“The we's have it”: Evidence for the distinctive benefits of group engagement in enhancing cognitive health in aging

Aligned with research in the social capital and general health literature, a large body of evidence shows that older people who are more socially active have better cognitive integrity and are less vulnerable to cognitive decline. The present research addresses the question of whether the type of social engagement (group-based vs. individual) has differential effects on these cognitive health outcomes. Drawing on population data (N = 3413) from three waves (i.e., Waves 3, 4 and 5) of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, we investigated the independent contribution of group and individual engagement in predicting cognitive functioning four years later. Hierarchical linear regression was used entering age, gender, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and physical health as covariates. The final model, controlling for initial cognitive function and social engagement (both group and individual) showed that only group engagement made a significant, sustained, and unique contribution to subsequent cognitive function. Furthermore, the effects of group engagement were stronger with increasing age. These findings extend previous work on the social determinants of health by pinpointing the types of relationships that are particularly beneficial in protecting cognitive health. The fact that group engagement optimized health outcomes, and that this was especially the case with increasing age, has important implications for directing community resources to keep older adults mentally active and independent for longer

Overcoming alcohol and other drug addiction as a process of social identity transition : the social identity model of recovery (SIMOR)

In recent years, there has been an increasing focus on a recovery model within alcohol and drug policy and practice. This has occurred concurrently with the emergence of community- and strengths-based approaches in positive psychology, mental health recovery and desistance and rehabilitation from offending. Recovery is predicated on the idea of substance user empowerment and self-determination, using the metaphor of a ‘‘journey’’. Previous research describing recovery journeys has pointed to the importance of identity change processes, through which the internalised stigma and status of an ‘‘addict identity’’ is supplanted with a new identity. This theoretical paper argues that recovery is best understood as a personal journey of socially negotiated identity transition that occurs through changes in social networks and related meaningful activities. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is used as a case study to illustrate this process of social identity transition. In line with recent social identity theorising, it is proposed that (a) identity change in recovery is socially negotiated, (b) recovery emerges through socially mediated processes of social learning and social control and (c) recovery can be transmitted in social networks through a process of social influence

Geophysical-geotechnical sensor networks for landslide monitoring

Landslides are often the result of complex, multi-phase processes where gradual deterioration of shear strength within the sub-surface precedes the appearance of surface features and slope failure. Moisture content increases and the build-up of associated pore water pressures are invariably associated with a loss of strength, and thus are a precursor to failure. Consequently, hydraulic processes typically play a major role in the development of landslides. Geoelectrical techniques, such as resistivity and self-potential are being increasingly applied to study landslide structure and the hydraulics of landslide processes. The great strengths of these techniques are that they provide spatial or volumetric information at the site scale, which, when calibrated with appropriate geotechnical and hydrogeological data, can be used to characterise lithological variability and monitor hydraulic changes in the subsurface. In this study we describe the development of an automated time-lapse electrical resistivity tomography (ALERT) and geotechnical monitoring system on an active inland landslide near Malton, North Yorkshire, UK. The overarching objective of the research is to develop a 4D landslide monitoring system that can characterise the subsurface structure of the landslide, and reveal the hydraulic precursors to movement. The site is a particularly import research facility as it is representative of many lowland UK situations in which weak mudrocks have failed on valley sides. Significant research efforts have already been expended at the site, and a number of baseline data sets have been collected, including ground and airborne LIDAR, geomorphologic and geological maps, and geophysical models. The monitoring network comprises an ALERT monitoring station connected to a 3D monitoring electrode array installed across an area of 5,500 m2, extending from above the back scarp to beyond the toe of the landslide. The ALERT instrument uses wireless telemetry (in this case GPRS) to communicate with an office based server, which runs control software and a database management system. The control software is used to schedule data acquisition, whilst the database management system stores, processes and inverts the remotely streamed ERT data. Once installed and configured, the system operates autonomously without manual intervention. Modifications to the ALERT system at this site have included the addition of environmental and geotechnical sensors to monitor rainfall, ground movement, ground and air temperature, and pore pressure changes within the landslide. The system is housed in a weatherproof enclosure and is powered by batteries charged by a wind turbine & solar panels. 3D ERT images generated from the landslide have been calibrated against resistivity information derived from laboratory testing of borehole core recovered from the landslide. The calibrated images revealed key aspects of the 3D landslide structure, including the lateral extent of slipped material and zones of depletion and accumulation; the surface of separation and the thickness of individual earth flow lobes; and the dipping in situ geological boundary between the bedrock formations. Time-lapse analysis of resistivity signatures has revealed artefacts within the images that are diagnostic of electrode movement. Analytical models have been developed to simulate the observed artefacts, from which predictions of electrode movement have been derived. This information has been used to correct the ERT data sets, and has provided a means of using ERT to monitor landslide movement across the entire ALERT imaging area. Initial assessment of seasonal changes in the resistivity signature has indicated that the system is sensitive to moisture content changes in the body of the landslide, thereby providing a basis for further development of the system with the aim of monitoring hydraulic precursors to failure

Mine for life:Charting ownership effects in memory from adolescence to old age

This study investigates the self-reference effect (SRE) with an ownership memory task across several age groups, providing the first age exploration of implicit ownership memory biases from adolescence to older adulthood (N = 159). Using a well-established ownership task, participants were required to sort images of grocery items as belonging to themselves or to a fictitious unnamed Other. After sorting and a brief distractor task, participants completed a surprise one-step source memory test. Overall, there was a robust SRE, with greater source memory accuracy for self-owned items. The SRE attenuated with age, such that the magnitude of difference between self and other memory diminished into older adulthood. Importantly, these findings were not due to a deterioration of memory for self-owned items, but rather an increase in memory performance for other-owned items. Linear mixed effects analyses showed self-biases in reaction times, such that self-owned items were identified more rapidly compared with other owned items. Again, age interacted with this effect showing that the responses of older adults were slowed, especially for other-owned items. Several theoretical implications were drawn from these findings, but we suggest that older adults may not experience ownership-related biases to the same degree as younger adults. Consequently, SREs through the lens of mere ownership may attenuate with age

Mine for life:charting ownership effects in memory from adolescence to old age

The current study investigates the Self Reference Effect (SRE) with an ownership memory task across several age groups, providing the first age exploration of implicit ownership memory biases from adolescence to older adulthood (N = 159). Using a well-established ownership task (Cunningham et al., 2008; Sparks et al., 2016; Clarkson et al., 2022), participants were required to sort images of grocery items as belonging to themselves or to a fictious unnamed Other. After sorting and a brief distractor task, participants completed a surprise one-step source memory test. Overall, there was a robust SRE, with greater source memory accuracy for self-owned items. The SRE attenuated with age, such that the magnitude of difference between self and other memory diminished into older adulthood. Importantly, these findings were not due to a deterioration of memory for self-owned items, but rather an increase in memory performance for other-owned items. Linear mixed effects analyses showed self-biases in reaction times, such that self-owned items were identified more rapidly compared with other owned items. Again, age interacted with this effect showing that the responses of older adults were slowed, especially for other-owned items. Several theoretical implications were drawn from these findings, but we suggest that older adults may not experience ownership-related biases to the same degree as younger adults. Consequently, SREs through the lens of mere ownership may attenuate with age

Mine for life:Charting ownership effects in memory from adolescence to old age

This study investigates the self-reference effect (SRE) with an ownership memory task across several age groups, providing the first age exploration of implicit ownership memory biases from adolescence to older adulthood (N = 159). Using a well-established ownership task, participants were required to sort images of grocery items as belonging to themselves or to a fictitious unnamed Other. After sorting and a brief distractor task, participants completed a surprise one-step source memory test. Overall, there was a robust SRE, with greater source memory accuracy for self-owned items. The SRE attenuated with age, such that the magnitude of difference between self and other memory diminished into older adulthood. Importantly, these findings were not due to a deterioration of memory for self-owned items, but rather an increase in memory performance for other-owned items. Linear mixed effects analyses showed self-biases in reaction times, such that self-owned items were identified more rapidly compared with other owned items. Again, age interacted with this effect showing that the responses of older adults were slowed, especially for other-owned items. Several theoretical implications were drawn from these findings, but we suggest that older adults may not experience ownership-related biases to the same degree as younger adults. Consequently, SREs through the lens of mere ownership may attenuate with age

Friendships that money can buy: financial security protects health in retirement by enabling social connectedness

Background: Research on the health and wellbeing of retirees has tended to focus on financial security and financial planning. However, we suggest that one reason why financial security is important for retirees is that it enables social connectedness, which is critical for healthy ageing. Methods: This paper tests this hypothesis cross-sectionally (N = 3109) and longitudinally (N = 404) using a population-weighted mixed effects mediation model in two nationally representative samples of Australian retirees. Results: Analyses provide robust support for our model. Subjective financial security predicted retiree health crosssectionally and longitudinally. Social connectedness also consistently predicted mental health and physical health, on average four times more strongly than financial security. Furthermore, social connectedness partially accounted for the protective effect of subjective financial security. Conclusions: We discuss the implications of these findings for public health, with a particular emphasis on how social connectedness can be better supported for people transitioning to retirement.This research received funding from the Australian Research Council, grant no. DP160102514 to authors TC, CH, NKS and SA

Optimised conditions for the synthesis of 17O and 18O labelled cholesterol

Conditions are described for the preparation of cholesterol with 17O and 18O labels from i-cholesteryl methyl ether using minimal amounts of isotopically enriched water. Optimum yields employed trifluoromethanesulfonic acid as catalyst in 1,4-dioxane at room temperature with 5 equivalents of water. An isotopic enrichment >90% of that of the water used for the reaction could be attained. Tetrafluoroboric acid could also be used as catalyst, at the expense of a lower overall reaction yield. Byproducts from the reaction included dicholesteryl ether, methyl cholesteryl ether, compounds formed by ether hydrolysis, and olefins arising from elimination reactions. Reactions in tetrahydrofuran yielded significant amounts of cholesteryl ethers formed by reaction with alcohols arising from hydrolysis of the solvent