Physical and anti-aging characteristics of nano-TiO2/irganox 1010 composite modified asphalt

Asphalt aging is the main cause of fatigue failure from asphalt pavements, and it can be divided into thermaloxidative and ultraviolet (UV) aging. In this study, nano-TiO2/Irganox 1010 were added to neat asphalt to simultaneously improve the aging phenomenon of asphalt in a variety of complex conditions of asphalt. We then analyzed and discussed physical properties of nano-TiO2/Irganox 1010 modified asphalt composites. In addition, MSCR (Multiple Stress Creep Recovery) and DSR (Dynamic Shear Rheometer) rheological tests were performed on nano-TiO2/Irganox 1010 modified asphalt with different contents. Aging simulation of nano-TiO2/Irganox 1010 modified asphalt was conducted through the TFOT (The Thin Film Oven Test) and UV test, and microstructure of UV aging was analyzed through scanning electron microscopy. Data analysis showed that the nano-TiO2/Irganox 1010 increased softening point and reduced penetration (25 °C) and ductility (5 °C). The nano-TiO2/Irganox 1010 also improved the creep resistance and rheological properties of the composites. Finally, the analysis of test results under different conditions showed that the addition of nano-TiO2/Irganox 1010 significantly enhanced the ability of asphalt to deal with aging in a variety of complex environments.

Condições de higiene bucal de idosos residentes em instituições geriátricas de pequeno porte em Porto Alegre

Following the population-aging phenomenon, the number and the demands for nursing homes is increasing. Generally, oral health condition of institutionalized elderly people is poor and the maintenance of good patterns of oral hygiene is a problem. The aim of this study is to describe the oral hygiene conditions of elderly people who live in small (< 20) nursing homes of Porto Alegre-RS and to establish the relationship with independents variables: sex, age, time of institutionalization and level of dependence of the residents and number of care givers and price charged by the institutions. Oral hygiene conditions were verified through dental and denture plaque index. The mean obtained to teeth plaque scores was 2.24 (Sillnes and Löe index) and on dentures was 7.14 (Ambjornsen index). The poor oral hygiene condition is prevalent on the examined population when analyzed the independent variables sex, age, time of institutionalization, price, and number of caregivers because it was not demonstrated statistical significance related to the presence or the quantity of plaque on teeth and dentures (p>0,05). The level of dependence was the variable that presented statistical signficant (p=0,024). Independent elders showed lower means of dental plaque when compared to the moderate dependent or dependent elders. It is concluded that oral hygiene condition of this institutionalized elderly people is poor and need multidisciplinary and interinstitutional actions to revert this frame of continued neglect.

Physician use of the phrase “due to old age” to address complaints of elderly symptoms in Japanese medical settings: The merits and drawbacks

In everyday medical settings in Japan, physicians occasionally tell an elderly patient that their symptoms are “due to old age,” and there is some concern that patient care might be negatively impacted as a result. That said, as this phrase can have multiple connotations and meanings, there are certain instances in which the use of this phrase may not necessarily be indicative of ageism, or prejudice against the elderly. One of the goals in medical care is to address pain and suffering that develops with age in elderly individuals, and whether or not aging is a disease is inconsequential. However, assuming that an individualized and thorough examination has been performed, there are some conditions that can be attributed only to age. Accordingly, physicians must acknowledge the merits and drawbacks of using the phrase “due to old age,” and exercise caution when using it. Both physicians and their elderly patients must share a common awareness of the incomplete and limited nature of modern medicine and its scope, and physicians must help their elderly patients accept and live with the aging phenomenon.

The Role of Working Memory and Attention in Older Workers’ Learning

<p class="0abstract">Nowadays, the aging workforce constitutes a worldwide reality in developed countries due to the population aging phenomenon. Consequently, it becomes urgent for the older workers’ learning to be enhanced for their personal development first, and then for the general progress of the organization. Working memory and attention play a crucial supporting role in older workers’ learning and contribute significantly to their active work life. This article presents the concepts of working memory and attention and their intertwined relationship highlighting their important role in the aging workforce learning. Alongside, the presented theoretical aspects may give the trigger for the greater interest for further research and study of key factors in working environments, which may affect the working memory and attention functioning in older workers, so that to be integrated into the future planning of corporate learning programs. </p>

RESEARCH OF SOFTWARE AGING IN ANDROID SYSTEM PROCESSES AND USER APPLICATIONS

Android operating system is vulnerable to the aging-related effects such as performance degradation and increased of aging-related failures rate due prolonged usage of a mobile device without rebooting. This paper considers software aging phenomenon in system processes and user applications of the Android operating system and means for counteracting this phenomenon. Experimental research was performed using a methodology that consists in performing stress tests on mobile applications, collecting system data on running processes, converting the collected data into time series for the relevant metrics and analyzing these data using statistical methods. Thus, the analysis of oom_adj_score for determining processes priorities in the context of software aging allowed to identify two groups of processes, namely system processes and user applications. It is also pointed out the possibility of using oom_adj_score to determine the state of system usage in the tasks of software aging predicting and performing software rejuvenation. The results of the system processes analysis showed that the indicators of aging are system_server and surfaceflinger processes, as well as com.android.phone, cameraserver in the case of active use of contacts and camera applications. The considered processes can be used to implement software rejuvenation. Research has shown that user applications are also vulnerable to aging-related effects, but the rejuvenation procedure cannot be applied to them at the system level. It is important to take steps to prevent aging-related errors, such as using appropriate data structures and algorithms for efficient memory management, minimizing the load on the main UI stream, and using effective graphics techniques to reduce the number of delayed frames. In future works it is important to investigate the considered system processes and services in tasks of software aging forecasting and performing of rejuvenation procedure. It is important for user applications to develop tools that provide developers with information about the state of software aging in the system, which would allow to decide on the feasibility of performing important and resource-intensive tasks in conditions when the system is already in a state with a high probability of aging-related failure.

Population Aging and Economic Growth in EU Member States

The improvements in economic development, living standards, and the health sector have raised the life expectancy on the world. The rising life expectancy together with decreasing fertility rates have led to population aging. The population aging phenomenon has led the researchers to explore the social and economic implications of population aging in different countries and country groups. In the chapter, the authors explore the causality between population aging and economic growth in EU member states during the period of 1996-2019 through causality analysis and revealed a reciprocal causality between population aging and economic growth.