Response of the mollusc communities to environmental factors along an anthropogenic salinity gradient.

Anthropogenic salinisation of freshwater ecosystems is frequent across the world. The scale of this phenomenon remains unrecognised, and therefore, monitoring and management of such ecosystems is very important. We conducted a study on the mollusc communities in inland anthropogenic ponds covering a large gradient of salinity located in an area of underground coal mining activity. A total of 14 gastropod and 6 bivalve species were noted. No molluscs were found in waters with total dissolved solids (TDS) higher than 17.1 g L-1. The share of alien species in the communities was very high in waters with elevated salinity and significantly lower in the freshwaters. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) showed that TDS, pH, alkalinity, nitrate nitrogen, ammonium nitrogen, iron, the content of organic matter in sediments, the type of substrate and the content of sand and gravel in sediments were the variables that were significantly associated with the distribution of molluscs. The regression analysis revealed that total mollusc density was positively related to alkalinity and negatively related to nitrate nitrogen. The taxa richness was negatively related to TDS, which is consistent with previous studies which indicated that a high salinity level is a significant threat to freshwater malacofauna, causing a loss of biodiversity and contributing to the colonisation and establishment of alien species in aquatic ecosystems.

Health determinants and survival in nursing home residents in Europe: Results from the SHELTER study.

OBJECTIVE: The care processes directed towards institutionalized older people needs to be tailored on goals and priorities that are relevant for this specific population. The aim of the present study was (a) to describe the distribution of selected health determinants in a sample of institutionalized older adults, and (b) to investigate the impact on survival of such measures. DESIGN: Multicentre longitudinal cohort-study. SETTING: 57 nursing homes (NH) in 7EU countries (Czech Republic, England, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands) and 1 non-EU country (Israel). PARTICIPANTS: 3036 NH residents participating in the Services and Health for Elderly in Long TERm care (SHELTER) study. MEASUREMENTS: We described the distribution of 8 health determinants (smoking habit, alcohol use, body mass index [BMI], physical activity, social participation, family visits, vaccination, and preventive visits) and their impact on 1-year mortality. RESULTS: During the one-year follow up, 611 (20%) participants died. Overweight (HR 0.79; 95% C.I. 0.64-0.97) and obesity (HR 0.64; 95% C.I. 0.48-0.87) resulted associated with lower mortality then normal weight. Similarly, physical activity (HR 0.67; 95% C.I. 0.54-0.83), social activities (HR 0.63; 95% C.I. 0.51-0.78), influenza vaccination (HR 0.66; 95% C.I. 0.55-0.80) and pneumococcal vaccination (HR 0.76 95% C.I. 0.63-0.93) were associated with lower mortality. Conversely, underweight (HR 1.28; 95% C.I. 1.03-1.60) and frequent family visits (HR 1.75; 95% C.I. 1.27-2.42) were associated with higher mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Health determinants in older NH residents depart from those usually accounted for in younger and fitter populations. Ad hoc studies are warranted in order to describe other relevant aspects of health in frail older adults, with special attention on those institutionalized, with the ultimate goal of improving the quality of care and life.

Predictors of healthy ageing: public health policy targets.

BACKGROUND: The public health policy agenda oriented towards healthy ageing becomes the highest priority for the European countries. The article discusses the healthy ageing concept and its possible determinants with an aim to identify behavioral patterns related to healthy ageing in selected European countries. METHODS: The healthy ageing is assessed based on a composite indicator of self-assessed health, functional capabilities and life meaningfulness. The logistic regression models are used to assess the impact of the healthy lifestyle index, psycho-social index and socio-economic status on the probability of healthy ageing (i.e. being healthy at older age). The lifestyle and psychosocial indexes are created as a sum of behaviors that might be important for healthy ageing. Models are analyzed for three age groups of older people: 60-67, 68-79 and 80+ as well as for three groups of countries representing Western, Southern and Central-Eastern Europe. RESULTS: The lifestyle index covering vigorous and moderate physical activity, consumption of vegetables and fruits, regular consumption of meals and adequate consumption of liquids is positively related to healthy ageing, increasing the likelihood of being healthy at older age with each of the items specified in the index. The score of the index is found to be significantly higher (on average by 1 point for men and 1.1 for women) for individuals ageing healthily. The psychosocial index covering employment, outdoor social participation, indoor activities and life satisfaction is also found to be significantly related to health increasing the likelihood of healthy ageing with each point of the index score. There is an educational gradient in healthy ageing in the population below the age of 68 and in Southern and Central-Eastern European countries. In Western European countries, income is positively related to healthy ageing for females. CONCLUSIONS: Stimulation physical activity and adequate nutrition are crucial domains for a well-defined public health policy oriented towards healthy ageing. The psychosocial elements related to social participation, engagement, networking and life satisfaction are also found to be health beneficial.

Participation in formal learning activities of older Europeans in poor and good health.

Little attention has been given to the involvement in formal learning activities (FLA) in the older population when considering different health statuses. The aim of this study is to explore the extent to which possible predictors (derived from previous research as well as a conceptual model) of FLA differ for older people in poor and good health. Data are used from SHARE 2010/2011 for the 50+ populations in 16 European countries. Poor health is defined as self-report of having two or more chronic diseases assessed by a medical doctor, i.e. multimorbidity. Possible predictors of learning activities represent individual characteristics: functional limitations, demography (age, gender, marital status and household size), human capital (achieved level of education), employment, income and participation in other social activities. To assess the predictors of FLA, logistic regression models are used and average marginal estimates are compared across groups. In addition to multimorbidity, labour market activity is used as a grouping variable. The average participation of individuals in the group with multimorbidity was nearly 50 % lower than that in the group in good health (6.5 vs. 13.3 %). Regardless of multimorbidity, human capital proved to be significant predictors of FLA, especially in those active on the labour market. However, the associations were weaker in the multimorbidity group. Also, significant associations were observed of other types of social activities, in particular cultural and leisure activity and volunteering, with FLA. This study suggests that similar factors are predictors of FLA in older people with and without multimorbidity.

Predictors of social leisure activities in older Europeans with and without multimorbidity.

Older people spend much time participating in leisure activities, such as taking part in organized activities and going out, but the extent of participation may differ according to both individual and environmental resources available. Chronic health problems become more prevalent at higher ages and likely necessitate tapping different resources to maintain social participation. This paper compares predictors of participation in social leisure activities between older people with and those without multimorbidity. The European Project on Osteoarthritis (EPOSA) was conducted in Germany, UK, Italy, The Netherlands, Spain and Sweden (N = 2942, mean age 74.2 (5.2)). Multivariate regression was used to predict social leisure participation and degree of participation in people with and without multimorbidity. Fewer older people with multimorbidity participated in social leisure activities (90.6 %), compared to those without multimorbidity (93.9 %). The frequency of participation was also lower compared to people without multimorbidity. Higher socioeconomic status, widowhood, a larger network of friends, volunteering, transportation possibilities and having fewer depressive symptoms were important for (the degree of) social leisure participation. Statistically significant differences between the multimorbidity groups were observed for volunteering and driving a car, which were more important predictors of participation in those with multimorbidity. In contrast, self-reported income appeared more important for those without multimorbidity, compared to those who had multimorbidity. Policies focusing on social (network of friends), physical (physical performance) and psychological factors (depressive symptoms) and on transportation possibilities are recommended to enable all older people to participate in social leisure activities.

Predictors of religious participation of older Europeans in good and poor health.

Religious attendance is an important element of activity for older Europeans, especially in more traditional countries. The aim of the analysis is to explore whether it could be an element contributing to active ageing as well as to assess differences between the religious activity of older individuals with and without multimorbidity defined as an occurrence of two or more illnesses. The analysis is conducted based on the SHARE database (2010-2011) covering 57,391 individuals 50+ from 16 European countries. Logistic regressions are calculated to assess predictors of religious activity. Results point that religious activity often occurs in multimorbidity what could be driven by the need for comfort and compensation from religion. It is also significantly correlated with other types of social activities: volunteering or learning, even among the population with multimorbidity. There is a positive relation between religious activity and age, although its effect is weaker in the case of multimorbidity, as well as being female. Mobility limitations are found to decrease religious participation in both morbidity groups and might be related to discontinuation of religious practices in older age. The economic situation of older individuals is an insignificant factor for religious attendance. Religious attendance can be an element of active ageing, but also a compensation and adaptation to disadvantages occurring in older age and multimorbidity. At the same time, religious activities are often provided at the community level and targeted to population in poorer health.

Do predictors of volunteering in older age differ by health status?

It has been widely recognised that poor health is one of the main barriers to participation in volunteer activities in older age. Therefore, it is crucial to examine the participation of older people in volunteering, especially those in poor health. Based on the resource theory of volunteering, the aim of this study is to better understand the correlates of volunteering among older people with different health statuses, namely those without health problems (neither multimorbidity nor disability), those with mild health problems (multimorbidity or disability), and those with severe health problems (multimorbidity and disability). Data were drawn from the fourth wave (2011-2012, release 1.1.1) of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe, which includes European people aged 50 years or older. The results showed that variables linked to volunteering were generally similar regardless of health status, but some differences were nevertheless identified. For older people with mild or severe health problems, for instance, depressive symptoms were negatively associated with their involvement in volunteer activities. We found a positive association of being widowed (rather than married) with volunteering in older people with particularly poor health, whereas high income was associated with volunteering in the case of mild health problems only. These results demonstrate that variables associated with volunteer participation partially differ between older people depending on their health status. These differences should be considered by policy makers in their attempts to promote volunteering in older people, as a means of preventing their social exclusion.

Fit for caring: factors associated with informal care provision by older caregivers with and without multimorbidity.

Due to an increased prevalence of chronic diseases, older individuals may experience a deterioration of their health condition in older ages, limiting their capacity for social engagement and in turn their well-being in later life. Focusing on care provision to grandchildren and (older) relatives ('informal care') as forms of engagement, this paper aims to identify which individual characteristics may compensate for health deficits and enable individuals with multimorbidity to provide informal care. We use data from the SHARE survey (2004-2012) for individuals aged 60 years and above in 10 European countries. Logistic regression estimates for the impact of different sets of characteristics on the decision to provide care are presented separately for people with and without multimorbidity. Adapting Arber and Ginn's resource theory, we expected that older caregivers' resources (e.g., income or having a spouse) would facilitate informal care provision to a greater extent for people with multimorbidity compared to those without multimorbidity, but this result was not confirmed. While care provision rates are lower among individuals suffering from chronic conditions, the factors associated with caregiving for the most part do not differ significantly between the two groups. Results, however, hint at reciprocal intergenerational support patterns within families, as the very old with multimorbidity are more likely to provide care than those without multimorbidity. Also, traditional gender roles for women are likely to be weakened in the presence of health problems, as highlighted by a lack of gender differences in care provision among people with multimorbidity.

Application of NMR spectroscopy for assignment of the absolute configuration of 8-tert-butyl-2-hydroxy-7-methoxy-8-methyl-9-oxa-6-azaspiro[4.5]dec-6-en-10-one.

In order to assign the absolute configurations of 8-tert-butyl-2-hydroxy-7-methoxy-8-methyl-9-oxa-6-azaspiro[4.5]dec-6-en-10-one (2a,b), their esters (5a-d) with (R)- or (S)-2-methoxyphenylacetic acid (4a,b) have been synthesized. The absolute configurations of these compounds have been determined on the basis of NOESY correlations between the protons of the tert-butyl group and the cyclopentane fragment of the molecules. The crucial part of this analysis was assignment of the absolute configuration at C-5. Additionally, by calculation of the chemical shift anisotropy, δ(RS), for the relevant protons, it was also possible to confirm the absolute configurations at the C-2 centres of compounds 2a,b and 5a-d.