Religiosity and Social Support Predict Resilience in Older Adults After a Flood.

In this study, we examined religiosity and social support as predictors of resilience after a devastating flood. Three flood exposure groups of primarily middle-aged and older adults were compared: (1) non-flooded adults as controls, (2) once-flooded adults with structural damage to homes and property in the 2016 flood, and (3) twice-flooded adults who had relocated inland because of prior catastrophic losses in the 2005 Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and then flooded again in 2016. Resilience was assessed using the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). Correlation analyses confirmed that older age was correlated with higher religiosity, charitable work done for others, and resilience. Regression analyses indicated that religious beliefs and coping, social support, and charitable work done for others were associated with higher levels of resilience, whereas flood damage was unrelated to resilience. Implications for current views on post-disaster adversity and resilience in later life are discussed.

Disaster stressors and psychological well-being in older adults after a flood.

We examined the inoculation and stress sensitization explanations concerning mental health outcomes in 223 predominately middle-aged and older adults after a flood (M age = 49.6 years, SD = 17.7 years, range: 18-88 years). In multiple linear regression models, having flood damage was associated with higher levels of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depressive symptoms, while social support was associated with fewer symptoms. Greater lifetime trauma and flood-related stress were associated with more symptoms of depression and PTSD, respectively. Older age was associated with more religious coping and fewer depressive and worry symptoms. Future directions for research on postdisaster vulnerabilities and resilience are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Magnetic quantum dots: synthesis, spectroscopy, and magnetism of Co2+ - and Ni2+-doped ZnO nanocrystals.

We report a method for the preparation of colloidal ZnO-diluted magnetic semiconductor quantum dots (DMS-QDs) by alkaline-activated hydrolysis and condensation of zinc acetate solutions in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). Mechanistic studies reveal that Co(2+) and Ni(2+) dopants inhibit nucleation and growth of ZnO nanocrystals. In particular, dopants are quantitatively excluded from the critical nuclei but are incorporated nearly isotropically during subsequent growth of the nanocrystals. The smaller nanocrystal diameters that result upon doping are explained by the Gibbs-Thompson relationship between lattice strain and crystal solubility. We describe methods for cleaning the nanocrystal surfaces of exposed dopants and for redispersion of the final DMS-QDs. Homogeneous substitutional doping is verified by high-resolution low-temperature electronic absorption and magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectroscopies. A "giant Zeeman effect" is observed in the band gap transition of Co(2+):ZnO DMS-QDs. MCD and Zeeman spectroscopies are used to quantify the magnitude of the p-d exchange interaction (N(0)beta) that gives rise to this effect. N(0)beta values of -2.3 +/- 0.3 eV (-18 500 cm(-1)) for Co(2+):ZnO and -4.5 +/- 0.6 eV (-36 300 cm(-1)) for Ni(2+):ZnO have been determined. Ligand-to-metal charge-transfer transitions are observed in the MCD spectra of both Co(2+):ZnO and Ni(2+):ZnO DMS-QDs and are analyzed in the context of an optical electronegativity model. The importance of these charge-transfer states in determining N(0)beta is discussed. Ferromagnetism with T(C) > 350 K is observed in aggregated nanocrystals of Co(2+):ZnO that unambiguously demonstrates the existence of intrinsic high-T(C) ferromagnetism in this class of DMSs.