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Timely, policy-relevant monitoring data are essential for evaluating the effectiveness of environmental policies and conservation measures. Satellite and aerial imagery can fill data gaps at low cost but are often underused for ongoing environmental monitoring. Barriers include a lack of expertise or computational resources and the lag time between image acquisition and information delivery. Online image repositories and cloud computing platforms are increasingly used by researchers because they offer near-real-time, centralized access to local-to-global-scale data sets and analytics with minimal in-house computational requirements. We aim to broaden knowledge of these open access resources for biologists whose work routinely informs policy and management. To illustrate potential applications of cloud-based environmental monitoring (CBEM), we developed an adaptable approach to detect changes in natural vegetative cover in an agricultural watershed. The steps we describe can be applied to identify opportunities and caveats for applying CBEM in a wide variety of monitoring programs.

Background We aimed to identify trajectories of inflammation in older adults at elevated risk for syndromal depression and anxiety and to determine whether baseline physical, cognitive, and psychosocial factors could distinguish 15-month longitudinal trajectories. Methods Older adults (N = 195, mean age (±SD) = 74.4 years (9.0) participating in three depression and anxiety prevention protocols completed a comprehensive battery of psychosocial assessments and provided blood samples for analysis of interleukin-6 (IL-6) every 3 months over a maximum of 15 months. Group-based trajectory modeling identified trajectories. Adjusted logistic regression examined associations between baseline factors and trajectory groups. Results Two 15-month trajectories were identified: stable lower IL-6 levels (84%; mean (±SD) = 3.2 (2.1) pg/mL); and consistently higher IL-6 levels (16%; mean = 9.5 (7.4) pg/mL). Poor sleep quality predicted consistently higher levels of IL-6 (OR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.03–3.55). Conclusion Poor sleep quality may represent a therapeutic target to reduce inflammation.

This study examined the temporal relationship among depression, anxiety, insomnia, perceived stress, and physical activity in adults aged 60+ years with a history of major depressive disorder. We conducted a longitudinal study with 12 weeks of follow-up. Assessments consisted of phone or video interviews and included questionnaires evaluating depression, anxiety, insomnia, perceived stress, and physical activity. Our analytic approach consisted of a depression-focused cross-lagged panel model (CLPM) to examine week-to-week correlations among the five measures. The depression-focused CLPM identified statistically significant week-to-week self-predictive effects for each of the five measures. Higher depressive symptom burden was a strong predictor of increased stress, greater insomnia, and less physical activity the following week. No other cross-measure predictions were statistically significant. Our analytical approach clarifies the directional relationship among variables that typically co-occur with depression showing that higher depression symptom burden predisposes older adults to poor sleep, a reduced level of daytime activity, and a greater sense of stress. These findings support the need for longitudinal assessments and targeted interventions for reducing symptoms of depression in older adults.

Despite the high prevalence of depression and disruption to 24-h sleep-wake routines following the death of a spouse in late-life, no bereavement interventions have been developed to re-entrain a regular sleep-wake routine among older widow(er)s. We describe the rationale and methodology of the NIH-funded WELL Study (Widowed Elders' Lifestyle after Loss), a randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing the efficacy of a digital health intervention (DHI) to enhanced usual care (EUC) arm for reducing depression symptoms in older spousally-bereaved adults.We will randomize approximately 200 recently bereaved (12 months) adults aged 60+ years to one of two 12-week interventions: digital monitoring of the timing and regularity of sleep, meals, and physical activity plus weekly motivational health coaching; or enhanced usual care consisting of weekly telephone calls and similar assessment schedules. Participants will complete self-report and clinical assessments at baseline, post-intervention, and 3-, 6-, and 12-months post-intervention, and objective actigraphic assessments of their 24-h rest-activity rhythm (RAR) at baseline and 1-, 2-, and 3-months during the intervention. The primary outcome is change in depression symptoms burden (using the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression) from pre- to post-intervention and over 12 months of follow-up.WELL Study findings will inform the development of widely generalizable and scalable technology-based interventions to support bereaved spouses in community-based settings. Clinical http://Trials.gov Identifier: NCT04016896.

Objective We sought to determine whether the aspects of white matter connectivity implicated in major depression also relate to mild depressive symptoms in family dementia caregivers (dCGs). Methods Forty-one dCGs (average age=69 years, standard deviation=6.4) underwent a 7 Tesla 64-direction (12-minute) diffusion-weighted imaging sequence. We compared the fractional anisotropy (FA) of 11 white matter features between dCGs with (n=20) and without (n=21) depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 scores ≥5). Results Caregivers reporting depression symptoms had lower FA in tracts connecting to the posterior cingulate cortex (Cohen's d = −0.9) and connecting dorsolateral prefrontal with rostral cingulate regions (Cohen's d = −1.2). Conclusions Posterior cingulate and dorsolateral prefrontal-to-rostral cingulate white matter, implicated in prior studies of major depression, appear relevant to mild depression in dCGs.

Wildlife corridors aim to promote species' persistence by connecting habitat patches across fragmented landscapes. Their implementation is limited by patterns of land ownership and complicated by differences in the jurisdictional and regulatory authorities under which lands are managed. Terrestrial corridor conservation requires coordination across jurisdictions and sectors subject to site-specific overlapping sources of legal authority. Mapping spatial patterns of legal authority concurrent with habitat condition can illustrate opportunities to build or leverage capacity for connectivity conservation. Streamside areas provide pragmatic opportunities to leverage existing policy mechanisms for riverine and terrestrial habitat connectivity across boundaries. Conservation planners and practitioners can make use of these opportunities by harmonizing actions for multiple conservation outcomes. We formulated an integrative, data-driven method for mapping multiple sources of legal authority weighted by capacity for coordinating terrestrial habitat conservation along streams. We generated a map of capacity to coordinate streamside corridor protections across a wildlife habitat gap to demonstrate this approach. We combined values representing coordination capacity and naturalness to generate an integrated legal-ecological resistance map for connectivity modeling. We then computed least-cost corridors across the integrated map, masking the terrestrial landscape to focus on streamside areas. Streamside least-cost corridors in the integrated, local-scale model diverged (∼25 km) from national-scale least-cost corridors based on naturalness. Spatial categories comparing legal- and naturalness-based resistance values by stream reach highlighted potential locations for building or leveraging existing capacity through spatial coordination of policy mechanisms or restoration actions. Agencies or nongovernmental organizations intending to restore or maintain habitat connectivity across fragmented landscapes can use this approach to inform spatial prioritization and build coordination capacity. Article impact statement: Combined mapping of legal authority and habitat condition reveals capacity to coordinate actions along streams for clean water and wildlife.Mapeo de la Autoridad Legal para los Corredores Terrestres de Conservación a lo Largo de Ríos Stahl et al. Resumen Los corredores de fauna buscan promover la persistencia de las especies al conectar los fragmentos de hábitat a lo largo de paisajes fragmentados. Su implementación está limitada por los patrones de propiedad de tierras y se complica con las diferencias entre las autoridades jurisdiccionales y regulatorias que las administran. La conservación por corredores terrestres requiere de coordinación entre las jurisdicciones y los sectores sujetos a fuentes de autoridad legal que se traslapan y que son específicas del sitio. El mapeo de los patrones espaciales de la autoridad legal simultánea a la condición del hábitat puede ilustrar oportunidades para construir o hacer uso de la capacidad para la conservación por conectividad. Las áreas adyacentes a los cauces fluviales proporcionan oportunidades prácticas para hacer uso de los mecanismos políticos existentes para la conectividad de hábitats ribereño y terrestre a través de las fronteras. Los planificadores y practicantes de la conservación pueden usar estas oportunidades al armonizar las acciones para múltiples resultados de conservación. Formulamos un método integrativo orientado por los datos para mapear las múltiples fuentes de autoridad legal ponderadas por la capacidad para coordinar la conservación de hábitats terrestres a lo largo de ríos. Generamos un mapa de la capacidad para coordinar los corredores de protección a lo largo de los vacíos en los hábitats de fauna para demostrar esta estrategia. Combinamos los valores por medio de la representación de la capacidad de coordinación y la naturalidad para generar un mapa de resistencia legal y ecológica para el modelado de la conectividad. Después, computamos los corredores de menor costo en todo el mapa integrado, enmascarando el paisaje terrestre para enfocarnos en las áreas adyacentes al cauce fluvial. Los corredores de menor costo adyacentes a los cauces dentro del modelo integrado de escala local difirieron (∼25 km) de los corredores de menor costo basados en la naturalidad a escala nacional. Las categorías espaciales que compararon los valores de resistencia basada en la legalidad y en la naturalidad por alcance del río resaltaron las localidades potenciales para la construcción o el uso de la capacidad existente por medio de la coordinación espacial de los mecanismos de política o de las acciones de restauración. Las agencias y organizaciones no gubernamentales con la intención de restaurar o mantener la conectividad del hábitat en un paisaje fragmentado pueden utilizar esta estrategia para informar la priorización espacial y construir la capacidad de coordinación.野生动物廊道旨在通过连接破碎景观中的栖息地斑块来提高物种的续存, 但其建设受限于土地所有制模式, 还会因管理土地的管辖及监管机构不同而更加复杂。陆地廊道保护需要多个司法管辖区和各地受到多种法定权威管制的部门之间的协调。将法定权威的空间格局与栖息地条件的分布地图相叠加, 将有利于开展廊道连接度保护的能力建设及利用。河流沿岸地区为现有的跨境河流及陆地栖息地连接度的相关政策机制的应用提供了实践机会。保护规划者和实施者可以利用这些机会协调多方行动以取得各方面的保护成效。我们制定了一个综合的、基于数据驱动的方法, 可以将协调河流沿岸陆地栖息地保护的能力作为权重来绘制多个法定权威来源的地图。为了演示这个方法, 我们绘制了一张协调跨越野生动物栖息地空缺地带的河流沿岸廊道保护力地图。我们将代表协调能力和自然特性的数值相结合, 生成了一张用于连接度建模的法律-生态抵抗力综合地图。随后, 我们忽略陆地景观, 将重点放在河流沿岸地区, 计算了整个综合地图的最低成本廊道。结果显示, 由局部尺度的综合模型得到的河流沿岸最低成本廊道与基于自然特性的国家尺度最低成本廊道偏离约 25 公里。河流沿岸基于法律和自然特性抵抗力比较的空间分类进一步展示了可以通过政策机制或恢复行动的空间协调来建设和利用现有能力的潜在地点。计划恢复或维持破碎景观之间的栖息地连接度的机构或非政府组织可以应用这种方法确定优先保护的空间并建立协调力。【翻译: 胡怡思; 审校: 聂永刚】.

Objective Serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are commonly co-prescribed with opioids for chronic pain. The purpose of this study was to describe pain and mood response to venlafaxine among older adults with chronic low back pain (CLBP) and depression relative to opioid exposure. Design Secondary analyses were collected from a randomized clinical trial testing a stepped-care approach to comorbid pain and depression in older patients: the Addressing Depression and Pain Together study (ADAPT: 2010–2016). Setting University-based late-life mental health research clinic. Subjects Two hundred twenty-seven adults aged 65+ years with CLBP and depression. Methods Participants received six weeks of lower-dose venlafaxine (≤150 mg/d). Pain and depression were measured each week. Response for both pain and depression at the end of six weeks was defined by a ≥30% improvement on a 0–20 numeric rating scale for low back pain and a Patient Health Questionnaire-9 score ≤5. Opioid exposure was analyzed as prescribed (yes or no) and by morphine equivalent dosing (MED). Results Patients co-prescribed an opioid were less likely to report a pain response to venlafaxine. MED was negatively correlated with pain response. Depression response was not impacted. Conclusions Opioids are negatively associated with older adults’ early analgesic response to lower-dose venlafaxine. These findings suggest that clinicians may wish to consider either nonopioid or alternative antidepressant approaches to pain management in these complex patients. It is reassuring that opioids do not prevent depression response. Future research should examine both longer duration of treatment and a wider range of doses.

Few studies have examined grief in medical students. This study used a multimethod approach to describe how bereavement and CG may impact medical students’ educational experience and their perspectives on grief support and training. One hundred three medical students completed an online survey with quantitative and qualitative methods. Seventy-three (71%) students reported experiencing bereavement, of which 12 (18%) screened positive for CG. Medical students who screened positive for CG reported significantly more emotional and behavioral challenges ( M = 3.58 [ SD = 2.64]) compared to medical students without CG ( M = 0.93 [ SD = 1.58], p

Expected to launch in Fall 2021, the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) is a NASA Astrophysics Small Explorer Mission with significant contributions from the Italian space agency (ASI). Three identical x-ray telescopes combine to form the IXPE observatory. Each is comprised of a 4-m-focal length mirror module assembly (MMA, provided by NASA MSFC) that focuses x-rays onto a polarization-sensitive, imaging detector (contributed by ASI-funded institutions). This paper describes the now-completed assembly process for the 3 flight mirror modules and spare, and compares as-tested calibrated performance with as-built metrology data. Unexpected challenges and lessons-learned are also discussed.

Background Interventions to prevent depression in older adults have mainly focused on young-old ambulatory adults, not on the old-old with disabilities who receive supportive services in their homes. Objective The Depression Agency-Based Collaborative (Dep-ABC) is a single-blind pilot randomized controlled trial assessing the effect of an intervention-development strategy using problem-solving therapy (PST) on the risk of common mental health disorders in this vulnerable population. Methods The intervention involved six to eight sessions of PST over 12 weeks. Participants were followed up to 12 months postintervention. Results Dep-ABC randomized 104 participants—68.4% of eligible and 17.5% of all older adults screened. The proportion of participants with incident major depressive disorder or generalized anxiety disorder was 11.4% in PST and 14.3% in the enhanced usual care control arm. A test of the interaction between time and intervention for anxiety symptoms favored the PST arm (p = 0.04). Conclusion PST did not lower the risk of incident common mental illness but did lower anxiety symptom burden. Apart from low power, the effects of PST may have been blunted by referral for medical and aging services in the enhanced usual care group.

INTRODUCTION: After an extended period of caregiving, the death of a family member with dementia can provide a sense of relief to individuals because caregiving has ended and their loved one is no longer suffering. Little is known about pre-death factors associated with feeling relieved after the death of a family member with dementia. This study examined: (1) pre-death factors associated with caregiver relief; and (2) whether caregiver relief is associated with post-bereavement adjustment, namely complicated grief and depression symptoms. METHODS: Participants were bereaved caregivers (CG) aged 28 – 90 years old, drawn from the Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer’s Caregiver Health study (REACH, N = 223) and the Family Caregiver Transition Support study (FaCTS, N=89). In each sample, demographics were assessed at baseline and CG relief was assessed at the first follow-up assessment post death. Each study administered a similar bereavement battery to CGs following the death of their care recipients (CR). RESULTS: CGs of late-stage dementia patients (FaCTS) reported more relief compared to CGs of early- to mid-sage dementia patients (REACH). CGs were more likely to experience relief if they were prepared for their CRs death and if they perceived their CR’s death to be a relief for the CR. A multivariate regression model showed that greater CG relief was associated with less complicated grief post-bereavement. CG relief was not significantly associated with depression symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: We show prospectively that the caregiving experience impacts feelings of relief and that feeling relieved facilitates post-bereavement adjustment by lessening symptoms of complicated grief.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Gait speed and psychomotor speed slow with age and may predict neuropsychiatric disease such as depression and anxiety. We explored the relative predictive values of gait speed, psychomotor slowing, and a composite index of these two measures on time to new episode depression or anxiety in older adults at risk for these common psychiatric conditions. DESIGN: Randomized controlled prevention trial with 15-month follow-up. SETTING: University-based late-life mental health research clinic. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred thirteen individuals, age 60+ years, with subsyndromal symptoms of depression or anxiety and one of the following risk factors for these common conditions: mild cognitive impairment, knee osteoarthritis, or disabilities requiring home-based care. INTERVENTION: Participants in each of the risk factor groups were randomized to a depression-specific preventive intervention or usual care. MEASUREMENTS: Gait speed: 4-meter walk test from the Short Physical Performance Battery. Psychomotor speed: Coding task of the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status. We created a composite index of slowing by determining whether participants exceeded established cut-offs for slow performance in both gait speed (≤0.8 m/s) and psychomotor speed (< 7 on the coding task). Time to new onset syndromal depression/anxiety was measured using research diagnostic criteria. RESULTS: Fifty-four participants developed syndromal depression/anxiety (19.5%) over the course of 15 months. Participants with slowing in both areas were over twice as likely to experience new onset depression/anxiety (HR=2.11, 95% CI=1.02–4.40, p=0.046) compared to participants with no slowing in either area. Slowed gait (HR=1.88, 95% CI=0.992–3.55, p=0.052) or slowed psychomotor speed (HR=0.60, 95% CI=0.14–2.58, p=0.488) alone did not increase risk for depression/anxiety. CONCLUSION: Evaluating both gait and psychomotor speed in older adults with medical comorbidities and sub-syndromal depression may predict incident mental illness and inform prevention planning. Future research is needed to validate our observations and explore shared neurobiological mechanisms that explain this elevated risk.