Editors: Natalia Gavrilova and Stacy Tessler Lindau
CCBAR
member, Stacy Lindau, MD, MAPP will be presenting at the conference
"Rethinking Urban Poverty for the 21st Century: Institutional and
Organizational Perspectives." The conference is hosted by The
University
of Chicago Urban Network and will be held on March 10 and 11,
2011.
Participation is free but requires
registration by
February
28,
2011. For more information, please visit https://blogs.uchicago.edu/urbannetwork/.
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. The
meeting
will offer an update on state-of-the-art approaches to minimally
invasive
collection of biological measures in population-based research, and is
seeking
original, research-in-progress-type presentations of relevance to the
topic. 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
Bring on the biomarkers
The dismal patchwork of fragmented research on disease-associated
biomarkers
should be replaced by a coordinated 'big science' approach, argues
George
Poste.
How will growing cities
eat?
Food security should not be ignored when assessing the future of our
cities
(Nature467, issue 7318; 2010). Urban populations already comprise more
than
half of humanity and are expanding. This demographic shift will leave
fewer
farmers to cultivate the food
A shift toward birthing
relatively
large infants early in human evolution [An...
It has long been argued that modern human mothers give birth to
proportionately
larger babies than apes do. Data presented here from human and
chimpanzee
infant:mother dyads confirm this assertion: humans give birth to
infants
approximately 6% of their body mass, compared with approximately 3% for
c...
Parkinson disease: New
developments in CSF biomarkers for early detection and...
No biomarkers are currently available that can reliably diagnose
Parkinson
disease (PD) - particularly in its early stages - or monitor the
progression of
this disorder. Two recently published reports have detailed progress in
the use
of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) markers to achieve these goals.In the fi...
Neurodegenerative
disease: CSF
biomarkers differentiate between two forms of ...
Novel cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers can potentially identify
patients
with one or other of the two main forms of frontotemporal lobar
degeneration
(FTLD), according to research conducted by John Trojanowski and
colleagues at
the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, USA. Identificati...
Alzheimer disease:
Homocysteine
and Alzheimer disease: an intervention study
Observational studies suggest that high homocysteine levels are a risk
factor
for brain atrophy and Alzheimer disease, but intervention studies have
been
inconclusive. New evidence that B vitamin therapy can slow brain
atrophy will
allow re-examination of elevated homocysteine levels as a potentiall...
Motor neuron disease:
Urgently
needed - biomarkers for amyotrophic lateral scle...
The development of disease-modifying therapies for amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis (ALS) is a priority for researchers in this field. Two
studies have
independently identified plasma and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers for
ALS, and
these biomarkers could provide a means of testing the efficacy of
novel...
How instructed
knowledge modulates
the neural systems of reward learning [Neu...
Recent research in neuroeconomics has demonstrated that the
reinforcement
learning model of reward learning captures the patterns of both
behavioral
performance and neural responses during a range of economic
decision-making
tasks. However, this powerful theoretical model has its limits.
Trial-and-e...
Gait Speed and Survival
in Older
Adults [Original Contribution]
Context Survival estimates help individualize goals of care for
geriatric patients, but life tables fail to account for the great
variability
in survival. Physical performance measures, such as gait speed, might
help
account for variability, allowing clinicians to make more
individualized
estimates....
Role of Gait Speed in
the
Assessment of Older Patients [Editorial]
Histamine restricts
cancer:
nothing to sneeze at
Histamine produced by immature myeloid cells restricts the expression
of
inflammatory mediators and regulates leukocyte recruitment to sites of
tissue
stress. Unexpectedly, cancer susceptibility is increased in mice
lacking
histamine, thus revealing a previously unknown mechanism whereby
immature my...
[News Focus] Social
Neuroscience:
Why Loneliness Is Hazardous to Your Health
New research suggests that chronic loneliness can cause changes in the
cardiovascular, immune, and nervous systems.
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.
Thyroid gland: TSH
reference
limits specific for age, sex and ethnicity
A recent article published in Thyroid provides novel reference limits
for TSH
that are specific for age, sex and ethnicity in the US
population.Previous studies have
increasingly shown that reference limits of serum TSH and free T4 are
significantly influenced by
Type 2 diabetes
mellitus in 2010:
Individualizing treatment targets in diabet...
The majority of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus have
uncontrolled
glycemia, blood pressure and lipid levels and struggle to achieve
targets set
by current guidelines. In 2010, subgroup analyses of the ACCORD trial
further
underscored the need to tailor treatment to each individual.
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...
Primary prevention of
cardiovascular disease
Cochrane review
questions evidence
for statins for primary prevention in low ...
Association of Plasma
{beta}-Amyloid Level and Cognitive Reserve With Subsequ...
Context
Lower plasma β-amyloid 42 and 42/40 levels have been associated with
incident
dementia, but results are conflicting and few have investigated
cognitive
decline among elders without dementia.
Objective To determine if plasma β-amyloid is associated with
cognitive
decline and if this...
Mapping Out Biomarkers
for
Alzheimer Disease [Editorial]
Biomarkers and Aging in the News Media
• Smoking, obesity why US
lifespans
lag a bit
The U.S.
spends more on health care than any other nation yet has worse life
expectancy
than many - and a new report blames smoking and obesity....
• Smoking may raise
breast cancer
risk
Women who smoke have an increased risk of developing breast cancer,
especially
if they become smokers early in life, a new study suggests.
• Study: Spacing babies
close may
raise autism risk
Close birth spacing may put a second-born child at higher risk for
autism, suggests
a preliminary study based on more than a half-million California
children....
• High sugar consumption
may
increase risk factors for heart disease in America...
Consuming high amounts of added sugars in soft drinks and foods in
adolescence
is associated with poor cholesterol profiles and poor diet quality,
possibly
leading to heart disease in adulthood, according to new research. Teens
who ate
the highest levels of added sugars had lower good cholesterol levels
and higher
bad cholesterol and triglyceride levels than those with the lowest
intake.
Overweight or obese teens with the highest levels of sugars intake had
increased signs of insulin resistance.
• Behavior: Distracted
Eating Adds
More to Waistlines
People who are distracted during a meal eat more, and are hungrier
afterward,
than those who concentrate on just eating.
• Preventing Heart Risks
at the
Root: Childhood
Two studies suggest that the road to hypertension and heart disease
starts in
childhood and that prevention should start there, too.
• Lifetime risk of adult
rheumatoid
arthritis determined
Researchers have determined the lifetime risk of developing rheumatoid
arthritis and six other autoimmune rheumatic diseases for both men and
women.
• Abstinence, heavy
drinking, binge
drinking associated with increased risk of ...
Previous research regarding the association between alcohol consumption
and
dementia or cognitive impairment in later life suggests that mild to
moderate
alcohol consumption might be protective of dementia. However, most of
the
research has been conducted on subjects already rather elderly at the
start of
the follow-up. A new study addresses this problem with a follow-up of
more than
two decades.
• Two Tests Could Aid in
Risk
Assessment and Early Diagnosis of Alzheimer's
Researchers report major advances on two vexing questions about
Alzheimer's:
How do you know if someone who is demented has it? And how can you
screen the
general population for risk?
• Couch potatoes beware:
Too much
time spent watching TV is harmful to heart he...
Spending too much leisure time in front of a TV or computer screen
appears to
dramatically increase the risk for heart disease and premature death
from any
cause, perhaps regardless of how much exercise one gets, according to a
new
study.
• When less is more: How
mitochondrial signals extend lifespan
In making your pro-longevity resolutions, like drinking more red wine
and
maintaining a vibrant social network, here's one you likely forgot:
dialing
down your mitochondria. It turns out that slowing the engines of these
tiny
cellular factories could extend your life-an observation relevant not
only to
aging research but to our understanding of how cells communicate with
each
another.
• Filtered and bottled
water
consumption could increase tooth decay risk
As the U.S.
consumption of bottled water rises, it is reducing the daily exposure
Americans
get to the mineral that helps prevent tooth decay. And that could pose
a
problem, especially for children.
• Study finds probable
carcinogen in
tap water of 31 U.S. cities
A new analysis showing the presence of a probable carcinogen in the tap
water
of 31 cities across the country has raised questions about possible
risks posed
to consumers in those communities and how they can reduce their
exposure.
• Progress Toward Blood
Test for
Down Syndrome
A new blood test may help pregnant women who are at high risk for
having a baby
with Down syndrome avoid more invasive tests such as amniocentesis and
chronic villus
sampling (CVS).
• Up to half in U.S. have
pre-existing conditions
As many as 129 million Americans under age 65 have medical problems
putting
them at risk of being rejected by insurance companies or having to pay
more for
coverage, according to a U.S. government study reported by the
Washington Post
on Tuesday.
• 2 Genes May Be Linked
to Heart
Disease
Investigators have identified two new genes associated with heart
disease which
could lead to better ways of recognizing those at risk and preventing
heart
attacks in some.
• Taking 10,000 Steps a
Day May
Lower Diabetes Risk
Building up to 10,000 steps each and every day can help control weight
and may
reduce diabetes risk, suggests new research in the British Medical
Journal.
• NSAID Pain Relievers
Raise Heart
Risks
A new study is weighing in on the debate over the relative safety of
nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) commonly used to
treat
musculoskeletal aches and arthritis pain.
• Ultrasound and a blood
test can
increase survival after myocardial infarction
Two relatively simple methods, an ultrasound investigation and a blood
test to
measure the level of a substance known as BNP, can predict survival and
future
heart failure following acute coronary syndromes.
• Cost to treat heart
disease in
United States will triple by 2030
The cost of treating heart disease in the United States will triple by
2030,
according to new projections. The $545 billion increase is due in part
to an
aging population. The skyrocketing financial burden makes it urgent to
implement effective strategies to prevent heart disease and stroke.
• Healthier Lifestyle
After at-Home
Genetic Test?
The marketing for controversial at-home genetics kits claim to empower
users
with the information they need to take steps to improve their health.
But a new
study suggests that, in the short term at least, the tests have little
impact
on behavior.
• Heart Benefits for
Women Who Cut
Hypertension
Middle-aged women who take steps to lower their blood pressure could
reduce
their risk of having a stroke, heart attack, or developing heart
failure, a new
study shows.
• Women Who Smoke May
Raise Breast
Cancer Risk
Smoking early in life may raise a woman?s risk of developing breast
cancer,
according to research that adds new evidence on the link between
cigarettes and
breast cancer.
• Scientists identify
avoidable
breast cancer risk factors
About 30 percent of postmenopausal breast cancers could be avoided by
more
exercise and refraining from hormone replacement therapy, according to
new
calculations by scientists in Germany.
• Biomarker test shows
promise for
melanoma diagnosis
A new study shows that a test of biomarkers for DNA methylation is
technically
feasible and could aid in earlier, more precise diagnosis of melanoma.
Researchers tested whether DNA methylation profiling could be
accomplished on
melanoma and mole tissues that had been preserved in fixatives for
typical
pathology examination after biopsy.
• Youth adapt faster than
seniors to
unexpected events, study finds
Does experience give seniors an edge in reacting to sudden change or
are
younger people quicker to respond? A new study shows that when a
routine task
is interrupted by an unexpected event, younger adults are faster at
responding.
The findings have implications for educators and for older adults in
situations
where performance is crucial.
• Advance directives can
ease the stress
of life-or-death medical decisions
Advance directives can ease the stress of life-or-death medical
decisions.
• Global Update: Uganda:
Male
Circumcision May Help Protect Sexual Partners Aga...
Researchers reported in The Lancet this month that having a circumcised
partner
reduced a woman's risk of catching human papillomaviruses by about 25
percent.
NIH
Press Releases
NIH study in
mice
uncovers pathway critical for UV-induced melanoma
Scientists have made an unanticipated discovery in mice that
interferon-gamma,
a type of protein primarily used by the immune system for intercellular
communication, acts as a promoter for the deadly form of skin cancer
known as
melanoma. This finding resulted from a series of experiments designed
to
understand how solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation causes melanoma. The
results of
this study suggest that interferon-gamma, which has been thought to
contribute
to an innate defense system against cancer, under some circumstances
may
promote melanoma and incite the development of tumors. The work, led by
researchers from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the
National
Institutes of Health, appeared online in Nature, Jan. 19, 2011.
Gene
variants
predict treatment success for alcoholism medication
The effectiveness of an experimental treatment for alcoholism depends
on the
genetic makeup of individuals who receive it, according to a new study
supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
(NIAAA),
part of the National Institutes of Health. A report of the findings
appears
online in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
NIH-funded
study
uses new technology to peek deep into the brain
Changes within deep regions of the brain can now be visualized at the
cellular
level, based on research on mice, which was funded by the National
Institutes
of Health. Published in Nature Medicine, the study used a
groundbreaking
technique to explore cellular-level changes over a period of weeks
within deep
brain regions, providing a level of detail not possible with previously
available methods. The study was supported by the National Institute on
Drug
Abuse (NIDA), the National Cancer Institute, and the National Institute
of
Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
Cancer
costs
projected to reach at least $158 billion in 2020
Based on growth and aging of the U.S. population, medical
expenditures for cancer in the year 2020 are projected to reach at
least $158
billion (in 2010 dollars) -- an increase of 27 percent over 2010,
according to
a National Institutes of Health analysis. If newly developed tools for
cancer
diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up continue to be more expensive,
medical
expenditures for cancer could reach as high as $207 billion, said the
researchers from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the NIH.
The
analysis appears online, Jan. 12, 2011, in the Journal of the National
Cancer
Institute.
Rebooting
the
brain helps stop the ring of tinnitus in rats
NIH-funded researchers were able to eliminate tinnitus in a group of
rats by
stimulating a nerve in the neck while simultaneously playing a variety
of sound
tones over an extended period of time, says a study published today in
the
advance online publication of the journal Nature.
Trace
amounts of
germ-killing molecules predict disease survival
Investigators at the National Institutes of Health have observed that
the
survival rate of people with a rare immunodeficiency disease called
chronic
granulomatous disease (CGD) is greatly improved when even very low
levels of
microbe-killing molecules are present. Because production of these
molecules,
made by an enzyme called NADPH oxidase, can be predicted from genetic
analysis,
a patient's risk for severe CGD could be assessed very early in life,
allowing
for more personalized treatment, say the researchers.
NIH-led
study
identifies genetic variant that can lead to severe impulsivity
A multinational research team led by scientists at the National
Institutes of
Health has found that a genetic variant of a brain receptor molecule
may
contribute to violently impulsive behavior when people who carry it are
under
the influence of alcohol. A report of the findings, which include human
genetic
analyses and gene knockout studies in animals, appears in the Dec. 23
issue of
Nature.
NIH Announcements
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. Specifically, this initiative focuses on ethnic
and
racial minority children and underserved populations of children such
as:
children from low literacy, rural and low-income populations,
geographically
isolated children, hearing and visually impaired children, physically
or
mentally disabled children, children of migrant workers, children from
immigrant
and refugee families, and language minority children. Specific targeted
areas
of research include biobehavioral studies that incorporate multiple
factors
that influence child health disparities such as biological (e.g.,
genetics,
cellular, organ systems), lifestyle factors, environmental (physical
and family
environments), social (e.g., peers), economic, institutional, and
cultural and
family influences; studies that target the specific health promotion
needs of
children with a known illness and/or disability; and studies that test
and
evaluate the comparative effectiveness of health promotion
interventions
conducted in traditional and nontraditional settings.
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