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This study assessed older adults' preferences, attitudes, and motivations to understand and change their individual risk for developing dementia via screening in primary care settings. Eighty-six community-dwelling older adults (aged 60–91 years, M = 74.03, SD = 6.83) completed measures of behavioural intent to undergo dementia risk screening, response efficacy (i.e., belief that screening is useful), negative affective responses (e.g., risk screening results making individuals more scared about the future), motivation to change risk-related behaviours, level of social support, depression, and anxiety symptomatology. Overall, participants reported positive attitudes towards dementia risk screening and risk reduction. Two ordinal logistic regressions indicated that response efficacy was a significant predictor of behavioural intent to undergo dementia risk screening, whereas self-efficacy and family history of dementia were significant predictors of motivation to change risk-related behaviours. Barriers included lack of information, motivation, and self-control. Facilitators included access to formal and informal supports, and engagement with social and non-social activities. Dementia risk screening and risk reduction in primary care may be more desirable for those with a family history of dementia, high response efficacy, and high self-efficacy. Addressing barriers such as lack of information, motivation, and self-control may improve older adults' engagement with dementia risk reduction. What is already known about this topic: Lifestyle factors can be modified to reduce dementia risk; however, an understanding of the role of motivation to change these behaviours is limited. Age, sex, family history of dementia, and dementia carer experience have been linked to motivation to reduce dementia risk. There is very limited understanding of people's behavioural intent to undergo dementia risk screening in primary care. What this topic adds: Overall, older adults had positive attitudes towards dementia risk screening and risk reduction in primary care settings, and screening results mostly did not induce fear about the future. Response efficacy was a significant predictor of behavioural intent to undergo dementia risk screening, whereas self-efficacy and family history of dementia were significant predictors of motivation to change risk-related behaviours. Barriers to behaviour change were lack of information, motivation, and self-control. Facilitators were formal and informal supports, and social and non-social activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The moisture content (MC) of a fuel is generally determined through gravimetric analysis where a sample is dehydrated in an oven over a period of approximately 24 h; the MC is then calculated by dividing the difference between the initial and final mass, by the initial mass. Handheld moisture meters offer the benefit of near-instantaneous measurements and should provide accurate and dependable results. The performance of nine moisture meters applied to seven low-carbon fuels (LCFs) was determined. The nine meters employed three measurement technologies: electrical conductance/resistance, electrical capacitance and electromagnetic inductance. The seven LCF samples considered were: shredded switchgrass, two batches of shredded wood, two batches of ragger tails and two batches of sanitary products. A moisture meter applicable for LCF should have a clear relationship between the actual MC and the measured MC, low variability, and be accurate within an absolute difference of 2%. Results indicated that none of the meters were suitable for use on LCF in general. It was not possible to identify a specific measurement technology that performed better for a certain LCF type from the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Creosote-treated wooden railway ties and roofing asphalt shingles are discarded in large quantities and may be significant sources of energy; however, they may have rotted or oxidized, and the chemical changes that result from such weathering could affect their behavior as a fuel or pyrolysis feedstock. Such changes in railway tie wood, and roofing asphalt shingles were studied by identifying isothermal 250 and 550 °C pyrolysis products (pyrolyzates) with pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (py-GC/MS). Poplar wood pyrolysis was also studied and compared to existing literature to establish a reference scenario; identified poplar wood pyrolyzates assisted in the analysis of railway tie and asphalt shingle pyrolyzates. Poplar pyrolyzates included the products of polysaccharide ring-breaking and lignin pyrolysis, confirming one of the two competing low-temperature pyrolysis models. Railway tie pyrolyzates showed few signs of bacterial degradation or oxidation, indicating that the tie considered here did not undergo extensive weathering. Roofing asphalt pyrolyzates included many carbonyl, hydroxyl, and ether functionalized cyclic species, as well as sulfur dioxide; these pyrolyzates indicate extensive and preferential oxidation of cyclic carbon and sulfur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]