Economic Security of Older Women in Maine

The Economic Security of Older Women in Maine: Data Report provides a snapshot of how women compare to men on measures such as wages and income, caregiving status, living arrangements, and rates of disability—factors that can impact Maine women\u27s ability to meet their needs with the resources they have. The report, compiled by staff at the University of Southern Maine\u27s Cutler Institute, informs an initiative led by the Maine Women\u27s Lobby Education Fund and the Maine Council on Aging to identify gaps and pathways to support the health and economic security of older Maine women and all Mainers, now and in the future. A 2-page handout is available at: https://www.mainewomen.org/s/Older-women-economic-security.pd

BIMBINGAN TEKNIS TENAGA KERJA KONSTRUKSI UNTUK PENGAWASAN BANGUNAN GEDUNG DAN MANDOR KONSTRUKSI

The building is one of the human needs and is used as a place to live and do other activities, it consists of a combination of several materials and constructions to function as planned. Construction is part or all of the activities that include building construction, demolition, operation, and maintenance. One of the most essential processes in construction work is the issue of supervising construction work. As a unit in construction work, the supervisory position has two functions: monitoring and managerial. The training methods implemented in this activity are lecture, presentation, assignment, and discussion methods. Based on this, the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing, Director General of Construction Development for Region VII Jayapura, collaborated with the Southeast Maluku Regency PUPR Service and Civil Engineering Study Program to carry out Bimtek activities with 32 participants. What was achieved in this activity by the participants was an increase in the knowledge and skills of supervision and construction work processes where the presenters found a significant increase in the participants when compared to the initial meetin

End of Life Care and Do Not Resuscitate Orders: How Much Does Age Influence Decision Making? A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

With population aging, “do not resuscitate” (DNAR) decisions, pertaining to the appropriateness of attempting resuscitation following a cardiac arrest, are becoming commoner. It is unclear from the literature whether using age to make these decisions represents “ageism.” We undertook a systematic review of the literature using CINAHL, Medline, and the Cochrane database to investigate the relationship between age and DNAR. All 10 studies fulfilling our inclusion criteria found that “do not attempt resuscitation” orders were more prevalent in older patients; eight demonstrated that this was independent of other mediating factors such as illness severity and likely outcome. In studies comparing age groups, the adjusted odds of having a DNAR order were greater in patients aged 75 to 84 and ≥85 years (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.70, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.25, 2.33] and 2.96, 95% CI = [2.34, 3.74], respectively), compared with those <65 years. In studies treating age as a continuous variable, there was no significant increase in the use of DNAR with age (AOR 0.98, 95% CI = [0.84, 1.15]). In conclusion, age increases the use of “do not resuscitate” orders, but more research is needed to determine whether this represents “ageism.

Are older fallers different? Comparing older fallers and non-fallers in a developing country

Objectives: Falls are common in older people, causing significant mortality and morbidity, but little is known about this phenomenon in developing countries. This study aimed to investigate falls in older people in the developing world, comparing fallers with other trauma patients. Methods: We conducted a prospective observational study of older trauma patients in Trinidad over a four-month period, comparing falls victims with other trauma patients, in relation to their demographic, pre-morbid and injury characteristics. Results: A total of 439 older trauma patients (aged 65 years) were included. Fallers were older (median age 75 years (interquartile range 65–89 years) vs. 70 years (interquartile range 65–79 years) in non-fallers). Overall, 65.2% of fallers were female, compared to 43.7% of non-fallers. Fallers were more likely to suffer from multiple pre-existing diseases, with 29.8% having comordibities, compared to 9.7% of non-fallers. Fallers were also more likely to be on multiple medications: 7.1% were on five medications, compared to no non-fallers. Fallers also sustained more severe injuries and presented with higher acuity than non-fallers. Admission and referral rates were higher among fallers compared to other trauma patients (59.9% vs. 30.4%). Conclusions: Older patients who fall are a distinct group from other older trauma patients, with unique demographic, clinical and injury-related characteristics. This information is useful in planning preventive and management strategies for these patients

Older People Are Not All The Same: Lessons From A Major Trauma Database

Objectives & Background While there is extensive research on the differences between older and younger patients with serious injuries, little is known about variations within the older age group. However, increased frailty over the age of 85 suggests that these ‘oldest old’ patients are likely to be significantly different to younger seniors. Methods The aim of this study was do determine whether the demographic, premorbid and injury characteristics of older patients (aged ≥65) varied with age. A cross-sectional study of of patients from the Trauma Audit and Research Network (TARN) admitted between June 2013 and May 2015 was undertaken, comparing those aged 65 to 74; 75–84 and ≥85 years old. Demographic, premorbid and injury characteristics were compared using Chi-squared analysis, while multiple logistic regression was used to calculate risk adjusted mortality, utilising the PS14 TARN predictive model. Results 51,491 patients on the TARN database were eligible for inclusion. Of these, 18,664 (36.3%) were≥85 years; 19,157 (37.2%) 75–84 years and 13670 (26.5%) 65–74 years. Patients ≥85 years were significantly more likely to be female (68.8% vs 46.6% aged 65–74 years, p<0.001) and suffer low level falls (89.0% vs 63.0% aged 65–74 years, p<0.001). These patients were also more likely to have multiple comorbidities, with a median Charlson comorbidity score of 4 (IQR 0–5) compared to a median CCI of 0 (IQR 0–4) in patients aged 65–74 years. Despite having the lowest median injury severity scores, patients aged ≥85 years had significantly higher crude mortality rates (12.9% vs 5.9% in patients aged 65–74 years). Risk adjusted mortality was also highest in patients ≥85 years, with an adjusted odds ratio of 4.55 (95% CI 3.87–5.35) compared to patients aged 65–74 years. Conclusion There are significant variations in the demographic, comorbid and injury characteristics between different age groups of older trauma patients, which are associated with marked differences in crude and risk adjusted mortality. The most senior (over 85) were the most likely to sustain major trauma and the least likely to survive

Social support in older people: lessons from a developing country

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the level of social support in older people presenting to the Emergency Department of a tertiary hospital in Trinidad. Methods: This was a prospective observational study, assessing social support in patients ≥65 years presenting to the Emergency Department, using the Sarason Social Support Questionnaire. Results: One hundred sixty-two respondents aged 65 years and older were included. Respondents reported a median Social Support Questionnaire Score (SSQS) of 4.83 and number (SSQN) of 1.67, which did not differ significantly between genders and ethnic groups. Patients who presented via ambulance had a significantly lower SSQS (4.33 vs. 5.16) and SSQN (1.33 vs. 1.92) than those who arrived by their own transport. Respondents reported far greater median family scores (1.33) than non-family scores (0.00). Conclusions: This study contributes to the understanding of social support for older people in developing countries. The dependence on family support in developing countries may prove challenging in the long term as family structures in these countries change with economic pressures. More extensive research is needed into the phenomenon of social support for older people in developing countries, particularly with the impending expansion of this age group in these countries

Trauma in the elderly in Trinidad and Tobago: a cross-sectional study

Little is known about trauma in the elderly in the developing world. This study compared injuries in older patients with those in younger adults in a Third World setting. This was a prospective observational study of trauma admissions to a tertiary hospital in Trinidad, comparing injury characteristics and patient outcomes in older versus younger adults. Falls were the most common mechanism of injury in the elderly, accounting for 71% of injuries. Older patients who fell sustained fractures more often and were most likely to injure the limbs and head. Elderly patients were more likely to be admitted to hospital. Trauma in the elderly in Trinidad is similar to that in the developed world. Public health measures in developing countries should be aimed at preventing falls in older persons. The burden of trauma in the elderly is likely to increase in developing countries as the population ages

Cavity-Enhanced 2D Material Quantum Emitters Deterministically Integrated with Silicon Nitride Microresonators

Optically active defects in 2D materials, such as hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), are an attractive class of single-photon emitters with high brightness, room-temperature operation, site-specific engineering of emitter arrays, and tunability with external strain and electric fields. In this work, we demonstrate a novel approach to precisely align and embed hBN and TMDs within background-free silicon nitride microring resonators. Through the Purcell effect, high-purity hBN emitters exhibit a cavity-enhanced spectral coupling efficiency up to $46\%$ at room temperature, which exceeds the theoretical limit for cavity-free waveguide-emitter coupling and previous demonstrations by nearly an order-of-magnitude. The devices are fabricated with a CMOS-compatible process and exhibit no degradation of the 2D material optical properties, robustness to thermal annealing, and 100 nm positioning accuracy of quantum emitters within single-mode waveguides, opening a path for scalable quantum photonic chips with on-demand single-photon sources

Angiotensin II Evokes Angiogenic Signals within Skeletal Muscle through Co-ordinated Effects on Skeletal Myocytes and Endothelial Cells

Skeletal muscle overload induces the expression of angiogenic factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, leading to new capillary growth. We found that the overload-induced increase in angiogenesis, as well as increases in VEGF, MMP-2 and MT1-MMP transcripts were abrogated in muscle VEGF KO mice, highlighting the critical role of myocyte-derived VEGF in controlling this process. The upstream mediators that contribute to overload-induced expression of VEGF have yet to be ascertained. We found that muscle overload increased angiotensinogen expression, a precursor of angiotensin (Ang) II, and that Ang II signaling played an important role in basal VEGF production in C2C12 cells. Furthermore, matrix-bound VEGF released from myoblasts induced the activation of endothelial cells, as evidenced by elevated endothelial cell phospho-p38 levels. We also found that exogenous Ang II elevates VEGF expression, as well as MMP-2 transcript levels in C2C12 myotubes. Interestingly, these responses also were observed in skeletal muscle endothelial cells in response to Ang II treatment, indicating that these cells also can respond directly to the stimulus. The involvement of Ang II in muscle overload-induced angiogenesis was assessed. We found that blockade of AT1R-dependent Ang II signaling using losartan did not attenuate capillary growth. Surprisingly, increased levels of VEGF protein were detected in overloaded muscle from losartan-treated rats. Similarly, we observed elevated VEGF production in cultured endothelial cells treated with losartan alone or in combination with Ang II. These studies conclusively establish the requirement for muscle derived VEGF in overload-induced angiogenesis and highlight a role for Ang II in basal VEGF production in skeletal muscle. However, while Ang II signaling is activated following overload and plays a role in muscle VEGF production, inhibition of this pathway is not sufficient to halt overload-induced angiogenesis, indicating that AT1-independent signals maintain VEGF production in losartan-treated muscle

The early career researcher's toolkit: translating tissue engineering, regenerative medicine and cell therapy products

Although the importance of translation for the development of tissue engineering, regenerative medicine and cell-based therapies is widely recognized, the process of translation is less well understood. This is particularly the case among some early career researchers who may not appreciate the intricacies of translational research or make decisions early in development which later hinders effective translation. Based on our own research and experiences as early career researchers involved in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine translation, we discuss common pitfalls associated with translational research, providing practical solutions and important considerations which will aid process and product development. Suggestions range from effective project management, consideration of key manufacturing, clinical and regulatory matters and means of exploiting research for successful commercialization