Exploring social determinants of mental health of older unforced migrants: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: While the vulnerabilities stemming from the intersection of aging and migration are widely recognized, the migration contexts and the factors influencing the mental health of older unforced migrants have received scant attention. This review explores the drivers of unforced migrations in later life and the individual, relational, and structural factors influencing their mental health and well-being. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Following the PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search of seven databases for English peer-reviewed journal articles was conducted. A total of 21 studies were identified and analyzed inductively. RESULTS: The review classified motivations for migration as push factors and pull factors: push factors such as escaping structural inequities in the homeland and pull factors included seeking better lifestyle opportunities and reuniting with family. The positive determinants of mental health included cordial family relationships, paid employment, the presence of a partner, and strong support networks. Advanced age, absence of a partner, lifestyle changes, lack of intergenerational support, poor language proficiency, unfavorable policies, lack of access to resources, and systemic biases negatively impacted the mental health of older unforced migrants. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: The review highlights the need to recognize the diversity among older migrants to develop policies and programs that address their specific circumstances. Recognizing their strengths, rather than focusing solely on their vulnerabilities will help create a more positive and supportive environment, enabling them to thrive in their new communities.

Mitochondria-targetable small molecule fluorescent probes for the detection of cancer-associated biomarkers: A review.

Cancer represents a global threat to human health, and effective strategies for improved cancer early diagnosis and treatment are urgently needed. The detection of tumor biomarkers has been one of the important auxiliary means for tumor screening and diagnosis. Mitochondria are crucial subcellular organelles that produce most chemical energy used by cells, control metabolic processes, and maintain cell function. Evidence suggests the close involvement of mitochondria with cancer development. As a consequence, the identification of cancer-associated biomarker expression levels in mitochondria holds significant importance in the diagnosis of early-stage diseases and the monitoring of therapy efficacy. Small-molecule fluorescent probes are effective for the identification and visualization of bioactive entities within biological systems, owing to their heightened sensitivity, expeditious non-invasive analysis and real-time detection capacities. The design principles and sensing mechanisms of mitochondrial targeted fluorescent probes are summarized in this review. Additionally, the biomedical applications of these probes for detecting cancer-associated biomarkers are highlighted. The limitations and challenges of fluorescent probes in vivo are also considered and some future perspectives are provided. This review is expected to provide valuable insights for the future development of novel fluorescent probes for clinical imaging, thereby contributing to the advancement of cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Professional Quality of Life of Foster and Kinship Carers in Australia, United Kingdom, and the United States: A Scoping Review.

Professional quality of life (ProQOL) refers to workers' subjective feelings associated with work involved in helping others who have experienced trauma. It consists of positive and negative aspects, that is, subscales of compassion satisfaction, and burnout and secondary traumatic stress. Foster and kinship caring inherently involves risks associated with exposure to the trauma responses of children in their care. This exposure can lead to poor ProQOL, carer attrition, and placement instability. While limited studies specifically explore ProQOL of carers, many studies have examined factors and interventions related to ProQOL. However, there is a lack of synthesis of these studies. To fill such a research gap, we undertook a scoping review of 70 empirical studies from Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, published from 2012 to 2022 reporting on ProQOL, and its related factors and concepts. We applied a multilevel ecosocial construct to examine complex interrelationships between private and governance settings to better understand factors related to ProQOL of carers and interventions aimed to improve it in these dynamic systems. In our review, some studies showed positive outcomes for carers, such as reduced stress or burnout associated with training. However, there was insufficient attention to factors associated with ProQOL at relational and sociopolitical levels. It is crucial to improve carers' ProQOL or well-being to ensure their retention and placement stability. Long-term systemic improvements require interventions across different levels of the system.

A lipid droplet-targeting fluorescent probe for specific H2S imaging in biosamples and development of smartphone platform.

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), a significant gas signal molecule, is closely related to various physiological/pathological processes. The monitoring of H2S is crucial in understanding the occurrence and development of diseases such as cancers. Emerging evidence suggests that abnormal regulation of Lipid droplets (LDs) is associated with many human diseases. For example, cancer cells are characterized by the abnormal accumulation of LDs. Therefore, understanding the relationship between LDs and cancer is of great significance for developing therapies against cancer. To address this challenge, we designed and developed a LD-targeting and H2S-activated probe (BTDA-DNB) by engineering a 2,4-dinitrophenyl ether (DNBE) as the H2S reactive site. In the presence of H2S, a strongly fluorescent emitter, 3-(benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)-N,N-diethyl-2-imino-2H-chromen-7-amine (BTDA) was obtained with the leaving of DNBE group. BTDA-DNB displayed favorable sensitivity, selectivity and functioning well at physiological pH. The probe features excellent LD-targeting specificity and low cellular toxicity. The practical applications of LD-targeting probe BTDA-DNB as H2S probe in living cells, cancer tissues and Arabidopsis seedling have been evaluated. The excellent imaging performance demonstrates a potential ability for cancer diagnosis. Benefitted from the excellent performance on visual recognition H2S, a robust smartphone-integrated platform for H2S analysis was also successfully established.

Mediating effects of psychological resilience on life satisfaction among older adults: A cross-sectional study in China.

The mediating effects of psychological resilience on quality of life among older adults were rarely examined empirically. Based on the literature on the relationship between psychological resilience and quality of life and the factors associated with psychological resilience among older adults, a theoretical model was proposed with the hypothesis that psychological resilience would mediate the relationships between both filial support and sense of community and life satisfaction among older adults. The research used a cross-sectional design. Non-probability sampling method was applied to recruit 418 community-dwelling older adults in two adjacent cities in Fujian, China in 2017. A face-to-face structured Chinese questionnaire was adopted to collect data. The structural equation modeling showed that psychological resilience mediated the relationships between both filial support and sense of community and life satisfaction. The findings confirmed the positive impacts of psychological resilience on older adults' life satisfaction and highlighted the importance of family and community contexts to older adults' psychological resilience and life satisfaction. Interventions and programmes that aim to promote filial support towards older adults and enhance their sense of community would contribute to both their psychological resilience and life satisfaction.

Associations between economic loss, financial strain and the psychological status of Wenchuan earthquake survivors.

This study examines the effects of economic loss on the life satisfaction and mental health of Wenchuan earthquake survivors. Economic loss is measured by earthquake impacts on the income and houses of the survivors. The correlation analysis shows that earthquake impact on income is significantly correlated with life satisfaction and depression. The regression analyses indicate that earthquake impact on income is indirectly associated with life satisfaction and depression through its effect on financial strain. The research highlights the importance of coping strategies in maintaining a balance between economic status and living demands for disaster survivors.

Effects of social group work with survivors of the Wenchuan earthquake in a transitional community.

This research examined the effects of group work with survivors of the Wenchuan earthquake. The two groups studied were organised by social workers in a transitional community. One group was composed of older people and the other of women. The research adopted qualitative research methods. Data were collected by focus group meetings and in-depth individual interviews. The 24 research participants were mainly asked to describe their lives before and after joining the groups. The findings indicated that disaster survivors had resilience to loss and trauma and could recover themselves. Group participation facilitated disaster survivors' self recovery and had positive effects on them. Before joining the groups, many members of both groups felt bored and depressed. After joining, they felt better physically and psychologically and enjoyed socialising with each other. Their lives became more meaningful and their social network was broadened and strengthened. The practical and policy implications of the study are noted and further research recommended. It was concluded that group work, in the form of recreational activities, is effective in alleviating disaster survivors' feelings of distress and depression, improving their psychosocial well-being and fostering their self recovery.

Correlates of life satisfaction among older people in China: an examination of two cultural variables.

This article examines the relationships between the two cultural variables of having mianzi in social interactions and Chinese cultural beliefs of adversity and life satisfaction among older people in a coastal city in mainland China. The mediating effect of having mianzi in social interactions on the relationship between Chinese cultural beliefs of adversity and life satisfaction is also examined. The study applies a non-probability sampling and adopts a face-to-face interview approach using a questionnaire composed of close-ended questions. A total of 532 valid questionnaires are obtained. Multiple regression analysis is used to test the hypotheses. Findings indicate that the two cultural variables are associated significantly with life satisfaction, while controlling for socio-demographic variables. The variable of Chinese cultural beliefs of adversity is also indirectly associated with life satisfaction through its effect on having mianzi in social interactions. Older people with higher endorsement of positive Chinese cultural beliefs of adversity and higher degree of having mianzi in social interactions tend to have higher life satisfaction. Professionals working with older people should be sensitive to cultural variables that exert impacts on older people's life satisfaction.