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Fundamental research hailed as new horizon in hypersonic flight

PHOTO Cutline: Mohamed Gad-el-Hak, Ph.D., professor emeritus in Virginia Commonwealth University’s Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering. (Photo courtesy of the VCU College of Engineering) Mohamed Gad-el-Hak, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus in VCU’s Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, together with investigators at the University of Peking, China, has revealed an aerodynamic heating mechanism that sheds new light on the behavior of ultra-high-speed aircraft.         Their discovery comes as news outlets including CBS, CNN and the Washington Post are reporting on the tightening race among China, the U.S. and Russia for dominance in hypersonic systems, aircraft and weapons that travel more than five times the speed of sound.         Researchers previously thought sudden heat spikes, which make hypersonic flight impractical for many applications, occur when air flows reach maximum turbulence. However, Gad-el-Hak and his collaborators have demonstrated through theory, experiments and numerical simulations that temperatures actually jump just before turbulence sets in. The National Science Review has called their achievement “a major progression in hypersonic transition.” The American Institute of Physics said this investigation denotes “a new horizon” for future studies of hypersonic heating phenomena.        The discovery is expected to accelerate applied military and commercial hypersonic research for the design of future spacecraft, intercontinental ballistic missiles and hypersonic vehicles. Gad-el-Hak emphasizes that such applications result from fundamental research. Unlike applied investigations, which set out to solve practical problems, fundamental research seeks to improve scientific understanding of the natural world.         “I have two unflinching scholarly beliefs,” Gad-el-Hak said. “Fundamental science eventually, albeit in fits and starts, leads to a nation’s health, happiness and prosperity, and ‘walls’ between nations hinder that progress.”        

Pressure to lower drug prices may lead to recalls, particularly of generics

The pressure being placed on drug companies to reduce prices as a result of President Donald Trump’s recent proposals, likely will intensify with the Democrats’ taking control of the House of Representatives in the mid-term elections. Research by George Ball, assistant professor of operations and decision technologies at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business, highlights why consumers should be concerned beyond the high prices of their prescriptions. Ball is the lead author of a recent paper in the Journal of Operations Management which found that extreme price competition in the generic pharmaceutical market -- designed to make medications more affordable -- may be putting more patients at serious health risk. This was evidenced by a higher number of product recalls caused by manufacturing-related problems. "Extreme price competition in the generic pharmaceutical market has some unexpected risks that regulators and lawmakers may not have foreseen when pushing for cheaper drugs," Ball said. “There's a downside to cheaper drugs: You can't guarantee that they're going to be of the exact same quality," Ball said. "This research demonstrates that regulators and insurers may want to temper their intense public pressure placed upon pharmaceutical companies to bring prices down. Such pressure may come at a cost: poorly manufactured drugs." Ball can point to examples of recent generic drug recalls that occurred because of manufacturing problems. He is available at 812-856-0625 and gpball@indiana.edu. Copies of the paper are available.

Civics Education Expert Comments on Sandra Day O'Connor's Legacy, Inspiration

O’Connor’s creation of iCivics ‘was the catalyst for much of my work in civics education,’ says Brooke Blevins This week, the nation heard from former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to serve on the nation’s highest court, that she is officially stepping away from public life due to health reasons. In her letter to the nation, O’Connor shared about her commitment to civics education and, specifically, the creation of iCivics – free online interactive games and curriculum designed to teach the core principles of civics to middle and high school students. Brooke Blevins, Ph.D., serves as associate professor of social studies education and associate chair of the department of curriculum and instruction in Baylor’s School of Education. She and Karon LeCompte, Ph.D., associate professor of curriculum and instruction, conducted the first independent research study of iCivics effectiveness. Blevins and LeCompte also launched iEngage Summer Civics Institute. The researchers were honored by O’Connor for their research and commitment to iCivics and civics education. Dr. Blevins wrote the following when she learned of Justice O’Connor’s announcement: We are saddened to learn about the news that Justice Sandra Day O’Connor is stepping away from public life due to her health. Justice O’Connor is undoubtedly one of the most profound figures in our country—a boundary-breaking woman who fought tirelessly to encourage collaboration, democratic discourse, and working toward the common good. Her legacy is one that has had a deep impact on my own life, my academic pursuits and the Baylor community as a whole. Justice O’Connor’s efforts to start iCivics, an online civics education platform that provides interactive games and curriculum designed to help students learn about the core principles of democracy in an engaging and relevant manner, was the catalyst for much of (the Baylor School of Education’s and) my own work in civics education. In 2012, my colleague, Dr. Karon LeCompte, and I had the privilege of conducting the first independent research study examining the effectiveness of iCivics on students’ civic knowledge, skills and dispositions. Working with more than 300 students in Waco ISD and Midway ISD, we implemented a six-week unit using iCivics games and curriculum. In April of that year, we had the honor of presenting our encouraging findings to Justice O’Connor in a community symposium in which she also honored Waco area students, teachers and district administrators. It was from the inspiring work of Justice O’Connor and iCivics that our work in civics education at Baylor University has continued, including the creation of the Baylor University iEngage Summer Civics Institute—a program designed to take the principles learned in iCivics and put them into action in the community. As Justice O’Connor has said time and time again, “It’s not enough to understand; you’ve got to do something.” Justice O’Connor’s efforts to reinvigorate civics education, re-engage young people in civic life and ensure the future of our democracy are enduring and inspiring for all of us. These efforts to reform and reinvigorate civics education are ongoing and in need of our support and resources. As she noted in her final letter, “It is my great hope that our nation will commit to educating our youth about civics, and to helping young people understand their crucial role as informed, active citizens in our nation.” This is why the Baylor University School of Education is committed to pioneering innovative approaches and research in civics education. We are grateful for the work of Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and her light that shines bright throughout our world.

Baylor Gerontology Expert: Signs that Your Loved One is Suffering Elder Abuse

Each year, an estimated 5 million older adults are abused, neglected or exploited, according to the Administration for Community Living. Gerontology expert James Ellor, Ph.D., M.Div., professor in Baylor University’s Diana R. Garland School of Social Work, shares what elder abuse looks like and how people can respond if they see the signs. Reports of abuse are most often submitted by family members, hospital staff and law enforcement. But churches and other organizations should also be diligent, Ellor said, adding that clergy are considered mandatory reporters in many states. “No one group of caring persons can solve this problem alone; it takes a community of caring lay and professional leaders to even try to start to make a difference,” Ellor said. “If signs are noticeable, the next steps will depend on the type of abuse. In most cases, counseling support is critical, but often the need for medical help or legal help is also very important.” Elder abuse – intentional or negligent acts by a caregiver or trusted individual – comes in many forms: neglect or isolation, physical abuse, sexual abuse, exploitation or financial abuse, emotional and psychological abuse, verbal abuse and threats. Physical Abuse Like any other form of physical abuse, physical abuse incudes odd bruising, broken bones or contusions that are not easily explained, Ellor said. One sign that quickly raises suspicion is when broken bones or bruises happen repeatedly. Drug overdoses or the withholding of drugs are also challenging. Emotional abuse Ellor said this could include yelling at the senior, humiliating him or her, blaming and/or scapegoating. Sexual abuse “This is contact without consent,” Ellor said. “We see this often between spouses, particularly when one spouse has dementia.” Neglect “Possibly one of the most common categories, it simply means not taking the time to respond to a wide variety of needs when one is the designated caregiver,” Ellor said. Financial exploitation “Laws governing guardianship and power of attorney try to address this, but family members who take money from seniors as cash or property are the most common culprits,” Ellor explained. Fraud This can involve financial exploitation or even heath care fraud, but it generally involves either over-charging, selling unnecessary benefits of something, or it may include trying to sell something that would benefit one’s children, Ellor said. Self-Neglect “Some seniors simply choose to not help themselves, often in the name of leaving money or property to family members,” Ellor said. “Evidence of this could be that they don’t purchase needed medications or other resources.” Report suspected mistreatment to local adult protective services, long-term care ombudsman or law enforcement agencies that can investigate the situation. ALSO READ: "Gerontology Expert: Six Questions You Should Ask Before Choosing a Nursing Home" SEE: Baylor University's Directory of Faculty Experts ABOUT JAMES ELLOR, PH.D. James Ellor, Ph.D., M.Div., is a professor in Baylor University’s Diana R. Garland School of Social Work. Ellor works with older adults around issues of mental and spiritual health. He has served on the executive committee of the Midwestern Geriatric Education Center and provided education, counseling and planning for individuals and groups who work with seniors. His research includes work in entrostomal therapy, hunger, the church as service provider, spiritual assessment and intervention techniques with cognitively impaired older adults. ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. ABOUT DIANA R. GARLAND SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK Baylor University’s Diana R. Garland School of Social Work is home to one of the leading graduate social work programs in the nation with a research agenda focused on the integration of faith and practice. Upholding its mission of preparing social workers in a Christian context for worldwide service and leadership, the School offers a baccalaureate degree (B.S.W.), a Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) degree and three joint-degree options, M.S.W./M.B.A., M.S.W./M.Div. and M.S.W./M.T.S., through a partnership with Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business and George W. Truett Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. program. Visit www.baylor.edu/social_work to learn more.

Bad Behavior Toward Significant Other in Tough Times Has More Impact than Positive Gestures

Refraining from criticism or abandonment is better than simply being encouraging, Baylor University study finds Refraining from bad behavior toward a significant other during stressful life events is more important than showing positive behavior, according to a Baylor University study. Compared with positive gestures, negative ones tend to trigger more intense and immediate responses, according to the study. And how a couple works together during stressful times is associated with individual well-being as well as satisfaction with the relationship. “When people face stressful life events, they are especially sensitive to negative behavior in their relationships, such as when a partner seems to be argumentative, overly emotional, withdrawn or fails to do something that was expected,” said researcher Keith Sanford, Ph.D., professor of psychology and neuroscience in Baylor’s College of Arts & Sciences. “In contrast, they’re less sensitive to positive behavior — such as giving each other comfort,” he said. The study also found that low doses of a behavior are most important, and over time, more extreme levels have less impact. “Because people are especially sensitive to negative relationship behavior, a moderate dose may be sufficient to produce a nearly maximum effect on increasing life stress,” Sanford said. “After negative behavior reaches a certain saturation point, it appears that stress is only minimally affected by further increases in the dose of relationship problems.” The study — “Negative Relationship Behavior Is More Important Than Positive: Correlates of Outcomes During Stressful Life Events” — is published in the Journal of Family Psychology. Sanford and co-researcher Alannah Shelby Rivers, doctoral candidate in psychology and neuroscience, surveyed couples experiencing stressful life events to measure their behavior, relationship satisfaction, personal well-being and quality of life. The research consisted of two studies done using data from Internet samples. In the first study, 325 couples who were married or living with a partner all reported experiences of at least one of six possible stressful events within the past month, including: losing a job, becoming a primary caregiver of an older relative, experiencing a parent’s death, experiencing a child’s death, not having enough resources to afford basic necessities, and experiencing bankruptcy, foreclosure or repossession of a house or car. The second study included 154 people who were either married or living with a partner and experiencing a serious medical issue meeting one or more of these criteria: a condition requiring hospitalization or a trip to the emergency room, a serious chronic condition and a life-threatening condition. All participants reported that they had visited a medical practitioner within the past year for treatment of their conditions. Researchers used a scale that included 18 items — nine for negative and nine for positive behavior. Participants were asked to remember the past month, then write a few words describing different memories of interactions occurring in their relationships and indicate how often specific types of interactions occurred in their relationships. All participants also were asked questions about how rewarding their relationships were, their general well-being (such as being active and vigorous) and their quality of life (such as health). Those in the first study also were asked about stress, their coping strategies in general and their coping style in the relationship. The second study, examining couple’s behavior during stressful medical events, showed lower levels of negative behavior than the first study dealing with other types of stressful issues. “It is possible that couples facing stressful medical situations are less likely to blame each other,” researchers wrote. “When people face stressful life events, it’s common to experience both positive and negative behavior in their relationships,” Sanford said. “When the goal is to increase feelings of well-being and lessen stress, it may be more important to decrease negative behavior than to increase positive actions.” ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. ABOUT BAYLOR COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES The College of Arts & Sciences is Baylor University’s oldest and largest academic division, consisting of 25 academic departments and seven academic centers and institutes. The more than 5,000 courses taught in the College span topics from art and theatre to religion, philosophy, sociology and the natural sciences. Faculty conduct research around the world, and research on the undergraduate and graduate level is prevalent throughout all disciplines. Visit www.baylor.edu/artsandsciences.

Surveying Patients about Health Care Providers Is Likely of Little Use

But a newly developed questionnaire delves more deeply and may provide valuable information, Baylor University study finds For anyone who has ever taken a survey after a medical appointment and wondered whether the effort was worthwhile, the answer is probably “No,” says a Baylor University psychologist and researcher. Health care providers are pushing to assess patient satisfaction, and many companies charge millions of dollars to assess patients for the providers. But while the intentions are great, “when I started looking at the instruments currently being used to assess doctor-patient relationships, it became apparent they were highly problematic and not providing useful information,” said Keith Sanford, Ph.D. professor of psychology and neuroscience in Baylor’s College of Arts & Sciences. After conducting a series of studies to clarify problems with existing scales, Sanford — a scholar of psychometrics who develops assessment instruments — has created a new tool to measure patient experience during consultations, and research findings suggest it works better than others. The research — “Medical Consultation Experience Questionnaire: Assessing Perceived Alliance and Experienced Confusion During Medical Consultations” — was published in Psychological Assessment, a journal of the American Psychological Association, and funded in part by a grant from Baylor College of Medicine. Working with Baylor University psychologists were physicians with Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine. The new instrument — the Medical Consultation Experience Questionnaire (MCEQ) — measures two aspects of patient experience — “alliance” and “confusion.” Researchers stressed that it addresses the consultation, not treatment results. Practitioners strive for a good alliance, in which the patient sees the practitioner as committed, competent and dedicated to understanding patient desires and views. Another goal is good exchange of information to avoid confusion. But in attempting to measure how well those goals are being met, some questionnaires have limited options that may result in skewed results, Sanford said. For example, one survey offers respondents a 4-point scale in which the answers range from “always” to "never” to such questions as “How often did doctors listen carefully to you?” Another existing assessment instrument asks respondents to use a 5-point scale — from “poor” to “excellent” — to rate practitioner communication in such areas as whether they were treated with respect. The problem is that most respondents choose the top response for each item, with fewer than 5 percent choosing the bottom option, previous research has shown. While such a scale can identify “highly disgruntled” patients, “it cannot make reliable distinctions between patients having experiences ranging from marginally acceptable to extremely positive,” researchers wrote. “The key question is whether a ‘good doctor’ is a single thing or whether there is a range of goodness,” Sanford said. “If you ask the right questions, you’re able to get results that show that range.” To evaluate the new questionnaire, researchers conducted three studies with a total of 576 participants. They compared responses to the new survey with those participants’ responses to other questionnaires. Respondents ranged from adults with diabetes and/or hypertension to parents of children requiring plastic surgery (for such conditions as a cleft palate or facial injury) to parents of children with medical conditions meeting one or more of such criteria as having to go to an emergency room, spend time in a hospital, cope with a chronic condition or deal with a life-threatening condition. The study results support the validity of the new questionnaire in several important ways. It allows for measuring a wider range of patient experiences with more extensive and specific responses, making for better assessment of “alliance” and “confusion” — rather than merely identifying only the most dissatisfied or angry patients, Sanford said. “One of the reasons this is so important is if you don’t form an alliance with your practitioner, they may give you all the wonderful advice in the world, but you might not follow it, or you might be skeptical,” Sanford said. “And if you don’t quite understand what you are supposed to do, that will interfere with your doing the recommended actions.” Sanford noted that because the study relied on self-reported data and sampled only three groups with varying medical conditions, future research on patients with other health issues could be valuable. Tracking such outcomes as physiological measurements or frequency of attending rehabilitation sessions also could be of value, he said. “My hope is that people who use these surveys might realize that just as there is a science behind medical treatment, there is a science behind getting good survey reports,” Sanford said. “We want to make this available freely to anyone who wants to administer it.” *Co-researchers were Alannah Shelby Rivers, doctoral candidate in psychology and neuroscience at Baylor University; Dr. Tara L. Braun and Kelly P. Schultz, Division of Plastic Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine; and Dr. Edward P. Buchanan, Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston and Division of Plastic Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine. ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. ABOUT BAYLOR COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES The College of Arts & Sciences is Baylor University’s oldest and largest academic division, consisting of 25 academic departments and seven academic centers and institutes. The more than 5,000 courses taught in the College span topics from art and theatre to religion, philosophy, sociology and the natural sciences. Faculty conduct research around the world, and research on the undergraduate and graduate level is prevalent throughout all disciplines. Visit www.baylor.edu/artsandsciences.

Environmental Scientists Identify Most Pressing Issues Posed by Chemicals in the Environment in Europe

Environmental scientists have identified 22 key research questions surrounding the risks associated with chemicals in the environment in Europe. Chemicals released into the environment by human activity are resulting in biodiversity loss; increased natural hazards; threats to food, water and energy security; negative impacts on human health and degradation of environmental quality. Now an international study, coordinated by scientists from the University of York, Wageningen University and Baylor University, has identified the most important research questions that need to be answered to fill the most pressing knowledge gaps over the next decade. They include questions about which chemicals we should be most concerned about and where the hotspots of key contaminants are around the globe, as well as how we can develop methods to protect biodiversity and ecosystems. The research, which resulted from a recent "big questions" exercise involving researchers from across Europe, aims to serve as a roadmap for policymakers, regulators, industry and funders and result in a more coordinated approach from the European environmental science community to chemicals in the environment. “Our research has highlighted international scientists' research priorities and our key knowledge gaps when it comes to the risks and impacts of chemicals,” said one of the lead authors of the study Alistair Boxall, Ph.D., with the University of York’s environment department. “The study aims to help focus scientific effort on the questions that really matter and inform decisions about the type of research needed to update policies and regulations.” Bryan W. Brooks, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Environmental Science and Biomedical Studies at Baylor University, who also coordinates a much larger global horizon scanning exercise, said the project is “intentionally transparent, inclusive of multiple sectors and multidisciplinary.” “Though this paper focuses on critical research needs for Europe, we partnered with the Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry to perform similar studies in North America, Africa, Asia, Australia and Latin America,” Brooks said. “In fact, output from the Latin American study was recently published. This unprecedented exercise, which also includes a key partnership with the American Chemical Society in North America, is for the first time identifying global research priorities from academic, government and industry scientists and engineers to understand, avoid and manage adverse outcomes of chemicals in the environment.” A key suggestion in the report is that the basic and translational research is needed to advance robust assessments of chemical risks to the environment and human health. “These big research questions aim to reduce uncertainty during scientific evaluations of environmental contaminants and to advance innovation and sustainability through development of less hazardous chemicals to public health and the environment. Such research recommendations from our European colleagues are thus timely, necessary and internationally important if we are to achieve the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals,” Brooks said. Towards Sustainable Environmental Quality: Priority Research Questions for Europe is published in the journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. It is one of six papers in a global horizon scanning study. ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. ABOUT BAYLOR COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES The College of Arts & Sciences is Baylor University’s oldest and largest academic division, consisting of 25 academic departments and seven academic centers and institutes. The more than 5,000 courses taught in the College span topics from art and theatre to religion, philosophy, sociology and the natural sciences. Faculty conduct research around the world, and research on the undergraduate and graduate level is prevalent throughout all disciplines.

Study: Discuss Religion, Spirituality When Treating Young Adults with Severe Mental Illness

Baylor researcher and expert says it’s “critical” that mental health providers be equipped to assess clients’ religion/spirituality A majority of young adults with severe mental illness – bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or major depression – consider religion and spirituality relevant to their mental health, according to a new study from Baylor University’s Diana R. Garland School of Social Work. Holly Oxhandler, Ph.D., associate dean for research and faculty development in the Garland School of Social Work, served as lead author on the study, which was published in the journal Spirituality in Clinical Practice. Researchers examined data from 55 young adults (ages 18-25) with serious mental illness who had used crisis emergency services. Of the 55 young adults interviewed, 34 “mentioned religion or spirituality in the context of talking about their mental health symptoms and service use with little-to-no prompting,” researchers wrote. The sample for the study was racially diverse and gender-balanced. Not all of those interviewed considered themselves religious, as 41 percent answered “other,” “I don’t know” or “none” when asked their religious preference. However, researchers found that religion and spirituality emerged as a unique way in which this sample was able to make sense of their difficult life situations and mental health struggles. “Not only did these young adults struggle with serious mental illness, but they had also experienced extreme adversity – including abuse, poverty, homelessness, addiction, near-death experiences, loss and an overwhelming lack of access to medical and mental health services,” researchers wrote. “Yet, many attempted to explain, make sense of or organize their circumstances through their religious/spiritual perspective and talked about God as a source of comfort and support.” The young adults expressed both positive and negative views of God, prayer and support from religious and spiritual communities. Regardless of their views, the important thing to note, Oxhandler explained, is that they’re talking about these topics – something social workers and counselors traditionally are not often equipped or trained to assess or discuss. “It’s the elephant in the room,” Oxhandler said of discussions of religion and spirituality. “If we continue to ignore it, we’re ignoring a huge component of peoples’ lives that may be tied to the clinical issue.” Oxhandler, who has researched this area extensively, said such discussions can help drive subsequent treatment options. “As mental health care providers discern what mental health services to provide or coping strategies to recommend, it’s especially important they understand the role of religion/spirituality in the lives of the vulnerable young adults they serve,” she said. Researchers also found that those surveyed described using positive religious coping, negative religious coping or experiences, discussed their relationship with God/Higher Power and unpacked the role of their support systems and faith. Positive religious coping included prayer, reading religious texts, support from their religious and spiritual communities and identifying religious and spiritual meaning in difficult situations. Negative religious coping or experiences included having a negative experience with a religious organization not being supportive or receiving hurtful messages from the religious community. “Those who discussed their relationship with God or a higher power discussed God providing a sense of comfort or protection, accepting them for who they are or positively intervening in their lives,” Oxhandler said. “Among those who unpacked the role of their support systems and faith, they often described family and friends referencing religion or God for support, and some even offered recommendations for others struggling with mental illness that involve religion and spirituality.” Some of those interviewed shared that they found the mention of God or religion by family and friends less than helpful. For example, a 22-year-old white female with no religious identification mentioned in her interview that a family member “tries to tell me that going to church will be better for me because it will help me find peace, and it really does quite the opposite.” Interestingly, researchers noted that nearly all participants who reported negative experiences with religion and spirituality also reported utilizing positive religious and spiritual coping or having a positive relationship with God. Oxhandler said such complexity highlights the importance of including religion and spirituality during the initial assessment with a client. “It’s critical that mental health care providers be well equipped and trained to assess for the complex role of religion and spirituality in the lives of young adults with serious mental illness, recognizing that it could appear to be a tremendous source of support and resilience and/or a source of pain and discomfort, if even a part of their lives at all,” she said. ABOUT THE STUDY “Religion and Spirituality Among Young Adults With Severe Mental Illness,” published in the journal Spirituality in Clinical Practice, is authored by Holly K. Oxhandler, Ph.D., L.M.S.W., assistant professor and associate dean for research and faculty development, Diana R. Garland School of Social Work, Baylor University; Sarah C. Narendorf, Ph.D., L.C.S.W., assistant professor, Graduate College of Social Work, University of Houston; and Kelsey M. Moffatt, M.S.W., Diana R. Garland School of Social Work, Baylor University. ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. ABOUT DIANA R. GARLAND SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK Baylor University’s Diana R. Garland School of Social Work is home to one of the leading graduate social work programs in the nation with a research agenda focused on the integration of faith and practice. Upholding its mission of preparing social workers in a Christian context for worldwide service and leadership, the School offers a baccalaureate degree (B.S.W.), a Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) degree and three joint-degree options, M.S.W./M.B.A., M.S.W./M.Div. and M.S.W./M.T.S., through a partnership with Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business and George W. Truett Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. program. Visit www.baylor.edu/social_work to learn more.

Grip Strength of Children Gives Clues about Their Future Health, Study Finds

Measuring hand grip can help identify youths who could benefit from lifestyle changes to improve health, Baylor researcher says Adolescents with a strong hand grip — an indicator of overall muscle strength — have better odds of being healthy over time, according to a two-year study of 368 elementary school children. While other studies have shown that muscle weakness as measured by grip strength is a predictor of unhealthy outcomes — including cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, disability and even early mortality — this is the first to do so for adolescent health over time, a Baylor University researcher said. “What we know about today’s kids is that because of the prevalence of obesity, they are more at risk for developing pre-diabetes and cardiovascular disease than previous generations,” said senior author Paul M. Gordon, Ph.D., professor and chair of health, human performance and recreation in Baylor’s Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences. “This study gives multiple snapshots over time that provide more insight about grip strength and future risks for developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease,” he said. “Low grip strength could be used to predict cardiometabolic risk and to identify adolescents who would benefit from lifestyle changes to improve muscular fitness.” The study — "Grip Strength is Associated with Longitudinal Health Maintenance and Improvement in Adolescents" — is published in The Journal of Pediatrics. It was conducted by researchers at Baylor University, the University of Michigan and the University of New England. Students tracked in the study were assessed in the fall of their fourth-grade year and at the end of the fifth grade. Using the norms for grip strengths in boys and girls, researchers measured the students’ grips in their dominant and non-dominant hands with an instrument called a handgrip dynamometer. Researchers found that initially, 27.9 percent of the boys and 20.1 percent of the girls were classified as weak. Over the course of the study, boys and girls with weak grips were more than three times as likely to decline in health or maintain poor health as those who were strong. Researchers also screened for and analyzed other metabolic risk factor indicators, including physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition (the proportion of fat and fat-free mass), blood pressure, family history, fasting blood lipids and glucose levels. “Even after taking into account other factors like cardiorespiratory fitness, physical activity and lean body mass, we continue to see an independent association between grip strength and both cardiometabolic health maintenance and health improvements,” Gordon said. While much emphasis has been placed on the benefits of a nutritious diet and aerobic activity, this study suggests that greater emphasis needs to be placed on improving and maintaining muscular strength during adolescence. If someone with a strong grip develops an even stronger grip, “we don’t necessarily see a drastic improvement in that individual’s health,” Gordon noted. “It’s the low strength that puts you at risk. “Given that grip strength is a simple indicator for all-cause death, cardiovascular death and cardiovascular disease in adults, future research is certainly warranted to better understand how weakness during childhood tracks into and throughout adulthood,” he said. “Testing grip strength is simple, non-invasive and can easily be done in a health care professional’s office. It has value for adults and children.” *An estimated 17.2 percent of U.S. children and adolescents aged 2 to 19 years are obese and another 16.2 percent are overweight, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Excess weight carries a greater lifetime risk of diabetes and premature heart disease. While the World Health Organization and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommend that youths perform at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity daily — including vigorous activity at least three days a week — fewer than a quarter of U.S. children do so, according to a report by the nonprofit National Physical Activity Plan Alliance. ABOUT THE STUDY The data source was the Cardiovascular Health Intervention Program (CHIP), supported by a subcontract from the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., which was funded from The Clark Charitable Foundation. Co-researchers were lead author Mark D. Peterson, Ph.D., assistant professor, University of Michigan Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Baylor graduate Sonja Smeding, B.S. (Biology), ’18; and Paul Visich, Ph.D., professor and chair, University of New England’s Department of Exercise and Sport Performance in Biddeford, Maine. ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. ABOUT THE ROBBINS COLLEGE OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SCIENCES The Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences at Baylor University was established in 2014, a result of identified priorities for strengthening the health sciences through Baylor’s strategic vision, Pro Futuris, which serves as a compass for the University’s future. The anchor academic units that form the new College – Communication Sciences and Disorders, Family and Consumer Sciences and Health, Human Performance and Recreation – share a common purpose: improving health and the quality of life. The College is working to create curricula that promote a team-based approach to patient care and establish interdisciplinary research collaborations to advance solutions for improving the quality of life for individuals, families, and communities. For more information visit Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences.

Children with Brain Tumors Who Undergo Radiation Therapy Are Less Likely to Recall Recent Personal Events than to Remember Pre-Treatment Happenings

‘The surprise, and the up side, is that episodic memories from before the children’s treatment were spared,’ Baylor researcher says Children with certain types of brain tumors who undergo radiation treatment are less likely to recall the specifics of events they experienced after radiation than to remember pre-treatment happenings, according to a Baylor University study comparing them to children with healthy brains. The finding is significant because children after treatment had less volume in the hippocampus — a part of the brain that plays an important role in memory. But while such a decrease usually is associated Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, brain injury, epileptic amnesia, encephalitis and aging, with those conditions both remote and recent memories are impaired, said lead author Melanie Sekeres, Ph.D., director of Sekeres Memory Laboratory at Baylor University. “The surprise, and the up side, is that episodic memories from before the children’s treatment were spared,” Sekeres said. For the study, published in The Journal of Neuroscience, researchers focused on “autobiographical memory,” which is linked to unique personal events and involves the recollection of emotional and perceptual details that allow a person to mentally re-experience the event, said Sekeres, assistant professor of psychology and neuroscience in Baylor’s College of Arts & Sciences. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy are used to treat the most common malignant brain tumor in children — a medulloblastoma. The reduced volume of the hippocampus is likely associated with radiation’s impact on the development of new cells in the nervous system, including the growth of new neurons in the hippocampus, or neurogenesis. “We know that these new cells play crucial roles in regulating memory and spatial learning, which is required to navigate. These treatments limit the brain’s ability to produce these new cells, which, in turn, limits the ability to form new memories,” Sekeres said. Research participants were 13 child survivors of brain tumors who had previously received radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment at least one year before the study. Twenty-eight healthy youths of similar ages (ranging from 7 to 18) also were recruited for the study, conducted with The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. All the youths completed the Children’s Autobiographical Interview — a standardized memory test — and underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain. In individual interviews, children in both groups also were asked to recall memories from personal events that occurred at a specific time and place. Children were asked to recall a very old memory from an event before their radiation treatment (or an equally old memory for the healthy children) and a recent memory from within the past month. They were offered a list of events such as a birthday party, family trip, graduation and getting a pet but were told that they could choose another happening. The interview allowed children to freely recall without prompting before being asked general and specific questions about the event. “They have a hard time forming new, detailed memories,” Sekeres said. For example, when talking about a recent birthday party for a friend, they might tell how they met the friend and what that individual likes to do, but few specifics such as what they wore, the type of cake, what friends were there and what activities they did at the party, she said. “Such specific details might seem trivial, but these are precisely the kinds of details that allow us to vividly replay important events in our lives,” Sekeres said. “For most events, though, even healthy people forget a lot of specific details over time because we typically don’t need to retain all that incidental information. Some forgetting is normal and adaptive, and what we remember is the gist of an older event.” The patients were just as capable as healthy children of recalling these older memories, she said. But for children with brain tumors who have undergone radiation, the study suggested “deficits in their ability to either encode and/or retrieve highly detailed memories for personal events,” Sekeres said. “And those are the kind of memories that allow us to understand who we are and give us rich personal lives. “The study identifies an area of cognition that is inadvertently impacted by standard treatment, which has real consequences for the quality of life of the survivors. The physicians’ ultimate goal is to allow their patients to survive and to live as well as possible,” Sekeres said. “Although these treatments are often crucial in the effective management of the cancer, if the physicians and the family know there are these unintended side effects, that may be an additional factor to consider when exploring the treatment options.” ABOUT THE STUDY The study — “Impaired recent, but preserved remote, autobiographical memory in pediatric brain tumor patients” — was conducted with the Brain Tumor Program and the Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Funding was provided through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. ABOUT BAYLOR COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES The College of Arts & Sciences is Baylor University’s oldest and largest academic division, consisting of 25 academic departments and seven academic centers and institutes. The more than 5,000 courses taught in the College span topics from art and theatre to religion, philosophy, sociology and the natural sciences. Faculty conduct research around the world, and research on the undergraduate and graduate level is prevalent throughout all disciplines. Visit College of Arts & Sciences.