Female scarcity reduces women's marital ages and increases variance in men's marital ages.

Science.gov (United States)

Kruger, Daniel J; Fitzgerald, Carey J; Peterson, Tom

2010-08-05

When women are scarce in a population relative to men, they have greater bargaining power in romantic relationships and thus may be able to secure male commitment at earlier ages. Male motivation for long-term relationship commitment may also be higher, in conjunction with the motivation to secure a prospective partner before another male retains her. However, men may also need to acquire greater social status and resources to be considered marriageable. This could increase the variance in male marital age, as well as the average male marital age. We calculated the Operational Sex Ratio, and means, medians, and standard deviations in marital ages for women and men for the 50 largest Metropolitan Statistical Areas in the United States with 2000 U.S Census data. As predicted, where women are scarce they marry earlier on average. However, there was no significant relationship with mean male marital ages. The variance in male marital age increased with higher female scarcity, contrasting with a non-significant inverse trend for female marital age variation. These findings advance the understanding of the relationship between the OSR and marital patterns. We believe that these results are best accounted for by sex specific attributes of reproductive value and associated mate selection criteria, demonstrating the power of an evolutionary framework for understanding human relationships and demographic patterns.

Female Scarcity Reduces Women's Marital Ages and Increases Variance in Men's Marital Ages

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel J. Kruger

2010-07-01

Full Text Available When women are scarce in a population relative to men, they have greater bargaining power in romantic relationships and thus may be able to secure male commitment at earlier ages. Male motivation for long-term relationship commitment may also be higher, in conjunction with the motivation to secure a prospective partner before another male retains her. However, men may also need to acquire greater social status and resources to be considered marriageable. This could increase the variance in male marital age, as well as the average male marital age. We calculated the Operational Sex Ratio, and means, medians, and standard deviations in marital ages for women and men for the 50 largest Metropolitan Statistical Areas in the United States with 2000 U.S Census data. As predicted, where women are scarce they marry earlier on average. However, there was no significant relationship with mean male marital ages. The variance in male marital age increased with higher female scarcity, contrasting with a non-significant inverse trend for female marital age variation. These findings advance the understanding of the relationship between the OSR and marital patterns. We believe that these results are best accounted for by sex specific attributes of reproductive value and associated mate selection criteria, demonstrating the power of an evolutionary framework for understanding human relationships and demographic patterns.

Carnosine: effect on aging-induced increase in brain regional monoamine oxidase-A activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Banerjee, Soumyabrata; Poddar, Mrinal K

2015-03-01

Aging is a natural biological process associated with several neurological disorders along with the biochemical changes in brain. Aim of the present investigation is to study the effect of carnosine (0.5-2.5μg/kg/day, i.t. for 21 consecutive days) on aging-induced changes in brain regional (cerebral cortex, hippocampus, hypothalamus and pons-medulla) mitochondrial monoamine oxidase-A (MAO-A) activity with its kinetic parameters. The results of the present study are: (1) The brain regional mitochondrial MAO-A activity and their kinetic parameters (except in Km of pons-medulla) were significantly increased with the increase of age (4-24 months), (2) Aging-induced increase of brain regional MAO-A activity including its Vmax were attenuated with higher dosages of carnosine (1.0-2.5μg/kg/day) and restored toward the activity that observed in young, though its lower dosage (0.5μg/kg/day) were ineffective in these brain regional MAO-A activity, (3) Carnosine at higher dosage in young rats, unlike aged rats significantly inhibited all the brain regional MAO-A activity by reducing their only Vmax excepting cerebral cortex, where Km was also significantly enhanced. These results suggest that carnosine attenuated the aging-induced increase of brain regional MAO-A activity by attenuating its kinetic parameters and restored toward the results of MAO-A activity that observed in corresponding brain regions of young rats. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd and the Japan Neuroscience Society. All rights reserved.

Microscopic age determination of human skeletons including an unknown but calculable variable

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wallin, Johan Albert; Tkocz, Izabella; Kristensen, Gustav

1994-01-01

estimation, which includes the covariance matrix of four single equation residuals, improves the accuracy of age determination. The standard deviation, however, of age prediction remains 12.58 years. An experimental split of the data was made in order to demonstrate that the use of subgroups gives a false...

Longevity increased by positive self-perceptions of aging.

Science.gov (United States)

Levy, Becca R; Slade, Martin D; Kunkel, Suzanne R; Kasl, Stanislav V

2002-08-01

This research found that older individuals with more positive self-perceptions of aging, measured up to 23 years earlier, lived 7.5 years longer than those with less positive self-perceptions of aging. This advantage remained after age, gender, socioeconomic status, loneliness, and functional health were included as covariates. It was also found that this effect is partially mediated by will to live. The sample consisted of 660 individuals aged 50 and older who participated in a community-based survey, the Ohio Longitudinal Study of Aging and Retirement (OLSAR). By matching the OLSAR to mortality data recently obtained from the National Death Index, the authors were able to conduct survival analyses. The findings suggest that the self-perceptions of stigmatized groups can influence longevity.

Systematic aging of commercial LiFePO4|Graphite cylindrical cells including a theory explaining rise of capacity during aging

Science.gov (United States)

Lewerenz, Meinert; Münnix, Jens; Schmalstieg, Johannes; Käbitz, Stefan; Knips, Marcus; Sauer, Dirk Uwe

2017-03-01

The contribution introduces a new theory explaining the capacity increase that is often observed in early stages of life of lithium-ion batteries. This reversible and SOC-depending capacity rise is explained by the passive electrode effect in this work. The theory assumes a slow, compensating flow of active lithium between the passive and the active part of the anode, where the passive part represents the geometric excess anode with respect to the cathode. The theory is validated using a systematic test of 50 cylindrical 8 Ah LiFePO4|Graphite battery cells analyzed during cyclic and calendaric aging. The cyclic aging has been performed symmetrically at 40 °C cell temperature, varying current rates and DODs. The calendar aging is executed at three temperatures and up to four SOCs. The aging is dominated by capacity fade while the increase of internal resistance is hardly influenced. Surprisingly shallow cycling between 45 and 55% SOC shows stronger aging than aging at higher DOD and tests at 4 C exhibit less aging than aging at lower C-rates. Aging mechanisms at 60 °C seem to deviate from those at 40 °C or lower. The data of this aging matrix is used for further destructive and non-destructive characterization in future contributions.

Increased incidence of preeclampsia in mothers of advanced age conceiving by oocyte donation.

Science.gov (United States)

Dior, Uri P; Laufer, Neri; Chill, Henry H; Granovsky-Grisaru, Sorina; Yagel, Simcha; Yaffe, Haim; Gielchinsky, Yuval

2018-05-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk of preeclampsia in women of advanced age who conceived through donated oocytes as compared with natural conceptions. A historical prospective study of singleton live births of parturients ≥ 45 years of age at four university hospitals was conducted. For the purpose of the study, the population was divided by the mode of conception into two groups: oocyte donation and natural conception. The main outcome variable in this study was preeclampsia. Secondary outcomes included pregnancy-induced hypertension and Small for Gestational Age. Two hundred and seventy pregnancies were achieved naturally and 135 women conceived by oocyte donation. Mean age at delivery for the natural conception and oocyte donation groups was 45.7 and 47.8, respectively. Preeclampsia complicated 3 out of 270 (1.1%) natural conception pregnancies and 17 out of 135 (12.6%) oocyte donation conceptions. After adjusting for confounders, oocyte donation pregnancies were found to be associated with a 12-fold increased risk for preeclampsia (P = 0.001). Among oocyte donation pregnancies, the risk of preeclampsia was not affected by parity or age. A substantially increased risk for preeclampsia was found in oocyte donation pregnancies, suggesting that the foreign oocyte may play a specific biologic role in the development of preeclampsia after the age of 45.

Faster Increases in Human Life Expectancy Could Lead to Slower Population Aging

Science.gov (United States)

2015-01-01

Counterintuitively, faster increases in human life expectancy could lead to slower population aging. The conventional view that faster increases in human life expectancy would lead to faster population aging is based on the assumption that people become old at a fixed chronological age. A preferable alternative is to base measures of aging on people’s time left to death, because this is more closely related to the characteristics that are associated with old age. Using this alternative interpretation, we show that faster increases in life expectancy would lead to slower population aging. Among other things, this finding affects the assessment of the speed at which countries will age. PMID:25876033

Proposed NOAA Budget Includes Hefty Increase for Satellites

Science.gov (United States)

Showstack, Randy

2010-03-01

The Obama administration's proposed fiscal year (FY) 2011 budget for the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) would provide the agency with $5.55 billion, which represents a total increase of $806.1 million, or 17% above the FY 2010 budget enacted by Congress. At a February briefing about the budget, NOAA administrator Jane Lubchenco said the budget is a very good package for the agency and that it reflects the administration's commitment to the environment, science, public safety, and job creation. Noting that the agency's budget remained essentially flat between FY 2005 and FY 2008 during the George W. Bush administration, Lubchenco said, “the increasing demand for NOAA's services, coupled with a static budget, created a major challenge for NOAA in delivering on expectations.” She said the funding picture for the agency improved with the FY 2009 and FY 2010 enacted budgets. Lubchenco noted that the proposed budget would include $949 million for research and development, an $82 million increase, adding, “Our 2011 request for each line office [within NOAA] is higher than it was in 2010, and we are better aligned with congressional funding levels than in previous budgets.”

Prospective validation of criteria, including age, for safe, nonsurgical management of the ruptured spleen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, J.S. Jr.; Wengrovitz, M.A.; DeLong, B.S. (Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey (United States))

1992-09-01

One hundred twelve cases of blunt splenic rupture were prospectively entered (October 1987-October 1991) into surgical or nonsurgical management groups using these criteria for the nonsurgical group: hemodynamic stability-age less than 55 years-CT scan appearance of grade I, II, or III injury-absence of concomitant injuries precluding abdominal assessment+absence of other documented abdominal injuries. All ages were included and AAST injury scaling was used. Patients were grouped from the trauma room. The surgical treatment group included 66 patients (49 splenectomies, 17 splenorraphies). These patients were generally older and more severely injured, required more transfused blood, and a longer ICU stay. The nonsurgical group included 46 patients with 33 older than 14 years. There were 3 patients over the age of 55 years inappropriately included in this group, and nonsurgical therapy failed in all three. Statistical analysis (chi 2) showed that more splenic injuries were observed and more spleens were saved with these criteria applied prospectively compared with a previous retrospective series in the same institution. The series had a success rate of 93%, and validates the criteria used for safe, nonsurgical management of the ruptured spleen and adds a new criterion: a maximum age of 55 years.

Prospective validation of criteria, including age, for safe, nonsurgical management of the ruptured spleen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, J.S. Jr.; Wengrovitz, M.A.; DeLong, B.S.

1992-01-01

One hundred twelve cases of blunt splenic rupture were prospectively entered (October 1987-October 1991) into surgical or nonsurgical management groups using these criteria for the nonsurgical group: hemodynamic stability-age less than 55 years-CT scan appearance of grade I, II, or III injury-absence of concomitant injuries precluding abdominal assessment+absence of other documented abdominal injuries. All ages were included and AAST injury scaling was used. Patients were grouped from the trauma room. The surgical treatment group included 66 patients (49 splenectomies, 17 splenorraphies). These patients were generally older and more severely injured, required more transfused blood, and a longer ICU stay. The nonsurgical group included 46 patients with 33 older than 14 years. There were 3 patients over the age of 55 years inappropriately included in this group, and nonsurgical therapy failed in all three. Statistical analysis (chi 2) showed that more splenic injuries were observed and more spleens were saved with these criteria applied prospectively compared with a previous retrospective series in the same institution. The series had a success rate of 93%, and validates the criteria used for safe, nonsurgical management of the ruptured spleen and adds a new criterion: a maximum age of 55 years

Cold hypersensitivity increases with age in mice with sickle cell disease

Science.gov (United States)

Zappia, Katherine J.; Garrison, Sheldon R.; Hillery, Cheryl A.; Stucky, Cheryl L.

2014-01-01

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is associated with acute vaso-occlusive crises that trigger painful episodes and frequently involves ongoing, chronic pain. Additionally, both humans and mice with SCD experience heighted cold sensitivity. However, studies have not addressed the mechanism(s) underlying the cold sensitization, nor its progression with age. Here we measured thermotaxis behavior in young and aged mice with severe SCD. Sickle mice had a marked increase in cold sensitivity measured by a cold preference test. Further, cold hypersensitivity worsened with advanced age. We assessed whether enhanced peripheral input contributes to the chronic cold pain behavior by recording from C fibers, many of which are cold-sensitive, in skin-nerve preparations. We observed that C fibers from sickle mice displayed a shift to warmer (more sensitive) cold-detection thresholds. To address mechanisms underlying the cold sensitization in primary afferent neurons, we quantified mRNA expression levels for ion channels thought to be involved in cold detection. These included the Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin 8 (Trpm8) and TRP Ankyrin 1 (Trpa1) channels, as well as the two-pore domain potassium channels, TREK-1 (Kcnk2), TREK-2 (Kcnk4), and TRAAK (Kcnk10). Surprisingly, transcript expression levels of all of these channels were comparable between sickle and control mice. We further examined transcript expression of 83 additional pain-related genes and found increased mRNA levels for endothelin 1 and tachykinin receptor 1. These factors may contribute to hypersensitivity in sickle mice at both the afferent and behavioral levels. Sensory neurons from sickle cell disease mice are sensitized to cold, mirroring behavioral observations, and have increased expression of endothelin 1 and tachykinin receptor 1. PMID:24953902

Age-dependent increase in green autofluorescence of blood ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

PRAKASH KUMAR

Protective enzymes against oxidative ... School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110 067, India ... provide evidence for an age dependent increase in the GAF of blood erythrocytes that is accentuated by depletion of.

Age-associated increase in heterochromatic marks in murine and primate tissues.

Science.gov (United States)

Kreiling, Jill A; Tamamori-Adachi, Mimi; Sexton, Alec N; Jeyapalan, Jessie C; Munoz-Najar, Ursula; Peterson, Abigail L; Manivannan, Jayameenakshi; Rogers, Elizabeth S; Pchelintsev, Nikolay A; Adams, Peter D; Sedivy, John M

2011-04-01

Chromatin is highly dynamic and subject to extensive remodeling under many physiologic conditions. Changes in chromatin that occur during the aging process are poorly documented and understood in higher organisms, such as mammals. We developed an immunofluorescence assay to quantitatively detect, at the single cell level, changes in the nuclear content of chromatin-associated proteins. We found increased levels of the heterochromatin-associated proteins histone macro H2A (mH2A) and heterochromatin protein 1 beta (HP1β) in human fibroblasts during replicative senescence in culture, and for the first time, an age-associated increase in these heterochromatin marks in several tissues of mice and primates. Mouse lung was characterized by monophasic mH2A expression histograms at both ages, and an increase in mean staining intensity at old age. In the mouse liver, we observed increased age-associated localization of mH2A to regions of pericentromeric heterochromatin. In the skeletal muscle, we found two populations of cells with either low or high mH2A levels. This pattern of expression was similar in mouse and baboon, and showed a clear increase in the proportion of nuclei with high mH2A levels in older animals. The frequencies of cells displaying evidence of increased heterochromatinization are too high to be readily accounted for by replicative or oncogene-induced cellular senescence, and are prominently found in terminally differentiated, postmitotic tissues that are not conventionally thought to be susceptible to senescence. Our findings distinguish specific chromatin states in individual cells of mammalian tissues, and provide a foundation to investigate further the progressive epigenetic changes that occur during aging. © 2010 The Authors. Aging Cell © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd/Anatomical Society of Great Britain and Ireland.

Widespread recent increases in county-level heart disease mortality across age groups.

Science.gov (United States)

Vaughan, Adam S; Ritchey, Matthew D; Hannan, Judy; Kramer, Michael R; Casper, Michele

2017-12-01

Recent national trends show decelerating declines in heart disease mortality, especially among younger adults. National trends may mask variation by geography and age. We examined recent county-level trends in heart disease mortality by age group. Using a Bayesian statistical model and National Vital Statistics Systems data, we estimated overall rates and percent change in heart disease mortality from 2010 through 2015 for four age groups (35-44, 45-54, 55-64, and 65-74 years) in 3098 US counties. Nationally, heart disease mortality declined in every age group except ages 55-64 years. County-level trends by age group showed geographically widespread increases, with 52.3%, 58.5%, 69.1%, and 42.0% of counties experiencing increases with median percent changes of 0.6%, 2.2%, 4.6%, and -1.5% for ages 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, and 65-74 years, respectively. Increases were more likely in counties with initially high heart disease mortality and outside large metropolitan areas. Recent national trends have masked local increases in heart disease mortality. These increases, especially among adults younger than age 65 years, represent challenges to communities across the country. Reversing these trends may require intensification of primary and secondary prevention-focusing policies, strategies, and interventions on younger populations, especially those living in less urban counties. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Climate control of decadal-scale increases in apparent ages of eogenetic karst spring water

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Jonathan B.; Kurz, Marie J.; Khadka, Mitra B.

2016-09-01

Water quantity and quality in karst aquifers may depend on decadal-scale variations in recharge or withdrawal, which we hypothesize could be assessed through time-series measurements of apparent ages of spring water. We tested this hypothesis with analyses of various age tracers (3H/3He, SF6, CFC-11, CFC-12, CFC-113) and selected solute concentrations [dissolved oxygen (DO), NO3, Mg, and SO4] from 6 springs in a single spring complex (Ichetucknee springs) in northern Florida over a 16-yr period. These springs fall into two groups that reflect shallow short (Group 1) and deep long (Group 2) flow paths. Some tracer concentrations are altered, with CFC-12 and CFC-113 concentrations yielding the most robust apparent ages. These tracers show a 10-20-yr monotonic increase in apparent age from 1997 to 2013, including the flood recession that followed Tropical Storm Debby in mid-2012. This increase in age indicates most water discharged during the study period recharged the aquifer within a few years of 1973 for Group 2 springs and 1980 for Group 1 springs. Inverse correlations between apparent age and DO and NO3 concentrations reflect reduced redox state in older water. Positive correlations between apparent age and Mg and SO4 concentrations reflect increased water-rock reactions. Concentrated recharge in the decade around 1975 resulted from nearly 2 m of rain in excess of the monthly average that fell between 1960 and 2014, followed by a nearly 4 m deficit to 2014. This excess rain coincided with two major El Niño events during the maximum cool phase in the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation. Although regional water withdrawal increased nearly 5-fold between 1980 and 2005, withdrawals represent only 2-5% of Ichetucknee River flow and are less important than decadal-long variations in precipitation. These results suggest that groundwater management should consider climate cycles as predictive tools for future water resources.

Interventions for increasing fruit and vegetable consumption in children aged five years and under.

Science.gov (United States)

Hodder, Rebecca K; Stacey, Fiona G; O'Brien, Kate M; Wyse, Rebecca J; Clinton-McHarg, Tara; Tzelepis, Flora; James, Erica L; Bartlem, Kate M; Nathan, Nicole K; Sutherland, Rachel; Robson, Emma; Yoong, Sze Lin; Wolfenden, Luke

2018-01-25

Insufficient consumption of fruits and vegetables in childhood increases the risk of future chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease. To assess the effectiveness, cost effectiveness and associated adverse events of interventions designed to increase the consumption of fruit, vegetables or both amongst children aged five years and under. We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) in the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE and Embase to identify eligible trials on 25 September 2017. We searched Proquest Dissertations and Theses and two clinical trial registers in November 2017. We reviewed reference lists of included trials and handsearched three international nutrition journals. We contacted authors of included studies to identify further potentially relevant trials. We included randomised controlled trials, including cluster-randomised controlled trials and cross-over trials, of any intervention primarily targeting consumption of fruit, vegetables or both among children aged five years and under, and incorporating a dietary or biochemical assessment of fruit or vegetable consumption. Two review authors independently screened titles and abstracts of identified papers; a third review author resolved disagreements. Two review authors independently extracted data and assessed the risks of bias of included studies; a third review author resolved disagreements. Due to unexplained heterogeneity, we used random-effects models in meta-analyses for the primary review outcomes where we identified sufficient trials. We calculated standardised mean differences (SMDs) to account for the heterogeneity of fruit and vegetable consumption measures. We conducted assessments of risks of bias and evaluated the quality of evidence (GRADE approach) using Cochrane procedures. We included 55 trials with 154 trial arms and 11,108 participants. Thirty-three trials examined the impact of child-feeding practices (e.g. repeated food exposure) in increasing child

Increased working memory-related brain activity in middle-aged women with cognitive complaints.

Science.gov (United States)

Dumas, Julie A; Kutz, Amanda M; McDonald, Brenna C; Naylor, Magdalena R; Pfaff, Ashley C; Saykin, Andrew J; Newhouse, Paul A

2013-04-01

Individuals who report subjective cognitive complaints but perform normally on neuropsychological tests might be at increased risk for pathological cognitive aging. The current study examined the effects of the presence of subjective cognitive complaints on functional brain activity during a working memory task in a sample of middle-aged postmenopausal women. Twenty-three postmenopausal women aged 50-60 completed a cognitive complaint battery of questionnaires. Using 20% of items endorsed as the threshold, 12 women were categorized as cognitive complainers (CC) and 11 were noncomplainers (NC). All subjects then took part in a functional magnetic resonance imaging scanning session during which they completed a visual-verbal N-back test of working memory. Results showed no difference in working memory performance between CC and NC groups. However, the CC group showed greater activation relative to the NC group in a broad network involved in working memory including the middle frontal gyrus (Brodmann area [BA] 9 and 10), the precuneus (BA 7), and the cingulate gyrus (BA 24 and 32). The CC group recruited additional regions of the working memory network compared with the NC group as the working memory load and difficulty of the task increased. This study showed brain activation differences during working memory performance in a middle-aged group of postmenopausal women with subjective cognitive complaints but without objective cognitive deficit. These findings suggest that subjective cognitive complaints in postmenopausal women might be associated with increased cortical activity during effort-demanding cognitive tasks. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Increased Arf/p53 activity in stem cells, aging and cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Carrasco-Garcia, Estefania; Moreno, Manuel; Moreno-Cugnon, Leire; Matheu, Ander

2017-04-01

Arf/p53 pathway protects the cells against DNA damage induced by acute stress. This characteristic is the responsible for its tumor suppressor activity. Moreover, it regulates the chronic type of stress associated with aging. This is the basis of its anti-aging activity. Indeed, increased gene dosage of Arf/p53 displays elongated longevity and delayed aging. At a cellular level, it has been recently shown that increased dosage of Arf/p53 delays age-associated stem cell exhaustion and the subsequent decline in tissue homeostasis and regeneration. However, p53 can also promote aging if constitutively activated. In this context, p53 reduces tissue regeneration, which correlates with premature exhaustion of stem cells. We discuss here the current evidence linking the Arf/p53 pathway to the processes of aging and cancer through stem cell regulation. © 2017 The Authors. Aging Cell published by the Anatomical Society and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Protein Carbamylation: A Marker Reflecting Increased Age-Related Cell Oxidation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julia Carracedo

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Carbamylation is a post-translational modification of proteins that may partake in the oxidative stress-associated cell damage, and its increment has been recently proposed as a “hallmark of aging”. The molecular mechanisms associated with aging are related to an increased release of free radicals. We have studied whether carbamylated proteins from the peripheral blood of healthy subjects are related to oxidative damage and aging, taking into account the gender and the immune profile of the subjects. The study was performed in healthy human volunteers. The detection of protein carbamylation and malondialdehyde (MDA levels was evaluated using commercial kits. The immune profile was calculated using parameters of immune cell function. The results show that the individuals from the elderly group (60–79 years old have increased carbamylated protein and MDA levels. When considered by gender, only men between 60 and 79 years old showed significantly increased carbamylated proteins and MDA levels. When those subjects were classified by their immune profile, the carbamylated protein levels were higher in those with an older immune profile. In conclusion, the carbamylation of proteins in peripheral blood is related to age-associated oxidative damage and to an aging functional immunological signature. Our results suggest that carbamylated proteins may play an important role at the cellular level in the aging process.

Aging increases cell-to-cell transcriptional variability upon immune stimulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Martinez-Jimenez, Celia Pilar; Eling, Nils; Chen, Hung-Chang; Vallejos, Catalina A; Kolodziejczyk, Aleksandra A; Connor, Frances; Stojic, Lovorka; Rayner, Timothy F; Stubbington, Michael J T; Teichmann, Sarah A; de la Roche, Maike; Marioni, John C; Odom, Duncan T

2017-03-31

Aging is characterized by progressive loss of physiological and cellular functions, but the molecular basis of this decline remains unclear. We explored how aging affects transcriptional dynamics using single-cell RNA sequencing of unstimulated and stimulated naïve and effector memory CD4 + T cells from young and old mice from two divergent species. In young animals, immunological activation drives a conserved transcriptomic switch, resulting in tightly controlled gene expression characterized by a strong up-regulation of a core activation program, coupled with a decrease in cell-to-cell variability. Aging perturbed the activation of this core program and increased expression heterogeneity across populations of cells in both species. These discoveries suggest that increased cell-to-cell transcriptional variability will be a hallmark feature of aging across most, if not all, mammalian tissues. Copyright © 2017, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Intestine-specific deletion of microsomal triglyceride transfer protein increases mortality in aged mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Zhe; Xie, Yan; Dominguez, Jessica A; Breed, Elise R; Yoseph, Benyam P; Burd, Eileen M; Farris, Alton B; Davidson, Nicholas O; Coopersmith, Craig M

2014-01-01

Mice with conditional, intestine-specific deletion of microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (Mttp-IKO) exhibit a complete block in chylomicron assembly together with lipid malabsorption. Young (8-10 week) Mttp-IKO mice have improved survival when subjected to a murine model of Pseudomonas aeruginosa-induced sepsis. However, 80% of deaths in sepsis occur in patients over age 65. The purpose of this study was to determine whether age impacts outcome in Mttp-IKO mice subjected to sepsis. Aged (20-24 months) Mttp-IKO mice and WT mice underwent intratracheal injection with P. aeruginosa. Mice were either sacrificed 24 hours post-operatively for mechanistic studies or followed seven days for survival. In contrast to young septic Mttp-IKO mice, aged septic Mttp-IKO mice had a significantly higher mortality than aged septic WT mice (80% vs. 39%, p = 0.005). Aged septic Mttp-IKO mice exhibited increased gut epithelial apoptosis, increased jejunal Bax/Bcl-2 and Bax/Bcl-XL ratios yet simultaneously demonstrated increased crypt proliferation and villus length. Aged septic Mttp-IKO mice also manifested increased pulmonary myeloperoxidase levels, suggesting increased neutrophil infiltration, as well as decreased systemic TNFα compared to aged septic WT mice. Blocking intestinal chylomicron secretion alters mortality following sepsis in an age-dependent manner. Increases in gut apoptosis and pulmonary neutrophil infiltration, and decreased systemic TNFα represent potential mechanisms for why intestine-specific Mttp deletion is beneficial in young septic mice but harmful in aged mice as each of these parameters are altered differently in young and aged septic WT and Mttp-IKO mice.

Intestine-specific deletion of microsomal triglyceride transfer protein increases mortality in aged mice.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhe Liang

Full Text Available Mice with conditional, intestine-specific deletion of microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (Mttp-IKO exhibit a complete block in chylomicron assembly together with lipid malabsorption. Young (8-10 week Mttp-IKO mice have improved survival when subjected to a murine model of Pseudomonas aeruginosa-induced sepsis. However, 80% of deaths in sepsis occur in patients over age 65. The purpose of this study was to determine whether age impacts outcome in Mttp-IKO mice subjected to sepsis.Aged (20-24 months Mttp-IKO mice and WT mice underwent intratracheal injection with P. aeruginosa. Mice were either sacrificed 24 hours post-operatively for mechanistic studies or followed seven days for survival.In contrast to young septic Mttp-IKO mice, aged septic Mttp-IKO mice had a significantly higher mortality than aged septic WT mice (80% vs. 39%, p = 0.005. Aged septic Mttp-IKO mice exhibited increased gut epithelial apoptosis, increased jejunal Bax/Bcl-2 and Bax/Bcl-XL ratios yet simultaneously demonstrated increased crypt proliferation and villus length. Aged septic Mttp-IKO mice also manifested increased pulmonary myeloperoxidase levels, suggesting increased neutrophil infiltration, as well as decreased systemic TNFα compared to aged septic WT mice.Blocking intestinal chylomicron secretion alters mortality following sepsis in an age-dependent manner. Increases in gut apoptosis and pulmonary neutrophil infiltration, and decreased systemic TNFα represent potential mechanisms for why intestine-specific Mttp deletion is beneficial in young septic mice but harmful in aged mice as each of these parameters are altered differently in young and aged septic WT and Mttp-IKO mice.

Interventions for increasing fruit and vegetable consumption in children aged five years and under.

Science.gov (United States)

Hodder, Rebecca K; O'Brien, Kate M; Stacey, Fiona G; Wyse, Rebecca J; Clinton-McHarg, Tara; Tzelepis, Flora; James, Erica L; Bartlem, Kate M; Nathan, Nicole K; Sutherland, Rachel; Robson, Emma; Yoong, Sze Lin; Wolfenden, Luke

2018-05-17

Insufficient consumption of fruits and vegetables in childhood increases the risk of future non-communicable diseases, including cardiovascular disease. Interventions to increase consumption of fruit and vegetables, such as those focused on specific child-feeding strategies and parent nutrition education interventions in early childhood may therefore be an effective strategy in reducing this disease burden. To assess the effectiveness, cost effectiveness and associated adverse events of interventions designed to increase the consumption of fruit, vegetables or both amongst children aged five years and under. We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase and two clinical trials registries to identify eligible trials on 25 January 2018. We searched Proquest Dissertations and Theses in November 2017. We reviewed reference lists of included trials and handsearched three international nutrition journals. We contacted authors of included studies to identify further potentially relevant trials. We included randomised controlled trials, including cluster-randomised controlled trials and cross-over trials, of any intervention primarily targeting consumption of fruit, vegetables or both among children aged five years and under, and incorporating a dietary or biochemical assessment of fruit or vegetable consumption. Two review authors independently screened titles and abstracts of identified papers; a third review author resolved disagreements. Two review authors independently extracted data and assessed the risks of bias of included studies; a third review author resolved disagreements. Due to unexplained heterogeneity, we used random-effects models in meta-analyses for the primary review outcomes where we identified sufficient trials. We calculated standardised mean differences (SMDs) to account for the heterogeneity of fruit and vegetable consumption measures. We conducted assessments of risks of bias and evaluated the quality of evidence (GRADE approach) using Cochrane procedures

Human epithelial cells increase their rigidity with ageing in vitro: direct measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berdyyeva, Tamara K; Woodworth, Craig D; Sokolov, Igor

2005-01-01

The decrease in elasticity of epithelial tissues with ageing contributes to many human diseases. This change was previously attributed to increased crosslinking of extracellular matrix proteins. Here we show that individual human epithelial cells also become significantly more rigid during ageing in vitro. Using atomic force microscopy (AFM), we found that the Young's modulus of viable cells was consistently increased two- to four-fold in older versus younger cells. Direct visualization of the cytoskeleton using a novel method involving the AFM suggested that increased rigidity of ageing cells was due to a higher density of cytoskeletal fibres. Our results identify a unique mechanism that might contribute to the age-related loss of elasticity in epithelial tissues

Increasing negativity of age stereotypes across 200 years: evidence from a database of 400 million words.

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Ng, Reuben; Allore, Heather G; Trentalange, Mark; Monin, Joan K; Levy, Becca R

2015-01-01

Scholars argue about whether age stereotypes (beliefs about old people) are becoming more negative or positive over time. No previous study has systematically tested the trend of age stereotypes over more than 20 years, due to lack of suitable data. Our aim was to fill this gap by investigating whether age stereotypes have changed over the last two centuries and, if so, what may be associated with this change. We hypothesized that age stereotypes have increased in negativity due, in part, to the increasing medicalization of aging. This study applied computational linguistics to the recently compiled Corpus of Historical American English (COHA), a database of 400 million words that includes a range of printed sources from 1810 to 2009. After generating a comprehensive list of synonyms for the term elderly for these years from two historical thesauri, we identified 100 collocates (words that co-occurred most frequently with these synonyms) for each of the 20 decades. Inclusion criteria for the collocates were: (1) appeared within four words of the elderly synonym, (2) referred to an old person, and (3) had a stronger association with the elderly synonym than other words appearing in the database for that decade. This yielded 13,100 collocates that were rated for negativity and medicalization. We found that age stereotypes have become more negative in a linear way over 200 years. In 1880, age stereotypes switched from being positive to being negative. In addition, support was found for two potential explanations. Medicalization of aging and the growing proportion of the population over the age of 65 were both significantly associated with the increase in negative age stereotypes. The upward trajectory of age-stereotype negativity makes a case for remedial action on a societal level.

Increasing negativity of age stereotypes across 200 years: evidence from a database of 400 million words.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Reuben Ng

Full Text Available Scholars argue about whether age stereotypes (beliefs about old people are becoming more negative or positive over time. No previous study has systematically tested the trend of age stereotypes over more than 20 years, due to lack of suitable data. Our aim was to fill this gap by investigating whether age stereotypes have changed over the last two centuries and, if so, what may be associated with this change. We hypothesized that age stereotypes have increased in negativity due, in part, to the increasing medicalization of aging. This study applied computational linguistics to the recently compiled Corpus of Historical American English (COHA, a database of 400 million words that includes a range of printed sources from 1810 to 2009. After generating a comprehensive list of synonyms for the term elderly for these years from two historical thesauri, we identified 100 collocates (words that co-occurred most frequently with these synonyms for each of the 20 decades. Inclusion criteria for the collocates were: (1 appeared within four words of the elderly synonym, (2 referred to an old person, and (3 had a stronger association with the elderly synonym than other words appearing in the database for that decade. This yielded 13,100 collocates that were rated for negativity and medicalization. We found that age stereotypes have become more negative in a linear way over 200 years. In 1880, age stereotypes switched from being positive to being negative. In addition, support was found for two potential explanations. Medicalization of aging and the growing proportion of the population over the age of 65 were both significantly associated with the increase in negative age stereotypes. The upward trajectory of age-stereotype negativity makes a case for remedial action on a societal level.

Microneedle fractional radiofrequency increases epidermal hyaluronan and reverses age-related epidermal dysfunction.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Hee Jung; Seo, Seong Rak; Yoon, Moon Soo; Song, Ji-Ye; Lee, Eun Young; Lee, Sang Eun

2016-02-01

Skin aging results in physiological alterations in keratinocyte activities and epidermal function, as well as dermal changes. Yet, the cellular and molecular mechanisms that cause epidermal dysfunction during skin aging are not well understood. Recently, the role of epidermal hyaluronan (HA) as an active regulator of dynamic cellular processes is getting attention and alterations in HA metabolism are thought to be important in age-related epidermal dysfunction. Microneedle fractional radiofrequency (RF) has shown effects for improving cutaneous aging. However, little is known about the effects of fractional RF on the epidermal HA and epidermal function. We investigated the effect of microneedle fractional RF on the expression of epidermal HA in young and aged mice epidermis. We performed fractional RF on the dorsal skin of 30 8-week-old (young) hairless mice and 15 47-week-old (aged) C57BL/6J mice. Skin samples were collected on day 1, 3, and 7. HA content was measured by ELISA. Gene expressions of CD 44, HABP4, and HAS3 were measured using real time RT-PCR. Immunohistochemistry for detection of HA, CD44, PCNA, and filaggrin were performed. HA content and the mRNA levels of HABP4, CD44, and HAS3 were upregulated in the epidermis of both young and aged mice after microneedle fractional RF treatment. The expression was increased from day 1 after treatment and increased expression persisted on day 7. Fractional RF treatment significantly increased PCNA and filaggrin expression only in the aged mice skin. Microneedle fractional RF increased epidermal HA and CD44 expression in both young and aged mice and reversed age-related epidermal dysfunction especially in aged mice, suggesting a new mechanism involved in the skin rejuvenation effect of microneedle fractional RF. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Microscopic analysis of bone microstructures with increasing age in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Microscopic analysis of bone microstructures with increasing age in Malaysian females. ... Journal of Fundamental and Applied Sciences ... death from skeletal remains is one of the main physical aspect in reconstruction demographic profiles.

Aging and physiological changes of the kidneys including changes in glomerular filtration rate.

Science.gov (United States)

Musso, Carlos G; Oreopoulos, Dimitrios G

2011-01-01

In addition to the structural changes in the kidney associated with aging, physiological changes in renal function are also found in older adults, such as decreased glomerular filtration rate, vascular dysautonomia, altered tubular handling of creatinine, reduction in sodium reabsorption and potassium secretion, and diminished renal reserve. These alterations make aged individuals susceptible to the development of clinical conditions in response to usual stimuli that would otherwise be compensated for in younger individuals, including acute kidney injury, volume depletion and overload, disorders of serum sodium and potassium concentration, and toxic reactions to water-soluble drugs excreted by the kidneys. Additionally, the preservation with aging of a normal urinalysis, normal serum urea and creatinine values, erythropoietin synthesis, and normal phosphorus, calcium and magnesium tubular handling distinguishes decreased GFR due to normal aging from that due to chronic kidney disease. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

The effects of poverty and ageing on the increase in tuberculosis.

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Davies, P D

1999-04-01

Among the causes of the current increase in tuberculosis worldwide are poverty and ageing. It has been widely accepted that tuberculosis and poverty have been closely linked since the scientific study of the disease began. The decline of tuberculosis in developed countries before the arrival of specific chemotherapy was largely attributed to improvement in social conditions. With the rapidly increasing world population and the wider disparity of income, more and more people are falling into poverty, whichever way it is defined. Studies in the developed world show that the close association between tuberculosis and poverty remains. Some workers in the field even suggest that tuberculosis cannot be controlled until the issue of global poverty has been addressed. This may be too pessimistic. It may be possible to define accurately which aspects of poverty are most closely associated with tuberculosis and to deal with those specifically. Within developed countries longevity is increasing. The population now in their seventies, or older, even in developed countries, will have been alive when the disease was highly prevalent in the communities in which they lived. The majority will, therefore, have acquired infection, and in a substantial minority of these infection may reactivate to cause disease as the ageing process weakens host immunity. In the indigenous Caucasian population of Western Europe, rates of disease are highest in elderly males. Previous research showed that beyond the age of forty, the incidence of disease declined with increasing age. The higher rates in the elderly were a result of the residue of higher rates from birth cohorts born earlier. Data presented in this article suggest that this pattern may be altering such that the incidence of disease actually increases after a certain age is reached. This could have important repercussions for disease incidence in the emerging economies of the Pacific Rim, where longevity is increasing most rapidly.

A modeling analysis of the interaction between forest age and forest responsiveness to increasing CO2 concentration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kirschbaum, M.U.F.

2005-01-01

In this study, both young forest plants and established forest stands were examined to gain insight into likely plant responses to increases in carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), temperature and altered rainfall patterns. Forests have rotations of about 10 to 200 years, during which time anthropogenic increases in atmospheric CO 2 concentrations and the associated changes in climate change can be substantial. The changes are most likely to influence the growth of established forest stands. The CenW forest growth model was used to examine the mechanisms that are responsible for the slowing of forest growth with age, including the response to increasing carbon dioxide. It was shown that inclusion of allocation shifts with tree height, individual tree mortality, changing respiration load and nutrient changes has only a small effect on the response to increasing carbon dioxide. When photosynthesis of mature trees decreases, growth response to increasing CO 2 is reduced. Since the number of interacting processes is so large, no simple and broad interaction between increased carbon dioxide and forest age were identified. It was concluded that it is not yet possible to predict the change in carbon dioxide response by forest age. 54 refs., 1 tab., 7 figs

VSNL1 Co-expression networks in aging include calcium signaling, synaptic plasticity, and Alzheimer’s disease pathways

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C W Lin

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The Visinin-like 1 (VSNL1 gene encodes Visinin-like protein 1, a peripheral biomarker for Alzheimer disease (AD. Little is known, however, about normal VSNL1 expression in brain and the biologic networks in which it participates. Frontal cortex gray matter from 209 subjects without neurodegenerative or psychiatric illness, ranging in age from 16–91, were processed on Affymetrix GeneChip 1.1 ST and Human SNP Array 6.0. VSNL1 expression was unaffected by age and sex, and not significantly associated with SNPs in cis or trans. VSNL1 was significantly co-expressed with genes in pathways for Calcium Signaling, AD, Long Term Potentiation, Long Term Depression, and Trafficking of AMPA Receptors. The association with AD was driven, in part, by correlation with amyloid precursor protein (APP expression. These findings provide an unbiased link between VSNL1 and molecular mechanisms of AD, including pathways implicated in synaptic pathology in AD. Whether APP may drive increased VSNL1 expression, VSNL1 drives increased APP expression, or both are downstream of common pathogenic regulators will need to be evaluated in model systems.

Naked mole-rat mortality rates defy Gompertzian laws by not increasing with age

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Ruby, J Graham; Smith, Megan

2018-01-01

The longest-lived rodent, the naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber), has a reported maximum lifespan of >30 years and exhibits delayed and/or attenuated age-associated physiological declines. We questioned whether these mouse-sized, eusocial rodents conform to Gompertzian mortality laws by experiencing an exponentially increasing risk of death as they get older. We compiled and analyzed a large compendium of historical naked mole-rat lifespan data with >3000 data points. Kaplan-Meier analyses revealed a substantial portion of the population to have survived at 30 years of age. Moreover, unlike all other mammals studied to date, and regardless of sex or breeding-status, the age-specific hazard of mortality did not increase with age, even at ages 25-fold past their time to reproductive maturity. This absence of hazard increase with age, in defiance of Gompertz’s law, uniquely identifies the naked mole-rat as a non-aging mammal, confirming its status as an exceptional model for biogerontology. PMID:29364116

Cervical Lordosis Actually Increases With Aging and Progressive Degeneration in Spinal Deformity Patients.

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Kim, Han Jo; Lenke, Lawrence G; Oshima, Yasushi; Chuntarapas, Tapanut; Mesfin, Addisu; Hershman, Stuart; Fogelson, Jeremy L; Riew, K Daniel

2014-09-01

Retrospective. The authors hypothesized that cervical lordosis (CL) would decrease with aging and increasing degeneration. It is theorized that with age and degeneration, the cervical spine loses lordosis and becomes progressively more kyphotic; however, no studies support these conclusions in patients with various spinal deformities. The authors performed a radiographic analysis of asymptomatic adults (referring to their cervical spine) of varying ages, with differing forms of spinal deformity to the thoracic/lumbar spine to see how cervical lordosis changes with increasing age. A total of 104 total spine EOS X-rays of adult (aged >18 years) spinal deformity patients without documented neck pain, prior neck surgery, or cervical deformity were reviewed. The researchers only reviewed EOS X-rays because they allow complete visualization from occiput to feet. Cervical lordosis, standard Cobb measurements, sagittal balance parameters, and cervical degeneration were quantified radiographically by the method previously described by Gore et al. Statistical analysis was performed with 1-way analysis of variance to compare significant differences between groups aged 60 years as well as changes in sagittal balance. A p-value 60 years, respectively; p 60 years, respectively; p < .01), with the highest degeneration at the C5-6 and C6-7 disc spaces (3.7 ± 3.3 and 3.2 ± 2.9, respectively; p < .01). This increase did not correlate with the increase in CL seen with aging (r = 0.02; p = .84). Cervical lordosis increased with aging in adult spinal deformity patients. There was no relationship between cervical degeneration and lordosis despite the strong relationship seen between increasing CL in older age groups. Copyright © 2014 Scoliosis Research Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An examination of black/white differences in the rate of age-related mortality increase

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Andrew Fenelon

2013-09-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND The rate of mortality increase with age among adults is typically used as a measure of the rate of functional decline associated with aging or senescence. While black and white populations differ in the level of mortality, mortality also rises less rapidly with age for blacks than for whites, leading to the well-known black/white mortality "crossover". OBJECTIVE This paper investigates black/white differences in the rate of mortality increase with age for major causes of death in order to examine the factors responsible for the black/white crossover. METHODS The analysis considers two explanations for the crossover: selective survival and age misreporting. Mortality is modeled using a Gompertz model for 11 causes of death from ages 50-84 among blacks and whites by sex. RESULTS Mortality increases more rapidly with age for whites than for blacks for nearly all causes of death considered. The all-cause mortality rate of mortality increase is nearly two percentage points higher for whites. The analysis finds evidence for both selective survival and age misreporting, although age misreporting is a more prominent explanation among women. CONCLUSIONS The black/white mortality crossover reflects large differences in the rate of age-related mortality increase. Instead of reflecting the impact of specific causes of death, this pattern exists across many disparate disease conditions, indicating the need for a broad explanation.

EEG coherence obtained from an auditory oddball task increases with age

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Maurits, Natasha M.; Scheeringa, Rene; van der Hoeven, Johannes H.; de Jong, Ritske

2006-01-01

Changes in coherence with aging during cognitive tasks have, until now, not been investigated. However, several fMRI and positron emission tomography studies of cognitive tasks have found increased bilateral activity in elderly subjects. Changes in coherence with aging during a cognitive task were

The Implications of Increased Survivorship for Mortality Variation in Aging PopulationsThe Implications of Increased Survivorship for Mortality Variation in Aging Populations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Engelman, M; Canudas-Romo, V; Agree, EM

2010-01-01

The remarkable growth in life expectancy during the twentieth century inspired predictions of a future in which all people, not just a fortunate few, will live long lives ending at or near the maximum human life span. We show that increased longevity has been accompanied by less variation in ages...

Gender differences in episodic memory and visual working memory including the effects of age.

Science.gov (United States)

Pauls, Franz; Petermann, Franz; Lepach, Anja Christina

2013-01-01

Analysing the relationship between gender and memory, and examining the effects of age on the overall memory-related functioning, are the ongoing goals of psychological research. The present study examined gender and age group differences in episodic memory with respect to the type of task. In addition, these subgroup differences were also analysed in visual working memory. A sample of 366 women and 330 men, aged between 16 and 69 years of age, participated in the current study. Results indicate that women outperformed men on auditory memory tasks, whereas male adolescents and older male adults showed higher level performances on visual episodic and visual working memory measures. However, the size of gender-linked effects varied somewhat across age groups. Furthermore, results partly support a declining performance on episodic memory and visual working memory measures with increasing age. Although age-related losses in episodic memory could not be explained by a decreasing verbal and visuospatial ability with age, women's advantage in auditory episodic memory could be explained by their advantage in verbal ability. Men's higher level visual episodic memory performance was found to result from their advantage in visuospatial ability. Finally, possible methodological, biological, and cognitive explanations for the current findings are discussed.

Age class, longevity and growth rate relationships: protracted growth increases in old trees in the eastern United States.

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Johnson, Sarah E; Abrams, Marc D

2009-11-01

This study uses data from the International Tree-Ring Data Bank website and tree cores collected in the field to explore growth rate (basal area increment, BAI) relationships across age classes (from young to old) for eight tree species in the eastern US. These species represent a variety of ecological traits and include those in the genera Populus, Quercus, Pinus, Tsuga and Nyssa. We found that most trees in all age classes and species exhibit an increasing BAI throughout their lives. This is particularly unusual for trees in the older age classes that we expected to have declining growth in the later years, as predicted by physiological growth models. There exists an inverse relationship between growth rate and increasing age class. The oldest trees within each species have consistently slow growth throughout their lives, implying an inverse relationship between growth rate and longevity. Younger trees (trees when they are of the same age resulting from a higher proportion of fast-growing trees in these young age classes. Slow, but increasing, BAI in the oldest trees in recent decades is a continuation of their growth pattern established in previous centuries. The fact that they have not shown a decreasing growth rate in their old age contradicts physiological growth models and may be related to the stimulatory effects of global change phenomenon (climate and land-use history).

Susceptibility to hippocampal kindling seizures is increased in aging C57 black mice

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Kurt R. Stover

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The incidence of seizures increases with old age. Stroke, dementia and brain tumors are recognized risk factors for new-onset seizures in the aging populations and the incidence of these conditions also increased with age. Whether aging is associated with higher seizure susceptibility in the absence of the above pathologies remains unclear. We used classic kindling to explore this issue as the kindling model is highly reproducible and allows close monitoring of electrographic and motor seizure activities in individual animals. We kindled male young and aging mice (C57BL/6 strain, 2–3 and 18–22 months of age via daily hippocampal CA3 stimulation and monitored seizure activity via video and electroencephalographic recordings. The aging mice needed fewer stimuli to evoke stage-5 motor seizures and exhibited longer hippocampal afterdischarges and more frequent hippocampal spikes relative to the young mice, but afterdischarge thresholds and cumulative afterdischarge durations to stage 5 motor seizures were not different between the two age groups. While hippocampal injury and structural alterations at cellular and micro-circuitry levels remain to be examined in the kindled mice, our present observations suggest that susceptibility to hippocampal CA3 kindling seizures is increased with aging in male C57 black mice.

The Increase of the Functional Entropy of the Human Brain with Age

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Yao, Y.; Lu, W. L.; Xu, B.; Li, C. B.; Lin, C. P.; Waxman, D.; Feng, J. F.

2013-01-01

We use entropy to characterize intrinsic ageing properties of the human brain. Analysis of fMRI data from a large dataset of individuals, using resting state BOLD signals, demonstrated that a functional entropy associated with brain activity increases with age. During an average lifespan, the entropy, which was calculated from a population of individuals, increased by approximately 0.1 bits, due to correlations in BOLD activity becoming more widely distributed. We attribute this to the number of excitatory neurons and the excitatory conductance decreasing with age. Incorporating these properties into a computational model leads to quantitatively similar results to the fMRI data. Our dataset involved males and females and we found significant differences between them. The entropy of males at birth was lower than that of females. However, the entropies of the two sexes increase at different rates, and intersect at approximately 50 years; after this age, males have a larger entropy. PMID:24103922

MMP2-A2M interaction increases ECM accumulation in aged rat kidney and its modulation by calorie restriction

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Kyung Mok; Chung, Ki Wung; Jeong, Hyeong Oh; Lee, Bonggi; Kim, Dae Hyun; Park, June Whoun; Kim, Seong Min; Yu, Byung Pal; Chung, Hae Young

2018-01-01

Age-associated renal fibrosis is related with renal function decline during aging. Imbalance between accumulation and degradation of extracellular matrix is key feature of fibrosis. In this study, RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) results based on next-generation sequencing (NGS) data were analyzed to identify key proteins that change during aging and calorie restriction (CR). Among the changed genes, A2M and MMP2, which are known to interact, exhibited the highest between centrality (BC) and degree values when analyzed by protein–protein interaction (PPI). Both mRNA and protein levels of MMP2 and A2M were increased during aging. Furthermore, the interaction between MMP2 and A2M was verified by immunoprecipitation and immunohistochemistry. MMP2 activity was further measured under the presence or absence of A2M-MMP2 interaction. MMP2 activity, which was increased under the absence of A2M-MMP2 interaction, was significantly decreased under the presence of interactions in aged kidney. We further hypothesized that the interaction between A2M-MMP2 played a role in the inactivation of MMP2 leading to accumulation of ECM including collagen type I and IV. Aged kidney showed highly accumulated MMP2 substrate proteins despite of increased MMP2 protein expression and CR blunted these accumulation. Additional in vivo analysis revealed that the signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 3 transcriptional factor was significantly increased thus increasing A2M expression during aging. STAT3 activating cytokines were also highly increased in aged kidney. In conclusion, the results of the present study indicate that A2M-MMP2 interaction has a role in age-associated renal ECM accumulation and in the suppression such fibrosis by CR. PMID:29464020

Increased self-diffusion of brain water in normal aging

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gideon, P; Thomsen, C; Henriksen, O

1994-01-01

With magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, brain water self-diffusion was measured in 17 healthy volunteers 22-76 (mean, 44.6) years old. The calculated values for the apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) ranged from 0.58 x 10(-9) to 1.23 x 10(-9) m2/sec in cerebral white matter. A significant...... by an increase in the extracellular volume due to age-dependent neuronal degeneration or to changes in myelination. These findings have implications for future clinical investigations with diffusion MR imaging techniques in patients with neurologic diseases, and stress the importance of having an age...

Novel PPARα agonist MHY553 alleviates hepatic steatosis by increasing fatty acid oxidation and decreasing inflammation during aging.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Seong Min; Lee, Bonggi; An, Hye Jin; Kim, Dae Hyun; Park, Kyung Chul; Noh, Sang-Gyun; Chung, Ki Wung; Lee, Eun Kyeong; Kim, Kyung Mok; Kim, Do Hyun; Kim, Su Jeong; Chun, Pusoon; Lee, Ho Jeong; Moon, Hyung Ryong; Chung, Hae Young

2017-07-11

Hepatic steatosis is frequently observed in obese and aged individuals. Because hepatic steatosis is closely associated with metabolic syndromes, including insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and inflammation, numerous efforts have been made to develop compounds that ameliorate it. Here, a novel peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) α agonist, 4-(benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)benzene-1,3-diol (MHY553) was developed, and investigated its beneficial effects on hepatic steatosis using young and old Sprague-Dawley rats and HepG2 cells.Docking simulation and Western blotting confirmed that the activity of PPARα, but not that of the other PPAR subtypes, was increased by MHY553 treatment. When administered orally, MHY553 markedly ameliorated aging-induced hepatic steatosis without changes in body weight and serum levels of liver injury markers. Consistent with in vivo results, MHY553 inhibited triglyceride accumulation induced by a liver X receptor agonist in HepG2 cells. Regarding underlying mechanisms, MHY553 stimulated PPARα translocation into the nucleus and increased mRNA levels of its downstream genes related to fatty acid oxidation, including CPT-1A and ACOX1, without apparent change in lipogenesis signaling. Furthermore, MHY553 significantly suppresses inflammatory mRNA expression in old rats. In conclusion, MHY553 is a novel PPARα agonist that improved aged-induced hepatic steatosis, in part by increasing β-oxidation signaling and decreasing inflammation in the liver. MHY553 is a potential pharmaceutical agent for treating hepatic steatosis in aging.

Loss of otolith function with age is associated with increased postural sway measures.

Science.gov (United States)

Serrador, Jorge M; Lipsitz, Lewis A; Gopalakrishnan, Gosala S; Black, F Owen; Wood, Scott J

2009-11-06

Loss of balance and increased fall risk is a common problem associated with aging. Changes in vestibular function occur with aging but the contribution of reduced vestibular otolith function to fall risk remains unknown. We examined a population of 151 healthy individuals (aged 21-93) for both balance (sway measures) and ocular counter-rolling (OCR) function. We assessed balance function with eyes open and closed on a firm surface, eyes open and closed on a foam surface and OCR during +/-20 degree roll tilt at 0.005 Hz. Subjects demonstrated a significant age-related reduction in OCR and increase in postural sway. The effect of age on OCR was greater in females than males. The reduction in OCR was strongly correlated with the mediolateral measures of sway with eyes closed. This correlation was also present in the elderly group alone, suggesting that aging alone does not account for this effect. OCR decreased linearly with age and at a greater rate in females than males. This loss of vestibular otolith-ocular function is associated with increased mediolateral measures of sway which have been shown to be related to increased risk of falls. These data suggest a role for loss of otolith function in contributing to fall risk in the elderly. Further prospective, longitudinal studies are necessary to confirm these findings.

Intrauterine growth restriction programs an accelerated age-related increase in cardiovascular risk in male offspring

Science.gov (United States)

Dasinger, John Henry; Intapad, Suttira; Backstrom, Miles A.; Carter, Anthony J.

2016-01-01

Placental insufficiency programs an increase in blood pressure associated with a twofold increase in serum testosterone in male growth-restricted offspring at 4 mo of age. Population studies indicate that the inverse relationship between birth weight and blood pressure is amplified with age. Thus, we tested the hypothesis that intrauterine growth restriction programs an age-related increase in blood pressure in male offspring. Growth-restricted offspring retained a significantly higher blood pressure at 12 but not at 18 mo of age compared with age-matched controls. Blood pressure was significantly increased in control offspring at 18 mo of age relative to control counterparts at 12 mo; however, blood pressure was not increased in growth-restricted at 18 mo relative to growth-restricted counterparts at 12 mo. Serum testosterone levels were not elevated in growth-restricted offspring relative to control at 12 mo of age. Thus, male growth-restricted offspring no longer exhibited a positive association between blood pressure and testosterone at 12 mo of age. Unlike hypertension in male growth-restricted offspring at 4 mo of age, inhibition of the renin-angiotensin system with enalapril (250 mg/l for 2 wk) did not abolish the difference in blood pressure in growth-restricted offspring relative to control counterparts at 12 mo of age. Therefore, these data suggest that intrauterine growth restriction programs an accelerated age-related increase in blood pressure in growth-restricted offspring. Furthermore, this study suggests that the etiology of increased blood pressure in male growth-restricted offspring at 12 mo of age differs from that at 4 mo of age. PMID:27147668

Onset of mortality increase with age and age trajectories of mortality from all diseases in the four Nordic countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dolejs J

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Josef Dolejs,1 Petra Marešová2 1Department of Informatics and Quantitative Methods, 2Department of Economics, Faculty of Informatics and Management, University of Hradec Králové, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic Background: The answer to the question “At what age does aging begin?” is tightly related to the question “Where is the onset of mortality increase with age?” Age affects mortality rates from all diseases differently than it affects mortality rates from nonbiological causes. Mortality increase with age in adult populations has been modeled by many authors, and little attention has been given to mortality decrease with age after birth.Materials and methods: Nonbiological causes are excluded, and the category “all diseases” is studied. It is analyzed in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden during the period 1994–2011, and all possible models are screened. Age trajectories of mortality are analyzed separately: before the age category where mortality reaches its minimal value and after the age category.Results: Resulting age trajectories from all diseases showed a strong minimum, which was hidden in total mortality. The inverse proportion between mortality and age fitted in 54 of 58 cases before mortality minimum. The Gompertz model with two parameters fitted as mortality increased with age in 17 of 58 cases after mortality minimum, and the Gompertz model with a small positive quadratic term fitted data in the remaining 41 cases. The mean age where mortality reached minimal value was 8 (95% confidence interval 7.05–8.95 years. The figures depict an age where the human population has a minimal risk of death from biological causes.Conclusion: Inverse proportion and the Gompertz model fitted data on both sides of the mortality minimum, and three parameters determined the shape of the age–mortality trajectory. Life expectancy should be determined by the two standard Gompertz parameters and also by the single parameter in

Increased Ice-age Influence of Antarctic Intermediate Water.

Science.gov (United States)

Muratli, J.; McManus, J.; Mix, A.; Chase, Z.

2008-12-01

A depth transect of three ODP sites collected along the central Chile Margin constrain Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) distributions and regional export production over the last 30 ka. Reduced Re and Cd, and increased Mn are proxies for higher bottom water oxygenation; 230Th-normalized burial of opal is a proxy for productivity. Mn/Al is high during the glacial interval at all three sites, suggesting high oxygenation and the retreat of the oxygen minimum zone during this period. At Site 1233, within the core of modern AAIW, Re and Cd are unchanged from detrital values throughout the last 30 ky, implying continuously oxic conditions. In contrast, at the northern sites 1234 and 1235, which reside below and above AAIW respectively, Re and Cd rise rapidly from low glacial values at ~15ka, signifying lower oxygen concentrations at the sea floor during Holocene time relative to ice-age conditions. Local productivity, recorded in Th-normalized opal burial, is highest during the glacial interval at both sites 1233 and 1234, and varies independently from the redox proxies. We conclude that local productivity does not drive bottom water oxygenation here, and that ventilation of the shallow subsurface southeast Pacific increased during the last ice age, with an expanded depth range of AAIW relative to the present.

Age-related macular degeneration is associated with increased proportion of CD56(+) T cells in peripheral blood

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Faber, Carsten; Singh, Amardeep; Krüger Falk, Mads

2013-01-01

PURPOSE: To examine the association between age-related changes in the T-cell compartment and prevalence of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). DESIGN: Case-control study. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 117 AMD cases and 106 controls were included prospectively. METHODS: Fresh-drawn peripheral blood...... samples were processed for flow cytometric analysis of T-cell populations. Plasma samples were analyzed for anti-cytomegalovirus (CMV) immunoglobulin (Ig)G and complement factor H (CFH) Y402H genotype. The diagnosis of AMD was made according to the Clinical Age-Related Maculopathy Staging System. MAIN...... OUTCOME MEASURES: Association between frequency of aged T cells and prevalence of AMD. RESULTS: The prevalence of AMD was associated with distinct age-related changes in the T-cell compartment. Specifically, the patients with AMD had an increased frequency of CD28(-) T cells that expressed the CD56...

Increasing Weldability of Service-Aged Reformer Tubes by Partial Solution Annealing

Science.gov (United States)

Mostafaei, M.; Shamanian, M.; Purmohamad, H.; Amini, M.

2016-04-01

A dissimilar joint of 25Cr-35Ni/30Cr-48Ni (HP/HV) heat-resistant steels was evaluated. The investigations indicated that the as-cast HP alloy contained M7C3, M23C6, and NbC carbides and HV alloy with 5 wt.% tungsten, contained M23C6 and M6C carbides embedded in an austenitic matrix. After 8 years of ex-service aging at 1050 °C, the ductility of HP/HV reformer tubes was decreased dramatically, and thus, the repair welding of the aged HP/HV dissimilar joint was at a risk. In order to repair the aged reformer tubes and increase weldability properties, a new partial solution annealing treatment was designed. Mechanical testing results showed that partial solution annealing at 1200 °C for 6 h increased the elongation and toughness of the aged HP and HV alloys drastically. Also, a mechanism for constitutional liquation cracking in the heat-affected zones (HAZ) of the HP/HV dissimilar joint was proposed. In the HAZ of the aged HP/HV welded joint, the cracks around the locally melted carbides were initiated and propagated during carbides solidification at the cooling cycle of welding associated with the decrease in the ductility of the aged HP and HV alloys. In addition, Varestraint weldability test showed that the susceptibility to hot cracking was decreased with partial solution annealing.

Mechanical stiffness of TMJ condylar cartilage increases after artificial aging by ribose.

Science.gov (United States)

Mirahmadi, Fereshteh; Koolstra, Jan Harm; Lobbezoo, Frank; van Lenthe, G Harry; Ghazanfari, Samaneh; Snabel, Jessica; Stoop, Reinout; Everts, Vincent

2018-03-01

Aging is accompanied by a series of changes in mature tissues that influence their properties and functions. Collagen, as one of the main extracellular components of cartilage, becomes highly crosslinked during aging. In this study, the aim was to examine whether a correlation exists between collagen crosslinking induced by artificial aging and mechanical properties of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) condyle. To evaluate this hypothesis, collagen crosslinks were induced using ribose incubation. Porcine TMJ condyles were incubated for 7 days with different concentrations of ribose. The compressive modulus and stiffness ratio (incubated versus control) was determined after loading. Glycosaminoglycan and collagen content, and the number of crosslinks were analyzed. Tissue structure was visualized by microscopy using different staining methods. Concomitant with an increasing concentration of ribose, an increase of collagen crosslinks was found. The number of crosslinks increased almost 50 fold after incubation with the highest concentration of ribose. Simultaneously, the stiffness ratio of the samples showed a significant increase after incubation with the ribose. Pearson correlation analyses showed a significant positive correlation between the overall stiffness ratio and the crosslink level; the higher the number of crosslinks the higher the stiffness. The present model, in which ribose was used to mimic certain aspects of age-related changes, can be employed as an in vitro model to study age-related mechanical changes in the TMJ condyle. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The implications of increased survivorship for mortality variation in aging populations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Engelman, Michal; Canudas-Romo, Vladimir; Agree, Emily M

2010-01-01

The remarkable growth in life expectancy during the twentieth century inspired predictions of a future in which all people, not just a fortunate few, will live long lives ending at or near the maximum human life span. We show that increased longevity has been accompanied by less variation in ages...... at death, but survivors to the oldest ages have grown increasingly heterogeneous in their mortality risks. These trends are consistent across countries, and apply even to populations with record-low variability in the length of life. We argue that as a result of continuing improvements in survival, delayed...

B12 deficiency increases with age in hospitalized patients: a study on 14,904 samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Mézière, Anthony; Audureau, Etienne; Vairelles, Stéphane; Krypciak, Sébastien; Dicko, Michèle; Monié, Marguerite; Giraudier, Stéphane

2014-12-01

Cobalamin deficiency is responsible for hematological, neurological, neurocognitive, and neuropsychiatric impairments and is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, particularly in the elderly people. In order to determine B12 status in old inpatients, a total number of 14,904 hospitalized patients in whom B12 measurements were performed in five hospitals in the Paris metropolitan area were included from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011. The aims of the study were to determine whether age had an impact on B12 and folate deficiencies and to evaluate correlations between B12 and biological parameters-folate, hemoglobin, mean cell volume, homocystein (tHcy)-and age. Patients were aged 70.3±19.5 years. Low B12 concentration ( 17 µmol/L), 20.4% had low folate concentration (folate 17 µmol/L), and 4.7% of patients were both functional B12 and folate deficient. The B12 or folate deficient patients had lower mean cell volume level than nondeficient patients. Increase in mean cell volume and tHcy concentrations with age and decrease in B12, folate, and hemoglobin levels with age were observed. Frequency of functional B12 deficiency was 9.6% in patients aged 30-60 years and 14.2% in patients over 90 years. Frequency of functional folate deficiency was 9.5% in 30-60 years and 12.1% in >90 years. In inpatients, functional B12 deficiency and functional folate deficiency increase with age and are not associated with anemia or macrocytosis. False vitamin B deficiencies are frequent. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The adipokine leptin increases skeletal muscle mass and significantly alters skeletal muscle miRNA expression profile in aged mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamrick, Mark W.; Herberg, Samuel; Arounleut, Phonepasong; He, Hong-Zhi; Shiver, Austin; Qi, Rui-Qun; Zhou, Li; Isales, Carlos M.

2010-01-01

Research highlights: → Aging is associated with muscle atrophy and loss of muscle mass, known as the sarcopenia of aging. → We demonstrate that age-related muscle atrophy is associated with marked changes in miRNA expression in muscle. → Treating aged mice with the adipokine leptin significantly increased muscle mass and the expression of miRNAs involved in muscle repair. → Recombinant leptin therapy may therefore be a novel approach for treating age-related muscle atrophy. -- Abstract: Age-associated loss of muscle mass, or sarcopenia, contributes directly to frailty and an increased risk of falls and fractures among the elderly. Aged mice and elderly adults both show decreased muscle mass as well as relatively low levels of the fat-derived hormone leptin. Here we demonstrate that loss of muscle mass and myofiber size with aging in mice is associated with significant changes in the expression of specific miRNAs. Aging altered the expression of 57 miRNAs in mouse skeletal muscle, and many of these miRNAs are now reported to be associated specifically with age-related muscle atrophy. These include miR-221, previously identified in studies of myogenesis and muscle development as playing a role in the proliferation and terminal differentiation of myogenic precursors. We also treated aged mice with recombinant leptin, to determine whether leptin therapy could improve muscle mass and alter the miRNA expression profile of aging skeletal muscle. Leptin treatment significantly increased hindlimb muscle mass and extensor digitorum longus fiber size in aged mice. Furthermore, the expression of 37 miRNAs was altered in muscles of leptin-treated mice. In particular, leptin treatment increased the expression of miR-31 and miR-223, miRNAs known to be elevated during muscle regeneration and repair. These findings suggest that aging in skeletal muscle is associated with marked changes in the expression of specific miRNAs, and that nutrient-related hormones such as leptin

The adipokine leptin increases skeletal muscle mass and significantly alters skeletal muscle miRNA expression profile in aged mice

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hamrick, Mark W., E-mail: mhamrick@mail.mcg.edu [Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA (United States); Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA (United States); Herberg, Samuel; Arounleut, Phonepasong [Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA (United States); Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA (United States); He, Hong-Zhi [Henry Ford Immunology Program, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI (United States); Department of Dermatology, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI (United States); Shiver, Austin [Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA (United States); Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA (United States); Qi, Rui-Qun [Henry Ford Immunology Program, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI (United States); Department of Dermatology, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI (United States); Zhou, Li [Henry Ford Immunology Program, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI (United States); Department of Dermatology, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI (United States); Department of Internal Medicine, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI (United States); Isales, Carlos M. [Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA (United States); Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA (United States); others, and

2010-09-24

Research highlights: {yields} Aging is associated with muscle atrophy and loss of muscle mass, known as the sarcopenia of aging. {yields} We demonstrate that age-related muscle atrophy is associated with marked changes in miRNA expression in muscle. {yields} Treating aged mice with the adipokine leptin significantly increased muscle mass and the expression of miRNAs involved in muscle repair. {yields} Recombinant leptin therapy may therefore be a novel approach for treating age-related muscle atrophy. -- Abstract: Age-associated loss of muscle mass, or sarcopenia, contributes directly to frailty and an increased risk of falls and fractures among the elderly. Aged mice and elderly adults both show decreased muscle mass as well as relatively low levels of the fat-derived hormone leptin. Here we demonstrate that loss of muscle mass and myofiber size with aging in mice is associated with significant changes in the expression of specific miRNAs. Aging altered the expression of 57 miRNAs in mouse skeletal muscle, and many of these miRNAs are now reported to be associated specifically with age-related muscle atrophy. These include miR-221, previously identified in studies of myogenesis and muscle development as playing a role in the proliferation and terminal differentiation of myogenic precursors. We also treated aged mice with recombinant leptin, to determine whether leptin therapy could improve muscle mass and alter the miRNA expression profile of aging skeletal muscle. Leptin treatment significantly increased hindlimb muscle mass and extensor digitorum longus fiber size in aged mice. Furthermore, the expression of 37 miRNAs was altered in muscles of leptin-treated mice. In particular, leptin treatment increased the expression of miR-31 and miR-223, miRNAs known to be elevated during muscle regeneration and repair. These findings suggest that aging in skeletal muscle is associated with marked changes in the expression of specific miRNAs, and that nutrient

Aging causes collateral rarefaction and increased severity of ischemic injury in multiple tissues

Science.gov (United States)

Faber, James E.; Zhang, Hua; Lassance-Soares, Roberta M.; Prabhakar, Pranay; Najafi, Amir H.; Burnett, Mary Susan; Epstein, Stephen E.

2011-01-01

Objective Aging is a major risk factor for increased ischemic tissue injury. Whether collateral rarefaction and impaired remodeling contribute to this is unknown. We quantified the number and diameter of native collaterals, and their remodeling in 3-, 16-, 24-, and 31-months-old mice. Methods and Results Aging caused an “age-dose-dependent” greater drop in perfusion immediately after femoral artery ligation, followed by a diminished recovery of flow and increase in tissue injury. These effects were associated with a decline in collateral number, diameter and remodeling. Angiogenesis was also impaired. Mechanistically, these changes were not accompanied by reduced recruitment of T-cells or macrophages to remodeling collaterals. However, eNOS signaling was dysfunctional, as indicated by increased protein nitrosylation and less phosphorylated eNOS and VASP in collateral wall cells. The cerebral circulation exhibited a similar age-dose-dependent loss of collateral number and diameter and increased tortuosity, resulting in an increase in collateral resistance and infarct volume (e.g., 6- and 3-fold, respectively, in 24-months-old mice) after artery occlusion. This was not associated with rarefaction of similarly-sized arterioles. Collateral remodeling was also reduced. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate that aging causes rarefaction and insufficiency of the collateral circulation in multiple tissues, resulting in more severe ischemic tissue injury. PMID:21617137

Increased bone morphogenetic protein signaling contributes to age-related declines in neurogenesis and cognition.

Science.gov (United States)

Meyers, Emily A; Gobeske, Kevin T; Bond, Allison M; Jarrett, Jennifer C; Peng, Chian-Yu; Kessler, John A

2016-02-01

Aging is associated with decreased neurogenesis in the hippocampus and diminished hippocampus-dependent cognitive functions. Expression of bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) increases with age by more than 10-fold in the mouse dentate gyrus while levels of the BMP inhibitor, noggin, decrease. This results in a profound 30-fold increase in phosphorylated-SMAD1/5/8, the effector of canonical BMP signaling. Just as observed in mice, a profound increase in expression of BMP4 is observed in the dentate gyrus of humans with no known cognitive abnormalities. Inhibition of BMP signaling either by overexpression of noggin or transgenic manipulation not only increases neurogenesis in aging mice, but remarkably, is associated with a rescue of cognitive deficits to levels comparable to young mice. Additive benefits are observed when combining inhibition of BMP signaling and environmental enrichment. These findings indicate that increased BMP signaling contributes significantly to impairments in neurogenesis and to cognitive decline associated with aging, and identify this pathway as a potential druggable target for reversing age-related changes in cognition. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Will generalist physician supply meet demands of an increasing and aging population?

Science.gov (United States)

Colwill, Jack M; Cultice, James M; Kruse, Robin L

2008-01-01

We predict that population growth and aging will increase family physicians' and general internists' workloads by 29 percent between 2005 and 2025. We expect a 13 percent increased workload for care of children by pediatricians and family physicians. However, the supply of generalists for adult care, adjusted for age and sex, will increase 7 percent, or only 2 percent if the number of graduates continues to decline through 2008. We expect deficits of 35,000-44,000 adult care generalists, although the supply for care of children should be adequate. These forces threaten the nation's foundation of primary care for adults.

Molecular Mechanisms Responsible for Increased Vulnerability of the Ageing Oocyte to Oxidative Damage

Science.gov (United States)

Redgrove, Kate A.; McLaughlin, Eileen A.

2017-01-01

In their midthirties, women experience a decline in fertility, coupled to a pronounced increase in the risk of aneuploidy, miscarriage, and birth defects. Although the aetiology of such pathologies are complex, a causative relationship between the age-related decline in oocyte quality and oxidative stress (OS) is now well established. What remains less certain are the molecular mechanisms governing the increased vulnerability of the aged oocyte to oxidative damage. In this review, we explore the reduced capacity of the ageing oocyte to mitigate macromolecular damage arising from oxidative insults and highlight the dramatic consequences for oocyte quality and female fertility. Indeed, while oocytes are typically endowed with a comprehensive suite of molecular mechanisms to moderate oxidative damage and thus ensure the fidelity of the germline, there is increasing recognition that the efficacy of such protective mechanisms undergoes an age-related decline. For instance, impaired reactive oxygen species metabolism, decreased DNA repair, reduced sensitivity of the spindle assembly checkpoint, and decreased capacity for protein repair and degradation collectively render the aged oocyte acutely vulnerable to OS and limits their capacity to recover from exposure to such insults. We also highlight the inadequacies of our current armoury of assisted reproductive technologies to combat age-related female infertility, emphasising the need for further research into mechanisms underpinning the functional deterioration of the ageing oocyte. PMID:29312475

Lifelong Physical Activity Prevents Aging-Associated Insulin Resistance in Human Skeletal Muscle Myotubes via Increased Glucose Transporter Expression

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bunprajun, Tipwadee; Henriksen, Tora Ida; Scheele, Camilla

2013-01-01

, and significantly higher GLUT4 protein. It is likely that physical activity induces a number of stable adaptations, including increased GLUT4 expression that are retained in cells ex vivo and protect, or delay the onset of middle-aged-associated insulin resistance. Additionally, a sedentary lifestyle has an impact...

Lack of age-related increase in carotid artery wall viscosity in cardiorespiratory fit men

Science.gov (United States)

Kawano, Hiroshi; Yamamoto, Kenta; Gando, Yuko; Tanimoto, Michiya; Murakami, Haruka; Ohmori, Yumi; Sanada, Kiyoshi; Tabata, Izumi; Higuchi, Mitsuru; Miyachi, Motohiko

2013-01-01

Objectives: Age-related arterial stiffening and reduction of arterial elasticity are attenuated in individuals with high levels of cardiorespiratory fitness. Viscosity is another mechanical characteristic of the arterial wall; however, the effects of age and cardiorespiratory fitness have not been determined. We examined the associations among age, cardiorespiratory fitness and carotid arterial wall viscosity. Methods: A total of 111 healthy men, aged 25–39 years (young) and 40–64 years (middle-aged), were divided into either cardiorespiratory fit or unfit groups on the basis of peak oxygen uptake. The common carotid artery was measured noninvasively by tonometry and automatic tracking of B-mode images to obtain instantaneous pressure and diameter hysteresis loops, and we calculated the effective compliance, isobaric compliance and viscosity index. Results: In the middle-aged men, the viscosity index was larger in the unfit group than in the fit group (2533 vs. 2018 mmHg·s/mm, respectively: P viscosity index was increased with advancing age, but these parameters were unaffected by cardiorespiratory fitness level. Conclusion: These results suggest that the wall viscosity in the central artery is increased with advancing age and that the age-associated increase in wall viscosity may be attenuated in cardiorespiratory fit men. PMID:24029868

Defective TFH Cell Function and Increased TFR Cells Contribute to Defective Antibody Production in Aging.

Science.gov (United States)

Sage, Peter T; Tan, Catherine L; Freeman, Gordon J; Haigis, Marcia; Sharpe, Arlene H

2015-07-14

Defective antibody production in aging is broadly attributed to immunosenescence. However, the precise immunological mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we demonstrate an increase in the ratio of inhibitory T follicular regulatory (TFR) cells to stimulatory T follicular helper (TFH) cells in aged mice. Aged TFH and TFR cells are phenotypically distinct from those in young mice, exhibiting increased programmed cell death protein-1 expression but decreased ICOS expression. Aged TFH cells exhibit defective antigen-specific responses, and programmed cell death protein-ligand 1 blockade can partially rescue TFH cell function. In contrast, young and aged TFR cells have similar suppressive capacity on a per-cell basis in vitro and in vivo. Together, these studies reveal mechanisms contributing to defective humoral immunity in aging: an increase in suppressive TFR cells combined with impaired function of aged TFH cells results in reduced T-cell-dependent antibody responses in aged mice. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ovariectomy increases the age-induced hyperphosphorylation of Tau at hippocampal CA1.

Science.gov (United States)

Picazo, O; Espinosa-Raya, J; Briones-Aranda, A; Cerbón, M

2016-11-01

One of the main hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease includes the neurofibrillary tangles formation produced by hyperphosphorylation of the Tau protein, whose expression is putatively regulated by the ovarian hormones estradiol and progesterone. Hippocampus is a brain region that participates in many functions related to learning and memory; in addition, it is abundant in both estradiol and progesterone receptors. In this study, we explore the expression of Tau hyperphosphorylation at hippocampus and the performance of rats in an autoshaping learning task at 5, 10 and 15 months after the ovaries removal. In these animals, ovariectomy was performed at 3 months of age. These data were compared with those derived from intact rats at 8, 13 and 18 months old. A clear decrease in the number of conditioned responses of both intact and ovariectomized rats in the autoshaping learning task was observed. The interaction of both factors confirms that, in this test, learning varies depending on aging and the presence or absence of ovaries. A progressive increase in hippocampal Tau phosphorylation at Ser-396 was observed in either intact or ovariectomized rats. Interestingly, an interaction between the analyzed factors shows that such hyperphosphorylation was potentiated by the absence of ovaries. These results emphasize the importance of aging and the lack of ovarian hormones for an associative learning test and for the expression of one of the most important hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease.

Age-dependent trigeminal and female-specific lumbosacral increase in herpes zoster distribution in the elderly.

Science.gov (United States)

Shiraki, Kimiyasu; Toyama, Nozomu; Shiraki, Atsuko; Yajima, Misako

2018-05-01

Varicella-zoster virus causes herpes zoster (HZ) along specific dermatomes, but the effects of age and sex on HZ distribution are unclear. We investigated the age- and sex-dependent distribution characteristics of HZ. Patients with HZ were monitored by members of the Miyazaki Dermatologist Society. Questionnaires containing information on age, sex, and dermatome distribution and lesion specimens from 2730 patients were collected, and 2508 PCR-diagnosed cases were analyzed. The ratio of lesions in the thoracic area to lesions in the whole body decreased with age, whereas those of other areas increased. HZ incidence increased with age to about four times that of the basic incidence in the dermatome areas at age 0-29 years; the incidence in the trigeminal area in both sexes increased 11-fold, and the incidence in the thoracic and lumbosacral areas increased in females more than in males. Furthermore, the fact that the highest incidence was found along the first branch of the trigeminal nerve suggests an association with long-term ultraviolet ray exposure. Segmental dermatomes comprising thoracic 10-lumbar 1/sacral 2-4 and thoracic 5-6 were significantly more frequently affected in female patients at age 50-59 years and are consistent with areas of obstetric anesthesia for childbirth and of breastfeeding, respectively. HZ incidence increased with age; moreover, exposure to ultraviolet rays, childbirth, and breastfeeding might increase the incidence at specific dermatomes in older individuals. This study provides important information on the etiology of HZ. Copyright © 2018 Japanese Society for Investigative Dermatology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Increasing age and tear size reduce rotator cuff repair healing rate at 1 year.

Science.gov (United States)

Rashid, Mustafa S; Cooper, Cushla; Cook, Jonathan; Cooper, David; Dakin, Stephanie G; Snelling, Sarah; Carr, Andrew J

2017-12-01

Background and purpose - There is a need to understand the reasons why a high proportion of rotator cuff repairs fail to heal. Using data from a large randomized clinical trial, we evaluated age and tear size as risk factors for failure of rotator cuff repair. Patients and methods - Between 2007 and 2014, 65 surgeons from 47 hospitals in the National Health Service (NHS) recruited 447 patients with atraumatic rotator cuff tendon tears to the United Kingdom Rotator Cuff Trial (UKUFF) and 256 underwent rotator cuff repair. Cuff integrity was assessed by imaging in 217 patients, at 12 months post-operation. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the influence of age and intra-operative tear size on healing. Hand dominance, sex, and previous steroid injections were controlled for. Results - The overall healing rate was 122/217 (56%) at 12 months. Healing rate decreased with increasing tear size (small tears 66%, medium tears 68%, large tears 47%, and massive tears 27% healed). The mean age of patients with a healed repair was 61 years compared with 64 years for those with a non-healed repair. Mean age increased with larger tear sizes (small tears 59 years, medium tears 62 years, large tears 64 years, and massive tears 66 years). Increasing age was an independent factor that negatively influenced healing, even after controlling for tear size. Only massive tears were an independent predictor of non-healing, after controlling for age. Interpretation - Although increasing age and larger tear size are both risks for failure of rotator cuff repair healing, age is the dominant risk factor.

Extending PSA models including ageing and asset management - 15291

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martorell, S.; Marton, I.; Carlos, S.; Sanchez, A.I.

2015-01-01

This paper proposes a new approach to Ageing Probabilistic Safety Assessment (APSA) modelling, which is intended to be used to support risk-informed decisions on the effectiveness of maintenance management programs and technical specification requirements of critical equipment of Nuclear Power Plants (NPP) within the framework of the Risk Informed Decision Making according to R.G. 1.174 principles. This approach focuses on the incorporation of not only equipment ageing but also effectiveness of maintenance and efficiency of surveillance testing explicitly into APSA models and data. This methodology is applied to a motor-operated valve of the auxiliary feed water system (AFWS) of a PWR. This simple example of application focuses on a critical safety-related equipment of a NPP in order to evaluate the risk impact of considering different approaches to APSA and the combined effect of equipment ageing and maintenance and testing alternatives along NPP design life. The risk impact of several alternatives in maintenance strategy is discussed

Caloric restriction increases ketone bodies metabolism and preserves blood flow in aging brain.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Ai-Ling; Zhang, Wei; Gao, Xiaoli; Watts, Lora

2015-07-01

Caloric restriction (CR) has been shown to increase the life span and health span of a broad range of species. However, CR effects on in vivo brain functions are far from explored. In this study, we used multimetric neuroimaging methods to characterize the CR-induced changes of brain metabolic and vascular functions in aging rats. We found that old rats (24 months of age) with CR diet had reduced glucose uptake and lactate concentration, but increased ketone bodies level, compared with the age-matched and young (5 months of age) controls. The shifted metabolism was associated with preserved vascular function: old CR rats also had maintained cerebral blood flow relative to the age-matched controls. When investigating the metabolites in mitochondrial tricarboxylic acid cycle, we found that citrate and α-ketoglutarate were preserved in the old CR rats. We suggest that CR is neuroprotective; ketone bodies, cerebral blood flow, and α-ketoglutarate may play important roles in preserving brain physiology in aging. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The interaction between parenting and children's cortisol reactivity at age 3 predicts increases in children's internalizing and externalizing symptoms at age 6.

Science.gov (United States)

Barrios, Chelsey S; Bufferd, Sara J; Klein, Daniel N; Dougherty, Lea R

2017-10-01

Little is known about the role of stress reactivity in the emergence of psychopathology across early childhood. In this longitudinal study, we tested the hypothesis that child cortisol reactivity at age 3 moderates associations between early parenting and children's internalizing and externalizing symptoms from age 3 to age 6. One hundred and sixty children were assessed at age 3, and 135 children were reassessed at age 6. At age 3, we exposed children to stress-inducing laboratory tasks, during which we obtained four salivary cortisol samples, and parental hostility was assessed using an observational parent-child interaction task. At ages 3 and 6, child psychiatric symptoms were assessed using a clinical interview with parents. The results indicated that the combination of high child cortisol reactivity and high observed parental hostility at age 3 was associated with greater concurrent externalizing symptoms at age 3 and predicted increases in internalizing and externalizing symptoms from age 3 to age 6. Findings highlight that increased stress reactivity, within the context of hostile parenting, plays a role in the emergence of psychopathology from preschool to school entry.

Increased active von Willebrand factor during disease development in the aging diabetic patient population.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Shuang Feng; Xia, Zuo Li; Han, Ji Ju; Wang, Yi Ting; Wang, Ji Yue; Pan, Shao Dong; Wu, Ya Ping; Zhang, Bin; Li, Guang Yao; Du, Jing Wei; Gao, Hen Qiang; de Groot, Philip G; de Laat, Bas; Hollestelle, Martine J

2013-02-01

Type 2 diabetes is known to cause endothelial activation resulting in the secretion of von Willebrand factor (VWF). We have shown that levels of VWF in a glycoprotein Ib-binding conformation are increased in specific clinical settings. The aim of the current study is to investigate whether active VWF levels increase during aging and the development of diabetes within the population of patients suffering from type 2 diabetes. Patients and controls were divided into two groups based on age: older and younger than 60 years of age. VWF antigen, VWF propeptide, VWF activation factor and total active VWF were measured. Patients older than 60 years of age had increased levels of total active VWF, VWF activation factor and VWF propeptide compared to younger patients and controls. All measured VWF parameters were associated with age in diabetic patients. Total active VWF and VWF propeptide correlated with the period of being diagnosed with diabetes. Regression analyses showed that especially the VWF activation factor was strongly associated with diabetes in patients older than 60 years of age. In conclusion, we found that the conformation of VWF could be involved in the disease process of diabetes and that the VWF in a glycoprotein Ib-binding conformation could play a role as risk marker during the development of diabetes in combination with an increase in age. Our study shows that the active quality of VWF was more important than the quantity.

Perceived Workplace Stress Is Associated with an Increased Risk of Prostate Cancer before Age 65.

Science.gov (United States)

Blanc-Lapierre, Audrey; Rousseau, Marie-Claude; Parent, Marie-Elise

2017-01-01

Evidence is lacking regarding the potential role of chronic psychological stress on cancer incidence. The workplace is reported to be the main source of stress among Canadian men. We examined the association between perceived lifetime workplace stress and prostate cancer (PCa) risk in a large case-control study. Cases were 1,933 men, aged ≤ 75 years, newly diagnosed with PCa in 2005-2009 across hospitals in Montreal, Canada. Concurrently, 1994 population controls frequency-matched on age were randomly selected from the electoral list based on cases' residential districts. Detailed lifestyle and work histories (including perceived stress, from any type of work stressor, for each job held) were collected during in-person interviews. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between work-related stress and PCa risk in multivariate analyses. Over the lifetime, 58% of subjects reported at least one job as stressful. Occupations described as stressful were most often among white-collar workers. Perceived workplace stress duration was associated with a higher risk of PCa (OR = 1.12, 95% CI:1.04-1.20 per 10-year increase) among men younger than 65 years, but not among older men. Associations were similar irrespective of PCa aggressiveness. Frequent or recent screening for PCa, age at first exposure and time since exposure to work-related stress, and socioeconomic and lifestyle factors, had little influence on risk estimates. Findings are in line with an association between reporting prolonged workplace stress and an increase in risk of PCa before age 65.

Age-Related Decrease in Heat Shock 70-kDa Protein 8 in Cerebrospinal Fluid Is Associated with Increased Oxidative Stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Loeffler, David A; Klaver, Andrea C; Coffey, Mary P; Aasly, Jan O; LeWitt, Peter A

2016-01-01

Age-associated declines in protein homeostasis mechanisms ("proteostasis") are thought to contribute to age-related neurodegenerative disorders. The increased oxidative stress which occurs with aging can activate a key proteostatic process, chaperone-mediated autophagy. This study investigated age-related alteration in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of heat shock 70-kDa protein 8 (HSPA8), a molecular chaperone involved in proteostatic mechanisms including chaperone-mediated autophagy, and its associations with indicators of oxidative stress (8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine [8-OHdG] and 8-isoprostane) and total anti-oxidant capacity. We examined correlations between age, HSPA8, 8-OHdG, 8-isoprostane, and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in CSF samples from 34 healthy subjects ranging from 20 to 75 years of age. Age was negatively associated with HSPA8 (ρ = -0.47; p = 0.005). An age-related increase in oxidative stress was indicated by a positive association between age and 8-OHdG (ρ = 0.61; p = 0.0001). HSPA8 was moderately negatively associated with 8-OHdG (ρ = -0.58; p = 0.0004). Age and HSPA8 were weakly associated with 8-isoprostane and TAC (range of ρ values: -0.15 to 0.16). Our findings in this exploratory study suggest that during healthy aging, CSF HSPA8 may decrease, perhaps due in part to an increase in oxidative stress. Our results also suggest that 8-OHdG may be more sensitive than 8-isoprostane for measuring oxidative stress in CSF. Further studies are indicated to determine if our findings can be replicated with a larger cohort, and if the age-related decrease in HSPA8 in CSF is reflected by a similar change in the brain.

Autism and increased paternal age related changes in global levels of gene expression regulation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mark D Alter

2011-02-01

Full Text Available A causal role of mutations in multiple general transcription factors in neurodevelopmental disorders including autism suggested that alterations in global levels of gene expression regulation might also relate to disease risk in sporadic cases of autism. This premise can be tested by evaluating for changes in the overall distribution of gene expression levels. For instance, in mice, variability in hippocampal-dependent behaviors was associated with variability in the pattern of the overall distribution of gene expression levels, as assessed by variance in the distribution of gene expression levels in the hippocampus. We hypothesized that a similar change in variance might be found in children with autism. Gene expression microarrays covering greater than 47,000 unique RNA transcripts were done on RNA from peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL of children with autism (n = 82 and controls (n = 64. Variance in the distribution of gene expression levels from each microarray was compared between groups of children. Also tested was whether a risk factor for autism, increased paternal age, was associated with variance. A decrease in the variance in the distribution of gene expression levels in PBL was associated with the diagnosis of autism and a risk factor for autism, increased paternal age. Traditional approaches to microarray analysis of gene expression suggested a possible mechanism for decreased variance in gene expression. Gene expression pathways involved in transcriptional regulation were down-regulated in the blood of children with autism and children of older fathers. Thus, results from global and gene specific approaches to studying microarray data were complimentary and supported the hypothesis that alterations at the global level of gene expression regulation are related to autism and increased paternal age. Global regulation of transcription, thus, represents a possible point of convergence for multiple etiologies of autism and other

Aging increases compensatory saccade amplitude in the video head impulse test

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Eric R Anson

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Objective: Rotational vestibular function declines with age resulting in saccades as a compensatory mechanism to improve impaired gaze stability. Small reductions in rotational vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR gain that would be considered clinically normal have been associated with compensatory saccades. We evaluated whether compensatory saccade characteristics varied as a function of age, independent of semicircular canal function as quantified by VOR gain.Methods: Horizontal VOR gain was measured in 243 participants age 27-93 from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging using video head impulse testing (HIT. Latency and amplitude of the first saccade (either covert – occurring during head impulse, or overt – occurring following head impulse were measured for head impulses with compensatory saccades (n = 2230 head impulses. The relationship between age and saccade latency, as well as the relationship between age and saccade amplitude, were evaluated using regression analyses adjusting for VOR gain, gender, and race.Results: Older adults (mean age 75.9 made significantly larger compensatory saccades relative to younger adults (mean age 45.0. In analyses adjusted for VOR gain, there was a significant association between age and amplitude of the first compensatory covert saccade (β = 0.015, p = 0.008. In analyses adjusted for VOR gain, there was a significant association between age and amplitude of the first compensatory overt saccade (β = 0.02, p < 0.001. Compensatory saccade latencies did not vary significantly by age. Conclusions: We observed that aging increases the compensatory catch-up saccade amplitude in healthy adults after controlling for VOR gain. Size of compensatory saccades may be useful in addition to VOR gain for characterizing vestibular function in aging adults.

Increased risk of asthma in overweight children born large for gestational age.

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Pinto, L A; Guerra, S; Anto, J M; Postma, D; Koppelman, G H; de Jongste, J C; Gehring, U; Smit, H A; Wijga, A H

2017-08-01

Being born large for gestational age (LGA) is a marker of increased growth velocity in fetal life and a risk factor for childhood overweight. Both being born LGA and childhood overweight may influence the development of asthma, although the role of overweight in the association between LGA and childhood asthma is unclear. Importantly, recent studies have suggested that the association between overweight and asthma may be related to non-allergic pathways. If this also applies to the association between LGA and asthma, the association between being born LGA and asthma may be different for atopic and non-atopic children. We investigated the association of being LGA with the prevalence of asthma at age 8 in atopic and non-atopic children and the role of overweight in this association. Complete data on asthma, anthropometry and atopy at age of 8 years, and potential confounders were available for 1608 participants of the PIAMA birth cohort. Odds ratios for the association between LGA and asthma in atopic and non-atopic children were estimated by logistic regression analysis adjusting for potential confounders. Overweight was assessed as a potential modifier of the association between LGA and asthma. Being born LGA was not significantly associated with asthma at age of 8 in atopic and non-atopic children. However, overweight at age of 8 years modified the association between asthma at age of 8 and LGA. In non-atopic children, children who were born LGA and were overweight at age of 8 years had a significantly increased odds of asthma compared to non-LGA, non-overweight children (adj OR 7.04; 95% CI 2.2-24). We observed that non-atopic children born LGA, who were overweight by 8 years have an increased risk of asthma. If confirmed, these findings suggest that non-atopic children born LGA may be identified early in life as a high-risk group for asthma. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Has life satisfaction in Norway increased over a 20-year period? Exploring age and gender differences in a prospective longitudinal study, HUNT.

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Lysberg, Frode; Gjerstad, PåL; Småstuen, Milada Cvancarova; Innstrand, Siw Tone; Høie, Magnhild Mjåvatn; Arild Espnes, Geir

2018-02-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate the change in overall life satisfaction for different age groups and between genders over a 20-year period. Data from 1984 to 2008 were extracted from a large prospective longitudinal health study of Nord-Trøndelag (HUNT), Norway. The study included more than 176,000 participants ranging from 20 to 70+ years of age. Data were analysed using logistic regression and adjusted for gender. The analyses revealed an increase in life satisfaction for all age groups from 1984-1986 (HUNT 1) to 1995-1997 (HUNT 2), with the highest levels being reached at 2006-2008 (HUNT 3). For all age groups, the data showed an increase of about 20% for the period from 1984-1986 (HUNT 1) to 1995-1997 (HUNT 2). From 1995-1997 (HUNT 2) to 2006-2008 (HUNT 3), the increase in overall life satisfaction was 16% for the younger age groups, and about 32% for the older age groups (40-69 and 70+ years). Women's scores for overall life satisfaction were higher for nearly all age groups when compared to men using HUNT 3 as a reference. These findings suggest an increase in life satisfaction for all age groups from 1984 to 2008, especially for the older age group (40-69 and 70+ years). The data indicate that women score higher on life satisfaction for most age groups as compared to men.

Age correction in monitoring audiometry: method to update OSHA age-correction tables to include older workers

OpenAIRE

Dobie, Robert A; Wojcik, Nancy C

2015-01-01

Objectives The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Noise Standard provides the option for employers to apply age corrections to employee audiograms to consider the contribution of ageing when determining whether a standard threshold shift has occurred. Current OSHA age-correction tables are based on 40-year-old data, with small samples and an upper age limit of 60?years. By comparison, recent data (1999?2006) show that hearing thresholds in the US population have improved....

Increasing annual incidence of vestibular schwannoma and age at diagnosis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stangerup, Sven-Eric; Tos, Mirko; Caye-Thomasen, Per

2004-01-01

in 2001. In the first years large and giant tumours dominated, in contrast to recent years in which intrameatal and small tumours dominated. The median age at the time of diagnosis has been almost unchanged through the period (median 55 years). If the decreasing size of the tumour and the increasing...

A technique of including the effect of aging of passive components in probabilistic risk assessments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Phillips, J.H.; Weidenhamer, G.H.

1992-01-01

The probabilistic risk assessments (PRAS) being developed at most nuclear power plants to calculate the risk of core damage generally focus on the possible failure of active components. The possible failure of passive components is given little consideration. We are developing methods for selecting risk-significant passive components and including them in PRAS. These methods provide effective ways to prioritize passive components for inspection, and where inspection reveals aging damage, mitigation or repair can be employed to reduce the likelihood of component failure. We demonstrated a method by selecting a weld in the auxiliary feedwater (AFW) system, basing our selection on expert judgement of the likelihood of failure and on an estimate of the consequence of component failure to plant safety. We then modified and used the Piping Reliability Analysis Including Seismic Events (PRAISE) computer code to perform a probabilistic structural analysis to calculate the probability that crack growth due to aging would cause the weld to fail. The PRAISE code was modified to include the effects of changing design material properties with age and changing stress cycles. The calculation included the effects of mechanical loads and thermal transients typical of the service loads for this piping design and the effects of thermal cycling caused by a leaking check valve. However, this particular calculation showed little change in low component failure probability and plant risk for 48 years of service. However, sensitivity studies showed that if the probability of component failure is high, the effect on plant risk is significant. The success of this demonstration shows that this method could be applied to nuclear power plants. The demonstration showed the method is too involved (PRAISE takes a long time to perform the calculation and the input information is extensive) for handling a large number of passive components and therefore simpler methods are needed

HIV Infection Is Associated with Increased Fatty Infiltration of the Thigh Muscle with Aging Independent of Fat Distribution.

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Javzandulam Natsag

Full Text Available Lower muscle density on computed tomography (CT provides a measure of fatty infiltration of muscle, an aspect of muscle quality that has been associated with metabolic abnormalities, weakness, decreased mobility, and increased fracture risk in older adults. We assessed the cross-sectional relationship between HIV serostatus, age, thigh muscle attenuation, and thigh muscle cross-sectional area (CSA.Mean CT-quantified Hounsfield units (HU of the thigh muscle bundle and CSA were evaluated in 368 HIV-infected and 145 HIV-uninfected men enrolled in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS Cardiovascular Substudy using multivariable linear regression. Models all were adjusted for HIV serostatus, age, race, and body mass index (BMI; each model was further adjusted for covariates that differed by HIV serostatus, including insulin resistance, hepatitis C, malignancy, smoking, alcohol use, and self-reported limitation in physical activity.HIV-infected men had greater thigh muscle CSA (p<0.001 but lower muscle density (p<0.001 compared to HIV-uninfected men. Muscle density remained lower in HIV-infected men (p = 0.001 when abdominal visceral adiposity, and thigh subcutaneous adipose tissue area were substituted for BMI in a multivariable model. Muscle density decreased by 0.16 HU per year (p<0.001 of increasing age among the HIV-infected men, but not in the HIV-uninfected men (HIV x age interaction -0.20 HU; p = 0.002.HIV-infected men had lower thigh muscle density compared to HIV-uninfected men, and a more pronounced decline with increasing age, indicative of greater fatty infiltration. These findings suggest that lower muscle quality among HIV-infected persons may be a risk factor for impairments in physical function with aging.

Increasing the minimum age of marriage program to improve maternal and child health in Indonesia

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Anjarwati

2017-08-01

The objective of the article is to review the importance of understanding the adolescent reproductive health, especially the impact of early marriage to have commitment for health maintenance by increasing the minimum age of marriage. There are countless studies describing the impact of pregnancy at a very young age, the risk that young people must understand to support the program of increasing minimum age of marriage in Indonesia. Increasing the minimum age of marriage is as one of the government programs in improving maternal and child health. It also supports the Indonesian government's program about a thousand days of life. It is required that teens understand the impact of early marriage to prepare for optimal health for future generations. The maternal mortality rate and infant mortality rate in Indonesia is still high because health is not optimal since the early period of pregnancy. These studies reveal that the increased number of early marriages leads to rising divorce rate, maternal mortality rate, and infant mortality and intensifies the risk of cervical cancer. The increase in early marriage is mostly attributed to unwanted pregnancy. It is revealed that early marriage increases the rate of pregnancy at too young an age with the risk of maternal and child health in Indonesia.

Food restriction prevents an age-associated increase in rat liver beta-adrenergic receptors

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Dax, E.M.; Ingram, D.K.; Partilla, J.S.; Gregerman, R.I.

1989-05-01

In male Wistar rats fed ad libitum (24% protein, 4.5 Kcal/gm), the (/sup 125/I)iodopindolol binding capacity of the beta-adrenergic receptors in liver of 24-month-old animals is 3-4 times greater than that of 6-month-old counterparts. In rats fed the same diet, on alternate days from weaning, the receptor capacity did not increase significantly between 6 and 24 months (10.20 +/- 0.55 vs 9.20 +/- 0.72 fmol/mg) or between 24 and 30 months. This was not due to acute dietary deprivation, as rats food-restricted for only 2 weeks, at 23.5 months of age, also showed elevated receptor capacities compared to 6-month-old ad libitum fed animals. Moreover, intermittent feeding produced no significant effects among 6-month-old animals, whether restricted since weaning or for two weeks prior to sacrifice. Many biochemical parameters that decrease with aging in rats fed ad libitum are prevented by dietary restriction. Our results demonstrate that a reproducible biochemical process that increases with aging is also prevented with dietary restriction. The age-related, liver beta-receptor increase may be a potentially reliable marker for studying biochemical perturbations that modify life span.

Food restriction prevents an age-associated increase in rat liver beta-adrenergic receptors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dax, E.M.; Ingram, D.K.; Partilla, J.S.; Gregerman, R.I.

1989-01-01

In male Wistar rats fed ad libitum (24% protein, 4.5 Kcal/gm), the [ 125 I]iodopindolol binding capacity of the beta-adrenergic receptors in liver of 24-month-old animals is 3-4 times greater than that of 6-month-old counterparts. In rats fed the same diet, on alternate days from weaning, the receptor capacity did not increase significantly between 6 and 24 months (10.20 +/- 0.55 vs 9.20 +/- 0.72 fmol/mg) or between 24 and 30 months. This was not due to acute dietary deprivation, as rats food-restricted for only 2 weeks, at 23.5 months of age, also showed elevated receptor capacities compared to 6-month-old ad libitum fed animals. Moreover, intermittent feeding produced no significant effects among 6-month-old animals, whether restricted since weaning or for two weeks prior to sacrifice. Many biochemical parameters that decrease with aging in rats fed ad libitum are prevented by dietary restriction. Our results demonstrate that a reproducible biochemical process that increases with aging is also prevented with dietary restriction. The age-related, liver beta-receptor increase may be a potentially reliable marker for studying biochemical perturbations that modify life span

Do age-related increases in tip-of-the-tongue experiences signify episodic memory impairments?

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Salthouse, Timothy A; Mandell, Arielle R

2013-12-01

Tip-of-the-tongue experiences (TOTs), in which a name is known but cannot be immediately retrieved from memory, can be a cause of concern if these experiences are viewed as a sign of memory decline. The current study was conducted to investigate the relation between age and TOT frequency, and the influence of episodic memory, which is the type of memory most often assessed to detect memory problems, on that relation. In a sample of adults, increased age was found to be associated with more TOTs across different types of materials, and additional analyses suggested that these relations between age and TOT frequency were not attributable to the use of different response criteria or to different amounts of knowledge. Because statistical control of a measure of episodic memory had little effect on the relation between age and TOT frequency, age-related increases in TOTs and age-related decreases in episodic memory appear to be at least partially independent phenomena.

Dietary Tocotrienol/γ-Cyclodextrin Complex Increases Mitochondrial Membrane Potential and ATP Concentrations in the Brains of Aged Mice

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Anke Schloesser

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Brain aging is accompanied by a decrease in mitochondrial function. In vitro studies suggest that tocotrienols, including γ- and δ-tocotrienol (T3, may exhibit neuroprotective properties. However, little is known about the effect of dietary T3 on mitochondrial function in vivo. In this study, we monitored the effect of a dietary T3/γ-cyclodextrin complex (T3CD on mitochondrial membrane potential and ATP levels in the brain of 21-month-old mice. Mice were fed either a control diet or a diet enriched with T3CD providing 100 mg T3 per kg diet for 6 months. Dietary T3CD significantly increased mitochondrial membrane potential and ATP levels compared to those of controls. The increase in MMP and ATP due to dietary T3CD was accompanied by an increase in the protein levels of the mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM. Furthermore, dietary T3CD slightly increased the mRNA levels of superoxide dismutase, γ-glutamyl cysteinyl synthetase, and heme oxygenase 1 in the brain. Overall, the present data suggest that T3CD increases TFAM, mitochondrial membrane potential, and ATP synthesis in the brains of aged mice.

Increased Working Memory-Related Brain Activity in Middle-Aged Women with Cognitive Complaints

OpenAIRE

Dumas, Julie A.; Kutz, Amanda M.; McDonald, Brenna C.; R.Naylor, Magdalena; Pfaff, Ashley C.; Saykin, Andrew J.; Newhouse, Paul A.

2012-01-01

Individuals who report subjective cognitive complaints but perform normally on neuropsychological tests may be at increased risk for pathological cognitive aging. The current study examined the effects of the presence of subjective cognitive complaints on functional brain activity during a working memory task in a sample of middle-aged postmenopausal women. Twenty-three postmenopausal women aged 50–60 completed a cognitive complaint battery of questionnaires. Using 20% of items endorsed as th...

Testosterone therapy increased muscle mass and lipid oxidation in aging men

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frederiksen, Louise; Højlund, Kurt; Hougaard, David M

2011-01-01

The indication for testosterone therapy in aging hypogonadal men without hypothalamic, pituitary, or testicular disease remains to be elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of testosterone therapy on insulin sensitivity, substrate metabolism, body composition, and lipids...... lipid oxidation (b = 5.65 mg/min/m(2), p = 0.045) increased and basal glucose oxidation (b = -9.71 mg/min/m(2), p = 0.046) decreased in response to testosterone therapy even when corrected for changes in LBM. No significant changes in insulin-stimulated Rd was observed (b = -0.01mg/min/m(2), p = 0.......92). Testosterone therapy increased muscle mass and lipid oxidation in aging men with low normal bioavailable testosterone levels; however, our data did not support an effect of testosterone on whole-body insulin sensitivity using the euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp technique....

Aging increases oxidative stress and renal expression of oxidant and antioxidant enzymes that are associated with an increased trend in systolic blood pressure.

Science.gov (United States)

Gomes, Pedro; Simão, Sónia; Silva, Elisabete; Pinto, Vanda; Amaral, João S; Afonso, Joana; Serrão, Maria Paula; Pinho, Maria João; Soares-da-Silva, Patrício

2009-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate whether the effects of aging on oxidative stress markers and expression of major oxidant and antioxidant enzymes associate with impairment of renal function and increases in blood pressure. To explore this, we determined age-associated changes in lipid peroxidation (urinary malondialdehyde), plasma and urinary hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) levels, as well as renal H(2)O(2) production, and the expression of oxidant and antioxidant enzymes in young (13 weeks) and old (52 weeks) male Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats. Urinary lipid peroxidation levels and H(2)O(2) production by the renal cortex and medulla of old rats were higher than their young counterparts. This was accompanied by overexpression of NADPH oxidase components Nox4 and p22(phox) in the renal cortex of old rats. Similarly, expression of superoxide dismutase (SOD) isoforms 2 and 3 and catalase were increased in the renal cortex from old rats. Renal function parameters (creatinine clearance and fractional excretion of sodium), diastolic blood pressure and heart rate were not affected by aging, although slight increases in systolic blood pressure were observed during this 52-week period. It is concluded that overexpression of renal Nox4 and p22(phox) and the increases in renal H(2)O(2) levels in aged WKY does not associate with renal functional impairment or marked increases in blood pressure. It is hypothesized that lack of oxidative stress-associated effects in aged WKY rats may result from increases in antioxidant defenses that counteract the damaging effects of H(2)O(2).

Increase in sickness absence with psychiatric diagnosis in Norway: a general population-based epidemiologic study of age, gender and regional distribution

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Brage Sören

2006-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of sickness absence with psychiatric diagnoses from 1994–2000, and the distribution across gender, age groups, diagnostic groups and regions in a general population. Methods The population at risk was defined as all individuals aged 16–66 years who were entitled to sickness benefits in 1994, 1996, 1998 and 2000 (n = 2,282,761 in 2000. All individuals with a full-time disability pension were excluded. The study included approximately 77% of the Norwegian population aged 16–66 years. For each year, the study base started on 1 January and ended on 31 December. Individuals that were sick-listed for more than 14/16 consecutive days with a psychiatric diagnosis on their medical certificate were selected as cases. Included in this study were data for Norway, the capital city Oslo and five regions in the southeast of the country. Results Sickness absence with psychiatric diagnoses increased in all age groups, in women and men, and in all regions. At the national level, the cumulative incidence increased in women from 1.7% in 1994 to 4.6% in 2000, and in men from 0.8% in 1994 to 2.2% in 2000. The highest cumulative incidence was found in middle-aged women and men (30–59 years. Women had a higher incidence than men in all stratification groups. The cumulative incidences in 2000 varied between 4.6% to 5.6% in women in the different regions, and for men the corresponding figures were 2.1% to 3.2%. Throughout the four years studied, women in Oslo had more than twice as high incidence levels of sickness absence with alcohol and drug diagnoses as the country as a whole. There were some differences between regions in sickness absence with specific psychiatric diagnoses, but they were small and most comparisons were non-significant. Conclusion Sickness absence with psychiatric diagnoses increased between 1994 and 2000 in Norway. The increase was highest in the middle-aged, and in women

Decrease of old age population mortality in Yugoslavia: Chance to increase anticipated life expectancy

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Radivojević Biljana M.

2002-01-01

Full Text Available This study analyzes the level and structure of old age population mortality in Yugoslavia with an aim to determine the intensity of realized changes and to provide an answer to how much they are significant and to approach the positive trends noted in developed countries in the latest period. Although it was insufficiently represented in the demographic analysis, the analysis of mortality in old people is gaining importance in the world. Apart from the reasons which result from the increase in the number of old people and thus their greater participation in the total number of deceased, enviable results have been achieved in decreasing old age mortality, which are more and more in focus of interest. While earlier research reported on the dominant influence of the decrease of younger age mortality to the increase of the expectation of life at birth, recent analysis precisely confirm the importance of decreasing mortality in old people. In mortality conditions from 1997/98, an additional 13.4 years of life in average is expected for men in Yugoslavia, and 15.2 for women. During more than five decades, the anticipated life expectancy for people over the age of 65 increased for only 1.2 years for men and 1.9 years for women. Out of that, the greatest increase was realized in the period 1950/51 - 1960/61 in both sexes. A small decrease in the average life expectancy was marked with men in the period 1960/61 - 1970/71, and with women in the latest period. Otherwise, all up to the eighties, the annual rate of increase was considerably lower than the rate of increase for zero year. It was only in the period 1980/81-1990/91 that faster growth had an anticipated life expectancy for the 65 years old. However, during the nineties unfavorable changes continued with the older, especially, female population. When comparing the values of the average life expectancy for people over 65 in Yugoslavia with corresponding values in developed countries, the lagging in

Slightly increased BMI at young age is a risk factor for future hypertension in Japanese men.

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Yuki Someya

Full Text Available Hypertension is developed easily in Asian adults with normal body mass index (BMI (~23 kg/m2, compared with other ethnicities with similar BMI. This study tested the hypothesis that slightly increased BMI at young age is a risk factor for future hypertension in Japanese men by historical cohort study.The study participants were 636 male alumni of the physical education school. They had available data on their physical examination at college age and follow-up investigation between 2007 and 2011. The participants were categorized into six categories: BMI at college age of <20.0 kg/m2, 20.0-21.0kg/m2, 21.0-22.0kg/m2, 22.0-23.0kg/m2, 23.0-24.0kg/m2, and ≥24.0kg/m2, and the incidence of hypertension was compared.This study covered 27-year follow-up period (interquartile range: IQR: 23-31 which included 17,059 person-years of observation. Subjects were 22 (22-22 years old at graduated college, and 49 (45-53 years old at first follow-up investigation. During the period, 120 men developed hypertension. The prevalence rates of hypertension for lowest to highest BMI categories were 9.4%, 14.6%, 16.1%, 17.5%, 30.3%, and 29.3%, respectively (p<0.001 for trend, and their hazard ratios were 1.00 (reference, 1.80 (95%CI: 0.65-4.94, 2.17 (0.83-5.64, 2.29 (0.89-5.92, 3.60 (1.37-9.47 and 4.72 (1.78-12.48, respectively (p<0.001 for trend. This trend was similar after adjustment for age, year of graduation, smoking, current exercise status and current dietary intake.Slightly increased BMI at young age is a risk factor for future hypertension in Japanese men.

Cold hardiness increases with age in juvenile Rhododendron populations

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Rajeev eArora

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Winter survival in woody plants is controlled by environmental and genetic factors that affect the plant's ability to cold acclimate. Because woody perennials are long-lived and often have a prolonged juvenile (pre-flowering phase, it is conceivable that both chronological and physiological age factors influence adaptive traits such as stress tolerance. This study investigated annual cold hardiness (CH changes in several hybrid Rhododendron populations based on Tmax, an estimate of the maximum rate of freezing injury (ion leakage in cold-acclimated leaves from juvenile progeny. Data from F2 and backcross populations derived from R. catawbiense and R. fortunei parents indicated significant annual increases in Tmax ranging from 3.7 to to 6.4 C as the seedlings aged from 3 to 5 years old. A similar yearly increase (6.7° C was observed in comparisons of 1- and 2-year-old F1 progenies from a R. catawbiense x R. dichroanthum cross. In contrast, CH of the mature parent plants (> 10 years old did not change significantly over the same evaluation period. In leaf samples from a natural population of R. maximum, CH evaluations over two years resulted in an average Tmax value for juvenile 2- to 3- year- old plants that was 9.2 C lower than the average for mature (~30 years old plants. . A reduction in CH was also observed in three hybrid rhododendron cultivars clonally propagated by rooted cuttings (ramets - Tmax of 4-year-old ramets was significantly lower than the Tmax estimates for the 30- to 40-year-old source plants (ortets. In both the wild R. maximum population and the hybrid cultivar group, higher accumulation of a cold-acclimation responsive 25kDa leaf dehydrin was associated with older plants and higher CH. The feasibility of identifying hardy phenotypes at juvenile period and research implications of age-dependent changes in CH are discussed.

Overexpression of eIF-5A2 in mice causes accelerated organismal aging by increasing chromosome instability

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Chen Leilei

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Amplification of 3q26 is one of the most frequent genetic alterations in many human malignancies. Recently, we isolated a novel oncogene eIF-5A2 within the 3q26 region. Functional study has demonstrated the oncogenic role of eIF-5A2 in the initiation and progression of human cancers. In the present study, we aim to investigate the physiological and pathological effect of eIF-5A2 in an eIF-5A2 transgenic mouse model. Methods An eIF-5A2 transgenic mouse model was generated using human eIF-5A2 cDNA. The eIF-5A2 transgenic mice were characterized by histological and immunohistochemistry analyses. The aging phenotypes were further characterized by wound healing, bone X-ray imaging and calcification analysis. Mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEF were isolated to further investigate molecular mechanism of eIF-5A2 in aging. Results Instead of resulting in spontaneous tumor formation, overexpression of eIF-5A2 accelerated the aging process in adult transgenic mice. This included decreased growth rate and body weight, shortened life span, kyphosis, osteoporosis, delay of wound healing and ossification. Investigation of the correlation between cellular senescence and aging showed that cellular senescence is not required for the aging phenotypes in eIF-5A2 mice. Interestingly, we found that activation of eIF-5A2 repressed p19 level and therefore destabilized p53 in transgenic mouse embryo fibroblast (MEF cells. This subsequently allowed for the accumulation of chromosomal instability, such as errors in cell dividing during metaphase and anaphase. Additionally, a significantly increase in number of aneuploidy cells (p Conclusion These observations suggest that eIF-5A2 mouse models could accelerate organismal aging by increasing chromosome instability.

Risk of labor dystocia increases with maternal age irrespective of parity: a population-based register study.

Science.gov (United States)

Waldenström, Ulla; Ekéus, Cecilia

2017-09-01

Advanced maternal age is associated with labor dystocia (LD) in nulliparous women. This study investigates the age-related risk of LD in first, second and third births. All live singleton cephalic births at term (≥ 37 gestational weeks) recorded in the Swedish Medical Birth Register from 1999 to 2011, except elective cesarean sections and fourth births and more, in total 998 675 pregnancies, were included in the study. LD was defined by International Classification of Diseases, version 10 codes (O620, O621, O622, O629, O630, O631 and O639). In each parity group risks of LD at age 25-29 years, 30-34 years, 35-39 years and ≥ 40 years compared with age < 25 years were investigated by logistic regression analyses. Analyses were adjusted for year of delivery, education, country/region of birth, smoking in early pregnancy, maternal height, body mass index, week of gestation, fetal presentation and infant birthweight. Rates of LD were 22.5%, 6.1% and 4% in first, second and third births, respectively. Adjusted odd ratios (OR) for LD increased progressively from the youngest to the oldest age group, irrespective of parity. At age 35-39 years the adjusted OR (95% CI) was approximately doubled compared with age 25 and younger: 2.13 (2.06-2.20) in first birth; 2.05 (1.91-2.19) in second births; and 1.81 (1.49-2.21) in third births. Maternal age is an independent risk factor for LD in first, second and third births. Although age-related risks by parity are relatively similar, more nulliparous than parous women will be exposed to LD due to the higher rate. © 2017 Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Shift work at young age is associated with increased risk of multiple sclerosis in a Danish population.

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Gustavsen, S; Søndergaard, H B; Oturai, D B; Laursen, B; Laursen, J H; Magyari, M; Ullum, H; Larsen, M H; Sellebjerg, F; Oturai, A B

2016-09-01

Epidemiological studies suggest an important role for environmental factors in developing multiple sclerosis (MS). Furthermore several studies have indicated that the effect of environmental factors may be especially pronounced in adolescents. Recently only one study investigated and found that shift work at young age is associated with an increased risk of developing MS. In this study we focused on the effect of shift work in the vulnerable period between 15-19 years. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between shift work at young age and the risk of developing MS. We performed a large case-control study including 1723 patients diagnosed with MS and 4067 controls. MS patients were recruited from the Danish Multiple Sclerosis Biobank and controls from The Danish Blood Donor Study. Information on working patterns and lifestyle factors was obtained using a comprehensive lifestyle-environmental factor questionnaire with participants enrolled between 2009 and 2014. Logistic regression models were used to investigate the association between shift work at age 15-19 years and the subsequent risk of MS and were controlled for effects due to established MS risk factors. We found a statistically significant association when total numbers of night shifts were compared with non-shift workers. For every additional 100 night shifts the odds ratio (OR) for MS was 1.20 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.08-1.34, p=0.001). Increasing intensity of shift work also increased MS risk. For every additional night per month the OR was 1.04 (95% CI, 1.01-1.06, p=0.002). Duration of shift work in years was not associated with risk of MS. This study supports a statistically significant association between shift work at age 15-19 years and MS risk. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

On the Increasing Fragility of Human Teeth with Age: ADeep-Ultraviolet Resonance Raman Study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ager III, J.W.; Nalla, R.K.; Balooch, G.; Kim, G.; Pugach, M.; Habelitz, S.; Marshall, G.W.; Kinney, J.H.; Ritchie, R.O.

2006-07-14

Ultraviolet resonance Raman spectroscopy (UVRRS) using 244nm excitation was used to investigate the impact of aging on humandentin. The intensity of a spectroscopic feature from the peptide bondsin the collagen increases with tissue age, similar to a finding reportedpreviously for human cortical bone.

Testofen, a specialised Trigonella foenum-graecum seed extract reduces age-related symptoms of androgen decrease, increases testosterone levels and improves sexual function in healthy aging males in a double-blind randomised clinical study.

Science.gov (United States)

Rao, Amanda; Steels, Elizabeth; Inder, Warrick J; Abraham, Suzanne; Vitetta, Luis

2016-06-01

This study examined the effect of Testofen, a specialised Trigonella foenum-graecum seed extract on the symptoms of possible androgen deficiency, sexual function and serum androgen concentrations in healthy aging males. This was a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial involving 120 healthy men aged between 43 and 70 years of age. The active treatment was standardised Trigonella foenum-graecum seed extract at a dose of 600 mg/day for 12 weeks. The primary outcome measure was the change in the Aging Male Symptom questionnaire (AMS), a measure of possible androgen deficiency symptoms; secondary outcome measures were sexual function and serum testosterone. There was a significant decrease in AMS score over time and between the active and placebo groups. Sexual function improved, including number of morning erections and frequency of sexual activity. Both total serum testosterone and free testosterone increased compared to placebo after 12 weeks of active treatment. Trigonella foenum-graecum seed extract is a safe and effective treatment for reducing symptoms of possible androgen deficiency, improves sexual function and increases serum testosterone in healthy middle-aged and older men.

Loss of catecholaminergic neuromodulation of persistent forms of hippocampal synaptic plasticity with increasing age

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Hannah Twarkowski

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Neuromodulation by means of the catecholaminergic system is a key component of motivation-driven learning and behaviorally modulated hippocampal synaptic plasticity. In particular, dopamine acting on D1/D5 receptors and noradrenaline acting on beta-adrenergic receptors exert a very potent regulation of forms of hippocampal synaptic plasticity that last for very long-periods of time (>24h, and occur in conjunction with novel spatial learning. Antagonism of these receptors not only prevents long-term potentiation (LTP and long-term depression (LTD, but prevents the memory of the spatial event that, under normal circumstances, leads to the perpetuation of these plasticity forms. Spatial learning behavior that normally comes easily to rats, such as object-place learning and spatial reference learning, becomes increasingly impaired with aging. Middle-aged animals display aging-related deficits of specific, but not all, components of spatial learning, and one possibility is that this initial manifestation of decrements in learning ability that become manifest in middle-age relate to changes in motivation, attention and/or the regulation by neuromodulatory systems of these behavioral states.Here, we compared the regulation by dopaminergic D1/D5 and beta-adrenergic receptors of persistent LTP in young (2-4 month old and middle-aged (8-14 month old rats. We observed in young rats, that weak potentiation that typically lasts for ca. 2h could be strengthened into persistent (>24h LTP by pharmacological activation of either D1/D5 or beta-adrenergic receptors. By contrast, no such facilitation occurred in middle-aged rats. This difference was not related to an ostensible learning deficit: a facilitation of weak potentiation into LTP by spatial learning was possible both in young and middle-aged rats. It was also not directly linked to deficits in LTP: strong afferent stimulation resulted in equivalent LTP in both age groups. We postulate that this change in

Histone deacetylase inhibitors reverse age-related increases in side effects of haloperidol in mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Montalvo-Ortiz, Janitza L; Fisher, Daniel W; Rodríguez, Guadalupe; Fang, Deyu; Csernansky, John G; Dong, Hongxin

2017-08-01

Older patients can be especially susceptible to antipsychotic-induced side effects, and the pharmacodynamic mechanism underlying this phenomenon remains unclear. We hypothesized that age-related epigenetic alterations lead to decreased expression and functionality of the dopamine D2 receptor (D2R), contributing to this susceptibility. In this study, we treated young (2-3 months old) and aged (22-24 months old) C57BL/6 mice with the D2R antagonist haloperidol (HAL) once a day for 14 days to evaluate HAL-induced motor side effects. In addition, we pretreated separate groups of young and aged mice with histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors valproic acid (VPA) or entinostat (MS-275) and then administered HAL. Our results show that the motor side effects of HAL are exaggerated in aged mice as compared to young mice and that HDAC inhibitors are able to reverse the severity of these deficits. HAL-induced motor deficits in aged mice are associated with an age- and drug-dependent decrease in striatal D2R protein levels and functionality. Further, histone acetylation was reduced while histone tri-methylation was increased at specific lysine residues of H3 and H4 within the Drd2 promoter in the striatum of aged mice. HDAC inhibitors, particularly VPA, restored striatal D2R protein levels and functionality and reversed age- and drug-related histone modifications at the Drd2 promoter. These results suggest that epigenetic changes at the striatal Drd2 promoter drive age-related increases in antipsychotic side effect susceptibility, and HDAC inhibitors may be an effective adjunct treatment strategy to reduce side effects in aged populations.

Age-related neural correlates of cognitive task performance under increased postural load

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van Impe, A; Bruijn, S M; Coxon, J P; Wenderoth, N; Sunaert, S; Duysens, J; Swinnen, S P

2013-01-01

Behavioral studies suggest that postural control requires increased cognitive control and visuospatial processing with aging. Consequently, performance can decline when concurrently performing a postural and a demanding cognitive task. We aimed to identify the neural substrate underlying this

The spatialities of ageing: Evidencing increasing spatial polarisation between older and younger adults in England and Wales

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Albert Sabater

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Background: With the proportion of older adults in Europe expected to grow significantly over the next few decades, a number of pertinent questions are raised about the socio-spatial processes that underlie residential age segregation, especially in circumstances where it may be increasing. Objective: We present evidence on whether, and to what degree, residential age segregation has changed across neighbourhoods in England and Wales since the 1990s. Methods: We examine the residential patterns of older adults (aged 65 and over compared to those of younger adults (aged 25-40 for neighbourhoods across the country, for neighbourhoods within districts, and for neighbourhoods within districts classified by type. The analyses use harmonised population data for small areas (Output Areas from the 1991, 2001, and 2011 Censuses of England and Wales. Results: The results reveal increasing segregation over time (1991-2011 between older and younger groups across neighbourhoods nationally. Although the index values of segregation tend to be higher in less urban areas, highlighting a strong age and life course dimension of the rural-urban divide, a rapid increase in age segregation is found in urban areas. Moreover, our findings suggest the existence of convergent clusters of increasing age segregation, particularly in urban settings (from small to large cities and former industrial areas in the North of England, thus providing evidence suggesting a further dimension of the North-South divide. Conclusions: The findings demonstrate a growing age bifurcation over time and space, as both older and younger age groups are increasingly living apart. Although the drivers and consequences of these trends in residential age segregation remain unclear, the potential challenge to policies of social cohesion underlines the importance of further research. Contribution: The findings contribute to current debates about relations between age groups and generations in

Increased brain-predicted aging in treated HIV disease

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cole, James H; Underwood, Jonathan; Caan, Matthan W A; De Francesco, Davide; van Zoest, Rosan A; Leech, Robert; Wit, Ferdinand W N M; Portegies, Peter; Geurtsen, Gert J; Schmand, Ben A; Schim van der Loeff, Maarten F; Franceschi, Claudio; Sabin, Caroline A; Majoie, Charles B L M; Winston, Alan; Reiss, Peter; Sharp, David J; Kalsbeek, A.

OBJECTIVE: To establish whether HIV disease is associated with abnormal levels of age-related brain atrophy, by estimating apparent brain age using neuroimaging and exploring whether these estimates related to HIV status, age, cognitive performance, and HIV-related clinical parameters. METHODS: A

Increased brain-predicted aging in treated HIV disease

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cole, James H.; Underwood, Jonathan; Caan, Matthan W. A.; de Francesco, Davide; van Zoest, Rosan A.; Leech, Robert; Wit, Ferdinand W. N. M.; Portegies, Peter; Geurtsen, Gert J.; Schmand, Ben A.; Schim van der Loeff, Maarten F.; Franceschi, Claudio; Sabin, Caroline A.; Majoie, Charles B. L. M.; Winston, Alan; Reiss, Peter; Sharp, David J.; Schouten, J.; Kooij, K. W.; Elsenga, B. C.; Janssen, F. R.; Heidenrijk, M.; Schrijver, J. H. N.; Zikkenheiner, W.; van der Valk, M.; Henderiks, A.; Kootstra, N. A.; Harskamp-Holwerda, A. M.; Maurer, I.; Ruiz, M. M. Mangas; Booiman, T.; Girigorie, A. F.; Villaudy, J.; Frankin, E.; Pasternak, A.; Berkhout, B.; van der Kuyl, T.; Stege, J. A. ter; Twennaar, M. Klein; Su, T.; Siteur-van Rijnstra, E.; Weijer, K.; Bisschop, P. H. L. T.; Kalsbeek, A.; Wezel, M.; Visser, I.; Ruhé , H. G.; Tembo, L.; Stott, M.; Prins, M. [= Maria

2017-01-01

To establish whether HIV disease is associated with abnormal levels of age-related brain atrophy, by estimating apparent brain age using neuroimaging and exploring whether these estimates related to HIV status, age, cognitive performance, and HIV-related clinical parameters. A large sample of

Tibial loading increases osteogenic gene expression and cortical bone volume in mature and middle-aged mice.

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Matthew J Silva

Full Text Available There are conflicting data on whether age reduces the response of the skeleton to mechanical stimuli. We examined this question in female BALB/c mice of different ages, ranging from young to middle-aged (2, 4, 7, 12 months. We first assessed markers of bone turnover in control (non-loaded mice. Serum osteocalcin and CTX declined significantly from 2 to 4 months (p<0.001. There were similar age-related declines in tibial mRNA expression of osteoblast- and osteoclast-related genes, most notably in late osteoblast/matrix genes. For example, Col1a1 expression declined 90% from 2 to 7 months (p<0.001. We then assessed tibial responses to mechanical loading using age-specific forces to produce similar peak strains (-1300 µε endocortical; -2350 µε periosteal. Axial tibial compression was applied to the right leg for 60 cycles/day on alternate days for 1 or 6 weeks. qPCR after 1 week revealed no effect of loading in young (2-month mice, but significant increases in osteoblast/matrix genes in older mice. For example, in 12-month old mice Col1a1 was increased 6-fold in loaded tibias vs. controls (p = 0.001. In vivo microCT after 6 weeks revealed that loaded tibias in each age group had greater cortical bone volume (BV than contralateral control tibias (p<0.05, due to relative periosteal expansion. The loading-induced increase in cortical BV was greatest in 4-month old mice (+13%; p<0.05 vs. other ages. In summary, non-loaded female BALB/c mice exhibit an age-related decline in measures related to bone formation. Yet when subjected to tibial compression, mice from 2-12 months have an increase in cortical bone volume. Older mice respond with an upregulation of osteoblast/matrix genes, which increase to levels comparable to young mice. We conclude that mechanical loading of the tibia is anabolic for cortical bone in young and middle-aged female BALB/c mice.

Prevalence of dental fluorosis in children taking part in an oral health programme including fluoride tablet supplements from the age of 2 years

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Eckersten, Charlotte; Pylvänen, Lena; Schröder, Ulla

2010-01-01

To investigate the prevalence of dental fluorosis in children who had participated in an oral health programme between the ages 2-5 years, including fluoride tablets from the age of 2 years.......To investigate the prevalence of dental fluorosis in children who had participated in an oral health programme between the ages 2-5 years, including fluoride tablets from the age of 2 years....

At what age group blood pressure discontinue to increase? An assessment using change-point analysis

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Khalib A. Latiff

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Aim To study at what age group blood pressure ceases to increase for women and men.Methods Applying change-point technique, we used our existing database - mega base-line cross-sectional Hulu Langat Health Study that was initiated in 2000 - to locate the most appropriate age limit in planning promotive, preventive and controlling strategies against systolic hypertension.Results Systolic hypertension was found to be constantly increasing for both gender right from the early age until the middle age group. However, women achieved the systolic peak 15 years earlier (at 41-45 years old than men (at 56-60 years old. Systolic blood pressure was steadily declined after the peak.Conclusions Hypertension intervention, we recommend age before 40 (women and 55 (men be the most appropriate period to apply various public health intervention, after that, the action must be exclusively curative. (Med J Indones 2010; 19:136-41Keywords: change-point analysis, public health intervention, systolic hypertension

Relationship between office and home blood pressure with increasing age: The International Database of HOme blood pressure in relation to Cardiovascular Outcome (IDHOCO).

Science.gov (United States)

Ntineri, Angeliki; Stergiou, George S; Thijs, Lutgarde; Asayama, Kei; Boggia, José; Boubouchairopoulou, Nadia; Hozawa, Atsushi; Imai, Yutaka; Johansson, Jouni K; Jula, Antti M; Kollias, Anastasios; Luzardo, Leonella; Niiranen, Teemu J; Nomura, Kyoko; Ohkubo, Takayoshi; Tsuji, Ichiro; Tzourio, Christophe; Wei, Fang-Fei; Staessen, Jan A

2016-08-01

Home blood pressure (HBP) measurements are known to be lower than conventional office blood pressure (OBP) measurements. However, this difference might not be consistent across the entire age range and has not been adequately investigated. We assessed the relationship between OBP and HBP with increasing age using the International Database of HOme blood pressure in relation to Cardiovascular Outcome (IDHOCO). OBP, HBP and their difference were assessed across different decades of age. A total of 5689 untreated subjects aged 18-97 years, who had at least two OBP and HBP measurements, were included. Systolic OBP and HBP increased across older age categories (from 112 to 142 mm Hg and from 109 to 136 mm Hg, respectively), with OBP being higher than HBP by ∼7 mm Hg in subjects aged >30 years and lesser in younger subjects (P=0.001). Both diastolic OBP and HBP increased until the age of ∼50 years (from 71 to 79 mm Hg and from 66 to 76 mm Hg, respectively), with OBP being consistently higher than HBP and a trend toward a decreased OBP-HBP difference with aging (P<0.001). Determinants of a larger OBP-HBP difference were younger age, sustained hypertension, nonsmoking and negative cardiovascular disease history. These data suggest that in the general adult population, HBP is consistently lower than OBP across all the decades, but their difference might vary between age groups. Further research is needed to confirm these findings in younger and older subjects and in hypertensive individuals.

The increase in pH during aging of porous sol-gel silica spheres

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Titulaer, M.K.; Kegel, W.K.; Jansen, J.B.H.; Geus, John W.

1994-01-01

The increase in pH in the hydrothermal fluid is studied after hydrothermal aging of porous silica gel spheres of 1–3 mm diameter. The porous silica spheres are formed by the sol-gel process from a supersaturated silica solution. The increase of the pH of the hydrothermal solution affects the silica

Chronic pyruvate supplementation increases exploratory activity and brain energy reserves in young and middle-aged mice

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Hennariikka eKoivisto

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Numerous studies have reported neuroprotective effects of pyruvate when given in systemic injections. Impaired glucose uptake and metabolism are found in Alzheimer's disease (AD and in AD mouse models. We tested whether dietary pyruvate supplementation is able to provide added energy supply to brain and thereby attenuate aging- or AD-related cognitive impairment. Mice received ~ 800 mg/kg/day Na-pyruvate in their chow for 2- 6 months. In middle-aged wild-type mice and in 6.5-month-old APP/PS1 mice, pyruvate facilitated spatial learning and increased exploration of a novel odor. However, in passive avoidance task for fear memory, the treatment group was clearly impaired. Independent of age, long-term pyruvate increased explorative behavior, which likely explains the paradoxical impairment in passive avoidance. We also assessed pyruvate effects on body weight, muscle force and endurance, and found no effects. Metabolic post-mortem assays revealed increased energy compounds in nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy as well as increased brain glycogen storages in the pyruvate group. Pyruvate supplementation may counteract aging-related behavioral impairment but its beneficial effect seems related to increased explorative activity rather than direct memory enhancement.

Aging increases distraction by auditory oddballs in visual, but not auditory tasks.

Science.gov (United States)

Leiva, Alicia; Parmentier, Fabrice B R; Andrés, Pilar

2015-05-01

Aging is typically considered to bring a reduction of the ability to resist distraction by task-irrelevant stimuli. Yet recent work suggests that this conclusion must be qualified and that the effect of aging is mitigated by whether irrelevant and target stimuli emanate from the same modalities or from distinct ones. Some studies suggest that aging is especially sensitive to distraction within-modality while others suggest it is greater across modalities. Here we report the first study to measure the effect of aging on deviance distraction in cross-modal (auditory-visual) and uni-modal (auditory-auditory) oddball tasks. Young and older adults were asked to judge the parity of target digits (auditory or visual in distinct blocks of trials), each preceded by a task-irrelevant sound (the same tone on most trials-the standard sound-or, on rare and unpredictable trials, a burst of white noise-the deviant sound). Deviant sounds yielded distraction (longer response times relative to standard sounds) in both tasks and age groups. However, an age-related increase in distraction was observed in the cross-modal task and not in the uni-modal task. We argue that aging might affect processes involved in the switching of attention across modalities and speculate that this may due to the slowing of this type of attentional shift or a reduction in cognitive control required to re-orient attention toward the target's modality.

Evidence for increasing digestive and metabolic efficiency of energy utilization with age of dairy cattle as determined in two feeding regimes.

Science.gov (United States)

Grandl, F; Zeitz, J O; Clauss, M; Furger, M; Kreuzer, M; Schwarm, A

2018-03-01

The changes taking place with age in energy turnover of dairy cattle are largely unknown. It is unclear whether the efficiency of energy utilization in digestion (characterized by faecal and methane energy losses) and in metabolism (characterized by urine and heat energy losses) is altered with age. In the present study, energy balance data were obtained from 30 lactating Brown Swiss dairy cows aged between 2 and 10 years, and 12 heifers from 0.5 to 2 years of age. In order to evaluate a possible dependence of age effects on diet type, half of the cattle each originated from two herds kept at the same farm, which were fed either on a forage-only diet or on the same forage diet but complemented with 5 kg/day of concentrate since their first calving. During 2 days, the gaseous exchange of the animals was quantified in open-circuit respiration chambers, followed by an 8-day period of feed, faeces, urine and milk collection. Daily amounts and energy contents were used to calculate complete energy balances. Age and feeding regime effects were analysed by parametric regression analysis where BW, milk yield and hay proportion in forage as consumed were considered as covariates. Relative to intake of gross energy, the availability of metabolizable energy (ME) increased with age. This was not the result of an increasing energy digestibility, but of proportionately lower energy losses with methane (following a curvilinear relationship with the greatest losses in middle-aged cows) and urine (continuously declining). The efficiency of utilization of ME for milk production (k l) increased with age. Potential reasons include an increase in the propionate-to-acetate ratio in the rumen because of a shift away from fibre degradation and methane formation as well as lower urine energy losses. The greater k l allowed older cows to accrete more energy reserves in the body. As expected, offering concentrate enhanced digestibility, metabolizability and metabolic utilization of energy

Prenatal Exposure to Organohalogens, Including Brominated Flame Retardants, Influences Motor, Cognitive, and Behavioral Performance at School Age

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Roze, Elise; Meijer, Lisethe; Bakker, Attie; Van Braeckel, Koenraad N. J. A.; Sauer, Pieter J. J.; Bos, Arend F.

2009-01-01

BACKGROUND: Organohalogen compounds (OHCs) are known to have neurotoxic effects on the developing brain. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the influence of prenatal exposure to OHCs, including brominated flame retardants, on motor, cognitive, and behavioral outcome in healthy children of school age.

Donor Smoking and Older Age Increases Morbidity and Mortality After Lung Transplantation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schultz, H H; Møller, C H; Zemtsovski, M

2017-01-01

survival as well as CLAD-free survival was significantly lower with donors ≥55 years. CONCLUSIONS: Donor smoking history and older donor age impact lung function, mortality, and CLAD-free survival after transplantation. Because of a shortage of organs, extended donor criteria may be considered while taking......BACKGROUND: The lack of lung transplant donors has necessitated the use of donors with a smoking history and donors of older age. We have evaluated the effects of donor smoking history and age on recipient morbidity and mortality with baseline values of pulmonary function and survival free...... of chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD) as morbidity variables. METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis of 588 consecutive lung transplant recipients and their corresponding 454 donors. Donors were divided into three groups: group 1 included smokers, group 2 nonsmokers, and group 3 had unknown smoking...

Advanced gestational age increases serum carbohydrate-deficient transferrin levels in abstinent pregnant women.

Science.gov (United States)

Bakhireva, Ludmila N; Cano, Sandra; Rayburn, William F; Savich, Renate D; Leeman, Lawrence; Anton, Raymond F; Savage, Daniel D

2012-01-01

Carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (%CDT) is a well-established and highly specific biomarker for sustained heavy consumption of alcohol. However, in pregnant women, the specificity of this biomarker might be affected by advanced gestational age, even after accounting for increased transferrin concentrations in pregnancy. The goal of this prospective study was to assess the variability in %CDT during pregnancy among alcohol-abstaining patients. Patients were recruited during one of the first prenatal care visits and followed-up to term. Abstinence was confirmed by maternal self-report and by alcohol biomarkers. Biomarkers assessed in the mother included serum gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase, urine ethyl glucuronide and ethyl sulfate, and whole blood phosphatidylethanol (PEth). In addition, PEth was measured in a dry blood spot card obtained from a newborn. For %CDT analysis, serum samples were collected at baseline and at term and analyzed by an internationally validated high-performance liquid chromatography and spectrophotometric detection method. At recruitment (mean gestational age 22.6 ± 7.3 weeks), the mean %CDT concentration was 1.49 ± 0.30%, while at term, it increased to 1.67 ± 0.28% (P = 0.001). Using a conventional cutoff concentration %CDT >1.7%, 22.9 and 45.7% of the sample would be classified as 'positive' for this biomarker at recruitment and at term, respectively (P = 0.011 ). These results suggest that a conventional cutoff of 1.7% might be too low for pregnant women and would generate false-positive results. We propose that %CDT >2.0% be used as a cutoff concentration indicative of alcohol exposure in pregnant women. The sensitivity of %CDT at this cutoff for heavy drinking during pregnancy needs to be assessed further.

Increased risk of asthma in overweight children born large for gestational age

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pinto, L. A.; Guerra, S.; Anto, J. M.; Postma, D.; Koppelman, G. H.; de Jongste, J. C.; Gehring, U.; Smit, H. A.; Wijga, A. H.

Background: Being born large for gestational age (LGA) is a marker of increased growth velocity in fetal life and a risk factor for childhood overweight. Both being born LGA and childhood overweight may influence the development of asthma, although the role of overweight in the association between

Combination of aging and dimethylhydrazine treatment causes an increase in cancer-stem cell population of rat colonic crypts.

Science.gov (United States)

Levi, Edi; Misra, Sandhya; Du, Jianhua; Patel, Bhaumik B; Majumdar, Adhip P N

2009-07-31

Aging is associated with increased incidence of colon cancers. It is also becoming evident that cancer stem cells (CSC) play a vital role in the pathogenesis and prognosis of colon cancer. Recently, we reported the presence of colon cancer stem-like cells in macroscopically normal mucosa in patients with adenomatous polyps and that they increase with aging, suggesting that aging may predispose the colon to carcinogenesis. In the current study we have examined the combined effects of aging and carcinogen exposure on the status of colon CSCs in an experimental model. We used young (4-6 months) and aged (22-24 months) rats and exposed them to the carcinogen, dimethylhydroxide (DMH). We investigated the expression of colon cancer stem cell markers, CD44, CD166, EpCam, and ALDH1 as well as EGFR expression in normal colonic crypt epithelium following carcinogen treatment. Our results demonstrate that aging per se or carcinogen treatment alone causes an increase in the number of colon cancer stems cells, as evidenced by increased immunoreactive-CSC-markers positive cells in the colonic mucosa. In aged rats, carcinogen exposure results in a more pronounced increase in colon cancer stem cells. Our study shows that in aging colon the effects of carcinogens are more pronounced, and an increase in colon CSCs is one of the earliest changes preceding tumor development. Moreover, the current investigation of the use of a panel of immunohistochemical markers of colon CSC can potentially serve as a prognostic marker during screening for colon cancer.

Aging in Taiwan: Building a Society for Active Aging and Aging in Place.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Yi-Yin; Huang, Chin-Shan

2016-04-01

Taiwan's accelerated rate of aging is more than twice that of European countries and United States. Although demographic aging was not a major concern in Taiwan until 1993, when it became an aging society, aging issues now have become an imperative topic both in policy and in practice in the country. As this article demonstrates, in response to the challenge of the rapidly growing older population and the inspiration of cultural values of filial obligation and respect to elders, the concepts of active aging and aging in place are leading the policies and practices of gerontology to meet the diverse needs of the aging population in Taiwan. However, challenges remain, including the question of how to promote systematic endeavors, both in policies or research on aging, and how to encourage greater involvement of nongovernment organizations in the aging issue. In addition, some emerging issues about aging are addressed in this article including inadequate resources for older rural adults, building an age-friendly environment, and the increasing number of people with dementia. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Nutrients, Microglia Aging, and Brain Aging

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhou Wu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available As the life expectancy continues to increase, the cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD becomes a big major issue in the world. After cellular activation upon systemic inflammation, microglia, the resident immune cells in the brain, start to release proinflammatory mediators to trigger neuroinflammation. We have found that chronic systemic inflammatory challenges induce differential age-dependent microglial responses, which are in line with the impairment of learning and memory, even in middle-aged animals. We thus raise the concept of “microglia aging.” This concept is based on the fact that microglia are the key contributor to the acceleration of cognitive decline, which is the major sign of brain aging. On the other hand, inflammation induces oxidative stress and DNA damage, which leads to the overproduction of reactive oxygen species by the numerous types of cells, including macrophages and microglia. Oxidative stress-damaged cells successively produce larger amounts of inflammatory mediators to promote microglia aging. Nutrients are necessary for maintaining general health, including the health of brain. The intake of antioxidant nutrients reduces both systemic inflammation and neuroinflammation and thus reduces cognitive decline during aging. We herein review our microglia aging concept and discuss systemic inflammation and microglia aging. We propose that a nutritional approach to controlling microglia aging will open a new window for healthy brain aging.

Nutrients, Microglia Aging, and Brain Aging.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Zhou; Yu, Janchun; Zhu, Aiqin; Nakanishi, Hiroshi

2016-01-01

As the life expectancy continues to increase, the cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) becomes a big major issue in the world. After cellular activation upon systemic inflammation, microglia, the resident immune cells in the brain, start to release proinflammatory mediators to trigger neuroinflammation. We have found that chronic systemic inflammatory challenges induce differential age-dependent microglial responses, which are in line with the impairment of learning and memory, even in middle-aged animals. We thus raise the concept of "microglia aging." This concept is based on the fact that microglia are the key contributor to the acceleration of cognitive decline, which is the major sign of brain aging. On the other hand, inflammation induces oxidative stress and DNA damage, which leads to the overproduction of reactive oxygen species by the numerous types of cells, including macrophages and microglia. Oxidative stress-damaged cells successively produce larger amounts of inflammatory mediators to promote microglia aging. Nutrients are necessary for maintaining general health, including the health of brain. The intake of antioxidant nutrients reduces both systemic inflammation and neuroinflammation and thus reduces cognitive decline during aging. We herein review our microglia aging concept and discuss systemic inflammation and microglia aging. We propose that a nutritional approach to controlling microglia aging will open a new window for healthy brain aging.

Understanding and improving communication processes in an increasingly multicultural aged care workforce.

Science.gov (United States)

Nichols, Pam; Horner, Barbara; Fyfe, Katrina

2015-01-01

This study explored how culture shapes relationships in aged care and the extent to which the residential aged care sector supports a cohesive multicultural workforce. An exploratory methodology utilising semi-structured questionnaires collected data from 58 participants comprising: staff who provide direct care to residents; managers; and family members from six residential care facilities in Perth, Western Australia. Communication issues emerged as an over-arching theme, and included interpersonal communication, the effect of cultural norms on communication and the impact of informal and formal workplace policies relating to spoken and written language. Sixty percent of participants from a culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) background had experienced negative reactions from residents with dementia, linked to visible cultural difference. They used a range of coping strategies including ignoring, resilience and avoidance in such situations. CaLD participants also reported prejudicial treatment from non-CaLD staff. The findings highlight the need for organisations to incorporate explicit processes which address the multiple layers of influence on cross cultural communication: internalised beliefs and values; moderating effects of education, experience and social circumstance; and factors external to the individuals, including workplace culture and the broader political economy, to develop a cohesive multicultural workplace. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Aggravation of brain infarction through an increase in acrolein production and a decrease in glutathione with aging.

Science.gov (United States)

Uemura, Takeshi; Watanabe, Kenta; Ishibashi, Misaki; Saiki, Ryotaro; Kuni, Kyoshiro; Nishimura, Kazuhiro; Toida, Toshihiko; Kashiwagi, Keiko; Igarashi, Kazuei

2016-04-29

We previously reported that tissue damage during brain infarction was mainly caused by inactivation of proteins by acrolein. This time, it was tested why brain infarction increases in parallel with aging. A mouse model of photochemically induced thrombosis (PIT) was studied using 2, 6, and 12 month-old female C57BL/6 mice. The size of brain infarction in the mouse PIT model increased with aging. The volume of brain infarction in 12 month-old mice was approximately 2-fold larger than that in 2 month-old mice. The larger brain infarction in 12 month-old mice was due to an increase in acrolein based on an increase in the activity of spermine oxidase, together with a decrease in glutathione (GSH), a major acrolein-detoxifying compound in cells, based on the decrease in one of the subunits of glutathione biosynthesizing enzymes, γ-glutamylcysteine ligase modifier subunit, with aging. The results indicate that aggravation of brain infarction with aging was mainly due to the increase in acrolein production and the decrease in GSH in brain. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Preferential retrotransposition in aging yeast mother cells is correlated with increased genome instability.

Science.gov (United States)

Patterson, Melissa N; Scannapieco, Alison E; Au, Pak Ho; Dorsey, Savanna; Royer, Catherine A; Maxwell, Patrick H

2015-10-01

Retrotransposon expression or mobility is increased with age in multiple species and could promote genome instability or altered gene expression during aging. However, it is unclear whether activation of retrotransposons during aging is an indirect result of global changes in chromatin and gene regulation or a result of retrotransposon-specific mechanisms. Retromobility of a marked chromosomal Ty1 retrotransposon in Saccharomyces cerevisiae was elevated in mother cells relative to their daughter cells, as determined by magnetic cell sorting of mothers and daughters. Retromobility frequencies in aging mother cells were significantly higher than those predicted by cell age and the rate of mobility in young populations, beginning when mother cells were only several generations old. New Ty1 insertions in aging mothers were more strongly correlated with gross chromosome rearrangements than in young cells and were more often at non-preferred target sites. Mother cells were more likely to have high concentrations and bright foci of Ty1 Gag-GFP than their daughter cells. Levels of extrachromosomal Ty1 cDNA were also significantly higher in aged mother cell populations than their daughter cell populations. These observations are consistent with a retrotransposon-specific mechanism that causes retrotransposition to occur preferentially in yeast mother cells as they begin to age, as opposed to activation by phenotypic changes associated with very old age. These findings will likely be relevant for understanding retrotransposons and aging in many organisms, based on similarities in regulation and consequences of retrotransposition in diverse species. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Modeling Impact and Cost-Effectiveness of Increased Efforts to Attract Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision Clients Ages 20-29 in Zimbabwe.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katharine Kripke

Full Text Available Zimbabwe aims to increase circumcision coverage to 80% among 13- to 29-year-olds. However, implementation data suggest that high coverage among men ages 20 and older may not be achievable without efforts specifically targeted to these men, incurring additional costs per circumcision. Scale-up scenarios were created based on trends in implementation data in Zimbabwe, and the cost-effectiveness of increasing efforts to recruit clients ages 20-29 was examined.Zimbabwe voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC program data were used to project trends in male circumcision coverage by age into the future. The projection informed a base scenario in which, by 2018, the country achieves 80% circumcision coverage among males ages 10-19 and lower levels of coverage among men above age 20. The Zimbabwe DMPPT 2.0 model was used to project costs and impacts, assuming a US$109 VMMC unit cost in the base scenario and a 3% discount rate. Two other scenarios assumed that the program could increase coverage among clients ages 20-29 with a corresponding increase in unit cost for these age groups.When circumcision coverage among men ages 20-29 is increased compared with a base scenario reflecting current implementation trends, fewer VMMCs are required to avert one infection. If more than 50% additional effort (reflected as multiplying the unit cost by >1.5 is required to double the increase in coverage among this age group compared with the base scenario, the cost per HIV infection averted is higher than in the base scenario.Although increased investment in recruiting VMMC clients ages 20-29 may lead to greater overall impact if recruitment efforts are successful, it may also lead to lower cost-effectiveness, depending on the cost of increasing recruitment. Programs should measure the relationship between increased effort and increased ability to attract this age group.

Chronic pyruvate supplementation increases exploratory activity and brain energy reserves in young and middle-aged mice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Koivisto, Hennariikka; Leinonen, Henri; Puurula, Mari

2016-01-01

to brain and thereby attenuate aging- or AD-related cognitive impairment. Mice received ~800 mg/kg/day Na-pyruvate in their chow for 2-6 months. In middle-aged wild-type mice and in 6.5-month-old APP/PS1 mice, pyruvate facilitated spatial learning and increased exploration of a novel odor. However......, in passive avoidance task for fear memory, the treatment group was clearly impaired. Independent of age, long-term pyruvate increased explorative behavior, which likely explains the paradoxical impairment in passive avoidance. We also assessed pyruvate effects on body weight, muscle force, and endurance...

Individual genetic variations related to satiety and appetite control increase risk of obesity in preschool-age children in the STRONG kids program.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yingying; Wang, Anthony; Donovan, Sharon M; Teran-Garcia, Margarita

2013-01-01

The burden of the childhood obesity epidemic is well recognized; nevertheless, the genetic markers and gene-environment interactions associated with the development of common obesity are still unknown. In this study, candidate genes associated to satiety and appetite control pathways with obesity-related traits were tested in Caucasian preschoolers from the STRONG Kids project. Eight genetic variants in genes related to obesity (BDNF, LEPR, FTO, PCSK1, POMC, TUB, LEP, and MC4R) were genotyped in 128 children from the STRONG Kids project (mean age 39.7 months). Data were analyzed for individual associations and to test for genetic predisposition scores (GPSs) with body mass index (BMI) and anthropometric traits (Z-scores, e.g. height-for-age Z-score, HAZ). Covariates included age, sex, and breastfeeding (BF) duration. Obesity and overweight prevalence was 6.3 and 19.5%, respectively, according to age- and sex-specific BMI percentiles. Individual genetic associations of MC4R and LEPR markers with HAZ were strengthened when BF duration was included as a covariate. Our GPSs show that, as the number of risk alleles increased, the risk of higher BMI and HAZ also increased. Overall, the GPSs assembled were able to explain 2-3% of the variability in BMI and HAZ phenotypes. Genetic associations with common obesity-related phenotypes were found in the STRONG Kids project. GPSs assembled for specific candidate genes were associated with BMI and HAZ phenotypes. © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Does Raising the Early Retirement Age Increase Employment of Older Workers?

Science.gov (United States)

Staubli, Stefan; Zweimüller, Josef

2013-12-01

Two pension reforms in Austria increased the early retirement age (ERA) from 60 to 62 for men and from 55 to 58.25 for women. We find that raising the ERA increased employment by 9.75 percentage points among affected men and by 11 percentage points among affected women. The reforms had large spillover effects on the unemployment insurance program but negligible effects on disability insurance claims. Specifically, unemployment increased by 12.5 percentage points among men and by 11.8 percentage points among women. The employment response was largest among high-wage and healthy workers, while low-wage and less healthy workers either continued to retire early via disability benefits or bridged the gap to the ERA via unemployment benefits. Taking spillover effects and additional tax revenues into account, we find that for a typical birth-year cohort a one year increase in the ERA resulted in a reduction of net government expenditures of 107 million euros for men and of 122 million euros for women.

Combination Of Aging And Dimethylhydrazine Treatment Causes An Increase In The Stem Cell Population Of Rat Colonic Crypts

OpenAIRE

Levi, Edi; Misra, Sandhya; Du, Jianhua; Patel, Bhaumik B.; Majumdar, Adhip P. N.

2009-01-01

Aging is associated with increased incidence of colon cancers. It is also becoming evident that cancer stem cells (CSC) play a vital role in the pathogenesis and prognosis of colon cancer. Recently, we reported the presence of colon cancer stem-like cells in macroscopically normal mucosa in patients with adenomatous polyps and that they increase with aging, suggesting that aging may predispose the colon to carcinogenesis. In the current study we have examined the combined effects of aging and...

Aging increases microglial proliferation, delays cell migration, and decreases cortical neurogenesis after focal cerebral ischemia.

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Moraga, Ana; Pradillo, Jesús M; García-Culebras, Alicia; Palma-Tortosa, Sara; Ballesteros, Ivan; Hernández-Jiménez, Macarena; Moro, María A; Lizasoain, Ignacio

2015-05-10

Aging is not just a risk factor of stroke, but it has also been associated with poor recovery. It is known that stroke-induced neurogenesis is reduced but maintained in the aged brain. However, there is no consensus on how neurogenesis is affected after stroke in aged animals. Our objective is to determine the role of aging on the process of neurogenesis after stroke. We have studied neurogenesis by analyzing proliferation, migration, and formation of new neurons, as well as inflammatory parameters, in a model of cerebral ischemia induced by permanent occlusion of the middle cerebral artery in young- (2 to 3 months) and middle-aged mice (13 to 14 months). Aging increased both microglial proliferation, as shown by a higher number of BrdU(+) cells and BrdU/Iba1(+) cells in the ischemic boundary and neutrophil infiltration. Interestingly, aging increased the number of M1 monocytes and N1 neutrophils, consistent with pro-inflammatory phenotypes when compared with the alternative M2 and N2 phenotypes. Aging also inhibited (subventricular zone) SVZ cell proliferation by decreasing both the number of astrocyte-like type-B (prominin-1(+)/epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)(+)/nestin(+)/glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)(+) cells) and type-C cells (prominin-1(+)/EGFR(+)/nestin(-)/Mash1(+) cells), and not affecting apoptosis, 1 day after stroke. Aging also inhibited migration of neuroblasts (DCX(+) cells), as indicated by an accumulation of neuroblasts at migratory zones 14 days after injury; consistently, aged mice presented a smaller number of differentiated interneurons (NeuN(+)/BrdU(+) and GAD67(+) cells) in the peri-infarct cortical area 14 days after stroke. Our data confirm that stroke-induced neurogenesis is maintained but reduced in aged animals. Importantly, we now demonstrate that aging not only inhibits proliferation of specific SVZ cell subtypes but also blocks migration of neuroblasts to the damaged area and decreases the number of new interneurons in

Measurement network design including traveltime determinations to minimize model prediction uncertainty

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Janssen, G.M.C.M.; Valstar, J.R.; Zee, van der S.E.A.T.M.

2008-01-01

Traveltime determinations have found increasing application in the characterization of groundwater systems. No algorithms are available, however, to optimally design sampling strategies including this information type. We propose a first-order methodology to include groundwater age or tracer arrival

Increased frequency of gestational and delivery-related complications in women of 35 years of age and above.

Science.gov (United States)

Bereczky, L-K; Kiss, Sz-L; Szabó, B

2015-02-01

This retrospective study evaluated gestational and delivery-related characteristics focusing on women aged 35 and above (≥ 35 years). Data were collected on maternal (n = 8,407) and newborn records during a 4-year admission period (2008-11) at the County Emergency Hospital, Tîrgu-Mureş, Romania. The prevalence of preterm deliveries increased in all age groups, from 19.5% to 27.8% (p = 0.006) in mothers ≥ 35 years. Twinning rate showed a highly significant increase, being 2.6% in 2008 and 9.5% in 2011 (p = 0.005), while caesarean delivery incidence increased from 46.3% to 51.0% in women aged ≥ 35. Our study revealed a highly significant decrease of mean gestational age and mean fetal weight, as well as a higher incidence of comorbidities and pregnancy-related complications in those aged ≥ 35 years. We assume that comorbidities, maternal and fetal indications to perform caesarean section (CS), in the more mature age group, were a main determinant of the elective or iatrogenic preterm deliveries, which might have contributed to further complications; moreover, previous CSs were likely a promoting factor for further CSs.

Increasing age is a major risk factor for susceptibility to heat stress during physical activity.

Science.gov (United States)

McGinn, Ryan; Poirier, Martin P; Louie, Jeffrey C; Sigal, Ronald J; Boulay, Pierre; Flouris, Andreas D; Kenny, Glen P

2017-11-01

We evaluated the extent to which age, cardiorespiratory fitness, and body fat can independently determine whole-body heat loss (WBHL) in 87 otherwise healthy adults. We show that increasing age is a major predictor for decreasing WBHL in otherwise healthy adults (aged 20-70 years), accounting for 40% of the variation in the largest study to date. While greater body fat also had a minor detrimental impact on WBHL, there was no significant role for cardiorespiratory fitness.

Modulating aging and longevity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rattan, Suresh

Provides information and an evaluation of a variety of approaches tried for modulating aging and longevity, including dietary supplementation with antioxidants, vitamins and hormones, genetic engineering, life-style alterations, and hormesis through mild stress. After decades of systematic collec....... The goal of research on ageing is not to increase human longevity regardless of the consequences, but to increase active longevity free from disability and functional dependence......Provides information and an evaluation of a variety of approaches tried for modulating aging and longevity, including dietary supplementation with antioxidants, vitamins and hormones, genetic engineering, life-style alterations, and hormesis through mild stress. After decades of systematic...... collection of data describing age-related changes in organisms, organs, tissues, cells and macromolecules, biogerontologists are now in a position to construct general principles of ageing and explore various possibilities of intervention using rational approaches. While not giving serious consideration...

Age and lesion-induced increases of GDNF transgene expression in brain following intracerebral injections of DNA nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Yurek, D M; Hasselrot, U; Cass, W A; Sesenoglu-Laird, O; Padegimas, L; Cooper, M J

2015-01-22

In previous studies that used compacted DNA nanoparticles (DNP) to transfect cells in the brain, we observed higher transgene expression in the denervated striatum when compared to transgene expression in the intact striatum. We also observed that long-term transgene expression occurred in astrocytes as well as neurons. Based on these findings, we hypothesized that the higher transgene expression observed in the denervated striatum may be a function of increased gliosis. Several aging studies have also reported an increase of gliosis as a function of normal aging. In this study we used DNPs that encoded for human glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (hGDNF) and either a non-specific human polyubiquitin C (UbC) or an astrocyte-specific human glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) promoter. The DNPs were injected intracerebrally into the denervated or intact striatum of young, middle-aged or aged rats, and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) transgene expression was subsequently quantified in brain tissue samples. The results of our studies confirmed our earlier finding that transgene expression was higher in the denervated striatum when compared to intact striatum for DNPs incorporating either promoter. In addition, we observed significantly higher transgene expression in the denervated striatum of old rats when compared to young rats following injections of both types of DNPs. Stereological analysis of GFAP+ cells in the striatum confirmed an increase of GFAP+ cells in the denervated striatum when compared to the intact striatum and also an age-related increase; importantly, increases in GFAP+ cells closely matched the increases in GDNF transgene levels. Thus neurodegeneration and aging may lay a foundation that is actually beneficial for this particular type of gene therapy while other gene therapy techniques that target neurons are actually targeting cells that are decreasing as the disease progresses. Copyright © 2014 IBRO. Published by

Aging and sexuality.

Science.gov (United States)

Yee, Lesley

2010-10-01

Sexuality has become a medical issue in association with aging. This is due to a number of factors, including increasing age of survival, a positive societal construct that promotes sexuality as important for quality of life as we age, and the medicalisation of sexuality with the advent of prescription medications to treat sexual dysfunction. This article reviews the factors surrounding aging and sexuality and also considers special situations with age, such as institutionalised care and the possibility of elder abuse. Normal physiological changes with aging affect both genders in terms of sexual desire and performance. Other medical conditions increase with age, and these and their treatments will impact on sexuality and the way it can be expressed. Medical practitioners require an understanding of these changes in order to find ways to optimise sexual function in older patients.

THYROID HORMONE REVERSES AGING-INDUCED MYOCARDIAL FATTY ACID OXIDATION DEFECTS AND IMPROVES THE RESPONSE TO ACUTELY INCREASED AFTERLOAD

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ledee, Dolena; Portman, Michael A.; Kajimoto, Masaki; Isern, Nancy G.; Olson, Aaron

2013-06-07

Background: Subclinical hypothyroidism occurs during aging in humans and mice and may contribute to development of heart failure. Aging also impairs myocardial fatty acid oxidation, causing increased reliance on flux through pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) to maintain function. We hypothesize that the metabolic changes in aged hearts make them less tolerant to acutely increased work and that thyroid hormone reverses these defects. Methods: Studies were performed on young (Young, 4-6 months) and aged (Old, 22-24 months) C57/BL6 mice at standard (50 mmHg) and high afterload (80 mmHg). Another aged group received thyroid hormone for 3 weeks (Old-TH, high afterload only). Function was measured in isolated working hearts along with substrate fractional contributions (Fc) to the citric acid cycle (CAC) using perfusate with 13C labeled lactate, pyruvate, glucose and unlabeled palmitate and insulin. Results: Cardiac function was similar between Young and Old mice at standard afterload. Palmitate Fc was reduced but no individual carbohydrate contributions differed. CAC and individual substrate fluxes decreased in aged. At high afterload, -dP/dT was decreased in Old versus Young. Similar to low afterload, palmitate Fc was decreased in Old. Thyroid hormone reversed aging-induced changes in palmitate Fc and flux while significantly improving cardiac function. Conclusion: The aged heart shows diminished ability to increase cardiac work due to substrate limitations, primarily impaired fatty acid oxidation. The heart accommodates slightly by increasing efficiency through oxidation of carbohydrate substrates. Thyroid hormone supplementation in aged mice significantly improves cardiac function potentially through restoration of fatty acid oxidation.

Phenotype screening for genetically deermined age-onset disorders and increased longevity in ENU-mutagenized mice

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Johnson, Dabney K [ORNL; Rinchik, Eugene M [ORNL; Moustaid-Moussa, Naima [University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK); Miller, Darla R [ORNL; Williams, Robert [University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis; Michaud III, Edward J [ORNL; Jablonski, Monica M. [University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis; Elberger, Andrea [University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis; Hamre, Kristin M. [University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis; Smeyne, Richard [St. Jude Children' s Research Hospital; Chesler, Elissa J [ORNL; Goldowitz, Daniel [University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis

2005-01-01

With the goal of discovering genes that contribute to late-onset neurological and ocular disorders and also genes that extend the healthy life span in mammals, we are phenotyping mice carrying new mutations induced by the chemical N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU). The phenotyping plan includes basic behavioral, neurohistological, and vision testing in sibling cohorts of mice aged to 18 months, and then evaluation for markers of growth trajectory and stress response in these same cohorts aged up to 28 months. Statistical outliers are identified by comparison to test results of similar aged cohorts, and potential mutants are recovered for re-aging to confirm heritability of the phenotype.

Ageing Fxr deficient mice develop increased energy expenditure, improved glucose control and liver damage resembling NASH.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mikael Bjursell

Full Text Available Nuclear receptor subfamily 1, group H, member 4 (Nr1h4, FXR is a bile acid activated nuclear receptor mainly expressed in the liver, intestine, kidney and adrenal glands. Upon activation, the primary function is to suppress cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase (Cyp7a1, the rate-limiting enzyme in the classic or neutral bile acid synthesis pathway. In the present study, a novel Fxr deficient mouse line was created and studied with respect to metabolism and liver function in ageing mice fed chow diet. The Fxr deficient mice were similar to wild type mice in terms of body weight, body composition, energy intake and expenditure as well as behaviours at a young age. However, from 15 weeks of age and onwards, the Fxr deficient mice had almost no body weight increase up to 39 weeks of age mainly because of lower body fat mass. The lower body weight gain was associated with increased energy expenditure that was not compensated by increased food intake. Fasting levels of glucose and insulin were lower and glucose tolerance was improved in old and lean Fxr deficient mice. However, the Fxr deficient mice displayed significantly increased liver weight, steatosis, hepatocyte ballooning degeneration and lobular inflammation together with elevated plasma levels of ALT, bilirubin and bile acids, findings compatible with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH and cholestasis. In conclusion, ageing Fxr deficient mice display late onset leanness associated with elevated energy expenditure and improved glucose control but develop severe NASH-like liver pathology.

Ageing Fxr deficient mice develop increased energy expenditure, improved glucose control and liver damage resembling NASH.

Science.gov (United States)

Bjursell, Mikael; Wedin, Marianne; Admyre, Therése; Hermansson, Majlis; Böttcher, Gerhard; Göransson, Melker; Lindén, Daniel; Bamberg, Krister; Oscarsson, Jan; Bohlooly-Y, Mohammad

2013-01-01

Nuclear receptor subfamily 1, group H, member 4 (Nr1h4, FXR) is a bile acid activated nuclear receptor mainly expressed in the liver, intestine, kidney and adrenal glands. Upon activation, the primary function is to suppress cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase (Cyp7a1), the rate-limiting enzyme in the classic or neutral bile acid synthesis pathway. In the present study, a novel Fxr deficient mouse line was created and studied with respect to metabolism and liver function in ageing mice fed chow diet. The Fxr deficient mice were similar to wild type mice in terms of body weight, body composition, energy intake and expenditure as well as behaviours at a young age. However, from 15 weeks of age and onwards, the Fxr deficient mice had almost no body weight increase up to 39 weeks of age mainly because of lower body fat mass. The lower body weight gain was associated with increased energy expenditure that was not compensated by increased food intake. Fasting levels of glucose and insulin were lower and glucose tolerance was improved in old and lean Fxr deficient mice. However, the Fxr deficient mice displayed significantly increased liver weight, steatosis, hepatocyte ballooning degeneration and lobular inflammation together with elevated plasma levels of ALT, bilirubin and bile acids, findings compatible with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and cholestasis. In conclusion, ageing Fxr deficient mice display late onset leanness associated with elevated energy expenditure and improved glucose control but develop severe NASH-like liver pathology.

Is there a stepwise increase in neonatal morbidities according to histological stage (or grade) of acute chorioamnionitis and funisitis?: effect of gestational age at delivery.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Yeri; Kim, Hyun-Joo; Choi, Suk-Joo; Oh, Soo-Young; Kim, Jung-Sun; Roh, Cheong-Rae; Kim, Jong-Hwa

2015-03-01

To test if there is a stepwise difference in neonatal outcomes according to the stage (or grade) of histological inflammatory response in the chorioamniotic membranes and umbilical cords of preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM). This retrospective study included singleton pregnancies diagnosed as PPROM and delivered prior to 34 weeks of gestation (n=339). Acute histological chorioamnionitis and funisitis were subdivided into stages (or grade) as defined by Redline et al. Neonatal composite morbidities and mortality were also monitored. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted. Increasing stage (or grade) of acute histological chorioamnionitis and funisitis was significantly associated with an earlier gestational age at membrane rupture and delivery. Among neonatal outcomes, respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), intraventricular hemorrhage, retinopathy of prematurity, and composite morbidity showed incremental incidence according to increased stage (or grade) of acute chorioamnionitis, while periventricular leukomalacia and necrotizing enterocolitis did not. Only RDS, BPD, and composite morbidity showed similar incremental incidences associated with severity of funisitis stage. However, the incremental trends of each neonatal outcome were found to be nonsignificant by multivariate analysis adjusting confounding variables including gestational age at delivery. Higher incidences of neonatal morbidity according to increased stage (or grade) of either acute histological chorioamnionitis or funisitis were due to an earlier gestational age at delivery.

Food restriction increases long-term memory persistence in adult or aged mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Talhati, F; Patti, C L; Zanin, K A; Lopes-Silva, L B; Ceccon, L M B; Hollais, A W; Bizerra, C S; Santos, R; Tufik, S; Frussa-Filho, R

2014-04-03

Food restriction (FR) seems to be the unique experimental manipulation that leads to a remarkable increase in lifespan in rodents. Evidences have suggested that FR can enhance memory in distinct animal models mainly during aging. However, only few studies systemically evaluated the effects FR on memory formation in both adult (3-month-old) and aged (18-24-month-old) mice. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of acute (12h) or repeated (12h/day for 2days) FR protocols on learning and memory of adult and aged mice evaluated in the plus-maze discriminative avoidance task (PM-DAT), an animal model that concurrently (but independently) evaluates learning and memory, anxiety and locomotion. We also investigated the possible role of FR-induced stress by the corticosterone concentration in adult mice. Male mice were kept at home cage with food ad libitum (CTRL-control condition) or subjected to FR during the dark phase of the cycle for 12h/day or 12h/2days. The FR protocols were applied before training, immediately after it or before testing. Our results demonstrated that only FR for 2days enhanced memory persistence when applied before training in adults and before testing in aged mice. Conversely, FR for 2days impaired consolidation and exerted no effects on retrieval irrespective of age. These effects do not seem to be related to corticosterone concentration. Collectively, these results indicate that FR for 2days can promote promnestic effects not only in aged mice but also in adults. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Adolescent oligomenorrhea (age 14-19) tracks into the third decade of life (age 20-28) and predicts increased cardiovascular risk factors and metabolic syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Glueck, Charles J; Woo, Jessica G; Khoury, Philip R; Morrison, John A; Daniels, Stephen R; Wang, Ping

2015-04-01

Assess whether adolescent oligomenorrhea (age 14-19) tracks into young adulthood (age 20-28) and predicts increased cardiometabolic risk factors, metabolic syndrome (MetS), and impaired fasting glucose-type II diabetes mellitus (IFG+T2DM). Prospective study of menstrual cyclicity and its metabolic effects in 865 black and white schoolgirls from age 9 to 19, and 605 of these 865 girls from age 20 to 28. Patterns of menstrual delays (oligomenorrhea) during ages 14-19 and ages 20-28 were closely related (ppolycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS, p=.049) predicted ages 20-28 menses delay. Menses delays during ages 14-19 and 20-28, and, their interaction product were correlated with IFG+T2DM and MetS at ages 20-28. Waist circumference (ages 20-28, prisk factor for future development of young adult IFG+T2DM, MetS, oligomenorrhea, and polycystic ovary syndrome. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mortality increase in late-middle and early-old age: heterogeneity in death processes as a new explanation.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ting; Yang, Yang Claire; Anderson, James J

2013-10-01

Deviations from the Gompertz law of exponential mortality increases in late-middle and early-old age are commonly neglected in overall mortality analyses. In this study, we examined mortality increase patterns between ages 40 and 85 in 16 low-mortality countries and demonstrated sex differences in these patterns, which also changed across period and cohort. These results suggest that the interaction between aging and death is more complicated than what is usually assumed from the Gompertz law and also challenge existing biodemographic hypotheses about the origin and mechanisms of sex differences in mortality. We propose a two-mortality model that explains these patterns as the change in the composition of intrinsic and extrinsic death rates with age. We show that the age pattern of overall mortality and the population heterogeneity therein are possibly generated by multiple dynamics specified by a two-mortality model instead of a uniform process throughout most adult ages.

Age-associated increase of the active zone protein Bruchpilot within the honeybee mushroom body.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katrin B Gehring

Full Text Available In honeybees, age-associated structural modifications can be observed in the mushroom bodies. Prominent examples are the synaptic complexes (microglomeruli, MG in the mushroom body calyces, which were shown to alter their size and density with age. It is not known whether the amount of intracellular synaptic proteins in the MG is altered as well. The presynaptic protein Bruchpilot (BRP is localized at active zones and is involved in regulating the probability of neurotransmitter release in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. Here, we explored the localization of the honeybee BRP (Apis mellifera BRP, AmBRP in the bee brain and examined age-related changes in the AmBRP abundance in the central bee brain and in microglomeruli of the mushroom body calyces. We report predominant AmBRP localization near the membrane of presynaptic boutons within the mushroom body MG. The relative amount of AmBRP was increased in the central brain of two-week old bees whereas the amount of Synapsin, another presynaptic protein involved in the regulation of neurotransmitter release, shows an increase during the first two weeks followed by a decrease. In addition, we demonstrate an age-associated modulation of AmBRP located near the membrane of presynaptic boutons within MG located in mushroom body calyces where sensory input is conveyed to mushroom body intrinsic neurons. We discuss that the observed age-associated AmBRP modulation might be related to maturation processes or to homeostatic mechanisms that might help to maintain synaptic functionality in old animals.

A chronic increase of corticosterone age-dependently reduces systemic DNA damage from oxidation in rats

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jorgensen, Anders; Kalliokoski, Otto; Forsberg, Kristin

2017-01-01

Stress and depression are associated with an acceleration of brain and bodily aging; effects which have been attributed to chronic elevations of glucocorticoids. We tested the hypothesis that a three week administration of stress-associated levels of corticosterone (CORT, the principal rodent...... glucocorticoid) would increase systemic and CNS DNA and RNA damage from oxidation; a phenomenon known to be centrally involved in the aging process. We also hypothesized that older individuals would be more sensitive to this effect and that the chronic CORT administration would exacerbate age-related memory...

Meeting increased demand.

Science.gov (United States)

Blair, Andrew

2004-07-01

of people affected by arthritis will increase by nearly 50%. A huge increase in numbers affected with musculoskeletal conditions will require significant increases in health care resources, including hospital beds and facilities, orthopaedic surgeons and other health care professionals. New Zealand has been slow to acknowledge and plan for the increased demand for health services which is looming. Growing New Zealand's economy will help, but alone will not be enough. It is more than just finding the financial resources to better meet the demand. The enormous demands on the availability of treatment resources including hospital facilities and trained health care professionals must be addressed. There are major workforce issues to be faced. The change in population distribution between young and old will have an impact and it will be necessary to ensure that there are sufficient numbers of properly trained health care professionals available at all levels. It is hoped that improvements in preventative care programmes and new technologies and treatment techniques may reduce the rate of demand. As the health of our population is improved through targeted programmes dealing with obesity, diabetes, smoking and accident prevention, it may be possible to reallocate or change the focus of resources within the health and hospital sectors. Many countries are developing national strategies for their aging population. Clearly the New Zealand Government needs to move swiftly to develop a plan to manage the increased burden that is developing as a result of the aging population. That plan must create an environment which facilitates, encourages and supports greater private investment in healthcare facilities and healthcare delivery. Incentives must be created to motivate individuals to take greater responsibility for their healthcare needs and the funding of it. The development of a long term strategy to meet the challenges of the aging population is a priority.

Is the relationship between BMI and mortality increasingly U-shaped with advancing age? A 10-year follow-up of persons aged 70-95 years

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thinggaard, Mikael; Jacobsen, Rune; Jeune, Bernard

2010-01-01

BACKGROUND: In the call for papers (Alley DE, Ferrucci L, Barbagallo M, Studenski SA, Harris TB. A research agenda: the changing relationship between body weight and health in aging. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2008;63(11):1257-1259.), it is assumed that the association between body mass index...... (BMI [kilogram per square meter]) and mortality becomes increasingly U-shaped with advancing age. The aim of this study is to examine the association between BMI and mortality and to test whether the association is changing with advancing age for persons aged 70-95 years in Denmark. METHODS: The study...

Increase in density and accumulation of serotonin by human aging platelets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mezzano, D.; Aranda, E.; Rodriguez, S.; Foradori, A.; Lira, P.

1984-01-01

51 Cr-labeled autologous platelets were infused into splenectomized subjects and the specific radioactivities of high-density (HD) and low-density (LD) platelet subpopulations were determined sequentially in postinfusion samples. These findings confirm previous observations in eusplenic individuals and support the hypothesis that human LD platelets are, on the average, younger than HD platelets. LD platelets contain 33.8 +/- 13.5 ng serotonin (5HT)/10(8) platelets and HD platelets 76.8 +/- 9.5 ng 5HT/10(8) platelets. Sequential measurements of 5HT in PRP platelets were performed during the recovery phase of thrombocytopenia following splenectomy in patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), a condition associated with aging of platelets in circulation. Presplenectomy platelet 5HT was 17.7 ng/10(8) platelets and on days 1, 6, and 12 after surgery it increased to 18.1, 37.8, and 61.0 ng/10(8) platelets. When three healthy volunteers were given aspirin (500 mg/day) for up to 15 days, no significant change in the 5HT content of circulating platelets was observed. The observation that human HD platelets, enriched with older cells, contain more 5HT than LD platelets taken together with the parallel increase in platelet 5HT and age during the recovery from thrombocytopenia in ITP patients and the lack of effect of aspirin on platelet 5HT content, provides initial evidence that human platelets accumulate 5HT during their life-span in circulation

Increased long-term recreational physical activity is associated with older age at natural menopause among heavy smokers: the California Teachers Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Emaus, Aina; Dieli-Conwright, Christina; Xu, Xinxin; Lacey, James V; Ingles, Sue A; Reynolds, Peggy; Bernstein, Leslie; Henderson, Katherine D

2013-03-01

Although physical activity modulates the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, the few studies that have investigated whether physical activity is associated with age at natural menopause have yielded mixed results. We set out to determine whether physical activity is associated with the timing of natural menopause in a large cohort of California women overall and by smoking history. We investigated the association between long-term physical activity (h/wk/y) and age at natural menopause among 97,945 women in the California Teachers Study. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression methods were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The impact of cigarette smoking (never smoker, former light smoker, former heavy smoker, current light smoker, and current heavy smoker) as an effect modifier was evaluated. In a multivariable model adjusted for body mass index at age 18 years, age at menarche, race/ethnicity, and age at first full-term pregnancy, increased physical activity was statistically significantly associated with older age at natural menopause (P(trend) = 0.005). Higher body mass index at age 18 years (P(trend) = 0.0003) and older age at menarche (P(trend) = 0.0003) were also associated with older age at natural menopause. Hispanic ethnicity (vs non-Hispanic whites; HR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.09-1.26), current smokers (vs never smokers; HR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.60-1.75 for current light smokers; HR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.33-1.44 for current heavy smokers), and older age at first full-term pregnancy (HR(≥29, 2+ full-term pregnancies) vs HR(menopause. Upon stratification by smoking history, increased physical activity was statistically significantly associated with older age at natural menopause among heavy smokers only (HR(highest quartile) vs HR(lowest quartile), 0.88; 95% CI, 0.81-0.97; P(trend) = 0.02 for former heavy smokers; HR(highest quartile) vs HR(lowest quartile), 0.89; 95% CI, 0.80-0.99; P(trend) = 0.04 for current heavy

Spontaneous calcium waves in Bergman glia increase with age and hypoxia and may reduce tissue oxygen.

Science.gov (United States)

Mathiesen, Claus; Brazhe, Alexey; Thomsen, Kirsten; Lauritzen, Martin

2013-02-01

Glial calcium (Ca(2+)) waves constitute a means to spread signals between glial cells and to neighboring neurons and blood vessels. These waves occur spontaneously in Bergmann glia (BG) of the mouse cerebellar cortex in vivo. Here, we tested three hypotheses: (1) aging and reduced blood oxygen saturation alters wave activity; (2) glial Ca(2+) waves change cerebral oxygen metabolism; and (3) neuronal and glial wave activity is correlated. We used two-photon microscopy in the cerebellar cortexes of adult (8- to 15-week-old) and aging (48- to 80-week-old) ketamine-anesthetized mice after bolus loading with OGB-1/AM and SR101. We report that the occurrence of spontaneous waves is 20 times more frequent in the cerebellar cortex of aging as compared with adult mice, which correlated with a reduction in resting brain oxygen tension. In adult mice, spontaneous glial wave activity increased on reducing resting brain oxygen tension, and ATP-evoked glial waves reduced the tissue O(2) tension. Finally, although spontaneous Purkinje cell (PC) activity was not associated with increased glia wave activity, spontaneous glial waves did affect intracellular Ca(2+) activity in PCs. The increased wave activity during aging, as well as low resting brain oxygen tension, suggests a relationship between glial waves, brain energy homeostasis, and pathology.

Do Age-Related Increases in Tip-of-the-Tongue Experiences Signify Episodic Memory Impairments?

OpenAIRE

Salthouse, Timothy A.; Mandell, Arielle R.

2013-01-01

Tip-of-the-tongue experiences (TOTs), in which a name is known but cannot be immediately retrieved from memory, can be a cause of concern if these experiences are viewed as a sign of memory decline. The current study was conducted to investigate the relation between age and TOT frequency, and the influence of episodic memory, which is the type of memory most often assessed to detect memory problems, on that relation. In a sample of adults, increased age was found to be associated with more TO...

Including dietary fiber and resistant starch to increase satiety and reduce aggression in gestating sows

Science.gov (United States)

The swine industry is under a great deal of pressure to return sows to group housing. However, aggression during mixing of pregnant sows impacts sow welfare and productivity. The aim of this study was to increase satiety and reduce aggression by including dietary fiber and fermentable carbohydrate. ...

Brain SERT Expression of Male Rats Is Reduced by Aging and Increased by Testosterone Restitution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Jaime Herrera-Pérez

2013-01-01

Full Text Available In preclinical and clinical studies aging has been associated with a deteriorated response to antidepressant treatment. We hypothesize that such impairment is explained by an age-related decrease in brain serotonin transporter (SERT expression associated with low testosterone (T levels. The objectives of this study were to establish (1 if brain SERT expression is reduced by aging and (2 if the SERT expression in middle-aged rats is increased by T-restitution. Intact young rats (3–5 months and gonad-intact middle-aged rats with or without T-restitution were used. The identification of the brain SERT expression was done by immunofluorescence in prefrontal cortex, lateral septum, hippocampus, and raphe nuclei. An age-dependent reduction of SERT expression was observed in all brain regions examined, while T-restitution recovered the SERT expression only in the dorsal raphe of middle-aged rats. This last action seems relevant since dorsal raphe plays an important role in the antidepressant action of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. All data suggest that this mechanism accounts for the T-replacement usefulness to improve the response to antidepressants in the aged population.

2-Nonenal newly found in human body odor tends to increase with aging.

Science.gov (United States)

Haze, S; Gozu, Y; Nakamura, S; Kohno, Y; Sawano, K; Ohta, H; Yamazaki, K

2001-04-01

Human body odor consists of various kinds of odor components. Here, we have investigated the changes in body odor associated with aging. The body odor of subjects between the ages of 26 and 75 was analyzed by headspace gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. 2-Nonenal, an unsaturated aldehyde with an unpleasant greasy and grassy odor, was detected only in older subjects (40 y or older). Furthermore, analysis of skin surface lipids revealed that omega7 unsaturated fatty acids and lipid peroxides also increased with aging and that there were positive correlations between the amount of 2-nonenal in body odor and the amount of omega7 unsaturated fatty acids or lipid peroxides in skin surface lipids. 2-Nonenal was generated only when omega7 unsaturated fatty acids were degraded by degradation tests in which some main components of skin surface lipids were oxidatively decomposed using lipid peroxides as initiator of an oxidative chain reaction. The results indicate that 2-nonenal is generated by the oxidative degradation of omega7 unsaturated fatty acids, and suggest that 2-nonenal may be involved in the age-related change of body odor.

Reassessing the NTCTCS Staging Systems for Differentiated Thyroid Cancer, Including Age at Diagnosis.

Science.gov (United States)

McLeod, Donald S A; Jonklaas, Jacqueline; Brierley, James D; Ain, Kenneth B; Cooper, David S; Fein, Henry G; Haugen, Bryan R; Ladenson, Paul W; Magner, James; Ross, Douglas S; Skarulis, Monica C; Steward, David L; Xing, Mingzhao; Litofsky, Danielle R; Maxon, Harry R; Sherman, Steven I

2015-10-01

Thyroid cancer is unique for having age as a staging variable. Recently, the commonly used age cut-point of 45 years has been questioned. This study assessed alternate staging systems on the outcome of overall survival, and compared these with current National Thyroid Cancer Treatment Cooperative Study (NTCTCS) staging systems for papillary and follicular thyroid cancer. A total of 4721 patients with differentiated thyroid cancer were assessed. Five potential alternate staging systems were generated at age cut-points in five-year increments from 35 to 70 years, and tested for model discrimination (Harrell's C-statistic) and calibration (R(2)). The best five models for papillary and follicular cancer were further tested with bootstrap resampling and significance testing for discrimination. The best five alternate papillary cancer systems had age cut-points of 45-50 years, with the highest scoring model using 50 years. No significant difference in C-statistic was found between the best alternate and current NTCTCS systems (p = 0.200). The best five alternate follicular cancer systems had age cut-points of 50-55 years, with the highest scoring model using 50 years. All five best alternate staging systems performed better compared with the current system (p = 0.003-0.035). There was no significant difference in discrimination between the best alternate system (cut-point age 50 years) and the best system of cut-point age 45 years (p = 0.197). No alternate papillary cancer systems assessed were significantly better than the current system. New alternate staging systems for follicular cancer appear to be better than the current NTCTCS system, although they require external validation.

Reassessing the NTCTCS Staging Systems for Differentiated Thyroid Cancer, Including Age at Diagnosis

Science.gov (United States)

McLeod, Donald S.A.; Jonklaas, Jacqueline; Brierley, James D.; Ain, Kenneth B.; Cooper, David S.; Fein, Henry G.; Haugen, Bryan R.; Ladenson, Paul W.; Magner, James; Ross, Douglas S.; Skarulis, Monica C.; Steward, David L.; Xing, Mingzhao; Litofsky, Danielle R.; Maxon, Harry R.

2015-01-01

Background: Thyroid cancer is unique for having age as a staging variable. Recently, the commonly used age cut-point of 45 years has been questioned. Objective: This study assessed alternate staging systems on the outcome of overall survival, and compared these with current National Thyroid Cancer Treatment Cooperative Study (NTCTCS) staging systems for papillary and follicular thyroid cancer. Methods: A total of 4721 patients with differentiated thyroid cancer were assessed. Five potential alternate staging systems were generated at age cut-points in five-year increments from 35 to 70 years, and tested for model discrimination (Harrell's C-statistic) and calibration (R2). The best five models for papillary and follicular cancer were further tested with bootstrap resampling and significance testing for discrimination. Results: The best five alternate papillary cancer systems had age cut-points of 45–50 years, with the highest scoring model using 50 years. No significant difference in C-statistic was found between the best alternate and current NTCTCS systems (p = 0.200). The best five alternate follicular cancer systems had age cut-points of 50–55 years, with the highest scoring model using 50 years. All five best alternate staging systems performed better compared with the current system (p = 0.003–0.035). There was no significant difference in discrimination between the best alternate system (cut-point age 50 years) and the best system of cut-point age 45 years (p = 0.197). Conclusions: No alternate papillary cancer systems assessed were significantly better than the current system. New alternate staging systems for follicular cancer appear to be better than the current NTCTCS system, although they require external validation. PMID:26203804

Changes in spinal mobility with increasing age in women.

Science.gov (United States)

Einkauf, D K; Gohdes, M L; Jensen, G M; Jewell, M J

1987-03-01

The purpose of our study was to determine changes in spinal mobility for women aged 20 to 84 years. Anterior flexion, right and left lateral flexion, and extension were measured on 109 healthy women. The modified Schober method was used to measure anterior flexion. Standard goniometry was used to measure lateral flexion and extension. The results of the study indicated that spinal mobility decreases with advancing age. The most significant (p less than .05) differences occurred between the two youngest and the two oldest age categories. Data gathered in this study indicate that physical therapists should consider the effects of age on spinal mobility when assessing spinal range of motion. A simple, objective method for measuring spinal mobility is presented. Suggestions for future research are given.

Use of MenACWY-CRM vaccine in children aged 2 through 23 months at increased risk for meningococcal disease: recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, 2013.

Science.gov (United States)

MacNeil, Jessica R; Rubin, Lorry; McNamara, Lucy; Briere, Elizabeth C; Clark, Thomas A; Cohn, Amanda C

2014-06-20

During its October 2013 meeting, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended use of a third meningococcal conjugate vaccine, MenACWY-CRM (Menveo, Novartis), as an additional option for vaccinating infants aged 2 through 23 months at increased risk for meningococcal disease. MenACWY-CRM is the first quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine licensed for use in children aged 2 through 8 months. MenACWY-D (Menactra, Sanofi Pasteur) is recommended for use in children aged 9 through 23 months who are at increased risk for meningococcal disease, and Hib-MenCY-TT (MenHibrix, GlaxoSmithKline) is recommended for use in children aged 6 weeks through 18 months at increased risk. This report summarizes information on MenACWY-CRM administration in infants and provides recommendations for vaccine use in infants aged 2 through 23 months who are at increased risk for meningococcal disease. Because the burden of meningococcal disease in infants is low in the United States and the majority of cases that do occur are caused by serogroup B, which is not included in any vaccine licensed in the United States, only those infants who are at increased risk for meningococcal disease are recommended to receive a meningococcal vaccine.

Is the relative increase in income inequality related to tooth loss in middle-aged adults?

Science.gov (United States)

Goulart, Mariél de Aquino; Vettore, Mario Vianna

2016-01-01

To assess whether Brazilian middle-aged adults living in cities that experienced a relative increase on income inequality were more likely to have severe tooth loss and lack a functional dentition. Data on Brazilian adults aged 35-44 years from state capitals and Federal District from the 2010 Brazilian Oral Health Survey (SBBrasil 2010) were analyzed. Clinically assessed tooth loss outcomes were severe tooth loss (Income inequality was assessed by Gini Index in 1991, 2000, and 2003 using tertiles of distribution. Variation in Gini Index was assessed by changes in the tertiles distribution between years. Multilevel logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95 percent confidence intervals (95 percent CI) between variation in income inequality and tooth loss outcomes adjusting for individual socio-demographic characteristics. Prevalence of severe tooth loss and lack of functional dentition was 4.8 percent and 21.2 percent, respectively. Individuals living in cities with moderate and high increase in income inequality between 1991 and 2003 were more likely to have severe tooth loss and lack a functional dentition in 2010 compared with those living in cities with stable income inequality in the same period. Relationships between low family income and both tooth loss outcomes were significantly attenuated by relative increases in income inequality. Relative increases in income inequality were significantly associated with severe tooth loss and lack of a functional dentition in Brazilian middle-aged adults. © 2015 American Association of Public Health Dentistry.

Resveratrol Enhances Neuroplastic Changes, Including Hippocampal Neurogenesis, and Memory in Balb/C Mice at Six Months of Age.

Science.gov (United States)

Torres-Pérez, Mario; Tellez-Ballesteros, Ruth Ivonne; Ortiz-López, Leonardo; Ichwan, Muhammad; Vega-Rivera, Nelly Maritza; Castro-García, Mario; Gómez-Sánchez, Ariadna; Kempermann, Gerd; Ramirez-Rodriguez, Gerardo Bernabe

2015-01-01

Resveratrol (RVTL) is a flavonoid found in red wine and has been publicized heavily as an anti-aging compound. Indeed, basic research confirms that although there is much hype in the promotion of RVTL, flavonoids such as RVTL have a wide range of biological effects. We here investigated the effects of RVTL treatment on hippocampal plasticity and memory performance in female Balb/C mice, a strain with low baseline levels of adult neurogenesis. Two weeks of treatment with RVTL (40 mg/kg) induced the production of new neurons in vivo by increasing cell survival and possibly precursor cell proliferation. In addition, RVTL decreased the number of apoptotic cells. The number of doublecortin (DCX)-expressing intermediate cells was increased. RVTL stimulated neuronal differentiation in vitro without effects on proliferation. In the dentate gyrus, RVTL promoted the formation and maturation of spines on granule cell dendrites. RVTL also improved performance in the step down passive avoidance test. The RVTL-treated mice showed increase in the levels of two key signaling proteins, phospho-Akt and phospho-PKC, suggesting the involvement of these signaling pathways. Our results support the vision that flavonoids such as resveratrol deserve further examination as plasticity-inducing compounds in the context of successful cognitive aging.

Resveratrol Enhances Neuroplastic Changes, Including Hippocampal Neurogenesis, and Memory in Balb/C Mice at Six Months of Age.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mario Torres-Pérez

Full Text Available Resveratrol (RVTL is a flavonoid found in red wine and has been publicized heavily as an anti-aging compound. Indeed, basic research confirms that although there is much hype in the promotion of RVTL, flavonoids such as RVTL have a wide range of biological effects. We here investigated the effects of RVTL treatment on hippocampal plasticity and memory performance in female Balb/C mice, a strain with low baseline levels of adult neurogenesis. Two weeks of treatment with RVTL (40 mg/kg induced the production of new neurons in vivo by increasing cell survival and possibly precursor cell proliferation. In addition, RVTL decreased the number of apoptotic cells. The number of doublecortin (DCX-expressing intermediate cells was increased. RVTL stimulated neuronal differentiation in vitro without effects on proliferation. In the dentate gyrus, RVTL promoted the formation and maturation of spines on granule cell dendrites. RVTL also improved performance in the step down passive avoidance test. The RVTL-treated mice showed increase in the levels of two key signaling proteins, phospho-Akt and phospho-PKC, suggesting the involvement of these signaling pathways. Our results support the vision that flavonoids such as resveratrol deserve further examination as plasticity-inducing compounds in the context of successful cognitive aging.

The economic benefits of malaria elimination: do they include increases in tourism?

Science.gov (United States)

Modrek, Sepideh; Liu, Jenny; Gosling, Roland; Feachem, Richard G A

2012-07-28

Policy makers have speculated that one of the economic benefits of malaria elimination includes increases in foreign direct investment, particularly tourism. This study examines the empirical relationship between the demand for travel and malaria cases in two countries with large tourism industries around the time in which they carried out malaria-elimination campaigns. In Mauritius, this analysis examines historical, yearly tourist arrivals and malaria cases from 1978-1999, accounting for the background secular trend of increasing international travel. In Dominican Republic, a country embarking upon malaria elimination, it employs a time-series analysis of the monthly, international tourist arrivals from 1998-2010 to determine whether the timing of significant deviations in tourist arrivals coincides with malaria outbreaks. While naïve relationships exist in both cases, the results show that the relationships between tourist arrivals and malaria cases are relatively weak and statistically insignificant once secular confounders are accounted for. This suggests that any economic benefits from tourism that may be derived from actively pursuing elimination in countries that have high tourism potential are likely to be small when measured at a national level. Rather, tourism benefits are likely to be experienced with greater impact in more concentrated tourist areas within countries, and future studies should seek to assess these relationships at a regional or local level.

Aging leads to altered microglial function that reduces brain resiliency increasing vulnerability to neurodegenerative diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Bickford, Paula C; Flowers, Antwoine; Grimmig, Bethany

2017-08-01

Aging is the primary risk factor for many neurodegenerative diseases. Thus, understanding the basic biological changes that take place with aging that lead to the brain being less resilient to disease progression of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease or Alzheimer's disease or insults to the brain such as stroke or traumatic brain injuries. Clearly this will not cure the disease per se, yet increasing the ability of the brain to respond to injury could improve long term outcomes. The focus of this review is examining changes in microglia with age and possible therapeutic interventions involving the use of polyphenol rich dietary supplements. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Advanced paternal age increases the risk of schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder in a Chinese Han population.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Yuejing; Liu, Xiang; Luo, Hongrong; Deng, Wei; Zhao, Gaofeng; Wang, Qiang; Zhang, Lan; Ma, Xiaohong; Liu, Xiehe; Murray, Robin A; Collier, David A; Li, Tao

2012-08-15

Using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, patient and non-patient version (SCID-P/NP), this study investigated 351 patients with schizophrenia, 122 with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and 238 unrelated healthy volunteers in a Chinese Han population. The relative risks posed by advanced paternal age for schizophrenia and OCD in offspring were computed under logistic regression analyses and adjusted for the participant's sex, age and co-parent age at birth. Compared to the offspring with paternal age of 25-29 years old, the relative risks rose from 2.660 to 10.183 in the paternal age range of 30-34 and ≥35. The relative risks for OCD increased from 2.225 to 5.413 in 30-34 and ≥35. For offspring with paternal age of maternal age and risk for schizophrenia/OCD was not seen. Interaction analysis showed an interaction effect between paternal age and maternal age at birth. Such a tendency of risk affected by parental age for schizophrenia and OCD existed after splitting out the data of early onset patients. Sex-specific analyses found that the relative risks for schizophrenia with paternal age of 30-34 and ≥35 in male offspring were 2.407 and 10.893, and in female offspring were 3.080 and 9.659. The relative risks for OCD with paternal age of 30-34 and ≥35 in male offspring were 3.493 and 7.373, and in female offspring 2.005 and 4.404. The mean paternal age of schizophrenia/OCD patients born before the early 1980s was much greater than that of patients who were born after then. The findings illustrated that advanced paternal age is associated with increased risk for both schizophrenia and OCD in a Chinese Han population, prominently when paternal age is over 35. Biological and non-biological mechanisms may both be involved in the effects of advanced paternal age on schizophrenia and OCD. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Cytochrome P450-2E1 is involved in aging-related kidney damage in mice through increased nitroxidative stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdelmegeed, Mohamed A; Choi, Youngshim; Ha, Seung-Kwoon; Song, Byoung-Joon

2017-11-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of cytochrome P450-2E1 (CYP2E1) in aging-dependent kidney damage since it is poorly understood. Young (7 weeks) and aged female (16-17 months old) wild-type (WT) and Cyp2e1-null mice were used. Kidney histology showed that aged WT mice exhibited typical signs of kidney aging such as cell vacuolation, inflammatory cell infiltration, cellular apoptosis, glomerulonephropathy, and fibrosis, along with significantly elevated levels of renal TNF-α and serum creatinine than all other groups. Furthermore, the highest levels of renal hydrogen peroxide, protein carbonylation and nitration were observed in aged WT mice. These increases in the aged WT mice were accompanied by increased levels of iNOS and mitochondrial nitroxidative stress through altered amounts and activities of the mitochondrial complex proteins and significantly reduced levels of the antioxidant glutathione (GSH). In contrast, the aged Cyp2e1-null mice exhibited significantly higher antioxidant capacity with elevated heme oxygenase-1 and catalase activities compared to all other groups, while maintaining normal GSH levels with significantly less mitochondrial nitroxidative stress compared to the aged WT mice. Thus, CYP2E1 is important in causing aging-related kidney damage most likely through increasing nitroxidative stress and that CYP2E1 could be a potential target in preventing aging-related kidney diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The Long-Term Benefits of Increased Aspirin Use by At-Risk Americans Aged 50 and Older.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David B Agus

Full Text Available The usefulness of aspirin to defend against cardiovascular disease in both primary and secondary settings is well recognized by the medical profession. Multiple studies also have found that daily aspirin significantly reduces cancer incidence and mortality. Despite these proven health benefits, aspirin use remains low among populations targeted by cardiovascular prevention guidelines. This article seeks to determine the long-term economic and population-health impact of broader use of aspirin by older Americans at higher risk for cardiovascular disease.We employ the Future Elderly Model, a dynamic microsimulation that follows Americans aged 50 and older, to project their lifetime health and spending under the status quo and in various scenarios of expanded aspirin use. The model is based primarily on data from the Health and Retirement Study, a large, representative, national survey that has been ongoing for more than two decades. Outcomes are chosen to provide a broad perspective of the individual and societal impacts of the interventions and include: heart disease, stroke, cancer, life expectancy, quality-adjusted life expectancy, disability-free life expectancy, and medical costs. Eligibility for increased aspirin use in simulations is based on the 2011-2012 questionnaire on preventive aspirin use of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. These data reveal a large unmet need for daily aspirin, with over 40% of men and 10% of women aged 50 to 79 presenting high cardiovascular risk but not taking aspirin. We estimate that increased use by high-risk older Americans would improve national life expectancy at age 50 by 0.28 years (95% CI 0.08-0.50 and would add 900,000 people (95% CI 300,000-1,400,000 to the American population by 2036. After valuing the quality-adjusted life-years appropriately, Americans could expect $692 billion (95% CI 345-975 in net health benefits over that period.Expanded use of aspirin by older Americans with

The Long-Term Benefits of Increased Aspirin Use by At-Risk Americans Aged 50 and Older.

Science.gov (United States)

Agus, David B; Gaudette, Étienne; Goldman, Dana P; Messali, Andrew

2016-01-01

The usefulness of aspirin to defend against cardiovascular disease in both primary and secondary settings is well recognized by the medical profession. Multiple studies also have found that daily aspirin significantly reduces cancer incidence and mortality. Despite these proven health benefits, aspirin use remains low among populations targeted by cardiovascular prevention guidelines. This article seeks to determine the long-term economic and population-health impact of broader use of aspirin by older Americans at higher risk for cardiovascular disease. We employ the Future Elderly Model, a dynamic microsimulation that follows Americans aged 50 and older, to project their lifetime health and spending under the status quo and in various scenarios of expanded aspirin use. The model is based primarily on data from the Health and Retirement Study, a large, representative, national survey that has been ongoing for more than two decades. Outcomes are chosen to provide a broad perspective of the individual and societal impacts of the interventions and include: heart disease, stroke, cancer, life expectancy, quality-adjusted life expectancy, disability-free life expectancy, and medical costs. Eligibility for increased aspirin use in simulations is based on the 2011-2012 questionnaire on preventive aspirin use of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. These data reveal a large unmet need for daily aspirin, with over 40% of men and 10% of women aged 50 to 79 presenting high cardiovascular risk but not taking aspirin. We estimate that increased use by high-risk older Americans would improve national life expectancy at age 50 by 0.28 years (95% CI 0.08-0.50) and would add 900,000 people (95% CI 300,000-1,400,000) to the American population by 2036. After valuing the quality-adjusted life-years appropriately, Americans could expect $692 billion (95% CI 345-975) in net health benefits over that period. Expanded use of aspirin by older Americans with elevated risk

78 FR 37586 - Stone Age Interiors, Inc., D/B/A Colorado Springs Marble and Granite, Including On-Site Leased...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-06-21

... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employment and Training Administration [TA-W-82,440] Stone Age Interiors, Inc., D/B/A Colorado Springs Marble and Granite, Including On-Site Leased Workers From Express Employment... Marble and Granite, Colorado Springs, Colorado (subject firm). The negative determination was issued on...

Alloreactive cytotoxic T lymphocytes from aged mice express increased lysis of autologous and third-party target cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kruisbeek, A.M.; Steinmeier, F.A.

1980-01-01

Much data support the notion that with increasing age a decline in T cell effector function occurs. In the present study, qualitative rather than quantitative age-related changes in vitro alloreactive cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses were observed. The level of specific alloreactive CTL

Bone marrow fat unsaturation in young adults is not affected by present or childhood obesity, but increases with age: A pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Huovinen, Ville; Viljakainen, Heli; Hakkarainen, Antti; Saukkonen, Tero; Toiviainen-Salo, Sanna; Lundbom, Nina; Lundbom, Jesper; Mäkitie, Outi

2015-11-01

Obesity increases bone marrow fat (BMF) content. The association between early obesity and bone marrow fatty acid composition is unknown. We measured BMF unsaturation index (UI) in normal-weight and overweight young adults with a known weight status in early childhood and tested the relationship between BMF UI and exercise history, glycemic state, and other clinical characteristics. The study included 18 normal-weight (BMI young adults aged 15-27 years. BMF UI was assessed with magnetic resonance proton spectroscopy optimized to reduce water interference. Exercise information was obtained with a pedometer accompanied with the history of recent physical activity. Blood samples (insulin, glucose, HbA1c) and body characteristics (BMI, waist-to-hip ratio, body fat composition) were assessed. BMF UI was not affected by obesity at the time of study or before age 7 years. BMF UI increased with age in normal-weight and overweight subjects (R=0.408, p=0.015) but did not associate with gender, physical activity or body fat composition; a suggestive association was observed with glucose (R=-0.289, p=0.10). The association of BMF UI with age in early adulthood may represent normal maturation of bone marrow. There was a trend toward an association with blood glucose, warranting further studies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Increasing Age and Treatment Modality Are Predictors for Subsequent Diagnosis of Bladder Cancer Following Prostate Cancer Diagnosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, Anurag K.; Mashtare, Terry L.; McCloskey, Susan A.; Seixas-Mikelus, Stefanie A.; Kim, Hyung L.; May, Kilian Salerno

2010-01-01

Purpose: To determine the effect of prostate cancer therapy (surgery or external beam irradiation, or both or none) on the actuarial incidence of subsequent bladder cancer. Methods and Materials: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry from 1973 to 2005 was analyzed. Treatment was stratified as radiotherapy, surgery, both surgery and adjuvant radiation, and neither modality. Brachytherapy was excluded. Results: In all, 555,337 prostate carcinoma patients were identified; 124,141 patients were irradiated; 235,341 patients were treated surgically; 32,744 patients had both surgery and radiation; and 163,111 patients received neither modality. Bladder cancers were diagnosed in: 1,836 (1.48%) men who were irradiated (mean age, 69.4 years), 2,753 (1.09%) men who were treated surgically (mean age, 66.9 years); 683 (2.09%) men who received both modalities (mean age, 67.4 years), and 1,603 (0.98%) men who were treated with neither modality (mean age, 71.8 years). In each treatment cohort, Kaplan-Meier analyses showed that increasing age (by decade) was a significant predictor of developing bladder cancer (p < 0.0001). Incidence of bladder cancer was significantly different for either radiation or surgery alone versus no treatment, radiation versus surgery alone, and both surgery and radiation versus either modality alone (p < 0.0001). On multivariate analysis, age and irradiation were highly significant predictors of being diagnosed with bladder cancer. Conclusions: Following prostate cancer, increasing age and irradiation were highly significant predictors of being diagnosed with bladder cancer. While use of radiation increased the risk of bladder cancer compared to surgery alone or no treatment, the overall incidence of subsequent bladder cancer remained low. Routine bladder cancer surveillance is not warranted.

Analysis on relations between caries and IgA or IgG of saliva as age was increasing by using radio-immunology method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu Xiaochun; Wang Wancheng; Zhang Peiyin

1997-01-01

The radio-immunology method was used to examine and analyze the contents of IgA and IgG in the saliva samples among 58 caries (cases) and 60 normal controls who were divided into several age-groups. The results indicated: as age was increasing, the contents of IgA of saliva gradually decreased in the case groups, but decreased, re-increased and re-decreased in the control groups. However, as age was increasing, the contents of IgG of saliva in both cases and controls increased in the group aged no more than 30 years, but decreased in the group aged more than 30 years

Financial strain is associated with increased oxidative stress levels: the Women's Health and Aging Studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Palta, Priya; Szanton, Sarah L; Semba, Richard D; Thorpe, Roland J; Varadhan, Ravi; Fried, Linda P

2015-01-01

Elevated oxidative stress levels may be one mechanism contributing to poor health outcomes. Financial strain and oxidative stress are each predictors of morbidity and mortality, but little research has investigated their relationship. Community-dwelling older adults (n = 728) from the Women's Health and Aging Studies I and II were included in this cross-sectional analysis. Financial strain was ascertained as an ordinal response to: "At the end of the month, do you have more than enough money left over, just enough, or not enough?" Oxidative stress was measured using serum protein carbonyl concentrations. Linear regression was used to quantify the relationship between financial strain and oxidative stress. Participants who reported high financial strain exhibited 13.4% higher protein carbonyl concentrations compared to individuals who reported low financial strain (p = 0.002). High financial strain may be associated with increased oxidative stress, suggesting that oxidative stress could mediate associations between financial strain and poor health. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Do Additional Cardiac Surgical Procedures Increase the Surgical Risk in Patients 80 Years of age or Older Undergoing Coronary Bypass Gragting

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Korhan Erkanlı

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Aim: In association with increasing life expectancy, the number of elderly individuals undergoing coronary bypass grafting (CABG and additional cardiac surgical procedures are increasing. In this study, we evaluated the effects of additional cardiac procedures and preoperative risk factors for postoperative mortality and morbidity in patients 80 years of age and older. Methods: The records of 29 patients aged 80 years and older (82.86±2.91 who had undergone coronary bypass surgery in the department of cardiac surgery between September 2009 and June 2012, were retrospectively reviewed. The subjects were divided into two groups: group 1 included the patients who had undergone CABG, group 2 consisted of those who had undergone CABG and additional cardiac procedures. Results: The mean age of the patients [14 male (48.3% 15 female (51.7%] was 82.86±2.91 years. The left internal thoracic artery was harvested for all patients. The mean number of graft per patient was 3.07±0.95. Carotid endarterectomy was performed in 3 patients before CABG. CABG and aortic valve replacement were performed in 1 patient. CABG, mitral valve replacement ant tricuspid plasty were performed in another patient. Furthermore, in one patient, abdominal aortic graft replacement due to ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm and CABG was performed at the same session. The mean EuroSCORE was 5.06±5.16. Postoperative 30 days mortality was 6.8%, and the mean length of stay in hospital was 10.45±8.18 days. Conclusion: Coronary bypass surgery is an acceptable treatment method in patients 80 years of age and older. Although additional cardiac procedures may increase sugical risks, they can be successfully performed. (The Me­di­cal Bul­le­tin of Ha­se­ki 2014; 52: 14-8

Age-related increase in the rate of spontaneou and γ-ray-induced hprt mutations in mouse spleen lymphocytes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gazlev, A.I.; Podlutskii, A.Ya.; Bradbury, R.

1994-01-01

Endogenous and exogenous factors continually afflict DNA of cells of organisms. A certain amount of the damage is accumulated causing mutations, increasing the risk of malignacies, impairing cell functions, and upsetting the body's homeostasis. The research reported here studies the rates of spontaneous hprt nmutationsand those induced you ggammairradiation in the splenocytes of mice at various ages. The rate of spontaneous and induced hprt gene mutations increases with aging. In gamma irradiated mice the rate of radiation-induced mutations depended on the absorbed dose and age, with the rate 2.3-3.0 fold higher in 104-110 week old mice than in younger pups. 15 refs., 1 tab

Is an Early Age at Illness Onset in Schizophrenia Associated With Increased Genetic Susceptibility?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hilker, Rikke; Helenius, Dorte; Fagerlund, Birgitte

2017-01-01

with schizophrenia spectrum) and a subsample of N = 448 (affected with schizophrenia). Survival analysis was applied to investigate the effect of age at illness onset. Findings We found that early age at illness onset compared to later onset in the first diagnosed twin can be considered a major risk factor......Background Early age at illness onset has been viewed as an important liability marker for schizophrenia, which may be associated with an increased genetic vulnerability. A twin approach can be valuable, because it allows for the investigation of specific illness markers in individuals...... with a shared genetic background. Methods We linked nationwide registers to identify a cohort of twin pairs born in Denmark from 1951 to 2000 (N = 31,524 pairs), where one or both twins had a diagnosis in the schizophrenia spectrum. We defined two groups consisting of; N = 788 twin pairs (affected...

Extensive innate immune gene activation accompanies brain aging, increasing vulnerability to cognitive decline and neurodegeneration: a microarray study

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background This study undertakes a systematic and comprehensive analysis of brain gene expression profiles of immune/inflammation-related genes in aging and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Methods In a well-powered microarray study of young (20 to 59 years), aged (60 to 99 years), and AD (74 to 95 years) cases, gene responses were assessed in the hippocampus, entorhinal cortex, superior frontal gyrus, and post-central gyrus. Results Several novel concepts emerge. First, immune/inflammation-related genes showed major changes in gene expression over the course of cognitively normal aging, with the extent of gene response far greater in aging than in AD. Of the 759 immune-related probesets interrogated on the microarray, approximately 40% were significantly altered in the SFG, PCG and HC with increasing age, with the majority upregulated (64 to 86%). In contrast, far fewer immune/inflammation genes were significantly changed in the transition to AD (approximately 6% of immune-related probesets), with gene responses primarily restricted to the SFG and HC. Second, relatively few significant changes in immune/inflammation genes were detected in the EC either in aging or AD, although many genes in the EC showed similar trends in responses as in the other brain regions. Third, immune/inflammation genes undergo gender-specific patterns of response in aging and AD, with the most pronounced differences emerging in aging. Finally, there was widespread upregulation of genes reflecting activation of microglia and perivascular macrophages in the aging brain, coupled with a downregulation of select factors (TOLLIP, fractalkine) that when present curtail microglial/macrophage activation. Notably, essentially all pathways of the innate immune system were upregulated in aging, including numerous complement components, genes involved in toll-like receptor signaling and inflammasome signaling, as well as genes coding for immunoglobulin (Fc) receptors and human leukocyte antigens I

Extensive innate immune gene activation accompanies brain aging, increasing vulnerability to cognitive decline and neurodegeneration: a microarray study

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Cribbs David H

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background This study undertakes a systematic and comprehensive analysis of brain gene expression profiles of immune/inflammation-related genes in aging and Alzheimer’s disease (AD. Methods In a well-powered microarray study of young (20 to 59 years, aged (60 to 99 years, and AD (74 to 95 years cases, gene responses were assessed in the hippocampus, entorhinal cortex, superior frontal gyrus, and post-central gyrus. Results Several novel concepts emerge. First, immune/inflammation-related genes showed major changes in gene expression over the course of cognitively normal aging, with the extent of gene response far greater in aging than in AD. Of the 759 immune-related probesets interrogated on the microarray, approximately 40% were significantly altered in the SFG, PCG and HC with increasing age, with the majority upregulated (64 to 86%. In contrast, far fewer immune/inflammation genes were significantly changed in the transition to AD (approximately 6% of immune-related probesets, with gene responses primarily restricted to the SFG and HC. Second, relatively few significant changes in immune/inflammation genes were detected in the EC either in aging or AD, although many genes in the EC showed similar trends in responses as in the other brain regions. Third, immune/inflammation genes undergo gender-specific patterns of response in aging and AD, with the most pronounced differences emerging in aging. Finally, there was widespread upregulation of genes reflecting activation of microglia and perivascular macrophages in the aging brain, coupled with a downregulation of select factors (TOLLIP, fractalkine that when present curtail microglial/macrophage activation. Notably, essentially all pathways of the innate immune system were upregulated in aging, including numerous complement components, genes involved in toll-like receptor signaling and inflammasome signaling, as well as genes coding for immunoglobulin (Fc receptors and human

Experimental increase in availability of a PAH complex organic contamination from an aged contaminated soil: Consequences on biodegradation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cébron, Aurélie; Faure, Pierre; Lorgeoux, Catherine; Ouvrard, Stéphanie; Leyval, Corinne

2013-01-01

Although high PAH content and detection of PAH-degraders, the PAH biodegradation is limited in aged-contaminated soils due to low PAH availability (i.e., 1%). Here, we tried to experimentally increase the soil PAH availability by keeping both soil properties and contamination composition. Organic extract was first removed and then re-incorporated in the raw soil as fresh contaminants. Though drastic, this procedure only allowed a 6-time increase in the PAH availability suggesting that the organic constituents more than ageing were responsible for low availability. In the re-contaminated soil, the mineralization rate was twice more important, the proportion of 5–6 cycles PAH was higher indicating a preferential degradation of lower molecular weight PAH. The extraction treatment induced bacterial and fungal community structures modifications, Pseudomonas and Fusarium solani species were favoured, and the relative quantity of fungi increased. In re-contaminated soil the percentage of PAH-dioxygenase gene increased, with 10 times more Gram negative representatives. -- Highlights: ► Re-incorporation of soil organic extract increased 6-times the PAH availability. ► Complexity of organic contamination is the main driver of PAH availability. ► Biodegradation of PAH with less than 5-cycles increased with increasing PAH availability. ► Pseudomonas and Fusarium species are favoured when PAH availability increased. -- More than ageing, the complexity of organic contamination is the main driver of PAH availability

Rufinamide, an antiepileptic drug, improves cognition and increases neurogenesis in the aged gerbil hippocampal dentate gyrus via increasing expressions of IGF-1, IGF-1R and p-CREB.

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Chen, Bai Hui; Ahn, Ji Hyeon; Park, Joon Ha; Song, Minah; Kim, Hyunjung; Lee, Tae-Kyeong; Lee, Jae Chul; Kim, Young-Myeong; Hwang, In Koo; Kim, Dae Won; Lee, Choong-Hyun; Yan, Bing Chun; Kang, Il Jun; Won, Moo-Ho

2018-04-25

Rufinamide is a novel antiepileptic drug and commonly used in the treatment of Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. In the present study, we investigated effects of rufinamide on cognitive function using passive avoidance test and neurogenesis in the hippocampal dentate gyrus using Ki-67 (a marker for cell proliferation), doublecortin (DCX, a marker for neuroblast) and BrdU/NeuN (markers for newly generated mature neurons) immunohistochemistry in aged gerbils. Aged gerbils (24-month old) were treated with 1 mg/kg and 3 mg/kg rufinamide for 4 weeks. Treatment with 3 mg/kg rufinamide, not 1 mg/kg rufinamide, significantly improved cognitive function and increased neurogenesis, showing that proliferating cells (Ki-67-immunoreactive cells), differentiating neuroblasts (DCX-immunoreactive neuroblasts) and mature neurons (BrdU/NeuN-immunoreactive cells) in the aged dentate gyrus compared with those in the control group. When we examined its mechanisms, rufinamide significantly increased immunoreactivities of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), its receptor (IGF-1R), and phosphorylated cAMP response element binding protein (p-CREB). However, rufinamide did not show any increase in immunoreactivities of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and its receptor. Therefore, our results indicate that rufinamide can improve cognitive function and increase neurogenesis in the hippocampus of the aged gerbil via increasing expressions of IGF-1, IGF-1R and p-CREB. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chemotherapy and Stem Cell Transplantation Increase p16INK4a Expression, a Biomarker of T-cell Aging

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William A. Wood

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The expression of markers of cellular senescence increases exponentially in multiple tissues with aging. Age-related physiological changes may contribute to adverse outcomes in cancer survivors. To investigate the impact of high dose chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation on senescence markers in vivo, we collected blood and clinical data from a cohort of 63 patients undergoing hematopoietic cell transplantation. The expression of p16INK4a, a well-established senescence marker, was determined in T-cells before and 6 months after transplant. RNA sequencing was performed on paired samples from 8 patients pre- and post-cancer therapy. In patients undergoing allogeneic transplant, higher pre-transplant p16INK4a expression was associated with a greater number of prior cycles of chemotherapy received (p = 0.003, prior autologous transplantation (p = 0.01 and prior exposure to alkylating agents (p = 0.01. Transplantation was associated with a marked increase in p16INK4a expression 6 months following transplantation. Patients receiving autologous transplant experienced a larger increase in p16INK4a expression (3.1-fold increase, p = 0.002 than allogeneic transplant recipients (1.9-fold increase, p = 0.0004. RNA sequencing of T-cells pre- and post- autologous transplant or cytotoxic chemotherapy demonstrated increased expression of transcripts associated with cellular senescence and physiological aging. Cytotoxic chemotherapy, especially alkylating agents, and stem cell transplantation strongly accelerate expression of a biomarker of molecular aging in T-cells.

Microglial cell dysregulation in brain aging and neurodegeneration

OpenAIRE

von Bernhardi, Rommy; Eugen?n-von Bernhardi, Laura; Eugen?n, Jaime

2015-01-01

Aging is the main risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases. In aging, microglia undergoes phenotypic changes compatible with their activation. Glial activation can lead to neuroinflammation, which is increasingly accepted as part of the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We hypothesize that in aging, aberrant microglia activation leads to a deleterious environment and neurodegeneration. In aged mice, microglia exhibit an increased expression of c...

Disruption of the Cx43/miR21 pathway leads to osteocyte apoptosis and increased osteoclastogenesis with aging.

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Davis, Hannah M; Pacheco-Costa, Rafael; Atkinson, Emily G; Brun, Lucas R; Gortazar, Arancha R; Harris, Julia; Hiasa, Masahiro; Bolarinwa, Surajudeen A; Yoneda, Toshiyuki; Ivan, Mircea; Bruzzaniti, Angela; Bellido, Teresita; Plotkin, Lilian I

2017-06-01

Skeletal aging results in apoptosis of osteocytes, cells embedded in bone that control the generation/function of bone forming and resorbing cells. Aging also decreases connexin43 (Cx43) expression in bone; and osteocytic Cx43 deletion partially mimics the skeletal phenotype of old mice. Particularly, aging and Cx43 deletion increase osteocyte apoptosis, and osteoclast number and bone resorption on endocortical bone surfaces. We examined herein the molecular signaling events responsible for osteocyte apoptosis and osteoclast recruitment triggered by aging and Cx43 deficiency. Cx43-silenced MLO-Y4 osteocytic (Cx43 def ) cells undergo spontaneous cell death in culture through caspase-3 activation and exhibit increased levels of apoptosis-related genes, and only transfection of Cx43 constructs able to form gap junction channels reverses Cx43 def cell death. Cx43 def cells and bones from old mice exhibit reduced levels of the pro-survival microRNA miR21 and, consistently, increased levels of the miR21 target phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) and reduced phosphorylated Akt, whereas PTEN inhibition reduces Cx43 def cell apoptosis. miR21 reduction is sufficient to induce apoptosis of Cx43-expressing cells and miR21 deletion in miR21 fl/fl bones increases apoptosis-related gene expression, whereas a miR21 mimic prevents Cx43 def cell apoptosis, demonstrating that miR21 lies downstream of Cx43. Cx43 def cells release more osteoclastogenic cytokines [receptor activator of NFκB ligand (RANKL)/high-mobility group box-1 (HMGB1)], and caspase-3 inhibition prevents RANKL/HMGB1 release and the increased osteoclastogenesis induced by conditioned media from Cx43 def cells, which is blocked by antagonizing HMGB1-RAGE interaction. These findings identify a novel Cx43/miR21/HMGB1/RANKL pathway involved in preventing osteocyte apoptosis that also controls osteoclast formation/recruitment and is impaired with aging. © 2017 The Authors. Aging Cell published by the Anatomical Society

Aerobic exercise increases resistance to oxidative stress in sedentary older middle-aged adults. A pilot study.

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Done, Aaron J; Traustadóttir, Tinna

2016-12-01

Older individuals who exercise regularly exhibit greater resistance to oxidative stress than their sedentary peers, suggesting that exercise can modify age-associated loss of resistance to oxidative stress. However, we recently demonstrated that a single bout of exercise confers protection against a subsequent oxidative challenge in young, but not older adults. We therefore hypothesized that repeated bouts of exercise would be needed to increase resistance to an oxidative challenge in sedentary older middle-aged adults. Sedentary older middle-aged men and women (50-63 years, n = 11) participated in an 8-week exercise intervention. Maximal oxygen consumption was measured before and after the intervention. The exercise intervention consisted of three sessions per week, for 45 min at an intensity corresponding to 70-85 % maximal heart rate (HR max ). Resistance to oxidative stress was measured by F 2 -isoprostane response to a forearm ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) trial. Each participant underwent the I/R trial before and after the exercise intervention. The intervention elicited a significant increase in maximal oxygen consumption (VO 2max ) (P exercise intervention (time-by-trial interaction, P = 0.043). Individual improvements in aerobic fitness were associated with greater improvements in the F 2 -isoprostane response (r = -0.761, P = 0.011), further supporting the role of aerobic fitness in resistance to oxidative stress. These data demonstrate that regular exercise with improved fitness leads to increased resistance to oxidative stress in older middle-aged adults and that this measure is modifiable in previously sedentary individuals.

Meta-analysis of Gene Expression in the Mouse Liver Reveals Biomarkers Associated with Inflammation Increased Early During Aging

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Aging is associated with a predictable loss of cellular homeostasis, a decline in physiological function and an increase in various diseases. We hypothesized that similar age-related gene expression profiles would be observed in mice across independent studies. Employing a metaan...

No evidence of age-related increases in unconscious plagiarism during free recall.

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Perfect, Timothy John; Defeldre, Anne-Catherine; Elliman, Rachel; Dehon, Hedwige

2011-07-01

In three experiments younger and older participants took part in a group generation task prior to a delayed recall task. In each, participants were required to recall the items that they had generated, avoiding plagiarism errors. All studies showed the same pattern: older adults did not plagiarise their partners any more than younger adults did. However, older adults were more likely than younger adults to intrude with entirely novel items not previously generated by anyone. These findings stand in opposition to the single previous demonstration of age-related increases in plagiarism during recall.

Spermidine Suppresses Age-Associated Memory Impairment by Preventing Adverse Increase of Presynaptic Active Zone Size and Release.

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Varun K Gupta

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Memories are assumed to be formed by sets of synapses changing their structural or functional performance. The efficacy of forming new memories declines with advancing age, but the synaptic changes underlying age-induced memory impairment remain poorly understood. Recently, we found spermidine feeding to specifically suppress age-dependent impairments in forming olfactory memories, providing a mean to search for synaptic changes involved in age-dependent memory impairment. Here, we show that a specific synaptic compartment, the presynaptic active zone (AZ, increases the size of its ultrastructural elaboration and releases significantly more synaptic vesicles with advancing age. These age-induced AZ changes, however, were fully suppressed by spermidine feeding. A genetically enforced enlargement of AZ scaffolds (four gene-copies of BRP impaired memory formation in young animals. Thus, in the Drosophila nervous system, aging AZs seem to steer towards the upper limit of their operational range, limiting synaptic plasticity and contributing to impairment of memory formation. Spermidine feeding suppresses age-dependent memory impairment by counteracting these age-dependent changes directly at the synapse.

Shift work at young age is associated with increased risk of multiple sclerosis in a Danish population

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gustavsen, S; Søndergaard, Helle Bach; Oturai, D B

2016-01-01

and found that shift work at young age is associated with an increased risk of developing MS. In this study we focused on the effect of shift work in the vulnerable period between 15-19 years. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between shift work at young age and the risk...

Anorexia of Aging.

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Visvanathan, Renuka

2015-08-01

The anorexia of aging is common, leading to adverse health consequences. As populations age, the impacts from anorexia in the older population are set to increase. Only greater awareness will allow for prevention or early intervention. This article discusses the physiologic anorexia of aging, highlights contributing factors, and proposes management strategies, including screening, especially in primary care. Many neuroendocrine factors have been implicated in the pathophysiology; it is clear that further human research is necessary if there is to be a pharmacologic breakthrough. There are currently no approved pharmacologic treatment strategies to prevent or treat the anorexia of aging. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Age is not associated with increased surgical complications in patients after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy.

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Jędrzejewski, Emil; Liszka, Maciej; Maciejewski, Marcin; Kowalewski, Piotr K; Walędziak, Maciej; Paśnik, Krzysztof; Janik, Michał R

2018-03-01

Age is considered as a risk factor in bariatric surgery. The observation was made on the basis of results from studies where patients underwent different type of surgery, but laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) was not among them. It is necessary to reevaluate the association of age with adverse events in the group of patients after LSG. To investigate the association of age with surgery-related adverse events in patients after LSG. Retrospective analysis of medical data was performed. The study involved 345 patients who underwent LSG in our institution between January 2013 and December 2014. The patients were subdivided by age into four groups according to quartiles. In 30-day follow-up adverse events were evaluated. We considered the presence of the following events as the endpoint of our study: death, medical events and surgical events. In general, we observed adverse events in 36 (10.4%) patients. The mortality rate in our study was 0.59%. Nineteen events were surgical and 18 medical. In 1 patient a surgical event was associated with a medical event. Bleeding was the most common surgical event and was observed in 17 (4.9%) cases. Age was not associated with surgical events (OR = 1.032, 95% CI: 0.991-1.075, p = 0.33) or medical events (OR = 0.997, 95% CI: 0.956-1.039, p = 0.89). The LSG is a safe bariatric procedure with low mortality. Bleeding is the most frequent surgical complication. Our findings suggest that age is not associated with increased risk of surgical or medical adverse events after LSG.

Adaptive responses of cardiac function to fetal postural change as gestational age increases

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Woo Jin; Choi, Hye Jin; Yang, Sun Young; Koo, Boo Hae; Ahn, Ki Hoon; Hong, Soon Cheol; Oh, Min-Jeong; Kim, Hai-Joong

2016-01-01

Objective The cardiovascular system maintains homeostasis through a series of adaptive responses to physiological requirements. However, little is known about the adaptation of fetal cardiac function to gravity, according to gestational age. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the adaptive responses of cardiac function to postural changes, using Tei index measurements. Methods Fetal echocardiography and Doppler examination were performed on 114 women with vertex singleton pregnancies at 19 to 40 weeks' gestation. Participants were placed in an upright seated position, and the Tei index for fetal left ventricular cardiac function was measured. The women were then moved into a supine position and the Tei index was re-measured. Results The mean Tei index when measured in an upright seated position was significantly lower than that measured in a supine positioning for all fetuses (0.528±0.103 vs. 0.555±0.106, P=0.014, respectively). This difference was also noted in fetuses with a gestational age of 28–40 weeks (0.539±0.107 vs. 0.574±0.102, P=0.011, respectively). However, there was no difference in the Tei index between an upright seated and a supine position among fetuses with a gestational age of Postural changes from an upright seated to a supine position result in an increased Tei index after a gestational age of 28 weeks. This appears to reflect maturation in the adaptive responses of the fetal cardiovascular system to postural changes. PMID:27896244

Quantitative measures of healthy aging and biological age

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Kim, Sangkyu; Jazwinski, S. Michal

2015-01-01

Numerous genetic and non-genetic factors contribute to aging. To facilitate the study of these factors, various descriptors of biological aging, including ‘successful aging’ and ‘frailty’, have been put forth as integrative functional measures of aging. A separate but related quantitative approach is the ‘frailty index’, which has been operationalized and frequently used. Various frailty indices have been constructed. Although based on different numbers and types of health variables, frailty indices possess several common properties that make them useful across different studies. We have been using a frailty index termed FI34 based on 34 health variables. Like other frailty indices, FI34 increases non-linearly with advancing age and is a better indicator of biological aging than chronological age. FI34 has a substantial genetic basis. Using FI34, we found elevated levels of resting metabolic rate linked to declining health in nonagenarians. Using FI34 as a quantitative phenotype, we have also found a genomic region on chromosome 12 that is associated with healthy aging and longevity. PMID:26005669

Increasing the Value of Age: Guidance in Employers' Age Management Strategies. Research Paper No 44

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Cedefop - European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, 2015

2015-01-01

The European active population is ageing. In the face of growing skills shortages, both national States and employers need to prolong the working lives of their most experienced workers. While enterprises strive to respond to this challenge, most still have not fully explored the potential of guidance activities in addressing age-related issues in…

Low-Dose Fluvastatin and Valsartan Rejuvenate the Arterial Wall Through Telomerase Activity Increase in Middle-Aged Men.

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Janić, Miodrag; Lunder, Mojca; Cerkovnik, Petra; Prosenc Zmrzljak, Uršula; Novaković, Srdjan; Šabovič, Mišo

2016-04-01

Previously, we have shown that slightly to moderately aged arteries in middle-aged males can be rejuvenated functionally by sub-therapeutic, low-dose fluvastatin and valsartan treatment. Here, we explore whether this treatment could also increase telomerase activity. We hypothesized that telomerase activity might be associated with (1) an improvement of arterial wall properties and (2) a reduction of inflammatory/oxidative stress parameters (both observed in our previous studies). The stored blood samples from 130 apparently healthy middle-aged males treated with fluvastatin (10 mg daily), valsartan (20 mg daily), fluvastatin and valsartan combination (10 and 20 mg), respectively, and placebo (control), were analyzed. The samples were taken before and after treatment lasting 30 days, and 5 months after treatment discontinuation. Telomerase activity was measured in blood leukocytes by a TaqMan Gene Expression Assay. Low-dose fluvastatin or valsartan increased telomerase activity (106.9% and 59.5% respectively; both p valsartan substantially increased telomerase activity, which significantly correlated with an improvement of endothelial function and a decrease of inflammation/oxidative stress. These findings could lead to a new innovative approach to arterial rejuvenation.

The aging lung

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Lowery EM

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Erin M Lowery,1 Aleah L Brubaker,2 Erica Kuhlmann,1 Elizabeth J Kovacs31Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine at Loyola University Medical Center, 2Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine, 3Department of Surgery, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL, USAAbstract: There are many age-associated changes in the respiratory and pulmonary immune system. These changes include decreases in the volume of the thoracic cavity, reduced lung volumes, and alterations in the muscles that aid respiration. Muscle function on a cellular level in the aging population is less efficient. The elderly population has less pulmonary reserve, and cough strength is decreased in the elderly population due to anatomic changes and muscle atrophy. Clearance of particles from the lung through the mucociliary elevator is decreased and associated with ciliary dysfunction. Many complex changes in immunity with aging contribute to increased susceptibility to infections including a less robust immune response from both the innate and adaptive immune systems. Considering all of these age-related changes to the lungs, pulmonary disease has significant consequences for the aging population. Chronic lower respiratory tract disease is the third leading cause of death in people aged 65 years and older. With a large and growing aging population, it is critical to understand how the body changes with age and how this impacts the entire respiratory system. Understanding the aging process in the lung is necessary in order to provide optimal care to our aging population. This review focuses on the nonpathologic aging process in the lung, including structural changes, changes in muscle function, and pulmonary immunologic function, with special consideration of obstructive lung disease in the elderly.Keywords: aging, lung, pulmonary immunology, COPD

Placental Dysfunction Underlies Increased Risk of Fetal Growth Restriction and Stillbirth in Advanced Maternal Age Women.

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Lean, Samantha C; Heazell, Alexander E P; Dilworth, Mark R; Mills, Tracey A; Jones, Rebecca L

2017-08-29

Pregnancies in women of advanced maternal age (AMA) are susceptible to fetal growth restriction (FGR) and stillbirth. We hypothesised that maternal ageing is associated with utero-placental dysfunction, predisposing to adverse fetal outcomes. Women of AMA (≥35 years) and young controls (20-30 years) with uncomplicated pregnancies were studied. Placentas from AMA women exhibited increased syncytial nuclear aggregates and decreased proliferation, and had increased amino acid transporter activity. Chorionic plate and myometrial artery relaxation was increased compared to controls. AMA was associated with lower maternal serum PAPP-A and sFlt and a higher PlGF:sFlt ratio. AMA mice (38-41 weeks) at E17.5 had fewer pups, more late fetal deaths, reduced fetal weight, increased placental weight and reduced fetal:placental weight ratio compared to 8-12 week controls. Maternofetal clearance of 14 C-MeAIB and 3 H-taurine was reduced and uterine arteries showed increased relaxation. These studies identify reduced placental efficiency and altered placental function with AMA in women, with evidence of placental adaptations in normal pregnancies. The AMA mouse model complements the human studies, demonstrating high rates of adverse fetal outcomes and commonalities in placental phenotype. These findings highlight placental dysfunction as a potential mechanism for susceptibility to FGR and stillbirth with AMA.

Effects of Greenhouse Gas Increase and Stratospheric Ozone Depletion on Stratospheric Mean Age of Air in 1960-2010

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Li, Feng; Newman, Paul; Pawson, Steven; Perlwitz, Judith

2018-01-01

The relative impacts of greenhouse gas (GHG) increase and stratospheric ozone depletion on stratospheric mean age of air in the 1960-2010 period are quantified using the Goddard Earth Observing System Chemistry-�Climate Model. The experiment compares controlled simulations using a coupled atmosphere-�ocean version of the Goddard Earth Observing System Chemistry-�Climate Model, in which either GHGs or ozone depleting substances, or both factors evolve over time. The model results show that GHGs and ozone-depleting substances have about equal contributions to the simulated mean age decrease, but GHG increases account for about two thirds of the enhanced strength of the lower stratospheric residual circulation. It is also found that both the acceleration of the diabatic circulation and the decrease of the mean age difference between downwelling and upwelling regions are mainly caused by GHG forcing. The results show that ozone depletion causes an increase in the mean age of air in the Antarctic summer lower stratosphere through two processes: (1) a seasonal delay in the Antarctic polar vortex breakup that inhibits young midlatitude air from mixing with the older air inside the vortex, and (2) enhanced Antarctic downwelling that brings older air from middle and upper stratosphere into the lower stratosphere.

NINJ2 SNP may affect the onset age of first-ever ischemic stroke without increasing silent cerebrovascular lesions

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Kim Dong-Eog

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background To investigate if single nucleotide polymorphisms on chromosome 12p13 and within 11 kb of the gene NINJ2 would be associated with earlier-onset (vs. late-onset first-ever ischemic stroke and increase silent cerebrovascular lesions prior to the manifestation of the stroke. Methods We prospectively enrolled 164 patients (67.6 ± 12.9 years, 92 men admitted with first-ever ischemic strokes. All patients underwent genotyping of rs11833579 and rs12425791 as well as systemic investigations including magnetic resonance (MR imaging and other vascular workup. Stroke-related MR lesions were registered on a brain-template-set using a custom-built software package 'Image_QNA': high-signal-intensity ischemic lesions on diffusion, T2-weighted, or fluid attenuation inversion recovery (FLAIR MR images, and low signal intensity hemorrhagic lesions on gradient-echo MR images. Results The rs11833579 A/A or G/A genotype was independently associated with the first-ever ischemic stroke before the age 59 vs. 59 or over, after adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors and prior medication of antiplatelet or anticoagulant drugs, increasing the risk by about 2.5 fold. In the quantitative MR lesion maps from age-sex matched subgroups (n = 124 or 126, there was no difference between the patients with the rs11833579 A/A or G/A genotype and those with the G/G genotype. Unexpectedly, the extent of leukoaraiosis on FLAIR-MR images tended to be smaller in the corona radiata and centrum semiovale of the patients with the rs12425791 A/A or G/A genotype than in those with the G/G genotype (P = 0.052. Neither the rs11833579 nor the rs12425791 genotype significantly affected initial stroke severity; however the latter was associated with relatively low modified Rankin scale scores at 1 year after stroke. Conclusions The rs11833579 A/A or G/A genotype may bring forward the onset age of first-ever ischemic stroke without increasing silent cerebrovascular lesions

Age-related increase in brain activity during task-related and -negative networks and numerical inductive reasoning.

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Sun, Li; Liang, Peipeng; Jia, Xiuqin; Qi, Zhigang; Li, Kuncheng

2014-01-01

Recent neuroimaging studies have shown that elderly adults exhibit increased and decreased activation on various cognitive tasks, yet little is known about age-related changes in inductive reasoning. To investigate the neural basis for the aging effect on inductive reasoning, 15 young and 15 elderly subjects performed numerical inductive reasoning while in a magnetic resonance (MR) scanner. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) analysis revealed that numerical inductive reasoning, relative to rest, yielded multiple frontal, temporal, parietal, and some subcortical area activations for both age groups. In addition, the younger participants showed significant regions of task-induced deactivation, while no deactivation occurred in the elderly adults. Direct group comparisons showed that elderly adults exhibited greater activity in regions of task-related activation and areas showing task-induced deactivation (TID) in the younger group. Our findings suggest an age-related deficiency in neural function and resource allocation during inductive reasoning.

Increased skeletal muscle 11βHSD1 mRNA is associated with lower muscle strength in ageing.

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Alixe H M Kilgour

Full Text Available Sarcopenia, the loss of muscle mass and function with age, is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Current understanding of the underlying mechanisms is limited. Glucocorticoids (GC in excess cause muscle weakness and atrophy. We hypothesized that GC may contribute to sarcopenia through elevated circulating levels or increased glucocorticoid receptor (GR signaling by increased expression of either GR or the GC-amplifying enzyme 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11βHSD1 in muscle.There were 82 participants; group 1 comprised 33 older men (mean age 70.2 years, SD 4.4 and 19 younger men (22.2 years, 1.7 and group 2 comprised 16 older men (79.1 years, 3.4 and 14 older women (80.1 years, 3.7. We measured muscle strength, mid-thigh cross-sectional area, fasting morning plasma cortisol, quadriceps muscle GR and 11βHSD1 mRNA, and urinary glucocorticoid metabolites. Data were analysed using multiple linear regression adjusting for age, gender and body size.Muscle strength and size were not associated with plasma cortisol, total urinary glucocorticoids or the ratio of urinary 5β-tetrahydrocortisol +5α-tetrahydrocortisol to tetrahydrocortisone (an index of systemic 11βHSD activity. Muscle strength was associated with 11βHSD1 mRNA levels (β -0.35, p = 0.04, but GR mRNA levels were not significantly associated with muscle strength or size.Although circulating levels of GC are not associated with muscle strength or size in either gender, increased cortisol generation within muscle by 11βHSD1 may contribute to loss of muscle strength with age, a key component of sarcopenia. Inhibition of 11βHSD1 may have therapeutic potential in sarcopenia.

The transcriptional landscape of age in human peripheral blood

NARCIS (Netherlands)

M.J. Peters (Marjolein); R. Joehanes (Roby); L.C. Pilling (Luke); C. Schurmann (Claudia); K.N. Conneely (Karen N.); J.E. Powell (Joseph); E. Reinmaa (Eva); G.L. Sutphin (George L.); A. Zhernakova (Alexandra); K. Schramm (Katharina); Y.A. Wilson (Yana A.); S. Kobes (Sayuko); T. Tukiainen (Taru); Y.F.M. Ramos (Yolande); H.H.H. Göring (Harald H.); M. Fornage (Myriam); Y. Liu (YongMei); S.A. Gharib (Sina); B.E. Stranger (Barbara); P.L. de Jager (Philip); A. Aviv (Abraham); D. Levy (Daniel); J. Murabito (Joanne); P.J. Munson (Peter J.); T. Huan (Tianxiao); A. Hofman (Albert); A.G. Uitterlinden (André); F. Rivadeneira Ramirez (Fernando); J. van Rooij (Jeroen); L. Stolk (Lisette); L. Broer (Linda); M.M.P.J. Verbiest (Michael); M. Jhamai (Mila); P.P. Arp (Pascal); A. Metspalu (Andres); L. Tserel (Liina); L. Milani (Lili); N.J. Samani (Nilesh); P. Peterson (Pärt); S. Kasela (Silva); V. Codd (Veryan); A. Peters (Annette); C.K. Ward-Caviness (Cavin K.); C. Herder (Christian); M. Waldenberger (Melanie); M. Roden (Michael); P. Singmann (Paula); S. Zeilinger (Sonja); T. Illig (Thomas); G. Homuth (Georg); H.J. Grabe (Hans Jörgen); H. Völzke (Henry); L. Steil (Leif); T. Kocher (Thomas); A. Murray (Anna); D. Melzer (David); H. Yaghootkar (Hanieh); S. Bandinelli; E.K. Moses (Eric); J.W. Kent (Jack); J.E. Curran (Joanne); M.P. Johnson (Matthew); S. Williams-Blangero (Sarah); H.J. Westra (Harm-Jan); A.F. McRae (Allan F.); J.A. Smith (Jennifer A); S.L.R. Kardia (Sharon); I. Hovatta (Iiris); M. Perola (Markus); S. Ripatti (Samuli); V. Salomaa (Veikko); A.K. Henders (Anjali); N.G. Martin (Nicholas); A.K. Smith (Alicia K.); D. Mehta (Divya); E.B. Binder (Elisabeth B.); K.M. Nylocks (K. Maria); E.M. Kennedy (Elizabeth M.); T. Klengel (Torsten); J. Ding (Jingzhong); A. Suchy-Dicey (Astrid); D. Enquobahrie; J. Brody (Jennifer); J.I. Rotter (Jerome I.); Y.-D.I. Chen (Yii-Der I.); J.J. Houwing-Duistermaat (Jeanine); M. Kloppenburg (Margreet); P.E. Slagboom (Eline); Q. Helmer (Quinta); W. den Hollander (Wouter); S. Bean (Shannon); T. Raj (Towfique); N. Bakhshi (Noman); Q.P. Wang (Qiao Ping); L.J. Oyston (Lisa J.); B.M. Psaty (Bruce); R.P. Tracy (Russell); G.W. Montgomery (Grant); S.T. Turner (Stephen); J. Blangero (John); I. Meulenbelt (Ingrid); K.J. Ressler (Kerry); J. Yang (Jian); L. Franke (Lude); J. Kettunen (Johannes); P.M. Visscher (Peter); G.G. Neely (G. Gregory); R. Korstanje (Ron); R.L. Hanson (Robert L.); H. Prokisch (Holger); L. Ferrucci (Luigi); T. Esko (Tõnu); A. Teumer (Alexander); J.B.J. van Meurs (Joyce); A.D. Johnson (Andrew D.); M.A. Nalls (Michael); D.G. Hernandez (Dena); M.R. Cookson (Mark); R.J. Gibbs (Raphael J.); J. Hardy (John); A. Ramasamy (Adaikalavan); A.B. Zonderman (Alan B.); A. Dillman (Allissa); B. Traynor (Bryan); C. Smith (Colin); D.L. Longo (Dan L.); D. Trabzuni (Danyah); J.C. Troncoso (Juan); M.P. van der Brug (Marcel); M.E. Weale (Michael); R. O'Brien (Richard); R. Johnson (Robert); R. Walker (Robert); R.H. Zielke (Ronald H.); S. Arepalli (Sampath); M. Ryten (Mina); A. Singleton

2015-01-01

textabstractDisease incidences increase with age, but the molecular characteristics of ageing that lead to increased disease susceptibility remain inadequately understood. Here we perform a whole-blood gene expression meta-analysis in 14,983 individuals of European ancestry (including replication)

The transcriptional landscape of age in human peripheral blood

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Peters, Marjolein J.; Joehanes, Roby; Pilling, Luke C.; Schurmann, Claudia; Conneely, Karen N.; Powell, Joseph; Reinmaa, Eva; Sutphin, George L.; Zhernakova, Alexandra; Schramm, Katharina; Wilson, Yana A.; Kobes, Sayuko; Tukiainen, Taru; Ramos, Yolande F.; Goering, Harald H. H.; Fornage, Myriam; Liu, Yongmei; Gharib, Sina A.; Stranger, Barbara E.; De Jager, Philip L.; Aviv, Abraham; Levy, Daniel; Murabito, Joanne M.; Munson, Peter J.; Huan, Tianxiao; Hofman, Albert; Uitterlinden, Andre G.; Rivadeneira, Fernando; van Rooij, Jeroen; Stolk, Lisette; Broer, Linda; Verbiest, Michael M. P. J.; Jhamai, Mila; Arp, Pascal; Metspalu, Andres; Tserel, Liina; Milani, Lili; Samani, Nilesh J.; Peterson, Paert; Kasela, Silva; Codd, Veryan; Peters, Annette; Ward-Caviness, Cavin K.; Herder, Christian; Waldenberger, Melanie; Roden, Michael; Singmann, Paula; Zeilinger, Sonja; Westra, Harm-Jan; Franke, Lude

2015-01-01

Disease incidences increase with age, but the molecular characteristics of ageing that lead to increased disease susceptibility remain inadequately understood. Here we perform a whole-blood gene expression meta-analysis in 14,983 individuals of European ancestry (including replication) and identify

Vitamin D plus calcium supplementation increased serum 25(OHD on reproductive age women workers

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Betty Yosephin

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Objective: To analyze the efficacy of calcium supplementation plus vitamin D on the improved concentrations of serum 25(OHD and the blood pressure in working women of childbearing age. Methods: The design used in this research was an experimental study (randomized control trial, with 39 subjects of women at childbearing age who met the inclusion criteria for the study. Subjects were randomly allocated into two treatment groups, the VDC group (400 IU of vitamin D plus 500 mg of calcium and the VD group (400 IU of vitamin D. Supplements were consumed every day for 12 weeks. Results: Prior to supplementation, the average level of serum 25(OHD in the VDC group was (16.7 ± 4.5 ng/dL which was higher than the average level of serum 25(OHD in the VD group which was (14.9 ± 5.1 ng/dL. After supplementation, the subjects of VDC group showed an average increased 3.6 ng/dL of serum 25(OHD. The average increase of serum 25(OHD in VD group was 6.3 ng/dL. The increase of serum 25(OHD in VDC group was 21.6%, while in the VD group the increase was almost two times higher (42.3% than that of the VDC group. Statistical test results showed that the average levels of serum 25(OHD between the two treatment groups were significantly different. Conclusions: The average systolic blood pressure prior to supplementation of the VDC group was (128.5 ± 22.5 mmHg which was slightly lower than that of the VD group [(131.1 ± 18.0 mmHg].

Increased Snacking and Eating Occasions Are Associated with Higher Energy Intake among Mexican Children Aged 2-13 Years.

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Taillie, Lindsey Smith; Afeiche, Myriam C; Eldridge, Alison L; Popkin, Barry M

2015-11-01

Little is known about the dietary behaviors of Mexican children with regard to frequency, amount, and quality of foods consumed at eating occasions and their impact on total daily energy intake. The objectives were to 1) describe foods consumed across eating occasions and 2) examine whether the number or type of total eating occasions was associated with increased total daily energy intake and differed between 2- to 5-y-old and 6- to 13-y-old Mexican children. A nationally representative sample of 5031 children from the 2012 ENSANUT (Encuesta Nacional de Salud y Nutrición) was used to examine the percentage of meals and snacks consumed, mean energy intake from meals and snacks, and the top food groups contributing to meals and snacks. Multivariate linear regression was used to examine the association between meals, snacks, and total eating occasions with daily energy intake for 2- to 5-y-old and 6- to 13-y-old children. Eating patterns were similar across age groups (per capita mean intake of 3 meals and 1.4-1.6 snacks/d). Each additional snack was associated with greater increases in mean daily energy for older children (+191-289 kcal/d; P < 0.01) relative to younger children (+102-130 kcal/d; P < 0.01). Likewise, each additional eating occasion was associated with greater increases in mean daily energy for older children (+323 kcal/d; P < 0.01) relative to younger children (+166-261 kcal/d; P < 0.01). In both younger and older children, snacking was prevalent (75% and 68%, respectively). Top food contributors to snacks included fruit, salty snacks, candy, sweetened breads, and cookies. Among older children, whole milk as a snack was partially replaced with soda and sweetened fruit drinks. Snacks represent an area for potential improvement in the diets of Mexican children, especially among those aged 6 to 13 y, for whom each additional snack or eating occasion was linked to even greater increases in total daily energy intake. © 2015 American Society for

Incidence of Ichthyophonus hoferi in Puget Sound fishes and its increase with age of Pacific herring

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Hershberger, P.K.; Stick, K.; Bui, B.; Carroll, C.; Fall, B.; Mork, C.; Perry, J.A.; Sweeney, E.; Wittouck, J.; Winton, J.; Kocan, R.

2002-01-01

A recent decrease in the mean age of adult Pacific herring Clupea pallasi in Puget Sound was associated with a high prevalence of Ichthyophonus hoferi, a protistan parasite that can be highly pathogenic to Pacific herring. In Puget Sound, high intensities of I. hoferiinfection may be maintained in older cohorts of Pacific herring because the prevalence ofI. hoferi increased with age from 12% among juveniles to 58% among the oldest, age-6 and older cohorts. Low intensities of I. hoferi infection in the region may be maintained in alternative fish hosts, such as surf smelt Hypomesus pretiosus, Puget Sound rockfishSebastes emphaeus, Pacific tomcod Microgadus proximus, and speckled sanddabCithanichthys stigmaeus.

Is late-life dependency increasing or not? A comparison of the Cognitive Function and Ageing Studies (CFAS).

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Kingston, Andrew; Wohland, Pia; Wittenberg, Raphael; Robinson, Louise; Brayne, Carol; Matthews, Fiona E; Jagger, Carol

2017-10-07

Little is known about how the proportions of dependency states have changed between generational cohorts of older people. We aimed to estimate years lived in different dependency states at age 65 years in 1991 and 2011, and new projections of future demand for care. In this population-based study, we compared two Cognitive Function and Ageing Studies (CFAS I and CFAS II) of older people (aged ≥65 years) who were permanently registered with a general practice in three defined geographical areas (Cambridgeshire, Newcastle, and Nottingham; UK). These studies were done two decades apart (1991 and 2011). General practices provided lists of individuals to be contacted and were asked to exclude those who had died or might die over the next month. Baseline interviews were done in the community and care homes. Participants were stratified by age, and interviews occurred only after written informed consent was obtained. Information collected included basic sociodemographics, cognitive status, urinary incontinence, and self-reported ability to do activities of daily living. CFAS I was assigned as the 1991 cohort and CFAS II as the 2011 cohort, and both studies provided prevalence estimates of dependency in four states: high dependency (24-h care), medium dependency (daily care), low dependency (less than daily), and independent. Years in each dependency state were calculated by Sullivan's method. To project future demands for social care, the proportions in each dependency state (by age group and sex) were applied to the 2014 UK [corrected] population projections. Between 1991 and 2011, there were significant increases in years lived from age 65 years with low dependency (1·7 years [95% CI 1·0-2·4] for men and 2·4 years [1·8-3·1] for women) and increases with high dependency (0·9 years [0·2-1·7] for men and 1·3 years [0·5-2·1] for women). The majority of men's extra years of life were spent independent (36·3%) or with low dependency (36·3%) whereas for women

Preconception use of cART by HIV-positive pregnant women increases the risk of infants being born small for gestational age.

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Ingrid J M Snijdewind

Full Text Available The benefits of combination anti-retroviral therapy (cART in HIV-positive pregnant women (improved maternal health and prevention of mother to child transmission [pMTCT] currently outweigh the adverse effects due to cART. As the variety of cART increases, however, the question arises as to which type of cART is safest for pregnant women and women of childbearing age. We studied the effect of timing and exposure to different classes of cART on adverse birth outcomes in a large HIV cohort in the Netherlands.We included singleton HEU infants registered in the ATHENA cohort from 1997 to 2015. Multivariate logistic regression analysis for single and multiple pregnancies was used to evaluate predictors of small for gestational age (SGA, birth weight <10th percentile for gestational age, low birth weight and preterm delivery.A total of 1392 children born to 1022 mothers were included. Of these, 331 (23.8% children were SGA. Women starting cART before conception had an increased risk of having a SGA infant compared to women starting cART after conception (OR 1.35, 95% CI 1.03-1.77, p = 0.03. The risk for SGA was highest in women who started a protease inhibitor-(PI based regimen prior to pregnancy, compared with women who initiated PI-based cART during pregnancy. While the association of preterm delivery and preconception cART was significant in univariate analysis, on multivariate analysis only a non-significant trend was observed (OR 1.39, 95% CI 0.94-1.92, p = 0.06 in women who had started cART before compared to after conception. In multivariate analysis, the risk of low birth weight (OR 1.34, 95% CI 0.94-1.92, p = 0.11 was not significantly increased in women who had started cART prior to conception compared to after conception.In our cohort of pregnant HIV-positive women, the use of cART prior to conception, most notably a PI-based regimen, was associated with intrauterine growth restriction resulting in SGA. Data showed a non-significant trend in

Chelation: A Fundamental Mechanism of Action of AGE Inhibitors, AGE Breakers, and Other Inhibitors of Diabetes Complications

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Nagai, Rhoji; Murray, David B.; Metz, Thomas O.; Baynes, John

2012-03-01

Advanced glycation or glycoxidation end-products (AGE) increase in tissue proteins with age, and their rate of accumulation is increased in diabetes, nephropathy and inflammatory diseases. AGE inhibitors include a range of compounds that are proposed to act by trapping carbonyl and dicarbonyl intermediates in AGE formation. However, some among the newer generation of AGE inhibitors lack reactive functional groups that would trap reaction intermediates, indicating an alternative mechanism of action. We propose that AGE inhibitors function primarily as chelators, inhibiting metal-catalyzed oxidation reactions. The AGE-inhibitory activity of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers is also consistent with their chelating activity. Finally, compounds described as AGE breakers, or their hydrolysis products, also have strong chelating activity, suggesting that these compounds also act through their chelating activity. We conclude that chelation is the common, and perhaps the primary, mechanism of action of AGE inhibitors and breakers, and that chronic, mild chelation therapy should prove useful in treatment of diabetes and age-related diseases characterized by oxidative stress, inflammation and increased chemical modification of tissue proteins by advanced glycoxidation and lipoxidation end-products.

Splicing regulatory factors, ageing and age-related disease.

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Latorre, Eva; Harries, Lorna W

2017-07-01

Alternative splicing is a co-transcriptional process, which allows for the production of multiple transcripts from a single gene and is emerging as an important control point for gene expression. Alternatively expressed isoforms often have antagonistic function and differential temporal or spatial expression patterns, yielding enormous plasticity and adaptability to cells and increasing their ability to respond to environmental challenge. The regulation of alternative splicing is critical for numerous cellular functions in both pathological and physiological conditions, and deregulated alternative splicing is a key feature of common chronic diseases. Isoform choice is controlled by a battery of splicing regulatory proteins, which include the serine arginine rich (SRSF) proteins and the heterogeneous ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) classes of genes. These important splicing regulators have been implicated in age-related disease, and in the ageing process itself. This review will outline the important contribution of splicing regulator proteins to ageing and age-related disease. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Obesity increases the prevalence and severity of focal knee abnormalities diagnosed using 3T MRI in middle-aged subjects - data from the osteoarthritis initiative

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laberge, Marc A.; Baum, Thomas; Virayavanich, Warapat; Nardo, Lorenzo; Link, Thomas M.; Nevitt, M.C.; Lynch, J.; McCulloch, C.E.

2012-01-01

To study the effect of BMI on the prevalence, severity, and 36-month progression of early degenerative changes in the knee by using 3T MRI in middle-aged subjects without radiographic osteoarthritis (OA). We examined baseline and 36-month follow-up MR studies from 137 middle-aged individuals (45-55 years old) with risk factors for knee OA but no radiographic OA from the Osteoarthritis Initiative. Subjects were grouped into three categories: normal BMI (BMI 2 , n = 38), overweight (BMI 25-29.9 kg/m 2 , n = 37), and obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m 2 , n = 62). Using 3T MRI, cartilage, meniscus, and bone marrow abnormalities were graded using the OA Whole-organ MR Imaging Score (WORMS). The statistical analysis was corrected as necessary for differences in age, sex, and OA risk factors other than BMI. The overall prevalence of lesions was 64% for meniscus and 79% for cartilage (including low grade lesions). At baseline, the prevalence and severity of knee lesions was positively associated with BMI, with a nearly fourfold increase in meniscal tears and more than twofold increase in high-grade cartilage defects in obese individuals relative to normal-weight subjects. Over the 36-month follow-up period, the number of new or worsening cartilage lesions of any grade was significantly higher in obese subjects (p = 0.039), while there was no significant difference in meniscal lesion progression. Obesity was associated with both higher prevalence and severity of early degenerative changes in the knee in middle-aged individuals without radiographic OA and with significantly increased cartilage lesion progression (of any grade) over 36 months. (orig.)

Obesity increases the prevalence and severity of focal knee abnormalities diagnosed using 3T MRI in middle-aged subjects - data from the osteoarthritis initiative

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Laberge, Marc A.; Baum, Thomas; Virayavanich, Warapat; Nardo, Lorenzo; Link, Thomas M. [University of California San Francisco, Musculoskeletal and Quantitative Imaging Research, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, San Francisco, CA (United States); Nevitt, M.C.; Lynch, J.; McCulloch, C.E. [University of California San Francisco, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, San Francisco, CA (United States)

2012-06-15

To study the effect of BMI on the prevalence, severity, and 36-month progression of early degenerative changes in the knee by using 3T MRI in middle-aged subjects without radiographic osteoarthritis (OA). We examined baseline and 36-month follow-up MR studies from 137 middle-aged individuals (45-55 years old) with risk factors for knee OA but no radiographic OA from the Osteoarthritis Initiative. Subjects were grouped into three categories: normal BMI (BMI < 25 kg/m{sup 2}, n = 38), overweight (BMI 25-29.9 kg/m{sup 2}, n = 37), and obese (BMI {>=} 30 kg/m{sup 2}, n = 62). Using 3T MRI, cartilage, meniscus, and bone marrow abnormalities were graded using the OA Whole-organ MR Imaging Score (WORMS). The statistical analysis was corrected as necessary for differences in age, sex, and OA risk factors other than BMI. The overall prevalence of lesions was 64% for meniscus and 79% for cartilage (including low grade lesions). At baseline, the prevalence and severity of knee lesions was positively associated with BMI, with a nearly fourfold increase in meniscal tears and more than twofold increase in high-grade cartilage defects in obese individuals relative to normal-weight subjects. Over the 36-month follow-up period, the number of new or worsening cartilage lesions of any grade was significantly higher in obese subjects (p = 0.039), while there was no significant difference in meniscal lesion progression. Obesity was associated with both higher prevalence and severity of early degenerative changes in the knee in middle-aged individuals without radiographic OA and with significantly increased cartilage lesion progression (of any grade) over 36 months. (orig.)

Gender influences headache characteristics with increasing age in migraine patients.

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Bolay, Hayrunnisa; Ozge, Aynur; Saginc, Petek; Orekici, Gulhan; Uludüz, Derya; Yalın, Osman; Siva, Aksel; Bıçakçi, Şebnem; Karakurum, Başak; Öztürk, Musa

2015-08-01

Migraine headache is one of the most common primary headache disorders and is three times more prevalent in women than in men, especially during the reproductive ages. The neurobiological basis of the female dominance has been partly established. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of gender on the headache manifestations in migraine patients. The study group consisted of 2082 adult patients from five different hospitals' tertiary care-based headache clinics. The relationship between headache characteristics and gender was evaluated in migraine with aura (MwA) and migraine without aura (MwoA). The duration, severity, frequency of headache and associated symptoms were evaluated in both genders and age-dependent variations and analyzed in two subgroups. Women with migraine were prone to significantly longer duration and intensity of headache attacks. Nausea, phonophobia and photophobia were more prevalent in women. Median headache duration was also longer in women than in men in MwA (p = 0.013) and MwoA (p < 0.001). Median headache intensity was higher in women than in men in MwA (p = 0.010) and MwoA (p = 0.009). The frequency of nausea was significantly higher in women than in men in MwA (p = 0.049). Throbbing headache quality and associated features (nausea, photophobia, and phonophobia) were significantly more frequent in women than in men in MwoA. The gender impact varied across age groups and significant changes were seen in female migraineurs after age 30. No age-dependent variation was observed in male migraineurs. Gender has an influence on the characteristics of the headache as well as on the associated symptoms in migraine patients, and this impact varies across the age groups, particularly in women. © International Headache Society 2014.

Connexin 30 expression and frequency of connexin heterogeneity in astrocyte gap junction plaques increase with age in the rat retina.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hussein Mansour

Full Text Available We investigated age-associated changes in retinal astrocyte connexins (Cx by assaying Cx numbers, plaque sizes, protein expression levels and heterogeneity of gap junctions utilizing six-marker immunohistochemistry (IHC. We compared Wistar rat retinal wholemounts in animals aged 3 (young adult, 9 (middle-aged and 22 months (aged. We determined that retinal astrocytes have gap junctions composed of Cx26, -30, -43 and -45. Cx30 was consistently elevated at 22 months compared to younger ages both when associated with parenchymal astrocytes and vascular-associated astrocytes. Not only was the absolute number of Cx30 plaques significantly higher (P<0.05 but the size of the plaques was significantly larger at 22 months compared to younger ages (p<0.05. With age, Cx26 increased significantly initially, but returned to basal levels; whereas Cx43 expression remained low and stable with age. Evidence that astrocytes alter connexin compositions of gap junctions was demonstrated by the significant increase in the number of Cx26/Cx45 gap junctions with age. We also found gap junctions comprised of 1, 2, 3 or 4 Cx proteins suggesting that retinal astrocytes use various connexin protein combinations in their gap junctions during development and aging. These data provides new insight into the dynamic and extensive Cx network utilized by retinal astrocytes for communication within both the parenchyma and vasculature for the maintenance of normal retinal physiology with age. This characterisation of the changes in astrocytic gap junctional communication with age in the CNS is crucial to the understanding of physiological aging and age-related neurodegenerative diseases.

Age Differences in Brain Activity during Emotion Processing: Reflections of Age-Related Decline or Increased Emotion Regulation?

Science.gov (United States)

Nashiro, Kaoru; Sakaki, Michiko; Mather, Mara

2012-01-01

Despite the fact that physical health and cognitive abilities decline with aging, the ability to regulate emotion remains stable and in some aspects improves across the adult life span. Older adults also show a positivity effect in their attention and memory, with diminished processing of negative stimuli relative to positive stimuli compared with younger adults. The current paper reviews functional magnetic resonance imaging studies investigating age-related differences in emotional processing and discusses how this evidence relates to two opposing theoretical accounts of older adults’ positivity effect. The aging-brain model [Cacioppo et al. in: Social Neuroscience: Toward Understanding the Underpinnings of the Social Mind. New York, Oxford University Press, 2011] proposes that older adults’ positivity effect is a consequence of age-related decline in the amygdala, whereas the cognitive control hypothesis [Kryla-Lighthall and Mather in: Handbook of Theories of Aging, ed 2. New York, Springer, 2009; Mather and Carstensen: Trends Cogn Sci 2005;9:496–502; Mather and Knight: Psychol Aging 2005;20:554–570] argues that the positivity effect is a result of older adults’ greater focus on regulating emotion. Based on evidence for structural and functional preservation of the amygdala in older adults and findings that older adults show greater prefrontal cortex activity than younger adults while engaging in emotion-processing tasks, we argue that the cognitive control hypothesis is a more likely explanation for older adults’ positivity effect than the aging-brain model. PMID:21691052

Increased radial glia quiescence, decreased reactivation upon injury and unaltered neuroblast behavior underlie decreased neurogenesis in the aging zebrafish telencephalon.

Science.gov (United States)

Edelmann, Kathrin; Glashauser, Lena; Sprungala, Susanne; Hesl, Birgit; Fritschle, Maike; Ninkovic, Jovica; Godinho, Leanne; Chapouton, Prisca

2013-09-01

The zebrafish has recently become a source of new data on the mechanisms of neural stem cell (NSC) maintenance and ongoing neurogenesis in adult brains. In this vertebrate, neurogenesis occurs at high levels in all ventricular regions of the brain, and brain injuries recover successfully, owing to the recruitment of radial glia, which function as NSCs. This new vertebrate model of adult neurogenesis is thus advancing our knowledge of the molecular cues in use for the activation of NSCs and fate of their progeny. Because the regenerative potential of somatic stem cells generally weakens with increasing age, it is important to assess the extent to which zebrafish NSC potential decreases or remains unaltered with age. We found that neurogenesis in the ventricular zone, in the olfactory bulb, and in a newly identified parenchymal zone of the telencephalon indeed declines as the fish ages and that oligodendrogenesis also declines. In the ventricular zone, the radial glial cell population remains largely unaltered morphologically but enters less frequently into the cell cycle and hence produces fewer neuroblasts. The neuroblasts themselves do not change their behavior with age and produce the same number of postmitotic neurons. Thus, decreased neurogenesis in the physiologically aging zebrafish brain is correlated with an increasing quiescence of radial glia. After injuries, radial glia in aged brains are reactivated, and the percentage of cell cycle entry is increased in the radial glia population. However, this reaction is far less pronounced than in younger animals, pointing to irreversible changes in aging zebrafish radial glia. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

AgeFactDB—the JenAge Ageing Factor Database—towards data integration in ageing research

Science.gov (United States)

Hühne, Rolf; Thalheim, Torsten; Sühnel, Jürgen

2014-01-01

AgeFactDB (http://agefactdb.jenage.de) is a database aimed at the collection and integration of ageing phenotype data including lifespan information. Ageing factors are considered to be genes, chemical compounds or other factors such as dietary restriction, whose action results in a changed lifespan or another ageing phenotype. Any information related to the effects of ageing factors is called an observation and is presented on observation pages. To provide concise access to the complete information for a particular ageing factor, corresponding observations are also summarized on ageing factor pages. In a first step, ageing-related data were primarily taken from existing databases such as the Ageing Gene Database—GenAge, the Lifespan Observations Database and the Dietary Restriction Gene Database—GenDR. In addition, we have started to include new ageing-related information. Based on homology data taken from the HomoloGene Database, AgeFactDB also provides observation and ageing factor pages of genes that are homologous to known ageing-related genes. These homologues are considered as candidate or putative ageing-related genes. AgeFactDB offers a variety of search and browse options, and also allows the download of ageing factor or observation lists in TSV, CSV and XML formats. PMID:24217911

Aeolian dust nutrient contributions increase with substrate age in semi-arid ecosystems

Science.gov (United States)

Coble, A. A.; Hart, S. C.; Ketterer, M. E.; Newman, G. S.

2013-12-01

Rock-derived nutrients supplied by mineral weathering become depleted over time, and without an additional nutrient source the ecosystem may eventually regress or reach a terminal steady state. Previous studies have demonstrated that aeolian dust act as parent materials of soils and important nutrients to plants in arid regions, but the relative importance of these exogenous nutrients to the function of dry ecosystems during soil development is uncertain. Here, using strontium isotopes as a tracer and a well-constrained, three million year old substrate age gradient, we show that aeolian-derived nutrients become increasingly important to plant-available soil pools and tree (Pinus edulis) growth during the latter stages of soil development in a semi-arid climate. Furthermore, the depth of nutrient uptake increased on older substrates, suggesting that trees in arid regions acquire nutrients from greater depths as ecosystem development progresses presumably in response to nutrient depletion in the more weathered surface soils. Our results contribute to the unification of biogeochemical theory by demonstrating the similarity in roles of atmospheric nutrient inputs during ecosystem development across contrasting climates.

Increasing primary health-care services are associated with acute short-term hospitalization of Danes aged 70 years and older

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vestergaard Fournaise, Anders; Espensen, Niels; Jakobsen, Søren

2017-01-01

Background: Ageing is accompanied by increased risk of morbidity and subsequent risk of acute hospitalisation. With ageing populations, health-care providers focus on prevention of acute admissions of older adults by timely identification and treatment in the community. However, identifying...... an emerging acute disease can be difficult in older adults due to atypical and vague symptoms, but may be expressed by increased contact to health-care providers. Method: During a 12-month period, all 70+-year-old people short-term (.... Monitoring health-care use may timely identify older adults at risk of acute hospitalisation....

Glucose and age-related changes in memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Gold, Paul E

2005-12-01

Epinephrine, released from the adrenal medulla, enhances memory in young rats and mice and apparently does so, at least in part, by increasing blood glucose levels. Like epinephrine, administration of glucose enhances cognitive functions in humans and rodents, including reversing age-related impairments in learning and memory. Epinephrine responses to training are increased in aged rats but the subsequent increase in blood glucose levels is severely blunted. The absence of increases in blood glucose levels during training might contribute to age-related deficits in learning and memory. Also, extracellular glucose levels in the hippocampus are depleted during spontaneous alternation testing to a far greater extent in aged than in young rats. Importantly, systemic injections of glucose block the depletion in the hippocampus and also enhance performance on the alternation task. Thus, the extensive depletion of extracellular glucose during training in aged rats may be associated with age-related memory impairments, an effect that might be related to - or may exacerbate - the effects on learning and memory of an absence of the increases in blood glucose levels to training as seen in young rats. Together, these findings suggest that age-related changes in both peripheral and central glucose physiology contribute to age-related impairments in memory.

An increase of structural order parameter in Fe endash Co endash V soft magnetic alloy after thermal aging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu, Q.; Li, L.; Masteller, M.S.; Del Corso, G.J.

1996-01-01

Alloys of Fe 49 Co 49 V 2 (Hiperco Alloy 50) (Hiperco is a registered trademark of CRS Holdings, Inc.), both annealed and thermally aged, were studied using anomalous synchrotron x-ray and neutron powder diffraction. Rietveld and diffraction profile analysis indicated both an increase in the structural order parameter and a small lattice expansion (∼0.0004 A) after aging at 450 degree C for 200 h. In addition, a cubic minority phase (<0.3%) was identified in the open-quote open-quote annealed close-quote close-quote sample, which increased noticeably (0.3%→0.8%) as a result of aging. The presence of antiphase domain boundaries in the alloys was also revealed. These results directly correlate with the observed changes in the magnetization behavior and challenge the notion that a open-quote open-quote fully close-quote close-quote ordered Fe endash Co alloy demonstrates optimum soft magnetic properties. copyright 1996 American Institute of Physics

Increasing Suicide Rates Among Middle-age Persons and Interventions to Manage Patients with Psychiatric Complaints

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Bharath Chakravarthy

2014-02-01

Full Text Available The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC has published significant data and trends related to suicide rates in the United States (U.S.. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in U.S. adults, and rates are increasing across all geographic regions. There is a significant increase in the suicide rate among adults in the 35-64 age range. We present findings from the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR with commentary on current resources and barriers to psychiatric care. [West J Emerg Med. 2014;15(1:11–13.

Preliminary assessment of the benefits of derating a cask for increasing age/burnup capability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Broadhead, B.L.; Parks, C.V.; Joy, D.S.; Tang, J.S.

1992-01-01

This paper discusses a study performed to determine the extent to which the age/burnup capability of the Babcock and Wilcox BR-100 rail cask could be extended by reducing the number of fuel assemblies. Only the shielding effects of derating are accounted for in this study. Separate analyses will be necessary to address the enhanced heat loads due to increased burnup or decreased age. The criterion used to assess the derating was the calculated dose 2 m from the rail car. The reference calculations were based on the 70% design of the BR-100 cask with 21 PWR fuel assemblies. Seven different basket/assembly loading configurations were investigated. The results indicate that both an alternative 18-assembly basket configuration and a 17-assembly/4-empty-hole configuration for the 21-element basket offer substantial gains over the fully loaded reference 21-element basket configuration

Increased Materialistic Trends Among Youth

OpenAIRE

Shama Mazahir, Afsheen Masood, Rubab Musarrat

2016-01-01

The goal of this qualitative research is to investigate the increased sense of materialism among youth. The main research question is to identify the factors which are causing materialism among youth. The sample of this research included 25 people, age group 18-25 years obtained from students that are enrolled in universities. The interpretive phenomenological approach was taken which was based on semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed that materialistic trends are increasing among...

Increased Materialistic Trends among Youth

OpenAIRE

Afsheen Masood; Rubab Musarrat; Shama Mazahir

2016-01-01

The goal of this qualitative research is to investigate the increased sense of materialism among youth. The main research question is to identify the factors which are causing materialism among youth. The sample of this research included 25 people, age group 18-25 years obtained from students that are enrolled in universities. The interpretive phenomenological approach was taken which was based on semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed that materialistic trends are increasing among...

Aging well with smart technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheek, Penny; Nikpour, Linda; Nowlin, Heather D

2005-01-01

As baby-boomers age, the need for long-term nursing care services increases. In the future, there will simply not be enough long-term care facilities to accommodate all of these patients. In addition, many people prefer to grow old at home, a concept known as aging-in-place. Smart home technology facilities aging-in-place by assisting patients with emergency assistance, fall prevention/detection, reminder systems, medication administration and assistance for those with hearing, visual or cognitive impairments. Benefits include making aging-in-place a reality, continuous monitoring, and improved psychosocial effects. Concerns of this technology include cost, availability of technology, retrofitting complications, and potential inappropriate use of the technology. Overall, the concept of smart homes is gaining in popularity and will expand the role of the nurse in the future. It is important for all nurses to understand how their practices will be transformed as smart homes become a reality for the aging population.

Resveratrol prevents age-related memory and mood dysfunction with increased hippocampal neurogenesis and microvasculature, and reduced glial activation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kodali, Maheedhar; Parihar, Vipan K; Hattiangady, Bharathi; Mishra, Vikas; Shuai, Bing; Shetty, Ashok K

2015-01-28

Greatly waned neurogenesis, diminished microvasculature, astrocyte hypertrophy and activated microglia are among the most conspicuous structural changes in the aged hippocampus. Because these alterations can contribute to age-related memory and mood impairments, strategies efficacious for mitigating these changes may preserve cognitive and mood function in old age. Resveratrol, a phytoalexin found in the skin of red grapes having angiogenic and antiinflammatory properties, appears ideal for easing these age-related changes. Hence, we examined the efficacy of resveratrol for counteracting age-related memory and mood impairments and the associated detrimental changes in the hippocampus. Two groups of male F344 rats in late middle-age having similar learning and memory abilities were chosen and treated with resveratrol or vehicle for four weeks. Analyses at ~25 months of age uncovered improved learning, memory and mood function in resveratrol-treated animals but impairments in vehicle-treated animals. Resveratrol-treated animals also displayed increased net neurogenesis and microvasculature, and diminished astrocyte hypertrophy and microglial activation in the hippocampus. These results provide novel evidence that resveratrol treatment in late middle age is efficacious for improving memory and mood function in old age. Modulation of the hippocampus plasticity and suppression of chronic low-level inflammation appear to underlie the functional benefits mediated by resveratrol.

Effects of Greenhouse Gas Increase and Stratospheric Ozone Depletion on Stratospheric Mean Age of Air in 1960-2010

Science.gov (United States)

Li, F.; Newman, P. A.; Pawson, S.; Perlwitz, J.

2017-12-01

The strength of the stratospheric Brewer-Dobson circulation (BDC) in a changing climate has been extensively studied, but the relative importance of greenhouse gas (GHG) increases and stratospheric ozone depletion in driving the BDC changes remains uncertain. This study separates the impacts of GHG and stratospheric ozone forcings on stratospheric mean age of air in the 1960-2010 period using the Goddard Earth Observing System Model (GEOS) Chemistry-Climate Model (CCM). The experiment compares a set of controlled simulations using a coupled atmosphere-ocean version of the GEOS CCM, in which either GHGs, or stratospheric ozone, or both factors evolve over time. The model results show that GHGs and stratospheric ozone have about equal contributions to the simulated mean age decrease. It is also found that GHG increases account for about two thirds of the enhanced strength of the lower stratospheric residual circulation. The results show that ozone depletion causes an increase in the mean age of air in the Antarctic summer lower stratosphere through two processes: 1) a seasonal delay in the Antarctic polar vortex breakup, that inhibits young mid-latitude air from mixing with the older air inside the vortex; and 2) enhanced Antarctic downwelling, that brings older air from middle and upper stratosphere into the lower stratosphere.

Hematopoietic stem cell aging and self-renewal

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dykstra, Brad; de Haan, Gerald

A functional decline of the immune system occurs during organismal aging that is attributable, in large part, to changes in the hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) compartment. In the mouse, several hallmark age-dependent changes in the HSC compartment have been identified, including an increase in HSC

Working memory circuit as a function of increasing age in healthy adolescence: A systematic review and meta-analyses.

Science.gov (United States)

Andre, Julia; Picchioni, Marco; Zhang, Ruibin; Toulopoulou, Timothea

2016-01-01

Working memory ability matures through puberty and early adulthood. Deficits in working memory are linked to the risk of onset of neurodevelopmental disorders such as schizophrenia, and there is a significant temporal overlap between the peak of first episode psychosis risk and working memory maturation. In order to characterize the normal working memory functional maturation process through this critical phase of cognitive development we conducted a systematic review and coordinate based meta-analyses of all the available primary functional magnetic resonance imaging studies (n = 382) that mapped WM function in healthy adolescents (10-17 years) and young adults (18-30 years). Activation Likelihood Estimation analyses across all WM tasks revealed increased activation with increasing subject age in the middle frontal gyrus (BA6) bilaterally, the left middle frontal gyrus (BA10), the left precuneus and left inferior parietal gyri (BA7; 40). Decreased activation with increasing age was found in the right superior frontal (BA8), left junction of postcentral and inferior parietal (BA3/40), and left limbic cingulate gyrus (BA31). These results suggest that brain activation during adolescence increased with age principally in higher order cortices, part of the core working memory network, while reductions were detected in more diffuse and potentially more immature neural networks. Understanding the process by which the brain and its cognitive functions mature through healthy adulthood may provide us with new clues to understanding the vulnerability to neurodevelopmental disorders.

Working memory circuit as a function of increasing age in healthy adolescence: A systematic review and meta-analyses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julia Andre

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Working memory ability matures through puberty and early adulthood. Deficits in working memory are linked to the risk of onset of neurodevelopmental disorders such as schizophrenia, and there is a significant temporal overlap between the peak of first episode psychosis risk and working memory maturation. In order to characterize the normal working memory functional maturation process through this critical phase of cognitive development we conducted a systematic review and coordinate based meta-analyses of all the available primary functional magnetic resonance imaging studies (n = 382 that mapped WM function in healthy adolescents (10–17 years and young adults (18–30 years. Activation Likelihood Estimation analyses across all WM tasks revealed increased activation with increasing subject age in the middle frontal gyrus (BA6 bilaterally, the left middle frontal gyrus (BA10, the left precuneus and left inferior parietal gyri (BA7; 40. Decreased activation with increasing age was found in the right superior frontal (BA8, left junction of postcentral and inferior parietal (BA3/40, and left limbic cingulate gyrus (BA31. These results suggest that brain activation during adolescence increased with age principally in higher order cortices, part of the core working memory network, while reductions were detected in more diffuse and potentially more immature neural networks. Understanding the process by which the brain and its cognitive functions mature through healthy adulthood may provide us with new clues to understanding the vulnerability to neurodevelopmental disorders.

The relationship of birth weight, gestational age, and postmenstrual age with ocular biometry parameters in premature infants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ozdemir Ozdemir

2015-06-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Purpose: To analyze ocular biometry parameters and evaluate their relationship with gestational age, birth weight, and postmenstrual age in prematurely born infants. Methods: The right eyes of 361 premature infants born before the 36th gestational week were evaluated. Birth weight, gestational week, and gender were recorded. An A-scan Biometer was used for obtaining axial measurements, including anterior chamber depth, lens thickness, vitreous length, and total axial length. Results: Gestational age and birth weight values ranged from 23 to 36 weeks and from 560 to 2,670 g, respectively. The mean gestational age and birth weight were 30.8 ± 2.8 weeks and 1,497.9 ± 483.6 g, respectively. During the first examination (4-5 weeks of postnatal age, birth weight and gestational age of the infants correlated significantly and positively with lens thickness, vitreous length, and axial length (r>0.5, p<0.001, but not with anterior chamber depth (r<0.5. Increased vitreous and axial lengths correlated significantly with increasing postmenstrual age of the infants (r=0.669, p<0.001; r=0.845, p<0.001, respectively. Conclusions: Lens thickness, vitreous length, and axial length, but not anterior chamber depth, were significantly correlated with birth weight and gestational age. All four parameters increased with increasing postmenstrual age, with higher correlations for vitreous and axial lengths than for anterior chamber depth and lens thickness. It was concluded that axial elongation resulted primarily from increasing posterior chamber length.

Drastic increase of myosin light chain MLC-2 in senescent skeletal muscle indicates fast-to-slow fibre transition in sarcopenia of old age.

Science.gov (United States)

Gannon, Joan; Doran, Philip; Kirwan, Anne; Ohlendieck, Kay

2009-11-01

The age-dependent decline in skeletal muscle mass and function is believed to be due to a multi-factorial pathology and represents a major factor that blocks healthy aging by increasing physical disability, frailty and loss of independence in the elderly. This study has focused on the comparative proteomic analysis of contractile elements and revealed that the most striking age-related changes seem to occur in the protein family representing myosin light chains (MLCs). Comparative screening of total muscle extracts suggests a fast-to-slow transition in the aged MLC population. The mass spectrometric analysis of the myofibril-enriched fraction identified the MLC2 isoform of the slow-type MLC as the contractile protein with the most drastically changed expression during aging. Immunoblotting confirmed an increased abundance of slow MLC2, concomitant with a switch in fast versus slow myosin heavy chains. Staining of two-dimensional gels of crude extracts with the phospho-specific fluorescent dye ProQ-Diamond identified the increased MLC2 spot as a muscle protein with a drastically enhanced phosphorylation level in aged fibres. Comparative immunofluorescence microscopy, using antibodies to fast and slow myosin isoforms, confirmed a fast-to-slow transformation process during muscle aging. Interestingly, the dramatic increase in slow MLC2 expression was restricted to individual senescent fibres. These findings agree with the idea that aged skeletal muscles undergo a shift to more aerobic-oxidative metabolism in a slower-twitching fibre population and suggest the slow MLC2 isoform as a potential biomarker for fibre type shifting in sarcopenia of old age.

Voluntary aerobic exercise increases arterial resilience and mitochondrial health with aging in mice

Science.gov (United States)

Gioscia-Ryan, Rachel A.; Battson, Micah L.; Cuevas, Lauren M.; Zigler, Melanie C.; Sindler, Amy L.; Seals, Douglas R.

2016-01-01

Mitochondrial dysregulation and associated excessive reactive oxygen species (mtROS) production is a key source of oxidative stress in aging arteries that reduces baseline function and may influence resilience (ability to withstand stress). We hypothesized that voluntary aerobic exercise would increase arterial resilience in old mice. An acute mitochondrial stressor (rotenone) caused greater (further) impairment in peak carotid EDD in old (~27 mo., OC, n=12;−32.5±-10.5%) versus young (~7 mo., YC n=11;−5.4±- 3.7%) control male mice, whereas arteries from young and old exercising (YVR n=10 and OVR n=11, 10-wk voluntary running;−0.8±-2.1% and −8.0±4.9%, respectively) mice were protected. Ex-vivo simulated Western diet (WD, high glucose and palmitate) caused greater impairment in EDD in OC (-28.5±8.6%) versus YC (-16.9±5.2%) and YVR (-15.3±2.3%), whereas OVR (-8.9±3.9%) were more resilient (not different versus YC). Simultaneous ex-vivo treatment with mitochondria-specific antioxidant MitoQ attenuated WD-induced impairments in YC and OC, but not YVR or OVR, suggesting that exercise improved resilience to mtROS-mediated stress. Exercise normalized age-related alterations in aortic mitochondrial protein markers PGC-1α, SIRT-3 and Fis1 and augmented cellular antioxidant and stress response proteins. Our results indicate that arterial aging is accompanied by reduced resilience and mitochondrial health, which are restored by voluntary aerobic exercise. PMID:27875805

Voluntary aerobic exercise increases arterial resilience and mitochondrial health with aging in mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Gioscia-Ryan, Rachel A; Battson, Micah L; Cuevas, Lauren M; Zigler, Melanie C; Sindler, Amy L; Seals, Douglas R

2016-11-22

Mitochondrial dysregulation and associated excessive reactive oxygen species (mtROS) production is a key source of oxidative stress in aging arteries that reduces baseline function and may influence resilience (ability to withstand stress). We hypothesized that voluntary aerobic exercise would increase arterial resilience in old mice. An acute mitochondrial stressor (rotenone) caused greater (further) impairment in peak carotid EDD in old (~27 mo., OC, n=12; -32.5±-10.5%) versus young (~7 mo., YC n=11; -5.4±- 3.7%) control male mice, whereas arteries from young and old exercising (YVR n=10 and OVR n=11, 10-wk voluntary running; -0.8±-2.1% and -8.0±4.9%, respectively) mice were protected. Ex-vivo simulated Western diet (WD, high glucose and palmitate) caused greater impairment in EDD in OC (-28.5±8.6%) versus YC (-16.9±5.2%) and YVR (-15.3±2.3%), whereas OVR (-8.9±3.9%) were more resilient (not different versus YC). Simultaneous ex-vivo treatment with mitochondria-specific antioxidant MitoQ attenuated WD-induced impairments in YC and OC, but not YVR or OVR, suggesting that exercise improved resilience to mtROS-mediated stress. Exercise normalized age-related alterations in aortic mitochondrial protein markers PGC-1α, SIRT-3 and Fis1 and augmented cellular antioxidant and stress response proteins. Our results indicate that arterial aging is accompanied by reduced resilience and mitochondrial health, which are restored by voluntary aerobic exercise.

Post-stroke gaseous hypothermia increases vascular density but not neurogenesis in the ischemic penumbra of aged rats

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sandu, Raluca Elena; Uzoni, Adriana; Ciobanu, Ovidiu

2016-01-01

of several genes involved in protein degradation, thereby leading to better preservation of infarcted tissue. Further, hypothermia increased the density of newly formed blood vessels in the peri-lesional cortex did not enhance neurogenesis in the infarcted area of aged rats. Likewise, there was improved......-PCR and immunofluorescence, we assessed infarct size, vascular density, neurogenesis and as well as the expression of genes coding for proteasomal proteins as well as in post-stroke aged Sprague-Dawley rats exposed to H2S- induced hypothermia. Results: Two days exposure to mild hypothermia diminishes the expression...

Propeptide-mediated inhibition of myostatin increases muscle mass through inhibiting proteolytic pathways in aged mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Collins-Hooper, Henry; Sartori, Roberta; Macharia, Raymond; Visanuvimol, Korntip; Foster, Keith; Matsakas, Antonios; Flasskamp, Hannah; Ray, Steve; Dash, Philip R; Sandri, Marco; Patel, Ketan

2014-09-01

Mammalian aging is accompanied by a progressive loss of skeletal muscle, a process called sarcopenia. Myostatin, a secreted member of the transforming growth factor-β family of signaling molecules, has been shown to be a potent inhibitor of muscle growth. Here, we examined whether muscle growth could be promoted in aged animals by antagonizing the activity of myostatin through the neutralizing activity of the myostatin propeptide. We show that a single injection of an AAV8 virus expressing the myostatin propeptide induced an increase in whole body weights and all muscles examined within 7 weeks of treatment. Our cellular studies demonstrate that muscle enlargement was due to selective fiber type hypertrophy, which was accompanied by a shift toward a glycolytic phenotype. Our molecular investigations elucidate the mechanism underpinning muscle hypertrophy by showing a decrease in the expression of key genes that control ubiquitin-mediated protein breakdown. Most importantly, we show that the hypertrophic muscle that develops as a consequence of myostatin propeptide in aged mice has normal contractile properties. We suggest that attenuating myostatin signaling could be a very attractive strategy to halt and possibly reverse age-related muscle loss. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

TH1 and TH2 cell polarization increases with aging and is modulated by zinc supplementation

OpenAIRE

2008-01-01

TH1 and TH2 cell polarization increases with aging and is modulated by zinc supplementation correspondence: Corresponding author. Tel.: +49 241 8080208; fax: +49 241 8082613. (Rink, Lothar) (Rink, Lothar) Institute of Immunology, University Hospital, RWTH Aachen University - Aachen--> - GERMANY (Uciechowski, Peter) Institute of Immunology, University Hospital, RWTH Aachen University - Aachen--> - GERMAN...

The challenges of human population ageing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sander, Miriam; Oxlund, Bjarke; Jespersen, Astrid

2015-01-01

The 20th century saw an unprecedented increase in average human lifespan as well as a rapid decline in human fertility in many countries of the world. The accompanying worldwide change in demographics of human populations is linked to unanticipated and unprecedented economic, cultural, medical...... of Copenhagen (UCPH) and the Center for Healthy Ageing at UCPH, which took place on 20-21 June 2014 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Questions discussed here include the following: what is driving age-structural change in human populations? how can we create 'age-friendly' societies and promote 'ageing...

Decreasing Sports Activity with Increasing Age? Findings from a 20-Year Longitudinal and Cohort Sequence Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Breuer, Christoph; Wicker, Pamela

2009-01-01

According to cross-sectional studies in sport science literature, decreasing sports activity with increasing age is generally assumed. In this paper, the validity of this assumption is checked by applying more effective methods of analysis, such as longitudinal and cohort sequence analyses. With the help of 20 years' worth of data records from the…

Examining the Benefits and Barriers of Instructional Gardening Programs to Increase Fruit and Vegetable Intake among Preschool-Age Children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kristen L. Davis

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Research exists on using instructional gardening programs with school age children as a means of improving dietary quality and for obesity prevention. This article examines the potential use of instructional gardens in childcare settings to improving fruit and vegetable intake in young children. A qualitative study was conducted with childcare providers. Participants (n=20 were recruited via e-mails, letters, and follow-up phone calls. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded to identify themes within two areas (1 childcare providers perceptions of children’s fruit and vegetable consumption and (2 components necessary to initiate or improve instructional gardening programs. Themes associated with provider’s perceptions of child fruit and vegetable consumption included benefits of consumption, willingness to try fruits and vegetables, meeting recommendations, and influence of the home and childcare environments on child eating. Benefits, barriers, and resources needed were identified as themes related to starting or improving instructional gardening programs. Benefits to gardening with preschoolers are consistent with those found in school-age populations. While several barriers exist, resources are available to childcare providers to address these barriers. Increased knowledge and awareness of resources are necessary to improve the success of gardening programs in the childcare setting with the goal of improving child diet quality.

Examining the Benefits and Barriers of Instructional Gardening Programs to Increase Fruit and Vegetable Intake among Preschool-Age Children.

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Kristen L; Brann, Lynn S

2017-01-01

Research exists on using instructional gardening programs with school age children as a means of improving dietary quality and for obesity prevention. This article examines the potential use of instructional gardens in childcare settings to improving fruit and vegetable intake in young children. A qualitative study was conducted with childcare providers. Participants ( n = 20) were recruited via e-mails, letters, and follow-up phone calls. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded to identify themes within two areas (1) childcare providers perceptions of children's fruit and vegetable consumption and (2) components necessary to initiate or improve instructional gardening programs. Themes associated with provider's perceptions of child fruit and vegetable consumption included benefits of consumption, willingness to try fruits and vegetables, meeting recommendations, and influence of the home and childcare environments on child eating. Benefits, barriers, and resources needed were identified as themes related to starting or improving instructional gardening programs. Benefits to gardening with preschoolers are consistent with those found in school-age populations. While several barriers exist, resources are available to childcare providers to address these barriers. Increased knowledge and awareness of resources are necessary to improve the success of gardening programs in the childcare setting with the goal of improving child diet quality.

Aging increases the susceptibility to motor memory interference and reduces off-line gains in motor skill learning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Roig, Marc; Ritterband-Rosenbaum, Anina; Jensen, Jesper Lundbye

2014-01-01

Declines in the ability to learn motor skills in older adults are commonly attributed to deficits in the encoding of sensorimotor information during motor practice. We investigated whether aging also impairs motor memory consolidation by assessing the susceptibility to memory interference and off...... greater susceptibility to memory interference and no off-line gains in motor skill learning. Performing B produced memory interference and reduced off-line gains only in the older group. However, older adults also showed deficits in memory consolidation independent of the interfering effects of B. Age......-related declines in motor skill learning are not produced exclusively by deficits in the encoding of sensorimotor information during practice. Aging also increases the susceptibility to memory interference and reduces off-line gains in motor skill learning after practice....

The Amagugu Intervention: A conceptual framework for increasing HIV disclosure and parent-led communication about health and HIV prevention among HIV-infected parents with HIV-uninfected primary school-aged children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tamsen Jean Rochat

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Advances in access to HIV prevention and treatment have reduced vertical transmission of HIV, with most children born to HIV-infected parents being HIV-uninfected themselves. A major challenge that HIV-infected parents face is disclosure of their HIV status to their predominantly HIV-uninfected children. Their children enter middle childhood and early adolescence facing many challenges associated with parental illness and hospitalisation, often exacerbated by stigma and a lack of access to health education and support. Increasingly, evidence suggests that primary school-aged children have the developmental capacity to grasp concepts of health and illness, including HIV, and that in the absence of parent-led communication and education about these issues, HIV-exposed children may be at increased risk of psychological and social problems. The Amagugu intervention is a six-session home-based intervention, delivered by lay counsellors, which aims to increase parenting capacity to disclose their HIV status and offer health education to their primary school-aged children. The intervention includes information and activities on disclosure, health care engagement and custody planning. An uncontrolled pre-post evaluation study with 281 families showed the intervention was feasible, acceptable and effective in increasing maternal disclosure. The aim of this manuscript is to describe the conceptual model of the Amagugu intervention, as developed post-evaluation, showing the proposed pathways of risk that Amagugu aims to disrupt through its intervention targets, mechanisms and activities; and to present a summary of results from the large scale evaluation study of Amagugu to demonstrate the acceptability and feasibility of the intervention model. This relatively low-intensity home-based intervention led to: increased HIV disclosure to children, improvements in mental health for mother and child, and improved health care engagement and custody planning for

Oral medicine and the ageing population.

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Yap, T; McCullough, M

2015-03-01

The oral cavity is subject to age related processes such as cellular ageing and immunosenescence. The ageing population bears an increased burden of intraoral pathology. In oral medicine, the majority of presenting patients are in their fifth to seventh decade of life. In this review, we discuss the ageing population's susceptibility to mucosal disorders and the increased prevalence of potentially malignant disorders and oral squamous cell carcinoma, as well as dermatoses including oral lichen planus and immunobullous conditions. We also address the ageing population's susceptibility to oral discomfort and explore salivary secretion, ulceration and the symptoms of oral burning. Finally, we will describe orofacial pain conditions which are more likely encountered in an older population. This update highlights clinical presentations which are more likely to be encountered in the ageing population in a general practice setting and the importance of screening both new and long-term patients. © 2015 Australian Dental Association.

Increasing incidence and age at diagnosis among children with type 1 diabetes mellitus over a 20-year period in Auckland (New Zealand.

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José G B Derraik

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: We aimed to evaluate the incidence of type 1 diabetes mellitus in children <15 years of age (yr in the Auckland region (New Zealand over 20 years (1990-2009. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of all patients <15 yr diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, from an unselected complete regional cohort. RESULTS: There were 884 new cases of type 1 diabetes, and age at diagnosis rose from 7.6 yr in 1990/1 to 8.9 yr in 2008/9 (r(2 = 0.31, p = 0.009. There was a progressive increase in type 1 diabetes incidence among children <15 yr (p<0.0001, reaching 22.5 per 100,000 in 2009. However, the rise in incidence did not occur evenly among age groups, being 2.5-fold higher in older children (10-14 yr than in the youngest group (0-4 yr. The incidence of new cases of type 1 diabetes was highest in New Zealand Europeans throughout the study period in all age groups (p<0.0001, but the rate of increase was similar in New Zealand Europeans and Non-Europeans. Type 1 diabetes incidence and average annual increase were similar in both sexes. There was no change in BMI SDS shortly after diagnosis, and no association between BMI SDS and age at diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: There has been a steady increase in type 1 diabetes incidence among children <15 yr in Auckland over 20 years. Contrary to other studies, age at diagnosis has increased and the greatest rise in incidence occurred in children 10-14 yr. There was little change in BMI SDS in this population, providing no support for the 'accelerator hypothesis'.

Healthy aging and disease : role for telomere biology?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zhu, Haidong; Belcher, Matthew; van der Harst, Pim

Aging is a biological process that affects most cells, organisms and species. Human aging is associated with increased susceptibility to a variety of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, neurological diseases and cancer. Despite the remarkable progress made during the

State of the art report on aging reliability analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Sun Yeong; Yang, Joon Eon; Han, Sang Hoon; Ha, Jae Joo

2002-03-01

The goal of this report is to describe the state of the art on aging analysis methods to calculate the effects of component aging quantitatively. In this report, we described some aging analysis methods which calculate the increase of Core Damage Frequency (CDF) due to aging by including the influence of aging into PSA. We also described several research topics required for aging analysis for components of domestic NPPs. We have described a statistical model and reliability physics model which calculate the effect of aging quantitatively by using PSA method. It is expected that the practical use of the reliability-physics model will be increased though the process with the reliability-physics model is more complicated than statistical model

The Hallmarks of Aging

Science.gov (United States)

López-Otín, Carlos; Blasco, Maria A.; Partridge, Linda; Serrano, Manuel; Kroemer, Guido

2013-01-01

Aging is characterized by a progressive loss of physiological integrity, leading to impaired function and increased vulnerability to death. This deterioration is the primary risk factor for major human pathologies including cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases. Aging research has experienced an unprecedented advance over recent years, particularly with the discovery that the rate of aging is controlled, at least to some extent, by genetic pathways and biochemical processes conserved in evolution. This review enumerates nine tentative hallmarks that represent common denominators of aging in different organisms, with special emphasis on mammalian aging. These hallmarks are: genomic instability, telomere attrition, epigenetic alterations, loss of proteostasis, deregulated nutrient-sensing, mitochondrial dysfunction, cellular senescence, stem cell exhaustion, and altered intercellular communication. A major challenge is to dissect the interconnectedness between the candidate hallmarks and their relative contribution to aging, with the final goal of identifying pharmaceutical targets to improve human health during aging with minimal side-effects. PMID:23746838

Evolutionary perspectives on ageing.

Science.gov (United States)

Reichard, Martin

2017-10-01

From an evolutionary perspective, ageing is a decrease in fitness with chronological age - expressed by an increase in mortality risk and/or decline in reproductive success and mediated by deterioration of functional performance. While this makes ageing intuitively paradoxical - detrimental to individual fitness - evolutionary theory offers answers as to why ageing has evolved. In this review, I first briefly examine the classic evolutionary theories of ageing and their empirical tests, and highlight recent findings that have advanced our understanding of the evolution of ageing (condition-dependent survival, positive pleiotropy). I then provide an overview of recent theoretical extensions and modifications that accommodate those new discoveries. I discuss the role of indeterminate (asymptotic) growth for lifetime increases in fecundity and ageing trajectories. I outline alternative views that challenge a universal existence of senescence - namely the lack of a germ-soma distinction and the ability of tissue replacement and retrogression to younger developmental stages in modular organisms. I argue that rejuvenation at the organismal level is plausible, but includes a return to a simple developmental stage. This may exempt a particular genotype from somatic defects but, correspondingly, removes any information acquired during development. A resolution of the question of whether a rejuvenated individual is the same entity is central to the recognition of whether current evolutionary theories of ageing, with their extensions and modifications, can explain the patterns of ageing across the Tree of Life. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Molecular and cellular parameters of ageing: an overview

OpenAIRE

Himanshu Thukral; Sumeet Soin; Ritu Rani; Aparna Sarkar

2016-01-01

Ageing is characterized by a progressive loss of physiological integrity, leading to impaired function and increased propensity to death. Ageing is an actively regulated metabolic process. This wear and tear is the primary risk factor for major human pathologies including diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases. Approximately worldwide 1 lakh people die each day of age related causes. Ageing, which we define as the time-dependent functional decline that affe...

Relationship between hyposalivation and oxidative stress in aging mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamauchi, Yoshitaka; Matsuno, Tomonori; Omata, Kazuhiko; Satoh, Tazuko

2017-07-01

The increase in oxidative stress that accompanies aging has been implicated in the abnormal advance of aging and in the onset of various systemic diseases. However, the details of what effects the increase in oxidative stress that accompanies aging has on saliva secretion are not known. In this study, naturally aging mice were used to examine the stimulated whole saliva flow rate, saliva and serum oxidative stress, antioxidant level, submandibular gland H-E staining, and immunofluorescence staining to investigate the effect of aging on the volume of saliva secretion and the relationship with oxidative stress, as well as the effect of aging on the structure of salivary gland tissue. The stimulated whole saliva flow rate decreased significantly with age. Also, oxidative stress increased significantly with age. Antioxidant levels, however, decreased significantly with age. Structural changes of the submandibular gland accompanying aging included atrophy of parenchyma cells and fatty degeneration and fibrosis of stroma, and the submandibular gland weight ratio decreased. These results suggest that oxidative stress increases with age, not just systemically but also locally in the submandibular gland, and that oxidative stress causes changes in the structure of the salivary gland and is involved in hyposalivation.

Tell me your life: including life stories in an adult development and aging course.

Science.gov (United States)

Villar, Feliciano; Celdran, Montserrat; Fabà, Josep

2014-01-01

The goals of this study were to determine the learning impact of an assignment that consisted of interviewing and analyzing older people's life stories, and to explore how the assignment was evaluated by students. Participants in the study were 122 first-year social education students enrolled in an adult development and aging course. They evaluated the assignment using an eight-adjective questionnaire and were asked about the benefits of the task. Their answers to the questionnaire were then reviewed using content analysis. The results indicated that marks on the life story assignment predicted marks on an exam about basic course concepts. Students considered that the assignment was interesting, useful, and integrated into the course, although most of them also thought that it was very time-consuming. They identified benefits related to the explicit goals of the course (improvement in the learning of developmental concepts, the acquisition of research-related skills, and the deactivation of aging stereotypes) and personal, growth-related benefits. The authors discuss the difficulties posed by the assignment and its usefulness as a complement to more traditional, lecture-based teaching methods in adult development and aging courses.

Ageing and cardiorespiratory response to hypoxia.

Science.gov (United States)

Lhuissier, François J; Canouï-Poitrine, Florence; Richalet, Jean-Paul

2012-11-01

The risk of severe altitude-induced diseases is related to ventilatory and cardiac responses to hypoxia and is dependent on sex, age and exercise training status. However, it remains unclear how ageing modifies these physiological adaptations to hypoxia. We assessed the physiological responses to hypoxia with ageing through a cross-sectional 20 year study including 4675 subjects (2789 men, 1886 women; 14-85 years old) and a longitudinal study including 30 subjects explored at a mean 10.4 year interval. The influence of sex, training status and menopause was evaluated. The hypoxia-induced desaturation and the ventilatory and cardiac responses to hypoxia at rest and exercise were measured. In men, ventilatory response to hypoxia increased (P ageing. Cardiac response to hypoxia was blunted with ageing in both sexes (P ageing. These adaptive responses were less pronounced or absent in post-menopausal women (P ageing in men while cardiac response is blunted with ageing in both sexes. Training aggravates desaturation at exercise in hypoxia, improves the ventilatory response and limits the ageing-induced blunting of cardiac response to hypoxia. Training limits the negative effects of menopause in cardiorespiratory adaptations to hypoxia.

An educational video program to increase aging services technology awareness among older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Tam, Joyce W; Van Son, Catherine; Dyck, Dennis; Schmitter-Edgecombe, Maureen

2017-08-01

Aging services technologies (ASTs), health technology that meets the needs of seniors, are being underutilized due to a lack of awareness. This study evaluated a video-based educational program to increase AST awareness. Two hundred and thirty-one older adults completed AST measures pre- and post-program. Participants endorsed significantly improved AST knowledge and attitude and a lower level of perceived stigma post-program. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that a greater reduction in stigma post-program and a higher number of physical/cognitive needs supported by ASTs at baseline were significant predictors of a greater increase in expressed intention to use ASTs following the video program. Furthermore, individuals living in their own homes, with a lower level of education, fewer physical and/or cognitive needs supported by ASTs at baseline, and greater functional limitations were found to be more likely to report a significant reduction in perceived stigma post-program. Four-week follow-up data from 75 individuals showed stable program gains. Program feedback was positive. The current findings provide support for the utility of the AST videos. The educational materials used in this study can be used clinically or for public health education to increase awareness and adoption of ASTs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Increase in best practice child car restraint use for children aged 2-5 years in low socioeconomic areas after introduction of mandatory child restraint laws.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Julie; Keay, Lisa; Hunter, Kate; Bilston, Lynne E; Simpson, Judy M; Ivers, Rebecca

2013-06-01

To examine changes in child car restraint practices in low socioeconomic areas following the introduction of mandatory child car restraint legislation in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Data from two cross-sectional studies of child car restraint use at pre-schools, early childhood centres and primary schools before and after the introduction of legislating mandatory age-appropriate car restraint use for children up to the age of seven years was used in this analysis. All included observations were from local government areas with socioeconomic status in the lowest 30% of urban Sydney. Children aged 2-5 years were observed in their vehicles as they arrived at observation sites (107 pre-legislation, 360 post-legislation). Multilevel logistic regression was used to examine changes in observed age-appropriate and correct use of car restraints. Age-appropriate car restraint use was higher post-legislation than pre-legislation. After controlling for child's age, parental income, language spoken at home and adjusting for clustering, the odds of children being appropriately restrained post-legislation were 2.3 times higher than in the pre-legislation sample, and the odds of them being correctly restrained were 1.6 times greater. Results indicate an improvement in car restraint practices among children aged 2-5 in low socioeconomic areas after introduction of child restraint laws. Implications : Despite improvements observed with enhanced legislation, further efforts are required to increase optimal child car restraint use. © 2013 The Authors. ANZJPH © 2013 Public Health Association of Australia.

Increasing incidence and age at diagnosis among children with type 1 diabetes mellitus over a 20-year period in Auckland (New Zealand).

Science.gov (United States)

Derraik, José G B; Reed, Peter W; Jefferies, Craig; Cutfield, Samuel W; Hofman, Paul L; Cutfield, Wayne S

2012-01-01

We aimed to evaluate the incidence of type 1 diabetes mellitus in children Auckland region (New Zealand) over 20 years (1990-2009). We performed a retrospective review of all patients new cases of type 1 diabetes, and age at diagnosis rose from 7.6 yr in 1990/1 to 8.9 yr in 2008/9 (r(2) = 0.31, p = 0.009). There was a progressive increase in type 1 diabetes incidence among children new cases of type 1 diabetes was highest in New Zealand Europeans throughout the study period in all age groups (pNew Zealand Europeans and Non-Europeans. Type 1 diabetes incidence and average annual increase were similar in both sexes. There was no change in BMI SDS shortly after diagnosis, and no association between BMI SDS and age at diagnosis. There has been a steady increase in type 1 diabetes incidence among children Auckland over 20 years. Contrary to other studies, age at diagnosis has increased and the greatest rise in incidence occurred in children 10-14 yr. There was little change in BMI SDS in this population, providing no support for the 'accelerator hypothesis'.

Magellanic penguin telomeres do not shorten with age with increased reproductive effort, investment, and basal corticosterone.

Science.gov (United States)

Cerchiara, Jack A; Risques, Rosa Ana; Prunkard, Donna; Smith, Jeffrey R; Kane, Olivia J; Boersma, P Dee

2017-08-01

All species should invest in systems that enhance longevity; however, a fundamental adult life-history trade-off exists between the metabolic resources allocated to maintenance and those allocated to reproduction. Long-lived species will invest more in reproduction than in somatic maintenance as they age. We investigated this trade-off by analyzing correlations among telomere length, reproductive effort and output, and basal corticosterone in Magellanic penguins ( Spheniscus magellanicus ). Telomeres shorten with age in most species studied to date, and may affect adult survival. High basal corticosterone is indicative of stressful conditions. Corticosterone, and stress, has been linked to telomere shortening in other species. Magellanic penguins are a particularly good model organism for this question as they are an unusually long-lived species, exceeding their mass-adjusted predicted lifespan by 26%. Contrary to our hypothesis, we found adults aged 5 years to over 24 years of age had similar telomere lengths. Telomeres of adults did not shorten over a 3-year period, regardless of the age of the individual. Neither telomere length, nor the rate at which the telomeres changed over these 3 years, correlated with breeding frequency or investment. Older females also produced larger volume clutches until approximately 15 years old and larger eggs produced heavier fledglings. Furthermore, reproductive success ( chicks fledged/eggs laid ) is maintained as females aged. Basal corticosterone, however, was not correlated with telomere length in adults and suggests that low basal corticosterone may play a role in the telomere maintenance we observed. Basal corticosterone also declined during the breeding season and was positively correlated with the age of adult penguins. This higher basal corticosterone in older individuals, and consistent reproductive success, supports the prediction that Magellanic penguins invest more in reproduction as they age. Our results

Sexuality, aging, and dementia.

Science.gov (United States)

Benbow, Susan Mary; Beeston, Derek

2012-07-01

Sexuality in later life and its relationship to dementia is a neglected topic: greater understanding of the area has the potential to contribute to the quality of life of people with dementia, their family members, and formal carers. We review current knowledge about sexuality, aging, and dementia. We undertook a review of the recent literature to examine of the following areas: what is known about sexuality and aging, and about attitudes to sexuality and aging; what is known about the relevance of sexuality and aging to people living with dementia and their care; and the management of sexual behaviors causing concern to others. Sexual activity decreases in frequency with increasing age but many older people remain sexually active; there is no age limit to sexual responsiveness; and sexuality is becoming more important to successive cohorts of older people, including people living with dementia and gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered elderly people. Attitudes and beliefs toward sexuality and aging are strongly influenced by stereotypes and myths, not only among the general public but also among those working in health and social care. Professional bodies should include sexuality, aging, and dementia in their training curricula. More work is needed on the impact of environmental issues, particularly in group living situations, on older adults' sexuality, and on consent issues. Ethical decision-making frameworks can be useful in practice. Organizations should investigate how to support staff in avoiding a problem-orientated approach and focus on providing holistic person-centered care.

Aging is associated with an expansion of CD49fhi mammary stem cells that show a decline in function and increased transformation potential.

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Qiaoxiang; Gao, Hui; Shi, Yuanshuo; Zhang, Fuchuang; Gu, Xiang; Wu, Anqi; Wang, Danhan; Chen, Yuanhong; Bandyopadhyay, Abhik; Yeh, I-Tien; Daniel, Benjamin J; Chen, Yidong; Zou, Yi; Rebel, Vivienne L; Walter, Christi A; Lu, Jianxin; Huang, Changjiang; Sun, Lu-Zhe

2016-11-15

Breast cancer incidence increases during aging, yet the mechanism of age-associated mammary tumorigenesis is unclear. Mammary stem cells are believed to play an important role in breast tumorigenesis, but how their function changes with age is unknown. We compared mammary epithelial cells isolated from young and old mammary glands of different cohorts of C57BL6/J and BALB/c mice, and our findings revealed that old mammary glands were characterized by increased basal cell pool comprised of mostly CD49f hi cells, altered luminal-to-basal cell ratio, and irregular ductal morphology. More interestingly, basal stem cells in old mice were increased in frequency, but showed a functional decline of differentiation and increased neoplastic transformation potential. Gene signature enrichment analysis revealed a significant enrichment of a luminal cell gene expression signature in the basal stem cell-enriched population from old mice, suggesting some luminal cells were expressing basal markers. Immunofluorescence staining confirmed the presence of luminal cells with high CD49f expression in hyperplastic lesions implicating these cells as undergoing luminal to basal phenotypic changes during aging. Whole transcriptome analysis showed elevated immune and inflammatory responses in old basal stem cells and stromal cells, which may be the underlying cause for increased CD49f hi basal-like cells in aged glands.

Recovery of aging-related size increase of skin epithelial cells: in vivo mouse and in vitro human study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Igor Sokolov

Full Text Available The size increase of skin epithelial cells during aging is well-known. Here we demonstrate that treatment of aging cells with cytochalasin B substantially decreases cell size. This decrease was demonstrated on a mouse model and on human skin cells in vitro. Six nude mice were treated by topical application of cytochalasin B on skin of the dorsal left midsection for 140 days (the right side served as control for placebo treatment. An average decrease in cell size of 56±16% resulted. A reduction of cell size was also observed on primary human skin epithelial cells of different in vitro age (passages from 1 to 8. A cell strain obtained from a pool of 6 human subjects was treated with cytochalasin B in vitro for 12 hours. We observed a decrease in cell size that became statistically significant and reached 20-40% for cells of older passage (6-8 passages whereas no substantial change was observed for younger cells. These results may be important for understanding the aging processes, and for cosmetic treatment of aging skin.

INCREASING SAVING BEHAVIOR THROUGH AGE-PROGRESSED RENDERINGS OF THE FUTURE SELF

Science.gov (United States)

HERSHFIELD, HAL E.; GOLDSTEIN, DANIEL G.; SHARPE, WILLIAM F.; FOX, JESSE; YEYKELIS, LEO; CARSTENSEN, LAURA L.; BAILENSON, JEREMY N.

2014-01-01

Many people fail to save what they need to for retirement (Munnell, Webb, and Golub-Sass 2009). Research on excessive discounting of the future suggests that removing the lure of immediate rewards by pre-committing to decisions, or elaborating the value of future rewards can both make decisions more future-oriented. In this article, we explore a third and complementary route, one that deals not with present and future rewards, but with present and future selves. In line with thinkers who have suggested that people may fail, through a lack of belief or imagination, to identify with their future selves (Parfit 1971; Schelling 1984), we propose that allowing people to interact with age-progressed renderings of themselves will cause them to allocate more resources toward the future. In four studies, participants interacted with realistic computer renderings of their future selves using immersive virtual reality hardware and interactive decision aids. In all cases, those who interacted with virtual future selves exhibited an increased tendency to accept later monetary rewards over immediate ones. PMID:24634544

INCREASING SAVING BEHAVIOR THROUGH AGE-PROGRESSED RENDERINGS OF THE FUTURE SELF.

Science.gov (United States)

Hershfield, Hal E; Goldstein, Daniel G; Sharpe, William F; Fox, Jesse; Yeykelis, Leo; Carstensen, Laura L; Bailenson, Jeremy N

2011-11-01

Many people fail to save what they need to for retirement (Munnell, Webb, and Golub-Sass 2009). Research on excessive discounting of the future suggests that removing the lure of immediate rewards by pre-committing to decisions, or elaborating the value of future rewards can both make decisions more future-oriented. In this article, we explore a third and complementary route, one that deals not with present and future rewards, but with present and future selves. In line with thinkers who have suggested that people may fail, through a lack of belief or imagination, to identify with their future selves (Parfit 1971; Schelling 1984), we propose that allowing people to interact with age-progressed renderings of themselves will cause them to allocate more resources toward the future. In four studies, participants interacted with realistic computer renderings of their future selves using immersive virtual reality hardware and interactive decision aids. In all cases, those who interacted with virtual future selves exhibited an increased tendency to accept later monetary rewards over immediate ones.

Early and exudative age-related macular degeneration is associated with increased plasma levels of soluble TNF receptor II

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Faber, Carsten; Jehs, Tina; Juel, Helene Baek

2015-01-01

PURPOSE: We have recently identified homeostatic alterations in the circulating T cells of patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). In cultures of retinal pigment epithelial cells, we have demonstrated that T-cell-derived cytokines induced the upregulation of complement, chemokines...... and other proteins implicated in AMD pathogenesis. The purpose of this study was to test whether increased plasma levels of cytokines were present in patients with AMD. METHODS: We conducted a case-control study. Age-related macular degeneration status was assessed using standardized multimodal imaging...

FORGETFULNESS DURING AGING: AN INTEGRATED BIOLOGY

Science.gov (United States)

Gold, Paul E.; Korol, Donna L.

2014-01-01

Age-related impairments in memory are often attributed to failures, at either systems or molecular levels, of memory storage processes. A major characteristic of changes in memory with increasing age is the advent of forgetfulness in old vs. young animals. This review examines the contribution of a dysfunction of the mechanisms responsible for modulating the maintenance of memory in aged rats. A memory-modulating system that includes epinephrine, acting through release of glucose from liver glycogen stores, potently enhances memory in young rats. In old rats, epinephrine loses its ability to release glucose and loses its efficacy in enhancing memory. Brain measures of extracellular levels of glucose in the hippocampus during memory testing show decreases in glucose in both young and old rats, but the decreases are markedly greater in extent and duration in old rats. Importantly, the old rats do not have the ability to increase blood glucose levels in response to arousal-related epinephrine release, which is retained and even increased in aged rats. Glucose appears to be able to reverse fully the increased rate of forgetting seen in old rats. This set of findings suggests that physiological mechanisms outside of the brain, i.e. changes in neuroendocrine functions, may contribute substantially to the onset of rapid forgetting in aged animals. PMID:24674745

Review of Mechanisms and Theories of Aging

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gholam Reza Azari

2006-10-01

Full Text Available Several factors have incentive role for study of aging which includes increasing of the average and maximum of human life span, the increase in percentage of elderly in the societies and proportion of the national expenditure utilized by them. The Recent views of aging indicating that aging is extremely a complex multifactorial process despite of earlier views about definite cause aging like gene or decline of a key factor(1. This brief review tries to inspect aging at the molecular, cellular, and systemic levels; and consider interaction between genetic and environmental factors. Evolutionary theories argue that aging results from a decline in the force of natural selection. On the other hand, molecular theories emphasis on the genetically regulation of aging and argue that aging results from changing in genes. There are cellular theories that telomere theory is most famous. Stress induced aging is in this group too. free radical theory is next known way for cellular damages. Finally, we see systemic theories that contain two main groups, neuroendocrine and immunologic theories.

Physical exercise in aging human skeletal muscle increases mitochondrial calcium uniporter expression levels and affects mitochondria dynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Zampieri, Sandra; Mammucari, Cristina; Romanello, Vanina; Barberi, Laura; Pietrangelo, Laura; Fusella, Aurora; Mosole, Simone; Gherardi, Gaia; Höfer, Christian; Löfler, Stefan; Sarabon, Nejc; Cvecka, Jan; Krenn, Matthias; Carraro, Ugo; Kern, Helmut; Protasi, Feliciano; Musarò, Antonio; Sandri, Marco; Rizzuto, Rosario

2016-12-01

Age-related sarcopenia is characterized by a progressive loss of muscle mass with decline in specific force, having dramatic consequences on mobility and quality of life in seniors. The etiology of sarcopenia is multifactorial and underlying mechanisms are currently not fully elucidated. Physical exercise is known to have beneficial effects on muscle trophism and force production. Alterations of mitochondrial Ca 2+ homeostasis regulated by mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) have been recently shown to affect muscle trophism in vivo in mice. To understand the relevance of MCU-dependent mitochondrial Ca 2+ uptake in aging and to investigate the effect of physical exercise on MCU expression and mitochondria dynamics, we analyzed skeletal muscle biopsies from 70-year-old subjects 9 weeks trained with either neuromuscular electrical stimulation (ES) or leg press. Here, we demonstrate that improved muscle function and structure induced by both trainings are linked to increased protein levels of MCU Ultrastructural analyses by electron microscopy showed remodeling of mitochondrial apparatus in ES-trained muscles that is consistent with an adaptation to physical exercise, a response likely mediated by an increased expression of mitochondrial fusion protein OPA1. Altogether these results indicate that the ES-dependent physiological effects on skeletal muscle size and force are associated with changes in mitochondrial-related proteins involved in Ca 2+ homeostasis and mitochondrial shape. These original findings in aging human skeletal muscle confirm the data obtained in mice and propose MCU and mitochondria-related proteins as potential pharmacological targets to counteract age-related muscle loss. © 2016 The Authors. Physiological Reports published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Physiological Society and the American Physiological Society.

Use of Different Vegetable Products to Increase Preschool-Aged Children's Preference for and Intake of a Target Vegetable

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wild, de Victoire W.T.; Graaf, de Kees; Jager, Gerry

2017-01-01

Background: Children's low vegetable consumption requires effective strategies to enhance preference for and intake of vegetables. Objective: The study compared three preparation practices for a target vegetable (spinach) on their effectiveness in increasing preschool-aged children's preference

Systematic review and meta-analysis of strategies to increase vegetable consumption in preschool children aged 2-5 years.

Science.gov (United States)

Nekitsing, Chandani; Blundell-Birtill, Pam; Cockroft, Jennie E; Hetherington, Marion M

2018-04-25

Most children do not meet daily recommendations for fruit and vegetable intake, and consumption of vegetables remains especially low. Eating habits track from childhood to adulthood hence establishing liking and intake of vegetables is important. To identify the most successful strategies to enhance vegetable intake in preschool children aged 2-5 years. The research was a systematic review and a meta-analysis of published studies. A comprehensive search strategy was performed using key databases such as Medline, Embase, PsychINFO, EBSCO and CENTRAL. Articles published between 2005-January 2016, specifically with measured vegetable consumption were included. 30 articles and 44 intervention arms were identified for inclusion (n = 4017). Nine dominant intervention strategies emerged to promote vegetable intake in preschool children. These included; choice, pairing (stealth), education, food service, modelling, reward, taste exposure, variety and visual presentation. The meta-analysis revealed that interventions implementing repeated taste exposure had better pooled effects than those which did not. Intake increased with number of taste exposures and intake was greater when vegetables offered were in their plain form rather than paired with a flavor, dip or added energy (e.g. oil). Moreover, intake of vegetables which were unfamiliar/disliked increased more than those which were familiar/liked. Repeated taste exposure is a simple technique that could be implemented in childcare settings and at home by parents. Health policy could specifically target the use of novel and disliked vegetables in childcare settings with emphasis on a minimum 8-10 exposures. The systematic review protocol was registered on the PROSPERO (number: CRD42016033984). Crown Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Developing Marketing Strategies To Increase Brand Equity: The Differences Between Age Groups

OpenAIRE

Hui-Chu Chen; Robert D. Green

2012-01-01

Retailers are facing challenges from global competitors, aging consumer markets, and households with less income that impact brand equity. This study examines three age groups (younger, middle, older) marketing strategy perceptions and their brand equity (brand loyalty, brand awareness, perceived quality, brand association). As expected, different strategies influence each age group. Generally, older retailer shoppers have the highest brand equity. The results have certain implications to the...

Communication & Aging.

Science.gov (United States)

Arnold, William E.

This extensive bibliography contains more than 1,800 entries about communication and aging. The citations include journal articles, unpublished papers, speeches, dissertations, research studies, and books that relate aging and the aged to a variety of topics, including the following: physiological deterioration, socialization, political…

Viewing ageing eyes: diverse sites of amyloid Beta accumulation in the ageing mouse retina and the up-regulation of macrophages.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jaimie Hoh Kam

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Amyloid beta (Aβ accumulates in the ageing central nervous system and is associated with a number of age-related diseases, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD in the eye. AMD is characterised by accumulation of extracellular deposits called drusen in which Aβ is a key constituent. Aβ activates the complement cascade and its deposition is associated with activated macrophages. So far, little is known about the quantitative measurements of Aβ accumulation and definitions of its relative sites of ocular deposition in the normal ageing mouse. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We have traced Aβ accumulation quantitatively in the ageing mouse retina using immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis. We reveal that it is not only deposited at Bruch's membrane and along blood vessels, but unexpectedly, it also coats photoreceptor outer segments. While Aβ is present at all sites of deposition from 3 months of age, it increases markedly from 6 months onward. Progressive accumulation of deposits on outer segments was confirmed with scanning electron microscopy, revealing age-related changes in their morphology. Such progress of accumulation of Aβ on photoreceptor outer segments with age was also confirmed in human retinae using immunohistochemistry. We also chart the macrophage response to increases in Aβ showing up-regulation in their numbers using both confocal laser imaging of the eye in vivo followed by in vitro immunostaining. With age macrophages become bloated with cellular debris including Aβ, however, their increasing numbers fail to stop Aβ accumulation. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing Aβ deposition in blood vessels and Bruch's membrane will impact upon retinal perfusion and clearance of cellular waste products from the outer retina, a region of very high metabolic activity. This accumulation of Aβ may contribute to the 30% reduction of photoreceptors found throughout life and the shortening of those that remain. The

Age Differences in Brain Activity during Emotion Processing: Reflections of Age-Related Decline or Increased Emotion Regulation?

OpenAIRE

Nashiro, Kaoru; Sakaki, Michiko; Mather, Mara

2011-01-01

Despite the fact that physical health and cognitive abilities decline with aging, the ability to regulate emotion remains stable and in some aspects improves across the adult life span. Older adults also show a positivity effect in their attention and memory, with diminished processing of negative stimuli relative to positive stimuli compared with younger adults. The current paper reviews functional magnetic resonance imaging studies investigating age-related differences in emotional processi...

Intrinsic brain connectivity related to age in young and middle aged adults.

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Michelle Hampson

Full Text Available Age-related variations in resting state connectivity of the human brain were examined from young adulthood through middle age. A voxel-based network measure, degree, was used to assess age-related differences in tissue connectivity throughout the brain. Increases in connectivity with age were found in paralimbic cortical and subcortical regions. Decreases in connectivity were found in cortical regions, including visual areas and the default mode network. These findings differ from those of recent developmental studies examining earlier growth trajectories, and are consistent with known changes in cognitive function and emotional processing during mature aging. The results support and extend previous findings that relied on a priori definitions of regions of interest for their analyses. This approach of applying a voxel-based measure to examine the functional connectivity of individual tissue elements over time, without the need for a priori region of interest definitions, provides an important new tool in brain science.

Pervasive Developmental Disorder with Age?

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M. Balfe

2011-01-01

Full Text Available A survey was undertaken to investigate the prevalence of high-functioning pervasive developmental disorder (HFPDD in a community sample of teenagers and adults aged 13 and above in the city of Sheffield, UK. 112 possible and definite cases were found, of whom 65 (57% had a previous diagnosis. The detected prevalence of possible or definite HFPDD was found to be 0.24 per 1000 of the population of Sheffield city aged 13 or over, but the prevalence by year of age fell from a maximum of 1.1 per 1000 in the group aged 13 to 14 years old (1 young adult in every 900 in this age group to 0.03 per 1000 in the over 60s (1 person in every 38500 in this age group. The results of this study are preliminary and need follow-up investigation in larger studies. We suggest several explanations for the findings, including reduced willingness to participate in a study as people get older, increased ascertainment in younger people, and increased mortality. Another contributory factor might be that the prevalence of high-functioning pervasive development disorder may decline with age. This raises the possibility that AS symptoms might become subclinical in adulthood in a proportion of people with HFPDD.

Increased Materialistic Trends among Youth

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Afsheen Masood

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The goal of this qualitative research is to investigate the increased sense of materialism among youth. The main research question is to identify the factors which are causing materialism among youth. The sample of this research included 25 people, age group 18-25 years obtained from students that are enrolled in universities. The interpretive phenomenological approach was taken which was based on semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed that materialistic trends are increasing among youth nowadays. Because thought patterns of youth and societal demands have changed totally. Factors that are increasing materialism include social media, brand consciousness; self-centeredness; fake personality development and desire to be socially accepted. The implications indicate that materialistic trend should stop by controlling the social media possession among youth which is the primary source of enhancing materialism among youth.

The new old market: trends in hospital services for the aged.

Science.gov (United States)

Mullner, R; Cohen, D

1990-01-01

Hospital health care services for the rapidly aging population should continue to expand. Several recent trends include the following: The overall number and proportion of admissions for the aged have increased since 1967 and will probably continue to increase in the future; The overall percentage of older patients in smaller hospitals has dropped steadily since 1967, but smaller hospitals continue to have a higher percentage of older admissions than do larger hospitals; The aged have a different seasonal pattern of admission compared to younger persons, reaching a nadir in August and an apex between January and April. The average inpatient length of stay for the aged has been dropping steadily over the last twenty years, long before the recent cost containment emphasis; Community hospitals are expanding their operations into long-term care services, including skilled nursing home care, intermediate care, and psychiatric long-term care; Emphasis on early patient discharge has led many hospitals to concentrate on continuity of care between institutions and the community, including increased emphasis on discharge planning and the coordination of services; and Hospitals plan to continue to expand care for the aging and aged population. As the population of the nation ages, hospitals will increasingly address the needs of older persons and continue to plan actively and aggressively and market their services to the aged, not only for humanitarian reasons but also for survival in an increasingly competitive environment. In the future, hospitals seem likely to continue to acquire new and more costly technology to enhance their acute care delivery. At the same time, however, they will continue to provide an increasing array of health care services to older persons. They will convert acute care beds to long-term care use, construct and or purchase nursing homes, and expand into other areas of care for the aged. Thus, the authors predict that hospitals will indeed evolve

Increasing seroprevalence of human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) with age confirms HHV-8 endemicity in Amazon Amerindians from Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Cunha, A M G; Caterino-de-Araujo, A; Costa, S C B; Santos-Fortuna, E; Boa-Sorte, N C A; Gonçalves, M S; Costa, F F; Galvão-Castro, B

2005-09-01

Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) seroprevalences were determined in two isolated Amazon Amerindian tribes, according to age, gender and familial aggregation. Plasma and serum samples obtained from 982 Amazon Amerindians (664 Tiriyó and 318 Waiampi) were tested for antibodies against lytic and latent HHV-8 antigens by using 'in-house' immunofluorescence assays. Overall, HHV-8 seroprevalence was 56.8 % (57.4 % in the Tiriyó tribe and 55.7 % in the Waiampi tribe). Seroprevalence was independent of gender and increased linearly with age: it was 35.0 % among children aged 2-9 years, 51.4 % in adolescents (10-19 years), 72.9 % in adults and 82.3 % in adults aged >50 years. Interestingly, 44.4 % of children under 2 years of age were HHV-8-seropositive. No significant differences in seroprevalence between tribes and age groups were detected. It is concluded that HHV-8 is hyperendemic in Brazilian Amazon Amerindians, with vertical and horizontal transmission during childhood, familial transmission and sexual contact in adulthood contributing to this high prevalence in these isolated populations.

‘Why have STI rates increased in the middle age population?’ -A critical review

OpenAIRE

Monsell, Ellen

2013-01-01

Background- Recent reports have shown that individuals aged 45-64 are at an increased risk of contracting a sexually transmitted infection, with rates rising steadily over the last several years. Sexual health research has historically focused on the needs and behaviours of the young, with more recent interest into the needs of the older population. This has led to an interest into the literature available regarding the population in the middle of these two groups; the ‘middle age’ population...

Impact of nutrition on the ageing process.

Science.gov (United States)

Mathers, John C

2015-01-01

Human life expectancy has been increasing steadily for almost two centuries and is now approximately double what it was at the beginning of the Victorian era. This remarkable demographic change has been accompanied by a shift in disease prevalence so that age is now the major determinant of most common diseases. The challenge is to enhance healthy ageing and to reduce the financial and social burdens associated with chronic ill health in later life. Studies in model organisms have demonstrated that the ageing phenotype arises because of the accumulation of macromolecular damage within the cell and that the ageing process is plastic. Nutritional interventions that reduce such damage, or which enhance the organism's capacity to repair damage, lead to greater longevity and to reduced risk of age-related diseases. Dietary (energy) restriction increases lifespan in several model organisms, but it is uncertain whether it is effective in primates, including humans. However, excess energy storage leading to increased adiposity is a risk factor for premature mortality and for age-related diseases so that obesity prevention is likely to be a major public health route to healthy ageing. In addition, adherence to healthy eating patterns, such as the Mediterranean dietary pattern, is associated with longevity and reduced risk of age-related diseases.

Adolescent girls in Denmark use oral contraceptives at an increasingly young age, and with more pauses and shifts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Løkkegaard, Ellen; Nielsen, A. K.

2014-01-01

was to describe the use of hormonal contraceptives among the Danish adolescent female population, focusing on age, period and cohort effects and including types of hormonal contraceptives. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All women aged 14-50 years during the 1995-2012 period were identified through the Central Person...... Register. Furthermore, the National Registry of Medicinal Products Statistics provided information on redeemed prescriptions for hormonal contraceptives characterised by Anatomical-Therapeutic-Chemical (ATC) classification codes. RESULTS: At the age of 17 years, more than 50% of the Danish adolescent......, adolescent girls have more pauses and shifts between types of hormonal contraceptives. Since 2010 there has been a shift toward use of second generation oral contraceptives away from third and fourth generation contraceptives. CONCLUSION: Adolescent girls tend to initiate their use of oral contraceptives...

Effect of Age on Hypertension: Analysis of Over 4,800 Referred Hypertensive Patients

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Anderson Gunnar

1999-01-01

Full Text Available We evaluate in this study the factors associated with the effect of age on blood pressure in more than 4800 patients. Their physicians referred them to evaluate for secondary causes for their hypertension. Factors studied included history and physical examination, serum sodium, potassium and creatinine, a stimulated plasma renin and catecholamine. We also studied the blood pressure response to infusion of either saralasin (an angiotensin II analogue or enalapril (an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, and plasma aldosterone and cortisol after infusion of saline. We measured serum thyroxin and thyroid stimulating hormone concentrations on 1061 consecutive patients in this series. The results of our study show that increased age is associated with a significant increase in the prevalence of hypertension and especially of systolic hypertension after age 60 years. Increased obesity between age 30-50 years is associated with significant increases in diastolic blood pressure and this trend is also seen in African-Americans who are heavier than whites. Increased age is associated with an increased prevalence of secondary forms of hypertension including atherosclerotic renovascular hypertension, renal insufficiency and primary hypothyroidism.

Changes of Protein Turnover in Aging Caenorhabditis elegans

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dhondt, Ineke; Petyuk, Vladislav A.; Bauer, Sophie; Brewer, Heather M.; Smith, Richard D.; Depuydt, Geert; Braeckman, Bart P.

2017-07-05

Protein turnover rates severely decline in aging organisms, including C. elegans. However, limited information is available on turnover dynamics at the individual protein level during aging. We followed changes in protein turnover at one-day resolution using a multiple-pulse 15Nlabeling and accurate mass spectrometry approach. Forty percent of the proteome shows gradual slowdown in turnover with age, whereas only few proteins show increased turnover. Decrease in protein turnover was consistent for only a minority of functionally related protein subsets, including tubulins and vitellogenins, whereas randomly diverging turnover patterns with age were the norm. Our data suggests increased heterogeneity of protein turnover of the translation machinery, whereas protein turnover of ubiquitin-proteasome and antioxidant systems are well-preserved over time. Hence, we presume that maintenance of quality control mechanisms is a protective strategy in aging worms, although the ultimate proteome collapse is inescapable.

Beaver ponds increase methylmercury concentrations in Canadian shield streams along vegetation and pond-age gradients.

Science.gov (United States)

Roy, Virginie; Amyot, Marc; Carignan, Richard

2009-08-01

Beaver impoundments flood forested areas and may be important production sites for methylmercury (MeHg) because of the resulting enhanced microbial activity and oxygen depletion. The influence of 17 beaver impoundments on streamwater chemistry (total mercury (THg), MeHg, nutrients, cations, and anions)] was investigated by sampling sites located along vegetation and pond-age gradients in southwestern Quebec (Canada). Recently inundated beaver ponds (beaver ponds as suggested by depletions of dissolved oxygen, sulfate and nitrite-nitrate concentrations, and increases in nutrients (e.g., dissolved organic carbon, total phosphorus, and total nitrogen) in outlets compared to inlets. Acidic waters at coniferous sites may have stimulated more MeHg production than in mixed woodland regions. Lower methylation efficiencies in older ponds (> 20 years old) may be due to the degradation of less labile organic matter as ponds age. Beavers actively alter watersheds by building impoundments, and our findings indicate that this landscape disturbance may be a significant source of MeHg to downstream water bodies.

Strawberry or blueberry supplementation may protect against increased oxidative stress vulnerability from both irradiation and aging

Science.gov (United States)

Joseph, J. A.; Shukitt-Hale, B.; Carey, A.; Rabin, B. M.

In several studies we have now shown that there are some interesting parallels between aging and the effects of heavy particle irradiation (56Fe) in a rat model. Interestingly this research also has shown that, much as has been seen in aged animals, dietary supplementation with high antioxidant-strawberry (SB) or blueberry (BB) extracts (2% of the diet) reversed many of the age-related changes. Similarly, supplementing the diets of young rats with SBs or BBs (2% of diet as in the aged animals) for 8 weeks prior to being exposed to 56Fe (1 GeV/n), using the AGS or NSRL at Brookhaven National Laboratory, prevented the deleterious effects of the radiation exposure on the motor, cognitive and neuronal parameters described above. In the present experiment we examined whether striatal tissue obtained from BB- or SB-supplemented or control-fed, irradiated or non-radiated, young rats would show differential sensitivity (as assessed via decrements in mAChR stimulation of dopamine release) to hydrogen peroxide, a reactive oxygen species (ROS) generating agent. The results indicated that, just as we had seen previously with respect to radiation protection in the parameters described above, the tissue from the SB or BB-supplemented irradiated or non-radiated animals showed increased mAChR-stimulated DA release from the striatal tissue following hydrogen peroxide exposure compared to that seen in non-supplemented irradiated or non-radiated animals (e.g., DA rels. p moles/mg protein, rad + H202 non-supplemented = 90, SB = 260, BB = 360). These results show that aging and irradiation may produce similar decrements in dopamine release and that, much as we have seen previously with age, radiation enhances the vulnerability to oxidative stressors, but these are reduced with SB or BB supplementation. They are discussed in-terms of protection against the effects of exposure to heavy particles and aging via nutritional supplementation with foods that are high in antioxidant activity

Osteopontin attenuates aging-associated phenotypes of hematopoietic stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Guidi, Novella; Sacma, Mehmet; Ständker, Ludger; Soller, Karin; Marka, Gina; Eiwen, Karina; Weiss, Johannes M; Kirchhoff, Frank; Weil, Tanja; Cancelas, Jose A; Florian, Maria Carolina; Geiger, Hartmut

2017-04-03

Upon aging, hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) undergo changes in function and structure, including skewing to myeloid lineages, lower reconstitution potential and loss of protein polarity. While stem cell intrinsic mechanisms are known to contribute to HSC aging, little is known on whether age-related changes in the bone marrow niche regulate HSC aging. Upon aging, the expression of osteopontin (OPN) in the murine bone marrow stroma is reduced. Exposure of young HSCs to an OPN knockout niche results in a decrease in engraftment, an increase in long-term HSC frequency and loss of stem cell polarity. Exposure of aged HSCs to thrombin-cleaved OPN attenuates aging of old HSCs, resulting in increased engraftment, decreased HSC frequency, increased stem cell polarity and a restored balance of lymphoid and myeloid cells in peripheral blood. Thus, our data suggest a critical role for reduced stroma-derived OPN for HSC aging and identify thrombin-cleaved OPN as a novel niche informed therapeutic approach for ameliorating HSC phenotypes associated with aging. © 2017 The Authors. Published under the terms of the CC BY NC ND 4.0 license.

Diversity of ageing across the tree of life

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jones, Owen; Scheuerlein, Alexander; Salguero-Gómez, Roberto

2014-01-01

predicted that evolution should inevitably lead to increasing mortality and declining fertility with age after maturity, there is great variation among these species, including increasing, constant, decreasing, humped and bowed trajectories for both long- and short-lived species. This diversity challenges...

Fix my child: The importance of including siblings in clinical assessments.

Science.gov (United States)

Farnfield, Steve

2017-07-01

This study examined concordance in the attachment strategies of school-aged siblings with reference to environmental risk in terms of poverty and maltreatment. It also investigated the effect of child maltreatment and maternal mental illness on children's psychosocial functioning in terms of the Dynamic-Maturational Model of Attachment and Adaptation (DMM) including unresolved trauma and the DMM Depressed modifier. The attachment strategies of 30 sibling pairs, aged 5-14 years, were assessed using the School-age Assessment of Attachment (SAA). Unlike most previous studies, this study included siblings from large families of two to six children. The main finding was that as environmental risk increases, the diversity of sibling attachment strategies decreases with greater recourse to the DMM Type A3-6 and A/C strategies. Unlike previous studies, the highest level of concordance was found in sibling pairs with the opposite gender. Boys whose mothers had a history of mental illness were significantly more likely than girls to be assessed with the DMM-depression modifier. As danger increases, children in the same family experience more of the same childhood. Further research should focus on single case, intra-familial studies to build a systemic model of the shared environment. Research should also evaluate the effects of environmental risk compared with size of the sibling group on children's attachment strategies. The clinical implications point to the importance of assessing all children in the family using a model built around functional formulation rather than diagnosing the symptoms of a particular child.

Preterm birth and low birth weight continue to increase the risk of asthma from age 7 to 43.

Science.gov (United States)

Matheson, Melanie C; D Olhaberriague, Ana López-Polín; Burgess, John A; Giles, Graham G; Hopper, John L; Johns, David P; Abramson, Michael J; Walters, E Haydn; Dharmage, Shyamali C

2017-08-01

Perinatal events can influence the development of asthma in childhood but current evidence is contradictory concerning the effects on life-time asthma risk. To assess the relationship between birth characteristics and asthma from childhood to adulthood. All available birth records for the Tasmanian Longitudinal Health Study (TAHS) cohort, born in 1961 were obtained from the Tasmanian State Archives and Tasmanian hospitals. Low birth weight (LBW) was defined as less than 2500 grams. Preterm birth was defined as delivery before 37 weeks' gestation. Small for gestational age (SGA) was defined as a birth weight below the 10 th percentile for a given gestational age. Multivariate logistic and cox regression were used to examine associations between birth characteristics and lifetime risk of current and incident asthma, adjusting for confounders. The prevalence of LBW was 5.2%, SGA was 13.8% and preterm was 3.3%. LBW (OR = 1.65, 95%CI 1.12,2.44) and preterm birth (OR = 1.81, 95%CI 0.99, 3.31) were both associated with an increased risk of current asthma between the ages of 7 to 43 years. There was no association between SGA and current asthma risk. However, SGA was associated with incident asthma (HR = 1.32, 95%CI 1.00, 1.74), and there was an interaction with sex (p value = 0.08), with males having a greater risk of incident asthma (HR = 1.70, 95%CI 1.16-2.49) than females (HR = 1.04, 95%CI 0.70-1.54). Preterm birth and LBW were associated with an increased risk of current asthma into middle-age. These findings are the first to demonstrate the continuing impact of these characteristics on asthma risk into middle-age.

Oxidative Stress and Adipocyte Biology: Focus on the Role of AGEs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Florence Boyer

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Diabetes is a major health problem that is usually associated with obesity, together with hyperglycemia and increased advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs formation. Elevated AGEs elicit severe downstream consequences via their binding to receptors of AGEs (RAGE. This includes oxidative stress and oxidative modifications of biological compounds together with heightened inflammation. For example, albumin (major circulating protein undergoes increased glycoxidation with diabetes and may represent an important biomarker for monitoring diabetic pathophysiology. Despite the central role of adipose tissue in many physiologic/pathologic processes, recognition of the effects of greater AGEs formation in this tissue is quite recent within the obesity/diabetes context. This review provides a brief background of AGEs formation and adipose tissue biology and thereafter discusses the impact of AGEs-adipocyte interactions in pathology progression. Novel data are included showing how AGEs (especially glycated albumin may be involved in hyperglycemia-induced oxidative damage in adipocytes and its potential links to diabetes progression.

Evolution of aging assessment methodologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCrea, L.; Dam, R.; Gold, R.

2011-01-01

Under the influence of organizations like the IAEA and INPO the expectations of the regulator and plant operators alike are driving the evolution of aging assessment methodologies. The key result is that these assessments need to be executed more efficiently while supporting risk informed thinking within a living process. Some recent trends impacting aging assessments include new standards from the regulator requiring more frequent updates of aging assessments (RD-334), and broader component coverage driven by equipment reliability program demands (INPO AP-913). These trends point to the need to be able to do aging assessment more efficiently, and to manage the configuration. Some of the challenges include increasing efficiency while maintaining completeness and minimizing error, employing a systematic, well defined approach while maintaining the flexibility to apply the right level of effort to achieve desired results, and in particular, assuring that Aging Related Degradation Mechanisms (ARDMs) are sufficiently addressed. Meeting these needs creates a natural synergy with the Preventive Maintenance living program and therefore lends itself to a more integrated approach. To support this program, the SYSTMSTM software has been enhanced to accommodate for the various facets of an integrated program while meeting the needs described above. The systematic processes in SYSTMS are built with the vision of supporting risk-informed decision making as part of a larger risk-based functional tools suite. This paper intends to show how the utilities can benefit from the cost savings associated with increased assessment efficiency, and utilizing Candu Energy Inc.'s CANDU-specific knowledge-base and experience in aging assessment to get it right the first time. (author)

Evolution of aging assessment methodologies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McCrea, L.; Dam, R.; Gold, R. [Candu Energy Inc., Mississauga, Ontario (Canada)

2011-07-01

Under the influence of organizations like the IAEA and INPO the expectations of the regulator and plant operators alike are driving the evolution of aging assessment methodologies. The key result is that these assessments need to be executed more efficiently while supporting risk informed thinking within a living process. Some recent trends impacting aging assessments include new standards from the regulator requiring more frequent updates of aging assessments (RD-334), and broader component coverage driven by equipment reliability program demands (INPO AP-913). These trends point to the need to be able to do aging assessment more efficiently, and to manage the configuration. Some of the challenges include increasing efficiency while maintaining completeness and minimizing error, employing a systematic, well defined approach while maintaining the flexibility to apply the right level of effort to achieve desired results, and in particular, assuring that Aging Related Degradation Mechanisms (ARDMs) are sufficiently addressed. Meeting these needs creates a natural synergy with the Preventive Maintenance living program and therefore lends itself to a more integrated approach. To support this program, the SYSTMSTM software has been enhanced to accommodate for the various facets of an integrated program while meeting the needs described above. The systematic processes in SYSTMS are built with the vision of supporting risk-informed decision making as part of a larger risk-based functional tools suite. This paper intends to show how the utilities can benefit from the cost savings associated with increased assessment efficiency, and utilizing Candu Energy Inc.'s CANDU-specific knowledge-base and experience in aging assessment to get it right the first time. (author)

The thyroid gland and the process of aging; what is new?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gesing Adam

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract The endocrine system and particular endocrine organs, including the thyroid, undergo important functional changes during aging. The prevalence of thyroid disorders increases with age and numerous morphological and physiological changes of the thyroid gland during the process of aging are well-known. It is to be stressed that the clinical course of thyroid diseases in the elderly differs essentially from that observed in younger individuals, because symptoms are more subtle and are often attributed to normal aging. Subclinical hypo- and hyperthyroidism, as well as thyroid neoplasms, require special attention in elderly subjects. Intriguingly, decreased thyroid function, as well as thyrotropin (TSH levels – progressively shifting to higher values with age – may contribute to the increased lifespan. This short review focuses on recent findings concerning the alterations in thyroid function during aging, including these which may potentially lead to extended longevity, both in humans and animals.

Preconception use of cART by HIV-positive pregnant women increases the risk of infants being born small for gestational age.

Science.gov (United States)

Snijdewind, Ingrid J M; Smit, Colette; Godfried, Mieke H; Bakker, Rachel; Nellen, Jeannine F J B; Jaddoe, Vincent W V; van Leeuwen, Elisabeth; Reiss, Peter; Steegers, Eric A P; van der Ende, Marchina E

2018-01-01

The benefits of combination anti-retroviral therapy (cART) in HIV-positive pregnant women (improved maternal health and prevention of mother to child transmission [pMTCT]) currently outweigh the adverse effects due to cART. As the variety of cART increases, however, the question arises as to which type of cART is safest for pregnant women and women of childbearing age. We studied the effect of timing and exposure to different classes of cART on adverse birth outcomes in a large HIV cohort in the Netherlands. We included singleton HEU infants registered in the ATHENA cohort from 1997 to 2015. Multivariate logistic regression analysis for single and multiple pregnancies was used to evaluate predictors of small for gestational age (SGA, birth weight pregnant HIV-positive women, the use of cART prior to conception, most notably a PI-based regimen, was associated with intrauterine growth restriction resulting in SGA. Data showed a non-significant trend in the risk of PTD associated with preconception use of cART compared to its use after conception. More studies are needed with regard to the mechanisms taking place in the placenta during fetal growth in pregnant HIV-positive women using cART. It will only be with this knowledge that we can begin to understand the potential impact of HIV and cART on the fetus, in order to be able to determine the optimal individualised drug regimen for HIV-infected women of childbearing age.

Contributions of Nonhuman Primates to Research on Aging.

Science.gov (United States)

Didier, E S; MacLean, A G; Mohan, M; Didier, P J; Lackner, A A; Kuroda, M J

2016-03-01

Aging is the biological process of declining physiologic function associated with increasing mortality rate during advancing age. Humans and higher nonhuman primates exhibit unusually longer average life spans as compared with mammals of similar body mass. Furthermore, the population of humans worldwide is growing older as a result of improvements in public health, social services, and health care systems. Comparative studies among a wide range of organisms that include nonhuman primates contribute greatly to our understanding about the basic mechanisms of aging. Based on their genetic and physiologic relatedness to humans, nonhuman primates are especially important for better understanding processes of aging unique to primates, as well as for testing intervention strategies to improve healthy aging and to treat diseases and disabilities in older people. Rhesus and cynomolgus macaques are the predominant monkeys used in studies on aging, but research with lower nonhuman primate species is increasing. One of the priority topics of research about aging in nonhuman primates involves neurologic changes associated with cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases. Additional areas of research include osteoporosis, reproductive decline, caloric restriction, and their mimetics, as well as immune senescence and chronic inflammation that affect vaccine efficacy and resistance to infections and cancer. The purpose of this review is to highlight the findings from nonhuman primate research that contribute to our understanding about aging and health span in humans. © The Author(s) 2016.

Effects of increased discharge on spawning and age-0 recruitment of rainbow trout in the Colorado River at Lees Ferry, Arizona

Science.gov (United States)

Avery, Luke A.; Korman, Josh; Persons, William R.

2015-01-01

Negative interactions of Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss with endangered Humpback Chub Gila cypha pose challenges to the operation of Glen Canyon Dam (GCD) to manage for both species in the Colorado River. Operations to enhance the Rainbow Trout tailwater fishery may lead to an increase in downstream movement of the trout to areas where they are likely to interact with Humpback Chub. We evaluated the effects of dam operations on age-0 Rainbow Trout in the tailwater fishery to inform managers about how GCD operations could benefit a tailwater fishery for Rainbow Trout; although this could affect a Humpback Chub population farther downstream. A near year-long increase in discharge at GCD in 2011 enabled us to evaluate whether high and stable flows led to increased spawning and production of age-0 Rainbow Trout compared with other years. Rainbow Trout spawning was monitored by fitting a model to observed redd counts to estimate the number of redds created over a spawning season. Data collected during electrofishing trips in July–September and November were used to acquire age-0 trout population and mortality rate estimates. We found that high and stable flows in 2011 resulted in 3,062 redds (1.7 times the mean of all survey years) and a population estimate of 686,000 age-0 Rainbow Trout (second highest on record). Despite high initial abundance, mortality remained low through the year (0.0043%/d) resulting in significant recruitment with a record high November population estimate of 214,000 age-0 Rainbow Trout. Recent monitoring indicates this recruitment event was followed by an increase in downstream migration, which may lead to increased interactions with downstream populations of Humpback Chub. Consequently, while our results indicate that manipulating flow at GCD can be used to manage Rainbow Trout spawning and recruitment, fisheries managers should use flow manipulation in moderation to minimize downstream migration in order to reduce negative

Increased Baseline C-Reactive Protein Concentrations Are Associated with Increased Risk of Infections

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zacho, Jeppe; Benfield, Thomas; Tybjærg-Hansen, Anne

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: The acute-phase reactant C-reactive protein (CRP) increases rapidly during an infection. We tested the hypothesis that chronic low-level increases in CRP are associated with an increased risk of infectious disease. METHODS: We studied 9660 individuals from a prospective general...... population cohort, including 3592 in whom infectious disease developed, and another 60 896 individuals from a cross-sectional general population study, of whom 13 332 developed infectious disease; 55% were women, and the mean age was 57 years. Hospital diagnoses of infections in 1977-2010 were based....... RESULTS: Individuals with CRP >3 mg/L had 1.2 and 1.7 times increased risk of infectious disease, in the prospective general population cohort and the cross-sectional general population study, respectively, compared with individuals with CRP

Does aging with a cortical lesion increase fall-risk: Examining effect of age versus stroke on intensity modulation of reactive balance responses from slip-like perturbations.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Prakruti J; Bhatt, Tanvi

2016-10-01

We examined whether aging with and without a cerebral lesion such as stroke affects modulation of reactive balance response for recovery from increasing intensity of sudden slip-like stance perturbations. Ten young adults, older age-match adults and older chronic stroke survivors were exposed to three different levels of slip-like perturbations, level 1 (7.75m/s(2)), Level II (12.00m/s(2)) and level III (16.75m/s(2)) in stance. The center of mass (COM) state stability was computed as the shortest distance of the instantaneous COM position and velocity relative to base of support (BOS) from a theoretical threshold for backward loss of balance (BLOB). The COM position (XCOM/BOS) and velocity (ẊCOM/BOS) relative to BOS at compensatory step touchdown, compensatory step length and trunk angle at touchdown were also recorded. At liftoff, stability reduced with increasing perturbation intensity across all groups (main effect of intensity pbalance control, potentially contributing toward a higher fall risk in older stroke survivors. Copyright © 2016 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Age-Related White Matter Changes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yun Yun Xiong

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Age-related white matter changes (WMC are considered manifestation of arteriolosclerotic small vessel disease and are related to age and vascular risk factors. Most recent studies have shown that WMC are associated with a host of poor outcomes, including cognitive impairment, dementia, urinary incontinence, gait disturbances, depression, and increased risk of stroke and death. Although the clinical relevance of WMC has been extensively studied, to date, only very few clinical trials have evaluated potential symptomatic or preventive treatments for WMC. In this paper, we reviewed the current understanding in the pathophysiology, epidemiology, clinical importance, chemical biomarkers, and treatments of age-related WMC.

New concept of age(ing: Prospective age

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Devedžić Mirjana

2012-01-01

Full Text Available While the last century was the century of world population growth, according to demographers, the XXI century will be century of population aging. Statistics undoubtedly show that number of elderly will continue it’s growth in the future. If old age is seen as period of life with reduced physical and mental capabilities and increased disability, and demographic aging as increase of dependent population, trends are quite disturbing, at least in certain societal segments. In developed countries, this population category is no longer treated as passive or as a "burden of society" and efforts are made for better social inclusion of older people. In contrast to growing interest in this phenomenon, the concepts that define the aging of the population remained stagnant. The aim of this paper is to introduce into domestic literature the term "prospective age" as a dynamic category which is more affected with socio-historical conditions, not only with biological as traditional definition of aging suggested. Papers written by Sanderson and Scherbov offer new methodological options for study of population aging, because it takes into account the biometric rather than chronological approach. Calculation of prospective years is a simple operation that requires pair of the same number of remained life expectancy from life tables for two different periods (the year of concern is index, and the one we are comparing with is standard year, so that phrase "40s is the new 30s" or "70s the new 60s" gets scientific foundation. Average remaining years of life represent a realistic indicator suggesting increased capacity, activity and vitality of individuals, which is due to accepted demographic parameters still considered old. „Prospective threshold“ is defined as the age when life expectancy falls below 15 years (it is subjective choice made by Sanderson and Scherbov, which is also used in this paper and during the elaboration of these ideas three demographic

Alterations in endocytic protein expression with increasing age in the transgenic APP695 V717I London mouse model of amyloid pathology: implications for Alzheimer's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Rhian S; Alsaqati, Mouhamed; Bice, Justin S; Hvoslef-Eide, Martha; Good, Mark A; Kidd, Emma J

2017-10-18

A major risk factor for the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is increasing age, but the reason behind this association has not been identified. It is thought that the changes in endocytosis seen in AD patients are causal for this condition. Thus, we hypothesized that the increased risk of developing AD associated with ageing may be because of changes in endocytosis. We investigated using Western blotting whether the expression of endocytic proteins involved in clathrin-mediated and clathrin-independent endocytosis are altered by increasing age in a mouse model of amyloid pathology. We used mice transgenic for human amyloid precursor protein containing the V717I London mutation. We compared the London mutation mice with age-matched wild-type (WT) controls at three ages, 3, 9 and 18 months, representing different stages in the development of pathology in this model. Having verified that the London mutation mice overexpressed amyloid precursor protein and β-amyloid, we found that the expression of the smallest isoform of PICALM, a key protein involved in the regulation of clathrin-coated pit formation, was significantly increased in WT mice, but decreased in the London mutation mice with age. PICALM levels in WT 18-month mice and clathrin levels in WT 9-month mice were significantly higher than those in the London mutation mice of the same ages. The expression of caveolin-1, involved in clathrin-independent endocytosis, was significantly increased with age in all mice. Our results suggest that endocytic processes could be altered by the ageing process and such changes could partly explain the association between ageing and AD.

TGFβ signaling in the brain increases with aging and signals to astrocytes and innate immune cells in the weeks after stroke

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Buckwalter Marion S

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background TGFβ is both neuroprotective and a key immune system modulator and is likely to be an important target for future stroke therapy. The precise function of increased TGF-β1 after stroke is unknown and its pleiotropic nature means that it may convey a neuroprotective signal, orchestrate glial scarring or function as an important immune system regulator. We therefore investigated the time course and cell-specificity of TGFβ signaling after stroke, and whether its signaling pattern is altered by gender and aging. Methods We performed distal middle cerebral artery occlusion strokes on 5 and 18 month old TGFβ reporter mice to get a readout of TGFβ responses after stroke in real time. To determine which cell type is the source of increased TGFβ production after stroke, brain sections were stained with an anti-TGFβ antibody, colocalized with markers for reactive astrocytes, neurons, and activated microglia. To determine which cells are responding to TGFβ after stroke, brain sections were double-labelled with anti-pSmad2, a marker of TGFβ signaling, and markers of neurons, oligodendrocytes, endothelial cells, astrocytes and microglia. Results TGFβ signaling increased 2 fold after stroke, beginning on day 1 and peaking on day 7. This pattern of increase was preserved in old animals and absolute TGFβ signaling in the brain increased with age. Activated microglia and macrophages were the predominant source of increased TGFβ after stroke and astrocytes and activated microglia and macrophages demonstrated dramatic upregulation of TGFβ signaling after stroke. TGFβ signaling in neurons and oligodendrocytes did not undergo marked changes. Conclusions We found that TGFβ signaling increases with age and that astrocytes and activated microglia and macrophages are the main cell types that undergo increased TGFβ signaling in response to post-stroke increases in TGFβ. Therefore increased TGFβ after stroke likely regulates glial

TGFβ signaling in the brain increases with aging and signals to astrocytes and innate immune cells in the weeks after stroke.

Science.gov (United States)

Doyle, Kristian P; Cekanaviciute, Egle; Mamer, Lauren E; Buckwalter, Marion S

2010-10-11

TGFβ is both neuroprotective and a key immune system modulator and is likely to be an important target for future stroke therapy. The precise function of increased TGF-β1 after stroke is unknown and its pleiotropic nature means that it may convey a neuroprotective signal, orchestrate glial scarring or function as an important immune system regulator. We therefore investigated the time course and cell-specificity of TGFβ signaling after stroke, and whether its signaling pattern is altered by gender and aging. We performed distal middle cerebral artery occlusion strokes on 5 and 18 month old TGFβ reporter mice to get a readout of TGFβ responses after stroke in real time. To determine which cell type is the source of increased TGFβ production after stroke, brain sections were stained with an anti-TGFβ antibody, colocalized with markers for reactive astrocytes, neurons, and activated microglia. To determine which cells are responding to TGFβ after stroke, brain sections were double-labelled with anti-pSmad2, a marker of TGFβ signaling, and markers of neurons, oligodendrocytes, endothelial cells, astrocytes and microglia. TGFβ signaling increased 2 fold after stroke, beginning on day 1 and peaking on day 7. This pattern of increase was preserved in old animals and absolute TGFβ signaling in the brain increased with age. Activated microglia and macrophages were the predominant source of increased TGFβ after stroke and astrocytes and activated microglia and macrophages demonstrated dramatic upregulation of TGFβ signaling after stroke. TGFβ signaling in neurons and oligodendrocytes did not undergo marked changes. We found that TGFβ signaling increases with age and that astrocytes and activated microglia and macrophages are the main cell types that undergo increased TGFβ signaling in response to post-stroke increases in TGFβ. Therefore increased TGFβ after stroke likely regulates glial scar formation and the immune response to stroke.

Interventions to increase physical activity in middle-age women at the workplace: a randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Ribeiro, Marcos Ausenka; Martins, Milton Arruda; Carvalho, Celso R F

2014-01-01

A four-group randomized controlled trial evaluated the impact of distinct workplace interventions to increase the physical activity (PA) and to reduce anthropometric parameters in middle-age women. One-hundred and ninety-five women age 40-50 yr who were employees from a university hospital and physically inactive at their leisure time were randomly assigned to one of four groups: minimal treatment comparator (MTC; n = 47), pedometer-based individual counseling (PedIC; n = 53), pedometer-based group counseling (PedGC; n = 48), and aerobic training (AT; n = 47). The outcomes were total number of steps (primary outcome), those performed at moderate intensity (≥ 110 steps per minute), and weight and waist circumference (secondary outcomes). Evaluations were performed at baseline, at the end of a 3-month intervention, and 3 months after that. Data were presented as delta [(after 3 months-baseline) or (after 6 months-baseline)] and 95% confidence interval. To detect the differences among the groups, a one-way ANOVA and a Holm-Sidak post hoc test was used (P Women submitted to AT did not modify PA daily life activity but reduced anthropometric parameters after 3 and 6 months (P workplace setting, pedometer-based PA intervention with counseling is effective increasing daily life number of steps, whereas AT is effective for weight loss.

Skin Aging-Dependent Activation of the PI3K Signaling Pathway via Downregulation of PTEN Increases Intracellular ROS in Human Dermal Fibroblasts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eun-Mi Noh

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Reactive oxygen species (ROS play a major role in both chronological aging and photoaging. ROS induce skin aging through their damaging effect on cellular constituents. However, the origins of ROS have not been fully elucidated. We investigated that ROS generation of replicative senescent fibroblasts is generated by the modulation of phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-triphosphate (PIP3 metabolism. Reduction of the PTEN protein, which dephosphorylates PIP3, was responsible for maintaining a high level of PIP3 in replicative cells and consequently mediated the activation of the phosphatidylinositol-3-OH kinase (PI3K/Akt pathway. Increased ROS production was blocked by inhibition of PI3K or protein kinase C (PKC or by NADPH oxidase activating in replicative senescent cells. These data indicate that the signal pathway to ROS generation in replicative aged skin cells can be stimulated by reduced PTEN level. Our results provide new insights into skin aging-associated modification of the PI3K/NADPH oxidase signaling pathway and its relationship with a skin aging-dependent increase of ROS in human dermal fibroblasts.

Increasing strength, ductility and impact toughness of ultrafine-grained 6063 aluminium alloy by combining ECAP and a high-temperature short-time aging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meyer, L W; Schoenherr, R; Hockauf, M

2010-01-01

Since fully-dense ultrafine or nanocrystalline bulk materials can be processed, there has been an increasing scientific interest in several plastic deformation (SPD) procedures, particularly in the last decade. Especially the equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP) has widely been investigated due to its ability of producing billets sufficiently large for industrial applications in functional or structural components. The significant strength increase based on grain refinement is typically accompanied by a significant decrease in ductility and toughness. Within this work, a new methodology was applied for combining ECAP with a subsequent high-temperature short-time aging for the 6063 aluminium alloy. An increase in strength, ductility as well as impact toughness regarding its coarse grained counterparts was reached. More precisely, ultimate tensile strength, elongation to failure and impact toughness were increased by 46%, 21% and 40% respectively. This was observed after only one run of ECAP at room temperature in a solid-solution treated condition and an aging at 170 0 C for 18 minutes. The regular aging time for maximum strength at 170 0 C is around 6 hours. Longer exposure times lead to recrystallisation and, as for regular aging, it leads to overaging, both causing a decrease of properties. The work demonstrates a strategy for an efficient processing of commercial Al-Mg-Si alloys with outstanding mechanical properties.

Aging and a long-term diabetes mellitus increase expression of 1 α-hydroxylase and vitamin D receptors in the rat liver.

Science.gov (United States)

Vuica, Ana; Ferhatović Hamzić, Lejla; Vukojević, Katarina; Jerić, Milka; Puljak, Livia; Grković, Ivica; Filipović, Natalija

2015-12-01

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disorder associated with serious liver complications. As a metabolic chronic disease, DM is very common in the elderly. Recent studies suggest ameliorating effects of vitamin D on metabolic and oxidative stress in the liver tissue in an experimental model of DM. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of vitamin D receptors (VDRs) and 1α-hydroxylase, the key enzyme for the production of active vitamin D form (calcitriol) in the liver during long-term diabetes mellitus type 1 (DM1) in aging rats. We performed immunohistochemical analysis of liver expression of 1α-hydroxylase and VDRs during aging in long-term streptozotocin-induced DM1. 1α-Hydroxylase was identified in the monocyte/macrophage system of the liver. In addition to the nuclear expression, we also observed the expression of VDR in membranes of lipid droplets within hepatocytes. Aging and long-term DM1 resulted in significant increases in the number of 1α-hydroxylase immunoreactive cells, as well as the percentage of strongly positive VDR hepatocytes. In conclusion, the liver has the capacity for active vitamin D synthesis in its monocyte/macrophage system that is substantially increased in aging and long-term diabetes mellitus. These conditions are also characterized by significant increases in vitamin D receptor expression in hepatocytes. The present study suggests that VDR signaling system could be a potential target in prevention of liver complications caused by diabetes and aging. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Increased sensitivity to age-related differences in brain functional connectivity during continuous multiple object tracking compared to resting-state.

Science.gov (United States)

Dørum, Erlend S; Kaufmann, Tobias; Alnæs, Dag; Andreassen, Ole A; Richard, Geneviève; Kolskår, Knut K; Nordvik, Jan Egil; Westlye, Lars T

2017-03-01

Age-related differences in cognitive agility vary greatly between individuals and cognitive functions. This heterogeneity is partly mirrored in individual differences in brain network connectivity as revealed using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), suggesting potential imaging biomarkers for age-related cognitive decline. However, although convenient in its simplicity, the resting state is essentially an unconstrained paradigm with minimal experimental control. Here, based on the conception that the magnitude and characteristics of age-related differences in brain connectivity is dependent on cognitive context and effort, we tested the hypothesis that experimentally increasing cognitive load boosts the sensitivity to age and changes the discriminative network configurations. To this end, we obtained fMRI data from younger (n=25, mean age 24.16±5.11) and older (n=22, mean age 65.09±7.53) healthy adults during rest and two load levels of continuous multiple object tracking (MOT). Brain network nodes and their time-series were estimated using independent component analysis (ICA) and dual regression, and the edges in the brain networks were defined as the regularized partial temporal correlations between each of the node pairs at the individual level. Using machine learning based on a cross-validated regularized linear discriminant analysis (rLDA) we attempted to classify groups and cognitive load from the full set of edge-wise functional connectivity indices. While group classification using resting-state data was highly above chance (approx. 70% accuracy), functional connectivity (FC) obtained during MOT strongly increased classification performance, with 82% accuracy for the young and 95% accuracy for the old group at the highest load level. Further, machine learning revealed stronger differentiation between rest and task in young compared to older individuals, supporting the notion of network dedifferentiation in cognitive aging. Task

Women and exercise in aging

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kristina L. Kendall

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Aging is associated with physiological declines, notably a decrease in bone mineral density (BMD and lean body mass, with a concurrent increase in body fat and central adiposity. Interest in women and aging is of particular interest partly as a result of gender specific responses to aging, particularly as a result of menopause. It is possible that the onset of menopause may augment the physiological decline associated with aging and inactivity. More so, a higher incidence of metabolic syndrome (an accumulation of cardiovascular disease risk factors including obesity, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high blood pressure, and high fasting glucose has been shown in middle-aged women during the postmenopausal period. This is due in part to the drastic changes in body composition, as previously discussed, but also a change in physical activity (PA levels. Sarcopenia is an age related decrease in the cross-sectional area of skeletal muscle fibers that consequently leads to a decline in physical function, gait speed, balance, coordination, decreased BMD, and quality of life. PA plays an essential role in combating physiological decline associated with aging. Maintenance of adequate levels of PA can result in increased longevity and a reduced risk for metabolic disease along with other chronic diseases. The aim of this paper is to review relevant literature, examine current PA guidelines, and provide recommendations specific to women based on current research.

Structural imaging measures of brain aging.

Science.gov (United States)

Lockhart, Samuel N; DeCarli, Charles

2014-09-01

During the course of normal aging, biological changes occur in the brain that are associated with changes in cognitive ability. This review presents data from neuroimaging studies of primarily "normal" or healthy brain aging. As such, we focus on research in unimpaired or nondemented older adults, but also include findings from lifespan studies that include younger and middle aged individuals as well as from populations with prodromal or clinically symptomatic disease such as cerebrovascular or Alzheimer's disease. This review predominantly addresses structural MRI biomarkers, such as volumetric or thickness measures from anatomical images, and measures of white matter injury and integrity respectively from FLAIR or DTI, and includes complementary data from PET and cognitive or clinical testing as appropriate. The findings reveal highly consistent age-related differences in brain structure, particularly frontal lobe and medial temporal regions that are also accompanied by age-related differences in frontal and medial temporal lobe mediated cognitive abilities. Newer findings also suggest that degeneration of specific white matter tracts such as those passing through the genu and splenium of the corpus callosum may also be related to age-related differences in cognitive performance. Interpretation of these findings, however, must be tempered by the fact that comorbid diseases such as cerebrovascular and Alzheimer's disease also increase in prevalence with advancing age. As such, this review discusses challenges related to interpretation of current theories of cognitive aging in light of the common occurrence of these later-life diseases. Understanding the differences between "Normal" and "Healthy" brain aging and identifying potential modifiable risk factors for brain aging is critical to inform potential treatments to stall or reverse the effects of brain aging and possibly extend cognitive health for our aging society.

Aging effects on oil-contaminated Kuwaiti sand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Sanad, H.A.; Ismael, N.F.

1997-01-01

Large quantities of oil-contaminated sands resulted from the destruction of oil wells and the formation of oil lakes in Kuwait at the end of the Gulf Wa/r. A laboratory testing program was carried out to determine the geotechnical properties of this material and the effect of aging on their properties. Tests included direct shear, triaxial, and consolidation tests on clean and contaminated sand at the same relative density. The influence of aging was examined by testing uncontaminated sand after aging for one, three, and six months in natural environmental conditions. The results indicated increased strength and stiffness due to aging and a reduction of the oil content due to evaporation of volatile compounds. The factors that influence the depth of oil penetration in compacted sand columns were also examined including the type of oil, relative density, and the amount of fines

Human factors: a major issue in plant aging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Widrig, R.D.

1985-07-01

Human factors issues will be of great significance in the safe and reliable operation of aging nuclear power plants, and they may be more important than materials/component-type issues. Human actions can accelerate or decelerate te physical aging process. And an aging plant can have significant negative implications on staff performance and actions. Some examples include difficulties in attracting and retaining good managers, financial decisions based on a short and uncertain remaining plant life, difficulties in replacing retiring staff, increased maintenance complexity, and increased burden on training. These problems can be dealt with more effectively by early recognition and a well conceived mitigation effort

Short Maternal Stature Increases Risk of Small-for-Gestational-Age and Preterm Births in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kozuki, Naoko; Katz, Joanne; Lee, Anne Cc

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: Small-for-gestational-age (SGA) and preterm births are associated with adverse health consequences, including neonatal and infant mortality, childhood undernutrition, and adulthood chronic disease. OBJECTIVES: The specific aims of this study were to estimate the association between...... short maternal stature and outcomes of SGA alone, preterm birth alone, or both, and to calculate the population attributable fraction of SGA and preterm birth associated with short maternal stature. METHODS: We conducted an individual participant data meta-analysis with the use of data sets from 12...... population-based cohort studies and the WHO Global Survey on Maternal and Perinatal Health (13 of 24 available data sets used) from low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). We included those with weight taken within 72 h of birth, gestational age, and maternal height data (n = 177,000). For each...

Mechanical stiffness of TMJ condylar cartilage increases after artificial aging by ribose

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mirahmadi, F.; Koolstra, J.H.; Lobbezoo, F.; van Lenthe, G.H.; Ghazanfari, S.; Snabel, J.; Stoop, R.; Everts, V.

2018-01-01

Objective: Aging is accompanied by a series of changes in mature tissues that influence their properties and functions. Collagen, as one of the main extracellular components of cartilage, becomes highly crosslinked during aging. In this study, the aim was to examine whether a correlation exists

Cadmium body burden and increased blood pressure in middle-aged American Indians: the Strong Heart Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Franceschini, N; Fry, R C; Balakrishnan, P; Navas-Acien, A; Oliver-Williams, C; Howard, A G; Cole, S A; Haack, K; Lange, E M; Howard, B V; Best, L G; Francesconi, K A; Goessler, W; Umans, J G; Tellez-Plaza, M

2017-03-01

Cadmium (Cd) is an environmental pollutant that has been associated with cardiovascular disease in populations, but the relationship of Cd with hypertension has been inconsistent. We studied the association between urinary Cd concentrations, a measure of total body burden, and blood pressure in American Indians, a US population with above national average Cd burden. Urinary Cd was measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and adjusted for urinary creatinine concentration. Among 3714 middle-aged American Indian participants of the Strong Heart Study (mean age 56 years, 41% male, 67% ever-smokers, 23% taking antihypertensive medications), urinary Cd ranged from 0.01 to 78.48 μg g -1 creatinine (geometric mean=0.94 μg g -1 ) and it was correlated with smoking pack-year among ever-smokers (r 2 =0.16, Pyears), and urinary Cd was similarly elevated in light- and never-smokers (geometric means of 0.88 μg g -1 creatinine for both categories). Log-transformed urinary Cd was significantly associated with higher systolic blood pressure in models adjusted for age, sex, geographic area, body mass index, smoking (ever vs never, and cumulative pack-years) and kidney function (mean blood pressure difference by lnCd concentration (β)=1.64, P=0.002). These associations were present among light- and never-smokers (β=2.03, P=0.002, n=2627), although not significant among never-smokers (β=1.22, P=0.18, n=1260). Cd was also associated with diastolic blood pressure among light- and never-smokers (β=0.94, P=0.004). These findings suggest that there is a relationship between Cd body burden and increased blood pressure in American Indians, a population with increased cardiovascular disease risk.

Reversal of glial and neurovascular markers of unhealthy brain aging by exercise in middle-aged female mice.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Caitlin S Latimer

Full Text Available Healthy brain aging and cognitive function are promoted by exercise. The benefits of exercise are attributed to several mechanisms, many which highlight its neuroprotective role via actions that enhance neurogenesis, neuronal morphology and/or neurotrophin release. However, the brain is also composed of glial and vascular elements, and comparatively less is known regarding the effects of exercise on these components in the aging brain. Here, we show that aerobic exercise at mid-age decreased markers of unhealthy brain aging including astrocyte hypertrophy, a hallmark of brain aging. Middle-aged female mice were assigned to a sedentary group or provided a running wheel for six weeks. Exercise decreased hippocampal astrocyte and myelin markers of aging but increased VEGF, a marker of angiogenesis. Brain vascular casts revealed exercise-induced structural modifications associated with improved endothelial function in the periphery. Our results suggest that age-related astrocyte hypertrophy/reactivity and myelin dysregulation are aggravated by a sedentary lifestyle and accompanying reductions in vascular function. However, these effects appear reversible with exercise initiated at mid-age. As this period of the lifespan coincides with the appearance of multiple markers of brain aging, including initial signs of cognitive decline, it may represent a window of opportunity for intervention as the brain appears to still possess significant vascular plasticity. These results may also have particular implications for aging females who are more susceptible than males to certain risk factors which contribute to vascular aging.

Inappropriate complementary feeding practice increases risk of stunting in children aged 12-24 months

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hijra Hijra

2016-12-01

Inappropriate complementary feeding practice increased the risk of stunting in 12-24 months old children by 8.26. This study confirms the need to scale up interventions during the first 2 years of life, including appropriate infant feeding practices.

Increased expression of angiogenic growth factors in age-related maculopathy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

M. Kliffen (Mike); H.S. Sharma (Hari); C.M. Mooy (Cornelia); S. Kerkvliet (Sonja); P.T.V.M. de Jong (Paulus)

1997-01-01

textabstractAIMS/BACKGROUND: The late stages of age-related maculopathy (ARM), especially neovascular macular degeneration (ARMD), can severely affect central vision and are the main cause of blindness in the elderly in the Western world. It has been shown that

The importance of including dynamic social networks when modeling epidemics of airborne infections: does increasing complexity increase accuracy?

Science.gov (United States)

Blower, Sally; Go, Myong-Hyun

2011-07-19

Mathematical models are useful tools for understanding and predicting epidemics. A recent innovative modeling study by Stehle and colleagues addressed the issue of how complex models need to be to ensure accuracy. The authors collected data on face-to-face contacts during a two-day conference. They then constructed a series of dynamic social contact networks, each of which was used to model an epidemic generated by a fast-spreading airborne pathogen. Intriguingly, Stehle and colleagues found that increasing model complexity did not always increase accuracy. Specifically, the most detailed contact network and a simplified version of this network generated very similar results. These results are extremely interesting and require further exploration to determine their generalizability.

Testosterone increases renal anti-aging klotho gene expression via the androgen receptor-mediated pathway.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, Shih-Che; Huang, Shih-Ming; Lin, Shih-Hua; Ka, Shuk-Man; Chen, Ann; Shih, Meng-Fu; Hsu, Yu-Juei

2014-12-01

Gender is known to be associated with longevity and oestrogen administration induced longevity-associated gene expression is one of the potential mechanisms underlying the benefits of oestrogen on lifespan, whereas the role of testosterone in the regulation of longevity-associated gene expressions remains largely unclear. The klotho gene, predominantly expressed in the kidney, has recently been discovered to be an aging suppressor gene. In the present study, we investigated the regulatory effects of testosterone on renal klotho gene expression in vivo and in vitro. In testosterone-administered mouse kidney and NRK-52E cells, increased klotho expression was accompanied by the up-regulation of the nuclear androgen receptor (AR). Overexpression of AR enhanced the expression of klotho mRNA and protein. Conversely, testosterone-induced klotho expression was attenuated in the presence of flutamide, an AR antagonist. A reporter assay and a chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay demonstrated that AR directly binds to the klotho promoter via androgen response elements (AREs) which reconfirmed its importance for AR binding via the element mutation. In summary, our study demonstrates that testosterone up-regulates anti-aging klotho together with AR expression in the kidney in vivo and in vitro by recruiting AR on to the AREs of the klotho promoter.

Ageing Polulations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christiansen, Terkel; Lauridsen, Jørgen Trankjær; Bech, Mickael

2013-01-01

An ageing society is characterised by an increasing median age of the population. The purpose of this chapter is to document the existing knowledge about the association between population ageing and health care expenditure, and to supplement this overview by a summary of our original research...... is that ageing as such can be expected only to a cause modest increase in health care expenditure per capita in the future. This conclusion is supported by our own empirical study, based on 15 EU countries....

Ghrelin: a link between ageing, metabolism and neurodegenerative disorders

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stoyanova, Irina

2014-01-01

Along with the increase in life expectancy over the last century comes the increased risk for development of age-related disorders, including metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases. These chronic disorders share two main characteristics:

Aged mice have increased inflammatory monocyte concentration ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

monocytes from old as compared with those from young mice. The increased classic .... several instances where the isotype control antibodies stained in a similar position but at a ..... responses in young and older adults. J. Infect. Dis. 195.

Age-related percutaneous penetration part 1: skin factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Konda, S; Meier-Davis, S R; Cayme, B; Shudo, J; Maibach, H I

2012-05-01

Changes in the skin that occur in the elderly may put them at increased risk for altered percutaneous penetration from pharmacotherapy along with potential adverse effects. Skin factors that may have a role in age-related percutaneous penetration include blood flow, pH, skin thickness, hair and pore density, and the content and structure of proteins, glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), water, and lipids. Each factor is examined as a function of increasing age along with its potential impact on percutaneous penetration. Additionally, topical drugs that successfully overcome the barrier function of the skin can still fall victim to cutaneous metabolism, thereby producing metabolites that may have increased or decreased activity. This overview discusses the current data and highlights the importance of further studies to evaluate the impact of skin factors in age-related percutaneous penetration.

Structure and Properties of Ti-19.7Nb-5.8Ta Shape Memory Alloy Subjected to Thermomechanical Processing Including Aging

Science.gov (United States)

Dubinskiy, S.; Brailovski, Vladimir; Prokoshkin, S.; Pushin, V.; Inaekyan, K.; Sheremetyev, V.; Petrzhik, M.; Filonov, M.

2013-09-01

In this work, the ternary Ti-19.7Nb-5.8Ta (at.%) alloy for biomedical applications was studied. The ingot was manufactured by vacuum arc melting with a consumable electrode and then subjected to hot forging. Specimens were cut from the ingot and processed by cold rolling with e = 0.37 of logarithmic thickness reduction and post-deformation annealing (PDA) between 400 and 750 °C (1 h). Selected samples were subjected to aging at 300 °C (10 min to 3 h). The influence of the thermomechanical processing on the alloy's structure, phase composition, and mechanical and functional properties was studied. It was shown that thermomechanical processing leads to the formation of a nanosubgrained structure (polygonized with subgrains below 100 nm) in the 500-600 °C PDA range, which transforms to a recrystallized structure of β-phase when PDA temperature increases. Simultaneously, the phase composition and the β → α″ transformation kinetics vary. It was found that after conventional cold rolling and PDA, Ti-Nb-Ta alloy manifests superelastic and shape memory behaviors. During aging at 300 °C (1 h), an important quantity of randomly scattered equiaxed ω-precipitates forms, which results in improved superelastic cyclic properties. On the other hand, aging at 300 °C (3 h) changes the ω-precipitates' particle morphology from equiaxed to elongated and leads to their coarsening, which negatively affects the superelastic and shape memory functional properties of Ti-Nb-Ta alloy.

Water consumption increases weight loss during a hypocaloric diet intervention in middle-aged and older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Dennis, Elizabeth A; Dengo, Ana Laura; Comber, Dana L; Flack, Kyle D; Savla, Jyoti; Davy, Kevin P; Davy, Brenda M

2010-02-01

Water consumption acutely reduces meal energy intake (EI) among middle-aged and older adults. Our objectives were to determine if premeal water consumption facilitates weight loss among overweight/obese middle-aged and older adults, and to determine if the ability of premeal water consumption to reduce meal EI is sustained after a 12-week period of increased water consumption. Adults (n = 48; 55-75 years, BMI 25-40 kg/m(2)) were assigned to one of two groups: (i) hypocaloric diet + 500 ml water prior to each daily meal (water group), or (ii) hypocaloric diet alone (nonwater group). At baseline and week 12, each participant underwent two ad libitum test meals: (i) no preload (NP), and (ii) 500 ml water preload (WP). Meal EI was assessed at each test meal and body weight was assessed weekly for 12 weeks. Weight loss was ~2 kg greater in the water group than in the nonwater group, and the water group (beta = -0.87, P hypocaloric diet, consuming 500 ml water prior to each main meal leads to greater weight loss than a hypocaloric diet alone in middle-aged and older adults. This may be due in part to an acute reduction in meal EI following water ingestion.

Association between age, critical skills and work perspectives

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S Krüger

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The main aim of this study is to report on the associations between age, critical skills and work perspectives (job satisfaction, career/organizational commitment and job characteristics as perceived by resort employees. It highlights that age and critical skills play an important role towards work perspectives. A descriptive research design approach was followed. Three hundred and eighteen fully completed questionnaires were included in the statistical analysis, which included exploratory factor analysis, Spearman's rho and a structural equation model. Resort employees of different ages do not experience job characteristics differently. Older employees are often more experienced in the work environment, which contributes to an increase in job satisfaction, while younger employees who start building a career in the hospitality sector experience less job satisfaction. Older employees are more committed to their careers than younger employees. Critical skills have no influence on participants' perception of job characteristics. However, resort employees who have a variety of critical skills experience an increase in job satisfaction.

Age-related changes in the testes and prostate of the Beagle dog

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lowseth, L.A.; Gerlach, R.F.; Gillett, N.A.; Muggenburg, B.A.

1988-01-01

Age-related changes in the histologic morphology of the Beagle dog prostate and testes must be separated from those changes that may result from the testing of experimental compounds. The prostate and testes of healthy age-matched Beagle dogs 3 to 14 yr of age were obtained. Serum to evaluate testosterone levels was also obtained from each dog at the time of euthanasia. Tissue sections from the prostate and testes were examined by light microscopy for both qualitative and quantitative morphologic assessment. A statistically significant increase in prostatic weight with increased age was noted. Significant morphometric findings in the prostate included a decrease in the relative percent of epithelial cells and an increase in the relative lumen size of glandular acini with increased age. The absolute volume of prostate interstitial tissue and inflammation showed a statistically significant increase with age. Stereological analysis of the testes showed a decrease in the relative percent epithelium with increasing age. No distinct age-related trend could be detected in serum testosterone levels. Serum testosterone levels did not correlate with the morphologic age-related changes observed in the testes or prostate. (author)

Charasteristics of Ageing Population in Semarang City

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Puji Hardati

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Increase of amount of ageing population represent the indication that a region have experienced of the ageing population. In some developing countries, of including Indonesia, growth of ageing population are estimate will mount quickly in period to come, although its percentage do not same. Whereas characteristic do not know surely. This matter is caused by there is view that ageing population of still not yet of this problem, but within long term will be are problem of if are not paid attention since now. Studying of ageing population of pursuant to its characteristic will assist in handling good problems now and also to come. With the existence of data of usable ageing population resident characteristic for the materials of population development planning in area.

Assessment of a Comprehensive Anti-Aging Neck Cream.

Science.gov (United States)

Saxena, Subhash J; Duque, Deysi; Schirripa, Michael J

2015-09-01

With many effective anti-aging solutions for the face, consumer focus is now turning to other parts of the body including the delicate skin on the neck. This study investigates the effect of a new neck cream on the appearance of texture, fine lines and wrinkles, laxity, and hydration. 85 adult females ages 35-65 with Fitzpatrick skin types I through IV applied the test neck cream twice daily for a 3-month study period. Screening was conducted at Baseline, 2, 30, 60, and 90 days via a virtual trial. Subjects rated satisfaction in each of 4 anti-aging categories including hydration, texture, appearance of wrinkles, and appearance of laxity as well as three product attributes including application, feel, and smell. Improvement was statistically significant for all measured categories (hydration, texture, appearance of wrinkles, and appearance of laxity) with 94% of study subjects noting improvement in one or more of the measured categories. Further, the quantity of "Satisfied" and "Highly Satisfied" assessments increased 8-fold from baseline with a 94x increase in the quantity of "Highly Satisfied" assessments. The results demonstrate the product's rapid and continuing ability to improve the self-perceived signs of aging in the neck area including improvement in skin texture on the neck and a reduction in the appearance of wrinkles and laxity along the jawline. Future studies are recommended to determine the primary action mechanisms and to assess the degree of improvement by blinded physician assessment.

Perceived age as a biomarker of ageing: a clinical methodology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gunn, David A; Murray, Peter G; Tomlin, Cyrena C

2008-01-01

In a previous field-based study, how old one looks for one's age (perceived age) was found to be predictive of mortality in elderly individuals. In conjunction, perceived age is of relevance and interest to the layperson. Here, a clinical methodology for generating perceived age as a biomarker...... of facial ageing is detailed. The methodology utilises facial photographs of subjects to present images to large numbers of age assessors who are primarily nationals of the country of study origin. In five observational studies in five different countries involving 874 female subjects it was found...... that subject age and assessor gender, nationality, age and ageing expertise had little effect on the perceived age data generated. However, increasing the numbers of age assessors up to 50 substantially increased the reproducibility of the mean perceived age for an image and a minimum of 10 assessors were...

Reduced dietary sodium intake increases heart rate. A meta-analysis of 63 randomized controlled trials including 72 study populations.

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Niels eGraudal

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Reduced dietary sodium intake (sodium reduction increases heart rate in some studies of animals and humans. As heart rate is independently associated with the development of heart failure and increased risk of premature death a potential increase in heart rate could be a harmful side-effect of sodium reduction. The purpose of the present meta-analysis was to investigate the effect of sodium reduction on heart rate. Relevant studies were retrieved from an updated pool of 176 randomized controlled trials (RCTs published in the period 1973–2014. 63 of the RCTs including 72 study populations reported data on heart rate. In a meta-analysis of these data sodium reduction increased heart rate with 1.65 beats per minute [95% CI: 1.19, 2.11], p < 0.00001, corresponding to 2.4% of the baseline heart rate. This effect was independent of baseline blood pressure. In conclusion sodium reduction increases heart rate by as much (2.4% as it decreases blood pressure (2.5%. This side-effect, which may cause harmful health effects, contributes to the need for a revision of the present dietary guidelines.

The importance of including dynamic social networks when modeling epidemics of airborne infections: does increasing complexity increase accuracy?

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Go Myong-Hyun

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Mathematical models are useful tools for understanding and predicting epidemics. A recent innovative modeling study by Stehle and colleagues addressed the issue of how complex models need to be to ensure accuracy. The authors collected data on face-to-face contacts during a two-day conference. They then constructed a series of dynamic social contact networks, each of which was used to model an epidemic generated by a fast-spreading airborne pathogen. Intriguingly, Stehle and colleagues found that increasing model complexity did not always increase accuracy. Specifically, the most detailed contact network and a simplified version of this network generated very similar results. These results are extremely interesting and require further exploration to determine their generalizability. Please see related article BMC Medicine, 2011, 9:87

Cable indenter aging monitor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shook, T.A.; Gardner, J.B.

1988-07-01

This project was undertaken to develop a hand-held, nondestructive test device to assess the aged condition of electrical cable by in situ measurement of mechanical properties of polymeric jackets and insulations. The device is an indenter similar to those used to make hardness measurements. Comparison of measurements made on installed cables with previous measurements serving as baseline aging/mechanical property data will determine the state of aging of the field cables. Such a device will be valuable in nuclear and fossil plant life extension programs. Preliminary laboratory tests on cables covered with ethylene propylene rubber (EPR) and chlorosulfated polyethylene (CSPE) point to the measurement of the rate of force increase resulting from constant rate deformation as having the best correlation with progressive thermal aging. This first phase of the work has demonstrated the technical feasibility of the method. A second phase will include the generation of additional groundwork data and the design of the portable indenter for in situ plant measurements

No psychological distress in sportsmen aged 45 years and older after cardiovascular screening, including cardiac CT : The Measuring Athlete's Risk of Cardiovascular events (MARC) study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schurink, M. M.; Braber, T. L.; Prakken, N. H. J.; Doevendans, P. A. F. M.; Backx, F. J. G.; Grobbee, D. E.; Rienks, R.; Nathoe, H. M.; Bots, M. L.; Velthuis, B. K.; Mosterd, A.

Background Psychological distress caused by cardiovascular pre-participation screening (PPS) may be a reason not to implement a PPS program. We assessed the psychological impact of PPS, including cardiac computed tomography (CT), in 318 asymptomatic sportsmen aged >= 45 years. Methods Coronary

Age and osteoarthritis: are AGEs the link?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vos, P.A.J.M.

2012-01-01

Osteoarthritis is a common joint disease in the elderly. By far the most important risk factor for osteoarthritis is aging. Age-related changes in the articular cartilage may be responsible for age-related increase in the number of people with osteoarthritis. One of the most striking changes in

Accelerated Vascular Aging as a Paradigm for Hypertensive Vascular Disease: Prevention and Therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Barton, Matthias; Husmann, Marc; Meyer, Matthias R

2016-05-01

Aging is considered the most important nonmodifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease and death after age 28 years. Because of demographic changes the world population is expected to increase to 9 billion by the year 2050 and up to 12 billion by 2100, with several-fold increases among those 65 years of age and older. Healthy aging and prevention of aging-related diseases and associated health costs have become part of political agendas of governments around the world. Atherosclerotic vascular burden increases with age; accordingly, patients with progeria (premature aging) syndromes die from myocardial infarctions or stroke as teenagers or young adults. The incidence and prevalence of arterial hypertension also increases with age. Arterial hypertension-like diabetes and chronic renal failure-shares numerous pathologies and underlying mechanisms with the vascular aging process. In this article, we review how arterial hypertension resembles premature vascular aging, including the mechanisms by which arterial hypertension (as well as other risk factors such as diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, or chronic renal failure) accelerates the vascular aging process. We will also address the importance of cardiovascular risk factor control-including antihypertensive therapy-as a powerful intervention to interfere with premature vascular aging to reduce the age-associated prevalence of diseases such as myocardial infarction, heart failure, hypertensive nephropathy, and vascular dementia due to cerebrovascular disease. Finally, we will discuss the implementation of endothelial therapy, which aims at active patient participation to improve primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Copyright © 2016 Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Results from an experimental trial at a Head Start center to evaluate two meal service approaches to increase fruit and vegetable intake of preschool aged children

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Harnack Lisa J

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Strategies to increase fruit and vegetable consumption of preschool aged children are needed. Objectives Evaluate the independent effects of the following meal service strategies on intake of fruits and vegetables of preschool children: 1. Serving fruits and vegetables in advance of other menu items as part of traditional family style meal service; and 2. Serving meals portioned and plated by providers. Methods Fifty-three preschool aged children completed a randomized crossover experiment conducted at a Head Start center in Minneapolis, MN. Over a six week trial period each of the experimental meal service strategies (serving fruits and vegetable first and serving meals portioned by providers was implemented during lunch service for two one-week periods. Two one-week control periods (traditional family style meal service with all menu items served at once were also included over the six week trial period. Childrens lunch intake was observed as a measure of food and nutrient intake during each experimental condition. Results Fruit intake was significantly higher (p Conclusions Serving fruits in advance of other meal items may be a low cost easy to implement strategy for increasing fruit intake in young children. However, serving vegetables first does not appear to increase vegetable intake. Results provide support for current recommendations for traditional family style meal service in preschool settings.

Dietary restriction ameliorates haematopoietic ageing independent of telomerase, whilst lack of telomerase and short telomeres exacerbates the ageing phenotype.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Ajmi, Nouf; Saretzki, Gabriele; Miles, Colin; Spyridopoulos, Ioakim

2014-10-01

Ageing is associated with an overall decline in the functional capacity of tissues and stem cells, including haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), as well as telomere dysfunction. Dietary restriction (DR) is a recognised anti-ageing intervention that extends lifespan and improves health in several organisms. To investigate the role of telomeres and telomerase in haematopoietic ageing, we compared the HSPC profile and clonogenic capacity of bone marrow cells from wild type with telomerase-deficient mice and the effect of DR on these parameters. Compared with young mice, aged wild type mice demonstrated a significant accumulation of HSPCs (1.3% vs 0.2%, P=0.002) and elevated numbers of granulocyte/macrophage colony forming units (CFU-GM, 26.4 vs 17.3, P=0.0037) consistent with myeloid "skewing" of haematopoiesis. DR was able to restrict the increase in HSPC number as well as the myeloid "skewing" in aged wild type mice. In order to analyse the influence of short telomeres on the ageing phenotype we examined mice lacking the RNA template for telomerase, TERC(-/-). Telomere shortening resulted in a similar bone marrow phenotype to that seen in aged mice, with significantly increased HSPC numbers and an increased formation of all myeloid colony types but at a younger age than wild type mice. However, an additional increase in erythroid colonies (BFU-E) was also evident. Mice lacking telomerase reverse transcriptase without shortened telomeres, TERT(-/-), also presented with augmented haematopoietic ageing which was ameliorated by DR, demonstrating that the effect of DR was not dependent on the presence of telomerase in HSPCs. We conclude that whilst shortened telomeres mimic some aspects of haematopoietic ageing, both shortened telomeres and the lack of telomerase produce specific phenotypes, some of which can be prevented by dietary restriction. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A longitudinal study of gender differences in depressive symptoms from age 50 to 80

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Barefoot, J C; Mortensen, Erik Lykke; Helms, M J

2001-01-01

in women than in men at ages 50 and 60, but not at age 80. Men showed increases in depressive symptoms from age 60 to 80, but women did not (interaction p genders. Potential explanations include differential...... changes in social roles with aging....

Tritium aging effect of LaNi5

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiong Yifu; Li Rong; Luo Deli

2002-01-01

The influence of tritium aging effect on hydrogen storage feature of LaNi 5 were investigated by dedeuterizing thermodynamics and the equilibrium desorption. The result show that the tritium aging effect changed significantly the features of the equilibrium desorption isotherms for the aged LaNi 5 . The effects include a decrease of 50 percent of the equilibrium desorption pressure at 373 K, an increase of plateau slopes from 0.033 to 0.130, and a reduction of the reversible hydrogen storage capacity 1.3 mmol g -1 , and an increase of formation heats (ΔH) and entropy (ΔS) from 34.5 kJ·mol -1 and 105 J·mol -1 ·K -1 to 42.5 kJ·mol -1 and 128 J·mol -1 ·K -1 respectively

Comparative endocrinology of aging and longevity regulation

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John eAllard

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Hormones regulate growth, development, metabolism, and other complex processes in multicellular animals. For many years it has been suggested that hormones may also influence the rate of the aging process. Aging is a multifactorial process that causes biological systems to break down and cease to function in adult organisms as time passes, eventually leading to death. The exact underlying causes of the aging process remain a topic for debate, and clues that may shed light on these causes are eagerly sought after. In the last two decades, gene mutations that result in delayed aging and extended longevity have been discovered, and many of the affected genes have been components of endocrine signaling pathways. In this review we summarize the current knowledge on the roles of endocrine signaling in the regulation of aging and longevity in various animals. We begin by discussing the notion that conserved systems, including endocrine signaling pathways, regulate the aging process. Findings from the major model organisms: worms, flies and rodents, are then outlined. Unique lessons from studies of non-traditional models: bees, salmon and naked mole rats, are also discussed. Finally, we summarize the endocrinology of aging in humans, including changes in hormone levels with age, and the involvement of hormones in aging-related diseases. The most well studied and widely conserved endocrine pathway that affects aging is the insulin/insulin-like growth factor system. Mutations in genes of this pathway increase the lifespan of worms, flies, and mice. Population genetic evidence also suggests this pathway’s involvement in human aging. Other hormones including steroids have been linked to aging only in a subset of the models studied. Because of the value of comparative studies, it is suggested that the aging field could benefit from adoption of additional model organisms.

The effects of aging on friction of MOVs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hunt, T.H.; Sinha, U.P.

1991-01-01

This report studied the effect of three aging mechanisms: corrosion, erosion, and deposition on the friction coefficients of the sliding surfaces of motor-operated valves (MOVs) used in nuclear plant systems. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) sponsored the study, and it was performed following the guidelines of their Nuclear Plant Aging Research (NPAR) program. The authors reached three general conclusions: corrosion and deposition should not prevent valve operation by obstructing the mechanical tolerances of the MOVs; the aging mechanisms may increase the friction coefficients due to roughening the surfaces with age; and the codes and standards defining MOV surveillance requirements need review to include methods for detecting aging degradation

Accelerated increase and decrease in subjective age as a function of changes in loneliness and objective social indicators over a four-year period: results from the health and retirement study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ayalon, Liat; Palgi, Yuval; Avidor, Sharon; Bodner, Ehud

2016-07-01

The study examined the role of changes in loneliness and objective social indicators in the formation of changes in subjective age over a four-year period. The Health and Retirement Study is a US nationally representative study of older adults over 50 and their spouse of any age. We restricted the sample to individuals, 65 years of age and older (n = 2591). An accelerated increase in subjective age was defined as an increase in subjective age over the two waves greater than five years. An accelerated decrease in subjective age was defined as a difference that was lower than three years. These were examined against a change in subjective age in the range of three to five years (i.e., change consistent with the passage of time). For 23.4% of the sample, changes in subjective age were consistent with the passage of time. A total of 38.3% had an accelerated decrease in subjective age, whereas 38.3% had an accelerated increase. A decrease in loneliness over the two waves resulted in an accelerated decrease in subjective age, whereas an increase in depressive symptoms resulted in an accelerated increase in subjective age. Changes in objective social indicators, physical difficulties or medical comorbidity did not predict changes in subjective age. This is one of very few studies that examined changes in subjective age over time. Changes in subjective age represent an important construct that corresponding to other changes in subjective experiences.

Advanced Maternal Age Worsens Postpartum Vascular Function

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Jude S. Morton

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The age at which women experience their first pregnancy has increased throughout the decades. Pregnancy has an important influence on maternal short- and long-term cardiovascular outcomes. Pregnancy at an advanced maternal age increases maternal risk of gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, placenta previa and caesarian delivery; complications which predict worsened cardiovascular health in later years. Aging also independently increases the risk of cardiovascular disease; therefore, combined risk in women of advanced maternal age may lead to detrimental cardiovascular outcomes later in life. We hypothesized that pregnancy at an advanced maternal age would lead to postpartum vascular dysfunction. We used a reproductively aged rat model to investigate vascular function in never pregnant (virgin, previously pregnant (postpartum and previously mated but never delivered (nulliparous rats at approximately 13.5 months of age (3 months postpartum or equivalent. Nulliparous rats, in which pregnancy was spontaneously lost, demonstrated significantly reduced aortic relaxation responses (methylcholine [MCh] Emax: 54.2 ± 12.6% vs. virgin and postpartum rats (MCh Emax: 84.8 ± 3.5% and 84.7 ± 3.2% respectively; suggesting pregnancy loss causes a worsened vascular pathology. Oxidized LDL reduced relaxation to MCh in aorta from virgin and postpartum, but not nulliparous rats, with an increased contribution of the LOX-1 receptor in the postpartum group. Further, in mesenteric arteries from postpartum rats, endothelium-derived hyperpolarization (EDH-mediated vasodilation was reduced and a constrictive prostaglandin effect was apparent. In conclusion, aged postpartum rats exhibited vascular dysfunction, while rats which had pregnancy loss demonstrated a distinct vascular pathology. These data demonstrate mechanisms which may lead to worsened outcomes at an advanced maternal age; including early pregnancy loss and later life cardiovascular dysfunction.

Delayed wound healing in aged skin rat models after thermal injury is associated with an increased MMP-9, K6 and CD44 expression.

Science.gov (United States)

Simonetti, Oriana; Oriana, Simonetti; Lucarini, Guendalina; Guendalina, Lucarini; Cirioni, Oscar; Oscar, Cirioni; Zizzi, Antonio; Antonio, Zizzi; Orlando, Fiorenza; Fiorenza, Orlando; Provinciali, Mauro; Mauro, Provinciali; Di Primio, Roberto; Roberto, Di Primio; Giacometti, Andrea; Andrea, Giacometti; Offidani, Annamaria; Annamaria, Offidani

2013-06-01

Age-related differences in wound healing have been documented but little is known about the wound healing mechanism after burns. Our aim was to compare histological features and immunohistochemical expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), collagen IV, K6 and CD44 in the burn wound healing process in aged and young rats. Following burns the appearance of the wound bed in aged rats had progressed but slowly, resulting in a delayed healing process compared to the young rats. At 21 days after injury, epithelial K6, MMP-9 and CD44 expression was significantly increased in aged rats with respect to young rats; moreover, in the aged rat group we observed a not fully reconstituted basement membrane. K6, MMP-9 and CD44 expression was significantly increased in wounded skin compared to unwounded skin both in young and aged rats. We hypothesise that delayed burn skin wound healing process in the aged rats may represent an age dependent response to injury where K6, MMP-9 and CD44 play a key role. It is therefore possible to suggest that these factors contribute to the delayed wound healing in aged skin and that modulation could lead to a better and faster recovery of skin damage in elderly. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

Microglial cell dysregulation in Brain Aging and Neurodegeneration.

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Rommy eVon Bernhardi

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Aging is the main risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases. In aging, microglia undergo phenotypic changes compatible with their activation. Glial activation can lead to neuroinflammation, which is increasingly accepted as part of the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD. We hypothesize that in aging, aberrant microglia activation leads to a deleterious environment and neurodegeneration. In aged mice, microglia exhibit an increased expression of cytokines and an exacerbated inflammatory response to pathological changes. Whereas LPS increases nitric oxide secretion in microglia from young mice, induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS predominates in older mice. Furthermore, there is accumulation of DNA oxidative damage in mitochondria of microglia during aging, and also an increased intracellular ROS production. Increased ROS activates the redox-sensitive nuclear factor kappa B, which promotes more neuroinflammation, and can be translated in functional deficits, such as cognitive impairment. Mitochondria-derived ROS and cathepsin B, are also necessary for the microglial cell production of interleukin-1β, a key inflammatory cytokine. Interestingly, whereas the regulatory cytokine TGFβ1 is also increased in the aged brain, neuroinflammation persists. Assessing this apparent contradiction, we have reported that TGFβ1 induction and activation of Smad3 signaling after inflammatory stimulation are reduced in adult mice. Other protective functions, such as phagocytosis, although observed in aged animals, become not inducible by inflammatory stimuli and TGFβ1. Here, we discuss data suggesting that mitochondrial and endolysosomal dysfunction could at least partially mediate age-associated microglial cell changes, and, together with the impairment of the TGFβ1-Smad3 pathway, could result in a reduction of protective activation and a facilitation of cytotoxic activation of microglia, resulting in the

The Fruit Fly Drosophila melanogaster as a Model for Aging Research.

Science.gov (United States)

Brandt, Annely; Vilcinskas, Andreas

2013-01-01

: Average human life expectancy is increasing and so is the impact on society of aging and age-related diseases. Here we highlight recent advances in the diverse and multidisciplinary field of aging research, focusing on the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, an excellent model system in which to dissect the genetic and molecular basis of the aging processes. The conservation of human disease genes in D. melanogaster allows the functional analysis of orthologues implicated in human aging and age-related diseases. D. melanogaster models have been developed for a variety of age-related processes and disorders, including stem cell decline, Alzheimer's disease, and cardiovascular deterioration. Understanding the detailed molecular events involved in normal aging and age-related diseases could facilitate the development of strategies and treatments that reduce their impact, thus improving human health and increasing longevity.

Changing Attitudes towards Ageing and the Aged amongst Psychology Students

Science.gov (United States)

Fonseca, Antonio; Goncalves, Daniela; Martin, Ignacio

2009-01-01

Society is ageing. In Europe, the ageing of the population is a recurrent and discussed theme. The impact of the ageing of the population is varied and transversal in different fields. The increase in the number of elderly people implies an increase in the levels of dependence and, consequently, more sanitary, physical, and human resources. Also,…

Babies in waiting: why increasing the IVF age cut-off might lead to fewer wanted pregnancies in the presence of procrastination.

Science.gov (United States)

Dolan, Paul; Rudisill, Caroline

2015-02-01

Despite the best of intentions, we often act at the last minute when we are faced with a deadline. A recent recommendation by the English National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to make In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) available to women up to 42 years of age instead of 39 intends to offer more women the chance of pregnancy. Given what we know about behavioural responses to what is, in essence, a deadline, the policy could lead to procrastination and fewer wanted pregnancies. We examine how many women it would take to delay trying for a baby for this policy to result in fewer pregnancies. We take a cohort of 1000 women from age 34. If no women delay trying, the increased age on access to IVF results in 31 more pregnancies. Because of declining fertility with age, it would take only about a third of these women to delay trying for a baby until age 35 for there to be zero net benefits of increased IVF availability. If all women delayed by a year, the new policy will lead to 59 fewer pregnancies. We also estimate the implications for IVF treatment numbers as this has psychological and personal consequences. Our findings highlight how no policy sits in a behavioural vacuum and all policy decisions should consider the likely behavioural responses and incorporate them into their design and evaluation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Impacts of Cellular Senescence in Elderly Pneumonia and in Age-Related Lung Diseases That Increase the Risk of Respiratory Infections.

Science.gov (United States)

Yanagi, Shigehisa; Tsubouchi, Hironobu; Miura, Ayako; Matsuo, Ayako; Matsumoto, Nobuhiro; Nakazato, Masamitsu

2017-02-25

Pneumonia generates considerable negative impacts on the elderly. Despite the widespread uses of vaccines and appropriate antibiotics, the morbidity and mortality of elderly pneumonia are significantly higher compared to the counterparts of young populations. The definitive mechanisms of high vulnerability in the elderly against pathogen threats are unclear. Age-associated, chronic low-grade inflammation augments the susceptibility and severity of pneumonia in the elderly. Cellular senescence, one of the hallmarks of aging, has its own characteristics, cell growth arrest and senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). These properties are beneficial if the sequence of senescence-clearance-regeneration is transient in manner. However, persisting senescent cell accumulation and excessive SASP might induce sustained low-grade inflammation and disruption of normal tissue microenvironments in aged tissue. Emerging evidence indicates that cellular senescence is a key component in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), which are known to be age-related and increase the risk of pneumonia. In addition to their structural collapses, COPD and IPF might increase the vulnerability to pathogen insults through SASP. Here, we discuss the current advances in understanding of the impacts of cellular senescence in elderly pneumonia and in these chronic lung disorders that heighten the risk of respiratory infections.

Concerns about aging and caregiving among middle-aged and older lesbian and gay adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Czaja, Sara J; Sabbag, Samir; Lee, Chin Chin; Schulz, Richard; Lang, Samantha; Vlahovic, Tatiana; Jaret, Adrienne; Thurston, Catherine

2016-11-01

Despite the increasing number of lesbian and gay older adults, research geared towards health and well-being of this population is limited. Many lesbian and gay seniors experience health disparities and are at risk for poor health outcomes. The aims of this study were to gather in-depth information on the concerns of lesbian and gay elders with respect to aging and care needs. The sample included 124 gay men and lesbian women aged 50+ years. Data were gathered via focus groups and questionnaires. The focus groups addressed: (1) concerns about aging in the LGBT community, (2) barriers to needed support and services, (3) concerns about caregiving and (4) needed programs for lesbian and gay seniors. Concerns expressed about aging included: lack of financial security, lack of family or social support, fears about the lack of someone to provide needed care, and discrimination in healthcare or service communities. Participants also indicated concerns about being alone and vulnerable and a need for resources and support programs, specifically for lesbian and gay older adults and for lesbian and gay caregivers. These findings suggest needed areas of support and programs for older gay men and lesbian women. They also suggest that healthcare professionals might need more training regarding the particular needs and concerns of this community.

Aging as an evolvability-increasing program which can be switched off by organism to mobilize additional resources for survival.

Science.gov (United States)

Skulachev, Maxim V; Severin, Fedor F; Skulachev, Vladimir P

2015-01-01

.g., geroprotective psychological factors). Similarly, dangerous individuals can be eliminated by programmed death due to operation of progeric psychological factors. The interplay of all these signals results in the final decision of the organism concerning its aging - to accelerate or to decelerate this process. Thus, paradoxically, such an originally counterproductive program as aging appears to be useful for the individual since this program can be switched off by the individual for a certain period of time, an action that thereby increases its resources in crucial periods of life.

Perceived age as clinically useful biomarker of ageing: cohort study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Kaare; Thinggaard, Mikael; McGue, Matt

2009-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether perceived age correlates with survival and important age related phenotypes. DESIGN: Follow-up study, with survival of twins determined up to January 2008, by which time 675 (37%) had died. SETTING: Population based twin cohort in Denmark. PARTICIPANTS: 20 nurses, 10...... young men, and 11 older women (assessors); 1826 twins aged >or=70. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Assessors: perceived age of twins from photographs. Twins: physical and cognitive tests and molecular biomarker of ageing (leucocyte telomere length). RESULTS: For all three groups of assessors, perceived age...... increased with increasing discordance in perceived age within the twin pair-that is, the bigger the difference in perceived age within the pair, the more likely that the older looking twin died first. Twin analyses suggested that common genetic factors influence both perceived age and survival. Perceived...

Embodiment in the aging mind.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuehn, Esther; Perez-Lopez, Mario Borja; Diersch, Nadine; Döhler, Juliane; Wolbers, Thomas; Riemer, Martin

2018-03-01

Bodily awareness is a central component of human sensation, action, and cognition. The human body is subject to profound changes over the adult lifespan. We live in an aging society: the mean age of people living in industrialized countries is currently over 40 years, and further increases are expected. Nevertheless, there is a lack of comprehensive knowledge that links changes in embodiment that occur with age to neuronal mechanisms and associated sensorimotor and cognitive deficits in older adults. Here, we synthesize existing evidence and introduce the NFL Framework of Embodied Aging, which links basic neuronal (N) mechanisms of age-related sensorimotor decline to changes in functional (F) bodily impairments, including deficits in higher-level cognitive functions, and impairments in daily life (L). We argue that cognitive and daily life impairments associated with old age are often due to deficits in embodiment, which can partly be linked to neuronal degradation at the sensorimotor level. The framework may encourage the development of novel approaches to improve autonomous living for older adults. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Short term exercise induces PGC-1α, ameliorates inflammation and increases mitochondrial membrane proteins but fails to increase respiratory enzymes in aging diabetic hearts.

Science.gov (United States)

Botta, Amy; Laher, Ismail; Beam, Julianne; Decoffe, Daniella; Brown, Kirsty; Halder, Swagata; Devlin, Angela; Gibson, Deanna L; Ghosh, Sanjoy

2013-01-01

PGC-1α, a transcriptional coactivator, controls inflammation and mitochondrial gene expression in insulin-sensitive tissues following exercise intervention. However, attributing such effects to PGC-1α is counfounded by exercise-induced fluctuations in blood glucose, insulin or bodyweight in diabetic patients. The goal of this study was to investigate the role of PGC-1α on inflammation and mitochondrial protein expressions in aging db/db mice hearts, independent of changes in glycemic parameters. In 8-month-old db/db mice hearts with diabetes lasting over 22 weeks, short-term, moderate-intensity exercise upregulated PGC-1α without altering body weight or glycemic parameters. Nonetheless, such a regimen lowered both cardiac (macrophage infiltration, iNOS and TNFα) and systemic (circulating chemokines and cytokines) inflammation. Curiously, such an anti-inflammatory effect was also linked to attenuated expression of downstream transcription factors of PGC-1α such as NRF-1 and several respiratory genes. Such mismatch between PGC-1α and its downstream targets was associated with elevated mitochondrial membrane proteins like Tom70 but a concurrent reduction in oxidative phosphorylation protein expressions in exercised db/db hearts. As mitochondrial oxidative stress was predominant in these hearts, in support of our in vivo data, increasing concentrations of H2O2 dose-dependently increased PGC-1α expression while inhibiting expression of inflammatory genes and downstream transcription factors in H9c2 cardiomyocytes in vitro. We conclude that short-term exercise-induced oxidative stress may be key in attenuating cardiac inflammatory genes and impairing PGC-1α mediated gene transcription of downstream transcription factors in type 2 diabetic hearts at an advanced age.

Resilience in Aging Mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Kirkland, James L; Stout, Michael B; Sierra, Felipe

2016-11-01

Recently discovered interventions that target fundamental aging mechanisms have been shown to increase life span in mice and other species, and in some cases, these same manipulations have been shown to enhance health span and alleviate multiple age-related diseases and conditions. Aging is generally associated with decreases in resilience, the capacity to respond to or recover from clinically relevant stresses such as surgery, infections, or vascular events. We hypothesize that the age-related increase in susceptibility to those diseases and conditions is driven by or associated with the decrease in resilience. Thus, a test for resilience at middle age or even earlier could represent a surrogate approach to test the hypothesis that an intervention delays the process of aging itself. For this, animal models to test resilience accurately and predictably are needed. In addition, interventions that increase resilience might lead to treatments aimed at enhancing recovery following acute illnesses, or preventing poor outcomes from medical interventions in older, prefrail subjects. At a meeting of basic researchers and clinicians engaged in research on mechanisms of aging and care of the elderly, the merits and drawbacks of investigating effects of interventions on resilience in mice were considered. Available and potential stressors for assessing physiological resilience as well as the notion of developing a limited battery of such stressors and how to rank them were discussed. Relevant ranking parameters included value in assessing general health (as opposed to focusing on a single physiological system), ease of use, cost, reproducibility, clinical relevance, and feasibility of being repeated in the same animal longitudinally. During the discussions it became clear that, while this is an important area, very little is known or established. Much more research is needed in the near future to develop appropriate tests of resilience in animal models within an aging context

AGE-RAGE Stress, Stressors, and Antistressors in Health and Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Prasad, Kailash; Mishra, Manish

2018-03-01

Adverse effects of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) on the tissues are through nonreceptor- and receptor-mediated mechanisms. In the receptor-mediated mechanism, interaction of AGEs with its cell-bound receptor of AGE (RAGE) increases generation of oxygen radicals, activates nuclear factor-kappa B, and increases expression and release of pro-inflammatory cytokines resulting in the cellular damage. The deleterious effects of AGE and AGE-RAGE interaction are coined as "AGE-RAGE stress." The body is equipped with defense mechanisms to counteract the adverse effects of AGE and RAGE through endogenous enzymatic (glyoxalase 1, glyoxalase 2) and AGE receptor-mediated (AGER1, AGER2) degradation of AGE, and through elevation of soluble receptor of AGE (sRAGE). Exogenous defense mechanisms include reduction in consumption of AGE, prevention of AGE formation, and downregulation of RAGE expression. We have coined AGE and RAGE as "stressors" and the defense mechanisms as "anti-stressors." AGE-RAGE stress is defined as a shift in the balance between stressors and antistressors in the favor of stressors. Measurements of stressors or antistressors alone would not assess AGE-RAGE stress. For true assessment of AGE-RAGE stress, the equation should include all the stressors and antistressors. The equation for AGE-RAGE stress, therefore, would be the ratio of AGE + RAGE/sRAGE + glyoxalase1 + glyoxalase 2 + AGER1 +AGER2. This is, however, not practical in patients. AGE-RAGE stress may be assessed simply by the ratio of AGE/sRAGE. A high ratio of AGE/sRAGE indicates a relative shift in stressors from antistressors, suggesting the presence of AGE-RAGE stress, resulting in tissue damage, initiation, and progression of the diseases and their complications.

The Age-Related Changes in Cartilage and Osteoarthritis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

YongPing Li

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Osteoarthritis (OA is closely associated with aging, but its underlying mechanism is unclear. Recent publications were reviewed to elucidate the connection between aging and OA. With increasing OA incidence, more senior people are facing heavy financial and social burdens. Age-related OA pathogenesis is not well understood. Recently, it has been realized that age-related changes in other tissues besides articular cartilage may also contribute to OA development. Many factors including senescence-related secretory phenotypes, chondrocytes’ low reactivity to growth factors, mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress, and abnormal accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs may all play key roles in the pathogenesis of age-related OA. Lately, epigenetic regulation of gene expression was recognized for its impact on age-related OA pathogenesis. Up to now, few studies have been reported about the role of miRNA and long-noncoding RNA (lncRNA in age-related OA. Research focusing on this area may provide valuable insights into OA pathogenesis. OA-induced financial and social burdens have become an increasingly severe threat to older population. Age-related changes in noncartilage tissue should be incorporated in the understanding of OA development. Growing attention on oxidative stress and epigenetics will provide more important clues for the better understanding of the age-related OA.

Absence of DJ-1 causes age-related retinal abnormalities in association with increased oxidative stress.