COVID-19 and Older Adults: Coping With Long-Term Pandemic Precautions

Studies conducted at the beginning of Covid-19 precautions suggested that older adults were stressed, but hopeful. Less is known how coping has changed for older adults after experiencing months-long pandemic precautions. We explore differences in coping between the initial pandemic declaration in March 2020, and 9 months later, via an internet survey fielded in November 2020 (n= 781). We present summary data, using chi-square tests for subgroup analyses. A majority of respondents (aged M=66 yrs, range 60-89) were women (64%) and White (94%). When asked to compare their feelings to the beginning of the pandemic, 44.8% were more frustrated, 38.7% were more stressed, and 32.7% were more anxious. However, 38.3% were more appreciative. Women were significantly more likely than men to report increases in feeling frustrated, angry, scared, stressed, sad, and hopeless. Introverts were significantly more likely than extroverts to report an increase in loneliness and stress. Since the first few weeks of the pandemic, respondents reported more communication through video calls (45.2%), texting (40.2%), and phone calls (28.8%). Additionally, 61.5% spent more time on computers/tablets, 47.2% spent more time watching TV, and 24.5% spent more time praying. Extroverts were significantly more likely than introverts to report an increase in time with TV, phones, and computers/tablets. Women were significantly more likely than men to report increased texting and praying. These data provide further understanding of the impact of long-term pandemic precautions on older adults and suggest particular subgroups of older adults may benefit from public health and mental health interventions.

Describing Data

This chapter covers how to write about data analyzed for a technical article. Examples are provided for writing a data description, including how to reference the source of the data, describe methods used to collect the data, summarize how the data were cleaned and prepared, and provide information about the variables used in the analysis. This chapter also provides tips on how to present summary statistics.

Things we can do now that we could not do before: Developing and using a cross-scalar, state-wide database to support geomorphologically-informed river management

A fundamental premise of river management is that practitioners understand the resource they are working with. In river management this requires that baseline information is available on the structure, function, health and trajectory of rivers. Such information provides the basis to contextualise, to plan, to be proactive, to prioritise, to set visions, to set goals and to undertake objective, pragmatic, transparent and evidence-based decision making. In this paper we present the State-wide NSW River Styles database, the largest and most comprehensive dataset of geomorphic river type, condition and recovery potential available in Australia. The database is an Open Access product covering over 216,600 km of stream length in an area of 802,000 km2. The availability of the database presents unprecedented opportunities to systematically consider river management issues at local, catchment, regional and state-wide scales, and appropriately contextualise applications in relation to programs at other scales (e.g. internationally)–something that cannot be achieved independent from, or without, such a database. We present summary findings from the database and demonstrate through use of examples how the database has been used in geomorphologically-informed river management. We also provide a cautionary note on the limitations of the database and expert advice on lessons learnt during its development to aid others who are undertaking similar analyses.

Mesothelioma Mortality Rates in Greece for the Period 2005–2015 Is Increased Compared to Previous Decades

Background and Objective: To present summary statistics regarding malignant mesothelioma (MM) mortality in Greece during the period 2005–2015 and compare it with previous decades, along with gender, age and geographical area analysis. Materials and Methods: The Hellenic Statistical Authority provided the data, which included all deaths for the period 1983 to 2015 that mentioned MM as the death cause in the corresponding death certificate. MM mortality rates have been calculated with respect to gender, age, and geographical location in Greece. Furthermore, a comparison analysis was made among three eleven consecutive year periods, in order to assess potential changes in the mortality rates. Results: The MM mortality rate has significantly increased during the period 2005–2015 both in males and females compared to earlier decades. The maximum number of MM deaths has shifted to an older age group of 70–80 years during the 2005–2015 period as compared to that of 1983–2004 in both genders. Additionally, MM mortality rates have significantly increased in all geographical areas except for the Epirus Prefecture. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate an increased MM mortality rate in Greece for the decade 2005–2015 as compared to the two previous decades. This increase is possibly due to the fact that the peak in asbestos production and use in Greece was in mid 1990s, while the asbestos ban came in effect in 2005. Based on these findings the MM epidemic in Greece has not yet peaked, therefore it is important to implement screening strategies for early MM detection.

UNIVERSITY OF KYIV IN THE 1937-1945 (MEMORIES OF PROFESSOR I. A. GRITSENKO)

Important are for researchers and the public the materials related pages of history of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. The memories of a man, who studied at the university, defended within its precincts candidate and doctoral dissertations constitute a particular value. It goes about the doctor of historical sciences, Professor Ivan Antonovych Grytsenko. To learn more about biographical field of I. A. Grytsenko, we present summary of the most important milestones of his life. Also we continue a printing professor’s memories about Kyiv period of his life (1937-1941 years.) in № 39 of "Journal of Ukrainian history". Especially carefully describes I. A. Grytsenko the premises of the Red Corps, educational process within the walls of Shevchenko university, student life, research interests, cultural and sporting preferences, etc. Materials are published in author's edition.

Hydrogen Transfer Reactions of Carbonyls, Alkynes, and Alkenes with Noble Metals in the Presence of Alcohols/Ethers and Amines as Hydrogen Donors

Hydrogen transfer reactions have exceptional importance, due to their applicability in numerous synthetic pathways, with academic as well as industrial relevance. The most important transformations are, e.g., reduction, ring-closing, stereoselective reactions, and the synthesis of heterocycles. The present review provides insights into the hydrogen transfer reactions in the condensed phase in the presence of noble metals (Rh, Ru, Pd) as catalysts. Since the H-donor molecules (such as alcohols/ethers and amines (1°, 2°, 3°)) and the acceptor molecules (alkenes (C=C), alkynes (C≡C), and carbonyl (C=O) compounds) play a crucial role from mechanistic viewpoints, the present summary points out the key mechanistic differences with the interpretation of current contributions and the corresponding historical achievements as well.

Numerical simulations of drumlin formation

We summarize the present form of the instability theory for drumlin formation, which describes the coupled subglacial flow of ice, water and sediment. This model has evolved over the last 20 years, and is now at the point where it can predict instabilities corresponding to ribbed moraine, drumlins and mega-scale glacial lineations, but efforts to provide numerical solutions of the model have been limited. The present summary adds some slight nuances to previously published versions of the theory, notably concerning the constitutive description of the subglacial water film and its flow. A new numerical method is devised to solve the model, and we show that it can be solved for realistic values of most of the parameters, with the exception of that corresponding to the water film thickness. We show that evolved bedforms can be three-dimensional and of the correct sizes, and we explore to some extent the variation of the solutions with the model’s parameters.

Progressively Earlier Initiation of Renal Replacement Therapy for Acute Kidney Injury Is Unwarranted and Potentially Harmful

Background: The optimal timing of renal replacement therapy (RRT) initiation for acute kidney injury (AKI) is unknown. There is debate as to whether starting RRT earlier for AKI is superior to starting it only after ‘conventional', life-threatening indications are present. Summary: In recent years, there has been an ongoing trend in clinical practice to initiate RRT for AKI long before indications appear. Observational studies show many patients now begin RRT for AKI in the absence of ‘conventional' indications. While this shift may have been prompted by observational studies suggesting improved outcomes with earlier RRT, there was not sufficient justification for a change in clinical practice: many recent, observational studies suggest that early RRT may not beneficial or may be even harmful. Moreover, none of 3 underpowered RCTs reported to date found ‘early' RRT initiation beneficial. Lowering the threshold for RRT initiation inevitably leads to more patients receiving unnecessary treatment and this is a matter of concern, considering the fact that complications are potentially fatal and RRT is very costly. While we await definitive studies, calls to shift clinical practice back toward the initiation of RRT for ‘conventional', life‐threatening indications only, should be heeded. Key Messages: ‘Earlier' initiation of RRT for AKI is already occurring in clinical practice but is not justified on the basis of the studies to date. Lowering the threshold for initiation leads to more patients receiving unnecessary RRT. RRT has potentially fatal complications and is expensive. While we await definitive trials, RRT should be started only after ‘conventional', life-threatening indications occur and not earlier.

What Microwave Astronomical Spectroscopy can tell you about the Carriers of the DIBs

Astronomical microwave spectroscopy has greatly broadened the inventory of identifiable chemical species in diffuse molecular gas and is an increasingly effective way to measure the abundances of polar molecules that may be candidate diffuse interstellar band carriers. Here we review some recent developments that hold new promise for chemical abundance determinations. We summarize and categorize the molecular inventory that has accrued in the past twenty years from microwave observations of diffuse clouds and we present summary tables of the molecular abundances within various chemical families in both dark and diffuse molecular gas.

Hemorrhagic Synovial Cyst: The Possible Role of Initial Trauma and Subsequent Microtrauma in Its Pathogenesis: Case Report

BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE: Intraspinal synovial cysts are uncommon causes of back and radicular leg pain. Usually associated with degenerative spinal disease, these juxtafacet cysts are usually located in the lumbar spine and may rarely undergo intracystic hemorrhage. The pathogenesis of these cysts are unclear, and risk factors that may contribute to hemorrhagic complications are largely unknown. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 68-year-old man presented to the clinic 4 months after a fall on ice with persistent back pain and lumbar radiculopathy. A week after the initial clinic consultation, the patient presented to the emergency room with increased pain and worsening weakness in the left foot. An emergent magnetic resonance image showed thecal sac compression secondary to a large, juxtafacet cyst that was hyperintense on T1-weighted and hypointense on T2-weighted images. Lumbar decompressive laminectomies were performed at L3 and L4 with cyst removal and stabilization. CONCLUSION: We present the eighth reported case of a hemorrhagic juxtafacet cyst secondary to physical trauma, the second in which the patient's symptoms acutely worsened several months after the initial insult without new trauma. We also present summary statistics of the 31 cases of hemorrhagic juxtafacet cysts reported in the literature and propose a putative mechanism that may account for the development and progression of symptoms in some patients.