Scientists map new mechanism in brain's barrier tissue

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have documented a previously unknown biological mechanism in the brain's most important line of defence: the blood-brain barrier. Scientists now know that the barrier helps maintain a delicate balance of glutamate, a vital signal compound in the brain. The research results have just been published in the scientific journal GLIA.

Glutamate is the most important activating transmitter substance in the brain. Vital in small amounts, it is toxic for the brain if the concentration becomes too high. Noise on the brain's signal lines can have fatal consequences and is involved in neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, sclerosis and schizophrenia. Until now scientists believed that the glutamate balance was maintained by an interaction between different types of cells in the brain: Scientists map new mechanism in the brain

"We now know that the blood-brain barrier also plays a vital role in the process by 'vacuuming' – so to speak – the brain fluid for extraneous glutamate, which is then pumped into the blood where it does not have a damaging effect. This is new knowledge that can have enormous impact on future drug development. We have charted a biological mechanism that other scientists eventually can try to influence chemically, for example, in the form of medicine to limit cell death after a stroke. When the brain lacks oxygen, the glutamate level in the brain fluid increases dramatically, which kick starts a toxic chain reaction that kills cells", explains associate professor Birger Brodin.

The research results have just been published in the scientific journal GLIA.

A couple of years ago, researchers at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences modelled an artificial blood-brain barrier in the laboratory using brain cells from rats and calves. Ninety-five percent of all drugs tested for treating diseases originating in the central nervous system fail because they cannot pass through the blood-brain barrier, which is why it is so important to have a tool that can be used to negotiate the difficult path across the brain's effective border crossing.

However, the model is not just a potential screening tool. It can also inform scientists about the properties of the mysterious barrier and lead to new knowledge about the healthy brain and disease:

"Others have been on the trail of the hypothesis that the blood-brain barrier helps maintain the delicate glutamate balance in the brain. However, because of the model we created in the laboratory, we have been able to test the hypothesis successfully in a biological experiment for the first time ever", explains PhD student Hans Christian Helms, who is the main driver behind the development of the blood-brain barrier created in the laboratory.

Scientists discovered the new mechanism in the blood-brain barrier as they were trying to investigate how amino acids get into the brain:

"Many significant discoveries happen by accident to some extent. We start by having a theory that we want to investigate. We test the theory in the laboratory and sometimes we get unexpected results. It is often the unexpected results that lead us onto new paths and to scientific breakthrough", concludes Birger Brodin.

Provided by University of Copenhagen

"Scientists map new mechanism in brain's barrier tissue." March 8th, 2012. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-scientists-mechanism-brain-barrier-tissue.html

Posted by
Robert Karl Stonjek

Scientists map new mechanism in brain's barrier tissue

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have documented a previously unknown biological mechanism in the brain's most important line of defence: the blood-brain barrier. Scientists now know that the barrier helps maintain a delicate balance of glutamate, a vital signal compound in the brain. The research results have just been published in the scientific journal GLIA.

Glutamate is the most important activating transmitter substance in the brain. Vital in small amounts, it is toxic for the brain if the concentration becomes too high. Noise on the brain's signal lines can have fatal consequences and is involved in neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, sclerosis and schizophrenia. Until now scientists believed that the glutamate balance was maintained by an interaction between different types of cells in the brain: Scientists map new mechanism in the brain

"We now know that the blood-brain barrier also plays a vital role in the process by 'vacuuming' – so to speak – the brain fluid for extraneous glutamate, which is then pumped into the blood where it does not have a damaging effect. This is new knowledge that can have enormous impact on future drug development. We have charted a biological mechanism that other scientists eventually can try to influence chemically, for example, in the form of medicine to limit cell death after a stroke. When the brain lacks oxygen, the glutamate level in the brain fluid increases dramatically, which kick starts a toxic chain reaction that kills cells", explains associate professor Birger Brodin.

The research results have just been published in the scientific journal GLIA.

A couple of years ago, researchers at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences modelled an artificial blood-brain barrier in the laboratory using brain cells from rats and calves. Ninety-five percent of all drugs tested for treating diseases originating in the central nervous system fail because they cannot pass through the blood-brain barrier, which is why it is so important to have a tool that can be used to negotiate the difficult path across the brain's effective border crossing.

However, the model is not just a potential screening tool. It can also inform scientists about the properties of the mysterious barrier and lead to new knowledge about the healthy brain and disease:

"Others have been on the trail of the hypothesis that the blood-brain barrier helps maintain the delicate glutamate balance in the brain. However, because of the model we created in the laboratory, we have been able to test the hypothesis successfully in a biological experiment for the first time ever", explains PhD student Hans Christian Helms, who is the main driver behind the development of the blood-brain barrier created in the laboratory.

Scientists discovered the new mechanism in the blood-brain barrier as they were trying to investigate how amino acids get into the brain:

"Many significant discoveries happen by accident to some extent. We start by having a theory that we want to investigate. We test the theory in the laboratory and sometimes we get unexpected results. It is often the unexpected results that lead us onto new paths and to scientific breakthrough", concludes Birger Brodin.

Provided by University of Copenhagen

"Scientists map new mechanism in brain's barrier tissue." March 8th, 2012. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-scientists-mechanism-brain-barrier-tissue.html

Posted by
Robert Karl Stonjek

US Army suicides rose 80 percent between 2004 and 2008

Suicides among US army personnel rose 80 per cent between 2004 and 2008, finds research by US Army Public Health Command and published online in Injury Prevention.

Around 40% of these suicides might be associated with military events following US involvement in Iraq, say the authors.

The US committed a substantial number of troops to Iraq, starting in 2003, and it continues to be involved in military operations in Afghanistan.

The authors base their findings on trends in US army suicides from 1977 to 2008, using information obtained from the Army Behavioural Health Integrated Data Environment.

This captures data on suicides from several national military sources, and includes clinical consultations, diagnoses, and treatment given.

The analyses showed that suicide rates among soldiers on active duty were in line with expected trends for the 27 years between 1977 and 2003, and had even fallen slightly.

But after 2004 they began to rise, increasing by more than 80% up to 2008, and overtaking comparable rates among the civilian population, which had remained fairly stable during this period.

During 2007 and 2008, 255 soldiers on active duty took their own lives, equivalent to an actual suicide rate of 20 per 100,000 person years, compared with the expected rate of 12 per 100,000 person years.

Analysis of the historical trends, compared with 2008 rates, indicated that 39% of these suicides might be associated with military events following US involvement in Iraq in 2003, say the authors.

Soldiers between the ages of 18 and 24 accounted for almost half (45%) of the suicides; over half (54%) were among soldiers of low rank. Over two thirds (69%) had been deployed in active combat.

The increase in suicides was paralleled by an increase in other mental health issues. Suicide rates were higher among soldiers diagnosed with a mental illness in the preceding year, the data showed.

Outpatient consultations for these disorders nearly doubled from a rate of 116 per 1000 person years in 2003 to 216 per 1000 in 2008. Similarly, admissions to hospital for mental health issues rose from 7.4 per 1000 in 2003 to 14 per 1000 in 2008.

Those who had been admitted to hospital for a mental health disorder were more than 15 times as likely to commit suicide as those who had not been, while those who had had an outpatient consultation for a mental health issue were almost four times as likely to take their own lives.

Depression, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress, substance misuse, as well as personality and adjustment disorders and psychosis all conferred a higher suicide risk.

Those with major depression were more than 11 times as likely to commit suicide; those with anxiety disorders were 10 times as likely to do so.

More than one in four of the soldiers who committed suicide had been diagnosed with adjustment disorder, which is a term applied to the immediate emotional fall-out from being in close proximity to stressful events.

These findings highlight the need for better methods of identifying, monitoring, and treating those who are potentially at risk, say the authors.

They go on to say that suicide is complex, with many factors involved, and further research is needed to uncover the specific issues that contributed to the increase between 2004 and 2008.

But they conclude: "This increase, unprecedented in over 30 years of US Army records, suggests that approximately 40% of suicides that occurred in 2008 may be associated with post-2003 events following the major commitment of troops to Iraq, in addition to the ongoing operations in Afghanistan."

Provided by British Medical Journal

"US Army suicides rose 80 percent between 2004 and 2008." March 7th, 2012. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-army-suicides-rose-percent.html

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Robert Karl Stonjek

What humans have in common with gorilla

 by Biomechanism 

“An insight into human evolution from the gorilla genome sequence”

The team searched more than 11,000 genes in human, chimpanzee and gorilla for genetic changes important in evolution. Humans and chimpanzees are genetically closest to each other over most of the genome, but the team found many places where this is not the case. 15% of the human genome is closer to the gorilla genome than it is to chimpanzee, and 15% of the chimpanzee genome is closer to the gorilla than human.

In all three species, genes relating to sensory perception, hearing and brain development showed accelerated evolution – and particularly so in humans and gorillas.

“Our most significant findings reveal not only differences between the species reflecting millions of years of evolutionary divergence, but also similarities in parallel changes over time since their common ancestor,” says Dr Chris Tyler-Smith, senior author from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. “We found that gorillas share many parallel genetic changes with humans including the evolution of our hearing. Scientists had suggested that the rapid evolution of human hearing genes was linked to the evolution of language. Our results cast doubt on this, as hearing genes have evolved in gorillas at a similar rate to those in humans.”

15% of the human genome is closer to the gorilla genome than it is to chimpanzee, and 15% of the chimpanzee genome is closer to the gorilla than human. Photo credit: Thousand Word Media

This research also illuminates the timing of splits between species. Although we commonly think of species diverging at a single point in time, this does not always reflect reality: species can separate over an extended period of time.

The team found that divergence of gorillas from humans and chimpanzees occurred around ten million years ago. The split between eastern and western gorillas was much more recent, in the last million years or so, and was gradual, although they are now genetically distinct. This split is comparable in some ways to the split between chimpanzees and bonobos, or modern humans and Neanderthals.

“Our research completes the genetic picture for overall comparisons of the great apes,” says Dr Richard Durbin, senior author from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, “After decades of debate, our genetic interpretations are now consistent with the fossil record and provide a way for palaeontologists and geneticists to work within the same framework.

“Our data are the last genetic piece we can gather for this puzzle: there are no other living great ape genera to study.”

Gorillas survive today in just a few isolated and endangered populations in the equatorial forests of central Africa. They are severely threatened and their numbers are diminishing. This research not only informs us about human evolution, but highlights the importance of protecting and conserving the full diversity of these remarkable species.

What does chronic stress in adolescence mean at the molecular level?

 

Chronic stress has a more powerful effect on the brain during adolescence than in adulthood and now there's proof at the molecular level, according to findings published in Neuron by University at Buffalo researchers.

"We have identified a causal link between molecules and behaviors involved in stress responses," says Zhen Yan, PhD, a professor in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics in the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. "It's the first time that the loss of glutamate receptor has been causally linked to the negative effects of chronic or repeated stress."

The UB research bolsters the emerging understanding among neuroscientists that the glutamate system is a key player in mental illness and, thus, is critical to understanding how to better treat disorders like depression, anxiety and schizophrenia.

Yan and her colleagues wanted to better understand the molecular mechanisms of stress, about which little is known. She and her colleagues had previously found that acute stress helps sharpen memory (see related story from 2009). Now they have found that chronic stress has the opposite effect.

The UB research was conducted on male rats at an age that corresponds to adolescence in humans, a period when the brain is highly sensitive to stress. This is especially true of the prefrontal cortex, which doesn't fully mature until age 25 in humans and which undergoes dramatic change during adolescence. The prefrontal cortex is referred to as the "CEO" of the brain, controlling working memory, decision-making and attention.

In response to repeated stress, Yan and her colleagues found there was a loss of glutamate receptor expression and function in the prefrontal cortex. That loss resulted in a significant impairment in the ability of the adolescent animals to remember and recognize objects they had previously seen. The same cognitive deficit was not seen in the similarly stressed adults.

"Because dysfunction in the prefrontal cortex has been implicated in stress-related mental illness, this research identifying how stress affects prefrontal cortical functions will help further unravel how and why mental illnesses occur and how to treat them," says Yan.

In the same paper, the researchers report that by disrupting the enzymes that trigger loss of glutamate receptor expression, they were able to prevent the cognitive impairment induced by repeated stress exposure.

As a result, the UB researchers have discovered that there may be a way to prevent the detrimental effects of chronic stress.

Many antipsychotic drugs currently on the market do somehow affect the glutamate system. Yan and her UB colleagues recently published research in Molecular Pharmacology, showing how one of the newer antipsychotics, lurasidone, (trade name Latuda) does just that. But, she notes, many of these drugs also affect other important neurotransmitter systems as well.

"If, based on this research, we can begin to target the glutamate system in a more specific and effective way, we might be able to develop better drugs to treat serious mental illness," she says.

The research is especially significant because with some mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, onset typically occurs in late adolescence.

"While there have been many behavioral studies about stress, understanding stress at a molecular level is key to developing strategies to prevent stress-induced behavioral deficits," says Yan. "In the end, it has to be boiled down to molecules. Without knowing why something happens at a molecular level, you cannot do anything about it."

More information: Yuen et al.: "Repeated Stress Causes Cognitive Impairment by Suppressing Glutamate Receptor Expression and Function in Prefrontal Cortex." DOI:10.1016/j.neuron.2011.12.033

Provided by University at Buffalo

"What does chronic stress in adolescence mean at the molecular level?." March 7th, 2012. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-chronic-stress-adolescence-molecular.html

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Robert Karl Stonjek

New study identifies the QWERTY effect, or how typing shapes the meaning of words

Words spelled with more letters on the right of the keyboard are associated with more positive emotions than words spelled with more letters on the left, according to new research by cognitive scientists Kyle Jasmin of University College London and Daniel Casasanto of The New School for Social Research, New York. Their work shows, for the first time, that there is a link between the meaning of words and the way they are typed - a relationship they call the QWERTY effect. Their study is published online in Springer's journal Psychonomic Bulletin & Review.

In the past, language was only spoken and therefore, only subject to the constraints on hearing and speaking. Now that language is frequently produced by the fingers – typing and texting – it is filtered through the keyboard i.e. through QWERTY. As people develop new technologies for producing language, these technologies shape the language they are designed to produce. What Jasmin and Casasanto's work shows is that widespread typing introduces a new mechanism by which changes in the meaning of words can arise.

Some words are spelled with more letters on the right side of the keyboard, others with more letters on the left. In a series of three experiments, the researchers investigated whether differences in the way words are typed correspond to differences in their meanings.

They found that the meanings of words in English, Dutch and Spanish were related to the way people typed them on the QWERTY keyboard. Overall, words with more right-side letters were rated more positive in meaning than words with more left-side letters. This effect was visible in all three languages and was not affected by either word length, letter frequency or handedness.

The QWERTY effect was also found when people judged the meanings of fictitious words like "pleek," and was strongest in new words and abbreviations like "greenwash" and "LOL" coined after the invention of QWERTY.

Why should the positions of the keys matter? The authors suggest that because there are more letters on the left of the keyboard midline than on the right, letters on the right might be easier to type, which could lead to positive feelings. In other words, when people type words composed of more right-side letters, they have more positive feelings, and when they type words composed of more left-side letters, they have more negative feelings.

Linguists have long believed that the meanings of words are independent of their forms, an idea known as the "arbitrariness of the sign." But the QWERTY effect suggests the written forms of words can influence their meanings, challenging this traditional view.

Should parents stick to the positive side of their keyboards when picking baby names – Molly instead of Sara? Jimmy instead of Fred? According to the authors, "People responsible for naming new products, brands, and companies might do well to consider the potential advantages of consulting their keyboards and choosing the 'right' name."

More information: Jasmin K & Casasanto D (2012). The QWERTY effect: how typing shapes the meaning of words. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review.DOI 10.3758/s13423-012-0229-7

Provided by Springer

"New study identifies the QWERTY effect, or how typing shapes the meaning of words." March 7th, 2012. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-qwerty-effect-words.html

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Robert Karl Stonjek

Stumped by a problem? This technique unsticks you

(Medical Xpress) -- Stuck solving a problem? Seek the obscure, says Tony McCaffrey, a psychology PhD from the University of Massachusetts. “There’s a classic obstacle to innovation called ‘functional fixedness,’ which is the tendency to fixate on the common use of an object or its parts. It hinders people from solving problems.” McCaffrey has developed a systematic way of overcoming that obstacle: the “generic parts technique” (GPT), which he describes in the latest issue of Psychological Science, a journal published by the Association for Psychological Science. The article also reports on McCaffrey’s test of GPT’s effectiveness. Its results: People trained in GPT solved eight problems 67 percent more often than those who weren’t trained, and the first group solved them more than 8 times out of 10.

Here’s how GPT works: “For each object in your problem, you break it into parts and ask two questions,” explains McCaffrey, who is now a post-doctoral fellow in UMass’s engineering department. “1. Can it be broken down further? and 2. — this is the one that’s been overlooked — Does my description of the part imply a use?” So you’re given two steel rings and told to make a figure-8 out of them. Your tools? A candle and a match. Melted wax is sticky, but the wax isn’t strong enough to hold the rings together. What about the other part of the candle? The wick. The word implies a use: Wicks are set afire to give light. “That tends to hinder people’s ability to think of alternative uses for this part,” says McCaffrey. Think of the wick more generically as a piece of string and the string as strands of cotton and you’re liberated. Now you can remove the wick and tie the two rings together. Or, if you like, shred the string and make a wig for your hamster.

McCaffrey has drawn his insights by analyzing 1,001 historically innovative inventions. In every one, he found, the innovator discovered an obscure feature or an obscure function. McCaffrey cites a recent invention to solve a modern problem. “In this very poor section of the Philippines, people living in shanties were using electric lights inside while it was sunny outside,” he says. How to save money on electricity? “Take a 2-liter Coke bottle, stick it through a hole in the roof, fill it with water. The water reflects the light around the inside the house.” A simple idea, using an overlooked feature of water: “It refracts light 360 degrees.”

GPT is one of a “palette” of techniques McCaffrey is developing into what he calls “innovation assistance software,” which itself can be put to novel uses. His undergraduate student, a comedy writer, is applying the technique to build obscure situations that can make people laugh.

More information: http://www.psychol … ical_science

Provided by Association for Psychological Science

"Stumped by a problem? This technique unsticks you." March 7th, 2012. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-stumped-problem-technique-unsticks.html

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Robert Karl Stonjek

Top 10 Benefits of Exercise in Everyday Activities - By Aliesa George ***

Antioxidants help to repair damage throughout the body. This can slow down the aging process and keep you feeling good for longer amounts of time. Most fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants. Apples are a good choice for fruit, since they are also packed with vitamin C and fiber. Apples also travel well, allowing them to be an easy snack choice even when on the run. Broccoli is a good vegetable choice for antioxidants. It is also full of vitamins and fiber, and just two florets count as a serving. If you don't like to eat broccoli plain, consider a low fat dipping sauce instead of rich dressings and cheeses.

Another good source of antioxidants is tea. If you are looking for a healthy alternative to soda, or something flavored to drink in place of water, tea is a good choice. Unsweetened tea is low in calories and full of antioxidants. Keep in mind that many teas also contain caffeine, so avoid drinking too much if you are sensitive to stimulants or suffer from anxiety symptoms.

Question: What daily-life activities can I do that use different muscle groups in different ways? How do I do them correctly? What muscle groups they will use?

1. Driving -- Practicing Seated Posture, Relaxed Shoulders, Low Abdominal Support
Sit with your back tall (adjust your rearview mirror a bit higher so if you're not in a tall seated position you'll know right away!) Allow the hands to rest on the wheel, and let the shoulder tension drop. Practice pulling the abdominals towards the back of your seat while maintaining your tall posture position. This is how you should be sitting all of the time in any chair!

2. Driving -- Spine Rotation -- checking for cars -- turn and look
Our backs should be mobile and flexible to twist naturally and easily from the bottom to the top. Practice turning to look both ways for cars (right & left). You can turn from the top (head) to the bottom (navel). Or bottom to the top. Keep both hands on the steering wheel, and maintain tall posture. If you are turning to the right - the muscles close to the spine on the left actively push forward to twist each vertebrae, while the right side of the abs pull back, up, and in so both the front and back of the torso is actively engaged to rotate the body.

3. Trimming Bushes -- with manual hedge clippers -- Chest Muscles
By using the whole arm, (focus on squeezing the clippers to cut from where the arms meet the body) you'll get a fantastic chest workout while you're trimming the yard.

4. Getting up and down off a chair or toilet -- Squat, Glutes, Quads, and Hamstrings
We don't realize how many times a day we sit down and stand back up! Every time is an opportunity to strengthen the legs! By focusing on lowering down to sit with control the knees are bending and it's the hamstrings that control the movement. Think about actively pulling your sitz bones towards your heels to control the rate of descent. To return to a stand and keep the strain off your knees, it's the Glutes that need to engage to lift the body up from underneath the hips. The quads will work to straighten the knees, but don't let this be the first action to rise. Fire Glutes first, then quads to return to a standing position.

5. Waiting to check out at the grocery store -- Standing Posture, and/or 1-leg Balancing
What better place to work on balance and posture than when you're waiting in line to check out at the store? Practice standing legs together, even weight on both feet, knees unlocked, abs lifted, shoulders relaxed, head tall. AND practice balancing on one leg with the same tall posture and support.

6. Gardening / Weeding -- Abs/Back & Legs, Hands, bending over and standing up, squatting or kneeling Arms & Shoulders -- picking & pulling
We all have a dominant and weaker side. Focus on equal time for both sides of the body. Alternate pulling weeds with one arm and the other. Pay attention to which leg you squat or kneel on, and be sure that you are also alternating lowering and rising with the legs for a well-balanced gardening workout! Pull your abs up and in, then pull the weed!

7. Vacuuming -- Chest & Back -- Pushing & Pulling, using the arm to move the machine. Obliques & Abdominals if you add rotation of the torso with the movement of the vacuum.
We typically will rely on our dominate side to complete chores in a timely manner. Count the number of strokes across the floor you push and pull the vacuum with one arm, and then alternate sides. If you just bend and straighten the arm to move the vacuum (keeping your shoulders square to your task) the chest and triceps are doing the push forward, and the back and biceps are doing the pull back. Add a twist by allowing the torso to rotate when you push forward, and square the shoulders off when you pull back for more work with the abdominals and obliques. Also, pay attention to the leg that is forward. Switch legs when you switch arms. (Have the opposite leg in front to the arm that is working to counter-balance your movement.)

8. Sitting Up & Rolling Over in Bed -- Abdominals / Sit-ups
Any time you get up from a lying down position, or lay down from a seated position, it's an opportunity to strengthen your abdominal muscles. Strive to roll up and down evenly and sequentially (one segment of your back at a time.) If you rest on one elbow to push up to a sit you're not using your abs and are creating a muscle imbalance (chances are you always push up off the same elbow!) Use your exhale to assist through the challenging moments of the movement.

9. Mad, Passionate, Lovemaking! A superior whole-body exercise
This is cardio training when vigorously engaged. Core training with good thrusting action of hips & pelvis. An upper body workout if you're on top! There are lots of interesting possibilities and positions to improve flexibility! Plus, enjoy pelvic floor strengthening to improve posture, core strength, and bladder control. What better excuse for a great workout than sharing time with your sweetie!

10. Everything we do, every moment of every day gives us the opportunity to use our muscles and improve strength, flexibility, mobility, and body control.Whether we are actively moving, seated, or standing still -- awareness of what we're doing and how we are using our bodies is important. It is the active use of our muscles to fight against the effects of gravity that provide the support we need to stay strong, fit, and flexible and enjoy a great quality of life!

SIX WAYS TO PLAN FOR A SINGLE RETIREMENT

Many baby boomers are retiring single. If you find yourself single as you head towards retirement, make sure you are taking the proper steps to assure your security! Get the tips here!

ABC News highlights…

A new study sees tough times ahead for baby boomers who retire single, or who become single in retirement. The report, “Single in Retirement,” released today by the BMO Retirement Institute, finds singles face “a unique set of financial, emotional and planning challenges” in retirement. And their ranks are growing quickly.

Among people age 65 or older, 47 percent of women and 18 percent of men now live alone, according to U.S. Census data–an increase since 1970 of 96 percent for women and 22 percent for men.

The BMO study says that while solo retirement is a growing trend, not all singles retire equally.

It draws a distinction between what it calls “Ever Singles”–people who have never married or who have spent a significant portion of their lives unmarried—and “Suddenly Singles”—people who have singleness thrust upon them by a divorce or the death of a spouse.

“It’s not the woman who’s been single all her life who’s most at risk,” said study director Tina Di Vito. “She’s probably under-saving for her retirement; but it’s the married person who’s been relying on their partner to handle all the financial matters who’s at greater risk. Suddenly they’re on their own and fully responsible for their own financial matters.”

Dorlene Zaslow, 62, had been married 24 years to her surgeon-husband when he died unexpectedly three years ago. “It was very scary for me in the beginning,” she said.

Even though she had helped manage the five offices of her husband’s Florida medical practice, she said her “biggest concern was knowing exactly where the money was, having control of it. Lots of people, women especially, don’t know that. They’re not sure.”

She said that as a risk-taker, she was prepared to invest aggressively to assure her future income.

But her financial planner, Keith Singer of Boca Raton, persuaded her to be more conservative and to put a chunk of her money into annuities and tax-free bonds. She’s glad now that she did: “You think you’re going to have the same job and make a lot forever. But nothing lasts. You need to know that. You need to know how much you’ll have to live on.”

Though single retirees are on the increase, Di Vito said not all financial planners give that fact sufficient weight when advising married clients. Singer did, said Zaslow. It was her husband who insisted that the couple see a financial planner.

BMO’s report advises current or potential singles to do six things in order to meet what it calls the “distinct challenges” of being retired and alone:

Plan for retirement as early as possible.

Build and sustain wealth.

Understand income and expenses.

Consider changes in housing needs.

Focus on social and emotional well-being.

Devise a comprehensive health strategy.

Get the entire article at ABC News!

 

TWO TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIPS

Looking to team up with another organization to double your success? Make sure that you read these tips before you do it! Get the suggestions here!

INC shares…

Partnerships, alliances, joint ventures: whatever the arrangement, businesses believe working together can lead to results that they would have a hard time achieving on their own. This can ring especially true for small businesses partnering with larger businesses.

But in full disclosure, certain partnerships resulted in unnecessary headaches. In our haste to gain national distribution and “catch up to the big boys,” we occasionally selected the wrong organization, or worked with the perfect organization—in a less-than-perfect way.

Since hindsight is 20/20, here are a few nuggets of partnership wisdom that I hope prove useful, especially for those developing your first partnership strategy:

1. Know your worth.When done right, smaller enterprises can move to the next level by working with a larger company that is already a household name. Larger companies, government agencies, and nonprofits offer more technological, marketing, and other administrative resources. However, it can be dangerous to assume that bigger always means better. Just because you are working with an organization with a budget that dwarfs your own, doesn’t mean you bring nothing to the table. Smaller companies typically offer an authenticity, nimbleness, and innovation that big companies envy. That said, it’s really important to be intimately aware of your strengths, too—not just your weaknesses.
2. Start small, but think big.As you consider entering a working relationship with another group, keep in mind that starting off with a short-term project focused on completing a specific task might be more appropriate than beginning with a longer term commitment—especially if this is the first time your organizations are working together. Both parties should take advantage of the opportunity to test drive the partnership. Another tip: try not to discount short-term projects. When executed correctly, sometimes the shortest ventures have the deepest impact. If you are lucky enough to forge a lasting partnership, it will have been done thoughtfully. Terms such as partnership and joint venture are thrown around all too loosely, in my opinion. Beyond generally overstating the nature of the relationship, many such words have legal definitions (“Partner” with a big “P,” vs. “partner” with a little “p”), or at a minimum, industry expectations, attached to them. Better to start small and grow accordingly.

Get the entire story at INC!

 

TOP 8 RULES TO SELLING ANYTHING

How to Sell: 8 Essential Skills

If you haven’t mastered these simple sales skills, you won’t be able to sell at the highest level. Make sure you’ve checked them all off.

Over the past 10 years, I’ve had in-depth conversations with more than 75 sales gurus, as well as hundreds of sales professionals and managers.  Based on that experience, I have concluded that there are eight–and only eight–truly essential sales skills.

If you have these skills already, fantastic. If you don’t, it’s time to start filling in the gaps.

• Read more: How to Master Any Skill

1. Researching Prospects

Chances are your prospect knows plenty about you, your firm and your competition.  In order to add real value, you’ll need to know even more about the prospect, the prospect’s business and the prospect’s own customers.

2. Planning Meetings

Every contact with a prospect or customer should end in some kind of commitment from the customer—an agreement to do something that will move the process forward.  This is only possible if you plan carefully to make it happen.

• Read more: How to Sell Like a Fighter Pilot

3. Creating Rapport

The first decision that every buyer makes is: “Do I want to do business with this person?”  To create that all-important instant connection, you’ve got be curious, personable and really care about the people you’re trying to help.

4. Asking Questions

If you can’t satisfy a customer’s real needs, you can’t make a sale. And if you don’t ask the right questions–or if you ask them the wrong way–you’ll never know what the customers really need, and therefore will never be able to help.

5. Listening Actively

This is even more important than asking the right questions. When customers are talking, it’s not enough to keep your mouth closed. You’ve also got to keep your mind open to discover ways to truly be of service.

6. Presenting Solutions

This means creating and describing a specific solution to previously agreed-upon needs.  Note: It is the exact opposite of a sales pitch, which is a one-size-fits-all way to say "all I care about is making a sale."

• Read more: 5 Questions Every Customer Asks

7. Asking for Commitment

All of the above is completely pointless if the activity doesn't eventually result in some sales.  If you don't ask for the business at some point, it's not going to happen. So learn how to ask.

8. Building Relationships

Your short-term goal is to walk "arm in arm" with the customer as they arrive at the best possible solution. Your long-term goal is to become part of that customer's essential business network ... and vice versa.

I'll be discussing all eight of these essential sales skills in detail–with specific tips and techniques–over the next few months in this column, so stay tuned.  Probably the best way to stay plugged in is to sign up for my free Sales Source "insider" newsletter.

Geoffrey James is an award-winning journalist who has written hundreds of articles on sales and marketing, and has helped thousands of sales professionals. James' latest book is How to Say It: Business to Business Selling. @Sales_Source