Transnationalism,economic transfers and families’ ties: Intercontinental contacts of older Gujaratis,Punjabis and Sylhetis in Birmingham with families abroad

This article examines the intercontinental contacts of South Asian migrants living in Birmingham (UK) with relatives abroad. A sample of 300 elders (aged 55+) were interviewed in the UK: 100 each of Gujaratis, Punjabis and Sylhetis. The study refers to contact with children, siblings and other relatives abroad. It examines contact through letters, phone calls, sending or receiving money and gifts and visiting. We hypothesize that (i) most remittances would be sent to relatives abroad (rather than received from relatives abroad) due to the expectations in the sending countries; (ii) that the frequency of visits to relatives abroad would be greater than the frequency of visits to the UK; (iii) that all types of contact would be greater between children and parents than between siblings, and other relatives. None of the hypotheses was supported in full, and highlight important distinctions between the South Asian groups in the study.     

Influence of manganese exposure on cognitive function,plasma APP and Aβ levels in older men

BackgroundElevated manganese (Mn) exposure impairs cognition in adults and children, but the association between Mn and cognitive function in elderly people is unclear. Previous studies have linked Mn neurotoxicity in AD to Aβ-dependent mechanisms. However, the association between Mn and plasma APP and Aβ in the general elderly population remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the association between Mn exposure and cognitive function, plasma APP and plasma Aβ in older adults.MethodsCognitive abilities in 375 men aged 60 and older in Guangxi, China were assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and cognitive impairment were identified using education-stratified cut-off points of MMSE scores. Urinary Mn levels and plasma APP, and Aβ levels were measured using ICP-MS and ELISA, respectively.ResultsA total of 109 (29.07 %) older men were identified as having cognitive impairment. The median urinary Mn level was 0.22 μg/g creatinine. Urinary Mn levels were negatively correlated with MMSE scores (β = −1.35, 95 % CI: −2.65 to −0.06; p = 0.041). In addition, higher concentrations of urinary manganese were associated with a greater risk of cognitive impairment (OR = 2.03, 95 % CI: 1.14–3.59; comparing the highest and lowest manganese; p = 0.025). Moreover, plasma APP levels were inversely associated with urinary Mn levels (r = −0.123, p = 0.020), and positively associated with MMSE scores (r = 0.158, p = 0.002). Surprisingly, no correlations were observed between plasma Aβ42, Aβ40, Aβ40/Aβ42, or Aβ42/Aβ40 and urinary Mn levels and MMSE scores.ConclusionThese results suggested that Mn exposure is negatively associated with older men’s cognition and plasma APP levels, but not plasma Aβ levels.     

Peripheral administration of α-MSH reduces fever in older and younger rabbits

In these experiments IV, ICV and intra-gastric administration of α-MSH reduced fever caused by injections of leukocytic pyrogen (LP). 2.5 μg α-MSH injected IV reduced fever caused by IV LP, more so in rabbits over 3 yrs old than in those under 2 yrs of age; 5 mg of acetaminophen given IV had no antipyretic effect in either age group. ICV administration of 25 ng α-MSH reduced fever caused by IV LP injection in the older but not in the younger rabbits. α-MSH given IV (2.5 μg) also lowered fever induced by ICV injection of LP in older but not in younger animals. Both older and younger rabbits showed reductions in fever evoked by IV LP after 2.5 mg α-MSH was given by gastric tube. The results indicate that this peptide which occurs naturally within the brain has potent antipyretic properties when given systemically, presumably as a result of a central antipyretic action. Greater sensitivity to central α-MSH in the older rabbits may account for the reduced febrile response seen in the aged. The findings support previous data which suggest that central α-MSH has a physiological role in the limitation of fever.     

Mechanography performance tests and their association with sarcopenia,falls and impairment in the activities of daily living – a pilot cross-sectional study in 293 older adults

Objectives:

Muscle mass and muscle power considerably decline with aging. The aim of the present study was to determine the association between muscular function using mechanography and sarcopenia, falls and impairment in the activities of daily living (ADL) in a sample of 293 community-dwelling women and men aged 60-85 years in Berlin, Germany.

Methods:

Muscle function was determined by muscle power per body mass in vertical countermovement jumps (2LJP_rel) and the chair rising test (CRTP_rel) on a force plate. Sarcopenia status was assessed by estimating appendicular muscle mass with dual-X-ray absorptiometry. Self-reported ADL impairment and falls in the last 12 months were determined.

Results:

ADL impairment was significantly correlated with all performance tests but not with muscle mass. The 2LJP_rel (OR 0.88, 95%-CI 0.79-0.98), the Esslinger Fitness Index (EFI) (OR 0.97, 95%-CI 0.94-1.00) and the maximal velocity of the CRT (OR 0.70, 95%-CI 0.53-0.93) remained significant correlates for sarcopenia independent of age in men but not in women. The EFI could differentiate female individuals who had past fall events (OR 0.96, 95%-CI 0.93-0.98).

Conclusion:

The results of the present study highlight the importance of assessing muscle power in older individuals as a relevant correlate for functional decline.     

Does emotional dysregulation mediate the relationship between disability and depressive symptoms in older people?

BackgroundEmotion dysregulation has been consistently linked to psychopathology, and the relationship between disability and depressive symptomatology in old age is well-known.ObjectiveTo examine the mediational role of emotional dysregulation in the relationship between perceived disability and depressive symptomatology in older adults.MethodsTwo hundred eighty-three participants, aged 60–96 years (M ± SD = 74.22 ± 8.69; 62.9% women; 29.0% with long-term care support [LTC-S] and 71.0% community residents without LTC-S), were assessed with the Geriatric Depression Scale-8 (GDS-8), the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule-2 (WHODAS-2), and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale-16 (DERS-16).ResultsA mediation model was established, which revealed: (1) a moderate association between WHODAS-2 and GDS-8 (β = 0.20; p < .001); (2) DERS-16 partially and weakly mediated the relationship between WHODAS-2 and GDS-8 (β = 0.003; p < .01). The model explained 31.9% of the variance of depressive symptoms. An inconsistent mediation model was obtained in the LTC-S group.ConclusionsGlobally, our findings indicate that disability has an indirect relationship with depressive symptomatology through emotional dysregulation (except for those in the LTC-S). Accordingly, we present suggestions for the treatment of depressive symptoms and for the inclusion of other emotion regulation variables in the study of the disability-depressive symptom link in future studies with older people in the LTC-S.     

Sex, Death, and Evolution in Proto- and Metazoa, 1876–1913

In the period 1875–1920, a debate about the generality and applicability of evolutionary theory to all organisms was motivated by work on unicellular ciliates like Paramecium because of their peculiar nuclear dualism and life cycles. The French cytologist Emile Maupas and the German zoologist August Weismann argued in the 1880s about the evolutionary origins and functions of sex (which in the ciliates is not linked to reproduction), and death (which appeared to be the inevitable fate of lineages denied sexual conjugation), an argument rooted in the question of whether the ciliates and their processes where homologous to other cellular organisms. In the beginning of the twentieth century, this question of homology came to be less important as the ciliates were used by the British protozoologist Clifford Dobell and the American zoologist Herbert Spencer Jennings to study evolutionary processes in general rather than problems of development and cytology. For them, homology mattered less than analogy. This story illustrates two partially distinct problems in evolutionary biology: first, the question of whether all living things have common features and origins; and second, whether their history and current nature can be described by identical mechanisms. Where Maupas (contra Weismann) made the ciliates qualitatively the same as all other organisms in order to create a cohesive evolutionary theory for biology, Jennings and Dobell made them qualitatively different in order to achieve the same end. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Step length determines minimum toe clearance in older adults and people with Parkinson’s disease

Reduced foot clearance when walking may increase the risk of trips and falls in people with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Changes in foot clearance in people with PD are likely to be associated with temporal-spatial characteristics of gait such as walking slowly which evokes alterations in the temporal-spatial control of stepping patterns. Enhancing our understanding of the temporal-spatial determinants of foot clearance may inform the design of falls prevention therapies.Thirty-six people with PD and 38 age-matched controls completed four intermittent walks under two conditions: self-selected and fast gait velocity. Temporal-spatial characteristics of gait and foot (heel and toe) clearance outcomes were obtained using an instrumented walkway and 3D motion capture, respectively. A general linear model was used to quantify the effect of PD and gait velocity on gait and foot clearance. Regression evaluated the temporal and spatial gait predictors of minimum toe clearance (MTC).PD walked slower regardless of condition (p = .016) and tended to increase their step length to achieve a faster gait velocity. Step length and the walk ratio consistently explained the greatest proportion of variance in MTC (>28% and >33%, respectively) regardless of group or walking condition (p < .001).Our results suggest step length is the primary determinant of MTC regardless of pathology. Interventions that focus on increasing step length may help to reduce the risk of trips and falls during gait, however, clinical trials are required for robust evaluation.     

Peripheral blood T-cell signatures from high-resolution immune phenotyping of γδ and αβ T-cells in younger and older subjects in the Berlin Aging Study II

Background

Aging and latent infection with Cytomegalovirus (CMV) are thought to be major factors driving the immune system towards immunosenescence, primarily characterized by reduced amounts of naïve T-cells and increased memory T-cells, potentially associated with higher morbidity and mortality. The composition of both major compartments, γδ as well as αβ T-cells, is altered by age and CMV, but detailed knowledge of changes to the γδ subset is currently limited.

Results

Here, we have surveyed a population of 73 younger (23–35 years) and 144 older (62–85 years) individuals drawn from the Berlin Aging Study II, investigating the distribution of detailed differentiation phenotypes of both γδ and αβ T-cells. Correlation of frequencies and absolute counts of the identified phenotypes with age and the presence of CMV revealed a lower abundance of Vδ2-positive and a higher amount of Vδ1-positive cells. We found higher frequencies of late-differentiated and lower frequencies of early-differentiated cells in the Vδ1+ and Vδ1-Vδ2-, but not in the Vδ2+ populations in elderly CMV-seropositive individuals confirming the association of these Vδ2-negative cells with CMV-immunosurveillance. We identified the highest Vδ1:Vδ2 ratios in the CMV-seropositive elderly. The observed increased CD4:CD8 ratios in the elderly were significantly lower in CMV-seropositive individuals, who also possessed a lower naïve and a larger late-differentiated compartment of CD8+ αβ T-cells, reflecting the consensus in the literature.

Conclusions

Our findings illustrate in detail the strong influence of CMV on the abundance and differentiation pattern of γδ T-cells as well as αβ T-cells in older and younger people. Mechanisms responsible for the phenotypic alterations in the γδ T-cell compartment, associated both with the presence of CMV and with age require further clarification.

     

Changes in FADD levels,distribution, and phosphorylation in TNFα-induced apoptosis in hepatocytes is caspase-3, caspase-8 and BID dependent

FADD/MORT1 (The adaptor protein of Fas Associate Death Domain/Mediator of Receptor Induced Toxicity) is essential for signal transduction of death receptor signaling. We have previously shown that FADD is significantly up-regulated in TNFα/ActD induced apoptosis. Over-expression of FADD also induces death of lung cancer cells and primary hepatocytes. We hypothesize that the increase in detectable FADD levels require the proximal steps in apoptotic signaling and speculated that FADD would be redistributed in cells destined to undergo apoptosis. We show that monomeric non-phosphorylated FADD is up-regulated in hepatocytes treated with TNFα/ActD and that it accumulates in the cytoplasm. Nuclear phosphorylated FADD decreases with TNFα/ActD treatment. Dimeric FADD in the cytoplasm remains constant with TNFα/ActD. The change in FADD levels and distribution was dependent on caspase-3, caspase-8 activity and the presence of BID. Thus, changes in FADD levels and distribution are downstream of caspase activation and mitochondria changes that are initiated by the formation of the DISC complex. Changes in FADD levels and distribution may represent a novel feed-forward mechanism to propagate apoptosis signaling in hepatocytes. Xiaoying Zhang and Raghuveer Vallabhaneni contributed equally to the work.     

Long-term trends in water temperature and ice cover in the subalpine lake, Øvre Heimdalsvatn,and nearby lakes and rivers

Long-term data series of ice cover on lakes and river temperatures from the mountain areas of Norway are lacking. The present study analyses the last four decades of ice data from the subalpine lake, Øvre Heimdalsvatn, and water temperature data from its outlet river, Hinøgla. These data are compared to water temperature data from three neighbouring, quite different locations, the glacier-fed rivers Leirungsåi and Sjoa, and the alpine lake, Bessvatn. The study also examines the air temperature/river temperature relationships, and the air temperature/ice freeze-up and break-up dates. During the months of July, August and September, the water temperature in Hinøgla was well correlated to the air temperature, but the correlation was poor in the remaining months due to the ice cover and snow conditions. A significant temperature increase of 2–3°C has been observed in Hinøgla in the months August–October since 1984. There were only minor changes in the duration of the ice cover season during the last 40 years, but a delay of 9 days was found in the freeze-up date and a delay of 6 days in the break-up date, although the latter was not significant.     

Glycine-induced currents are insensitive to the glycine receptor α1 subunit-specific blocker, cyanotriphenylborate, in older circling mice

The pharmacologic characteristics of glycine receptors (GlyRs) in the lateral superior olive (LSO) of circling mice, animal model for inherited deafness, were investigated using a GlyR α₁ subunit-specific receptor blocker (cyanotriphenylborate [CTB]). There was a statistically significant age-dependent increase in the antagonistic effect of CTB in heterozygous (+/cir) mice. In postnatal (P)0–P3 heterozygous (+/cir) mice, glycine currents evoked by glycine puffs were reduced to 20.4 ± 2.6, 37.1 ± 3.1, and 63.9 ± 2.5% at 0.1, 1, and 10 μM CTB (n = 13) compared to controls, while the glycine currents were reduced to 22.3 ± 3.5, 52.9 ± 4.1, and 78.3 ± 3.5% at 0.1, 1, and 10 μM CTB (n = 7) in P8–P12 heterozygous (+/cir) mice. In contrast, the antagonistic effect of CTB was not strong and even less than that of younger animals in older homozygous (cir/cir) mice. In P0–P3 homozygous (cir/cir) mice, the extent of inhibition was 20.2 ± 3.7, 37.8 ± 4.3, and 66.8 ± 4.2% at 0.1, 1, and 10 μM CTB (n = 6) compared to controls, while the extent of inhibition was 18.7 ± 2.4, 28.1 ± 3.9, and 39.1 ± 8.2% (n = 6) in P8–P12 homozygous (cir/cir) mice. The age-dependent decrease in the antagonistic effect of CTB indicates the abnormal development of the α₁ subunit-containing GlyRs in homozygous (cir/cir) mice.     

Do older taxa have older proteins?

We have confirmed through an enlarged set of 728 species with 10,000 or more compiled codons, and a subset of 237 species with at least 50,000 compiled codons, that the mean values of a previously described index phi [the mean value of the ratio between the relative (G, C) content of Class II and Class I codons, where G and C are guanine and cytosine] decrease monotonically across five large taxa, viz archaea, bacteria, eukaryotes (excluding metazoa), metazoa (excluding vertebrates) and vertebrates. It is proposed that these main taxa diverge successively from an ancestral progenome along lines which have persisted over long periods of time, leading to a primordial non-symmetrical phylogenetic tree. Further divergence, i.e. from eukaryotes to plants, fungi and protozoans, has followed symmetrical branching with approximately equal numbers of replacements and fixations. A statistical analysis of the phi values of twelve distinct proteins, distributed over more than one thousand species belonging to the five main groups, was made to verify whether older taxa have older proteins. This supposition was confirmed for the first four taxa, but it was inconclusive for the last pair, metazoa/vertebrates.