Understanding the Phase Behavior of a Multistimuli-Responsive Elastin-like Polymer: Insights from Dynamic Light Scattering Analysis.

Elastin-like polymers are a class of stimuli-responsive protein polymers that hold immense promise in applications such as drug delivery, hydrogels, and biosensors. Yet, understanding the intricate interplay of factors influencing their stimuli-responsive behavior remains a challenging frontier. Using temperature-controlled dynamic light scattering and zeta potential measurements, we investigate the interactions between buffer, pH, salt, water, and protein using an elastin-like polymer containing ionizable lysine residues.

Participant withdrawal: challenges and practical solutions for recruitment and retention in clinical trials.

A major challenge in the conduct of clinical trials is recruiting and retaining adequate numbers of study participants. Pressure for steady recruitment and retention is great. A wide range of strategies are used to retain participants; however, some approaches raise ethical questions.

A novel internet-based geriatric education program for emergency medical services providers.

Despite caring for large numbers of older adults, prehospital emergency medical services (EMS) providers receive minimal geriatrics-specific training while obtaining their certification. Studies have shown that they desire further training to improve their comfort level and knowledge in caring for older adults, but continuing education programs to address these needs must account for each EMS provider's specific needs, consider each provider's learning styles, and provide an engaging, interactive experience. A novel, Internet-based, video podcast-based geriatric continuing education program was developed and implemented for EMS providers, and their perceived value of the program was evaluated.

Depression and cognitive impairment in older adult emergency department patients: changes over 2 weeks.

Objectives: To evaluate older adult emergency department (ED) patients for depression and cognitive impairment and to re-evaluate those findings 2 weeks later.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: ED.

A novel emergency medical services-based program to identify and assist older adults in a rural community.

Rural-dwelling older adults experience unique challenges related to accessing medical and social services. This article describes the development, implementation, and experience of a novel, community-based program to identify rural-dwelling older adults with unmet medical and social needs that leveraged the existing emergency medical services (EMS) system. The program specifically included geriatrics training for EMS providers; screening of older adult EMS patients for falls, depression, and medication management strategies by EMS providers; communication of EMS findings to community-based case managers; in-home evaluation by case managers; and referral to community resources for medical and social interventions.

Reliability and validity of prehospital case finding for depression and cognitive impairment.

Objectives: To evaluate the test-retest reliability, the concurrent criterion validity, and the construct validity of prehospital, emergency medical service (EMS) case finding for depression and cognitive impairment in older adults.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Prehospital EMS system and hospital emergency department.

Repeat emergency medical services use by older adults in a rural community: impact on research methods and study length.

Objectives: To evaluate the proportion of emergency medical services (EMS) requests in a rural community made by unique, noninstitutionalized older adults, or individuals making their first request for EMS assistance during the study period, and the impact on research parameters.

Methods: This study was a retrospective chart review of patients aged 65 years and older cared for by the Geneseo Fire Department Ambulance between February 2004 and May 2005 (period 1) and between July 2006 and October 2007 (period 2). The Geneseo Fire Department Ambulance response territory is a rural community in Upstate New York.