Pomegranate Juice Enhances Healthy Lifespan in Drosophila melanogaster: An Exploratory Study

PubMed Central

Balasubramani, Subramani Paranthaman; Mohan, Jayaram; Chatterjee, Arunita; Patnaik, Esha; Kukkupuni, Subrahmanya Kumar; Nongthomba, Upendra; Venkatasubramanian, Padmavathy

2014-01-01

Exploring innovative ways to ensure healthy aging of populations is a pre-requisite to contain rising healthcare costs. Scientific research into the principles and practices of traditional medicines can provide new insights and simple solutions to lead a healthy life. Rasayana is a dedicated branch of Ayurveda (an Indian medicine) that deals with methods to increase vitality and delay aging through the use of diet, herbal supplements, and other lifestyle practices. The life-span and health-span enhancing actions of the fruits of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.), a well-known Rasayana, were tested on Drosophila melanogaster (fruitfly) model. Supplementation of standard corn meal with 10% (v/v) pomegranate juice (PJ) extended the life-span of male and female flies by 18 and 8%, respectively. When male and female flies were mixed and reared together, there was 19% increase in the longevity of PJ fed flies, as assessed by MSD, the median survival day (24.8). MSD for control and resveratrol (RV) groups was at 20.8 and 23.1 days, respectively. A two-fold enhancement in fecundity, improved resistance to oxidative stress (H2O2 and paraquat induced) and to Candida albicans infection were observed in PJ fed flies. Further, the flies in the PJ fed group were physically active over an extended period of time, as assessed by the climbing assay. PJ thus outperformed both control and RV groups in the life-span and health-span parameters tested. This study provides the scope to explore the potential of PJ as a nutraceutical to improve health span and lifespan in human beings. PMID:25566518

Rapamycin Increases Mortality in db/db Mice, a Mouse Model of Type 2 Diabetes.

PubMed

Sataranatarajan, Kavithalakshmi; Ikeno, Yuji; Bokov, Alex; Feliers, Denis; Yalamanchili, Himabindu; Lee, Hak Joo; Mariappan, Meenalakshmi M; Tabatabai-Mir, Hooman; Diaz, Vivian; Prasad, Sanjay; Javors, Martin A; Ghosh Choudhury, Goutam; Hubbard, Gene B; Barnes, Jeffrey L; Richardson, Arlan; Kasinath, Balakuntalam S

2016-07-01

We examined the effect of rapamycin on the life span of a mouse model of type 2 diabetes, db/db mice. At 4 months of age, male and female C57BLKSJ-lepr (db/db) mice (db/db) were placed on either a control diet, lacking rapamycin or a diet containing rapamycin and maintained on these diets over their life span. Rapamycin was found to reduce the life span of the db/db mice. The median survival of male db/db mice fed the control and rapamycin diets was 349 and 302 days, respectively, and the median survival of female db/db mice fed the control and rapamycin diets was 487 and 411 days, respectively. Adjusting for gender differences, rapamycin increased the mortality risk 1.7-fold in both male and female db/db mice. End-of-life pathological data showed that suppurative inflammation was the main cause of death in the db/db mice, which is enhanced slightly by rapamycin treatment. © 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.

Stable knockdown of PASG enhances DNA demethylation but does not accelerate cellular senescence in TIG-7 human fibroblasts

PubMed Central

Suzuki, Toshikazu; Farrar, Jason E.; Yegnasubramanian, Srinivasan; Zahed, Muhammed; Suzuki, Nobuo; Arceci, Robert J.

2009-01-01

Demethylation of 5-methylcytosine in genomic DNA is believed to be one of the mechanisms underlying replicative life-span of mammalian cells. Both proliferation associated SNF2-like gene (PASG, also termed Lsh) and DNA methyltransferase 3B (Dnmt3b) knockout mice result in embryonic genomic hypomethylation and a replicative senescent phenotype. However, it is unclear whether gradual demethylation of DNA during somatic cell division is directly involved in senescence. In this study, we retrovirally transduced TIG-7 human fibroblasts with a shRNA against PASG and compared the rate of change in DNA methylation as well as the replicative life-span to control cells under low (3%) and ambient (20%) oxygen. Expression of PASG protein was decreased by approximately 80% compared to control cells following transduction of PASG shRNA gene. The rate of cell growth was the same in both control and PASG-suppressed cells. The rate of demethylation of DNA was significantly increased in PASG-suppressed cells as compared control cells. However, decreased PASG expression did not shorten the replicative life-span of TIG-7 cells. Culture under low oxygen extended the life-span of TIG-7 cells but did not alter the rate of DNA demethylation. While knockout of PASG during development results in genomic hypomethylation and premature senescence, our results show that while downregulation of PASG expression in a somatic cell also leads to DNA hypomethylation, there is no associated senescent phenotype. These results suggest differences in cellular consequences of hypomethylation mediated by PASG during development compared to that in somatic cells. PMID:18948754

Stable knockdown of PASG enhances DNA demethylation but does not accelerate cellular senescence in TIG-7 human fibroblasts.

PubMed

Suzuki, Toshikazu; Farrar, Jason E; Yegnasubramanian, Srinivasan; Zahed, Muhammed; Suzuki, Nobuo; Arceci, Robert J

2008-09-01

Demethylation of 5-methylcytosine in genomic DNA is believed to be one of the mechanisms underlying replicative life-span of mammalian cells. Both proliferation associated SNF2-like gene (PASG, also termed Lsh) and DNA methyltransferase 3B (Dnmt3b) knockout mice result in embryonic genomic hypomethylation and a replicative senescent phenotype. However, it is unclear whether gradual demethylation of DNA during somatic cell division is directly involved in senescence. In this study, we retrovirally transduced TIG-7 human fibroblasts with a shRNA against PASG and compared the rate of change in DNA methylation as well as the replicative life-span to control cells under low (3%) and ambient (20%) oxygen. Expression of PASG protein was decreased by approximately 80% compared to control cells following transduction of PASG shRNA gene. The rate of cell growth was the same in both control and PASG-suppressed cells. The rate of demethylation of DNA was significantly increased in PASG-suppressed cells as compared control cells. However, decreased PASG expression did not shorten the replicative life-span of TIG-7 cells. Culture under low oxygen extended the life-span of TIG-7 cells but did not alter the rate of DNA demethylation. While knockout of PASG during development results in genomic hypomethylation and premature senescence, our results show that while downregulation of PASG expression in a somatic cell also leads to DNA hypomethylation, there is no associated senescent phenotype. These results suggest differences in cellular consequences of hypomethylation mediated by PASG during development compared to that in somatic cells.

Dietary Interventions to Extend Life Span and Health Span Based on Calorie Restriction

PubMed Central

Minor, Robin K.; Allard, Joanne S.; Younts, Caitlin M.; Ward, Theresa M.

2010-01-01

The societal impact of obesity, diabetes, and other metabolic disorders continues to rise despite increasing evidence of their negative long-term consequences on health span, longevity, and aging. Unfortunately, dietary management and exercise frequently fail as remedies, underscoring the need for the development of alternative interventions to successfully treat metabolic disorders and enhance life span and health span. Using calorie restriction (CR)—which is well known to improve both health and longevity in controlled studies—as their benchmark, gerontologists are coming closer to identifying dietary and pharmacological therapies that may be applicable to aging humans. This review covers some of the more promising interventions targeted to affect pathways implicated in the aging process as well as variations on classical CR that may be better suited to human adaptation. PMID:20371545

Mice Producing Reduced Levels of Insulin-Like Growth Factor Type 1 Display an Increase in Maximum, but not Mean, Life Span

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Reduced signaling through the IGF type 1 (IGF-1) receptor increases life span in multiple invertebrate organisms. Studies on mammalian longevity suggest that reducing levels of IGF-1 may also increase life span. However, the data are conflicting and complicated by the physiology of the mammalian neuroendocrine system. We have performed life-span analysis on mice homozygous for an insertion in the Igf1 gene. These mice produce reduced levels of IGF-1 and display a phenotype consistent with a significant decrease in IGF-1. Life-span analysis was carried out at three independent locations. Although the life-span data varied between sites, the maximum life span of the IGF-1-deficient mice was significantly increased and age-specific mortality rates were reduced in the IGF-1-deficient mice; however, mean life span did not differ except at one site, where mean life span was increased in female IGF-1-deficient animals. Early life mortality was noted in one cohort of IGF-1-deficient mice. The results are consistent with a significant role for IGF-1 in the modulation of life span but contrast with the published life-span data for the hypopituitary Ames and Snell dwarf mice and growth hormone receptor null mice, indicating that a reduction in IGF-1 alone is insufficient to increase both mean and maximal life span in mice. PMID:23873963

Nutritional Control of Chronological Aging and Heterochromatin in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

PubMed

McCleary, David F; Rine, Jasper

2017-03-01

Calorie restriction extends life span in organisms as diverse as yeast and mammals through incompletely understood mechanisms.The role of NAD + -dependent deacetylases known as Sirtuins in this process, particularly in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae , is controversial. We measured chronological life span of wild-type and sir2 Δ strains over a higher glucose range than typically used for studying yeast calorie restriction. sir2 Δ extended life span in high glucose complete minimal medium and had little effect in low glucose medium, revealing a partial role for Sir2 in the calorie-restriction response under these conditions. Experiments performed on cells grown in rich medium with a newly developed genetic strategy revealed that sir2 Δ shortened life span in low glucose while having little effect in high glucose, again revealing a partial role for Sir2 In complete minimal media, Sir2 shortened life span as glucose levels increased; whereas in rich media, Sir2 extended life span as glucose levels decreased. Using a genetic strategy to measure the strength of gene silencing at HML , we determined increasing glucose stabilized Sir2-based silencing during growth on complete minimal media. Conversely, increasing glucose destabilized Sir-based silencing during growth on rich media, specifically during late cell divisions. In rich medium, silencing was far less stable in high glucose than in low glucose during stationary phase. Therefore, Sir2 was involved in a response to nutrient cues including glucose that regulates chronological aging, possibly through Sir2-dependent modification of chromatin or deacetylation of a nonhistone protein. Copyright © 2017 by the Genetics Society of America.

Shorter Life Span of Microorganisms and Plants as a Consequence of Shielded Magnetic Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dobrota, C.; Piso, I. M.; Bathory, D.

The geomagnetic field is an essential environmental factor for life and health on this planet. In order to survey how magnetic fields affect the life span and the nitrogenase (an iron-sulphur enzyme) activity of Azotobacter chroococcum as well as the life span, the main organic synthesis and the water balance of plants (22 species), the biological tests were incubated under shielded magnetic field and also in normal geo-magnetic environment. The shielding level was about 10-6 of the terrestrial magnetic field.Life cycles of all organisms require the co-ordinated control of a complex set of interlocked physiological processes and metabolic pathways. Such processes are likely to be regulated by a large number of genes. Our researches suggest that the main point in biological structures, which seems to be affected by the low magnetic environment, is the water molecule. Magnetic field induces a molecular alignment. Under shielded conditions, unstructured water molecules with fewer hydrogen bonds, which are producing a more reactive environment, are occurring. As compared to control, the life span of both microorganisms and plants was shorter in shielded environment. A higher nitrogenase affinity for the substrate was recorded in normal geo-magnetic field compared to low magnetic field. The synthesis of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and enzymes was modified under experimental conditions. The stomatal conductance was higher between 158 and 300% in shielded environment indicating an important water loss from the plant cells.Our results support the idea that the shielded magnetic environment induces different reactions depending on the time of exposure and on the main metabolic pathways of the cells.

The development of memory efficiency and value-directed remembering across the life span: a cross-sectional study of memory and selectivity.

PubMed

Castel, Alan D; Humphreys, Kathryn L; Lee, Steve S; Galván, Adriana; Balota, David A; McCabe, David P

2011-11-01

Although attentional control and memory change considerably across the life span, no research has examined how the ability to strategically remember important information (i.e., value-directed remembering) changes from childhood to old age. The present study examined this in different age groups across the life span (N = 320, 5-96 years old). A selectivity task was used in which participants were asked to study and recall items worth different point values in order to maximize their point score. This procedure allowed for measures of memory quantity/capacity (number of words recalled) and memory efficiency/selectivity (the recall of high-value items relative to low-value items). Age-related differences were found for memory capacity, as young adults recalled more words than the other groups. However, in terms of selectivity, younger and older adults were more selective than adolescents and children. The dissociation between these measures across the life span illustrates important age-related differences in terms of memory capacity and the ability to selectively remember high-value information.

Lactobacillus salivarius strain FDB89 induced longevity in Caenorhabditis elegans by dietary restriction.

PubMed

Zhao, Yang; Zhao, Liang; Zheng, Xiaonan; Fu, Tianjiao; Guo, Huiyuan; Ren, Fazheng

2013-04-01

In this study, we utilized the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans to assess potential life-expanding effect of Lactobacillus salivarius strain FDB89 (FDB89) isolated from feces of centenarians in Bama County (Guangxi, China). This study showed that feeding FDB89 extended the mean life span in C. elegans by up to 11.9% compared to that of control nematodes. The reduced reproductive capacities, pharyngeal pumping rate, growth, and increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and XTT reduction capacity were also observed in FDB89 feeding worms. To probe the anti-aging mechanism further, we incorporated a food gradient feeding assay and assayed the life span of eat-2 mutant. The results demonstrated that the maximal life span of C. elegans fed on FDB89 was achieved at the concentration of 1.0 mg bacterial cells/plate, which was 10-fold greater than that of C. elegans fed on E. coli OP50 (0.1 mg bacterial cells/plate). However, feeding FDB89 could not further extend the life span of eat-2 mutant. These results indicated that FDB89 modulated the longevity of C. elegans in a dietary restriction-dependent manner and expanded the understanding of anti-aging effect of probiotics.

Health span approximates life span among many supercentenarians: compression of morbidity at the approximate limit of life span.

PubMed

Andersen, Stacy L; Sebastiani, Paola; Dworkis, Daniel A; Feldman, Lori; Perls, Thomas T

2012-04-01

We analyze the relationship between age of survival, morbidity, and disability among centenarians (age 100-104 years), semisupercentenarians (age 105-109 years), and supercentenarians (age 110-119 years). One hundred and four supercentenarians, 430 semisupercentenarians, 884 centenarians, 343 nonagenarians, and 436 controls were prospectively followed for an average of 3 years (range 0-13 years). The older the age group, generally, the later the onset of diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, dementia, and stroke, as well as of cognitive and functional decline. The hazard ratios for these individual diseases became progressively less with older and older age, and the relative period of time spent with disease was lower with increasing age group. We observed a progressive delay in the age of onset of physical and cognitive function impairment, age-related diseases, and overall morbidity with increasing age. As the limit of human life span was effectively approached with supercentenarians, compression of morbidity was generally observed.

Health Span Approximates Life Span Among Many Supercentenarians: Compression of Morbidity at the Approximate Limit of Life Span

PubMed Central

Andersen, Stacy L.; Sebastiani, Paola; Dworkis, Daniel A.; Feldman, Lori

2012-01-01

We analyze the relationship between age of survival, morbidity, and disability among centenarians (age 100–104 years), semisupercentenarians (age 105–109 years), and supercentenarians (age 110–119 years). One hundred and four supercentenarians, 430 semisupercentenarians, 884 centenarians, 343 nonagenarians, and 436 controls were prospectively followed for an average of 3 years (range 0–13 years). The older the age group, generally, the later the onset of diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, dementia, and stroke, as well as of cognitive and functional decline. The hazard ratios for these individual diseases became progressively less with older and older age, and the relative period of time spent with disease was lower with increasing age group. We observed a progressive delay in the age of onset of physical and cognitive function impairment, age-related diseases, and overall morbidity with increasing age. As the limit of human life span was effectively approached with supercentenarians, compression of morbidity was generally observed. PMID:22219514

Minocycline, but not ascorbic acid, increases motor activity and extends the life span of Drosophila melanogaster.

PubMed

Mora, Marylhi; Medina-Leendertz, Shirley J; Bonilla, Ernesto; Terán, Raikelin E; Paz, Milagros C; Arcaya, José Luis

2013-06-01

In the present study we compared the effects of minocycline and ascorbic acid in the life span, motor activity and lipid peroxidation of Drosophila melanogaster, in an effort to find a substance capable of providing protection against oxidative stress in aging. In the flies treated with minocycline a very significant increase in the life span (101 +/- 1.33 days) was observed when compared to those treated with ascorbic acid and controls (42.3% and 38.4%, respectively). The motor activity of minocycline treated flies also increased significantly with respect to control and ascorbic acid fed flies, from the 3rd to the 9th week of treatment. With regard to lipid peroxidation, it was found that the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) in flies treated with minocycline showed no statistical differences to the control on the first day of treatment, but a significantly lower content on the day of 50% survival. In contrast, in flies treated with ascorbic acid significantly elevated levels of MDA compared to control and minocycline treated flies were detected throughout. These results suggest a protective effect of minocycline against oxidative stress and aging in D. melanogaster. An inhibitory effect on reactive oxygen species production may be an important contributing factor.

Life-Span Learning: A Developmental Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thornton, James E.

2003-01-01

The article discusses learning as embedded processes of development and aging, and as social activity over the life course. The concept of life-span learning is proposed and outlined to discuss these processes as aspects of and propositions in life-span development and aging theory. Life-span learning processes arise and continuously develop in a…

Lung glutathione reductase induction in aging catalase-depleted frogs correlates with early survival throughout the life span.

PubMed

Perez-Campo, R; Lopez-Torres, M; Rojas, C; Cadenas, S; Barja de Quiroga, G

1993-02-01

A comprehensive experimental study on free radical-related parameters was performed in the lung throughout the life span of 220 initially young or old frogs. No age related differences were found transversely or longitudinally for lung superoxide dismutase, catalase, Se-dependent and -independent glutathione peroxidases, glutathione reductase, GSH, GSSG, or GSSG/GSH ratio. Continuous catalase depletion with aminotriazole led to glutathione reductase induction in the lung after 14.5 months of experimentation. This was accompanied by a great increase in survival rate of treated animals in relation to controls (especially in the old group). After 26.5 months of experimentation, glutathione reductase induction was lost and GSSG/GSH values tended to increase. This was followed by a 3-month long period of acute decrease in survival rate of treated animals. It is suggested that a high antioxidant/prooxidant balance is of protective value against causes of early death and can possibly be used in the future (when appropriately controlled) to increase the number of healthy years of the normal life span.

14 CFR 170.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... approach control service. Arrival means any aircraft arriving at an airport. Benefit-cost ratio means the... (i.e., ATCT) divided by the discounted life cycle costs. Ceiling means the vertical distance between... to aviation users over the life span of a facility or service. Life cycle costs means the value of...

14 CFR 170.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... approach control service. Arrival means any aircraft arriving at an airport. Benefit-cost ratio means the... (i.e., ATCT) divided by the discounted life cycle costs. Ceiling means the vertical distance between... to aviation users over the life span of a facility or service. Life cycle costs means the value of...

14 CFR 170.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... approach control service. Arrival means any aircraft arriving at an airport. Benefit-cost ratio means the... (i.e., ATCT) divided by the discounted life cycle costs. Ceiling means the vertical distance between... to aviation users over the life span of a facility or service. Life cycle costs means the value of...

14 CFR 170.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... approach control service. Arrival means any aircraft arriving at an airport. Benefit-cost ratio means the... (i.e., ATCT) divided by the discounted life cycle costs. Ceiling means the vertical distance between... to aviation users over the life span of a facility or service. Life cycle costs means the value of...

Mitochondrial Reactive Oxygen Species Trigger Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-Dependent Extension of the Replicative Life Span during Hypoxia▿

PubMed Central

Bell, Eric L.; Klimova, Tatyana A.; Eisenbart, James; Schumacker, Paul T.; Chandel, Navdeep S.

2007-01-01

Physiological hypoxia extends the replicative life span of human cells in culture. Here, we report that hypoxic extension of replicative life span is associated with an increase in mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) in primary human lung fibroblasts. The generation of mitochondrial ROS is necessary for hypoxic activation of the transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF). The hypoxic extension of replicative life span is ablated by a dominant negative HIF. HIF is sufficient to induce telomerase reverse transcriptase mRNA and telomerase activity and to extend replicative life span. Furthermore, the down-regulation of the von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor protein by RNA interference increases HIF activity and extends replicative life span under normoxia. These findings provide genetic evidence that hypoxia utilizes mitochondrial ROS as signaling molecules to activate HIF-dependent extension of replicative life span. PMID:17562866

Life-Span Extension by Caloric Restriction Is Determined by Type and Level of Food Reduction and by Reproductive Mode in Brachionus manjavacas (Rotifera)

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

We measured life span and fecundity of three reproductive modes in a clone of the monogonont rotifer Brachionus manjavacas subjected to chronic caloric restriction (CCR) over a range of food concentrations or to intermittent fasting (IF). IF increased life span 50%–70% for all three modes, whereas CCR increased life span of asexual females derived from sexually or asexually produced eggs, but not that of sexual females. The main effect of CR on both asexual modes was to delay death at young ages, rather than to prevent death at middle ages or to greatly extend maximum life span; in contrast CR in sexual females greatly increased the life span of a few long-lived individuals. Lifetime fecundity did not decrease with CCR, suggesting a lack of resource allocation trade-off between somatic maintenance and reproduction. Multiple outcomes for a clonal lineage indicate that different responses are established through epigenetic programming, whereas differences in life-span allocations suggest that multiple genetic mechanisms mediate life-span extension. PMID:22904096

Life-span extension by caloric restriction is determined by type and level of food reduction and by reproductive mode in Brachionus manjavacas (Rotifera).

PubMed

Gribble, Kristin E; Welch, David B Mark

2013-04-01

We measured life span and fecundity of three reproductive modes in a clone of the monogonont rotifer Brachionus manjavacas subjected to chronic caloric restriction (CCR) over a range of food concentrations or to intermittent fasting (IF). IF increased life span 50%-70% for all three modes, whereas CCR increased life span of asexual females derived from sexually or asexually produced eggs, but not that of sexual females. The main effect of CR on both asexual modes was to delay death at young ages, rather than to prevent death at middle ages or to greatly extend maximum life span; in contrast CR in sexual females greatly increased the life span of a few long-lived individuals. Lifetime fecundity did not decrease with CCR, suggesting a lack of resource allocation trade-off between somatic maintenance and reproduction. Multiple outcomes for a clonal lineage indicate that different responses are established through epigenetic programming, whereas differences in life-span allocations suggest that multiple genetic mechanisms mediate life-span extension.

Impacts of metformin and aspirin on life history features and longevity of crickets: trade-offs versus cost-free life extension?

PubMed

Hans, Harvir; Lone, Asad; Aksenov, Vadim; Rollo, C David

2015-01-01

We examined the impacts of aspirin and metformin on the life history of the cricket Acheta domesticus (growth rate, maturation time, mature body size, survivorship, and maximal longevity). Both drugs significantly increased survivorship and maximal life span. Maximal longevity was 136 days for controls, 188 days (138 % of controls) for metformin, and 194 days (143 % of controls) for aspirin. Metformin and aspirin in combination extended longevity to a lesser degree (163 days, 120 % of controls). Increases in general survivorship were even more pronounced, with low-dose aspirin yielding mean longevity 234 % of controls (i.e., health span). Metformin strongly reduced growth rates of both genders (<60 % of controls), whereas aspirin only slightly reduced the growth rate of females and slightly increased that of males. Both drugs delayed maturation age relative to controls, but metformin had a much greater impact (>140 % of controls) than aspirin (~118 % of controls). Crickets maturing on low aspirin showed no evidence of a trade-off between maturation mass and life extension. Remarkably, by 100 days of age, aspirin-treated females were significantly larger than controls (largely reflecting egg complement). Unlike the reigning dietary restriction paradigm, low aspirin conformed to a paradigm of "eat more, live longer." In contrast, metformin-treated females were only ~67 % of the mass of controls. Our results suggest that hormetic agents like metformin may derive significant trade-offs with life extension, whereas health and longevity benefits may be obtained with less cost by agents like aspirin that regulate geroprotective pathways.

Childhood Self-Control and Unemployment Throughout the Life Span

PubMed Central

Delaney, Liam; Egan, Mark; Baumeister, Roy F.

2015-01-01

The capacity for self-control may underlie successful labor-force entry and job retention, particularly in times of economic uncertainty. Analyzing unemployment data from two nationally representative British cohorts (N = 16,780), we found that low self-control in childhood was associated with the emergence and persistence of unemployment across four decades. On average, a 1-SD increase in self-control was associated with a reduction in the probability of unemployment of 1.4 percentage points after adjustment for intelligence, social class, and gender. From labor-market entry to middle age, individuals with low self-control experienced 1.6 times as many months of unemployment as those with high self-control. Analysis of monthly unemployment data before and during the 1980s recession showed that individuals with low self-control experienced the greatest increases in unemployment during the recession. Our results underscore the critical role of self-control in shaping life-span trajectories of occupational success and in affecting how macroeconomic conditions affect unemployment levels in the population. PMID:25870404

Drosophila melanogaster as a model system of aluminum toxicity and aging.

PubMed

Kijak, Ewelina; Rosato, Ezio; Knapczyk, Katarzyna; Pyza, Elżbieta

2014-04-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the toxic effects of aluminum (Al) on the model organism-Drosophila melanogaster. The study is especially concerned with the effects of aluminum on the fruit fly's development, life span, and circadian rhythm in rest and activity. Flies were exposed to aluminum in concentrations from 40 to 280 mg/kg in rearing media or the flies were raised on control medium. Moreover, the life span of insects exposed to aluminum containing 40, 120, or 240 mg/kg of Al in the medium, only during their larval development, during the whole life cycle and only in their adult life was tested. To check if aluminum and aging cause changes in D. melanogaster behavior, the locomotor activity of flies at different ages was recorded. Results showed that aluminum is toxic in concentrations above 160 mg/kg in the rearing medium. Depending on Al concentration and time of exposure, the life span of the flies was shortened. At intermediate concentrations (120 mg/kg), however, Al had a stimulating effect on males increasing their life span and level of locomotor activity. At higher concentration the aluminum exposure increased or decreased the level of locomotor activity of D. melanogaster depending on age of flies. In addition, in the oldest insects reared on aluminum supplemented media and in mid-aged flies reared on the highest concentration of Al the daily rhythm of activity was disrupted. © 2013 Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Studying the replicative life span of yeast cells.

PubMed

Sinclair, David A

2013-01-01

The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a useful model for elucidating the pathways that control life span and the influence of environmental factors, such as calorie restriction (CR). For 75 years, CR has been studied for its ability to delay diseases of aging in mammals, from cancer to cardiovascular disease (McCay et al., Nutr Rev 33:241-243, 1975). In many other species, reducing calorie intake extends life span, including unicellular organisms (Jiang et al., FASEB J 14:2135-2137, 2000; Lin et al., Science 289:2126-2128, 2000), invertebrates (Rogina and Helfand, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 101:15998-16003, 2004), and rodents (Martín-Montalvo et al., Oncogene 30:505-520, 2011). Here we describe how to calorically restrict yeast cells, the methods used to determine the replicative life span (RLS) of budding yeast cells, how to selectively kill daughter cells using the mother enrichment program (MEP), how to measure recombination frequency at the rDNA locus, how to isolate large quantities of old cells, and how to analyze the circular forms of DNA known as extrachromosomal rDNA circles (ERCs), a cause of aging in S. cerevisiae (Petes, Cell 19:765-774, 1980; Sinclair and Guarente, Cell 91:1033-1042, 1997; Defossez et al., Mol Cell 3:447-455, 1999).

Cognitive features of psychotic states arising in late life (late paraphrenia).

PubMed

Almeida, O P; Howard, R J; Levy, R; David, A S; Morris, R G; Sahakian, B J

1995-07-01

The cognitive performance of 47 elderly psychotic patients with onset of symptoms in late life (late paraphrenia) was compared to that of 33 controls matched for age, sex, ethnic origin, number of years of education, and pre-morbid IQ as measured by the NART. Neuropsychological indices of general cognitive functioning (MMSE, CAMCOG, WAIS-R verbal and performance scores) showed that patients were performing the tasks at a significantly lower level than controls. Patients also showed a trend to have a lower span capacity than controls, particularly at the spatial span subtest. There was no obvious impairment of learning as measured by the digit and spatial recurring span tasks nor of simultaneous matching-to-sample ability. However, patients' performance on a delayed-matching-to-sample procedure was significantly worse than that of controls. In addition, patients performed worse than controls on the Recognition Memory Test for Faces, but not for Words. Finally, the performance of patients on tests assessing executive functioning (Verbal Fluency Test, Computerized Extra and Intra-Dimensional Shift Task, Computerized Spatial Working Memory Task, and Computerized Tower of London Task) was consistently worse than that of controls. These results suggest that psychotic states arising in late life are predominantly associated with a decline on measures of general cognitive ability and executive functioning. The neuropsychological meaning of these findings is discussed in the light of cognitive models of psychotic symptoms, as well as of schizophrenia and dementia research. We concluded that the lack of a clear pattern of impairment among these patients may be the result of their clinical and cognitive diversity.

Comparative transcriptional profiling identifies takeout as a gene that regulates life span

PubMed Central

Bauer, Johannes; Antosh, Michael; Chang, Chengyi; Schorl, Christoph; Kolli, Santharam; Neretti, Nicola; Helfand, Stephen L.

2010-01-01

A major challenge in translating the positive effects of dietary restriction (DR) for the improvement of human health is the development of therapeutic mimics. One approach to finding DR mimics is based upon identification of the proximal effectors of DR life span extension. Whole genome profiling of DR in Drosophila shows a large number of changes in gene expression, making it difficult to establish which changes are involved in life span determination as opposed to other unrelated physiological changes. We used comparative whole genome expression profiling to discover genes whose change in expression is shared between DR and two molecular genetic life span extending interventions related to DR, increased dSir2 and decreased Dmp53 activity. We find twenty-one genes shared among the three related life span extending interventions. One of these genes, takeout, thought to be involved in circadian rhythms, feeding behavior and juvenile hormone binding is also increased in four other life span extending conditions: Rpd3, Indy, chico and methuselah. We demonstrate takeout is involved in longevity determination by specifically increasing adult takeout expression and extending life span. These studies demonstrate the power of comparative whole genome transcriptional profiling for identifying specific downstream elements of the DR life span extending pathway. PMID:20519778

Ancestral telomere shortening: a countdown that will increase mean life span?

PubMed

Hertzog, Radu G

2006-01-01

Like cells, all mammals have a limited life span. Among cells there are a few exceptions (e.g., immortal cells), among mammals not, even if some of them live longer. Many in vitro and in vivo studies support the consensus that telomere length is strongly correlated with life span. At the somatic cellular level, long telomeres have been associated with longer life span. A different situation can be seen in immortal cells, such as cancer, germ and stem cells, where telomeres are maintained by telomerase, a specialized reverse transcriptase that is involved in synthesis of telomeres. Irrespective of telomere length, if telomerase is active, telomeres can be maintained at a sufficient length to ensure cell survival. To the contrary, telomeres shorten progressively with each cell division and when a critical telomere length (Hayflick limit) is reached, the cells undergo senescence and subsequently apoptosis. In mammals, those with the longest telomeres (e.g., mice) have the shortest life span. Furthermore, the shorter the mean telomere length, the longer the mean life span, as observed in humans (10-14 kpb) and bowhead-whales (undetermined telomere length), which have the longest mean life span among mammals. Over the past centuries, human average life span has increased. The hypothesis presented here suggests that this continual increase in the mean life span could be due to a decrease of mean telomere length over the last hundreds years. Actually, the life span is not directly influenced by length of telomeres, but rather by telomere length - dependent gene expression pattern. According to Greider, "rather than average telomere length, it is the shortest telomere length that makes the biggest difference to a cell". In the context of fast-growing global elderly population due to increase in life expectancy, it also seem to be an age related increase in cancer incidence. Nevertheless, extending healthy life span could depend on how good cells achieve, during the prenatal period and few years after birth, the equilibrium between telomere length and telomerase activity, as seen in germ cells. After all, I suggest that decrease in mean telomere length might result in, on the one hand, an increased life span and, on the other, a higher risk of tumorigenesis.

Thrombokinetics in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with D-penicillamine.

PubMed Central

Thomas, D; Gallus, A S; Brooks, P M; Tampi, R; Geddes, R; Hill, W

1984-01-01

The mechanism of D-penicillamine induced thrombocytopenia in rheumatoid arthritis was investigated by measuring platelet life-span and platelet production rate in 2 groups of rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with 250-750 mg/day D-penicillamine, 14 with a normal platelet count and 9 with thrombocytopenia (platelet count 50-130 X 10(9)/1). Age matched control patients not treated with D-penicillamine included 14 with rheumatoid arthritis and 9 with osteoarthritis. The platelet life-span was normal, but platelet production rate was significantly reduced in the thrombocytopenic patients, suggesting that D-penicillamine causes thrombocytopenia through bone marrow suppression. PMID:6742902

The meaning of death: some simulations of a model of healthy and unhealthy consumption.

PubMed

Forster, M

2001-07-01

Simulations of a model of healthy and unhealthy consumption are used to investigate the impact of various terminal conditions on life-span, pathways of health-related consumption and health. A model in which life-span and the 'death' stock of health are fixed is compared to versions in which (i) the 'death' stock of health is freely chosen; (ii) life-span is freely chosen; (iii) both the 'death' stock of health and life-span are freely chosen. The choice of terminal conditions has a striking impact on optimal plans. Results are discussed with reference to the existing demand for health literature and illustrate the application of iterative processes to determine optimal life-span, the role played by the marginal value of health capital in determining optimal plans, and the importance of checking the second-order conditions for the optimal choice of life-span.

Effects of High Magneto-Gravitational Environment on Silkworm Embryogenesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, Zongcheng; Li, Muwang; Qian, Airong; Xu, Huiyun; Wang, Zhe; Di, Shengmeng; Yang, Pengfei; Hu, Lifang; Ding, Chong; Zhang, Wei; Luo, Mingzhi; Han, Jing; Gao, Xiang; Huang, Yongping; Shang, Peng

2010-04-01

The objective of this research was to observe whether silkworm embryos can survive in a high magneto-gravitational environment (HMGE) and what significant phenotype changes can be produced. The hatching rate, hatching time, life span, growth velocity and cocoon weight of silkworm were measured after silkworm embryos were exposed to HMGE (0 g, 12 T; 1 g, 16 T; and 2 g, 12 T) for a period of time. Compared with the control group, 0 g exposure resulted in a lower hatching rate and a shorter life span. Statistically insignificant morphological changes had been observed for larvae growth velocity, incidence of abnormal markings and weight of cocoons. These results suggest that the effect of HMGE on silkworm embryogenesis is not lethal. Bio-effects of silkworm embryogenesis at 0 g in a HMGE were similar with those of space flight. The hatching time, life span and hatching rates of silkworm may be potential phenotype markers related to exposure in a weightless environment.

Review of certain low-level ionizing radiation studies in mice and guinea pigs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Congdon, C.C.

1987-05-01

Starting in the early 1940s, Egon Lorenz and collaborators at the National Cancer Institute began an extended study of chronic low-level ionizing radiation effects in what was then the tolerance range for man. Observations on life span, body weight and radiation carcinogenesis, among others, were made in mice, guinea pigs and rabbits. At the then-permissible exposure level, 0.1 R** per 8-h day until natural death, experimental mice and guinea pigs had a slightly greater mean life span compared to control animals. In addition, there was marked weight gain during the growth phase in both species. Increased tumor incidence was alsomore » observed at the 0.1-R level in mice. The primary hypothesis for increased median life span has been rebound regenerative hyperplasia during the early part of the exposure; in the presence of continuing injury, there is physiological enhancement of defense mechanisms against intercurrent infection. The body weight gain has not been explained. 32 references.« less

Longevity and age-related lesions in a laboratory colony of grasshopper mice, Onychomys leucogaster

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

O'Farrell, T.P.; Cosgrove, G.E.

1975-07-01

Mated pairs of northern grasshopper mice, Onychomys leucogaster fuscogriseus, were maintained in a laboratory colony to determine their median longevity, maximum life span, and age-related pathologies. Median life span for both sexes and four cohorts was 1411 days and the maximum life span was 1915 days. There were no significant differences between sexes, but cohorts 5-7 generations removed from wild-caught parents had shorter median life spans. (auth)

Ageing in a eusocial insect: molecular and physiological characteristics of life span plasticity in the honey bee

PubMed Central

Münch, D.; Amdam, G. V.; Wolschin, F.

2008-01-01

Summary Commonly held views assume that ageing, or senescence, represents an inevitable, passive, and random decline in function that is strongly linked to chronological age. In recent years, genetic intervention of life span regulating pathways, for example, in Drosophila as well as case studies in non-classical animal models, have provided compelling evidence to challenge these views. Rather than comprehensively revisiting studies on the established genetic model systems of ageing, we here focus on an alternative model organism with a wild type (unselected genotype) characterized by a unique diversity in longevity – the honey bee. Honey bee (Apis mellifera) life span varies from a few weeks to more than 2 years. This plasticity is largely controlled by environmental factors. Thereby, although individuals are closely related genetically, distinct life histories can emerge as a function of social environmental change. Another remarkable feature of the honey bee is the occurrence of reverted behavioural ontogeny in the worker (female helper) caste. This behavioural peculiarity is associated with alterations in somatic maintenance functions that are indicative of reverted senescence. Thus, although intraspecific variation in organismal life span is not uncommon, the honey bee holds great promise for gaining insights into regulatory pathways that can shape the time-course of ageing by delaying, halting or even reversing processes of senescence. These aspects provide the setting of our review. We will highlight comparative findings from Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans in particular, and focus on knowledge spanning from molecular- to behavioural-senescence to elucidate how the honey bee can contribute to novel insights into regulatory mechanisms that underlie plasticity and robustness or irreversibility in ageing. PMID:18728759

Ageing in a eusocial insect: molecular and physiological characteristics of life span plasticity in the honey bee.

PubMed

Münch, D; Amdam, G V; Wolschin, F

2008-01-01

Commonly held views assume that ageing, or senescence, represents an inevitable, passive, and random decline in function that is strongly linked to chronological age. In recent years, genetic intervention of life span regulating pathways, for example, in Drosophila as well as case studies in non-classical animal models, have provided compelling evidence to challenge these views.Rather than comprehensively revisiting studies on the established genetic model systems of ageing, we here focus on an alternative model organism with a wild type (unselected genotype) characterized by a unique diversity in longevity - the honey bee.Honey bee (Apis mellifera) life span varies from a few weeks to more than 2 years. This plasticity is largely controlled by environmental factors. Thereby, although individuals are closely related genetically, distinct life histories can emerge as a function of social environmental change.Another remarkable feature of the honey bee is the occurrence of reverted behavioural ontogeny in the worker (female helper) caste. This behavioural peculiarity is associated with alterations in somatic maintenance functions that are indicative of reverted senescence. Thus, although intraspecific variation in organismal life span is not uncommon, the honey bee holds great promise for gaining insights into regulatory pathways that can shape the time-course of ageing by delaying, halting or even reversing processes of senescence. These aspects provide the setting of our review.We will highlight comparative findings from Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans in particular, and focus on knowledge spanning from molecular- to behavioural-senescence to elucidate how the honey bee can contribute to novel insights into regulatory mechanisms that underlie plasticity and robustness or irreversibility in ageing.

Dietary supplementation with Lovaza and krill oil shortens the life span of long-lived F1 mice.

PubMed

Spindler, Stephen R; Mote, Patricia L; Flegal, James M

2014-06-01

Marine oils rich in ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids have been recommended as a preventive treatment for patients at risk for cardiovascular diseases. These oils also are the third most consumed dietary supplement in the USA. However, evidence for their health benefits is equivocal. We tested the daily, isocaloric administration of krill oil (1.17 g oil/kg diet) and Lovaza (Omacor; 4.40 g/kg diet), a pharmaceutical grade fish oil, beginning at 12 months of age, on the life span and mortality-related pathologies of long-lived, male, B6C3F1 mice. The oils were incorporated into the chemically defined American Institute of Nutrition (AIN)-93 M diet. An equivalent volume of soybean oil was removed. Krill oil was 3 % and Lovaza 11 % of the oil in the diets. When their effects were analyzed together, the marine oils significantly shortened life span by 6.6 % (P = 0.0321; log-rank test) relative to controls. Individually, Lovaza and krill oil non-significantly shortened median life span by 9.8 and 4.7 %, respectively. Lovaza increased the number of enlarged seminal vesicles (7.1-fold). Lovaza and krill oil significantly increased lung tumors (4.1- and 8.2-fold) and hemorrhagic diathesis (3.9- and 3.1-fold). Analysis of serum from treated mice found that Lovaza slightly increased blood urea nitrogen, while krill oil modestly increased bilirubin, triglycerides, and blood glucose levels. Taken together, the results do not support the idea that the consumption of isolated ω-3 fatty acid-rich oils will increase the life span or health of initially healthy individuals.

Increased iron supplied through Fet3p results in replicative life span extension of Saccharomyces cerevisiae under conditions requiring respiratory metabolism.

PubMed

Botta, Gabriela; Turn, Christina S; Quintyne, Nicholas J; Kirchman, Paul A

2011-10-01

We have previously shown that copper supplementation extends the replicative life span of Saccharomyces cerevisiae when grown under conditions forcing cells to respire. We now show that copper's effect on life span is through Fet3p, a copper containing enzyme responsible for high affinity transport of iron into yeast cells. Life span extensions can also be obtained by supplementing the growth medium with 1mM ferric chloride. Extension by high iron levels is still dependent on the presence of Fet3p. Life span extension by iron or copper requires growth on media containing glycerol as the sole carbon source, which forces yeast to respire. Yeast grown on glucose containing media supplemented with iron show no extension of life span. The iron associated with cells grown in media supplemented with copper or iron is 1.4-1.8 times that of cells grown without copper or iron supplementation. As with copper supplementation, iron supplementation partially rescues the life span of superoxide dismutase mutants. Cells grown with copper supplementation display decreased production of superoxide as measured by dihydroethidium staining. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Childhood self-control and unemployment throughout the life span: evidence from two British cohort studies.

PubMed

Daly, Michael; Delaney, Liam; Egan, Mark; Baumeister, Roy F

2015-06-01

The capacity for self-control may underlie successful labor-force entry and job retention, particularly in times of economic uncertainty. Analyzing unemployment data from two nationally representative British cohorts (N = 16,780), we found that low self-control in childhood was associated with the emergence and persistence of unemployment across four decades. On average, a 1-SD increase in self-control was associated with a reduction in the probability of unemployment of 1.4 percentage points after adjustment for intelligence, social class, and gender. From labor-market entry to middle age, individuals with low self-control experienced 1.6 times as many months of unemployment as those with high self-control. Analysis of monthly unemployment data before and during the 1980s recession showed that individuals with low self-control experienced the greatest increases in unemployment during the recession. Our results underscore the critical role of self-control in shaping life-span trajectories of occupational success and in affecting how macroeconomic conditions affect unemployment levels in the population. © The Author(s) 2015.

How long will my mouse live? Machine learning approaches for prediction of mouse life span.

PubMed

Swindell, William R; Harper, James M; Miller, Richard A

2008-09-01

Prediction of individual life span based on characteristics evaluated at middle-age represents a challenging objective for aging research. In this study, we used machine learning algorithms to construct models that predict life span in a stock of genetically heterogeneous mice. Life-span prediction accuracy of 22 algorithms was evaluated using a cross-validation approach, in which models were trained and tested with distinct subsets of data. Using a combination of body weight and T-cell subset measures evaluated before 2 years of age, we show that the life-span quartile to which an individual mouse belongs can be predicted with an accuracy of 35.3% (+/-0.10%). This result provides a new benchmark for the development of life-span-predictive models, but improvement can be expected through identification of new predictor variables and development of computational approaches. Future work in this direction can provide tools for aging research and will shed light on associations between phenotypic traits and longevity.

Controls on declining carbon balance with leaf age among 10 woody species in Australian woodland: do leaves have zero daily net carbon balances when they die?

PubMed

Reich, Peter B; Falster, Daniel S; Ellsworth, David S; Wright, Ian J; Westoby, Mark; Oleksyn, Jacek; Lee, Tali D

2009-01-01

* Here, we evaluated how increased shading and declining net photosynthetic capacity regulate the decline in net carbon balance with increasing leaf age for 10 Australian woodland species. We also asked whether leaves at the age of their mean life-span have carbon balances that are positive, zero or negative. * The net carbon balances of 2307 leaves on 53 branches of the 10 species were estimated. We assessed three-dimensional architecture, canopy openness, photosynthetic light response functions and dark respiration rate across leaf age sequences on all branches. We used YPLANT to estimate light interception and to model carbon balance along the leaf age sequences. * As leaf age increased to the mean life-span, increasing shading and declining photosynthetic capacity each separately reduced daytime carbon gain by approximately 39% on average across species. Together, they reduced daytime carbon gain by 64% on average across species. * At the age of their mean life-span, almost all leaves had positive daytime carbon balances. These per leaf carbon surpluses were of a similar magnitude to the estimated whole-plant respiratory costs per leaf. Thus, the results suggest that a whole-plant economic framework, including respiratory costs, may be useful in assessing controls on leaf longevity.

Exploratory and problem-solving consumer behavior across the life span.

PubMed

Lesser, J A; Kunkel, S R

1991-09-01

Different cognitive functioning, social, and personality changes appear to occur systematically during the adult life span. This article synthesizes research on life span changes in order to develop age-specific models of shopping behavior. The models are tested within a naturalistic field study of shoppers.

Maternal caloric restriction partially rescues the deleterious effects of advanced maternal age on offspring

PubMed Central

Gribble, Kristin E; Jarvis, George; Bock, Martha; Mark Welch, David B

2014-01-01

While many studies have focused on the detrimental effects of advanced maternal age and harmful prenatal environments on progeny, little is known about the role of beneficial non-Mendelian maternal inheritance on aging. Here, we report the effects of maternal age and maternal caloric restriction (CR) on the life span and health span of offspring for a clonal culture of the monogonont rotifer Brachionus manjavacas. Mothers on regimens of chronic CR (CCR) or intermittent fasting (IF) had increased life span compared with mothers fed ad libitum (AL). With increasing maternal age, life span and fecundity of female offspring of AL-fed mothers decreased significantly and life span of male offspring was unchanged, whereas body size of both male and female offspring increased. Maternal CR partially rescued these effects, increasing the mean life span of AL-fed female offspring but not male offspring and increasing the fecundity of AL-fed female offspring compared with offspring of mothers of the same age. Both maternal CR regimens decreased male offspring body size, but only maternal IF decreased body size of female offspring, whereas maternal CCR caused a slight increase. Understanding the genetic and biochemical basis of these different maternal effects on aging may guide effective interventions to improve health span and life span. PMID:24661622

Developmental Regulation across the Life Span: Toward a New Synthesis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haase, Claudia M.; Heckhausen, Jutta; Wrosch, Carsten

2013-01-01

How can individuals regulate their own development to live happy, healthy, and productive lives? Major theories of developmental regulation across the life span have been proposed (e.g., dual-process model of assimilation and accommodation; motivational theory of life-span development; model of selection, optimization, and compensation), but they…

Increasing cell culture population doublings for long-term growth of finite life span human cell cultures

DOEpatents

Stampfer, Martha R.; Garbe, James C.

2016-06-28

Cell culture media formulations for culturing human epithelial cells are herein described. Also described are methods of increasing population doublings in a cell culture of finite life span human epithelial cells and prolonging the life span of human cell cultures. Using the cell culture media disclosed alone and in combination with addition to the cell culture of a compound associated with anti-stress activity achieves extended growth of pre-stasis cells and increased population doublings and life span in human epithelial cell cultures.

Increasing cell culture population doublings for long-term growth of finite life span human cell cultures

DOEpatents

Stampfer, Martha R; Garbe, James C

2015-02-24

Cell culture media formulations for culturing human epithelial cells are herein described. Also described are methods of increasing population doublings in a cell culture of finite life span human epithelial cells and prolonging the life span of human cell cultures. Using the cell culture media disclosed alone and in combination with addition to the cell culture of a compound associated with anti-stress activity achieves extended growth of pre-stasis cells and increased population doublings and life span in human epithelial cell cultures.

Sexual Conflict, Life Span, and Aging

PubMed Central

Adler, Margo I.; Bonduriansky, Russell

2014-01-01

The potential for sexual conflict to influence the evolution of life span and aging has been recognized for more than a decade, and recent work also suggests that variation in life span and aging can influence sexually antagonistic coevolution. However, empirical exploration of these ideas is only beginning. Here, we provide an overview of the ideas and evidence linking inter- and intralocus sexual conflicts with life span and aging. We aim to clarify the conceptual basis of this research program, examine the current state of knowledge, and suggest key questions for further investigation. PMID:24938876

Evolution of senescence in nature: physiological evolution in populations of garter snake with divergent life histories.

PubMed

Robert, Kylie A; Bronikowski, Anne M

2010-02-01

Evolutionary theories of aging are linked to life-history theory in that age-specific schedules of reproduction and survival determine the trajectory of age-specific mutation/selection balances across the life span and thus the rate of senescence. This is predicted to manifest at the organismal level in the evolution of energy allocation strategies of investing in somatic maintenance and robust stress responses in less hazardous environments in exchange for energy spent on growth and reproduction. Here we report experiments from long-studied populations of western terrestrial garter snakes (Thamnophis elegans) that reside in low and high extrinsic mortality environments, with evolved long and short life spans, respectively. Laboratory common-environment colonies of these two ecotypes were tested for a suite of physiological traits after control and stressed gestations. In offspring derived from control and corticosterone-treated dams, we measured resting metabolism; mitochondrial oxygen consumption, ATP and free radical production rates; and erythrocyte DNA damage and repair ability. We evaluated whether these aging biomarkers mirrored the evolution of life span and whether they were sensitive to stress. Neonates from the long-lived ecotype (1) were smaller, (2) consumed equal amounts of oxygen when corrected for body mass, (3) had DNA that damaged more readily but repaired more efficiently, and (4) had more efficient mitochondria and more efficient cellular antioxidant defenses than short-lived snakes. Many ecotype differences were enhanced in offspring derived from stress-treated dams, which supports the conclusion that nongenetic maternal effects may further impact the cellular stress defenses of offspring. Our findings reveal that physiological evolution underpins reptilian life histories and sheds light on the connectedness between stress response and aging pathways in wild-dwelling organisms.

Materialism across the life span: An age-period-cohort analysis.

PubMed

Jaspers, Esther D T; Pieters, Rik G M

2016-09-01

This research examined the development of materialism across the life span. Two initial studies revealed that (a) lay beliefs were that materialism declines with age and (b) previous research findings also implied a modest, negative relationship between age and materialism. Yet, previous research has considered age only as a linear control variable, thereby precluding the possibility of more intricate relationships between age and materialism. Moreover, prior studies have relied on cross-sectional data and thus confound age and cohort effects. To improve on this, the main study used longitudinal data from 8 waves spanning 9 years of over 4,200 individuals (16 to 90 years) to examine age effects on materialism while controlling for cohort and period effects. Using a multivariate multilevel latent growth model, it found that materialism followed a curvilinear trajectory across the life span, with the lowest levels at middle age and higher levels before and after that. Thus, in contrast to lay beliefs, materialism increased in older age. Moreover, age effects on materialism differed markedly between 3 core themes of materialism: acquisition centrality, possession-defined success, and acquisition as the pursuit of happiness. In particular, acquisition centrality and possession-defined success were higher at younger and older age. Independent of these age effects, older birth cohorts were oriented more toward possession-defined success, whereas younger birth cohorts were oriented more toward acquisition centrality. The economic downturn since 2008 led to a decrease in acquisition as the pursuit of happiness and in desires for personal growth, but to an increase in desires for achievement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Blade life span, structural investment, and nutrient allocation in giant kelp.

PubMed

Rodriguez, Gabriel E; Reed, Daniel C; Holbrook, Sally J

2016-10-01

The turnover of plant biomass largely determines the amount of energy flowing through an ecosystem and understanding the processes that regulate turnover has been of interest to ecologists for decades. Leaf life span theory has proven useful in explaining patterns of leaf turnover in relation to resource availability, but the predictions of this theory have not been tested for macroalgae. We measured blade life span, size, thickness, nitrogen content, pigment content, and maximum photosynthetic rate (P max) in the giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) along a strong resource (light) gradient to test whether the predictions of leaf life span theory applied to this alga. We found that shorter blade life spans and larger blade areas were associated with increased light availability. In addition, nitrogen and P max decreased with blade age, and their decrease was greater in shorter lived blades. These observations are generally consistent with patterns observed for higher plants and the prevailing theory of leaf life span. By contrast, variation observed in pigments of giant kelp was inconsistent with that predicted by leaf life span theory, as blades growing in the most heavily shaded portion of the forest had the lowest chlorophyll content. This result may reflect the dual role of macroalgal blades in carbon fixation and nutrient absorption and the ability of giant kelp to modify blade physiology to optimize the acquisition of light and nutrients. Thus, the marine environment may place demands on resource acquisition and allocation that have not been previously considered with respect to leaf life span optimization.

78. VIEW SHOWING PLACEMENT OF LIFE SPAN SHOE ON PIER ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

78. VIEW SHOWING PLACEMENT OF LIFE SPAN SHOE ON PIER 6, LOOKING NORTH, March 5, 1935 - Sacramento River Bridge, Spanning Sacramento River at California State Highway 275, Sacramento, Sacramento County, CA

Learning From Leaders: Life-span Trends in Olympians and Supercentenarians

PubMed Central

Berthelot, Geoffroy; Marck, Adrien; Noirez, Philippe; Latouche, Aurélien; Toussaint, Jean-François

2015-01-01

Life-span trends progression has worldwide practical implications as it may affect the sustainability of modern societies. We aimed to describe the secular life-span trends of populations with a propensity to live longer—Olympians and supercentenarians—under two hypotheses: an ongoing life-span extension versus a biologic “probabilistic barrier” limiting further progression. In a study of life-span densities (total number of life durations per birth date), we analyzed 19,012 Olympians and 1,205 supercentenarians deceased between 1900 and 2013. Among most Olympians, we observed a trend toward increased life duration. This trend, however, decelerates at advanced ages leveling off with the upper values with a perennial gap between Olympians and supercentenarians during the whole observation period. Similar tendencies are observed among supercentenarians, and over the last years, a plateau attests to a stable longevity pattern among the longest-lived humans. The common trends between Olympians and supercentenarians indicate similar mortality pressures over both populations that increase with age, scenario better explained by a biologic “barrier” forecast. PMID:25143003

What Prolongs a Butterfly's Life?: Trade-Offs between Dormancy, Fecundity and Body Size

PubMed Central

Haeler, Elena; Fiedler, Konrad; Grill, Andrea

2014-01-01

In butterflies, life span often increases only at the expense of fecundity. Prolonged life span, on the other hand, provides more opportunities for oviposition. Here, we studied the association between life span and summer dormancy in two closely related species of Palearctic Meadow Brown butterflies, the endemic Maniola nurag and the widespread M. jurtina, from two climatic provenances, a Mediterranean and a Central European site, and tested the relationships between longevity, body size and fecundity. We experimentally induced summer dormancy and hence prolonged the butterflies’ life in order to study the effects of such a prolonged life. We were able to modulate longevity only in Mediterranean females by rearing them under summer photoperiodic conditions (light 16 h : dark 8 h), thereby more than doubling their natural life span, to up to 246 days. Central European individuals kept their natural average live span under all treatments, as did Mediterranean individuals under autumn treatment (light 11: dark 13). Body size only had a significant effect in the smaller species, M. nurag, where it affected the duration of dormancy and lifetime fecundity. In the larger species, M. jurtina, a prolonged adult life span did, surprisingly, not convey any fecundity loss. In M. nurag, which generally deposited fewer eggs, extended life had a fecundity cost. We conclude that Mediterranen M. jurtina butterflies have an extraordinary plasticity in aging which allows them to extend life span in response to adverse environmental conditions and relieve the time limitation on egg-laying while maintaining egg production at equal levels. PMID:25390334

Teaching the Psychology of Aging: A Life-Span Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seltzer, Mildred M.

There is a vast body of literature devoted to an examination of life-span development. Several authors have described the characteristics of the life-span approach and have distinguished it from more traditional forms of psychology. Emphasis has been placed on the multidirectional and multidimensional nature of development and change, as well as…

Qualitative Exploration of Acculturation and Life-Span Issues of Elderly Asian Americans

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Jee Hyang; Heo, Nanseol; Lu, Junfei; Portman, Tarrell Awe Agahe

2013-01-01

Awareness of aging issues across diverse populations begins the journey toward counselors becoming culturally competent across client life spans. Understanding the life-span experiences of cultural groups is important for helping professionals. The purpose of this research was to gain insight into the qualitative experiences of Asian American…

Amino acid sources in the adult diet do not affect life span and fecundity in the fruit-feeding butterfly Bicyclus anynana.

PubMed

Molleman, Freerk; Ding, Jimin; Wang, Jane-Ling; Brakefield, Paul M; Carey, James R; Zwaan, Bas J

2008-08-01

1. In tropical forests, the adults of many butterfly species feed on fruits rather than nectar from flowers and have long life spans. Rotting fruit and nectar differ from each other in many respects, including sources of amino acids and microbial life. If amino acids in the adult diet can be used for reproduction, this may have facilitated the evolution of extended life spans in this guild.2. This issue was addressed by investigating effects of banana, yeast, and amino acids in the adult diet of the fruit-feeding butterfly Bicyclus anynana (Lepidoptera) on longevity and female reproductive output in two experiments.3. Results showed that in the fruit-feeding butterfly B. anynana: (i) banana juice, but not sliced banana or added amino acids extend life span compared with a sugar solution of similar composition; (ii) compared with this sugar solution, other cohorts (banana juice-amino acid enriched) did not have significantly higher reproductive outputs; (iii) yeast does not represent a valuable source of nutrients; (iv) caloric restriction may cause decreased life span and rate of reproduction; and (v) increased rates of reproduction have a life span cost.

Maternal caloric restriction partially rescues the deleterious effects of advanced maternal age on offspring.

PubMed

Gribble, Kristin E; Jarvis, George; Bock, Martha; Mark Welch, David B

2014-08-01

While many studies have focused on the detrimental effects of advanced maternal age and harmful prenatal environments on progeny, little is known about the role of beneficial non-Mendelian maternal inheritance on aging. Here, we report the effects of maternal age and maternal caloric restriction (CR) on the life span and health span of offspring for a clonal culture of the monogonont rotifer Brachionus manjavacas. Mothers on regimens of chronic CR (CCR) or intermittent fasting (IF) had increased life span compared with mothers fed ad libitum (AL). With increasing maternal age, life span and fecundity of female offspring of AL-fed mothers decreased significantly and life span of male offspring was unchanged, whereas body size of both male and female offspring increased. Maternal CR partially rescued these effects, increasing the mean life span of AL-fed female offspring but not male offspring and increasing the fecundity of AL-fed female offspring compared with offspring of mothers of the same age. Both maternal CR regimens decreased male offspring body size, but only maternal IF decreased body size of female offspring, whereas maternal CCR caused a slight increase. Understanding the genetic and biochemical basis of these different maternal effects on aging may guide effective interventions to improve health span and life span. © 2014 The Authors. Aging Cell published by the Anatomical Society and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Social Context of Managing Diabetes across the Life Span

PubMed Central

Wiebe, Deborah J.; Helgeson, Vicki; Berg, Cynthia A.

2016-01-01

Diabetes self-management is crucial to maintaining quality of life and preventing long-term complications, and occurs daily in the context of close interpersonal relationships. This article examines how social relationships are central to meeting the complex demands of managing type 1 and type 2 diabetes across the life span. The social context of diabetes management includes multiple resources, including family (parents, spouses), peers, romantic partners, and health care providers. We discuss how these social resources change across the life span, focusing on childhood and adolescence, emerging adulthood, and adulthood and aging. We review how diabetes both affects and is affected by key social relationships at each developmental period. Despite high variability in how the social context is conceptualized and measured across studies, findings converge on the characteristics of social relationships that facilitate or undermine diabetes management across the life span. These characteristics are consistent with both Interpersonal Theory and Self-Determination Theory, two organizing frameworks that we utilize to explore social behaviors that are related to diabetes management. Involvement and support from one’s social partners, particularly family members, is consistently associated with good diabetes outcomes when characterized by warmth, collaboration and acceptance. Under-involvement and interactions characterized by conflict and criticism are consistently associated with poor diabetes outcomes. Intrusive involvement that contains elements of social control may undermine diabetes management, particularly when it impinges on self-efficacy. Implications for future research directions and for interventions that promote the effective use of the social context to improve diabetes self-management are discussed. PMID:27690482

Telomerase-mediated life-span extension of human primary fibroblasts by human artificial chromosome (HAC) vector

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shitara, Shingo; Kakeda, Minoru; Nagata, Keiko

2008-05-09

Telomerase-mediated life-span extension enables the expansion of normal cells without malignant transformation, and thus has been thought to be useful in cell therapies. Currently, integrating vectors including the retrovirus are used for human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT)-mediated expansion of normal cells; however, the use of these vectors potentially causes unexpected insertional mutagenesis and/or activation of oncogenes. Here, we established normal human fibroblast (hPF) clones retaining non-integrating human artificial chromosome (HAC) vectors harboring the hTERT expression cassette. In hTERT-HAC/hPF clones, we observed the telomerase activity and the suppression of senescent-associated SA-{beta}-galactosidase activity. Furthermore, the hTERT-HAC/hPF clones continued growing beyond 120 daysmore » after cloning, whereas the hPF clones retaining the silent hTERT-HAC senesced within 70 days. Thus, hTERT-HAC-mediated episomal expression of hTERT allows the extension of the life-span of human primary cells, implying that gene delivery by non-integrating HAC vectors can be used to control cellular proliferative capacity of primary cultured cells.« less

Sexual conflict, life span, and aging.

PubMed

Adler, Margo I; Bonduriansky, Russell

2014-06-17

The potential for sexual conflict to influence the evolution of life span and aging has been recognized for more than a decade, and recent work also suggests that variation in life span and aging can influence sexually antagonistic coevolution. However, empirical exploration of these ideas is only beginning. Here, we provide an overview of the ideas and evidence linking inter- and intralocus sexual conflicts with life span and aging. We aim to clarify the conceptual basis of this research program, examine the current state of knowledge, and suggest key questions for further investigation. Copyright © 2014 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press; all rights reserved.

Deficiency mapping of quantitative trait loci affecting longevity in Drosophila melanogaster.

PubMed Central

Pasyukova, E G; Vieira, C; Mackay, T F

2000-01-01

In a previous study, sex-specific quantitative trait loci (QTL) affecting adult longevity were mapped by linkage to polymorphic roo transposable element markers, in a population of recombinant inbred lines derived from the Oregon and 2b strains of Drosophila melanogaster. Two life span QTL were each located on chromosomes 2 and 3, within sections 33E-46C and 65D-85F on the cytological map, respectively. We used quantitative deficiency complementation mapping to further resolve the locations of life span QTL within these regions. The Oregon and 2b strains were each crossed to 47 deficiencies spanning cytological regions 32F-44E and 64C-76B, and quantitative failure of the QTL alleles to complement the deficiencies was assessed. We initially detected a minimum of five and four QTL in the chromosome 2 and 3 regions, respectively, illustrating that multiple linked factors contribute to each QTL detected by recombination mapping. The QTL locations inferred from deficiency mapping did not generally correspond to those of candidate genes affecting oxidative and thermal stress or glucose metabolism. The chromosome 2 QTL in the 35B-E region was further resolved to a minimum of three tightly linked QTL, containing six genetically defined loci, 24 genes, and predicted genes that are positional candidates corresponding to life span QTL. This region was also associated with quantitative variation in life span in a sample of 10 genotypes collected from nature. Quantitative deficiency complementation is an efficient method for fine-scale QTL mapping in Drosophila and can be further improved by controlling the background genotype of the strains to be tested. PMID:11063689

Defining wild-type life span in Caenorhabditis elegans.

PubMed

Gems, D; Riddle, D L

2000-05-01

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans reproduces predominantly as a self-fertilizing hermaphrodite, and this drives laboratory populations to be homozygous at all genetic loci. Passaging of stocks can lead to fixation of spontaneous mutations, especially when the latter do not result in a selective disadvantage under laboratory conditions. Life span may be such a trait, since a comparison of six wild-type N2 lines derived from a common ancestor (but maintained separately in several laboratories) revealed four variants with median adult life spans ranging from 12.0 +/- 0.8 to 17.0 +/- 0.6 days at 20 degrees C. Fertility was also reduced in the two shortest-lived strains. We determined which life span most closely corresponds to that of the authentic wild type by two means. Firstly, N2 hermaphrodites were compared with seven C. elegans wild isolates. The latter were found to resemble only the longest-lived N2 strain. Comparison of male life spans of six lines also revealed additional strain variation. Secondly, life spans of F1 progeny issuing from crosses between N2 variants showed that short life spans were recessive, indicating that they result from loss-of-function mutations. We infer that the longest-lived N2 variant best resembles the original N2 isolate. This is the N2 male stock currently distributed by the Caenorhabditis Genetics Center.

Health Span-Extending Activity of Human Amniotic Membrane- and Adipose Tissue-Derived Stem Cells in F344 Rats

PubMed Central

Kim, Dajeong; Kyung, Jangbeen; Park, Dongsun; Choi, Ehn-Kyoung; Kim, Kwang Sei; Shin, Kyungha; Lee, Hangyoung; Shin, Il Seob; Kang, Sung Keun

2015-01-01

Aging brings about the progressive decline in cognitive function and physical activity, along with losses of stem cell population and function. Although transplantation of muscle-derived stem/progenitor cells extended the health span and life span of progeria mice, such effects in normal animals were not confirmed. Human amniotic membrane-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AMMSCs) or adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) (1 × 106 cells per rat) were intravenously transplanted to 10-month-old male F344 rats once a month throughout their lives. Transplantation of AMMSCs and ADMSCs improved cognitive and physical functions of naturally aging rats, extending life span by 23.4% and 31.3%, respectively. The stem cell therapy increased the concentration of acetylcholine and recovered neurotrophic factors in the brain and muscles, leading to restoration of microtubule-associated protein 2, cholinergic and dopaminergic nervous systems, microvessels, muscle mass, and antioxidative capacity. The results indicate that repeated transplantation of AMMSCs and ADMSCs elongate both health span and life span, which could be a starting point for antiaging or rejuvenation effects of allogeneic or autologous stem cells with minimum immune rejection. Significance This study demonstrates that repeated treatment with stem cells in normal animals has antiaging potential, extending health span and life span. Because antiaging and prolonged life span are issues currently of interest, these results are significant for readers and investigators. PMID:26315571

The Rate of Source Memory Decline across the Adult Life Span

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cansino, Selene; Estrada-Manilla, Cinthya; Hernandez-Ramos, Evelia; Martinez-Galindo, Joyce Graciela; Torres-Trejo, Frine; Gomez-Fernandez, Tania; Ayala-Hernandez, Mariana; Osorio, David; Cedillo-Tinoco, Melisa; Garces-Flores, Lissete; Gomez-Melgarejo, Sandra; Beltran-Palacios, Karla; Guadalupe Garcia-Lazaro, Haydee; Garcia-Gutierrez, Fabiola; Cadena-Arenas, Yadira; Fernandez-Apan, Luisa; Bartschi, Andrea; Resendiz-Vera, Julieta; Rodriguez-Ortiz, Maria Dolores

2013-01-01

Previous studies have suggested that the ability to remember contextual information related to specific episodic experiences declines with advancing age; however, the exact moment in the adult life span when this deficit begins is still controversial. Source memory for spatial information was tested in a life span sample of 1,500 adults between…

"Pull and push back" concepts of longevity and life span extension.

PubMed

Muradian, Khachik

2013-12-01

The negative relation between metabolism and life span is a fundamental gerontological discovery well documented in a variety of ontogenetic and phylogenetic models. But how the long-lived species and populations sustain lower metabolic rate and, in more general terms, what is the efficient way to decline the metabolism? The suggested 'pull and push back' hypothesis assumes that decreased Po2 (hypoxia) and/or increased [Formula: see text] (hypercapnia) may create preconditions for the declined metabolic and aging rates. However, wider implementation of such ideas is compromised because of little advances in modification of the metabolic rate. Artificial atmosphere with controlled [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] could be a promising approach because of the minimal external invasions and involvement of the backward and forward loops ensuring physiological self-regulation of the metabolic perturbations. General considerations and existing data indicate that manipulations of [Formula: see text] may be more efficient in life span extension than [Formula: see text]. Thus, maximum life span of mammals positively correlates with the blood [Formula: see text] and HCO3 (-) but not with [Formula: see text]. Yet, proportional decease of the body [Formula: see text] and increase of [Formula: see text] seems the most optimal regime ensuring lower losses of the energy equivalents. Furthermore, especially rewarding results could be expected when such changes are modeled without major external invasions using the animals' inner capacity to consume O2 and generate CO2, as it is typical for the extreme longevity.

Elevated CO2 and O3 effects on fine-root survivorship in ponderosa pine mesocosms.

PubMed

Phillips, Donald L; Johnson, Mark G; Tingey, David T; Storm, Marjorie J

2009-07-01

Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO(2)) and ozone (O(3)) concentrations are rising, which may have opposing effects on tree C balance and allocation to fine roots. More information is needed on interactive CO(2) and O(3) effects on roots, particularly fine-root life span, a critical demographic parameter and determinant of soil C and N pools and cycling rates. We conducted a study in which ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) seedlings were exposed to two levels of CO(2) and O(3) in sun-lit controlled-environment mesocosms for 3 years. Minirhizotrons were used to monitor individual fine roots in three soil horizons every 28 days. Proportional hazards regression was used to analyze effects of CO(2), O(3), diameter, depth, and season of root initiation on fine-root survivorship. More fine roots were produced in the elevated CO(2) treatment than in ambient CO(2). Elevated CO(2), increasing root diameter, and increasing root depth all significantly increased fine-root survivorship and median life span. Life span was slightly, but not significantly, lower in elevated O(3), and increased O(3) did not reduce the effect of elevated CO(2). Median life spans varied from 140 to 448 days depending on the season of root initiation. These results indicate the potential for elevated CO(2) to increase the number of fine roots and their residence time in the soil, which is also affected by root diameter, root depth, and phenology.

Loss of the clock protein PER2 shortens the erythrocyte life span in mice.

PubMed

Sun, Qi; Zhao, Yue; Yang, Yunxia; Yang, Xiao; Li, Minghui; Xu, Xi; Wen, Dan; Wang, Junsong; Zhang, Jianfa

2017-07-28

Cell proliferation and release from the bone marrow have been demonstrated to be controlled by circadian rhythms in both humans and mice. However, it is unclear whether local circadian clocks in the bone marrow influence physiological functions and life span of erythrocytes. Here, we report that loss of the clock gene Per2 significantly decreased erythrocyte life span. Mice deficient in Per2 were more susceptible to acute stresses in the erythrocytes, becoming severely anemic upon phenylhydrazine, osmotic, and H 2 O 2 challenges. 1 H NMR-based metabolomics analysis revealed that the Per2 depletion causes significant changes in metabolic profiles of erythrocytes, including increased lactate and decreased ATP levels compared with wild-type mice. The lower ATP levels were associated with hyperfunction of Na + /K + -ATPase activity in Per2 -null erythrocytes, and inhibition of Na + /K + -ATPase activity by ouabain efficiently rescued ATP levels. Per2 -null mice displayed increased levels of Na + /K + -ATPase α1 (ATP1A1) in the erythrocyte membrane, and transfection of Per2 cDNA into the erythroleukemic cell line TF-1 inhibited Atp1a1 expression. Furthermore, we observed that PER2 regulates Atp1a1 transcription through interacting with trans-acting transcription factor 1 (SP1). Our findings reveal that Per2 function in the bone marrow is required for the regulation of life span in circulating erythrocytes. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Cognitive Control and Language across the Life Span: Does Labeling Improve Reactive Control?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lucenet, Joanna; Blaye, Agnès; Chevalier, Nicolas; Kray, Jutta

2014-01-01

How does cognitive control change with age, and what are the processes underlying these changes? This question has been extensively studied using versions of the task-switching paradigm, which allow participants to actively prepare for the upcoming task (Kray, Eber, & Karbach, 2008). Little is known, however, about age-related changes in this…

Experimental evolution reveals antagonistic pleiotropy in reproductive timing but not life span in Caenorhabditis elegans.

PubMed

Anderson, Jennifer L; Reynolds, Rose M; Morran, Levi T; Tolman-Thompson, Julie; Phillips, Patrick C

2011-12-01

Many mutations that dramatically extend life span in model organisms come with substantial fitness costs. Although these genetic manipulations provide valuable insight into molecular modulators of life span, it is currently unclear whether life-span extension is unavoidably linked to fitness costs. To examine this relationship, we evolved a genetically heterogeneous population of Caenorhabditis elegans for 47 generations, selecting for early fecundity. We asked whether an increase in early fecundity would necessitate a decrease in longevity or late fecundity (antagonistic pleiotropy). Caenorhabditis elegans experimentally evolved for increased early reproduction and decreased late reproduction but suffered no total fitness or life-span costs. Given that antagonistic pleiotropy among these traits has been previously demonstrated in some cases, we conclude that the genetic constraint is not absolute, that is, it is possible to uncouple longevity from early fecundity using genetic variation segregating within and among natural populations.

Dissociable Changes of Frontal and Parietal Cortices in Inherent Functional Flexibility across the Human Life Span.

PubMed

Yin, Dazhi; Liu, Wenjing; Zeljic, Kristina; Wang, Zhiwei; Lv, Qian; Fan, Mingxia; Cheng, Wenhong; Wang, Zheng

2016-09-28

Extensive evidence suggests that frontoparietal regions can dynamically update their pattern of functional connectivity, supporting cognitive control and adaptive implementation of task demands. However, it is largely unknown whether this flexibly functional reconfiguration is intrinsic and occurs even in the absence of overt tasks. Based on recent advances in dynamics of resting-state functional resonance imaging (fMRI), we propose a probabilistic framework in which dynamic reconfiguration of intrinsic functional connectivity between each brain region and others can be represented as a probability distribution. A complexity measurement (i.e., entropy) was used to quantify functional flexibility, which characterizes heterogeneous connectivity between a particular region and others over time. Following this framework, we identified both functionally flexible and specialized regions over the human life span (112 healthy subjects from 13 to 76 years old). Across brainwide regions, we found regions showing high flexibility mainly in the higher-order association cortex, such as the lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC), lateral parietal cortex, and lateral temporal lobules. In contrast, visual, auditory, and sensory areas exhibited low flexibility. Furthermore, we observed that flexibility of the right LPFC improved during maturation and reduced due to normal aging, with the opposite occurring for the left lateral parietal cortex. Our findings reveal dissociable changes of frontal and parietal cortices over the life span in terms of inherent functional flexibility. This study not only provides a new framework to quantify the spatiotemporal behavior of spontaneous brain activity, but also sheds light on the organizational principle behind changes in brain function across the human life span. Recent neuroscientific research has demonstrated that the human capability of adaptive task control is primarily the result of the flexible operation of frontal brain networks. However, it remains unclear whether this flexibly functional reconfiguration is intrinsic and occurs in the absence of an overt task. In this study, we propose a probabilistic framework to quantify the functional flexibility of each brain region using resting-state fMRI. We identify regions showing high flexibility mainly in the higher-order association cortex. In contrast, primary and unimodal visual and sensory areas show low flexibility. On the other hand, our findings reveal dissociable changes of frontal and parietal cortices in terms of inherent functional flexibility over the life span. Copyright © 2016 the authors 0270-6474/16/3610060-15$15.00/0.

VIV analysis of pipelines under complex span conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, James; Steven Wang, F.; Duan, Gang; Jukes, Paul

2009-06-01

Spans occur when a pipeline is laid on a rough undulating seabed or when upheaval buckling occurs due to constrained thermal expansion. This not only results in static and dynamic loads on the flowline at span sections, but also generates vortex induced vibration (VIV), which can lead to fatigue issues. The phenomenon, if not predicted and controlled properly, will negatively affect pipeline integrity, leading to expensive remediation and intervention work. Span analysis can be complicated by: long span lengths, a large number of spans caused by a rough seabed, and multi-span interactions. In addition, the complexity can be more onerous and challenging when soil uncertainty, concrete degradation and unknown residual lay tension are considered in the analysis. This paper describes the latest developments and a ‘state-of-the-art’ finite element analysis program that has been developed to simulate the span response of a flowline under complex boundary and loading conditions. Both VIV and direct wave loading are captured in the analysis and the results are sequentially used for the ultimate limit state (ULS) check and fatigue life calculation.

Learning From Leaders: Life-span Trends in Olympians and Supercentenarians.

PubMed

Antero-Jacquemin, Juliana da Silva; Berthelot, Geoffroy; Marck, Adrien; Noirez, Philippe; Latouche, Aurélien; Toussaint, Jean-François

2015-08-01

Life-span trends progression has worldwide practical implications as it may affect the sustainability of modern societies. We aimed to describe the secular life-span trends of populations with a propensity to live longer-Olympians and supercentenarians-under two hypotheses: an ongoing life-span extension versus a biologic "probabilistic barrier" limiting further progression. In a study of life-span densities (total number of life durations per birth date), we analyzed 19,012 Olympians and 1,205 supercentenarians deceased between 1900 and 2013. Among most Olympians, we observed a trend toward increased life duration. This trend, however, decelerates at advanced ages leveling off with the upper values with a perennial gap between Olympians and supercentenarians during the whole observation period. Similar tendencies are observed among supercentenarians, and over the last years, a plateau attests to a stable longevity pattern among the longest-lived humans. The common trends between Olympians and supercentenarians indicate similar mortality pressures over both populations that increase with age, scenario better explained by a biologic "barrier" forecast. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America.

The cost of the muse: poets die young.

PubMed

Kaufman, James C

2003-11-01

Although several investigations have found that poets tend to die younger than other types of writers, these studies often do not take into account variables of gender and culture. This study examines 1,987 deceased writers from four different cultures: American, Chinese, Turkish, and Eastern European. Both male and female poets had the shortest life spans of all four types of writers (fiction writers, poets, playwrights, and non-fiction writers), and poets had the shortest life spans in three of the four cultures (and the second shortest life span among Eastern European writers). Possible reasons for the poet's shorter life span are then discussed.

Individual differences in personality change across the adult life span.

PubMed

Schwaba, Ted; Bleidorn, Wiebke

2018-06-01

A precise and comprehensive description of personality continuity and change across the life span is the bedrock upon which theories of personality development are built. Little research has quantified the degree to which individuals deviate from mean-level developmental trends. In this study, we addressed this gap by examining individual differences in personality trait change across the life span. Data came from a nationally representative sample of 9,636 Dutch participants who provided Big Five self-reports at five assessment waves across 7 years. We divided our sample into 14 age groups (ages 16-84 at initial measurement) and estimated latent growth curve models to describe individual differences in personality change across the study period for each trait and age group. Across the adult life span, individual differences in personality change were small but significant until old age. For Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, and Agreeableness, individual differences in change were most pronounced in emerging adulthood and decreased throughout midlife and old age. For Emotional Stability, individual differences in change were relatively consistent across the life span. These results inform theories of life span development and provide future directions for research on the causes and conditions of personality change. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effect of Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly peptide on life span and development of spontaneous tumors in female rats exposed to different illumination regimes.

PubMed

Vinogradova, I A; Bukalev, A V; Zabezhinski, M A; Semenchenko, A V; Khavinson, V Kh; Anisimov, V N

2007-12-01

The effects of Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly peptide (Epithalon) on the life span and development of spontaneous tumors were studied in female rats exposed to standard, natural for North-Western Russia, and constant illumination. The mean life span of animals exposed to constant or natural illumination decreased by 13.5 and 25.5%, the maximum by 9 and 7 months, respectively, and spontaneous tumors developed much more rapidly than in animals living under conditions of the standard light regimen. Epithalon (0.1 microg daily 5 times a week from the age of 4 months) did not change the life span of rats living under conditions of standard day/night regimen, while in rats exposed to the natural and constant light it promoted prolongation of the maximum life span by 95 and 24 days, respectively. Epithalon prolonged the mean life span of the last 10% of rats exposed to natural and constant illumination, treated with Epithalon, by 137 and 43 days, respectively. This peptide exhibited virtually no effect on the development of spontaneous tumors in rats exposed to standard and constant illumination, but significantly inhibited their development in rats exposed to natural light.

Life Span Evolution in Eusocial Workers—A Theoretical Approach to Understanding the Effects of Extrinsic Mortality in a Hierarchical System

PubMed Central

Kramer, Boris H.; Schaible, Ralf

2013-01-01

While the extraordinary life span of queens and division of labor in eusocial societies have been well studied, it is less clear which selective forces act on the short life span of workers. The disparity of life span between the queen and the workers is linked to a basic issue in sociobiology: How are the resources in a colony allocated between colony maintenance and reproduction? Resources for somatic maintenance of the colony can either be invested into quality or quantity of workers. Here, we present a theoretical optimization model that uses a hierarchical trade-off within insect colonies and extrinsic mortality to explain how different aging phenotypes could have evolved to keep resources secure in the colony. The model points to the significance of two factors. First, any investment that would generate a longer intrinsic life span for workers is lost if the individual dies from external causes while foraging. As a consequence, risky environments favor the evolution of workers with a shorter life span. Second, shorter-lived workers require less investment than long-lived ones, allowing the colony to allocate these resources to sexual reproduction or colony growth. PMID:23596527

Cranberry interacts with dietary macronutrients to promote healthy aging in Drosophila.

PubMed

Wang, Cecilia; Yolitz, Jason; Alberico, Thomas; Laslo, Mara; Sun, Yaning; Wheeler, Charles T; Sun, Xiaoping; Zou, Sige

2014-08-01

Botanicals possess numerous bioactivities, and some promote healthy aging. Dietary macronutrients are major determinants of life span. The interaction between botanicals and macronutrients that modulates life span is not well understood. Here, we investigated the effect of a cranberry-containing botanical on life span and the influence of macronutrients on the longevity-related effect of cranberry in Drosophila. Flies were supplemented with cranberry on three dietary conditions: standard, high sugar-low protein, and low sugar-high protein diets. We found that cranberry slightly extended life span in males fed with the low sugar-high protein diet but not with other diets. Cranberry extended life span in females fed with the standard diet and more prominently the high sugar-low protein diet but not with the low sugar-high protein diet. Life-span extension was associated with increased reproduction and higher expression of oxidative stress and heat shock response genes. Moreover, cranberry improved survival of sod1 knockdown and dfoxo mutant flies but did not increase wild-type fly's resistance to acute oxidative stress. Cranberry slightly extended life span in flies fed with a high-fat diet. These findings suggest that cranberry promotes healthy aging by increasing stress responsiveness. Our study reveals an interaction of cranberry with dietary macronutrients and stresses the importance of considering diet composition in designing interventions for promoting healthy aging. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Gerontological Society of America 2013.

Health Span-Extending Activity of Human Amniotic Membrane- and Adipose Tissue-Derived Stem Cells in F344 Rats.

PubMed

Kim, Dajeong; Kyung, Jangbeen; Park, Dongsun; Choi, Ehn-Kyoung; Kim, Kwang Sei; Shin, Kyungha; Lee, Hangyoung; Shin, Il Seob; Kang, Sung Keun; Ra, Jeong Chan; Kim, Yun-Bae

2015-10-01

Aging brings about the progressive decline in cognitive function and physical activity, along with losses of stem cell population and function. Although transplantation of muscle-derived stem/progenitor cells extended the health span and life span of progeria mice, such effects in normal animals were not confirmed. Human amniotic membrane-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AMMSCs) or adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) (1×10(6) cells per rat) were intravenously transplanted to 10-month-old male F344 rats once a month throughout their lives. Transplantation of AMMSCs and ADMSCs improved cognitive and physical functions of naturally aging rats, extending life span by 23.4% and 31.3%, respectively. The stem cell therapy increased the concentration of acetylcholine and recovered neurotrophic factors in the brain and muscles, leading to restoration of microtubule-associated protein 2, cholinergic and dopaminergic nervous systems, microvessels, muscle mass, and antioxidative capacity. The results indicate that repeated transplantation of AMMSCs and ADMSCs elongate both health span and life span, which could be a starting point for antiaging or rejuvenation effects of allogeneic or autologous stem cells with minimum immune rejection. This study demonstrates that repeated treatment with stem cells in normal animals has antiaging potential, extending health span and life span. Because antiaging and prolonged life span are issues currently of interest, these results are significant for readers and investigators. ©AlphaMed Press.

Minocycline increases the life span and motor activity and decreases lipid peroxidation in manganese treated Drosophila melanogaster.

PubMed

Bonilla, E; Contreras, R; Medina-Leendertz, S; Mora, M; Villalobos, V; Bravo, Y

2012-03-29

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of Minocycline in the life span, motor activity, and lipid peroxidation of Drosophila melanogaster treated with manganese. Two days after emerging from the pupa male wild-type D. melanogaster were fed for 13 days with corn media containing 15 mM manganese. Then, they were divided in six groups of 300 flies each: group (a) remained treated with manganese (Mn group); group (b) began treatment with Minocycline (0.05 mM) (Mn-Minocycline group); group (c) received no additional treatment (Mn-no treatment group); group (d) simultaneously fed with manganese and Minocycline (Mn+Minocycline group). Additionally, a control (group e) with no treatment and another group (f) fed only with Minocycline after emerging from the pupa were added. All the manganese treated flies (group a) were dead on the 25th day. The life span in group f (101.66±1.33 days, mean S.E.M.) and of group b (97.00±3.46 days) were similar, but in both cases it was significantly higher than in group e (68.33±1.76 days), group c (67.05±2.30 days) and in those of group d (37.33±0.88). Manganese (groups a and d) decreased motor activity in D. melanogaster. In the Minocycline fed flies (groups b and f) a higher motor activity was detected. In Mn-Minocycline and Mn+Minocycline treated flies a significant decrease of MDA levels was detected when compared to the Minocycline group indicating that Minocycline and Mn appear to have a synergistic effect. In conclusion, Minocycline increased the life span and motor activity and decreased MDA formation of manganese treated D. melanogaster, probably by an inhibition of the production of reactive oxygen species. Manganese also exerted an antioxidant effect as shown by the significant decrease of MDA levels when compared to control flies. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Caloric Restriction and the Aging Process: A Critique 5/15pm/2014

PubMed Central

Sohal, Rajindar S.; Forster, Michael J.

2014-01-01

The main objective of this review is to provide an appraisal of the current status of the relationship between energy intake and the life span of animals. The concept, that a reduction in food intake, or caloric restriction (CR), retards the aging process, delays the age-associated decline in physiological fitness and extends the life span of organisms of diverse phylogenetic groups, is one of the leading paradigms in gerontology. However, emerging evidence disputes some of the primary tenets of this conception. One disparity is that the CR-related increase in longevity is not universal and may not even be shared among different strains of the same species. A further misgiving is that the control animals, fed ad-libitum (AL), become overweight, prone to early onset of diseases and death, and thus may not be the ideal control animals for studies concerned with comparisons of longevity. Re-examination of body weight and longevity data from a study involving over 60,000 mice and rats, conducted by a National Institute on Aging-sponsored project, suggests that CR-related increase in life span of specific genotypes is directly related to the gain in body weight under the AL feeding regimen. Additionally, CR in mammals and “dietary restriction” in organisms, such as Drosophila, are dissimilar phenomena, albeit they are often presented to be the very same. The latter involves a reduction in yeast rather than caloric intake, which is inconsistent with the notion of a common, conserved mechanism of CR action in different species. Although specific mechanisms by which CR affects longevity are not well understood, existing evidence supports the view that CR increases the life span of those particular genotypes that develop energy imbalance due to AL feeding. In such groups, CR lowers body temperature, rate of metabolism and oxidant production, and retards the age-related pro-oxidizing shift in the redox state. PMID:24941891

Dietary restriction in two rotifer species: the effect of the length of food deprivation on life span and reproduction.

PubMed

Weithoff, Guntram

2007-08-01

According to resource allocation theory, animals face a trade off between the allocation of resources into reproduction and into individual growth/maintenance. This trade off is reinforced when food conditions decline. It is well established in biological research that many animals increase their life span when food is in suboptimal supply for growth and/or reproduction. Such a situation of reduced food availability is called dietary restriction. An increase in life span under dietary restricted conditions is seen as a strategy to tolerate periods of food shortage so that the animals can start reproduction again when food is in greater supply. In this study, the effect of dietary restriction on life span and reproduction in two rotifer species, Cephalodella sp. and Elosa worallii, was investigated using life table experiments. The food concentration under dietary restricted conditions was below the threshold for population growth. It was (1) tested whether the rotifers start reproduction again after food replenishment, and (2) estimated whether the time scale of dietary restricted conditions is relevant for the persistence of a population in the field. Only E. worallii responded to dietary restriction with an increase in life span at the expense of reproduction. After replenishment of food, E. worallii started to reproduce again within 1 day. With an increase in the duration of dietary restricted conditions of up to 15 days, which is longer than the median life span of E. worallii under food saturation, the life span increased and the life time reproduction decreased. These results suggest that in a temporally (or spatially) variable environment, some rotifer populations can persist even during long periods of severe food deprivation.

Cognitive Control of Speech Perception across the Lifespan: A Large-Scale Cross-Sectional Dichotic Listening Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Westerhausen, René; Bless, Josef J.; Passow, Susanne; Kompus, Kristiina; Hugdahl, Kenneth

2015-01-01

The ability to use cognitive-control functions to regulate speech perception is thought to be crucial in mastering developmental challenges, such as language acquisition during childhood or compensation for sensory decline in older age, enabling interpersonal communication and meaningful social interactions throughout the entire life span.…

Perceived Parenting Dimensions and Identity Styles: Exploring the Socialization of Adolescents' Processing of Identity-Relevant Information

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smits, Ilse; Soenens, Bart; Luyckx, Koen; Duriez, Bart; Berzonsky, Michael; Goossens, Luc

2008-01-01

This study examined the relationships between crucial dimensions of perceived parenting (support, behavioral control, and psychological control) and the three identity styles defined by Berzonsky [Berzonsky, M. D. (1990). "Self-construction over the life span: A process perspective on identity formation." "Advances in Personal Construct…

Distribution of the anther-smut pathogen Microbotryum on species of the Caryophyllaceae

PubMed Central

Hood, Michael E; Mena-Alí, Jorge I; Gibson, Amanda K; Oxelman, Bengt; Giraud, Tatiana; Yockteng, Roxana; Arroyo, Mary T K; Conti, Fabio; Pedersen, Amy B; Gladieux, Pierre; Antonovics, Janis

2010-01-01

Summary Understanding disease distributions is of fundamental and applied importance, yet few studies benefit from integrating broad sampling with ecological and phylogenetic data. Here, anther-smut disease, caused by the fungus Microbotryum, was assessed using herbarium specimens of Silene and allied genera of the Caryophyllaceae.A total of 42 000 herbarium specimens were examined, and plant geographical distributions and morphological and life history characteristics were tested as correlates of disease occurrence. Phylogenetic comparative methods were used to determine the association between disease and plant life-span.Disease was found on 391 herbarium specimens from 114 species and all continents with native Silene. Anther smut occurred exclusively on perennial plants, consistent with the pathogen requiring living hosts to overwinter. The disease was estimated to occur in 80% of perennial species of Silene and allied genera. The correlation between plant life-span and disease was highly significant while controlling for the plant phylogeny, but the disease was not correlated with differences in floral morphology.Using resources available in natural history collections, this study illustrates how disease distribution can be determined, not by restriction to a clade of susceptible hosts or to a limited geographical region, but by association with host life-span, a trait that has undergone frequent evolutionary transitions. PMID:20406409

Connecting Life Span Development with the Sociology of the Life Course: A New Direction.

PubMed

Gilleard, Chris; Higgs, Paul

2016-04-01

The life course has become a topic of growing interest within the social sciences. Attempts to link this sub-discipline with life span developmental psychology have been called for but with little sign of success. In this paper, we seek to address three interlinked issues concerning the potential for a more productive interchange between life course sociology and life span psychology. The first is to try to account for the failure of these two sub-disciplines to achieve any deepening engagement with each other, despite the long-expressed desirability of that goal; the second is to draw attention to the scope for enriching the sociology of the life course through Erik Erikson's model of life span development; and the last is the potential for linking Eriksonian theory with current debates within mainstream sociology about the processes involved in 'individualisation' and 'self-reflexivity' as an alternative entry point to bring together these two fields of work.

Connecting Life Span Development with the Sociology of the Life Course: A New Direction

PubMed Central

Gilleard, Chris; Higgs, Paul

2015-01-01

The life course has become a topic of growing interest within the social sciences. Attempts to link this sub-discipline with life span developmental psychology have been called for but with little sign of success. In this paper, we seek to address three interlinked issues concerning the potential for a more productive interchange between life course sociology and life span psychology. The first is to try to account for the failure of these two sub-disciplines to achieve any deepening engagement with each other, despite the long-expressed desirability of that goal; the second is to draw attention to the scope for enriching the sociology of the life course through Erik Erikson’s model of life span development; and the last is the potential for linking Eriksonian theory with current debates within mainstream sociology about the processes involved in ‘individualisation’ and ‘self-reflexivity’ as an alternative entry point to bring together these two fields of work. PMID:27041774

Decision-making heuristics and biases across the life span.

PubMed

Strough, Jonell; Karns, Tara E; Schlosnagle, Leo

2011-10-01

We outline a contextual and motivational model of judgment and decision-making (JDM) biases across the life span. Our model focuses on abilities and skills that correspond to deliberative, experiential, and affective decision-making processes. We review research that addresses links between JDM biases and these processes as represented by individual differences in specific abilities and skills (e.g., fluid and crystallized intelligence, executive functioning, emotion regulation, personality traits). We focus on two JDM biases-the sunk-cost fallacy (SCF) and the framing effect. We trace the developmental trajectory of each bias from preschool through middle childhood, adolescence, early adulthood, and later adulthood. We conclude that life-span developmental trajectories differ depending on the bias investigated. Existing research suggests relative stability in the framing effect across the life span and decreases in the SCF with age, including in later life. We highlight directions for future research on JDM biases across the life span, emphasizing the need for process-oriented research and research that increases our understanding of JDM biases in people's everyday lives. © 2011 New York Academy of Sciences.

Decision-making heuristics and biases across the life span

PubMed Central

Strough, JoNell; Karns, Tara E.; Schlosnagle, Leo

2013-01-01

We outline a contextual and motivational model of judgment and decision-making (JDM) biases across the life span. Our model focuses on abilities and skills that correspond to deliberative, experiential, and affective decision-making processes. We review research that addresses links between JDM biases and these processes as represented by individual differences in specific abilities and skills (e.g., fluid and crystallized intelligence, executive functioning, emotion regulation, personality traits). We focus on two JDM biases—the sunk-cost fallacy (SCF) and the framing effect. We trace the developmental trajectory of each bias from preschool through middle childhood, adolescence, early adulthood, and later adulthood. We conclude that life-span developmental trajectories differ depending on the bias investigated. Existing research suggests relative stability in the framing effect across the life span and decreases in the SCF with age, including in later life. We highlight directions for future research on JDM biases across the life span, emphasizing the need for process-oriented research and research that increases our understanding of JDM biases in people’s everyday lives. PMID:22023568

Autophagy-mediated longevity is modulated by lipoprotein biogenesis

PubMed Central

Seah, Nicole E.; de Magalhaes Filho, C. Daniel; Petrashen, Anna P.; Henderson, Hope R.; Laguer, Jade; Gonzalez, Julissa; Dillin, Andrew; Hansen, Malene; Lapierre, Louis R.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Autophagy-dependent longevity models in C. elegans display altered lipid storage profiles, but the contribution of lipid distribution to life-span extension is not fully understood. Here we report that lipoprotein production, autophagy and lysosomal lipolysis are linked to modulate life span in a conserved fashion. We find that overexpression of the yolk lipoprotein VIT/vitellogenin reduces the life span of long-lived animals by impairing the induction of autophagy-related and lysosomal genes necessary for longevity. Accordingly, reducing vitellogenesis increases life span via induction of autophagy and lysosomal lipolysis. Life-span extension due to reduced vitellogenesis or enhanced lysosomal lipolysis requires nuclear hormone receptors (NHRs) NHR-49 and NHR-80, highlighting novel roles for these NHRs in lysosomal lipid signaling. In dietary-restricted worms and mice, expression of VIT and hepatic APOB (apolipoprotein B), respectively, are significantly reduced, suggesting a conserved longevity mechanism. Altogether, our study demonstrates that lipoprotein biogenesis is an important mechanism that modulates aging by impairing autophagy and lysosomal lipolysis. PMID:26671266

Life span effects of Hypericum perforatum extracts on Caenorhabditis elegans under heat stress.

PubMed

Kılıçgün, Hasan; Göksen, Gülden

2012-10-01

The beneficial effects of antioxidants in plants are mainly extrapolated from in vitro studies or short-term dietary supplementation studies. Due to cost and duration, relatively little is known about whether dietary antioxidants are beneficial in whole animals' life span or not. To address this question, under heat stress (35°C), Hypericum perforatum was extracted with petroleum ether and the nematodes Caenorhabditis elegans exposed to three different extract concentrations (1mg/mL, 0.1mg/mL, 0.01mg/mL) of H. perforatum. We report that Hypericum perforatum extracts did not increase life span and slow aging related increase in C. elegans. Moreover, one fraction (1mg/mL) increased declines of C. elegans life span and thermotolerance. Given this mounting evidence for life span role of H. perforatum in the presence of heat stress in vivo, the question whether H. perforatum acts as a prooxidant or an antioxidant in vivo under heat stress arises.

Life span effects of Hypericum perforatum extracts on Caenorhabditis elegans under heat stress

PubMed Central

Kılıçgün, Hasan; Göksen, Gülden

2012-01-01

Background: The beneficial effects of antioxidants in plants are mainly extrapolated from in vitro studies or short-term dietary supplementation studies. Due to cost and duration, relatively little is known about whether dietary antioxidants are beneficial in whole animals’ life span or not. Materials and Methods: To address this question, under heat stress (35°C), Hypericum perforatum was extracted with petroleum ether and the nematodes Caenorhabditis elegans exposed to three different extract concentrations (1mg/mL, 0.1mg/mL, 0.01mg/mL) of H. perforatum. Results: We report that Hypericum perforatum extracts did not increase life span and slow aging related increase in C. elegans. Moreover, one fraction (1mg/mL) increased declines of C. elegans life span and thermotolerance. Conclusion: Given this mounting evidence for life span role of H. perforatum in the presence of heat stress in vivo, the question whether H. perforatum acts as a prooxidant or an antioxidant in vivo under heat stress arises. PMID:24082638

Paternal smoking habits affect the reproductive life span of daughters.

PubMed

Fukuda, Misao; Fukuda, Kiyomi; Shimizu, Takashi; Nobunaga, Miho; Andersen, Elisabeth Wreford; Byskov, Anne Grete; Andersen, Claus Yding

2011-06-30

The present study assessed whether the smoking habits of fathers around the time of conception affected the period in which daughters experienced menstrual cycles (i.e., the reproductive life span). The study revealed that the smoking habits of the farther shortened the daughters' reproductive life span compared with daughters whose fathers did not smoke. Copyright © 2011 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

ω-6 Polyunsaturated fatty acids extend life span through the activation of autophagy

PubMed Central

O'Rourke, Eyleen J.; Kuballa, Petric; Xavier, Ramnik; Ruvkun, Gary

2013-01-01

Adaptation to nutrient scarcity depends on the activation of metabolic programs to efficiently use internal reserves of energy. Activation of these programs in abundant food regimens can extend life span. However, the common molecular and metabolic changes that promote adaptation to nutritional stress and extend life span are mostly unknown. Here we present a response to fasting, enrichment of ω-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which promotes starvation resistance and extends Caenorhabditis elegans life span. Upon fasting, C. elegans induces the expression of a lipase, which in turn leads to an enrichment of ω-6 PUFAs. Supplementing C. elegans culture media with these ω-6 PUFAs increases their resistance to starvation and extends their life span in conditions of food abundance. Supplementation of C. elegans or human epithelial cells with these ω-6 PUFAs activates autophagy, a cell recycling mechanism that promotes starvation survival and slows aging. Inactivation of C. elegans autophagy components reverses the increase in life span conferred by supplementing the C. elegans diet with these fasting-enriched ω-6 PUFAs. We propose that the salubrious effects of dietary supplementation with ω-3/6 PUFAs (fish oils) that have emerged from epidemiological studies in humans may be due to a similar activation of autophagic programs. PMID:23392608

Genes that regulate both development and longevity in Caenorhabditis elegans

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Larsen, P.L.; Albert, P.S.; Riddle, D.L.

1995-04-01

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans responds to conditions of overcrowding and limited food by arresting development as a dauer larva. Genetic analysis of mutations that alter dauer larva formation (daf mutations) is presented along with an updated genetic pathway for dauer vs. nondauer development. Mutations in the daf-2 and daf-23 genes double adult life span, whereas mutations in four other dauer-constitutive genes positioned in a separate branch of this pathway (daf-1, daf-4, daf-7 and daf-8) do not. The increased life spans are suppressed completely by a daf-16 mutation and partially in a daf-2; daf-18 double mutant. A genetic pathway for determinationmore » of adult life span is presented based on the same strains and growth conditions used to characterize Daf phenotypes. Both dauer larva formation and adult life span are affected in daf-2; daf-12 double mutants in an allele-specific manner. Mutations in daf-12 do not extend adult life span, but certain combinations of daf-2 and daf-12 mutant alleles nearly quadruple it. This synergistic effect, which does not equivalently extend the fertile period, is the largest genetic extension of life span yet observed in a metazoan. 47 refs., 7 figs., 5 tabs.« less

Genome-wide screen in Saccharomyces cerevisiae identifies vacuolar protein sorting, autophagy, biosynthetic, and tRNA methylation genes involved in life span regulation.

PubMed

Fabrizio, Paola; Hoon, Shawn; Shamalnasab, Mehrnaz; Galbani, Abdulaye; Wei, Min; Giaever, Guri; Nislow, Corey; Longo, Valter D

2010-07-15

The study of the chronological life span of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which measures the survival of populations of non-dividing yeast, has resulted in the identification of homologous genes and pathways that promote aging in organisms ranging from yeast to mammals. Using a competitive genome-wide approach, we performed a screen of a complete set of approximately 4,800 viable deletion mutants to identify genes that either increase or decrease chronological life span. Half of the putative short-/long-lived mutants retested from the primary screen were confirmed, demonstrating the utility of our approach. Deletion of genes involved in vacuolar protein sorting, autophagy, and mitochondrial function shortened life span, confirming that respiration and degradation processes are essential for long-term survival. Among the genes whose deletion significantly extended life span are ACB1, CKA2, and TRM9, implicated in fatty acid transport and biosynthesis, cell signaling, and tRNA methylation, respectively. Deletion of these genes conferred heat-shock resistance, supporting the link between life span extension and cellular protection observed in several model organisms. The high degree of conservation of these novel yeast longevity determinants in other species raises the possibility that their role in senescence might be conserved.

Metabotypes with properly functioning mitochondria and anti-inflammation predict extended productive life span in dairy cows

PubMed Central

Huber, K.; Dänicke, S.; Rehage, J.; Sauerwein, H.; Otto, W.; Rolle-Kampczyk, U.; von Bergen, M.

2016-01-01

The failure to adapt metabolism to the homeorhetic demands of lactation is considered as a main factor in reducing the productive life span of dairy cows. The so far defined markers of production performance and metabolic health in dairy cows do not predict the length of productive life span satisfyingly. This study aimed to identify novel pathways and biomarkers related to productive life in dairy cows by means of (targeted) metabolomics. In a longitudinal study from 42 days before up to 100 days after parturition, we identified metabolites such as long-chain acylcarnitines and biogenic amines associated with extended productive life spans. These metabolites are mainly secreted by the liver and depend on the functionality of hepatic mitochondria. The concentrations of biogenic amines and some acylcarnitines differed already before the onset of lactation thus indicating their predictive potential for continuation or early ending of productive life. PMID:27089826

Metabotypes with properly functioning mitochondria and anti-inflammation predict extended productive life span in dairy cows.

PubMed

Huber, K; Dänicke, S; Rehage, J; Sauerwein, H; Otto, W; Rolle-Kampczyk, U; von Bergen, M

2016-04-19

The failure to adapt metabolism to the homeorhetic demands of lactation is considered as a main factor in reducing the productive life span of dairy cows. The so far defined markers of production performance and metabolic health in dairy cows do not predict the length of productive life span satisfyingly. This study aimed to identify novel pathways and biomarkers related to productive life in dairy cows by means of (targeted) metabolomics. In a longitudinal study from 42 days before up to 100 days after parturition, we identified metabolites such as long-chain acylcarnitines and biogenic amines associated with extended productive life spans. These metabolites are mainly secreted by the liver and depend on the functionality of hepatic mitochondria. The concentrations of biogenic amines and some acylcarnitines differed already before the onset of lactation thus indicating their predictive potential for continuation or early ending of productive life.

Trehalose extends longevity in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.

PubMed

Honda, Yoko; Tanaka, Masashi; Honda, Shuji

2010-08-01

Trehalose is a disaccharide of glucose found in diverse organisms and is suggested to act as a stress protectant against heat, cold, desiccation, anoxia, and oxidation. Here, we demonstrate that treatment of Caenorhabditis elegans with trehalose starting from the young-adult stage extended the mean life span by over 30% without any side effects. Surprisingly, trehalose treatment starting even from the old-adult stage shortly thereafter retarded the age-associated decline in survivorship and extended the remaining life span by 60%. Demographic analyses of age-specific mortality rates revealed that trehalose extended the life span by lowering age-independent vulnerability. Moreover, trehalose increased the reproductive span and retarded the age-associated decrease in pharyngeal-pumping rate and the accumulation of lipofuscin autofluorescence. Trehalose also enhanced thermotolerance and reduced polyglutamine aggregation. These results suggest that trehalose suppressed aging by counteracting internal or external stresses that disrupt protein homeostasis. On the other hand, the life span-extending effect of trehalose was abolished in long-lived insulin/IGF-1-like receptor (daf-2) mutants. RNA interference-mediated inactivation of the trehalose-biosynthesis genes trehalose-6-phosphate synthase-1 (tps-1) and tps-2, which are known to be up-regulated in daf-2 mutants, decreased the daf-2 life span. These findings indicate that a reduction in insulin/IGF-1-like signaling extends life span, at least in part, through the aging-suppressor function of trehalose. Trehalose may be a lead compound for potential nutraceutical intervention of the aging process.

Developmental Regulation with Progressive Vision Loss: Use of Control Strategies and Affective Well-Being

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schilling, Oliver K.; Wahl, Hans-Werner; Boerner, Kathrin; Horowitz, Amy; Reinhardt, Joann P.; Cimarolli, Verena R.; Brennan-Ing, Mark; Heckhausen, Jutta

2016-01-01

The present study addresses older adults' developmental regulation when faced with progressive and irreversible vision loss. We used the motivational theory of life span development as a conceptual framework and examined changes in older adults' striving for control over everyday goal achievement, and their association with affective well-being,…

Brain glutathione reductase induction increases early survival and decreases lipofuscin accumulation in aging frogs.

PubMed

López-Torres, M; Pérez-Campo, R; Fernandez, A; Barba, C; Barja de Quiroga, G

1993-02-01

Brain catalase was continuously depleted throughout the life span starting with a large population of initially young and old frogs. Free radical-related parameters were measured in the brain tissue once per year after 2.5, 14.5, and 26.5 months of experimentation. Brain lipofuscin accumulation was observed after 14.5 and 26.5 months, and survival was continuously followed during 33 months. The age of the animal did not decrease endogenous antioxidants nor increase tissue peroxidation either in cross-sectional or longitudinal comparisons. Continuous catalase depletion similarly affected young and old animals, inducing glutathione reductase, tending to decrease oxidized glutathione/reduced glutathione (GSSG/GSH) ratio, decreasing lipofuscin accumulation in the brain, and increasing survival from 46% to 91% after 14.5 months. At 26.5 months of experimentation the loss of the glutathione reductase induction in catalase-depleted animals was accompanied by the presence of higher lipofuscin deposits than in controls and was followed by a great increase in mortality rate. Even though the maximal life span (7 years) was the same in the control and treated animals which were already old (4.2 years) at the beginning of the experiment, the treated animals showed a strong reduction in the rates of early death. It is proposed that the maintenance of a high antioxidant/prooxidant balance in the vertebrate brain greatly increases the probability of the individual to reach the final segments of its species-specific life span.

Psychosocial stressors in the lives of great jazz musicians.

PubMed

Patalano, F

1997-02-01

Brief biographical information on four great jazz tenor saxophone players of the past is presented to illustrate the similar psychosocial stressors these men seemed to experience, namely, severe substance abuse, haphazard working conditions, lack of acceptance of their art form in the United States, marital and family discord, and a vagabond life style. Ages at death of 80 great jazz musicians may indicate that the stressful life style of jazz musicians may be reflected in a shortened life span, but a control group is needed.

Divergent evolution of life span associated with mitochondrial DNA evolution.

PubMed

Stojković, Biljana; Sayadi, Ahmed; Đorđević, Mirko; Jović, Jelena; Savković, Uroš; Arnqvist, Göran

2017-01-01

Mitochondria play a key role in ageing. The pursuit of genes that regulate variation in life span and ageing have shown that several nuclear-encoded mitochondrial genes are important. However, the role of mitochondrial encoded genes (mtDNA) is more controversial and our appreciation of the role of mtDNA for the evolution of life span is limited. We use replicated lines of seed beetles that have been artificially selected for long or short life for >190 generations, now showing dramatic phenotypic differences, to test for a possible role of mtDNA in the divergent evolution of ageing and life span. We show that these divergent selection regimes led to the evolution of significantly different mtDNA haplotype frequencies. Selection for a long life and late reproduction generated positive selection for one specific haplotype, which was fixed in most such lines. In contrast, selection for reproduction early in life led to both positive selection as well as negative frequency-dependent selection on two different haplotypes, which were both present in all such lines. Our findings suggest that the evolution of life span was in part mediated by mtDNA, providing support for the emerging general tenet that adaptive evolution of life-history syndromes may involve mtDNA. © 2016 The Author(s). Evolution © 2016 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Holistic life-span health outcomes among elite intercollegiate student-athletes.

PubMed

Sorenson, Shawn C; Romano, Russell; Scholefield, Robin M; Martin, Brandon E; Gordon, James E; Azen, Stanley P; Schroeder, E Todd; Salem, George J

2014-01-01

Competitive sports are recognized as having unique health benefits and risks, and the effect of sports on life-span health among elite athletes has received increasing attention. However, supporting scientific data are sparse and do not represent modern athletes. To assess holistic life-span health and health-related quality-of-life (HRQL) among current and former National Collegiate Athletic Association student-athletes (SAs). Cross-sectional study. A large Division I university. Population-based sample of 496 university students and alumni (age 17-84 years), including SAs and an age-matched and sex-matched nonathlete (NA) control group. Participants completed anonymous, self-report questionnaires. We measured the Short-Form 12 (SF-12) physical and mental component HRQL scores and cumulative lifetime experience and relative risk of treatment for joint, cardiopulmonary, and psychosocial health concerns. Older alumni (age 43+ years) SAs reported greater joint health concerns than NAs (larger joint summary scores; P = .04; Cohen d = 0.69; probability of clinically important difference [pCID] = 77%; treatment odds ratio [OR] = 14.0, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.6, 126). Joint health for current and younger alumni SAs was similar to that for NAs. Older alumni reported greater cardiopulmonary health concerns than younger alumni (summary score P < .001; d = 1.05; pCID = 85%; OR = 5.8, 95% CI = 2.0, 16) and current students (P < .001; d = 2.25; pCID >99.5%; OR = 7.1, 95% CI = 3.3, 15), but the risk was similar for SAs and NAs. Current SAs demonstrated evidence of better psychosocial health (summary score P = .006; d = -0.52; pCID = 40%) and mental component HRQL (P = .008; d = 0.50; pCID = 48%) versus NAs but similar psychosocial treatment odds (OR = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.39, 1.9). Psychosocial health and mental component HRQL were similar between alumni SAs and NAs. No differences were observed between SAs and NAs in physical component HRQL. The SAs demonstrated significant, clinically meaningful evidence of greater joint health concerns later in life, comparable cardiopulmonary health, and differences in life-span psychosocial health and HRQL profiles compared with NAs. These data provide timely evidence regarding a compelling public issue and highlight the need for further study of life-span health among modern athletes.

Holistic Life-Span Health Outcomes Among Elite Intercollegiate Student–Athletes

PubMed Central

Sorenson, Shawn C.; Romano, Russell; Scholefield, Robin M.; Martin, Brandon E.; Gordon, James E.; Azen, Stanley P.; Schroeder, E. Todd; Salem, George J.

2014-01-01

Context: Competitive sports are recognized as having unique health benefits and risks, and the effect of sports on life-span health among elite athletes has received increasing attention. However, supporting scientific data are sparse and do not represent modern athletes. Objective: To assess holistic life-span health and health-related quality-of-life (HRQL) among current and former National Collegiate Athletic Association student–athletes (SAs). Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: A large Division I university. Patients or Other Participants: Population-based sample of 496 university students and alumni (age 17–84 years), including SAs and an age-matched and sex-matched nonathlete (NA) control group. Main Outcome Measure(s): Participants completed anonymous, self-report questionnaires. We measured the Short-Form 12 (SF-12) physical and mental component HRQL scores and cumulative lifetime experience and relative risk of treatment for joint, cardiopulmonary, and psychosocial health concerns. Results: Older alumni (age 43+ years) SAs reported greater joint health concerns than NAs (larger joint summary scores; P = .04; Cohen d = 0.69; probability of clinically important difference [pCID] = 77%; treatment odds ratio [OR] = 14.0, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.6, 126). Joint health for current and younger alumni SAs was similar to that for NAs. Older alumni reported greater cardiopulmonary health concerns than younger alumni (summary score P < .001; d = 1.05; pCID = 85%; OR = 5.8, 95% CI = 2.0, 16) and current students (P < .001; d = 2.25; pCID >99.5%; OR = 7.1, 95% CI = 3.3, 15), but the risk was similar for SAs and NAs. Current SAs demonstrated evidence of better psychosocial health (summary score P = .006; d = −0.52; pCID = 40%) and mental component HRQL (P = .008; d = 0.50; pCID = 48%) versus NAs but similar psychosocial treatment odds (OR = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.39, 1.9). Psychosocial health and mental component HRQL were similar between alumni SAs and NAs. No differences were observed between SAs and NAs in physical component HRQL. Conclusions: The SAs demonstrated significant, clinically meaningful evidence of greater joint health concerns later in life, comparable cardiopulmonary health, and differences in life-span psychosocial health and HRQL profiles compared with NAs. These data provide timely evidence regarding a compelling public issue and highlight the need for further study of life-span health among modern athletes. PMID:25117874

Reduced Ssy1-Ptr3-Ssy5 (SPS) signaling extends replicative life span by enhancing NAD+ homeostasis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

PubMed

Tsang, Felicia; James, Christol; Kato, Michiko; Myers, Victoria; Ilyas, Irtqa; Tsang, Matthew; Lin, Su-Ju

2015-05-15

Attenuated nutrient signaling extends the life span in yeast and higher eukaryotes; however, the mechanisms are not completely understood. Here we identify the Ssy1-Ptr3-Ssy5 (SPS) amino acid sensing pathway as a novel longevity factor. A null mutation of SSY5 (ssy5Δ) increases replicative life span (RLS) by ∼50%. Our results demonstrate that several NAD(+) homeostasis factors play key roles in this life span extension. First, expression of the putative malate-pyruvate NADH shuttle increases in ssy5Δ cells, and deleting components of this shuttle, MAE1 and OAC1, largely abolishes RLS extension. Next, we show that Stp1, a transcription factor of the SPS pathway, directly binds to the promoter of MAE1 and OAC1 to regulate their expression. Additionally, deletion of SSY5 increases nicotinamide riboside (NR) levels and phosphate-responsive (PHO) signaling activity, suggesting that ssy5Δ increases NR salvaging. This increase contributes to NAD(+) homeostasis, partially ameliorating the NAD(+) deficiency and rescuing the short life span of the npt1Δ mutant. Moreover, we observed that vacuolar phosphatase, Pho8, is partially required for ssy5Δ-mediated NR increase and RLS extension. Together, our studies present evidence that supports SPS signaling is a novel NAD(+) homeostasis factor and ssy5Δ-mediated life span extension is likely due to concomitantly increased mitochondrial and vacuolar function. Our findings may contribute to understanding the molecular basis of NAD(+) metabolism, cellular life span, and diseases associated with NAD(+) deficiency and aging. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

The luteotrophic effect of homoplastic pituitary pars distalis homogenate, PMSG, and HCG on the corpora lutea of the hypophysectomized frog, Rana cyanophlyctis (SCHN).

PubMed

Pancharatna, M; Saidapur, S K

1984-03-01

The effect of homoplastic pituitary pars distalis homogenate (PDH), PMSG, and HCG on the postovulatory follicles/corpora lutea (CL) of the frog Rana cyanophlyctis was studied to elucidate the factors regulating the life span of the luteal cells. Ovulation and spawning was induced in hypophysectomized frogs using PDH. Starting from Day 1 of spawning 1/2 PDH, 50 IU PMSG, or 50 IU HCG was injected daily for 3 days. In the saline-injected control frogs, the granulosa lutein cells regressed markedly on Day 2 with a steady progressive increase in the pycnosis of their nuclei. The sudanophilic lipid droplets of the luteal cells were fine on Day 1 but became coarser and reduced in number on subsequent days. Histochemically, the luteal cell 3 beta-HSDH and G-6-PDH also decreased drastically by Day 2. In PDH-treated frogs the granulosa lutein cells were healthy on all 4 days of the experiment. The nuclear diameter of the luteal cells increased progressively due to PDH. The pycnosis of the luteal cells was limited to 7.6% on Day 4 due to PDH as opposed to 68% seen in the controls. Histochemically, 3 beta-HSDH and G-6-PDH activities remained much higher than in the controls with abundant sudanophilic lipids (both fine and coarse) in the luteal cells of PDH treated frogs even on Day 4. PMSG treatment also maintained the granulosa lutein cells beyond their normal life span but the luteotrophic effect was less than that of PDH. HCG was least effective. The present studies suggest that the structural integrity of CL in the frog can be extended beyond the normal life span by injecting PDH or PMSG.

Influence of resveratrol on oxidative stress resistance and life span in Caenorhabditis elegans.

PubMed

Chen, Wei; Rezaizadehnajafi, Leila; Wink, Michael

2013-05-01

Resveratrol (3,5,4'-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene), a polyphenol from red wine, has been reported to be beneficial in cases of ageing-related cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases owing to its property to reduce oxidative stress. Previous studies on the longevity promoting effect of resveratrol have been partly inconclusive, therefore we set out to investigate whether resveratrol at least promoted longevity in Caenorhabditis elegans under acute oxidative stress conditions. C. elegans was cultured under standard conditions with or without resveratrol. After exposure to juglone-induced acute oxidative stress, the survival rate and hsp-16.2::GFP expression were measured. The influence of resveratrol on life span was recorded also under oxidative stress induced by high glucose concentrations in the growth medium. No extension of the normal life span of C. elegans was observed either in liquid or solid growth media containing different concentrations of resveratrol. However, resveratrol alleviated juglone-induced lethal oxidative stress, and significantly prolonged the life span of C. elegans under conditions of acute oxidative damage and oxidative stress caused by high concentrations of glucose. Resveratrol, as an antioxidant, ameliorated oxidative stress in vivo but did not extend the life span of C. elegans under normal conditions. However, resveratrol did extend life span under conditions of oxidative stress. © 2013 The Authors. JPP © 2013 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

Immortalization of Human Fetal Cells: The Life Span of Umbilical Cord Blood-derived Cells Can Be Prolonged without Manipulating p16INK4a/RB Braking PathwayD⃞

PubMed Central

Terai, Masanori; Uyama, Taro; Sugiki, Tadashi; Li, Xiao-Kang; Umezawa, Akihiro; Kiyono, Tohru

2005-01-01

Human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UCBMSCs) are expected to serve as an excellent alternative to bone marrow-derived human mesenchymal stem cells. However, it is difficult to study them because of their limited life span. To overcome this problem, we attempted to produce a strain of UCBMSCs with a long life span and to investigate whether the strain could maintain phenotypes in vitro. UCBMSCs were infected with retrovirus carrying the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) to prolong their life span. The UCBMSCs underwent 30 population doublings (PDs) and stopped dividing at PD 37. The UCBMSCs newly established with hTERT (UCBTERTs) proliferated for >120 PDs. The p16INK4a/RB braking pathway leading to senescence can be inhibited by introduction of Bmi-1, a polycomb-group gene, and human papillomavirus type 16 E7, but the extension of the life span of the UCBMSCs with hTERT did not require inhibition of the p16INK4a/RB pathway. The characteristics of the UCBTERTs remained unchanged during the prolongation of life span. UCBTERTs provide a powerful model for further study of cellular senescence and for future application to cell-based therapy by using umbilical cord blood cells. PMID:15647378

Long-term effects of intragastic instillations of BDNPF:BDNPA in male Sprague-Dawley rats and female Swiss-Webster mice

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Smith, D.M.; Drake, G.A.; London, J.E.

1981-07-01

Young male Sprague-Dawley rats were given a single dose of 1.3 g/kg body weight (BW) bis-dinitro-propyl-formal:bisdinitro-propyl-acetal (BDNPF:BDNPA) intragastrically (IG) and young female Swiss-Webster mice were given BDNPF:BDNPA either as a single dose (800 mg/kg/Bw) IG or a dose (500 mg/kg/BW) IG on each of 5 consecutive days. All animals were then maintained for the durations of their life spans and autopsied at death. The incidence of testicular Leydig cell tumors and subcutaneous fibrosarcomas in rats receiving the material was significantly elevated compared to controls, though treated animals' life spans were not significantly different from those of control animals. No significantmore » effects were seen in any of the mice receiving either a single dose or multiple doses of BDNPF:BDNPA compared to control animals. We suggest that another species of male Laboratory animals be treated with BDNPF:BDNPA to see if these findings can be replicated.« less

Reactive and proactive interference control in adults with autism spectrum disorder across the lifespan.

PubMed

Lever, Anne G; Ridderinkhof, K Richard; Marsman, Maarten; Geurts, Hilde M

2017-02-01

As a large heterogeneity is observed across studies on interference control in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), research may benefit from the use of a cognitive framework that models specific processes underlying reactive and proactive control of interference. Reactive control refers to the expression and suppression of responses and proactive control refers to the adjustment of response to previous situations. We administered a Simon conflict task in 2 independent adult samples (IQ >80) and applied distributional analyses to examine temporal dynamics of interference control in ASD. Along comparable interference effects in both reactive and proactive control, young men (n = 23, 18-36 years) diagnosed with ASD made as many fast errors on conflict trials as neurotypical controls (n = 19) and showed similar suppression on slow responses (Study 1). However, over the adult life span (19-79 years), individuals with ASD (n = 118) made fewer fast errors on conflict trials, and had overall slower and more accurate responses than controls (n = 160; Study 2). These results converge to the idea that individuals with ASD adopt a more cautious response bias over the adult life span, which is not yet observed among young adults. Our findings suggest that it is fruitful to distinguish different processes involved in interference control and contribute to an increased understanding of interference control mechanisms in adults with ASD. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Sustained Attention Across the Life Span in a Sample of 10,000: Dissociating Ability and Strategy.

PubMed

Fortenbaugh, Francesca C; DeGutis, Joseph; Germine, Laura; Wilmer, Jeremy B; Grosso, Mallory; Russo, Kathryn; Esterman, Michael

2015-09-01

Normal and abnormal differences in sustained visual attention have long been of interest to scientists, educators, and clinicians. Still lacking, however, is a clear understanding of how sustained visual attention varies across the broad sweep of the human life span. In the present study, we filled this gap in two ways. First, using an unprecedentedly large 10,430-person sample, we modeled age-related differences with substantially greater precision than have prior efforts. Second, using the recently developed gradual-onset continuous performance test (gradCPT), we parsed sustained-attention performance over the life span into its ability and strategy components. We found that after the age of 15 years, the strategy and ability trajectories saliently diverge. Strategy becomes monotonically more conservative with age, whereas ability peaks in the early 40s and is followed by a gradual decline in older adults. These observed life-span trajectories for sustained attention are distinct from results of other life-span studies focusing on fluid and crystallized intelligence. © The Author(s) 2015.

Lifespan extension by cranberry supplementation partially requires SOD2 and is life stage independent.

PubMed

Sun, Yaning; Yolitz, Jason; Alberico, Thomas; Sun, Xiaoping; Zou, Sige

2014-02-01

Many nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals have been shown to promote healthspan and lifespan. However, the mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of prolongevity interventions and the time points at which interventions should be implemented to achieve beneficial effects are not well characterized. We have previously shown that a cranberry-containing nutraceutical can promote lifespan in worms and flies and delay age-related functional decline of pancreatic cells in rats. Here we investigated the mechanism underlying lifespan extension induced by cranberry and the effects of short-term or life stage-specific interventions with cranberry on lifespan in Drosophila. We found that lifespan extension induced by cranberry was associated with reduced phosphorylation of ERK, a component of oxidative stress response MAPK signaling, and slightly increased phosphorylation of AKT, a component of insulin-like signaling. Lifespan extension was also associated with a reduced level of 4-hydroxynonenal protein adducts, a biomarker of lipid oxidation. Moreover, lifespan extension induced by cranberry was partially suppressed by knockdown of SOD2, a major mitochondrial superoxide scavenger. Furthermore, cranberry supplementation was administered in three life stages of adult flies, health span (3-30 days), transition span (31-60 days) and senescence span (61 days to the end when all flies died). Cranberry supplementation during any of these life stages extended the remaining lifespan relative to the non-supplemented and life stage-matched controls. These findings suggest that cranberry supplementation is sufficient to promote longevity when implemented during any life stage, likely through reducing oxidative damage. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Linguistic Evidence for the Failure Mindset as a Predictor of Life Span Longevity.

PubMed

Penzel, Ian B; Persich, Michelle R; Boyd, Ryan L; Robinson, Michael D

2017-06-01

When people think that their efforts will fail to achieve positive outcomes, they sometimes give up their efforts after control, which can have negative health consequences. Problematic orientations of this type, such as pessimism, helplessness, or fatalism, seem likely to be associated with a cognitive mindset marked by higher levels of accessibility for failure words or concepts. Thus, the purpose of the present research was to determine whether there are individual differences in the frequency with which people think about failure, which in turn are likely to impact health across large spans of time. Following self-regulatory theories of health and the learned helplessness tradition, two archival studies (total n = 197) scored texts (books or speeches) for their use of failure words, a category within the Harvard IV dictionary of the General Inquirer. People who used failure words more frequently exhibited shorter subsequent life spans, and this relationship remained significant when controlling for birth year. Furthermore, study 2 implicated behavioral factors. For example, the failure/longevity relationship was numerically stronger among people whose causes of death appeared to be preventable rather than non-preventable. These results significantly extend our knowledge of the personality/longevity relationship while highlighting the value of individual differences in word usage as predictors of health and mortality.

Understanding retirement: the promise of life-span developmental frameworks.

PubMed

Löckenhoff, Corinna E

2012-09-01

The impending retirement of large population cohorts creates a pressing need for practical interventions to optimize outcomes at the individual and societal level. This necessitates comprehensive theoretical models that acknowledge the multi-layered nature of the retirement process and shed light on the dynamic mechanisms that drive longitudinal patterns of adjustment. The present commentary highlights ways in which contemporary life-span developmental frameworks can inform retirement research, drawing on the specific examples of Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Model, Baltes and Baltes Selective Optimization with Compensation Framework, Schulz and Heckhausen's Motivational Theory of Life-Span Development, and Carstensen's Socioemotional Selectivity Theory. Ultimately, a life-span developmental perspective on retirement offers not only new interpretations of known phenomena but may also help to identify novel directions for future research as well as promising pathways for interventions.

Hormonal regulation of longevity in mammals

PubMed Central

Brown-Borg, Holly M.

2007-01-01

Multiple biological and environmental factors impact the life span of an organism. The endocrine system is a highly integrated physiological system in mammals that regulates metabolism, growth, reproduction, and response to stress, among other functions. As such, this pervasive entity has a major influence on aging and longevity. The growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor-1 and insulin pathways have been at the forefront of hormonal control of aging research in the last few years. Other hormones, including those from the thyroid and reproductive system have also been studied in terms of life span regulation. The relevance of these hormones to human longevity remains to be established, however the evidence from other species including yeast, nematodes, and flies suggest that evolutionarily well-conserved mechanisms are at play and the endocrine system is a key determinant. PMID:17360245

From Childhood Maltreatment to Allostatic Load in Adulthood: The Role of Social Support

PubMed Central

Horan, Jacqueline M.; Widom, Cathy S.

2017-01-01

Although previous research has documented that social support acts as a protective factor for individuals exposed to trauma, most research relies on assessments of social support at one point in time. The present study used data from a prospective cohort design study to examine the stability of social support from childhood through middle adulthood in individuals with documented histories of childhood abuse and neglect and matched controls (aged 0–11) and assessed the impact of social support on allostatic load, a composite measure of physiological stress response assessed through blood tests and physical measurements, in middle adulthood. Maltreated children are more likely to have unstable social support across the life span, compared to matched controls. Social support across the life span partially mediated the relationship between child maltreatment and allostatic load in adulthood, although there were differences by race and sex. These findings have implications for interventions to prevent the negative consequences of child maltreatment. PMID:26260146

Adaptive prolonged postreproductive life span in killer whales.

PubMed

Foster, Emma A; Franks, Daniel W; Mazzi, Sonia; Darden, Safi K; Balcomb, Ken C; Ford, John K B; Croft, Darren P

2012-09-14

Prolonged life after reproduction is difficult to explain evolutionarily unless it arises as a physiological side effect of increased longevity or it benefits related individuals (i.e., increases inclusive fitness). There is little evidence that postreproductive life spans are adaptive in nonhuman animals. By using multigenerational records for two killer whale (Orcinus orca) populations in which females can live for decades after their final parturition, we show that postreproductive mothers increase the survival of offspring, particularly their older male offspring. This finding may explain why female killer whales have evolved the longest postreproductive life span of all nonhuman animals.

Endosomal protein sorting and autophagy genes contribute to the regulation of yeast life span.

PubMed

Longo, Valter D; Nislow, Corey; Fabrizio, Paola

2010-11-01

Accumulating evidence from various organisms points to a role for autophagy in the regulation of life span. By performing a genome-wide screen to identify novel life span determinants in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we have obtained further insights into the autophagy-related and -unrelated degradation processes that may be important for preventing cellular senescence. The generation of multivesicular bodies and their fusion with the vacuole in the endosomal pathway emerged as novel cell functions involved in yeast chronological survival and longevity extension.

Switch Hands! Mapping Proactive and Reactive Cognitive Control across the Life Span

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Gerven, Pascal W. M.; Hurks, Petra P. M.; Bovend'Eerdt, Thamar J. H.; Adam, Jos J.

2016-01-01

We investigated the effects of age on proactive and reactive cognitive control in a large population sample of 809 individuals, ranging in age between 5 and 97 years. For that purpose, we used an anticue paradigm, which required a consistent remapping of cue location and response hand: Left-sided cues required right-hand responses and vice versa.…

Life and Self Meaning: The Process of Their Creation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weenolsen, Patricia

Research has not addressed issues of life meaning in a life-span developmental framework. The Loss and Transcendence paradigm was developed as a humanistic-existential approach to life-span development which has as its central theme the concept that individuals are in a continuous process of creating their lives and their selves. To explore loss…

Hour Glass Half-Full or Half-Empty? Future Time Perspective and Preoccupation with Negative Events Across the Life Span

PubMed Central

Strough, JoNell; de Bruin, Wändi Bruine; Parker, Andrew M.; Lemaster, Philip; Pichayayothin, Nipat; Delaney, Rebecca

2016-01-01

According to socioemotional selectivity theory, older adults' emotional well-being stems from having limited future time perspective that motivates them to maximize well-being in the “here and now.” Presumably, then, older adults' time horizons are associated with emotional competencies that boost positive affect and dampen negative affect, but little research has addressed this. Using a US national adult life-span sample (N= 3,933, 18-93 yrs), we found that a two-factor model of future time perspective (focus on future opportunities; focus on limited time) fit the data better than a one-factor model. Through middle age, people perceived the life-span hourglass as half full—they focused more on future opportunities than limited time. Around age 60, the balance changed to increasingly perceiving the life-span hourglass as half empty—they focused less on future opportunities and more on limited time. This pattern held even after accounting for perceived health, self-reported decision-making ability, and retirement status. At all ages, women's time horizons focused more on future opportunities compared to men's, and men's focused more on limited time. Focusing on future opportunities was associated with reporting less preoccupation with negative events, whereas focusing on limited time was associated with reporting more preoccupation. Older adults reported less preoccupation with negative events and this association was stronger after controlling for their perceptions of limited time and fewer future opportunities, suggesting that other pathways may explain older adults' reports of their ability to disengage from negative events. Insights gained and questions raised by measuring future time perspective as two dimensions are discussed. PMID:27267222

Hour glass half full or half empty? Future time perspective and preoccupation with negative events across the life span.

PubMed

Strough, JoNell; Bruine de Bruin, Wändi; Parker, Andrew M; Lemaster, Philip; Pichayayothin, Nipat; Delaney, Rebecca

2016-09-01

According to socioemotional selectivity theory, older adults' emotional well-being stems from having a limited future time perspective that motivates them to maximize well-being in the "here and now." Presumably, then, older adults' time horizons are associated with emotional competencies that boost positive affect and dampen negative affect, but little research has addressed this. Using a U.S. adult life-span sample (N = 3,933; 18-93 years), we found that a 2-factor model of future time perspective (future opportunities; limited time) fit the data better than a 1-factor model. Through middle age, people perceived the life-span hourglass as half full-they focused more on future opportunities than limited time. Around Age 60, the balance changed to increasingly perceiving the life-span hourglass as half empty-they focused less on future opportunities and more on limited time, even after accounting for perceived health, self-reported decision-making ability, and retirement status. At all ages, women's time horizons focused more on future opportunities compared with men's, and men's focused more on limited time. Focusing on future opportunities was associated with reporting less preoccupation with negative events, whereas focusing on limited time was associated with reporting more preoccupation. Older adults reported less preoccupation with negative events, and this association was stronger after controlling for their perceptions of limited time and fewer future opportunities, suggesting that other pathways may explain older adults' reports of their ability to disengage from negative events. Insights gained and questions raised by measuring future time perspective as 2 dimensions are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Evaluation of resveratrol, green tea extract, curcumin, oxaloacetic acid, and medium-chain triglyceride oil on life span of genetically heterogeneous mice.

PubMed

Strong, Randy; Miller, Richard A; Astle, Clinton M; Baur, Joseph A; de Cabo, Rafael; Fernandez, Elizabeth; Guo, Wen; Javors, Martin; Kirkland, James L; Nelson, James F; Sinclair, David A; Teter, Bruce; Williams, David; Zaveri, Nurulain; Nadon, Nancy L; Harrison, David E

2013-01-01

The National Institute on Aging Interventions Testing Program (ITP) was established to evaluate agents that are hypothesized to increase life span and/or health span in genetically heterogeneous mice. Each compound is tested in parallel at three test sites. It is the goal of the ITP to publish all results, negative or positive. We report here on the results of lifelong treatment of mice, beginning at 4 months of age, with each of five agents, that is, green tea extract (GTE), curcumin, oxaloacetic acid, medium-chain triglyceride oil, and resveratrol, on the life span of genetically heterogeneous mice. Each agent was administered beginning at 4 months of age. None of these five agents had a statistically significant effect on life span of male or female mice, by log-rank test, at the concentrations tested, although a secondary analysis suggested that GTE might diminish the risk of midlife deaths in females only.

Evaluation of Resveratrol, Green Tea Extract, Curcumin, Oxaloacetic Acid, and Medium-Chain Triglyceride Oil on Life Span of Genetically Heterogeneous Mice

PubMed Central

Miller, Richard A.; Astle, Clinton M.; Baur, Joseph A.; de Cabo, Rafael; Fernandez, Elizabeth; Guo, Wen; Javors, Martin; Kirkland, James L.; Nelson, James F.; Sinclair, David A.; Teter, Bruce; Williams, David; Zaveri, Nurulain; Nadon, Nancy L.; Harrison, David E.

2013-01-01

The National Institute on Aging Interventions Testing Program (ITP) was established to evaluate agents that are hypothesized to increase life span and/or health span in genetically heterogeneous mice. Each compound is tested in parallel at three test sites. It is the goal of the ITP to publish all results, negative or positive. We report here on the results of lifelong treatment of mice, beginning at 4 months of age, with each of five agents, that is, green tea extract (GTE), curcumin, oxaloacetic acid, medium-chain triglyceride oil, and resveratrol, on the life span of genetically heterogeneous mice. Each agent was administered beginning at 4 months of age. None of these five agents had a statistically significant effect on life span of male or female mice, by log-rank test, at the concentrations tested, although a secondary analysis suggested that GTE might diminish the risk of midlife deaths in females only. PMID:22451473

An Integrated Multilevel Converter with Sigma Delta Control for LED Lighting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerber, Daniel L.

High brightness LEDs have become a mainstream lighting technology due to their efficiency, life span, and environmental benefits. As such, the lighting industry values LED drivers with low cost, small form factor, and long life span. Additional specifications that define a high quality LED driver are high efficiency, high power factor, wide-range dimming, minimal flicker, and a galvanically isolated output. The flyback LED driver is a popular topology that satisfies all these specifications, but it requires a bulky and costly flyback transformer. In addition, its passive methods for cancelling AC power ripple require electrolytic capacitors, which have been known to have life span issues. This dissertation details the design, construction, and verification of a novel LED driver that satisfies all the specifications. In addition, it does not require a flyback transformer or electrolytic capacitors, thus marking an improvement over the flyback driver on size, cost, and life span. This dissertation presents an integrated circuit (IC) LED driver, which features a pair of generalized multilevel converters that are controlled via sigma-delta modulation. The first is a multilevel rectifier responsible for power factor correction (PFC) and dimming. The PFC rectifier employs a second order sigma-delta loop to precisely control the input current harmonics and amplitude. The second is a bidirectional multilevel inverter used to cancel AC power ripple from the DC bus. This ripple-cancellation module transfers energy to and from a storage capacitor. It uses a first order sigma-delta loop with a preprogrammed waveform to swing the storage capacitor voltage. The system also contains an output stage that powers the LEDs with DC and provides for galvanic isolation. The output stage consists of an H-bridge stack that connects to the output through a small toroid transformer. The IC LED driver was simulated and prototyped on an ABCD silicon test chip. Testing and verification indicates functional performance for all the modules in the LED driver. The driver exhibits moderate efficiency at half voltage. Although the part was only testable to half voltage, loss models predict that its efficiency would be much higher at full voltage. The driver also meets specifications on the line current harmonics and ripple cancellation. This dissertation introduces multilevel circuit techniques to the IC and LED research space. The prototype's functional performance indicates that integrated multilevel converters are a viable topology for lighting and other similar applications.

A Holistic Model for Wellness and Prevention over the Life Span.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Witmer, J. Melvin; Sweeney, Thomas J.

1992-01-01

Presents integrated paradigm for wellness and prevention over the life span for purpose of theory building, research, clinical application, education, advocacy, and consciousness raising. Model described includes 11 characteristics desirable for optimal health and functioning. Notes characteristics are expressed through five life tasks of…

Explanatory style across the life span: evidence for stability over 52 years.

PubMed

Burns, M O; Seligman, M E

1989-03-01

Analyzed explanatory style across the life span. 30 Ss whose average age was 72 responded to questions about their current life and provided diaries or letters written in their youth, an average of 52 years earlier. A blind content analysis of explanatory style derived from these 2 sources revealed that explanatory style for negative events was stable throughout adult life (r = .54, p less than .002). In contrast, there appeared to be no stability of explanatory style for positive events between the same 2 time periods. These results suggest that explanatory style for negative events may persist across the life span and may constitute an enduring risk factor for depression, low achievement, and physical illness.

The Cost of Uncertain Life Span*

PubMed Central

Edwards, Ryan D.

2012-01-01

A considerable amount of uncertainty surrounds the length of human life. The standard deviation in adult life span is about 15 years in the U.S., and theory and evidence suggest it is costly. I calibrate a utility-theoretic model of preferences over length of life and show that one fewer year in standard deviation is worth about half a mean life year. Differences in the standard deviation exacerbate cross-sectional differences in life expectancy between the U.S. and other industrialized countries, between rich and poor countries, and among poor countries. Accounting for the cost of life-span variance also appears to amplify recently discovered patterns of convergence in world average human well-being. This is partly for methodological reasons and partly because unconditional variance in human length of life, primarily the component due to infant mortality, has exhibited even more convergence than life expectancy. PMID:22368324

Alteration of travel patterns with vision loss from glaucoma and macular degeneration.

PubMed

Curriero, Frank C; Pinchoff, Jessie; van Landingham, Suzanne W; Ferrucci, Luigi; Friedman, David S; Ramulu, Pradeep Y

2013-11-01

The distance patients can travel outside the home influences how much of the world they can sample and to what extent they can live independently. Recent technological advances have allowed travel outside the home to be directly measured in patients' real-world routines. To determine whether decreased visual acuity (VA) from age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and visual field (VF) loss from glaucoma are associated with restricted travel patterns in older adults. Cross-sectional study. Patients were recruited from an eye clinic, while travel patterns were recorded during their real-world routines using a cellular tracking device. Sixty-one control subjects with normal vision, 84 subjects with glaucoma with bilateral VF loss, and 65 subjects with AMD with bilateral or severe unilateral loss of VA had their location tracked every 15 minutes between 7 am and 11 pm for 7 days using a tracking device. Average daily excursion size (defined as maximum distance away from home) and average daily excursion span (defined as maximum span of travel) were defined for each individual. The effects of vision loss on travel patterns were evaluated after controlling for individual and geographic factors. In multivariable models comparing subjects with AMD and control subjects, average excursion size and span decreased by approximately one-quarter mile for each line of better-eye VA loss (P ≤ .03 for both). Similar but not statistically significant associations were observed between average daily excursion size and span for severity of better-eye VF loss in subjects with glaucoma and control subjects. Being married or living with someone and younger age were associated with more distant travel, while less-distant travel was noted for older individuals, African Americans, and those living in more densely populated regions. Age-related macular degeneration-related loss of VA, but not glaucoma-related loss of VF, is associated with restriction of travel to more nearby locations. This constriction of life space may impact quality of life and restrict access to services.

Life-Span Developmental Psychology: Non-Normative Life Events. A Review of the Seventh West Virginia University Life-Span Developmental Psychology Conference.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richardson, Gale A.; Kwiatkowski, Bonnie M.

1981-01-01

Topics covered in this conference included parenting, terminal illness, the birth of severely disabled children, rape and family violence, separation and divorce, and hospitalization, and dealt with a wide range of methodologies and age periods. (Author/RH)

21 CFR 866.5490 - Hemopexin immunological test system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... survival of mature red blood cells and inability of the bone marrow to compensate for their decreased life span) and sickle cell anemia. (b) Classification. Class II (special controls). The device is exempt... Hemopexin immunological test system. (a) Indentification. A hemopexin immunological test system is a device...

21 CFR 866.5490 - Hemopexin immunological test system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... survival of mature red blood cells and inability of the bone marrow to compensate for their decreased life span) and sickle cell anemia. (b) Classification. Class II (special controls). The device is exempt... Hemopexin immunological test system. (a) Indentification. A hemopexin immunological test system is a device...

21 CFR 866.5490 - Hemopexin immunological test system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... survival of mature red blood cells and inability of the bone marrow to compensate for their decreased life span) and sickle cell anemia. (b) Classification. Class II (special controls). The device is exempt... Hemopexin immunological test system. (a) Indentification. A hemopexin immunological test system is a device...

21 CFR 866.5490 - Hemopexin immunological test system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... survival of mature red blood cells and inability of the bone marrow to compensate for their decreased life span) and sickle cell anemia. (b) Classification. Class II (special controls). The device is exempt... Hemopexin immunological test system. (a) Indentification. A hemopexin immunological test system is a device...

Sex differences in life span: Females homozygous for the X chromosome do not suffer the shorter life span predicted by the unguarded X hypothesis.

PubMed

Brengdahl, Martin; Kimber, Christopher M; Maguire-Baxter, Jack; Friberg, Urban

2018-03-01

Life span differs between the sexes in many species. Three hypotheses to explain this interesting pattern have been proposed, involving different drivers: sexual selection, asymmetrical inheritance of cytoplasmic genomes, and hemizygosity of the X(Z) chromosome (the unguarded X hypothesis). Of these, the unguarded X has received the least experimental attention. This hypothesis suggests that the heterogametic sex suffers a shortened life span because recessive deleterious alleles on its single X(Z) chromosome are expressed unconditionally. In Drosophila melanogaster, the X chromosome is unusually large (∼20% of the genome), providing a powerful model for evaluating theories involving the X. Here, we test the unguarded X hypothesis by forcing D. melanogaster females from a laboratory population to express recessive X-linked alleles to the same degree as males, using females exclusively made homozygous for the X chromosome. We find no evidence for reduced life span or egg-to-adult viability due to X homozygozity. In contrast, males and females homozygous for an autosome both suffer similar, significant reductions in those traits. The logic of the unguarded X hypothesis is indisputable, but our results suggest that the degree to which recessive deleterious X-linked alleles depress performance in the heterogametic sex appears too small to explain general sex differences in life span. © 2018 The Author(s). Evolution © 2018 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Mice Deficient in Both Mn Superoxide Dismutase and Glutathione Peroxidase-1 Have Increased Oxidative Damage and a Greater Incidence of Pathology but No Reduction in Longevity

PubMed Central

Zhang, Yiqiang; Ikeno, Yuji; Qi, Wenbo; Chaudhuri, Asish; Li, Yan; Bokov, Alex; Thorpe, Suzanne R.; Baynes, John W.; Epstein, Charles; Richardson, Arlan

2009-01-01

To test the impact of increased mitochondrial oxidative stress as a mechanism underlying aging and age-related pathologies, we generated mice with a combined deficiency in two mitochondrial-localized antioxidant enzymes, Mn superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) and glutathione peroxidase-1 (Gpx-1). We compared life span, pathology, and oxidative damage in Gpx1−/−, Sod2+/−Gpx1+/−, Sod2+/−Gpx1−/−, and wild-type control mice. Oxidative damage was elevated in Sod2+/−Gpx1−/− mice, as shown by increased DNA oxidation in liver and skeletal muscle and increased protein oxidation in brain. Surprisingly, Sod2+/−Gpx1−/− mice showed no reduction in life span, despite increased levels of oxidative damage. Consistent with the important role for oxidative stress in tumorigenesis during aging, the incidence of neoplasms was significantly increased in the older Sod2+/−Gpx1−/− mice (28–30 months). Thus, these data do not support a significant role for increased oxidative stress as a result of compromised mitochondrial antioxidant defenses in modulating life span in mice and do not support the oxidative stress theory of aging. PMID:19776219

The Impact of Life Stages on Parent-Child Relationships: A Comparative Look at Japanese & American University Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Takei, Yoshimitsu; Honda, Tokio; Shieh, Sheau-Hue

2007-01-01

Adolescence is often considered a period in a person's life when important physiological and emotional changes occur. When discussing adolescence, however, it should not be forgotten that it is just another stage in one's life span between birth and death. By adopting a life-span perspective, researchers are more likely to consider contextual…

Cyber Security Assessment Report: Adventium Labs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

2007-12-31

Major control system components often have life spans of 15-20 years. Many systems in our Nation's critical infrastructure were installed before the Internet became a reality and security was a concern. Consequently, control systems are generally insecure. Security is now being included in the development of new control system devices; however, legacy control systems remain vulnerable. Most efforts to secure control systems are aimed at protecting network borers, but if an intruder gets inside the network these systems are vulnerable to a cyber attack.

Stress responses, vitagenes and hormesis as critical determinants in aging and longevity: Mitochondria as a "chi".

PubMed

Cornelius, Carolin; Perrotta, Rosario; Graziano, Antonio; Calabrese, Edward J; Calabrese, Vittorio

2013-04-25

Understanding mechanisms of aging and determinants of life span will help to reduce age-related morbidity and facilitate healthy aging. Average lifespan has increased over the last centuries, as a consequence of medical and environmental factors, but maximal life span remains unchanged. Extension of maximal life span is currently possible in animal models with measures such as genetic manipulations and caloric restriction (CR). CR appears to prolong life by reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated oxidative damage. But ROS formation, which is positively implicated in cellular stress response mechanisms, is a highly regulated process controlled by a complex network of intracellular signaling pathways. By sensing the intracellular nutrient and energy status, the functional state of mitochondria, and the concentration of ROS produced in mitochondria, the longevity network regulates life span across species by coordinating information flow along its convergent, divergent and multiply branched signaling pathways, including vitagenes which are genes involved in preserving cellular homeostasis during stressful conditions. Vitagenes encode for heat shock proteins (Hsp) Hsp32, Hsp70, the thioredoxin and the sirtuin protein systems. Dietary antioxidants, have recently been demonstrated to be neuroprotective through the activation of hormetic pathways, including vitagenes. The hormetic dose-response, challenges long-standing beliefs about the nature of the dose-response in a lowdose zone, having the potential to affect significantly the design of pre-clinical studies and clinical trials as well as strategies for optimal patient dosing in the treatment of numerous diseases. Given the broad cytoprotective properties of the heat shock response there is now strong interest in discovering and developing pharmacological agents capable of inducing stress responses. Here we focus on possible signaling mechanisms involved in the activation of vitagenes resulting in enhanced defense against energy and stress resistance homeostasis dysiruption with consequent impact on longevity processes.

Identity, prudential concern, and extended lives.

PubMed

Glannon, Walter

2002-06-01

Recent advances in human genetics suggest that it may become possible to genetically manipulate telomerase and embryonic stem cells to alter the mechanisms of aging and extend the human life span. But a life span significantly longer than the present norm would be undesirable because it would severely weaken the connections between past- and future-oriented mental states and turn the psychological grounds for personal identity and prudential concern for our future selves. In addition, the collective effects of longer lives might lower the quality of life for all people. These two problems provide reasons against genetic manipulation of cells to alter the length of the human life span.

Life-Span Extension in Mice by Preweaning Food Restriction and by Methionine Restriction in Middle Age

PubMed Central

Sun, Liou; Sadighi Akha, Amir A.; Miller, Richard A.

2009-01-01

Life span can be extended in rodents by restricting food availability (caloric restriction [CR]) or by providing food low in methionine (Meth-R). Here, we show that a period of food restriction limited to the first 20 days of life, via a 50% enlargement of litter size, shows extended median and maximal life span relative to mice from normal sized litters and that a Meth-R diet initiated at 12 months of age also significantly increases longevity. Furthermore, mice exposed to a CR diet show changes in liver messenger RNA patterns, in phosphorylation of Erk, Jnk2, and p38 kinases, and in phosphorylation of mammalian target of rapamycin and its substrate 4EBP1, HE-binding protein 1 that are not observed in liver from age-matched Meth-R mice. These results introduce new protocols that can increase maximal life span and suggest that the spectrum of metabolic changes induced by low-calorie and low-methionine diets may differ in instructive ways. PMID:19414512

Simulation-based decision-making tool for adaptive traffic signal control on Tarrytown Road in the City of White Plains.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-01-01

Transportation corridors are vital for our region and even the nations economy and quality of life. A corridor is usually a complicated system that may span multi-jurisdictions, contains multiple modes, include both freeways and local arterials, a...

The Writing Process: Effects of Life-Span Development on Imaging.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shock, Diane Hahn

A qualitative study focused on incubation and illumination within the act of writing to determine if life-span development affects image production during these creative, cognitive acts. Sixteen subjects of both sexes from four age groups represented major developmental stages in the life cycle. The research design provided two 90-minute sessions…

Personal Goals and Well-Being: How Do Young People Navigate Their Lives?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salmela-Aro, Katariina

2010-01-01

This chapter examines development through different life transitions, such as educational transitions and transition to parenthood during adolescence to adulthood in the context of the life-span model of personal goals. According to the life-span model of motivation, four key mechanisms--channeling, choice, co-regulation, and compensation--play a…

A CRTCal link between energy and life span.

PubMed

Brunet, Anne

2011-04-06

Cutting down calories prolongs life, but how this works remains largely unknown. A recent study in Nature (Mair et al., 2011) shows that life span extension triggered by the energy-sensing protein kinase AMPK is mediated by an evolutionarily conserved transcriptional circuit involving CRTC-1 and CREB. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Visual Search Across the Life Span

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hommel, Bernhard; Li, Karen Z. H.; Li, Shu-Chen

2004-01-01

Gains and losses in visual search were studied across the life span in a representative sample of 298 individuals from 6 to 89 years of age. Participants searched for single-feature and conjunction targets of high or low eccentricity. Search was substantially slowed early and late in life, age gradients were more pronounced in conjunction than in…

Improvement/Maintenance and Reorientation as Central Features of Coping with Major Life Change and Loss: Contributions of Three Life-Span Theories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boerner, Kathrin; Jopp, Daniela

2007-01-01

This article focuses on the common and unique contributions of three major life-span theories in addressing improvement/maintenance and reorientation, which represent central processes of coping with major life change and loss. For this purpose, we review and compare the dual-process model of assimilative and accommodative coping, the model of…

Hormonal control of aging in rodents: The somatotropic axis

PubMed Central

Brown-Borg, Holly M.

2015-01-01

There is a growing body of literature focusing on the somatotropic axis and regulation of aging and longevity. Many of these reports derive data from multiple endocrine mutants, those that exhibit both elevated growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-1) or deficiencies in one or both of these hormones. In general, both spontaneous and genetically engineered GH and IGF-1 deficiencies have lead to small body size, delayed development of sexual maturation and age-related pathology, and life span extension. In contrast, characteristics of high circulating GH included larger body sizes, early puberty and reproductive senescence, increased cancer incidence and reduced life span when compared to wild-type animals with normal plasma hormone concentrations. This information, along with that found in multiple other species, implicates this anabolic pathway as the major regulator of longevity in animals. PMID:18674587

The Theory of Relativity: A Metatheory for Development?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sinnott, Jan Dynda

1981-01-01

Reviews relativity theory in physics to derive a relativistic metatheory applicable to life span developmental psychology. The discussion points out ways in which relativistic thinking might enhance understanding of life span development and epistemology. (Author/DB)

Does Dietary Restriction Reduce Life Span in Male Fruit-feeding Butterflies?

PubMed Central

Molleman, Freerk; Ding, Jimin; Boggs, Carol L.; Carey, James R.; Arlet, Małgorzata E.

2009-01-01

Male life history and resource allocation is not frequently studied in aging and life span research. Here we verify that males of long-lived fruit-feeding butterfly species have reduced longevity on restricted diets (Beck 2007 Oecologia), in contrast to the common finding of longevity extension in dietary restriction experiments in Drosophila and some other organisms. Males of some of the most long-lived species of fruit-feeding butterflies were collected from Kibale Forest, Uganda, and kept on diets of either sugar or mashed banana. Seven out of eight species had non-significantly longer life spans on mashed banana diets. Data analysis using a time-varying Cox-model with species as covariate showed that males had reduced survival on the sugar diet during the first 35 days of captive life, but the effect was absent or reversed at more advanced ages. These results challenge the generality of dietary restriction as a way to extend life span in animals. We argue that such studies on males are promising tools for better understanding life history evolution and aging because males display a wider variety of tactics for obtaining reproductive success than females. PMID:19580860

Sublethal effects of buprofezin on development and reproduction in the white-backed planthopper, Sogatella furcifera (Hemiptera: Delphacidae).

PubMed

Ali, Ehsan; Liao, Xun; Yang, Peng; Mao, Kaikai; Zhang, Xiaolei; Shakeel, Muhammad; Salim, Abdalla M A; Wan, Hu; Li, Jianhong

2017-12-05

In the present study, the effects of sublethal concentrations of buprofezin on life-table traits of S. furcifera were evaluated for two consecutive generations (F0 and F1). Our results exhibited that the fecundity, life span (longevity) and hatchability of the F0 and F1 generations were significantly decreased at LC 30 compared to the control. However, copulation was not significantly affected for the F0 or F1 generations at sublethal concentrations. The female life span was affected negatively at both treatments in F0 and at LC 30 in F1, compared to the control. Furthermore, significant effects of the sublethal concentrations were found on the developmental rate of all instars except the 3 rd instar of F1. However, the pre-adult period, total pre-oviposition period (TPOP) and adult pre-oviposition period (APOP) significantly increased in F1 individuals at LC 30 and LC 10 compared to the control. Our findings revealed that demographic characters (survival rate, intrinsic rate of increase (ri), finite rate of increase (λ), net reproductive rate (R 0 ), and gross reproductive rate (GRR)) of the F1 generation (from F0 parents) significantly decreased compared to the untreated group; however, the generation time (T) increased at LC 10 . Therefore, the results suggested that buprofezin could adversely affect individuals in the successive generation.

Deleting the 14-3-3 protein Bmh1 extends life span in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by increasing stress response.

PubMed

Wang, Chen; Skinner, Craig; Easlon, Erin; Lin, Su-Ju

2009-12-01

Enhanced stress response has been suggested to promote longevity in many species. Calorie restriction (CR) and conserved nutrient-sensing target of rapamycin (TOR) and protein kinase A (PKA) pathways have also been suggested to extend life span by increasing stress response, which protects cells from age-dependent accumulation of oxidative damages. Here we show that deleting the yeast 14-3-3 protein, Bmh1, extends chronological life span (CLS) by activating the stress response. 14-3-3 proteins are highly conserved chaperone-like proteins that play important roles in many cellular processes. bmh1Delta-induced heat resistance and CLS extension require the general stress-response transcription factors Msn2, Msn4, and Rim15. The bmh1Delta mutant also displays a decreased reactive oxygen species level and increased heat-shock-element-driven transcription activity. We also show that BMH1 genetically interacts with CR and conserved nutrient-sensing TOR- and PKA-signaling pathways to regulate life span. Interestingly, the level of phosphorylated Ser238 on Bmh1 increases during chronological aging, which is delayed by CR or by reduced TOR activities. In addition, we demonstrate that PKA can directly phosphorylate Ser238 on Bmh1. The status of Bmh1 phosphorylation is therefore likely to play important roles in life-span regulation. Together, our studies suggest that phosphorylated Bmh1 may cause inhibitory effects on downstream longevity factors, including stress-response proteins. Deleting Bmh1 may eliminate the inhibitory effects of Bmh1 on these longevity factors and therefore extends life span.

Chemical genetic screen identifies lithocholic acid as an anti-aging compound that extends yeast chronological life span in a TOR-independent manner, by modulating housekeeping longevity assurance processes.

PubMed

Goldberg, Alexander A; Richard, Vincent R; Kyryakov, Pavlo; Bourque, Simon D; Beach, Adam; Burstein, Michelle T; Glebov, Anastasia; Koupaki, Olivia; Boukh-Viner, Tatiana; Gregg, Christopher; Juneau, Mylène; English, Ann M; Thomas, David Y; Titorenko, Vladimir I

2010-07-01

In chronologically aging yeast, longevity can be extended by administering a caloric restriction (CR) diet or some small molecules. These life-extending interventions target the adaptable target of rapamycin (TOR) and cAMP/protein kinase A (cAMP/PKA) signaling pathways that are under the stringent control of calorie availability. We designed a chemical genetic screen for small molecules that increase the chronological life span of yeast under CR by targeting lipid metabolism and modulating housekeeping longevity pathways that regulate longevity irrespective of the number of available calories. Our screen identifies lithocholic acid (LCA) as one of such molecules. We reveal two mechanisms underlying the life-extending effect of LCA in chronologically aging yeast. One mechanism operates in a calorie availability-independent fashion and involves the LCA-governed modulation of housekeeping longevity assurance pathways that do not overlap with the adaptable TOR and cAMP/PKA pathways. The other mechanism extends yeast longevity under non-CR conditions and consists in LCA-driven unmasking of the previously unknown anti-aging potential of PKA. We provide evidence that LCA modulates housekeeping longevity assurance pathways by suppressing lipid-induced necrosis, attenuating mitochondrial fragmentation, altering oxidation-reduction processes in mitochondria, enhancing resistance to oxidative and thermal stresses, suppressing mitochondria-controlled apoptosis, and enhancing stability of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA.

Relationships of leaf dark respiration to leaf nitrogen, specific leaf area and leaf life-span: a test across biomes and functional groups.

PubMed

Reich, Peter B; Walters, Michael B; Ellsworth, David S; Vose, James M; Volin, John C; Gresham, Charles; Bowman, William D

1998-05-01

Based on prior evidence of coordinated multiple leaf trait scaling, we hypothesized that variation among species in leaf dark respiration rate (R d ) should scale with variation in traits such as leaf nitrogen (N), leaf life-span, specific leaf area (SLA), and net photosynthetic capacity (A max ). However, it is not known whether such scaling, if it exists, is similar among disparate biomes and plant functional types. We tested this idea by examining the interspecific relationships between R d measured at a standard temperature and leaf life-span, N, SLA and A max for 69 species from four functional groups (forbs, broad-leafed trees and shrubs, and needle-leafed conifers) in six biomes traversing the Americas: alpine tundra/subalpine forest, Colorado; cold temperate forest/grassland, Wisconsin; cool temperate forest, North Carolina; desert/shrubland, New Mexico; subtropical forest, South Carolina; and tropical rain forest, Amazonas, Venezuela. Area-based R d was positively related to area-based leaf N within functional groups and for all species pooled, but not when comparing among species within any site. At all sites, mass-based R d (R d-mass ) decreased sharply with increasing leaf life-span and was positively related to SLA and mass-based A max and leaf N (leaf N mass ). These intra-biome relationships were similar in shape and slope among sites, where in each case we compared species belonging to different plant functional groups. Significant R d-mass -N mass relationships were observed in all functional groups (pooled across sites), but the relationships differed, with higher R d at any given leaf N in functional groups (such as forbs) with higher SLA and shorter leaf life-span. Regardless of biome or functional group, R d-mass was well predicted by all combinations of leaf life-span, N mass and/or SLA (r 2 ≥ 0.79, P < 0.0001). At any given SLA, R d-mass rises with increasing N mass and/or decreasing leaf life-span; and at any level of N mass , R d-mass rises with increasing SLA and/or decreasing leaf life-span. The relationships between R d and leaf traits observed in this study support the idea of a global set of predictable interrelationships between key leaf morphological, chemical and metabolic traits.

The importance of adult life-span perspective in explaining variations in political ideology.

PubMed

Sedek, Grzegorz; Kossowska, Malgorzata; Rydzewska, Klara

2014-06-01

As a comment on Hibbing et al.'s paper, we discuss the evolution of political and social views from more liberal to more conservative over the span of adulthood. We show that Hibbing et al.'s theoretical model creates a false prediction from this developmental perspective, as increased conservatism in the adult life-span trajectory is accompanied by the avoidance of negative bias.

Antioxidants, metabolic rate and aging in Drosophila

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miquel, J.; Fleming, J.; Economos, A. C.

1982-01-01

The metabolic rate-of-living theory of aging was investigated by determining the effect of several life-prolonging antioxidants on the metabolic rate and life span of Drosophila. The respiration rate of groups of continuously agitated flies was determined in a Gilson respirometer. Vitamin E, 2,4-dinitrophenol, nordihydroguaiaretic acid, and thiazolidine carboxylic acid were employed as antioxidants. Results show that all of these antioxidants reduced the oxygen consumption rate and increased the mean life span, and a significant negative linear correlation was found between the mean life span and the metabolic rate. It is concluded that these findings indicate that some antioxidants may inhibit respiration rate in addition to their protective effect against free radical-induced cellular damage.

Life-span extension by dietary restriction is mediated by NLP-7 signaling and coelomocyte endocytosis in C. elegans.

PubMed

Park, Sang-Kyu; Link, Christopher D; Johnson, Thomas E

2010-02-01

Recent studies have shown that the rate of aging can be modulated by diverse interventions. Dietary restriction is the most widely used intervention to promote longevity; however, the mechanisms underlying the effect of dietary restriction remain elusive. In a previous study, we identified two novel genes, nlp-7 and cup-4, required for normal longevity in Caenorhabditis elegans. nlp-7 is one of a set of neuropeptide-like protein genes; cup-4 encodes an ion-channel involved in endocytosis by coelomocytes. Here, we assess whether nlp-7 and cup-4 mediate longevity increases by dietary restriction. RNAi of nlp-7 or cup-4 significantly reduces the life span of the eat-2 mutant, a genetic model of dietary restriction, but has no effect on the life span of long-lived mutants resulting from reduced insulin/IGF-1 signaling or dysfunction of the mitochondrial electron transport chain. The life-span extension observed in wild-type N2 worms by dietary restriction using bacterial dilution is prevented significantly in nlp-7 and cup-4 mutants. RNAi knockdown of genes encoding candidate receptors of NLP-7 and genes involved in endocytosis by coelomocytes also specifically shorten the life span of the eat-2 mutant. We conclude that two novel pathways, NLP-7 signaling and endocytosis by coelomocytes, are required for life extension under dietary restriction in C. elegans.

Foraging across the life span: is there a reduction in exploration with aging?

PubMed Central

Mata, Rui; Wilke, Andreas; Czienskowski, Uwe

2013-01-01

Does foraging change across the life span, and in particular, with aging? We report data from two foraging tasks used to investigate age differences in search in external environments as well as internal search in memory. Overall, the evidence suggests that foraging behavior may undergo significant changes across the life span across internal and external search. In particular, we find evidence of a trend toward reduced exploration with increased age. We discuss these findings in light of theories that postulate a link between aging and reductions in novelty seeking and exploratory behavior. PMID:23616741

Oxidative stress and the evolution of sex differences in life span and ageing in the decorated cricket, Gryllodes sigillatus.

PubMed

Archer, Catharine R; Sakaluk, Scott K; Selman, Colin; Royle, Nick J; Hunt, John

2013-03-01

The Free Radical Theory of Ageing (FRTA) predicts that oxidative stress, induced when levels of reactive oxygen species exceed the capacity of antioxidant defenses, causes ageing. Recently, it has also been argued that oxidative damage may mediate important life-history trade-offs. Here, we use inbred lines of the decorated cricket, Gryllodes sigillatus, to estimate the genetic (co)variance between age-dependent reproductive effort, life span, ageing, oxidative damage, and total antioxidant capacity within and between the sexes. The FRTA predicts that oxidative damage should accumulate with age and negatively correlate with life span. We find that protein oxidation is greater in the shorter lived sex (females) and negatively genetically correlated with life span in both sexes. However, oxidative damage did not accumulate with age in either sex. Previously we have shown antagonistic pleiotropy between the genes for early-life reproductive effort and ageing rate in both sexes, although this was stronger in females. In females, we find that elevated fecundity early in life is associated with greater protein oxidation later in life, which is in turn positively correlated with the rate of ageing. Our results provide mixed support for the FRTA but suggest that oxidative stress may mediate sex-specific life-history strategies in G. sigillatus. © 2012 The Author(s). Evolution© 2012 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

40 CFR 798.3300 - Oncogenicity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... that survival in all groups does not fall below 50 percent at the time of termination. (2) Control... test comprise the majority of the normal life span of the strain of animals to be used. This time... 30 months for rats and 24 months for mice. For longer time periods, and where any other species are...

Comparing New School Effects in Charter and Traditional Public Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelly, Andrew P.; Loveless, Tom

2012-01-01

This study investigates whether student achievement varies during the institutional life span of charter schools by comparing them to new public schools. The results show that there is little evidence that new public schools struggle with initial start-up issues to the same extent as new charter schools. Even after controlling for school…

40 CFR 798.3300 - Oncogenicity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... that survival in all groups does not fall below 50 percent at the time of termination. (2) Control... test comprise the majority of the normal life span of the strain of animals to be used. This time... 30 months for rats and 24 months for mice. For longer time periods, and where any other species are...

40 CFR 798.3300 - Oncogenicity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... that survival in all groups does not fall below 50 percent at the time of termination. (2) Control... test comprise the majority of the normal life span of the strain of animals to be used. This time... 30 months for rats and 24 months for mice. For longer time periods, and where any other species are...

40 CFR 798.3300 - Oncogenicity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... that survival in all groups does not fall below 50 percent at the time of termination. (2) Control... test comprise the majority of the normal life span of the strain of animals to be used. This time... 30 months for rats and 24 months for mice. For longer time periods, and where any other species are...

40 CFR 798.3300 - Oncogenicity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... that survival in all groups does not fall below 50 percent at the time of termination. (2) Control... test comprise the majority of the normal life span of the strain of animals to be used. This time... 30 months for rats and 24 months for mice. For longer time periods, and where any other species are...

Corrigendum: Childhood Adversity, Self-Esteem, and Diurnal Cortisol Profiles Across the Life Span.

PubMed

2018-01-01

Original article: Zilioli, S., Slatcher, R. B., Chi, P., Li, X., Zhao, J., & Zhao, G. (2016). Childhood adversity, self-esteem, and diurnal cortisol profiles across the life span. Psychological Science, 27, 1249-1265. doi:10.1177/0956797616658287.

Sibling Communication Functions across the Life-Span.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Myers, Scott A.; Smith, Ronda L.; Sonnier, Michelle F.

An investigation examined whether perceived use of sibling functional communication skills differed across the life-span. Participants were recruited through university students enrolled in an introductory communication course at a southern university. All students received extra credit for recruiting two participants. Potential participants were…

Royal Darwinian Demons: Enforced Changes in Reproductive Efforts Do Not Affect the Life Expectancy of Ant Queens.

PubMed

Schrempf, Alexandra; Giehr, Julia; Röhrl, Ramona; Steigleder, Sarah; Heinze, Jürgen

2017-04-01

One of the central tenets of life-history theory is that organisms cannot simultaneously maximize all fitness components. This results in the fundamental trade-off between reproduction and life span known from numerous animals, including humans. Social insects are a well-known exception to this rule: reproductive queens outlive nonreproductive workers. Here, we take a step forward and show that under identical social and environmental conditions the fecundity-longevity trade-off is absent also within the queen caste. A change in reproduction did not alter life expectancy, and even a strong enforced increase in reproductive efforts did not reduce residual life span. Generally, egg-laying rate and life span were positively correlated. Queens of perennial social insects thus seem to maximize at the same time two fitness parameters that are normally negatively correlated. Even though they are not immortal, they best approach a hypothetical "Darwinian demon" in the animal kingdom.

Heart rate reduction and longevity in mice.

PubMed

Gent, Sabine; Kleinbongard, Petra; Dammann, Philip; Neuhäuser, Markus; Heusch, Gerd

2015-03-01

Heart rate correlates inversely with life span across all species, including humans. In patients with cardiovascular disease, higher heart rate is associated with increased mortality, and such patients benefit from pharmacological heart rate reduction. However, cause-and-effect relationships between heart rate and longevity, notably in healthy individuals, are not established. We therefore prospectively studied the effects of a life-long pharmacological heart rate reduction on longevity in mice. We hypothesized, that the total number of cardiac cycles is constant, and that a 15% heart rate reduction might translate into a 15% increase in life span. C57BL6/J mice received either placebo or ivabradine at a dose of 50 mg/kg/day in drinking water from 12 weeks to death. Heart rate and body weight were monitored. Autopsy was performed on all non-autolytic cadavers, and parenchymal organs were evaluated macroscopically. Ivabradine reduced heart rate by 14% (median, interquartile range 12-15%) throughout life, and median life span was increased by 6.2% (p = 0.01). Body weight and macroscopic findings were not different between placebo and ivabradine. Life span was not increased to the same extent as heart rate was reduced, but nevertheless significantly prolonged by 6.2%.

A cost–benefit analysis of acclimation to low irradiance in tropical rainforest tree seedlings: leaf life span and payback time for leaf deployment

PubMed Central

Coste, Sabrina; Roggy, Jean-Christophe; Schimann, Heidy; Epron, Daniel; Dreyer, Erwin

2011-01-01

The maintenance in the long run of a positive carbon balance under very low irradiance is a prerequisite for survival of tree seedlings below the canopy or in small gaps in a tropical rainforest. To provide a quantitative basis for this assumption, experiments were carried out to determine whether construction cost (CC) and payback time for leaves and support structures, as well as leaf life span (i) differ among species and (ii) display an irradiance-elicited plasticity. Experiments were also conducted to determine whether leaf life span correlates to CC and payback time and is close to the optimal longevity derived from an optimization model. Saplings from 13 tropical tree species were grown under three levels of irradiance. Specific-CC was computed, as well as CC scaled to leaf area at the metamer level. Photosynthesis was recorded over the leaf life span. Payback time was derived from CC and a simple photosynthesis model. Specific-CC displayed only little interspecific variability and irradiance-elicited plasticity, in contrast to CC scaled to leaf area. Leaf life span ranged from 4 months to >26 months among species, and was longest in seedlings grown under lowest irradiance. It was always much longer than payback time, even under the lowest irradiance. Leaves were shed when their photosynthesis had reached very low values, in contrast to what was predicted by an optimality model. The species ranking for the different traits was stable across irradiance treatments. The two pioneer species always displayed the smallest CC, leaf life span, and payback time. All species displayed a similar large irradiance-elicited plasticity. PMID:21511904

Mitochondrial peroxiredoxins are essential in regulating the relationship between Drosophila immunity and aging

PubMed Central

Odnokoz, Olena; Nakatsuka, Kyle; Klichko, Vladimir I.; Nguyen, Jacqueline; Solis, Liz Calderon; Ostling, Kaitlin; Badinloo, Marziyeh; Orr, William C.; Radyuk, Svetlana N.

2016-01-01

Previously, we have shown that flies under-expressing the two mitochondrial peroxiredoxins (Prxs), dPrx3 and dPrx5, display increases in tissue-specific apoptosis and dramatically shortened life span, associated with a redox crisis, manifested as changes in GSH:GSSG and accumulation of protein mixed disulfides. To identify specific pathways responsible for the observed biological effects, we performed a transcriptome analysis. Functional clustering revealed a prominent group enriched for immunity-related genes, including a considerable number of NF-kB-dependent antimicrobial peptides (AMP) that are up-regulated in the Prx double mutant. Using qRT-PCR analysis we determined that the age-dependent changes in AMP levels in mutant flies were similar to those observed in controls when scaled to percentage of life span. To further clarify the role of Prx-dependent mitochondrial signaling, we expressed different forms of dPrx5, which unlike the uniquely mitochondrial dPrx3 is found in multiple subcellular compartments, including mitochondrion, nucleus and cytosol. Ectopic expression of dPrx5 in mitochondria but not nucleus or cytosol partially extended longevity under normal or oxidative stress conditions while complete restoration of life span occurred when all three forms of dPrx5 were expressed from the wild type dPrx5 transgene. When dPrx5 was expressed in mitochondria or in all three compartments, it substantially delayed the development of hyperactive immunity while expression of cytosolic or nuclear forms had no effect on the immune phenotype. The data suggest a critical role of mitochondria in development of chronic activation of the immune response triggered by impaired redox control. PMID:27770625

CALHM1 Deletion in Mice Affects Glossopharyngeal Taste Responses, Food Intake, Body Weight, and Life Span

PubMed Central

Schmolling, Jared; Marambaud, Philippe; Rose-Hellekant, Teresa A.

2015-01-01

Stimulation of Type II taste receptor cells (TRCs) with T1R taste receptors causes sweet or umami taste, whereas T2Rs elicit bitter taste. Type II TRCs contain the calcium channel, calcium homeostasis modulator protein 1 (CALHM1), which releases adenosine triphosphate (ATP) transmitter to taste fibers. We have previously demonstrated with chorda tympani nerve recordings and two-bottle preference (TBP) tests that mice with genetically deleted Calhm1 (knockout [KO]) have severely impaired perception of sweet, bitter, and umami compounds, whereas their sour and salty tasting ability is unaltered. Here, we present data from KO mice of effects on glossopharyngeal (NG) nerve responses, TBP, food intake, body weight, and life span. KO mice have no NG response to sweet and a suppressed response to bitter compared with control (wild-type [WT]) mice. KO mice showed some NG response to umami, suggesting that umami taste involves both CALHM1- and non-CALHM1-modulated signals. NG responses to sour and salty were not significantly different between KO and WT mice. Behavioral data conformed in general with the NG data. Adult KO mice consumed less food, weighed significantly less, and lived almost a year longer than WT mice. Taken together, these data demonstrate that sweet taste majorly influences food intake, body weight, and life span. PMID:25855639

Simultaneous induction of sod, glutathione reductase, GSH, and ascorbate in liver and kidney correlates with survival during aging.

PubMed

López-Torres, M; Pérez-Campo, R; Rojas, C; Cadenas, S; Barja, G

1993-08-01

Catalase was continuously inhibited with aminotriazole in the liver and kidney during 33 months in large populations of old and young frogs in order to study the effects of the modification of the tissue antioxidant/prooxidant balance on the life span of a vertebrate species showing an oxygen consumption rate similar to that of humans. Free-radical-related parameters were measured during three consecutive years at 2.5, 14.5, and 26.5 months of experimentation. Aging per se did not decrease antioxidant enzymes and did not increase peroxidation (thiobarbituric acid positive substances, or high-pressure liquid chromatography [HPLC]-malondialdehyde), either cross sectionally or longitudinally. Long-term catalase inhibition leads to time-dependent increases (100-900%) of endogenous superoxide dismutase, GSH, ascorbate, and especially glutathione reductase at 2.5 and 14.5 months of experimentation. This was positively correlated with a higher survival of treated animals (91% in treated versus 46% in controls at 14.5 months of experimentation). The loss of those inductions after 26.5 months leads to a sharp increase in mortality rate. The results show for the first time that simultaneous induction of various tissue antioxidant enzymes and nonenzymatic antioxidants can increase the mean life span of a vertebrate animal. It is concluded that the tissue antioxidant/prooxidant balance is a strong determinant of mean life span.

African American adolescent mothers' early caregiving involvement and childrens' behavior and academic performance at age 7.

PubMed

Oberlander, Sarah E; Black, Maureen M

2011-01-01

The United States continues to have the highest incidence of adolescent births among industrialized nations. This study used transactional and life span theories of development to examine whether caregiving patterns assessed over the first 24 months postpartum predicted children's behavior and academic achievement at 7 years. Participants included 120 primiparous, urban, low-income, African American adolescent mothers who participated in a randomized controlled trial of home intervention. Group-based trajectories were used to examine the pattern of caregiving involvement over time. Two distinct, consistent trajectories of caregiving involvement were found: maternal and shared. Maternal caregiving involvement over the first 24 months postpartum predicted positive child behavior and academic achievement at 7 years. In keeping with both transactional and life span theories, findings suggest that adoption of the parent role may lead to positive long-term outcomes for children of adolescent mothers.

Getting together: Social contact frequency across the life span.

PubMed

Sander, Julia; Schupp, Jürgen; Richter, David

2017-08-01

Frequent social interactions are strongly linked to positive affect, longevity, and good health. Although there has been extensive research on changes in the size of social networks over time, little attention has been given to the development of contact frequency across the life span. In this cohort-sequential longitudinal study, we examined intraindividual changes in the frequency of social contact with family and nonfamily members, and potential moderators of these changes. The data come from the 1998, 2003, 2008, and 2013 waves of the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) study (N = 36,716; age range: 17-85 years). Using latent growth curve analysis, we found that the frequency of in-person contact with family members remained relatively stable across the life span. In contrast, the frequency of visits to and from nonfamily members (neighbors, friends, and acquaintances) declined following a cubic trajectory and dropped below the frequency of family visits when respondents were in their mid-30s. Relationship status and gender had a slight effect on both of these relationship trajectories. Subjective current health status and employment status influenced the life span trajectory of nonfamily social contact only. Changes of residence and the birth of a child, both of which constitute major turning points in the life course, did not affect the life span trajectory of either family or nonfamily in-person contact. The findings are discussed here in the context of earlier findings and in relation to socioemotional selectivity and social convoy theory and the evolutionary life history approach. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Effect of habitat preference on frond life span in three Cyathea tree ferns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiu, Tzu Yun; Wang, Hsiang Hua; Lun Kuo, Yao; Kume, Tomonori

2013-04-01

It has been reported that plants living in various geographical areas had different physiological forms, as factors of microenvironment have strong impacts on physiological characters. However, the physiological characters of fronds have been scarcely reported in ferns. In this study, we investigated physiological differences in response to the habitat preference in the three tree ferns in northeast Taiwan, Cyathea lepifera, C. spinulosa, and C. podophylla, prefer to open site, edge of forest, and interior forest, respectively. The canopy openness above the individuals of C. lepifera, C. spinulosa and C. podophylla were 29.2 ± 14.10 , 7.0 ± 3.07 and 5.0 ± 2.24 %, respectively. Among three species, C. podophylla had the longest frond life span (13.0 ± 4.12 months) than the two others (C. lepifera (6.8 ± 1.29 months) and C. spinulosa (7.3 ±1.35 months). Our result supported the general patterns that shade intolerant species have a shorter leaf life span than shade tolerant species. The maximum net CO2 assimilation of C. lepifera, C. spinulosa and C. podophylla were 11.46 ± 1.34, 8.27 ± 0.69, and 6.34 ± 0.54 μmol CO2 m-2 s-1, respectively. As well, C. lepifera had the highest photosynthetic light saturation point (LSP), while C. podophylla had the lowest LSP among these three tree ferns. These suggested that C. lepifera could be more efficient for capturing and utilizing light resources under the larger canopy openness condition than the other two species. We also found that frond C : N ratio were positively correlated with frond life span among species. C. podophylla, with the longest frond life span, had the highest frond C : N ratio (22.17 ± 1.95), which was followed by C. spinulosa (18.58 ± 1.37) and C. lepifera (18.68 ± 2.63) with shorter frond life span. The results were consistent to the theory that the fronds and leaves of shade intolerant species have high photosynthetic abilities with low C : N ratio. Key words: Canopy openness, frond life span, tree fern, Cyathea, frond C : N ratio

Post-dauer life span of Caenorhabditis elegans dauer larvae can be modified by X-irradiation.

PubMed

Onodera, Akira; Yanase, Sumino; Ishii, Takamasa; Yasuda, Kayo; Miyazawa, Masaki; Hartman, Philip S; Ishii, Naoaki

2010-01-01

The time spent as a dauer larva does not affect adult life span in Caenorhabditis elegans, as if aging is suspended in this quiescent developmental stage. We now report that modest doses X-irradiation of dauer larvae increased their post-dauer longevity. Post-irradiation incubation of young dauer larvae did not modify this beneficial effect of radiation. Conversely, holding dauer larvae prior to irradiation rendered them refractory to this X-radiation-induced response. We present a model to explain these results. These experiments demonstrate that dauer larvae provide an excellent opportunity to study mechanisms by which X irradiation can extend life span.

Spontaneous locomotor activity and life span. A test of the rate of living theory in Drosophila melanogaster.

PubMed

Lints, F A; Le Bourg, E; Lints, C V

1984-01-01

The spontaneous locomotor activity and life span of approximately 600 individuals of both sexes and of three widely different genotypes of Drosophila melanogaster have been measured. Neither at the individual nor at the populational level could a significant correlation between spontaneous locomotor activity and life span be found. The results are discussed in relation with Pearl's [The rate of living, London University Press, London 1928] rate of living theory. That theory has been tested in relation with environmental temperature, oxygen consumption and activity. It is shown that the theory has received no definite confirmation until now.

Genetic manipulation of longevity-related genes as a tool to regulate yeast life span and metabolite production during winemaking.

PubMed

Orozco, Helena; Matallana, Emilia; Aranda, Agustín

2013-01-02

Yeast viability and vitality are essential for different industrial processes where the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is used as a biotechnological tool. Therefore, the decline of yeast biological functions during aging may compromise their successful biotechnological use. Life span is controlled by a variety of molecular mechanisms, many of which are connected to stress tolerance and genomic stability, although the metabolic status of a cell has proven a main factor affecting its longevity. Acetic acid and ethanol accumulation shorten chronological life span (CLS), while glycerol extends it. Different age-related gene classes have been modified by deletion or overexpression to test their role in longevity and metabolism. Overexpression of histone deacetylase SIR2 extends CLS and reduces acetate production, while overexpression of SIR2 homolog HST3 shortens CLS, increases the ethanol level, and reduces acetic acid production. HST3 overexpression also enhances ethanol tolerance. Increasing tolerance to oxidative stress by superoxide dismutase SOD2 overexpression has only a moderate positive effect on CLS. CLS during grape juice fermentation has also been studied for mutants on several mRNA binding proteins that are regulators of gene expression at the posttranscriptional level; we found that NGR1 and UTH4 deletions decrease CLS, while PUF3 and PUB1 deletions increase it. Besides, the pub1Δ mutation increases glycerol production and blocks stress granule formation during grape juice fermentation. Surprisingly, factors relating to apoptosis, such as caspase Yca1 or apoptosis-inducing factor Aif1, play a positive role in yeast longevity during winemaking as their deletions shorten CLS. Manipulation of regulators of gene expression at both transcriptional (i.e., sirtuins) and posttranscriptional (i.e., mRNA binding protein Pub1) levels allows to modulate yeast life span during its biotechnological use. Due to links between aging and metabolism, it also influences the production profile of metabolites of industrial relevance.

Feminist Developmental Theory: Implications for Counseling.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wastell, Colin A.

1996-01-01

Discusses the importance of counseling guided by a life-span development model. Emphasizes that one popular theory should be modified by taking into account a broader understanding of life-span development in terms of commonalities and differences in male and female development. Examines implications with borderline personality disorder and…

Target of Rapamycin Signaling Regulates Metabolism, Growth, and Life Span in Arabidopsis[W][OA

PubMed Central

Ren, Maozhi; Venglat, Prakash; Qiu, Shuqing; Feng, Li; Cao, Yongguo; Wang, Edwin; Xiang, Daoquan; Wang, Jinghe; Alexander, Danny; Chalivendra, Subbaiah; Logan, David; Mattoo, Autar; Selvaraj, Gopalan; Datla, Raju

2012-01-01

Target of Rapamycin (TOR) is a major nutrition and energy sensor that regulates growth and life span in yeast and animals. In plants, growth and life span are intertwined not only with nutrient acquisition from the soil and nutrition generation via photosynthesis but also with their unique modes of development and differentiation. How TOR functions in these processes has not yet been determined. To gain further insights, rapamycin-sensitive transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana lines (BP12) expressing yeast FK506 Binding Protein12 were developed. Inhibition of TOR in BP12 plants by rapamycin resulted in slower overall root, leaf, and shoot growth and development leading to poor nutrient uptake and light energy utilization. Experimental limitation of nutrient availability and light energy supply in wild-type Arabidopsis produced phenotypes observed with TOR knockdown plants, indicating a link between TOR signaling and nutrition/light energy status. Genetic and physiological studies together with RNA sequencing and metabolite analysis of TOR-suppressed lines revealed that TOR regulates development and life span in Arabidopsis by restructuring cell growth, carbon and nitrogen metabolism, gene expression, and rRNA and protein synthesis. Gain- and loss-of-function Ribosomal Protein S6 (RPS6) mutants additionally show that TOR function involves RPS6-mediated nutrition and light-dependent growth and life span in Arabidopsis. PMID:23275579

Yeast MRX deletions have short chronological life span and more triacylglycerols.

PubMed

Kanagavijayan, Dhanabalan; Rajasekharan, Ram; Srinivasan, Malathi

2016-02-01

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an excellent model organism for lipid research. Here, we have used yeast haploid RAdiation Damage (RAD) deletion strains to study life span and lipid storage patterns. RAD genes are mainly involved in DNA repair mechanism and hence, their deletions have resulted in shorter life span. Viable RAD mutants were screened for non-polar lipid content, and some of the mutants showed significantly high amounts of triacylglycerol (TAG) and steryl ester, besides short chronological life span. Among these, RAD50, MRE11 and XRS2 form a complex, MRX that is involved in homologous recombination that showed an increase in the amount of TAG. Microarray data of single MRX deletions revealed that besides DNA damage signature genes, lipid metabolism genes are also differentially expressed. Lipid biosynthetic genes (LPP1, SLC1) were upregulated and lipid hydrolytic gene (TGL3) was downregulated. We observed that rad50Δ, mre11Δ, xrs2Δ and mrxΔ strains have high number of lipid droplets (LDs) with fragmented mitochondria. These mutants have a short chronological life span compared to wild type. Aged wild-type cells also accumulated TAG with LDs of ∼2.0 μm in diameter. These results suggest that TAG accumulation and big size LDs could be possible markers for premature or normal aging. © FEMS 2015. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Like cognitive function, decision making across the life span shows profound age-related changes.

PubMed

Tymula, Agnieszka; Rosenberg Belmaker, Lior A; Ruderman, Lital; Glimcher, Paul W; Levy, Ifat

2013-10-15

It has long been known that human cognitive function improves through young adulthood and then declines across the later life span. Here we examined how decision-making function changes across the life span by measuring risk and ambiguity attitudes in the gain and loss domains, as well as choice consistency, in an urban cohort ranging in age from 12 to 90 y. We identified several important age-related patterns in decision making under uncertainty: First, we found that healthy elders between the ages of 65 and 90 were strikingly inconsistent in their choices compared with younger subjects. Just as elders show profound declines in cognitive function, they also show profound declines in choice rationality compared with their younger peers. Second, we found that the widely documented phenomenon of ambiguity aversion is specific to the gain domain and does not occur in the loss domain, except for a slight effect in older adults. Finally, extending an earlier report by our group, we found that risk attitudes across the life span show an inverted U-shaped function; both elders and adolescents are more risk-averse than their midlife counterparts. Taken together, these characterizations of decision-making function across the life span in this urban cohort strengthen the conclusions of previous reports suggesting a profound impact of aging on cognitive function in this domain.

View of central lift span truss web of Tensaw River ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

View of central lift span truss web of Tensaw River Bridge, showing support girders for life house, looking east - Tensaw River Lift Bridge, Spanning Tensaw River at U.S. Highway 90, Mobile, Mobile County, AL

Dietary resveratrol prevents Alzheimer's markers and increases life span in SAMP8.

PubMed

Porquet, David; Casadesús, Gemma; Bayod, Sergi; Vicente, Alberto; Canudas, Anna M; Vilaplana, Jordi; Pelegrí, Carme; Sanfeliu, Coral; Camins, Antoni; Pallàs, Mercè; del Valle, Jaume

2013-10-01

Resveratrol is a polyphenol that is mainly found in grapes and red wine and has been reported to be a caloric restriction (CR) mimetic driven by Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) activation. Resveratrol increases metabolic rate, insulin sensitivity, mitochondrial biogenesis and physical endurance, and reduces fat accumulation in mice. In addition, resveratrol may be a powerful agent to prevent age-associated neurodegeneration and to improve cognitive deficits in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Moreover, different findings support the view that longevity in mice could be promoted by CR. In this study, we examined the role of dietary resveratrol in SAMP8 mice, a model of age-related AD. We found that resveratrol supplements increased mean life expectancy and maximal life span in SAMP8 and in their control, the related strain SAMR1. In addition, we examined the resveratrol-mediated neuroprotective effects on several specific hallmarks of AD. We found that long-term dietary resveratrol activates AMPK pathways and pro-survival routes such as SIRT1 in vivo. It also reduces cognitive impairment and has a neuroprotective role, decreasing the amyloid burden and reducing tau hyperphosphorylation.

A microRNA feedback loop regulates global microRNA abundance during aging.

PubMed

Inukai, Sachi; Pincus, Zachary; de Lencastre, Alexandre; Slack, Frank J

2018-02-01

Expression levels of many microRNAs (miRNAs) change during aging, notably declining globally in a number of organisms and tissues across taxa. However, little is known about the mechanisms or the biological relevance for this change. We investigated the network of genes that controls miRNA transcription and processing during C. elegans aging. We found that miRNA biogenesis genes are highly networked with transcription factors and aging-associated miRNAs. In particular, miR-71, known to influence life span and itself up-regulated during aging, represses alg-1 /Argonaute expression post-transcriptionally during aging. Increased ALG-1 abundance in mir-71 loss-of-function mutants led to globally increased miRNA expression. Interestingly, these mutants demonstrated widespread mRNA expression dysregulation and diminished levels of variability both in gene expression and in overall life span. Thus, the progressive molecular decline often thought to be the result of accumulated damage over an organism's life may be partially explained by a miRNA-directed mechanism of age-associated decline. © 2018 Inukai et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press for the RNA Society.

Experimental study of tail-span effects on a generic canard-controlled missile

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blair, A. B., Jr.; Dillon, James L.; Watson, Carolyn B.

1992-01-01

An experimental investigation was conducted on a cruciform canard controlled missile configuration to determine the effects of tail span/canard span ratio on controllability. The investigation was conducted over the Mach number range of 1.75 to 3.50. Reductions of tail span/canard span ratio produced lower static margins and higher trim angle of attack. The results show that canard controls can provide pitch- and yaw-control as well as roll-control by proper selection of the tail span/canard span ratio.

Promoting Prosocial Behavior and Self-Regulatory Skills in Preschool Children through a Mindfulness-Based Kindness Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flook, Lisa; Goldberg, Simon B.; Pinger, Laura; Davidson, Richard J.

2015-01-01

Self-regulatory abilities are robust predictors of important outcomes across the life span, yet they are rarely taught explicitly in school. Using a randomized controlled design, the present study investigated the effects of a 12-week mindfulness-based Kindness Curriculum (KC) delivered in a public school setting on executive function,…

FACT SHEET: EPA ISSUES UPDATED CANCER GUIDELINES AND SUPPLEMENTAL GUIDANCE ON RISKS FROM EARLY-LIFE EXPOSURE

EPA Science Inventory

March 29, 2005

FACT SHEET: Women's Spirituality across the Life Span: Implications for Counseling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Briggs, Michele Kielty; Dixon, Andrea L.

2013-01-01

Women's spirituality has unique characteristics that are often ignored within the spirituality literature. The authors review the literature on women's spirituality to reveal the major themes women have identified as relevant to their spiritual journeys across the life span. Implications for counseling and ideas for practice are included after…

Spatial Abilities across the Adult Life Span

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borella, Erika; Meneghetti, Chiara; Ronconi, Lucia; De Beni, Rossana

2014-01-01

The study investigates age-related effects across the adult life span on spatial abilities (testing subabilities based on a distinction between spatial visualization, mental rotation, and perspective taking) and spatial self-assessments. The sample consisted of 454 participants (223 women and 231 men) from 20 to 91 years of age. Results showed…

Sensorimotor Synchronization across the Life Span

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Drewing, Knut; Aschersleben, Gisa; Li, Shu-Chen

2006-01-01

The present study investigates the contribution of general processing resources as well as other more specific factors to the life-span development of sensorimotor synchronization and its component processes. Within a synchronization tapping paradigm, a group of 286 participants, 6 to 88 years of age, were asked to synchronize finger taps with…

Sex-Role Inconstancy, Biology, and Successful Aging: A Dialectical Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sinnott, Jan Dynda

1977-01-01

This paper examines sex-role inconstancy from a life-span point of view. New environmental realities and an increasing life-span may make traditional sex roles less functional in old age. Evidence is presented for more successful aging in persons manifesting convergent sex-role behavior. (Author)

Redesign of a Life Span Development Course Using Fink's Taxonomy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fallahi, Carolyn R.

2008-01-01

This study compared a traditional lecture-based life span development course to the same course redesigned using Fink's (2003) taxonomy of significant learning. The goals, activities, and feedback within the course corresponded to Fink's 6 taxa (knowledge, application, integration, human dimension, caring, learning how to learn). Undergraduates in…

Neuromodulation of Behavioral and Cognitive Development across the Life Span

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Shu-Chen

2012-01-01

Among other mechanisms, behavioral and cognitive development entail, on the one hand, contextual scaffolding and, on the other hand, neuromodulation of adaptive neurocognitive representations across the life span. Key brain networks underlying cognition, emotion, and motivation are innervated by major transmitter systems (e.g., the catecholamines…

Vitamins and aging: pathways to NAD+ synthesis.

PubMed

Denu, John M

2007-05-04

Recent genetic evidence reveals additional salvage pathways for NAD(+) synthesis. In this issue, Belenky et al. (2007) report that nicotinamide riboside, a new NAD(+) precursor, regulates Sir2 deacetylase activity and life span in yeast. The ability of nicotinamide riboside to enhance life span does not depend on calorie restriction.

Pathology of Serially Sacrificed Female B6C3F1 Mice Continuously Exposed to Very Low-Dose-Rate Gamma Rays.

PubMed

Tanaka, I B; Komura, J; Tanaka, S

2017-03-01

We have previously reported on life span shortening as well as increased incidence rates in several neoplasms in B6C3F1 mice that were continuously exposed to 21 mGy/day of gamma rays for 400 days. To clarify whether the life shortening was due to early appearance of neoplasms (shortened latency) or increased promotion/progression, 8-week-old female specific-pathogen-free B6C3F1 mice were gamma-ray irradiated at a low dose rate of 20 mGy/day for 400 days. At 100 days postirradiation, 60-90 mice were sacrificed, and thereafter every 100 days alongside the age-matched nonirradiated controls, for 700 days. Additional groups were allowed to live out their natural life span. Pathological examination was performed on all mice to identify lesions, non-neoplastic and neoplastic, as well as to determine the cause of death. Body weights were significantly increased in irradiated mice from sacrifice days 200-500. Incidence rates for spontaneously occurring non-neoplastic lesions, such as adrenal subcapsular cell hyperplasia, fatty degeneration of the liver, atrophy and tubulostromal hyperplasia of the ovaries, were significantly increased in irradiated mice. Significantly increased incidence rates with no shortening of latency periods were observed in irradiated mice for malignant lymphomas, hepatocellular adenomas/carcinomas, bronchioloalveolar adenomas, harderian gland adenoma/adenocarcinoma. Shortened latencies with significantly increased incidence rates were observed for adrenal subcapsular cell adenomas and ovarian neoplasms (tubulostromal adenoma, granulosa cell tumors) in irradiated mice. Life span shortening in mice exposed to 20 mGy/day was mostly due to malignant lymphomas. Multiple primary neoplasms were significantly increased in mice exposed to 20 mGy/day from sacrifice days 400-700 and in the life span group. Our results confirm that continuous low-dose-rate gamma-ray irradiation of female B6C3F1 mice causes both cancer induction (shortened latency) and promotion/progression (early death), depending on the neoplasm's organ/tissue of origin.

Hormesis, cellular stress response and vitagenes as critical determinants in aging and longevity.

PubMed

Calabrese, Vittorio; Cornelius, Carolin; Cuzzocrea, Salvatore; Iavicoli, Ivo; Rizzarelli, Enrico; Calabrese, Edward J

2011-08-01

Understanding mechanisms of aging and determinants of life span will help to reduce age-related morbidity and facilitate healthy aging. Average lifespan has increased over the last centuries, as a consequence of medical and environmental factors, but maximal life span remains unchanged. Extension of maximal life span is currently possible in animal models with measures such as genetic manipulations and caloric restriction (CR). CR appears to prolong life by reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated oxidative damage. But ROS formation, which is positively implicated in cellular stress response mechanisms, is a highly regulated process controlled by a complex network of intracellular signaling pathways. By sensing the intracellular nutrient and energy status, the functional state of mitochondria, and the concentration of ROS produced in mitochondria, the longevity network regulates life span across species by co-ordinating information flow along its convergent, divergent and multiply branched signaling pathways, including vitagenes which are genes involved in preserving cellular homeostasis during stressful conditions. Vitagenes encode for heat shock proteins (Hsp) Hsp32, Hsp70, the thioredoxin and the sirtuin protein systems. Dietary antioxidants, such as carnosine, carnitines or polyphenols, have recently been demonstrated to be neuroprotective through the activation of hormetic pathways, including vitagenes. The hormetic dose-response, challenges long-standing beliefs about the nature of the dose-response in a lowdose zone, having the potential to affect significantly the design of pre-clinical studies and clinical trials as well as strategies for optimal patient dosing in the treatment of numerous diseases. Given the broad cytoprotective properties of the heat shock response there is now strong interest in discovering and developing pharmacological agents capable of inducing stress responses. In this review we discuss the most current and up to date understanding of the possible signaling mechanisms by which caloric restriction, as well hormetic caloric restriction-mimetics compounds by activating vitagenes can enhance defensive systems involved in bioenergetic and stress resistance homeostasis with consequent impact on longevity processes. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Long life reaction control system design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fanciullo, Thomas J.; Judd, Craig

1993-02-01

Future single stage to orbit systems will utilize oxygen/hydrogen propellants in their main propulsion means due to the propellant's high energy content and environmental acceptability. Operational effectiveness studies and life cycle cost studies have indicated that minimizing the number of different commodities on a given vehicle not only reduces cost, but reduces the ground span times in both the pre- and postflight operations. Therefore, oxygen and hydrogen should be used for the reaction controls systems, eliminating the need to deal with toxic or corrosive fluids. When the hydrogen scramjet powered NASP design development began in 1985, new system design studies considered overall integration of subsystems; in the context of that approach, O2/H2 reaction controls system were more than competitive with storable propellant systems and had the additional benefits of lower life cycle cost, rapid turnaround times, and O2 and H2 commodities for use throughout the vehicle. Similar benefits were derived in rocket-powered SSTO vehicles.

Friendship in childhood and adulthood: lessons across the life span.

PubMed

Sherman, A M; de Vries, B; Lansford, J E

2000-01-01

Friendship occupies an important place in the growing body of literature in child development and gerontological research. As such, it may be useful for researchers from both fields to consider what can be learned from work carried out in each tradition. Therefore, we present a selected review of topics in friendship research across the life span. Through discussion of the value of friendship, the development of friendship, challenges to friendship, the gendered nature of friendship, and the connection between friends and family, points of commonality and contrast are identified. We conclude by presenting possible avenues for future investigation for researchers interested in friendship at any point in the life span.

Weight concern across the life-span: relationship to self-esteem and feminist identity.

PubMed

Tiggemann, M; Stevens, C

1999-07-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the correlates of weight concern across the life-span. Questionnaires assessing weight concern, self-esteem, and feminist attitudes were completed in their homes by 180 women aged between 18 and 60 years. It was found that there was a negative relationship between weight concern and self-esteem for 30 to 49-year-old women, but not for younger or older women. A similar pattern held for feminist attitudes. Among 30 to 49-year-old women, a strong feminist orientation related to a lesser concern with weight. It was concluded that the meaning and experience of body weight and size change across the life-span.

Age Stereotypes and Self-Views Revisited: Patterns of Internalization and Projection Processes Across the Life Span.

PubMed

Kornadt, Anna E; Voss, Peggy; Rothermund, Klaus

2017-07-01

We investigated processes of age stereotype internalization into the self and projection of self-views onto age stereotypes from a life-span perspective, taking age-related differences in the relevance of life domains into account. Age stereotypes and self-views in eight life domains were assessed in a sample of N = 593 persons aged 30-80 years (T1) at two time points that were separated by a 4-year time interval. We estimated cross-lagged projection and internalization effects in multigroup structural equation models. Internalization and projection effects were contingent on age group and life domain: Internalization effects were strongest in the young and middle-aged groups and emerged in the domains family, personality, work, and leisure. Projection effects in different domains were most pronounced for older participants. Our findings suggest that the internalization of age stereotypes is triggered by domain-specific expectations of impending age-related changes and transitions during certain phases of the life span. Projection processes, however, seem to occur in response to changes that have already been experienced by the individual. Our study demonstrates the dynamic interrelation of age stereotypes and self-views across the life course and highlights the importance of a differentiated, life-span perspective for the understanding of these mechanisms. © 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.

Attachment and the Processing of Social Information across the Life Span: Theory and Evidence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dykas, Matthew J.; Cassidy, Jude

2011-01-01

Researchers have used J. Bowlby's (1969/1982, 1973, 1980, 1988) attachment theory frequently as a basis for examining whether experiences in close personal relationships relate to the processing of social information across childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. We present an integrative life-span-encompassing theoretical model to explain the…

Effects of a Short Strategy Training on Metacognitive Monitoring across the Life-Span

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

von der Linden, Nicole; Löffler, Elisabeth; Schneider, Wolfgang

2015-01-01

The present study was conducted to explore the potential positive influence of a short strategy training on metacognitive monitoring competencies covering a life-span approach. Participants of four age groups (3rd-grade children, adolescents, younger and older adults) concluded a paired-associate learning task. Additionally, they gave delayed…

Psychopathology in Williams Syndrome: The Effect of Individual Differences across the Life Span

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dodd, Helen F.; Porter, Melanie A.

2009-01-01

This research aimed to comprehensively explore psychopathology in Williams syndrome (WS) across the life span and evaluate the relationship between psychopathology and age category (child or adult), gender, and cognitive ability. The parents of 50 participants with WS, ages 6-50 years, were interviewed using the Schedule for Affective Disorders…

Influence of Domain Knowledge on Monitoring Performance across the Life Span

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Löffler, Elisabeth; von der Linden, Nicole; Schneider, Wolfgang

2016-01-01

Two studies were conducted to investigate effects of domain knowledge on metacognitive monitoring across the life span in materials of different complexity. Participants from 4 age groups (3rd-grade children, adolescents, younger and older adults) were compared using an expert-novice paradigm. In Study 1, soccer experts' and novices'…

Reading through the Life Span: Individual Differences in Psycholinguistic Effects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davies, Rob A. I.; Arnell, Ruth; Birchenough, Julia M. H.; Grimmond, Debbie; Houlson, Sam

2017-01-01

The effects of psycholinguistic variables are critical to the evaluation of theories about the cognitive reading system. However, reading research has tended to focus on the impact of key variables on average performance. We report the first investigation examining variation in psycholinguistic effects across the life span, from childhood into old…

Getting Together: Social Contact Frequency across the Life Span

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sander, Julia; Schupp, Jürgen; Richter, David

2017-01-01

Frequent social interactions are strongly linked to positive affect, longevity, and good health. Although there has been extensive research on changes in the size of social networks over time, little attention has been given to the development of contact frequency across the life span. In this cohort-sequential longitudinal study, we examined…

Thermoregulatory, Cardiovascular, and Metabolic Responses to Mild Caloric Restriction in the Brown Norway Rat

EPA Science Inventory

Caloric restriction (CR) has been demonstrated to prolong the life span of a variety of species. CR-induced reduction in core temperature (Tc) is considered a key mechanism responsible for prolonging life span in rodents; however, little is known on the regulation of CR-induced h...

Body Image across the Life Span in Adult Women: The Role of Self-Objectification.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tiggemann, Marika; Lynch, Jessica E.

2001-01-01

Investigated body image across life span in cross-section of women ages 20-84 years. Found that although body dissatisfaction remained stable, self-objectification, habitual body monitoring, appearance anxiety, and disordered eating all significantly decreased with age. Self- objectification mediated the relationship between age and disordered…

Dopa decarboxylase (Ddc) affects variation in Drosophila longevity.

PubMed

De Luca, Maria; Roshina, Nataliya V; Geiger-Thornsberry, Gretchen L; Lyman, Richard F; Pasyukova, Elena G; Mackay, Trudy F C

2003-08-01

Mutational analyses in model organisms have shown that genes affecting metabolism and stress resistance regulate life span, but the genes responsible for variation in longevity in natural populations are largely unidentified. Previously, we mapped quantitative trait loci (QTLs) affecting variation in longevity between two Drosophila melanogaster strains. Here, we show that the longevity QTL in the 36E;38B cytogenetic interval on chromosome 2 contains multiple closely linked QTLs, including the Dopa decarboxylase (Ddc) locus. Complementation tests to mutations show that Ddc is a positional candidate gene for life span in these strains. Linkage disequilibrium (LD) mapping in a sample of 173 alleles from a single population shows that three common molecular polymorphisms in Ddc account for 15.5% of the genetic contribution to variance in life span from chromosome 2. The polymorphisms are in strong LD, and the effects of the haplotypes on longevity suggest that the polymorphisms are maintained by balancing selection. DDC catalyzes the final step in the synthesis of the neurotransmitters, dopamine and serotonin. Thus, these data implicate variation in the synthesis of bioamines as a factor contributing to natural variation in individual life span.

Evidence for a relationship between longevity of mammalian species and life spans of normal fibroblasts in vitro and erythrocytes in vivo

PubMed Central

Röhme, Dan

1981-01-01

The replicative life spans of mammalian fibroblasts in vitro were studied in a number of cell cultures representing eight species. Emphasis was placed on determining the population doubling level at which phase III (a period of decrease in the rate of proliferation) and chromosomal alterations occur. All the cell cultures studied went through a growth crisis, a period of apparent growth cessation lasting for at least 2 weeks. In most cultures, the crisis represented the end of their replicative capacities, but in some cultures cell proliferation was resumed after the crisis. A predominantly diploid chromosome constitution (more than 75%) was demonstrated prior to the growth crisis. In cultures in which cell proliferation was resumed after the crisis, a nondiploid constitution prevailed in all cases except the rat (with 90% or more diploid cells all the time). The growth crisis occurred at population doubling levels that were characteristic for the species and was shown to be related to the species' maximal life span by a strict power law, being proportional to the square root of the maximal life span. Based on data in the literature, the same relationship was also valid for the lifespans of circulating mammalian erythrocytes in vivo. These results may indicate the prevalence of a common functional basis regulating the life span of fibroblasts and erythrocytes and thus operating in replicative as well as postmitotic cells in vitro and in vivo. PMID:6946449

CALHM1 Deletion in Mice Affects Glossopharyngeal Taste Responses, Food Intake, Body Weight, and Life Span.

PubMed

Hellekant, Göran; Schmolling, Jared; Marambaud, Philippe; Rose-Hellekant, Teresa A

2015-07-01

Stimulation of Type II taste receptor cells (TRCs) with T1R taste receptors causes sweet or umami taste, whereas T2Rs elicit bitter taste. Type II TRCs contain the calcium channel, calcium homeostasis modulator protein 1 (CALHM1), which releases adenosine triphosphate (ATP) transmitter to taste fibers. We have previously demonstrated with chorda tympani nerve recordings and two-bottle preference (TBP) tests that mice with genetically deleted Calhm1 (knockout [KO]) have severely impaired perception of sweet, bitter, and umami compounds, whereas their sour and salty tasting ability is unaltered. Here, we present data from KO mice of effects on glossopharyngeal (NG) nerve responses, TBP, food intake, body weight, and life span. KO mice have no NG response to sweet and a suppressed response to bitter compared with control (wild-type [WT]) mice. KO mice showed some NG response to umami, suggesting that umami taste involves both CALHM1- and non-CALHM1-modulated signals. NG responses to sour and salty were not significantly different between KO and WT mice. Behavioral data conformed in general with the NG data. Adult KO mice consumed less food, weighed significantly less, and lived almost a year longer than WT mice. Taken together, these data demonstrate that sweet taste majorly influences food intake, body weight, and life span. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

S-linolenoyl glutathione intake extends life-span and stress resistance via Sir-2.1 upregulation in Caenorhabditis elegans.

PubMed

Cascella, Roberta; Evangelisti, Elisa; Zampagni, Mariagioia; Becatti, Matteo; D'Adamio, Giampiero; Goti, Andrea; Liguri, Gianfranco; Fiorillo, Claudia; Cecchi, Cristina

2014-08-01

Oxidative stress has a prominent role in life-span regulation of living organisms. One of the endogenous free radical scavenger systems is associated with glutathione (GSH), the most abundant nonprotein thiol in mammalian cells, acting as a major reducing agent and in antioxidant defense by maintaining a tight control over redox status. We have recently designed a series of novel S-acyl-GSH derivatives capable of preventing amyloid oxidative stress and cholinergic dysfunction in Alzheimer disease models, upon an increase in GSH intake. In this study we show that the longevity of the wild-type N2 Caenorhabditis elegans strain was significantly enhanced by dietary supplementation with linolenoyl-SG (lin-SG) thioester with respect to the ethyl ester of GSH, linolenic acid, or vitamin E. RNA interference analysis and activity inhibition assay indicate that life-span extension was mediated by the upregulation of Sir-2.1, a NAD-dependent histone deacetylase ortholog of mammalian SIRT1. In particular, lin-SG-mediated overexpression of Sir-2.1 appears to be related to the Daf-16 (FoxO) pathway. Moreover, the lin-SG derivative protects N2 worms from the paralysis and oxidative stress induced by Aβ/H2O2 exposure. Overall, our findings put forward lin-SG thioester as an antioxidant supplement triggering sirtuin upregulation, thus opening new future perspectives for healthy aging or delayed onset of oxidative-related diseases. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

System parameters for erythropoiesis control model: Comparison of normal values in human and mouse model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1979-01-01

The computer model for erythropoietic control was adapted to the mouse system by altering system parameters originally given for the human to those which more realistically represent the mouse. Parameter values were obtained from a variety of literature sources. Using the mouse model, the mouse was studied as a potential experimental model for spaceflight. Simulation studies of dehydration and hypoxia were performed. A comparison of system parameters for the mouse and human models is presented. Aside from the obvious differences expected in fluid volumes, blood flows and metabolic rates, larger differences were observed in the following: erythrocyte life span, erythropoietin half-life, and normal arterial pO2.

[Carcinogenic efficacy of the transuranium elements americium-241 and curium-244].

PubMed

Rudnitskaia, E I

1984-01-01

Albino female rats were used in the experiments. After a single intraperitoneal administration of 241Am and 244Cm chloride is doses ranging from 0.37 to 185 kBq/kg (14 doses were used) it was established that the doses applied had different effect on the average life of animals. The largest doses shortened and the lowest increased the life span of experimental animals as compared to the controls. The carcinogenic effect of the studied radionuclides and the development of malignant tumors were detected at sufficiently low doses absorbed. Malignant tumors developed in the experimental and control animals were different not only in their incidence but also their localization and spectrum.

Pervasive gene expression responses to a fluctuating diet in Drosophila melanogaster: The importance of measuring multiple traits to decouple potential mediators of life span and reproduction.

PubMed

Zandveld, Jelle; van den Heuvel, Joost; Mulder, Maarten; Brakefield, Paul M; Kirkwood, Thomas B L; Shanley, Daryl P; Zwaan, Bas J

2017-11-01

Phenotypic plasticity is an important concept in life-history evolution, and most organisms, including Drosophila melanogaster, show a plastic life-history response to diet. However, little is known about how these life-history responses are mediated. In this study, we compared adult female flies fed an alternating diet (yoyo flies) with flies fed a constant low (CL) or high (CH) diet and tested how whole genome expression was affected by these diet regimes and how the transcriptional responses related to different life-history traits. We showed that flies were able to respond quickly to diet fluctuations throughout life span by drastically changing their transcription. Importantly, by measuring the response of multiple life-history traits we were able to decouple groups of genes associated with life span or reproduction, life-history traits that often covary with a diet change. A coexpression network analysis uncovered which genes underpin the separate and shared regulation of these life-history traits. Our study provides essential insights to help unravel the genetic architecture mediating life-history responses to diet, and it shows that the flies' whole genome transcription response is highly plastic. © 2017 The Author(s). Evolution © 2017 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Effects of kaolin particle films on the life span of an orb-weaver spider.

PubMed

Benhadi-Marín, Jacinto; Pereira, José Alberto; Santos, Sónia A P

2016-02-01

Araniella cucurbitina (Araneae: Araneidae) is a widespread orb-weaver spider commonly found in agroecosystems. Mineral particle films such as kaolin, due to their protective or anti-feeding action, can represent an alternative to pesticides, especially in organic farming systems, but little is known about its effects on A. cucurbitina. Therefore, we tested the effect of kaolin sprays on the life span of A. cucurbitina under laboratory conditions. Four treatments were tested encompassing different exposure routes. Thus, kaolin sprays were applied on (i) the surface, (ii) the prey (fly), (iii) the spider and (iv) both spider & prey. A control group was tested with water in each treatment. Results showed that sprays of kaolin significantly affected the survival of A. curcubitina when applications were done on the surface and on both spider & prey registering a reduction of 48% and 56%, respectively. Spiders in control obtained higher probability of reaching alive at the end of the assay than those treated with kaolin. Differences observed can be explained by the feeding behavior of the species and may depend on the consumption of the web by the spider and the ratio spider/fly for body size. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Age Differences and Educational Attainment across the Life Span on Three Generations of Wechsler Adult Scales

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaufman, A. S.; Salthouse, T. A.; Scheiber, C.; Chen, H.

2016-01-01

Patterns of maintenance of ability across the life span have been documented on tests of knowledge ("Gc"), as have patterns of steady decline on measures of reasoning ("Gf/Gv"), working memory ("Gsm"), and speed ("Gs"). Whether these patterns occur at the same rate for adults from different educational…

Age Differences in Five Personality Domains across the Life Span

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allemand, Mathias; Zimprich, Daniel; Hendriks, A. A. Jolijn

2008-01-01

The present study addresses the issue of age differences in 5 personality domains across the life span in a cross-sectional study. In contrast to most previous studies, the present study follows a methodologically more rigorous approach to warrant that age-related differences in personality structure and mean level can be meaningfully compared. It…

Developmental Change in Proactive Interference across the Life Span: Evidence from Two Working Memory Tasks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loosli, Sandra V.; Rahm, Benjamin; Unterrainer, Josef M.; Weiller, Cornelius; Kaller, Christoph P.

2014-01-01

Working memory (WM) as the ability to temporarily maintain and manipulate various kinds of information is known to be affected by proactive interference (PI) from previously relevant contents, but studies on developmental changes in the susceptibility to PI are scarce. In the present study, we investigated life span development of item-specific…

Life-Span Issues in the Fair and Non-Discriminatory Evaluation of Workers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alexander, Ralph A.; Barrett, Gerald V.

Until recently, older workers have not been recognized as a group requiring special attention in the area of fair employment practices. Thus, progress has been slow towards the development of valid and reliable indices of performance which are applicable across the life span. Research shows that many measures of employee evaluation provide no…

Essentialist Reasoning and Knowledge Effects on Biological Reasoning in Young Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herrmann, Patricia A.; French, Jason A.; DeHart, Ganie B.; Rosengren, Karl S.

2013-01-01

Biological kinds undergo a variety of changes during their life span, and these changes vary in degree by organism. Understanding that an organism, such as a caterpillar, maintains category identity over its life span despite dramatic changes is a key concept in biological reasoning. At present, we know little about the developmental trajectory of…

The specificity of childhood adversities and negative life events across the life span to anxiety and depressive disorders.

PubMed

Spinhoven, Philip; Elzinga, Bernet M; Hovens, Jacqueline G F M; Roelofs, Karin; Zitman, Frans G; van Oppen, Patricia; Penninx, Brenda W J H

2010-10-01

Although several studies have shown that life adversities play an important role in the etiology and maintenance of both depressive and anxiety disorders, little is known about the relative specificity of several types of life adversities to different forms of depressive and anxiety disorder and the concurrent role of neuroticism. Few studies have investigated whether clustering of life adversities or comorbidity of psychiatric disorders critically influence these relationships. Using data from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA), we analyzed the association of childhood adversities and negative life experiences across the lifespan with lifetime DSM-IV-based diagnoses of depression or anxiety among 2288 participants with at least one affective disorder. Controlling for comorbidity and clustering of adversities the association of childhood adversity with affective disorders was greater than that of negative life events across the life span with affective disorders. Among childhood adversities, emotional neglect was specifically associated with depressive disorder, dysthymia, and social phobia. Persons with a history of emotional neglect and sexual abuse were more likely to develop more than one lifetime affective disorder. Neuroticism and current affective disorder did not affect the adversity-disorder relationships found. Using a retrospective study design, causal interpretations of the relationships found are not warranted. Emotional neglect seems to be differentially related to depression, dysthymia and social phobia. This knowledge may help to reduce underestimation of the impact of emotional abuse and lead to better recognition and treatment to prevent long-term disorders. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cell longevity and sustained primary growth in palm stems.

PubMed

Tomlinson, P Barry; Huggett, Brett A

2012-12-01

Longevity, or organismal life span, is determined largely by the period over which constituent cells can function metabolically. Plants, with modular organization (the ability continually to develop new organs and tissues) differ from animals, with unitary organization (a fixed body plan), and this difference is reflected in their respective life spans, potentially much longer in plants than animals. We draw attention to the observation that palm trees, as a group of monocotyledons without secondary growth comparable to that of lignophytes (plants with secondary growth from a bifacial cambium), retain by means of sustained primary growth living cells in their trunks throughout their organismal life span. Does this make palms the longest-lived trees because they can grow as individuals for several centuries? No conventional lignophyte retains living metabolically active differentiated cell types in its trunk for this length of time, even though the tree as a whole can exist for millennia. Does this contrast also imply that the long-lived cells in a palm trunk have exceptional properties, which allows this seeming immortality? We document the long-life of many tall palm species and their inherent long-lived stem cell properties, comparing such plants to conventional trees. We provide a summary of aspects of cell age and life span in animals and plants. Cell replacement is a feature of animal function, whereas conventional trees rely on active growth centers (meristems) to sustain organismal development. However, the long persistence of living cells in palm trunks is seen not as evidence for unique metabolic processes that sustain longevity, but is a consequence of unique constructional features. This conclusion suggests that the life span of plant cells is not necessarily genetically determined.

Extreme longevity in a deep-sea vestimentiferan tubeworm and its implications for the evolution of life history strategies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Durkin, Alanna; Fisher, Charles R.; Cordes, Erik E.

2017-08-01

The deep sea is home to many species that have longer life spans than their shallow-water counterparts. This trend is primarily related to the decline in metabolic rates with temperature as depth increases. However, at bathyal depths, the cold-seep vestimentiferan tubeworm species Lamellibrachia luymesi and Seepiophila jonesi reach extremely old ages beyond what is predicted by the simple scaling of life span with body size and temperature. Here, we use individual-based models based on in situ growth rates to show that another species of cold-seep tubeworm found in the Gulf of Mexico, Escarpia laminata, also has an extraordinarily long life span, regularly achieving ages of 100-200 years with some individuals older than 300 years. The distribution of results from individual simulations as well as whole population simulations involving mortality and recruitment rates support these age estimates. The low 0.67% mortality rate measurements from collected populations of E. laminata are similar to mortality rates in L. luymesi and S. jonesi and play a role in evolution of the long life span of cold-seep tubeworms. These results support longevity theory, which states that in the absence of extrinsic mortality threats, natural selection will select for individuals that senesce slower and reproduce continually into their old age.

Reaction time inconsistency in a spatial stroop task: age-related differences through childhood and adulthood.

PubMed

Williams, Benjamin R; Strauss, Esther H; Hultsch, David F; Hunter, Michael A

2007-07-01

Age-related differences in inconsistency of reaction time (RT) across the life span were examined on a task with differing levels of demand on executive control. A total of 546 participants, aged 5 to 76 years, completed a spatial Stroop task that permitted observations under three conditions (congruent, incongruent, and neutral) according to the correspondence between the required response (based on stimulus direction) and stimulus location. An interference effect was observed across all ages. Analyses of neutral condition data replicated previous research demonstrating RT inconsistency follows a U-shaped developmental curve across the life span. The relationship between age and inconsistency, however, depended on condition: inconsistency in the congruent condition was higher than inconsistency in both the neutral and incongruent conditions across middle-aged groups. Reaction time inconsistency may reflect processing efficiency that is maximal in young adulthood and may also be sensitive to fluctuations in performance that reflect momentarily highly efficient responding.

Drosophila melanogaster White Mutant w1118 Undergo Retinal Degeneration

PubMed Central

Ferreiro, María José; Pérez, Coralia; Marchesano, Mariana; Ruiz, Santiago; Caputi, Angel; Aguilera, Pedro; Barrio, Rosa; Cantera, Rafael

2018-01-01

Key scientific discoveries have resulted from genetic studies of Drosophila melanogaster, using a multitude of transgenic fly strains, the majority of which are constructed in a genetic background containing mutations in the white gene. Here we report that white mutant flies from w1118 strain undergo retinal degeneration. We observed also that w1118 mutants have progressive loss of climbing ability, shortened life span, as well as impaired resistance to various forms of stress. Retinal degeneration was abolished by transgenic expression of mini-white+ in the white null background w1118. We conclude that beyond the classical eye-color phenotype, mutations in Drosophila white gene could impair several biological functions affecting parameters like mobility, life span and stress tolerance. Consequently, we suggest caution and attentiveness during the interpretation of old experiments employing white mutant flies and when planning new ones, especially within the research field of neurodegeneration and neuroprotection. We also encourage that the use of w1118 strain as a wild-type control should be avoided. PMID:29354028

Dietary intake of Curcuma longa and Emblica officinalis increases life span in Drosophila melanogaster.

PubMed

Rawal, Shilpa; Singh, Pavneet; Gupta, Ayush; Mohanty, Sujata

2014-01-01

Intake of food and nutrition plays a major role in affecting aging process and longevity. However, the precise mechanisms underlying the ageing process are still unclear. To this respect, diet has been considered to be a determinant of ageing process. In order to better illustrate this, we used Drosophila melanogaster as a model and fed them orally with different concentrations of two commonly used Indian medicinal plant products, Curcuma longa (rhizome) and Emblica officinalis (fruit). The results revealed significant increase in life span of Drosophila flies on exposure to both the plant products, more efficiently by C. Longa than by E. officinalis. In order to understand whether the increase in lifespan was due to high-antioxidant properties of these medicinal plants, we performed enzymatic assays to assess the SOD and catalase activities in case of both treated and control Drosophila flies. Interestingly, the results support the free radical theory of aging as both these plant derivatives show high reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging activities.

Dietary Intake of Curcuma longa and Emblica officinalis Increases Life Span in Drosophila melanogaster

PubMed Central

Rawal, Shilpa; Singh, Pavneet; Gupta, Ayush; Mohanty, Sujata

2014-01-01

Intake of food and nutrition plays a major role in affecting aging process and longevity. However, the precise mechanisms underlying the ageing process are still unclear. To this respect, diet has been considered to be a determinant of ageing process. In order to better illustrate this, we used Drosophila melanogaster as a model and fed them orally with different concentrations of two commonly used Indian medicinal plant products, Curcuma longa (rhizome) and Emblica officinalis (fruit). The results revealed significant increase in life span of Drosophila flies on exposure to both the plant products, more efficiently by C. Longa than by E. officinalis. In order to understand whether the increase in lifespan was due to high-antioxidant properties of these medicinal plants, we performed enzymatic assays to assess the SOD and catalase activities in case of both treated and control Drosophila flies. Interestingly, the results support the free radical theory of aging as both these plant derivatives show high reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging activities. PMID:24967413

Drosophila melanogaster White Mutant w 1118 Undergo Retinal Degeneration.

PubMed

Ferreiro, María José; Pérez, Coralia; Marchesano, Mariana; Ruiz, Santiago; Caputi, Angel; Aguilera, Pedro; Barrio, Rosa; Cantera, Rafael

2017-01-01

Key scientific discoveries have resulted from genetic studies of Drosophila melanogaster , using a multitude of transgenic fly strains, the majority of which are constructed in a genetic background containing mutations in the white gene. Here we report that white mutant flies from w 1118 strain undergo retinal degeneration. We observed also that w 1118 mutants have progressive loss of climbing ability, shortened life span, as well as impaired resistance to various forms of stress. Retinal degeneration was abolished by transgenic expression of mini-white + in the white null background w 1118 . We conclude that beyond the classical eye-color phenotype, mutations in Drosophila white gene could impair several biological functions affecting parameters like mobility, life span and stress tolerance. Consequently, we suggest caution and attentiveness during the interpretation of old experiments employing white mutant flies and when planning new ones, especially within the research field of neurodegeneration and neuroprotection. We also encourage that the use of w 1118 strain as a wild-type control should be avoided.

Perturbations in growth trajectory due to early diet affect age-related deterioration in performance.

PubMed

Lee, Who-Seung; Monaghan, Pat; Metcalfe, Neil B

2016-04-01

Fluctuations in early developmental conditions can cause changes in growth trajectories that subsequently affect the adult phenotype. Here, we investigated whether compensatory growth has long-term consequences for patterns of senescence.Using three-spined sticklebacks ( Gasterosteus aculeatus ), we show that a brief period of dietary manipulation in early life affected skeletal growth rate not only during the manipulation itself, but also during a subsequent compensatory phase when fish caught up in size with controls.However, this growth acceleration influenced swimming endurance and its decline over the course of the breeding season, with a faster decline in fish that had undergone faster growth compensation.Similarly, accelerated growth led to a more pronounced reduction in the breeding period (as indicated by the duration of sexual ornamentation) over the following two breeding seasons, suggesting faster reproductive senescence. Parallel experiments showed a heightened effect of accelerated growth on these age-related declines in performance if the fish were under greater time stress to complete their compensation prior to the breeding season.Compensatory growth led to a reduction in median life span of 12% compared to steadily growing controls. While life span was independent of the eventual adult size attained, it was negatively correlated with the age-related decline in swimming endurance and sexual ornamentation.These results, complementary to those found when growth trajectories were altered by temperature rather than dietary manipulations, show that the costs of accelerated growth can last well beyond the time over which growth rates differ and are affected by the time available until an approaching life-history event such as reproduction.

Psychosocial stressors and the short life spans of legendary jazz musicians.

PubMed

Patalano, F

2000-04-01

Mean age at death of 168 legendary jazz musicians and 100 renowned classical musicians were compared to examine whether psychosocial stressors such as severe substance abuse, haphazard working conditions, lack of acceptance of jazz as an art form in the United States, marital and family discord, and a vagabond life style may have contributed to shortened life spans for the jazz musicians. Analysis indicated that the jazz musicians died at an earlier age (57.2 yr.) than the classical musicians (73.3 yr.).

The effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of methods of storing donated kidneys from deceased donors: a systematic review and economic model.

PubMed

Bond, M; Pitt, M; Akoh, J; Moxham, T; Hoyle, M; Anderson, R

2009-08-01

To review the evidence for the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of storing kidneys from deceased donors prior to transplantation, using cold static storage solutions or pulsatile hypothermic machine perfusion. Electronic databases were searched in January 2008 and updated in May 2008 for systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses, randomised controlled trials (RCTs), other study designs and ongoing research. Sources included: Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, ISI Web of Knowledge, DARE, NRR, ReFeR, Current Controlled Trials, and (NHS) HTA. Bibliographies of articles were searched for further relevant studies, and the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) and European Regulatory Agency Medical Device Safety Service websites were searched. Only English language papers were sought. The perfusion machines identified were the LifePort Kidney Transporter (Organ Recovery Systems) and the RM3 Renal Preservation System (Waters Medical Systems). The cold storage solutions reviewed were: University of Wisconsin, ViaSpan; Marshall's hypertonic citrate, Soltran; and Genzyme, Celsior. Each intervention was compared with the others as data permitted. The population was recipients of kidneys from deceased donors. The main outcomes were measures of graft survival, patient survival, delayed graft function (DGF), primary non-function (PNF), discard rates of non-viable kidneys, health-related quality of life and cost-effectiveness. Where data permitted the results of studies were pooled using meta-analysis. A Markov (state transition) model was developed to simulate the main post-transplantation outcomes of kidney graft recipients. Eleven studies were included: three full journal published RCTs, two ongoing RCTs [European Machine Preservation Trial (MPT) and UK Pulsatile Perfusion in Asystolic donor Renal Transplantation (PPART) study], one cohort study, three full journal published retrospective record reviews and two retrospective record reviews published as posters or abstracts only. For LifePort versus ViaSpan, no significant differences were found for DGF, PNF, acute rejection, duration of DGF, creatinine clearance or toxicity, patient survival or graft survival at 6 months, but graft survival was better at 12 months post transplant with machine perfusion (LifePort = 98%, ViaSpan = 94%, p < 0.03). For LifePort versus RM3, all outcomes favoured RM3, although the results may be unreliable. For ViaSpan versus Soltran, there were no significant differences in graft survival for cold ischaemic times up to 36 hours. For ViaSpan versus Celsior, no significant differences were found on any outcome measure. In terms of cost-effectiveness, data from the MPT suggested that machine preservation was cheaper and generated more quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), while the PPART study data suggested that cold storage was preferable on both counts. The less reliable deterministic outputs of the cohort study suggested that LifePort would be cheaper and would generate more QALYs than Soltran. Sensitivity analyses found that changes to the differential kidney storage costs between comparators have a very low impact on overall net benefit estimates; where differences in effectiveness exist, dialysis costs are important in determining overall net benefit; DGF levels become important only when differences in graft survival are apparent between patients experiencing immediate graft function (IGF) versus DGF; relative impact of differential changes to graft survival for patients experiencing IGF as opposed to DGF depends on the relative proportion of patients experiencing each of these two outcomes. The conclusions drawn for the comparison of machine perfusion with cold storage depend on which trial data are used in the model. Owing to the lack of good research evidence that either ViaSpan or Soltran is better than the other, the cheaper, Soltran, may be preferable. In the absence of a cost-utility analysis, the results of our meta-analysis of the RCTs comparing ViaSpan with Celsior indicate that these cold storage solutions are equivalent. Further RCTs of comparators of interest to allow for appropriate analysis of subgroups and to determine whether either of the two machines under consideration produces better outcomes may be useful. In addition, research is required to: establish the strength and reliability of the presumed causal association between DGF and graft, and patient survival; investigate the utility impacts of renal replacement therapy; determine what the additional cost, survival and QALY impacts are of decreased or increased non-viable kidneys when discarded pre transplantation; and identify a reliable measure for predicting kidney viability from machine perfusion.

Changes in Acoustic Characteristics of the Voice across the Life Span: Measures from Individuals 4-93 Years of Age

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stathopoulos, Elaine T.; Huber, Jessica E.; Sussman, Joan E.

2011-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of the present investigation was to examine acoustic voice changes across the life span. Previous voice production investigations used small numbers of participants, had limited age ranges, and produced contradictory results. Method: Voice recordings were made from 192 male and female participants 4-93 years of age. Acoustic…

Modeling Life-Span Growth Curves of Cognition Using Longitudinal Data with Multiple Samples and Changing Scales of Measurement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McArdle, John J.; Grimm, Kevin J.; Hamagami, Fumiaki; Bowles, Ryan P.; Meredith, William

2009-01-01

The authors use multiple-sample longitudinal data from different test batteries to examine propositions about changes in constructs over the life span. The data come from 3 classic studies on intellectual abilities in which, in combination, 441 persons were repeatedly measured as many as 16 times over 70 years. They measured cognitive constructs…

The Use of Digital Technologies across the Adult Life Span in Distance Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jelfs, Anne; Richardson, John T. E.

2013-01-01

In June 2010, a survey was carried out to explore access to digital technology, attitudes to digital technology and approaches to studying across the adult life span in students taking courses with the UK Open University. In total, 7000 people were surveyed, of whom more than 4000 responded. Nearly all these students had access to a computer and…

Auditory Environment across the Life Span of Cochlear Implant Users: Insights from Data Logging

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Busch, Tobias; Vanpoucke, Filiep; van Wieringen, Astrid

2017-01-01

Purpose: We describe the natural auditory environment of people with cochlear implants (CIs), how it changes across the life span, and how it varies between individuals. Method: We performed a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of Cochlear Nucleus 6 CI sound-processor data logs. The logs were obtained from 1,501 people with CIs (ages 0-96…

The Development of Attentional Networks: Cross-Sectional Findings from a Life Span Sample

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waszak, Florian; Li, Shu-Chen; Hommel, Bernhard

2010-01-01

Using a population-based sample of 263 individuals ranging from 6 to 89 years of age, we investigated the gains and losses in the abilities to (a) use exogenous cues to shift attention covertly and (b) ignore conflicting information across the life span. The participants' ability to shift visual attention was tested by a typical Posner-type…

Life-Span Development of Visual Working Memory: When Is Feature Binding Difficult?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cowan, Nelson; Naveh-Benjamin, Moshe; Kilb, Angela; Saults, J. Scott

2006-01-01

We asked whether the ability to keep in working memory the binding between a visual object and its spatial location changes with development across the life span more than memory for item information. Paired arrays of colored squares were identical or differed in the color of one square, and in the latter case, the changed color was unique on…

Gains and Losses in Creative Personality as Perceived by Adults across the Life Span

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hui, Anna N. N.; Yeung, Dannii Y.; Sue-Chan, Christina; Chan, Kara; Hui, Desmond C. K.; Cheng, Sheung-Tak

2014-01-01

In this study, we used a life span model to study the subjective perception of creative personality (CP) in emerging, young, middle-aged, and older Hong Kong Chinese adults. We also asked participants to estimate the approximate age by which people develop and lose CP across adulthood. We expected an interesting interplay between internalized age…

Extending the Human Life Span: An Exploratory Study of Pro- and Anti-Longevity Attitudes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kogan, Nathan; Tucker, Jennifer; Porter, Matthew

2011-01-01

Successful efforts by biologists to substantially increase the life span of non-human animals has raised the possibility of extrapolation to humans, which in turn has given rise to bioethical argumentation, pro and con. The present study converts these arguments into pro- and anti-longevity items on a questionnaire and examines the structure and…

Attitudes Toward Death Across the Life Span.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maiden, Robert; Walker, Gail

To understand the change and development of people's attitudes toward death over the life span, a 62-item attitude questionnaire on death and dying was administered to 90 adults. Participants included five females and five males in each of nine age categories: 18-20, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-64, and 65 or older. Participants…

Life-Span Differences in the Uses and Gratifications of Tablets: Implications for Older Adults

PubMed Central

Magsamen-Conrad, Kate; Dowd, John; Abuljadail, Mohammad; Alsulaiman, Saud; Shareefi, Adnan

2015-01-01

This study extends Uses and Gratifications theory by examining the uses and gratifications of a new technological device, the tablet computer, and investigating the differential uses and gratifications of tablet computers across the life-span. First, we utilized a six-week tablet training intervention to adapt and extend existing measures to the tablet as a technological device. Next, we used paper-based and online surveys (N=847), we confirmed four main uses of tablets: 1) Information Seeking, 2) Relationship Maintenance, 3) Style, 4) Amusement and Killing time, and added one additional use category 5) Organization. We discovered differences among the five main uses of tablets across the life-span, with older adults using tablets the least overall. Builders, Boomers, GenX and GenY all reported the highest means for information seeking. Finally, we used a structural equation model to examine how uses and gratifications predicts hours of tablet use. The study provides limitations and suggestions for future research and marketers. In particular, this study offers insight to the relevancy of theory as it applies to particular information and communication technologies and consideration of how different periods in the life-span affect tablet motivations. PMID:26113769

Life-Span Differences in the Uses and Gratifications of Tablets: Implications for Older Adults.

PubMed

Magsamen-Conrad, Kate; Dowd, John; Abuljadail, Mohammad; Alsulaiman, Saud; Shareefi, Adnan

2015-11-01

This study extends Uses and Gratifications theory by examining the uses and gratifications of a new technological device, the tablet computer, and investigating the differential uses and gratifications of tablet computers across the life-span. First, we utilized a six-week tablet training intervention to adapt and extend existing measures to the tablet as a technological device. Next, we used paper-based and online surveys ( N =847), we confirmed four main uses of tablets: 1) Information Seeking, 2) Relationship Maintenance, 3) Style, 4) Amusement and Killing time, and added one additional use category 5) Organization. We discovered differences among the five main uses of tablets across the life-span, with older adults using tablets the least overall. Builders, Boomers, GenX and GenY all reported the highest means for information seeking. Finally, we used a structural equation model to examine how uses and gratifications predicts hours of tablet use. The study provides limitations and suggestions for future research and marketers. In particular, this study offers insight to the relevancy of theory as it applies to particular information and communication technologies and consideration of how different periods in the life-span affect tablet motivations.

I Wish I Had (Not) Taken a Gap-Year? The Psychological and Attainment Outcomes of Different Post-School Pathways

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parker, Philip D.; Thoemmes, Felix; Duineveld, Jasper J.; Salmela-Aro, Katariina

2015-01-01

Existing gap-year research indicates a number of benefits of a gap-year at the end of school and before university enrollment. Life span theory of control, however, suggests that direct goal investment, rather than delay, at developmental transitions is associated with more adaptive outcomes. Comparing these perspectives, the authors undertook 2…

Lifetime Increased Cancer Risk in Mice Following Exposure to Clinical Proton Beam–Generated Neutrons

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gerweck, Leo E., E-mail: lgerweck@mgh.harvard.edu; Huang, Peigen; Lu, Hsiao-Ming

2014-05-01

Purpose: To evaluate the life span and risk of cancer following whole-body exposure of mice to neutrons generated by a passively scattered clinical spread-out Bragg peak (SOBP) proton beam. Methods and Materials: Three hundred young adult female FVB/N mice, 152 test and 148 control, were entered into the experiment. Mice were placed in an annular cassette around a cylindrical phantom, which was positioned lateral to the mid-SOBP of a 165-MeV, clinical proton beam. The average distance from the edge of the mid-SOBP to the conscious active mice was 21.5 cm. The phantom was irradiated with once-daily fractions of 25 Gy,more » 4 days per week, for 6 weeks. The age at death and cause of death (ie, cancer and type vs noncancer causes) were assessed over the life span of the mice. Results: Exposure of mice to a dose of 600 Gy of proton beam–generated neutrons, reduced the median life span of the mice by 4.2% (Kaplan-Meier cumulative survival, P=.053). The relative risk of death from cancer in neutron exposed versus control mice was 1.40 for cancer of all types (P=.0006) and 1.22 for solid cancers (P=.09). For a typical 60 Gy dose of clinical protons, the observed 22% increased risk of solid cancer would be expected to decrease by a factor of 10. Conclusions: Exposure of mice to neutrons generated by a proton dose that exceeds a typical course of radiation therapy by a factor of 10, resulted in a statistically significant increase in the background incidence of leukemia and a marginally significant increase in solid cancer. The results indicate that the risk of out-of-field second solid cancers from SOBP proton-generated neutrons and typical treatment schedules, is 6 to 10 times less than is suggested by current neutron risk estimates.« less

Life-span perspective of personality in dementia.

PubMed

Kolanowski, A M; Whall, A L

1996-01-01

To propose an alternative view of personality change in dementia by presenting existing evidence for the continuity of personality. As the population continues to age, dementing illnesses will account for a greater proportion of morbidity and mortality; the care of these people will have a significant effect on the health care system. Life-span perspective of personality continuity. SCOPE METHOD: Review of current literature on personality in dementia using Medline, 1980-1994; CINAHL, 1990-1994; and Psych Lit., 1980-1994. Although there are systematic shifts in personality with dementia, individuals tend to maintain their unique pattern of premorbid personality traits. The personalities of dementia patients seem to reflect adaptive patterns that served them in the past. Use of a life-span perspective can enhance individualized care for demented patients and advance theory development.

Demography of Genotypes: Failure of the Limited Life-Span Paradigm in Drosophila melanogaster

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Curtsinger, James W.; Fukui, Hidenori H.; Townsend, David R.; Vaupel, James W.

1992-10-01

Experimental systems that are amenable to genetic manipulation can be used to address fundamental questions about genetic and nongenetic determinants of longevity. Analysis of large cohorts of ten genotypes of Drosophila melanogaster raised under conditions that favored extended survival has revealed variation between genotypes in both the slope and location of age-specific mortality curves. More detailed examination of a single genotype showed that the mortality trajectory was best fit by a two-stage Gompertz model, with no age-specific increase in mortality rates beyond 30 days after emergence. These results are contrary to the limited life-span paradigm, which postulates well-defined, genotype-specific limits on life-span and brief periods of intense and rapidly accelerating mortality rates at the oldest ages.

Audiology Assistants: Results of a Multicenter Survey.

PubMed

Karzon, Roanne; Hunter, Lisa; Steuerwald, Wendy

2018-05-01

Although audiologists have been using support personnel for over 45 yr, controversy and variability continue with respect to the entry-level education, training methods, and scope of practice. As part of a larger clinical practices survey, this report focuses on use of audiology assistants (AAs) for pediatric settings and "life-span" facilities that had a significant population of pediatric patients. A questionnaire was sent to 116 facilities in geographically diverse locations. Of the 25 surveys returned, 22 had sufficient data to be included for analysis purposes. The majority of respondents assigned duties to AAs as follows: assisting with conditioned play audiometry and visual reinforcement audiometry, infection control, mail management, disposing of protected health information, ordering supplies, calling families, fielding family phone calls, and stocking supplies. In addition, of the nine pediatric facilities that used AAs and reported job duties, the majority assigned troubleshooting equipment and auditory brainstem response (ABR) screening. Two of the five life-span facilities that reported job duties assigned several duties not assigned by any of the pediatric facilities: pure-tone screening, earmold impressions, assisting with videonystagmography and ABR, and in-house hearing aid repairs. Of facilities that use AAs and reported staffing, the ratio of AAs to audiologists ranged from 0.03:1 to 1:0.37, with an average of 0.15 for life-span facilities and 0.17 for the pediatric facilities. Minimum educational levels required were reported as follows: high school (n = 8), college (n = 3), certificate (n = 1), and no requirement (n = 1). Within a small sample size of pediatric and life-span facilities, 14 of 22 centers used AAs to perform a variety of direct patient care, indirect patient care, and clerical duties. Based on the duties recommended within the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association guidelines and by many states, expanded employment of AAs, as well as expansion of assigned duties should be considered. Data are needed to determine the appropriate ratio of AAs to audiologists within different settings and to determine the impact of AAs for accessibility, productivity, and profitability. American Academy of Audiology.

Mitigating the Impact of Nurse Manager Large Spans of Control.

PubMed

Simpson, Brenda Baird; Dearmon, Valorie; Graves, Rebecca

Nurse managers are instrumental in achievement of organizational and unit performance goals. Greater spans of control for managers are associated with decreased satisfaction and performance. An interprofessional team measured one organization's nurse manager span of control, providing administrative assistant support and transformational leadership development to nurse managers with the largest spans of control. Nurse manager satisfaction and transformational leadership competency significantly improved following the implementation of large span of control mitigation strategies.

A review of methionine dependency and the role of methionine restriction in cancer growth control and life-span extension.

PubMed

Cavuoto, Paul; Fenech, Michael F

2012-10-01

Methionine is an essential amino acid with many key roles in mammalian metabolism such as protein synthesis, methylation of DNA and polyamine synthesis. Restriction of methionine may be an important strategy in cancer growth control particularly in cancers that exhibit dependence on methionine for survival and proliferation. Methionine dependence in cancer may be due to one or a combination of deletions, polymorphisms or alterations in expression of genes in the methionine de novo and salvage pathways. Cancer cells with these defects are unable to regenerate methionine via these pathways. Defects in the metabolism of folate may also contribute to the methionine dependence phenotype in cancer. Selective killing of methionine dependent cancer cells in co-culture with normal cells has been demonstrated using culture media deficient in methionine. Several animal studies utilizing a methionine restricted diet have reported inhibition of cancer growth and extension of a healthy life-span. In humans, vegan diets, which can be low in methionine, may prove to be a useful nutritional strategy in cancer growth control. The development of methioninase which depletes circulating levels of methionine may be another useful strategy in limiting cancer growth. The application of nutritional methionine restriction and methioninase in combination with chemotherapeutic regimens is the current focus of clinical studies. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Targeted disruption of Pten in ovarian granulosa cells enhances ovulation and extends the life span of luteal cells.

PubMed

Fan, Heng-Yu; Liu, Zhilin; Cahill, Nicola; Richards, JoAnne S

2008-09-01

FSH activates the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K)/acute transforming retrovirus thymoma protein kinase pathway and thereby enhances granulosa cell differentiation in culture. To identify the physiological role of the PI3K pathway in vivo we disrupted the PI3K suppressor, Pten, in developing ovarian follicles. To selectively disrupt Pten expression in granulosa cells, Ptenfl/fl mice were mated with transgenic mice expressing cAMP response element recombinase driven by Cyp19 promoter (Cyp19-Cre). The resultant Pten mutant mice were fertile, ovulated more oocytes, and produced moderately more pups than control mice. These physiological differences in the Pten mutant mice were associated with hyperactivation of the PI3K/acute transforming retrovirus thymoma protein kinase pathway, decreased susceptibility to apoptosis, and increased proliferation of mutant granulosa cells. Strikingly, corpora lutea of the Pten mutant mice persisted longer than those of control mice. Although the follicular and luteal cell steroidogenesis in Ptenfl/fl;Cyp19-Cre mice was similar to controls, viable nonsteroidogenic luteal cells escaped structural luteolysis. These findings provide the novel evidence that Pten impacts the survival/life span of granulosa/luteal cells and that its loss not only results in the facilitated ovulation but also in the persistence of nonsteroidogenic luteal structures in the adult mouse ovary.

Span of control matters.

PubMed

Cathcart, Deb; Jeska, Susan; Karnas, Joan; Miller, Sue E; Pechacek, Judy; Rheault, Lolita

2004-09-01

Prompted by manager concerns about span of control, a large, integrated health system set out to determine if span of control really mattered. Was there something to it, or was it just an excuse for poor performance? A team of middle managers studied the problem and ultimately demonstrated a strong relationship between span of control and employee engagement. Consequently, it was decided to add 4 management positions to note the effect. One year later, positive changes were observed in employee engagement scores in all 4 areas. This study suggests careful review of manager spans of control to address the untoward effects of large spans of control on employee engagement.

Deceleration of Fusion–Fission Cycles Improves Mitochondrial Quality Control during Aging

PubMed Central

Meyer-Hermann, Michael; Osiewacz, Heinz D.

2012-01-01

Mitochondrial dynamics and mitophagy play a key role in ensuring mitochondrial quality control. Impairment thereof was proposed to be causative to neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, and cancer. Accumulation of mitochondrial dysfunction was further linked to aging. Here we applied a probabilistic modeling approach integrating our current knowledge on mitochondrial biology allowing us to simulate mitochondrial function and quality control during aging in silico. We demonstrate that cycles of fusion and fission and mitophagy indeed are essential for ensuring a high average quality of mitochondria, even under conditions in which random molecular damage is present. Prompted by earlier observations that mitochondrial fission itself can cause a partial drop in mitochondrial membrane potential, we tested the consequences of mitochondrial dynamics being harmful on its own. Next to directly impairing mitochondrial function, pre-existing molecular damage may be propagated and enhanced across the mitochondrial population by content mixing. In this situation, such an infection-like phenomenon impairs mitochondrial quality control progressively. However, when imposing an age-dependent deceleration of cycles of fusion and fission, we observe a delay in the loss of average quality of mitochondria. This provides a rational why fusion and fission rates are reduced during aging and why loss of a mitochondrial fission factor can extend life span in fungi. We propose the ‘mitochondrial infectious damage adaptation’ (MIDA) model according to which a deceleration of fusion–fission cycles reflects a systemic adaptation increasing life span. PMID:22761564

A unique life history among tetrapods: An annual chameleon living mostly as an egg

PubMed Central

Karsten, Kristopher B.; Andriamandimbiarisoa, Laza N.; Fox, Stanley F.; Raxworthy, Christopher J.

2008-01-01

The ≈28,300 species of tetrapods (four-limbed vertebrates) almost exclusively have perennial life spans. Here, we report the discovery of a remarkable annual tetrapod from the arid southwest of Madagascar: the chameleon Furcifer labordi, with a posthatching life span of just 4–5 months. At the start of the active season (November), an age cohort of hatchlings emerges; larger juveniles or adults are not present. These hatchlings grow rapidly, reach sexual maturity in less than 2 months, and reproduce in January–February. After reproduction, senescence appears, and the active season concludes with population-wide adult death. Consequently, during the dry season, the entire population is represented by developing eggs that incubate for 8–9 months before synchronously hatching at the onset of the following rainy season. Remarkably, this chameleon spends more of its short annual life cycle inside the egg than outside of it. Our review of tetrapod longevity (>1,700 species) finds no others with such a short life span. These findings suggest that the notorious rapid death of chameleons in captivity may, for some species, actually represent the natural adult life span. Consequently, a new appraisal may be warranted concerning the viability of chameleon breeding programs, which could have special significance for species of conservation concern. Additionally, because F. labordi is closely related to other perennial species, this chameleon group may prove also to be especially well suited for comparative studies that focus on life history evolution and the ecological, genetic, and/or hormonal determinants of aging, longevity, and senescence. PMID:18591659

A unique life history among tetrapods: an annual chameleon living mostly as an egg.

PubMed

Karsten, Kristopher B; Andriamandimbiarisoa, Laza N; Fox, Stanley F; Raxworthy, Christopher J

2008-07-01

The approximately 28,300 species of tetrapods (four-limbed vertebrates) almost exclusively have perennial life spans. Here, we report the discovery of a remarkable annual tetrapod from the arid southwest of Madagascar: the chameleon Furcifer labordi, with a posthatching life span of just 4-5 months. At the start of the active season (November), an age cohort of hatchlings emerges; larger juveniles or adults are not present. These hatchlings grow rapidly, reach sexual maturity in less than 2 months, and reproduce in January-February. After reproduction, senescence appears, and the active season concludes with population-wide adult death. Consequently, during the dry season, the entire population is represented by developing eggs that incubate for 8-9 months before synchronously hatching at the onset of the following rainy season. Remarkably, this chameleon spends more of its short annual life cycle inside the egg than outside of it. Our review of tetrapod longevity (>1,700 species) finds no others with such a short life span. These findings suggest that the notorious rapid death of chameleons in captivity may, for some species, actually represent the natural adult life span. Consequently, a new appraisal may be warranted concerning the viability of chameleon breeding programs, which could have special significance for species of conservation concern. Additionally, because F. labordi is closely related to other perennial species, this chameleon group may prove also to be especially well suited for comparative studies that focus on life history evolution and the ecological, genetic, and/or hormonal determinants of aging, longevity, and senescence.

Quantifying the Structure of Free Association Networks across the Life Span

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dubossarsky, Haim; De Deyne, Simon; Hills, Thomas T.

2017-01-01

We investigate how the mental lexicon changes over the life span using free association data from over 8,000 individuals, ranging from 10 to 84 years of age, with more than 400 cue words per age group. Using network analysis, with words as nodes and edges defined by the strength of shared associations, we find that associative networks evolve in a…

Self-Esteem Development across the Life Span: A Longitudinal Study with a Large Sample from Germany

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orth, Ulrich; Maes, Jürgen; Schmitt, Manfred

2015-01-01

The authors examined the development of self-esteem across the life span. Data came from a German longitudinal study with 3 assessments across 4 years of a sample of 2,509 individuals ages 14 to 89 years. The self-esteem measure used showed strong measurement invariance across assessments and birth cohorts. Latent growth curve analyses indicated…

Delayed accumulation of intestinal coliform bacteria enhances life span and stress resistance in Caenorhabditis elegans fed respiratory deficient E. coli.

PubMed

Gomez, Fernando; Monsalve, Gabriela C; Tse, Vincent; Saiki, Ryoichi; Weng, Emily; Lee, Laura; Srinivasan, Chandra; Frand, Alison R; Clarke, Catherine F

2012-12-20

Studies with the nematode model Caenorhabditis elegans have identified conserved biochemical pathways that act to modulate life span. Life span can also be influenced by the composition of the intestinal microbiome, and C. elegans life span can be dramatically influenced by its diet of Escherichia coli. Although C. elegans is typically fed the standard OP50 strain of E. coli, nematodes fed E. coli strains rendered respiratory deficient, either due to a lack coenzyme Q or the absence of ATP synthase, show significant life span extension. Here we explore the mechanisms accounting for the enhanced nematode life span in response to these diets. The intestinal load of E. coli was monitored by determination of worm-associated colony forming units (cfu/worm or coliform counts) as a function of age. The presence of GFP-expressing E. coli in the worm intestine was also monitored by fluorescence microscopy. Worms fed the standard OP50 E. coli strain have high cfu and GFP-labeled bacteria in their guts at the L4 larval stage, and show saturated coliform counts by day five of adulthood. In contrast, nematodes fed diets of respiratory deficient E. coli lacking coenzyme Q lived significantly longer and failed to accumulate bacteria within the lumen at early ages. Animals fed bacteria deficient in complex V showed intermediate coliform numbers and were not quite as long-lived. The results indicate that respiratory deficient Q-less E. coli are effectively degraded in the early adult worm, either at the pharynx or within the intestine, and do not accumulate in the intestinal tract until day ten of adulthood. The findings of this study suggest that the nematodes fed the respiratory deficient E. coli diet live longer because the delay in bacterial colonization of the gut subjects the worms to less stress compared to worms fed the OP50 E. coli diet. This work suggests that bacterial respiration can act as a virulence factor, influencing the ability of bacteria to colonize and subsequently harm the animal host. Respiratory deficient bacteria may pose a useful model for probing probiotic relationships within the gut microbiome in higher organisms.

Causes and consequences of variation in conifer leaf life-span

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Reich, P.B.; Koike, T.; Gower, S.T.

1995-07-01

Species with mutually supporting traits, such as high N{sub mass}, SLA, and A{sub mass}, and short leaf life-span, tend to inhabit either generally resource-rich environments or spatial and/or temporal microhabitats that are resource-rich in otherwise more limited habitats (e.g., {open_quotes}precipitation{close_quotes} ephemerals in warm deserts or spring ephemerals in the understory of temperate deciduous forests). In contrast, species with long leaf life-span often support foliage with low SLA, N{sub mass}, and A{sub mass}, and often grow in low-temperature limited, dry, and/or nutrient-poor environments. The contrast between evergreen and deciduous species, and the implications that emerge from such comparisons, can be consideredmore » a paradigm of modern ecological theory. However, based on the results of Reich et al. (1992) and Gower et al. (1993), coniferous species with foliage that persists for 9-10 years are likely to assimilate and allocate carbon and nutrients differently than other evergreen conifers that retain foliage for 2-3 years. Thus, attempts to contrast ecophysiological or ecosystem characteristics of evergreen versus deciduous life forms may be misleading, and pronounced differences among evergreen conifers may be ignored. Clearly, the deciduous-evergreen contrast, although useful in several ways, should be viewed from the broader perspective of a gradient in leaf life-span.« less

Evolution, mutations, and human longevity: European royal and noble families.

PubMed

Gavrilova, N S; Gavrilov, L A; Evdokushkina, G N; Semyonova, V G; Gavrilova, A L; Evdokushkina, N N; Kushnareva, Y E; Kroutko, V N; Andreyev AYu

1998-08-01

The evolutionary theory of aging predicts that the equilibrium gene frequency for deleterious mutations should increase with age at onset of mutation action because of weaker (postponed) selection against later-acting mutations. According to this mutation accumulation hypothesis, one would expect the genetic variability for survival (additive genetic variance) to increase with age. The ratio of additive genetic variance to the observed phenotypic variance (the heritability of longevity) can be estimated most reliably as the doubled slope of the regression line for offspring life span on paternal age at death. Thus, if longevity is indeed determined by late-acting deleterious mutations, one would expect this slope to become steeper at higher paternal ages. To test this prediction of evolutionary theory of aging, we computerized and analyzed the most reliable and accurate genealogical data on longevity in European royal and noble families. Offspring longevity for each sex (8409 records for males and 3741 records for females) was considered as a dependent variable in the multiple regression model and as a function of three independent predictors: paternal age at death (for estimation of heritability of life span), paternal age at reproduction (control for parental age effects), and cohort life expectancy (control for cohort and secular trends and fluctuations). We found that the regression slope for offspring longevity as a function of paternal longevity increases with paternal longevity, as predicted by the evolutionary theory of aging and by the mutation accumulation hypothesis in particular.

Differential longitudinal changes in cortical thickness, surface area and volume across the adult life span: regions of accelerating and decelerating change.

PubMed

Storsve, Andreas B; Fjell, Anders M; Tamnes, Christian K; Westlye, Lars T; Overbye, Knut; Aasland, Hilde W; Walhovd, Kristine B

2014-06-18

Human cortical thickness and surface area are genetically independent, emerge through different neurobiological events during development, and are sensitive to different clinical conditions. However, the relationship between changes in the two over time is unknown. Additionally, longitudinal studies have almost invariably been restricted to older adults, precluding the delineation of adult life span trajectories of change in cortical structure. In this longitudinal study, we investigated changes in cortical thickness, surface area, and volume after an average interval of 3.6 years in 207 well screened healthy adults aged 23-87 years. We hypothesized that the relationships among metrics are dynamic across the life span, that the primary contributor to cortical volume reductions in aging is cortical thinning, and that magnitude of change varies with age and region. Changes over time were seen in cortical area (mean annual percentage change [APC], -0.19), thickness (APC, -0.35), and volume (APC, -0.51) in most regions. Volume changes were primarily explained by changes in thickness rather than area. A negative relationship between change in thickness and surface area was found across several regions, where more thinning was associated with less decrease in area, and vice versa. Accelerating changes with increasing age was seen in temporal and occipital cortices. In contrast, decelerating changes were seen in prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices. In conclusion, a dynamic relationship between cortical thickness and surface area changes exists throughout the adult life span. The mixture of accelerating and decelerating changes further demonstrates the importance of studying these metrics across the entire adult life span. Copyright © 2014 the authors 0270-6474/14/348488-11$15.00/0.

Inducible knockdown of pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A gene expression in adult female mice extends life span.

PubMed

Bale, Laurie K; West, Sally A; Conover, Cheryl A

2017-08-01

Pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) knockout (KO) mice, generated through homologous recombination in embryonic stem cells, have a significantly increased lifespan compared to wild-type littermates. However, it is unknown whether this longevity advantage would pertain to PAPP-A gene deletion in adult animals. In the present study, we used tamoxifen (Tam)-inducible Cre recombinase-mediated excision of the floxed PAPP-A (fPAPP-A) gene in mice at 5 months of age. fPAPP-A mice, which were either positive (pos) or negative (neg) for Tam-Cre, received Tam treatment with quarterly boosters. Only female mice could be used with this experimental design. fPAPP-A/neg and fPAPP-A/pos mice had similar weights at the start of the experiment and showed equivalent weight gain. We found that fPAPP-A/pos mice had a significant extension of life span (P = 0.005). The median life span was increased by 21% for fPAPP-A/pos compared to fPAPP-A/neg mice. Analysis of mortality in life span quartiles indicated that the proportion of deaths of fPAPP-A/pos mice were lower than fPAPP-A/neg mice at young adult ages (P = 0.002 for 601-800 days) and higher than fPAPP-A/neg mice at older ages (P = 0.004 for >1000 days). Thus, survival curves and age-specific mortality indicate that female mice with knockdown of PAPP-A gene expression as adults have an extended healthy life span. © 2017 The Authors. Aging Cell published by the Anatomical Society and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A Modelling Study for Predicting Life of Downhole Tubes Considering Service Environmental Parameters and Stress

PubMed Central

Zhao, Tianliang; Liu, Zhiyong; Du, Cuiwei; Hu, Jianpeng; Li, Xiaogang

2016-01-01

A modelling effort was made to try to predict the life of downhole tubes or casings, synthetically considering the effect of service influencing factors on corrosion rate. Based on the discussed corrosion mechanism and corrosion processes of downhole tubes, a mathematic model was established. For downhole tubes, the influencing factors are environmental parameters and stress, which vary with service duration. Stress and the environmental parameters including water content, partial pressure of H2S and CO2, pH value, total pressure and temperature, were considered to be time-dependent. Based on the model, life-span of an L80 downhole tube in oilfield Halfaya, an oilfield in Iraq, was predicted. The results show that life-span of the L80 downhole tube in Halfaya is 247 months (approximately 20 years) under initial stress of 0.1 yield strength and 641 months (approximately 53 years) under no initial stress, which indicates that an initial stress of 0.1 yield strength will reduce the life-span by more than half. PMID:28773872

Dimensionality of brain networks linked to life-long individual differences in self-control.

PubMed

Berman, Marc G; Yourganov, Grigori; Askren, Mary K; Ayduk, Ozlem; Casey, B J; Gotlib, Ian H; Kross, Ethan; McIntosh, Anthony R; Strother, Stephen; Wilson, Nicole L; Zayas, Vivian; Mischel, Walter; Shoda, Yuichi; Jonides, John

2013-01-01

The ability to delay gratification in childhood has been linked to positive outcomes in adolescence and adulthood. Here we examine a subsample of participants from a seminal longitudinal study of self-control throughout a subject's life span. Self-control, first studied in children at age 4 years, is now re-examined 40 years later, on a task that required control over the contents of working memory. We examine whether patterns of brain activation on this task can reliably distinguish participants with consistently low and high self-control abilities (low versus high delayers). We find that low delayers recruit significantly higher-dimensional neural networks when performing the task compared with high delayers. High delayers are also more homogeneous as a group in their neural patterns compared with low delayers. From these brain patterns, we can predict with 71% accuracy, whether a participant is a high or low delayer. The present results suggest that dimensionality of neural networks is a biological predictor of self-control abilities.

Stem Cell Models: A Guide to Understand and Mitigate Aging?

PubMed

Brunauer, Regina; Alavez, Silvestre; Kennedy, Brian K

2017-01-01

Aging is studied either on a systemic level using life span and health span of animal models, or on the cellular level using replicative life span of yeast or mammalian cells. While useful in identifying general and conserved pathways of aging, both approaches provide only limited information about cell-type specific causes and mechanisms of aging. Stem cells are the regenerative units of multicellular life, and stem cell aging might be a major cause for organismal aging. Using the examples of hematopoietic stem cell aging and human pluripotent stem cell models, we propose that stem cell models of aging are valuable for studying tissue-specific causes and mechanisms of aging and can provide unique insights into the mammalian aging process that may be inaccessible in simple model organisms. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Food-derived sensory cues modulate longevity via distinct neuroendocrine insulin-like peptides

PubMed Central

Artan, Murat; Jeong, Dae-Eun; Lee, Dongyeop; Kim, Young-Il; Son, Heehwa G.; Husain, Zahabiya; Kim, Jinmahn; Altintas, Ozlem; Kim, Kyuhyung; Alcedo, Joy; Lee, Seung-Jae V.

2016-01-01

Environmental fluctuations influence organismal aging by affecting various regulatory systems. One such system involves sensory neurons, which affect life span in many species. However, how sensory neurons coordinate organismal aging in response to changes in environmental signals remains elusive. Here, we found that a subset of sensory neurons shortens Caenorhabditis elegans’ life span by differentially regulating the expression of a specific insulin-like peptide (ILP), INS-6. Notably, treatment with food-derived cues or optogenetic activation of sensory neurons significantly increases ins-6 expression and decreases life span. INS-6 in turn relays the longevity signals to nonneuronal tissues by decreasing the activity of the transcription factor DAF-16/FOXO. Together, our study delineates a mechanism through which environmental sensory cues regulate aging rates by modulating the activities of specific sensory neurons and ILPs. PMID:27125673

Biennial Report on Long-Term Dose-Response Studies of Inhaled or Injected Radionuclides, 1991 - 1993

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-01-01

found, multiple uterine fibromas, mammary adenomas, a parathyroid adenoma, and bilateral adrenal cortical adenomas. Dog 1106A, a male control, was...fibroma and uterine leiomyoma. Dog 1154S, a female with an ILB of 0.13 kBq 239Pu/kg body weight, was found dead 5016 days after exposure. At necropsy...vi I ITRI LIFE-SPAN STUDIES IN DOGS ............................................... I A. SPECIFIC PROJECT

A PERSISTENT BONE GROWTH DEFICIT IN THE X-IRRADIATED RAT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Phillips, R.D.; Kimeldorf, D.J.

1964-02-10

ABS>A critical assessment of the roentgenographic technique was made for a quantitative determination of bone and tail length in the rat. The method was found to be very reliable if error sources were controlled and minimized. The early and long term effects of x irradiation on skeletal growth were investigated with respect to the age at exposure. Rats exposed at a juvenile age (37 days) to a sublethal dose (430 rad) exhibited a retardation in femur, tibia, and tail growth within 14 days after exposure. The maximum deficit was attained within 30 days after exposure and remained approximately constant formore » the next 300 days. Femur and tibia length of animals which were exposed to x rays as young adults (101 days of age) did not differ from those of controls for the first two months after exposure. However, there was a deficit in femur and tibia length in these animals at the end of life span. The magnitude of the bone length reduction at the end of life span was dose dependent. The two major differences in response between the two age groups were the time course of the radiation effect on growth and the magnitude of the deficit. The reduction in bone length occurred faster and was greater in the younger irradiated group. (auth)« less

Reconstructing life history of hominids and humans.

PubMed

Crews, Douglas E; Gerber, Linda M

2003-06-01

Aspects of life history, such as processes and timing of development, age at maturation, and life span are consistently associated with one another across the animal kingdom. Species that develop rapidly tend to mature and reproduce early, have many offspring, and exhibit shorter life spans (r-selection) than those that develop slowly, have extended periods of premature growth, mature later in life, reproduce later and less frequently, have few offspring and/or single births, and exhibit extended life spans (K-selection). In general, primates are among the most K-selected of species. A suite of highly derived life history traits characterizes humans. Among these are physically immature neonates, slowed somatic development both in utero and post-natally, late attainment of reproductive maturity and first birth, and extended post-mature survival. Exactly when, why, and through what types of evolutionary interactions this suite arose is currently the subject of much conjecture and debate. Humankind's biocultural adaptations have helped to structure human life history evolution in unique ways not seen in other animal species. Among all species, life history traits may respond rapidly to alterations in selective pressures through hormonal processes. Selective pressures on life history likely varied widely among hominids and humans over their evolutionary history. This suggests that current patterns of human growth, development, maturation, reproduction, and post-mature survival may be of recent genesis, rather then long-standing adaptations. Thus, life history patterns observed among contemporary human and chimpanzee populations may provide little insight to those that existed earlier in hominid/human evolution.

Fragmentation, Fusion, and Genetic Homogeneity in a Calcareous Sponge (Porifera, Calcarea).

PubMed

Padua, André; Leocorny, Pedro; Custódio, Márcio Reis; Klautau, Michelle

2016-06-01

Sessile marine invertebrates living on hard substrata usually present strategies such as size variations, longer life spans, fragmentation and fusion to occupy and compete for space. Calcareous sponges are usually small and short-lived, and some species are known to undergo frequent fragmentation and fusion events. However, whether fusion occurs only between genetically identical individuals remains unclear. We investigated the occurrence of chimaeras in the calcareous sponge Clathrina aurea by following the dynamics of fragmentation and fusion of 66 individuals in the field for up to 18 months and determined size variations and the life span of each individual. Microsatellites were used to determine whether fusion events occur among genetically different individuals. Growth and shrinkage of individuals were frequently observed, showing that size cannot be associated with age in C. aurea. The life span of the species ranged from 1 to 16 months (mean: 4.7 months). Short life spans and variable growth rates have been observed in other species of the class Calcarea. Fragmentation and fusion events were observed, but fusion events always occurred between genetically identical individuals, as has been suggested by graft experiments in adult Demospongiae and other Calcarea. These results suggest that at least C. aurea adults may have some mechanism to avoid chimaerism. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Implication of Ca2+ in the regulation of replicative life span of budding yeast.

PubMed

Tsubakiyama, Ryohei; Mizunuma, Masaki; Gengyo, Anri; Yamamoto, Josuke; Kume, Kazunori; Miyakawa, Tokichi; Hirata, Dai

2011-08-19

In eukaryotic cells, Ca(2+)-triggered signaling pathways are used to regulate a wide variety of cellular processes. Calcineurin, a highly conserved Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase, plays key roles in the regulation of diverse biological processes in organisms ranging from yeast to humans. We isolated a mutant of the SIR3 gene, implicated in the regulation of life span, as a suppressor of the Ca(2+) sensitivity of zds1Δ cells in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Therefore, we investigated a relationship between Ca(2+) signaling and life span in yeast. Here we show that Ca(2+) affected the replicative life span (RLS) of yeast. Increased external and intracellular Ca(2+) levels caused a reduction in their RLS. Consistently, the increase in calcineurin activity by either the zds1 deletion or the constitutively activated calcineurin reduced RLS. Indeed, the shortened RLS of zds1Δ cells was suppressed by the calcineurin deletion. Further, the calcineurin deletion per se promoted aging without impairing the gene silencing typically observed in short-lived sir mutants, indicating that calcineurin plays an important role in a regulation of RLS even under normal growth condition. Thus, our results indicate that Ca(2+) homeostasis/Ca(2+) signaling are required to regulate longevity in budding yeast.

Intermittent Administration of Rapamycin Extends the Life Span of Female C57BL/6J Mice.

PubMed

Arriola Apelo, Sebastian I; Pumper, Cassidy P; Baar, Emma L; Cummings, Nicole E; Lamming, Dudley W

2016-07-01

Inhibition of the mTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin) signaling pathway by the FDA-approved drug rapamycin promotes life span in numerous model organisms and delays age-related disease in mice. However, the utilization of rapamycin as a therapy for age-related diseases will likely prove challenging due to the serious metabolic and immunological side effects of rapamycin in humans. We recently identified an intermittent rapamycin treatment regimen-2mg/kg administered every 5 days-with a reduced impact on glucose homeostasis and the immune system as compared with chronic treatment; however, the ability of this regimen to extend life span has not been determined. Here, we report for the first time that an intermittent rapamycin treatment regimen starting as late as 20 months of age can extend the life span of female C57BL/6J mice. Our work demonstrates that the anti-aging potential of rapamycin is separable from many of its negative side effects and suggests that carefully designed dosing regimens may permit the safer use of rapamycin and its analogs for the treatment of age-related diseases in humans. © The Author 2016. 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.

GENOMIC BASIS OF AGING AND LIFE HISTORY EVOLUTION IN DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER

PubMed Central

Remolina, Silvia C.; Chang, Peter L.; Leips, Jeff; Nuzhdin, Sergey V.; Hughes, Kimberly A.

2015-01-01

Natural diversity in aging and other life history patterns is a hallmark of organismal variation. Related species, populations, and individuals within populations show genetically based variation in life span and other aspects of age-related performance. Population differences are especially informative because these differences can be large relative to within-population variation and because they occur in organisms with otherwise similar genomes. We used experimental evolution to produce populations divergent for life span and late-age fertility and then used deep genome sequencing to detect sequence variants with nucleotide-level resolution. Several genes and genome regions showed strong signatures of selection, and the same regions were implicated in independent comparisons, suggesting that the same alleles were selected in replicate lines. Genes related to oogenesis, immunity, and protein degradation were implicated as important modifiers of late-life performance. Expression profiling and functional annotation narrowed the list of strong candidate genes to 38, most of which are novel candidates for regulating aging. Life span and early-age fecundity were negatively correlated among populations; therefore the alleles we identified also are candidate regulators of a major life-history trade-off. More generally, we argue that hitchhiking mapping can be a powerful tool for uncovering the molecular bases of quantitative genetic variation. PMID:23106705

For whom the mind wanders, and when: an experience-sampling study of working memory and executive control in daily life.

PubMed

Kane, Michael J; Brown, Leslie H; McVay, Jennifer C; Silvia, Paul J; Myin-Germeys, Inez; Kwapil, Thomas R

2007-07-01

An experience-sampling study of 124 undergraduates, pretested on complex memory-span tasks, examined the relation between working memory capacity (WMC) and the experience of mind wandering in daily life. Over 7 days, personal digital assistants signaled subjects eight times daily to report immediately whether their thoughts had wandered from their current activity, and to describe their psychological and physical context. WMC moderated the relation between mind wandering and activities' cognitive demand. During challenging activities requiring concentration and effort, higher-WMC subjects maintained on-task thoughts better, and mind-wandered less, than did lower-WMC subjects. The results were therefore consistent with theories of WMC emphasizing the role of executive attention and control processes in determining individual differences and their cognitive consequences.

Life-span development of self-esteem and its effects on important life outcomes.

PubMed

Orth, Ulrich; Robins, Richard W; Widaman, Keith F

2012-06-01

We examined the life-span development of self-esteem and tested whether self-esteem influences the development of important life outcomes, including relationship satisfaction, job satisfaction, occupational status, salary, positive and negative affect, depression, and physical health. Data came from the Longitudinal Study of Generations. Analyses were based on 5 assessments across a 12-year period of a sample of 1,824 individuals ages 16 to 97 years. First, growth curve analyses indicated that self-esteem increases from adolescence to middle adulthood, reaches a peak at about age 50 years, and then decreases in old age. Second, cross-lagged regression analyses indicated that self-esteem is best modeled as a cause rather than a consequence of life outcomes. Third, growth curve analyses, with self-esteem as a time-varying covariate, suggested that self-esteem has medium-sized effects on life-span trajectories of affect and depression, small to medium-sized effects on trajectories of relationship and job satisfaction, a very small effect on the trajectory of health, and no effect on the trajectory of occupational status. These findings replicated across 4 generations of participants--children, parents, grandparents, and their great-grandparents. Together, the results suggest that self-esteem has a significant prospective impact on real-world life experiences and that high and low self-esteem are not mere epiphenomena of success and failure in important life domains. 2012 APA, all rights reserved

Nup100 regulates Saccharomyces cerevisiae replicative life span by mediating the nuclear export of specific tRNAs

PubMed Central

Lord, Christopher L.; Ospovat, Ophir; Wente, Susan R.

2017-01-01

Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs), which are composed of nucleoporins (Nups) and regulate transport between the nucleus and cytoplasm, significantly impact the replicative life span (RLS) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We previously reported that deletion of the nonessential gene NUP100 increases RLS, although the molecular basis for this effect was unknown. In this study, we find that nuclear tRNA accumulation contributes to increased longevity in nup100Δ cells. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) experiments demonstrate that several specific tRNAs accumulate in the nuclei of nup100Δ mutants. Protein levels of the transcription factor Gcn4 are increased when NUP100 is deleted, and GCN4 is required for the elevated life spans of nup100Δ mutants, similar to other previously described tRNA export and ribosomal mutants. Northern blots indicate that tRNA splicing and aminoacylation are not significantly affected in nup100Δ cells, suggesting that Nup100 is largely required for nuclear export of mature, processed tRNAs. Distinct tRNAs accumulate in the nuclei of nup100Δ and msn5Δ mutants, while Los1-GFP nucleocytoplasmic shuttling is unaffected by Nup100. Thus, we conclude that Nup100 regulates tRNA export in a manner distinct from Los1 or Msn5. Together, these experiments reveal a novel Nup100 role in the tRNA life cycle that impacts the S. cerevisiae life span. PMID:27932586

Relationships of leaf dark respiration to leaf nitrogen, specific leaf area and leaf life-span: a test across biomes and functional groups

Treesearch

Peter B. Reich; Michael B. Walters; David S. Ellsworth; [and others; [Editor’s note: James M.. Vose is the SRS co-author for this publication.

1998-01-01

Based on prior evidence of coordinated multiple leaf trait scaling, the authors hypothesized that variation among species in leaf dark respiration rate (Rd) should scale with variation in traits such as leaf nitrogen (N), leaf life-span, specific leaf area (SLA), and net photosynthetic capacity (Amax). However, it is not known whether such scaling, if it exists, is...

[Effect of pineal peptide on parameters of the biological age and life span in mice].

PubMed

Anisimov, V N; Khavinson, V Kh; Zavarzina, N Iu; Zabezhinskiĭ, M A; Zimina, O A; Popovich, I G; Shtylik, A V; Arutiunian, A V; Oparina, T I; Prokopenko, V M

2001-01-01

Female CBA mice were injected with s.c. synthetic tetrapeptide Epithalon from a 6-month age until death. The drug failed to affect the body weight or food consumption, physical activity or behavioural parameters. However, it slowed down the age-related switching off of the estrus function, decreased body temperature, decelerated free redical processes, prolonged the mice life span with an accompanying drop in spontaneous tumour incidence.

Spatial abilities across the adult life span.

PubMed

Borella, Erika; Meneghetti, Chiara; Ronconi, Lucia; De Beni, Rossana

2014-02-01

The study investigates age-related effects across the adult life span on spatial abilities (testing subabilities based on a distinction between spatial visualization, mental rotation, and perspective taking) and spatial self-assessments. The sample consisted of 454 participants (223 women and 231 men) from 20 to 91 years of age. Results showed nonlinear age-related effects for spatial visualization and perspective taking but linear effects for mental rotation; few or no age-related effects were found for spatial self-assessments. Working memory accounted for only a small proportion of the variance in all spatial tasks and had no effect on spatial self-assessments. Overall, our findings suggest that the influence of age on spatial skills across the adult life span is considerable, but the effects of age change as a function of the spatial task considered, and the effect on spatial self-assessment is more marginal.

Food-derived sensory cues modulate longevity via distinct neuroendocrine insulin-like peptides.

PubMed

Artan, Murat; Jeong, Dae-Eun; Lee, Dongyeop; Kim, Young-Il; Son, Heehwa G; Husain, Zahabiya; Kim, Jinmahn; Altintas, Ozlem; Kim, Kyuhyung; Alcedo, Joy; Lee, Seung-Jae V

2016-05-01

Environmental fluctuations influence organismal aging by affecting various regulatory systems. One such system involves sensory neurons, which affect life span in many species. However, how sensory neurons coordinate organismal aging in response to changes in environmental signals remains elusive. Here, we found that a subset of sensory neurons shortens Caenorhabditis elegans' life span by differentially regulating the expression of a specific insulin-like peptide (ILP), INS-6. Notably, treatment with food-derived cues or optogenetic activation of sensory neurons significantly increases ins-6 expression and decreases life span. INS-6 in turn relays the longevity signals to nonneuronal tissues by decreasing the activity of the transcription factor DAF-16/FOXO. Together, our study delineates a mechanism through which environmental sensory cues regulate aging rates by modulating the activities of specific sensory neurons and ILPs. © 2016 Artan et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

Caenorhabditis elegans as Model System in Pharmacology and Toxicology: Effects of Flavonoids on Redox-Sensitive Signalling Pathways and Ageing

PubMed Central

Koch, Karoline; Havermann, Susannah; Büchter, Christian

2014-01-01

Flavonoids are secondary plant compounds that mediate diverse biological activities, for example, by scavenging free radicals and modulating intracellular signalling pathways. It has been shown in various studies that distinct flavonoid compounds enhance stress resistance and even prolong the life span of organisms. In the last years the model organism C. elegans has gained increasing importance in pharmacological and toxicological sciences due to the availability of various genetically modified nematode strains, the simplicity of modulating genes by RNAi, and the relatively short life span. Several studies have been performed demonstrating that secondary plant compounds influence ageing, stress resistance, and distinct signalling pathways in the nematode. Here we present an overview of the modulating effects of different flavonoids on oxidative stress, redox-sensitive signalling pathways, and life span in C. elegans introducing the usability of this model system for pharmacological and toxicological research. PMID:24895670

Basic traits predict the prevalence of personality disorder across the life span: the example of psychopathy.

PubMed

Vachon, David D; Lynam, Donald R; Widiger, Thomas A; Miller, Joshua D; McCrae, Robert R; Costa, Paul T

2013-05-01

Personality disorders (PDs) may be better understood in terms of dimensions of general personality functioning rather than as discrete categorical conditions. Personality-trait descriptions of PDs are robust across methods and settings, and PD assessments based on trait measures show good construct validity. The study reported here extends research showing that basic traits (e.g., impulsiveness, warmth, straightforwardness, modesty, and deliberation) can re-create the epidemiological characteristics associated with PDs. Specifically, we used normative changes in absolute trait levels to simulate age-related differences in the prevalence of psychopathy in a forensic setting. Results demonstrated that trait information predicts the rate of decline for psychopathy over the life span; discriminates the decline of psychopathy from that of a similar disorder, antisocial PD; and accurately predicts the differential decline of subfactors of psychopathy. These findings suggest that basic traits provide a parsimonious account of PD prevalence across the life span.

daf-16: An HNF-3/forkhead family member that can function to double the life-span of Caenorhabditis elegans.

PubMed

Lin, K; Dorman, J B; Rodan, A; Kenyon, C

1997-11-14

The wild-type Caenorhabditis elegans nematode ages rapidly, undergoing development, senescence, and death in less than 3 weeks. In contrast, mutants with reduced activity of the gene daf-2, a homolog of the insulin and insulin-like growth factor receptors, age more slowly than normal and live more than twice as long. These mutants are active and fully fertile and have normal metabolic rates. The life-span extension caused by daf-2 mutations requires the activity of the gene daf-16. daf-16 appears to play a unique role in life-span regulation and encodes a member of the hepatocyte nuclear factor 3 (HNF-3)/forkhead family of transcriptional regulators. In humans, insulin down-regulates the expression of certain genes by antagonizing the activity of HNF-3, raising the possibility that aspects of this regulatory system have been conserved.

NAD⁺ repletion improves mitochondrial and stem cell function and enhances life span in mice.

PubMed

Zhang, Hongbo; Ryu, Dongryeol; Wu, Yibo; Gariani, Karim; Wang, Xu; Luan, Peiling; D'Amico, Davide; Ropelle, Eduardo R; Lutolf, Matthias P; Aebersold, Ruedi; Schoonjans, Kristina; Menzies, Keir J; Auwerx, Johan

2016-06-17

Adult stem cells (SCs) are essential for tissue maintenance and regeneration yet are susceptible to senescence during aging. We demonstrate the importance of the amount of the oxidized form of cellular nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD(+)) and its effect on mitochondrial activity as a pivotal switch to modulate muscle SC (MuSC) senescence. Treatment with the NAD(+) precursor nicotinamide riboside (NR) induced the mitochondrial unfolded protein response and synthesis of prohibitin proteins, and this rejuvenated MuSCs in aged mice. NR also prevented MuSC senescence in the mdx (C57BL/10ScSn-Dmd(mdx)/J) mouse model of muscular dystrophy. We furthermore demonstrate that NR delays senescence of neural SCs and melanocyte SCs and increases mouse life span. Strategies that conserve cellular NAD(+) may reprogram dysfunctional SCs and improve life span in mammals. Copyright © 2016, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Working memory function is linked to trauma exposure, independently of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms.

PubMed

Blanchette, Isabelle; Caparos, Serge

2016-11-01

The purpose of the study was to examine how working memory (WM) may be related to exposure to potentially traumatic events and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In four studies, we measured WM function using adaptations of the running span and the reading span tasks. We compared the performance of women reporting experiences of sexual abuse to control participants (total n = 144 controls and 84 victims). We measured severity of the sexual abuse experiences as well as exposure to general life stress. In all studies, trauma-exposed participants showed significantly lower WM function compared to control participants. In addition to traditional null hypothesis testing, we used a mini-meta analysis to estimate the combined estimated effect size of this difference, which was in the moderate range (d = 0.43 with 0.15-0.70 95% confidence interval). Regression equations showed that PTSD symptoms did not mediate the relationship between trauma exposure and WM function. Our results show that trauma exposure per se can be associated with important cognitive correlates even in individuals who do not develop psychopathological reactions.

Partner preferences across the life span: online dating by older adults.

PubMed

Alterovitz, Sheyna Sears-Roberts; Mendelsohn, Gerald A

2009-06-01

Stereotypes of older adults as withdrawn or asexual fail to recognize that romantic relationships in later life are increasingly common. The authors analyzed 600 Internet personal ads from 4 age groups: 20-34, 40-54, 60-74, and 75+ years. Predictions from evolutionary theory held true in later life, when reproduction is no longer a concern. Across the life span, men sought physical attractiveness and offered status-related information more than women; women were more selective than men and sought status more than men. With age, men desired women increasingly younger than themselves, whereas women desired older men until ages 75 and over, when they sought men younger than themselves. (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved.

Balancing Life Roles to Achieve Career Happiness and Life Satisfaction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peronne, Kristin Marie

2000-01-01

A study guided by Super's Life Span, Life Space approach included a survey of 119 women and 66 men about sacrifices made in life and work roles to achieve balance and satisfaction. Differences in sacrifices and satisfaction were related to the combination of life roles they occupied. (SK)

Altered Lipid Synthesis by Lack of Yeast Pah1 Phosphatidate Phosphatase Reduces Chronological Life Span*

PubMed Central

Park, Yeonhee; Han, Gil-Soo; Mileykovskaya, Eugenia; Garrett, Teresa A.; Carman, George M.

2015-01-01

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Pah1 phosphatidate phosphatase, which catalyzes the dephosphorylation of phosphatidate to yield diacylglycerol, plays a crucial role in the synthesis of the storage lipid triacylglycerol. This evolutionarily conserved enzyme also plays a negative regulatory role in controlling de novo membrane phospholipid synthesis through its consumption of phosphatidate. We found that the pah1Δ mutant was defective in the utilization of non-fermentable carbon sources but not in oxidative phosphorylation; the mutant did not exhibit major changes in oxygen consumption rate, mitochondrial membrane potential, F1F0-ATP synthase activity, or gross mitochondrial morphology. The pah1Δ mutant contained an almost normal complement of major mitochondrial phospholipids with some alterations in molecular species. Although oxidative phosphorylation was not compromised in the pah1Δ mutant, the cellular levels of ATP in quiescent cells were reduced by 2-fold, inversely correlating with a 4-fold increase in membrane phospholipids. In addition, the quiescent pah1Δ mutant cells had 3-fold higher levels of mitochondrial superoxide and cellular lipid hydroperoxides, had reduced activities of superoxide dismutase 2 and catalase, and were hypersensitive to hydrogen peroxide. Consequently, the pah1Δ mutant had a shortened chronological life span. In addition, the loss of Tsa1 thioredoxin peroxidase caused a synthetic growth defect with the pah1Δ mutation. The shortened chronological life span of the pah1Δ mutant along with its growth defect on non-fermentable carbon sources and hypersensitivity to hydrogen peroxide was suppressed by the loss of Dgk1 diacylglycerol kinase, indicating that the underpinning of pah1Δ mutant defects was the excess synthesis of membrane phospholipids. PMID:26338708

Protective Effect of 940 nm Laser on Gamma-Irradiated Mice

PubMed Central

Efremova, Yulia; Navratil, Leos

2015-01-01

Abstract Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the radioprotective features of 940 nm laser on the life span of mice, and absolute counts of blood cells and their proportions in gamma-irradiated mice. Background data: An important feature of laser light is activation of mitotic division and differentiation of cells, which may be useful in activation of hematopoiesis in gamma-irradiated organisms. Materials and methods: Mice were randomly assigned to 11 groups according to the type(s) of influence. Generally, mice were irradiated in three different ways: with laser at different fluences, with gamma irradiation, or by combination of laser at different fluences and gamma irradiation in a different order. Mice were treated with 940 nm laser at 3, 12, or 18 J/cm2 and/or a lethal dose of gamma irradiation (8.7 Gy). Each group was randomly subdivided into two subgroups, in which the life span of the mice and blood cell counts (on 12th and 45th day after gamma irradiation) were analyzed. Results: Laser (940 nm) at a fluence of 3 J/cm2 significantly prolonged the life span of gamma-irradiated mice (p<0.05). In the same group, counts of white blood cells, lymphocytes, and neutrophils were higher on day 12 than in the gamma group. On day 45 after gamma irradiation, some signs of hematopoiesis repair were found in blood. There were no significant differences in counts of erythrocytes, monocytes, neutrophils, or the proportion of neutrophils between this group and the control group. Conclusions: In summary, 940 nm laser at a fluence of 3 J/cm2 demonstrates radioprotective features in an experiment with lethally irradiated mice. Mechanisms responsible for this effect will be investigated in further studies. PMID:25654740

Effects of leadership and span of control on nurses' job satisfaction and patient satisfaction.

PubMed

McCutcheon, Amy Sanchez; Doran, Diane; Evans, Martin; Hall, Linda McGillis; Pringle, Dorothy

2009-01-01

Hospital restructuring has resulted in nurse managers' having direct responsibility for a greatly expanded number of units and staff. However, very little research has examined the impact of these larger spans of control on nurse and patient outcomes. This study examined the relationships between leadership style, span of control, nurses' job satisfaction and patient satisfaction, as well as the moderating effect of span of control on the relationship between leadership style and the two outcomes. The study was conducted at seven teaching and community hospitals with a sample of 51 units, 41 nurse managers, 717 nurses and 680 patients. Data analyses included multiple regression and hierarchical linear modelling. The study findings provided support for the theoretical relationships among leadership style, span of control, nurse job satisfaction and patient satisfaction. In addition, the results showed that higher spans of control decreased the positive effects of transformational and transactional leadership styles on job satisfaction and patient satisfaction, and increased the negative effects of management by exception and laissez-faire leadership styles on job satisfaction. Leadership matters, and certain leadership styles, particularly transformational, are better than others. Span of control also matters: the wider the span, the lower the nurses' job satisfaction and patient satisfaction. However, as spans of control increase in size, no leadership style, even transformational, can overcome the negative effects.

Arm-Gal4 inheritance influences development and lifespan in Drosophila melanogaster.

PubMed

Slade, F A; Staveley, B E

2015-10-19

The UAS-Gal4 ectopic expression system is a widely used and highly valued tool that allows specific gene expression in Drosophila melanogaster. Yeast transcription factor Gal4 can be directed using D. melanogaster transcriptional control elements, and is often assumed to have little effect on the organism. By evaluation of the consequences of maternal and paternal inheritance of a Gal4 transgene under the transcriptional regulation of armadillo control elements (arm-Gal4), we demonstrated that Gal4 expression could be detrimental to development and longevity. Male progeny expressing arm-Gal4 in the presence of UAS-lacZ transgene had reduced numbers and size of ommatidia, compared to flies expressing UAS-lacZ transgene under the control of other Gal4 transgenes. Aged at 25°C, the median life span of male flies with maternally inherited elav-Gal4 was 70 days, without a responding transgene or with UAS-lacZ. The median life span of maternally inherited arm-Gal4 male flies without a responding transgene was 48 days, and 40 days with the UAS-lacZ transgene. A partial rescue of this phenotype was observed with the expression of UAS-lacZ under paternal arm-Gal4 control, having an average median lifespan of 60 days. This data suggests that arm-Gal4 has detrimental effects on Drosophila development and lifespan that are directly dependent upon parental inheritance, and that the benign responder and reporter gene UAS-lacZ may influence D. melanogaster development. These findings should be taken into consideration during the design and execution of UAS-Gal4 expression experiments.

39. View of bridge operators controls in the control house ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

39. View of bridge operators controls in the control house facing south. Controls on the right are for the south span and on the left for the north span. The large dial indicator towards the top of the picture is a position indicator for the south span. Also present is a marine radio for talking to marine traffic and control ropes for the horn and siren. - Henry Ford Bridge, Spanning Cerritos Channel, Los Angeles-Long Beach Harbor, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, CA

Nuclear hormone receptor NHR-49 controls fat consumption and fatty acid composition in C. elegans.

PubMed

Van Gilst, Marc R; Hadjivassiliou, Haralambos; Jolly, Amber; Yamamoto, Keith R

2005-02-01

Mammalian nuclear hormone receptors (NHRs), such as liver X receptor, farnesoid X receptor, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), precisely control energy metabolism. Consequently, these receptors are important targets for the treatment of metabolic diseases, including diabetes and obesity. A thorough understanding of NHR fat regulatory networks has been limited, however, by a lack of genetically tractable experimental systems. Here we show that deletion of the Caenorhabditis elegans NHR gene nhr-49 yielded worms with elevated fat content and shortened life span. Employing a quantitative RT-PCR screen, we found that nhr-49 influenced the expression of 13 genes involved in energy metabolism. Indeed, nhr-49 served as a key regulator of fat usage, modulating pathways that control the consumption of fat and maintain a normal balance of fatty acid saturation. We found that the two phenotypes of the nhr-49 knockout were linked to distinct pathways and were separable: The high-fat phenotype was due to reduced expression of enzymes in fatty acid beta-oxidation, and the shortened adult life span resulted from impaired expression of a stearoyl-CoA desaturase. Despite its sequence relationship with the mammalian hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 receptor, the biological activities of nhr-49 were most similar to those of the mammalian PPARs, implying an evolutionarily conserved role for NHRs in modulating fat consumption and composition. Our findings in C. elegans provide novel insights into how NHR regulatory networks are coordinated to govern fat metabolism.

An intergenerational approach in the promotion of balance and strength for fall prevention - a mini-review.

PubMed

Granacher, Urs; Muehlbauer, Thomas; Gollhofer, Albert; Kressig, Reto W; Zahner, Lukas

2011-01-01

The risk of sustaining a fall is particularly high in children and seniors. Deficits in postural control and muscle strength either due to maturation, secular declines or biologic aging are two important intrinsic risk factors for falls. During life span, performance in variables of static postural control follows a U-shaped curve with children and seniors showing larger postural sway than healthy adults. Measures of dynamic postural control (i.e. gait speed) as well as isometric (i.e. maximal strength) and dynamic muscle strength (i.e. muscular power) follow an inverted U-shaped curve during life span, again with children and seniors showing deficits compared to adults. There is evidence that particularly balance and resistance training are effective in counteracting these neuromuscular constraints in both children and seniors. Further, these training regimens are able to reduce the rate of sustaining injuries and falls in these age groups. An intergenerational intervention approach is suggested to enhance the effectiveness of these training programs by improving compliance and increasing motivation of children and seniors exercising together. Thus, the objectives of this mini-review are: (1) to describe the epidemiology and etiology of falls in children and seniors; (2) to discuss training programs that counteract intrinsic fall risk factors by reducing the rate of falling, and (3) to present an intergenerational approach that has the potential to make training programs even more effective by including children and seniors together in one exercise group. Copyright © 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Life span and reproductive cost explain interspecific variation in the optimal onset of reproduction.

PubMed

Mourocq, Emeline; Bize, Pierre; Bouwhuis, Sandra; Bradley, Russell; Charmantier, Anne; de la Cruz, Carlos; Drobniak, Szymon M; Espie, Richard H M; Herényi, Márton; Hötker, Hermann; Krüger, Oliver; Marzluff, John; Møller, Anders P; Nakagawa, Shinichi; Phillips, Richard A; Radford, Andrew N; Roulin, Alexandre; Török, János; Valencia, Juliana; van de Pol, Martijn; Warkentin, Ian G; Winney, Isabel S; Wood, Andrew G; Griesser, Michael

2016-02-01

Fitness can be profoundly influenced by the age at first reproduction (AFR), but to date the AFR-fitness relationship only has been investigated intraspecifically. Here, we investigated the relationship between AFR and average lifetime reproductive success (LRS) across 34 bird species. We assessed differences in the deviation of the Optimal AFR (i.e., the species-specific AFR associated with the highest LRS) from the age at sexual maturity, considering potential effects of life history as well as social and ecological factors. Most individuals adopted the species-specific Optimal AFR and both the mean and Optimal AFR of species correlated positively with life span. Interspecific deviations of the Optimal AFR were associated with indices reflecting a change in LRS or survival as a function of AFR: a delayed AFR was beneficial in species where early AFR was associated with a decrease in subsequent survival or reproductive output. Overall, our results suggest that a delayed onset of reproduction beyond maturity is an optimal strategy explained by a long life span and costs of early reproduction. By providing the first empirical confirmations of key predictions of life-history theory across species, this study contributes to a better understanding of life-history evolution. © 2016 The Author(s). Evolution © 2016 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Increased production of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species and reduced adult life span in an insecticide-resistant strain of Anopheles gambiae

PubMed Central

Otali, Dennis; Novak, Robert J.; Wan, Wen; Bu, Su; Moellering, Douglas R.; De Luca, Maria

2014-01-01

Control of the malaria vector An. gambiae is still largely obtained through chemical intervention using pyrethroids, such as permethrin. However, strains of An. gambiae that are resistant to the toxic effects of pyrethroids have become widespread in several endemic areas over the last decade. The objective of this study was to assess differences in five life-history traits (larval developmental time and the body weight, fecundity, hatch rate, and longevity of adult females) and energy metabolism between a strain of An. gambiae that is resistant to permethrin (RSP), due to knockdown resistance and enhanced metabolic detoxification, and a permethrin susceptible strain reared under laboratory conditions. We also quantified the expression levels of five antioxidant enzyme genes: GSTe3, CAT, GPXH1, SOD1, and SOD2. We found that the RSP strain had a longer developmental time than the susceptible strain. Additionally, RSP adult females had higher wet body weight and increased water and glycogen levels. Compared to permethrin susceptible females, RSP females displayed reduced metabolic rate and mitochondrial coupling efficiency and higher mitochondrial ROS production. Furthermore, despite higher levels of GSTe3 and CAT transcripts, RSP females had a shorter adult life span than susceptible females. Collectively, these results suggest that permethrin resistance alleles might affect energy metabolism, oxidative stress, and adult survival of An. gambiae. However, because the strains used in this study differ in their genetic backgrounds, the results need to be interpreted with caution and replicated in other strains in order to have significant implications for malaria transmission and vector control. PMID:24555527

Self-esteem development across the life span: a longitudinal study with a large sample from Germany.

PubMed

Orth, Ulrich; Maes, Jürgen; Schmitt, Manfred

2015-02-01

The authors examined the development of self-esteem across the life span. Data came from a German longitudinal study with 3 assessments across 4 years of a sample of 2,509 individuals ages 14 to 89 years. The self-esteem measure used showed strong measurement invariance across assessments and birth cohorts. Latent growth curve analyses indicated that self-esteem follows a quadratic trajectory across the life span, increasing during adolescence, young adulthood, and middle adulthood, reaching a peak at age 60 years, and then declining in old age. No cohort effects on average levels of self-esteem or on the shape of the trajectory were found. Moreover, the trajectory did not differ across gender, level of education, or for individuals who had lived continuously in West versus East Germany (i.e., the 2 parts of Germany that had been separate states from 1949 to 1990). However, the results suggested that employment status, household income, and satisfaction in the domains of work, relationships, and health contribute to a more positive life span trajectory of self-esteem. The findings have significant implications, because they call attention to developmental stages in which individuals may be vulnerable because of low self-esteem (such as adolescence and old age) and to factors that predict successful versus problematic developmental trajectories. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved.

The ethyl acetate extract of alfalfa sprout ameliorates disease severity of autoimmune-prone MRL-lpr/lpr mice.

PubMed

Hong, Y H; Huang, C J; Wang, S C; Lin, B F

2009-03-01

Previous study showed that soy isoflavone supplement alleviates disease severity in autoimmune-prone mice. As the ethyl acetate extract of alfalfa sprout (AS) has selective oestrogenic and anti-inflammatory activity, this study evaluated the effects of alfalfa sprout ethyl acetate extract (ASEA) on disease severity of systemic lupus erythematosus, using autoimmune-prone female MRL-lpr/lpr mice. In Experiment 1, five groups of 12-week-old female mice were per oral treated with vehicle (control), lyophilized AS (550 mg wt/kg BW), ASEA (ASEA, 25 mg/kg BW), coumestrol (CUM, 0.075 mg/kg BW) and tamoxifen (TAM, 0.375 mg/kg BW) as the positive control. The onset of proteinuria was delayed, and the life span was significantly longer in the ASEA and TAM groups but neither in the AS nor in the CUM groups, compared to the control. To examine the changes in the immunological parameters related to disease process, three more groups of MRL-lpr/lpr female mice (control, ASEA and TAM) were fed in a similar manner for 6 weeks in the Experiment 2. Flow cytometric analysis of splenocytes showed a significantly lower percentage of activated T cells in the ASEA and TAM groups. The ex-vivo interferon-gamma and interleukin (IL)-4 production from splenocytes and tumour necrosis factor-alpha and IL-1beta production from peritoneal exudate cells were also significantly lower in the ASEA group compared with the control. The ASEA group also had less severe glomerulonephritis. Thus, ASEA attenuated cytokine and inflammatory responses of self-reactive lymphocytes, decreased the disease severity, increased survival and life span of the autoimmune-prone MRL-lpr/lpr mice, suggesting a potential of ASEA in the treatment of autoimmune diseases.

The life span-prolonging effect of sirtuin-1 is mediated by autophagy.

PubMed

Morselli, Eugenia; Maiuri, Maria Chiara; Markaki, Maria; Megalou, Evgenia; Pasparaki, Angela; Palikaras, Konstantinos; Criollo, Alfredo; Galluzzi, Lorenzo; Malik, Shoaib Ahmad; Vitale, Ilio; Michaud, Mickael; Madeo, Frank; Tavernarakis, Nektarios; Kroemer, Guido

2010-01-01

The life span of various model organisms can be extended by caloric restriction as well as by autophagy-inducing pharmacological agents. Life span-prolonging effects have also been observed in yeast cells, nematodes and flies upon the overexpression of the deacetylase Sirtuin-1. Intrigued by these observations and by the established link between caloric restriction and Sirtuin-1 activation, we decided to investigate the putative implication of Sirtuin-1 in the response of human cancer cells and Caenorhabditis elegans to multiple triggers of autophagy. Our data indicate that the activation of Sirtuin-1 (by the pharmacological agent resveratrol and/or genetic means) per se ignites autophagy, and that Sirtuin-1 is required for the autophagic response to nutrient deprivation, in both human and nematode cells, but not for autophagy triggered by downstream signals such as the inhibition of mTOR or p53. Since the life spanextending effects of Sirtuin-1 activators are lost in autophagy-deficient C. elegans, our results suggest that caloric restriction and resveratrol extend longevity, at least in experimental settings, by activating autophagy.

Damage-mitigating control of aerospace systems for high performance and extended life

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ray, Asok; Wu, Min-Kuang; Carpino, Marc; Lorenzo, Carl F.; Merrill, Walter C.

1992-01-01

The concept of damage-mitigating control is to minimize fatigue (as well as creep and corrosion) damage of critical components of mechanical structures while simultaneously maximizing the system dynamic performance. Given a dynamic model of the plant and the specifications for performance and stability robustness, the task is to synthesize a control law that would meet the system requirements and, at the same time, satisfy the constraints that are imposed by the material and structural properties of the critical components. The authors present the concept of damage-mitigating control systems design with the following objectives: (1) to achieve high performance with a prolonged life span; and (2) to systematically update the controller as the new technology of advanced materials evolves. The major challenge is to extract the information from the material properties and then utilize this information in a mathematical form so that it can be directly applied to robust control synthesis for mechanical systems. The basic concept of damage-mitigating control is illustrated using a relatively simplified model of a space shuttle main engine.

Performance characterization tests of three 0.44-N (0.1 lbf) hydrazine catalytic thrusters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moynihan, P. I.; Bjorklund, R. A.

1973-01-01

The 0.44-N (0.1-lbf) class of hydrazine catalytic thruster has been evaluated to assess its capability for spacecraft limit-cycle attitude control with thruster pulse durations on the order of 10 milliseconds. Dynamic-environment and limit-cycle simulation tests were performed on three commercially available thruster/valve assemblies, purchased from three different manufacturers. The results indicate that this class of thruster can sustain a launch environment and, when properly temperature-conditioned, can perform limit-cycle operations over the anticipated life span of a multi-year mission. The minimum operating temperature for very short pulse durations was determined for each thruster. Pulsing life tests were then conducted on each thruster under a thermally controlled condition which maintained the catalyst bed at both a nominal 93 C (200 F) and 205 C (400 F). These were the temperatures believed to be slightly below and very near the minimum recommended operating temperature, respectively. The ensuing life tests ranged from 100,000 to 250,000 pulses at these temperatures, as would be required for spacecraft limit-cycle attitude control applications.

Effects of Childhood and Middle-Adulthood Family Conditions on Later-Life Mortality: Evidence from the Utah Population Database, 1850-2002

PubMed Central

Mineau, Mineau P; Gilda, Garibotti; Kerber, Richard

2014-01-01

We examine how key early family circumstances affect mortality risks decades later. Early life conditions are measured by parental mortality, parental fertility (e.g., offspring sibship size, parental age at offspring birth), religious upbringing, and parental socioeconomic status. Prior to these early life conditions are familial and genetic factors that affect life-span. Accordingly, we consider the role of parental and familial longevity on adult mortality risks. We analyze the large Utah Population Database which contains a vast amount of genealogical and other vital/health data that contain full life histories of individuals and hundreds of their relatives. To control for unobserved heterogeneity, we analyze sib-pair data for 12,000 sib-pairs using frailty models. We found modest effects of key childhood conditions (birth order, sibship size, parental religiosity, parental SES, and parental death in childhood). Our measures of familial aggregation of longevity were large and suggest an alternative view of early life conditions. PMID:19278766

Physical Performance Across the Adult Life Span: Correlates With Age and Physical Activity.

PubMed

Hall, Katherine S; Cohen, Harvey J; Pieper, Carl F; Fillenbaum, Gerda G; Kraus, William E; Huffman, Kim M; Cornish, Melissa A; Shiloh, Andrew; Flynn, Christy; Sloane, Richard; Newby, L Kristin; Morey, Miriam C

2017-04-01

A number of large-scale population studies have provided valuable information about physical performance in aged individuals; however, there is little information about trajectories of function and associations with age across the adult life span. We developed a mobility-focused physical performance screener designed to be appropriate for the adult life span. The physical performance battery includes measures of mobility, strength, endurance, and balance. Physical activity (PA) was assessed with accelerometry. We examined age-related trends in physical performance and PA, and the relationship between physical performance and PA across the age range (30-90+), by decade, in 775 participants enrolled in the study 2012-2014. Physical performance was worse with increasing age decade. Although men performed better than women across all ages, the decrement by age group was similar between genders. Worsening physical performance was observed as early as the fifth decade for chair stands and balance and in the sixth decade for gait speed and aerobic endurance. The number and strength of significant associations between physical performance and PA increased with greater age: the greatest number of significant associations was seen in the 60-79 age groups, with fewer reported in the 30-59 and 80-90+ age groups. More PA was associated with better physical function. These results emphasize the importance of a life span approach to studies of function and aging. This work points to the need for a physical performance screener that spans across adulthood as a clinical tool for identifying functional decline. © The Author 2016. 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.

Proteotoxicity and the contrasting effects of oxaloacetate and glycerol on Caenorhabditis elegans life span: a role for methylglyoxal?

PubMed

Hipkiss, Alan R

2010-10-01

Because accumulation of altered proteins is the most common biochemical symptom of aging, it is at least possible that such proteotoxicity may cause aging and influence life span. The life span of the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans is strongly influenced by changes in the intracellular concentration of methylglyoxal (MG), a putative source of much age-related proteotoxicity and organelle, cellular, and molecular dysfunction. Glycerol has recently been shown to shorten, whereas oxaloacetate has been found to extend, life span in C. elegans. It is suggested here that glycerol and oxaloacetate exert opposing effects on MG formation in C. elegans. It is proposed that, if not secreted by aquaporin, glycerol is converted to glycerol phosphate and then to dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP) via a reaction requiring nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD(+)). This inhibits operation of the glycerol phosphate cycle in which DHAP is converted into glycerol phosphate, which concomitantly regenerates NAD(+) from NADH, thereby ensuring glycolytic oxidation of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (G3P). Because DHAP and G3P spontaneously decompose into MG, and NAD(+) is required for conversion of G3P into phosphoglycerate, the glycerol-induced increased DHAP formation and decreased NAD(+) availability will increase the potential for MG generation. In contrast, oxaloacetate may decrease MG generation by stimulating the operation of the malate-oxaloacetate shuttle, in which oxaloacetate is converted to malate, which regenerates NAD(+) from NADH. By the ensuing G3P oxidation, increased NAD(+) availability will decrease the potential for MG formation. It should be noted that mitochondria are involved in the operation of the above cycle/shuttles and that increased NAD(+) availability also stimulates those sirtuin activities that increase mitogenesis and mitochondrial activity via effects on signal transduction and gene expression, which frequently accompany dietary restriction-induced life span extension.

Nup100 regulates Saccharomyces cerevisiae replicative life span by mediating the nuclear export of specific tRNAs.

PubMed

Lord, Christopher L; Ospovat, Ophir; Wente, Susan R

2017-03-01

Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs), which are composed of nucleoporins (Nups) and regulate transport between the nucleus and cytoplasm, significantly impact the replicative life span (RLS) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae We previously reported that deletion of the nonessential gene NUP100 increases RLS, although the molecular basis for this effect was unknown. In this study, we find that nuclear tRNA accumulation contributes to increased longevity in nup100 Δ cells. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) experiments demonstrate that several specific tRNAs accumulate in the nuclei of nup100 Δ mutants. Protein levels of the transcription factor Gcn4 are increased when NUP100 is deleted, and GCN4 is required for the elevated life spans of nup100 Δ mutants, similar to other previously described tRNA export and ribosomal mutants. Northern blots indicate that tRNA splicing and aminoacylation are not significantly affected in nup100 Δ cells, suggesting that Nup100 is largely required for nuclear export of mature, processed tRNAs. Distinct tRNAs accumulate in the nuclei of nup100 Δ and msn5 Δ mutants, while Los1-GFP nucleocytoplasmic shuttling is unaffected by Nup100. Thus, we conclude that Nup100 regulates tRNA export in a manner distinct from Los1 or Msn5. Together, these experiments reveal a novel Nup100 role in the tRNA life cycle that impacts the S. cerevisiae life span. © 2017 Lord et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press for the RNA Society.

The Impact of Recent Federal Administrative Rules on Army Dental Care. Volume 1. A Cost Analysis of Bloodborne Pathogens: A Report of Consultation

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-12-31

procedure codes 9973 and 9974), and the unit cost to the Fort Sam Houston DENTAC ($.79). Expenditures on dental handpieces were estimated using the guidance...life span after which it is due for replacement. The effects of steam sterilization on dental handpieces decreases their life span substantially... handpieces should be sterilized between patients. ADA 18 May, 1992. 12. Reddy, T.G. Director, Dental Services, US Army Health Services Command

Blood volume and red cell life span (M113), part C

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, P. C., Jr.

1973-01-01

Prechamber, in-chamber, and postchamber blood samples taken from Skylab simulation crewmembers did not indicate significant shortening of the red cell life span during the mission. This does not suggest that the space simulation environment could not be associated with red cell enzyme changes. It does show that any changes in enzymes were not sufficiently great to significantly shorten red cell survival. There was no evidence of bone marrow erythropoetic suppression nor was there any evidence of increased red cell destruction.

Rapamycin: the cure for all that ails.

PubMed

Hasty, Paul

2010-02-01

Target of rapamycin (TOR) signaling stimulates cell growth by regulating protein synthesis in response to a variety of stimuli in a wide range of species and is inhibited by rapamycin, a naturally occurring antifungal compound produced by bacteria and discovered on Easter Island or in the local vernacular, Rapa Nui (rapamycin's namesake). Recently, rapamycin was shown to extend life span for mice, even when administered late in life, suggesting that inhibiting the mammalian TOR pathway may improve health span for people.

Relating Life-Span Research to the Development of Gifted and Talented Children. Abstracts of Selected Papers [from] The Annual Esther Katz Rosen Symposium on the Psychological Development of Gifted Children (3rd, Lawrence, Kansas, February 19-20, 1993).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kansas Univ., Lawrence.

This monograph presents abstracts of 29 papers that relate life-span research to the development of gifted and talented children. Sample topics include: attitudes about rural schools and programs for the gifted; social competence, self-esteem, and parent-child time and interaction in an advantaged subculture; helping families of gifted children…

Personality, self-rated health, and subjective age in a life-span sample: the moderating role of chronological age.

PubMed

Stephan, Yannick; Demulier, Virginie; Terracciano, Antonio

2012-12-01

The present study tested whether chronological age moderates the association between subjective age and self-rated health and personality in a community-dwelling life-span sample (N = 1,016; age range: 18-91 years). Self-rated health, extraversion, and openness to experience were associated with a younger subjective age at older ages. Conscientious individuals felt more mature early in life. Conscientiousness, neuroticism, and agreeableness were not related to subjective age at older ages. These findings suggest that with aging self-rated health and personality traits are increasingly important for subjective age. 2013 APA, all rights reserved

Health-related quality of life in a multicenter randomized controlled comparison of telephonic disease management and automated home monitoring in patients recently hospitalized with heart failure: SPAN-CHF II trial.

PubMed

Konstam, Varda; Gregory, Douglas; Chen, Jie; Weintraub, Andrew; Patel, Ayan; Levine, Daniel; Venesy, David; Perry, Kathleen; Delano, Christine; Konstam, Marvin A

2011-02-01

Although disease management programs have been shown to provide a number of clinical benefits to patients with heart failure (HF), the incremental impact of an automated home monitoring (AHM) system on health-related quality of life (HRQL) is unknown. We performed a prospective randomized investigation, examining the additive value of AHM to a previously described nurse-directed HF disease management program (SPAN-CHF), with attention to HRQL, in patients with a recent history of decompensated HF. A total of 188 patients were randomized to receive the SPAN-CHF intervention for 90 days, either with (AHM group) or without (NAHM, standard-care group) AHM, with a 1:1 randomization ratio after HF-related hospitalization. HRQL, measured by the Minnesota Living With Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) (Physical, Emotional, and Total scores on MLHFQ) was assessed at 3 time points: baseline, 45 days, and 90 days. Although both treatments (AHM and NAHM) improved HRQL at 45 and 90 days compared with baseline with respect to Physical, Emotional, and Total domain scales, no significant difference emerged between AHM and NAHM groups. AHM and NAHM treatments demonstrated improved HRQL scores at 45 and 90 days after baseline assessment. When comparing 2 state-of the-art disease management programs regarding HRQL outcomes, our results did not support the added value of AHM. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Life Expectancy Can Explain the Precocity-Longevity Hypothesis Association of Early Career Success and Early Death.

PubMed

McCann, Stewart J H

2015-01-01

The precocity-longevity hypothesis that those who reach career milestones earlier in life have shorter life spans was tested with the 430 men elected to serve in the House of Representatives for the 71st U.S. Congress in 1929-1930 who were alive throughout 1930. There was no tendency for those first serving at an earlier age to die sooner or those serving first at a later age to die later than expected based on individual life expectancy in 1930. Although age at first serving was correlated with death age, the correlation was not significant when expected death age was controlled. The results cast serious doubt on the contention of the precocity-longevity hypothesis that the developmental aspects of the prerequisites, concomitants, and consequences of early career achievement peaks actively enhance the conditions for an earlier death.

How Genes Modulate Patterns of Aging-Related Changes on the Way to 100: Biodemographic Models and Methods in Genetic Analyses of Longitudinal Data

PubMed Central

Yashin, Anatoliy I.; Arbeev, Konstantin G.; Wu, Deqing; Arbeeva, Liubov; Kulminski, Alexander; Kulminskaya, Irina; Akushevich, Igor; Ukraintseva, Svetlana V.

2016-01-01

Background and Objective To clarify mechanisms of genetic regulation of human aging and longevity traits, a number of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of these traits have been performed. However, the results of these analyses did not meet expectations of the researchers. Most detected genetic associations have not reached a genome-wide level of statistical significance, and suffered from the lack of replication in the studies of independent populations. The reasons for slow progress in this research area include low efficiency of statistical methods used in data analyses, genetic heterogeneity of aging and longevity related traits, possibility of pleiotropic (e.g., age dependent) effects of genetic variants on such traits, underestimation of the effects of (i) mortality selection in genetically heterogeneous cohorts, (ii) external factors and differences in genetic backgrounds of individuals in the populations under study, the weakness of conceptual biological framework that does not fully account for above mentioned factors. One more limitation of conducted studies is that they did not fully realize the potential of longitudinal data that allow for evaluating how genetic influences on life span are mediated by physiological variables and other biomarkers during the life course. The objective of this paper is to address these issues. Data and Methods We performed GWAS of human life span using different subsets of data from the original Framingham Heart Study cohort corresponding to different quality control (QC) procedures and used one subset of selected genetic variants for further analyses. We used simulation study to show that approach to combining data improves the quality of GWAS. We used FHS longitudinal data to compare average age trajectories of physiological variables in carriers and non-carriers of selected genetic variants. We used stochastic process model of human mortality and aging to investigate genetic influence on hidden biomarkers of aging and on dynamic interaction between aging and longevity. We investigated properties of genes related to selected variants and their roles in signaling and metabolic pathways. Results We showed that the use of different QC procedures results in different sets of genetic variants associated with life span. We selected 24 genetic variants negatively associated with life span. We showed that the joint analyses of genetic data at the time of bio-specimen collection and follow up data substantially improved significance of associations of selected 24 SNPs with life span. We also showed that aging related changes in physiological variables and in hidden biomarkers of aging differ for the groups of carriers and non-carriers of selected variants. Conclusions . The results of these analyses demonstrated benefits of using biodemographic models and methods in genetic association studies of these traits. Our findings showed that the absence of a large number of genetic variants with deleterious effects may make substantial contribution to exceptional longevity. These effects are dynamically mediated by a number of physiological variables and hidden biomarkers of aging. The results of these research demonstrated benefits of using integrative statistical models of mortality risks in genetic studies of human aging and longevity. PMID:27773987

The effects of perceived organisational support and span of control on the organisational commitment of novice leaders.

PubMed

Havaei, Farinaz; Dahinten, V Susan; MacPhee, Maura

2015-04-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the main and interaction effects of perceived organisational support, span of control and leadership rank on novice nurse leaders' organisational commitment. As nurse leaders' organisational commitment is eroded at times of healthcare restructuring, it is important to study factors associated with organisational commitment. Cross-sectional data from 69 novice nurse leaders, collected via mailed surveys at two time points, were analysed using hierarchical regression. The findings supported our hypotheses about the positive effect of perceived organisational support, the positive effect of leadership rank and the negative effect of span of control on novice nurse leaders' organisational commitment. In addition, perceived organisational support was shown to moderate the negative effect of span of control on novice nurse leaders' organisational commitment at time 2. Organisational strategies aimed at supporting nurse leaders, and attention to span of control, are required to enhance the organisational commitment of novice nurse leaders. Nurse leaders with a wide span of control, in particular those with little leadership experience, need to adopt leadership strategies that maximise their effectiveness, such as organising smaller work groups or teams within their wide span of control. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Tölz Temporal Topography Study: mapping the visual field across the life span. Part II: cognitive factors shaping visual field maps.

PubMed

Poggel, Dorothe A; Treutwein, Bernhard; Calmanti, Claudia; Strasburger, Hans

2012-08-01

Part I described the topography of visual performance over the life span. Performance decline was explained only partly by deterioration of the optical apparatus. Part II therefore examines the influence of higher visual and cognitive functions. Visual field maps for 95 healthy observers of static perimetry, double-pulse resolution (DPR), reaction times, and contrast thresholds, were correlated with measures of visual attention (alertness, divided attention, spatial cueing), visual search, and the size of the attention focus. Correlations with the attentional variables were substantial, particularly for variables of temporal processing. DPR thresholds depended on the size of the attention focus. The extraction of cognitive variables from the correlations between topographical variables and participant age substantially reduced those correlations. There is a systematic top-down influence on the aging of visual functions, particularly of temporal variables, that largely explains performance decline and the change of the topography over the life span.

Spermidine: a novel autophagy inducer and longevity elixir.

PubMed

Madeo, Frank; Eisenberg, Tobias; Büttner, Sabrina; Ruckenstuhl, Christoph; Kroemer, Guido

2010-01-01

Spermidine is a ubiquitous polycation that is synthesized from putrescine and serves as a precursor of spermine. Putrescine, spermidine and spermine all are polyamines that participate in multiple known and unknown biological processes. Exogenous supply of spermidine prolongs the life span of several model organisms including yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), nematodes (Caenorhabditis elegans) and flies (Drosophila melanogaster) and significantly reduces age-related oxidative protein damage in mice, indicating that this agent may act as a universal anti-aging drug. Spermidine induces autophagy in cultured yeast and mammalian cells, as well as in nematodes and flies. Genetic inactivation of genes essential for autophagy abolishes the life span-prolonging effect of spermidine in yeast, nematodes and flies. These findings complement expanding evidence that autophagy mediates cytoprotection against a variety of noxious agents and can confer longevity when induced at the whole-organism level. We hypothesize that increased autophagic turnover of cytoplasmic organelles or long-lived proteins is involved in most if not all life span-prolonging therapies.

Conditional inhibition of autophagy genes in adult Drosophila impairs immunity without compromising longevity.

PubMed

Ren, Chunli; Finkel, Steven E; Tower, John

2009-03-01

Immune function declines with age in Drosophila and humans, and autophagy is implicated in immune function. In addition, autophagy genes are required for life span extension caused by reduced insulin/IGF1-like signaling and dietary restriction in Caenorhabditiselegans. To test if the autophagy pathway might be limiting for immunity and/or life span in adult Drosophila, the Geneswitch system was used to cause conditional inactivation of the autophagy genes Atg5, Atg7 and Atg12 by RNAi. Conditional inhibition of Atg genes in adult flies reduced lysotracker staining of adult tissues, and reduced resistance to injected Escherichia coli, as evidenced by increased bacterial titers and reduced fly survival. However, survival of uninjected flies was unaffected by Atg gene inactivation. The data indicate that Atg gene activity is required for normal immune function in adult flies, and suggest that neither autophagy nor immune function are limiting for adult life span under typical laboratory conditions.

Variation in Age and Size in Fennoscandian Three-Spined Sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus)

PubMed Central

DeFaveri, Jacquelin; Merilä, Juha

2013-01-01

Average age and maximum life span of breeding adult three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) were determined in eight Fennoscandian localities with the aid of skeletochronology. The average age varied from 1.8 to 3.6 years, and maximum life span from three to six years depending on the locality. On average, fish from marine populations were significantly older than those from freshwater populations, but variation within habitat types was large. We also found significant differences in mean body size among different habitat types and populations, but only the population differences remained significant after accounting for variation due to age effects. These results show that generation length and longevity in three-spined sticklebacks can vary significantly from one locality to another, and that population differences in mean body size cannot be explained as a simple consequence of differences in population age structure. We also describe a nanistic population from northern Finland exhibiting long life span and small body size. PMID:24260496

Variation in age and size in Fennoscandian three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus).

PubMed

DeFaveri, Jacquelin; Merilä, Juha

2013-01-01

Average age and maximum life span of breeding adult three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) were determined in eight Fennoscandian localities with the aid of skeletochronology. The average age varied from 1.8 to 3.6 years, and maximum life span from three to six years depending on the locality. On average, fish from marine populations were significantly older than those from freshwater populations, but variation within habitat types was large. We also found significant differences in mean body size among different habitat types and populations, but only the population differences remained significant after accounting for variation due to age effects. These results show that generation length and longevity in three-spined sticklebacks can vary significantly from one locality to another, and that population differences in mean body size cannot be explained as a simple consequence of differences in population age structure. We also describe a nanistic population from northern Finland exhibiting long life span and small body size.

All about Animal Life Cycles. Animal Life for Children. [Videotape].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

2000

While watching the development from tadpole to frog, caterpillar to butterfly, and pup to wolf, children learn about the life cycles of animals, the different stages of development, and the average life spans of a variety of creatures. This videotape correlates to the following National Science Education Standards for Life Science: characteristics…

13. View of swing span showing bridge operator's control cabin, ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

13. View of swing span showing bridge operator's control cabin, looking northeast - India Point Railroad Bridge, Spanning Seekonk River between Providence & East Providence, Providence, Providence County, RI

The Combined Effects of Pulsed Magnetic Radiation (Diapulse) and Chemotherapy on Tumor Bearing Mice. The Measurement of Rodent Palatal Explants as a Device for Measurement of the Biologic Effects of Nonionic Radiation (EMR)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Regelson, W.; West, B.; Depaola, D. P.

1978-01-01

Simultaneous treatment utilizing pulsed radiowave and cancer chemotherapy significantly extended the life span of mice with Lewis lung transplanted carcinoma. In comparison with nontreated controls, the combination of hydroxyurea and whole body nonionizing EM radiation (at 27.12 MHz) produced differential enhancement of longevity depending on hydroxyurea combined with highest power output achieved by pulsing the radiation 600 times per second; at a 3.9% duty cycle, peak watts = 975 produced the mean extension of life 67% greater than that of the group treated with hydroxyurea alone.

Down regulation of miR-124 in both Werner syndrome DNA helicase mutant mice and mutant Caenorhabditis elegans wrn-1 reveals the importance of this microRNA in accelerated aging

PubMed Central

Dallaire, Alexandra; Garand, Chantal; Paquet, Eric R.; Mitchell, Sarah J.; de Cabo, Rafael; Simard, Martin J.

2012-01-01

Small non-coding microRNAs are believed to be involved in the mechanism of aging but nothing is known on the impact of microRNAs in the progeroid disorder Werner syndrome (WS). WS is a premature aging disorder caused by mutations in a RecQ-like DNA helicase. Mice lacking the helicase domain of the WRN ortholog exhibit many phenotypic features of WS, including a pro-oxidant status and a shorter mean life span. Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) with a nonfunctional wrn-1 DNA helicase also exhibit a shorter life span. Thus, both models are relevant to study the expression of microRNAs involved in WS. In this study, we show that miR-124 expression is lost in the liver of Wrn helicase mutant mice. Interestingly, the expression of this conserved miR-124 in whole wrn-1 mutant worms is also significantly reduced. The loss of mir-124 in C. elegans increases reactive oxygen species formation and accumulation of the aging marker lipofuscin, reduces whole body ATP levels and results in a reduction in life span. Finally, supplementation of vitamin C normalizes the median life span of wrn-1 and mir-124 mutant worms. These results suggest that biological pathways involving WRN and miR-124 are conserved in the aging process across different species. PMID:23075628

Loss of Ubp3 increases silencing, decreases unequal recombination in rDNA, and shortens the replicative life span in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

PubMed

Oling, David; Masoom, Rehan; Kvint, Kristian

2014-06-15

Ubp3 is a conserved ubiquitin protease that acts as an antisilencing factor in MAT and telomeric regions. Here we show that ubp3∆ mutants also display increased silencing in ribosomal DNA (rDNA). Consistent with this, RNA polymerase II occupancy is lower in cells lacking Ubp3 than in wild-type cells in all heterochromatic regions. Moreover, in a ubp3∆ mutant, unequal recombination in rDNA is highly suppressed. We present genetic evidence that this effect on rDNA recombination, but not silencing, is entirely dependent on the silencing factor Sir2. Further, ubp3∆ sir2∆ mutants age prematurely at the same rate as sir2∆ mutants. Thus our data suggest that recombination negatively influences replicative life span more so than silencing. However, in ubp3∆ mutants, recombination is not a prerequisite for aging, since cells lacking Ubp3 have a shorter life span than isogenic wild-type cells. We discuss the data in view of different models on how silencing and unequal recombination affect replicative life span and the role of Ubp3 in these processes. © 2014 Öling et al. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). Two months after publication it is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Successful immortalization of mesenchymal progenitor cells derived from human placenta and the differentiation abilities of immortalized cells

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang Xiaohong; Soda, Yasushi; Takahashi, Kenji

2006-12-29

We reported previously that mesenchymal progenitor cells derived from chorionic villi of the human placenta could differentiate into osteoblasts, adipocytes, and chondrocytes under proper induction conditions and that these cells should be useful for allogeneic regenerative medicine, including cartilage tissue engineering. However, similar to human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs), though these placental cells can be isolated easily, they are difficult to study in detail because of their limited life span in vitro. To overcome this problem, we attempted to prolong the life span of human placenta-derived mesenchymal cells (hPDMCs) by modifying hTERT and Bmi-1, and investigated whether these modified hPDMCsmore » retained their differentiation capability and multipotency. Our results indicated that the combination of hTERT and Bmi-1 was highly efficient in prolonging the life span of hPDMCs with differentiation capability to osteogenic, adipogenic, and chondrogenic cells in vitro. Clonal cell lines with directional differentiation ability were established from the immortalized parental hPDMC/hTERT + Bmi-1. Interestingly, hPDMC/Bmi-1 showed extended proliferation after long-term growth arrest and telomerase was activated in the immortal hPDMC/Bmi-1 cells. However, the differentiation potential was lost in these cells. This study reports a method to extend the life span of hPDMCs with hTERT and Bmi-1 that should become a useful tool for the study of mesenchymal stem cells.« less

The challenges in moving from ageing to successful longevity.

PubMed

Kolovou, Genovefa; Barzilai, Nir; Caruso, Calogero; Sikora, Ewa; Capri, Miriam; Tzanetakou, Irene P; Bilianou, Helen; Avery, Peter; Katsiki, Niki; Panotopoulos, George; Franceschi, Claudio; Benetos, Athanase; Mikhailidis, Dimitri P

2014-01-01

During the last decades survival has significantly improved and centenarians are becoming a fast-growing group of the population. Human life span is mainly dependent on environmental and genetic factors. Favourable modifications of lifestyle factors (e.g. physical activity, diet and not smoking) and healthcare (e.g. effective vascular disease prevention) have also increased human life span. Genetic factors contribute to the variation of human life span by around 25%, which is believed to be more profound after 85 years of age. It is likely that multiple factors influence life span and we need answers to questions such as: 1) What does it take to reach 100?, 2) Do centenarians have better health during their lifespan compared with contemporaries who died at a younger age?, 3) Do centenarians have protective modifications of body composition, fat distribution and energy expenditure, maintain high physical and cognitive function, and sustained engagement in social and productive activities?, 4) Do centenarians have genes which contribute to longevity?, 5) Do centenarians benefit from epigenetic phenomena?, 6) Is it possible to influence the transgenerational epigenetic inheritance (epigenetic memory) which leads to longevity?, 7) Is the influence of nutrigenomics important for longevity?, 8) Do centenarians benefit more from drug treatment, particularly in primary prevention?, and, 9) Are there any potential goals for drug research? Many definitions of successful ageing have been proposed, but at present there is no consensus definition. Such definitions may need to differentiate between "Longevity Syndrome" and "Exceptional Longevity".

[Changes in average life span of monks and nuns in Poland in the years 1950-2000].

PubMed

Jenner, Bartosz

2002-01-01

The aim of the research was to find out if healthy lifestyle influences the longevity. The group of 906 monks and 866 nuns who worked and died in Poland in the years 1950-2000 was regarded as people who conducted a healthy lifestyle. The population of adult Poles was chosen as a control group. As a result of the research it is reported that: 1) since 1950 till middle 1960's people in monasteries lived shorter than adult Poles [in the first ten years of the research the average life span of monks was 2.4 years shorter (t162 = 1.99, p = 0.047) and nuns lived 9 years shorter (t56 = 4.2, p < 0.001)], since the middle of 1970's till the end of 1980's the group in question lived as long as the general population, finally, for the last ten years of the investigated period of time people in monasteries lived longer [monks 2.5 (t219 = 2.5, p < 0.05), nuns 2.9 years longer (t209 = 4.6, p < 0.001)]; 2) since 1950's till 2000 the average life span in the investigated group of both sexes was increasing at the rate of 0.175 (t98 = 3.9, p < 0.001) years per calendar year greater than this value in the general population and there is no reason to assume that there have been differences between sexes; 3) as far as men are concerned, joining a monastery in the case of man enter into the monastery a year earlier prolongs life for about 0.1 year (F1,842 = 3.8, P one side test = 0.026). In case of women this relation was not significant (F1,804 < 0.1). The shorter life of people in monasteries after the second world war might be interpreted as a result of their socio-political situation at that time. In the course of time their standard of living and the access to medical treatment has been improving gradually, so their longevity is increasing faster. In the context of the investigated problem the most important results were obtained from the last ten years. These results indicate that healthy lifestyle prolongs life.

Development of the Life Story in Early Adolescence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steiner, Kristina L.; Pillemer, David B.

2018-01-01

Life span developmental psychology proposes that the ability to create a coherent life narrative does not develop until early adolescence. Using a novel methodology, 10-, 12-, and 14-year-old participants were asked to tell their life stories aloud to a researcher. Later, participants separated their transcribed narratives into self-identified…

Perceptions of Life Changes: An Alternate Measure of Aging through Time.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Suggs, Patricia K.; Kivett, Vira R.

Retrospective strategies measuring perceived life changes over time can further the advancement of life span developmental research. Researchers have neglected the individual's perception of his/her life changes over time. This study attempts to determine discriminators of change over time as operationalized by perceptions of change. Subjects…

Fetal body weight and the development of the control of the cardiovascular system in fetal sheep.

PubMed

Frasch, M G; Müller, T; Wicher, C; Weiss, C; Löhle, M; Schwab, K; Schubert, H; Nathanielsz, P W; Witte, O W; Schwab, M

2007-03-15

Reduced birth weight predisposes to cardiovascular diseases in later life. We examined in fetal sheep at 0.76 (n = 18) and 0.87 (n = 17) gestation whether spontaneously occurring variations in fetal weight affect maturation of autonomic control of cardiovascular function. Fetal weights at both gestational ages were grouped statistically in low (LW) and normal weights (NW) (P < 0.01). LW fetuses were within the normal weight span showing minor growth dysproportionality at 0.76 gestation favouring heart and brain, with a primary growth of carcass between 0.76 and 0.87 gestation (P < 0.05). While twins largely contributed to LW fetuses, weight differences between singletons and twins were absent at 0.76 and modest at 0.87 gestation, underscoring the fact that twins belong to normality in fetal sheep not constituting a major malnutritive condition. Mean fetal blood pressure (FBP) of all fetuses was negatively correlated to fetal weight at 0.76 but not 0.87 gestation (P < 0.05). At this age, FBP and baroreceptor reflex sensitivity were increased in LW fetuses (P < 0.05), suggesting increased sympathetic activity and immaturity of circulatory control. Development of vagal modulation of fetal heart rate depended on fetal weight (P < 0.01). These functional associations were largely independent of twin pregnancies. We conclude, low fetal weight within the normal weight span is accompanied by a different trajectory of development of sympathetic blood pressure and vagal heart rate control. This may contribute to the development of elevated blood pressure in later life. Examination of the underlying mechanisms and consequences may contribute to the understanding of programming of cardiovascular diseases.

Genes, Environments, Personality, and Successful Aging: Toward a Comprehensive Developmental Model in Later Life

PubMed Central

Krueger, Robert F.; South, Susan C.; Gruenewald, Tara L.; Seeman, Teresa E.; Roberts, Brent W.

2012-01-01

Background. Outcomes in aging and health research, such as longevity, can be conceptualized as reflecting both genetic and environmental (nongenetic) effects. Parsing genetic and environmental influences can be challenging, particularly when taking a life span perspective, but an understanding of how genetic variants and environments relate to successful aging is critical to public health and intervention efforts. Methods. We review the literature, and survey promising methods, to understand this interplay. We also propose the investigation of personality as a nexus connecting genetics, environments, and health outcomes. Results. Personality traits may reflect psychological mechanisms by which underlying etiologic (genetic and environmental) effects predispose individuals to broad propensities to engage in (un)healthy patterns of behavior across the life span. In terms of methodology, traditional behavior genetic approaches have been used profitably to understand how genetic factors and environments relate to health and personality in somewhat separate literatures; we discuss how other behavior genetic approaches can help connect these literatures and provide new insights. Conclusions. Co-twin control designs can be employed to help determine causality via a closer approximation of the idealized counterfactual design. Gene-by-environment interaction (G × E) designs can be employed to understand how individual difference characteristics, such as personality, might moderate genetic and environmental influences on successful aging outcomes. Application of such methods can clarify the interplay of genes, environments, personality, and successful aging. PMID:22454369

Probiotic Amelioration of Azotemia in 5/6th Nephrectomized Sprague-Dawley Rats

PubMed Central

Ranganathan, Natarajan; Patel, Beena; Ranganathan, Pari; Marczely, Joseph; Dheer, Rahul; Chordia, Tushar; Dunn, Stephen R.; Friedman, Eli A.

2005-01-01

The present study was to test the hypothesis that selected bacteria instilled into the gastrointestinal tract could help in converting nitrogenous wastes accumulated due to renal insufficiency into nontoxic compounds; thereby, ameliorating the biochemical imbalance. Herein we describe a prospective, blinded, placebo-controlled pilot study, using 5/6th nephrectomized Sprague Dawley rat as a chronic renal failure model. The study group consisted of 36 nephrectomized and 7 non-nephrectomized (control) rats. After two-week nephrectomy stabilization, cohorts of six nephrectomized rats were fed casein-based diet plus one of the following regimens: (A) Control, (B) Placebo (casein-based diet without probiotics), (C) Bacillus pasteurii, (D) Sporolac®, (E) Kibow cocktail, (F) CHR Hansen Cocktail, and (G) ECONORMTM. Subsequently, blood (retro-orbital) and urine (collected for measurements of blood urea-nitrogen and creatinine respectively), body weight and bacterial counts (feces) were obtained at regular intervals. The study end-points were to determine if any of the probiotic dietary supplements facilitated, (1) decreased blood concentrations of uremic toxins, (2) altered renal function, and (3) prolonged survival. After 16 weeks of treatment, regimens C and D significantly prolonged the life span of uremic rats, in addition to showing a reduction in blood urea-nitrogen levels, concluding that supplementation of probiotic formulation to uremic rats slows the progression of azotemia, which may correlate with prolonged life span of uremic rats. Derivative trials of probiotic treatment of larger animals and humans will further assess the potential role of probiotic formulations in delaying the onset and clinical severity of clinical illness at different stages of renal failure. PMID:16127597

From Children to Adults: Motor Performance across the Life-Span

PubMed Central

Leversen, Jonas S. R.; Haga, Monika; Sigmundsson, Hermundur

2012-01-01

The life-span approach to development provides a theoretical framework to examine the general principles of life-long development. This study aims to investigate motor performance across the life span. It also aims to investigate if the correlations between motor tasks increase with aging. A cross-sectional design was used to describe the effects of aging on motor performance across age groups representing individuals from childhood to young adult to old age. Five different motor tasks were used to study changes in motor performance within 338 participants (7–79 yrs). Results showed that motor performance increases from childhood (7–9) to young adulthood (19–25) and decreases from young adulthood (19–25) to old age (66–80). These results are mirroring results from cognitive research. Correlation increased with increasing age between two fine motor tasks and two gross motor tasks. We suggest that the findings might be explained, in part, by the structural changes that have been reported to occur in the developing and aging brain and that the theory of Neural Darwinism can be used as a framework to explain why these changes occur. PMID:22719958

Inbreeding Depression and Male Survivorship in Drosophila: Implications for Senescence Theory

PubMed Central

Swindell, William R.; Bouzat, Juan L.

2006-01-01

The extent to which inbreeding depression affects longevity and patterns of survivorship is an important issue from several research perspectives, including evolutionary biology, conservation biology, and the genetic analysis of quantitative traits. However, few previous inbreeding depression studies have considered longevity as a focal life-history trait. We maintained laboratory populations of Drosophila melanogaster at census population sizes of 2 and 10 male-female pairs for up to 66 generations and performed repeated assays of male survivorship throughout this time period. On average, significant levels of inbreeding depression were observed for median life span and age-specific mortality. For age-specific mortality, the severity of inbreeding depression increased over the life span. We found that a baseline inbreeding load of 0.307 lethal equivalents per gamete affected age-specific mortality, and that this value increased at a rate of 0.046 per day of the life span. With respect to some survivorship parameters, the differentiation of lineages was nonlinear with respect to the inbreeding coefficient, which suggested that nonadditive genetic variation contributed to variation among lineages. These findings provide insights into the genetic basis of longevity as a quantitative trait and have implications regarding the mutation-accumulation evolutionary explanation of senescence. PMID:16204222

A Low Protein Diet Increases the Hypoxic Tolerance in Drosophila

PubMed Central

Vigne, Paul; Frelin, Christian

2006-01-01

Dietary restriction is well known to increase the life span of a variety of organisms from yeast to mammals, but the relationships between nutrition and the hypoxic tolerance have not yet been considered. Hypoxia is a major cause of cell death in myocardial infarction and stroke. Here we forced hypoxia-related death by exposing one-day-old male Drosophila to chronic hypoxia (5% O2) and analysed their survival. Chronic hypoxia reduced the average life span from 33.6 days to 6.3 days when flies were fed on a rich diet. A demographic analysis indicated that chronic hypoxia increased the slope of the mortality trajectory and not the short-term risk of death. Dietary restriction produced by food dilution, by yeast restriction, or by amino acid restriction partially reversed the deleterious action of hypoxia. It increased the life span of hypoxic flies up to seven days, which represented about 25% of the life time of an hypoxic fly. Maximum survival of hypoxic flies required only dietary sucrose, and it was insensitive to drugs such as rapamycin and resveratrol, which increase longevity of normoxic animals. The results thus uncover a new link between protein nutrition, nutrient signalling, and resistance to hypoxic stresses. PMID:17183686

Development of "material-specific" hemispheric specialization from beginning to end.

PubMed

Gingras, Benjamin; Braun, Claude M J

2018-07-01

Disparity of verbal and performance intelligence (VIQ, PIQ) on the Wechsler scales of intelligence is a conceptually cluttered and empirically weak measure of hemispheric specialization (HS). However, in the context of life span research, it is the only measure that can be exploited meta-analytically with the lesion method from prenatal life to late senescence. We assembled 1917 cases with a unilateral cortical focal brain lesion occurring at all ages and a post-lesion VIQ and PIQ. Lesion locus, volume and side were documented for each case, as well as age at lesion onset, age at first symptoms and age at the IQ test, presence/absence of epilepsy, lesion aetiology, gender, date of publication or of transfer of medical file. With and without covariate adjustment, HS was significant across the life span though its pattern changed. HS increased linearly and highly significantly until late senescence. Only in early adulthood did VIQ appear to vacate the right temporal lobe and occupy the left and PIQ vacate the left parietal lobe and occupy the right until late senescence. Biomaturational factors are more important in the ontogeny of material-specific HS over the whole life span than previously established.

Longevity of guard cell chloroplasts in falling leaves: implication for stomatal function and cellular aging.

PubMed

Zeiger, E; Schwartz, A

1982-11-12

Guard cell chloroplasts in senescing leaves from 12 species of perennial trees and three species of annual plants survived considerably longer than their mesophyll counterparts. In Ginkgo biloba, stomata from yellow leaves opened during the day and closed at night; guard cell chloroplasts from these leaves showed fluorescence transients associated with electron transport and photophosphorylation. These findings indicate that guard cell chloroplasts are highly conserved throughout the life-span of the leaf and that leaves retain stomatal control during senescence.

Longevity of guard cell chloroplasts in falling leaves: implication for stomatal function and cellular aging

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zeiger, E.; Schwartz, A.

1982-11-12

Guard cell chloroplasts in senescing leaves from 12 species of perennial trees and three species of annual plants survived considerably longer than their mesophyll counterparts. In Ginkgo biloba, stomata from yellow leaves opened during the day and closed at night; guard cell chloroplasts from these leaves showed fluorescence transients associated with electron transport and photophosphorylation. These findings indicate that guard cell chloroplasts are highly conserved throughout the life-span of the leaf and that leaves retain stomatal control during senescence.

Ovariectomy shortens the life span of female mice

PubMed Central

Benedusi, Valeria; Martini, Elisa; Kallikourdis, Marinos; Villa, Alessandro; Meda, Clara; Maggi, Adriana

2015-01-01

This study shows that lack of ovarian activity has a negative impact on the life span of female mice. The extent to which this phenomenon could be associated with the anti-inflammatory effect of estrogens was analyzed in metabolic organs and aorta, by quantitative analysis of mRNAs encoding proteins in the inflammatory cascade. We demonstrate that the TNFα, IL-1β, MCP-1, MIP-2 and IL-6 mRNA contents are increased in the liver, adipose tissue and aorta 7 months after ovariectomy (ovx) and this increased basal inflammation is maintained as the mice aged. In contrast, the extent of inflammatory gene expression is directly proportional to age in sham-operated mice. As a consequence, at 22 months, most of the inflammatory parameters examined were higher in the sham-operated group compared with the ovx group. These observations led us to propose that the decreased longevity of ovx mice may be due to an acceleration of the basal state of inflammation in metabolic organs, which is likely driven by the combination of a lack of estrogen-mediated anti-inflammatory activity and the loss of gonadal control of energy metabolism. PMID:25719423

Interplay between Selenium Levels, Selenoprotein Expression, and Replicative Senescence in WI-38 Human Fibroblasts*

PubMed Central

Legrain, Yona; Touat-Hamici, Zahia; Chavatte, Laurent

2014-01-01

Selenium is an essential trace element, which is incorporated as selenocysteine into at least 25 selenoproteins using a unique translational UGA-recoding mechanism. Selenoproteins are important enzymes involved in antioxidant defense, redox homeostasis, and redox signaling pathways. Selenium levels decline during aging, and its deficiency is associated with a marked increase in mortality for people over 60 years of age. Here, we investigate the relationship between selenium levels in the culture medium, selenoprotein expression, and replicative life span of human embryonic lung fibroblast WI-38 cells. Selenium levels regulate the entry into replicative senescence and modify the cellular markers characteristic for senescent cells. Whereas selenium supplementation extends the number of population doublings, its deficiency impairs the proliferative capacity of WI-38 cells. We observe that the expression of several selenoproteins involved in antioxidant defense is specifically affected in response to cellular senescence. Their expression is selectively controlled by the modulation of mRNA levels and translational recoding efficiencies. Our data provide novel mechanistic insights into how selenium impacts the replicative life span of mammalian cells by identifying several selenoproteins as new targets of senescence. PMID:24425862

Spermatozoid life-span of two brown seaweeds, Saccharina japonica and Undaria pinnatifida, as measured by fertilization efficiency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jing; Pang, Shaojun; Liu, Feng; Shan, Tifeng; Gao, Suqin

2013-07-01

During sexual reproduction of seaweeds, spermatozoid (sperm) discharge is triggered by chemical messengers (pheromones) released by the female gametes. The chemotactic ability of the sperm ensures fertilization success. Using unialgal male and female gametophyte material under designated standard gametogenesis testing (SGT) conditions, the potential life-span of the sperm of two seaweeds, Saccharina japonica and Undaria pinnatifida, was assessed by their ability to fertilize eggs. Results show that within 20-30 min after being discharged, sperm of both species could complete fertilization without an apparent decline in fertilization rate. Although fertilization rate 60-120 min after sperm discharge dropped significantly in both species, some sperm were viable enough to fertilize the eggs. In S. japonica, at 12°C, some sperm were able to fertilize eggs up to 12 h after discharge. In both species, egg discharge rates (EDR) in the male and female mixed positive controls were significantly higher than those of all the sperm-testing groups. Doubling the seeded male gametophytes of S. japonica in the SGT tests significantly increased the EDR, further confirming the effect of the presence of the male on the female in terms of facilitating egg discharge from oogonia.

Getting older isn’t all that bad: Better decisions and coping when facing ’sunk costs’

PubMed Central

de Bruin, Wändi Bruine; Strough, JoNell; Parker, Andrew M.

2014-01-01

Because people of all ages face decisions that affect their quality of life, decision-making competence is important across the life span. According to theories of rational decision making, one crucial decision skill involves the ability to discontinue failing commitments despite irrecoverable investments also referred to as ‘sunk costs.’ We find that older adults are better than younger adults at making decisions to discontinue such failing commitments especially when irrecoverable losses are large, as well as at coping with the associated irrecoverable losses. Our results are relevant to interventions that aim to promote better decision-making competence across the life span. PMID:25244483

Getting older isn't all that bad: better decisions and coping when facing "sunk costs".

PubMed

Bruine de Bruin, Wändi; Strough, JoNell; Parker, Andrew M

2014-09-01

Because people of all ages face decisions that affect their quality of life, decision-making competence is important across the life span. According to theories of rational decision making, one crucial decision skill involves the ability to discontinue failing commitments despite irrecoverable investments also referred to as "sunk costs." We find that older adults are better than younger adults at making decisions to discontinue such failing commitments especially when irrecoverable losses are large, as well as at coping with the associated irrecoverable losses. Our results are relevant to interventions that aim to promote better decision-making competence across the life span. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Interrelationship of salinity shift with oxidative stress and lipid metabolism in the monogonont rotifer Brachionus koreanus.

PubMed

Lee, Min-Chul; Park, Jun Chul; Kim, Duck-Hyun; Kang, Sujin; Shin, Kyung-Hoon; Park, Heum Gi; Han, Jeonghoon; Lee, Jae-Seong

2017-12-01

Salinity is a critical key abiotic factor affecting biological processes such as lipid metabolism, yet the relationship between salinity and lipid metabolism has not been studied in the rotifer. To understand the effects of salinity on the monogonont rotifer B. koreanus, we examined high saline (25 and 35psu) conditions compared to the control (15psu). In vivo life cycle parameters (e.g. cumulative offspring and life span) were observed in response to 25 and 35psu compared to 15psu. In addition, to investigate whether high salinity induces oxidative stress, the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and glutathione S-transferase activity (GST) were measured in a salinity- (15, 25, and 35psu; 24h) and time-dependent manner (3, 6, 12, 24h; 35psu). Furthermore composition of fatty acid (FA) and lipid metabolism-related genes (e.g. elongases and desaturases) were examined in response to different salinity conditions. As a result, retardation in cumulative offspring and significant increase in life span were demonstrated in the 35psu treatment group compared to the control (15psu). Furthermore, ROS level and GST activity have both demonstrated a significant increase (P<0.05) in the 35psu treatment. In general, the quantity of FA and mRNA expression of the lipid metabolism-related genes was significantly decreased (P<0.05) in response to high saline condition with exceptions for both GST-S4 and S5 demonstrated a significant increase in their mRNA expression. This study demonstrates that high salinity induces oxidative stress, leading to a negative impact on lipid metabolism in the monogonont rotifer, B. koreanus. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Social and demographic correlates of loneliness in late life.

PubMed

Revenson, T A; Johnson, J L

1984-02-01

Although loneliness is often viewed as a serious problem of old age, few studies have addressed either its measurement or prevalence among older populations. The present study analyzed survey data from newspaper questionnaires circulated in three North American cities (N = 2,026) in order to examine the prevalence of loneliness across the life-span and some of its correlates in late life. Loneliness decreased across the adult life-span, with respondents age 65 and older the least lonely; elders were also more satisfied with their social relationships. Neither gender nor living alone was related to loneliness for older people. The data also partially confirm the desolation hypothesis, suggesting that desolation, or the loss of an intimate attachment, rather than isolation per se is a major correlate of loneliness in late life. Further, recency of loss was strongly related to increased loneliness. Directions for future research and intervention are discussed.

Expert Panel Recommendations on Lower Urinary Tract Health of Women Across Their Life Span

PubMed Central

Losada, Liliana; Amundsen, Cindy L.; Ashton-Miller, James; Chai, Toby; Close, Clare; Damaser, Margot; DiSanto, Michael; Dmochowski, Roger; Fraser, Matthew O.; Kielb, Stephanie J.; Kuchel, George; Mueller, Elizabeth R.; Parker-Autry, Candace; Wolfe, Alan J.

2016-01-01

Abstract Urologic and kidney problems are common in women across their life span and affect their daily life, including physical activity, sexual relations, social life, and future health. Urological health in women is still understudied and the underlying mechanisms of female urological dysfunctions are not fully understood. The Society for Women's Health Research (SWHR®) recognized the need to have a roundtable discussion where researchers and clinicians would define the current state of knowledge, gaps, and recommendations for future research directions to transform women's urological health. This report summarizes the discussions, which focused on epidemiology, clinical presentation, basic science, prevention strategies, and efficacy of current therapies. Experts around the table agreed on a set of research, education, and policy recommendations that have the potential to dramatically increase awareness and improve women's urological health at all stages of life. PMID:27285829

Potential mechanisms for cancer resistance in elephants and comparative cellular response to DNA damage in humans

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Abegglen, Lisa M.; Caulin, Aleah F.; Chan, Ashley

Here, evolutionary medicine may provide insights into human physiology and pathophysiology, including tumor biology. To identify mechanisms for cancer resistance in elephants and compare cellular response to DNA damage among elephants, healthy human controls, and cancer-prone patients with Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS). Design, Setting, and Participants A comprehensive survey of necropsy data was performed across 36 mammalian species to validate cancer resistance in large and long-lived organisms, including elephants (n=644). The African and Asian elephant genomes were analyzed for potential mechanisms of cancer resistance. Peripheral blood lymphocytes from elephants, healthy human controls, and patients with LFS were tested in vitro inmore » the laboratory for DNA damage response. The study included African and Asian elephants (n=8), patients with LFS (n=10), and age-matched human controls (n=11). Human samples were collected at the University of Utah between June 2014 and July 2015. Exposures Ionizing radiation and doxorubicin. Cancer mortality across species was calculated and compared by body size and life span. The elephant genome was investigated for alterations in cancer-related genes. DNA repair and apoptosis were compared in elephant vs human peripheral blood lymphocytes. Across mammals, cancer mortality did not increase with body size and/or maximum life span (eg, for rock hyrax, 1% [95% CI, 0%-5%]; African wild dog, 8% [95% CI, 0%-16%]; lion, 2% [95% CI, 0%-7%]). Despite their large body size and long life span, elephants remain cancer resistant, with an estimated cancer mortality of 4.81% (95% CI, 3.14%-6.49%), compared with humans, who have 11% to 25% cancer mortality. While humans have 1 copy (2 alleles) of TP53, African elephants have at least 20 copies (40 alleles), including 19 retrogenes (38 alleles) with evidence of transcriptional activity measured by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. In response to DNA damage, elephant lymphocytes underwent p53-mediated apoptosis at higher rates than human lymphocytes proportional to TP53 status (ionizing radiation exposure: patients with LFS, 2.71% [95% CI, 1.93%-3.48%] vs human controls, 7.17% [95% CI, 5.91%-8.44%] vs elephants, 14.64% [95% CI, 10.91%-18.37%]; P<.001; doxorubicin exposure: human controls, 8.10% [95% CI, 6.55%-9.66%] vs elephants, 24.77% [95% CI, 23.0%-26.53%]; P<.001). Compared with other mammalian species, elephants appeared to have a lower-than-expected rate of cancer, potentially related to multiple copies of TP53. Compared with human cells, elephant cells demonstrated increased apoptotic response following DNA damage. These findings, if replicated, could represent an evolutionary-based approach for understanding mechanisms related to cancer suppression.« less

Potential mechanisms for cancer resistance in elephants and comparative cellular response to DNA damage in humans

DOE PAGES

Abegglen, Lisa M.; Caulin, Aleah F.; Chan, Ashley; ...

2015-10-08

Here, evolutionary medicine may provide insights into human physiology and pathophysiology, including tumor biology. To identify mechanisms for cancer resistance in elephants and compare cellular response to DNA damage among elephants, healthy human controls, and cancer-prone patients with Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS). Design, Setting, and Participants A comprehensive survey of necropsy data was performed across 36 mammalian species to validate cancer resistance in large and long-lived organisms, including elephants (n=644). The African and Asian elephant genomes were analyzed for potential mechanisms of cancer resistance. Peripheral blood lymphocytes from elephants, healthy human controls, and patients with LFS were tested in vitro inmore » the laboratory for DNA damage response. The study included African and Asian elephants (n=8), patients with LFS (n=10), and age-matched human controls (n=11). Human samples were collected at the University of Utah between June 2014 and July 2015. Exposures Ionizing radiation and doxorubicin. Cancer mortality across species was calculated and compared by body size and life span. The elephant genome was investigated for alterations in cancer-related genes. DNA repair and apoptosis were compared in elephant vs human peripheral blood lymphocytes. Across mammals, cancer mortality did not increase with body size and/or maximum life span (eg, for rock hyrax, 1% [95% CI, 0%-5%]; African wild dog, 8% [95% CI, 0%-16%]; lion, 2% [95% CI, 0%-7%]). Despite their large body size and long life span, elephants remain cancer resistant, with an estimated cancer mortality of 4.81% (95% CI, 3.14%-6.49%), compared with humans, who have 11% to 25% cancer mortality. While humans have 1 copy (2 alleles) of TP53, African elephants have at least 20 copies (40 alleles), including 19 retrogenes (38 alleles) with evidence of transcriptional activity measured by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. In response to DNA damage, elephant lymphocytes underwent p53-mediated apoptosis at higher rates than human lymphocytes proportional to TP53 status (ionizing radiation exposure: patients with LFS, 2.71% [95% CI, 1.93%-3.48%] vs human controls, 7.17% [95% CI, 5.91%-8.44%] vs elephants, 14.64% [95% CI, 10.91%-18.37%]; P<.001; doxorubicin exposure: human controls, 8.10% [95% CI, 6.55%-9.66%] vs elephants, 24.77% [95% CI, 23.0%-26.53%]; P<.001). Compared with other mammalian species, elephants appeared to have a lower-than-expected rate of cancer, potentially related to multiple copies of TP53. Compared with human cells, elephant cells demonstrated increased apoptotic response following DNA damage. These findings, if replicated, could represent an evolutionary-based approach for understanding mechanisms related to cancer suppression.« less

Potential Mechanisms for Cancer Resistance in Elephants and Comparative Cellular Response to DNA Damage in Humans.

PubMed

Abegglen, Lisa M; Caulin, Aleah F; Chan, Ashley; Lee, Kristy; Robinson, Rosann; Campbell, Michael S; Kiso, Wendy K; Schmitt, Dennis L; Waddell, Peter J; Bhaskara, Srividya; Jensen, Shane T; Maley, Carlo C; Schiffman, Joshua D

2015-11-03

Evolutionary medicine may provide insights into human physiology and pathophysiology, including tumor biology. To identify mechanisms for cancer resistance in elephants and compare cellular response to DNA damage among elephants, healthy human controls, and cancer-prone patients with Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS). A comprehensive survey of necropsy data was performed across 36 mammalian species to validate cancer resistance in large and long-lived organisms, including elephants (n = 644). The African and Asian elephant genomes were analyzed for potential mechanisms of cancer resistance. Peripheral blood lymphocytes from elephants, healthy human controls, and patients with LFS were tested in vitro in the laboratory for DNA damage response. The study included African and Asian elephants (n = 8), patients with LFS (n = 10), and age-matched human controls (n = 11). Human samples were collected at the University of Utah between June 2014 and July 2015. Ionizing radiation and doxorubicin. Cancer mortality across species was calculated and compared by body size and life span. The elephant genome was investigated for alterations in cancer-related genes. DNA repair and apoptosis were compared in elephant vs human peripheral blood lymphocytes. Across mammals, cancer mortality did not increase with body size and/or maximum life span (eg, for rock hyrax, 1% [95% CI, 0%-5%]; African wild dog, 8% [95% CI, 0%-16%]; lion, 2% [95% CI, 0%-7%]). Despite their large body size and long life span, elephants remain cancer resistant, with an estimated cancer mortality of 4.81% (95% CI, 3.14%-6.49%), compared with humans, who have 11% to 25% cancer mortality. While humans have 1 copy (2 alleles) of TP53, African elephants have at least 20 copies (40 alleles), including 19 retrogenes (38 alleles) with evidence of transcriptional activity measured by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. In response to DNA damage, elephant lymphocytes underwent p53-mediated apoptosis at higher rates than human lymphocytes proportional to TP53 status (ionizing radiation exposure: patients with LFS, 2.71% [95% CI, 1.93%-3.48%] vs human controls, 7.17% [95% CI, 5.91%-8.44%] vs elephants, 14.64% [95% CI, 10.91%-18.37%]; P < .001; doxorubicin exposure: human controls, 8.10% [95% CI, 6.55%-9.66%] vs elephants, 24.77% [95% CI, 23.0%-26.53%]; P < .001). Compared with other mammalian species, elephants appeared to have a lower-than-expected rate of cancer, potentially related to multiple copies of TP53. Compared with human cells, elephant cells demonstrated increased apoptotic response following DNA damage. These findings, if replicated, could represent an evolutionary-based approach for understanding mechanisms related to cancer suppression.

Neural stem cell implantation extends life in Niemann-Pick C1 mice.

PubMed

Ahmad, Iram; Hunter, Robert E; Flax, Jonathan D; Snyder, Evan Y; Erickson, Robert P

2007-01-01

In order to evaluate the phenotypic effects of implanted neural stem cells (NSCs) in the mouse model of Niemann-Pick C (NPC) disease, we injected a well-characterized clone of murine NSCs into the cerebella of neonatal Npc1(-/-) and control mice. The implanted cells survived and were abundant in some regions of the cerebellum. Life span was lengthened in NPC mice with the implanted NSCs. However, the rate of weight gain and subsequent weight loss, resulting from neurodegeneration, was not significantly different from un-injected controls. Ataxia was measured by Rota-Rod performance. The overall rate of decline in time on the Rota-Rod was not significantly slowed down. Thus, in this small group of NPC mice, a single administration in the neonatal period of the NSCs (which were not engineered to over-express the missing gene and not directed into the parenchyma) was only partially therapeutic.

Verbal Ability and Persistent Offending: A Race-Specific Test of Moffitt's Theory

PubMed Central

Bellair, Paul E.; McNulty, Thomas L.; Piquero, Alex R.

2014-01-01

Theoretical questions linger over the applicability of the verbal ability model to African Americans and the social control theory hypothesis that educational failure mediates the effect of verbal ability on offending patterns. Accordingly, this paper investigates whether verbal ability distinguishes between offending groups within the context of Moffitt's developmental taxonomy. Questions are addressed with longitudinal data spanning childhood through young-adulthood from an ongoing national panel, and multinomial and hierarchical Poisson models (over-dispersed). In multinomial models, low verbal ability predicts membership in a life-course-persistent-oriented group relative to an adolescent-limited-oriented group. Hierarchical models indicate that verbal ability is associated with arrest outcomes among White and African American subjects, with effects consistently operating through educational attainment (high school dropout). The results support Moffitt's hypothesis that verbal deficits distinguish adolescent-limited- and life-course-persistent-oriented groups within race as well as the social control model of verbal ability. PMID:26924885

Neural Mechanisms of Interference Control Underlie the Relationship Between Fluid Intelligence and Working Memory Span

PubMed Central

Burgess, Gregory C.; Gray, Jeremy R.; Conway, Andrew R. A.; Braver, Todd S.

2014-01-01

Fluid intelligence (gF) and working memory (WM) span predict success in demanding cognitive situations. Recent studies show that much of the variance in gF and WM span is shared, suggesting common neural mechanisms. This study provides a direct investigation of the degree to which shared variance in gF and WM span can be explained by neural mechanisms of interference control. We measured performance and fMRI activity in 102 participants during the n-back WM task, focusing on the selective activation effects associated with high-interference lure trials. Brain activity on these trials was correlated with gF, WM span, and task performance in core brain regions linked to WM and executive control, including bilateral dorsolateral PFC (middle frontal gyrus, BA9) and parietal cortex (inferior parietal cortex; BA 40/7). Interference-related performance and interference-related activity accounted for a significant proportion of the shared variance in gF and WM span. Path analyses indicate that interference control activity may affect gF through a common set of processes that also influence WM span. These results suggest that individual differences in interference control mechanisms are important for understanding the relationship between gF and WM span. PMID:21787103

Estimating benefits of past, current, and future reductions in smoking rates using a comprehensive model with competing causes of death.

PubMed

van Meijgaard, Jeroen; Fielding, Jonathan E

2012-01-01

Despite years of declining smoking prevalence, tobacco use is still the leading preventable contributor to illness and death in the United States, and the effect of past tobacco-use control efforts has not fully translated into improvements in health outcomes. The objective of this study was to use a life course model with multiple competing causes of death to elucidate the ongoing benefits of tobacco-use control efforts on US death rates. We used a continuous-time life course simulation model for the US population. We modeled smoking initiation and cessation and 20 leading causes of death as competing risks over the life span, with the risk of death for each cause dependent on past and current smoking status. Risk parameters were estimated using data from the National Health Interview Survey that were linked to follow-up mortality data. Up to 14% (9% for men, 14% for women) of the total gain in life expectancy since 1960 was due to tobacco-use control efforts. Past efforts are expected to further increase life expectancy by 0.9 years for women and 1.3 years for men. Additional reduction in smoking prevalence may eventually yield an average 3.4-year increase in life expectancy in the United States. Coronary heart disease is expected to increase as a share of total deaths. A dynamic individual-level model with multiple causes of death supports assessment of the delayed benefits of improved tobacco-use control efforts. We show that past smoking reduction efforts will translate into further increases in life expectancy in the coming years. Smoking will remain a major contributor to preventable illness and death, worthy of continued interventions.

Facilitating Career Development through Super's Life Career Rainbow.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Okocha, Aneneosa A.

Super's life-span life-space theory offers a developmental framework for career counseling. This paper provides a brief overview of Super's theory of Life Career Rainbow (LCR) segment. The LCR feature is useful for identifying the stage of a client's career development and in formulating goals for counseling. The assessment is accomplished by…

Integrating Varieties of Life Course Concepts

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

A body of work referred to as the “life course” framework (also known as “life course theory,” the “life course paradigm,” and the “life course perspective”) has been increasingly used to motivate and justify the examination of the relationships among variables in social and behavioral science, particularly in the study of population health and aging. Yet, there is very little agreement on what some of these concepts mean, and there is hardly any agreement on what the “life course” is. This article focuses on the different ways in which the concept of “life course” is used in the contemporary study of aging and human development, particularly with regard to health and well-being. Clarification is given for how “life course” is distinguished from “life span” and “life cycle,” among other “life” words. This work reviews the conceptual literature on the life course, beginning with its formative years in the 1960s and 1970s, through to the present time. Detailed research of several literatures across disciplines revealed five different uses of the term “life course”: (a) life course as time or age, (b) life course as life stages, (c) life course as events, transitions, and trajectories, (d) life course as life-span human development, and (e) life course as early life influences (and their cumulation) on later adult outcomes. To the extent the concept of life course has a multiplicity of meanings that are at variance with one another, this is problematic, as communication is thereby hindered. On the other hand, to the extent the concept of life course involves a rich tapestry of different emphases, this is a good thing, and the diversity of meanings should be retained. This paper proposes a conceptual integration based in part on Riley’s age stratification model that resolves the various meanings of life course into one general framework. Coupled with a demographic conceptualization of the life course, this framework embeds the concept of “life course” within a broader perspective of life-span development. This framework is proposed as an integrated perspective for studying the causes and consequences of “life course events and transitions” and understanding the manner by which “life events” and the role transitions they signify influence the life-span development of outcomes of interest across stages of the life cycle. PMID:22399576

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

PubMed

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.

Evolution of monogamy, paternal investment, and female life history in Peromyscus.

PubMed

Jašarević, Eldin; Bailey, Drew H; Crossland, Janet P; Dawson, Wallace D; Szalai, Gabor; Ellersieck, Mark R; Rosenfeld, Cheryl S; Geary, David C

2013-02-01

The timing of reproductive development and associated trade-offs in quantity versus quality of offspring produced across the life span are well documented in a wide range of species. The relation of these aspects of maternal life history to monogamy and paternal investment in offspring is not well studied in mammals, due in part to the rarity of the latter. By using five large, captive-bred populations of Peromyscus species that range from promiscuous mating with little paternal investment (P. maniculatus bairdii) to social and genetic monogamy with substantial paternal investment (P. californicus insignis), we modeled the interaction between monogamy and female life history. Monogamy and high paternal investment were associated with smaller litter size, delayed maternal reproduction that extended over a longer reproductive life span, and larger, higher quality offspring. The results suggest monogamy and paternal investment can alter the evolution of female life-history trajectories in mammals. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved

Life-span Socioeconomic Trajectory, Nativity, and Cognitive Aging in Mexican Americans: The Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging

PubMed Central

Zeki Al-Hazzouri, Adina; Aiello, Allison E.

2011-01-01

Objectives. Early life circumstances influence health across the life span. Migration and ethnicity may modify the lifetime trajectory of socioeconomic status (SES) and lead to heterogeneity in cognitive aging in later life. Methods. We examined the effects of both lifetime socioeconomic trajectory and cumulative disadvantage from childhood through adulthood on late life cognitive performance in a 9-year cohort of 1,789 Mexican Americans aged 60–100 years in 1998–1999. Results. Compared with those with low SES sustained over the life course, we found that those with more advantaged lifetime SES trajectories experienced fewer declines on a test of global cognitive function and a short-term verbal memory test. These associations are larger in first- and second-generation immigrant families. Discussion. Heterogeneity of cognitive aging among diverse race/ethnic groups may be influenced by intergenerational changes in SES, cultural norms, and behaviors and changes in health related to changes in the social and physical environment. PMID:21743044

Life-span socioeconomic trajectory, nativity, and cognitive aging in Mexican Americans: the Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging.

PubMed

Haan, Mary N; Zeki Al-Hazzouri, Adina; Aiello, Allison E

2011-07-01

Early life circumstances influence health across the life span. Migration and ethnicity may modify the lifetime trajectory of socioeconomic status (SES) and lead to heterogeneity in cognitive aging in later life. We examined the effects of both lifetime socioeconomic trajectory and cumulative disadvantage from childhood through adulthood on late life cognitive performance in a 9-year cohort of 1,789 Mexican Americans aged 60-100 years in 1998-1999. Compared with those with low SES sustained over the life course, we found that those with more advantaged lifetime SES trajectories experienced fewer declines on a test of global cognitive function and a short-term verbal memory test. These associations are larger in first- and second-generation immigrant families. Heterogeneity of cognitive aging among diverse race/ethnic groups may be influenced by intergenerational changes in SES, cultural norms, and behaviors and changes in health related to changes in the social and physical environment.

Controlling the spotlight of attention: visual span size and flexibility in schizophrenia.

PubMed

Elahipanah, Ava; Christensen, Bruce K; Reingold, Eyal M

2011-10-01

The current study investigated the size and flexible control of visual span among patients with schizophrenia during visual search performance. Visual span is the region of the visual field from which one extracts information during a single eye fixation, and a larger visual span size is linked to more efficient search performance. Therefore, a reduced visual span may explain patients' impaired performance on search tasks. The gaze-contingent moving window paradigm was used to estimate the visual span size of patients and healthy participants while they performed two different search tasks. In addition, changes in visual span size were measured as a function of two manipulations of task difficulty: target-distractor similarity and stimulus familiarity. Patients with schizophrenia searched more slowly across both tasks and conditions. Patients also demonstrated smaller visual span sizes on the easier search condition in each task. Moreover, healthy controls' visual span size increased as target discriminability or distractor familiarity increased. This modulation of visual span size, however, was reduced or not observed among patients. The implications of the present findings, with regard to previously reported visual search deficits, and other functional and structural abnormalities associated with schizophrenia, are discussed. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Is selective mutism associated with deficits in memory span and visual memory?: An exploratory case-control study.

PubMed

Kristensen, Hanne; Oerbeck, Beate

2006-01-01

Our main aim in this study was to explore the association between selective mutism (SM) and aspects of nonverbal cognition such as visual memory span and visual memory. Auditory-verbal memory span was also examined. The etiology of SM is unclear, and it probably represents a heterogeneous condition. SM is associated with language impairment, but nonspecific neurodevelopmental factors, including motor problems, are also reported in SM without language impairment. Furthermore, SM is described in Asperger's syndrome. Studies on nonverbal cognition in SM thus merit further investigation. Neuropsychological tests were administered to a clinical sample of 32 children and adolescents with SM (ages 6-17 years, 14 boys and 18 girls) and 62 nonreferred controls matched for age, gender, and socioeconomic status. We used independent t-tests to compare groups with regard to auditory-verbal memory span, visual memory span, and visual memory (Benton Visual Retention Test), and employed linear regression analysis to study the impact of SM on visual memory, controlling for IQ and measures of language and motor function. The SM group differed from controls on auditory-verbal memory span but not on visual memory span. Controlled for IQ, language, and motor function, the SM group did not differ from controls on visual memory. Motor function was the strongest predictor of visual memory performance. SM does not appear to be associated with deficits in visual memory span or visual memory. The reduced auditory-verbal memory span supports the association between SM and language impairment. More comprehensive neuropsychological studies are needed.

Brain training in older adults: evidence of transfer to memory span performance and pseudo-Matthew effects.

PubMed

McDougall, Siné; House, Becky

2012-01-01

In this study the effects of 'brain training' using the Nintendo DS Brain Training program were examined in two groups of older adults; the cognitive performance of an experimental group (n = 21) who were asked to use the Nintendo DS regularly over a 6-week period was compared with the control group (n = 20). Groups were matched on age (mean age = 74 years), education, computer experience, daily activities (time spent reading or watching television), and initial scores of Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale. Analyses revealed that improvements were primarily in the Digit Span Test, specifically Digits Backwards. Although the Brain Training package appeared to have some efficacy, other factors such as perceived quality of life and perceived cognitive functioning were at least equally important in determining training outcomes. The implications of these findings for cognitive training are discussed.

17. DETAIL OF SOUTH PORTAL, SHOWING "TREE OF LIFE" RAILING ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

17. DETAIL OF SOUTH PORTAL, SHOWING "TREE OF LIFE" RAILING DETAIL AS WELL AS BUILDER'S PLATE. - Falls Bridge, Spanning Schuylkill River, connecting East & West River Drives, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA

Life Satisfaction, Self-Esteem, and Subjective Age in Women across the Life Span

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borzumato-Gainey, Christine; Kennedy, Alison; McCabe, Beth; Degges-White, Suzanne

2009-01-01

A study of 320 women, ages 21 to 69, explored the relations among relationship status, subjective age, self-esteem, and life satisfaction. Women in married or partnered relationships had higher levels of life satisfaction than did single women. Women in their 30s and 40s had significantly lower levels of life satisfaction than did other age…

Two-carbon metabolites, polyphenols and vitamins influence yeast chronological life span in winemaking conditions

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Viability in a non dividing state is referred to as chronological life span (CLS). Most grape juice fermentation happens when Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cells have stopped dividing; therefore, CLS is an important factor toward winemaking success. Results We have studied both the physical and chemical determinants influencing yeast CLS. Low pH and heat shorten the maximum wine yeast life span, while hyperosmotic shock extends it. Ethanol plays an important negative role in aging under winemaking conditions, but additional metabolites produced by fermentative metabolism, such as acetaldehyde and acetate, have also a strong impact on longevity. Grape polyphenols quercetin and resveratrol have negative impacts on CLS under winemaking conditions, an unexpected behavior for these potential anti-oxidants. We observed that quercetin inhibits alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenase activities, and that resveratrol performs a pro-oxidant role during grape juice fermentation. Vitamins nicotinic acid and nicotinamide are precursors of NAD+, and their addition reduces mean longevity during fermentation, suggesting a metabolic unbalance negative for CLS. Moreover, vitamin mix supplementation at the end of fermentation shortens CLS and enhances cell lysis, while amino acids increase life span. Conclusions Wine S. cerevisiae strains are able to sense changes in the environmental conditions and adapt their longevity to them. Yeast death is influenced by the conditions present at the end of wine fermentation, particularly by the concentration of two-carbon metabolites produced by the fermentative metabolism, such as ethanol, acetic acid and acetaldehyde, and also by the grape juice composition, particularly its vitamin content. PMID:22873488

Normative personality trait development in adulthood: A 6-year cohort-sequential growth model.

PubMed

Milojev, Petar; Sibley, Chris G

2017-03-01

The present study investigated patterns of normative change in personality traits across the adult life span (19 through 74 years of age). We examined change in extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, openness to experience and honesty-humility using data from the first 6 annual waves of the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study (N = 10,416; 61.1% female, average age = 49.46). We present a cohort-sequential latent growth model assessing patterns of mean-level change due to both aging and cohort effects. Extraversion decreased as people aged, with the most pronounced declines occurring in young adulthood, and then again in old age. Agreeableness, indexed with a measure focusing on empathy, decreased in young adulthood and remained relatively unchanged thereafter. Conscientiousness increased among young adults then leveled off and remained fairly consistent for the rest of the adult life span. Neuroticism and openness to experience decreased as people aged. However, the models suggest that these latter effects may also be partially due to cohort differences, as older people showed lower levels of neuroticism and openness to experience more generally. Honesty-humility showed a pronounced and consistent increase across the adult life span. These analyses of large-scale longitudinal national probability panel data indicate that different dimensions of personality follow distinct developmental processes throughout adulthood. Our findings also highlight the importance of young adulthood (up to about the age of 30) in personality trait development, as well as continuing change throughout the adult life span. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Dietary consumption of monosodium L-glutamate induces adaptive response and reduction in the life span of Drosophila melanogaster.

PubMed

Abolaji, Amos O; Olaiya, Charles O; Oluwadahunsi, Oluwagbenga J; Farombi, Ebenezer O

2017-04-01

Adaptive response is the ability of an organism to better counterattack stress-induced damage in response to a number of different cytotoxic agents. Monosodium L-glutamate (MSG), the sodium salt of amino acid glutamate, is commonly used as a food additive. We investigated the effects of MSG on the life span and antioxidant response in Drosophila melanogaster (D. melanogaster). Both genders (1 to 3 days old) of flies were fed with diet containing MSG (0.1, 0.5, and 2.5-g/kg diet) for 5 days to assess selected antioxidant and oxidative stress markers, while flies for longevity were fed for lifetime. Thereafter, the longevity assay, hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), and reactive oxygen and nitrogen species levels were determined. Also, catalase, glutathione S-transferase and acetylcholinesterase activities, and total thiol content were evaluated in the flies. We found that MSG reduced the life span of the flies by up to 23% after continuous exposure. Also, MSG increased reactive oxygen and nitrogen species and H 2 O 2 generations and total thiol content as well as the activities of catalase and glutathione S-transferase in D. melanogaster (P < .05). In conclusion, consumption of MSG for 5 days by D. melanogaster induced adaptive response, but long-term exposure reduced life span of flies. This study may therefore have public health significance in humans, and thus, moderate consumption of MSG is advocated by the authors. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Circadian clocks govern calorie restriction-mediated life span extension through BMAL1- and IGF-1-dependent mechanisms.

PubMed

Patel, Sonal A; Chaudhari, Amol; Gupta, Richa; Velingkaar, Nikkhil; Kondratov, Roman V

2016-04-01

Calorie restriction (CR) increases longevity in many species by unknown mechanisms. The circadian clock was proposed as a potential mediator of CR. Deficiency of the core component of the circadian clock-transcriptional factor BMAL1 (brain and muscle ARNT [aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator]-like protein 1)-results in accelerated aging. Here we investigated the role of BMAL1 in mechanisms of CR. The 30% CR diet increased the life span of wild-type (WT) mice by 20% compared to mice on anad libitum(AL) diet but failed to increase life span ofBmal1(-/-)mice. BMAL1 deficiency impaired CR-mediated changes in the plasma levels of IGF-1 and insulin. We detected a statistically significantly reduction of IGF-1 in CRvs.AL by 50 to 70% in WT mice at several daily time points tested, while inBmal1(-/-)the reduction was not significant. Insulin levels in WT were reduced by 5 to 9%, whileBmal1(-/-)induced it by 10 to 35% at all time points tested. CR up-regulated the daily average expression ofBmal1(by 150%) and its downstream target genesPeriods(by 470% forPer1and by 130% forPer2). We propose that BMAL1 is an important mediator of CR, and activation of BMAL1 might link CR mechanisms with biologic clocks.-Patel, S. A., Chaudhari, A., Gupta, R., Velingkaar, N., Kondratov, R. V. Circadian clocks govern calorie restriction-mediated life span extension through BMAL1- and IGF-1-dependent mechanisms. © FASEB.

Physical Activity Throughout the Adult Life Span and Domain-Specific Cognitive Function in Old Age: A Systematic Review of Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Data.

PubMed

Engeroff, Tobias; Ingmann, Tobias; Banzer, Winfried

2018-06-01

A growing body of literature suggests that physical activity might alleviate the age-related neurodegeneration and decline of cognitive function. However, most of this evidence is based on data investigating the association of exercise interventions or current physical activity behavior with cognitive function in elderly subjects. We performed a systematic review and hypothesize that physical activity during the adult life span is connected with maintained domain-specific cognitive functions during late adulthood defined as age 60+ years. We performed a systematic literature search up to November 2017 in PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar without language limitations for studies analyzing the association of leisure physical activity during the adult life span (age 18+ years) and domain-specific cognitive functions in older adults (age 60+ years). The literature review yielded 14,294 articles and after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, nine cross-sectional and 14 longitudinal studies were included. Moderate- and vigorous-intensity leisure physical activity was associated with global cognitive function and specific cognitive domains including executive functions and memory but not attention or working memory. Most studies assessed mid- to late-adulthood physical activity, thus information concerning the influence of young adult life-span physical activity is currently lacking. Observational evidence that moderate- and vigorous-intensity leisure physical activity is beneficially associated with maintained cognitive functions during old age is accumulating. Further studies are necessary to confirm a causal link by assessing objective physical activity data and the decline of cognitive functions at multiple time points during old age.

Cognitive behavior and sensory function were significantly influenced by restoration of active ovarian function in postreproductive mice.

PubMed

Parkinson, Kate C; Peterson, Rhett L; Mason, Jeffrey B

2017-06-01

In mammals, the relationship between reproductive function and health has been particularly difficult to define. Previously, in old, postreproductive-aged mice, replacement of senescent ovaries with new ovaries from young, actively cycling mice increased life span. We hypothesized that the same factors that increased life span would also influence health span. In the current experiments, we tested two of the seven domains of function/health, sensory function and cognition to determine if exposure of postreproductive female mice to young transplanted ovaries influenced health span. We evaluated control female CBA/J mice at six, 13 and 16months of age. Additional mice received new (60d) ovaries at 12 or 17months of age and were subsequently evaluated at 16 or 25months of age, respectively. Evaluation of sensory function included two measures of olfactory perception; olfactory identification (buried pellet test) and olfactory discrimination (novel recognition block test). We found a significant age-related decline in olfactory identification in 16-month old mice. This decline was avoided by ovarian transplantation at 12months of age. The olfactory discrimination block test revealed an age-associated increase in time spent on both the novel and familiar blocks. This trend was reversed in 16-month old new-ovary recipients. We evaluated cognitive behavior with a burrowing behavior test. We detected a significant age-related decrease in burrowing behavior at 16months of age. This age-related decrease in burrowing behavior was prevented by ovarian transplantation at 12months of age. In summary, we have shown that cognitive behavior and sensory function, which are negatively influenced by aging, can be positively influenced or restored by re-establishment of active ovarian function in aged female mice. These findings provide strong incentive for further investigation of the positive influence of young ovaries on restoration of health in postreproductive females. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Selection for longevity confers resistance to low-temperature stress in Drosophila melanogaster.

PubMed

Luckinbill, L S

1998-03-01

One theory of the evolution of longevity says that improvement in life span is dependent on an increased ability to resist environmental stresses of all kind. Selective breeding of Drosophila melanogaster populations for longevity has demonstrably increased life span and also altered a number of other traits, such as resistance to starvation, desiccation, and ethanol fumes, and the ability to sustain longer flight. While the exact physiologic basis of some of these traits is not yet fully understood, at least some are known to derive from the properties of metabolic substrates of glycolysis. Improvement in those characters can depend partially, therefore, on altered stores of metabolites created from glycogen. Based on the known general relationship of some traits and the suspected basis in metabolism of others, we examine the possibility here that increased life span is accompanied by other traits that also confer physiologic resistance to stress. Specifically, we test the prediction that long-lived populations of fruit flies should be more resistant to low (prefreezing) and freezing temperature extremes. Both selected and control populations were found to be susceptible to prefreezing (1.5 degrees C) and freezing temperatures (0 degree C) here, but adults and pupae of the long-lived populations generally survived better in both situations, and at all durations of exposure. The resistance of individuals improved with acclimatization, but was superior in the long-lived populations whether thermal decline was rapid or stepwise. Cold resistant, long-lived populations also had significantly higher in vitro levels of glycerol, a cryoprotectant metabolite produced from glycogen. However, while adults and pupae of long-lived stocks were more resistant to cold, larvae of those stocks were more sensitive and survived relatively poorly at every length of exposure and acclimation. This surprising result implies that larvae maintain lower levels of cryoprotectant substances. Upon becoming pupae, however, stage-specific capabilities for environmental resistance and long life emerge. This conclusion agrees with a prior study of these stocks indicating that the uptake and use of nutrients in developing larvae are restricted in long-lived populations.

Piper betle extracts exhibit antitumor activity by augmenting antioxidant potential

PubMed Central

ALAM, BADRUL; MAJUMDER, RAJIB; AKTER, SHAHINA; LEE, SANG-HAN

2015-01-01

The present study was conducted to evaluate the methanolic extract of Piper betle leaves (MPBL) and its organic fractions with regard to antitumor activity against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) in Swiss albino mice and to confirm their antioxidant activities. At 24 h post-intraperitoneal inoculation of tumor cells into mice, extracts were administered at 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg body weight for nine consecutive days. The antitumor effects of the extracts were then assessed according to tumor volume, packed cell count, viable and non-viable tumor cell count, median survival time and increase in life span of EAC-bearing mice. Next, hematological profiles and serum biochemical parameters were calculated, and antioxidant properties were assessed by estimating lipid peroxidation, reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) levels. MPBL and the ethylacetate fraction (EPBL) at a dose of 100 mg/kg induced a significant decrease in tumor volume, packed cell volume and viable cell count and increased the life span of the EAC-bearing mice (P<0.05). Hematological and serum biochemical profiles were restored to normal levels in the extract-treated mice compared with the EAC control mice. MPBL and EPBL treatment significantly decreased lipid peroxidation (P<0.05) and restored GSH, SOD and CAT levels towards normal compared with the EAC control. Taken together, the results of the present study demonstrated that Piper betle extracts exhibit significant antitumor activity, which may be attributed to the augmentation of endogenous antioxidant potential. PMID:25624910

Piper betle extracts exhibit antitumor activity by augmenting antioxidant potential.

PubMed

Alam, Badrul; Majumder, Rajib; Akter, Shahina; Lee, Sang-Han

2015-02-01

The present study was conducted to evaluate the methanolic extract of Piper betle leaves (MPBL) and its organic fractions with regard to antitumor activity against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) in Swiss albino mice and to confirm their antioxidant activities. At 24 h post-intraperitoneal inoculation of tumor cells into mice, extracts were administered at 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg body weight for nine consecutive days. The antitumor effects of the extracts were then assessed according to tumor volume, packed cell count, viable and non-viable tumor cell count, median survival time and increase in life span of EAC-bearing mice. Next, hematological profiles and serum biochemical parameters were calculated, and antioxidant properties were assessed by estimating lipid peroxidation, reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) levels. MPBL and the ethylacetate fraction (EPBL) at a dose of 100 mg/kg induced a significant decrease in tumor volume, packed cell volume and viable cell count and increased the life span of the EAC-bearing mice (P<0.05). Hematological and serum biochemical profiles were restored to normal levels in the extract-treated mice compared with the EAC control mice. MPBL and EPBL treatment significantly decreased lipid peroxidation (P<0.05) and restored GSH, SOD and CAT levels towards normal compared with the EAC control. Taken together, the results of the present study demonstrated that Piper betle extracts exhibit significant antitumor activity, which may be attributed to the augmentation of endogenous antioxidant potential.

What Were They Thinking? Reducing Sunk-Cost Bias in a Life-Span Sample

PubMed Central

Strough, JoNell; Bruine de Bruin, Wändi; Parker, Andrew M.; Karns, Tara; Lemaster, Philip; Pichayayothin, Nipat; Delaney, Rebecca; Stoiko, Rachel

2016-01-01

We tested interventions to reduce “sunk-cost bias,” the tendency to continue investing in failing plans even when those plans have soured and are no longer rewarding. We showed members of a national U.S. life-span panel a hypothetical scenario about a failing plan that was halfway complete. Participants were randomly assigned to an intervention to focus on how to improve the situation, an intervention to focus on thoughts and feelings, or a no-intervention control group. First, we found that the thoughts and feelings intervention reduced sunk-cost bias in decisions about project completion, as compared to the improvement intervention and the no-intervention control. Second, older age was associated with greater willingness to cancel the failing plan across all three groups. Third, we found that introspection processes helped to explain the effectiveness of the interventions. Specifically, the larger reduction in sunk-cost bias as observed in the thoughts and feelings intervention (vs. the improvement intervention) was associated with suppression of future-oriented thoughts of eventual success, and with suppression of augmentations of the scenario that could make it seem reasonable to continue the plan. Fourth, we found that introspection processes were related to age differences in decisions. Older people were less likely to mention future-oriented thoughts of eventual success associated with greater willingness to continue the failing plan. We discuss factors to consider when designing interventions for reducing sunk-cost bias. PMID:27831712

Activation of the AMPK/Sirt1 pathway by a leucine-metformin combination increases insulin sensitivity in skeletal muscle, and stimulates glucose and lipid metabolism and increases life span in Caenorhabditis elegans.

PubMed

Banerjee, Jheelam; Bruckbauer, Antje; Zemel, Michael B

2016-11-01

We have previously shown leucine (Leu) to activate Sirt1 by lowering its K M for NAD + , thereby amplifying the effects of other sirtuin activators and improving insulin sensitivity. Metformin (Met) converges on this pathway both indirectly (via AMPK) and by direct activation of Sirt1, and we recently found Leu to synergize with Met to improve insulin sensitivity and glycemic control while achieving ~80% dose-reduction in diet-induced obese mice. Accordingly, we sought here to define the mechanism of this interaction. Muscle cells C2C12 and liver cells HepG2 were used to test the effect of Met-Leu on Sirt1 activation. Caenorhabditis elegans was used for glucose utilization and life span studies. Leu (0.5mmol/L)+Met (50-100μmol/L) synergistically activated Sirt1 (p<0.001) at low (≤100μmol/L) NAD + levels while Met exerted no independent effect. This was associated with an increase in AMPK and ACC, phosphorylation, and increased fatty acid oxidation, which was prevented by AMPK or Sirt inhibition or silencing. Met-Leu also increased P-IRS1/IRS1 and P-AKT/AKT and in insulin-independent glucose disposal in myotubes (~50%, p<0.002) evident within 30 min as well as a 60% reduction in insulin EC 50 . In addition, in HepG2 liver cells nuclear CREB regulated transcription coactivator 2 (CRTC2) protein expression and phosphorylation of glycogen synthase was decreased, while glycogen synthase kinase phosphorylation was increased indicating decreased gluconeogenesis and glycogen synthesis. We utilized C. elegans to assess the metabolic consequences of this interaction. Exposure to high glucose impaired glucose utilization and shortened life span by ~25%, while addition of Leu+Met to high glucose worms increased median and maximal life span by 29 and 15%, respectively (p=0.023), restored normal glucose utilization and increased fat oxidation ~two-fold (p<0.005), while metformin exerted no independent effect at any concentration (0.1-0.5mmol/L). Thus, Leu and Met synergize to enable Sirt1 activation at low NAD + concentrations (typical of energy replete states). Sirt1 and AMPK activations are required for Met-Leu's full action, which result in improvements in energy metabolism and insulin sensitivity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Life-span development of visual working memory: when is feature binding difficult?

PubMed

Cowan, Nelson; Naveh-Benjamin, Moshe; Kilb, Angela; Saults, J Scott

2006-11-01

We asked whether the ability to keep in working memory the binding between a visual object and its spatial location changes with development across the life span more than memory for item information. Paired arrays of colored squares were identical or differed in the color of one square, and in the latter case, the changed color was unique on that trial (item change) or was duplicated elsewhere in the array (color-location binding change). Children (8-10 and 11-12 years old) and older adults (65-85 years old) showed deficits relative to young adults. These were only partly simulated by dividing attention in young adults. The older adults had an additional deficiency, specifically in binding information, which was evident only when item- and binding-change trials were mixed together. In that situation, the older adults often overlooked the more subtle, binding-type changes. Some working memory processes related to binding undergo life-span development in an inverted-U shape, whereas other, bias- and salience-related processes that influence the use of binding information seem to develop monotonically.

Taste bud cell dynamics during normal and sodium-restricted development.

PubMed

Hendricks, Susan J; Brunjes, Peter C; Hill, David L

2004-04-26

Taste bud volume increases over the postnatal period to match the number of neurons providing innervation. To clarify age-related changes in fungiform taste bud volume, the current study investigated developmental changes in taste bud cell number, proliferation rate, and life span. Taste bud growth can largely be accounted for by addition of cytokeratin-19-positive taste bud cells. Examination of taste bud cell kinetics with 3H-thymidine autoradiography revealed that cell life span and turnover periods were not altered during normal development but that cells were produced more rapidly in young rats, a prominent modification that could lead to increased taste bud size. By comparison, dietary sodium restriction instituted during pre- and postnatal development results in small taste buds at adulthood as a result of fewer cytokeratin-19-positive cells. The dietary manipulation also had profound influences on taste bud growth kinetics, including an increased latency for cells to enter the taste bud and longer life span and turnover periods. These studies provide fundamental, new information about taste bud development under normal conditions and after environmental manipulations that impact nerve/target matching. Copyright 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

DNA damage leads to progressive replicative decline but extends the life span of long-lived mutant animals.

PubMed

Lans, H; Lindvall, J M; Thijssen, K; Karambelas, A E; Cupac, D; Fensgård, O; Jansen, G; Hoeijmakers, J H J; Nilsen, H; Vermeulen, W

2013-12-01

Human-nucleotide-excision repair (NER) deficiency leads to different developmental and segmental progeroid symptoms of which the pathogenesis is only partially understood. To understand the biological impact of accumulating spontaneous DNA damage, we studied the phenotypic consequences of DNA-repair deficiency in Caenorhabditis elegans. We find that DNA damage accumulation does not decrease the adult life span of post-mitotic tissue. Surprisingly, loss of functional ERCC-1/XPF even further extends the life span of long-lived daf-2 mutants, likely through an adaptive activation of stress signaling. Contrariwise, NER deficiency leads to a striking transgenerational decline in replicative capacity and viability of proliferating cells. DNA damage accumulation induces severe, stochastic impairment of development and growth, which is most pronounced in NER mutants that are also impaired in their response to ionizing radiation and inter-strand crosslinks. These results suggest that multiple DNA-repair pathways can protect against replicative decline and indicate that there might be a direct link between the severity of symptoms and the level of DNA-repair deficiency in patients.

Age trends for failures of sustained attention.

PubMed

Carriere, Jonathan S A; Cheyne, J Allan; Solman, Grayden J F; Smilek, Daniel

2010-09-01

Recent research has revealed an age-related reduction in errors in a sustained attention task, suggesting that sustained attention abilities improve with age. Such results seem paradoxical in light of the well-documented age-related declines in cognitive performance. In the present study, performance on the sustained attention to response task (SART) was assessed in a supplemented archival sample of 638 individuals between 14 and 77 years old. SART errors and response speed appeared to decline in a linear fashion as a function of age throughout the age span studied. In contrast, other measures of sustained attention (reaction time coefficient of variation), anticipation, and omissions) showed a decrease early in life and then remained unchanged for the rest of the life span. Thus, sustained attention shows improvements with maturation in early adulthood but then does not change with aging in older adults. On the other hand, aging across the entire life span leads to a more strategic (i.e., slower) response style that reduces the overt and critical consequences (i.e., SART errors) of momentary task disengagement. (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved.

Does telomere elongation lead to a longer lifespan if cancer is considered?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masa, Michael; Cebrat, Stanisław; Stauffer, Dietrich

2006-05-01

As cell proliferation is limited due to the loss of telomere repeats in DNA of normal somatic cells during division, telomere attrition can possibly play an important role in determining the maximum life span of organisms as well as contribute to the process of biological ageing. With computer simulations of cell culture development in organisms, which consist of tissues of normal somatic cells with finite growth, we obtain an increase of life span and life expectancy for longer telomeric DNA in the zygote. By additionally considering a two-mutation model for carcinogenesis and indefinite proliferation by the activation of telomerase, we demonstrate that the risk of dying due to cancer can outweigh the positive effect of longer telomeres on the longevity.

Predictors of Exceptional Longevity: Effects of Early-Life and Midlife Conditions, and Familial Longevity.

PubMed

Gavrilov, Leonid A; Gavrilova, Natalia S

Knowledge of strong predictors of mortality and longevity is very important for actuarial science and practice. Earlier studies found that parental characteristics as well as early-life conditions and midlife environment play a significant role in survival to advanced ages. However, little is known about the simultaneous effects of these three factors on longevity. This ongoing study attempts to fill this gap by comparing centenarians born in the United States in 1890-1891 with peers born in the same years who died at age 65. The records for centenarians and controls were taken from computerized family histories, which were then linked to 1900 and 1930 U.S. censuses. As a result of this linkage procedure, 765 records of confirmed centenarians and 783 records of controls were obtained. Analysis with multivariate logistic regression found the existence of both general and gender-specific predictors of human longevity. General predictors common for men and women are paternal and maternal longevity. Gender-specific predictors of male longevity are occupation as a farmer at age 40, Northeastern region of birth in the United States, and birth in the second half of year. A gender-specific predictor of female longevity is the availability of radio in the household according to the 1930 U.S. census. Given the importance of familial longevity as an independent predictor of survival to advanced ages, we conducted a comparative study of biological and nonbiological relatives of centenarians using a larger sample of 1,945 validated U.S. centenarians born in 1880-1895. We found that male gender of centenarian has a significant positive effect on survival of adult male relatives (brothers and fathers) but not female blood relatives. Life span of centenarian siblings-in-law is lower compared to life span of centenarian siblings and does not depend on centenarian gender. Wives of male centenarians (who share lifestyle and living conditions) have a significantly better survival compared to wives of centenarians' brothers. This finding demonstrates an important role of shared familial environment and lifestyle in human longevity. The results of this study suggest that familial background, some early-life conditions and midlife characteristics play an important role in longevity.

Effects of hunger state on the brain responses to food cues across the life span.

PubMed

Charbonnier, L; van Meer, F; Johnstone, A M; Crabtree, D; Buosi, W; Manios, Y; Androutsos, O; Giannopoulou, A; Viergever, M A; Smeets, P A M

2018-05-01

The abundant exposure to food cues in our environment is one of the main drivers of overconsumption. Food evaluation is important for the regulation of food intake by the brain and it's interaction with hunger state. Children are especially susceptible to food cues. Understanding the mechanisms behind this regulation in healthy individuals across the life span can help to elucidate the mechanisms underlying overconsumption and aid the development of future obesity prevention strategies. Few functional neuroimaging studies have been done in children and elderly. Furthermore, it is unknown how hunger state affects neural food cue reactivity in these groups, since this has not been examined consistently. We examined the effects of hunger state and age on the brain responses to low- and high calorie foods. On two mornings, 122 participants (17 children; 38 teens; 36 adults; 31 elderly) performed a food image viewing task while being scanned using fMRI, either fasted or sated. Hunger induced greater activation during high versus low calorie food image viewing than satiety in the bilateral dorsomedial (dmPFC) and in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) across all age groups. There was no significant main effect of age group on high versus low calorie food image viewing and no interaction between age group and hunger state. The greater activation of the dlPFC across all age groups during high calorie food image viewing in a fasted state might reflect increased inhibitory control in response to these foods. This may underlie the ability to resist overconsumption of high calorie foods. Furthermore, increased medial prefrontal cortex activation during hunger might reflect increased reward value of high calorie foods, which declines with satiation. Further studies are needed to better understand these results. Notably, overweight and obese individuals should be included to examine whether these responses are altered by weight status across the life span. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Neutrophils Contribute to the Protection Conferred by ArtinM against Intracellular Pathogens: A Study on Leishmania major

PubMed Central

Ricci-Azevedo, Rafael; Oliveira, Aline Ferreira; Conrado, Marina C. A. V.; Carvalho, Fernanda Caroline; Roque-Barreira, Maria Cristina

2016-01-01

ArtinM, a D-mannose binding lectin from Artocarpus heterophyllus, has immunomodulatory activities through its interaction with N-glycans of immune cells, culminating with the establishment of T helper type 1 (Th1) immunity. This interaction protects mice against intracellular pathogens, including Leishmania major and Leishmania amazonensis. ArtinM induces neutrophils activation, which is known to account for both resistance to pathogens and host tissue injury. Although exacerbated inflammation was not observed in ArtinM-treated animals, assessment of neutrophil responses to ArtinM is required to envisage its possible application to design a novel immunomodulatory agent based on carbohydrate recognition. Herein, we focus on the mechanisms through which neutrophils contribute to ArtinM-induced protection against Leishmania, without exacerbating inflammation. For this purpose, human neutrophils treated with ArtinM and infected with Leishmania major were analyzed together with untreated and uninfected controls, based on their ability to eliminate the parasite, release cytokines, degranulate, produce reactive oxygen species (ROS), form neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and change life span. We demonstrate that ArtinM-stimulated neutrophils enhanced L. major clearance and at least duplicated tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1β) release; otherwise, transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) production was reduced by half. Furthermore, ROS production and cell degranulation were augmented. The life span of ArtinM-stimulated neutrophils decreased and they did not form NETs when infected with L. major. We postulate that the enhanced leishmanicidal ability of ArtinM-stimulated neutrophils is due to augmented release of inflammatory cytokines, ROS production, and cell degranulation, whereas host tissue integrity is favored by their shortened life span and the absence of NET formation. Our results reinforce the idea that ArtinM may be considered an appropriate molecular template for the construction of an efficient anti-infective agent. PMID:27058234

Neutrophils Contribute to the Protection Conferred by ArtinM against Intracellular Pathogens: A Study on Leishmania major.

PubMed

Ricci-Azevedo, Rafael; Oliveira, Aline Ferreira; Conrado, Marina C A V; Carvalho, Fernanda Caroline; Roque-Barreira, Maria Cristina

2016-04-01

ArtinM, a D-mannose binding lectin from Artocarpus heterophyllus, has immunomodulatory activities through its interaction with N-glycans of immune cells, culminating with the establishment of T helper type 1 (Th1) immunity. This interaction protects mice against intracellular pathogens, including Leishmania major and Leishmania amazonensis. ArtinM induces neutrophils activation, which is known to account for both resistance to pathogens and host tissue injury. Although exacerbated inflammation was not observed in ArtinM-treated animals, assessment of neutrophil responses to ArtinM is required to envisage its possible application to design a novel immunomodulatory agent based on carbohydrate recognition. Herein, we focus on the mechanisms through which neutrophils contribute to ArtinM-induced protection against Leishmania, without exacerbating inflammation. For this purpose, human neutrophils treated with ArtinM and infected with Leishmania major were analyzed together with untreated and uninfected controls, based on their ability to eliminate the parasite, release cytokines, degranulate, produce reactive oxygen species (ROS), form neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and change life span. We demonstrate that ArtinM-stimulated neutrophils enhanced L. major clearance and at least duplicated tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1β) release; otherwise, transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) production was reduced by half. Furthermore, ROS production and cell degranulation were augmented. The life span of ArtinM-stimulated neutrophils decreased and they did not form NETs when infected with L. major. We postulate that the enhanced leishmanicidal ability of ArtinM-stimulated neutrophils is due to augmented release of inflammatory cytokines, ROS production, and cell degranulation, whereas host tissue integrity is favored by their shortened life span and the absence of NET formation. Our results reinforce the idea that ArtinM may be considered an appropriate molecular template for the construction of an efficient anti-infective agent.

Relationships between Categorical Perception of Phonemes, Phoneme Awareness, and Visual Attention Span in Developmental Dyslexia.

PubMed

Zoubrinetzky, Rachel; Collet, Gregory; Serniclaes, Willy; Nguyen-Morel, Marie-Ange; Valdois, Sylviane

2016-01-01

We tested the hypothesis that the categorical perception deficit of speech sounds in developmental dyslexia is related to phoneme awareness skills, whereas a visual attention (VA) span deficit constitutes an independent deficit. Phoneme awareness tasks, VA span tasks and categorical perception tasks of phoneme identification and discrimination using a d/t voicing continuum were administered to 63 dyslexic children and 63 control children matched on chronological age. Results showed significant differences in categorical perception between the dyslexic and control children. Significant correlations were found between categorical perception skills, phoneme awareness and reading. Although VA span correlated with reading, no significant correlations were found between either categorical perception or phoneme awareness and VA span. Mediation analyses performed on the whole dyslexic sample suggested that the effect of categorical perception on reading might be mediated by phoneme awareness. This relationship was independent of the participants' VA span abilities. Two groups of dyslexic children with a single phoneme awareness or a single VA span deficit were then identified. The phonologically impaired group showed lower categorical perception skills than the control group but categorical perception was similar in the VA span impaired dyslexic and control children. The overall findings suggest that the link between categorical perception, phoneme awareness and reading is independent from VA span skills. These findings provide new insights on the heterogeneity of developmental dyslexia. They suggest that phonological processes and VA span independently affect reading acquisition.

Relationships between Categorical Perception of Phonemes, Phoneme Awareness, and Visual Attention Span in Developmental Dyslexia

PubMed Central

Zoubrinetzky, Rachel; Collet, Gregory; Serniclaes, Willy; Nguyen-Morel, Marie-Ange; Valdois, Sylviane

2016-01-01

We tested the hypothesis that the categorical perception deficit of speech sounds in developmental dyslexia is related to phoneme awareness skills, whereas a visual attention (VA) span deficit constitutes an independent deficit. Phoneme awareness tasks, VA span tasks and categorical perception tasks of phoneme identification and discrimination using a d/t voicing continuum were administered to 63 dyslexic children and 63 control children matched on chronological age. Results showed significant differences in categorical perception between the dyslexic and control children. Significant correlations were found between categorical perception skills, phoneme awareness and reading. Although VA span correlated with reading, no significant correlations were found between either categorical perception or phoneme awareness and VA span. Mediation analyses performed on the whole dyslexic sample suggested that the effect of categorical perception on reading might be mediated by phoneme awareness. This relationship was independent of the participants’ VA span abilities. Two groups of dyslexic children with a single phoneme awareness or a single VA span deficit were then identified. The phonologically impaired group showed lower categorical perception skills than the control group but categorical perception was similar in the VA span impaired dyslexic and control children. The overall findings suggest that the link between categorical perception, phoneme awareness and reading is independent from VA span skills. These findings provide new insights on the heterogeneity of developmental dyslexia. They suggest that phonological processes and VA span independently affect reading acquisition. PMID:26950210

The Effects of Role Congruence and Role Conflict on Work, Marital, and Life Satisfaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perrone, Kristin M.; Webb, L. Kay; Blalock, Rachel H.

2005-01-01

The impact of role congruence and role conflict on work, marital, and life satisfaction was studied using Super's life-span, life-space theory. A conceptual model of relationships between these variables was proposed, and gender differences were examined. Participants were 35 male and 60 female college graduates who completed surveys by mail.…

Selective Control of Attention Supports the Positivity Effect in Aging

PubMed Central

Sasse, Laura K.; Gamer, Matthias; Büchel, Christian; Brassen, Stefanie

2014-01-01

There is emerging evidence for a positivity effect in healthy aging, which describes an age-specific increased focus on positive compared to negative information. Life-span researchers have attributed this effect to the selective allocation of cognitive resources in the service of prioritized emotional goals. We explored the basic principles of this assumption by assessing selective attention and memory for visual stimuli, differing in emotional content and self-relevance, in young and old participants. To specifically address the impact of cognitive control, voluntary attentional selection during the presentation of multiple-item displays was analyzed and linked to participants' general ability of cognitive control. Results revealed a positivity effect in older adults' selective attention and memory, which was particularly pronounced for self-relevant stimuli. Focusing on positive and ignoring negative information was most evident in older participants with a generally higher ability to exert top-down control during visual search. Our findings highlight the role of controlled selectivity in the occurrence of a positivity effect in aging. Since the effect has been related to well-being in later life, we suggest that the ability to selectively allocate top-down control might represent a resilience factor for emotional health in aging. PMID:25093459

Selective control of attention supports the positivity effect in aging.

PubMed

Sasse, Laura K; Gamer, Matthias; Büchel, Christian; Brassen, Stefanie

2014-01-01

There is emerging evidence for a positivity effect in healthy aging, which describes an age-specific increased focus on positive compared to negative information. Life-span researchers have attributed this effect to the selective allocation of cognitive resources in the service of prioritized emotional goals. We explored the basic principles of this assumption by assessing selective attention and memory for visual stimuli, differing in emotional content and self-relevance, in young and old participants. To specifically address the impact of cognitive control, voluntary attentional selection during the presentation of multiple-item displays was analyzed and linked to participants' general ability of cognitive control. Results revealed a positivity effect in older adults' selective attention and memory, which was particularly pronounced for self-relevant stimuli. Focusing on positive and ignoring negative information was most evident in older participants with a generally higher ability to exert top-down control during visual search. Our findings highlight the role of controlled selectivity in the occurrence of a positivity effect in aging. Since the effect has been related to well-being in later life, we suggest that the ability to selectively allocate top-down control might represent a resilience factor for emotional health in aging.

Health Monitoring and Evaluation of Long-Span Bridges Based on Sensing and Data Analysis: A Survey

PubMed Central

Zhou, Jianting; Li, Xiaogang; Xia, Runchuan; Yang, Jun; Zhang, Hong

2017-01-01

Aimed at the health monitoring and evaluation of bridges based on sensing technology, the monitoring contents of different structural types of long-span bridges were defined. Then, the definition, classification, selection principle, and installation requirements of the sensors were summarized. The concept was proposed that new adaptable long-life sensors could be developed by new theories and new effects. The principle and methods to select controlled sections and optimize the layout design of measuring points were illustrated. The functional requirements were elaborated on about the acquisition, transmission, processing, and management of sensing information. Some advanced concepts about the method of bridge safety evaluation were demonstrated and technology bottlenecks in the current safety evaluation were also put forward. Ultimately, combined with engineering practices, an application was carried out. The results showed that new, intelligent, and reliable sensor technology would be one of the main future development directions in the long-span bridge health monitoring and evaluation field. Also, it was imperative to optimize the design of the health monitoring system and realize its standardization. Moreover, it is a heavy responsibility to explore new thoughts and new concepts regarding practical bridge safety and evaluation technology. PMID:28300785

The Balancing Act of Adult Life. ERIC Digest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kerka, Sandra

Life is more complex than ever for adults in the 21st century as a result of technological advances; the changing nature of work, workplaces, and working relationships; international economic competition; the changing demographics of workers, families, and communities; and longer life spans. Learning to cope with all these changing…

[Immunogenicity of L5178Y cells modified by different reagents].

PubMed

Gómez-Estrada, H; López-de la Rosa, L M; Becerril-Meza, G; Arellano-Blanco, J; Fernández-Quintero, P

1977-01-01

Lymphoma L5178Y cells were treated with neuraminidase of Vibrio cholerae, potassium iodine, dithiotreitol (DTT), mercaptoethanol, glutaraldehyde, iodoacetamide, merthiolate, sodium periodate, urea, papaine, trypsine and EDTA, to increase immunoreaction in tumor cells. Mice were immunized with modified tumor cells every week for one month. Thereafter non modified tumor cells were transplanted to previously immunized mice. Only the immunization with neuraminidase-treated cells rejected the tumor. Although the immunization with cells treated with potassium iodine, DTT and mercaptoethanol did not reject tumor, prolonged significantly span of life. The other reactives had neither effect on tumor rejection nor on span of life.

[Working memory and executive control: inhibitory processes in updating and random generation tasks].

PubMed

Macizo, Pedro; Bajo, Teresa; Soriano, Maria Felipa

2006-02-01

Working Memory (WM) span predicts subjects' performance in control executive tasks and, in addition, it has been related to the capacity to inhibit irrelevant information. In this paper we investigate the role of WM span in two executive tasks focusing our attention on inhibitory components of both tasks. High and low span participants recalled targets words rejecting irrelevant items at the same time (Experiment 1) and they generated random numbers (Experiment 2). Results showed a clear relation between WM span and performance in both tasks. In addition, analyses of intrusion errors (Experiment 1) and stereotyped responses (Experiment 2) indicated that high span individuals were able to efficiently use the inhibitory component implied in both tasks. The pattern of data provides support to the relation between WM span and control executive tasks through an inhibitory mechanism.

Hard-Earned Wisdom: Exploratory Processing of Difficult Life Experience Is Positively Associated with Wisdom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weststrate, Nic M.; Glück, Judith

2017-01-01

Laypersons and experts believe that wisdom is cultivated through a diverse range of positive and negative life experiences. Yet, not all individuals with life experience are wise. We propose that one possible determinant of growth in wisdom from life experience is self-reflection. In a life span sample of adults (N = 94) ranging from 26 to 92…

Damage-Mitigating Control of Space Propulsion Systems for High Performance and Extended Life

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ray, Asok; Wu, Min-Kuang

1994-01-01

A major goal in the control of complex mechanical system such as spacecraft rocket engine's advanced aircraft, and power plants is to achieve high performance with increased reliability, component durability, and maintainability. The current practice of decision and control systems synthesis focuses on improving performance and diagnostic capabilities under constraints that often do not adequately represent the materials degradation. In view of the high performance requirements of the system and availability of improved materials, the lack of appropriate knowledge about the properties of these materials will lead to either less than achievable performance due to overly conservative design, or over-straining of the structure leading to unexpected failures and drastic reduction of the service life. The key idea in this report is that a significant improvement in service life could be achieved by a small reduction in the system dynamic performance. The major task is to characterize the damage generation process, and then utilize this information in a mathematical form to synthesize a control law that would meet the system requirements and simultaneously satisfy the constraints that are imposed by the material and structural properties of the critical components. The concept of damage mitigation is introduced for control of mechanical systems to achieve high performance with a prolonged life span. A model of fatigue damage dynamics is formulated in the continuous-time setting, instead of a cycle-based representation, for direct application to control systems synthesis. An optimal control policy is then formulated via nonlinear programming under specified constraints of the damage rate and accumulated damage. The results of simulation experiments for the transient upthrust of a bipropellant rocket engine are presented to demonstrate efficacy of the damage-mitigating control concept.

Human Keratinocytes That Express hTERT and Also Bypass a p16INK4a-Enforced Mechanism That Limits Life Span Become Immortal yet Retain Normal Growth and Differentiation Characteristics

PubMed Central

Dickson, Mark A.; Hahn, William C.; Ino, Yasushi; Ronfard, Vincent; Wu, Jenny Y.; Weinberg, Robert A.; Louis, David N.; Li, Frederick P.; Rheinwald, James G.

2000-01-01

Normal human cells exhibit a limited replicative life span in culture, eventually arresting growth by a process termed senescence. Progressive telomere shortening appears to trigger senescence in normal human fibroblasts and retinal pigment epithelial cells, as ectopic expression of the telomerase catalytic subunit, hTERT, immortalizes these cell types directly. Telomerase expression alone is insufficient to enable certain other cell types to evade senescence, however. Such cells, including keratinocytes and mammary epithelial cells, appear to require loss of the pRB/p16INK4a cell cycle control mechanism in addition to hTERT expression to achieve immortality. To investigate the relationships among telomerase activity, cell cycle control, senescence, and differentiation, we expressed hTERT in two epithelial cell types, keratinocytes and mesothelial cells, and determined the effect on proliferation potential and on the function of cell-type-specific growth control and differentiation systems. Ectopic hTERT expression immortalized normal mesothelial cells and a premalignant, p16INK4a-negative keratinocyte line. In contrast, when four keratinocyte strains cultured from normal tissue were transduced to express hTERT, they were incompletely rescued from senescence. After reaching the population doubling limit of their parent cell strains, hTERT+ keratinocytes entered a slow growth phase of indefinite length, from which rare, rapidly dividing immortal cells emerged. These immortal cell lines frequently had sustained deletions of the CDK2NA/INK4A locus or otherwise were deficient in p16INK4a expression. They nevertheless typically retained other keratinocyte growth controls and differentiated normally in culture and in xenografts. Thus, keratinocyte replicative potential is limited by a p16INK4a-dependent mechanism, the activation of which can occur independent of telomere length. Abrogation of this mechanism together with telomerase expression immortalizes keratinocytes without affecting other major growth control or differentiation systems. PMID:10648628

Animal models of aging research: implications for human aging and age-related diseases.

PubMed

Mitchell, Sarah J; Scheibye-Knudsen, Morten; Longo, Dan L; de Cabo, Rafael

2015-01-01

Aging is characterized by an increasing morbidity and functional decline that eventually results in the death of an organism. Aging is the largest risk factor for numerous human diseases, and understanding the aging process may thereby facilitate the development of new treatments for age-associated diseases. The use of humans in aging research is complicated by many factors, including ethical issues; environmental and social factors; and perhaps most importantly, their long natural life span. Although cellular models of human disease provide valuable mechanistic information, they are limited in that they may not replicate the in vivo biology. Almost all organisms age, and thus animal models can be useful for studying aging. Herein, we review some of the major models currently used in aging research and discuss their benefits and pitfalls, including interventions known to extend life span and health span. Finally, we conclude by discussing the future of animal models in aging research.

Royal Jelly-Mediated Prolongevity and Stress Resistance in Caenorhabditis elegans Is Possibly Modulated by the Interplays of DAF-16, SIR-2.1, HCF-1, and 14-3-3 Proteins.

PubMed

Wang, Xiaoxia; Cook, Lauren F; Grasso, Lindsay M; Cao, Min; Dong, Yuqing

2015-07-01

Recent studies suggest that royal jelly (RJ) and its related substances may have antiaging properties. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects remain elusive. We report that the effects of RJ and enzyme-treated RJ (eRJ) on life span and health span in Caenorhabditis elegans (C elegans) are modulated by the sophisticated interplays of DAF-16, SIR-2.1, HCF-1, and 14-3-3 proteins. Dietary supplementation with RJ or eRJ increased C. elegans life span in a dose-dependent manner. The RJ and eRJ consumption increased the tolerance of C elegans to oxidative stress, ultraviolet irradiation, and heat shock stress. Our genetic analyses showed that RJ/eRJ-mediated life-span extension requires insulin/IGF-1 signaling and the activities of DAF-16, SIR-2.1, HCF-1, and FTT-2, a 14-3-3 protein. Earlier studies reported that DAF-16/FOXO, SIR-2.1/SIRT1, FTT-2, and HCF-1 have extensive interplays in worms and mammals. Our present findings suggest that RJ/eRJ-mediated promotion of longevity and stress resistance in C elegans is dependent on these conserved interplays. From an evolutionary point of view, this study not only provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms of RJ's action on health span promotion in C elegans, but also has imperative implications in using RJ/eRJ as nutraceuticals to delay aging and age-related disorders. © 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.

Integrating the pace-of-life syndrome across species, sexes and individuals: covariation of life history and personality under pesticide exposure.

PubMed

Debecker, Sara; Sanmartín-Villar, Iago; de Guinea-Luengo, Miguel; Cordero-Rivera, Adolfo; Stoks, Robby

2016-05-01

The pace-of-life syndrome (POLS) hypothesis integrates covariation of life-history traits along a fast-slow continuum and covariation of behavioural traits along a proactive-reactive personality continuum. Few studies have investigated these predicted life-history/personality associations among species and between sexes. Furthermore, whether and how contaminants interfere with POLS patterns remains unexplored. We tested for covariation patterns in life history and in behaviour, and for life-history/personality covariation among species, among individuals within species and between sexes. Moreover, we investigated whether pesticide exposure affects covariation between life history and behaviour and whether species and sexes with a faster POLS strategy have a higher sensitivity to pesticides. We reared larvae of four species of Ischnura damselflies in a common garden experiment with an insecticide treatment (chlorpyrifos absent/present) in the final instar. We measured four life-history traits (larval growth rate during the pesticide treatment, larval development time, adult mass and life span) and two behavioural traits (larval feeding activity and boldness, each before and after the pesticide treatment). At the individual level, life-history traits and behavioural traits aligned along a fast-slow and a proactive-reactive continuum, respectively. Species-specific differences in life history, with fast-lived species having a faster larval growth and development, a lower mass at emergence and a shorter life span, suggested that time constraints in the larval stage were predictably driving life-history evolution both in the larval stage and across metamorphosis in the adult stage. Across species, females were consistently more slow-lived than males, reflecting that a large body size and a long life span are generally more important for females. In contrast to the POLS hypothesis, there was only little evidence for the expected positive coupling between life-history pace and proactivity. Pesticide exposure decreased larval growth rate and affected life-history/personality covariation in the most fast-lived species. Our study supports the existence of life-history and behavioural continua with limited support for life-history/personality covariation. Variation in digestive physiology may explain this decoupling of life history and behaviour and provide valuable mechanistic insights to understand and predict the occurrence of life-history/personality covariation patterns. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2016 British Ecological Society.

The Role of Plants in Space Exploration: Some History and Background

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wheeler, Raymond M.

2016-01-01

For over 3 decades, NASA has sponsored research on crops for human life support in space. Specialized watering techniques have even been tested for weightless settings, but most studies used conventional watering, such as hydroponics, which should work well on surface settings of the Moon or Mars. NASAs testing has spanned a wide range of crops and studied innovative techniques to increase yields, reduce power, minimize growing volume, and recycle water and nutrients. These issues closely parallel challenges faced in terrestrial controlled environment agriculture, which is expanding around the world.

Detection of density dependence requires density manipulations and calculation of lambda.

PubMed

Fowler, N L; Overath, R Deborah; Pease, Craig M

2006-03-01

To investigate density-dependent population regulation in the perennial bunchgrass Bouteloua rigidiseta, we experimentally manipulated density by removing adults or adding seeds to replicate quadrats in a natural population for three annual intervals. We monitored the adjacent control quadrats for 14 annual intervals. We constructed a population projection matrix for each quadrat in each interval, calculated lambda, and did a life table response experiment (LTRE) analysis. We tested the effects of density upon lambda by comparing experimental and control quadrats, and by an analysis of the 15-year observational data set. As measured by effects on lambda and on N(t+1/Nt in the experimental treatments, negative density dependence was strong: the population was being effectively regulated. The relative contributions of different matrix elements to treatment effect on lambda differed among years and treatments; overall the pattern was one of small contributions by many different life cycle stages. In contrast, density dependence could not be detected using only the observational (control quadrats) data, even though this data set covered a much longer time span. Nor did experimental effects on separate matrix elements reach statistical significance. These results suggest that ecologists may fail to detect density dependence when it is present if they have only descriptive, not experimental, data, do not have data for the entire life cycle, or analyze life cycle components separately.

Life-Span Exposure to Low Doses of Aspartame Beginning during Prenatal Life Increases Cancer Effects in Rats

PubMed Central

Soffritti, Morando; Belpoggi, Fiorella; Tibaldi, Eva; Esposti, Davide Degli; Lauriola, Michelina

2007-01-01

Background In a previous study conducted at the Cesare Maltoni Cancer Research Center of the European Ramazzini Foundation (CMCRC/ERF), we demonstrated for the first time that aspartame (APM) is a multipotent carcinogenic agent when various doses are administered with feed to Sprague-Dawley rats from 8 weeks of age throughout the life span. Objective The aim of this second study is to better quantify the carcinogenic risk of APM, beginning treatment during fetal life. Methods We studied groups of 70–95 male and female Sprague-Dawley rats administered APM (2,000, 400, or 0 ppm) with feed from the 12th day of fetal life until natural death. Results Our results show a) a significant dose-related increase of malignant tumor–bearing animals in males (p < 0.01), particularly in the group treated with 2,000 ppm APM (p < 0.01); b) a significant increase in incidence of lymphomas/leukemias in males treated with 2,000 ppm (p < 0.05) and a significant dose-related increase in incidence of lymphomas/leukemias in females (p < 0.01), particularly in the 2,000-ppm group (p < 0.01); and c) a significant dose-related increase in incidence of mammary cancer in females (p < 0.05), particularly in the 2,000-ppm group (p < 0.05). Conclusions The results of this carcinogenicity bioassay confirm and reinforce the first experimental demonstration of APM’s multipotential carcinogenicity at a dose level close to the acceptable daily intake for humans. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that when life-span exposure to APM begins during fetal life, its carcinogenic effects are increased. PMID:17805418

Developmental change in proactive interference across the life span: evidence from two working memory tasks.

PubMed

Loosli, Sandra V; Rahm, Benjamin; Unterrainer, Josef M; Weiller, Cornelius; Kaller, Christoph P

2014-04-01

Working memory (WM) as the ability to temporarily maintain and manipulate various kinds of information is known to be affected by proactive interference (PI) from previously relevant contents, but studies on developmental changes in the susceptibility to PI are scarce. In the present study, we investigated life span development of item-specific PI. To this end, 92 individuals between the ages of 8 and 74 years completed a recent-probes task and an n-back task that both composed experimental manipulations of PI. Regarding global WM development, young adults had higher WM performance than children and older adults in both tasks. Significant PI × Age interactions revealed that susceptibility to PI changed over the life span in both tasks, whereas the developmental course of PI differed between the tasks: Children committed more PI-related errors than young adults in the recent-probes task but showed marginally less PI in the n-back task. Regarding reaction time costs, children did not differ from adults in the recent-probes task and were less affected than adults in the n-back. Older adults showed more PI-related errors than young adults in both tasks. Therefore, as expected, item-specific PI changed over the life span with the young adults being less susceptible to PI than children and older adults. The diverging developmental effects of PI across both tasks, especially in the children, are supposed to reflect different causes for the difficulties regarding resisting PI in children and older adults. These might concern differently developed underlying cognitive processes such as inhibition or recollection, or different responses to task demands across both tasks. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Photosynthetic thermotolerance of woody savanna species in China is correlated with leaf life span

PubMed Central

Zhang, Jiao-Lin; Poorter, L.; Hao, Guang-You; Cao, Kun-Fang

2012-01-01

Background and Aims Photosynthetic thermotolerance (PT) is important for plant survival in tropical and sub-tropical savannas. However, little is known about thermotolerance of tropical and sub-tropical wild plants and its association with leaf phenology and persistence. Longer-lived leaves of savanna plants may experience a higher risk of heat stress. Foliar Ca is related to cell integrity of leaves under stresses. In this study it is hypothesized that (1) species with leaf flushing in the hot-dry season have greater PT than those with leaf flushing in the rainy season; and (2) PT correlates positively with leaf life span, leaf mass per unit area (LMA) and foliar Ca concentration ([Ca]) across woody savanna species. Methods The temperature-dependent increase in minimum fluorescence was measured to assess PT, together with leaf dynamics, LMA and [Ca] for a total of 24 woody species differing in leaf flushing time in a valley-type savanna in south-west China. Key Results The PT of the woody savanna species with leaf flushing in the hot-dry season was greater than that of those with leaf flushing in the rainy season. Thermotolerance was positively associated with leaf life span and [Ca] for all species irrespective of the time of flushing. The associations of PT with leaf life span and [Ca] were evolutionarily correlated. Thermotolerance was, however, independent of LMA. Conclusions Chinese savanna woody species are adapted to hot-dry habitats. However, the current maximum leaf temperature during extreme heat stress (44·3 °C) is close to the critical temperature of photosystem II (45·2 °C); future global warming may increase the risk of heat damage to the photosynthetic apparatus of Chinese savanna species. PMID:22875810

Late-onset temperature reduction can retard the aging process in aged fish via a combined action of an anti-oxidant system and the insulin/insulin-like growth factor 1 signaling pathway.

PubMed

Wang, Xia; Chang, Qingyun; Wang, Yu; Su, Feng; Zhang, Shicui

2014-12-01

Two different mechanisms are considered to be related to aging. Cumulative molecular damage caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS), the by-products of oxidative phosphorylation, is one of these mechanisms (ROS concept). Deregulated nutrient sensing by the insulin/insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) signaling (IIS) pathway is the second mechanism (IIS concept). Temperature reduction (TR) is known to modulate aging and prolong life span in a variety of organisms, but the mechanisms remain poorly defined. Here we first demonstrate that late-onset TR from 26 °C to 22 °C extends mean life span and maximum life span by approximately 5.2 and 3 weeks, respectively, in the annual fish Nothobranchius guentheri. We then show that TR is able to decrease the accumulation of the histological aging markers senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-Gal) in the epithelium and lipofuscin (LF) in the liver and to reduce protein oxidation and lipid peroxidation levels in the muscle. We also show that TR can enhance the activities of catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase, and stimulate the synthesis of SirT1 and FOXO3A/FOXO1A, both of which are the downstream regulators of the IIS pathway. Taken together, our findings suggest that late-onset TR, a simple non-intrusion intervention, can retard the aging process in aged fish, resulting in their life span extension, via a synergistic action of an anti-oxidant system and the IIS pathway. This also suggests that combined assessment of the ROS and IIS concepts will contribute to providing a more comprehensive view of the anti-aging process.

eRapa Restores A Normal Life Span in a FAP Mouse Model

PubMed Central

Hasty, Paul; Livi, Carolina B.; Dodds, Sherry G.; Jones, Diane; Strong, Randy; Javors, Martin; Fischer, Kathleen E.; Sloane, Lauren; Murthy, Kruthi; Hubbard, Gene; Sun, Lishi; Hurez, Vincent; Curiel, Tyler J.; Sharp, Zelton Dave

2014-01-01

Mutation of a single copy of the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene results in familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), which confers an extremely high risk for colon cancer. ApcMin/+ mice exhibit multiple intestinal neoplasia (MIN) that causes anemia and death from bleeding by 6 months. Mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) inhibitors were shown to improve ApcMin/+ mouse survival when administered by oral gavage or added directly to the chow, but these mice still died from neoplasia well short of a natural life span. The National Institute of Aging Intervention Testing Program showed that enterically targeted rapamycin (eRapa) extended life span for wild type genetically heterogeneous mice in part by inhibiting age-associated cancer. We hypothesized that eRapa would be effective in preventing neoplasia and extend survival of ApcMin/+ mice. We show that eRapa improved survival for ApcMin/+ mice in a dose-dependent manner. Remarkably, and in contrast to previous reports, most of the ApcMin/+ mice fed 42 ppm eRapa lived beyond the median life span reported for wild type syngeneic mice. Furthermore, chronic eRapa did not cause detrimental immune effects in mouse models of cancer, infection or autoimmunity; thus, assuaging concerns that chronic rapamycin treatment suppresses immunity. Our studies suggest that a novel formulation (enteric targeting) of a well-known and widely used drug (rapamycin) can dramatically improve its efficacy in targeted settings. eRapa or other mTORC1 inhibitors could serve as effective cancer preventatives for people with FAP without suppressing the immune system, thus reducing the dependency on surgery as standard therapy. PMID:24282255

Cardiac risk assessment: when and who? [Retrospectroscope].

PubMed

Valentinuzzi, M E; Arini, P D; Laciar, E; Bonomini, M P; Correa, R O

2013-07-01

Think about the above lines taken from the Old Testament: At 130 years of age, Adam begat a son and at 800 he kept going, quitting this earthly life at 930. These numbers surpass by far the limits our current experience teaches us, however, perhaps a life span into the hundreds of years is ? What if, in the future, science were to do away with disease? What then would cause people to die: accidents, killings, wars? How old would old age be? Aging has always been a hot topic for research (with considerable quackery, too). For example, animals with a slow metabolism tend to live longer than those with a fast metabolism. Compare the average life span of a mouse with that of a turtle. Apparently, meditators are able to slow their metabolism down [1].

Is there a trade-off between longevity and quality of life in Grossman's pure investment model?

PubMed

Eisenring, C

2000-12-01

The question is posed whether an individual maximizes lifetime or trades off longevity for quality of life in Grossman's pure investment (PI)-model. It is shown that the answer critically hinges on the assumed production function for healthy time. If the production function for healthy time produces a trade-off between life-span and quality of life, one has to solve a sequence of fixed time problems. The one offering maximal intertemporal utility determines optimal longevity. Comparative static results of optimal longevity for a simplified version of the PI-model are derived. The obtained results predict that higher initial endowments of wealth and health, a rise in the wage rate, or improvements in the technology of producing healthy time, all increase the optimal length of life. On the other hand, optimal longevity is decreasing in the depreciation and interest rate. From a technical point of view, the paper illustrates that a discrete time equivalent to the transversality condition for optimal longevity employed in continuous optimal control models does not exist. Copyright 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Longevity of clonal plants: why it matters and how to measure it

PubMed Central

de Witte, Lucienne C.; Stöcklin, Jürg

2010-01-01

Background Species' life-history and population dynamics are strongly shaped by the longevity of individuals, but life span is one of the least accessible demographic traits, particularly in clonal plants. Continuous vegetative reproduction of genets enables persistence despite low or no sexual reproduction, affecting genet turnover rates and population stability. Therefore, the longevity of clonal plants is of considerable biological interest, but remains relatively poorly known. Scope Here, we critically review the present knowledge on the longevity of clonal plants and discuss its importance for population persistence. Direct life-span measurements such as growth-ring analysis in woody plants are relatively easy to take, although, for many clonal plants, these methods are not adequate due to the variable growth pattern of ramets and difficult genet identification. Recently, indirect methods have been introduced in which genet size and annual shoot increments are used to estimate genet age. These methods, often based on molecular techniques, allow the investigation of genet size and age structure of whole populations, a crucial issue for understanding their viability and persistence. However, indirect estimates of clonal longevity are impeded because the process of ageing in clonal plants is still poorly understood and because their size and age are not always well correlated. Alternative estimators for genet life span such as somatic mutations have recently been suggested. Conclusions Empirical knowledge on the longevity of clonal species has increased considerably in the last few years. Maximum age estimates are an indicator of population persistence, but are not sufficient to evaluate turnover rates and the ability of long-lived clonal plants to enhance community stability and ecosystem resilience. In order to understand the dynamics of populations it will be necessary to measure genet size and age structure, not only life spans of single individuals, and to use such data for modelling of genet dynamics. PMID:20880935

Ageless and Timeless: Perspectives on Giftedness across the Life Span

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fiedler, Ellen D.

2016-01-01

Annemarie Roeper's timeless perspectives were demonstrated throughout her long and productive life. Her prolific writings and speeches continue to influence our understanding of giftedness at all ages and stages of life, and the time I spent with her had a profound and meaningful effect on my work. Annemarie incorporated her inner view of…

"Play" across the Life Cycle: From Initiative to Integrity to Transcendence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Elizabeth

2011-01-01

In this autobiographical journey through life-span developmental theory, the author reflects on her life as a player, embedding it in the context of Erik Erikson and Joan Erikson's stages of human development. The author builds on these basic ideas--theory, storytelling, play, and development--and defines them as simply as possible.

Preparation for Old Age in Different Life Domains: Dimensions and Age Differences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kornadt, Anna E.; Rothermund, Klaus

2014-01-01

We investigated preparation for age-related changes from a multidimensional, life span perspective and administered a newly developed questionnaire to a large sample aged 30-80 years. Preparing for age-related changes was organized by life domains, with domain-specific types of preparation addressing obstacles and opportunities in the respective…

Life stage dependent responses to desiccation risk in the annual killifish Nothobranchius wattersi.

PubMed

Grégoir, A F; Philippe, C; Pinceel, T; Reniers, J; Thoré, E S J; Vanschoenwinkel, B; Brendonck, L

2017-09-01

To assess whether the annual killifish Nothobranchius wattersi responds plastically to a desiccation risk and whether this response is life stage dependent, life-history traits such as maturation time, fecundity and life span were experimentally measured in N. wattersi that were subjected to a drop in water level either as juveniles, as adults or both as juveniles and adults. Fish that were exposed to simulated pool drying as juveniles did not show changes in reproductive output or life span. Adults reacted by doubling short term egg deposition at the cost of a shorter lifespan. Overall, these results suggest that annual fish species can use phenotypic plasticity to maximize their reproductive output when faced with early pond drying, but this response appears to be life-stage specific. In addition to frogs and aquatic insects, phenotypic plasticity induced by forthcoming drought is now also confirmed in annual fishes and could well be a common feature of the limited number of fish taxa that manage to survive in this extreme environment. © 2017 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Head and neck tumors after energetic proton irradiation in rats

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wood, D.; Cox, A.; Hardy, K.; Salmon, Y.; Trotter, R.

1994-10-01

This is a two-year progress report on a life span dose-response study of brain tumor risk at moderate to high doses of energetic protons. It was initiated because a joint NASA/USAF life span study of rhesus monkeys that were irradiated with 55-MeV protons (average surface dose, 3.5 Gy) indicated that the incidence of brain tumors per unit surface absorbed dose was over 19 times that of the human tinea capitis patients whose heads were exposed to 100 kv x-rays. Examination of those rats that died in the two-year interval after irradiation of the head revealed a linear dose-response for total head and neck tumor incidence in the dose range of 0-8.5 Gy. The exposed rats had a greater incidence of pituitary chromophobe adenomas, epithelial and mesothelial cell tumors than the unexposed controls but the excessive occurrence of malignant gliomas that was observed in the monkeys was absent in the rats. The estimated dose required to double the number of all types of head and neck tumors was 5.2 Gy. The highest dose, 18 Gy, resulted in high mortality due to obstructive squamous metaplasia at less than 50 weeks, prompting a new study of the relative bological effectiveness of high energy protons in producing this lesion.

Abnormal structural luteolysis in ovaries of the senescence accelerated mouse (SAM): expression of Fas ligand/Fas-mediated apoptosis signaling molecules in luteal cells.

PubMed

Kiso, Minako; Manabe, Noboru; Komatsu, Kohji; Shimabe, Munetake; Miyamoto, Hajime

2003-12-01

Senescence accelerated mouse-prone (SAMP) mice with a shortened life span show accelerated changes in many of the signs of aging and a shorter reproductive life span than SAM-resistant (SAMR) controls. We previously showed that functional regression (progesterone dissimilation) occurs in abnormally accumulated luteal bodies (aaLBs) of SAMP mice, but structural regression of luteal cells in aaLB is inhibited. A deficiency of luteal cell apoptosis causes the abnormal accumulation of LBs in SAMP ovaries. In the present study, to show the abnormality of Fas ligand (FasL)/Fas-mediated apoptosis signal transducing factors in the aaLBs of the SAMP ovaries, we assessed the changes in the expression of FasL, Fas, caspase-8 and caspase-3 mRNAs by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and in the expression and localization of FasL, Fas and activated caspase-3 proteins by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry, respectively, during the estrus cycle/luteolysis. These mRNAs and proteins were expressed in normal LBs of both SAMP and SAMR ovaries, but not at all or only in trace amounts in aaLBs of SAMP, indicating that structural regression is inhibited by blockage of the expression of these transducing factors in luteal cells of aaLBs in SAMP mice.

Potential Mechanisms for Cancer Resistance in Elephants and Comparative Cellular Response to DNA Damage in Humans

PubMed Central

Abegglen, Lisa M.; Caulin, Aleah F.; Chan, Ashley; Lee, Kristy; Robinson, Rosann; Campbell, Michael S.; Kiso, Wendy K.; Schmitt, Dennis L.; Waddell, Peter J; Bhaskara, Srividya; Jensen, Shane T.; Maley, Carlo C.; Schiffman, Joshua D.

2016-01-01

IMPORTANCE Evolutionary medicine may provide insights into human physiology and pathophysiology, including tumor biology. OBJECTIVE To identify mechanisms for cancer resistance in elephants and compare cellular response to DNA damage among elephants, healthy human controls, and cancer-prone patients with Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS A comprehensive survey of necropsy data was performed across 36 mammalian species to validate cancer resistance in large and long-lived organisms, including elephants (n = 644). The African and Asian elephant genomes were analyzed for potential mechanisms of cancer resistance. Peripheral blood lymphocytes from elephants, healthy human controls, and patients with LFS were tested in vitro in the laboratory for DNA damage response. The study included African and Asian elephants (n = 8), patients with LFS (n = 10), and age-matched human controls (n = 11). Human samples were collected at the University of Utah between June 2014 and July 2015. EXPOSURES Ionizing radiation and doxorubicin. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Cancer mortality across species was calculated and compared by body size and life span. The elephant genome was investigated for alterations in cancer-related genes. DNA repair and apoptosis were compared in elephant vs human peripheral blood lymphocytes. RESULTS Across mammals, cancer mortality did not increase with body size and/or maximum life span (eg, for rock hyrax, 1% [95%CI, 0%–5%]; African wild dog, 8%[95%CI, 0%–16%]; lion, 2%[95%CI, 0% –7%]). Despite their large body size and long life span, elephants remain cancer resistant, with an estimated cancer mortality of 4.81% (95%CI, 3.14%–6.49%), compared with humans, who have 11% to 25%cancer mortality. While humans have 1 copy (2 alleles) of TP53, African elephants have at least 20 copies (40 alleles), including 19 retrogenes (38 alleles) with evidence of transcriptional activity measured by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. In response to DNA damage, elephant lymphocytes underwent p53-mediated apoptosis at higher rates than human lymphocytes proportional to TP53 status (ionizing radiation exposure: patients with LFS, 2.71% [95%CI, 1.93%–3.48%] vs human controls, 7.17%[95%CI, 5.91%–8.44%] vs elephants, 14.64%[95%CI, 10.91%–18.37%]; P < .001; doxorubicin exposure: human controls, 8.10% [95%CI, 6.55%–9.66%] vs elephants, 24.77%[95%CI, 23.0%–26.53%]; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Compared with other mammalian species, elephants appeared to have a lower-than-expected rate of cancer, potentially related to multiple copies of TP53. Compared with human cells, elephant cells demonstrated increased apoptotic response following DNA damage. These findings, if replicated, could represent an evolutionary-based approach for understanding mechanisms related to cancer suppression. PMID:26447779

Magnetohydrodynamic thermochemotherapy and MRI of mouse tumors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brusentsov, Nikolay A.; Brusentsova, Tatiana N.; Filinova, Elena Yu.; Jurchenko, Nikolay Y.; Kupriyanov, Dmitry A.; Pirogov, Yuri A.; Dubina, Andry I.; Shumskikh, Maxim N.; Shumakov, Leonid I.; Anashkina, Ekaterina N.; Shevelev, Alexandr A.; Uchevatkin, Andry A.

2007-04-01

A dextran-ferrite magnetic fluid was successfully tested as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent. The same magnetic fluid was then combined with Melphalan, a chemotherapeutic drug, and used for magnetohydrodynamic thermochemotherapy of different tumors. The placement of the tumors in an AC magnetic field led to hyperthermia at 46 °C for 30 min. In combination with tumor slime aspiration, a 30% regression of ˜130 mm 3 non-metastatic P388 tumors in BDF 1 mice was reached, together with a life span increase of 290%. The same procedure associated with cyclophosphamide treatment of ˜500 mm 3 metastases tumor increased the animal's life span by 180%.

An Integrated Socio-Environmental Model of Health and Well-Being: a Conceptual Framework Exploring the Joint Contribution of Environmental and Social Exposures to Health and Disease Over the Life Span.

PubMed

Olvera Alvarez, Hector A; Appleton, Allison A; Fuller, Christina H; Belcourt, Annie; Kubzansky, Laura D

2018-06-01

Environmental and social determinants of health often co-occur, particularly among socially disadvantaged populations, yet because they are usually studied separately, their joint effects on health are likely underestimated. Building on converging bodies of literature, we delineate a conceptual framework to address these issues. Previous models provided a foundation for study in this area, and generated research pointing to additional important issues. These include a stronger focus on biobehavioral pathways, both positive and adverse health outcomes, and intergenerational effects. To accommodate the expanded set of issues, we put forward the Integrated Socio-Environmental Model of Health and Well-Being (ISEM), which examines how social and environmental factors combine and potentially interact, via multi-factorial pathways, to affect health and well-being over the life span. We then provide applied examples including the study of how food environments affect dietary behavior. The ISEM provides a comprehensive, theoretically informed framework to guide future research on the joint contribution of social and environmental factors to health and well-being across the life span.

Time scale matters: genetic analysis does not support adaptation-by-time as the mechanism for adaptive seasonal declines in kokanee reproductive life span

PubMed Central

Morbey, Yolanda E; Jensen, Evelyn L; Russello, Michael A

2014-01-01

Seasonal declines of fitness-related traits are often attributed to environmental effects or individual-level decisions about reproductive timing and effort, but genetic variation may also play a role. In populations of Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.), seasonal declines in reproductive life span have been attributed to adaptation-by-time, in which divergent selection for different traits occurs among reproductively isolated temporal components of a population. We evaluated this hypothesis in kokanee (freshwater obligate Oncorhynchus nerka) by testing for temporal genetic structure in neutral and circadian-linked loci. We detected no genetic differences in presumably neutral loci among kokanee with different arrival and maturation dates within a spawning season. Similarly, we detected no temporal genetic structure in OtsClock1b, Omy1009uw, or OmyFbxw11, candidate loci associated with circadian function. The genetic evidence from this study and others indicates a lack of support for adaptation-by-time as an important evolutionary mechanism underlying seasonal declines in reproductive life span and a need for greater consideration of other mechanisms such as time-dependent, adaptive adjustment of reproductive effort. PMID:25478160

Lifespan development of pro- and anti-saccades: multiple regression models for point estimates.

PubMed

Klein, Christoph; Foerster, Friedrich; Hartnegg, Klaus; Fischer, Burkhart

2005-12-07

The comparative study of anti- and pro-saccade task performance contributes to our functional understanding of the frontal lobes, their alterations in psychiatric or neurological populations, and their changes during the life span. In the present study, we apply regression analysis to model life span developmental effects on various pro- and anti-saccade task parameters, using data of a non-representative sample of 327 participants aged 9 to 88 years. Development up to the age of about 27 years was dominated by curvilinear rather than linear effects of age. Furthermore, the largest developmental differences were found for intra-subject variability measures and the anti-saccade task parameters. Ageing, by contrast, had the shape of a global linear decline of the investigated saccade functions, lacking the differential effects of age observed during development. While these results do support the assumption that frontal lobe functions can be distinguished from other functions by their strong and protracted development, they do not confirm the assumption of disproportionate deterioration of frontal lobe functions with ageing. We finally show that the regression models applied here to quantify life span developmental effects can also be used for individual predictions in applied research contexts or clinical practice.

A mitochondrial mutator plasmid that causes senescence under dietary restricted conditions

PubMed Central

Maas, Marc FPM; Hoekstra, Rolf F; Debets, Alfons JM

2007-01-01

Background Calorie or dietary restriction extends life span in a wide range of organisms including the filamentous fungus Podospora anserina. Under dietary restricted conditions, P. anserina isolates are several-fold longer lived. This is however not the case in isolates that carry one of the pAL2-1 homologous mitochondrial plasmids. Results We show that the pAL2-1 homologues act as 'insertional mutators' of the mitochondrial genome, which may explain their negative effect on life span extension. Sequencing revealed at least fourteen unique plasmid integration sites, of which twelve were located within the mitochondrial genome and two within copies of the plasmid itself. The plasmids were able to integrate in their entirety, via a non-homologous mode of recombination. Some of the integrated plasmid copies were truncated, which probably resulted from secondary, post-integrative, recombination processes. Integration sites were predominantly located within and surrounding the region containing the mitochondrial rDNA loci. Conclusion We propose a model for the mechanism of integration, based on innate modes of mtDNA recombination, and discuss its possible link with the plasmid's negative effect on dietary restriction mediated life span extension. PMID:17407571

Stochastic variation in telomere shortening rate causes heterogeneity of human fibroblast replicative life span.

PubMed

Martin-Ruiz, Carmen; Saretzki, Gabriele; Petrie, Joanne; Ladhoff, Juliane; Jeyapalan, Jessie; Wei, Wenyi; Sedivy, John; von Zglinicki, Thomas

2004-04-23

The replicative life span of human fibroblasts is heterogeneous, with a fraction of cells senescing at every population doubling. To find out whether this heterogeneity is due to premature senescence, i.e. driven by a nontelomeric mechanism, fibroblasts with a senescent phenotype were isolated from growing cultures and clones by flow cytometry. These senescent cells had shorter telomeres than their cycling counterparts at all population doubling levels and both in mass cultures and in individual subclones, indicating heterogeneity in the rate of telomere shortening. Ectopic expression of telomerase stabilized telomere length in the majority of cells and rescued them from early senescence, suggesting a causal role of telomere shortening. Under standard cell culture conditions, there was a minor fraction of cells that showed a senescent phenotype and short telomeres despite active telomerase. This fraction increased under chronic mild oxidative stress, which is known to accelerate telomere shortening. It is possible that even high telomerase activity cannot fully compensate for telomere shortening in all cells. The data show that heterogeneity of the human fibroblast replicative life span can be caused by significant stochastic cell-to-cell variation in telomere shortening.

"A general benevolence dimension that links neural, psychological, economic, and life-span data on altruistic tendencies": Correction to Hubbard et al. (2016).

PubMed

2016-10-01

Reports an error in "A general benevolence dimension that links neural, psychological, economic, and life-span data on altruistic tendencies" by Jason Hubbard, William T. Harbaugh, Sanjay Srivastava, David Degras and Ulrich Mayr ( Journal of Experimental Psychology: General , Advanced Online Publication, Aug 11, 2016, np). In the article, there was an error in the Task, Stimuli, and Procedures section. In the 1st sentence in the 6th paragraph, “Following the scanning phase, participants completed self-report questionnaires meant to reflected the Prosocial Disposition construct: the agreeableness scale from the Big F, which includes empathic concern and perspective-taking, and a scale of personality descriptive adjectives related to altruistic behavior (Wood, Nye, & Saucier, 2010).” should have read: “Following the scanning phase, participants completed self-report questionnaires that contained scales to reflect the Prosocial Disposition construct: the Big Five Inventory (BFI; John et al., 1991), from which we used the agreeableness scale to measure prosocial disposition; the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI; Davis, 1980), from which we used the empathic concern and perspective-taking scales; and a scale of personality descriptive adjectives related to altruistic behavior (Wood, Nye, & Saucier, 2010).” (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2016-39037-001.) Individual and life span differences in charitable giving are an important economic force, yet the underlying motives are not well understood. In an adult, life span sample, we assessed manifestations of prosocial tendencies across 3 different measurement domains: (a) psychological self-report measures, (b) actual giving choices, and (c) fMRI-derived, neural indicators of “pure altruism.” The latter expressed individuals’ activity in neural valuation areas when charities received money compared to when oneself received money and thus reflected an altruistic concern for others. Results based both on structural equation modeling and unit-weighted aggregate scores revealed a strong higher-order General Benevolence dimension that accounted for variability across all measurement domains. The fact that the neural measures likely reflect pure altruistic tendencies indicates that General Benevolence is based on a genuine concern for others. Furthermore, General Benevolence exhibited a robust increase across the adult life span, potentially providing an explanation for why older adults typically contribute more to the public good than young adults. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved

Meaning and Purpose in Life across the Life Span: A Cross-Sectional Multivariate Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reker, Gary T.; And Others

This paper explores the developmental changes in meaning and purpose across the life course. Thirty males and females at the developmental stages of young adulthood (16-29 years), early middle-age (30-49 years), late middle-age (50-64 years), young-old (65-74 years) and old-old (75+ years) completed the Reker and Peacock (1981) Life Attitude…

The Study of Life Review. An Approach to the Investigation of Intellectual Development across the Life Span. Studien und Berichte 47.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Staudinger, Ursula M.

A study looked for age differences in the quality of responses to the Life Review Task (LRT), studied the LRT itself as a tool for exploring wisdom and intellectual functioning in adulthood, and considered personality characteristics and life experience as alternative predictors of response quality. Sixty-three West German women of different ages…

Life Satisfaction Shows Terminal Decline in Old Age: Longitudinal Evidence from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gerstorf, Denis; Ram, Nilam; Estabrook, Ryne; Schupp, Jurgen; Wagner, Gert G.; Lindenberger, Ulman

2008-01-01

Longitudinal data spanning 22 years, obtained from deceased participants of the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP; N = 1,637; 70- to 100-year-olds), were used to examine if and how life satisfaction exhibits terminal decline at the end of life. Changes in life satisfaction were more strongly associated with distance to death than with…

Antioxidant Capacity of “Mexican Arnica” Heterotheca inuloides Cass Natural Products and Some Derivatives: Their Anti-Inflammatory Evaluation and Effect on C. elegans Life Span

PubMed Central

Rodríguez-Chávez, José Luis; Nieto-Camacho, Antonio; Delgado-Lamas, Guillermo

2015-01-01

It has been suggested that the accumulation of biomolecular damage caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) contributes to aging. The antioxidant activity is related to the ability of certain compounds to protect against the potentially harmful effect of processes or reactions involving ROS. This ability is associated with the termination of free radical propagation in biological systems. From Heterotheca inuloides various compounds which have shown to possess antioxidant capacity and scavenging ROS. The aim of this study was to determine the antioxidant capacity of additional natural components isolated from H. inuloides and some semisynthetic derivatives, their anti-inflammatory activity and the effect on Caenorhabditis elegans nematode life span. Compounds showed ability to inhibit various biological processes such as lipid peroxidation, scavenge nonbiological important oxidants such as 1O2, OH∙, H2O2, and HOCl and scavenge non biological stable free radicals (DPPH). Some cadinane type compounds showed possess antioxidant, ROS scavenging capacity, anti-inflammatory activity, and effect on the C. elegans life span. Flavonoid type compounds increased the life of the nematode and quercetin was identified as the compound with the greatest activity. The modification of chemical structure led to a change in the antioxidant capacity, the anti-inflammatory activity, and the survival of the worm. PMID:25821555

The mouse as a model organism in aging research: usefulness, pitfalls and possibilities.

PubMed

Vanhooren, Valerie; Libert, Claude

2013-01-01

The mouse has become the favorite mammalian model. Among the many reasons for this privileged position of mice is their genetic proximity to humans, the possibilities of genetically manipulating their genomes and the availability of many tools, mutants and inbred strains. Also in the field of aging, mice have become very robust and reliable research tools. Since laboratory mice have a life expectancy of only a few years, genetic approaches and other strategies for intervening in aging can be tested by examining their effects on life span and aging parameters during the relatively short period of, for example, a PhD project. Moreover, experiments on mice with an extended life span as well as on mice demonstrating signs of (segmental) premature aging, together with genetic mapping strategies, have provided novel insights into the fundamental processes that drive aging. Finally, the results of studies on caloric restriction and pharmacological anti-aging treatments in mice have a high degree of relevance to humans. In this paper, we review a number of recent genetic mapping studies that have yielded novel insights into the aging process. We discuss the value of the mouse as a model for testing interventions in aging, such as caloric restriction, and we critically discuss mouse strains with an extended or a shortened life span as models of aging. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Psychological Well-Being in Italian Families: An Exploratory Approach to the Study of Mental Health Across the Adult Life Span in the Blue Zone

PubMed Central

Hitchcott, Paul Kenneth; Fastame, Maria Chiara; Ferrai, Jessica; Penna, Maria Pietronilla

2017-01-01

Self-reported measures of psychological well-being and depressive symptoms were examined across differently aged family members, while controlling for the impact of marital status and personal satisfaction about family and non-family relations. Twenty-one grandchildren (i.e., ages 21-36 years) were recruited with their parents (i.e., 48-66 years old) and grandparents (i.e., 75-101 years of age) in the ‘blue zone’ of Ogliastra, an Italian area known for the longevity of its inhabitants. Each participant was individually presented a battery of questionnaires assessing their lifestyle and several perceived mental health indices, including the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS, Tennant et al., 2007), and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (i.e., CES-D, Radloff, 1977). After assessing the level of concordance among adults sharing the same context, the Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) approach was used to assess the nested dataset. It was found that family membership (i.e., grandchildren versus parents and grandparents) predicted the WEMWBS score but not the CES-D when the impact of marital status and personal satisfaction about social (i.e., family and non-family) ties was controlled for. Moreover, two separate repeated-measure Analyses of Variance (ANOVAs) documented similar level of personal satisfaction about social relationships across the three family groups. In conclusions, satisfying social ties with friends and family members together with an active socially oriented life style seems to contribute to the promotion of mental health in adult span. PMID:28904594

Effect of fractionation on treatment outcome in local dual-frequency sonication and Dox-encapsulated nanomicelles.

PubMed

Hasanzadeh, Hadi; Mokhtari-Dizaji, Manijhe; Bathaie, S Zahra; Hassan, Zuhair M

2013-10-01

The goal of this study was to localize drug release from nanomicelles using dual-frequency sonication at low levels of acoustic intensity. In this study, the antitumor effect of simultaneous dual-frequency sonication (28 kHz and 3 MHz) at low levels of acoustic intensity in combination with doxorubicin and micellar doxorubicin injection was assessed in a spontaneous model of breast adenocarcinoma in female Balb/c mice. Sixty-three tumor-bearing mice were randomly grouped into control, sham, dual-frequency sonication, doxorubicin injection with and without dual-frequency sonication, and micellar doxorubicin injection with and without dual-frequency sonication groups. The results of volume change relative to initial volume showed that in the micellar doxorubicin injection with sonication group, this parameter was significantly different from that of the control, sham, sonication, and doxorubicin injection groups (P < 0.05). In addition, the volume began to increase on the 15th day after the start of treatment, which is a good indication to repeat treatment; therefore, another group received an extra treatment on day 15. The animal life span in the micellar doxorubicin with sonication and repeated treatment groups was significantly higher than that in all the other experimental groups except for the micellar doxorubicin injection group (P < 0.05). It was concluded that dual-frequency sonication with micellar doxorubicin injection extends the life span relative to doxorubicin injection or dual-frequency sonication alone, and that repeating this treatment on day 15 decreases the rate of tumor growth significantly.

A control-oriented lithium-ion battery pack model for plug-in hybrid electric vehicle cycle-life studies and system design with consideration of health management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cordoba-Arenas, Andrea; Onori, Simona; Rizzoni, Giorgio

2015-04-01

A crucial step towards the large-scale introduction of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) in the market is to reduce the cost of its battery systems. Currently, battery cycle- and calendar-life represents one of the greatest uncertainties in the total life-cycle cost of battery systems. The field of battery aging modeling and prognosis has seen progress with respect to model-based and data-driven approaches to describe the aging of battery cells. However, in real world applications cells are interconnected and aging propagates. The propagation of aging from one cell to others exhibits itself in a reduced battery system life. This paper proposes a control-oriented battery pack model that describes the propagation of aging and its effect on the life span of battery systems. The modeling approach is such that it is able to predict pack aging, thermal, and electrical dynamics under actual PHEV operation, and includes consideration of random variability of the cells, electrical topology and thermal management. The modeling approach is based on the interaction between dynamic system models of the electrical and thermal dynamics, and dynamic models of cell aging. The system-level state-of-health (SOH) is assessed based on knowledge of individual cells SOH, pack electrical topology and voltage equalization approach.

Sex and Race Disparities in Health: Cohort Variations in Life Course Patterns

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Yang; Lee, Linda C.

2009-01-01

This study assesses changes in sex and race disparities in health over the life course and across cohorts by conducting growth curve analyses of nationally representative longitudinal data that spans 15 years. It finds that changes in disparities in depressive symptoms, disability and self-assessments of health across the life course are…

Life Lived Well: A Description of Wellness across the Lifespan of a Senior Woman

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jarnagin, Whitney L.; Woodside, Marianne

2012-01-01

The concept of wellness provides a positive view of life development that can support psychological support and counseling. There is little in the literature about wellness and seniors, especially women. This study describes one senior woman's wellness across the life span by addressing two research questions: (a) What are the experiences of one…

Impacting load control of floating supported friction plate and its experimental verification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ning, Keyan; Wang, Yu; Huang, Dingchuan; Yin, Lei

2017-05-01

Friction plates are key components in automobile transmission system. Unfortunately, due to the tough working condition i.e. high impact, high temperature, fracture and plastic deformation are easily observed in friction plates. In order to reduce the impact load and increase the impact resistance and life span of the friction plate. This paper presents a variable damping design method and structure, by punching holes in the key position of the friction plate and filling it with damping materials, the impact load of the floating support friction plate can be controlled. Simulation is applied to study the effect of the position and number of damping holes on tooth root stress. Furthermore, physic test was designed and conducted to validate the correctness and effectiveness of the proposed method. Test result shows that the impact load of the new structure is reduced by 40% and its fatigue life is 4.7 times larger. The new structure provides a new way for floating supported friction plates design.

Mitigating crack propagation in a highly maneuverable flight vehicle using life extending control logic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elshabasy, Mohamed Mostafa Yousef Bassyouny

In this research, life extending control logic is proposed to reduce the cost of treating the aging problem of military aircraft structures and to avoid catastrophic failures and fatal accidents due to undetected cracks in the airframe components. The life extending control logic is based on load tailoring to facilitate a desired stress sequence that prolongs the structural life of the cracked airframe components by exploiting certain nonlinear crack retardation phenomena. The load is tailored to include infrequent injections of a single-cycle overload or a single-cycle overload and underload. These irregular loadings have an anti-intuitive but beneficial effect, which has been experimentally validated, on the extension of the operational structural life of the aircraft. A rigid six-degree-of freedom dynamic model of a highly maneuverable air vehicle coupled with an elastic dynamic wing model is used to generate the stress history at the lower skin of the wing. A three-dimensional equivalent plate finite element model is used to calculate the stress in the cracked skin. The plate is chosen to be of uniform chord-wise and span-wise thickness where the mechanical properties are assigned using an ad-hoc approach to mimic the full scale wing model. An in-extensional 3-node triangular element is used as the gridding finite element while the aerodynamic load is calculated using the vortex-lattice method where each lattice is laid upon two triangular finite elements with common hypotenuse. The aerodynamic loads, along with the base-excitation which is due to the motion of the rigid aircraft model, are the driving forces acting on the wing finite element model. An aerodynamic control surface is modulated based on the proposed life extending control logic within an existing flight control system without requiring major modification. One of the main goals of life extending control logic is to enhance the aircraft's service life, without incurring significant loss of vehicle dynamic performance. The value of the control-surface deflection angle is modulated so that the created overstress is sufficiently below the yield stress of the panel material. The results show that extension in crack length was reduced by 40% to 75% with an absence of damage mitigation logic. Moreover, the desired structural integrity is satisfied without affecting the air vehicle dynamic performance.

Cognitive changes and dementia risk after traumatic brain injury: implications for aging military personnel.

PubMed

Vincent, Andrea S; Roebuck-Spencer, Tresa M; Cernich, Alison

2014-06-01

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is recognized as an important risk factor for the long-term cognitive health of military personnel, particularly in light of growing evidence that TBI increases risk for Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. In this article, we review the neurocognitive and neuropathologic changes after TBI with particular focus on the potential risk for cognitive decline across the life span in military service members. Implications for monitoring and surveillance of cognition in the aging military population are discussed. Additional studies are needed to clarify the factors that increase risk for later life cognitive decline, define the mechanistic link between these factors and dementia, and provide empirically supported interventions to mitigate the impact of TBI on cognition across the life span. Copyright © 2014 The Alzheimer's Association. All rights reserved.

Predictors of Exceptional Longevity: Effects of Early-Life Childhood Conditions, Midlife Environment and Parental Characteristics.

PubMed

Gavrilov, Leonid A; Gavrilova, Natalia S

Knowledge of strong predictors of mortality and longevity is very important for actuarial science and practice. Earlier studies found that parental characteristics as well as early-life conditions and midlife environment play a significant role in survival to advanced ages. However, little is known about the simultaneous effects of these three factors on longevity. This ongoing study attempts to fill this gap by comparing centenarians born in the United States in 1890-91 with peers born in the same years who died at age 65. The records for centenarians and controls were taken from computerized family histories, which were then linked to 1900 and 1930 U.S. censuses. As a result of this linkage procedure, 765 records of confirmed centenarians and 783 records of controls were obtained. Analysis with multivariate logistic regression found that parental longevity and some midlife characteristics proved to be significant predictors of longevity while the role of childhood conditions was less important. More centenarians were born in the second half of the year compared to controls, suggesting early origins of longevity. We found the existence of both general and gender-specific predictors of human longevity. General predictors common for men and women are paternal and maternal longevity. Gender-specific predictors of male longevity are the farmer occupation at age 40, Northeastern region of birth in the United States and birth in the second half of year. A gender-specific predictor of female longevity is surprisingly the availability of radio in the household according to the 1930 U.S. census. Given the importance of familial longevity as an independent predictor of survival to advanced ages, we conducted a comparative study of biological and nonbiological relatives of centenarians using a larger sample of 1,945 validated U.S. centenarians born in 1880-95. We found that male gender of centenarian has significant positive effect on survival of adult male relatives (brothers and fathers) but not female blood relatives. Life span of centenarian siblings-in-law is lower compared to life span of centenarian siblings and does not depend on centenarian gender. Wives of male centenarians (who share lifestyle and living conditions) have a significantly better survival compared to wives of centenarians' brothers. This finding demonstrates an important role of shared familial environment and lifestyle in human longevity. The results of this study suggest that familial background, early-life conditions and midlife characteristics play an important role in longevity.

Predictors of Exceptional Longevity: Effects of Early-Life Childhood Conditions, Midlife Environment and Parental Characteristics

PubMed Central

Gavrilov, Leonid A.; Gavrilova, Natalia S.

2014-01-01

Knowledge of strong predictors of mortality and longevity is very important for actuarial science and practice. Earlier studies found that parental characteristics as well as early-life conditions and midlife environment play a significant role in survival to advanced ages. However, little is known about the simultaneous effects of these three factors on longevity. This ongoing study attempts to fill this gap by comparing centenarians born in the United States in 1890–91 with peers born in the same years who died at age 65. The records for centenarians and controls were taken from computerized family histories, which were then linked to 1900 and 1930 U.S. censuses. As a result of this linkage procedure, 765 records of confirmed centenarians and 783 records of controls were obtained. Analysis with multivariate logistic regression found that parental longevity and some midlife characteristics proved to be significant predictors of longevity while the role of childhood conditions was less important. More centenarians were born in the second half of the year compared to controls, suggesting early origins of longevity. We found the existence of both general and gender-specific predictors of human longevity. General predictors common for men and women are paternal and maternal longevity. Gender-specific predictors of male longevity are the farmer occupation at age 40, Northeastern region of birth in the United States and birth in the second half of year. A gender-specific predictor of female longevity is surprisingly the availability of radio in the household according to the 1930 U.S. census. Given the importance of familial longevity as an independent predictor of survival to advanced ages, we conducted a comparative study of biological and nonbiological relatives of centenarians using a larger sample of 1,945 validated U.S. centenarians born in 1880–95. We found that male gender of centenarian has significant positive effect on survival of adult male relatives (brothers and fathers) but not female blood relatives. Life span of centenarian siblings-in-law is lower compared to life span of centenarian siblings and does not depend on centenarian gender. Wives of male centenarians (who share lifestyle and living conditions) have a significantly better survival compared to wives of centenarians' brothers. This finding demonstrates an important role of shared familial environment and lifestyle in human longevity. The results of this study suggest that familial background, early-life conditions and midlife characteristics play an important role in longevity. PMID:25664346

Technical and Economic Assessment of Span-Distributed Loading Cargo Aircraft Concepts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnston, W. M.; Muehlbauer, J. C.; Eudaily, R. R.; Farmer, B. T.; Monrath, J. F.; Thompson, S. G.

1976-01-01

A 700,000 kg (1,540,000-lb) aircraft with a cruise Mach number of 0.75 was found to be optimum for the specified mission parameters of a 272 155-kg (600,000-lb) payload, a 5560-km (3000-n.mi.) range, and an annual productivity of 113 billion revenue-ton km (67 billion revenue-ton n. mi.). The optimum 1990 technology level spanloader aircraft exhibited the minimum 15-year life-cycle costs, direct operating costs, and fuel consumption of all candidate versions. Parametric variations of wing sweep angle, thickness ratio, rows of cargo, and cargo density were investigated. The optimum aircraft had two parallel rows of 2.44 x 2.44-m (8 x 8-ft) containerized cargo with a density of 160 kg/cu m (10 lb/ft 3) carried throughout the entire 101-m (331-ft) span of the constant chord, 22-percent thick, supercritical wing. Additional containers or outsized equipment were carried in the 24.4-m (80-ft) long fuselage compartment preceding the wing. Six 284,000-N (64,000-lb) thrust engines were mounted beneath the 0.7-rad (40-deg) swept wing. Flight control was provided by a 36.6-m (120-ft) span canard surface mounted atop the forward fuselage, by rudders on the wingtip verticals and by outboard wing flaperons.

The structure of late-life depressive symptoms across a 20-year span: a taxometric investigation.

PubMed

Holland, Jason M; Schutte, Kathleen K; Brennan, Penny L; Moos, Rudolf H

2010-03-01

Past studies of the underlying structure of depressive symptoms have yielded mixed results, with some studies supporting a continuous conceptualization and others supporting a categorical one. However, no study has examined this research question with an exclusively older adult sample, despite the potential uniqueness of late-life depressive symptoms. In the present study, the underlying structure of late-life depressive symptoms was examined among a sample of 1,289 individuals across 3 waves of data collection spanning 20 years. The authors employed a taxometric methodology using indicators of depression derived from the Research Diagnostic Criteria (R. L. Spitzer, J. Endicott, & E. Robins, 1978). Maximum eigenvalue analyses and inchworm consistency tests generally supported a categorical conceptualization and identified a group that was primarily characterized by thoughts about death and suicide. However, compared to a categorical depression variable, depressive symptoms treated continuously were generally better predictors of relevant criterion variables. These findings suggest that thoughts of death and suicide may characterize a specific type of late-life depression, yet a continuous conceptualization still typically maximizes the predictive utility of late-life depressive symptoms.

Lack of robustness of life extension associated with several single-gene P element mutations in Drosophila melanogaster.

PubMed

Mockett, Robin J; Nobles, Amber C

2013-10-01

The hypothesis tested in this study was that single-gene mutations found previously to extend the life span of Drosophila melanogaster could do so consistently in both long-lived y w and standard w (1118) genetic backgrounds. GAL4 drivers were used to express upstream activation sequence (UAS)-responder transgenes globally or in the nervous system. Transgenes associated with oxidative damage prevention (UAS-hSOD1 and UAS-GCLc) or removal (EP-UAS-Atg8a and UAS-dTOR (FRB) ) failed to increase mean life spans in any expression pattern in either genetic background. Flies containing a UAS-EGFP-bMSRA (C) transgene associated with protein repair were found not to exhibit life extension or detectable enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) activity. The presence of UAS-responder transgenes was confirmed by PCR amplification and sequencing at the 5' and 3' end of each insertion. These results cast doubt on the robustness of life extension in flies carrying single-gene mutations and suggest that the effects of all such mutations should be tested independently in multiple genetic backgrounds and laboratory environments.

Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Grids for Shear and End Zone Reinforcement in Bridge Beams

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2018-01-01

Corrosion of reinforcing steel reduces life spans of bridges throughout the United States; therefore, using non-corroding carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) reinforcement is seen as a way to increase service life. The use of CFRP as the flexural ...

Embracing covariation in brain evolution: Large brains, extended development, and flexible primate social systems

PubMed Central

Charvet, Christine J.; Finlay, Barbara L.

2012-01-01

Brain size, body size, developmental length, life span, costs of raising offspring, behavioral complexity, and social structures are correlated in mammals due to intrinsic life-history requirements. Dissecting variation and direction of causation in this web of relationships often draw attention away from the factors that correlate with basic life parameters. We consider the “social brain hypothesis,” which postulates that overall brain and the isocortex are selectively enlarged to confer social abilities in primates, as an example of this enterprise and pitfalls. We consider patterns of brain scaling, modularity, flexibility of brain organization, the “leverage,” and direction of selection on proposed dimensions. We conclude that the evidence supporting selective changes in isocortex or brain size for the isolated ability to manage social relationships is poor. Strong covariation in size and developmental duration coupled with flexible brains allow organisms to adapt in variable social and ecological environments across the life span and in evolution. PMID:22230623

Cognitive constraints influence an understanding of life-cycle change.

PubMed

French, Jason A; Menendez, David; Herrmann, Patricia A; Evans, E Margaret; Rosengren, Karl S

2018-05-04

We investigated children's (n = 120; 3- to 11-year-olds) and adults' (n = 18) reasoning about life-cycle changes in biological organisms by examining their endorsements of four different patterns of life-span changes. Participants were presented with two separate tasks: (a) judging possible adult versions of a juvenile animal and (b) judging possible juvenile versions of an adult animal. The stimuli enabled us to examine the endorsement of four different patterns of change: identical growth, natural growth, dramatic change, and speciation. The results suggest that endorsement of the different patterns is influenced by age and familiarity. Young children and individuals confronted with unfamiliar organisms often endorsed an identical growth that emphasizes the stability of features over the life span and between parents and offspring. The results are interpreted as supporting the idea that cognitive constraints influence individuals' reasoning about biological change and that the influence of these constraints is most notable when individuals are young or are presented with unfamiliar biological organisms. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparison of biochemical data, blood pressure and physical activity between longevity and non-longevity districts in Japan.

PubMed

Mori, Ichiro; Ishizuka, Tatsuo; Morita, Hiroyuki; Matsumoto, Masami; Uno, Yoshihiro; Kajita, Kazuo; Ikeda, Takahide; Fujioka, Kei; Matsubara, Kenji

2008-10-01

There is controversy about longevity-associated factors, including environmental and genetic factors. Clinical and epidemiological studies suggest that multiple risk factors decrease life-span, but there has not been a definitive report regarding the association of risk factors with longevity. The ultimate aim of the present study was to prevent the overwhelming increase in life-style-related diseases by evaluating this association in 2 districts in Japan. Plasma glucose levels, hemoglobin (Hb) A1c, lipids, dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate, adiponectin and physical activity were examined in 133 subjects (M/F 47/86, 67+/-1 years) in Kokufu, a longevity district (mean life span: 80.4 years according to 2000 Japanese census) and 69 subjects (M/F 29/40, 62+/-1 years) in Miyama, a non-longevity district (mean life span 77.4 years, 2000 census). There were significant differences in systolic and diastolic blood pressures (BPs, p < 0.001), exercise capacity (p < 0.0001) and plasma adiponectin levels (p < 0.04) between the districts. Plasma adiponectin level was significantly correlated with high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) (r = 0.333, p < 0.0001), triglyceride (TG) (r = -0.161, p < 0.04), HbA1c (r = -0.163, p < 0.03) and HOMA-R (r = -0.163, p < 0.03). Life-style-related factors such as BP, exercise capacity and plasma adiponectin levels might play an important role in longevity, and those of HDL-C and TG, as well as glucose tolerance, might be associated with adiponectin levels.

Neuronal inhibition of the autophagy nucleation complex extends life span in post-reproductive C. elegans

PubMed Central

Byrne, Jonathan; Medina, Rebeca; Kolundžić, Ena; Geisinger, Johannes; Hajduskova, Martina; Tursun, Baris; Richly, Holger

2017-01-01

Autophagy is a ubiquitous catabolic process that causes cellular bulk degradation of cytoplasmic components and is generally associated with positive effects on health and longevity. Inactivation of autophagy has been linked with detrimental effects on cells and organisms. The antagonistic pleiotropy theory postulates that some fitness-promoting genes during youth are harmful during aging. On this basis, we examined genes mediating post-reproductive longevity using an RNAi screen. From this screen, we identified 30 novel regulators of post-reproductive longevity, including pha-4. Through downstream analysis of pha-4, we identified that the inactivation of genes governing the early stages of autophagy up until the stage of vesicle nucleation, such as bec-1, strongly extend both life span and health span. Furthermore, our data demonstrate that the improvements in health and longevity are mediated through the neurons, resulting in reduced neurodegeneration and sarcopenia. We propose that autophagy switches from advantageous to harmful in the context of an age-associated dysfunction. PMID:28882853

Evaluation of permeable pavement responses to urban surface runoff.

PubMed

Kamali, Meysam; Delkash, Madjid; Tajrishy, Massoud

2017-02-01

The construction of permeable pavement (PP) in sidewalks of urban areas is an alternative low impact development (LID) to control stormwater runoff volume and consequently decrease the discharge of pollutants in receiving water bodies. In this paper, some laboratory experiments were performed to evaluate the efficiency of a PP subjected to sediment loadings during its life span. Simple infiltration models were validated by the laboratory experiments to evaluate the trend and extend of PP infiltration capacity throughout the life of the pavement operation. In addition, performances of the PP in removing total suspended solids (TSS) and selective nutrient pollutants such as NO 3 - ,NH 4 + and PO 4 -3 from the surface runoff have been investigated. Experimental data showed that the PP was completely clogged after seven hydrological years. The model revealed that the ratio of horizontal to vertical hydraulic conductivity is 3.5 for this PP. Moreover, it was found that 20% reduction in hydraulic conductivity occurred after three hydrological years. The PP showed 100%, 23% and 59% efficiencies in sediment retention (TSS removal), (PO 4 -3 ), and N-NH 4 + removal during the entire study, respectively. However, the removal efficiency of (N-NO 3 - ) was -12% and we suspect the increase in effluent (N-NO 3 - ) is due to the nitrification process in subsurface layers. This study demonstrated that when PPs are annually cleaned, it is expected that PPs can function hydraulically and be able to remove particulate pollutants during their life span by a proper maintenance. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Severe psychosocial deprivation in early childhood is associated with increased DNA methylation across a region spanning the transcription start site of CYP2E1

PubMed Central

Kumsta, R; Marzi, S J; Viana, J; Dempster, E L; Crawford, B; Rutter, M; Mill, J; Sonuga-Barke, E J S

2016-01-01

Exposure to adverse rearing environments including institutional deprivation and severe childhood abuse is associated with an increased risk for mental and physical health problems across the lifespan. Although the mechanisms mediating these effects are not known, recent work in rodent models suggests that epigenetic processes may be involved. We studied the impact of severe early-life adversity on epigenetic variation in a sample of adolescents adopted from the severely depriving orphanages of the Romanian communist era in the 1980s. We quantified buccal cell DNA methylation at ~400 000 sites across the genome in Romanian adoptees exposed to either extended (6–43 months; n=16) or limited duration (<6 months; n=17) of severe early-life deprivation, in addition to a matched sample of UK adoptees (n=16) not exposed to severe deprivation. Although no probe-wise differences remained significant after controlling for the number of probes tested, we identified an exposure-associated differentially methylated region (DMR) spanning nine sequential CpG sites in the promoter-regulatory region of the cytochrome P450 2E1 gene (CYP2E1) on chromosome 10 (corrected P=2.98 × 10−5). Elevated DNA methylation across this region was also associated with deprivation-related clinical markers of impaired social cognition. Our data suggest that environmental insults of sufficient biological impact during early development are associated with long-lasting epigenetic changes, potentially reflecting a biological mechanism linking the effects of early-life adversity to cognitive and neurobiological phenotypes. PMID:27271856

Severe psychosocial deprivation in early childhood is associated with increased DNA methylation across a region spanning the transcription start site of CYP2E1.

PubMed

Kumsta, R; Marzi, S J; Viana, J; Dempster, E L; Crawford, B; Rutter, M; Mill, J; Sonuga-Barke, E J S

2016-06-07

Exposure to adverse rearing environments including institutional deprivation and severe childhood abuse is associated with an increased risk for mental and physical health problems across the lifespan. Although the mechanisms mediating these effects are not known, recent work in rodent models suggests that epigenetic processes may be involved. We studied the impact of severe early-life adversity on epigenetic variation in a sample of adolescents adopted from the severely depriving orphanages of the Romanian communist era in the 1980s. We quantified buccal cell DNA methylation at ~400 000 sites across the genome in Romanian adoptees exposed to either extended (6-43 months; n=16) or limited duration (<6 months; n=17) of severe early-life deprivation, in addition to a matched sample of UK adoptees (n=16) not exposed to severe deprivation. Although no probe-wise differences remained significant after controlling for the number of probes tested, we identified an exposure-associated differentially methylated region (DMR) spanning nine sequential CpG sites in the promoter-regulatory region of the cytochrome P450 2E1 gene (CYP2E1) on chromosome 10 (corrected P=2.98 × 10(-5)). Elevated DNA methylation across this region was also associated with deprivation-related clinical markers of impaired social cognition. Our data suggest that environmental insults of sufficient biological impact during early development are associated with long-lasting epigenetic changes, potentially reflecting a biological mechanism linking the effects of early-life adversity to cognitive and neurobiological phenotypes.

Life Events, Public Policy and the Economic Vulnerability of Children and the Elderly.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burkhauser, Richard V.; Duncan, Greg J.

This report uses longitudinal data to provide a dynamic picture of the family income experiences of children and the elderly. In contrast to the image of fairly stable incomes during most life-cycle stages, findings show substantial income volatility at all points in the life span, placing substantial numbers of the population at risk of suffering…

Life-History Traits of the Model Organism Pristionchus pacificus Recorded Using the Hanging Drop Method: Comparison with Caenorhabditis elegans.

PubMed

Gilarte, Patricia; Kreuzinger-Janik, Bianca; Majdi, Nabil; Traunspurger, Walter

2015-01-01

The nematode Pristionchus pacificus is of growing interest as a model organism in evolutionary biology. However, despite multiple studies of its genetics, developmental cues, and ecology, the basic life-history traits (LHTs) of P. pacificus remain unknown. In this study, we used the hanging drop method to follow P. pacificus at the individual level and thereby quantify its LHTs. This approach allowed direct comparisons with the LHTs of Caenorhabditis elegans recently determined using this method. When provided with 5×10(9) Escherichia coli cells ml(-1) at 20°C, the intrinsic rate of natural increase of P. pacificus was 1.125 (individually, per day); mean net production was 115 juveniles produced during the life-time of each individual, and each nematode laid an average of 270 eggs (both fertile and unfertile). The mean age of P. pacificus individuals at first reproduction was 65 h, and the average life span was 22 days. The life cycle of P. pacificus is therefore slightly longer than that of C. elegans, with a longer average life span and hatching time and the production of fewer progeny.

Insulin-like growth factors and insulin: at the crossroad between tumor development and longevity.

PubMed

Novosyadlyy, Ruslan; Leroith, Derek

2012-06-01

Numerous lines of evidence indicate that insulin-like growth factor signaling plays an important role in the regulation of life span and tumor development. In the present paper, the role of individual components of insulin-like growth factor signaling in aging and tumor development has been extensively analyzed. The molecular mechanisms underlying aging and tumor development are frequently overlapping. Although the link between reduced insulin-like growth factor signaling and suppressed tumor growth and development is well established, it remains unclear whether extended life span results from direct suppression of insulin-like growth factor signaling or this effect is caused by indirect mechanisms such as improved insulin sensitivity.

A 'slow pace of life' in Australian old-endemic passerine birds is not accompanied by low basal metabolic rates.

PubMed

Bech, Claus; Chappell, Mark A; Astheimer, Lee B; Londoño, Gustavo A; Buttemer, William A

2016-05-01

Life history theory suggests that species experiencing high extrinsic mortality rates allocate more resources toward reproduction relative to self-maintenance and reach maturity earlier ('fast pace of life') than those having greater life expectancy and reproducing at a lower rate ('slow pace of life'). Among birds, many studies have shown that tropical species have a slower pace of life than temperate-breeding species. The pace of life has been hypothesized to affect metabolism and, as predicted, tropical birds have lower basal metabolic rates (BMR) than temperate-breeding birds. However, many temperate-breeding Australian passerines belong to lineages that evolved in Australia and share 'slow' life-history traits that are typical of tropical birds. We obtained BMR from 30 of these 'old-endemics' and ten sympatric species of more recently arrived passerine lineages (derived from Afro-Asian origins or introduced by Europeans) with 'faster' life histories. The BMR of 'slow' temperate-breeding old-endemics was indistinguishable from that of new-arrivals and was not lower than the BMR of 'fast' temperate-breeding non-Australian passerines. Old-endemics had substantially smaller clutches and longer maximal life spans in the wild than new arrivals, but neither clutch size nor maximum life span was correlated with BMR. Our results suggest that low BMR in tropical birds is not functionally linked to their 'slow pace of life' and instead may be a consequence of differences in annual thermal conditions experienced by tropical versus temperate species.

Predictors of Exceptional Longevity: Effects of Early-Life and Midlife Conditions, and Familial Longevity

PubMed Central

Gavrilov, Leonid A.; Gavrilova, Natalia S.

2015-01-01

Knowledge of strong predictors of mortality and longevity is very important for actuarial science and practice. Earlier studies found that parental characteristics as well as early-life conditions and midlife environment play a significant role in survival to advanced ages. However, little is known about the simultaneous effects of these three factors on longevity. This ongoing study attempts to fill this gap by comparing centenarians born in the United States in 1890–1891 with peers born in the same years who died at age 65. The records for centenarians and controls were taken from computerized family histories, which were then linked to 1900 and 1930 U.S. censuses. As a result of this linkage procedure, 765 records of confirmed centenarians and 783 records of controls were obtained. Analysis with multivariate logistic regression found the existence of both general and gender-specific predictors of human longevity. General predictors common for men and women are paternal and maternal longevity. Gender-specific predictors of male longevity are occupation as a farmer at age 40, Northeastern region of birth in the United States, and birth in the second half of year. A gender-specific predictor of female longevity is the availability of radio in the household according to the 1930 U.S. census. Given the importance of familial longevity as an independent predictor of survival to advanced ages, we conducted a comparative study of biological and nonbiological relatives of centenarians using a larger sample of 1,945 validated U.S. centenarians born in 1880–1895. We found that male gender of centenarian has a significant positive effect on survival of adult male relatives (brothers and fathers) but not female blood relatives. Life span of centenarian siblings-in-law is lower compared to life span of centenarian siblings and does not depend on centenarian gender. Wives of male centenarians (who share lifestyle and living conditions) have a significantly better survival compared to wives of centenarians’ brothers. This finding demonstrates an important role of shared familial environment and lifestyle in human longevity. The results of this study suggest that familial background, some early-life conditions and midlife characteristics play an important role in longevity. PMID:26412963

The Household School as Life-Span Learning Center.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warnat, Winifred I.

A constructive, effective, and realistic national educational policy should be established which takes into account the contributions of the household school to individual learning in areas of life roles, feelings, values formation, and behavior development. The adversary relationship between formal educational institutions and the family will be…

Families as Life Span Experts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brendtro, Larry K.; Mitchell, Martin L.

2011-01-01

Professionals dealing with challenging behavior frequently operate detached from the other relationships in the child's life. This narrow approach has been called the unilateral strategy based on the belief that the child's outside world can be ignored and behavior can be changed by administering specific corrective interventions. In contrast,…

Prayer Life of a Professor

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baesler, E. James

2009-01-01

This autoethnographic account describes interconnections among the author's personal prayer life, teaching, and research. The contextual frame for the story includes episodes and observations from a twelve-year span, encompassing postacademic tenure and promotion to the present. The author's prayer is that others might resonate with parts of this…

Everything under control? The effects of age, gender, and education on trajectories of perceived control in a nationally representative German sample.

PubMed

Specht, Jule; Egloff, Boris; Schmukle, Stefan C

2013-02-01

Perceived control is an important variable for various demands involved in successful aging. However, perceived control is not set in stone but rather changes throughout the life course. The aim of this study was to identify cross-sectional age differences and longitudinal mean-level changes as well as rank-order changes in perceived control with respect to gender and education. Furthermore, changes in income and health were analyzed to explain trajectories of perceived control. In a large and representative sample of Germans across all of adulthood, 9,484 individuals gave information about their perceived control twice over a period of 6 years. Using locally weighted smoothing (LOESS) curves and latent structural equation modeling, four main findings were revealed: (a) Perceived control increased until ages 30-40, then decreased until about age 60, and increased slightly afterwards. (b) The rank order of individuals in perceived control was relatively unstable, especially in young adulthood, and reached a plateau at about age 40. (c) Men perceived that they had more control than did women, but there were no gender differences in the development of perceived control. (d) Individuals with more education perceived that they had more control than those with less education, and there were slight differences in the development of perceived control dependent on education. Taken together, these findings offer important insights into the development of perceived control across the life span. (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

Exposure To Harmful Workplace Practices Could Account For Inequality In Life Spans Across Different Demographic Groups.

PubMed

Goh, Joel; Pfeffer, Jeffrey; Zenios, Stefanos

2015-10-01

The existence of important socioeconomic disparities in health and mortality is a well-established fact. Many pathways have been adduced to explain inequality in life spans. In this article we examine one factor that has been somewhat neglected: People with different levels of education get sorted into jobs with different degrees of exposure to workplace attributes that contribute to poor health. We used General Social Survey data to estimate differential exposures to workplace conditions, results from a meta-analysis that estimated the effect of workplace conditions on mortality, and a model that permitted us to estimate the overall effects of workplace practices on health. We conclude that 10-38 percent of the difference in life expectancy across demographic groups can be explained by the different job conditions their members experience. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

The Biology of Aging: Citizen Scientists and Their Pets as a Bridge Between Research on Model Organisms and Human Subjects.

PubMed

Kaeberlein, M

2016-03-01

A fundamental goal of research into the basic mechanisms of aging is to develop translational strategies that improve human health by delaying the onset and progression of age-related pathology. Several interventions have been discovered that increase life span in invertebrate organisms, some of which have similar effects in mice. These include dietary restriction and inhibition of the mechanistic target of rapamycin by treatment with rapamycin. Key challenges moving forward will be to assess the extent to which these and other interventions improve healthy longevity and increase life span in mice and to develop practical strategies for extending this work to the clinic. Companion animals may provide an optimal intermediate between laboratory models and humans. By improving healthy longevity in companion animals, important insights will be gained regarding human aging while improving the quality of life for people and their pets. © The Author(s) 2015.

Relativistic parameters of senescence.

PubMed

Stathatos, Marios A

2005-01-01

The laws of biochemistry and biology are governed by parameters whose description in mathematical formulas is based on the three-dimensional space. It is a fact, however, that the life span of a cell and its specific functions, though limited, can be extended or diminished depending on the genetic code but also, on the natural pressure of the environment. The plasticity exhibited by a cellular system has been attributed to the change of the three-dimensional structure of the cell, with time being a simple measure of this change. The model of biological relativity proposed here, considers time as a flexible fourth dimension that corresponds directly to the inertial status of the cells. Two types of clocks are defined: the relativistic biological clock (RBC) and the mechanical clock (MC). In contrast to the MCs that show the astrological reference time, the time shown by the RBCs delay because it depends on cellular activity. The maximum and the expected life span of the cells and/or the organisms can be therefore relied on time transformation. One of the most important factors that can affect time flow is the energy that is produced during metabolic work. Based on this observation, RBCs can be constructed following series of theoretical experiments in order to assess biological time and life span changes.

CTT1 overexpression increases life span of calorie-restricted Saccharomyces cerevisiae deficient in Sod1.

PubMed

Rona, Germana; Herdeiro, Ricardo; Mathias, Cristiane Juliano; Torres, Fernando Araripe; Pereira, Marcos Dias; Eleutherio, Elis

2015-06-01

Studies using different organisms revealed that reducing calorie intake, without malnutrition, known as calorie restriction (CR), increases life span, but its mechanism is still unkown. Using the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as eukaryotic model, we observed that Cu, Zn-superoxide dismutase (Sod1p) is required to increase longevity, as well as to confer protection against lipid and protein oxidation under CR. Old cells of sod1 strain also presented a premature induction of apoptosis. However, when CTT1 (which codes for cytosolic catalase) was overexpressed, sod1 and WT strains showed similar survival rates. Furthermore, CTT1 overexpression decreased lipid peroxidation and delayed the induction of apoptotic process. Superoxide is rapidly converted to hydrogen peroxide by superoxide dismutase, but it also undergoes spontaneous dismutation albeit at a slower rate. However, the quantity of peroxide produced from superoxide in this way is two-fold higher. Peroxide degradation, catalyzed by catalase, is of vital importance, because in the presence of a reducer transition metal peroxide is reduced to the highly reactive hydroxyl radical, which reacts indiscriminately with most cellular constituents. These findings might explain why overexpression of catalase was able to overcome the deficiency of Sod1p, increasing life span in response to CR.

Life span and structure of ephemeral root modules of different functional groups from a desert system.

PubMed

Liu, Bo; He, Junxia; Zeng, Fanjiang; Lei, Jiaqiang; Arndt, Stefan K

2016-07-01

The terminal branch orders of plant root systems have been proposed as short-lived 'ephemeral' modules specialized for resource absorption. The occurrence of ephemeral root modules has so far only been reported for a temperate tree species and it is unclear if the concept also applies to other woody (shrub, tree) and herb species. Fine roots of 12 perennial dicotyledonous herb, shrub and tree species were monitored for two growing seasons using a branch-order classification, sequential sampling and rhizotrons in the Taklamakan desert. Two root modules existed in all three plant functional groups. Among the first five branch orders, the first two (perennial herbs, shrubs) or three (trees) root orders were ephemeral and had a primary anatomical structure, high nitrogen (N) concentrations, high respiration rates and very short life spans of 1-4 months, whereas the last two branch orders in all functional groups were perennial, with thicker diameters, no or collapsed cortex, distinct secondary growth, low N concentrations, low respiration rates, but much longer life spans. Ephemeral, short-lived root modules and long-lived, persistent root modules seem to be a general feature across many plant functional groups and could represent a basic root system design. © 2016 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2016 New Phytologist Trust.

Mitochondrial maintenance failure in aging and role of sexual dimorphism

PubMed Central

Tower, John

2014-01-01

Gene expression changes during aging are partly conserved across species, and suggest that oxidative stress, inflammation and proteotoxicity result from mitochondrial malfunction and abnormal mitochondrial-nuclear signaling. Mitochondrial maintenance failure may result from trade-offs between mitochondrial turnover versus growth and reproduction, sexual antagonistic pleiotropy and genetic conflicts resulting from uni-parental mitochondrial transmission, as well as mitochondrial and nuclear mutations and loss of epigenetic regulation. Aging phenotypes and interventions are often sex-specific, indicating that both male and female sexual differentiation promote mitochondrial failure and aging. Studies in mammals and invertebrates implicate autophagy, apoptosis, AKT, PARP, p53 and FOXO in mediating sex-specific differences in stress resistance and aging. The data support a model where the genes Sxl in Drosophila, sdc-2 in C. elegans, and Xist in mammals regulate mitochondrial maintenance across generations and in aging. Several interventions that increase life span cause a mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRmt), and UPRmt is also observed during normal aging, indicating hormesis. The UPRmt may increase life span by stimulating mitochondrial turnover through autophagy, and/or by inhibiting the production of hormones and toxic metabolites. The data suggest that metazoan life span interventions may act through a common hormesis mechanism involving liver UPRmt, mitochondrial maintenance and sexual differentiation. PMID:25447815

The influence of the hot water extract from shiitake medicinal mushroom, Lentinus edodes (higher Basidiomycetes) on the food intake, life span, and age-related locomotor activity of Drosophila melanogaster.

PubMed

Matjuskova, Natalya; Azena, Elena; Serstnova, Ksenija; Muiznieks, Indrikis

2014-01-01

Shiitake medicinal mushroom, Lentinus edodes, is among the most widely cultivated edible mushrooms in the world and is a well-studied source of nutrients and biologically active compounds. We have studied the influence of the dietary supplement of the polysaccharides containing a hot water extract of the mushroom L. edodes on the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster in terms of food intake, body weight, life span, and age-related locomotor activity. L. edodes extract, when added to the D. melanogaster feeding substrate at a 0.003-0.030% concentration (calculated for the dry weight of the polysaccharide fraction) did not influence food intake or body weight of the flies. It increased the life span and locomotor activities of male flies but was associated with early mortality and decreased locomotor activity of female flies. We conclude that the observed anti-aging effects of L. edodes extracts in the male D. melanogaster are not the result of dietary restriction. We propose that D. melanogaster is a suitable model organism for researching the molecular basis of the anti-aging effect of the shiitake mushroom extracts and sex linkage of these effects.

Reduced mitochondrial SOD displays mortality characteristics reminiscent of natural aging

PubMed Central

Paul, Anirban; Belton, Amy; Nag, Sanjay; Martin, Ian; Grotewiel, Michael S.; Duttaroy, Atanu

2009-01-01

Manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD or SOD2) is a key mitochondrial enzymatic antioxidant. Arguably the most striking phenotype associated with complete loss of SOD2 in flies and mice is shortened life span. To further explore the role of SOD2 in protecting animals from aging and age-associated pathology, we generated a unique collection of Drosophila mutants that progressively reduce SOD2 expression and function. Mitochondrial aconitase activity was substantially reduced in the Sod2 mutants, suggesting that SOD2 normally ensures the functional capacity of mitochondria. Flies with severe reductions in SOD2 expression exhibited accelerated senescence of olfactory behavior as well as precocious neurodegeneration and DNA strand breakage in neurons. Furthermore, life span was progressively shortened and age-dependent mortality was increased in conjunction with reduced SOD2 expression, while initial mortality and developmental viability were unaffected. Interestingly, life span and age-dependent mortality varied exponentially with SOD2 activity, indicating that there might normally be a surplus of this enzyme for protecting animals from premature death. Our data support a model in which disruption of the protective effects of SOD2 on mitochondria manifests as profound changes in behavioral and demographic aging as well as exacerbated age-related pathology in the nervous system. PMID:18078670

Assimilation of Endogenous Nicotinamide Riboside Is Essential for Calorie Restriction-mediated Life Span Extension in Saccharomyces cerevisiae*

PubMed Central

Lu, Shu-Ping; Kato, Michiko; Lin, Su-Ju

2009-01-01

NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is an essential cofactor involved in various biological processes including calorie restriction-mediated life span extension. Administration of nicotinamide riboside (NmR) has been shown to ameliorate deficiencies related to aberrant NAD+ metabolism in both yeast and mammalian cells. However, the biological role of endogenous NmR remains unclear. Here we demonstrate that salvaging endogenous NmR is an integral part of NAD+ metabolism. A balanced NmR salvage cycle is essential for calorie restriction-induced life span extension and stress resistance in yeast. Our results also suggest that partitioning of the pyridine nucleotide flux between the classical salvage cycle and the NmR salvage branch might be modulated by the NAD+-dependent Sir2 deacetylase. Furthermore, two novel deamidation steps leading to nicotinic acid mononucleotide and nicotinic acid riboside production are also uncovered that further underscore the complexity and flexibility of NAD+ metabolism. In addition, utilization of extracellular nicotinamide mononucleotide requires prior conversion to NmR mediated by a periplasmic phosphatase Pho5. Conversion to NmR may thus represent a strategy for the transport and assimilation of large nonpermeable NAD+ precursors. Together, our studies provide a molecular basis for how NAD+ homeostasis factors confer metabolic flexibility. PMID:19416965

Assimilation of endogenous nicotinamide riboside is essential for calorie restriction-mediated life span extension in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

PubMed

Lu, Shu-Ping; Kato, Michiko; Lin, Su-Ju

2009-06-19

NAD(+) (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is an essential cofactor involved in various biological processes including calorie restriction-mediated life span extension. Administration of nicotinamide riboside (NmR) has been shown to ameliorate deficiencies related to aberrant NAD(+) metabolism in both yeast and mammalian cells. However, the biological role of endogenous NmR remains unclear. Here we demonstrate that salvaging endogenous NmR is an integral part of NAD(+) metabolism. A balanced NmR salvage cycle is essential for calorie restriction-induced life span extension and stress resistance in yeast. Our results also suggest that partitioning of the pyridine nucleotide flux between the classical salvage cycle and the NmR salvage branch might be modulated by the NAD(+)-dependent Sir2 deacetylase. Furthermore, two novel deamidation steps leading to nicotinic acid mononucleotide and nicotinic acid riboside production are also uncovered that further underscore the complexity and flexibility of NAD(+) metabolism. In addition, utilization of extracellular nicotinamide mononucleotide requires prior conversion to NmR mediated by a periplasmic phosphatase Pho5. Conversion to NmR may thus represent a strategy for the transport and assimilation of large nonpermeable NAD(+) precursors. Together, our studies provide a molecular basis for how NAD(+) homeostasis factors confer metabolic flexibility.

Evaluation of antitumour activity of Calotropis gigantea L. root bark against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma in Swiss albino mice.

PubMed

Habib, M Rowshahul; Karim, M Rezaul

2011-10-01

To investigate experimentally the possible antitumor effect of methanol extract (ME) of Calotropis gigantea L. (C. gigantean) root bark and its petroleum ether (PEF) and chloroform (CF) soluble fractions against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) in Swiss albino mice. The effects of ME (10 and 20 mg/kg), PEF (40 and 80 mg/kg) and CF (20 and 40 mg/kg) on the growth of EAC and life span of EAC bearing mice were studied. Hematological profile and biochemical parameters (SALP, SGPT and SGOT) were also estimated. Results of in vivo study showed a significant decrease in viable tumor cell count and a significant increase of life span in the ME and CF treated group compared to untreated one. The life span of ME and CF treated animals was significantly (P<0.05) increased by 43.90% (20 mg ME/kg) and 57.07% (40 mg CF/kg). ME and CF brought back the hematological parameter more or less normal level. ME and CF also restored the altered levels of serum alkaline phosphatase (SALP) and serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT). Methanol extract (ME) of C. gigantea root bark and its chloroform soluble fraction (CF) possesses significant antitumor activity. Copyright © 2011 Hainan Medical College. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Outsourcing cognitive control to the environment: adult age differences in the use of task cues.

PubMed

Spieler, Daniel H; Mayr, Ulrich; LaGrone, Susan

2006-10-01

When an initial phase of cued task switching is followed by a phase of single-task trials, older adults show difficulties changing to the more efficient single-task mode of processing (Mayr & Liebscher, 2001). In Experiment 1, we show that these costs follow older adults' continued tendency to inspect task cues even though these provide no new information. In Experiment 2, we included a condition in which task cues were eliminated from the display after the task-switching phase. In this condition, older adults behaved the same as younger adults, suggesting that the presence of the task cue is critical for observing age differences while switching from a "high-control" to a "low-control" mode of processing. We discuss our results in terms of a life-span shift with regard to the reliance on internal versus external sources of information under conditions of high-control demands.

Economic and Social Factors in Designing Disease Control Strategies for Epidemics on Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kleczkowski, A.; Dybiec, B.; Gilligan, C. A.

2006-11-01

Models for control of epidemics on local, global and small-world networks are considered, with only partial information accessible about the status of individuals and their connections. The main goal of an effective control measure is to stop the epidemic at a lowest possible cost, including treatment and cost necessary to track the disease spread. We show that delay in detection of infectious individuals and presence of long-range links are the most important factors determining the cost. However, the details of long-range links are usually the least-known element of the social interactions due to their occasional character and potentially short life-span. We show that under some conditions on the probability of disease spread, it is advisable to attempt to track those links, even if this involves additional costs. Thus, collecting some additional knowledge about the network structure might be beneficial to ensure a successful and cost-effective control.

Intensity of recreational physical activity throughout life and later life cognitive functioning in women.

PubMed

Tierney, Mary C; Moineddin, Rahim; Morra, Angela; Manson, Judith; Blake, Jennifer

2010-01-01

Long-term physical activity may affect risk of cognitive impairment but few studies have examined later life cognition in relation to intensity of life-long physical activity. We examined the associations between the intensity of long-term recreational physical activity and neuropsychological functioning in 90 healthy postmenopausal women on tests found to be useful in the early identification of dementia. Information was collected about their participation in strenuous and moderate activities between high school and menopause. Summary measures of long-term strenuous and moderate activity were constructed for each participant. All analyses were adjusted for relevant covariates. The six linear regression analyses showed significant positive associations between moderate activity and Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale Revised (WAIS-R), Digit Span backward, WAIS-R Digit Symbol, and Trail Making Test Part B. Significant negative relationships were found between strenuous activity and Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test delayed verbal recall, Complex Figure Test delayed visual memory, WAIS-R Digit Span backward, category fluency, and WAIS-R Digit Symbol. The associations found in the present study suggest that while moderate activity may be protective, long-term strenuous activity before menopause may lower cognitive performance later in life. These results support further investigation of the effects of life-long exercise intensity on cognition in later life.

Childhood Adversity and Men’s Relationships in Adulthood: Life Course Processes and Racial Disadvantage

PubMed Central

Thomeer, Mieke Beth; Williams, Kristi; Thomas, Patricia A.; Liu, Hui

2016-01-01

Objectives: Prior U.S. population studies have found that childhood adversity influences the quality of relationships in adulthood, with emerging research suggesting that this association might be especially strong for black men. We theorize psychosocial and behavioral coping responses to early life adversity and how these responses may link early life adversity to strain in men’s relationships with their indeterminate partners and children across the life course, with attention to possible racial variation in these experiences and implications for later life well-being. Method: We analyze in-depth interviews with 15 black men and 15 white men. We use qualitative analysis techniques to connect childhood experiences to psychosocial processes in childhood and behavioral coping strategies associated with relationship experiences throughout adulthood. Results: Black men describe much stronger and more persistent childhood adversity than do white men. Findings further suggest that childhood adversity contributes to psychosocial processes (e.g., diminished sense of mastery) that may lead to ways of coping with adversity (e.g., self-medication) that are likely to contribute to relationship difficulties throughout the life span. Discussion: A life course perspective directs attention to the early life origins of cumulative patterns of social disadvantage, patterns that extend to later life. Our findings suggest psychosocial and behavioral pathways through which early life adversity may constrain and strain men’s relationships, possibly contributing to racial inequality in family relationships across the life span. PMID:26589348

The Limits of Life in the Deep Subsurface - Implications for the Origin of Life

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baross, John

2013-06-01

There are very few environments on Earth where life is absent. Microbial life has proliferated into habitats that span nearly every imaginable physico-chemical variable. Only the availability of liquid water and temperature are known to prevent the growth of organisms. The other extreme physical and chemical variables, such as pH, pressure, high concentrations of solutes, damaging radiation, and toxic metals, are life-prohibiting factors for most organisms but not for all. The deep subsurface environments span all of the extreme conditions encountered by life including habitat conditions not yet explored, such as those that combine high temperature, high and low pH and extreme pressures. Some of the ``extremophile'' microorganisms inhabiting the deep subsurface environments have been shown to be among the most ``ancient'' of extant life. Their genomes and physiologies have led to a broader understanding of the geological settings of early life, the most ancient energy pathways, and the importance of water/rock interactions and tectonics in the origin and early evolution of life. The case can now be made that deep subsurface environments contributed to life's origin and provided the habitat(s) for the earliest microbial communities. However, there is much more to be done to further our understanding on the role of moderate to high pressures and temperatures on the chemical and biochemical ``steps'' leading to life, and on the evolution and physiology of both ancient and present-day subsurface microbial communities.

The Moderating Effect of Chronological Age on the Relation Between Neuroticism and Physical Functioning: Cross-Sectional Evidence From Two French Samples.

PubMed

Canada, Brice; Stephan, Yannick; Jaconelli, Alban; Duberstein, Paul R

2016-01-01

Prior studies of age-restricted samples have demonstrated that, in older adulthood, neuroticism is negatively associated with difficulties performing specific daily activities. No studies of neuroticism and physical functioning have been conducted on life-span samples. This study tested the hypothesis that the relationship between neuroticism and physical functioning is stronger in older people compared with younger and middle-aged adults. Data were obtained from 2 independent French samples (n = 1,132 and 1,661 for Samples 1 and 2, respectively) ranging in age from 18 to 97. In addition to reporting sociodemographics, participants completed the Big Five Inventory, the physical functioning scale of the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey, and measures of disease burden. In both samples, regression analysis indicated that neuroticism is more negatively associated with physical functioning with advancing age, controlling for gender, marital status, disease burden, and educational attainment. In life-span samples of more than 2,700 adults, neuroticism was more strongly associated with worse physical functioning among older people compared with younger and middle-aged adults. Longitudinal research is needed to confirm this finding and to identify potential mediators. © 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.

Abnormal Morphology of Fibrillin Microfibrils in Fibroblast Cultures from Patients with Neonatal Marfan Syndrome

PubMed Central

Godfrey, Maurice; Raghunath, Michael; Cisler, Jason; Bevins, Charles L.; DePaepe, Anne; Di Rocco, Maja; Gregoritch, Jane; Imaizumi, Kiyoshi; Kaplan, Paige; Kuroki, Yoshikazu; Silberbach, Michael; Superti-Furga, Andrea; Van Thienen, Marie-Noëlle; Vetter, Ulrich; Steinmann, Beat

1995-01-01

The Marfan syndrome (MFS) is a connective tissue disorder manifested by variable and pleiotropic features in the skeletal, ocular, and cardiovascular systems. The average life span in MFS is about 35 years. A group with much more severe cardiovascular disease and a mean life span of approximately I year also exists. We refer to this latter group as “neonatal Marfan syndrome” (nMFS). Fibrillin defects are now known to be the cause of MFS and nMFS. Immunofluorescence studies were the first to demonstrate this association. Here we describe immunofluorescence studies in a series of 10 neonates and summarize their salient clinical features. In vitro accumulation of fibrillin reactive fibers was assayed using monoclonal antibodies to fibrillin in hyperconfluent fibroblast cultures. As was previously observed in MFS, fibroblast cultures from nMFS patients showed an apparent decrease in accumulation of immunostainable fibrillin. Significantly, however, the morphology of the immunostained fibrils in the nMFS cultures were abnormal and differed not only from control cultures, but also from those seen in cultures of MFS fibroblasts. The nMFS fibrils appeared short, fragmented, and frayed, characteristics that are not seen in MFS. Both the clinical and fibrillin morphology data provide evidence to suggest a useful subclassification of nMFS in the spectrum of MFS. ImagesFigure 1Figure 2 PMID:7778680

Bloom syndrome ortholog HIM-6 maintains genomic stability in C. elegans.

PubMed

Grabowski, Melissa M; Svrzikapa, Nenad; Tissenbaum, Heidi A

2005-12-01

Bloom syndrome is caused by mutation of the Bloom helicase (BLM), a member of the RecQ helicase family. Loss of BLM function results in genomic instability that causes a high incidence of cancer. It has been demonstrated that BLM is important for maintaining genomic stability by playing a role in DNA recombination and repair; however, the exact function of BLM is not clearly understood. To determine the mechanism by which BLM controls genomic stability in vivo, we examined the phenotypes caused by mutation of the C. elegans BLM helicase ortholog, HIM-6. We find that the loss of HIM-6 leads to genomic instability as evidenced by an increased number of genomic insertions and deletions, which results in visible random mutant phenotypes. In addition to the mutator phenotype, him-6 mutants have a low brood size, a high incidence of males, a shortened life span, and an increased amount of germ line apoptosis. Upon exposure to high temperature, him-6 mutants that are serially passed become sterile demonstrating a mortal germ line phenotype. Our data suggest a model in which loss of HIM-6 results in genomic instability due to an increased number of DNA lesions, which either cannot be repaired and/or are introduced by low fidelity recombination events. The increased level of genomic instability that leads to him-6(ok412) mutants having a shortened life span.

Management Options for Reducing the Release of Antibiotics and Antibiotic Resistance Genes to the Environment

PubMed Central

Pruden, Amy; Amézquita, Alejandro; Collignon, Peter; Brandt, Kristian K.; Graham, David W.; Lazorchak, James M.; Suzuki, Satoru; Silley, Peter; Snape, Jason R.; Topp, Edward; Zhang, Tong; Zhu, Yong-Guan

2013-01-01

Background: There is growing concern worldwide about the role of polluted soil and water environments in the development and dissemination of antibiotic resistance. Objective: Our aim in this study was to identify management options for reducing the spread of antibiotics and antibiotic-resistance determinants via environmental pathways, with the ultimate goal of extending the useful life span of antibiotics. We also examined incentives and disincentives for action. Methods: We focused on management options with respect to limiting agricultural sources; treatment of domestic, hospital, and industrial wastewater; and aquaculture. Discussion: We identified several options, such as nutrient management, runoff control, and infrastructure upgrades. Where appropriate, a cross-section of examples from various regions of the world is provided. The importance of monitoring and validating effectiveness of management strategies is also highlighted. Finally, we describe a case study in Sweden that illustrates the critical role of communication to engage stakeholders and promote action. Conclusions: Environmental releases of antibiotics and antibiotic-resistant bacteria can in many cases be reduced at little or no cost. Some management options are synergistic with existing policies and goals. The anticipated benefit is an extended useful life span for current and future antibiotics. Although risk reductions are often difficult to quantify, the severity of accelerating worldwide morbidity and mortality rates associated with antibiotic resistance strongly indicate the need for action. PMID:23735422