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.
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).
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.
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.
Background: Exposure to organophosphate (OP) pesticides, well-known neurotoxicants, has been associated with neurobehavioral deficits in children. Objectives: We investigated whether OP exposure, as ...measured by urinary dialkyl phosphate (DAP) metabolites in pregnant women and their children, was associated with attention-related outcomes among Mexican-American children living in an agricultural region of California. Methods: Children were assessed at ages 3.5 years (n = 331) and 5 years (n = 323). Mothers completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). We administered the NEPSY-II visual attention sub-test to children at 3.5 years and Conners' Kiddie Continuous Performance Test (K-CPT) at 5 years. The K-CPT yielded a standardized attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) Confidence Index score. Psychometricians scored behavior of the 5-year-olds during testing using the Hillside Behavior Rating Scale. Results: Prenatal DAPs (nanomoles per liter) were nonsignificantly associated with maternal report of attention problems and ADHD at age 3.5 years but were significantly related at age 5 years CBCL attention problems: β = 0.7 points; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.2-1.2; ADHD: β = 1.3; 95% CI, 0.4-2.1. Prenatal DAPs were associated with scores on the K-CPT ADHD Confidence Index > 70th percentile odds ratio (OR) = 5.1; 95% CI, 1.7-15.7 and with a composite ADHD indicator of the various measures (OR = 3.5; 95% CI, 1.1-10.7). Some outcomes exhibited evidence of effect modification by sex, with associations found only among boys. There was also limited evidence of associations between child DAPs and attention. Conclusions: In utero DAPs and, to a lesser extent, postnatal DAPs were associated adversely with attention as assessed by maternal report, psychometrician observation, and direct assessment. These associations were somewhat stronger at 5 years than at 3.5 years and were stronger in boys.
We studied testate amoebae (testates) in the soils of coniferous and deciduous forests and in the wetland and aquatic habitats of Mexico. In 141 samples we found 205 taxa identified to the species or ...intraspecies level and 68 testate amoebae, which could not be identified to the species level. The highest species diversity of testates was found in the soils of the tropical rainforest (126 species and intraspecific taxa, including spp.) and in tropical wetlands (144 species and intraspecific taxa, including spp.). The study documented testate amoebae with a limited geographical distribution (genera
Centropyxis
,
Cornuapyxis
,
Ellipsopyxis
,
Hoogenraadia
,
Planhoogenraadia
,
Apolimia
,
Certesella
,
Apodera
, and
Alocodera
). We found that testate amoebae in the soils of Mexico had a high level of polymorphism and individual variability. We discuss the value of soil testate amoebae for defining biogeographical regions of Mexico.
IntroductionWomen with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) are more likely to experience adverse reproductive outcomes, yet preconception care can significantly reduce these risks. For women with T2DM, ...preconception care includes reproductive planning and patient education on: (1) the importance of achieving glycaemic control before pregnancy, (2) using effective contraception until pregnancy is desired, (3) discontinuing teratogenic medications if pregnancy could occur, (4) taking folic acid, and (5) managing cardiovascular and other risks. Despite its importance, few women with T2DM receive recommended preconception care.Methods and analysisWe are conducting a two-arm, clinic-randomised trial at 51 primary care practices in Chicago, Illinois to evaluate a technology-based strategy to ‘hardwire’ preconception care for women of reproductive age with T2DM (the PREPARED (Promoting REproductive Planning And REadiness in Diabetes) strategy) versus usual care. PREPARED leverages electronic health record (EHR) technology before and during primary care visits to: (1) promote medication safety, (2) prompt preconception counselling and reproductive planning, and (3) deliver patient-friendly educational tools to reinforce counselling. Post-visit, text messaging is used to: (4) encourage healthy lifestyle behaviours. English and Spanish-speaking women, aged 18–44 years, with T2DM will be enrolled (N=840; n=420 per arm) and will receive either PREPARED or usual care based on their clinic’s assignment. Data will be collected from patient interviews and the EHR. Outcomes include haemoglobin A1c (primary), reproductive knowledge and self-management behaviours. We will use generalised linear mixed-effects models (GLMMs) to evaluate the impact of PREPARED on these outcomes. GLMMs will include a fixed effect for treatment assignment (PREPARED vs usual care) and random clinic effects.Ethics and disseminationThis study was approved by the Northwestern University Institutional Review Board (STU00214604). Study results will be published in journals with summaries shared online and with participants upon request.Trial registration numberClinicalTrials.gov Registry (NCT04976881).
In humans, alterations in bone metabolism have been associated with myopathies. We postulate the hypothesis that perhaps similar pathologies can also be associated in modern chickens. Hence, this ...study aimed to assess the fat infiltration in bone marrow and its repercussion on broiler chicken affected by Wooden Breast (WB) myopathy. Ten Cobb 500 live birds with extreme rigidity of the
(PM) muscle were selected as WB affected chickens by physical examination of the muscle at 49 days of age, whereas ten chickens healthy with no physical signs of hardness in the breast muscle were considered to be unaffected. Macroscopic lesions in affected chickens included areas of firm and inflamed muscle with pale appearance, hemorrhaging, and viscous exudate on the surface. Bone marrow and sections of the PM muscle were collected and analyzed for light microscopy. Additionally, transmission electron microscopy was conducted in affected or unaffected muscle. Chickens affected with WB showed significant reductions (
< 0.05) in femur diameter, calcium, and phosphorous percentage but increased breast weight, compression force and filet thickness when compared with non-affected chickens. Interestingly, bone marrow from WB chicken had subjectively, more abundant infiltration of adipose tissue, when compared with non-affected chickens. Histology of the Pectoralis major of birds with WB showed abundant infiltration of adipose tissue, muscle fibers degeneration with necrosis and infiltration of heterophils and mononuclear cells, connective tissue proliferation, and vasculitis. Ultrastructural changes of WB muscle revealed lack definition of bands in muscle tissue, or any normal ultrastructural anatomy such as myofibrils. The endomysium components were necrotic, and in some areas, the endomysium was notable only as a string of necrotic tissue between degraded myofibrils. The fascia appeared hypertrophied, with large areas of necrosis and myofiber without structural identity with degraded mitochondria adjacent to the disrupted muscle tissue. As far as we know, this is the first study that describes a subjective increase in adipose tissue in the bone marrow of chickens affected with WB when compared with non-affected chickens, and reduced bone mineralization.
Present classification systems for buried paleosols are inadequately developed. Several classification systems for paleosols, based on the US Soil Taxonomy, have been developed recently, but their ...use is still very limited. We propose appilcation of the World Reference Base for Soil Resources, which uses only substantial profile characteristics, as a background for the development of a new buried paleosol classification. The system was adapted for the use for buried paleosols. Dynamic criteria, which could be altered by diagenesis, were disregarded, and the definitions of most horizons were modified. A new prefix “infra-” was applied for modified diagnostic horizons and properties, and for refernce groups of buried paleosols. As a result, 11 diagnostic horizons, 2 properties and 2 materials were left with their definitions and names; 9 diagnostic horizons and 2 properties were modified, and named with the prefix “infra”; 14 diagnostic horizons, 6 properties and 4 materials were excluded or joined with others; and two new diagnostic horizons were proposed. This relationship reflects the balance between stable and dynamic properties in the diagnostic criteria used by the WRB. The number of soil units proposed for buried paleosols is fewer, than for surface soils in the WRB (25 instead of 30). The use of WRB modifiers, reflecting dynamic soil properties, was tentatively recommended for the second-level buried paleosols classification with prefixes “pedo-” for pedogenically derived properties, and “dia-” for the properties caused by post-burial processes. The application of the proposed system to a set of paleosols, previously described in the literature, showed its utility for buried paleosol classification.
In montane cloud forests (MCF), the main soil organic carbon (SOC) pool is believed to be constituted by organic debris accumulated on soil surface and, to a lesser extent, by the organic fraction ...associated with the mineral matrix. The vertical distribution of SOC within soil has strong implications on the composition, stabilization and turnover of the soil organic matter (SOM). In ecosystems like MCF, where the climatic and edaphic conditions varied with altitude, the SOM accumulation and stabilization mechanisms possibly respond to these changes. For that reason, we studied the vertical distribution, accumulation and chemical composition of SOM in five montane cloud forest communities located between 1,500 and 2,500 m a.s.l. Two main SOC accumulation patterns were found: one at 1,500, 1,950 and 2,400 m a.s.l., with SOC content gradually decreasing with depth (cumulative); and another at 2,050 and 2,500 m a.s.l. where SOC had a strong maximum in the surface horizon and a less pronounced increase the spodic horizon (eluviation–illuviation pattern). The total SOC pool in soil decreased in inverse relation to altitude from 227 C ha
−1
at 1,500 m a.s.l. down to 143 mg C ha
−1
at 2,500 m a.s.l. About 40–60 % of total SOC content corresponded to the surficial organic horizon. The chemical fractionation of the SOM denoted in general predominance of the fulvic acid fraction, and high content of humin and humic acid fractions. We considered that the main SOC vertical distribution processes were related to the raw humus accumulation, decomposition in situ, podzolization in the eluviation–illuviation pattern soils mainly.
By examining plant responses to heavy metal stress during the early stages of the life cycle, we can predict their tolerance and survival in polluted areas as well as their potential for ...bioremediation. The objective of our study was to evaluate the effect of exposure to mercury (Hg) on the germination and in vitro development of three plant species: Bidens pilosa, Taraxacum officinale (Asteraceae), and Heliocarpus americanus (Malvaceae). These are wild ecotypes adapted to local edaphoclimatic conditions in southern Ecuador, an area which has been historically affected by artisanal and small-scale gold mining (SSGM). For comparison, we additionally used a known Hg-tolerant plant, Lactuca sativa (Asteraceae). We tested biorelevant concentrations of Hg, equivalent to those occurring in soils affected by SSGM, i.e., up to 4.0 mg/L of Hg. The relative inhibitory effects of the treatments (0.6, 2.0, and 4.0 mg/L of Hg) on the germination percentage were most evident in T. officinale, followed by B. pilosa, while L. sativa and H. americanus were not affected. In terms of the time needed to reach 50% germination (T50), B. pilosa exposed to higher concentrations of Hg showed an increase in T50, while H. americanus showed a significant reduction compared to the control treatment. The reduction in radicle length at 4.0 mg/L Hg compared to the control was more evident in L. sativa (86%) than in B. pilosa (55.3%) and H. americanus (31.5%). We concluded that, in a scenario of Hg contamination in the evaluated concentration range, the grass B. pilosa and the tree H. americanus could have a higher probability of establishment and survival.
The scarce information about soil carbon (C) storage in water-stressed ecosystems limits our understanding on soil contribution to the C cycle in arid zones. This study, performed in arid NW México: ...(i) estimated soil capacity to store organic C (SOC) and inorganic C (SIC) linked to topography; (ii) determined the spatial distribution of regional SOC stocks; and (iii) analysed if different land-uses affect the C:N ratio. Contents of SOC from different landforms and land uses varied from <0.2 to ~45 Mg ha−1; shallow mountain soils and alluvial plains showed the minimum and maximum values, respectively, underlying the topography relevance to soil depth. The SIC varied from <0.05 to ~32 Mg ha−1, highlighting inorganic C storage. With SOC content data and environmental databases, this study achieved the regional spatial distribution of SOC stocks (0–30 cm) by predicting modelling. The average SOC stock (0–30 cm) was estimated in 25 ± 9.9 Mg ha−1 for the region. Changes in land-use from natural conditions apparently reduced N content, varying C:N ratio from 7.90 to 13.68 and reflecting the importance of land management. The results confirmed the value of arid soils to store C and their contribution to global C and N cycles.
•When using global databases, generalization can under or overestimate SOC content.•Geomorphic units + soil profiles offered a good estimation of SOC content.•Modelling process offered a good estimation of uncertainty and SOC for the first 30 cm.•Carbonates and bicarbonates in drylands soils reflected their importance as a C sequestration form.
Abstract Objectives The Latino population is one of the largest, most diverse, and fastest growing demographic groups in the U.S. While Latinos enjoy longer life spans and reduced mortality risk ...relative to non-Hispanic whites, they have higher rates of chronic health conditions such as diabetes and dementia and live more of their older years with poor health and disability. Such inequities point to the need for this research focused on examining resiliency strategies and barriers to successful aging among various U.S. Latino subgroups. Methods This qualitative paper used thematic content analysis to examine resiliency strategies and barriers to successful aging among Mexican immigrant women (n=40) residing in an underserved agricultural community and entering mid-life (mean = 49 years old). Results With regards to barriers to successful aging, three themes emerged: 1) stressful lifestyle in the U.S. compared to the participants’ home countries; 2) stress from expectations at home; 3) and stress due to work and the various components around work. The following four resiliency strategies emerged: 1) family as a motivation for moving forward in life and focusing on the success of children; 2) having a positive mindset; 3) praying to God for strength to overcome obstacles; and 4) self-care. Discussion Despite experiencing barriers to successful aging, participants practice various resiliency strategies to age successfully. Since many of the barriers identified are related to poverty-related stressors, systemic solutions addressing the social determinants of health are needed.
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