The long lives of primates and the ‘invariant rate of ageing’ hypothesis

This work was supported by NIA P01AG031719 to J.W.V. and S.C.A., with additional support provided by the Max Planck Institute of Demographic Research and the Duke University Population Research Institute.Is it possible to slow the rate of ageing, or do biological constraints limit its plasticity? We test the ‘invariant rate of ageing’ hypothesis, which posits that the rate of ageing is relatively fixed within species, with a collection of 39 human and nonhuman primate datasets across seven genera. We first recapitulate, in nonhuman primates, the highly regular relationship between life expectancy and lifespan equality seen in humans. We next demonstrate that variation in the rate of ageing within genera is orders of magnitude smaller than variation in pre-adult and age-independent mortality. Finally, we demonstrate that changes in the rate of ageing, but not other mortality parameters, produce striking, species-atypical changes in mortality patterns. Our results support the invariant rate of ageing hypothesis, implying biological constraints on how much the human rate of ageing can be slowed.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Investigadoras en la UNAM : trabajo académico, productividad y calidad de vida

La implementación de los sistemas de estímulos económicos por rendimiento académico introdujo modificaciones sustantivas en las formas de trabajo y en la cultura laboral en la Universidad. En este libro las autoras analizan cómo se articulan las lógicas de la productividad, que provienen de dichos sistemas, con la condición de género, para crear diferencias sutiles que profundizan, aún más, las desigualdades ya existentes entre investigadores e investigadoras de la UNAM

El eterno retorno del populismo en América Latina y el Caribe

En los años ochenta la mayoría de los países latinoamericanos hizo la transición a la democracia después de décadas de autoritarismo. Casi inmediatamente, y con visiones no muy optimistas, la academia se ocupó de las posibilidades de consolidación democrática de los nuevos regímenes. Algunos como Juan Linz y Arturo Valenzuela se centraron en el tema del presidencialismo para señalar que este favorecía una lógica de suma cero en la que el ganador de las presidenciales "se llevaba todo", y que la rigidez del periodo presidencial y la doble legalidad producto de las elecciones separadas del Ejecutivo y del Legislativo, podían conducir a una parálisis del sistema que se resolviera en clave autoritaria, como fue el caso de Chile en 1973. Esta visión pesimista del futuro del presidencialismo latinoamericano solo comenzó a disiparse en los años noventa con los trabajos de Dieter Nohlen y Scott Mainwaring entre otros, y hoy algunos teóricos estudian las distintas formas como se resuelven las crisis presidenciales mostrando que ellas no conducen necesariamente a regímenes autoritarios y que antes bien, la salida del presidente puede ser una válvula de escape para salvar la democracia. (...

Sickle Cell Clinical Research and Intervention Program (SCCRIP): A lifespan cohort study for sickle cell disease progression from the pediatric stage into adulthood

Background: Previous natural history studies have advanced the understanding of sickle cell disease (SCD), but generally have not included sufficient lifespan data or investigation of the role of genetics in clinical outcomes, and have often occurred before the widespread use of disease-modifying therapies, such as hydroxyurea and chronic erythrocyte transfusions. To further advance knowledge of SCD, St. Jude Children\u27s Research Hospital established the Sickle Cell Clinical Research and Intervention Program (SCCRIP), to conduct research in a clinically evaluated cohort of individuals with SCD across their lifetime. Procedures: Initiated in 2014, the SCCRIP study prospectively recruits patients diagnosed with SCD and includes retrospective and longitudinal collection of clinical, neurocognitive, geospatial, psychosocial, and health outcomes data. Biological samples are banked for future genomics and proteomics studies. The organizational structure of SCCRIP is based upon organ/system-specific working groups and is opened to the research community for partnerships. Results: As of August 2017, 1,044 (92.3% of eligible) patients with SCD have enrolled in the study (860 children and 184 adults), with 11,915 person-years of observation. Population demographics included mean age at last visit of 11.3 years (range 0.7–30.1), 49.8% females, 57.7% treated with hydroxyurea, 8.5% treated with monthly transfusions, and 62.9% hemoglobin (Hb) SS or HbSB 0 -thalassemia, 25.7% HbSC, 8.4% HbsB + -Thalassemia, 1.7% HbS/HPFH, and 1.2% other. Conclusions: The SCCRIP cohort will provide a rich resource for the conduct of high impact multidisciplinary research in SCD

Paz en Colombia : perspectivas, desafíos, opciones

Este libro pretende ser un aporte para analizar las diversas dimensiones sociales, políticas, económicas, culturales, educativas y éticas de los retos que precedieron al acuerdo de paz y que se desplegarán a partir de ahora. Se publica a pocos días del plebiscito del 2 de octubre de 2016, en el que la sociedad colombiana tendrá en sus manos la posibilidad de refrendar este importantísimo acuerdo, abriendo y multiplicando los desafíos y oportunidades que nos permitieron llegar hasta aquí. La lectura de cada una de las contribuciones de este volumen permite no sólo entender que es urgente y necesario votar por el SÍ a los acuerdos de paz, sino también asumir la inmensa complejidad de una coyuntura que necesitará de muchísima imaginación, compromiso y participación democrática. ¡Viva la Paz! ¡Viva Colombia

The long lives of primates and the 'invariant rate of ageing' hypothesis.

Is it possible to slow the rate of ageing, or do biological constraints limit its plasticity? We test the 'invariant rate of ageing' hypothesis, which posits that the rate of ageing is relatively fixed within species, with a collection of 39 human and nonhuman primate datasets across seven genera. We first recapitulate, in nonhuman primates, the highly regular relationship between life expectancy and lifespan equality seen in humans. We next demonstrate that variation in the rate of ageing within genera is orders of magnitude smaller than variation in pre-adult and age-independent mortality. Finally, we demonstrate that changes in the rate of ageing, but not other mortality parameters, produce striking, species-atypical changes in mortality patterns. Our results support the invariant rate of ageing hypothesis, implying biological constraints on how much the human rate of ageing can be slowed

The long lives of primates and the ‘invariant rate of ageing’ hypothesis

Is it possible to slow the rate of ageing, or do biological constraints limit its plasticity? We test the ‘invariant rate of ageing’ hypothesis, which posits that the rate of ageing is relatively fixed within species, with a collection of 39 human and nonhuman primate datasets across seven genera. We first recapitulate, in nonhuman primates, the highly regular relationship between life expectancy and lifespan equality seen in humans. We next demonstrate that variation in the rate of ageing within genera is orders of magnitude smaller than variation in pre-adult and age-independent mortality. Finally, we demonstrate that changes in the rate of ageing, but not other mortality parameters, produce striking, species-atypical changes in mortality patterns. Our results support the invariant rate of ageing hypothesis, implying biological constraints on how much the human rate of ageing can be slowed