Unexpected Longevity Research Articles

AGE-ASSOCIATED CHALLENGES AMONG HIV POPULATION IN VIETNAM: PERSPECTIVES FROM MULTIPLE STAKEHOLDERS

Abstract HIV remains a significant global public health concern. The growing population of aging individuals living with HIV in Vietnam presents a multifaceted pressing issue, calling for research, policy, and practice interventions. This study aims to identify the aging-associated healthcare needs among the HIV population from three stakeholder groups: healthcare professionals, family caregivers, and persons living with HIV-AIDs. Qualitative data was collected through five focus group interviews involving 10 people living with HIV (PLWH), 9 caregivers, and 8 healthcare providers in Hanoi, Vietnam, in March 2023. Data analysis followed thematic analysis techniques, uncovering recurring patterns and themes across the three participant groups.PLWH reflected diverse experiences, showing mental health struggles, aging-related concerns, and a lack of preparation due to health challenges or unexpected longevity. Resilience and optimism are also manifested in PLWH. Caregivers demonstrated crucial roles, including bridging care, medication adherence, and financial and emotional support. They highlighted the necessity of training programs to enhance their care capabilities. Both PLWH and caregivers expressed a desire for formalized training programs on HIV and aging. Furthermore, healthcare providers reported mental and physical health changes among aging PLWH, such as insomnia, forgetfulness, and memory deterioration. They noted a lack of resources and called for comprehensive training across medical staff to enhance the well-being of the aging PLWH.This study demonstrated the complicated age-associated needs among PLWH in Vietnam. The findings underscore the need for policy and practice innovations to address aging-related cognitive, mental health, and long-term care concerns.

Immune challenge reduces daily activity period in free-living birds for three weeks.

Non-lethal infections are common in free-living animals and the associated sickness behaviours can impact crucial life-history trade-offs. However, little is known about the duration and extent of such sickness behaviours in free-living animals, and consequently how they affect life-history decisions. Here, free-living Eurasian blackbirds, Turdus merula, were immune-challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to mimic a bacterial infection and their behaviour was monitored for up to 48 days using accelerometers. As expected, immune-challenged birds were less active than controls within the first 24 h. Unexpectedly, this reduced activity remained detectable for 20 days, before both groups returned to similar activity levels. Furthermore, activity was positively correlated with a pre-experimental index of complement activity, but only in immune-challenged birds, suggesting that sickness behaviours are modulated by constitutive immune function. Differences in daily activity levels stemmed from immune-challenged birds resting earlier at dusk than control birds, while activity levels between groups were similar during core daytime hours. Overall, activity was reduced by 19% in immune-challenged birds and they were on average almost 1 h less active per day for 20 days. This unexpected longevity in sickness behaviour may have severe implications during energy-intense annual-cycle stages (e.g. breeding, migration, winter). Thus, our data help to understand the consequences of non-lethal infections on free-living animals.

Unexpected longevity, intergenerational policies, and fertility

This paper studies the dynamic effects of longevity on intergenerational policies and fertility, distinguishing between effects of expected and unexpected longevity gains. Old agents become poorer from unexpected longevity gains than from expected gains, as they cannot prepare (save) for the former in advance. In an overlapping-generations model with means-tested pay-as-you-go social security, we show that young agents reduce their fertility when longevity increases because they need to save more for their old age (“life-cycle effect”), and in the unexpected case, they also need to pay taxes to support the impoverished elderly (“policy effect”). Using cross-country panel data on mortality rates and social expenditure, we find that an unexpected increase in life expectancy at age 65 lowers total fertility rate growth and government family-related spending growth while raising government old-age spending growth.

Backtesting stochastic mortality models by prediction interval-based metrics

Human lifespan increments represent one of the main current risks for governments and pension and health benefits providers. Longevity societies imply financial sustainability challenges to guarantee adequate socioeconomic conditions for all individuals for a longer period. Consequently, modelling population dynamics and projecting future longevity scenarios are vital tasks for policymakers. As an answer, the demographic and the actuarial literature have been introduced and compared to several stochastic mortality models, although few studies have thoroughly tested the uncertainty concerning mortality projections. Forecasting mortality uncertainty levels have a central role since they reveal the potential, unexpected longevity rise and the related economic impact. Therefore, the present study poses a methodological framework to backtest uncertainty in mortality projections by exploiting uncertainty metrics not yet adopted in mortality literature. Using the data from the Human Mortality Database of the male and female populations of five countries, we present some numerical applications to illustrate how the proposed criterion works. The results show that there is no mortality model overperforming the others in all cases, and the best model choice depends on the data considered.

Positive Psychology can help overcome the pernicious native speaker ideology

The world of applied linguistics and the profession of foreign language teaching needs to finally sweep away the notion of “Native Speaker” (NS) and the deficit perspective surrounding foreign language learners. We argue that Positive Psychology is a source of inspiration for a new and more positive perspective on foreign language learners and users. Rather than obsessing about negative aspects of life, Positive Psychologists defend a more holistic perspective. By transforming the view of learners as failed “NS” of the target language to that of increasingly competent and happy users of a foreign language would lift a huge burden from the shoulders of foreign language learners and their teachers alike. We argue that the unexpected longevity and ubiquity of the NS in the foreign language teaching profession are its deep historical roots in linguistics and culture, and that only a radical paradigm shift can dislodge it.

Framing the Annuity as Bequest Protection

Bequest motives are commonly cited as a barrier for annuitization. This paper tests how framing partial annuitization as a protection for an intended bequest against the risk of asset exhaustion due to unexpected longevity influences the desire to purchase an annuity among a sample of 2,160 partic- ipants. The results indicate that this framing argument does increase interest in purchasing an annu- ity. Regression results demonstrate that this framing has a larger positive effect for individuals with a greater bequest motive. The relationship between annuitization framing and bequest motive dem- onstrated by this experiment has important practical and theoretical implications.

Bats: Secrets of Extended Healthspan

Of all mammals, bat possess the most unique and peculiar adaptations that render them as excellent models to investigate the mechanisms of extended longevity and potentially halted senescence. Indeed, they are the longest-lived mammals relative to their body size, with the oldest bat caught being >41 years old, living approx. 8 times longer than expected. Bats defy the ‘rate-of-living’ theories that propose a positive correlation between body size and longevity as they use twice the energy as other species of considerable size, but live far longer. The mechanisms that bats use to avoid the negative physiological effects of their heightened metabolism and deal with an increased production of deleterious Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) is not known, however it is suggested that they either prevent or repair ROS damage. Bats also appear to have resistance to many viral diseases such as rabies, SARS and Ebola and are the suspected reservoir species for a huge diversity of newly discovered viruses, including Sars-CoV-2 This suggests that their innate immunity is different to other mammals, perhaps playing a role in their unexpected longevity. Here the potential genomic basis for their rare immunity and exceptional longevity is explored across multiple bat genomes and divergent ageing and immune related markers (e.g. microbiome, telomeres, mitochondria, cellular dynamics, cytokine response) studied in wild bat populations. These findings provide a deeper understanding of the causal mechanisms of ageing and tolerant immunity, potentially uncovering the key molecular pathways that could be utilised to benefit society.

Large-scale genome sampling reveals unique immunity and metabolic adaptations in bats.

Comprising more than 1,400species, bats possess adaptations unique among mammals including powered flight, unexpected longevity, and extraordinary immunity. Some of the molecular mechanisms underlying these unique adaptations includes DNA repair, metabolism and immunity. However, analyses have been limited to a few divergent lineages, reducing the scope of inferences on gene family evolution across the Order Chiroptera. We conducted an exhaustive comparative genomic study of 37 bat species, one generated in this study, encompassing a large number of lineages, with a particular emphasis on multi-gene family evolution across immune and metabolic genes. In agreement with previous analyses, we found lineage-specific expansions of the APOBEC3 and MHC-I gene families, and loss of the proinflammatory PYHIN gene family. We inferred more than 1,000gene losses unique to bats, including genes involved in the regulation of inflammasome pathways such as epithelial defence receptors, the natural killer gene complex and the interferon-gamma induced pathway. Gene set enrichment analyses revealed genes lost in bats are involved in defence response against pathogen-associated molecular patterns and damage-associated molecular patterns. Gene family evolution and selection analyses indicate bats have evolved fundamental functional differences compared to other mammals in both innate and adaptive immune system, with the potential to enhance antiviral immune response while dampening inflammatory signalling. In addition, metabolic genes have experienced repeated expansions related to convergent shifts to plant-based diets. Our analyses support the hypothesis that, in tandem with flight, ancestral bats had evolved a unique set of immune adaptations whose functional implications remain to be explored.

Experiences of Social Withdrawal: Why Aging Matters Among Individuals With Hemophilia Facing Unexpected Longevity

For the first time, individuals with hemophilia are living beyond their 30s and 40s. This cohort, many of whom had been dependent on donated blood and contracted HIV and hepatitis, face unique challenges as they age with hemophilia and other conditions. Little is known about the experiences and health needs of these adults over the age of 40. Scientific advances have changed the life course of individuals who received earlier treatment modalities. Today, a person with hemophilia who has received preventative synthetic treatment can look forward to a long, healthy and active life. Semi-structured telephone interviews (n=32) were conducted with long-term survivors, family members, and professionals who supported these families. Findings include shame, fear and coping through social withdrawal in order to hide their hemophilia to avoid assumptions of HIV status. Analyzing unexpected longevity and why age matters for this historically isolated cohort, we explore appropriate care models.

Addressing Older Adult Social Isolation in Various Settings With Unique Conflating Trajectories of Care Models

No matter the age, social isolation is common among older adults due to a number of factors. In looking at social isolation through the framework of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) model, the biopsychosocial factors intersect. Care models will be explored that involve the ICF model multi-disciplinary concepts of body functions, activities, participation and environmental factors. Developing more programs to counter isolation is critical for the health of older persons. (1) The experience of vulnerability may be overcome by banding together through assisting others or building a peer support network. (2) A holistic perspective is needed in promoting interventions that support functionality. Regular programming with body awareness and cognitive reflection is enjoyed by institutionalized older adults. (3) The role of social action and social justice in reducing social isolation is part of training social work students about the importance of culture and advocacy. (4) Collected ethnographic data found that the practice of remembrance reduces social isolation regardless of the program. Gardening and storytelling were found to be opportunities to reduce social isolation. (5) With unexpected longevity in individuals with hemophilia due to scientific advances, researchers also found shame, fear, and coping through social isolation to avoid social assumptions of health status. Care models are being explored to support this cohort. To conclude, Dr. Sharon Bowland will summarize our abstracts and discuss how they revolve around the ICF model of care that can be applied to the important social determinant of health area of social isolation.

The Effect of Unexpected Longevity on Intergenerational Policies and Fertility

Unexpected longevity can bring economic hardship to the elderly and affect the young through intergenerational policies. This paper studies the dynamic effects of longevity on policies and fertility, distinguishing between those of expected and unexpected longevity gains. In an overlapping-generations model with pay-as-you-go public pensions, we show that young agents lower fertility when longevity increases because (1) they need to save more for their old age (life-cycle effect), and in the unexpected case, (2) they also need to pay taxes to support the impoverished elderly (policy effect). We find empirical support using panel data of OECD countries.

Understanding phospholipid function: Why are there so many lipids?

In the 1970s, phospholipids were still considered mere building blocks of the membrane lipid bilayer, but the subsequent realization that phospholipids could also serve as second messengers brought new interest to the field. My own passion for the unique amphipathic properties of lipids led me to seek other, non-signaling functions for phospholipids, particularly in their interactions with membrane proteins. This seemed to be the last frontier in protein chemistry and enzymology to be conquered. I was fortunate to find my way to Eugene Kennedy's laboratory, where both membrane proteins and phospholipids were the foci of study, thus providing a jumping-off point for advancing our fundamental understanding of lipid synthesis, membrane protein biosynthesis, phospholipid and membrane protein trafficking, and the cellular roles of phospholipids. After purifying and characterizing enzymes of phospholipid biosynthesis in Escherichia coli and cloning of several of the genes encoding these enzymes in E. coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, I was in a position to alter phospholipid composition in a systematic manner during the cell cycle in these microorganisms. My group was able to establish, contrary to common assumption (derived from the fact that membrane proteins retain activity in detergent extracts) that phospholipid environment is a strong determining factor in the function of membrane proteins. We showed that molecular genetic alterations in membrane lipid composition result in many phenotypes, and uncovered direct lipid-protein interactions that govern dynamic structural and functional properties of membrane proteins. Here I present my personal "reflections" on how our understanding of phospholipid functions has evolved.

Longevity Risk in Notional Defined Contribution Pension Schemes: A Solution

Notional defined contribution pension schemes (NDCs) aim at reproducing the logic of a financial defined contribution plan under a pay-as-you-go framework. Of particular interest is how the accumulated capital of a deceased person is used when the death occurs prior to retirement. While in most countries this accumulated capital (called survivor dividend, SD) is kept by the scheme, in Sweden it is distributed among the same cohort survivors. This paper aims to analyse to what extent the SD kept by most NDCs can be used to cover an unexpected longevity increase. We develop formulas under different assumptions (constant or according to Lee–Carter mortality improvements) to calculate the maximum mortality decrease a scheme can cover if the SD is not distributed. We also apply the formulas using Polish, Latvian and Swedish life tables and show that the non-distribution of the SD is a potential solution to cover the longevity risk of NDCs.

Managing Capital Market and Longevity Risks in a Defined Benefit Pension Plan

ABSTRACTThis article proposes a model for a defined benefit pension plan to minimize total funding variation while controlling expected total pension cost and funding downside risk throughout the life of a pension cohort. With this setup, we first investigate the plan's optimal contribution and asset allocation strategies, given the projection of stochastic asset returns and random mortality evolutions. To manage longevity risk, the plan can use either the ground‐up hedging strategy or the excess‐risk hedging strategy. Our numerical examples demonstrate that the plan transfers more unexpected longevity risk with the excess‐risk strategy due to its lower total hedge cost and more attractive structure.

Longevity-Indexed Life Annuities

This paper addresses the problem of the sharing of longevity risk between an annuity provider and a group of annuitants. An appropriate longevity index is designed in order to adapt the amount of the periodic payments in life annuity contracts. This accounts for unexpected longevity improvements experienced by a given reference population. The approach described in the present paper is in contrast with group self-annuitization, where annuitants bear their own risk. Here the annuitants bear only the nondiversifiable risk that the future mortality trend departs from that of the reference forecast. In that respect, the life annuities discussed in this paper are substitutes for reinsurance and securitization of longevity risk.

HIGHEST RESOLUTION OBSERVATIONS OF THE QUIETEST SUN

Highest resolution observations made with the new 1.6 m aperture solar telescope in Big Bear Solar Observatory during this time of historic inactivity on the Sun reveal new insights into the small-scale dynamics of the Sun's photosphere. The telescope's unprecedented resolution enabled us to observe that the smallest scale photospheric magnetic field seems to come in isolated points in the dark intergranular lanes, rather than the predicted continuous sheets confined to the lanes, and the unexpected longevity of the bright points implies a deeper anchoring than predicted. Further, we demonstrated for the first time that the photospheric plasma motion and magnetic fields are in equipartition over a wide dynamic range, and both cascade energy to ever-smaller scales according to classical Kolmogorov turbulence theory. Finally, we discovered tiny jet-like features originating in the dark lanes that surround the ubiquitous granules that characterize the solar surface.

Electrodynamic Aggregation of Nanodust as a Source of Long-Lived Filaments in Laboratory Electric Discharges and Space

Formation of a skeleton composed of a fractal condensed matter was suggested to explain the unexpected longevity of filamentary structures observed in various laboratory electric discharges and space. We present the numerical modeling results on the electrodynamic aggregation of nanodust in the frame of a simple model which describes many-body system of magnetized thin rods (1-D magnetic dipoles), with electrical conductivity and electric charge, screened by an ambient medium. The model is shown to describe self-assembling of a coaxial tubular skeleton from initially linear filaments, composed of such blocks, between the biased electrodes, and self-assembling of a quasi-planar skeletal network from similar filaments, detached from electrodes and located within a plasma filament.

Self-assembling of tubular skeletons from electric current filaments composed of magnetized thin rods

Abstract Formation of a skeleton composed of a fractal condensed matter was suggested [A.B. Kukushkin, V.A. Rantsev-Kartinov, in: Proceedings of the 17th IAEA Fusion Energy Conference, vol. 3, Yokohama, Japan, 1998, pp. 1131–1134, http://www.iaea.org/programmes/ripc/physics/pdf/ifp_17.pdf ] to explain unexpected longevity of filamentary structures observed in laboratory electric discharges. A simple 3D model [A.B. Kukushkin, K.V. Cherepanov, physics/0512234 ] of many-body system of magnetized, electrically conducting thin rods (1D magnetic dipoles) managed to describe the integrity of a hypothetical, “manually-assembled” tubular skeleton under the action of external forces. Here we demonstrate the possibility of electrodynamic self-assembling of coaxial tubular skeleton in a system of ∼500 magnetic dipoles, which are initially arranged as 25–50 linear electric current filaments with a fraction of the dipoles with uncompensated magnetic flux.

Coalition Management in the Face of Ideological and Institutional Constraint: The Case of France's Gauche Plurielle

The experience of the Lionel Jospin-led Gauche Plurielle government (1997–2002), arguably among the most productive of the French Fifth Republic, reveals that semi-presidential and parliamentary systems can produce durable coalition-based regimes capable of ambitious programmatic change. The Jospin government's unexpected longevity and surprising political accomplishments were achieved in the face of fractious Left–Green multiparty bargaining and the challenges of a national executive political cohabitation with an opposition Right president. This Left–Green government crafted and implemented major economic reforms (most notably the complex 35-hour work week initiative) and highly controversial social policies (e.g., civil union legislation and gender parity electoral reforms). Effective management of the Left–Green ideological-policy spectrum was essential, with policy concessions and a common desire for electoral success permitting rival parties to achieve unprecedented coordination of actions. The Jospin style (‘Jospinisme’) was conducive to consensus and governance, with a nuanced balancing of personnel and interests within the government tied to the balancing of parliamentary members’ votes as legislation was moved through the legislative process. In examining this regime and policy environment, we adopt a multi-faceted analytical perspective — bridging ideological-policy, institutional, and ‘critical events’ factors — illuminating the dynamics of a complex political-institutional setting that involved the maneuverings of both the Gauche Plurielle partners (PS, PCF, Left Radicals, Greens, and Chevenement groups) and rival President Jacques Chirac. The Jospin–Gauche Plurielle case illuminates the opportunities and dilemmas inherent in coalition formation, management, and maintenance in a semi-presidential system.

The UCSC Kestrel parallel processor

The architectural landscape of high-performance computing stretches from superscalar uniprocessor to explicitly parallel systems, to dedicated hardware implementations of algorithms. Single-purpose hardware can achieve the highest performance and uniprocessors can be the most programmable. Between these extremes, programmable and reconfigurable architectures provide a wide range of choice in flexibility, programmability, computational density, and performance. The UCSC Kestrel parallel processor strives to attain single-purpose performance while maintaining user programmability. Kestrel is a single-instruction stream, multiple-data stream (SIMD) parallel processor with a 512-element linear array of 8-bit processing elements. The system design focuses on efficient high-throughput DNA and protein sequence analysis, but its programmability enables high performance on computational chemistry, image processing, machine learning, and other applications. The Kestrel system has had unexpected longevity in its utility due to a careful design and analysis process. Experience with the system leads to the conclusion that programmable SIMD architectures can excel in both programmability and performance. This work presents the architecture, implementation, applications, and observations of the Kestrel project at the University of California at Santa Cruz.