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.

Co-occurrence Interaction Networks of Extremophile Species Living in a Copper Mining Tailing

Copper mining tailings are characterized by high concentrations of heavy metals and an acidic pH, conditions that require an extreme adaptation for any organism. Currently, several bacterial species have been isolated and characterized from mining environments; however, very little is known about the structure of microbial communities and how their members interact with each other under the extreme conditions where they live. This work generates a co-occurrence network, representing the bacterial soil community from the Cauquenes copper tailing, which is the largest copper waste deposit worldwide. A representative sampling of six zones from the Cauquenes tailing was carried out to determine pH, heavy metal concentration, total DNA extraction, and subsequent assignment of Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs). According to the elemental concentrations and pH, the six zones could be grouped into two sectors: (1) the “new tailing,” characterized by neutral pH and low concentration of elements, and (2) the “old tailing,” having extremely low pH (~3.5) and a high concentration of heavy metals (mainly copper). Even though the abundance and diversity of species were low in both sectors, the Pseudomonadaceae and Flavobacteriaceae families were over-represented. Additionally, the OTU identifications allowed us to identify a series of bacterial species with diverse biotechnological potentials, such as copper bioleaching and drought stress alleviation in plants. Using the OTU information as a template, we generated co-occurrence networks for the old and new tailings. The resulting models revealed a rearrangement between the interactions of members living in the old and new tailings, and highlighted conserved bacterial drivers as key nodes, with positive interactions in the network of the old tailings, compared to the new tailings. These results provide insights into the structure of the soil bacterial communities growing under extreme environmental conditions in mines.

Accuracy of Case-Based Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in Maricopa County, Arizona

We conducted a community seroprevalence survey in Arizona, from September 12 to October 1, 2020, to determine the presence of antibodies to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). We used the seroprevalence estimate to predict SARS-CoV-2 infections in the jurisdiction by applying the adjusted seroprevalence to the county’s population. The estimated community seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infections was 4.3 times greater (95% confidence interval = 2.2, 7.5) than the number of reported cases. Field surveys with representative sampling provide data that may help fill in gaps in traditional public health reporting. (Am J Public Health. 2022;112(1):38–42. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306568 )

The Michigan Genomics Initiative: a biobank linking genotypes and electronic clinical records in Michigan Medicine patients

The recent wave of biobank repositories linking individual-level genetic data with dense clinical health history has introduced a dramatic paradigm shift in phenotyping for human genetic studies. The mechanism by which biobanks recruit participants can vary dramatically according to factors such as geographic catchment and sampling strategy. These enrollment differences leave an imprint on the cohort, defining the demographics and the utility of the biobank for research purposes. Here we introduce the Michigan Genomics Initiative (MGI), a rolling enrollment, single health system biobank currently consisting of >85,000 participants recruited primarily through surgical encounters at Michigan Medicine. A strong ascertainment effect is introduced by focusing recruitment on individuals in Southeast Michigan undergoing surgery. MGI participants are, on average, less healthy than the general population, which produces a biobank enriched for case counts of many disease outcomes, making it well suited for a disease genetics cohort. A comparison to the much larger UK Biobank, which uses population representative sampling, reveals that MGI has higher prevalence for nearly all diagnosis-code-based phenotypes, and larger absolute numbers of cases for many phenotypes. GWAS of these phenotypes replicate many known findings, validating the genetic and clinical data and their proper linkage. Our results illustrate that single health-system biobanks that recruit participants through opportunistic sampling, such as surgical encounters, produce distinct patient profiles that provide an ideal resource for exploring the genetics of complex diseases.

Relationship between mask wearing, testing, and vaccine willingness among Los Angeles County adults during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic

Background Mask wearing mitigates the spread of COVID-19; however, many individuals have not adopted the protective behavior. Purpose We examine mask wearing behavior during the height of the pandemic in Los Angeles County, and its association with COVID-19 testing and willingness to get vaccinated. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey using representative sampling between December 2020 and January 2021, through an online platform targeting Los Angeles County residents. Survey items include demographic characteristics, health conditions, access to health care, mask wearing, COVID-19 testing, exposure risk factors, and willingness to receive COVID-19 vaccine. We performed logistic regression models to examine factors associated with always mask wearing. Results Of the analytic sample (n = 1,984), 75.3% reported always wearing a face mask when leaving home. Being a female, Asian or African American, or non-Republican resident, or having higher education, having poor or fair health, having a regular doctor, knowing someone hospitalized for COVID-19, and being willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine were associated with always wearing a mask. Residents who were younger, had a highest risk health condition, and had ≥2 COVID-19 tests had lower odds of always mask wearing. Conclusion Mask wearing guidelines are easing; however, as vaccination rates plateau and new virus variants emerge, mask wearing remains an important tool to protect vulnerable populations. Encouraging protective measures among younger adults, those with less education, republicans, men, and White residents—groups that are least likely to be vaccinated or wear a mask—may be critical to reducing transmission.

Older Adults’ Perceptions of Smart City Initiatives to Age in Community

This project explores older American adults’ perceptions of smart city initiatives for them to “age in community” particularly in the northeast region. As the U.S. population is aging, it is imperative that the American cities can support their citizens to live in their preferred community environments for as long as they want. While there are many definitions of a smart city, some exemplary smarty city initiatives can be characterized as actively utilizing information and sensor technologies to promote efficiency and sustainability of city-wide systems, ultimately enhancing the quality of citizens' life. This project examines, in particular, seven smart city initiatives that are implemented globally: smart streetlights, health and fall monitoring system, community ridesharing, enhanced CCTVs, “age-friendly map,” contact tracing app, and smart traffic system. By surveying those age 55 and older, with a representative sampling from the nine states in the northeast region, this project found that the vast majority of older Americans in this region would prefer to age in rural and suburban communities, and depending on where they prefer to age in (rural-exurban-suburban communities vs. urban-urban center communities) and gender (female vs. male), they perceive particular sets of smart city initiatives as more important for them to age in community. Furthermore, regardless of the community/location preference and demographic (gender, income level, and age) differences, 40% of the respondents expressed no concern of data or information privacy issues from these initiatives, opening some doors for the municipalities that plan to adopt some of these initiatives in the near future.

Temporal variability of soil fertility indicators and sampling periods in Québec

An inadequate soil sampling time leads to difficulties in interpreting soil tests, to incorrect recommendations for soil amendments and fertilizers, and to inappropriate environmental protection restrictions. Soil samples may be collected from agricultural fields before, during or after the crop growth period. Since the time of soil sample collection can affect soil tests results, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of sampling time on measurements representativity of 15 fertility indicators in two fields located in La Pocatière (Québec, Canada). The soils were of fine (G1) and medium (G2) textural groups and were sampled weekly for 33 weeks per year during four years. Data analyses included: descriptive statistics, time series decomposition, and time autocorrelation function (ACF). Since results of these analyses showed a clear seasonal effect only for Mehlich-3 extracted phosphorus (PM3), soil phosphorus saturation index (SPS) for both G1 and G2 soils, and for pHwater for G1 only, we recommend that the sampling calendar should be restricted to the first five weeks of spring (until the end of May) and to the entire fall period (starting in early September). Also, the temporal autocorrelation was four weeks on average. This implies that, for an initial year, whichever date is chosen for the sampling, the following annual sampling should be done within a four-week time window (i.e., two weeks before until two weeks after the initial sampling date). Time series are an important element to consider in selecting a representative sampling period for soil fertility indicators.

A 10-year impact assessment of the Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) programme: an independent mixed-method evaluation study

Background The Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) programme – a Medical Research Council (MRC) and National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) partnership – funds trials that evaluate the efficacy of interventions with the potential to promote health and studies that improve our understanding of the mechanisms of underlying diseases and their treatments. Objective To conduct an independent review of the EME programme’s impact and identify opportunities for future improvement. Design A mixed-methods approach, including desk research, an analysis of secondary data, stakeholder consultation and the development of impact case studies. Participants Chief investigators of EME awards, unfunded applicants to the EME programme and key opinion leaders relevant to the programme and research ecosystem. Interventions No interventions were tested, as this was a retrospective programme evaluation. Main outcome measures The evaluation was guided by a set of 15 evaluation questions. Results The EME programme bridges the gap between proof-of-concept and effectiveness studies that are located among other MRC and NIHR schemes and grants from charities in the funding landscape. Mechanistic studies alongside EME trials add value by lending confidence to trial findings and providing insights into the underlying biology. Between 2009 and September 2018, £175.7M in funding was approved for 145 EME projects. EME programme-funded research has started to deliver value to the NHS and patients by improving treatments and providing more efficient use of resources. Of the 43 completed trials, 14% (n = 6) showed that the intervention had a positive effect, whereas 74% (n = 32) of trials did not. The remaining five (12%) trials were unable to recruit participants or did not proceed to the full-trial stage. Seven projects (i.e. 16% of completed trials) have informed clinical guidelines or regulatory approval decisions and another eight projects have the potential to do so in the future, given the nature of their findings. Projects in the EME programme portfolio address a range of UK health needs and government priority areas, but they do not fully align with the level of health needs present. Commissioned calls for applications steer applicants. However, many commissioned calls do not lead to funded awards, and a better understanding of the underlying reasons for this would enable targeted supported to address key health needs. The majority of EME projects investigate existing interventions of limited commercial interest, focusing on repurposing (67/136, 49%) and informing current practice (23/136, 17%). Although there is little evidence of wider economic impact from commercial benefits, the EME programme is important in funding research in which industry is unlikely to invest. Stronger co-ordination with other funders, such as charities, could lead to synergies, enhancing the potential for health impact and influence on other funders’ agendas. The main challenges identified for EME projects were ‘complex and slow contracting processes’ (35/46, 76%), ‘setting up of study sites’ (30/46, 65%) and patient recruitment (28/46, 61%). Enablers of research included a clinical research fellow position on the project and support from Clinical Research Networks and Biomedical Research Centres. Nearly all of the chief investigators consulted had engaged in patient and public involvement at some project stage, and a lack of patient and public involvement did not emerge as a barrier to research or impact. Research ideas stemming from patients were, however, over-represented among unfunded applications, but the reason for this is unclear. Limitations Only about one-third of all studies had been completed or had published their main findings, necessitating a purposive, rather than representative, sampling of the portfolio. The COVID-19 outbreak cut short the programme of interviews, limiting the depth to which some evaluation questions could be explored. Several data sources were based on self-reporting by chief investigators; whereas key self-reported aspects were verified through desk research, this was not possible for all findings. Conclusions The EME programme plays an important role in the UK research funding landscape and has started to deliver value to the NHS and patients. Based on the evidence gathered, seven recommendations were developed to enhance the EME programme’s health and economic impact and address challenges encountered by chief investigators in implementing research projects. Funding This project was funded by the EME programme, a MRC and NIHR partnership. This will be published in full in Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation; Vol. 8, No. 20. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.