Review Lectures on Senescence: I. The Causes of Aging

2001 ◽  
Vol 2001 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Maynard Smith
Keyword(s):  
Aging Process ◽  
Somatic Mutations ◽  
Cellular Level ◽  
Temperature Dependent ◽  
Theories Of Aging ◽  
Organ Systems ◽  
Two Phases ◽  
Effects Of Radiation ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Do So

Aging processes are defined as those that increase the susceptibility of individuals as they grow older to the factors that may cause death. Various possible theories of aging are considered, and evidence that may help to decide between them is discussed. Changes in different organ systems may be merely symptoms of some single aging process, or they may be largely independent and synchronized by natural selection. Even if different organ systems age independently, they may do so as a result of similar changes at a cellular level. Cellular theories of aging may have to take into account the effects of selection between the cells in a tissue. The effects of radiation and somatic mutation theories of aging are discussed. It is suggested that radiation shortens life by inducing somatic mutations but that normal aging is not to any important extent caused by somatic mutations, although it may result from changes in cells that have effects on the physiology of the individual similar to those of somatic mutations. Evidence is presented that in Drosophila and in mice there are two phases in the life-span. In Drosophila , there is an initial “aging” phase, which is irreversible and occurs at a rate approximately independent of temperature, and a second “dying” phase, which is temperature-dependent in rate and reversible at lower temperatures. Reproduced by permission. J. Maynard Smith, Review Lectures on Senescence: I. The Causes of Aging. Proc. R. Soc. London Ser. B 157 , 115-127 (1962).

Review Lectures on Senescence - I. The causes of ageing

1962 ◽  
Vol 157 (966) ◽  
pp. 115-127 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Somatic Mutations ◽  
Cellular Level ◽  
Temperature Dependent ◽  
Organ Systems ◽  
Normal Ageing ◽  
Phase Temperature ◽  
Two Phases ◽  
Effects Of Radiation ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Do So

Ageing processes are defined as those which increase the susceptibility of individuals as they grow older to the factors which may cause death. Various possible theories of ageing are considered, and evidence which may help to decide between them discussed. Changes in different organ systems may be merely symptoms of some single ageing process, or they may be largely independent, and synchronized by natural selection. Even if different organ systems age independently, they may do so as a result of similar changes at a cellular level. Cellular theories of ageing may have to take into account the effects of selection between the cells in a tissue. The effects of radiation, and somatic mutation theories of ageing, are discussed. It is suggested that radiation shortens life by inducing somatic mutations, but that normal ageing is not to any important extent caused by somatic mutations, although it may result from changes in cells which have effects on the physiology of the individual similar to those of somatic mutations. Evidence is presented that in Drosophila and in mice there are two phases in the life span. In Drosophila there is an initial ‘ageing’ phase which is irreversible and occurs at a rate approximately independent of temperature, and a second 'dying' phase, temperature-dependent in rate and reversible at lower temperatures.

scholarly journals Are We Faced with Two Human Species?

2004 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 943-947 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mladen Davidovic
Keyword(s):  
General Population ◽  
Aging Process ◽  
Interindividual Variability ◽  
Human Species ◽  
Theories Of Aging ◽  
Organ Systems ◽  
Fountain Of Youth

Problems could be found in the fact that we very often look for one deciding, definitive reason for the process of aging. It is a sort of search for a big discovery, like a fountain of youth or such. More and more authors are trying to explain the unknowns in the understanding of these observations about aging by adding the statement that there are two subgroups in the general population. This acknowledgment of two subpopulations explains why there are numerous cases that cannot be explained, defined, or fitted in basic observations about caloric restrictions and the delay of reproduction. The identification of those two groups would allow us to find more realistic results in studies and therefore a more efficient therapy of certain diseases. This hypothesis does not contradict theories of aging that we have accepted (at least not the majority of accepted theories), and this hypothesis also does not contradict the fact that there is a large interindividual variability. This hypothesis doubts, and claims there are exceptions to, the starting assumption of geriatrics and gerontology that: “parallel to the aging process the functions of all organs and organ systems lessen.”

Functional Medicine

2019 ◽  
pp. 581-598
Author(s):  
Robert D. Sheeler
Keyword(s):  
Systems Biology ◽  
Western Medicine ◽  
Deep Understanding ◽  
Signs And Symptoms ◽  
Cellular Level ◽  
Sociocultural Context ◽  
Stage Disease ◽  
Organ Systems ◽  
The Individual ◽  
End Stage

Functional medicine is an emergent field that combines traditional Western medicine, systems biology, and a deep understanding of biochemistry with a personalized precision approach to the individual in their sociocultural context. It believes that modifying upstream pathways and searching for root causes give better outcomes than care based on suppressing signs and symptoms of end-stage disease. Functional medicine practice uses specific tools and heuristics such as the Functional Medicine Matrix and Timeline to uncover relationships of presenting complaints to the underlying cellular level pathophysiology. The systems biology approach cuts across organ systems to find unifying biochemical and physiological imbalances that, when successfully treated, can prevent, arrest, and even ameliorate disease.

Communicating moral reasoning in medicine as an expression of respect for patients and integrity among professionals

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 177-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauris Christopher Kaldjian
Keyword(s):  
Moral Reasoning ◽  
Moral Reasons ◽  
Moral Pluralism ◽  
Moral Integrity ◽  
Moral Beliefs ◽  
Moral Framework ◽  
Beliefs And Values ◽  
Moral Frameworks ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Do So

The communication of moral reasoning in medicine can be understood as a means of showing respect for patients and colleagues through the giving of moral reasons for actions. This communication is especially important when disagreements arise. While moral reasoning should strive for impartiality, it also needs to acknowledge the individual moral beliefs and values that distinguish each person (moral particularity) and give rise to the challenge of contrasting moral frameworks (moral pluralism). Efforts to communicate moral reasoning should move beyond common approaches to principles-based reasoning in medical ethics by addressing the underlying beliefs and values that define our moral frameworks and guide our interpretations and applications of principles. Communicating about underlying beliefs and values requires a willingness to grapple with challenges of accessibility (the degree to which particular beliefs and values are intelligible between persons) and translatability (the degree to which particular beliefs and values can be transposed from one moral framework to another) as words and concepts are used to communicate beliefs and values. Moral dialogues between professionals and patients and among professionals themselves need to be handled carefully, and sometimes these dialogues invite reference to underlying beliefs and values. When professionals choose to articulate such beliefs and values, they can do so as an expression of respectful patient care and collaboration and as a means of promoting their own moral integrity by signalling the need for consistency between their own beliefs, words and actions.

Conclusions

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geoff Moore
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Virtue Ethics ◽  
Organizational Ethics ◽  
Stakeholder Approach ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
Do So

The purpose of the concluding chapter is to review and draw some conclusions from all that has been covered in previous chapters. To do so, it first summarizes the MacIntyrean virtue ethics approach, particularly at the individual level. It then reconsiders the organizational and managerial implications, drawing out some of the themes which have emerged from the various studies which have been explored particularly in Chapters 8 and 9. In doing so, the chapter considers a question which has been implicit in the discussions to this point: how feasible is all of this, particularly for organizations? In the light of that, it revisits the earlier critique of current approaches to organizational ethics (Corporate Social Responsibility and the stakeholder approach), before concluding.

The Free Responsible Action of the Individual

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael P. DeJonge
Keyword(s):  
The Novel ◽  
Extreme Situation ◽  
The Third ◽  
Third Phase ◽  
Responsible Action ◽  
Action Type ◽  
Two Phases ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Church

If, as Chapter 12 argues, much of Bonhoeffer’s resistance thinking remains stable even as he undertakes the novel conspiratorial resistance, what is new in his resistance thinking in the third phase? What receives new theological elaboration is the resistance activity of the individual, which in the first two phases was overshadowed by the resistance role played by the church. Indeed, as this chapter shows, Bonhoeffer’s conspiratorial activity is associated with what he calls free responsible action (type 6), and this is the action of the individual, not the church, in the exercise of vocation. As such, the conspiratorial activity is most closely related to the previously developed type 1 resistance, which includes individual vocational action in response to state injustice. But the conspiratorial activity differs from type 1 resistance as individual vocational action in the extreme situation.

scholarly journals Disrupt-Then-Reframe is in the Air: A French Replication and Refinement

2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 162-173
Author(s):  
Roxane Saint-Bauzel ◽  
Audrey Pelt ◽  
Laura Barbier ◽  
Valérie Fointiat
Keyword(s):  
Target Behaviour ◽  
Communication Situation ◽  
Two Phases ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Persuasive Effect

Abstract Initiated by Davis and Knowles (1999), the-disrupt-then-reframe technique is based on the linking of two moments in time. First of all, slipping an unexpected element into a communication situation that is likely to provoke a disruption in communication. Once this disruption has been achieved, proposing a target behaviour by insisting on the benefit that the individual could derive from it. We wanted to verify that this technique, effective in American, Dutch, and Polish contexts and naturally dependent on the culture of individuals and the communication norms which prevail there, could be effective in a French context. In accordance with the literature, our results show that when the two phases of the technique are linked, a greater persuasive effect is observed. A theoretically interesting way to interpret the effectiveness of the technique is proposed.

scholarly journals SoK: Privacy on Mobile Devices – It’s Complicated

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 (3) ◽  
pp. 96-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chad Spensky ◽  
Jeffrey Stewart ◽  
Arkady Yerukhimovich ◽  
Richard Shay ◽  
Ari Trachtenberg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Devices ◽  
Personal Space ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Research Directions ◽  
Private Data ◽  
Technology Gaps ◽  
Complex Ecosystem ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Typical User ◽  
Do So

AbstractModern mobile devices place a wide variety of sensors and services within the personal space of their users. As a result, these devices are capable of transparently monitoring many sensitive aspects of these users’ lives (e.g., location, health, or correspondences). Users typically trade access to this data for convenient applications and features, in many cases without a full appreciation of the nature and extent of the information that they are exposing to a variety of third parties. Nevertheless, studies show that users remain concerned about their privacy and vendors have similarly been increasing their utilization of privacy-preserving technologies in these devices. Still, despite significant efforts, these technologies continue to fail in fundamental ways, leaving users’ private data exposed.In this work, we survey the numerous components of mobile devices, giving particular attention to those that collect, process, or protect users’ private data. Whereas the individual components have been generally well studied and understood, examining the entire mobile device ecosystem provides significant insights into its overwhelming complexity. The numerous components of this complex ecosystem are frequently built and controlled by different parties with varying interests and incentives. Moreover, most of these parties are unknown to the typical user. The technologies that are employed to protect the users’ privacy typically only do so within a small slice of this ecosystem, abstracting away the greater complexity of the system. Our analysis suggests that this abstracted complexity is the major cause of many privacy-related vulnerabilities, and that a fundamentally new, holistic, approach to privacy is needed going forward. We thus highlight various existing technology gaps and propose several promising research directions for addressing and reducing this complexity.

HEALTH HAZARDS OF EXCESSIVE STUDY IN THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS (1854)

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 84 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-93
Author(s):  
T. E. C.
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Present System ◽  
Boston Public Schools ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Surgical Journal ◽  
Loss Of Appetite ◽  
Poor Children ◽  
Mental Exertion ◽  
Academic Demands ◽  
Do So

During the mid-nineteenth century American physicians were greatly troubled by what they thought were the evils of excessive academic demands placed on children in our public schools. The editorial below, published in 1854 in the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal, is typical of many of a similar nature. Our city prides itself on the superiority of its public schools; and we think Boston is justly entitled to take the highest rank among the cities of the civilized world for the facilities afforded by its citizens for the education of youth. But notwithstanding the large expenditure of money for the erection of beautiful and commodious school-houses, for mathematical and other instruments, for teachers, &c., all which give a character to our Boston schools, there exists an evil in the present system of educating, which seriously demands attention, and, if possible, a remedy. It is the ambition of the teachers of our schools, to have their scholars thoroughly instructed, and that they may appear well before the committees at examinations; and for that purpose, lessons in great numbers and requiring toilsome study, are imposed upon them. No discrimination is made, as regards the mental or physical capacity of the individual members of the class, but all are required to be perfect in their answers, or else they lose their position in the class and school. Not one fifth of the time devoted to school hours is allowed for study, being occupied in recitations; and the severe tasks the poor children have in getting their lessons must be apparent, when it is known that so long a time is required in reciting them. The scholars of the second class, for instance, have to commit to memory from twelve to twenty-five pages of geography, three to six pages of arithmetic, the same of grammar, three pages in spelling, besides exercises in reading, writing, &c. Now these lessons must be studied out of school, at the time which should be devoted to exercise and recreation. The imposition of such severe tasks upon the young and growing children, must enfeeble their constutions, and often incapacitates them, if they arrive at maturity, for enjoying life. We have seen many children who were ambitious to accomplish all that was required of them by teachers; and to do so, the greatest portion of the twenty-four hours was necessarily devoted to their books, scarcely allowing any time for taking their meals. It must be obvious to every one, that such close application to study, produces, in their turn, a train of diseases which cannot always be eradicated. Aching heads, loss of appetite, sleepless nights, inflamed eyes, with other deviations from health, are the accompaniments and the consequences of excessive mental exertion.

scholarly journals Omics in a Digital World: The Role of Bioinformatics in Providing New Insights Into Human Aging

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Serena Dato ◽  
Paolina Crocco ◽  
Nicola Rambaldi Migliore ◽  
Francesco Lescai
Keyword(s):  
High Throughput ◽  
Aging Process ◽  
Single Cell Analysis ◽  
Physiological Age ◽  
Data Types ◽  
Aging Research ◽  
Digital World ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Critical Issues ◽  
The Individual

BackgroundAging is a complex phenotype influenced by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Although many studies addressed its cellular and physiological age-related changes, the molecular causes of aging remain undetermined. Considering the biological complexity and heterogeneity of the aging process, it is now clear that full understanding of mechanisms underlying aging can only be achieved through the integration of different data types and sources, and with new computational methods capable to achieve such integration.Recent AdvancesIn this review, we show that an omics vision of the age-dependent changes occurring as the individual ages can provide researchers with new opportunities to understand the mechanisms of aging. Combining results from single-cell analysis with systems biology tools would allow building interaction networks and investigate how these networks are perturbed during aging and disease. The development of high-throughput technologies such as next-generation sequencing, proteomics, metabolomics, able to investigate different biological markers and to monitor them simultaneously during the aging process with high accuracy and specificity, represents a unique opportunity offered to biogerontologists today.Critical IssuesAlthough the capacity to produce big data drastically increased over the years, integration, interpretation and sharing of high-throughput data remain major challenges. In this paper we present a survey of the emerging omics approaches in aging research and provide a large collection of datasets and databases as a useful resource for the scientific community to identify causes of aging. We discuss their peculiarities, emphasizing the need for the development of methods focused on the integration of different data types.Future DirectionsWe critically review the contribution of bioinformatics into the omics of aging research, and we propose a few recommendations to boost collaborations and produce new insights. We believe that significant advancements can be achieved by following major developments in bioinformatics, investing in diversity, data sharing and community-driven portable bioinformatics methods. We also argue in favor of more engagement and participation, and we highlight the benefits of new collaborations along these lines. This review aims at being a useful resource for many researchers in the field, and a call for new partnerships in aging research.

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