Editors: Natalia Gavrilova and Stacy Tessler Lindau
The
next Chicago Core on Biomeasures in Population-Based Health and
Aging Research Conference will be held in Chicago,
June 2-3, 2011, adjacent to Northwestern University's Cells to Society
(C2S) Summer
Biomarker
Institute.
The focus of the 2011 conference will be
Biosocial Approaches to the Study of Urban Health and Aging. We
plan to
do a major update from the field on state-of-the-art methods and
evidence for
minimally invasive approaches to biological measures in population
research,
expanding to include biomeasures of physical/natural environment
exposures of
concern in urban settings. We are also inviting individuals from the
major biosocial
studies to look at their data through the lens of urban health or
urban/suburban/rural comparisons. Please contact Stacy Lindau slindau@uchicago.edu if
you would
like to present or participate in the conference. Space is
limited.
News from the NEJM, Nature Journals, Science, BMJ, PNAS and JAMA
Biomarkers:
Is
CRP level useful to guide statin therapy? Lack of evidence fro...
Whether the concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP) in blood can
predict a
patient's response to statin therapy has been hotly debated. A new
analysis by
the Heart Protection Study (HPS) Collaborative Group, published in the
Lancet,
shows no correlation between baseline levels of CRP
Biomarkers:
Even
low cTnT levels are indicative of structural heart disease a...
While development of the current generation of troponin assays ... has
lead to
a paradigm shift in the diagnosis of myocardial infarction (MI) and
injury, the
recently introduced highly sensitive troponin tests will expand the
diagnostic
potential to the detection of minute injuries of the
Cell
biology:
Ageing theories unified
Ageing is a complex process involving defects in various cellular
components.
The latest evidence suggests a unifying mechanism for cellular ageing
that is
relevant to the development of common age-related diseases.
Neuroscience:
Root
of resilience under stress
Some individuals react coolly to stressful events, whereas others slip
into
depression. Work in mice suggests that chemical modifications to the
DNA may
explain the difference. Shusaku Uchida and Yoshifumi Watanabe at
Yamaguchi University
in Japan
and their colleagues subjected two genetically distin...
The
scientific
social network
A joint statement from 17 funding agencies urges biomedical researchers
to
openly share data obtained from population-based studies. Although this
will
foster more collaboration, new web technologies need to be harnessed,
and the
attribution of credit must change to facilitate this transition.
Systems
neuroscience:
The stress of dieting
Food restriction alters stress and feeding pathways in the brain, and
promotes
binge eating of high-fat foods upon subsequent exposure to stress.
Prevention:
A
new model to estimate lifetime risk of CVD
In primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD), the use of
models that
estimate the absolute 10-year risk of developing CVD has been the norm.
These
models have been utilized to identify people who might benefit from
intervention. However, this approach may miss people at younger
Being
surveyed
can change later behavior and related parameter estimates [Med...
Does completing a household survey change the later behavior of those
surveyed?
In three field studies of health and two of microlending, we randomly
assigned
subjects to be surveyed about health and/or household finances and then
measured subsequent use of a related product with data that does not ...
A
gradient
of childhood self-control predicts health, wealth, and public safe...
Policy-makers are considering large-scale programs aimed at
self-control to
improve citizens' health and wealth and reduce crime. Experimental and
economic
studies suggest such programs could reap benefits. Yet, is self-control
important for the health, wealth, and public safety of the population?
F...
Responses
to
the Assurance game in monkeys, apes, and humans using equivalent...
There is great interest in the evolution of economic behavior. In
typical
studies, species are asked to play one of a series of economic games,
derived
from game theory, and their responses are compared. The advantage of
this
approach is the relative level of consistency and control that emerges
fro...
Correlated
genotypes in friendship networks [Social Sciences]
It is well known that humans tend to associate with other humans who
have
similar characteristics, but it is unclear whether this tendency has
consequences for the distribution of genotypes in a population.
Although
geneticists have shown that populations tend to stratify genetically,
this
process r...
[News
Focus]
Human Genome 10th Anniversary: Waiting for the Revolution
Having the complete human DNA sequence hasn't yet produced big advances
in
primary medicine, prompting some to ask what's delaying the genomic
revolution
in health care.
Sex-chromosome
evolution:
recent progress and the influence of male and femal...
It is now clear that sex chromosomes differ from autosomes in many
aspects of
genome biology, such as organization, gene content and gene expression.
Moreover, sex linkage has numerous evolutionary genetic implications.
Here, I
provide a coherent overview of sex-chromosome evolution and function
bas...
Health-care
hit
or miss?
Will the $27-billion investment in electronic records in the United
States revolutionize
care and research, or will it be a missed opportunity for patients and
science?
Vitamin
D
deficiency in 2010: Health benefits of vitamin D and sunlight: a D-...
Vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of autoimmune, cardiovascular
and
infectious diseases, type 2 diabetes mellitus, as well as the risk of
falls and
fractures. Several prospective, randomized, controlled trials published
in 2010
highlight the importance of improving vitamin D status in children...
Exercise
training
increases size of hippocampus and improves memory [Neurosci...
The hippocampus shrinks in late adulthood, leading to impaired memory
and
increased risk for dementia. Hippocampal and medial temporal lobe
volumes are
larger in higher-fit adults, and physical activity training increases
hippocampal perfusion, but the extent to which aerobic exercise
training can
m...
Melanoma:
Early
exposure is inflammatory
Exposure of mouse skin to UVB early in life generates macrophage
infiltration
and an interferon response that promotes melanocytic survival, evasion
of the
immune response and oncogenesis.
Association
between
Body-Mass Index and Risk of Death in More Than 1 Million ...
New England Journal of Medicine, Volume 364,
Issue 8, Page 719-729, February 2011.
Body-Mass
Index
and Mortality among White Adults
New England Journal of Medicine, Volume 364,
Issue 8, Page 781-783, February 2011.
The
Impact
of Institutional Discrimination on Psychiatric Disorders in Lesbian,
Gay, and Bisexual Populations: A Prospective Study
We examined the relation between living in states that instituted bans
on
same-sex marriage during the 2004 and 2005 elections and the prevalence
of
psychiatric morbidity among lesbian, gay, and bisexual ...
Biomarkers and Aging in the News Media
• In
Surprise
Finding, Bald Mice Find Their Fur Again
Mouse researchers conducting stress hormone experiments have stumbled
onto a
surprising new discovery -- a potential treatment for hair loss.
• Is
Early
Balding Linked to Prostate Cancer?
Men who start to go bald by age 20 may have an increased risk for
developing
prostate cancer later in life, a study suggests.
• ‘Dirt
cheap’
seaweed chips spot disease
Microsponges derived from seaweed are a key component of a tiny
programmable
chip designed to sniff out diseases such as HIV and cancer.
• Studying
Aging,
and Fearing Budget Cuts
Dr. Richard J. Hodes, the director of the National Institute on Aging,
weighs
the research his lab is doing in a time of fiscal pressure.
• Premature
aging
replicated in the lab
The current pace of population aging is without parallel in human
history but
surprisingly little is known about the human aging process, because
lifespans
of eight decades or more make it difficult to study. Now, researchers
have
replicated premature aging in the lab, allowing them to study
aging-related
disease in a dish.
• Ecuadorean
Villagers
May Hold Secret to Longevity
People with a rare condition called Laron-type dwarfism are almost
completely
free of cancer and diabetes.
• Could
a
regular 40-minute walk be a brain booster?
Walking for 40 minutes a few times a week is enough to preserve memory
and keep
ageing brains on top form, research shows.
• Prescriptions:
Rating
Heart Risk Tests
Consumer Reports says many common screenings should be avoided by
healthy
people.
• High
blood
pressure, obesity linked to memory loss in elderly
Older people who have larger waistlines, high blood pressure and other
risk
factors associated with that describe a condition doctors call
"metabolic
...
• Obesity
alone
raises risk of fatal heart attack, study finds
Obese men face a dramatically higher risk of dying from a heart attack,
regardless of whether or not they have other known risk factors for
cardiovascular ...
• Report
on
global cardiac risks: World gets fatter, but blood pressure goes down
The whole world is getting fatter, except perhaps for the women of
Italy and Singapore. Globally, blood pressure
is slowly coming down. Cholesterol is falling in rich countries and
rising in
developing ones.
• Metabolic
Syndrome
Linked to Memory Loss
Older people with large waistlines, high blood pressure, and other risk
factors
for a condition called metabolic syndrome may be at greater peril for
experiencing memory loss, a new French study suggests.
• Americans
Don't
Do Enough to Cut Hypertension, Cholesterol
The CDC says in a new report that about two-thirds of adults in the
U.S. who
have high cholesterol levels and about half who have high blood
pressure are
not being treated as effectively as they could be, unnecessarily
raising their
risk of stroke or heart attacks.
• Heart
Risk
Tied to Memory Problems
Middle-aged men and women with heart disease risk factors like high
blood
pressure and high cholesterol may also be at risk for memory problems
as they
age.
• Moderate
Alcohol
Drinking May Boost Heart Health
New research shows that moderate alcohol consumption can reduce heart
disease
risk by up to 25%, and this is likely due, at least in part, to
alcohol’s
positive effects on HDL 'good' cholesterol levels.
• Do
Hot
Flashes Protect Women From Heart Disease?
Hot flashes during menopause may actually lower some women’s risk for
developing heart disease, according to new research published online in
the
journal Menopause.
• Who's
at
Risk for Hearing Loss?
Statin use, heredity, and having a noisy job may be associated with
hearing
loss in middle-aged adults, a new study shows.
• Being
Multilingual
Cuts Risk of Memory Problems
People who speak more than two languages during their lifetime may be
at
reduced risk of developing memory problems as they age, new research
indicates.
• Stroke
History
of Moms Predicts Risk for Daughters
The daughters of women who suffer strokes may be at increased risk of
having a
heart attack and also at increased risk of stroke, new research
indicates.
• Quality
and
quantity of maternal milk impacts stress response of adult offspring
Two studies highlight how maternal care makes the baby's brain less
vulnerable
to stress. The quality and quantity of maternal milk and
maternal-infant
contact impact the stress response of the adult offspring, according to
recent
research.
• Economic
development
could change worldwide face of cancer
A new American Cancer Society report says cancers associated with
lifestyles
and behaviors related to economic development, including lung, breast,
and
colorectal cancers, will continue to rise in developing countries if
preventive
measures are not widely applied.
• Elderly
'face
greater care costs'
The government has been accused of penalising the most vulnerable in
society by
campaigners after it froze the threshold for social care help.
• Promise
of
genomics research needs a realistic view, experts urge
Unrealistic expectations about genomic medicine have created a
"bubble" that needs deflating before it puts the field's long term
benefits at risk, according to a group of policy experts.
• New
testing
could replace colonoscopies in the future
Nobody enjoys colonoscopies, including mice. Researchers are excited
about the
potential of using genetic biomarkers to predict colon cancer caused by
inflammation. A new method could eventually lead to a method that might
eliminate colonoscopies altogether.
• 'One
in
eight' breast cancer risk
A woman's risk of getting breast cancer over her lifetime has increased
to one
in eight, show statistics obtained by Cancer Research UK.
• Cut
red
meat to lower cancer risk
People should cut back on red and processed meat to reduce their risk
of
getting cancer, the government says.
• Severe
gluten
allergy linked to asthma risk
People with the digestive disorder known as celiac disease are more
likely to
develop another disorder involving the immune system: asthma, according
to a
new study.
• Fiber
seems
to be linked to a reduced risk of disease in people older than 50
Diets high in fiber have been shown to aid weight loss and help
with
digestive problems. Might fiber also offer other health benefits?
NIH Press Releases
NIH-funded
study
finds new possible risk factor of heart disease
Abnormal heart rate turbulence is associated with an increased risk of
heart
disease death in otherwise low-risk older individuals, according to a
study
funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part
of the
National Institutes of Health.
USAID
Administrator
Shah to deliver major global health address at the Nation...
On Feb. 15th, USAID Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah will deliver the David
E.
Barmes Global Health Lecture at the National Institutes of Health. This
is
thought to be the first ever address to NIH staff at-large by a sitting
USAID
Administrator. In his remarks, Dr. Shah will chart a course forward for
President Obama's Global Health Initiative and issue a challenge to the
development community around five transformational goals. The annual
lecture is
co-sponsored by Fogarty International Center
and the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.
New NIH
cookbook
encourages families to eat healthfully
Nutritious meals can be tasty and easy to prepare, according to a new
family
cookbook from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI),
part of
the National Institutes of Health.
NIH study
finds
two pesticides associated with Parkinson's disease
New research shows a link between use of two pesticides, rotenone and
paraquat,
and Parkinson's disease. People who used either pesticide developed
Parkinson's
disease approximately 2.5 times more often than non-users.
Researchers
identify
protein essential for embryo implantation
Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have identified
a key
step in the establishment of a pregnancy. Their discovery shows how the
hormone
progesterone suppresses the growth of the uterus's lining so that a
fertilized
egg can implant in the uterus.
NHGRI
charts
course for the next phase of genomics research
A new strategic plan from an arm of the National Institutes of Health
envisions
scientists being able to identify genetic bases of most single-gene
disorders
and gaining new insights into multi-gene disorders in the next decade.
This
should lead to more accurate diagnoses, new drug targets and the
development of
practical treatments for many who today lack therapeutic options,
according to
the plan from the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI).
NIH
encourages
women to take charge of their heart health
On Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2011, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood
Institute's
(NHLBI) The Heart Truth campaign will once again bring the Red Dress to
life on
the runway at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York City, with the
debut of the Red
Dress Collection 2011. For the first time, the event will be held at
Lincoln Center. More than 20 celebrity
participants will display the power of the Red Dress, and encourage
women to
protect their heart health and take action to lower their risk for
heart
disease.
High-quality
preschool
program produces long-term economic payoff
An early education program for children from low-income families is
estimated
to generate $4 to $11 of economic benefits over a child*'s lifetime for
every
dollar spent initially on the program, according to a cost-benefit
analysis
funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Level of
tumor protein
indicates chances cancer will spread
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health and the University of
Hong Kong
have discovered that high levels of a particular protein in cancer
cells are a
reliable indicator that a cancer will spread.
Cells'
energy
factories linked to damaging inflammation
Scientists have discovered that molecules called reactive oxygen
species (ROS)
produced by the energy factories, or mitochondria, in cells, may play a
role in
a rare inherited disorder in which uncontrolled inflammation damages
the body's
tissues. Their research in human and mouse cells suggests that blocking
these
molecules could reduce inflammation in TNF receptor-associated periodic
syndrome
(TRAPS) and possibly other inflammatory diseases.
New
videos show
NIH studies of communication between brain cells
An NIH researcher has captured video images of a previously unknown
form of
communication between brain cells that might hold clues to the way
learning
shapes the brain.
Shockable
cardiac
arrests are more common in public than home
Cardiac arrests that can be treated by electric stimulation, also known
as
shockable arrests, were found at a higher frequency in public settings
than in
the home, according to a National Institutes of Health-funded study
appearing
in the Jan. 27 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
NIH-funded
scientists
publish orangutan genome sequence
It is easy to feel a kinship with orangutans when looking into their
soulful
eyes and observing their socially complex behavior. Perhaps that'
because
orangutans and humans share 97 percent of their DNA sequence, according
to an
analysis of the great ape's genome published today by an international
group of
scientists.
Little-known
growth
factor enhances memory, prevents forgetting in rats
A naturally occurring growth factor significantly boosted retention and
prevented forgetting of a fear memory when injected into rats' memory
circuitry
during time-limited windows when memories become fragile and
changeable. In the
study funded by the National Institutes of Health, animals treated with
insulin-like growth factor (IGF-II) excelled at remembering to avoid a
location
where they had previously experienced a mild shock.
NIH Announcements
Modification of the
Biographical
Sketch in NIH Grant Application Forms (PHS 3...
Notice NOT-OD-11-045 from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts
Translational Research
to Help
Older Adults Maintain their Health and Independence in the Community
(R01)
PA-11-123
Family and
Interpersonal
Relationships in an Aging Context (R01)
Expiration Date May 8, 2014
Reducing Health
Disparities Among
Minority and Underserved Children (R01)
Funding Opportunity PA-11-104 from the NIH
Guide for Grants and Contracts. This Funding Opportunity Announcement
(FOA)
issued by the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), National
Heart,
Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Institute on Alcohol,
Alcoholism,
and Alcohol Abuse (NIAAA), and National Institute on Deafness and Other
Communication Disorders (NIDCD), National Institutes of Health (NIH),
solicits
Research Project Grant (R01) applications from
institutions/organizations that
propose to conduct research to reduce health disparities among minority
and
underserved children.
Reducing Health
Disparities Among
Minority and Underserved Children (R21)
Funding Opportunity PA-11-105 from the NIH
Guide for Grants and Contracts.
NIA Resources for Aging
Studies in
the Non-Human Primate Model
Notice NOT-AG-11-003 from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts
Cancer Prevention
Research Small
Grant Program (R03)
Funding Opportunity PAR-11-079 from the NIH
Guide for Grants and Contracts. This Funding Opportunity Announcement
(FOA) is designed
to enhance both basic and applied cancer prevention research. The
National
Cancer Institute (NCI) invites applications that propose small and
time-limited
projects pertinent to the development of cancer chemoprevention agents,
biomarkers for early cancer detection, cancer-related nutrition
science, and/or
clinical prevention studies that focus on specific target organs.
Proposed
projects may involve basic animal and/or translational research and/or
human
subjects-oriented research. However, treatment related quality of life
population based studies, as well as projects focused on cancer
etiology,
metastasis, animal model development, or treatment will not be
appropriate for
this FOA. New, as well as established, investigators in relevant fields
and disciplines
(e.g., chemoprevention, nutritional science, genetics, infectious
agents, and
early detection, including biomarker development and validation) are
encouraged
to apply for these small grants to test the feasibility of innovative
ideas or
carry out pilot studies. Ultimately, these small grants are expected to
facilitate the development of full research projects grants.
The Market for
Long-Term Care
Insurance (R01)
Funding Opportunity RFA-RM-11-002 from the NIH
Guide for Grants and Contracts. This Funding Opportunity Announcement
(FOA)
solicits research (R01) applications from institutions/organizations
proposing
to advance knowledge on the economics of long-term care (LTC),
including topics
related to private and public LTC insurance, the Community Living
Assistance
Services and Supports (CLASS) program, and related topics. The FOA is a
component of the Common Fund initiative on Health Economics for Health
Care
Reform (http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/healtheconomics).
NIH Basic Behavioral
and Social
Science Opportunity Network (OppNet) Short-te...
Funding Opportunity RFA-DE-11-003 from the NIH
Guide for Grants and Contracts. This NIH Funding Opportunity
Announcement
(FOA), issued by the NIH Basic Behavioral and Social Science
Opportunity
Network [OppNet] solicits applications for short-term mentored career
development (K18) awards in the basic behavioral and social sciences
research
(b-BSSR) from three months to one year in duration.
Correction to
RFA-CA-10-017,
Scientific
Meetings for Creating Interdisciplinary Research Teams in Basic
Behavioral and
Social Science Research (R13), in Order to Simplify Submission
Requirements
Limited Competition:
Fogarty
International Research Collaboration -
Behavioral and Social Sciences
(FIRCA-BSS) Research Award (R03)
New Time Limit for NIH
Resubmission Applications
National Institute on
Aging:
Revision Requests for Active Program Projects (P01)
Program Announcement from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts
NIH Basic Behavioral
and Social
Science Opportunity Network
(OppNet) Short-term Interdisciplinary
Research Education Program for New Investigators (R25)
Request for Applications (RFA) Number: RFA-NR-11-002
Expiration Date: January 7, 2011
Scientific Meetings for
Creating
Interdisciplinary Research Teams in Basic Behavioral and Social Science
Research
(R13)
Psychosocial Stress and
Behavior:
Integration of Behavioral and Physiological...
Request for Applications from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts
Development of
Comprehensive and
Conceptually-based Measures of Psychosocial ...
Request for Applications from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts
Events
Conferences:
Population
Association of America Annual Meeting.
The 2011 Annual Meeting will be held March 31-April 2 at the Marriott
Wardman
Hotel, Washington, DC.
Abstract deadline: September 21, 2010.
(Note: The Welcome Mixer is on Wednesday, March 30, 8:30 p.m.)
2011 American
Geriatrics Society Annual Meeting, May 11-14, 2011. Gaylord
National Resort
and Convention Center, National Harbor, MD.
The deadline to submit abstracts was December 3, 2010.
23rd
meeting
of REVES will be held in Paris France, from
May 25 to 27, 2011
Abstracst deadline: February 15, 2011.
The 7th Chicago Core on
Biomeasures in Population-Based Health and Aging Research Conference will
be held in Chicago Gleacher Center,
June 2-3, 2011
Please contact Stacy Lindau slindau@uchicago.edu
if
you would like to present or participate in the conference. Space
is
limited.
Gerontological
Society
of America's 64th Annual Scientific Meeting, November 18-22, 2011,
Boston Hynes
Convention Center, Boston, MA.
Abstracts Deadline: March 15, 2011
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
This Newsletter is supported by a grant from the National
Institute on
Aging, National Institutes of Health (Grant No. 5 P30 AG012857)
If you would like to unsubscribe please notify us at ngavrilova@babies.bsd.uchicago.edu