Age-specific reproduction in female pied flycatchers: evidence for asynchronous aging

AbstractAge-related variation in reproductive performance is central for the understanding of population dynamics and evolutionary processes. Our understanding of age trajectories in vital rates has long been limited by the lack of distinction between patterns occurring within- and among-individuals, and by the lack of comparative studies of age trajectories among traits. Thus, it is poorly understood how sets of demographic traits change within individuals according to their age. Based on 40 years of monitoring, we investigated age-related variation in five reproductive traits in female pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca) including laying date, clutch size, brood size, nest success (probability that a nest produces at least one chick) and egg success of successful nests (proportion of eggs resulting in a chick). We disentangled within- from among-individual processes and assessed the relative contribution of within-individual age-specific changes and selective appearance and disappearance. Finally, we compared the aging pattern among these five reproductive traits. We found strong evidence for age-specific performance including both early-life improvement and late-life decline in all reproductive traits but the egg success. Furthermore, the aging patterns varied substantially among reproductive traits both for the age of peak performance and for the rates of early-life improvement and late-life decline. The results show that age trajectories observed at the population level (cross-sectional analysis) may substantially differ from those occurring at the individual level and illustrate the complexity of variation in aging patterns across traits.

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Faculty Opinions recommendation of Age-related variation in reproductive traits in the wandering albatross: evidence for terminal improvement following senescence.

Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature ◽

10.3410/f.717996641.793474013 ◽

2013 ◽

Author(s):

Gabriele Sorci

Keyword(s):

Reproductive Traits ◽

Related Variation ◽

Wandering Albatross ◽

Age Related

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Lifelong Cytomegalovirus and Early-Life Irradiation Synergistically Potentiate Age-Related Defects in Response to Vaccination and Infection

10.1101/2021.12.01.470812 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Jason L. Pugh ◽

Christopher P. Coplen ◽

Alona S. Sukhina ◽

Jennifer L. Uhrlaub ◽

Jose Padilla-Torres ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dna Damage ◽

Early Life ◽

Acute Infection ◽

Late Life ◽

Whole Body ◽

Murine Cytomegalovirus ◽

Live Attenuated Vaccine ◽

Age Related ◽

Theory Of Aging ◽

High Level

ABSTRACTA popular “DNA-damage theory” of aging posits that unrepaired DNA damage leads to cellular (and organismal) senescence. Indeed, some hallmarks of immune aging are more prevalent in individuals exposed to Whole-Body Irradiation (WBI). To test this hypothesis in a model relevant to human immune aging, we examined separate and joint effects of lifelong latent Murine Cytomegalovirus (MCMV) and early-life WBI (i) over the course of the lifespan; (ii) in response to a West Nile virus (WNV) live attenuated vaccine; and (iii) following lethal WNV challenge subsequent to vaccination. We recently published that a single dose of non-lethal WBI in youth, on its own, was not sufficient to accelerate aging of the murine immune system despite causing widespread DNA damage and repopulation stress in hematopoietic cells. However, 4Gy sub-lethal WBI caused manifest reactivation of MCMV. Following vaccination and challenge with WNV in the old age, MCMV-infected animals experiencing 4Gy, but not lower, dose of sub-lethal WBI in youth had reduced survival. By contrast, old irradiated mice lacking MCMV and MCMV-infected, but not irradiated, mice were both protected to the same high level as the old non-irradiated, uninfected controls. Analysis of the quality and quantity of anti-WNV immunity showed that higher mortality in MCMV-positive WBI mice correlated with increased levels of MCMV-specific immune activation during WNV challenge. Moreover, we demonstrate that infection, including that by WNV, led to MCMV reactivation. Our data suggest that MCMV reactivation may be an important determinant of increased late-life mortality following early-life irradiation and late-life acute infection.

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Variety of Enriching Early-Life Activities Linked to Late-Life Cognitive Functioning in Urban Community-Dwelling African Americans

The Journals of Gerontology Series B ◽

10.1093/geronb/gby056 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 74 (8) ◽

pp. 1345-1355 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Thomas Chan ◽

Jeanine M Parisi ◽

Kyle D Moored ◽

Michelle C Carlson

Keyword(s):

Health Disparities ◽

African Americans ◽

Cognitive Functioning ◽

Early Life ◽

Late Life ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Cognitive Outcomes ◽

Positive Role ◽

Childhood Experiences ◽

Age Related

Abstract Objectives The early environment is thought to be a critical period in understanding the cognitive health disparities African Americans face today. Much is known about the positive role enriching environments have in mid- and late-life and the negative function adverse experiences have in childhood; however, little is known about the relationship between enriching childhood experiences and late-life cognition. The current study examines the link between a variety of enriching early-life activities and late-life cognitive functioning in a sample of sociodemographic at-risk older adults. Method This study used data from African Americans from the Brain and Health Substudy of the Baltimore Experience Corps Trial (M = 67.2, SD = 5.9; N = 93). Participants completed a battery of neuropsychological assessments and a seven-item retrospective inventory of enriching activities before age 13. Results Findings revealed that a greater enriching early-life activity score was linked to favorable outcomes in educational attainment, processing speed, and executive functioning. Discussion Results provide promising evidence that enriching early environments are associated with late-life educational and cognitive outcomes. Findings support the cognitive reserve and engagement frameworks, and have implications to extend life-span prevention approaches when tackling age-related cognitive declines, diseases, and health disparities.

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Age-related variation in reproductive traits in the wandering albatross: evidence for terminal improvement following senescence

Ecology Letters ◽

10.1111/ele.12092 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 16 (5) ◽

pp. 642-649 ◽

Cited By ~ 66

Author(s):

Hannah Froy ◽

Richard A. Phillips ◽

Andrew G. Wood ◽

Daniel H. Nussey ◽

Sue Lewis

Keyword(s):

Reproductive Traits ◽

Related Variation ◽

Wandering Albatross ◽

Age Related

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Early-life chronic di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate exposure worsens age-related long-term associative memory decline associated with insulin/IGF-1 signaling and CRH-1/CREB in Caenorhabditis elegans

Journal of Hazardous Materials ◽

10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126044 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 126044

Author(s):

Chun Ming How ◽

Ting-An Lin ◽

Vivian Hsiu-Chuan Liao

Keyword(s):

Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽

Associative Memory ◽

Early Life ◽

Memory Decline ◽

Phthalate Exposure ◽

Age Related ◽

Ethylhexyl Phthalate

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Body size throughout the life-course and incident benign prostatic hyperplasia-related outcomes and nocturia

BMC Urology ◽

10.1186/s12894-021-00816-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Saira Khan ◽

K. Y. Wolin ◽

R. Pakpahan ◽

R. L. Grubb ◽

G. A. Colditz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Body Size ◽

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia ◽

Life Course ◽

Early Life ◽

Prostate Volume ◽

Late Life ◽

Later Life ◽

Normal Weight ◽

Prostatic Hyperplasia ◽

The Life Course

Abstract Background Existing evidence suggests that there is an association between body size and prevalent Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)-related outcomes and nocturia. However, there is limited evidence on the association between body size throughout the life-course and incident BPH-related outcomes. Methods Our study population consisted of men without histories of prostate cancer, BPH-related outcomes, or nocturia in the intervention arm of the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial (PLCO) (n = 4710). Associations for body size in early- (age 20), mid- (age 50) and late-life (age ≥ 55, mean age 60.7 years) and weight change with incident BPH-related outcomes (including self-reported nocturia and physician diagnosis of BPH, digital rectal examination-estimated prostate volume ≥ 30 cc, and prostate-specific antigen [PSA] concentration > 1.4 ng/mL) were examined using Poisson regression with robust variance estimation. Results Men who were obese in late-life were 25% more likely to report nocturia (Relative Risk (RR): 1.25, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.11–1.40; p-trendfor continuous BMI < 0.0001) and men who were either overweight or obese in late-life were more likely to report a prostate volume ≥ 30 cc (RRoverweight: 1.13, 95% CI 1.07–1.21; RRobese: 1.10, 95% CI 1.02–1.19; p-trendfor continuous BMI = 0.017) as compared to normal weight men. Obesity at ages 20 and 50 was similarly associated with both nocturia and prostate volume ≥ 30 cc. Considering trajectories of body size, men who were normal weight at age 20 and became overweight or obese by later-life had increased risks of nocturia (RRnormal to overweight: 1.09, 95% CI 0.98–1.22; RRnormal to obese: 1.28, 95% CI 1.10–1.47) and a prostate volume ≥ 30 cc (RRnormal to overweight: 1.12, 95% CI 1.05–1.20). Too few men were obese early in life to examine the independent effect of early-life body size. Later-life body size modified the association between physical activity and nocturia. Conclusions We found that later-life body size, independent of early-life body size, was associated with adverse BPH outcomes, suggesting that interventions to reduce body size even late in life can potentially reduce the burden of BPH-related outcomes and nocturia.

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