Wednesday, May 05, 2021

Confirmation of an auroral phenomenon discovered by Finns

UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI

IMAGE: A NEW AURORAL PHENOMENON DISCOVERED BY FINNISH RESEARCHERS A YEAR AGO IS PROBABLY CAUSED BY AREAS OF INCREASED OXYGEN ATOM DENSITY OCCURRING IN AN ATMOSPHERIC WAVE CHANNEL. THE SPECULATIVE EXPLANATION... view more
CREDIT: GRAEME WHIPPS

A new auroral phenomenon discovered by Finnish researchers a year ago is probably caused by areas of increased oxygen atom density occurring in an atmospheric wave channel. The speculative explanation offered by the researchers gained support from a new study.

Observations made by University of Helsinki researchers increased the validity of a speculative mechanism according to which a type of aurora borealis named 'dunes' is born. In the new study, photographs of the phenomenon taken by an international group of hobbyists in Finland, Norway and Scotland were compared to concurrent satellite data.

The rare type of aurora borealis was seen in the sky on 20 January 2016 and recorded in photos taken by several hobbyists.

"The dunes were seen for almost four hours in a very extensive area, with the pattern extending roughly 1,500 kilometres from east to west and some 400 kilometres from north to south," says Postdoctoral Researcher Maxime Grandin from the Centre of Excellence in Research of Sustainable Space coordinated by the University of Helsinki.

Useful photographic and video material was collected in close cooperation with Finnish aurora borealis hobbyists, utilising both the internet and social media. Among other things, a time lapse video shot on the night in question by a Scottish hobbyist was found. The video was used to estimate the dunes' propagation speed at over 200 m/s.

The study was published in the esteemed AGU Advances journal.

CAPTION

Places and photographers associated with the images: (a) Aura, Finland, Jukka Hilska; (b) Engerdal, Norway, Knut Holmseth; (c) Karmøy, Norway, Kjetil Vinorum; (d) Isle of Mull, Scotland, Barry Whenman; (e) Lendalfoot, Scotland, Mark Ferrier, and (f) Rattray, Scotland, Graeme Whipps. The bottom row shows the same pictures with annotations indicating the cardinal directions and the most prominent dune elements. (figure reproduced from Grandin et al., 2021)

CREDIT

Grandin et al., 2021

Validity of the wave guide theory confirmed

Northern Lights are born when charged particles ejected by the Sun, such as electrons, collide with oxygen atoms and nitrogen molecules in Earth's atmosphere. The collision momentarily excites the atmospheric species, and this excitation is released in the form of light.

New types of aurora borealis are rarely discovered. The identification of this new auroral form last year was the result of an exceptional collaboration between hobbyists who provided observations and researchers who started looking into the matter.

The new auroral form named dunes is relatively rare, and its presumed origin is peculiar.

"The differences in brightness within the dune waves appear to be caused by the increased density of atmospheric oxygen atoms," says Professor Minna Palmroth.

A year ago, researchers at the Centre of Excellence in Research of Sustainable Space concluded that the dune-like shape of the new auroral emission type could be caused by concentrations of atmospheric oxygen. This increased density of oxygen atoms is assumed to be brought about by an atmospheric wave known as a mesospheric bore travelling horizontally within a wave guide established in the upper atmosphere.

This rare wave guide is created in between the boundary of the atmospheric layer known as the mesosphere, which is called the mesopause, and an inversion layer that is intermittently formed below the mesopause. This enables waves of a certain wavelength to travel long distances through the channel without subsiding.

The electron precipitation and temperature observations made in the recently published study supported the interpretations of the dunes' origins made a year earlier. An independent observation was made of the wave channel appearing in the area of the dunes, but there are no observation data for the mesospheric bore itself yet.

"Next, we will be looking for observations of the mesospheric bore in the wave guide," Maxime Grandin says.

According to the observation data, electron precipitation occurred in the area where the dunes appeared on 20 January 2016. Therefore, it is highly likely that electrons having the appropriate energy to bring about auroral emissions at an altitude of roughly 100 kilometres were involved. The observations were collected by the SSUSI instrument carried by a DMSP satellite, which measures, among other things, electron precipitation.

On the night in question, there was an exceptionally strong temperature inversion layer in the mesosphere, or a barrier generated by layers of air with different temperatures. The inversion layer associated with the origins of the wave channel was measured with the SABER instrument carried by the TIMED satellite. The observation supports the hypothesis according to which the auroral form originates in areas of increased oxygen density occurring in the upper atmosphere wave guide.

CAPTION

CREDIT

Graeme Whipps.

The photographic and video material was acquired from aurora borealis hobbyists in three countries: Graeme Whipps (Scotland), Mark Ferrier (Scotland), Jukka Hilska (Finland), Kjetil Vinorum (Norway), Knut Holmseth (Norway) and Barry Whenman (Scotland).

Article:

Grandin, M., Palmroth, M., Whipps, G., Kalliokoski, M., Ferrier, M., Paxton, L. J., Mlynczak, M. G., Hilska, J., Holmseth, K., Vinorum, K., and Whenman, B. (2021). Large-scale dune aurora event investigation combining Citizen Scientists' photographs and spacecraft observations. AGU Advances, 2, e2020AV000338, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020AV000338

Time lapse video: https://youtu.be/F6xM-XY6NYg

Further information:

Maxime Grandin, postdoctoral researcher, +358 50 316 9905, maxime.grandin@helsinki.fi, @Maxime_Grandin, University of Helsinki

Minna Palmroth, professor, +358 50 311 1950, minna.palmroth@helsinki.fi, @MinnaPalmroth, University of Helsinki and Finnish Meteorological Institute

UBCO researcher uses geology to help astronomers find habitable planets

Findings will help better identify Earth-like planets that could sustain life

UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA OKANAGAN CAMPUS

Research News

IMAGE: UBCO'S BRENDAN DYCK IS USING HIS GEOLOGY EXPERTISE ABOUT PLANET FORMATION TO HELP IDENTIFY OTHER PLANETS THAT MIGHT SUPPORT LIFE. view more
CREDIT: IMAGE CREDIT: NASA/GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER.

Astronomers have identified more than 4,000, and counting, confirmed exoplanets -- planets orbiting stars other than the sun -- but only a fraction have the potential to sustain life.

Now, new research from UBC's Okanagan campus is using the geology of early planet formation to help identify those that may be capable of supporting life.

"The discovery of any planet is pretty exciting, but almost everyone wants to know if there are smaller Earth-like planets with iron cores," says Dr. Brendan Dyck, assistant professor of geology in the Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science and lead author on the study.

"We typically hope to find these planets in the so-called 'goldilocks' or habitable zone, where they are the right distance from their stars to support liquid water on their surfaces."

Dr. Dyck says that while locating planets in the habitable zone is a great way to sort through the thousands of candidate planets, it's not quite enough to say whether that planet is truly habitable.

"Just because a rocky planet can have liquid water doesn't mean it does," he explains. "Take a look right in our own solar system. Mars is also within the habitable zone and although it once supported liquid water, it has long since dried up."

That, according to Dr. Dyck, is where geology and the formation of these rocky planets may play a key role in narrowing down the search. His research was recently published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.

"Our findings show that if we know the amount of iron present in a planet's mantle, we can predict how thick its crust will be and, in turn, whether liquid water and an atmosphere may be present," he says. "It's a more precise way of identifying potential new Earth-like worlds than relying on their position in the habitable zone alone."

Dr. Dyck explains that within any given planetary system, the smaller rocky planets all have one thing in common -- they all have the same proportion of iron as the star they orbit. What differentiates them, he says, is how much of that iron is contained in the mantle versus the core.

"As the planet forms, those with a larger core will form thinner crusts, whereas those with smaller cores form thicker iron-rich crusts like Mars."

The thickness of the planetary crust will then dictate whether the planet can support plate tectonics and how much water and atmosphere may be present, key ingredients for life as we know it.

"While a planet's orbit may lie within the habitable zone, its early formation history might ultimately render it inhabitable," says Dr. Dyck. "The good news is that with a foundation in geology, we can work out whether a planet will support surface water before planning future space missions."

Later this year, in a joint project with NASA, the Canadian Space Agency and the European Space Agency, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will launch. Dr. Dyck describes this as the golden opportunity to put his findings to good use.

"One of the goals of the JWST is to investigate the chemical properties of extra-solar planetary systems," says Dr. Dyck. "It will be able to measure the amount of iron present in these alien worlds and give us a good idea of what their surfaces may look like and may even offer a hint as to whether they're home to life."

"We're on the brink of making huge strides in better understanding the countless planets around us and in discovering how unique the Earth may or may not be. It may still be some time before we know whether any of these strange new worlds contain new life or even new civilizations, but it's an exciting time to be part of that exploration."

Scientists have developed a new "key-hole surgery" technique to extract metals from Earth

UNIVERSITY OF EXETER

Research News

Scientists have developed a new "key-hole surgery" technique to extract metals from the earth - which could revolutionise the future of metal mining

A team of international researchers, including Dr Rich Crane from the Camborne School of Mines, University of Exeter, have developed a new method to extract metals, such as copper, from their parent ore body.

The research team have provided a proof of concept for the application of an electric field to control the movement of an acid within a low permeability copper-bearing ore deposit to selectively dissolve and recover the metal in situ.

This is in contrast to the conventional approach for the mining of such deposits where the material must be physically excavated, which requires removal of both overburden and any impurities within the ore (known as gangue material).

The researchers believe the new technique has the potential to transform the mining industry, because it has the capability to dissolve metals from a wide range of ore deposits that were previously considered inaccessible.

Furthermore, due to the non-invasive nature of the extraction, the research team are hopeful that the study will help usher in a more sustainable future for the industry.

This is urgently required now in order to provide the plethora of metals required to deliver green technology, such as renewable energy infrastructure and electrified vehicles, whilst limiting any potential environmental damage associated with the mining of such vitally important metals.

The study was recently published in Science Advances.

Dr Rich Crane from the Camborne School of Mines, University of Exeter, and co-author of the study, said: "This new approach, analogous to "key-hole surgery", has the potential to provide a more sustainable future for the mining industry, by enabling the recovery of metals, such as copper, which are urgently needed for our global transition to a new Green Economy, whilst avoiding unwanted environmental disturbance and energy consumption."

The central principle behind most modern mining techniques has not fundamentally changed since their original conception, which marked the beginning of the Bronze Age: metals are recovered from the subsurface via physical excavation, i.e., the construction of tunnels to gain access to the deposits, or by creating "open cast" mines.

This technique demands large volumes of surface soil, overburden and gangue material to also be excavated, which can contain millions of tonnes of material - and can also lead to habitat destruction.

In this new publication, experts from the University of Western Australia, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), the Technical University of Denmark and the University of Exeter, have demonstrated that a targeted electric field can be used to dissolve and then recover copper in situ from the ore - avoiding any requirement to physically excavate the material.

This new technology comprises the construction (drilling) of electrodes directly into an ore body. An electric current is then applied which can result in the transport of electrically charged metal ions, such as copper, through the rock via a process called electromigration.

The research team have now provided a Proof of Concept for this new technology at laboratory scale, which has also been verified using computer modelling. They are confident that the idea will work beyond the laboratory-scale.

###

Pyrosomes: Enigmatic marine inhabitants with an important role in the Cabo Verde ecosystem

New study led by GEOMAR provides fascinating insight into a largely unknown marine life form

HELMHOLTZ CENTRE FOR OCEAN RESEARCH KIEL (GEOMAR)

Research News

IMAGE: DEEP-SEA SHRIMP WITH A PYROSOME ON THE SEA FLOOR. view more
CREDIT: JAGO TEAM, GEOMAR.

Pyrosomes, named after the Greek words for 'fire bodies' due their bright bioluminescence, are pelagic tunicates that spend their entire lives swimming in the open ocean. They are made up of many smaller animals, known as zooids, that sit together in a tubular matrix, known as tunic (hence the name pelagic tunicates). Because they live in the open ocean, they generally go unnoticed. In spite of this, increasing research points to their importance in marine environments, as they can form dense blooms that impact food web dynamics and contribute to the movement and transformation of organic carbon.

The study conducted with GEOMAR research vessel POSEIDON in 2018 and 2019 in the vicinity of the Cabo Verde Islands, of which the results have now been published in the international journal Scientific Reports, addressed important research gaps; observations on the interactions between pyrosomes and their environment have rarely been made in the water column. Most studies that investigated pyrosomes with submersibles looked at moribund colonies on the seabed or used net catches that generally disrupt species interactions. Furthermore, the aim was to estimate the contribution of these organisms to the local marine carbon cycle. For the eastern Atlantic such information was still largely unknown.

"Because we combined underwater observations, sampling and genetic analyses, we were able to gain several new insights into pyrosome ecology", says lead author Vanessa Stenvers, from GEOMAR. During the expedition, the organisms were observed directly with the research submersible JAGO, and also studied via a pelagic towed camera system, PELAGIOS, as well as by net and water sampling.

"Our study shows that pyrosomes form an important biological substrate in the water column that other animals use for settlement, shelter and/or as a food source", explains Vanessa Stenvers. "We have estimated that Pyrosoma atlanticum provides up to 0.28 m2 of substrate area per square metre of total area during a bloom period. This is a huge number if you consider that there are little physical features in the water column besides the animals that live there", says the marine biologist.

Thanks to the underwater observations, the team also discovered several new species interactions, including the jellyfish Drymonema gorgo, which fed on pyrosomes, and a yet undescribed oxycephalid amphipod that was frequently observed on pyrosomes. Upon closer inspection, these amphipods had removed individual zooids to create a cavity in the colony into which they retreated upon disturbance.

Pyrosome blooms were found to be related to high values of chlorophyll. Since the filter-feeding organisms directly consume microalgae, they profit from upwelling conditions that are found both on the lee side of the islands as well as in mid-ocean eddies. The latter are circular currents that can move cold nutrient-rich water from deeper depths up to the surface.

"Furthermore, we found that Pyrosoma atlanticum plays an important role in how about the vertical transport of organic carbon in the waters around the Cabo Verde Islands", explains Dr. Henk-Jan Hoving, who leads the Deep Sea Biology research group at GEOMAR and is senior co-author of the study. Pyrosomes migrate up and down the water column daily to feed in the productive upper marine layers at night. At dusk, they migrate back to deeper water layers. During this migration, they actively transport their feces to these depths, while also releasing carbon through respiration. "In addition to observations and theoretical estimates, we have been able to show with the detection of environmental DNA from water samples that pyrosome material can also be detected below their migration range, i.e. sinking into the deep ocean", explains Dr Hoving.

Another way for pyrosomes to contribute to the carbon cycle is by deposition of dead and dying colonies to the seafloor, where they act as food for organisms living there. "From the submersible JAGO, I observed that pyrosomes were consumed on the seafloor by decapods, such as large crabs, shrimps and hermit crabs, illustrating their important role as food for seabed scavengers", says marine biologist and co-author Rui Freitas of the Marine Institute at the Universidade Técnica do Atlântico, Mindelo, Cabo Verde. "Thus, the present results illustrate the important and versatile ecological role of Pyrosoma atlanticum in the ocean around the Cabo Verde Islands, affecting both pelagic and benthic ecosystems", Henk-Jan Hoving concludes.

CAPTION

Pyrosome in the water column.

CREDIT

PELAGIOS, GEOMAR.

Stirling experts develop artificial intelligence to monitor water quality more effectively

UNIVERSITY OF STIRLING

Research News

Artificial intelligence that enhances remote monitoring of water bodies - highlighting quality shifts due to climate change or pollution - has been developed by researchers at the University of Stirling.

A new algorithm - known as the 'meta-learning' method - analyses data directly from satellite sensors, making it easier for coastal zone, environmental and industry managers to monitor issues such as harmful algal blooms (HABs) and possible toxicity in shellfish and finfish.

Environmental protection agencies and industry bodies currently monitor the 'trophic state' of water - its biological productivity - as an indicator of ecosystem health. Large clusters of microscopic algae, or phytoplankton, is called eutrophication and can turn into HABs, an indicator of pollution and which pose risk to human and animal health.

HABs are estimated to cost the Scottish shellfish industry £1.4 million per year, and a single HAB event in Norway killed eight million salmon in 2019, with a direct value of over £74 million.

Lead author Mortimer Werther, a PhD Researcher in Biological and Environmental Sciences at Stirling's Faculty of Natural Sciences, said: "Currently, satellite-mounted sensors, such as the Ocean and Land Instrument (OLCI), measure phytoplankton concentrations using an optical pigment called chlorophyll-a. However, retrieving chlorophyll-a across the diverse nature of global waters is methodologically challenging.

"We have developed a method that bypasses the chlorophyll-a retrieval and enables us to estimate water health status directly from the signal measured at the remote sensor."

Eutrophication and hypereutrophication is often caused by excessive nutrient input, for example from agricultural practices, waste discharge, or food and energy production. In impacted waters, HABs are common, and cyanobacteria may produce cyanotoxins which affect human and animal health. In many locations, these blooms are of concern to the finfish and shellfish aquaculture industries.

Mr Werther said: "To understand the impact of climate change on freshwater aquatic environments such as lakes, many of which serve as drinking water resources, it is essential that we monitor and assess key environmental indicators, such as trophic status, on a global scale with high spatial and temporal frequency.

"This research, funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 programme, is the first demonstration that trophic status of complex inland and nearshore waters can be learnt directly by machine learning algorithms from OLCI reflectance measurements. Our algorithm can produce estimates for all trophic states on imagery acquired by OLCI over global water bodies.

"Our method outperforms a comparable state-of-the-art approach by 5-12% on average across the entire spectrum of trophic states, as it also eliminates the need to choose the right algorithm for water observation. It estimates trophic status with over 90% accuracy for highly affected eutrophic and hypereutrophic waters."

###

The collaborative study was carried out with five external partners from research and industry: Dr. Stefan G.H. Simis from Plymouth Marine Laboratory; Harald Krawczyk from the German Aerospace Center; Dr. Daniel Odermatt from the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology; Kerstin Stelzer from Brockmann Consult and Oberon Berlage from Appjection (Amsterdam).

NOT JUST YOUR MOM, BUT SIENCE SAYS

One cup of leafy green vegetables a day lowers risk of heart disease

New Edith Cowan University (ECU) research has found that by eating just one cup of nitrate-rich vegetables each day people can significantly reduce their risk of heart disease.

EDITH COWAN UNIVERSITY

Research News

New Edith Cowan University (ECU) research has found that by eating just one cup of nitrate-rich vegetables each day people can significantly reduce their risk of heart disease.

The study investigated whether people who regularly ate higher quantities of nitrate-rich vegetables, such as leafy greens and beetroot, had lower blood pressure, and it also examined whether these same people were less likely to be diagnosed with heart disease many years later.

Cardiovascular diseases are the number one cause of death globally, taking around 17.9 million lives each year.

Researchers examined data from over 50,000 people residing in Denmark taking part in the Danish Diet, Cancer, and Health Study over a 23-year period. They found that people who consumed the most nitrate-rich vegetables had about a 2.5 mmHg lower systolic blood pressure and between 12 to 26 percent lower risk of heart disease.

Lead researcher Dr Catherine Bondonno from ECU's Institute for Nutrition Research said identifying diets to prevent heart disease was a priority.

"Our results have shown that by simply eating one cup of raw (or half a cup of cooked) nitrate-rich vegetables each day, people may be able to significantly reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease," Dr Bondonno said.

"The greatest reduction in risk was for peripheral artery disease (26 percent), a type of heart disease characterised by the narrowing of blood vessels of the legs, however we also found people had a lower risk of heart attacks, strokes and heart failure."

Forget the supplements

The study found that the optimum amount of nitrate-rich vegetables was one cup a day and eating more than that didn't seem to give any additional benefits.

"People don't need to be taking supplements to boost their nitrate levels because the study showed that one cup of leafy green vegetables each day is enough to reap the benefits for heart disease," Dr Bondonno said.

"We did not see further benefits in people who ate higher levels of nitrate rich vegetables."

Smoothies are ok

Dr Bondonno said hacks such as including a cup of spinach in a banana or berry smoothie might be an easy way to top up our daily leafy greens.

"Blending leafy greens is fine, but don't juice them. Juicing vegetables removes the pulp and fibre," Dr Bondonno said.

The paper "Vegetable nitrate intake, blood pressure and incident cardiovascular disease: Danish Diet, Cancer, and Health Study" is published in the European Journal of Epidemiology. It is a collaboration between Edith Cowan University, the Danish Cancer Society and The University of Western Australia.

The research adds to growing evidence linking vegetables generally and leafy greens specifically with improved cardiovascular health and muscle strength. This evidence includes two recent ECU studies exploring cruciferous vegetables and blood vessel health and green leafy vegetables and muscle strength.

###

New study shows tree nuts may play a role in both weight loss and weight maintenance

New findings published in Nutrients

IMAGE: NUTHEALTH.ORG IS AN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE FOR BOTH HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND HEALTH-CONSCIOUS INDIVIDUALS, AND IT IS CHAMPIONED BY THE INTERNATIONAL TREE NUT COUNCIL NUTRITION RESEARCH & EDUCATION FOUNDATION. view more
CREDIT: THE INTERNATIONAL TREE NUT COUNCIL NUTRITION RESEARCH & EDUCATION FOUNDATION (INC NREF)

DAVIS, CA, May 4, 2021 - In a randomized, controlled study* published online in the journal, Nutrients, researchers found that including mixed tree nuts in a weight management program resulted in significant weight loss and improved satiety.

Researchers at UCLA compared 95 overweight/obese men and women (BMI 27.0-35.0 kg/m2) ages 30-68 years who consumed either 1.5 ounces of mixed tree nuts or a pretzel snack. Both snacks provided the same number of calories, as part of a hypocaloric weight loss diet (500 calories less than resting metabolic rate) over 12 weeks. This was followed by an isocaloric weight maintenance program for an additional 12 weeks.

Participants experienced significant weight loss (12 weeks: -1.6 kg and -1.9 kg and 24 weeks: -1.5 kg and -1.4 kg) in the tree nut and pretzel snack groups, respectively. Both groups also showed a significant decrease in BMI at 12 weeks, compared to baseline. However, satiety was significantly higher at the end of week 24 in the mixed tree nut group, and there was a trend toward greater weight maintenance compared to the pretzel group. Moreover, the dropout rate was significantly lower in the mixed tree nut group (16.4%) compared to the pretzel (35.9%) group. And, heart rate was decreased significantly, compared to baseline, in those consuming tree nuts, but not pretzels.

"Tree nuts (almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts) are a great source of protein, healthy fats and fiber," explained lead researcher, Zhaoping Li, MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine and Chief of the Division of Clinical Nutrition at UCLA. "This makes them so satiating and may be a major reason why we saw less weight gain in the tree nut group during weight maintenance, and a significantly lower dropout rate compared to the pretzel group."

Recent research has shown that more than 40 percent of Americans are overweight or obese.** During the past year many Americans have gained weight while sheltering in place, partly due to less exercise and more snacking. One study estimates a weight gain of 1.5 pounds per month.*** "We know most people get about 25% of their calories each day from snacks and a large proportion come from desserts, sugar-sweetened beverages, sweets and salty snacks," states Dr. Li. "By replacing just one of those snacks with 1.5 ounces of tree nuts may result in a positive impact on weight and overall health."

According to Maureen Ternus, M.S., R.D.N, Executive Director of the International Tree Nut Council Nutrition Research & Education Foundation (INC NREF), "This latest study adds to a growing body of evidence showing that nut consumption may be a useful tool in weight management."

###

The International Tree Nut Council Nutrition Research & Education Foundation (INC NREF) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization dedicated to supporting nutrition research and education for consumers and health professionals throughout the world. Members include those associations and organizations that represent the nine tree nuts (almonds, Brazils, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts). For more information, please visit our website at http://www.nuthealth.org.

*Wang, J., S. Wang, S.M., Henning, T. Qin, Y. Pan, J. Yang, J. Huang, C.-H. Tseng, D. Heber, Z. Li., 2021 Mixed tree nut snacks compared to refined carbohydrate snacks resulted in weight loss and increased satiety during both weight loss and weight maintenance: a 24-week randomized controlled trial. Nutrients. 13(5), 1512; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13051512

**Hales, C.M., M.D. Carroll, C.D. Fryar, C.L. Ogden, 2020. Prevalence of obesity and severe obesity among adults: United States, 2017-2018. Hyattsville (MD): National Center for Health Statistics.

***Lin, A.L., E. Vittinghoff, J.E. Olgin, M.J. Pletcher, G.M. Marcus, 2021. Body weight changes during pandemic-related shelter-in-place in a longitudinal cohort study. JAMA Netw Open. 4(3):e212536. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.2536

Snakeskin can inspire to safer buildings

New research shows that it might be a good idea to look for inspiration in nature when designing load-bearing foundations for buildings.

AARHUS UNIVERSITY

Research News

Despite human inventiveness and ingenuity, we still lag far behind the elegant and efficient solutions forged by nature over millions of years of evolution.

This also applies for buildings, where animals and plants, have developed extremely effective digging methods, for example, that are far more energy-efficient than modern tunnelling machines, and even self-repairing foundations that are unusually resistant to erosion and earthquakes (yep, we're talking about roots here).

Researchers from all over the world are therefore seeking inspiration in nature to develop the buildings of the future, and researchers from Aarhus University and University of California Davis have now in collaboration published an article in the scientific journal Acta Geotechnica about constructing foundations inspired by the scales on a snake.

"Previous studies have shown that surface geometry inspired by snakeskin can result in different shear strengths, depending on the load direction. We've taken this knowledge one step further in this research and investigated the interaction between different soil types and these snakeskin surfaces," says Assistant Professor Hans Henning Stutz from the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering at Aarhus University.

Modern pile foundations are usually made by driving, drilling or pushing piles into the ground to achieve sufficient bearing capacity for a building.

Today, the piles are usually prefabricated with quadratic or circular cross-sections and a load-bearing capacity that is isotropic (identical in all shear directions) due to the mainly symmetrical, smooth profile of the surface.

However, in the study, the researchers experimented with asymmetric micro-structural features on the surface, resembling the scales along the underside of a snake. These so-called ventral scales are elongated in shape, relatively smooth, and have cross-section shaped like an elongated, right-angled triangle.

"By experimenting with 'scales' measuring 0.5 mm in height and 20-60 mm in length, we've achieved - in lab conditions - a significantly increased load-bearing capacity in the media we've examined: more specifically different types of sand. The results of the project show that piles with this surface pattern give 25-50 per cent less resistance during installation compared with the pressure they can subsequently support," says Hans Henning Stutz.

According to the assistant professor, there is still a lot be gained from biology when optimising structures and durable foundations, and he believes that future construction will find much more inspiration in biology.

"Evolution has come up with some quite inspiring solutions during the ages, and there's a lot to be gained in a geotechnical perspective. I'm convinced that in the future we'll see major developments in bio-inspired and very effective solutions, especially in areas such as anchoring, tunnels, and marine constructions," he says.

Partners of people with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder have often a mental disorder

THE MAGICK PRINCIPLE OF LIKE ATTRACTS LIKE*

Almost half of the parents who have children together with a parent with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, are themselves burdened by psychological issues. This can affect family life and the children. This is shown in the research result from the major

AARHUS UNIVERSITY

Research News

Almost half of the parents who have children together with a parent with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, are themselves burdened by psychological issues. This can affect family life and the children. This is shown in the research result from the major Danish psychiatry project iPSYCH.

We typically choose a partner who resembles us in relation to social status, education and, to some extent, also income. Research has previously established this. A new study now shows that almost half of the parents who have children with a partner who suffers from schizophrenia or bipolar disorder themselves meet the criteria for a mental disorder. By comparison, this is 18 percent for parents in the control group.

The results stem from The Danish High-Risk and Resilience Study, which is part of iPSYCH. A total of 872 parents participated in the study. The parental couples were selected such that one of the parents was registered in the National Patient Register with a diagnosis of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Their partner and the parents from the control group were not registered with these disorders. At the time of the study, all of the parents had a seven-year-old child.

Met the criteria themselves

"In the Danish registers we used, each child only had one parent registered with a mental disorder, but the diagnostic interview carried out as part of our study showed that almost half of the partners also fulfilled the criteria for such a disorder. In addition, the partners had a lower functional level compared to the control group," says PhD and Psychologist Aja Neergaard Greve, who is behind the study.

"The most frequent diagnosis among the partners was depression. We were surprised that six per cent of the partners to people with schizophrenia also met the diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia themselves. In the control group, it was only one per cent," she says.

Care is often dependent on the other person

According to the researcher, the results - which have been published in the scientific journal Schizophrenia Bulletin - indicate possible risk factors for children who grow up in families with a parent with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.

"When one of the parents has a severe mental disorder, caring for the child will often be more dependent on the other parent, who perhaps also has much of their attention directed towards the ill parent. If the parent who we thought was healthy and well-functioning also in some cases has a mental disorder, and/or has a lower functional level and is emotionally and practically burdened by the general family situation, then this can have significance for the whole family's well-being," explains Aja Neergaard Greve.

Already at increased risk

Children born to parents with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder have an increased risk of themselves developing mental disorders - in fact, the familial risk is the highest known risk factor for later development of these disorders. If both parents have a mental disorder, the overall risk for the children increases.

"This increased risk is both genetic and environmental. Cognitive functions such as intelligence are e.g. hereditary, but if the parents have cognitive difficulties there will also be an effect on the environment the child grows up in if the parents therefore don't have the opportunity to create good stable routines and predictability or to stimulate the child sufficiently," she says and continues:

"Some of these families are particularly vulnerable and struggle with more than one issue and they therefore need extra help and support. Our study suggests that there is a need for increased attention on some of the families where one or both parents have a mental disorder. There is a need for specialised and targeted efforts for families already early in the child's life," says Aja Neergaard Greve.

The researchers will follow the families from the study up through the child's upbringing and hope to learn more about how the children develop, as well as which factors have greatest importance for the well-being of the families.

Background for the results

The Danish High-Risk and Resilience Study is a nationwide, representative group consisting of 522 children born to parents with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or parents from the control group. The children and both the child's biological parents have been interviewed and examined. The results of this study stem from data from 872 parents.

###

The study is a collaboration between adult psychiatry in the Central Denmark Region and adult and child and adolescent psychiatry in the Capital Region of Denmark.

The study is financed by the Lundbeck Foundation, Aarhus University, the Central Denmark Region, the Capital Region of Denmark and the Beatrice Surovell Haskell Foundation for Child Mental Health Research of Copenhagen.

The scientific article is published in Schizophrenia Bulletin

* GOLDEN BOUGH; JAMES FRAZIER.

Mobile gaming app enhances HIV care

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University promote better health through gamification

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL

Research News

Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University improved HIV care by gamifying it with a mobile gaming application.

Gaming features - like those used to drive airline loyalty and track daily steps --- helped young men living with HIV achieve viral suppression and doubled their chances for reaching near perfect adherence to medication plans, according to a study in AIDS and Behavior.

Gamification can inspire changes in behavior when a doctor's advice or a patient's good intentions are not enough. In this case, motivating those living with HIV to stick to the antiretroviral therapy (ART) that can keep them healthy by suppressing the HIV virus.

Study authors include Lisa Hightow-Weidman and Kate Muessig, health behavior specialists at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, Alyssa Vecchio of the UNC Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, and Alyssa Platt and Joseph R. Egger of the Duke Global Health Institute.

"The app delivered daily health messages in a digestible form that was more fun than sitting in a class and more consistent than a clinic visit scheduled every three to six months," said lead study author Hightow-Weidman, professor of medicine and health behavior and mHealth researcher who directs the UNC Behavior and Technology Lab in the UNC School of Medicine.

Gamifying health promotion

Researchers teamed up with the web application development company Caktus Group to create a mobile phone app that could help patients to better adhere to HIV medication plans.

Specifically, the app was designed with the goal of improving medication adherence among young men who have sex with men who are living with HIV. It's the population most affected by HIV in the United States.

The app made use of game mechanics and social networking features to improve adherence to HIV medications. In addition to medication reminders and adherence tracking, Epic Allies used gaming elements to create a compelling and engaging experience that could motivate and support behavior change.

Gamers were awarded points and badges for their own successes and providing support and encouragement to others.

Rates of viral suppression and ART adherence increased over the course of the study among its 146 participants, even among those who were randomized to receive the control app -- weekly text-based information about adherence.

At 26 weeks, viral suppression among app users was 62.9% while viral suppression in the control group was 73.5%. When use of the Epic Allies app, which is no longer available, ended, viral suppression leveled out to about 64% for all study participants, who were ages 16-24.

Notably, the app appeared to provide a head start to controlling the HIV virus. Participants who used the app regularly - four or more days a week - had a reported 56% higher likelihood of achieving viral suppression at 13 weeks compared to those who didn't use the app. Regular app users were more than twice as likely to report near perfect ART adherence at both 13 weeks and 26 weeks compared to non-app users.

Digital bridges to care

Study limitations include the small sample size and authors write that issues with app use metrics limit the ability to say that the app was effective in causing behavior changes that improved health.

But Hightow-Weidman said technology is emerging to support high-risk patients who may have life circumstances - homelessness, mental health issues, substance abuse issues - that may make it harder for them to focus on the long term. For young people, it can be especially difficult to connect today's decisions to future health, she said.

And as telehealth and virtual visits gained momentum during COVID-19 shutdowns, lessons were learned about providing needed care for everyone.

"Apps and digital tools are a bridge to care," she said. "They cannot replace a network of doctors and nurses and care management, but they can be a bridge to that real world and inspire change."

The project was supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health.

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment

Wednesday, May 05, 2021

CAPTION

CREDIT

CAPTION

CREDIT

CAPTION

CREDIT

Stirling experts develop artificial intelligence to monitor water quality more effectively

One cup of leafy green vegetables a day lowers risk of heart disease

Snakeskin can inspire to safer buildings

About Me