Estimating Downcore Decline in Skeletal Disintegration Risk in Holocene Environments

Author(s):  
Niklas Hohmann ◽  
Adam Tomašových

<p>Preservation of skeletal remains is thought to be positively linked to rate of burial, i.e., they are exposed to destructive processes for a shorter time under higher burial. However, downcore changes in time-averaging documented in Holocene skeletal assemblages implies that per-individual burial rates of skeletal remains of the same age cohort can be variable, e.g., owing to bioturbation, and estimation of time (and sediment depth) over which skeletal remains are exposed to destruction is not straightforward.</p><p>This variability in the depth of burial exposes them to different intensities of destructive processes that is typically highest in sediments on or close to the seafloor, and accordingly changes their probability of disintegration. This hinders both the reconstruction of taphonomic conditions downcore and the reconstruction of biological archives from age cohorts of skeletal remains.</p><p>We present the AALPS (Aging ALong burial PathS) model to estimate downcore disintegration risk and taphonomic age, based on sediment-depth distribution of postmortem age of individual skeletal remains. This model can be applied to individual cores and taxa, accounts for sediment mixing and time-averaging, and incorporates knowledge of changing sediment input.</p><p>As an application, we discriminate between distinct hypotheses of changes in skeletal disintegration rates in cores from the Adriatic Sea.</p><p>The method provides new insights into the taphonomy of skeletal remains in Holocene and Anthropocene environments and age unmixing of paleoecological time series, which can be used in conservation paleobiology to reconstruct ecological baselines to guide future conservation efforts.</p>

Paleobiology ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Tomašových ◽  
Susan M. Kidwell ◽  
Rina Foygel Barber

AbstractAge-frequency distributions of dead skeletal material on the landscape or seabed—information on the time that has elapsed since the death of individuals—provide decadal- to millennial-scale perspectives both on the history of production and on the processes that lead to skeletal disintegration and burial. So far, however, models quantifying the dynamics of skeletal loss have assumed that skeletal production is constant during time-averaged accumulation. Here, to improve inferences in conservation paleobiology and historical ecology, we evaluate the joint effects of temporally variable production and skeletal loss on postmortem age-frequency distributions (AFDs) to determine how to detect fluctuations in production over the recent past from AFDs. We show that, relative to the true timing of past production pulses, the modes of AFDs will be shifted to younger age cohorts, causing the true age of past pulses to be underestimated. This shift in the apparent timing of a past pulse in production will be stronger where loss rates are high and/or the rate of decline in production is slow; also, a single pulse coupled with a declining loss rate can, under some circumstances, generate a bimodal distribution. We apply these models to death assemblages of the bivalveNuculana taphriafrom the Southern California continental shelf, finding that: (1) an onshore-offshore gradient in time averaging is dominated by a gradient in the timing of production, reflecting the tracking of shallow-water habitats under a sea-level rise, rather than by a gradient in disintegration and sequestration rates, which remain constant with water depth; and (2) loss-corrected model-based estimates of the timing of past production are in good agreement with likely past changes in local production based on an independent sea-level curve.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 61-61
Author(s):  
Ethan Siu Leung Cheung ◽  
Ada Mui

Abstract This study uses Wave 3 National Social Life, Health and Aging Project to examine the correlation between age cohorts [60s (n=1204); 70s (n=1176); 80 and older (n= 724)], cognitive status, and depression symptoms. In the total sample, 53.90% were females, 76.15% Whites, 15.29% Blacks, and 8.56% Asians. Compared to the 60s and 70s cohorts, 80+ cohort was cognitively more impaired [Mean (SD) of MoCA Short Form were 10.7(2.9), 10.0(3.2), and 8.1(3.6)]. There were no age cohorts’ differences in depressive symptoms experienced (Mean of CESD Short Form = 21.03; SD = 4.06). In order to identify predictors of depression, multiple hierarchical regressions were performed. The 60s sample was the reference group to compare with 70s and 80s cohorts. Results showed that age cohort variables had a significant independent effect as well as a joint effect with cognitive status in explaining depression scores. For each age cohort group, parallel regression analyses were conducted and all models were significant. Findings suggest that ADL impairment was the only common predictor for depressive symptoms for the three cohort groups, and the association was the strongest for the 60s cohort (b = .31). Other unique predictors for 60s cohort were lower-income, more IADLs impairment, higher stress and cognitive impairment. For the 70s cohort, unique predictors of depressive symptoms were female gender, unmarried, and less socialization. For the 80 and above group, correlates of depression are female, White, and high stress level. Findings highlight the necessity of age-sensitive programs on depression support for community-dwelling older Americans.


Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1911
Author(s):  
Maurice G. O’Sullivan ◽  
Ciara M. O’Neill ◽  
Stephen Conroy ◽  
Michelle J. Judge ◽  
Emily C. Crofton ◽  
...  

The objective of the present study was to determine if animals who were genetically divergent in the predicted tenderness of their meat actually produced more tender meat, as well as what the implications were for other organoleptic properties of the meat. The parental average genetic merit for meat tenderness was used to locate 20 “Tough genotype” heifers and 17 “Tender genotype” heifers; M. longissimus thoracis steaks from all heifers were subjected to sensory affective analysis (140 consumers) and sensory profiling using two trained sensory panels. All sample steaks were treated identically regarding pre- and post-mortem handling, storage, cooking and presentation (i.e., randomised, blind coded). For the affective consumer study, eight steaks were sectioned from the same location of the striploin muscles from each of the heifers. In total, 108 steaks from the Tender genotype and 118 from the Tough genotype were tested in the consumer study to determine the preference or liking of these steaks for appearance, aroma, flavour, tenderness, juiciness and overall acceptability. The consumer study found that the Tender genotype scored higher (p < 0.0001) for liking of tenderness, juiciness, flavour and overall acceptability compared to the Tough genotype. Similar results were generally found for the separate consumer age cohorts (18–64 years) with lower sensory acuity in the 65+ age cohort. For the descriptive analysis, the Tender genotype scored numerically more tender, juicy and flavoursome, although the differences were only significant for one of the panels. The critical outcome from this study is that parental average genetic merit can be used to pre-select groups of animals for tenderness, which, in turn, can be detected by consumers.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Tomašových ◽  
Susan M. Kidwell

&lt;p&gt;Differences in the taxonomic or functional composition of living and death assemblages is a key means of identifying the magnitude and drivers of past ecological changes in conservation paleobiology, especially when assessing the effects of anthropogenic impacts. However, such live-dead differences in species abundances can arise not only from ecological (stochastic or deterministic) changes in abundance over the duration of time averaging but also from interspecific differences in the postmortem durability of skeletal remains or from the lifespan of the individuals. Here, we attempt to directly incorporate the effects of durability on species abundances in death assemblages by modeling dead abundance as a function of species&amp;#8217; durability traits and using abundances in living assemblages as a prior. Species inferred to be negatively affected by anthropogenic impacts should be over-represented in death assemblages relative to their abundance in death assemblages predicted by the durability model (rather than just relative to their abundance in living assemblages). Using species-level durability trait data for bivalves (shell size, thickness, mineralogy, shell organic content, and life habit) from the southern California shelf, we find that, among these traits, valve thickness correlates consistently positively and at multiple spatial scales with the log of the dead:live ratio of species abundances, and accounts for ~20-30% of live-dead mismatch. Using this benchmark for the discordance that might be taphonomic in origin, we confirm that the over-representation of epifaunal suspension-feeders and siphonate deposit-feeders in death assemblages of the southern California shelf owes in fact to their ecological decline in recent centuries, even when accounting for their greater durability.&lt;/p&gt;


Author(s):  
Funmilola M. OlaOlorun ◽  
Wen Shen

Menopause is the natural senescence of ovarian hormonal production, and it eventually occurs in every woman. The age at which menopause occurs varies between cultures and ethnicities. Menopause can also be the result of medical or surgical interventions, in which case it can occur at a much younger age. Primary symptoms, as well as attitudes toward menopause, also vary between cultures. Presently, the gold standard for treatment of menopause symptoms is hormone therapy; however, many other options have also been shown to be efficacious, and active research is ongoing to develop better and safer treatments. In a high-resource setting, the sequelae/physiologic changes associated with menopause can impact a woman’s physical and mental health for the rest of her life. In addition to “hot flashes,” other less well-known conditions include heart disease, osteoporosis, metabolic syndrome, depression, and cognitive decline. In the United States, cardiac disease is the leading cause of mortality in women over the age of 65. The growing understanding of the physiology of menopause is beginning to inform strategies either to prevent or to attenuate these common health conditions. As the baby boomers age, the distribution of age cohorts will increase the burden of disease toward post-reproductive women. In addition to providing appropriate medical care, public health efforts must focus on this population due to the financial impact of this age cohort of women.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. S955-S955
Author(s):  
Jason J LeBlanc ◽  
May ElSherif ◽  
Lingyun Ye ◽  
Donna MacKinnon-Cameron ◽  
Ardith Ambrose ◽  
...  

Abstract Background In healthy adults aged ≥65 years, direct immunization with the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) was shown effective at preventing vaccine-type pneumococcal community-acquired pneumonia (pCAP) and invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD). Although PCV13 was licensed for use in Canadian adults aged >50 years, it was recommended for immunocompromised individuals who are at highest risk of IPD. In 2016, a recommendation was issued for use of PCV13 in immunocompetent adults aged ≥65 years, for the prevention of pCAP and IPD. This study aimed to compare pCAP cases attributed to PCV13 serotypes in adults aged 50–64 and ≥65 years. Methods Active surveillance for CAP and IPD was performed from 2010 to 2015 in adult hospitals across five Canadian provinces. To identify pCAP, blood culture, sputum culture, or a PCV13 serotype-specific urine antigen detection (ssUAD) were used. Serotype was assigned using Quellung reaction, PCR, or ssUAD. All pCAP cases were categorized by serotype and age groups. Patient demographics and outcome data were collected. Results Over years 2010–2015, 6687 CAP cases were tested. 835 pCAP cases were identified, of which 418 (50%) caused by a PCV13 serotype. The majority (74%) of PCV13-associated pCAP occurred in the adults aged ≥50 years, whereas only 41.4% (173/418) were in adults ≥65 years. PCV13 pCAP cases declined over the years, likely through herd immunity from childhood immunization. The yearly proportion of pCAP attributed to PCV13 serotypes for ages ≥50 remained high (67.5 to 80.6%), compared those occurring in the ≥65 age groups (35.1 to 49.4%). Compared with test-negative controls, pCAP cases in both age groups were more likely to be admitted to ICU, require mechanical ventilation, and had higher mortality. Of pCAP deaths, 61.4% and 82.3% were in the ≥65 and ≥50 age cohorts, respectively. Conclusion From year 2010 to 2015, adults hospitalized with PCV13 pCAP in the ≥65 age cohort accounted for less than half of the cases, whereas including the 50–64 age cohort increased the proportion to 74%. Similarly, the proportion of PCV13 pCAP deaths that occurred in adults aged ≥50 years was 82%, compared with 61% in the ≥65 age cohort. Expansion of PCV13 recommendations to include adults 50–64 years of age should be considered. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.


Blood ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 104 (11) ◽  
pp. 1491-1491 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heinz Ludwig ◽  
Brian G.M. Durie ◽  
Erik Rasmussen ◽  
John Crowley

Abstract Up to now no systematic analysis on the impact of different age categories on survival in patients with multiple myeloma has been reported. Information on possible correlations of host and tumor related prognostic factors with different age categories are lacking. We studied these parameters in a large cohort of patients with multiple myeloma (n=10.750) submitted by participating institutions and groups in the international staging system (ISS) project. Prognostic factors were recorded and age was calculated at start of initial chemotherapy. Patients were grouped into 6 age cohorts (<40, 40−<50, 50−<60, 60−<70, 70−<80 and ≥80 years). P values were calculated with the Jonckheere-Terpstra test and Spearman’s correlation coefficient was used where appropriate. The sequential median survivals constantly decreased by decade from 61 months to 60, 53, 40, 32 and 24 months in the 6 patient cohorts from age < 40 years to age >80 years examined, respectively, with a median value of 44 months (p<0.0001). The distribution of prognostic factors by age revealed a highly significant correlation between high serum ß2 microglobulin ( Sß2M, ≥3.5mg/dl) and age, ranging from 45% in patients in the youngest to 75% of patients in the oldest age cohort (r=0.17 (0.15–0.19), p<0.0001). A similar correlation was seen between low serum albumin (<3.5g/dl) and age: The proportion of patients with low serum albumin levels increased from 32% in patients at age < 40 years to 54% in patients > 80 years (r= −0.11(−0.13, −0.09), p<0.0001). Consequently, as Sß2M and serum albumin constitute the prognostic parameters of the ISS, a close correlation between ISS stage and age was found (p< 0.0001). The proportion of patients with ISS stage I (Sß2M < 3.5mg/dl and serum albumin ≥ 3.5 mg/dL) was 40% in patients aged <40 years and only 12% in those aged ≥80 years. In contrast, 44% of patients of the oldest and 31% of the youngest age cohort presented with ISS stage III. In addition, a similar, albeit lesser trend was noted for decreasing hemoglobin with age (r=−0.08 (−0.10, −0.07, p<0.0001) and increasing serum creatinine with age (r=0.08 (0.06, 0.10), p <0.0001). The parameters reflecting the biology of the myeloma clone did not vary between different age cohorts. Bone marrow plasma cell infiltration (BMPC) ≥33%, CRP levels ≥0.8 (mg/dL) and normal LDH was seen in similar frequencies in the different age categories. Similarly, no age dependent variation in cytogenetically defined prognostic variables was seen. The proportion of patients with Del 13 and of those with t (11; 14), t (4; 14) did not differ between the different age categories; these data were obtained in a limited number of patients only (616, 544 and 418 patients, respectively). In conclusion, age was identified as important prognostic factor in the six different age cohorts examined. Poorer survival with higher age is closely linked to higher ISS stage. In addition, creatinine and low hemoglobin correlate, albeit to a lesser degree, with increasing age, but not parameters reflecting adverse biologic features of the tumor clone (LDH, BMPC, CRP, del 13, t(11;14) t(4;14). Hence, an ailing host and not a more aggressive tumor clone seems to account for the inverse correlation between survival and age.


10.12737/5613 ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Макишева ◽  
R. Makisheva ◽  
Хромушин ◽  
Viktor Khromushin ◽  
Хадарцев ◽  
...  

The article analyzes 182897 deaths of the adult population of the Tula region from the mortality register from 2007 to 2013 by age cohorts 15-19; 20-24; 25-34; 35-44; 45-54; 55-64; 65-74; &#62;=75, of which 4882 case of death from diabetes. The increasing incidence of diseases of the endocrine system, disorders of nutrition and metabolism is identified and is accordingly 63,7; 66,5; 68,4; 68,3; 69,4; 71,0 per 1000 population. The mortality rate in the Tula region in 2012 from diabetes was 59,86 per 100000 population. The analysis of mortality shows that the ratio of women to men for the period from 2007 to 2013 increases with increasing age in a power-law dependence from 0,6 to 4,49. In the age cohort 45-54 men and women, there is a decrease in the number of cases. The initial increase and the subsequent significant decline in the number of cases have a place for men in this cohort. For women, the mortality rate decreases with larger slope than for men. The dynamics of the mortality of men and women in the cohort 55-64 is characterized by an increase in the number of cases in 2007-2010 and the decrease in 2011-2013. In this cohort, the mortality rate among men increased (except 2013), and the mortality rate of the female population varies only slightly. Mortality of women, men, and for men and women in the cohort 65-74 years decreases, and in the cohort of 75 and over increased. Positive aspects of age analysis is the transfer of deaths from age groups 45-54, 55-64, 65-74 in a cohort of older ages 75 years or more. Negative aspects of age analysis is the increased mortality of the male population in the cohort 55-64 in 2007- 2012, men and women of this cohort in 2007 - 2010 years, as well as the high mortality of the female population from diabetes, compared with the male population of the Tula region.


Sarcoma ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. van den Berg ◽  
W. H. Schreuder ◽  
J. de Lange

Purpose. It is assumed that osteosarcomas of the jaws mainly occur at older ages, whereas the most prominent sites, that is, the long bones, are more affected at ages <20. Jaw-localized tumors are less malignant and have lower metastatic spread rates.Patients and Methods. This study analyses the nationwide data of the Dutch Cancer Registry on osteosarcoma during the period from 1991 to 2010. Age-corrected incidence rates were calculated.Results. In 949, 38 patients had tumors in the maxilla and in 58 in the mandible. Median age for maxilla, mandible, and other localizations was 45.5, 49, and 23 years, respectively. Age-corrected incidence for osteosarcomas increased after a steep decline for the age cohorts from 20 to 60 years to nearly the same level as the younger patients. The incidence for maxillary lesions showed a steady increase from 0.46 to 1.60 per million over all age ranges; the highest incidence for mandibular lesions was found in the age cohort from 60 to 79 years. In respect to histology, no shifts for age were found, except for Paget’s disease-related osteosarcoma. In older patients, chemotherapy was omitted more often. Overall survival was similar for all age groups, except for extragnatic tumor patients in the age range of 60–79 years.Conclusions. Osteosarcomas have comparable incidences below the age of 20 as compared with ages >60 years. Poorer outcome in older people is likely due to refraining from chemotherapy.


2000 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Curtis ◽  
Philip White ◽  
Barry McPherson

This study reports on age-group differences in leisure-time sport and physical activity involvement among a large sample of Canadians interviewed at 2 points during the 1980s. Comparisons are made for 5 age cohorts, for men and women, and without and with multivariate controls. The results contradict the usual finding of an inverse relationship between age and level of physical activity. On measures of (a) activity necessary to produce health benefits and (b) energy expenditure. Canadians over 65 were as active as, or more active than, their younger counterparts, and their activities did not decline over the 7 years between interviews. The extent of change varied by age and across women and men. Among women, increases in involvement were greatest in the middle-aged. Among men, the greatest increase was in the oldest age groups. For both genders, the youngest age cohort showed the smallest change over time, and there was evidence of slight declines in activity levels among young men.


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