The Mediating Role of Sense of Control in the Associations Between Remote Contacts and Loneliness Among Older Adults.

This study explored whether a sense of control over social life mediated the associations between using remote contact (phone calls, letters/emails, social media) and loneliness for socially isolated older adults. We used path analysis with the 2014 and 2016 Health and Retirement Study datasets ( = 3767). Results showed that more frequent phone calls and letters/emails were associated with lower levels of loneliness through sense of control.

Assessing opportunities and inequities in undergraduate ecological forecasting education.

Conducting ecological research in a way that addresses complex, real-world problems requires a diverse, interdisciplinary and quantitatively trained ecology and environmental science workforce. This begins with equitably training students in ecology, interdisciplinary science, and quantitative skills at the undergraduate level. Understanding the current undergraduate curriculum landscape in ecology and environmental sciences allows for targeted interventions to improve equitable educational opportunities.

"The Real Impacts That AAAs are Making:" Developing Measures of Area Agency on Aging Success.

The more than 600 Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) throughout the U.S. are as diverse as the communities they serve, making it challenging to establish indicators of success that are not simply compliance-focused.

It's Time We Looked Under the Hood: An In-Depth Examination of Five Public California Area Agencies on Aging.

Background And Objectives: As the older adult population grows, it is important to understand the effectiveness of service delivery systems that support aging in place. Studying service delivery processes and organizational structures of Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) is essential for future efforts to understand service delivery outcomes and innovations.

Research Design And Methods: We conducted site visits with 5 government-run California AAAs.

Older Americans' Perceptions of the Federal Government's Pandemic Response: Voices From the COVID-19 Coping Study.

There is limited understanding of how older adults evaluated the federal government's COVID-19 response, despite their increased health risks during the pandemic and their important role in politics. We conducted qualitative thematic analysis on a nationally representative subsample of respondents aged 55+ from the COVID-19 Coping Study ( = 500) who were asked: "How do you feel about federal government responses to and handling of the COVID-19 pandemic?" Analyses identified largely negative opinions about the federal government and former President Trump's leadership, though some were neutral or positive. Participants expressed concerns that the federal government was undermining science, and that sending mixed messages about personal protective equipment and masks was dangerous.

Voices of Experience: What Do Low-Income Older Adults Tell Us About Mobility, Technology, and Social Participation?

Mobility and technology can facilitate in-person and virtual social participation to help reduce social isolation, but issues exist regarding older adults' access, feasibility, and motivation to use various forms of mobility and technology. This qualitative study explores how a diverse group of low-income, urban-living older adults use mobility and technology for social participation. We conducted six focus groups ( = 48), two each in English, Spanish, and Korean at a Los Angeles senior center.

Transforming Aging Services: Area Agencies on Aging and the COVID-19 Response.

For over four decades, Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) have served as focal points to help older adults remain in their homes and communities. AAAs partner with other organizations to administer services authorized under the Older Americans Act (OAA). AAAs represent loosely coupled systems; they are responsive to guidelines established by the OAA while maintaining flexibility to leverage limited resources, establish partnerships, and create innovative programs to meet community needs.

Atrophic Proventriculitis Associated with Gravid Females of sp. (Nematoda: Tetrameridae) in the Magellanic Penguin () on the Coast of Brazil.

The present study offers the first description of proventriculitis associated with the presence of gravid female nematodes of the genus (Nematoda: Tetrameridae) in 3 juvenile Magellanic penguins () found dead on the coast of Brazil. This study broadens knowledge on parasites associated with these hosts and the real impact of this association.

Memory for Weather Information in Younger and Older Adults: Tests of Verbatim and Gist Memory.

Unlabelled: Background/Study Context: Memory for specific, verbatim details tends to decline with age, and reliance on gist-based information increases. However, instructions that direct attention toward certain types of information can benefit memory accuracy for that information. Previous work has examined gist-based and verbatim memory for images, but little work has utilized stimuli that participants may study in their daily lives, such as a weather forecast.

Assessing the Federal Response to Elder Abuse, While the Opioid Crisis Rages On.

The opioid crisis directly connects to elder abuse: grandparents may be caring for grandchildren of parents addicted to opioids; and family members, caregivers, and older adults may misuse opioids. The Elder Justice Act, the Older Americans Act, the Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1981, and the Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act dictate responses to such opioid misuse. The Administration for Community Living, the Administration on Aging, the Office of Community Services, and the Department of Justice administer these laws.

Accuracy and Quality of Spirometry in Primary Care Offices.

Rationale: Spirometry is necessary for the optimal management of patients with respiratory disease. The quality of spirometry performed in the primary care setting has been inconsistent.

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate spirometer accuracy, determine the clinical significance of inaccurate spirometers, and assess the quality of spirograms obtained in primary care offices.

Public consultation changes guidance on the use of health-care interventions. An observational study.

Objectives: To investigate the responses to public consultation on draft guidance on interventional procedures (IP) for the UK National Health Services, and the changes made as a result of consultation.

Design: Retrospective review of responses received during public consultation for 183 pieces of draft guidance, and subsequent changes made.

Setting: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in the UK.

Persistent organic pollutants in juvenile Magellanic Penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) in South America.

Magellanic penguins, Spheniscus magellanicus, are the most abundant penguins living in temperate regions of South America and are good indicators of environmental pollution in the region. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) were detected in the liver of Magellanic penguins found debilitated or dead on the beaches of Brazil (states of Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul) between 2008 and 2012 as well as in Uruguay and Chile in 2011. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were more prevalent than organochlorine pesticides (DDTs ∼ HCB ∼ Drins) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs).

Apixaban for the Secondary Prevention of Thrombosis Among Patients With Antiphospholipid Syndrome: Study Rationale and Design (ASTRO-APS).

Background: Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an acquired thrombophilia characterized by thrombosis, pregnancy morbidity, and the presence of characteristic antibodies. Current therapy for patients having APS with a history of thrombosis necessitates anticoagulation with the vitamin K antagonist warfarin, a challenging drug to manage. Apixaban, approved for the treatment and prevention of venous thrombosis with a low rate of bleeding observed, has never been studied among patients with APS.

Using Twitter to communicate conservation science from a professional conference.

Scientists are increasingly using Twitter as a tool for communicating science. Twitter can promote scholarly discussion, disseminate research rapidly, and extend and diversify the scope of audiences reached. However, scientists also caution that if Twitter does not accurately convey science due to the inherent brevity of this media, misinformation could cascade quickly through social media.

Identifying and selecting new procedures for health technology assessment: a decade of nice experience in the United Kingdom.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to analyze the experience of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in identifying new procedures entering the United Kingdom (UK) healthcare system, for assessment and publication of recommendations on their use. This system is designed to provide guidance in an area where regulation is lacking worldwide.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of all procedures notified to the Interventional Procedures Programme (NICE) between 2002 and 2012.

Single-breath diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide instrument accuracy across 3 health systems.

Background: Measuring diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO) is complex and associated with wide intra- and inter-laboratory variability. Increased D(LCO) variability may have important clinical consequences. The objective of the study was to assess instrument performance across hospital pulmonary function testing laboratories using a D(LCO) simulator that produces precise and repeatable D(LCO) values.

Ecological aspects of helminth fauna of Magellanic penguins, Spheniscus magellanicus (aves: Spheniscidae), from the Northern Coast of the State of São Paulo, Brazil.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the helminth fauna found in the Magellanic penguin, Spheniscus magellanicus, relating parasite population and community ecological parameters to life aspects of the host species. The study involved 237 specimens of S. magellanicus taken from the northern shore of the state of São Paulo (23° 46' S, 45° 57' W) and southern shore of the state of Rio de Janeiro (23° 02' S, 44° 13' W), Brazil.

Persistent organic pollutants in juvenile Magellan penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) found on the northern shore of the state of São Paulo and southern shore of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

In the present study, persistent organic pollutants (POPs) were determined in 25 livers from Magellanic penguins, Spheniscus magellanicus, found on the state of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). The following concentrations of POPs (wet weight) were found: ∑ PCBs: 18.9-775.

Comparison of the assessment of five new interventional procedures in different countries.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to identify and compare health technology assessments of the same new interventional procedures produced in different countries.

Methods: We selected five new interventional procedures and studied related assessments produced in different countries.

Results: There were twenty assessments (range, 3-5 per procedure) from nine countries--fourteen from Australia, Canada, and United Kingdom.