Characterization of antithrombin isoforms and latent forms by ion exchange chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry.

Antithrombin is a key protein of the coagulation system belonging to the serine protease inhibitor family. Antithrombin preparations are used as a therapeutic treatment for patients with decreased antithrombin activity. Elucidating the structural features of this protein is an important part of the control strategy to assure a high quality. This study presents an ion exchange chromatographic method coupled to mass spectrometry capable of characterizing antithrombin post-translational modifications such as N-glycosylation, phosphorylation or deamidation. Furthermore, the method was successfully used to evidence irreversible/inactive conformers of antithrombin which are commonly observed for serine protease inhibitors and referred to as latent forms.

[Subjective feelings of digital exclusion]. / Subjektives Gefühl digitaler Ausgegrenztheit.

BACKGROUND: Digital technologies play an important role in people's everyday lives. This applies not only to younger people but also increasingly more to older people. Nevertheless, older persons in particular use the latest technologies less frequently. For this reason, do older people feel particularly excluded compared to younger people? To answer this question, the perception of digital exclusion was measured based on a population survey of people aged 18 years and older. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The data were collected with a survey (n = 1604) of Swiss individuals aged 18-98 years. The survey was conducted as a standardized online survey and was combined with an optional telephone survey. RESULTS: According to the survey results, some people under and over 65 years of age currently feel socially excluded because they cannot always master current everyday technologies. Among the group aged 18-64 years old 3.6% feel a very strong sense of exclusion, and among the older group (65-98 years) 5.5%, which means that older persons tend to belong to the group of persons with very strong feelings of digital exclusion; however, the multivariate correlation analysis showed that the influence of age was levelled out by other variables (income and attitude toward technology). CONCLUSION: Although digital transformation is progressing there are still inequalities in technology use, which can manifest in feelings of exclusion. In addition to the question of which older individuals use or do not use technology, the issue of subjective feelings of exclusion should be given greater consideration in the future.

[Digital transformation in the households of older people]. / Digitale Transformation in den Haushalten älterer Menschen.

BACKGROUND: Digital technologies play an important role in people's everyday lives and this applies not just to younger people but increasingly to older people. The study examined how the use of and attitudes towards such technology have changed over the last 10 years through a comparison of 3 cross-sectional population surveys. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The data came from three Swiss surveys (2009: n = 1105; 2014: n = 1037; 2019: n = 1130) of people aged 65 years and over, each of which was conducted as a standardized telephone interview and combined with an optional written survey. RESULTS: The use of both the internet and mobile devices (smartphones, tablets) increased from 2009 to 2019: in 2009, 37.8% of the respondents used the internet, rising to 74.2% in 2019; however, people over 80 years old used these technologies less frequently. Although more and different internet resources were being used in 2019 than in 2009, the reasons given for not using the internet were similar and included security concerns, claims that using the internet is too complicated and the belief that learning to use it is too difficult. There has also been little change in the attitudes toward technology and the factors explaining internet use. CONCLUSION: Even though the digital transformation is progressing, inequalities in the use of technology remain. Even when these are levelling out, new technologies will likely create new inequalities.

[Involvement of employees, residents, and relatives in digital transformation at long-term care institutions for older adults - A cross-sectional survey]. / Einbezug von Mitarbeitenden, Bewohnenden und Angehörigen in die digitale Transformation im stationären Altersbereich.

Involvement of employees, residents, and relatives in digital transformation at long-term care institutions for older adults - A cross-sectional survey Abstract. Background: Long-term care institutions for older adults are currently undergoing a digital transformation process. But who are the decision-makers in this transformation process? AIM: The aim of the study was to determine the role of employees, residents, and their relatives in the provision of the technical solutions used in long-term care institutions. METHODS: The standardized online survey was conducted at 466 long-term care institutions throughout Switzerland. The respective managers were surveyed. RESULTS: The majority of the managers surveyed saw more advantages than disadvantages in the use of technical solutions. Nevertheless, the results also show that while 52 % involve their staff in decisions about the acquisition of technology, only 11 % involve their residents, and 8 % involve the residents' relatives. This involvement depends on how much technology has been used so far and what leeway the managers themselves have in making such decisions. CONCLUSIONS: It is apparent that residents and their relatives are involved very little in decision-making processes. This can mean that the organization's digital transformation ultimately depends on just one person, the manager, and that the wishes of the people who are directly affected by these technical innovations are not considered in such decisions.

Participation in activities mediates the effect of Internet use on cognitive functioning in old age.

Research indicates that Internet use positively influences cognitive functioning in later life, but we do not know the behavioral pathways that explain this association. This study explored the role of participation in activities as a potential mediator of the relationship between Internet use and cognitive functioning over a 4-year period. We analyzed representative data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). The sample included 8353 European participants between 50 and 97 years of age. We used data from 2013 (T1), 2015 (T2), and 2017 (T3). Participants reported whether they participated in a diverse range of social and leisure activities. In addition, they provided information about their Internet use as well as cognitive functioning measures. Findings from cross-lagged panel analysis indicated a positive association between Internet use and change in cognition over the course of 4 years. This relationship was partly mediated by the number of reported activities. Internet use was positively associated with the change in activities after 2 years, which, in turn, positively predicted cognitive functioning 2 more years later. This is the first study that explores the temporal sequence of Internet use, participation in activities, and cognitive functioning. It sheds light on the mechanisms that account for the positive effects of Internet use on healthy aging.

[Attitudes toward persons with dementia : A population survey from Switzerland]. / Einstellungen gegenüber Menschen mit Demenz : Eine Bevölkerungsbefragung aus der Schweiz.

BACKGROUND: Dementia diseases, primarily Alzheimer's disease, are on the rise worldwide. Adequate management of this development requires the involvement of the general population in appropriate measures; it also requires knowledge of the attitudes of the population with respect to the disease and the people it affects. A survey was thus conducted to discover the Swiss population's attitude towards people with Alzheimer's disease or related forms of dementia (ADRD) and identify the factors that influence this attitude. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A nationwide standardized telephone survey of 862 people aged 18 years and older was conducted in German, French, and Italian between July and September 2018. RESULTS: Age and attitude toward age were found to be significant predictors of attitudes towards people with ADRD. Subdividing this attitude into a cognitive and an affective conative component helped to more precisely assign the influences of independent variables. Regression models showed a positive effect on the affective conative component for contact with people with ADRD, being well informed, experienced pleasures, and a positive attitude toward age, while education, gender, and age had a positive impact on the cognitive component. Nevertheless, the independent variables could explain only part of the variance. CONCLUSION: Despite the overall positive attitude toward people with ADRD in the Swiss population, the results of this study have certain practical implications: in addition to being well informed, experience with people with ADRD has a positive influence on attitudes toward persons with this disease. Therefore, such contact should be encouraged to revise any negative perceptions of people with ADRD.

[Digital transformation in residential old age institutions]. / Digitale Transformation im stationären Altersbereich.

BACKGROUND: Residential old age institutions are currently undergoing a digital transformation process, which is characterized by an orientation towards increasing digitalization of work processes as well as the institutional infrastructure. But what does the variety of technical solutions used in these old-age institutions look like and how is the digital transformation process assessed by the managers of these institutions? MATERIAL AND METHODS: The survey was carried out as a standardized online survey of residential old age homes throughout Switzerland. The respective managers were interviewed. The sample was made up of 466 institutions. RESULTS: Established technologies, such as television, contact and fall mats as well as software solutions in the administrative area are used almost everywhere, while robots for activating the clientele, gaming consoles or telemedical technologies are rarely used. Among those interviewed there were more people who saw advantages rather than disadvantages in the use of technical tools. The greatest obstacles that were perceived when introducing a new technology were the associated costs, a lack of employee skills and a nonexistent infrastructure. Multivariate analysis showed that the degree of digitalization in a facility depends not only on its size but above all on the technological affinity and rating of the senior staff. CONCLUSION: The degree of technology in old age institutions varies but overall it is rather sobering regarding the use of completely new technologies, such as robotics or telemedicine. Barriers to the increasing digital transformation were worked out from the survey and are discussed.

[Who Feels Excluded? On the Use of the Concept of Social Exclusion to Analyze Current Societal Trends]. / Wer fühlt sich exkludiert? Zur zeitdiagnostischen Verwendung des Konzepts der sozialen Exklusion.

The concept of social exclusion has had an astonishing career in the social sciences. The focus of this paper is an empirical investigation of the use of this concept to analyze current societal trends. From this theoretical perspective we derive four theses, which are empirically tested in this paper with a focus on the perception of exclusion: First, that because of the processes of economic structural change, larger population groups are affected by social exclusion in several dimensions (unemployment, poverty, social isolation), culminating in a subjective sense of exclusion among them. Thus, it is assumed that social exclusion has become the main social cleavage in contemporary society. Second, it is assumed that social exclusion cannot be clearly located in classical sociostructural categories but has diffused into broad segments of society. Third, socioeconomic precariousness and social isolation are thought to play a central role in the emergence of a subjective sense of exclusion. Here, and fourth, it is assumed, however, that this impacts on the sense of exclusion via the subjective perception of the objective life conditions. We test these theses derived from this theoretical perspective on the basis of survey data, using the sense of exclusion as a dependent variable. It becomes clear that, first, social exclusion has not diffused into large parts of society and thus can by no means be regarded as the main social cleavage in society; and second, an increased sense of exclusion can be found in different but clearly identifiable social groups. Moreover, our analyses show that the subjective sense of exclusion is rooted in both social isolation and socioeconomic precariousness, albeit clearly mediated by their subjective perception.

[Participation in research: interest and opinions on participatory research among participants of a senior university]. / Partizipativ mitforschen: Interesse und Meinungen zur partizipativen Forschung unter Teilnehmenden einer Senioren-Universität.

BACKGROUND: In gerontological research, older people are often used as test subjects. Participatory research means the active and equal involvement of those affected by the research question, i.e., the subjects and the academic researchers. But what is the interest in participatory research among older people who participate in an educational institution of the third age? In order to answer this question, participants of a senior university were interviewed. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The survey was conducted as a standardized postal survey combined with an optional online survey of participants from the Senior University of Zurich (Switzerland). The sample consisted of 811 persons aged between 56 and 96 years. RESULTS: Of the respondents 24% had already participated in a participatory research project and of these, older people and people with a high level of education were more likely to be involved, as were people who are more likely to be extraverted and who regularly volunteer. Of all respondents, 62% were interested in participatory research projects. In a multivariate perspective, interest depended on age, education, volunteering and experience with such research projects. CONCLUSION: The interest in participatory participation among Senior University members was high. This interest was more pronounced among people who already had experience with such projects. Further studies should evaluate the interest in research participation on the basis of implemented participatory projects and define optimal framework conditions.

[Old and offline? : Findings on the use of the Internet by people aged 65 years and older in Switzerland]. / Alt und offline? : Befunde zur Nutzung des Internets durch Menschen ab 65 Jahren in der Schweiz.

BACKGROUND: The supply of information and communication is becoming continuously more focused on the Internet. While the age groups up to 64 years have shown a vast increase in the use of the Internet since 1997, intensive use of the Internet by age groups above 64 years lags behind and this is not only the case in Switzerland. Against this background and an interest in finding out more about Internet (non)use of older people, two representative surveys were conducted in Switzerland, one in 2009 and another one in 2014. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The data used were acquired throughout Switzerland via a standardized telephone survey. The random sample (2014) consisted of 1037 people aged between 65 and 100 years old. RESULTS: Although the digital divide between the age groups has lessened over the past years, only 55.7 % of the elderly people interviewed were using the Internet in the autumn of 2014. Internet usage differs greatly between age groups. Resources such as education, income and health positively impact actual use of the Internet. Additionally, recommendations from a person's social environment, as well as an affinity for technology and a personal benefit assessment have a positive impact on Internet usage. In particular, security concerns and difficulties of use were mentioned as predominant reasons for the non-use of the Internet. Some of the people questioned felt excluded from society because they did not use the Internet. CONCLUSION: Internet usage among elderly people depends on individual and social resources, as well as on general attitude towards technology and personal benefit expectations. The exclusion of today's elderly "offliners" should be avoided, even if the digital divide will decrease in the future.

Selective allylic hydroxylation of acyclic terpenoids by CYP154E1 from Thermobifida fusca YX.

Allylic alcohols are valuable precursors in the synthesis of pharmaceutical intermediates, agrochemicals and natural products. Regioselective oxidation of parental alkenes is a challenging task for chemical catalysts and requires several steps including protection and deprotection. Many cytochrome P450 enzymes are known to catalyse selective allylic hydroxylation under mild conditions. Here, we describe CYP154E1 from Thermobifida fusca YX that enables this type of oxidation. Several acyclic terpenoids were tested as possible substrates for CYP154E1, and the regio- and chemoselectivity of their oxidation was investigated. Using a previously established bioinformatics approach we identified position 286 in the active site of CYP154E1 which is putatively involved in substrate binding and thereby might have an effect on enzyme selectivity. To tune regio- and chemoselectivity of the enzyme three mutants at position 286 were constructed and used for substrate oxidation. All formed products were analysed with GC-MS and identified using chemically synthesised authentic samples and known compounds as references. Best regioselectivity towards geraniol and nerol was observed with the wild type enzyme mainly leading to 8-hydroxy derivatives (8-hydroxygeraniol or 8-hydroxynerol) with high selectivity (100% and 96% respectively). Highest selectivities during the oxidation of geranylacetone and nerylacetone were observed with the following variants: V286F led mainly to 7-hydroxygeranylacetone (60% of the total product) and V286A produced predominantly 12-hydroxynerylacetone (75% of total product). Thus, CYP154E1 and its mutants expand the tool-box for allylic hydroxylation in synthetic chemistry.

Exploring online health information seeking and sharing among older adults: a mini-review about acceptance, potentials, and barriers.

Online health information seeking (OHIS) is understood by health care, health promotion, and disease prevention experts as a resource for healthy aging. It is particularly relevant for older adults since this population can benefit significantly from the accessibility and convenience of online health platforms and health information. Nevertheless, empirical findings regarding the acceptance, potentials, and barriers of OHIS among older adults are limited. This mini-review aims to explore the level of acceptance of OHIS, including passive reading of information and active interactions with peers, among the older population. Furthermore, it examines the potentials and barriers associated with such practices. The findings ultimately emphasize the evolving landscape of internet health information exploration among older adults and the potential advantages and challenges that may arise, especially in the context of active interactions with peers.

Internet usage, frequency and intensity in old age during the COVID-19 pandemic-a case study for Switzerland.

Introduction: This study examines the digital divide among older adults in Switzerland within the rapidly evolving digital environment. It investigates changes in internet usage among this population, focusing on the proportion of users, frequency, and the intensity of their internet usage during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Drawing on Swiss data from the Survey of Health, Aging, and Retirement (SHARE), conducted in 2021, the study analyzes a sample of 1,205 older adults. Results: The findings indicate a growing proportion of internet users over time. It also highlights that gender differences persist but are decreasing. Notably, around 9% of individuals in this study had never used the internet, while recent users exhibited high activity levels, spending an average of approximately two and a half hours online daily. The study identified age, education, employment, living arrangements, and attitudes toward technology as influential factors shaping internet usage among older adults. Importantly, the COVID-19 pandemic did not have a significant impact on internet adoption among this demographic. Discussion: These findings shed light on the complex dynamics that shape internet usage among older adults and underscore the need to promote digital inclusion and engagement within this population.

Digitally Savvy at the Home Office: Computer Skills of Older Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic Across Europe.

Digital skills can be a valuable resource in work life, especially in such times as the current COVID-19 pandemic, during which working from home has become new reality. Although increasing numbers of older employees (aged 50 years and above) are using digital technologies to work remotely, many of these older adults still have generally lower digital skills. Whether the pandemic will be a push factor for the acquisition of computer skills in late working life remains unclear. This study investigated the explanatory factors of the computer skills gained by older workers who were working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, using representative data for 28 countries from the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). The analysis of the survey responses of 11,042 employed persons aged 50 years and older revealed that, 13% worked only at home due to the pandemic, while 15% said they worked at home and in their usual workplace. The descriptives indicate that full-time homeworking is more of an option among those with tertiary education and who already have some computer skills. Of the older employees who worked only at home, 36% reported an improvement in their computer skills, whereas of the older workers who worked at home and at their usual workplaces, only 29% reported such an improvement. Our results based on logistic regressions suggest that significantly more women, younger employees, respondents with tertiary educational qualifications, and those whose work was not affected by unemployment or even business closure acquired new computer skills, regardless of whether they were working permanently or only partly from home. The study underlines the importance of investigating the possible digital skills gained from the home office situation resulting from the pandemic.

Digital transformation of everyday lives of older Swiss adults: use of and attitudes toward current and future digital services.

Digital (consumer) services, such as ticket machines, self-checkout, and online reservations, have become increasingly important in modern society. Studies on adoption of these services and openness to using future public digital services (e.g., online voting, online taxes, electronic patient records) have mostly focused on younger adults or nonrepresentative samples among older adults. Therefore, two important questions remain that can best be addressed with representative sampling: To what extent do older adults use or are willing to use current and future digital services in their everyday lives? How do older adults evaluate the ease of use of these services?. The study included data on use of current and future digital services among a large Swiss sample of 1149 people age 65 years and older (mean age: 74.1 years, SD: 6.69). Descriptive and multivariate analyses showed that (a) established services such as cash machines were used more often than new services, such as self-checkout apps or machines. (b) Perceived ease of use is related to age, socioeconomic status, health, and interest in technology. (c) Only 8.9% had an overall positive attitude toward these digital services, and this attitude was predicted by age, gender, socioeconomic status, and interest in technology. (d) Participants were more often open to filing taxes online than voting online, and openness was predicted by age, income, and interest in technology. Today, mainly older adults with a high interest in technology use digital services. Nevertheless, potential for greater use is evident.

Social media use and well-being among older adults.

While older adults (aged 65 years and older) are increasingly using social media, their usage rates still lag those of younger age groups. Social media use has been observed to have some positive effects on older adults' well-being; however, divergent findings exist depending upon the sample, measures, and methodological approach. This review highlights what is currently known about social media use and well-being among older adults, identifies strengths and weaknesses of current research on this topic, and argues that methodological and content-related research gaps must be closed before researchers can confirm a positive overall effect of social media use in everyday situations for older adults.

[Perceived restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic by older persons in Switzerland]. / Wahrgenommene Einschränkungen während der COVID-19-Pandemie bei älteren Personen in der Schweiz.

Background: The current coronavirus pandemic has had various effects on older people's everyday lives. Within the framework of pandemic-related protective measures, people over 65 years of age in particular were asked to stay away from public places and avoid direct physical contact. Aim: This paper examines how the pandemic affected the feelings of people over 50 years of age with regard to the limited daily supply of everyday things, outdoor physical activity and social contact. Material and methods: In May and June 2020, telephone interviews were conducted with 1011 people aged 50 years and over living in Switzerland. The average respondent age was 65 years and 53% of the respondents were women. Results: The results show that the respondents hardly felt any negative changes in their supply of everyday things or outdoor activity; however, 43% of those surveyed stated that during the pandemic, with its associated protective measures, they more often felt that they were unable to spend enough time with people they cared about. The multivariate results show that education played a role in the respondents' evaluation of everyday life considered in the interviews. Conclusion: This study identifies older people's feelings about possible everyday restrictions and should stimulate discussion in practical gerontological work to better consider older people's subjective perceptions.