Search

Search Results

• 1. [Article] The effects of age and neuroticism on stress reactivity and cortisol diurnal rhythms : findings from the Normative Aging Study

  We examined the effect of daily stress, age, and emotional stability/neuroticism on stress reactivity, using cortisol diurnal rhythms. We used data from the Normative Aging Study (Spiro & Bosse, 2001). ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: The effects of age and neuroticism on stress reactivity and cortisol diurnal rhythms : findings from the Normative Aging Study Author: Proulx, Jeffrey A. We examined the effect of daily stress, age, and emotional stability/neuroticism on stress reactivity, using cortisol diurnal rhythms. We used data from the Normative Aging Study (Spiro & Bosse, 2001). The 72 men in this study ranged from 67-93 (M =79.29, SD =4.88). Multilevel modeling showed that higher daily stress predicted flatter cortisol diurnal rhythms, B = .09, p < .001, as did age, B = .01, p < .001, while those higher in neuroticism on the emotional stability/neuroticism measure showed steeper slopes for cortisol diurnal rhythms, B = -.04, p < .001. These results indicate that age and emotional stability/neuroticism levels explain some of the variance in individual differences in stress reactivity and provide a basis for future research focused on the effects of psychosocial variables on physiological outcomes. Title: The effects of age and neuroticism on stress reactivity and cortisol diurnal rhythms : findings from the Normative Aging Study Author: Proulx, Jeffrey A. We examined the effect of daily stress, age, and emotional stability/neuroticism on stress reactivity, using cortisol diurnal rhythms. We used data from the Normative Aging Study (Spiro & Bosse, 2001). The 72 men in this study ranged from 67-93 (M =79.29, SD =4.88). Multilevel modeling showed that higher daily stress predicted flatter cortisol diurnal rhythms, B = .09, p < .001, as did age, B = .01, p < .001, while those higher in neuroticism on the emotional stability/neuroticism measure showed steeper slopes for cortisol diurnal rhythms, B = -.04, p < .001. These results indicate that age and emotional stability/neuroticism levels explain some of the variance in individual differences in stress reactivity and provide a basis for future research focused on the effects of psychosocial variables on physiological outcomes. Close

• 2. [Article] Increased inflammatory response in aged mice is associated with age-related zinc deficiency and zinc transporter dysregulation

  This is the authors' peer-reviewed accepted manuscript. Version of record is copyrighted by Elsevier and can be found at: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/the-journal-of-nutritional-biochemistry/

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Increased inflammatory response in aged mice is associated with age-related zinc deficiency and zinc transporter dysregulation Author: Ho, Emily, Wong, Carmen P., Mangusson, Kathy R. This is the authors' peer-reviewed accepted manuscript. Version of record is copyrighted by Elsevier and can be found at: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/the-journal-of-nutritional-biochemistry/ Title: Increased inflammatory response in aged mice is associated with age-related zinc deficiency and zinc transporter dysregulation Author: Ho, Emily, Wong, Carmen P., Mangusson, Kathy R. This is the authors' peer-reviewed accepted manuscript. Version of record is copyrighted by Elsevier and can be found at: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/the-journal-of-nutritional-biochemistry/ Close

• 3. [Article] Awareness of Aging in Taiwan and the United States : An Examination of Ageism among College Students using Stereotypes and Future Self-views

  Ageism in the context of global population aging could lead to increasing human and economic costs. Age stereotypes tend to be negative (Hummert, 1990) and ubiquitous (Nelson, 2002) there are a variety ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Awareness of Aging in Taiwan and the United States : An Examination of Ageism among College Students using Stereotypes and Future Self-views Author: Allen, Pamela M. Ageism in the context of global population aging could lead to increasing human and economic costs. Age stereotypes tend to be negative (Hummert, 1990) and ubiquitous (Nelson, 2002) there are a variety of well documented detrimental consequences of negative age stereotypes on older adults' physical, cognitive and psychological outcomes (Hummert, 2011; Levy, 2009; Hess et al., 2003). This contributes to a toxic social environment for older people. The issue is of growing importance especially in Asia, where most of today's older people reside (United Nations, 2012) and where ageism appears to be on the rise despite traditional predictions that cultural collectivism and filial piety should protect against negative stereotypes (North & Fiske, 2015). Ageism is proposed by stereotype embodiment theory (Levy, 2009) to be driven by a lifespan process by which beliefs about aging are internalized from the sociocultural context of the individual beginning in childhood. In addition, age stereotypes and self-views related to aging assimilate such that age stereotypes also become internalized into one's self-view. Together, age stereotypes and self-views are components of one's overall subjective awareness of aging (AoA), an "integral psychological process or condition of the aging self" representing one's sense of having grown older (Diehl et al., 2014, p. 2). Depending on whether AoA is positive or negative it functions to enhance or constrict developmental opportunity throughout adult development, respectively. In early adulthood, a period characterized by identity consolidation (Côté, 2009; Erikson, 1968) and a developing future time orientation (Nurmi, 1991), age stereotypes stand to be internalized into one’s future oriented self-concept. Internalization of negative age stereotypes into young adults' future self-views (of one's self in old age) matters because it could give rise to negative AoA early in adulthood and developmental trajectories constraining healthy aging later in life. The cross-cultural ageism research in Western and Eastern societies has assessed stereotypes only and there has been little attention to future self-views (Markus & Nurius, 1986), developmental influences such as experiences with older people (Hagestad & Uhlenberg, 2005), or processes such as internalization by which negative stereotypes can become self-relevant (Levy, 2009). Conversely, the extant work examining internalization of age stereotypes into future self-views as of yet offers little insight into cultural or developmental factors for the processes of internalization (e.g., Kornadt & Rothermund, 2012). Therefore in this dissertation I draw on stereotype embodiment theory (Levy, 2009) and the Awareness of Aging model (Diehl et al., 2014), to examine the positivity of age stereotypes and future self-views among young adults in the U.S. and Taiwan. Data from the Cross-Cultural Perceptions of Aging Study were used to quantitatively measure experiential variables as well as the degree of positivity of age stereotypes and future self-views among 942 American and 659 Taiwanese college students using the Taiwanese developed Older Person Scale (OPS; Lu & Kao, 2009). The dissertation adapted the OPS for first time use in English before using it to examine how cultural context, personal experiences with older adults related to age segregation, and gender impact the positivity of age stereotypes and future self-views cross-culturally. Multiple group confirmatory factor analysis established partial scalar cross-cultural measurement invariance of 15-item and 17-item versions of the scale for measuring age stereotypes and future self-views, respectively. Results showed a four factor structure of the scale reflecting the domains of 1) physical abilities and appearance, 2) psychological and cognitive abilities, 3) interpersonal relationships and social engagement, and 4) employment and financial security. Content analyses of open ended descriptors of age stereotypes and future self-views among American college students provided a check on the assumption that the OPS captures content of these constructs in the population of American college students. Due to the superior psychometric properties of the OPS for measurement of the social domain, and relevance of this domain for experiences of intergenerational contact, the primary research questions were addressed with respect to the social domain. Results of moderated mediation modeling showed that, as hypothesized (hypothesis 1), Taiwanese participants exhibited less positivity in stereotypes and self-views in the psychological and social domains but not the physical or employment domains. Contrary to the expectation, Taiwanese age stereotypes were better characterized as slightly positive or ambivalent rather than negative. As predicted by hypothesis 2, females and those reporting regular experience of contact with older adults expressed more positivity in age stereotypes and future self-views in the social domain across cultural contexts. In support of hypothesis 3, age stereotypes mediated the association of 1) cultural context, and 2) contact frequency to the positivity of future self-views in the social domain. Exploratory results indicated that the strength of indirect effects did not vary significantly across cultural contexts or gender. Based on culture- and gender-based differences in interdependence of self-construals (Cross & Madson, 1997; Markus & Nurius, 1986), I hypothesize that Taiwanese students and American women would exhibit stronger association of age stereotypes to future self-views (i.e., internalization) than American men (hypothesis 4). Taiwanese and American women were found to have among the strongest internalization, but, unexpectedly, American men exhibited equal internalization and Taiwanese men exhibited the weakest internalization. A fifth hypothesis predicting that age integration (i.e., contact with both kin and non-kin older people) moderates the association of contact frequency with age stereotypes was unable to be tested due to an unbalanced response distribution on the relevant variable. Results of this dissertation reinforce the relevance of age stereotypes for future self-views among young adults and speak to the appropriateness of tailoring ageism-focused programs, policies, trainings or educational efforts to the individual or the cultural context. Title: Awareness of Aging in Taiwan and the United States : An Examination of Ageism among College Students using Stereotypes and Future Self-views Author: Allen, Pamela M. Ageism in the context of global population aging could lead to increasing human and economic costs. Age stereotypes tend to be negative (Hummert, 1990) and ubiquitous (Nelson, 2002) there are a variety of well documented detrimental consequences of negative age stereotypes on older adults' physical, cognitive and psychological outcomes (Hummert, 2011; Levy, 2009; Hess et al., 2003). This contributes to a toxic social environment for older people. The issue is of growing importance especially in Asia, where most of today's older people reside (United Nations, 2012) and where ageism appears to be on the rise despite traditional predictions that cultural collectivism and filial piety should protect against negative stereotypes (North & Fiske, 2015). Ageism is proposed by stereotype embodiment theory (Levy, 2009) to be driven by a lifespan process by which beliefs about aging are internalized from the sociocultural context of the individual beginning in childhood. In addition, age stereotypes and self-views related to aging assimilate such that age stereotypes also become internalized into one's self-view. Together, age stereotypes and self-views are components of one's overall subjective awareness of aging (AoA), an "integral psychological process or condition of the aging self" representing one's sense of having grown older (Diehl et al., 2014, p. 2). Depending on whether AoA is positive or negative it functions to enhance or constrict developmental opportunity throughout adult development, respectively. In early adulthood, a period characterized by identity consolidation (Côté, 2009; Erikson, 1968) and a developing future time orientation (Nurmi, 1991), age stereotypes stand to be internalized into one’s future oriented self-concept. Internalization of negative age stereotypes into young adults' future self-views (of one's self in old age) matters because it could give rise to negative AoA early in adulthood and developmental trajectories constraining healthy aging later in life. The cross-cultural ageism research in Western and Eastern societies has assessed stereotypes only and there has been little attention to future self-views (Markus & Nurius, 1986), developmental influences such as experiences with older people (Hagestad & Uhlenberg, 2005), or processes such as internalization by which negative stereotypes can become self-relevant (Levy, 2009). Conversely, the extant work examining internalization of age stereotypes into future self-views as of yet offers little insight into cultural or developmental factors for the processes of internalization (e.g., Kornadt & Rothermund, 2012). Therefore in this dissertation I draw on stereotype embodiment theory (Levy, 2009) and the Awareness of Aging model (Diehl et al., 2014), to examine the positivity of age stereotypes and future self-views among young adults in the U.S. and Taiwan. Data from the Cross-Cultural Perceptions of Aging Study were used to quantitatively measure experiential variables as well as the degree of positivity of age stereotypes and future self-views among 942 American and 659 Taiwanese college students using the Taiwanese developed Older Person Scale (OPS; Lu & Kao, 2009). The dissertation adapted the OPS for first time use in English before using it to examine how cultural context, personal experiences with older adults related to age segregation, and gender impact the positivity of age stereotypes and future self-views cross-culturally. Multiple group confirmatory factor analysis established partial scalar cross-cultural measurement invariance of 15-item and 17-item versions of the scale for measuring age stereotypes and future self-views, respectively. Results showed a four factor structure of the scale reflecting the domains of 1) physical abilities and appearance, 2) psychological and cognitive abilities, 3) interpersonal relationships and social engagement, and 4) employment and financial security. Content analyses of open ended descriptors of age stereotypes and future self-views among American college students provided a check on the assumption that the OPS captures content of these constructs in the population of American college students. Due to the superior psychometric properties of the OPS for measurement of the social domain, and relevance of this domain for experiences of intergenerational contact, the primary research questions were addressed with respect to the social domain. Results of moderated mediation modeling showed that, as hypothesized (hypothesis 1), Taiwanese participants exhibited less positivity in stereotypes and self-views in the psychological and social domains but not the physical or employment domains. Contrary to the expectation, Taiwanese age stereotypes were better characterized as slightly positive or ambivalent rather than negative. As predicted by hypothesis 2, females and those reporting regular experience of contact with older adults expressed more positivity in age stereotypes and future self-views in the social domain across cultural contexts. In support of hypothesis 3, age stereotypes mediated the association of 1) cultural context, and 2) contact frequency to the positivity of future self-views in the social domain. Exploratory results indicated that the strength of indirect effects did not vary significantly across cultural contexts or gender. Based on culture- and gender-based differences in interdependence of self-construals (Cross & Madson, 1997; Markus & Nurius, 1986), I hypothesize that Taiwanese students and American women would exhibit stronger association of age stereotypes to future self-views (i.e., internalization) than American men (hypothesis 4). Taiwanese and American women were found to have among the strongest internalization, but, unexpectedly, American men exhibited equal internalization and Taiwanese men exhibited the weakest internalization. A fifth hypothesis predicting that age integration (i.e., contact with both kin and non-kin older people) moderates the association of contact frequency with age stereotypes was unable to be tested due to an unbalanced response distribution on the relevant variable. Results of this dissertation reinforce the relevance of age stereotypes for future self-views among young adults and speak to the appropriateness of tailoring ageism-focused programs, policies, trainings or educational efforts to the individual or the cultural context. Close

• 4. [Article] Exploring functional links between circadian clocks, neurodegeneration, and aging in Drosophila melanogaster

  Circadian clocks are endogenous molecular mechanisms that coordinate daily rhythms in gene expression, cellular activities, and physiological functions with external day/night cycles. Breakdown of circadian ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Exploring functional links between circadian clocks, neurodegeneration, and aging in Drosophila melanogaster Author: Rakshit, Kuntol Circadian clocks are endogenous molecular mechanisms that coordinate daily rhythms in gene expression, cellular activities, and physiological functions with external day/night cycles. Breakdown of circadian rhythms such as sleep/wake cycles is associated with the onset of several neurological diseases; however, it is not clear whether disruption of rhythms is a symptom or cause of neurodegeneration, or both. To address this important question, circadian rhythms were disrupted by both genetic and environmental manipulations in Drosophila mutants prone to neurodegeneration. This led to shortening of lifespan, premature accumulation of oxidative and nervous damage during aging, and overall decline in healthspan, suggesting that circadian clocks may be causally involved in neuroprotective pathways in aging Drosophila. Recent evidence suggests bidirectional relationships between circadian rhythms and aging. While disruption of the clock mechanism accelerates aging and age-related pathologies in mammals, output rhythms of sleep and hormonal fluctuations tend to deteriorate during aging in humans, rodents, and fruit flies. To understand whether this decay is caused by defects in the core transcriptional clock, or weakening of the clock output pathways, a comprehensive study on age-related changes in the behavioral and molecular circadian rhythms was conducted using the fruit fly as a model organism. Aging caused disruption of rest/activity patterns and lengthening of the free-running period of the circadian locomotor activity rhythm. Transcriptional oscillations of four genes involved in the clock mechanism, period, timeless, Par domain protein 1ε, and vrille, were significantly reduced in heads, but not in bodies of aging flies. It was further determined that reduced transcription of these genes is not caused by the deficient expression of their activators, encoded by Clock and cycle genes. Moreover, transcriptional activation by CLOCK-CYCLE complexes is impaired despite reduced levels of the PERIOD repressor protein in old flies. These data suggest that aging alters the properties of the core transcriptional clock in flies such that both the positive and the negative limbs of the clock are attenuated. In fruit flies, the protein CRYPTOCHROME (CRY) acts in a cell-autonomous manner to synchronize circadian oscillations with light-dark cycles. The oscillatory amplitude of CRY is significantly dampened in heads of old flies at both mRNA and protein levels. Rescue of CRY using the binary GAL4/UAS system in old flies significantly enhanced the dampened molecular oscillations of several clock genes, and also strengthened the locomotor activity rhythms. There was a remarkable extension of healthspan in flies with elevated CRY. Conversely, CRY deficient mutants accumulated greater oxidative damage and showed accelerated functional decline. Interestingly, rescue of CRY in central clock neurons alone was not sufficient to restore rest/activity rhythms or extend healthspan. These data suggest novel anti-aging functions of CRY and indicate that peripheral clocks play an active role in delaying behavioral and physiological aging. Taken together, research conducted for this dissertation is a first attempt to elucidate functional links between circadian clocks, neurodegeneration, and aging. While previous evidence linking these processes was of correlative nature, functional studies conducted in this dissertation demonstrate that disruption of circadian clocks causes neurodegeneration and aging. While aging disrupts circadian rhythms at the molecular and behavioral levels, restoration of these rhythms can delay aging and improve healthspan in Drosophila. Owing to the conserved nature of clocks, novel insights obtained from this research can illuminate future translational research aimed to extend human healthspan. Title: Exploring functional links between circadian clocks, neurodegeneration, and aging in Drosophila melanogaster Author: Rakshit, Kuntol Circadian clocks are endogenous molecular mechanisms that coordinate daily rhythms in gene expression, cellular activities, and physiological functions with external day/night cycles. Breakdown of circadian rhythms such as sleep/wake cycles is associated with the onset of several neurological diseases; however, it is not clear whether disruption of rhythms is a symptom or cause of neurodegeneration, or both. To address this important question, circadian rhythms were disrupted by both genetic and environmental manipulations in Drosophila mutants prone to neurodegeneration. This led to shortening of lifespan, premature accumulation of oxidative and nervous damage during aging, and overall decline in healthspan, suggesting that circadian clocks may be causally involved in neuroprotective pathways in aging Drosophila. Recent evidence suggests bidirectional relationships between circadian rhythms and aging. While disruption of the clock mechanism accelerates aging and age-related pathologies in mammals, output rhythms of sleep and hormonal fluctuations tend to deteriorate during aging in humans, rodents, and fruit flies. To understand whether this decay is caused by defects in the core transcriptional clock, or weakening of the clock output pathways, a comprehensive study on age-related changes in the behavioral and molecular circadian rhythms was conducted using the fruit fly as a model organism. Aging caused disruption of rest/activity patterns and lengthening of the free-running period of the circadian locomotor activity rhythm. Transcriptional oscillations of four genes involved in the clock mechanism, period, timeless, Par domain protein 1ε, and vrille, were significantly reduced in heads, but not in bodies of aging flies. It was further determined that reduced transcription of these genes is not caused by the deficient expression of their activators, encoded by Clock and cycle genes. Moreover, transcriptional activation by CLOCK-CYCLE complexes is impaired despite reduced levels of the PERIOD repressor protein in old flies. These data suggest that aging alters the properties of the core transcriptional clock in flies such that both the positive and the negative limbs of the clock are attenuated. In fruit flies, the protein CRYPTOCHROME (CRY) acts in a cell-autonomous manner to synchronize circadian oscillations with light-dark cycles. The oscillatory amplitude of CRY is significantly dampened in heads of old flies at both mRNA and protein levels. Rescue of CRY using the binary GAL4/UAS system in old flies significantly enhanced the dampened molecular oscillations of several clock genes, and also strengthened the locomotor activity rhythms. There was a remarkable extension of healthspan in flies with elevated CRY. Conversely, CRY deficient mutants accumulated greater oxidative damage and showed accelerated functional decline. Interestingly, rescue of CRY in central clock neurons alone was not sufficient to restore rest/activity rhythms or extend healthspan. These data suggest novel anti-aging functions of CRY and indicate that peripheral clocks play an active role in delaying behavioral and physiological aging. Taken together, research conducted for this dissertation is a first attempt to elucidate functional links between circadian clocks, neurodegeneration, and aging. While previous evidence linking these processes was of correlative nature, functional studies conducted in this dissertation demonstrate that disruption of circadian clocks causes neurodegeneration and aging. While aging disrupts circadian rhythms at the molecular and behavioral levels, restoration of these rhythms can delay aging and improve healthspan in Drosophila. Owing to the conserved nature of clocks, novel insights obtained from this research can illuminate future translational research aimed to extend human healthspan. Close

• 5. [Article] Aging and the Semantic Differential: Semantic Stability in the Measurement of Social Evaluation

  The purpose of this investigation was to assess the validity of utilizing the same semantic differential test as a measure of social evaluation for persons of different ages. The semantic differential, ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Aging and the Semantic Differential: Semantic Stability in the Measurement of Social Evaluation Author: Petersen, Marilyn Diane Year: 1976 The purpose of this investigation was to assess the validity of utilizing the same semantic differential test as a measure of social evaluation for persons of different ages. The semantic differential, a rating technique by which judgments of stimuli are made on seven-interval bipolar descriptive continua called "scales", currently receives widespread usage as a measure of attitudes toward aging and the elderly. However, a lack of semantic stability across stimuli and across subjects, known, respectively, as "concept-scale" and "subject2 scale" interaction, has been found to occur with the technique in various areas of research. That such a lack of stability might occur across stimuli and/or subjects of different ages is suggested by the existence of . di fferences between people of different ages which affect both the appearance and functioning of the individual. These differences derive from the biological aging process, the life cycle process, and the social change process. This study investigated whether such cross-age differences are of sufficient severity to cause people of different ages to be perceived as different classes of stimuli and/or to perceive others as different populations of subjects. Ratings of eight videotaped stimulus models were made by 60 younger (aged 22 to 32) and 60 older (aged 60 and older ) volunteer subjects on a semantic differential test composed of 38 scales. The stimulus models, consisting of four younger and four older adults, were non-actors, unknown to the rating subjects, and presented for one minute in a standardized visual format and without sound. Of the 38 scales used, seven were selected as reference scales from earlier studies, 30 were suggested by a volunteer "generating" sample of 30 younger and JO older subjects, and one (young/old) was included as a check on the perceived ages of the stimulus models. Scale scores were factor analyzed to establish the underlying factor structure of social evaluation and to ascertain whether it rema1ned stable across stimulus model and subject age levels. Four separate factor analyses were performed -- younger stimulus models/younger subjects, younger stimulus models/older subjects, older stimulus J models/older subjects, and older stimulus models/younger subjects -- permitting comparisons between the factor matrices for concept-scale and subject-scale interaction. Three factors were defined by each of the four separate factor analyses of the scales. Factors A and B were found by two different methods of assessing factor similarity (inspection and coefficients of congruence) to be highly similar across both stimulus model and subject age levels; Factor C (a weakly defined factor) was found to be similar only for the older stimulus models across subject age levels. An examination of the scales heavily loaded on each factor for all relevant factor matrices resulted in the interpretation of Factors A, B, and C as reflecting Interpersonal Ability, Instrumental Ability, and Propriety, respectively. This study resulted in findings bearing upon three interrelated areas. First, the data suggest that: 1) older and younger adults constitute qualitatively approximately the same class of stimuli, and 2) older and younger adults constitute qualitatively approximately the same population of subjects. That is, perceptions were based on the same underlying dimensions of meaning regardless of age. Second, the data suggest that two major dimensions of social evaluation are Interpersonal Ability and Instrumental Ability. Comparisons of these two attitudinal dimensions with dimensions from other semantic differential studies revealed striking similarity. Third, the finding of stable scales and replicable dimensions suggests the appropriateness of constructing a cross-age semantic differential for social evaluation. Consequently, a 15-scale Cross-Age Semantic Differential for the measurement of social evaluation was proposed. Title: Aging and the Semantic Differential: Semantic Stability in the Measurement of Social Evaluation Author: Petersen, Marilyn Diane Year: 1976 The purpose of this investigation was to assess the validity of utilizing the same semantic differential test as a measure of social evaluation for persons of different ages. The semantic differential, a rating technique by which judgments of stimuli are made on seven-interval bipolar descriptive continua called "scales", currently receives widespread usage as a measure of attitudes toward aging and the elderly. However, a lack of semantic stability across stimuli and across subjects, known, respectively, as "concept-scale" and "subject2 scale" interaction, has been found to occur with the technique in various areas of research. That such a lack of stability might occur across stimuli and/or subjects of different ages is suggested by the existence of . di fferences between people of different ages which affect both the appearance and functioning of the individual. These differences derive from the biological aging process, the life cycle process, and the social change process. This study investigated whether such cross-age differences are of sufficient severity to cause people of different ages to be perceived as different classes of stimuli and/or to perceive others as different populations of subjects. Ratings of eight videotaped stimulus models were made by 60 younger (aged 22 to 32) and 60 older (aged 60 and older ) volunteer subjects on a semantic differential test composed of 38 scales. The stimulus models, consisting of four younger and four older adults, were non-actors, unknown to the rating subjects, and presented for one minute in a standardized visual format and without sound. Of the 38 scales used, seven were selected as reference scales from earlier studies, 30 were suggested by a volunteer "generating" sample of 30 younger and JO older subjects, and one (young/old) was included as a check on the perceived ages of the stimulus models. Scale scores were factor analyzed to establish the underlying factor structure of social evaluation and to ascertain whether it rema1ned stable across stimulus model and subject age levels. Four separate factor analyses were performed -- younger stimulus models/younger subjects, younger stimulus models/older subjects, older stimulus J models/older subjects, and older stimulus models/younger subjects -- permitting comparisons between the factor matrices for concept-scale and subject-scale interaction. Three factors were defined by each of the four separate factor analyses of the scales. Factors A and B were found by two different methods of assessing factor similarity (inspection and coefficients of congruence) to be highly similar across both stimulus model and subject age levels; Factor C (a weakly defined factor) was found to be similar only for the older stimulus models across subject age levels. An examination of the scales heavily loaded on each factor for all relevant factor matrices resulted in the interpretation of Factors A, B, and C as reflecting Interpersonal Ability, Instrumental Ability, and Propriety, respectively. This study resulted in findings bearing upon three interrelated areas. First, the data suggest that: 1) older and younger adults constitute qualitatively approximately the same class of stimuli, and 2) older and younger adults constitute qualitatively approximately the same population of subjects. That is, perceptions were based on the same underlying dimensions of meaning regardless of age. Second, the data suggest that two major dimensions of social evaluation are Interpersonal Ability and Instrumental Ability. Comparisons of these two attitudinal dimensions with dimensions from other semantic differential studies revealed striking similarity. Third, the finding of stable scales and replicable dimensions suggests the appropriateness of constructing a cross-age semantic differential for social evaluation. Consequently, a 15-scale Cross-Age Semantic Differential for the measurement of social evaluation was proposed. Close

• 6. [Article] Are There Gender Differences in Stress Response in Older Adults? Findings from the Normative Aging Study

  In this study, we explored the relationships among gender, age, daily stressors, positive and negative affect, and neuroticism on cortisol outcomes in older men and women. We were particularly interested ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Are There Gender Differences in Stress Response in Older Adults? Findings from the Normative Aging Study Author: Proulx, Jeffrey A. In this study, we explored the relationships among gender, age, daily stressors, positive and negative affect, and neuroticism on cortisol outcomes in older men and women. We were particularly interested in whether variation in positive affect would have an effect on variation in negative affect and if this relationship would mediate the stress process. Further, we were interested in whether women would have lower cortisol outcomes as a result of this process. The participants in this study included 96 men (mean age = 79) and 65 of their wives (mean age = 75) who took part in an at-home 8- day daily diary study as part of the Normative Aging Study (NAS). This study uses data collected on four of those days in which participants provided 4 measures of salivary cortisol that we matched with a NAS version of the Daily Inventory of Stressful Events (DISE; Almeida, Wethington, & Kessler, 2002), PANAS (Watson, Clark, & Tellegen, 1988), and a 2007 assessment of neuroticism (Goldberg, 1992). Bivariate, regression, and three-level MLM-mediated-moderated analyses indicated that age had a significant effect on negative affect reports, but only for women, such that women had a downward slope in negative affect as age became higher. The rest of the analyses indicated that men and women were more alike than different in later life, although neuroticism, age, and stress had some notable main effects on affect and cortisol outcomes. These results enhance our understanding of the complex relationship between psychosocial effects and physiological stress responses in an age range rarely studied in the stress and resilience literature. Title: Are There Gender Differences in Stress Response in Older Adults? Findings from the Normative Aging Study Author: Proulx, Jeffrey A. In this study, we explored the relationships among gender, age, daily stressors, positive and negative affect, and neuroticism on cortisol outcomes in older men and women. We were particularly interested in whether variation in positive affect would have an effect on variation in negative affect and if this relationship would mediate the stress process. Further, we were interested in whether women would have lower cortisol outcomes as a result of this process. The participants in this study included 96 men (mean age = 79) and 65 of their wives (mean age = 75) who took part in an at-home 8- day daily diary study as part of the Normative Aging Study (NAS). This study uses data collected on four of those days in which participants provided 4 measures of salivary cortisol that we matched with a NAS version of the Daily Inventory of Stressful Events (DISE; Almeida, Wethington, & Kessler, 2002), PANAS (Watson, Clark, & Tellegen, 1988), and a 2007 assessment of neuroticism (Goldberg, 1992). Bivariate, regression, and three-level MLM-mediated-moderated analyses indicated that age had a significant effect on negative affect reports, but only for women, such that women had a downward slope in negative affect as age became higher. The rest of the analyses indicated that men and women were more alike than different in later life, although neuroticism, age, and stress had some notable main effects on affect and cortisol outcomes. These results enhance our understanding of the complex relationship between psychosocial effects and physiological stress responses in an age range rarely studied in the stress and resilience literature. Close

• 7. [Article] The aging endoplasmic reticulum

  Hallmarks of aging include the accumulation of aberrant proteins and a lower resistance to stresses. Because the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) functions to fold proteins and possesses unique stress sensing ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: The aging endoplasmic reticulum Author: Dixon, Brian M. Hallmarks of aging include the accumulation of aberrant proteins and a lower resistance to stresses. Because the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) functions to fold proteins and possesses unique stress sensing pathways, the central hypothesis of this dissertation is that the ER is a target of cellular aging and significantly underlies these age-related phenotypes. This hypothesis was tested using isolated microsomes from young (3-6 mo) and old (24-26 mo) rats and a novel primary hepatocyte cell culture model that maintains the aging phenotype. The ER luminal oxidation/reduction (redox) environment, exemplified by the glutathione redox ratio (GSH:GSSG), is vital for both ER stress signaling and the regulation of ER oxidoreductase activity. Therefore, the hepatic microsomal GSH:GSSG ratio from young and old rats was determined. Our results showed that the GSH:GSSG ratio in young rats was 3.8:1 and that, in contrast to the age-related loss of GSH redox in whole liver, microsomal GSH:GSSG increased to 6.4:1 in old rats. This increase is sufficient to convert ER oxidoreductases from folding proteins to enzymes involved in protein unfolding. These results show that the ER is under an increased stress with age, yet no activation of ER stress response pathways was detected. Using the aging cell culture model noted above to examine the loss of ER stress response with age, we show that following induction of an ER stress by tunicamycin, ER-mediated "pro-apoptotic" pathways were in intact with age, but induction of "pro-survival" genes were significantly delayed. Taken together, these show that aging leads to: 1) a reductive shift in ER thiol redox, and 2) an attenuation of ER stress response. Lastly, previous work showed that (R)-alpha-lipoic acid (R-LA) restores GSH levels and redox status in aged rat livers. To determine whether R-LA also reversed the age-related changes in ER GSH redox status, young and old rats were supplemented with R-LA. Results showed that R-LA reversed both the age-related increase in the ER GSH redox state and induced protective ER stress response pathways in a manner similar to young animals. Thus, R-LA may be an effective therapeutic to maintain ER homeostatic mechanisms with age. Title: The aging endoplasmic reticulum Author: Dixon, Brian M. Hallmarks of aging include the accumulation of aberrant proteins and a lower resistance to stresses. Because the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) functions to fold proteins and possesses unique stress sensing pathways, the central hypothesis of this dissertation is that the ER is a target of cellular aging and significantly underlies these age-related phenotypes. This hypothesis was tested using isolated microsomes from young (3-6 mo) and old (24-26 mo) rats and a novel primary hepatocyte cell culture model that maintains the aging phenotype. The ER luminal oxidation/reduction (redox) environment, exemplified by the glutathione redox ratio (GSH:GSSG), is vital for both ER stress signaling and the regulation of ER oxidoreductase activity. Therefore, the hepatic microsomal GSH:GSSG ratio from young and old rats was determined. Our results showed that the GSH:GSSG ratio in young rats was 3.8:1 and that, in contrast to the age-related loss of GSH redox in whole liver, microsomal GSH:GSSG increased to 6.4:1 in old rats. This increase is sufficient to convert ER oxidoreductases from folding proteins to enzymes involved in protein unfolding. These results show that the ER is under an increased stress with age, yet no activation of ER stress response pathways was detected. Using the aging cell culture model noted above to examine the loss of ER stress response with age, we show that following induction of an ER stress by tunicamycin, ER-mediated "pro-apoptotic" pathways were in intact with age, but induction of "pro-survival" genes were significantly delayed. Taken together, these show that aging leads to: 1) a reductive shift in ER thiol redox, and 2) an attenuation of ER stress response. Lastly, previous work showed that (R)-alpha-lipoic acid (R-LA) restores GSH levels and redox status in aged rat livers. To determine whether R-LA also reversed the age-related changes in ER GSH redox status, young and old rats were supplemented with R-LA. Results showed that R-LA reversed both the age-related increase in the ER GSH redox state and induced protective ER stress response pathways in a manner similar to young animals. Thus, R-LA may be an effective therapeutic to maintain ER homeostatic mechanisms with age. Close

• 8. [Article] Aging and serum MCP-1 are associated with gut microbiome composition in a murine model

  The following information was supplied regarding data availability: BioProject ID PRJNA311095, accessions SRX1581953, SRX1581958-RX1581960, and SRX1571787-RX1571792 http://files.cgrb.oregonstate.edu/Sh...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Aging and serum MCP-1 are associated with gut microbiome composition in a murine model Author: Conley, Melissa N., Ho, Emily, Duyck, Kyle M., Hord, Norman, Wong, Carmen P., Sharpton, Thomas J. The following information was supplied regarding data availability: BioProject ID PRJNA311095, accessions SRX1581953, SRX1581958-RX1581960, and SRX1571787-RX1571792 http://files.cgrb.oregonstate.edu/Sharpton_Lab/Papers/Conley_PeerJ_2015/ Title: Aging and serum MCP-1 are associated with gut microbiome composition in a murine model Author: Conley, Melissa N., Ho, Emily, Duyck, Kyle M., Hord, Norman, Wong, Carmen P., Sharpton, Thomas J. The following information was supplied regarding data availability: BioProject ID PRJNA311095, accessions SRX1581953, SRX1581958-RX1581960, and SRX1571787-RX1571792 http://files.cgrb.oregonstate.edu/Sharpton_Lab/Papers/Conley_PeerJ_2015/ Close

• 9. [Article] Mechanisms that influence the posttranslational modification of the GluN2B subunit in the aged brain

  Memory is essential to everyday life. As we age, deficits in memory become apparent. The toll of age-related cognitive impairment can be devastating to families and costly to society. The NMDA receptor ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Mechanisms that influence the posttranslational modification of the GluN2B subunit in the aged brain Author: Zamzow, Daniel R. Memory is essential to everyday life. As we age, deficits in memory become apparent. The toll of age-related cognitive impairment can be devastating to families and costly to society. The NMDA receptor is a molecule in the brain that is instrumental in the formation of memories. The receptor is particularly vulnerable to the effects of aging. Of the fourteen known subunits, the GluN2B subunit has the greatest effect on memory. The subunit also suffers from the greatest loss of expression due to aging. The present study examines the interactions of GluN2B with other proteins and quantifies the changes in posttranslational modification with age. Co-immunoprecipitation was used to measure the interaction of GluN2B with the scaffolding molecules PSD-95 and GIPC in synaptosomes from the frontal cortex of behaviorally characterized mice of three ages. The interaction between GluN2A and GluN2B was also measured. There were more PSD-95 and GluN2A molecules per GluN2B with age. The increased PSD-95/GluN2B relationship in old mice was associated with poorer memory. The GIPC/GluN2B relationship also correlated with spatial reference memory. The GluN2B/GluN2A relationship indicated an increase in triheteromeric receptors in the aged mouse, but it did not correlate with memory declines during aging. These results suggest that an age-related increase in PSD-95/GluN2B is detrimental to memory. Young and old mice were behaviorally characterized and homogenates from the frontal cortex and hippocampus were separated by differential centrifugation followed by lysis in Triton X-100. Western blots containing proteins from each cellular fraction were probed with antibodies for several proteins in the NMDA receptor complex. There was an age-related increase in p1472 in the synaptic fraction from the frontal cortex and an increase in the 115 kDa calpain-mediated cleavage product of GluN2B in the extrasynaptic fraction of old mice with good reference memory. Fyn was increased and p1336 was decreased in the synaptic membranes of poor learners. The percentage of GluN2B, GluN2A, Fyn, and PSD-95 molecules that were palmitoylated increased in an age-dependent manner in the frontal cortex, but not the hippocampus. The thioesterase, APT1, also had an age-related increase in palmitoylation in the frontal cortex. These results suggest that the palmitoylation cycle may be perturbed in the frontal cortex of aged brains and this may influence further processing of the GluN2B subunit. In the last study we attempted to lower levels of protein palmitoylation in aged mice by lowering systemic levels of palmitate. Xanthohumol is a flavonoid from hops that increases beta-oxidation in the liver thereby decreasing systemic levels of fatty acids. Mice were fed a diet supplemented with xanthohumol and behaviorally characterized in the Morris water maze. There was a small treatment effect on cognitive flexibility in the young mice, but this appeared to be a recovery from the negative effects of a phytoestrogen-deficient diet. Treatment with xanthohumol significantly lowered levels of palmitate in the plasma of old mice, but palmitoyl-CoA and protein palmitoylation was unaffected. These results suggest that there may be some promise in using xanthohumol for the treatment of metabolic syndrome, but it may not be suitable for lowering levels of protein palmitoylation in the brain. These results presented in this thesis suggest that an age-related increase in palmitoylation of GluN2B and NMDA receptor effector proteins in the brain may affect the function of neurons in the frontal cortex in two ways. First, increased p1472 enhances clustering of GluN2B-containing NMDA receptors on the synaptic membrane, thereby preserving memory in some old mice. Second, an age-related increase in the calpain-mediated cleavage of GluN2B may eventually lead to increased cell death. Interventions that reduce systemic levels of palmitate may not be effective in treating memory deficits. What is needed is a greater understanding of the mechanisms that govern the palmitoylation cycle in brain in order to design more targeted interventions in the future. Title: Mechanisms that influence the posttranslational modification of the GluN2B subunit in the aged brain Author: Zamzow, Daniel R. Memory is essential to everyday life. As we age, deficits in memory become apparent. The toll of age-related cognitive impairment can be devastating to families and costly to society. The NMDA receptor is a molecule in the brain that is instrumental in the formation of memories. The receptor is particularly vulnerable to the effects of aging. Of the fourteen known subunits, the GluN2B subunit has the greatest effect on memory. The subunit also suffers from the greatest loss of expression due to aging. The present study examines the interactions of GluN2B with other proteins and quantifies the changes in posttranslational modification with age. Co-immunoprecipitation was used to measure the interaction of GluN2B with the scaffolding molecules PSD-95 and GIPC in synaptosomes from the frontal cortex of behaviorally characterized mice of three ages. The interaction between GluN2A and GluN2B was also measured. There were more PSD-95 and GluN2A molecules per GluN2B with age. The increased PSD-95/GluN2B relationship in old mice was associated with poorer memory. The GIPC/GluN2B relationship also correlated with spatial reference memory. The GluN2B/GluN2A relationship indicated an increase in triheteromeric receptors in the aged mouse, but it did not correlate with memory declines during aging. These results suggest that an age-related increase in PSD-95/GluN2B is detrimental to memory. Young and old mice were behaviorally characterized and homogenates from the frontal cortex and hippocampus were separated by differential centrifugation followed by lysis in Triton X-100. Western blots containing proteins from each cellular fraction were probed with antibodies for several proteins in the NMDA receptor complex. There was an age-related increase in p1472 in the synaptic fraction from the frontal cortex and an increase in the 115 kDa calpain-mediated cleavage product of GluN2B in the extrasynaptic fraction of old mice with good reference memory. Fyn was increased and p1336 was decreased in the synaptic membranes of poor learners. The percentage of GluN2B, GluN2A, Fyn, and PSD-95 molecules that were palmitoylated increased in an age-dependent manner in the frontal cortex, but not the hippocampus. The thioesterase, APT1, also had an age-related increase in palmitoylation in the frontal cortex. These results suggest that the palmitoylation cycle may be perturbed in the frontal cortex of aged brains and this may influence further processing of the GluN2B subunit. In the last study we attempted to lower levels of protein palmitoylation in aged mice by lowering systemic levels of palmitate. Xanthohumol is a flavonoid from hops that increases beta-oxidation in the liver thereby decreasing systemic levels of fatty acids. Mice were fed a diet supplemented with xanthohumol and behaviorally characterized in the Morris water maze. There was a small treatment effect on cognitive flexibility in the young mice, but this appeared to be a recovery from the negative effects of a phytoestrogen-deficient diet. Treatment with xanthohumol significantly lowered levels of palmitate in the plasma of old mice, but palmitoyl-CoA and protein palmitoylation was unaffected. These results suggest that there may be some promise in using xanthohumol for the treatment of metabolic syndrome, but it may not be suitable for lowering levels of protein palmitoylation in the brain. These results presented in this thesis suggest that an age-related increase in palmitoylation of GluN2B and NMDA receptor effector proteins in the brain may affect the function of neurons in the frontal cortex in two ways. First, increased p1472 enhances clustering of GluN2B-containing NMDA receptors on the synaptic membrane, thereby preserving memory in some old mice. Second, an age-related increase in the calpain-mediated cleavage of GluN2B may eventually lead to increased cell death. Interventions that reduce systemic levels of palmitate may not be effective in treating memory deficits. What is needed is a greater understanding of the mechanisms that govern the palmitoylation cycle in brain in order to design more targeted interventions in the future. Close

• 10. [Article] Aging in place : a contemporary social phenomenon

  Most aging individuals prefer to remain in a self-determined home environment, and generally aging adults want to remain in the same home or same community. The benefits of remaining in a self-determined ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Aging in place : a contemporary social phenomenon Author: Lee, Megan (Megan Elizabeth) Most aging individuals prefer to remain in a self-determined home environment, and generally aging adults want to remain in the same home or same community. The benefits of remaining in a self-determined private home environment while aging have been established. Because individuals present a diversity of needs, it takes interdisciplinary and multifaceted approaches with options to keep older adults in their communities. Aging in place (AIP) represents an interdisciplinary approach to creating options that facilitate remaining in a self-determine environment. The purpose of this research was to examine the current state of the interdisciplinary concept aging in place (AIP). The need to understand AIP is more globally relevant as the U.S. becomes an aging society facing rapid change due to technology, globalization, and mobility. Guided by the tenants of theory development, and the ecological model of housing choice, two manuscripts were developed focusing on the current state of AIP. The first research study titled, An Evolutionary Concept Analysis: Aging in Place, used the content analysis method to examine the concept across diverse disciplines. A derived definition was developed that includes research, practice, policy, and those individuals involved in the aging process. The definition reflects the contemporary state of AIP and can be used for theory development and to unify all users of the AIP concept. The second research study titled, The Current State of Older Women Aging in Place in Oregon, used qualitative case study methods to examine seven cases of aging in place. The aim of the project was to examine seven women’s current and past experiences, and the dynamic process of aging in place in a self-determined private home environment. Two common themes were identified (1) The AIP reflects the woman’s process of self-preserving actions that maintain current AIP independence, and (2) AIP situational independence suggests that the participants’ pathways to their current AIP began after they each experienced an individualized trigger event. The findings have theoretical and practice implications that provide a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach to identifying the current status of AIP and the development of options that facilitate the AIP process. Title: Aging in place : a contemporary social phenomenon Author: Lee, Megan (Megan Elizabeth) Most aging individuals prefer to remain in a self-determined home environment, and generally aging adults want to remain in the same home or same community. The benefits of remaining in a self-determined private home environment while aging have been established. Because individuals present a diversity of needs, it takes interdisciplinary and multifaceted approaches with options to keep older adults in their communities. Aging in place (AIP) represents an interdisciplinary approach to creating options that facilitate remaining in a self-determine environment. The purpose of this research was to examine the current state of the interdisciplinary concept aging in place (AIP). The need to understand AIP is more globally relevant as the U.S. becomes an aging society facing rapid change due to technology, globalization, and mobility. Guided by the tenants of theory development, and the ecological model of housing choice, two manuscripts were developed focusing on the current state of AIP. The first research study titled, An Evolutionary Concept Analysis: Aging in Place, used the content analysis method to examine the concept across diverse disciplines. A derived definition was developed that includes research, practice, policy, and those individuals involved in the aging process. The definition reflects the contemporary state of AIP and can be used for theory development and to unify all users of the AIP concept. The second research study titled, The Current State of Older Women Aging in Place in Oregon, used qualitative case study methods to examine seven cases of aging in place. The aim of the project was to examine seven women’s current and past experiences, and the dynamic process of aging in place in a self-determined private home environment. Two common themes were identified (1) The AIP reflects the woman’s process of self-preserving actions that maintain current AIP independence, and (2) AIP situational independence suggests that the participants’ pathways to their current AIP began after they each experienced an individualized trigger event. The findings have theoretical and practice implications that provide a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach to identifying the current status of AIP and the development of options that facilitate the AIP process. Close