A new species of holothuroid from the Labrador Sea (eastern Canada): Pseudothyonelabradorensis sp. nov. (Echinodermata, Holothuroidea, Dendrochirotida, Sclerodactylidae).

A new species of holothuroid, Pseudothyonelabradorensis sp. nov. (order Dendrochirotida and family Sclerodactylidae), was discovered off the coast of Labrador (eastern Canada) at a depth of 740-969 m. Two specimens were described based on morphological and genetic parameters. Distinctive characters included pinkish body colour, presence of tube feet on a 'tail', supporting rod-shaped ossicles in the tube feet, and rod-shaped ossicles in the tentacles. To investigate its phylogenetic relationships, partial sequences of COI were obtained for the new species as well as for the type species P.raphanus and another North Atlantic species P.serrifera. According to the phylogenetic analysis, P.labradorensis sp. nov. appeared in a well-supported clade with P.raphanus and P.serrifera. Molecular data also suggest polyphyly of the genus, showing the Northeast Pacific species Pseudothyonebelli recovered outside of the clade containing the type species. Pseudothyonelabradorensis sp. nov. is the first species of the genus from the Northwest Atlantic. A key to the North Atlantic Pseudothyone is provided.

Effects of Ayurvedic practices on quality of life of health professionals in Brazil: trends from a quasi experimental study.

Integral health encompasses the way individuals live, considering their quality of life. An inadequate lifestyle can harm human health, increasing the risk of developing chronic non-communicable diseases, which represent 71% of the causes of death worldwide and 54.7% in Brazil. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to impacts on quality of life, resulting from lifestyle changes, especially among health professionals. This constitutes an important factor in the health-disease relationship and the core of the healthcare approach embraced by Ayurveda. The present study evaluated the role of daily Ayurvedic practices in improving the quality of life of health professionals working in the Family Health Strategy of SUS in Paty do Alferes/RJ, Brazil. Ayurveda practices based on Trayopastamba were introduced to 30 health professionals through lectures and guided activities from July to October 2021, spanning three months. Quality of life was assessed using the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire before and after the intervention. An improvement in perceived quality of life was observed in the physical, psychological, and environmental domains (p > 0.05), while the social domain did not show statistically significant results. The physical domain demonstrated the most substantial score increase (10.95). Conversely, the social domain displayed the smallest rise in scores (5.83). In conclusion, the daily Ayurvedic practices demonstrated the potential to enhance the quality of life in this group, contributing to health promotion in a practical and economically accessible manner.

Introducing virtual reality to older adults: A qualitative analysis of a co-design innovation with care staff.

Previous studies of Virtual Reality (VR) in aged care settings have demonstrated that the benefits can be multiple, including improved social connection and engagement and reduced social isolation in later life. However, there remains a lack of widespread uptake of VR in aged care facilities. This prompts an important question: Given the potential benefits, why is there such poor engagement in VR by aged care facilities? The aim of this qualitative study is to investigate the experience of introducing VR into an aged care facility. Our innovative approach supported care staff to introduce VR into aged care facilities. Fieldwork diaries and focus group discussions were used to document experiences of introducing VR, including the obstacles, challenges and benefits and the adaptations to aged care environments that were required to accommodate new VR activities. Thematic analysis of the data revealed that VR can be an important medium to support the wellbeing of older residents. However, our findings also indicate that there are significant challenges associated with introducing VR, including substantial costs in time, money and institutional resources and attention. This study concludes that, to be successful, VR requires substantive care and relational resources from both staff and residents that are only visible when paying attention to the contextual adjustments required to introduce the technology to a new setting. This suggests that other research on gerontechnologies would likely also benefit from further attention to the role of the broader social context - including care and relational resources - in ensuring their successful design and implementation.

Transforming aged care with virtual reality: How organisational culture impacts technology adoption and sustained uptake.

OBJECTIVES: Virtual reality (VR) is not a common leisure activity in aged care, despite pilot studies demonstrating its value as a tool to combat inactivity and loneliness. This study investigated the organisational enablers and barriers to sustained uptake of VR among aged care staff and organisations, who may lack familiarity or confidence with the technology. METHODS: Creative methods were adopted to co-design and develop a VR implementation toolkit tailored specifically for aged care staff. Three aged care homes in South-East Queensland participated, with 15 residents and seven staff engaging in up to four VR sessions facilitated by the research team. Participant observation of the VR sessions was complemented by interviews with aged care staff and residents. RESULTS: Guided by Normalisation Process Theory, a reflexive thematic analysis identified four key themes: (1) Positively Appreciating the VR Experience, (2) Staff VR Champions and the Importance of Personal Use and Experimentation with VR, (3) Management Support and (4) Technical Challenges. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate benefits and challenges of VR use in aged care, offering valuable insights into the factors that can lead to the long-term success of VR-based leisure activities for aged care. Providing time and resources for a VR champion to experiment and learn about the technology is critical. The development of an online implementation toolkit, based on our learning from this project, also provides aged care stakeholders with the evidence-based resources needed to ensure the successful implementation of VR-based leisure programs.

"Live Gerontology": Understanding and Representing Aging, Loneliness, and Long-Term Care Through Science and Art.

This article proposes an expansive conceptualization of gerontological research by engaging with a "live gerontology" that combines sciences and arts to better understand and represent aging and its diverse meanings and contexts. Borrowing the sociological concept of "live methods," we argue that gerontology can benefit from a "live" approach-not only methodologically, but also conceptually. To guide pathways between artistic and gerontological fields and frame its practices and outcomes, we suggest four propositions for a live gerontology: (1) using multiple genres to artfully connect the whole-interweaving micro-, meso-, and macrolevels to contextualize aging within various sociocultural milieus; (2) fostering the use of the senses to capture more than just what people say-what they do, display, and feel; (3) enabling a critical inventiveness by relying on arts' playfulness to design/refine instruments; and (4) ensuring a constant reflection on ethics of representation and public responsibility. To apply and experiment with a live gerontological approach, we describe collaborations with an award-winning writer and an illustrator. The collaborations drew on qualitative data from a study on lived experiences of loneliness in long-term care through ethnography and interviews with residents of 2 Australian facilities. The writer explored participants' accounts as creative stories, which were then illustrated. Motivated by an ethics of representation, we aimed to represent findings without othering or further marginalizing participants. The creative materials offered more than appealing representations, shining new light on the intricate nature of aging, loneliness, institutionalization, and gerontology research and practice.

The relationship between social isolation, social support, and loneliness with cardiovascular disease and shared risk factors: A narrative review.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the greatest contributor to global morbidity and mortality. Poor social health plays a critical role in CVD incidence. Additionally, the relationship between social health and CVD may be mediated through CVD risk factors. However, the underlying mechanisms between social health and CVD are poorly understood. Certain social health constructs (social isolation, low social support and loneliness) have complicated the characterisation of a causal relationship between social health and CVD. AIM: To provide an overview of the relationship between social health and CVD (and its shared risk factors). METHOD: In this narrative review, we examined published literature on the relationship between three social health constructs (social isolation, social support, and loneliness) and CVD. Evidence was synthesised in a narrative format, focusing on the potential ways in which social health affects CVD, including shared risk factors. RESULTS: The current literature highlights an established relationship between social health and CVD with a likelihood for bi-directionality. However, there is speculation and varied evidence regarding how these relationships may be mediated through CVD risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: Social health can be considered an established risk factor for CVD. However, the potential bi-directional pathways of social health with CVD risk factors are less established. Further research is needed to understand whether targeting certain constructs of social health may directly improve the management of CVD risk factors. Given the health and economic burdens of poor social health and CVD, improvements to addressing or preventing these interrelated health conditions would have societal benefits.

Artificial Intelligence in Long-Term Care: Technological Promise, Aging Anxieties, and Sociotechnical Ageism.

This article explores views about older people and aging underpinning practices and perceptions of development and implementation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in long-term care homes (LTC). Drawing on semi-structured interviews with seven AI developers, seven LTC staff, and four LTC advocates, we analyzed how AI technologies for later life are imagined, designed, deployed, and resisted. Using the concepts of "promissory discourse" and "aging anxieties", we investigated manifestations of ageism in accounts of AI applications in LTC. Despite positive intentions, both AI developers and LTC staff/advocates engaged in simplistic scripts about aging, care, and the technological capacity of older people. We further uncovered what we termed sociotechnical ageism-a form that is not merely digital but rests on interacting pre-conceptions about the inability or lack of interest of older people to use emerging technologies coupled with social assumptions about aging, LTC, and technological innovation.

Pandemic Diaries: Lived Experiences of Loneliness, Loss, and Hope Among Older Adults During COVID-19.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: While research on loneliness in later life has increased during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, we still lack diverse qualitative approaches capturing lived experiences of lonely older adults. Approaches to research with older adults instead of on them are also scant in gerontological literature on loneliness. Through solicited diaries, this study aimed to explore how older Australians who were already lonely before the pandemic managed lockdowns (stay-at-home orders) in Victoria, Australia, which lived through one of the longest lockdowns in the world. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: This article is based on qualitative diaries completed by 32 older adults (aged 65 and older). Diaries provide a 'live' document where participants become active research partners, recording and sharing their perceptions and experiences. This method is useful to capture sensitive issues, but to the best of our knowledge has not been employed in loneliness studies. Data were thematically analyzed through the identification of themes within and across diaries. RESULTS: Loneliness was defined by participants as a detrimental absence of companionship and meaningful social interactions. For most, lockdowns exacerbated loneliness, presented new triggers, and upended coping strategies. The disruption of the 'emotion work' involved with managing loneliness led to a reconfiguration of response strategies, including through digital technology, which brought both challenges (e.g., digital ageism) and opportunities (e.g., novel communication forms). DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Understanding how older people living alone define and respond to loneliness in diverse contexts-for example, before and during a pandemic that restricts social interaction-provides critical insights to inform interventions to tackle loneliness.

Neospongodes atlantica, a potential case of an early biological introduction in the Southwestern Atlantic.

Soft corals (Anthozoa: Octocorallia) are discreet components in the Southwestern Atlantic reef communities. In Brazil, the native octocoral shallow-reef fauna is mostly represented by gorgonians. Consequently, except for the nephtheid Neospongodes atlantica, most of the known soft corals from this region are considered non-indigenous. Hitherto, the monotypic genus Neospongodes, which was proposed in the early 1900s, has been considered to be endemic to the Northeastern Brazilian coast. Herein, based on in situ records, we show that N. atlantica is a substrate generalist that has been probably expanding its distribution by dominating extensive shallow and mesophotic sandy and reef bottoms, generally outcompeting other reef benthic organisms, including Brazilian endemic species. Based on previously unidentified museum specimens, new records, and a broad literature review, we provide the most comprehensive modelling of the potential distribution of this species in the Southwestern Atlantic. Based on molecular inference supported by in-depth morphological analysis, the probable non-indigenous and, therefore, ancient introduction of N. atlantica in Brazilian waters is discussed. Finally, these results support that Neospongodes and the Indo-Pacific Stereonephthya are synonyms, which led us to propose the latter as taxonomically invalid.

Aborjinia corallicola sp. n., a new nematode species (Nematoda: Marimermithidae) associated with the bamboo coral Acanella arbuscula (Johnson).

A new species of Aborjinia Özdikmen, 2010 is described from the tissues of the cold-water bamboo coral Acanella arbuscula (Johnson) from the northwest Atlantic. Aborjinia corallicola sp. n. is characterized by 18.4-33.2 mm long body in adults; outer labial and cephalic sensilla papilliform and located 14-21 µm from anterior end, amphideal aperture located 22-41 µm from anterior end, excretory pore indistinct, rectum and anal opening functional, convex-conoid tail with broadly rounded terminus, spinneret subventral. It is placed in the genus Aborjinia based on the combination of the following characters: outer labial and cephalic sensilla papilliform in shape and located in one circle, contrary to Marimermis Rutsov & Platonova, 1974 (outer labial and cephalic sensilla setiform) and Ananus Rubtsov, 1977 and Thalassonema Ward, 1933 (outer labial and cephalic sensilla in separate circles, if known). From Aborjinia eulagiscae Tchesunov & Spiridonov, 1985 the new species differs in much shorter body, much shorter tail, presence of caudal glands and spinneret in adults, different host species. Our finding represents the first report of a nematode in a parasitic relationship with a cold-water octocoral. Phylogenetic relationships between Aborjinia and other nematodes are analyzed based on 18S rDNA sequences. Summary of all presently known species and genera of the family Marimermithidae is also given.

Dignity, Autonomy, and Style of Company: Dimensions Older Adults Consider for Robot Companions.

Research into companion robots for older adults, including those who are socially isolated and lonely, continues to grow. Although some insight into older adults' preferences for various robotic types and functionality is emerging, we lack research examining how these robots fulfil or challenge a range of values and aspirations individuals have in later life. This study examines the attitudes and perspectives of 16 older adults (aged 65+) living independently but alone in their own homes, who were interviewed and shown videos depicting three distinctive companion robots: a talking assistant; a roving toylike vehicle; and a robotic dog. This approach illuminated values, preferences, and needs amongst older people that are vital for understanding the potential of companion robots. In comparing the robots, participants expressed concerns about the impact of different companion robots on their abilities and skills, their sense of autonomy and control over their lives, and the maintenance of several kinds of dignity. These results inform user-centered design and use of companion robots for older people living alone and independently.

Characterization of marine microbial communities around an Arctic seabed hydrocarbon seep at Scott Inlet, Baffin Bay.

Seabed hydrocarbon seeps present natural laboratories for investigating responses of marine ecosystems to petroleum input. A hydrocarbon seep near Scott Inlet, Baffin Bay, was visited for in situ observations and sampling in the summer of 2018. Video evidence of an active hydrocarbon seep was confirmed by methane and hydrocarbon analysis of the overlying water column, which is 260 m at this site. Elevated methane concentrations in bottom water above and down current from the seep decreased to background seawater levels in the mid-water column >150 m above the seafloor. Seafloor microbial mats morphologically resembling sulfide-oxidizing bacteria surrounded areas of bubble ebullition. Calcareous tube worms, brittle stars, shrimp, sponges, sea stars, sea anemones, sea urchins, small fish and soft corals were observed near the seep, with soft corals showing evidence for hydrocarbon incorporation. Sediment microbial communities included putative methane-oxidizing Methyloprofundus, sulfate-reducing Desulfobulbaceae and sulfide-oxidizing Sulfurovum. A metabolic gene diagnostic for aerobic methanotrophs (pmoA) was detected in the sediment and bottom water above the seep epicentre and up to 5 km away. Both 16S rRNA gene and pmoA amplicon sequencing revealed that pelagic microbial communities oriented along the geologic basement rise associated with methane seepage (running SW to NE) differed from communities in off-axis water up to 5 km away. Relative abundances of aerobic methanotrophs and putative hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria were elevated in the bottom water down current from the seep. Detection of bacterial clades typically associated with hydrocarbon and methane oxidation highlights the importance of Arctic marine microbial communities in mitigating hydrocarbon emissions from natural geologic sources.

Intraoperative haemodynamic optimisation therapy with venoarterial carbon dioxide difference and pulse pressure variation - does it work?

BACKGORUND: Current evidence suggests that intraoperative goal-directed haemodynamic therapy (GDT) should be considered for high-risk patients undergoing major gastrointestinal surgery. We aimed to evaluate if an algorithm using venoarterial carbon dioxide difference (CO2 gap) and pulse pressure variation (PPV) as therapeutic targets during GDT would decrease the major complications after gastrointestinal surgery. METHODS: This was a before-and-after study (n = 204) performed in a tertiary hospital on patients who underwent elective open major gastrointestinal surgeries. The inclusion criteria were surgeries expected to last more than two hours, family and physician's agreement on total postoperative support, and survival expectancy of at least three months. The exclusion criteria were previous haemodynamic instability, presence of infection, cardiac arrhythmias, and emergency surgery. In the intervention group (IG), an algorithm was applied using fluids, dobutamine, and noradrenaline during the intraoperative period aiming at MAP > 65 mm Hg, SpO2 > 95%, CO2 gap < 6 mm Hg, and PPV < 13%. The control group (CG) comprised consecutive eligible patients who were operated by the same team before the institution of the algorithm. RESULTS: The rates of moderate and severe postoperative complications were lower in the IG (11% vs. 23%; IC: RR = 0.47, 95% CI: 0.246-0.929; P = 0.025). The respective 90- and 180-day mortality rates in the IG and CG were 9.8% vs. 22.5% (P = 0.014) and 12.6% vs. 25.5% (P = 0.020). CONCLUSIONS: An algorithm aiming to minimise the CO2 gap and normalise PPV was feasible and effective in decreasing rates of moderate and severe complications after surgery in high-risk patients.

Anomalous origin of coronary arteries from pulmonary artery in adults: a case series.

BACKGROUND: Anomalous origin of a coronary artery from the pulmonary trunk is a small group of rare congenital anomalies present in up to 1% of the population. These patients, in absence of an adequate collateral supply, may present with congestive heart failure secondary to ischaemia, arrhythmia, or sudden cardiac death in up to 90% of cases within the first months of life. CASE SUMMARY: We present four cases diagnosed in adulthood over 10 years in two high-volume centres. The first patient presented with dyspnoea and orthopnoea. The second with chest pain and episodes of non-sustained ventricular tachycardia. The third patient presented during her third pregnancy with chest pain, palpitations, and arrhythmia (non-sustained ventricular tachycardia). The fourth patient presented with sudden cardiac death. DISCUSSION: In all cases with anomalous origin of coronary arteries, it is recommendable to consider surgical correction to avoid the progression of ischaemia, congestive heart failure, arrhythmia, and sudden death.

What Is "Publicly Available Data"? Exploring Blurred Public-Private Boundaries and Ethical Practices Through a Case Study on Instagram.

This article adds to the literature on ethics in digital research by problematizing simple understandings of what constitutes "publicly available data," thereby complicating common "consent waiver" approaches. Based on our recent study of representations of family life on Instagram, a platform with a distinct visual premise, we discuss the ethical challenges we encountered and our practices for moving forward. We ground this in Lauren Berlant's concept of "intimate publics" to conceptualize the different understandings of "publics" that appear to be at play. We make the case for a more reflexive approach to social media research ethics that builds on the socio-techno-ethical affordances of the platform to address difficult questions about how to determine social media users' diverse, and sometimes contradictory, understandings of what is "public."

Correlation between cephalic circumference at birth and ocular alterations in patients with microcephaly potentially associated with Zika Virus infection.

INTRODUCTION: The Zika virus (ZIKV) is an arbovirus isolated for the first time in 1947 and transmitted to humans by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. In Brasil, it was first detected in May 2015. Since then, ZIKV has been identified as the etiological agent of acute exanthematous disease in Brasil, and Neuropediatricians of the Recife warned about an epidemic of microcephaly, and the Brazilian Ministry of Health confirmed the association between ZIKV and Congenital malformations and neurological syndromes. The eye, as an extension of the developing brain, has been examined in patients with microcephaly and maternal history of ZIKV infection. METHODS: Twenty newborn patients with microcephaly, whose mothers had presumed Zika virus during pregnancy, were analyzed through medical records. The nonparametric chi-square statistic was used to verify the association between head circumference and ocular alteration at a significance level of 0.0001. RESULTS: The significance of P = 0.000 in the value of non-parametric chi-square statistics was lower than the value of α = 0.0001, demonstrating that, at a level of 0.0001, there is an association between head circumference and ocular alteration. CONCLUSION: Although the knowledge of the natural evolution of the disease is still scarce, the current evidence is strong enough to establish a causal relationship between ZIKV infection during pregnancy and the increased incidence of the microcephaly and serious eye alterations that lead to the severe lower vision of these children.

"It's the worst bloody feeling in the world": Experiences of loneliness and social isolation among older people living in care homes.

Loneliness and social isolation in later life result in social exclusion, reduced well-being, and significant health problems. Yet, we have a limited understanding of the meanings that older people ascribe to loneliness and social isolation, and how they live through and cope with these issues. The scarce research on the topic largely reflects the experiences of older people living in the community. Less is known about the lived experiences of those in institutionalized settings, despite this group's vulnerability to loneliness and social isolation. To address this gap, we conducted a six-month multi-method qualitative study in two Australian care homes. The study included participant observation and interviews with twenty-two residents experiencing (or at risk) of loneliness and/or social isolation. Our findings show that participants understood loneliness and social isolation as relational and associated with oldering (age-related contexts, norms, status), personal troubles, and sickness. They therefore situated loneliness and social isolation as multidimensional phenomena: related to both structural (e.g., oldering) and agentic (e.g., personal choices) dimensions. Although participants acknowledged the structural aspects of loneliness and isolation, most felt it was their own responsibility to address it. They employed individual and social strategies to cope with and regulate disclosure of loneliness and isolation. Our study drew on interactionism and situationism (Erving Goffman) along with an emotion work approach (Arlie Hochschild) to provide a richer understanding of the lived experiences of loneliness and social isolation among frail older people living in care homes.

Correlation between cephalic circumference at birth and ocular alterations in patients with microcephaly potentially associated with Zika Virus infection

SUMMARY INTRODUCTION: The Zika virus (ZIKV) is an arbovirus isolated for the first time in 1947 and transmitted to humans by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. In Brasil, it was first detected in May 2015. Since then, ZIKV has been identified as the etiological agent of acute exanthematous disease in Brasil, and Neuropediatricians of the Recife warned about an epidemic of microcephaly, and the Brazilian Ministry of Health confirmed the association between ZIKV and Congenital malformations and neurological syndromes. The eye, as an extension of the developing brain, has been examined in patients with microcephaly and maternal history of ZIKV infection. METHODS: Twenty newborn patients with microcephaly, whose mothers had presumed Zika virus during pregnancy, were analyzed through medical records. The nonparametric chi-square statistic was used to verify the association between head circumference and ocular alteration at a significance level of 0.0001. RESULTS: The significance of P = 0.000 in the value of non-parametric chi-square statistics was lower than the value of α = 0.0001, demonstrating that, at a level of 0.0001, there is an association between head circumference and ocular alteration. CONCLUSION: Although the knowledge of the natural evolution of the disease is still scarce, the current evidence is strong enough to establish a causal relationship between ZIKV infection during pregnancy and the increased incidence of the microcephaly and serious eye alterations that lead to the severe lower vision of these children.

RESUMO: INTRODUÇÃO: O vírus Zika (ZIKV) é um arbovírus isolado pela primeira vez no ano de 1947, sendo transmitido para o homem pelo mosquito Aedes aegypti. No Brasil foi detectado pela primeira vez em maio de 2015. Desde então, ZIKV foi identificado como o agente etiológico da doença exantemática aguda no Brasil, e neuropediatras do Recife deram o sinal de alerta sobre uma epidemia de microcefalia, tendo o Ministério da Saúde do Brasil confirmado a associação entre ZIKV e malformações congênitas e síndromes neurológicas. O olho, sendo uma extensão do cérebro em desenvolvimento, tem sido examinado em pacientes com microcefalia e história materna de infecção por ZIKV. MÉTODO: Foram analisados, por meio de prontuário médico, 20 pacientes recém-nascidos, portadores de microcefalia, cujas mães tiveram presumidamente Zika vírus durante a gestação. A estatística não paramétrica Qui-Quadrado foi utilizada para verificar a associação entre perímetro cefálico e alteração ocular, no nível de significância de 0,0001. RESULTADOS: A significância de P=0,000 no valor da estatística não paramétrica de Qui-Quadrado foi menor do que o valor de α = 0,0001, demonstrando que podemos afirmar que, em um nível de 0,0001, há uma associação entre o perímetro cefálico e a alteração ocular. CONCLUSÃO: Apesar de ainda serem escassos os conhecimentos sobre a evolução natural da doença, as evidências atuais são fortes o suficiente para estabelecermos a relação causal entre a infecção pelo ZIKV durante a gravidez e o aumento da frequência da microcefalia e alterações oculares graves que levam à baixa severa da visão dessas crianças.

Can Digital Technology Enhance Social Connectedness Among Older Adults? A Feasibility Study.

This study examined the feasibility of a novel communication technology to enhance social connectedness among older adults in residential care. Research suggests that technology can create opportunities for social connectedness, helping alleviate social isolation and loneliness. Studies on implementation and feasibility of such technological interventions, particularly among frail and institutionalized older adults, are scant. Data were gathered in a 3-month deployment with 12 older adults, including semistructured interviews with participants and relatives/friends, psychometric scales, field observations, and usability tests. Data were analyzed with qualitative profiling, thematic analysis, and Friedman tests. The technology was a feasible communication tool, although requiring an adaptation period. Use increased perceived social interaction with ties, but increased social connectedness (meaningful social interaction) was only reported by participants with geographically distant relatives. Sense of well-being and confidence with technology was enhanced, but negative effects were also observed. Findings are useful for researchers and practitioners interested in technological interventions.

Social capital and Internet use in an age-comparative perspective with a focus on later life.

Older adults (aged 65+) are still less likely to adopt the Internet when compared to other age groups, although their usage is increasing. To explore the societal effects of Internet usage, scholars have been using social capital as an analytical tool. Social capital pertains to the resources that are potentially available in one's social ties. As the Internet becomes a prominent source of information, communication, and participation in industrialized countries, it is critical to study how it affects social resources from an age-comparative perspective. Research has found a positive association between Internet use and social capital, though limited attention has been paid to older adults. Studies have also found a positive association between social capital and wellbeing, health, sociability, and social support amongst older adults. However, little is known about how Internet usage or lack thereof relates to their social capital. To address this gap, we used a mixed-methods approach to examine the relationship between Internet usage and social capital and whether and how it differs by age. For this, we surveyed a representative sample of 417 adults (18+) living in Lisbon, Portugal, of which 118 are older adults. Social capital was measured through bonding, bridging, and specific resources, and analyzed with Latent Class Modeling and logistic regressions. Internet usage was measured through frequency and type of use. Fourteen follow-up semi-structured interviews helped contextualize the survey data. Our findings show that social capital decreased with age but varied for each type of Internet user. Older adults were less likely to have a high level of social capital; yet within this age group, frequent Internet users had higher levels than other users and non-users. On the one hand, the Internet seems to help maintain, accrue, and even mobilize social capital. On the other hand, it also seems to reinforce social inequality and accumulated advantage (known as the Matthew effect).