Detta kapitel handlar om olika former av åldersrelaterade kategoriseringar; en utförligare analys av dessa kommer att ingå i min avhandling som har arbetsnamnet Se lika ung ut som du känner dig. Om kulturella föreställningar om ålder och åldrande. Avhandlingen har som empirisk utgångspunkt intervjuer med människor verksamma inom reklam och marknadsföring, samt med personer som arbetar med tidningar som vänder sig till kvinnor i åldrarna 40 och uppåt, med just ålder som försäljningsargument. Vidare analyserar jag tidningens texter, med tonvikt också på det visuella. Som en tredje empirisk ingång har jag intervjuat ett antal kvinnor i medelåldern om att vara i denna del av livet, om deras syn på tidningarna, reklambilderna i dem och om konsumtion. Min forskningsfråga fokuserar den mening ålder och åldrande ges i de här sammanhangen. I detta kapitel kommer jag att rikta intresset mot åldersrelaterade kategoriseringar som de som arbetar med reklam respektive journalistik använder sig av under intervjuerna eller som figurerar på olika hemsidor som de refererar till, men också de som förekommer i tidningarnas artiklar och reportage. Vilka förhandlingar om ålder och åldrande kommer till uttryck i de kategoriseringar man använder sig av? Vilken mening tillskrivs ålder och åldrande i de här benämningarna? Till en del överlappar inifrånanvändningarna av begreppen med vetenskapliga. Artiklar och reportage i tidningarna hänvisar till forskning. De intervjuade marknadsförarna refererar till vetenskapliga undersökningar då de beskriver hur man inom branschen tänker kring målgrupper, värderingar m.m. Vetenskapliga definitioner av begreppen blir också en klangbotten då jag analyserar de uttryck som används i veckotidningarna respektive under intervjuerna. Av utrymmesskäl skriver jag i denna artikel inte om de åldersbegrepp de intervjuade kvinnorna använder. Med utgångspunkt i en analys av kategoriseringar som cirkulerar i reklam, marknadsföring och veckotidningarnas texter, kommer jag nedan att diskutera några begrepp som kan vara värda att reflektera över.

Den här texten syftar till att diskutera det ökande intresset för äldres boendesituation utifrån kommunernas, bostadsföretagens samt de äldre individernas perspektiv. Detta görs genom att studera de förändringar som har ägt rum på bostadsmarknaden då nya former av boenden för äldre nu finns på marknaden. Dessa boenden riktar sig till aktiva äldre som närmar sig eller redan har uppnått pensionsåldern och som inte har hemmaboende barn. De förändringar som sker i den här fasen av livet kan antas påverka boendesituationen även om det är individer och hushåll som inte är beroende av insatser i form av vård och omsorg som endast kan lösas inom det särskilda boendet. Fokus här är på de förändringar som ägt rum på den ordinära bostadsmarknaden och inom bostadsföretagen men också på sociala frågor som kan ha med de äldres bostadssituation att göra. Studien utgår ifrån några forskningsfrågor kring tidpunkten för det ökade intresset för äldres boendesituation, de olika typer av boenden som diskuteras liksom de kvaliteter i boendet som poängteras i samband med marknadsföringen av seniorboenden. Texten är en sammanfattning dels av litteratur som berör äldre som aktörer på bostadsmarknaden, dels av möten med representanter för bostadsföretag och tjänstemän inom några olika kommuner kring de behov som finns och olika exempel på hur man försöker möta dessa behov. Ett antal studiebesök har också genomförts som visar på hur den här typen av boenden fungerar i praktiken och texten bygger också på preliminära resultat ifrån ett par pågående studier om äldres boendepreferenser i en medelstor svensk stad. Resultaten som presenteras är en sammanfattning av det som framkommit ur dessa olika källor. Det finns inga regler för vad som måste ingå för att ett boende ska räknas som en mellanboendeform, t.ex. seniorboende, även om en del riktlinjer och rekommendationer har presenterats (Wel Hops 2007). Oftast riktar sig boendet till individer som är 55 år eller äldre och som inte har några hemmavarande barn. Tillgängligheten är hög och det finns oftast gemensamhetsutrymmen och lokaler för hobbyverksamheter av olika slag. Mellanbo-endeformerna har en rad olika namn såsom seniorboende, plusboende, 55+, temaboende, boende för den tredje åldern, gemensamhetsboende etc. Här kommer termen seniorboende för enkelhetens skull att användas. / Staden och de äldres boende

Kapitlet inleds med en beskrivning av det forskningsprogram med rubriken Kommunikation i äldre människors livsmiljö, som bedrivits vid Tema Äldre och åldrande/NISAL sedan starten år 2000. Därefter ges ett exempel från vår forskning om behovsbedömning i äldreomsorgen där samtalsanalys är den metodologiska ansats som används. Vi visar här hur denna typ av forskning kan användas som verktyg för att studera situationer där samtalens deltagare – de äldre själva, deras närstående och handläggarna – har delvis olika åsikter om de äldre personernas hjälpbehov. Kapitlet avslutas med några tankar om vad samtalsanalytisk forskning kan bidra med för typ av kunskap och vad sådana studier i sin tur kan få för konsekvenser för utformningen av äldreomsorgen.

Det här kapitlet kommer att handla om vårt förhållande till livets förgänglighet och de populära råd och uppmaningar som förmedlas i vår nutid om hur vi ska "leva rätt nu så vi kan leva gott sedan". De frågor jag ställer mig är hur vårt förhållningssätt till tid och livets förgänglighet får konsekvenser för hur vi lever våra liv, samt hur man kan tolka behovet av att kontrollera tiden. Till grund för texten ligger det material som använts i mitt avhandlingsarbete samt dagsaktuella artiklar i tryckt press.

Syfte och frågeställningar Syftet med uppsatsen var att göra en undersökning av attityder till och uppfattningar kring kost, träning och hälsa hos personer i åldern 55-70 år. Ser de sambandet mellan sin livsstil och upplevda hälsa idag och i framtiden? Det var även av intresse att undersöka vad de vet om aktuella rön om kost och träning, om de agerar på det de läser, vilka rön de tar till sig och inte. Vidare studerades också deras attityder till motion, hur de upplever den och vilka effekter de tycker att den har, samt vad de upplever som hinder för att de skulle motionera mer. De tillfrågades även om kostvanor, då dessa är relevanta i sammanhanget. Metod En kvantitativ undersökning i form av en enkätundersökning befanns lämplig. Att genomföra den via Internet var mest praktiskt och smidigt. Respondenterna söktes via föräldrar, svärföräldrar, vänner och bekanta som i sin tur frågade sina föräldrar, vänner och så vidare. Resultat Det stora flertalet av respondenterna uppgav att de rörde en del på sig, huvudsakliga aktiviteter var promenader och/eller cykling. De sade sig också i stor utsträckning vara medvetna om idag vanliga hälsorön som förekommer i media och många uppgav att de följde en del av dem. Dock visade de på en viss försiktighet, alternativt hade vissa svårigheter med att ta till sig dem eftersom de ansåg att det kom ut för mycket råd som ofta var motstridiga - de hade helt enkelt inte tid och ork att sätta sig in i alla frågor. De var positiva till motion och dess effekter, men många angav att de skulle behöva någon form av hjälp för att komma igång eller för att öka deras aktivitetsnivå. De flesta hade gjort vissa anpassningar av sina kostvanor p.g.a. hälsoråd. Det finns en positiv korrelation mellan ett intresse för hälsokunskap och mera motion, och dessutom med bättre upplevd hälsa. Slutsats Den äldre generationen är någorlunda villig att ta till sig råd och förändra sin livsstil för att förbättra sin hälsa på sikt. De flesta upplever dock att de behöver hjälp med att komma över ofta praktiska hinder för att motionera mer regelbundet, och dessutom med att få en klarare bild av vad de faktiskt borde göra. Men med intresse och kunskap följer handling. Det finns således en utmärkt möjlighet för en hälsopedagog att göra en insats för denna generation. / Aim The aim of this study has been to examine the attitudes towards nutrition, exercise and health in persons aged 55 to 70. Do they see the connection between the lifestyles they lead and their perceived health today and in the future? Moreover, what do they know about current research about nutrition and exercise? Do they act upon what they read? What advice do they apply in their lives? Their attitudes towards exercise, their experiences of exercise, what effect they have experienced, and what obstacles to increasing their exercising they experienced were also charted. Questions about nutrition were also brought up since these are relevant in this context. Method The investigation was conducted as a quantitative study in the form of a survey. It was done via the Internet as this was the most practical way. The respondents were chosen and contacted through parents, in-laws, and friends who in turn spread the word further. Results The majority of the respondents took part in regular physical activity, most commonly walking and/or cycling. Most respondents were aware of most health related advice and results of scientific studies common in the media today, claiming to follow some of them. They showed a certain hesitation and inability to fully get grips on them as it was their opinion that such results were overly abundant - they simply didn’t have the time or energy to form their own opinion. They were generally positive on exercise but many deemed they need help to get going or to increase their activity level. Most had made modifications to their diet in response to nutritional advice. There is a positive correlation between an interest in health and exercise, and also with better perceived health. Conclusions The generation of older adults are reasonably willing to accept and apply advice and change their lifestyle in order to improve their long term health. Most feel they need some help to get over obstacles of a practical nature preventing them from exercising more, and in order to get a clearer view of what they should do. But with interest and knowledge comes action. Thus it can be conclude that this is an excellent opportunity for a health advisor to have a positive impact on people of this generation.

In parallel with the ageing of the European population, the number of senior workers (that is to say, workers aged 50 and more) is expected to increase in the decades to come. The necessity to maintain senior workers into the labor force (specially to support the sustainability of pensions system) combined with a general trend to delay the retirement age and with the current economical climate, makes the employment of senior workers a burning issue. Significant differences indeed exist between European countries. While Sweden has the highest senior employment rate, France has one of the lowest. The purpose of this paper is to determine whether these differences can be explained through differences in terms of employability. This multidimensional concept is here explored through the analysis of quantitative data collected by the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). These data provide an updated version of the situation of senior employees in France and in Sweden and more specifically of their employability. Some indicators of the latter can be thus defined and will be used to look at differences or similarities between French and Swedish senior workers generally speaking and from a gender perspective. The results have confirmed the role of initial education and long-life training which contribute respectively to the employability capital of workers and affect positively the employment rates. Such indicators are the first steps in the definition of the employability, which make way for further researches opening the definition to the other part of the active labor force (that is to say, the unemployed).

Providing pretreatment prior RO filtration is essential to avoid biofouling and subsequent loss of membrane performances. Chlorine is known to degrade polymeric membrane, improving or reducing membrane efficiency depending on oxidation conditions. This study aimed to assess the impact of alternative disinfectant, NH2Cl, as well as secondary oxidants formed during chloramination of seawater, e.g. HOBr, HOI, or used in water treatment e.g. ClO2, O3, on membrane structure and performances. Permeability, total and specific rejection (Cl-, SO4 2-, Br-, Boron), FTIR profile, elemental composition were analyzed. Results showed that each oxidant seems to react differently with the membrane. HOCl, HOBr, ClO2 and O3 improved membrane permeability but decreased rejection in different extent. In comparison, chloramines resulted in identical trends but oxidized membrane very slowly. On the contrary, iodine improved membrane rejection e.g. boron, but decreased permeability. Reaction conducted with chlorine, bromine, iodine and chloramines resulted in the incorporation of halogen in the membrane structure. All oxidant except iodine were able to break amide bonds of the membrane structure in our condition. In addition, chloramine seemed to react with membrane differently, involving a potential addition of nitrogen. Chloramination of seawater amplified membrane performances evolutions due to generation of bromochloramine. Moreover, chloramines reacted both with NOM and membrane during oxidation in natural seawater, leading to additional rejection drop.

A review of the literature pertaining to cut carnation flower senescence and the regulatory role of plant hormones in this process revealed the value of this system in physiological studies. Carnation flower senescence is a good example of correlative senescence and therefore this final development stage involves an interaction between flower parts dying at the expense of the development of others. Due to the survival value of the seed, ovary growth occurs to the detriment of the surrounding flower parts especially the petals, the flower part that determines vaselife. This senescence strategy occurs, although at a later stage, even when pollination is unsuccessful. Additional ethylene applied using 2-chloroethyl phosphonic acid, which when incorporated into plant tissue produces ethylene, accelerated carnation flower senescence. If the carnation flowers are treated with silver thiosulphate,which prevents ethylene action,and ethanol,which inhibits ethylene biosynthesis,petal longevity is extended to the detriment of ovary growth. Correlating the physical appearance of the flowers in the presence and absence of ethylene with dry mass and labelled sucrose analyses, carbohydrate movement appeared to be a major event during the senescence of this cut flower. Such a conclusion could not be reached on dry mass analyses alone as the photosynthetic organs of the carnation flower contribute to the carbohydrate pool in the first days following harvest. Furthermore the respiratory pattern of the flower is not a steady decline. Concomitant with the natural ethylene emanation as the petals irreversibly wilt, so the respiratory rate increases. On the other hand, the respiratory rate is greatly reduced with silver thiosulphate and ethanol treatment. In the presence of ethylene, together with the growth of the ovary there is an influx of carbohydrates from all the flower parts including the petals into the ovary. With silver thiosulphate and ethanol treatment the petals become the dominant carbohydrate sink. It thus appears that insufficient carbohydrates moving to the ovary may be the cause of the lack of ovary development. However , an experiment with isolated cultured ovaries on a modified MILLER'S (1965) medium lacking in plant hormones but with a range of sucrose concentrations showed that sucrose alone cannot stimulate ovary growth. The mechanism by which this source-sink relationship is determined appears to be controlled from the sink. The source organs contribute carbohydrates that are in excess of their metabolic needs. Acid invertase activity, maintaining the sucrose gradient into the sink, was considered as a mechanism by which sink strength could be controlled due to the parallel in other plant systems between the activity of this enzyme and sink strength. On investigation the levels of acid invertase activity are higher in the ovaries of senescing carnations than in the petals. This balance of invertase activity was reached mainly due to a decline in petal invertase activity. However, as silver thiosulphate treatment lowered the level of acid invertase activity in the ovary and this flower part was not the dominant sink with this treatment, acid invertase activity appears to contribute to sink activity in the senescing carnation flower. Nevertheless due to the immobility of sucrose through membranes, for the passive movement of sucrose down a concentration gradient, membrane permeability to sucrose would have to be altered. This is a possible role of the plant hormones and specific ions. Furthermore, this ovary growth was correlated with chloroplast development in the ovary wall. In the presence of ethylene 'greening' or an increase in chlorophyll content during flower senescence was measured. This increase in the chlorophyll content did not occur in the silver thiosulphate and ethanol treated carnations. Relating this to chloroplast development, an electron microscope study showed that in the presence of ethylene the original amyloplast present at harvest developed into a chloroplast with thylakoids stacked into grana. With the ethylene inhibitory treatments, although thylakoids developed in the ovary wall chloroplasts, grana did not form. As chlorophyll is synthesised in the thylakoids, this chloroplast structure correlated with the chlorophyll measurements. The results of the parameters measured during the senescence of the cut carnation flower suggested that the other plant hormones besides ethylene were involved in this process. Endogenous cytokinin measurements showed that, overall, the level within the cut flower declined as the flower senesced. The ovary cytokinin levels did not steadily decline but increased as the petals irreversibly wilted. This peak of cytokinin activity was common to ovaries of flowers treated with 2-chloroethyl phosphonic acid and naphthalene acetic acid, treatments that accelerated senescence. Previous workers showed that a silver thiosulphate treatment prevented this increase in cytokinin activity in the ovary. This, together with the lack of ovary development, suggests that the ovary cytokinin activity may be a crucial event in the regulation of carnation flower senescence. To confirm such a hypothesis zeatin was injected into the ovary but was found ineffective in mobilising sucrose and accelerating petal senescence. It was only when both zeatin and indoleacetic acid were applied to the ovary that sucrose mobilisation and accelerated petal senescence occurred. Thus auxins together with cytokinins appear important in ovary development. The importance of the presence of auxin in ovary development was further recognised by a naphthalene acetic acid treatment being far more effective in ~timulating the growth of isolated cultured ovaries than kinetin. Auxin treatment increased the size of the cells within the ovary wall and the development of the chloroplasts within these cells to a greater extent compared to control and kinetintreated ovaries. It was thus hypothesised that the auxin levels in the ovary were protected against conjugation by the presence of adequate levels of cytokinins. When the cytokinin levels dropped, as in the petals, ethylene could then accelerate auxin conjugation resulting in a retardation of growth. Sink tissues, such as the ovary, with a higher cytokinin and hence auxin content, may utilise mobilised assimilates from the petals thus contributing to petal senescence. To further prove this hypothesis an investigation into the site of ethylene action using the silver ion as a tool was initiated. A review of the histochemical and histological literature revealed that common silver binding sites in plants included sulphydryl groups, chloride ions, ascorbic acid and invertase. Each was considered as potential channels via which ethylene could effect its physiological response but no conclusion was reached. Because of this a decision on the importance of the translocatory path of a ten minute silver thiosul phate pulse within the flowerhead and its accumulation within the receptacle could not be reached. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1985.

No description available.

Age-dependent changes in the kidney are often debilitating, can be life-threatening and are a significant cause of increasing health costs worldwide. Excessive fibrosis, a general lack of regenerative ability and an increase in apoptosis in cells that determine healthy renal function work together to cause chronic kidney disease (CKD). This thesis reviewed the literature and then tested hypotheses developed from this review, to provide information on the molecules and mechanisms that determine the age-dependent changes of CKD. Results in this thesis provide a comprehensive analysis of the molecular, structural and functional changes of age-related CKD, with particular attention paid to the longevity gene p66Shc. The present studies were able to make use of established ageing rodent colonies of various phenotypes. In the first of the research Chapters, rat models of age-related CKD linked with obesity and hypertension were used. The research tested the hypothesis that each cause of age-related renal change (ageing, obesity or hypertension) would have differing underlying genetic modifications that could explain any differences in renal structure and function. In particular, alterations in oxidant handling and energy metabolism were investigated to identify markers for age-related CKD. Young (3 months) and old (20-24 months) spontaneously-hypertensive rats (SHR), normotensive Wistar- Kyoto (WKY) and Wistar rats (normotensive, with excess visceral and peri-renal fat in ageing) (N = 4 per group) were compared for renal functional and physiological parameters, fibrosis, inflammation and oxidative stress. All of the analyses indicated the old obese Wistars had the greatest renal injury, inflammation and markers of oxidative stress. In particular, % phosphop66/ p66Shc, considered an oxidant stress marker, was significantly increased in these animals (p<0.05). These results suggest that obesity and hypertension have differing oxidant handling and signalling pathways that act in the pathogenesis of age-related CKD, and that obesity alone may be a key causative mechanism of age-related CKD. x Oxidative stress is thought to be a major cause of age-related CKD. In chapter 5, the following hypotheses were tested: (1) that the added stress of ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury on the ageing kidney would create an environment for increased injury; and (2) that this injury could be modulated by using a short-term anti-ageing strategies. Old (20-24 month) and young (3 month) WKY rats (females, N = 4 per group) were used to compare the effects of bilateral, 45-minute, IR injury with and without calorie restriction (a 40% reduction in food from baseline) or vitamin E (daily gavage of 1000IU) for 10 days prior to IR surgery and then for the length of recovery from IR (4 days). Histological, functional and molecular analyses were used. Old rats had significantly worsened renal injury compared with young rats with IR. Proteins involved in oxidative stress (HO-1, p66Shc and phospho-p66Shc), survival (PKB and phospho-PKB), apoptosis (Bax, Bcl-2), inflammation and fibrosis (NF-κB, tumour necrosis factor-α/TNFα, transforming growth factor-β/TGFβ) were differentially expressed according to age and development of IR injury. Vitamin E-supplemented animals showed minimal improvement and calorie restriction generally worsened the outcome in both young and old animals. Changes in protein expression support the notion that these short-term calorie-restricted animals were in a catabolic state, perhaps similar to protein energy wasting seen in some of the human dialysis population. In chapter 6 in vitro experimental models using primary human renal proximal tubular epithelial cells (PTECs) were utilised. Successive passaging in culture of the PTECs showed increasing markers of senescence and oxidative stress. The degree of senescence correlated with expression of the oxidative stress marker phospho-p66Shc and alterations in other key signalling molecules. Hydrogen peroxide (5mM for 1 hour) was used to simulate a burst of oxidative stress and the effects of leptin and resveratrol was examined. Histological and molecular analyses demonstrated some links with the previous in vivo results, for example the involvement of phospho-p66Shc in the development of cell senescence but generally the in vitro experiments did not replicate in vivo xi findings. The lack of complex, heterogeneous, cellular and growth factor/cytokine interactions of the in vivo environment are thought to be a factor in this disappointing result. The tendency for development of CKD differs in males and females in ageing humans. In chapter 7 characteristics of age-related CKD in old male and female rats were compared, summarising data on the WKY rats from Chapters 3 to 5. Minor differences between males and females in histology, function and protein expression are described, but these do not adequately reflect the findings of gender dimorphisms in development of CKD, reported from human and experimental in vivo studies. These experiments demonstrate some of the pathogenetic mechanisms of age-related CKD. The results indicate pathways or molecules that may be targeted in future therapies or may be used as biomarkers of early development of age-related CKD. In particular, the modification of p66Shc may one day be used to minimize renal damage and promote health in the elderly.