Editors: Natalia Gavrilova and Stacy Tessler Lindau
CCBAR Questions and Answers this Month:
Q: We are putting together our in-person dried blood spots collection protocols and trying to document everything that we would ever need to know about our DBS work. Please advise what matters and what doesn't in the DBS collection protocol.
A:
CCBAR offers a template for technical reports on biological measures
collected in the context of population-based research. These were
developed and used for the National Social Life, Health and Aging
Project, Wave I. These reports have been cited in the published
findings from the NSHAP study and have had over 30,000 hits since
we posted them to the website. We recommend inviting co-authors
from the partnering laboratory to assist in writing and editing of the
technical detail. Know that some labs may have proprietary
concerns that could limit the amount of detail they are willing to
publish. If details are omitted due to proprietary concerns, we
recommend noting this fact in the technical report. We welcome
suggestions for improving the template and are happy to create links to
technical reports from other research teams. Please notify
Natalia Gavrilova (ngavrilova@babies.bsd.uchicago.edu) for more
information.
News
from
the NEJM, Nature Journals, Science, BMJ, PNAS, Lancet and JAMA
In
retrospect:
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions
David Kaiser marks the 50th anniversary of an
exemplary account of the cycles of scientific progress.
Immunology:
How
fat spurs inflammation
Obesity increases the risk of metabolic conditions such as insulin
resistance by triggering inflammation. Lan Wu and Luc Van Kaer at
Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, and their colleagues
have established that a subset of immune cells called invariant natural
killer T (iNKT) cells links
A
novel
ChREBP isoform in adipose tissue regulates systemic glucose
metabolism
The prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes is
increasing worldwide
and threatens to shorten lifespan. Impaired insulin action in
peripheral tissues is a major pathogenic factor. Insulin stimulates
glucose uptake in adipose tissue through the GLUT4 (also known as
SLC2A4) glucose transporter, and a...
Erasing
Painful Memories
The caustic imprint of a traumatic memory may fade
or vanish with new drug and behavioral therapies
Screening
for
cancer with molecular markers: progress comes with potential pr...
Recent research has raised hopes for impressively
accurate screening
for cancer with molecular biomarkers. These molecular markers will
probably be more sensitive and specific than older screening
modalities, as well as easier to use. In this Essay, I argue that these
sensitive screening tests might
Statin
Therapy
for Healthy Men Identified as "Increased Risk" [Viewpoint]
Trends
in
Cardiovascular Health Metrics and Associations With All-Cause and
C...
Recent recommendations from the American
Heart
Association aim to improve cardiovascular health by encouraging the
general population to meet 7 cardiovascular health metrics: not
smoking; being physically active; having normal blood pressure, blood
glucose and total cholesterol levels, and w...
This
is Your Brain in Meltdown
Neural circuits responsible for conscious
self-control are highly
vulnerable to even mild stress. When they shut down, primal impulses go
unchecked and mental paralysis sets in
Climbing
Mount Immortality
How awareness of our mortality may be a major driver
of civilization
Sex,
puberty and the adolescent delta EEG decline [Developmental Biology]
The steep adolescent decline in the slow
wave electroencephalogram (EEG) of nonrapid eye movement
(NREM) sleep is a
dramatic maturational change in brain electrophysiology thought to be
driven by cortical synaptic pruning. A perennial question is whether
this change in brain electrop...
Maternal
obesity
and diabetes are linked to children's autism and similar dis...
Children born to mothers who had metabolic
conditions such as diabetes,
hypertension, and obesity during pregnancy were more likely to have
autism spectrum disorders, according to a population based,..
Biomarkers and Aging in the News Media
Being
nice
may be in your genes, according to study
Receptor genes known to make people more kind shown to influence "nice"
behavior when coupled with person's worldview
• Walking
'could
treat depression'
Something as simple as going for a brisk stroll could play an important
role in fighting depression, according to researchers in Scotland.
• Study
confirms
not enough sleep raises diabetes, obesity risks
Previous studies of shift workers found similar findings, but this
study put healthy individuals under similar conditions
• ScienceShot:
For
Chimps, the Majority Rules
Apes mimic the behaviors of the masses
• Dental
X-rays
Linked to Brain Tumors
Getting frequent dental X-rays appears to increase the risk for a
commonly diagnosed brain tumor, a new study finds.
• When
do
consumers react to social exclusion with charitable behavior?
People who feel ignored tend to engage in conspicuous consumption,
whereas consumers who are rejected are more likely to volunteer or
donate to a worthy cause, according to a new study.
• Somerset
village
tops longevity
The great variation in life expectancy among pensioners has been
highlighted in a new study by the actuarial firm Towers Watson.
• Keep
bones
healthy while young
Young people should protect their bone health to prevent the risk of
osteoporosis later. HLN's Susan Hendricks reports.
• Vital
Signs:
Brain Scans Forecast Eating and Sexual Behavior in Women
Researchers have succeeded in predicting eating behavior and levels of
sexual desire in people by scanning their brains.
• Optimism
Reduces
the Risk of Heart Disease
Scientists have known about the reverse relationship between
psychological health and heart health for some time, but the findings
on happiness and its medical impact over the years have not been as
consistent.
• Long
use
of any hormones raises women's breast cancer risk
A new study tracked about 60,000 nurses and found that use of any kind
of hormones for 10 years or more slightly raised the chances.
• Injectable
contraceptive
doubles risk of breast cancer, study shows
Sold under brand name Depo-Provera, depo-medroxyprogesterone acetate
(DMPA) contraceptive linked to increased breast cancer risk in young
women
• Teens
ignore
melanoma risk to tan for prom
The prom and tanning go hand-in-hand, but the practice has come under
renewed scrutiny after a recent study published in the journal Mayo
Clinic Proceedings found the incidence of melanoma in young adults has
soared, with a sixfold increase in the past 40 years.
• Violence
ages
children's DNA, shortens their chromosomes
A new study suggests that violence can cause changes to children's DNA
that are equivalent to seven to 10 years of premature aging.
• Aspirin
tied
to lower lung cancer risk in women
In a new study of more than 1,200 Asian women, those who took aspirin
at least a couple of times a week had a much lower risk of developing
lung cancer -- whether or not they had ever smoked.
• Any
Exercise
May Cut Alzheimer's Risk at Any Age
A new study shows that daily physical activity may reduce the risk of
Alzheimer's disease and mental decline even in people older than 80.
• Does
fatty
food impact marital stress?
A diet high in saturated fat might make arguments with your spouse more
stressful. That's what researchers are theorizing in their recently
launched study of married couples. The study will evaluate the change
in couples' blood cholesterol and stress hormone levels following
discussions of stressful topics such as finances, relatives, or
annoying habits.
• Families
that
eat together may be the healthiest, new evidence confirms
"Come and get it!" A phrase historically proclaiming that the communal
meal is ready, is heard all too infrequently among contemporary
American households, especially as children get older. Indeed, over 40%
of the typical American food budget is spent on eating out, with family
meals often being relegated to holidays and special occasions. Aside
from negative effects on the family budget, eating out has been shown
to be generally associated with poor food choices and bad health. Of
particular in...
• Can
video
games promote healthier aging?
Video-game technology is proving to be a valuable tool for helping
people of all ages improve lifestyle and health habits and manage
disease. New research is showing that exergames have significant
benefits for older adults by providing cognitive stimulation and a
source of social interaction, exercise, and fun.
• Gut
organisms
could be clue in controlling obesity risk
The international obesity epidemic is widespread, nondiscriminatory,
and deadly. But do we really understand all of the factors underlying
this alarming trend? Excessive calorie intake and plummeting levels of
physical activity are largely to blame for our ever-expanding
waistlines. But there are other factors. Intestinal microbiota, may
play a far greater role in human health than previously imagined.
• Genes
that
increase the risk of osteoporosis and fractures discovered
Researchers have identified the genetic variations that are believed to
cause osteoporosis. The study shows among other interesting facts that
women with a higher proportion of genetic variations associated with
osteoporosis have a more than 50 percent increased fracture risk.
• Thirty-five-hour
work-week
recommended for parents
Swedish mothers of small children work a lot more now than in the
1970s. This is an important reason why so many parents feel
extremely
pressured for time. One way to handle the stress is to take advantage
of the right for Swedish parents to work half time, according to new
research.
• Biometrics:
Those
tell-tale signs that say who you are
Forget about fingerprints or iris recognition; the way you walk or move
your hands, even your pulse, can be analyzed for unique
characteristics. Researchers are now looking at ways this new
technology could protect your security and make identity checking less
obtrusive and more accurate.
• Modest
swings
in high temperatures can increase mortality risk
Medication taken by the elderly may disrupt sweat production and cause
their body temperatures to soar to unhealthy levels.
• Berries
May
Contain Potent Weapon vs. Parkinson's
Can two or more servings of blueberries or strawberries a week help
lower risk of Parkinson's disease?
• Many
Medical
Tests, Procedures Not Always Needed
Sometimes these tests can be lifesavers. Other times they are unlikely
to do anything except increase costs and anxiety and expose people to
unnecessary risks. So how do you know the difference?
• Can
Being
Tall Raise Your Risk of Ovarian Cancer?
Taller women may be more likely to develop ovarian cancer, a new study
suggests.
• Dogs
May
Take the Bite Out of Stress at Work
Bringing your dog to work may take the bite out of stress and improve
overall job satisfaction for the whole office.
• Aspirin
reduces
cancer risk: Is it time to include it in cancer prevention gu...
New data demonstrates aspirin's potential role in reducing the risk of
cancer death bring us considerably closer to the time when cancer
prevention can be included in clinical guidelines for the use of
aspirin in preventative care.
• Neurological
support
for Adam Smith's 'theories of morality'
The part of the brain we use when engaging in egalitarian behavior may
also be linked to a larger sense of morality, researchers have found.
Their conclusions, which offer scientific support for Adam Smith?s
theories of morality, are based on experimental research.
• Constant
Stress
Makes You Sick
Elevated levels of cortisol over time can lead to resistance and affect
the body's immune response to infections like the common cold and
influenza, heightening symptoms.
• How
stress
influences disease: Study reveals inflammation as the culprit
Stress wreaks havoc on the mind and body. Until now, it has not been
clear exactly how stress influences disease and health. Now researchers
have found that chronic psychological stress is associated with the
body losing its ability to regulate the inflammatory response. The
research shows for the first time that the effects of psychological
stress on the body's ability to regulate inflammation can promote the
development and progression of disease.
• Seeing
double:
1 in 30 babies born in US is a twin
Women having children at older ages and the growing availability of
fertility treatments has led to a marked increase in the birth of
twins: In 2009, one in every 30 babies born in the United States was a
twin compared with one in every 53 in 1980.
• Longevity
Up
in U.S., but Education Creates Disparity, Study Says
The study used government data to rank each American county by health
indicators like obesity and premature death, and considered factors
like the presence of fast-food restaurants.
• Memory
loss
with aging not necessarily permanent, animal study suggests
Scientists have shown in animal models that the loss of memory that
comes with aging is not necessarily a permanent thing.
• Exploring
the
antidepressant effects of testosterone
Testosterone, the primary male sex hormone, appears to have
antidepressant properties, but the exact mechanisms underlying its
effects have remained unclear. Scientists have now discovered that a
specific pathway in the hippocampus, a brain region involved in memory
formation and regulation of stress responses, plays a major role in
mediating testosterone's effects.
NIH Press Releases
Brain-activated
muscle
stimulation restores monkeys' hand movement after para...
An artificial connection between the brain and muscles can restore
complex hand movements in monkeys following paralysis, according to a
study funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Test
links strains of common parasite to severe illness in U.S. newborns
Scientists have identified which strains of the Toxoplasma gondii
parasite, the cause of toxoplasmosis, are most strongly associated with
premature births and severe birth defects in the United States. The
researchers used a new blood test developed by scientists at the
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of
the National Institutes of Health, to pinpoint T. gondii strains that
children acquire from their acutely infected mothers while in the womb.
NIH
names
Dr. Gary H. Gibbons director of the National Heart, Lung, and
Blood...
National Institutes of Health Director Francis S. Collins M.D., Ph.D.,
announced today the selection of Gary H. Gibbons, M.D., as the new
director of the NIH's National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
(NHLBI). Dr. Gibbons is the founder and current director of the
Cardiovascular Research Institute, chairperson of the Department of
Physiology, and professor of physiology and medicine at the Morehouse
School of Medicine in Atlanta. He expects to start his new position in
the summer of 2012.
Dr.
Edward P. Riley to deliver 4th annual Jack Mendelson Honorary Lecture
at NIH
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of
the National Institutes of Health, announces that Edward P. Riley,
Ph.D. will deliver the 4th annual Jack Mendelson Honorary Lecture.
Riley is a world-renowned expert on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) and
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). His presentation is called
"FASD: It's What's Behind the Face that Matters ? Effects of Prenatal
Alcohol on Brain and Behavior."
Possible
clues found to why HIV vaccine showed modest protection
Insights into how the first vaccine ever reported to modestly prevent
HIV infection in people might have worked were published online today
in the New England Journal of Medicine. Scientists have found that
among adults who received the experimental HIV vaccine during the
landmark RV144 clinical trial, those who produced relatively high
levels of a specific antibody after vaccination were less likely to get
infected with the virus than those who did not. The National Institute
of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National
Institutes of Health, co-funded the research.
Spontaneous
gene
glitches linked to autism risk with older dads
Researchers have turned up a new clue to the workings of a possible
environmental factor in: fathers were four times more likely than
mothers to transmit tiny, spontaneous mutations to their children with
the disorders. Moreover, the number of such transmitted genetic
glitches increased with paternal age. The discovery may help to explain
earlier evidence linking autism risk to older fathers.
NIH
awards
$20M over five years to train next generation of global health
res...
To help foster the next generation of global health scientists, Fogarty
International Center and its partners at the National Institutes of
Health are building a network of U.S. academic institutions to provide
early-career physicians, veterinarians, dentists and scientists with a
significant mentored research experience in a developing country.
Bilinguals
switch
tasks faster than monolinguals, NIH funded study shows
Children who grow up learning to speak two languages are better at
switching between tasks than are children who learn to speak only one
language, according to a study funded in part by the National
Institutes of Health. However, the study also found that bilinguals are
slower to acquire vocabulary than are monolinguals, because bilinguals
must divide their time between two languages while monolinguals focus
on only one.
NIH
study finds women spend longer in labor now than 50 years ago
Women take longer to give birth today than did women 50 years ago,
according to an analysis of nearly 140,000 deliveries conducted by
researchers at the National Institutes of Health. The researchers could
not identify all of the factors that accounted for the increase, but
concluded that the change is likely due to changes in delivery room
practice.
Weight
loss and increased fitness slow decline of mobility in adults
Weight loss and increased physical fitness nearly halved the risk of
losing mobility in overweight or obese adults with type 2 diabetes,
according to four-year results from the Look AHEAD (Action for Health
in Diabetes) trial funded by the National Institutes of Health. The
results are published in the March 29, 2012, issue of the New England
Journal of Medicine.
NIA
adds genetic data to Health and Retirement Study
The Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a 20-year nationwide survey of
the health, economic and social status of older Americans, has added
genetic information from consenting participants to its massive
database. Supported by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of
the National Institutes of Health, and conducted by scientists at the
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, the HRS is the premier database for
studying retirement and the baby boom generation.
NIH Announcements
NIMHD
Community-Based
Participatory Research (CBPR) Initiative in Reducing
an...
Events: Announcements:
2012
WLS
Pilot
Grant Program Conferences: Population
Association
of
America
Annual
meeting, San Francisco, CA.
Conference "Biospecimens and Biorepositories"
- Jun 07-08, 2012 - San Diego, CA, USA RAND
Summer
Institute,
July
9-10,
Santa
Monica,
California. 2012
Annual
Meeting
of
the American Sociological Association, August 17-20, Denver,
CO This
Newsletter is supported by a grant from the National
Institute on
Aging, National Institutes of Health (Grant No. 5 P30 AG012857)
Funding Opportunity RFA-MD-12-006 from the NIH Guide for Grants and
Contracts. The National Institute on Minority Health and Health
Disparities (NIMHD) invites applications for this Funding Opportunity
Announcement (FOA) to plan the development of effective interventions
using community based participatory research (CBPR) approaches. Support
will be provided to develop and strengthen partnerships between
researchers and health disparity communities to plan and pilot
interventions for a disease or condition to reduce health disparities.
Multidisciplinary
Studies
of HIV/AIDS and Aging (R21)
Funding Opportunity PAR-12-174 from the NIH Guide for Grants and
Contracts. This FOA invites applications proposing to study HIV
infection, HIV-associated conditions, HIV treatment, and/or
biobehavioral or social factors associated with HIV/AIDS in the context
of aging and/or in older adults. Research approaches of interest
include clinical translational, observational, and intervention studies
in domestic and international settings.
Multidisciplinary
Studies
of HIV/AIDS and Aging (R01)
Funding Opportunity PAR-12-175 from the NIH Guide for Grants and
Contracts. This FOA invites applications proposing to study HIV
infection, HIV-associated conditions, HIV treatment, and/or
biobehavioral or social factors associated with HIV/AIDS in the context
of aging and/or in older adults. Research approaches of interest
include clinical translational, observational, and intervention studies
in domestic and international settings.
Multidisciplinary
Studies
of HIV/AIDS and Aging (R03)
Funding Opportunity PAR-12-176 from the NIH Guide for Grants and
Contracts. This FOA invites applications proposing to study HIV
infection, HIV-associated conditions, HIV treatment, and/or
biobehavioral or social factors associated with HIV/AIDS in the context
of aging and/or in older adults. Research approaches of interest
include clinical translational, observational, and intervention studies
in domestic and international settings.
Secondary
Analyses
in Obesity, Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (R21)
Funding Number: PA-12-125
Expiration Date: May 8, 2015
Biodemography
of
Aging
(R21),
Funding
Number:
PAR-12-079
Expiration Date: March 4, 2014
Biodemography
of
Aging
(R03),
Funding
Number:
PAR-12-080
Expiration Date: March 4, 2014
Biodemography
of
Aging
(R01),
Funding
Number:
PAR-12-078
Expiration Date: March 4, 2014
Limited
Competition:
Archiving
and
Dissemination
of
Research
Data
on
Aging
(P30)
Funding Opportunity RFA-AG-12-013 from the NIH Guide for Grants
and
Contracts. The purpose of this FOA is to continue the P30 Center Grant
to 1) maintain the existing collections of the National Archive of
Computerized Data on Aging and develop it further as a user-friendly
data archive to support behavioral and social science research on
aging; 2) advise and assist researchers in documentation and archiving
of data and metadata; 3) advise and assist researchers on methods of
sharing data for secondary analysis while providing adequate
protections for confidentiality; and 4) facilitate secondary analysis
by providing user support, access to data, and training and
consultation.
The Center for Demography of Health and Aging (CDHA) at the University
of Wisconsin-Madison will award two to three pilot grants to
investigators using the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS) data for
scholarly research. Grant application must be received by May
25,
2012. Please contact Carol Roan by e-mail roan@ssc.wisc.edu or by
telephone (608) 265-6196 for more information.
2012 NIH Summer Institute on Social and
Behavioral Intervention Research, July 9-13, 2012
Columbia University, School of Social Work, New York
Application Deadline: 11:59 PM Eastern, Friday, April 27, 2012
The 2012 Annual Meeting will be held May 3-5 at the Hilton San
Francisco Union
Square Hotel.
Registration deadline: April 15, 2012
American
Geriatrics
Society
2012 Annual Scientific Meeting, May 2-5, 2012, Seattle, WA
Abstracts
Deadline:
December
5,
2011
Helen Moore, Ph.D., Administrative Director at the Office of
Biorepositories and Biospecimen Research, NCI, NIH, to give a Keynote
talk.
Deadline for 10% discount ends on May 7th
Summer
Research
Institute
on
Behavioral
Intervention, June 14-16, 2012
Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD
RAND is pleased to announce the 19th annual RAND Summer Institute
(RSI). RSI consists of two annual conferences that address critical
issues facing our aging population. The Mini-Medical School for Social
Scientists will be held on July 9–10, and the Demography, Economics,
Psychology, and Epidemiology of Aging conference on July 11–12, 2012.
Both conferences will convene at the RAND Corporation headquarters in
Santa Monica, California.
The application
deadline is March
9, 2012
Abstracts
Deadline:
January
11,
2012
Gerontological
Society
of
America's
65th
Annual
Scientific
Meeting, November 14-18, 2012, San Diego, CA.
Abstracts
Deadline:
March
15,
2012
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