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We describe two new species of Salvia from the Antillean dry forests, belonging to SalviasectionUrbania. These species' names honor two Latin American botanists who have advanced our understanding either of the Dominican flora or the mint family (Lamiaceae). Salviaclaseana is found in the Sierra Martín García. It resembles S.calaminthifolia but differs in having strigose stems, rhombic to trullate leaves with a cuneate, decurrent base, and larger flowers. Salviamartineziana inhabits the Sierra de Bahoruco. It resembles Salviabrachyphylla but differs in having strigose stems with retrorse trichomes and flowers disposed in the axils of the distal leaves. We provide descriptions, photographs, a distribution map and an identification key for the species of SalviasectionUrbania from the Domini-can Republic. Additionally, we sequenced three molecular markers (nrITS, trn L- trn F, and trn H- psb A) for the new taxa and other Dominican and Haitian Salvia species to investigate their phylogenetic relationships., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Itzi Fragoso-Martínez, Gerardo A. Salazar, Emmanuel Martínez-Ambriz, Martin Reith.)

Background: Middle age is increasingly acknowledged as a critical window for prevention of Alzheimer's disease and related dementia (ADRD) since research has shown that AD develops in the course of 20-30 years (1) but we know very little about middle-aged individuals' perspectives on ADRD. Knowledge gaps are particularly large for Latinas living in regions typically underrepresented in ADRD research, such as rural and/or agricultural regions. This is important given that over the next 40 years Latinos are projected to have the largest increase in ADRD cases in the U.S. Therefore, this study aims to assess knowledge, perceptions, and feelings associated with ADRD among a sample of middle-age, Spanish-speaking Latina women., Method: Using qualitative methods involving semi-structured interviews, we examined knowledge, perceptions, and feelings associated with ADRD among a subsample of the Center for Health Assessment of Mothers and Children of Salinas (CHAMACOS) study. Participants are Latina women residing in an underserved agricultural community entering mid-life (mean = 46.5 years old). Interviews were conducted with 20 women and data was analyzed with inductive thematic content analysis., Results: We identified themes regarding perceptions, knowledge, and feelings. First, participants perceive ADRD as involving (1) Loss of memory, (2) Getting lost; (3) Losing the person they once were. With regard to knowledge about ADRD, participants reported: (1) Some knowledge about protective and risk factors for ADRD, (2) No awareness of the links between cardiovascular risk factors and ADRD; (3) A desire to learn prevention methods alongside signs and symptoms of ADRD. Themes related to feelings about ADRD were: (1) Fear of developing ADRD and not being aware of reality or who they are; (2) Worry about losing relationships with loved ones and caretaking if diagnosed with ADRD; (3) Sadness about forgetting one's family and depending on others if diagnosed with ADRD., Conclusion: The knowledge gaps and negative feelings associated with ADRD highlighted in this study underscore the need for ADRD interventions to include CVD prevention, particularly for mid-life Latino populations residing in rural regions., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objective: Individuals and families from racial and ethnic groups experience social and economic disadvantage making them vulnerable to the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study sought to capture the impacts of Shelter in Place (SIP) across key life domains including family life, education, work, mental health, and coping strategies among a sample of Mexican-origin mothers who were currently engaged in agricultural work, or whose spouses were engaged in agricultural work, and young adults who had a parent working in agriculture., Method: During the summer of 2020, while California was under SIP orders, we conducted three virtual focus groups using Zoom(r). We recruited focus group participants from the Center for the Health Assessment of Mothers and Children of Salinas (CHAMACOS), an ongoing, 20-year, longitudinal cohort study of Mexican-origin families in a predominantly agricultural area of California. Three focus groups were conducted with mothers (n = 9), mean age = 48 years, young adult women (n = 8) and young adult men (n = 5), mean age = 18 years, respectively., Results: Mothers reported high levels of stress stemming from fear of Covid-19 infection, work instability and financial concerns, children's schooling, anxiety about an uncertain future, and the demands of caretaking for dependents. Adverse mental health impacts were particularly pronounced among participants experiencing multiple adversities pre-dating the pandemic, including unemployment, single motherhood, and having undocumented family members. For young adults, work instability and varying work hours were also a source of stress because they made it difficult to make decisions about the future, such as whether to attend college or how many classes to take. Families used coping strategies including expressing gratitude, focusing on what's under one's control, familismo, and community engagement to manage mental health challenges during SIP., Conclusion: In the event of future pandemics or disasters, particular attention is needed to those who experience unemployment, are undocumented and/or have undocumented family members, and/or are single parents facing economic adversity. During public health emergencies, action at the local, state, and national level is needed to support farmworkers and other vulnerable groups' secondary major stressors stemming from inequities in access to affordable housing, childcare, living wages, healthcare, and other benefits., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Latinos are the fastest growing aging population in the U.S. However, there has been limited attention to conceptualizing successful aging among Latinos, especially those residing in rural communities. Latinos are the largest racial or ethnic group residing in rural underserved communities and rural Latinos experience significant structural barriers to access the conditions they need to age well. The goal of this study is to make unique contributions to the successful aging literature by describing what successful aging means for middle-aged Latinas residing in a rural community., Methods: This qualitative paper used inductive thematic content analysis to examine definitions of successful aging among Latina women (n = 40) residing in an underserved agricultural community and entering mid-life (mean = 49 years old; age range 40-64)., Results: With regards to definitions of successful aging, four themes emerged: 1) Having good health; 2) maintaining an active lifestyle; 3) the wellbeing of one's children; and 4) being independent., Discussion: Participants' definitions of successful aging aligned to some extent with existing frameworks, specifically related to health and independence. However, middle-aged Latina participants' unique definitions of successful aging also diverged from existing frameworks, especially around the wellbeing of their children and the importance of work as a way of maintaining an active lifestyle. More research is needed to understand the unique social context and circumstances of middle-aged Latinos residing in rural communities and how they influence their aging journeys. This can provide important information for the development of culturally sensitive services, interventions, and policies to help Latinos age well., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Ambriz et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Nepetoideae is the most diverse subfamily of Lamiaceae, and some species are well known for their culinary and medicinal uses. In recent years, there has been growing interest in the therapeutic properties of the species of this group regarding inflammatory illnesses. This study aims to collect information on traditional uses through ethnobotanical, pharmacological, and phytochemical information of the subfamily Nepetoideae related to inflammatory diseases. UNAM electronic resources were used to obtain the information. The analysis of the most relevant literature was compiled and organised in tables. From this, about 106 species of the subfamily are traditionally recognised to alleviate chronic pain associated with inflammation. Pharmacological studies have been carried out in vitro and in vivo on approximately 308 species belonging to the genera Salvia , Ocimum , Thymus , Mentha , Origanum , Lavandula , and Melissa . Phytochemical and pharmacological evaluations have been performed and mostly prepared as essential oil or high polarity extracts, whose secondary metabolites are mainly of a phenolic nature. Other interesting and explored metabolites are diterpenes from the abietane, clerodane, and kaurane type; however, they have only been described in some species of the genera Salvia and Isodon . This review reveals that the Nepetoideae subfamily is an important source for therapeutics of the inflammatory process.

Objectives: This study was designed to determine how novel indexes of left ventricular (LV) filling pressure-transmitral early diastolic velocity/tissue Doppler mitral annular early diastolic velocity (E/Ea) and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP)-compare to conventional predictors of outcome in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF)., Background: It is known that E/Ea can predict LV filling pressure in patients with cardiac disease, including, in contrast to conventional Doppler indexes, in normal ejection fraction. B-type natriuretic peptide has also been correlated to LV filling pressure, but appears to provide more global cardiac information than E/Ea. It is unknown, however, how these novel indexes compare to conventional predictors of CHF patient outcome., Methods: A total of 116 consecutive patients hospitalized with CHF underwent simultaneous clinical assessment, BNP, and comprehensive echo-Doppler study once ready for discharge. The ability of these variables to determine the primary end point (cardiac death or re-hospitalization for CHF) was determined., Results: Follow-up was complete on 110 of 116 patients at a mean of 527 days after hospital discharge. There were 54 patients (50%) with the primary end point (37 re-hospitalizations for CHF and 17 cardiac deaths). On Cox univariate analysis, E/Ea (chi-square = 13.6, p = 0.0001) and BNP (chi-square = 17.0, p < 0.0001) were significant predictors of the primary end point. In stepwise analysis, BNP >/=250 pg/ml and mitral E/Ea >/=15 had incremental predictive power (chi-square = 23.1, p for increment = 0.02), to which conventional predictors did not add further prognostic information., Conclusions: In patients admitted to hospital with CHF, pre-discharge BNP and E/Ea are incremental predictors of outcome, to which conventional predictors do not significantly add.