CCBAR
Newsletter
– September,
2013
Editors:
Natalia
Gavrilova
and
Stacy
Tessler
Lindau
CCBAR News:
Registration
for the 7th Chicago Workshop on Biomeasures in Population-Based Health
and Aging Research.
Registration for the 2013 Workshop, "Biosocial Study of Health and
Aging in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and HIV-Affected Populations" (October
17, 2013) continues. The Workshop agenda can be found at the following link: http://biomarkers.uchicago.edu/Agenda-2013.html
Please register using the following
URL:
Workshop space is limited to 50 participants; registration will be on a
first-come, first-serve basis. Due to limited space, registrants are
required to commit to participate in the full conference. For
more information, please contact Lori Garibay, MPH at CCBAR by phone at
773-834-5890 or by email lgaribay@babies.bsd.uchicago.edu.
CCBAR Q & A:
Q:
We are looking for lab space on the south side of Chicago where we
might be able to store our blood samples before shipping them
for microarray analysis.
A:
The CRC laboratory will be able to help with storing ,
centrifuging, and shipping.
Please
note there is a charge of $1.40 per sample for whole blood
storage. If you choose to have samples centrifuged; there is
a
fee of $2.30 for your first sample aliquot and $1.25 for each
additional. If you choose to have the laboratory ship samples for you,
all materials and FedEx labels will need to be supplied. We
will
be able to provide dry ice. The prices mentioned are for
protocols that will have an in house/ U of Chicago investigator.
For more details please contact:
Jessica Camp
ITM Core Laboratory Manager
CRC-Room W547
University of Chicago
5841 S Maryland Ave
Chicago, IL 60706
Tel# 773-702-5479
News
from
the
NEJM, Nature Journals, Science, BMJ, PNAS, Lancet and JAMA
Population:
Crowd control
by Hania Zlotnik
Hania Zlotnik assesses two polarized takes on population growth and
planetary capacity.
Nutrition:
Fruits shrink diabetes risk
Highly read on www.bmj.com in AugustThree large, long-running health
surveys suggest that some fruits - but not fruit juice - reduce the
risk of diabetes.Researchers led by Qi Sun at the Harvard School of
Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts, looked at people's
Stem
cells: Down's syndrome link to ageing
by George P. Souroullas, Norman E. Sharpless
Triplication of the enzyme USP16 in models of Down's syndrome creates
defects in the stem cells resident in adult tissues. This finding
provides insight into stem-cell homeostasis during ageing. See Article
p.380
Germline
mitochondrial DNA mutations aggravate ageing and can impair brain de...
by Jaime M. Ross, James B. Stewart, Erik Hagström, Stefan
Brené, Arnaud
Mourier, Giuseppe Coppotelli, Christoph Freyer, Marie Lagouge, Barry J.
Hoffer, Lars Olson, Nils-Göran Larsson
Ageing is due to an accumulation of various types of damage, and
mitochondrial dysfunction has long been considered to be important in
this process. There is substantial sequence variation in mammalian
mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), and the high mutation rate is counteracted
by different mechanisms that...
Testicular
volume predicts paternal brain activity [Evolution]
by Mascaro, J. S., Hackett, P. D., Rilling, J. K.
Despite the well-documented benefits afforded the children of invested
fathers in modern Western societies, some fathers choose not to invest
in their children. Why do some men make this choice? Life History
Theory offers an explanation for variation in parental investment by
positing a trade-off be...
Prospects
of elimination of HIV [Medical Sciences]
by Kretzschmar, M. E., Schim van der Loeff, M. F., Birrell, P.
J., De Angelis, D., Coutinho, R. A.
Recently, there has been much debate about the prospects of eliminating
HIV from high endemic countries by a test-and-treat strategy. This
strategy entails regular HIV testing in the entire population and
starting antiretroviral treatment immediately in all who are found to
be HIV infected. We prese...
Social
reward requires coordinated activity of nucleus accumbens oxytocin
and...
by Gül Dölen, Ayeh Darvishzadeh, Kee Wui Huang, Robert C.
Malenka
Social behaviours in species as diverse as honey bees and humans
promote group survival but often come at some cost to the individual.
Although reinforcement of adaptive social interactions is ostensibly
required for the evolutionary persistence of these behaviours, the
neural mechanisms by which so...
SIRT1
suppresses GH-induced IGF-I production [Cell Biology]
by Yamamoto, M., Iguchi, G., Fukuoka, H., Suda, K., Bando, H.,
Takahashi, M., Nishizawa, H., Seino, S., Takahashi, Y.
Adaptation under fasting conditions is critical for survival in
animals. Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), a protein deacetylase, plays an essential
role in adaptive metabolic and endocrine responses under fasting
conditions by modifying the acetylation status of various proteins.
Fasting induces growth hormone (G...
Money
and trust among strangers [Economic Sciences]
by Camera, G., Casari, M., Bigoni, M.
What makes money essential for the functioning of modern society?
Through an experiment, we present evidence for the existence of a
relevant behavioral dimension in addition to the standard theoretical
arguments. Subjects faced repeated opportunities to help an anonymous
counterpart who changed over...
Ontogeny
of prosociality across diverse societies [Psychological and Cognitiv...
by House, B. R., Silk, J. B., Henrich, J., Barrett, H. C.,
Scelza,
B. A., Boyette, A. H., Hewlett, B. S., McElreath, R., Laurence, S.
Humans are an exceptionally cooperative species, but there is
substantial variation in the extent of cooperation across societies.
Understanding the sources of this variability may provide insights
about the forces that sustain cooperation. We examined the ontogeny of
prosocial behavior by studying ...
Cognitive
emotion regulation fails the stress test [Psychological and Cogniti...
by Raio, C. M., Orederu, T. A., Palazzolo, L., Shurick, A. A.,
Phelps, E. A.
Cognitive emotion regulation has been widely shown in the laboratory to
be an effective way to alter the nature of emotional responses. Despite
its success in experimental contexts, however, we often fail to use
these strategies in everyday life where stress is pervasive. The
successful execution of...
Fetal
brain learns to process speech [Psychological and Cognitive Sciences]
by Partanen, E., Kujnodot;ala, T., Naatanen, R., Liitola, A.,
Sambeth, A., Huotilainen, M.
Learning, the foundation of adaptive and intelligent behavior, is based
on plastic changes in neural assemblies, reflected by the modulation of
electric brain responses. In infancy, auditory learning implicates the
formation and strengthening of neural long-term memory traces,
improving discriminati...
Evidence
that exercise helps in depression is still weak, finds review
by Kmietowicz, Z.
An analysis of trials that looked at the effectiveness of exercise in
treating depression found it to be of moderate benefit, but when the
analysis was narrowed to only good quality trials it found...
Nearly
half of US births were covered by Medicaid in 2010
by Tanne, J. H.
Medicaid paid for 48% of the 3.8 million births in the United States in
2010, an increase of 19% in only two years, a study has calculated.Next
year, when the Affordable Care Act goes into effect, Medicaid will
cover many previously uninsured low income women of childbearing age,
not just pregnant w...
Cystatin
C versus Creatinine in Determining Risk Based on Kidney Function
by Michael G. Shlipak et al
New England Journal of Medicine, Volume 369, Issue 10, Page 932-943,
September 2013.
Behavioral
and Dietary Risk Factors for Noncommunicable Diseases
by Majid Ezzati et al
New England Journal of Medicine, Volume 369, Issue 10, Page 954-964,
September 2013.
Estimated
GFR and Risk of Death - Is Cystatin C Useful?
by Julie R. Ingelfinger et al
New England Journal of Medicine, Volume 369, Issue 10, Page 974-975,
September 2013.
Prevalence
and Control of Diabetes in Chinese Adults
by Xu Y, Wang L, He J, et al.
Importance. Noncommunicable
chronic
diseases have become the leading causes of mortality and disease burden
worldwide.Objective. To investigate the prevalence of diabetes and
glycemic control in the Chinese adult population. Design, Setting, and
Participants. Using a complex, multistage, probability sampli...
Prevalence,
Awareness, Treatment, and Control of Hypertension in Rural and Ur...
by Chow CK, Teo KK, Rangarajan S, et al.
Importance. Hypertension is
the most
important preventable cause of morbidity and mortality globally, yet
there are relatively few data collected using standardized
methods. Objective. To examine hypertension prevalence, awareness,
treatment, and control in participants at baseline in the Prospective
Urb...
Despite
30-Year Low, Decline in Youth Homicides Has Slowed
Homicide rates among older
children and
young adults have seesawed over the past 3 decades, but steady
decreases since the mid-1990s led to a 30-year low in 2010.
Biomarkers
and
Aging
in
the
News
Media
• Playing
music for your brain
As scientists race to figure out how to promote healthy aging of the
brain, and prevent dementia, early research shows music may hold the
key.
• Anti-depressants'
'link to diabetes'
People prescribed anti-depressants should be aware that they could be
at increased risk of type 2 diabetes, say UK researchers.
• Vitamin
D Alone Doesn't Boost Bone Health, Study Says
But calcium supplements appear to reduce risk of osteoporosis
• Vitamin
B Supplements May Guard Against Stroke
Review found they reduced risk by 7 percent, but did not reduce
severity or risk of death
• Little
Benefit Seen in Repeat Bone-Density Testing
Older adults without osteoporosis could wait longer between screenings,
study suggests
• Moderate
Arsenic in Environment Tied to Higher Heart Attack, Stroke Risk
Researchers suspect groundwater and certain foods raised levels of
chemical in study of Native Americans
• Having
children lowers mortality in people with type 1 diabetes, women more
t...
New research shows that having children lowers mortality in people with
type 1 diabetes, but for women more than men.
• Health
kick 'reverses cell ageing'
Going on a health kick reverses ageing at the cellular level, claim US
researchers who have been studying people's DNA.
• Study:
U.S. teens eating better, watching less TV
Study finds adolescents may be engaging in healthier habits, which may
explain leveling off in obesity rates
• 'Severely
obese:' 5 percent of US kids, teens fit risky new category
Overall obesity rates for American kids may have leveled off, but a new
report finds that children and teens at the far end of the spectrum are
getting heavier, faster -- with about 5 percent now classified as
'severely obese.' That means nearly 4 million U.S.
• Older
is wiser, at least economically
The brains of older people are slowing but experience more than makes
up for the decline. Researchers came up with this conclusion after
asking the participants a series of financially related questions.
• Older
Age May Mean Fewer Hangovers
But study doesn't show why seniors suffer less headache, nausea than
younger people after heavy drinking
• Childhood
Obesity Quadruples Chances of Adult Hypertension: Study
Even being overweight when young was found to double high blood
pressure risk in long-term study
• Why
do young adults start smoking?
The risk of becoming a smoker among young adults who have never smoked
is high: 14% will become smokers between the ages of 18 and 24, and
three factors predict this behaviour.
• Tooth
Cavities Linked to Lower Risk of Head, Neck Cancer in Study
Bacteria involved in cavity formation may have some cancer-protective
effect, researcher says, but skeptics aren't sure
• Nearly
60 Percent of Uterine Cancer Cases Preventable: Report
Women who exercise, maintain healthy weight and drink coffee daily may
cut their risk
• Lifestyle
changes may lengthen telomeres, a measure of cell aging
A small pilot study shows for the first time that changes in diet,
exercise, stress management and social support may result in longer
telomeres, the parts of chromosomes that affect aging.
• Wide-faced
men make others act selfishly
Researchers have previously shown that men with wider faces are more
aggressive, less trustworthy and more prone to engaging in deception.
Now they have shown, in a series of four studies, that individuals
behave more selfishly when interacting with men with wider faces and
this selfish behavior elicits selfish behavior in others.
• Novel
biomarker identified for diabetes risk
Researchers have identified a biomarker that can predict diabetes risk
up to 10 years before onset of the disease.
• Low
testosterone? Low estrogen too may cause problems for men
Testosterone is powerful--in the male human body and in the American
pharmacological marketplace. From 1993 to 2000, prescriptions for
testosterone replacements increased fivefold, boosted by advertising
campaigns that invited aging men to "talk to their doctor about low T"
if they were experiencing decreased energy, sex drive or muscle
tone.
• CDC
targets needless deaths due to poor lifestyle habits
Steps such as quitting smoking and controlling blood pressure and
cholesterol could save more than 200,000 Americans a year, a report
finds.
At
least 200,000 Americans die needlessly each year due to heart disease,
stroke and high blood pressure, and more than half of these deaths
occur in people younger than 65, according to a new report from the
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Study
shows men just as likely to be depressed as women
When researchers expand the symptoms list to include aggression,
substance abuse and risk-taking behavior, depression is no longer just
a 'woman's disease.'
Depression
can look very different in men and women. And many of its hallmarks —
rage, risk-taking, substance abuse and even workaholism — can hide in
plain sight.
• How
Down syndrome may help unravel Alzheimer's puzzle
Scientists have known for decades that people with Down syndrome were
at increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, but they didn't
know why.
• Better
Hygiene Could Raise Risk of Alzheimer's
A study by researchers at Cambridge University has found that
high-income, highly industrialized countries with large urban areas and
better hygiene and sanitation have much higher rates of Alzheimer's
disease.
• Screening
for minor memory changes will wrongly label many with dementia, war...
A political drive, led by the UK and US, to screen older people for
minor memory changes (often called mild cognitive impairment or
pre-dementia) is leading to unnecessary investigation and potentially
harmful treatment for what is arguably an inevitable consequence of
aging, warn experts.
• Black
Americans at Raised Risk of Insufficient Sleep, Study Finds
Racial disparity greatest among those in professional, management
positions, researchers say
• Traumatic
Childhood Incidents Could Put People At Risk For Premature Death
As subjects experienced more traumatic childhood experiences, their
risk for dying early increased.
• Genetic
study pushes back timeline for first significant human population exp...
Using new genetic tools, the authors conclude that the first
significant expansion of human populations appears to be much older
than the emergence of farming and herding, dating back to the
Paleolithic (60,000-80,000 years ago) rather than Neolithic age (10,000
years ago). They also suggest that strong Paleolithic expansions may
have favored the emergence of sedentary farming in some populations
during the Neolithic.
NIH
Press
Releases
NIH-funded
study examines frequency of follow-up bone mineral density tests i...
Researchers examine fracture risk.
NIH
funding boosts new Alzheimer's research on prevention, novel drug
targets
$45 million in awards to test early interventions, explore new
approaches.
NIH-funded
study suggests brain is hard-wired for chronic pain
Brain's white matter may determine susceptibility to chronic pain.
NIH
approves high-priority research within BRAIN Initiative
Projects seek to enhance understanding of the brain.
BRAIN
Working Group to present BRAIN high-priority research for NIH FY2014
fu...
NIH leadership will answer questions about the BRAIN interim report.
Lifestyle
intervention improves high schoolers' health, social skills, grades
NIH-supported research shows promise for teens at risk of becoming
overweight, obese.
NIH
grants to investigate disease-related variations in genetic makeup
Studies focus on underlying susceptibilities in minority populations
NIH
program explores the use of genomic sequencing in newborn healthcare
Can sequencing genome provide useful medical information beyond what
current newborn screening already provides?
NIH
Announcements
NIH
Support for Conferences and Scientific Meetings (Parent
R13/U13)
Funding Number: PA-13-347
Expiration Date: September 8, 2016
Academic
Research Enhancement Award (Parent R15)
Funding Number: PA-13-313
Expiration Date: September 8, 2016
Behavioral
and Social Science Research on Understanding and Reducing Health
Disparities (R21)
Funding Number: PA-13-288
Expiration Date: September 8, 2016
Mid-life
Reversibility of Early-established Biobehavioral Risk Factors (R01)
Funding Opportunity RFA-AG-14-006 from the NIH Guide for Grants and
Contracts. The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA)
issued by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) is to solicit two-year
Research Project Grant (R01) applications that propose to explore the
potential for midlife plasticity of biobehavioral or psychological
systems affected by early life disadvantage. In order to speed the
development of novel intervention strategies, applicants are encouraged
either to use existing human cohort data to identify circumstances that
mitigate or exacerbate the effects of early adversity or to use human
and/or animal models to test the feasibility of developing
interventions aimed specifically at increasing malleability in
adulthood of risk persistence mechanisms.
High
Priority Behavioral and Social Research Networks (R24)
Funding Opportunity RFA-AG-14-007 from the NIH Guide for Grants and
Contracts. The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA)
issued by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), working in part with
funds contributed by the NIH Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences
Research (http://obssr.od.nih.gov/index.aspx ), is to provide
infrastructure support for advancing development of specific emerging
and high priority interdisciplinary areas of behavioral and social
research of relevance to aging. The infrastructure support will
facilitate research networks through meetings, conferences, small scale
pilots, training, and dissemination to encourage growth and development
of specified priority areas and of resources for the field at large.
Projects are solicited that will develop, strengthen, and evaluate
transdisciplinary approaches and methods for basic behavioral and/or
social research.
Regional
and
International Differences in Health and Longevity at Older Ages
(R03) PA-13-123
Expiration Date September 8, 2016
Regional
and
International Differences in Health and Longevity at Older Ages
(R21)
PA-13-124
Expiration Date September 8, 2016
Regional
and
International Differences in Health and Longevity at Older Ages
(R01)
PA-13-125
Expiration Date September 8, 2016
Obesity
Policy
Evaluation Research (R01) PA-13-110
Expiration Date: May 8, 2016
PAR-12-186 DBSR
Macroeconomic Aspects of Population Aging (R01)
Expiration
date:
10/04/2014
Biodemography
of
Aging
(R21),
Funding
Number:
PAR-12-079
Expiration Date: March 4, 2014
Biodemography
of
Aging
(R03),
Funding
Number:
PAR-12-080
Expiration Date: March 4, 2014
Biodemography
of
Aging
(R01),
Funding
Number:
PAR-12-078
Expiration Date: March 4, 2014
Events:
Conferences:
66th
Annual
Scientific Meeting of the Gerontological Society of America, Wednesday,
11/20 to Sunday, 11/24, 2013
Sheraton New Orleans - New Orleans Marriott, New Orleans, Louisiana
Deadline for abstract submissions was March 15, 2013
2014
Annual Meeting of the Population Association of America
Marriott Copley Place, Boston, MA, May 1-3, 2014
Abstract deadline:September 27, 2013
2014
Annual
Scientific Meeting of the American Geriatrics Society
(AGS), May 15 - 17,
2014
Orlando, Florida
Abstract deadline: December 2, 2013 at 11:59 pm EST
The
26th REVES
meeting on health expectancy
Edinburgh, UK, May 28-30,
2014
Abstract submission deadline: to be announced
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
This
Newsletter is supported by a grant from the National
Institute on
Aging, National Institutes of Health (Grant No. 5 P30 AG012857)
If you would like to unsubscribe please notify us at ngavrilova@babies.bsd.uchicago.edu