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Objective The study estimates the number of years after age 65 that Mexican Americans live with likely dementia and the impact of dementia on community-based services (CBS) use by nativity. Methods Using the Hispanic Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly Sullivan methods are employed to predict duration of dementia and logistic regressions identify the predictors of service utilization. Results Foreign-born women spend more years than other groups with dementia. The foreign-born are more likely to use out-of-home services, whereas U.S.-born are more likely to use in-home services. The foreign-born with dementia of relatively recent onset had the highest probability of service use. Discussion Given the high cost of institutional care and availability of family caregivers, community-based services are a potentially useful alternative for the growing Mexican-American population living with dementia. Expanded Medicaid and CBS programs could be an equitable and cost-effective alternative that should be investigated.

Objectives To evaluate the effects of submucosally administered platelet-rich plasma (PRP) on the rate of maxillary canine retraction. Levels of soluble receptor activator of nuclear factor-κb ligand (sRANKL) and osteoprotegerin (OPG) in the gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) were also measured over 2 months. Materials and Methods This split-mouth trial involved 20 sites in 10 subjects randomly assigned to PRP (experimental) side and control side. After alignment, the freshly prepared PRP was injected submucosally distal to the experimental side maxillary canine, and retraction was performed using NiTi closed-coil springs (150 g) on 0.019 × 0.025-inch stainless steel wire. The rate of canine movement was assessed using digital model superimposition at 0, 30, and 60 days. The OPG and sRANKL were assayed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay from GCF collected at 0, 1, 7, 21, 30, and 60 days. Results Twenty sites were analyzed using paired t test. The rate of tooth movement increased significantly by 35% on the PRP side compared with the control side in the first month (P = .0001) and by 14% at the end of the second month (P = .015). Using the Mann–Whitney U test, OPG levels were found to be significantly decreased on the 7th (P = .003) and 30th day on the PRP side (P = .01), while sRANKL became detectable by the third week postinjection on the PRP side (P = .069). Conclusions Submucosal injection of platelet-rich plasma significantly increased tooth movement during the 60-day observation period. Local injection of PRP significantly altered the levels of OPG and sRANKL in GCF.

Marine sediments are ecologically-important environments that act as a long-term depository for different contaminants from natural and anthropogenic sources. We investigated the response of crude-oil and gas-condensate spills on benthic microbial populations in the oligotrophic southeastern Mediterranean Sea using costume-design benthocosms. Additions of crude oil and gas condensate significantly changed the sediment’s chemical properties, with 2-fold elevated levels of total organic carbon (TOC) and up to ∼ 6-fold higher concentration of total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (∑PAHs) relative to unamended sediments. Naphthalene and benzo(a)pyrene were the dominant species comprising the PAHs in both the crude-oil and gas-condensate treatments (29–43% and 26–35%, respectively). Porewater PO43+ drastically declined throughout the experiment, whereas NO2− + NO3− decreased ∼100 days post hydrocarbons addition and then increased in the remaining ∼100 days till the conclusion of the experiment. This temporal variability in NO2− + NO3− hints that hydrocarbon pollution may affect the interplay between benthic denitrification and N2 fixation, thus affecting nutrient limitation for benthic heterotrophic bacteria and phytoplankton. Moreover, our results show that crude oil and gas-condensate usually lead to a decline in benthic autotrophic microbial biomass (50–80%), while heterotrophic bacterial abundances remained unchanged, and bacterial production rapidly increased (maximal 1,600%, crude-oil > gas-cindensate). These effects were prolonged and lasted several months post hydrocarbons addition, highlighting the sediments as a repository for oil contaminants. Amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene revealed hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria including Methylophaga, Ponticaulis and Alcanivorax genera post crude-oil addition and Actinobacterota 67–14 lineage following gas-condensate amendments. Our results may enable applying a better science-based environmental policy for the benthic marine environment.

In this article, we report on the recommendations of a binational conference that examined the institutional capacities and future ability of Mexico and the United States to address the need for affordable and sustainable dementia care that results from growing older adult populations. These recommendations reflect the large difference in resources between the two nations and each country’s political and institutional capacity. Progress in both countries will require an expansion of programs or the generation of new ones, to meet the needs of older adults, including improving access to services and actively managing the dementia care burden. A comprehensive federal health care safety net will be required in both nations, but economic realities will constrain its implementation. Both nations suffer from a persistent shortage of geriatric primary care physicians and geriatricians, especially in rural areas. Advances in diagnosis, treatment, and care management require additional knowledge and skills of general and specialized staff in the health care workforce to deliver evidence-based, culturally and linguistically appropriate long-term care, and human rights-oriented services. We conclude with a discussion of recommendations for binational dementia care policy and practice.

ObjectiveTo compare total out-of-pocket expenses for physician visits and medications among older adults living with diabetes in Mexico from urban, semi-urban, and rural areas.MethodsThe sample included 2,398 Mexicans aged 65 years and older with self-reported diabetes from the 2018 Mexican Health and Aging Study. Out-of-pocket expenses for physician visits and medications were regressed on locality, controlling for several factors.ResultsThe profile of those with higher out-of-pocket medication expenditures included rural localities, higher education, unmarried, depressive symptoms, participation in Seguro Popular, and lacking insurance. In the multivariate analysis, rural older adults with diabetes paid a higher amount in medication expenditures compared with other localities.ConclusionDifferences in locality are closely tied to the effective implementation of Seguro Popular. Although this program has improved access to care, participants have higher out-of-pocket expenditures for medications than those on employer-based plans across all localities. Among all groups, the uninsured bare the highest burden of expenditures, highlighting a continued need to address health inequities for the most underserved populations.

Edible jellyfish are a traditional Southeast Asian food, usually prepared as a rehydrated product using a salt and alum mixture, whereas they are uncommon in Western Countries and considered as a novel food in Europe. Here, a recently developed, new approach for jellyfish processing and stabilization with calcium salt brining was upgraded by modifying the pre-treatment step of freshly caught jellyfish and successfully applied to several edible species. Treated jellyfish obtained by the application of the optimized version of this method respected both quality and safety parameters set by EU law, including no pathogenic microorganisms, absence or negligible levels of histamine and of total volatile basic nitrogen, no heavy metals; and the total bacterial, yeast, and mold counts were either negligible or undetectable. Jellyfish treated by the presented method exhibited unique protein content, amino acid and fatty acid profiles, antioxidant activity, and texture. The optimized method, initially set up on Rhiszostoma pulmo, was also successfully applied to other edible jellyfish species (such as Cotylorhiza tuberculata, Phyllorhiza punctata, and Rhopilema nomadica) present in the Mediterranean Sea. This study discloses an innovative process for the preparation of jellyfish-based food products for potential future distribution in Europe.

Acculturation and racial discrimination have been independently associated with physical function limitations in immigrant and United States (U.S.)-born populations. This study examined the relationships among acculturation, racial discrimination, and physical function limitations in N = 165 African immigrant older adults using multiple linear regression. The mean age was 62 years ( SD = 8 years), and 61% were female. Older adults who resided in the United States for 10 years or more had more physical function limitations compared with those who resided here for less than 10 years ( b = −2.62, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [–5.01, –0.23]). Compared to lower discrimination, those with high discrimination had more physical function limitations ( b = −2.51, 95% CI = [–4.91, –0.17]), but this was no longer significant after controlling for length of residence and acculturation strategy. Residing in the United States for more than 10 years is associated with poorer physical function. Longitudinal studies with large, diverse samples of African immigrants are needed to confirm these associations.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of disability, cognitive impairment, and neuropsychiatric disturbance among older Mexican Americans on depressive symptoms in their children caregivers. METHODS: This study utilizes data from Wave 7 (2010-2011) of the Hispanic Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly (HEPESE). The final sample included 200 adult children caregivers that provided direct personal care with activities of daily living (ADL) (e.g. bathing, toileting, dressing, etc.) to their older parents (average age = 87). We analyzed the influence of ADL disability, cognition (MMSE), and neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPI) of the care recipient on depressive symptoms of the adult child caregiver. A cross-sectional multivariable linear regression analysis was conducted to examine the effect of neuropsychiatric disturbance on caregiver depressive symptoms. RESULTS: Presence of care recipient NPI symptoms was associated with higher depressive symptoms for caregivers. Additional characteristics associated with caregiver depressive symptoms were not being married, and higher perceived social stress. ADL disability of the care recipient, cognitive functioning of the care recipient, or caregiver health status alone did not have a significant effect on depressive symptoms of the caregiver. CONCLUSIONS: In a Mexican American familistic culture, disability and cognitive impairment might be better tolerated by families but neuropsychiatric behavioral symptoms related to dementia may take an increased toll on family member caregivers. The need to provide respite services, mental health resources and community services for caregivers of care recipients with neuropsychiatric symptoms is of paramount importance to alleviate depressive symptoms and burden among caregivers.

Since the mid-1980s, swarms of the rhizostome Rhopilema nomadica have been an annual phenomenon in Israeli Mediterranean coastal waters during the summer months. Despite its annual prominence and the potential impact on food webs and ecosystem services, studies concerning its feeding ecology and its interactions with other biota in the marine food web have not been conducted. During summer 2015 gut contents of 41 R. nomadica were analysed as well as ambient plankton assemblages. More than 60% of the medusae diet was found to consist of microzooplankton R. nomadica consumed faster swimming prey while smaller medusae relied more on the slower swimming taxa. The medusan diet reflected most of the ambient plankton taxa, but no statistically significant correlations between the relative abundance in diet and ambient plankton were found. As summer progressed, there was a gradual decrease in both mean medusa bell diameter (from 42.2–16 cm) and integrity of feeding structures. These findings suggest that R. nomadica, at least at the time of its appearance in Israeli coastal waters, may exert less predatory pressure on the plankton than we might otherwise expect.

Background and Objectives The growing population of adults surviving past age 85 in the United States and Mexico raises questions about the living arrangements of the oldest old and those living with dementia. This study compares Mexican and Mexican American individuals aged 85 and older to identify associations with cognitive status and living arrangements in Mexico and the United States. Research Design and Methods This study includes 419 Mexican Americans in 5 southwestern states (Hispanic Established Population for the Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly) and 687 Mexicans from a nationally representative sample (Mexican Health and Aging Study). It examines characteristics associated with living alone using logistic regression and describes the living arrangements of older adults with probable dementia in each country. Results Older adults with dementia were significantly less likely to live alone than with others in the United States while there were no relationships between dementia and living arrangements in Mexico. However, a substantial proportion of older adults with dementia lived alone in both nations: 22% in the United States and 21% in Mexico. Among Mexican Americans with dementia, those living alone were more likely to be women, childless, reside in assisted living facilities, and less likely to own their homes. Similarly, Mexican individuals with dementia who lived alone were also less likely to be homeowners than those living with others. Discussion and Implications Contextual differences in living arrangements and housing between the United States and Mexico pose different challenges for aging populations with a high prevalence of dementia.

It has been long established that the intensity of the lines emitted by an ablation plasma increases monotonically when the target is heated above room temperature 1 . In this work we investigate if this trend continues at cryogenic temperatures such as those encountered in space exploration and in ablation-plasma thrusters. The experiment consisted in placing an aluminum target inside a vacuum chamber and in close contact with the cold finger of a helium refrigerator that operated in the temperature range 20-290 K. The focused beam of a nanosecond laser induced the plasma on the target's surface. The lines emitted by the plasma were recorded using both an echelle spectrometer and a monochromator. From the emission lines we obtained the electronic temperature and density of the plasma.

Jellyfish (JF) swarms impact human wellbeing and marine ecosystems. Their global proliferation is a matter of concern and scientific debate, and the multitude of factors affecting (and affected by) their density and distribution merits long-term monitoring of their populations. Here we present an eight-year time series for Rhopilema nomadica, the most prominent JF species swarming the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Reports were submitted by the public and within it a group of trained participants via an internet website between June 2011 and June 2019. Data collected included species, size, location, ranked amount and stinging. Swarms of R. nomadica prevailed in July and ended in August but were also prominent in winter from January to March. Both observations deviate from past swarming patterns described in the late 1980s, when summer swarms persevered until October and winter swarms were not documented. Climate change (increasing water temperature) and the westwards up-current spread of R. nomadica are discussed as possible explanations for this phenological shift. We further demonstrate how data obtained by Citizen Science is used to develop a swarming indicator and monitor JF in time and space, and propose a forecast based on these observations.

Aquaponics or the integration of aquaculture and hydroponic farming, is a sustainable food production system that is currently popular more as a hobby rather than on commercial scales. Recent increase in scientific and public interest in aquaponics and its environmental benefits supports research that addresses technical, economic, and legislative barriers to wider adoption of these systems. A successful combination of hydroponics with an aquaculture system requires high levels of knowledge and skill that are not necessarily available to all aquaponic practitioners. In this short communication, we analyzed the results of a worldwide survey of commercial aquaponic growers' statements about their own knowledge base. Most respondents (59%) had some relevant prior knowledge. Surprisingly, many respondents (41%) claimed to have insufficient knowledge of both fish and plants in their first year of operating a commercial aquaponics system. We interpret this as a rough indication that about a third of the new aquaponic businesses are started by entrepreneurs who are not farmers and have no prior training or experience in growing fish or plants. If aquaponics is to become a more widespread commercially viable enterprise and be capable of delivering its environmental benefits, its promotion must consider the importance of prior knowledge held by entrepreneurs entering aquaponics.

The Grenfell disaster of June 14, 2017 brought into sharp focus the dangers posed by combustible façade materials. Polyethylene core panelling has been implicated in numerous fires such as The Address Downtown, the Saif Belhasa in Dubai and the Lacrosse building in Melbourne. Due to the large number of buildings with potentially combustible cladding, there is significant pressure to find an accurate and fast method to identify such cladding and any associated insulation as part of the overall assessment process. Over the past year, several different approaches to identification have been proposed and in this paper, we recount our expe-riences in developing a methodology to achieve this and discuss the limitations of this method and of competing methods.

Human-induced eutrophication of coastal water may be a major threat to aquatic life. Here, we investigated the effects of N-rich well amelioration brines (WAB) on coastal phytoplankton population's habitat in the surface oligotrophic waters of the southeastern Mediterranean Sea (SEM). To this end, we added WAB (2 concentrations) to mesocosms (1-m3 bags) to surface SEM water during summer and winter, where changes in phytoplankton biomass, activity and diversity was monitored daily for 8 days. Our results demonstrate that WAB addition triggered a phytoplankton bloom, resulting in elevated algal biomass (maximal +780%), increased primary production rates (maximal +675%) and a decrease in eukaryotic algal α-diversity (ca. −20%). Among the species that bloomed following WAB amendments, we found the potentially toxic dinoflagellate Karlodinium venificum. This study adds valuable perspective to the effect of nutrients discharged into nutrient limited SEM coastal waters, and in particular of N-derived WAB.

Objectives Mexican Americans live longer on average than other ethnic groups, but often with protracted cognitive and physical disability. Little is known, however, about the role of cognitive decline for transitions in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) disability and tertiary outcomes of the IADL disablement for the oldest old (after 80 years old). Methods We employ the Hispanic Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly (2010–2011, 2012–2013, and 2016, N = 1,078) to investigate the longitudinal patterns of IADL decline using latent transition analysis. Results Three IADL groups were identified: independent (developing mobility limitations), emerging dependence (limited mobility and community activities), and dependent (limited mobility and household and community activities). Declines in cognitive function were a consistent predictor of greater IADL disablement, and loneliness was a particularly salient distal outcome for emerging dependence. Discussion These results highlight the social consequences of cognitive decline and dependency as well as underscore important areas of intervention at each stage of the disablement process.

To compare GUM ButlerWeave Mint waxed floss, Reach Mint waxed floss and Oral-B Glide Pro-Health Original waxed floss for the tensile strength parameters, load and elongation, and for their ability to reduce artificial plaque. Also examined is the potential relationship between the tensile strength physical attributes and floss efficacy.For artificial plaque removal, floss products were placed around interproximal surfaces of artificial plaque-covered posterior-shaped teeth extending to a 60° angle. The testing apparatus moved the floss in a vertical direction to the tooth apex at two strokes per second with a 5 mm stroke for 15 seconds at a pressure of 150 g. The artificial plaque substrate was then evaluated for depth of artificial plaque removed (DPR) using a color comparison scale. Two tensile strength assays measuring maximum load and elongation also were conducted; the assays were based on the guidelines of the American Society for Testing and Materials. Twenty cm floss segments were pulled apart using a constant velocity, a load cell of 5 kN and a test speed of 1000 mm/minute until each floss segment broke apart. For each floss segment, the maximum load was measured in pounds and the elongation was measured in millimeters. Results for artificial plaque removal and tensile strength assays were statistically analyzed using the post hoc Tukey test for multiple pairwise comparisons and t-tests, assuming unequal variance, to compare the DPR, load, and elongation means.In the artificial plaque removal assay, the mean DPR for GUM ButlerWeave Mint waxed floss was greater than the mean DPR for Reach Mint Waxed floss and Oral-B Glide Pro Health Original Waxed floss (P0.001). The mean DPR for Reach Mint waxed floss was also greater than Oral-B Glide Pro Health Original waxed floss mean DPR (P0.005). In the tensile strength load assay, both Oral-B Glide Pro Health Original waxed floss and GUM ButlerWeave Mint waxed floss had statistically higher means than Reach Mint waxed floss (P0.001 for each). There was no significant difference between the Oral-B Glide Pro Health and GUM ButlerWeave Mint waxed floss means (P0.05). In the elongation assay, the GUM ButlerWeave Mint waxed floss and Reach Mint waxed floss have statistically higher means than Oral-B Glide Pro Health floss (P0.001 for each). There was no statistically significant difference between the GUM ButlerWeave Mint waxed floss and Reach Mint waxed floss means (P0.05). In these laboratory assays there were no clear relationships, causal or otherwise, between artificial plaque removal and the testing tensile strength evaluations conducted.Dental plaque will result in the development of caries, gingivitis and periodontal disease if not removed regularly. The statistically higher efficacy of GUM ButlerWeave Mint waxed floss in decreasing artificial plaque depth, compared to two commercially available floss products that have demonstrated clinical efficacy in decreasing plaque and gingivitis, indicate that this product also may be effective for the treatment and reduction of plaque and related diseases.

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) serve as an important route of microplastics (MPs) to the environment. Therefore, more effective MPs sampling and detection methodologies, as well as a better understanding of their influence on MPs occurrence and distributions in WWTP effluents, are needed for better removal and control. In this work, the efficiency of a municipal WWTP to remove MPs was assessed by collecting samples from raw to tertiary effluent during a 12-month sampling campaign (season-based) using different sampling methods (containers, 24-h composite and large grab samples). MPs retrieved from different treatment units within the WWTP were identified and quantified using plastic/non-plastic staining followed by optical microscopy, SEM and μ-Raman microscopy. Overall, the mean removal efficiency of MPs in the WWTP was 97%, with most MPs removed by the secondary stage and a mean effluent concentration of 1.97 MPs L−1after sand filtration. The relative abundance of particles was lower than fibers in treated effluent compared with the raw wastewater, with MP fibers constituting 74% of the total MPs in raw wastewater and 91% in treated effluent. Taking seasonal variations into account is important as total MPs concentration in the effluent was notably higher in winter compared with the other seasons. Increasing the sampled volume using large samples or 24-h composite samples significantly reduced the variability between replicates. However, MPs concentration post the tertiary stage was significantly lower using morning sampling (9am) by large grab sampling method (1.2 MPs L−1) compared to 24-h composite sampling (3.2 MPs L−1) possibly due to intra-daily changes. Using a finer mesh size (0.45μm) to capture MPs beyond the size range typically studied (≥20μm) almost quadrupledthe number of MPs detected in the tertiary effluent and highlights the importance of standardizing sampling procedures.

This study examined the ability of a Mediterranean demosponge Chondrosia reniformis to oxidize exogenous ammonium, simulating N-rich conditions that occur near finfish farms. We hypothesized that as the concentration of ammonium increases in the surrounding seawater, nitrification mediated by microbes associated with C. reniformis will lead to enhancement of ammonium uptake, nitrate excretion and oxygen consumption by the sponge holobiont. To test this hypothesis, we conducted laboratory experiments with C. reniformis explants exposed to ammonium enrichments (300–6667 nM) and to ambient seawater (45–1511 nM ammonium). We analyzed inhaled (IN) and exhaled (EX) water samples for dissolved oxygen, ammonium, nitrates and retention of picoplankton cells. We observed ammonium uptake in nearly half the cases and excretion of nitrate in most experimental outcomes. Yet, the consumption of ammonium and oxygen, as well as the excretion of nitrate by C. reniformis were not related to the concentration of inhaled ammonium, which suggests that the nitrification activity of sponge-associated microbes is not necessarily related to the concentration of ammonium in the surrounding seawater. Further research is required to reveal the sources of nitrate released from sponges and the fate of this nitrate in natural and manipulated ecosystems.

By 2025, at least one-fifth of the population of 15 countries in the Americas will be 60 or older (Pan American Health Organization, 2017). The populations of older adults in Mexico and older Latinos in the United States continue to grow dramatically (Central Intelligence Agency, 2015). Population aging is the most important, inevitable feature of the health and prosperity of both nations in the near future. In the short term, serious consequences exist for families, communities, and governmental agencies at all levels as they struggle to adapt to the needs of rapidly growing older populations while devoting adequate resources to foster economic development and full employment. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the vulnerability of the older population and the role of the economic and social determinants of health in its outcomes (Bello-Chavolla et al., 2020).

Latin America is currently undergoing a major demographic transition that has resulted in dramatically increased lifespans. This transition has been accompanied by a sharp increase in non-communicable diseases, and Mexico, by example, is amongst the most acutely affected by these changes. Diabetes is the country’s leading cause of death and disability (Bello-Chavolla, Rojas-Martinez, Aguilar-Salinas, & Hernandez-Avila, 2017). Approximately 14% of the total population, or 18 million people, are living with the disease (Bello-Chavolla et al., 2017). Given Mexico’s aging population, this number is expected to grow, reaching 18% and 22% by 2030 and 2050, respectively (Rojas-Martinez et al., 2018). Demographers project that this increase disproportionately impacts older adults, with one study projecting a rise from 19.3% prevalence in 2012 to 34% in 2050 among adults over age 50 (Gonzalez-Gonzalez, Tysinger, Goldman, & Wong, 2017). Such a rapid upward trend in the prevalence of diabetes in Mexico among older adults, and its serious complications—cardiovascular disease, blindness, amputations, renal failure, and dementia —that cause much suffering and shortening of lives, is urging Mexican public health officials to improve the quality of diabetes care (Guthrie & Fleck, 2017).

Estimates of the prevalence of dementia among Latinos in the United States vary from 5% to over 12.9% depending upon the measurement of cognitive impairment employed, the age of the sample, and specific nation of origin (Gonzalez et al., 2019; Haan, Mungas, Gonzalez, Ortiz, & Jagust, 2003; Langa et al., 2017; Matthews et al., 2019; Mehta & Yeo, 2017). Because of life-long structural disadvantage, including low levels of education, a lack of health insurance, low income, and low levels of savings, Latinos are more likely than non-Latino whites to develop mild cognitive impairment at earlier ages and dementia (Fitten et al., 2014; Mehta & Yeo, 2017). These structural risks in combination with longer life expectancies at birth and at age 65 mean that older Latinos will spend more years with serious cognitive impairment (Garcia et al., 2018). As a consequence, they will need dementia care for a longer time. Such care places great practical and financial strain on families and increasingly requires that they find some alternative sources. The increase in the number of older persons with mild and serious cognitive impairment also places serious fiscal strains on states. The benefits of longer life, then, are accompanied by greater burdens on families and the need for the state to provide affordable and culturally-appropriate alternatives.

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) has been shown to be an important source of nutrients in coastal environments, especially nitrogen and silica, and thereby relive nutrient limitation to phytoplankton. Here, we followed autotrophic microbial biomass, activity, and community composition at a site strongly influenced by SGD and a nearby nutrients-poor reference site at the oligotrophic Israeli shallow rocky coast [southeastern Mediterranean Sea (SEMS)] between 2011 and 2019. The surface water at the SGD-affected area had significantly higher NO3 + NO2 (∼10-fold) and Si(OH)4 (∼2-fold) levels compared to the reference site, while no significant differences were observed for PO4 or NH4. This resulted in a significant increase in algae biomass (∼3.5-fold), which was attributed to elevated Synechococcus (∼3.5-fold) and picoeukaryotes (∼2-fold) at the SGD-affected site, and in elevated primary production rates (∼2.5-fold). Contrary to most SGD-affected coastal areas, diatoms biomass remained unchanged between sites, despite the elevated N and Si, suggesting the dominance of picophytoplankton over microphytoplankton at the SEMS. DNA sequencing of the 16S and 18S rDNA supported these findings. These results highlight the influence of SGD on shallow-water microbial populations. Our observations are consistent with recent studies showing that phytoplankton along the Israeli coast are likely nitrogen + silica limited, and may have important ecological and regulatory implications for environmental policy and management of coastal aquifers.

Background and Objectives In the next few decades, the number of Mexican American older adults with Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders will increase dramatically. Given that this population underutilizes formal care services, the degree of care responsibilities in Mexican American families is likely to increase at the same time. However, little is known about the changing need for assistance with instrumental day-to-day activities and emotional support by long-term patterns of cognitive impairment. Research Design and Methods We use 7 waves of the Hispanic Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly (1992/1993–2010/2011) and trajectory modeling to describe long-term patterns of perceived emotional and instrumental support, and dementia. Results Results revealed 2 latent classes of both emotional and instrumental support trajectories: low and high support. Specifically, those living alone were more likely to belong to the group with low support than to that with high support. Three latent classes for likely dementia were also revealed: likely dementia, increasing impairment, and no impairment. Those living alone were more likely to belong to the increasing impairment and likely dementia groups. The dual trajectory of emotional and instrumental support with likely dementia revealed that the probability of belonging to the low-support group was highest for those with increasing impairment. Discussion and Implications These findings highlight the risk and vulnerability of those who live alone concerning perceived social support and dementia. Implications of the findings for the potential dependency burden on Latino caregivers are discussed.

Aging of the population and the growing preference for privacy and independence make older adults living alone one of the fastest- growing segments of the population. However, data suggest that a substantial segment of this population, especially women whose spouses passed away or who experienced late-life marital dissolution, often suffers greater financial hardship than persons living in family households. Public support for older adults can alleviate the financial strain of living alone in the community, but as of yet we have a limited understanding of its availability and impact across countries. In this study, we analyze data for 19 European countries from the 2011–2015 Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe, and for the United States from the 2014 Health and Retirement Study to compare cross-national income and wealth profiles of the 60 and over population living alone. We fit logistic regression models to assess cross-national differences in the likelihood of living alone by income and wealth groups, and multilevel models to estimate the impact of public support on living alone. The results show that the likelihood of living alone is higher in generous welfare states, and measures of social spending and support have positive impact on it. Simultaneously, the link between personal economic resources and living alone has a smaller positive gradient in countries with robust welfare systems. We discuss the results in the context of policies that support older adults living alone and draw lessons for the United States and other countries.