education trend, many students, including traditional-age, non-traditional, returning, evening, and adult students, move from traditional on-campus study to distance learning and online education. The current COVID-19 pandemic offers opportunities for these colleges and universities to expand their channel to international students who cannot come on-campus due to the recommendation of social distancing and the self-quarantine policy. However, it is important to capture the students' comments and opinions, particularly international students who are looking for the living experience in an overseas country. With the tools of qualitative inductive survey and interview sessions, the researcher collected 63 valid data from the Chinese international students. This study provided the blueprint for school leadership, department heads, policymakers, faculty members, and students who are interested in reforming the current curriculum and instruction.

Does Retirement Age Impact Functional Limitations in Later Life?

The US government is gradually shifting the full retirement age in Social Security to age 67. However, previous studies suggest that this shift could negatively impact the mental and physical health of retirees. To understand the potential impact of raising the full retirement age on the functional health of retirees, this longitudinal study examined changes in physical functioning over time in retirees by age at retirement. Twelve waves of the Health and Retirement Study (1994 – 2018) were used. A total of 8,261 retirees was included. The retirement age was a categorical variable: very early age (<62), early age (62-64), traditional age (65-67), and late age (>67). Physical functioning was measured using 15 Activities of Daily Living and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living. A GEE model was used to assess the relationship between the retirement age category and the number of functional limitations. In the adjusted model, after controlling for all the other variables including baseline health and functioning, late retirement was associated with an 8.9% increased risk of functional limitations compared to traditional age retirement (IRR: 0.91, 95% CI:0.84 –0.98). Compared to late retirees, the risk of functional limitations was increased by 28.6% in very early age retirees (IRR: 1.29, 95% CI:1.21–1.36). Compared to those retiring at traditional retirement age, those retiring late, after 67, have increased the risks of functional limitations. Although levels of disability could influence age of retirement, these results suggest that for some workers efforts to increase age of full retirement, could have negative effects.

Online versus Onsite Teaching Performance Analysis of an Introductory Electrical Circuit Class

Academia is adapting to the new age of online teaching and learning as the online mode has rapidly spread during the past several months. This is a significant paradigm shift and can also be viewed as an opportunity to think and experiment outside the box and question the traditional age-old ways of functioning in the onsite mode. As expected, there is continuous need and strong demand for innovative flexible online activities that promote learning. Currently, most academic institutions are in the process of either evaluating or implementing the new online options and tools for their programs. This paper compares the assessment data for online and onsite offerings of electrical circuit STEM classes during 2007-2021 and suggests that online mode is as good as or better than onsite mode. Future research areas are recommended that may contribute to understanding these trends and results in other areas of engineering and computer science.

Lifecourse Educational Trajectories and Hypertension in Midlife: An Application of Sequence Analysis

Background Higher educational attainment predicts lower hypertension. Yet, associations between non-traditional educational trajectories (e.g., interrupted degree programs) and hypertension are less well understood, particularly among structurally marginalized groups who are more likely to experience these non-traditional trajectories. Methods In National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 cohort data (N=6,317), we used sequence and cluster analyses to identify groups of similar educational sequences – characterized by timing and type of terminal credential – that participants followed from age 14-48. Using logistic regression, we estimated associations between the resulting 10 educational sequences and hypertension at age 50. We evaluated effect modification by individual-level indicators of structural marginalization (race, gender, race and gender, and childhood socioeconomic status (cSES)). Results Compared to terminal high school (HS) diploma completed at traditional age, terminal GED (OR:1.32;95%CI:1.04,1.66; RR:1.21;95%CI:1.03,1.43) or Associate Degree after <HS (OR:1.93;95%CI: 1.11,3.35; RR:1.55;95%CI:1.10,2.17) was associated with higher hypertension. There was some evidence of effect modification. Hypertension associated with delayed HS diploma versus HS diploma at a traditional age (the reference) was lower for Black men than White men (interaction term:0.44;95%CI:0.21,0.91); similarly, hypertension associated with <HS versus completing HS at a traditional age was lower for people with low cSES than people with high cSES (interaction term:0.52;95%CI:0.30,0.90). Conclusions Both type and timing to terminal credential matter for hypertension but effects may vary by experiences of structural marginalization. Documenting the nuanced ways in which complex educational trajectories are associated with health could elucidate underlying mechanisms and inform systems-level interventions for health equity.

Anamorphic Site Index Curves for Central Appalachian Red Spruce in West Virginia, USA

Traditional site index curves are frequently produced for shade-intolerant species but are scarce for shade-tolerant species. Red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) can be found in three distinct geographic regions (northern, central, and southern) within the Appalachian Mountains. The one commonly used set of red spruce site index curves is over ninety years old. A definite need exists for a modern, regionally applicable set of site index curves. This research sampled 83 plots randomly located in the central Appalachians of West Virginia. Three sets of anamorphic site index curves were created after careful examination of height models built using Chapman-Richards and Meyer functions. One set of curves was constructed with traditional age height pairs. The second utilized a suppression-corrected age and height pair. The third set examined diameter at breast height (DBH) and height pairs. Fit statistics indicated better performance for the suppression-corrected age–height pair site index and the DBH–height pair site index versus the traditional age–height pair models. Site index conversion equations were also investigated for the red spruce age-corrected site index. Linear regression was used to determine significant geographic and climate variables and the utility of including site index values for red maple (Acer rubrum L.) and yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britton) in the model to predict red spruce site index. Significant models were found for varying combinations of species site index, climate, and geographic variables with R2adj in the range of 0.139–0.455. These new site index curves and conversion equations should provide utility for site productivity estimation and growth and yield modeling while aiding in restoration efforts for this important central Appalachian species.

Work Patterns and Financing College: A Descriptive Regional Report regarding Students at Hispanic-Serving Institutions in New Mexico and Texas

College students at 14 Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) in New Mexico and Texas were surveyed about their experiences in and perceptions of higher education. Three primary foci were students’ employment status, work commitments, and means of financing college. Most of the informants reported working while in college and, similar to previously reported national averages, 69.4% of the informants were actively employed. Twice as many of the actively employed informants worked off campus as on campus and over three-quarters of employed students reported working part-time. There were no significance differences in these areas by gender, ethnicity, or even when broken out as Latinas, Latinos, non-Hispanic females and non-Hispanic males but students of non-traditional age reported a work commitment at significantly higher levels. For hours of work per week, there were also no significant differences by gender, ethnicity, and for the four possible subsets (Latinas, Latinos, etc.) but being a non-traditional aged student and being married/cohabiting were associated with working more hours at statistically significant levels. Students at the HSIs in New Mexico also reported more hours of work at statistically significant levels. Differences by gender, ethnicity, age, relational status, and state were found for means of funding college.

It’s elemental, my dear Watson: validating seasonal patterns in otolith chemical chronologies

Accurate age data is essential for reliable fish stock assessment. Yet many stocks suffer from inconsistencies in age interpretation. A new approach to obtain age makes use of the chemical composition of otoliths. This study validates the periodicity of recurrent patterns in 25Mg, 31P, 34K, 55Mn, 63Cu, 64Zn, 66Zn, 85Rb, 88Sr, 138Ba, and 208Pb in Baltic cod (Gadus morhua) otoliths from tag-recapture and known-age samples. Otolith P concentrations showed the highest consistency in seasonality over the years, with minima co-occurring with otolith winter zones in the known-age otoliths and in late winter/early spring when water temperatures are coldest in tagged cod . The timing of minima differs between stocks, occurring around February in western Baltic cod and one month later in eastern Baltic cod; seasonal maxima are also stock-specific, occurring in August and October, respectively. The amplitude in P is larger in faster-growing western compared to eastern Baltic cod. Seasonal patterns with minima in winter/late spring were also evident in Mg and Mn, but less consistent over time and fish size than P. Chronological patterns in P, and to a lesser extent Mg and Mn, may have the potential to supplement traditional age estimation or to guide the visual identification of translucent and opaque otolith patterns used in traditional age estimation

The Age-Friendly University: Theory and Practice in Institutional Transformation

Growth in the network of Age-Friendly Universities (AFU) signals the importance of making higher education more age inclusive. Commitment to AFU principles creates opportunities for universities to develop new initiatives and activities that embody them. However, changing academic culture can present unique challenges as well as opportunities. Theories of organizational change help in developing strategies promoting greater involvement of older adults in communities traditionally focused on younger adults. The University of Rhode Island’s experience in continuing to develop as an AFU illustrates the complex challenge of transformation in institutions typically slow to change. This presentation focuses on the following three elements. First, uncovering and confronting ageism in academic settings is a critical first step in opening up the campus community to students of all ages. Second, identifying champions who can advocate for change in different institutional segments is an essential element in expanding the AFU movement. Third, promoting intergenerational programs helps to build bridges between traditional age and older students, particularly emphasizing the contributions that older adults can make to the academic enterprise. Implications for expanding the AFU network while focusing on individual institutions include the following: (1) using theory to drive practice in an intentional and strategic fashion; (2) identifying factors opposing change, particularly since they are usually hidden and not widely recognized; (3) developing a strategy to address these barriers, especially one tailored to the unique institutional context; and (4) recognizing the larger social, economic, and political forces generally in higher education that establish the context for AFUs.

P0831HIGH SERUM ALKALINE PHOSPHATASE PREDICTS THE RISK OF CKD PROGRESSION: EFFECT NODIFICATION BY THE GFR

Background and Aims In the post-hoc analyses of the SUSTAIN and ASSURE trials (Kidney Blood Press Res. 2018;43:449-457), Apabetalone, an epigenetic modulator which lowers serum alkaline phosphatase (AlkPhos), stabilized the GFR in patients with cardiovascular disease and a GFR <60/ml/min/1.73m2. Analyzing the relationship between AlkPhos and renal outcomes in patients with established CKD is useful to preliminarily explore the biological hypothesis that AlkPhos is implicated in CKD progression. Method We investigated the relationship between AlkPhos and the risk for a combined renal end-point (30% GFR loss or dialysis/renal transplantation) in a cohort of 609 stage 3-5 CKD patients with an average GFR of 34.8±12.1ml/min/1.73 m2. Results Median AlkPhos levels were 91 IU/L (Interquartile range 71-117 IU/L) and in the vast majority of patients had values below 147 IU/L (the upper limit of the normal range). Over a median follow up of 3 years, two-hundred patients had the combined renal end-point. In an unadjusted analysis 1 ln increase in AlkPhos entailed a 49% risk excess for the renal end-point (HR: 1.49, 95% CI 1.11-2.01, P=0.008). Adjusting for traditional (age, gender, smoking, diabetes, total cholesterol, BMI, systolic BP, CV comorbidities) and CKD specific risk factors (hemoglobin, albumin, phosphate, and hs-CRP) did not modify the strength of this association (HR:1.48, 95% CI 1.08-2.02, P=0.016). Furthermore, In a fully adjusted analysis testing the GFR as an effect modifier of the AlkPhos - combined renal end point relationship showed a strong GFR- AlkPhos interaction (Figure). Indeed the risk for the combined renal end-point was gradually more pronounced at progressively more severe degrees of renal dysfunction, the HR being 0.94 (CI95% 0.60-1.47) at a GFR of 40 ml/min/m2 and 2.71 (CI95% 1.49-4.93) at 10 ml/min/1.73m2. Conclusion In patients with stage 3-5 CKD alkaline phosphatase within the normal range is associated with the risk for progression to ESRD and the GFR is an effect modifier of this relationship. Findings in this study are compatible with the hypothesis that within the normal range of this biomarker, the risk for CKD progression by alkaline phosphatase is amplified by the severity of CKD. These data are in keeping with post-hoc analyses of the SUSTAIN and ASSURE trials and provide circumstantial support to the hypothesis that interventions lowering serum alkaline phosphatase may mitigate CKD progression.