Recruitment and baseline characteristics of the Community of Voices choir study to promote the health and well-being of diverse older adults.

Objective:To describe the recruitment and baseline results of the Community of Voices study that aims to examine the effect of a community choir intervention on the health and well-being of older adults from diverse racial/ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. Method:Using community-based participatory research methods, we recruited adults age 60 and over from 12 Administration on Aging-supported senior centers in San Francisco into a 2-arm cluster-randomized controlled trial of the community choir intervention. Multiple outreach methods were used. We tracked outreach, screening, and recruitment metrics and collected demographics and baseline outcomes via community-based, interviewer-administered surveys and performance measures of cognition, physical function, and psychosocial variables. Results:The study contacted 819 individuals, screened 636, and enrolled 390 diverse older adults over a 42-month, phased recruitment period. The mean age was 71.2 (SD = 7.3), and the majority were women. Two-thirds of the sample are non-white, and 20% of participants reported having financial hardship. Discussion:Outreach and recruitment methods used in the Community of Voices trial facilitated enrollment of a large proportion of minority and lower-SES older adults in the final sample. Similar recruitment approaches could serve as a model for recruiting diverse racial/ethnic and socioeconomic older adults into research

Building H.O.U.S.E (Healthy Outcomes Using a Supportive Environment): Exploring the Role of Affordable and Inclusive Housing for LGBTQIA+ Older Adults

Little is known about how permanent, inclusive, affordable, and supportive long‐term housing may affect the health of low‐income lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual and/or another identity (LGBTQIA+) older adults. Focus group interviews were conducted with 21 older adults to explore the lived experiences and potential health benefits of living in a new LGBTQIA+‐welcoming senior housing. Participants reported that moving into the housing was associated with benefits for health and well‐being, especially for psychological health. Community, social support, and in‐house services were particularly important. However, the combined nature of LGBTQIA+‐welcoming and older adult only housing evoked mixed feelings. Appropriate and accessible housing solutions are essential for LGBTQIA+ older adults and may help address health disparities for these populations

Subjective Cognitive Decline Higher Among Sexual and Gender Minorities in the United States, 2015–2018

Introduction: Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) represents self-reported problems with memory, a possible early sign of dementia. Little is known about SCD among sexual and gender minority (SGM) adults who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or transgender or gender non-binary. Methods: Data were weighted to represent population estimates from 25 states’ 2015–2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to describe SCD in adults ≥ 45 years by SGM status. Logistic regression tested associations between demographic and health conditions. Results: SCD prevalence was higher in SGM (15.7%; 95% confidence interval [CI]:13.1–18.2) than in non-SGM adults (10.5%; 95% CI:10.1–10.9; P \u3c .0001). SGM adults with SCD were also more likely to report functional limitations due to SCD than non-SGM adults with SCD, 60.8% versus 47.8%, P =.0048. Differences in SCD by SGM status were attenuated after accounting for depression. Discussion: Higher prevalence of SCD in SGM adults highlights the importance of ensuring inclusive screenings, interventions, care services, and resources for SGM adults

Exercise as a Mitigator of Poor Mental Health Among Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Adults

Introduction: There is a positive association between exercise and improved mental health in the general population. Although there is a greater burden of psychological distress among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people, little is known about the association between exercise and mental health in this population. The authors explored the association between exercise and poor mental health reported by LGB adults in the United States. Methods: Our analyses used data from the 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey. Multiple regression analyses were used to determine the association between exercising and mental health days adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics. Results: Data were available for 6371 LGB participants. LGB adults who participated in any exercise reported almost 1.0 day less of poor mental health in the past 30 days compared with LGB adults who did not exercise (P=.01). LGB adults who met one or both of the physical activity guidelines had between 1.2 and 1.7 days less of poor mental health compared with those who did not meet the guidelines (P=.01). Conclusion: Fewer days of poor mental health were reported by LGB adults who exercised. Determining whether physical activity interventions, including aerobic and strengthening exercises, could improve mental health outcomes in LGB adults should be studied

dSir2 and Dmp53 interact to mediate aspects of CR‐dependent life span extension in D. melanogaster

Calorie Restriction (CR) is a well established method of extending life span in a variety of organisms. In the fruit fly D. melanogaster, CR is mediated at least in part by activation of dSir2. In mammalian systems, one of the critical targets of Sir2 is the tumor suppressor p53. This deacetylation of p53 by Sir2 leads to inhibition of p53's transcriptional activity. We have recently shown that inhibition of Dmp53 activity in the fly brain through the use of dominant-negative (DN) constructs that inhibit DNA- binding can extend life span. This life span extension appears to be related to CR, as CR and DN-Dmp53 do not display additive effects on life span. Here we report that life span extension by DN-Dmp53 expression is highly dynamic and can be achieved even when DN-Dmp53 is expressed later in life. In addition, we demonstrate that life span extension by activation of dSir2 and DN-Dmp53 expression are not additive. Furthermore, we show that dSir2 physically interacts with Dmp53 and can deacetylate Dmp53-derived peptides. Taken together, our data demonstrate that Dmp53 is a down stream target of dSir2 enzymatic activity and mediates some aspects of the life span extending effects of CR

Characterizing Multimorbidity Prevalence and Adverse Outcomes in Ethnically and Culturally Diverse Sub-Populations in India: Gaps, Opportunities, and Future Directions

India is a large middle-income country and has surpassed China in overall population, comprising 20% of the global population (over 1.43 billion people). India is experiencing a major demographic shift in its aging population. Chronic diseases are common among older adults and can be persistent over the life course, lead to the onset of disability, and be costly. Among older adults in India, the existence of multiple comorbid chronic conditions (i.e., multimorbidity) is rapidly growing and represents a burgeoning public health burden. Prior research identified greater rates of multimorbidity (e.g., overweight/obesity diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and malignancies) in minority populations in the United States (U.S.); however, limited studies have attempted to characterize multimorbidity among older adult sub-populations residing in India. To address this gap, we conducted a narrative review of studies on multimorbidity using the data from the Longitudinal Aging Study of India (LASI), the largest nationally representative longitudinal survey study of adults in India. Our definition of multimorbidity was the presence of more than two conditions in the same person. Our findings, based on 15 reviewed studies, aim to (1) characterize the definition and measurement of multimorbidity and to ascertain its prevalence in ethnically and culturally diverse sub-populations in India; (2) identify adverse outcomes associated with multimorbidity in the Indian adult population; and (3) identify gaps, opportunities, and future directions

A National Study on the Physical and Mental Health of Intersex Adults in the U.S.

Objectives: To describe the health of intersex adults (people with differences of sex development) in the U.S. using community-based research methods. Methods: In July–September 2018, we conducted a national health study of intersex adults aged 18 and older in the U.S., using a survey hosted on Qualtrics. The study describes the physical and mental health experiences of intersex adults, including differences by age (18 to 39 vs. 40 and older). Questions were derived from national (Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System) and intersex-related health studies. Results: A non-probability sample of 198 intersex adults completed the survey over three months. Over 43% of participants rated their physical health as fair/poor and 53% reported fair/poor mental health. Prevalent health diagnoses included depression, anxiety, arthritis, and hypertension, with significant differences by age. Nearly a third reported difficulty with everyday tasks and over half reported serious difficulties with cognitive tasks. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first national study of intersex adults in the U.S. Greater understanding of intersex health over the life course is essential. Findings highlight the need for longitudinal studies and further examination of potential health disparities experienced by intersex populations

Spatio-temporal plasma heating mechanisms in a radio-frequency electrothermal microthruster

Low-power micro-propulsion sources are currently being developed for a variety of space missions. Electrothermal plasma thrusters are of specific interest since they enable spatial control of the power deposition to the propellant gas. Understanding the mechanisms whereby electrical power is coupled to the propellant will allow for optimization of the heating and fuel efficiencies of electrothermal sources. Previous studies of radio frequency (RF) plasmas have shown a dependence of the gas and electron heating mechanisms on the local collisionality. This is of particular importance to thrusters due to the large pressure gradients that exist between the inlet and outlet when expanding into vacuum. In this work, phase-resolved optical emission spectroscopy and numerical simulations were employed to study plasma heating in an asymmetric RF (13.56 MHz) electrothermal microthruster operating in argon between 186-226 Pa (1.4-1.7 Torr) plenum pressure, and between 130-450 V (0.2-5 W). Three distinct peaks in the phase-resolved Ar(2p 1) electron impact excitation rate were observed, arising from sheath collapse heating, sheath expansion heating, and heating via secondary electron collisions. These experimental findings were corroborated with the results of two-dimensional fluid/Monte Carlo simulations performed using the Hybrid Plasma Equipment Model (HPEM). The influence of each mechanism with respect to the position within the plasma source during an α-γ mode transition, where plasma heating is driven via bulk and sheath heating, respectively, was investigated. Sheath dynamics were found to dictate the electron heating at the inlet and outlet, this is distinct from the center of the thruster where interactions of secondary electrons were found to be the dominant electron heating mechanism. Optimization of the heating mechanisms that contribute to the effective exhaust temperature will directly benefit electrothermal thrusters used on miniaturized satellite platforms