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Background: Urinary concerns increase with age impacting health and quality of life. The aims of this study were to describe: (1) urinary concerns as an age-related change (ARC); (2) the challenges of urinary concerns; (3) adaptation strategies used to manage urinary concerns; and (4) the value of engaging with aging (EWA) as a framework to promote self-management of urinary concerns. Methods: Data was used from semi-structured interviews with 29 older adults (mean age 77 years). An iterative coding process was used. A codebook was developed based on a-priori themes derived from the EWA framework, our previous publication, and a line-by-line coding of one of the transcripts. As the analysis progressed, additional codes emerged, enriching the codebook. Results: Six themes emerged: (1) the participants' experiences; (2) responses to urinary concerns, (3) adaptation and management strategies; (4) knowledge and understanding of urinary concerns; (5) available capacities and resources; and (6) the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on urinary concerns. Participants tended to address their urinary concerns by adjusting routines, medication schedules, or diet patterns. They tried to secure restroom locations or use tools or reminders to resolve their urinary concerns. COVID-19 led to increased inconvenience for older adults to engage in outdoor activities due to the closure of public restrooms. Conclusions: Our in-depth qualitative analysis found that participants developed personalized adjustments to address their needs and abilities to their urinary concerns. These findings offer insights into the individual aging experience, which will further enhance our understanding and advancement of person-centered care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biochar has shown potential as a sorbent for reducing Cd levels in water. Euhalophytes, which thrive in saline-alkali soils containing high concentrations of metal ions and anions, present an intriguing opportunity for producing biochar with inherent metal adsorption properties. This study focused on biochar derived from the euhalophyte Salicornia europaea and aimed to investigate its Cd adsorption capacity through adsorption kinetics and isotherm experiments. The results demonstrated that S. europaea biochar exhibited a high specific surface area, substantial base cation content, and a low negative surface charge, making it a highly effective adsorbent for Cd. The adsorption data fit well with the Langmuir isotherm model, revealing a maximum adsorption capacity of 108.54 mg g−1 at 25 °C. The adsorption process involved both surface adsorption and intraparticle diffusion. The Cd adsorption mechanism on the biochar encompassed precipitation, ion exchange, functional group complexation, and cation-π interactions. Notably, the precipitation of Cd2+ with CO32− in the biochar played a dominant role, accounting for 73.7% of the overall removal mechanism. These findings underscore the potential of euhalophytes such as S. europaea as a promising solution for remediating Cd contamination in aquatic environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glycophyte biomass − derived biochars have proven to be effective in the amelioration of acidic soil. However, there is scarce information on the characteristics and soil amelioration effects of halophyte-derived biochars. In this study, a typical halophyte Salicornia europaea, which is mainly distributed in the saline soils and salt-lake shores of China, and a glycophyte Zea mays, which is widely planted in the north of China, were selected to produce biochars with a pyrolysis process at 500 °C for 2 h. S. europaea-derived and Z. mays-derived biochars were characterized in elemental content, pores, surface area, and surface functional groups, and then by using a pot experiment their potential utilizable value as acidic soil conditioner was evaluated. The results showed that compared with Z. mays-derived biochar, S. europaea-derived biochar displayed higher pH, ash contents, base cations (K+, Ca2+, Na+, and Mg2+) contents and exhibited more larger surface area and pore volume than Z. mays-derived biochar. Both biochars had abundant oxygen-containing functional groups. Upon treating the acidic soil, the pH of acidic soil was increased by 0.98, 2.76, and 3.36 units after the addition of 1%, 2%, and 4% S. europaea-derived biochar, while it was increased only by 0.10, 0.22, and 0.56 units at 1%, 2%, and 4% Z. mays-derived biochar. High alkalinity in S. europaea-derived biochar was the main reason for the increase of pH value and base cations in acidic soil. Thus, application of halophyte biochar such as S. europaea-derived biochar is an alternative method for the amelioration of acidic soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen accelerates salt accumulation in the root zone of an euhalophyte, which might be beneficial for inhibiting the salt damage and interspecific competition for nutrients of non-halophytes in intercropping. However, the variations in the effect of euhalophyte/non-halophyte intercropping with nitrogen supply are poorly understood. Here, we selected the euhalophyte Suaeda salsa (suaeda) and non-halophyte Zea mays L. (maize) as the research objects, setting up three cropping patterns in order to explore the influence of nitrogen application on the intercropping effect in the suaeda/maize intercropping. The results showed that the biomass of maize in the intercropping was significantly lower than that in the monoculture, while for suaeda, it was higher in the intercropping than that in the monoculture. The biomass of maize under NO3−-N treatment performed significantly higher than that under no nitrogen treatment. Moreover, under suitable NO3−-N treatment, more salt ions (Na+, K+) gathered around the roots of suaeda, which weakened the salt damage on maize growth. In the intercropping, the effect of NO3−-N on the maize growth was enhanced when compared with the non-significant effect of NH4+-N, but a positive effect of NH4+-N on suaeda growth was found. Therefore, the disadvantage of maize growth in the intercropping suaeda/maize might be caused by interspecific competition to a certain extent, providing an effective means for the improvement of saline–alkali land by phytoremediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen (N) application might exert a great impact on root (biomass, length) distribution, which possibly contributes to ion and nutrient uptakes. Here, we address the effects of N application on these characteristics to detect how N improves its salt tolerance. Suaeda salsa was subjected to four salt levels (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0%) and three N treatments ( NO 3 − -N: 0, 0.25, and 0.50 g·kg−1) in soil column experiments. The N applications performed a "dose effect" that significantly enhanced the growth of Suaeda at low salt levels, while negative effects were displayed at high salt levels. Moderate N markedly benefited from Na + and Cl − uptake, which was approximately 111 mg and 146 mg per plant at a salt level of 1.0%. Exposure to a certain N application significantly enhanced topsoil root length at salt levels of 0.5% and 1.0%, and it was higher by 0.766 m and 1.256 m under N50 treatment than that under N0 treatment, whereas the higher salt levels accelerate subsoil root growth regardless of N treatment. Therefore, its interactive effects on root development and ion uptake were present, which would provide further theoretical basis for improving saline soil amelioration by N application. Regression analysis always showed that topsoil root length generated more positive and significant influences on ion uptake and vegetative growth than total root length. The results suggested that N application is beneficial to salt tolerance by altering root allocation so as to raise its elongation and gather more ions for halophyte in the topsoil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Halophytes are capable of resisting salinity, and their root system is the part in direct contact with the saline soil environment. The aim of this study was to compare the responses of root morphology and rhizosphere characteristics to salinity between a halophyte, Suaeda salsa (suaeda), and a glycophyte, Beta vulgaris L. (sugar beet). The soil salt content was set to four levels (0.7, 1.2, 1.7, and 2.7%) by NaCl-treated plants. We investigated the soil pH, EC, nutrients and soil, plant ion (Na+, Cl−, K+, and Mg2+) concentration to evaluate the rhizospheric processes, and salt tolerance of suaeda by the root mat method. The highest biomass was in the 1.2% salt level for suaeda and in the 0.7% salt level for sugar beet. The root length and root surface area of suaeda showed similar trends to biomass, but the root diameter decreased by 11.5–17.9% with higher salinity. The Na+, Cl−, and K+ accumulations in the shoot of suaeda displayed higher than that in sugar beet, while the Mg2+ accumulation was lower in suaeda than that in sugar beet. High salinity resulted in increased pH and EC values in the rhizosphere for suaeda, but lower values of these parameters for sugar beet. Under high salinity, the Olsen phosphorus content was 0.50 g·kg−1 and 0.99 g·kg−1 higher in the rhizosphere than in the non-rhizosphere for suaeda and sugar beet. We concluded that the two species [halophyte, Suaeda salsa (suaeda), and a glycophyte, B. vulgaris L. (sugar beet)] showed diverse approaches for nutrient absorption under salinity stress. Suaeda altered its root morphology (smaller root diameter and longer roots) under salt stress to increase the root surface area, while sugar beet activated rhizospheric processes to take up more nutrients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: To better understand the role of sensory loss as a potentially modifiable risk factor for cognitive decline, this study examined cognitive decline in relation to single modality hearing or vision loss and dual sensory loss. DESIGN: Longitudinal secondary data analysis. SETTING: The Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and its supplement: The Aging, Demographics, and Memory Study (ADAMS). PARTICIPANTS: Individuals aged 73 and older (N = 295). MEASUREMENTS: Hearing loss was defined by an inability to hear sounds of 25 dB at frequencies between 0.5 and 4.0 kHz in either ear. Vision loss was defined as having corrected binocular vision worse than 20/40. Dual sensory loss was defined as having both hearing and vision loss. We used one time point of hearing and vision data objectively measured in ADAMS Wave C (June 2006–May 2008) and five waves of cognitive function data measured by the HRS version of the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status in HRS (2006–2014). Multilevel mixed models were used. RESULTS: Among the participants, 271 completed a hearing assessment and 120 had hearing loss; 292 completed a vision assessment and 115 had vision loss; 52 had dual sensory loss. Older adults with hearing loss had a significantly faster rate of cognitive decline as they aged compared to those with normal hearing (β= −0.16, P <.05). No significant association was found between vision loss and the rate of cognitive decline (β= −0.06, P =.41). Older adults who had dual sensory loss likewise had a significantly faster rate of cognitive decline as they age (β = −0.23, P <.05) compared to those with no sensory loss. CONCLUSION: Older adults with hearing loss and dual sensory loss have faster rates of cognitive decline than those with normal sensory function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors reflect on the value of the application of the Engaging With Aging (EWA) framework to examine the daily living challenges and coping solutions used by community-living older adults amidst the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

OBJECTIVES Dry mouth is a common condition among older adults that negatively influences oral health, general health, and quality of life. The role of psychosocial factors in oral health conditions and diseases remains largely unknown. We conducted a study to examine the relationship between perceived stress and dry mouth among US older Chinese adults and further investigated the potential moderating role of social support and social strain from different sources in the relationship. DESIGN Cross‐sectional analysis. SETTING Baseline of the Population Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago, a community‐engaged, population‐based longitudinal study of health and well‐being among community‐dwelling US older Chinese adults. PARTICIPANTS Individuals 60 years or older (N = 3157). MEASUREMENTS Perceived stress was measured by the 10‐item Chinese Perceived Stress Scale to evaluate the degree to which life situations were perceived as stressful during the preceding month on a 5‐point scale, ranging from 0 ("never") to 4 ("very often"). Dry mouth was a binary self‐reported outcome variable (1 = "dry mouth"). Social support was measured by the Health and Retirement Study's social support and strain scale from sources including spouse, other family members, and friends with a 3‐point response set, ranging from 0 ("hardly ever") to 2 ("often"). Sociodemographics and disease processes were assessed as covariates. We conducted stepwise logistic regressions with interaction terms. RESULTS: Having higher levels of perceived stress was significantly associated with a higher likelihood of reporting dry mouth (odds ratio = 1.03; 95% confidence interval = 1.02‐1.04). The effect of perceived stress on dry mouth may vary by levels of family and friend support. CONCLUSION: Perceived stress may influence dry mouth either directly or indirectly. To prevent or reduce dry mouth, in addition to disease processes, interventions need to consider psychosocial factors in dry mouth, especially perceived stress and social support, in this growing population. J Am Geriatr Soc 67:S551–S556, 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to cross-validate a structural model depicting the effects of individual and environmental factors on diabetes self-management in Chinese Americans with type 2 diabetes. Methodology: A cross-sectional survey was administered to a convenience sample of 209 Chinese Americans with type 2 diabetes in the Midwest of the United States. Structural equation modeling was used to cross-validate the model fit. Results: Provider–patient communication indirectly influenced self-management via belief in treatment. Knowledge indirectly influenced self-management via belief in treatment and self-efficacy. Social support indirectly influenced self-management via belief in treatment and knowledge. Discussion: This study demonstrated that the structural model, previously tested with Chinese diabetes patients in China, also fits Chinese Americans in the United States with few modifications. The cross-validated model provides a theoretical basis for developing culturally relevant diabetes self-management interventions for Chinese Americans, which may lead to health improvements in this ethnic population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are at heightened risk of developing dementia. Rapid advances in computing technology have enabled researchers to conduct cognitive training and rehabilitation interventions with the assistance of technology. This systematic review aims to evaluate the effects of technology-based cognitive training or rehabilitation interventions to improve cognitive function among individuals with MCI.Methods: We conducted a systematic review using the following criteria: individuals with MCI, empirical studies, and evaluated a technology-based cognitive training or rehabilitation intervention. Twenty-six articles met the criteria.Results: Studies were characterized by considerable variation in study design, intervention content, and technologies applied. The major types of technologies applied included computerized software, tablets, gaming consoles, and virtual reality. Use of technology to adjust the difficulties of tasks based on participants' performance was an important feature. Technology-based cognitive training and rehabilitation interventions had significant effect on global cognitive function in 8 out of 22 studies; 8 out of 18 studies found positive effects on attention, 9 out of 16 studies on executive function, and 16 out of 19 studies on memory. Some cognitive interventions improved non-cognitive symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and ADLs.Conclusion: Technology-based cognitive training and rehabilitation interventions show promise, but the findings were inconsistent due to the variations in study design. Future studies should consider using more consistent methodologies. Appropriate control groups should be designed to understand the additional benefits of cognitive training and rehabilitation delivered with the assistance of technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Limited research is available on the relationship between social support, social strain, and cognitive function among community-dwelling U.S. Chinese older adults. This study aims to examine the associations between social support/strain and cognitive outcomes.Methods: Data were drawn from the Population-Based Study of Chinese Elderly (N = 3,159). Cognitive function was measured by a battery of tests including the East Boston Memory Test, the Digit Span Backwards assessment, and the Symbol Digit Modalities Test. Social support and strain were measured by the scales drawn from the Health and Retirement study. Multiple regression analyses were conducted.Results: Social support was significantly associated with global cognitive function (β = .11, SE = .02, p < .001), episodic memory (β = .11, SE = .03, p < .001), working memory (β = .18, SE = .08, p < .05), and executive function (β = 1.44, SE = .37, p < .001). Social strain was significantly associated with global cognitive function (β = .23, SE = .05, p < .001), episodic memory (β = .27, SE = .07, p < .001), working memory (β = .34, SE = .17, p < .05), and executive function (β = 2.75, SE = .85, p < .01). In terms of sources of social support/strain, higher support from friends was significantly associated with higher global cognitive function (β = .04, SE = .02, p < .05), higher episodic memory (β = .05, SE = .02, p < .05), and higher executive function (β = .71, SE = .29, p < .05). Higher strain from spouse was significantly associated with higher global cognitive function (β = .10, SE = .03, p < .01), higher episodic memory (β = .11, SE = .04, p < .01), and higher executive function (β = 1.28, SE = .49, p < .01). Higher strain from friends was significantly associated with higher executive function (β = 3.59, SE = 1.17, p < .01).Conclusions: Social support and strain were associated with cognitive outcomes. Future longitudinal studies should be conducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the challenges encountered by older adults with dual sensory loss (DSL). It mentions that Older adults with DSL may has encountered psychological difficulties, such as embarrassment when encountering difficulties communicating. It discusses that caring for older adults with DSL.

Halophytes possess the capacity to uptake high levels of salt through physiological processes and their root architecture. Here, we investigated whether halophyte/non-halophyte intercropping in saline soil benefits plant growth and contains root-dialogue between interspecific species. Field and pot experiments were conducted to determine the plant biomasses and salt and nutrient distributions in three suaeda (Suaeda salsa)/maize (Zea mays L.) intercropping systems, set up by non-barrier, nylon-barrier, and plastic-barrier between plant roots. The suaeda/maize intercropping obviously transferred more Na+ to the suaeda root zone and decreased salt and Na+ contents. However, the biomass of the non-barrier-treated maize was significantly lower than that of the nylon and plastic barrier-treated maize. There was lower available N content in the soil of the non-barrier treated groups compared with the plastic barrier-treated groups. In addition, the pH was lower, and the available nutrient content was higher in the nylon barrier, which suggested that rhizospheric processes might occur between the two species. Therefore, we concluded that the suaeda/maize intercropping would be beneficial to the salt removal, but it caused an adverse effect for maize growth due to interspecific competition, and also revealed potential rhizospheric effects through the role of roots. This study provides an effective way for the improvement of saline land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, long-term discharge data and climate records, such as temperature and precipitation during 1977-2006, have been used to define basin climatic and hydrologic regimes and changes. Discharge analyses at four key gauging stations (Eagle, Stevens Village, Nenana, and Pilot Station) in the Yukon River Basin show that the runoff in the cold season (November to April) is low with small variations, whereas it is high (28 500-177 000 ft3/s; 810-5000 m3/s) with high fluctuations in the warm season (May to October). The Stevens Village Station is in the upper basin and has similar changes with the flow near basin outlet. Flow increases in May (61 074 ft3/s; 1729 m3/s) and September (23 325 ft3/s; 660 m3/s); and decreases in July (35 174 ft3/s; 996 m3/s) and August (6809 ft3/s; 193 m3/s). Discharge in May at the Pilot Station (near the basin outlet) shows a positive trend (177 000 ft3/s; 5010 m3/s). Daily flow analyses show high fluctuation during the warm season and very low flow during the cold season; the 10-year average analyses of daily flow at Pilot Station show a small increase in the peak and its timing shifted to a little earlier date. The annual flow, average of 227 900 ft3/s (6450 m3/s) with high inter-annual fluctuations, has increased by 18 200 ft3/s (or 8%; 520 m3/s) during 1977-2006. From 1977 to 2006, basin air temperature in June has increased by 3.9 °F (2.2 °C) and decreased by 10.5 °F (5.8 °C) in January. A strong and positive correlation exists between air temperature in April and discharge in May, whereas a strong and negative correlation relates August temperature and September discharge. Negative trend during 1977-2006 is observed for precipitation in June (0.6 in.; 15 mm) with a confidence over 93%. Precipitation in August and September has strong and positive correlations with discharge in September and October at basin outlet; the precipitation in other months has weak correlation with the discharge. The mean annual precipitation during 1977-2006 increased by 1.1 in. (or 8%; 28 mm), which contributes to the annual flow increase during the study period. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this study was to understand the associations between acculturation and oral health among older Chinese immigrants in the United States. Method: We used data from the PINE study, which included the foreign-born older Chinese immigrants (N = 3,128). We measured acculturation by measuring participants' length of stay and behavioral acculturation. Participants' tooth and gum symptoms were the outcome variables. Results: Longer stay in the United States was significantly associated with fewer gum symptoms but not with tooth symptoms. Behavioral acculturation was not significantly associated with either tooth or gum symptoms. The middle tertile of behavioral acculturation, compared with its upper and lower tertiles, deemed to be a more significant risk factor of tooth/gum symptoms. In addition, older immigrants with more social interactions with the Americans were more likely to have tooth symptoms. Discussion: In the future, we will conduct a study using longitudinal data to help us better understand the relationship between acculturation and oral health in Chinese American population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]