Editors: Natalia Gavrilova and Stacy Tessler Lindau
CCBAR
News
The 7th
Interdisciplinary Conference on Biomeasures in Population-based Health
and Aging Research was held October 25, 2011 at the University of
Chicago Gleacher Center. More than sixty individuals
participated, including a team of four from Dublin, Ireland and both
the Commissioner and lead epidemiologist for the Chicago Department of
Public Health. Rose Anne Kenny, MD, PI of the innovative Irish
Longitudinal Study on Ageing, presented an outstanding keynote lecture.
Presentations covered various aspects of biomeasures collection and
data analysis with particular emphasis on biosocial and
technology-based approaches to study of urban health and aging.
For more information on the workshop (including the conference agenda)
please visit the CCBAR website at: http://biomarkers.uchicago.edu/ChicagoBiomarkerWorkshop.htm
or contact Pleasant Radford, Jr. (pradford@babies.bsd.uchicago.edu)
with questions. CCBAR is working on posting video and powerpoint
highlights.
CCBAR would like to
welcome new subscribers to CCBAR Newsletter. Based on positive feedback
from past workshops, we have added participants of the 2011 Wokrshop to
the distribution list. If you are not interested in receiving the
newsletter, please reply to this email message indicating 'unsubscribe'
in the subject. We hope you find the newsletter useful for your work.
Natalia
Gavrilova made an outreach public lecture about biosocial survey
research in
the US at the Polytechnical Museum in Moscow, Russia. The talk was a
part of a larger lecture on centenarian studies and caused a flurry of
questions from the audience. Video of the lecture (in Russian) can be
found here.
Demographics:
Seven
billion
and
counting
A look behind this month's global population landmark reveals a
world
in transition.
Evolution:
Lies
we
tell
ourselves
Stuart West is inspired by Robert Trivers' evolutionary argument
that
self-deception is crucial to deceiving others effectively.
The
Ethnic Health Advantage
Two populations in the U.S. tend to outlive their often richer
neighbors. Why?
Cholesterol
Conundrum
Changing HDL and LDL levels does not always alter heart disease
or
stroke risk
Flexible
strategies,
forgiveness,
and
the
evolution
of
generosity
in one-shot...
By using agent-based simulations, Delton and colleagues (1)
suggested
in PNAS that cooperation by humans in one-shot interactions could have
evolved as a byproduct of selection for reciprocity when it is
uncertain if interactions will be repeated. We believe their work
should be commended both for t...
Reply
to
McNally
and
Tanner:
Generosity
evolves
when
cooperative decisions
mu...
We thank McNally and Tanner (1) for their considered critique of
our
article (2). Our article addressed the puzzle of why humans, in
one-shot interactions, often choose to incur costs to allocate benefits
to others, with no possibility of recouping these losses (i.e.,
'irrational' generosity) (2). T...
Whole-genome
sequencing
data
offer
insights
into
human
demography
Two new studies take distinct population genetic approaches to
analyzing whole-genome sequencing data sets in order to estimate human
demographic parameters. These papers refine our understanding of the
relationships among human populations while illustrating both the
possibilities and the statistic...
Gene
therapies
advance
towards
finish
line
Over a decade since gene therapy development came to a near
standstill
with the death of a clinical trial participant, the field is overcoming
issues of immunogenicity, carcinogenicity, manufacturing and small
patient populations.
Integrating
predictive
biomarkers
and
classifiers
into
oncology
clinical
deve...
The future of drug development in oncology lies in identifying
subsets
of patients who will benefit from particular therapies, using
predictive biomarkers. These technologies offer hope of enhancing the
value of cancer medicines and reducing the size, cost and failure rates
of clinical trials. Howev...
Longitudinal
evidence
that
fatherhood
decreases
testosterone
in
human
males [...
In species in which males care for young, testosterone (T) is
often
high during mating periods but then declines to allow for caregiving of
resulting offspring. This model may apply to human males, but past
human studies of T and fatherhood have been cross-sectional, making it
unclear whether father...
Routine
test
batteries
for
cognitive
impairment
in
older
people may not be co...
Young and colleagues provide guidance on assessing cognitive
impairment
in older people, including the use of a battery of tests to establish
the underlying cause.1 The value of such exhaustive test...
Premature
death
rate
in
US
is
almost
double
that in France, study shows
The number of avoidable deaths among people aged less than 75
years is
higher in the United States than in 15 other industrialised countries,
says a new study, and progress in preventing such deaths...
US
healthcare
falls
further
behind
that
of
other
industrialised countries
Healthcare in the United States continued to deteriorate in
quality,
accessibility, and affordability in the period immediately leading up
to enactment of major reforms, the Affordable Care Act of...
Broad
consent
is
informed
consent
The authors claim that the risks associated with biobanks are
minimal
and greatly outweighed by the benefits.1 Some people would disagree.2
But even if we could agree about the risks and benefits,...
Global
health
cannot
be
achieved
without
efforts
to
curb population growth
Population stabilisation is essential to healthy societies, and
is
fortunately an inevitable outcome of the evolution of such societies.
My line of argument is to understand what underlies healthy...
Enteral
Omega-3
Fatty
Acid,
{gamma}-Linolenic
Acid,
and
Antioxidant
Supplemen...
Context The omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid
and eicosapentaenoic acid, along with -linolenic acid and antioxidants,
may modulate systemic inflammatory response and improve oxygenation and
outcomes in patients with acute lung injury.
Objective To determine if dietary supplementation of ...
The
NIH
translational
research
center
might
trade
public
risk for private
reward
The new National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
planned
for the US National Institutes of Health intends to help transform
biological findings into new therapeutic products. But if taxpayer
funding of risky biomedical research translates into lucrative new
medicines, the public should s...
Model
organisms:
The
dangers
lurking
in
the
genetic
background
Two new reports reveal that the effects of sirtuins on longevity -
which have aroused great interest in lifespan research - were
confounded by background mutations in previous studies. These new
studies have important general lessons for genetic studies in model
systems.In various model
Bone:
Breastfeeding
protects
against
hip
fracture
later
in
life
Pregnancy and breastfeeding have no long-term deleterious
effects on
bone, shows a study in 4,681 postmenopausal women aged 50?94 years.
Using Cox's proportional hazard models, the researchers of the
Tromsø
study found that breastfeeding could even contribute to a reduced risk
of hip fracture after
Cardiovascular
endocrinology:
Low
testosterone
levels
are
associated
with
CVD...
Low testosterone and high 17beta-estradiol levels are associated
with
cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and CVD-related mortality, according
to a meta-analysis by Corona and colleagues. Both cross-sectional and
longitudinal studies revealed that patients with CVD have significantly
lower testosterone a...
The
causality
analysis
of
climate
change
and
large-scale
human crisis
[Anthro...
Recent studies have shown strong temporal correlations between
past
climate changes and societal crises. However, the specific causal
mechanisms underlying this relation have not been addressed. We
explored quantitative responses of 14 fine-grained agro-ecological,
socioeconomic, and demographic var...
Insensitivity
to
social
reputation
in
autism
[Neuroscience]
People act more prosocially when they know they are watched by
others,
an everyday observation borne out by studies from behavioral economics,
social psychology, and cognitive neuroscience. This effect is thought
to be mediated by the incentive to improve one's social reputation, a
specific and poss...
Biomarkers and Aging in the News Media
• Happiness
increases
longevity
Dr. Holly Phillips speaks to the "Early Show" anchors about the
difference happiness has on reducing the risk of death and well as the
health effects of being happy.
• Basics:
Selflessness
Gone
Awry,
and
the
Damage
It
Can Cause
Scientists say that ostensibly generous behavior, taken to extremes,
can become unhelpful, unproductive and even destructive.
• Higher
Risk
of
Death
for
Preemies
Returns
in
Young Adulthood
Researchers found that an increased risk of death in young adulthood
was independent of sex, birth order, maternal age, parental education
or marital status, and birth weight.
• Anesthesia
Before
Age
2
Linked
to
Learning
Problems
There are new concerns about an increased risk for learning problems in
very young children exposed to general anesthesia during surgical
procedures.
• Faulty
intellectual
disability
genes
linked
to
older
dads
at conception,
rese...
Chromosomal abnormalities linked to intellectual disability can be
traced back to the father, particularly those who are older when the
child is conceived, new research finds.
• Higher
quality
diet
associated
with
reduced
risk
of
some birth defects
Healthier dietary choices by pregnant women are associated with reduced
risks of birth defects, including neural tube defects and orofacial
clefts, according to a new study.
• BPA
in
pregnant
women
might
affect
kids'
behavior
Exposure to the chemical bisphenol-A before birth could
affect girls' behavior at age 3, according to the latest study on
potential health effects of the compound used in the manufacturing of
some plastic drink bottles and food can linings....
• Outdoor
play
tied
to
better
eyesight,
but
why?
Playing outside tied to reduced risk for nearsightedness
• Is
the
sunshine
vitamin
good
for
the
heart?
Low vitamin D levels are common and are linked to a number of risk
factors for cardiovascular disease.
• Antioxidants
not
behind
red
wine's
healthy
effect
on
heart
The study's research indicates that wine does not decrease heart risk
by lowering blood pressure.
• Vitamin
pills
'may
shorten
life'
When it comes to vitamins, it appears you could have too much of a good
thing, say researchers who have found a link between use and higher
death rates among older women.
• Vital
Signs:
Even
Slightly
Elevated
Blood
Pressure
Adds
to Stroke Risk
Studies following people with prehypertension found that their risk of
future stroke was 68 percent higher than those with normal blood
pressure, a review suggested.
• Chocolate
may
cut
women's
stroke
risk,
study
says
In the latest research to tout the cardiovascular benefits of an
already beloved food, Swedish scientists report that eating chocolate
seems ...
• Family
History
Has
Complex
Role
in
Alzheimer's
Risk
The role of family history on a person's risk for Alzheimer's disease
appears to be more complex than previously recognized, a new study
shows.
• Effect
of
aging
on
the
brain
Biologists have discovered that under stressful conditions, such as
neurodegeneration due to Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease, synapses
grow excessively, potentially contributing to dysfunction.
• Researchers
identify
a
genetic
mutation
associated
with
high
risk of age-rela...
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of severe
visual loss among the elderly. Researchers had previously identified
several relatively common genetic variants which together predict a
person's increased risk for AMD, but a significant number of persons
without the disease also have these variants. Now, for the first time,
investigators have been able to clearly show a specific rare mutation
called CFH R1210C that predicts a very high risk of disease and is
extremely uncomm...
• Exceptional
cognitive
and
physical
health
in
old
age
leaves immunological fin...
Exceptional cognitive and physical function in old age leaves a
tell-tale immunologic fingerprint, say researchers. Likewise, older
adults who have mild impairments bear a distinct immunologic pattern,
according to new findings.
• Risk
of
annual
mammograms
Women who have a mammogram every other year are substantially less
likely to experience false-positive results, a new study says.
• Breast
Cancer
Death
Rates
Decline
Fewer women are dying from breast cancer today than ever before, and
this is largely due to advances in screening and treatment. Poorer
women, however, are seeing a slower and later decline in their risk of
dying from breast cancer in part because they don't have as much access
to these life-saving advances.
• Breast
cancer
risk
may
rise
with
high
hormone
levels
Women with elevated estrogen, testosterone and other hormones likelier
to get breast disease, study finds.
• Breast
Cancer
and
BRCA
Families:
Not
Greater
Risk
Women who do not carry their family's BRCA genetic mutation are at no
higher risk of getting breast cancer than relatives of people with
other types of breast cancer. The findings of the study, which examined
more than 3,000 families, countered a 2007 study that found women who
tested negative for the BRCA mutation- but with a first degree family
member who carried the gene - had a two- to five-fold increased risk of
developing breast cancer.
• Significant
weight
gain
in
postmenopausal
women
increases
risk
for endometria...
Postmenopausal women who gained weight during adulthood had an
increased risk for endometrial cancer compared with women who
maintained a stable weight, according to new research.
• PSA
test
valuable
in
predicting
biopsy
need,
low-risk
prostate cancer,
study ...
The prostate-specific antigen test, commonly known as the PSA test, is
valuable in predicting which men should have biopsies and which are
likely to be diagnosed with low-risk prostate cancer, a new study has
found.
• Cervical
cancer
virus
fuels
oral
cancer
type,
too
A prolonged sore throat once was considered a cancer
worry mainly for smokers and drinkers. Today there's another risk: A
sexually transmitted virus is fueling a rise in oral cancer....
• IVF
linked
to
ovarian
tumours
Women undergoing IVF may have an increased risk of ovarian tumours in
later life, according to a study.
• Aspirin
'can
block
bowel
cancer'
Taking a daily dose of aspirin can reduce the incidence of bowel cancer
in people at high risk of the disease, scientists say.
• Health
risk
from
eating
well-done
meat
may
be
underestimated
Mice are often used to test whether substances in food are harmful to
humans. This requires that mice and humans metabolize substances in the
same way. Humans have certain enzymes in more parts of the body than
mice. The health risk associated with harmful substances in food may
therefore be underestimated.
• Live
longer
with
fewer
calories?
Key
enzyme
involved
in aging process found
By consuming fewer calories, aging can be slowed down and the
development of age-related diseases such as cancer and type 2 diabetes
can be delayed. The earlier calorie intake is reduced, the greater the
effect. Researchers have now identified one of the enzymes that hold
the key to the aging process.
• Biomarker
for
Huntington's
disease
identified
Researchers have identified a transcriptional biomarker that may assist
in the monitoring of disease activity and in the evaluation of new
medications.
Our brains
are made of the same stuff, despite DNA differences
Despite vast differences in the genetic code across individuals
and
ethnicities, the human brain shows a 'consistent molecular
architecture,' say researchers supported by the National Institutes of
Health. The finding is from a pair of studies that have created
databases revealing when and where genes turn on and off in multiple
brain regions through development.
Math
disability linked to problem relating quantities to numerals
Children who start elementary school with difficulty associating
small
exact quantities of items with the printed numerals that represent
those quantities are more likely to develop a math-related learning
disability than are their peers, according to a study supported by the
National Institutes of Health.
Gene
variant increases risk of kidney disease in African-Americans
African-Americans with two copies of the APOL1 gene have about a
4
percent lifetime risk of developing a form of kidney disease, according
to scientists at the National Institutes of Health.
NIH honored
for employment of people with disabilities
The National Institutes of Health Clinical Center is the
recipient of
the 2011 Employer Leadership Award from the Maryland Division of
Rehabilitation Services, an agency of the Maryland State Department of
Education.
New Go4Life
campaign focuses on fitness for older adults
Being physically active is vital to maintaining health and
independence
as we age, and a new federal campaign for people 50 and older will help
them to get active and keep going. Introduced today by the National
Institutes of Health (NIH), the Go4Life campaign encourages sedentary
older adults to reap health benefits by making physical activity part
of their daily lives.
NIH
launches research program to explore health effects from climate change
A new research program funded by the National Institutes of
Health will
explore the role that a changing climate has on human health. Led by
NIH's National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), the
program will research the risk factors that make people more vulnerable
to heat exposure; changing weather patterns; changes in environmental
exposures, such as air pollution and toxic chemicals; and the negative
effects of climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts.
Women
exposed to DES in the womb face increased cancer risk
A large study of the daughters of women who had been given DES,
the
first synthetic form of estrogen, during pregnancy has found that
exposure to the drug while in the womb (in utero) is associated with
many reproductive problems and an increased risk of certain cancers and
pre-cancerous conditions. The results of this analysis, conducted by
researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the
National Institutes of Health, and collaborators across the country,
were published Oct. 6, 2011, in the New England Journal of Medicine.
NIH grantees
win 2011 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine
The 2011 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded
to
National Institutes of Health grantees Bruce A. Beutler, M.D., of The
Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, Calif.; and Jules A. Hoffmann,
Ph.D., for their discoveries concerning the activation of innate
immunity and the late Ralph M. Steinman, M.D., of Rockefeller
University, New York City for his discovery of the dendritic cell and
its role in adaptive immunity.
New
technique identifies first events in tumor development
A novel technique that enables scientists to measure and document
tumor-inducing changes in DNA is providing new insight into the
earliest events involved in the formation of leukemias, lymphomas and
sarcomas, and could potentially lead to the discovery of ways to stop
those events.
NIH to
make
a mightier mouse resource for understanding disease
Over the next five years, National Institutes of Health
(NIH)-funded
researchers will extensively test and generate data about mice with
disrupted genes to gain clues about human diseases. NIH today awarded a
set of cooperative agreements totaling more than $110 million to begin
the second phase of the Knockout Mouse Project (KOMP).
Genetic
mutation linked to inherited forms of ALS, dementia
National Institutes of Health scientists and worldwide teams of
researchers have identified the most common genetic cause known to date
for two neurological diseases, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and
frontotemporal dementia (FTD). The discovery offers clues to underlying
mechanisms of these diseases, and may eventually contribute to the
design and testing of possible therapies.
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.
Economic
Studies
Ancillary
to
Completed
or
Ongoing
Health
Care Delivery and F...
Funding Opportunity RFA-RM-11-023 from the NIH Guide for Grants
and
Contracts. This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) solicits
applications for Research Project (R01) grant awards to support health
economics research ancillary to completed or ongoing large-scale health
care delivery and financing pilots, demonstrations, and other
experiments (PDEs) that are intended to reduce health care costs or
cost growth while maintaining or improving patient outcomes. This FOA
provides support for up to five years of funding. This FOA is a
component of the Common Fund initiative on Health Economics for Health
Care Reform (http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/healtheconomics).
Phased
Economic
Studies
Ancillary
to
Planned
Health
Care
Delivery and
Financi...
Funding Opportunity RFA-RM-11-024 from the NIH Guide for Grants
and
Contracts. This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) solicits
applications for Phased Innovation (R21/R33) grant awards to support
health economics research conducted alongside planned large-scale
health care delivery and financing pilots, demonstrations, and other
experiments (PDEs) that are intended to reduce health care costs or
cost growth while maintaining or improving patient outcomes. This FOA
provides support for up to two years (R21 phase) for research planning
activities and feasibility studies, followed by possible transition to
up to four years of expanded research support (R33 phase). The total
project period for an application submitted in response to this FOA may
not exceed five years. This FOA requires measurable R21 milestones to
be completed prior to the transition to the R33 phase. This FOA is a
component of the Common Fund initiative on Health Economics for Health
Care Reform (http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/healtheconomics).
Mechanistic
Pathways
Linking
Psychosocial Stress and Behavior (R01)
This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) RFA-HL-12-037 issued by the NIH Basic Behavioral and
Social Sciences Opportunity Network (OppNet) solicits Research Project
grant (R01) applications from institutions and organizations that
propose to investigate basic psychological, social, and environmental
mechanisms and processes linking psychosocial stressors and behavior.
Research
Infrastructure
for
Demographic
and
Behavioral
Population
Science
(R24)
Funding Opportunity RFA-HD-12-186 from the NIH
Guide for Grants and Contracts. The purpose of this FOA is to promote
science
within the mission of the NICHD Demographic and Behavioral Sciences
Branch by
providing research infrastructure to population science research
centers. Types
of research infrastructure provided include administrative and
technical
research support, developmental infrastructure, and public
infrastructure. This
FOA supports three types of applications: (1) General Research
Infrastructure,
for centers with three to six signature population science research
themes; (2)
Specialized Research Infrastructure, for centers with one or two
signature
research themes; and (3) Public Infrastructure Only applications, for
centers
that request funding only for public infrastructure.
Social
Neuroscience
and
Neuroeconomics
of
Aging
(R21)
Funding Opportunity PAR-11-336 from the NIH
Guide for Grants and Contracts. The National Institute on Aging (NIA)
issues
this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) with special review to
stimulate
interdisciplinary aging-relevant research in the social, affective and
economic
neurosciences. The NIA invites applications examining social, emotional
and
economic behaviors of relevance to aging, using approaches that examine
mechanisms and processes at both (a) the social, behavioral or
psychological
(emotional, cognitive, motivational) level, and (b) the neurobiological
or
genetic level. Applications are encouraged that have an overriding
emphasis on
economic, social or emotional processes and associated genetic or
neurobiological processes. Applications should demonstrate either
relevance for
aging or for age differences or age-related changes in these processes.
Aging-relevant applications can address issues of importance to the
well-being
and health of either mid-life or older adults, and can include data
spanning the
entire life course.
Social
Neuroscience
and
Neuroeconomics
of
Aging
(R01)
Funding Opportunity PAR-11-337 from the NIH Guide
for Grants and Contracts. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) issues
this
Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) with special review to stimulate
interdisciplinary aging-relevant research in the social, affective and
economic
neurosciences. The NIA invites applications examining social, emotional
and
economic behaviors of relevance to aging, using approaches that examine
mechanisms and processes at both (a) the social, behavioral or
psychological
(emotional, cognitive, motivational) level, and (b) the neurobiological
or
genetic level. Proposals are encouraged that have an overriding
emphasis on
economic, social or emotional processes and associated genetic or
neurobiological processes. Applications should demonstrate either
relevance for
aging or for age differences or age-related changes in these processes.
Aging-relevant applications can address issues of importance to the
well-being
and health of either mid-life or older adults, and can include data
spanning
the entire life course.
Events
NIH
Videocast:
Careers in
Public Health
This workshop will provide information on career options in the field
of public health and the education and training needed to obtain these
positions. Public health careers offer something for everyone.
Epidemiology and biostatistics involve mathematics and modeling.
Environmental health includes a wide range of science skills. Health
administration incorporates business and management skills. Health
education involves skills required to develop community-wide prevention
programs.
Conferences:
NIH
Conference
HIV/AIDS
2011 and Beyond:
Propelling the Next Generation of Research with Behavioral and Social
Science
November 9, 1:00-4:00 pm, Natcher Conference Center/Building 45,
Balcony B
Gerontological
Society
of
America's
64th
Annual
Scientific
Meeting, November 18-22, 2011,
Boston Hynes
Convention Center, Boston, MA.
Abstracts Deadline: March 15, 2011
5th
Annual NIH Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation:
Research
at
the Crossroads
March 19-20, 2012, Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center
Proposals submission deadline: November 10, 2011
Population
Association
of
America
Annual
meeting, San Francisco, CA.
The 2012 Annual Meeting will be held May 3-5 at the Hilton San
Francisco Union
Square Hotel.
Other:
Call for Abstracts: Special Issue on Integrating Genetics and
Behavioral and Social Sciences
Deadline: December 1st, 2011
To submit: Please send your proposed abstract, title, and co-authors to
SI.Abstracts@mail.nih.gov. Abstracts must be received no later than 5pm
EST, December 1st, 2011. Notifications will be sent mid to late
December, 2011. Individuals invited to participate will be asked to
send in a complete draft (or detailed outline) by April 1st, 2012 and
then will submit completed manuscripts to AJPH for peer-review by July
1st, 2012. Contact SI.Abstracts@mail.nih.govwith questions or for
additional information.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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