Lucinda Williams Reveals She Had a Stroke in November: ‘I Can Still Sing’
Anna Chan

BILLBOARD

MAY 4,2021

Lucinda Williams

Lucinda Williams had a challenging holiday season. The singer revealed in a new interview with Rolling Stone that she suffered a stroke just days before Thanksgiving 2020, and finally went home shortly before Christmas after weeks in therapy.


The 68-year-old singer told the publication that she was preparing for a shower when she started having balance issues and was unable to walk. She was taken to a hospital via ambulance, where physicians found a blood clot in her brain.

Williams says she is expected to make a full recovery, though she’s still in therapy to undo the damage from the stroke.

“What happens is your brain gets all … the wires get all crossed and you have to retrain your brain, basically, to tell your arm to do whatever it is you’re trying to do,” Williams shared, also telling the magazine that she is unable to play the guitar, and has been walking with a cane. “So that’s the biggest challenge.”

As for why she’s speaking out about it publicly now, the three-time Grammy winner shared that she didn’t want to turn it into a huge thing in the immediate aftermath of her stroke. “I thought about going to Facebook, but I didn’t want to make it a big, alarming thing,” she shared with Rolling Stone. “I didn’t want people to overreact. … I kind of felt like going off the grid a little bit.”

Now, after months of therapy, Williams says she’s ready to get back on stage. “I feel good and positive about playing again,” shared the singer, who is slated to hit the road with Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit in July and August. “I don’t know if I’ll stand up and sing or I’ll sit down like an old blues person. But we’ll figure it out.”

And while she may still be working on recovering, the artist says fans don’t have to worry about her voice. “The main thing is I can still sing. I’m singing my a– off, so that hasn’t been affected,” she assured. “Can’t keep me down for too long.”

Williams has something else worth celebrating. Her release Runnin’ Down a Dream: A Tribute to Tom Petty debuted at No. 12 on Billboard’s Americana/Folk Albums, and No. 21 on the Top Album Sales charts on the sets dated May 1.

HEPA filter effectively reduces airborne respiratory particles generated during vigorous exercise

MAYO CLINIC

Research News

 

ROCHESTER, Minn. -- A pair of Mayo Clinic studies shed light on something that is typically difficult to see with the eye: respiratory aerosols. Such aerosol particles of varying sizes are a common component of breath, and they are a typical mode of transmission for respiratory viruses like COVID-19 to spread to other people and surfaces.

Researchers who conduct exercise stress tests for heart patients at Mayo Clinic found that exercising at increasing levels of exertion increased the aerosol concentration in the surrounding room. Then also found that a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) device effectively filtered out the aerosols and decreased the time needed to clear the air between patients.

"Our work was conducted with the support of Mayo Cardiovascular Medicine leadership who recognized right at the start of the pandemic that special measures would be required to protect patients and staff from COVID-19 while continuing to provide quality cardiovascular care to all who needed it," says Thomas Allison, Ph.D., director of Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. "Since there was no reliable guidance on how to do this, we put a research team together to find answers through scientific testing and data. We are happy to now share our findings with everyone around the world." Dr. Allison is senior author of both studies.

To characterize the aerosols generated during various intensities of exercise in the first study, Dr. Allison's team set up a special aerosol laboratory in a plastic tent with controlled airflow. Two types of laser beam particle counters were used to measure aerosol concentration at the front, back and sides of a person riding an exercise bike. Eight exercise volunteers wore equipment to measure their oxygen consumption, ventilation and heart rate.

During testing, a volunteer first had five minutes of resting breathing, followed by four bouts of three-minute exercise staged ? with monitoring and coaching ? to work at 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% of their age-predicted heart rate. This effort was followed by three minutes of cooldown. The findings are publicized online in CHEST.

The aerosol concentrations increased exponentially throughout the test. Specifically, exercise at or above 50% of resting heart rate showed significant increases in aerosol concentration.

"In a real sense, I think we have proven dramatically what many suspected ? that is why gyms were shut down and most exercise testing laboratories closed their practices. Exercise testing was not listed as an aerosol-generating procedure prior to our studies because no one had specifically studied it before. Exercise generates millions of respiratory aerosols during a test, many of a size reported to have virus-carrying potential. The higher the exercise intensity, the more aerosols are produced," says Dr. Allison.

The follow-up study led by Dr. Allison focused on how to mitigate the aerosols generated during exercise testing by filtering them out of the air immediately after they came out of the subject's mouth. Researchers used a similar setup with the controlled airflow exercise tent, particle counter and stationary bike, but added a portable HEPA filter with a flume hood.

Six healthy volunteers completed the same 20-minute exercise test as the previous study, first without the mitigation and then with the portable HEPA filter running.

Also, a separate experiment tested aerosol clearance time in the clinical exercise testing laboratories by using artificially generated aerosols to test how long it took for 99.9% of aerosols to be removed. Researchers performed the test first with only existing heating, ventilation and air conditioning, and then with the addition of the portable HEPA filter running.

"Studying clearance time informed us of how soon we could safely bring a new patient into the laboratory after finishing the test on the previous patient. HEPA filters cut this time by 50%, allowing the higher volume of testing necessary to meet the clinical demands of our Cardiovascular Medicine practice," says Dr. Allison.

"We translated CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines for aerosol mitigation with enhanced airflow through HEPA filters and showed that it worked amazingly well for exercise testing. We found that 96% plus or minus 2% of aerosols of all sizes generated during heavy exercise were removed from the air by the HEPA filter. As a result, we have been able to return to our practice of performing up to 100 stress tests per day without any recorded transmission of COVID in our exercise testing laboratories," says Dr. Allison.

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About Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news. For information on COVID-19, including Mayo Clinic's Coronavirus Map tracking tool, which has 14-day forecasting on COVID-19 trends, visit the Mayo Clinic COVID-19 Resource Center.

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There is no economic recovery without affordable childcare. How does the Premier not get that? https://cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/kenney-slams-door-on-own-fingers-by-dismissing-federal-child-care-plan-1.5998988… #ableg


OPINION | Kenney slams door on own fingers by dismissing federal child-care plan | CBC News
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A trait of the rare few whose bodies naturally control HIV: "trained" immune cells

Scientists at the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard discover that "elite controllers" have myeloid dendritic cells that display characteristics of trained innate immune cells.

MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL

Research News

 

BOSTON -- Immunity often calls to mind the adaptive immune response, made up of antibodies and T cells that learn to fight specific pathogens after infection or vaccination. But the immune system also has an innate immune response, which uses a set number of techniques to provide a swift, non-specialized response against pathogens or support the adaptive immune response.

In the past few years, however, scientists have found that certain parts of the innate immune response can, in some instances, also be trained in response to infectious pathogens, such as HIV. Xu Yu, MD, a Core Member of the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, and colleagues recently published a study in the Journal of Clinical Investigation which showed that elite controllers, a rare subset of people whose immune system can control HIV without the use of drugs, have myeloid dendritic cells, part of the innate immune response, that display traits of a trained innate immune cell.

"Using RNA-sequencing technology, we were able to identify one long-noncoding RNA called MIR4435-2HG that was present at a higher level in elite controllers' myeloid dendritic cells, which have enhanced immune and metabolic states," says Yu. "Our research shows that MIR4435-2HG might be an important driver of this enhanced state, indicating a trained response."

Myeloid dendritic cells' primary job is to support T cells, which are key to the elite controllers' ability to control HIV infection. Since MIR4435-2HG was found in higher levels only in cells from elite controllers, Yu explains, it may be part of a learned immune response to infection with HIV. Myeloid dendritic cells with increased MIR4435-2HG also had higher amounts of a protein called RPTOR, which drives metabolism. This increased metabolism may allow the myeloid dendritic cells to better support the T cells controlling the HIV infection.

"We used a novel sequencing technology, called CUT&RUN, to study the DNA of these cells," says postdoctoral fellow Ciputra Hartana, MD, PhD, the paper's first author. "It allowed us to study epigenetic modifications like MIR4435-2HG, which are molecules that bind to the DNA and change how, or if, the DNA is read by the cell's machinery."

The team found that MIR4435-2HG might work by attaching to the DNA near the location of the RPTOR gene. The bound MIR4435-2HG would then encourage the cell's machinery to make more of the RPTOR protein, using the instructions found in the RPTOR gene. This type of epigenetic modification, a trained response to HIV infection, would allow the myeloid dendritic cells to stay in an increased metabolic state and therefore provide long-term support to the T cells fighting the virus.

"Myeloid dendritic cells are very rare immune cells, accounting for only 0.1-0.3% of cells found in human blood," says Yu. "We were fortunate and thankful to have access to hundreds of millions of blood cells from the many study participants who have donated their blood to support our HIV research. These donations were key to making this discovery."

Understanding exactly how elite controllers' immune systems can control HIV is a key part of HIV cure research. If scientists can understand how elite controllers suppress this deadly virus, they may be able to develop treatments that allow other people living with HIV to replicate the same immune response, removing the need for daily medication to control the virus and achieving what is known as a functional cure.

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Co-authors include Yelizaveta Rassadkina, Ce Gao, Bruce D. Walker, MD, and Mathias Lichterfeld, MD, PhD, of the Ragon Institute, and Enrique Martin-Gayo, PhD, of Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.

This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Ragon Institute and the Mark and Lisa Schwartz Family Foundation.

About the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard

The Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard was established in 2009 with a gift from the Phillip T. and Susan M. Ragon Foundation, creating a collaborative scientific mission among these institutions to harness the immune system to combat and cure human diseases. With a focus on HIV and infectious diseases, the Ragon Institute draws scientists, clinicians and engineers from diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise to study and understand the immune system with the goal of benefiting patients. For more information, visit http://www.ragoninstitute.org

About the Massachusetts General Hospital

Massachusetts General Hospital, founded in 1811, is the original and largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. The Mass General Research Institute conducts the largest hospital-based research program in the nation, with annual research operations of more than $1 billion and comprises more than 9,500 researchers working across more than 30 institutes, centers and departments. In August 2020, Mass General was named #6 in the U.S. News & World Report list of "America's Best Hospitals."

Without commuter traffic, pandemic-era drivers are speeding up, increasing noise pollution

BU ecologists say higher sound levels in Boston's Blue Hills Reservation could disrupt wildlife and human health benefits of nature recreation

BOSTON UNIVERSITY

Research News

 

IMAGE: BOSTON UNIVERSITY BIOLOGISTS RICHARD PRIMACK AND CARINA TERRY ARE PICTURED HERE COLLECTING NOISE SAMPLES AT HALL'S POND SANCTUARY IN BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS. view more 

CREDIT: PHOTO COURTESY OF RICHARD PRIMACK

As pandemic lockdowns went into effect in March 2020 and millions of Americans began working from home rather than commuting to offices, heavy traffic in America's most congested urban centers--like Boston--suddenly ceased to exist. Soon afterwards, the air was noticeably cleaner. But that wasn't the only effect. A team of Boston University biologists who study how human-related sounds impact natural environments seized the opportunity to learn how the reduced movement of people would impact local ecosystems. They found--surprisingly--that sound levels increased in some nature conservation areas, a result of cars driving faster on roads no longer choked by traffic.

BU ecologist Richard Primack and Carina Terry, an undergraduate student working in Primack's research lab, ventured into Boston-area parks, iPhones in hand, to take environmental sound recordings to see how sound levels had changed in comparison to pre-pandemic times, when there were more people out and about, construction underway, and cars on the road. Primack, a BU College of Arts & Sciences professor of biology, has studied noise pollution for over four years and has trained over a hundred students and citizen conservationists to collect noise samples in nature sanctuaries across Massachusetts. 

The team focused their study on three locations in Massachusetts: Hammond Pond Reservation in Newton, Hall's Pond Sanctuary in Brookline, and Blue Hills Reservation--by far the largest of the three--which covers parts of Milton, Quincy, Braintree, Canton, Randolph, and Dedham. They collected noise samples from all three parks using a specialized sound-sensing app on iPhones, called SPLnFFT. Then, by referencing the Primack lab's huge library of previously collected sound data, the study authors compared sound levels collected in the months during the pandemic to measurements collected before the pandemic began. The resulting paper was recently published in the journal Biological Conservation.

They found that Hammond Pond Reservation and Hall's Pond Sanctuary, both located in suburban residential areas, had lower levels of noise. But at Blue Hills Reservation, they found the opposite--sound levels increased substantially in all areas of the park, "which was very surprising," Terry says. Blue Hills is a popular destination for local hikes and it is intersected by several major highways and roadways. While there are less cars on the roads these days, the researchers say their sound recordings indicate cars are moving much faster, generating more noise. This finding aligns with a trend that has been observed nationwide--the pandemic has seen traffic jams replaced with increased reports of recklessly fast drivers speeding on open roadways. 

"Before the pandemic, traffic was going relatively slow on [I-93] because it was so congested," says Primack, the study's senior author. Now, noise from faster-moving cars is "penetrating the entire park," he says, measuring about five decibels noisier, even in the interior of the park, compared to pre-pandemic times.

"It's not so much the [number] of cars, but the speed," says Terry, the study's lead author. This study was part of her undergraduate honors thesis from the department of earth and environment and the Kilachand Honors College which she graduated from in 2020, and won her the Francis Bacon Award for Writing Excellence in the Natural Sciences. 

For animals, road noise (and other forms of noise pollution like leaf blowers and airplanes overhead) can interfere with their ability to hear threats and communicate with each other, especially for certain birds who are vulnerable to predators or who have calls that can't penetrate through the noise. Noise pollution can then impact which species are able to survive in areas with high noise levels from human activity. 

"There's an increasing volume of studies that say wildlife is very sensitive to noise pollution," Primack says. "Animals rely strongly on their hearing for detecting predators and social interactions." 

"The big impact [of noise pollution] is the filtering out of which species can live in an area, because if you have a species you need to conserve, you can't conserve them if they won't be able to survive in a loud area, or if the conservation area is right by a road," Terry says. 

There are also well-measured health effects of noise pollution on people, according to the researchers, including elevated blood pressure, heart attacks, inability to sleep, increasing irritability, mood changes, and anxiety. 

"When you're [recreating] in a protected [nature conservation] area, people want to relax and experience a natural environment especially after being in the city all day," Primack says. "If people are hearing a lot of noise, it means they can't get the rejuvenating effects of the park." 

Primack and his lab will continue to measure noise pollution levels in Boston-area parks and around BU's campus, documenting how noise levels change as vaccinated people begin to repopulate offices, drive more, and resume more normal activities. Terry is applying to graduate school, where she hopes to pursue further research on wildlife ecology and human impacts on the environment.

And for nature lovers behind the wheel, the takeaway from the study is clear: slow down.

CAPTION

The researchers studied noise pollution in the three parks shown on the map: Hammond Pond Reservation, Hall's Pond Sanctuary, and Blue Hills Reservation. In each park, researchers would stop every so often to record noise levels on their iPhones, email the noise sample, and then continue walking the park trails.

CREDIT

Photo courtesy of Richard Primack

Revealed: Coral fights back against crown of thorns starfish

Juvenile reef predator vulnerable to coral stings

UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY

Research News

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VIDEO: ORIGINAL FOOTAGE OF YOUNG CROWN OF THORNS STARFISH AND CORAL INTERACTION view more 

CREDIT: DIONE DEAKER

Coral are not completely defenceless against attacking juvenile crown of thorns starfish and can fight back to inflict at times lethal damage, new research has found.

This occurs during a period of the crown of thorns starfish life cycle, where small juveniles shift from a vegetarian diet of algae to coral prey. But this change in diet makes the juveniles more vulnerable to attack by coral.

Population outbreaks of adult crown of thorns starfish, alongside coral bleaching is one of the greatest threats to tropical reef habitats.

Video footage shows when the tube feet (small tube-like projections on the underside of a starfish's arm used for movement) of juvenile crown of thorns starfish reaches out to touch the coral, the entire arm curls back to avoid the corals' defensive stinging cells. To protect themselves, coral polyps have stinging cells in their sweeper tentacles and outer tissue called nematocysts, that are also used to capture food.

This encounter damages the arms of juvenile crown of thorn starfish, delaying their growth into adulthood. Researchers also saw a 10 percent fatality rate among the juvenile crown of thorns starfish they studied. However, most juveniles that survived arm damage were able to regenerate partially lost arms.

The research, published in Marine Ecology Progress Series, was led by Dione Deaker, a PhD student at the University of Sydney, and her supervisor Professor Maria Byrne. The marine scientists say that this is the first study of injury and regeneration in juvenile crown of thorn starfish following damage caused by natural enemies.

The researchers emphasise the results give a fascinating insight into coral behaviour but the behaviour is not enough to protect it from other threats such as human-caused climate change, overfishing and water pollution.

Ms Deaker says the period when young crown of thorns starfish shift from a vegetarian diet to eating coral, which is an animal, is a critical one. This is because young crown of thorns starfish who survive have the potential to contribute to population outbreaks that could devastate tropical reefs and coral.

Previous research led by Ms Deaker and Professor Byrne has shown juvenile starfish can survive on algae for more than six years when they were previously thought to change diets at four months old, lying in wait until there is an abundance of coral.

CAPTION

A small juvenile crown of thorns starfish (approx. 15mm) retreating after being stung by coral.

CREDIT

Dione Deaker

=Caught on tape=

Marine biologists have reported seeing injured juvenile starfish and have suggested that it may be been caused by predators.

"However, seeing it caused by coral came as a complete surprise," said Ms Deaker.

"This shows that the coral use stinging cells as protection to strike back in an attempt to give itself a fighting chance against attacking coral predators."

In the study, Ms Deaker and Professor Byrne, along with colleagues at the national Marine Science Centre, Coffs Harbour, monitored the condition, growth and survival of 37 juvenile crown of thorns in isolation away from potential predators and reared them on a diet of coral prey for over 3 months.

They found coral stings caused injuries that severely reduced the arm length of the starfish by up to 83 percent.

37.8 percent of juveniles were damaged by coral and four juveniles (10.8 percent) with severe injuries did not recover and died.

The sting attacks from the coral also delayed the growth of juveniles, extending the time they need to maintain a vegetarian diet.

The young starfish had a reflex response to being stung when they encountered coral. Their arms recoiled and twisted when their tube feet came into contact with the coral polyps.

"Sometimes the juveniles never recovered and died, but in most cases injured juveniles recovered and can regenerate their arms in about 4 months," said Ms Deaker.

"Despite being prey of crown of thorns starfish, coral can potentially influence the survival of juveniles and the appearance of a population outbreak on a reef by delaying their transition into an adult that can reproduce."

Armed with these observations, the study shows that coral are a risky food choice for young crown of thorns starfish.

Although coral injury was able to slow down the growth of the juvenile starfish, their ability to regenerate shows the resilience of this reef predator as a highly prolific species.

Professor Byrne said: "The importance of this study in showing the disconnect between size and age of the juveniles reinforces how challenging it is to understand the dynamics of adult population replenishment."

CAPTION

A juvenile corn of thorns starfish with ultimately fatal damage to the arms and central disk.

CREDIT

Dione Deaker

Long-term monitoring shows successful restoration of mining-polluted streams

Despite differences in aquatic life and toxic metals in streams across a broad region of the western United States, scientists found common responses to cleanup of acid mine drainage

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA - SANTA CRUZ

Research News

 

IMAGE: LEVIATHAN CREEK BELOW AN ABANDONED OPEN PIT MINE, AN EPA SUPERFUND SITE IN THE SIERRA NEVADA, WHERE IRON OXIDE DEPOSITS COAT THE STREAM BOTTOM. view more 

CREDIT: DAVID HERBST

Many miles of streams and rivers in the United States and elsewhere are polluted by toxic metals in acidic runoff draining from abandoned mining sites, and major investments have been made to clean up acid mine drainage at some sites. A new study based on long-term monitoring data from four sites in the western United States shows that cleanup efforts can allow affected streams to recover to near natural conditions within 10 to 15 years after the start of abatement work.

The four mining-impacted watersheds--located in mountain mining regions of California, Colorado, Idaho, and Montana--were all designated as Superfund sites under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), which helps fund the cleanup of toxic-waste sites in the United States. They are among the few acid mine drainage sites where scientists have conducted extended studies to monitor the effectiveness of the remediation efforts.

"The good news from them all is that Superfund investments can restore the water quality and ecological health of the streams," said David Herbst, a research scientist at UC Santa Cruz and coauthor of a paper on the new findings to be published in the June issue of Freshwater Science. The paper is currently available online.

For the past two decades, Herbst has been monitoring streams affected by acid mine drainage from the Leviathan mine in the central Sierra Nevada. The new study developed out of discussions he had with other scientists involved in long-term studies of similar sites.

"There are not many of these long-term studies of impacted watersheds, and by combining our data we could identify the common threads of recovery between these different sites," Herbst said.

To assess the recovery of aquatic life in streams and rivers severely polluted by the abandoned mines, the researchers combined data from long-term monitoring over periods of 20 years or more. They used aquatic insects and other diverse invertebrate life (such as flatworms and snails) as indicators of the restoration of ecological health, with nearby unpolluted streams serving as standards for comparison.

Even with differing mixes of toxic metals and different treatment practices used to control the pollution at each site, the studies documented successful recovery to near natural conditions within 10 to 15 years. Much of the recovery was rapid, occurring within the first few years of treatment.

"These promising results and shared paths suggest that even daunting environmental problems can be remedied given the effort and investment," Herbst said.

The research also revealed that the sites shared common responses despite differences in the species of aquatic life occurring across this broad geographic region. Shared feeding habits, patterns of development, and behavioral characteristics unified how stream invertebrates responded to the alleviation of metal pollutants.

Species with traits such as feeding on algae, long life cycles, and clinging to the surfaces of stones became increasingly common as toxicity declined over time. Species that were more prevalent when metal concentrations were higher had traits such as rapid development, short life cycles, feeding on deposits of organic matter, and an ability to escape quickly off the bottom by drifting into the flow of water.

The species most sensitive to toxic metals are the mayflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies. Across all streams, the loss of these sensitive insects occurred at a toxicity level predicted by lab bioassays based on the combined levels of the toxic metals present.

"The convergence of these responses across streams and at a level consistent with how water quality criteria are established lends support to guidelines established for what chemical conditions are protective of stream and river ecosystems," Herbst said.

The additive toxicity of the metals present determined the response to pollutants, he noted, showing that water quality standards should be based on combined metals present rather than singly for each metal. In other words, even if a metal is below its toxic level, when it is present with other metals the combined effect may exceed the tolerance of aquatic life.

"It is vital to account for this factor in how water quality standards for metals are applied," Herbst said.

CAPTION

A few kilometers downstream from the mine, significant recovery of water quality and aquatic life has occurred since remediation of acid mine drainage.

CREDIT

David Herbst

The other coauthors of the study are William Clements at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Michelle Hornberger and Terry Short at the U.S. Geological Survey in California, and Christopher Mebane at the USGS in Idaho.

On the front line: The impact of suicide on health professionals and first responders

UNIVERSITY OF OTAGO

Research 

 

IMAGE: PHD STUDENT SUICIDE AND MENTAL HEALTH RESEARCH GROUP DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE UNIVERSITY OF OTAGO, WELLINGTON NEW ZEALAND view more 

CREDIT: LUKE PILKINTON-CHING UNIVERSITY OF OTAGO

More research is urgently needed into the impact that attending suicide events is having on paramedics and other first responders, a researcher at the University of Otago, New Zealand, says.

PhD student Renan Lyra, a psychologist by training, says a significant proportion of police officers, firefighters and paramedics will attend at least one suicide event in their careers, but there has been little research into the impact this has on their personal and professional lives and on their own suicide risk.

Mr Lyra has reviewed 25 research papers on the impact attending a suicide event has on those on the front line in countries including the US, the UK, Australia and in Europe.

His review, which has just been published in the international journal PLOS ONE, is understood to be the first to specifically look at the impact of work-related exposure to suicide among first responders and mental health professionals.

He found almost all the research papers published over the last 10 years were focused on the impact the suicide of a patient had on the psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers and nurses who worked with them, rather than on first responders.

Mr Lyra says attending the scene of a suspected suicide is one of the most critical and traumatic situations first responders are likely to encounter in the course of their work.

"For first responders, the emotional impact includes the high emotional labour they need to expend to manage their feelings, something which has been found to be associated with increased thoughts of suicide among firefighters."

Research which detailed the impact of attending a suicide event on mental health professionals found they experienced sadness, shock, feelings of blame, hopelessness, guilt, self-doubt, grief and anger.

"Their professional reactions ranged from sadness at work and increased awareness of suicide risk to reduced professional confidence and fear of publicity and litigation. They were also more likely to refer patients on to psychiatrists."

Only two of the 25 research papers Mr Lyra examined measured mental health outcomes in mental health professionals after a patient's suicide, with burnout and PTSD reported as significant adverse outcomes.

Mr Lyra says exposure to suicide is a major risk factor for suicide, with mental health professionals and first responders themselves being at higher risk of suicide than the general population.

"One of the explanations for the higher rates of suicides among these professions is their higher levels of occupational-related psychological distress, and for first responders, work-related Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). One of the contributors to this may be their higher exposure to suicide."

Mr Lyra says suicide is a major global health and social issue, with an estimated 800,000 people dying by suicide each year.

"The social and psychological costs of suicide are high. For every suicide, it has been estimated that between six and 20 people, usually family members and friends of those who died, are adversely affected psychologically and emotionally. This group is likely to include those who encounter suicide while on duty."

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The research paper, 'Occupational exposure to suicide: A review of research on the experiences of mental health professionals and first responders' is published in the international journal, PLOS ONE and can be read here: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0251038

Study finds limited access to paid video streaming services contributes to piracy growth

Researchers examined the impact of Netflix expansion on demand for pirated

content.

INSTITUTE FOR OPERATIONS RESEARCH AND THE MANAGEMENT SCIENCES

Research News

 

CATONSVILLE, MD, May 4, 2021 - Paid video streaming services on your television, smart phone or other devices are increasingly replacing traditional video entertainment platforms of cable, satellite and broadcast TV. The growth of these services, known in the industry as over-the-top (OTT) media services, may be accompanied by a rise in pirated content, particularly where access to those services may be restricted, a group of researchers has found.

The researchers studied the effects of the Netflix - one of the leading global companies in paid video streaming - and its growth in 40 Asian countries. They also studied one country where access to Netflix was restricted, which is where they found that the search for pirated content increased.

The research study to be published in the May issue of the INFORMS journal Marketing Science, "The Effect of Over-the-Top Media Services on Piracy Search: Evidence from a Natural Experiment," is authored by Shijie Lu of the University of Houston, Koushyar Rajavi of the Georgia Institute of Technology and Isaac Dinner of Indeed in Austin, Texas.

When Netflix announced its global market expansion plans in January 2016, the primary telecommunications firm in Indonesia decided to block the service from consumers in that country. At the same time, Netflix was able to expand as planned in 40 other Asian countries.

"When we took a closer look at the impact of these decisions on the consumer marketplace, we found that Netflix's failure to launch in Indonesia led to a 19.7% increase in search for pirated movies and TV shows they could have received legally if they had access to Netflix," said Lu. "This percentage increase is relative to the other countries where consumers had legal access to Netflix content."

The researchers investigated the effect on piracy demand by collecting monthly search data from Google for a sample of 304 Netflix titles, including both movies and TV programs, in 41 Asian countries, between October 2014 and June 2016. This period represents the time before the Netflix expansion and the months immediately following that announcement.

"In our research, we recognized that while limited access to paid streaming services is an obvious driver in the demand for pirated content, it is still only one factor in why consumers search for pirated content," said Rajavi. "Consumers may search for pirated content in locations where they do have paid access to OTT services, but they simply want to avoid paying market rates."

"Still, by studying the data, we were able to determine that search for pirated content is more closely associated with restricted access to the content, as opposed to consumers simply trying to avoid paying market rates for content they could buy through legal channels," added Dinner.

Another key finding of the research was that demand for pirated content is also higher for less dialogue-oriented content, which is consistent with the greater appeal of dialogue-light content to non-English-speaking consumers.

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About INFORMS and Marketing Science

Marketing Science is a premier peer-reviewed scholarly marketing journal focused on research using quantitative approaches to study all aspects of the interface between consumers and firms. It is published by INFORMS, the leading international association for operations research and analytics professionals. More information is available at http://www.informs.org or @informs.

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