European map of aerosol pollution can help improve human health

Peer-Reviewed Publication

PAUL SCHERRER INSTITUTE

 

IMAGE: THE DATA FOR THE NEW SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATION COME FROM 22 MEASURING STATIONS IN 14 COUNTRIES, SPREAD ACROSS THE EUROPEAN CONTINENT. A PROTOCOL DEVELOPED AT PSI FOR THE STANDARDISED EVALUATION OF THE DIFFERENT DATA SETS ENSURED THEIR COMPARABILITY. view more 

CREDIT: PAUL SCHERRER INSTITUTE/MAHIR DZAMBEGOVIC

Researchers have measured the composition of fine dust at 22 locations in Europe. The result of this international study, led by the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI, is a European map of the most important aerosol sources. The researchers have now published their findings in the journal Environment International.

Good air quality is crucial for our health. Aerosols, also called fine dust, can be health-damaging, one reason being that the suspended particles penetrate deep into the lungs. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), poor air quality associated with high concentrations of aerosols causes seven million deaths worldwide every year. In order to be able to take meaningful measures to improve air quality, it is vital to identify the main aerosol sources.

Under the leadership of the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI, researchers have compiled a European map of aerosol sources. For this, they have analysed data collected at 22 sites in both urban and rural areas across Europe. They have determined the major sources of organic aerosols – stemming both from natural and from anthropogenic sources – and their variations over the course of days, months and seasons.

“This is a major breakthrough for air quality research,” says Imad El Haddad, acting research head of the Laboratory for Atmospheric Chemistry at PSI and a co-author of the study. “Our data can now be used to improve air quality models. These are used by epidemiologists to determine the aerosol sources that are most detrimental to human health.” In this way, policy makers could propose targeted measures to reduce the most dangerous aerosols, the PSI researcher says.

Combustion and traffic

While the composition of fine dust varies across the sites, the researchers have consistently identified the main source of aerosol pollution: residential heating with solid combustibles such as wood or coal.

“When solid fuel such as wooden logs, wood pellets, coal, or, in some countries, peat is used for residential heating, a lot of fine dust is released into the air and harms the health of the local population,” says Gang Chen, an aerosol researcher at PSI and the first author of the new publication. “In contrast to power plants, which have strict regulations and filter systems, the regulations regarding residential heating emissions are not sufficiently stringent for most European countries, including Switzerland.” In rural areas of the Alps, for example, many homes are still heated with solid combustibles. “Wood is a natural material. This is probably why many people are not aware of how health-damaging it is to burn wood,” adds Chen, who works in the Research Group for Gasphase and Aerosol Chemistry at PSI, headed by André Prévôt, who led this international study. With their work, the researchers hope to increase public awareness about the impact of residential combustion on air quality.

Traffic is another considerable source of fine dust. While traffic exhausts have been subject to strict regulations since the 1990s, non-exhaust emissions such as tire wear and brake wear deserve more attention in order to improve air quality, the scientists say.

Standardised protocol as a blueprint for global use

The data for the new publication come from 22 measuring stations in 14 countries, spread across the European continent, where various universities and other institutions operate their own aerosol measuring stations. The PSI researchers developed a standardised protocol for evaluating the data and determining the aerosol sources. This study is the main outcome of the international “Chemical On-Line cOmpoSition and Source Apportionment of fine aerosoL” (COLOSSAL) project and hence has a joint authorship of 70 collaborators.

Crucial to the study were also several long-standing EU research infrastructures, including the “Aerosols, Clouds, and Trace gases Research InfraStructure Network” (ACTRIS). “ACTRIS and other pan-European research infrastructures are the starting point for our research, producing high-quality long-term data on short-lived atmospheric constituents relevant for our regional climate and public health,” says El Haddad. These infrastructures not only provide vital information for policy makers, but also continue to be the basis of several European research programmes, such as the “Research Infrastructures Services Reinforcing Air Quality Monitoring Capacities in European Urban & Industrial AreaS” (RI-URBANS).

The researchers hope that their current publication will be understood as a stepping stone for a global mission. “We have shown for Europe that our standardised protocol for data analyses works. It can now be adopted by researchers everywhere,” says Chen. “PSI is world-leading in this work that allows us to attribute the measured aerosols to their sources. Next, we would like to expand our protocol in order to obtain aerosol maps of the entire world.”

In addition, the researchers envision that this type of data could soon be collected and analysed in real time. “This would make it possible to directly measure the effectiveness of measures taken to reduce aerosol pollution,” says Chen.

Setting more effective guideline values

Currently, the WHO requires that the total amount of aerosols that are smaller than 2.5 micrometres in diameter not exceed 5 micrograms per cubic metre of air. The WHO has only recently redefined this guideline value; previously it was 10 micrograms per cubic metre. “However, both values are exceeded almost everywhere,” says El Haddad. “If we set the new value at 5 micrograms per cubic metre, then 99 percent of all people live in areas where this is currently not met. In Switzerland, at least, measured values fell just below 10 micrograms per cubic metre of air a few years ago – thanks to the efforts made so far to mitigate aerosol pollution.”

For the improvement of air quality to progress more efficiently in the future, regulators could lower the limit values specifically for those aerosols most harmful to health more than for others, the researchers argue. Chen adds: “Ultimately, it is about saving lives. Our data helps ensure that we set sound priorities when it comes to air quality.”

Text: Paul Scherrer Institute/Laura Hennemann

 

Further information

WHO air quality key facts and guideline values
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ambient-(outdoor)-air-quality-and-health

Original publication

European Aerosol Phenomenology - 8: Harmonised Source Apportionment of Organic Aerosol using 22 Year-long ACSM/AMS Datasets
G. Chen et al.,
Environment International 15 June 2022 (online)
DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107325

Researchers have measured the composition of fine dust at 22 locations in Europe. The result of this international study, led by the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI, is a European map of the most important aerosol sources. The researchers have now published their findings in the journal Environment International.

Good air quality is crucial for our health. Aerosols, also called fine dust, can be health-damaging, one reason being that the suspended particles penetrate deep into the lungs. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), poor air quality associated with high concentrations of aerosols causes seven million deaths worldwide every year. In order to be able to take meaningful measures to improve air quality, it is vital to identify the main aerosol sources.

Under the leadership of the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI, researchers have compiled a European map of aerosol sources. For this, they have analysed data collected at 22 sites in both urban and rural areas across Europe. They have determined the major sources of organic aerosols – stemming both from natural and from anthropogenic sources – and their variations over the course of days, months and seasons.

“This is a major breakthrough for air quality research,” says Imad El Haddad, acting research head of the Laboratory for Atmospheric Chemistry at PSI and a co-author of the study. “Our data can now be used to improve air quality models. These are used by epidemiologists to determine the aerosol sources that are most detrimental to human health.” In this way, policy makers could propose targeted measures to reduce the most dangerous aerosols, the PSI researcher says.

Combustion and traffic

While the composition of fine dust varies across the sites, the researchers have consistently identified the main source of aerosol pollution: residential heating with solid combustibles such as wood or coal.

“When solid fuel such as wooden logs, wood pellets, coal, or, in some countries, peat is used for residential heating, a lot of fine dust is released into the air and harms the health of the local population,” says Gang Chen, an aerosol researcher at PSI and the first author of the new publication. “In contrast to power plants, which have strict regulations and filter systems, the regulations regarding residential heating emissions are not sufficiently stringent for most European countries, including Switzerland.” In rural areas of the Alps, for example, many homes are still heated with solid combustibles. “Wood is a natural material. This is probably why many people are not aware of how health-damaging it is to burn wood,” adds Chen, who works in the Research Group for Gasphase and Aerosol Chemistry at PSI, headed by André Prévôt, who led this international study. With their work, the researchers hope to increase public awareness about the impact of residential combustion on air quality.

Traffic is another considerable source of fine dust. While traffic exhausts have been subject to strict regulations since the 1990s, non-exhaust emissions such as tire wear and brake wear deserve more attention in order to improve air quality, the scientists say.

Standardised protocol as a blueprint for global use

The data for the new publication come from 22 measuring stations in 14 countries, spread across the European continent, where various universities and other institutions operate their own aerosol measuring stations. The PSI researchers developed a standardised protocol for evaluating the data and determining the aerosol sources. This study is the main outcome of the international “Chemical On-Line cOmpoSition and Source Apportionment of fine aerosoL” (COLOSSAL) project and hence has a joint authorship of 70 collaborators.

Crucial to the study were also several long-standing EU research infrastructures, including the “Aerosols, Clouds, and Trace gases Research InfraStructure Network” (ACTRIS). “ACTRIS and other pan-European research infrastructures are the starting point for our research, producing high-quality long-term data on short-lived atmospheric constituents relevant for our regional climate and public health,” says El Haddad. These infrastructures not only provide vital information for policy makers, but also continue to be the basis of several European research programmes, such as the “Research Infrastructures Services Reinforcing Air Quality Monitoring Capacities in European Urban & Industrial AreaS” (RI-URBANS).

The researchers hope that their current publication will be understood as a stepping stone for a global mission. “We have shown for Europe that our standardised protocol for data analyses works. It can now be adopted by researchers everywhere,” says Chen. “PSI is world-leading in this work that allows us to attribute the measured aerosols to their sources. Next, we would like to expand our protocol in order to obtain aerosol maps of the entire world.”

In addition, the researchers envision that this type of data could soon be collected and analysed in real time. “This would make it possible to directly measure the effectiveness of measures taken to reduce aerosol pollution,” says Chen.

Setting more effective guideline values

Currently, the WHO requires that the total amount of aerosols that are smaller than 2.5 micrometres in diameter not exceed 5 micrograms per cubic metre of air. The WHO has only recently redefined this guideline value; previously it was 10 micrograms per cubic metre. “However, both values are exceeded almost everywhere,” says El Haddad. “If we set the new value at 5 micrograms per cubic metre, then 99 percent of all people live in areas where this is currently not met. In Switzerland, at least, measured values fell just below 10 micrograms per cubic metre of air a few years ago – thanks to the efforts made so far to mitigate aerosol pollution.”

For the improvement of air quality to progress more efficiently in the future, regulators could lower the limit values specifically for those aerosols most harmful to health more than for others, the researchers argue. Chen adds: “Ultimately, it is about saving lives. Our data helps ensure that we set sound priorities when it comes to air quality.”

Text: Paul Scherrer Institute/Laura Hennemann

Further information

WHO air quality key facts and guideline values
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ambient-(outdoor)-air-quality-and-healt

Original publication

European Aerosol Phenomenology - 8: Harmonised Source Apportionment of Organic Aerosol using 22 Year-long ACSM/AMS Datasets
G. Chen et al.,
Environment International 15 June 2022 (online)
DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107325

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JOURNAL

Environment International

DOI

10.1016/j.envint.2022.107325 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

ARTICLE TITLE

European Aerosol Phenomenology - 8: Harmonised Source Apportionment of Organic Aerosol using 22 Year-long ACSM/AMS Datasets

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

15-Jun-2022

Systematic warming pool discovered in the Pacific due to human activities

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF HAMBURG

 

IMAGE: THE IMAGE SHOWS THE INCREASE OF WATER TEMPERATURE OVER THE NORTHEAST PACFIC OCEAN FROM 1996 TO 2021 (PACFIC WARMING POOL). THE MEASURMENTS ARE SHOWN IN °C PER DECADE INCREASE. THE WHITE COUNTER REPRESENTS THE 2019-2021 MARINE HEATWAVE CO-LOCATED WITH THE “WARMING POOL”. view more 

CREDIT: UHH/CLICCS/A. BARKHORDARIAN

In a study just released in the journal Nature Communications Earth and Environment, Dr. Armineh Barkhordarian confirms that this systematic warming pool is not the result of natural climatic variations – but of human influences instead. “This warming pool will continue to increase the water temperature in the future, increasing both the frequency and intensity of local marine heatwaves. "The sharp increase in average water temperature is pushing ecosystems to their limits,” explains Barkhordarian, an expert on atmospheric science and member of Universität Hamburg’s Cluster of Excellence “Climate, Climatic Change, and Society” (CLICCS).

Barkhordarian and her team show how the long-term warming pool has promoted local marine heatwaves in the past. One of these phenomena gained notoriety as the deadly “Pacific Ocean Blob,” which had devastating consequences between 2014 and 2015: marine productivity faltered, toxic algal blooms formed, and seabirds and marine mammals died in droves. In addition, the event led to severe droughts on the west coast of the USA.

The most recent marine heatwave continued for three years, from 2019 to 2021, producing water temperatures up to six degrees Celsius above average. Barkhordarian’s team have now proven that increased anthropogenic greenhouse-gas emissions were directly responsible for the extreme event. The probability of such a heatwave arising without human influences is less than one percent; there is a 99-percent probability that increased greenhouse-gas emissions were also required.

In addition, the study shows that the water temperature over the warming pool in the northeast Pacific increased by an average of 0.05 degrees Celsius per year over the past 25 years. Overall, the region cooled less in winter and the summer was 37 days longer on average. As a result, over the past 20 years there have been 31 marine heatwaves in this region alone, compared to just nine between 1982 and 1999.

“More frequent and extreme marine heatwaves are a serious burden for affected ecosystems. This not only poses a tremendous threat to biodiversity; it can also push these marine ecosystems past a tipping point, after which they can no longer recover,” says Barkhordarian. “The discovery of the long-term warming pool will now provide us with crucial information on the likelihood of such extreme events in the future.”
 

To what extent are human beings responsible? In what is referred to as attribution research, experts compare how the world developed with human influences, and how it would have done so without them. In the present study, the percentage of marine heatwaves resulting from additional anthropogenic greenhouse gases since 1982 was calculated. This allows statistically based conclusions on the future to be drawn.

Publication:

Barkhordarian A, Nielsen DM, Baehr J (2022): Recent marine heatwaves in the North Pacific warming pool can be attributed to rising atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases; Nature Communications Earth and Environment, DOI: 10.1038/s43247-022-00461-2

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JOURNAL

Nature Communications

DOI

10.1038/s43247-022-00461-2 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Computational simulation/modeling

ARTICLE TITLE

Recent marine heatwaves in the North Pacific warming pool can be attributed to rising atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

21-Jun-2022

Damaged plants and fake perfumes can be identified rapidly and reliably in real time

Researchers develop a highly sensitive novel technique capable of detecting chiral molecules within complex gas mixtures

Peer-Reviewed Publication

JOHANNES GUTENBERG UNIVERSITAET MAINZ

 

IMAGE: AT THE CORE OF THE NEW DEVICE IS AN OPTICAL CHIRAL POLARIMETER WITH WHICH IT IS POSSIBLE TO DETERMINE THE CHIRAL SIGNATURE OF COMPONENTS ACCURATELY AND PRECISELY EVEN IN THE GASEOUS PHASE. view more 

CREDIT: PHOTO/©: LYKOURGOS BOUGAS, JGU

The chiral signature of a fragrance can reveal whether a perfume is genuine or fake. Similarly, the chiral signature of the emissions of a plant can provide information on whether the plant is healthy or sick. Researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) and the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry (MPIC) have developed an innovative approach capable of identifying and monitoring such chiral signatures. Most natural chiral substances are found in two mirror-image forms present in different relative quantities. Therefore, every plant and every perfume must have its own individual chiral hallmark. Using their new approach, the research team has been able, for the first time, to identify chiral compounds within complex mixtures of gases with a high level of sensitivity and in real time.

"Our new technique has enormous potential, specifically in agriculture and the chemical industry," said Dr. Lykourgos Bougas of JGU. Professor Jonathan Williams of MPIC added: "In addition to commercial applications, this technique will also make it possible for us to decode chiral signals in the air around us, enabling us to better understand the chemistry of the atmosphere." The cooperating partners have already applied for a patent for their technique.

Naturally occurring odors differ from synthetic ones

Chirality is a fundamental property of nature. Our right and left hands are a manifestation of this. Most importantly, several biomolecules exist in two mirror-image forms that are non-superimposable – in the same way that a right hand will not fit in a left-handed glove. This can affect the bio-chemical activity of these molecules. A unique example is the emissions of plants. These contain several chiral compounds that are naturally present in both chiral forms, the D- and L-isomers or enantiomers. A prominent example is the chiral molecule pinene, which is responsible for the characteristic scent of conifers and pines. The relative ratios of the two enantiomers of pinene naturally vary in the emissions of such plants, but they critically depend on the state of health of the plant.

The same principle applies in the case of complex blends of natural and synthetic components, as in the case of perfumes. Any chiral ingredients will occur in both the D- and L-isomers but in differing relative quantities, depending on whether these originate from natural sources or from synthetic ones. As it is often the case that natural components are replaced by synthetic substances in fake or counterfeit perfumes, fake perfumes will have a chiral signature that differs from that of the originals.

Research under the aegis of the ULTRACHIRAL project funded by the European Union

The Mainz-based researchers have developed a cavity-enhanced polarimetric method for optical chiral analysis as part of the EU-sponsored ULTRACHIRAL project. They were able to detect the differing optical rotation effects of chiral molecules under polarized light. For this they transferred a sample of a plant or perfume scent to a small chamber which they exposed to polarized light. They then used a novel chirality-sensitive optical polarimeter to measure precisely and accurately the induced rotation of the polarized light. The researchers have been able to achieve a sensitivity that is better than that of the current state-of-the-art equipment by several orders of magnitude.

"Our new chiral-analysis approach provides us with precise results, faster and at better sensitivities than traditional techniques, without the need for any calibration before each measurement run. Additionally, our technique has been combined with gas chromatography for the first time to separate the individual components in a complex mixture. As a result, the chiral form of each constituent present in a complex blend of gases can be directly and accurately identified," explained JGU physicist Dr. Lykourgos Bougas, lead author of the paper that has recently been published in Science Advances. In their publication, the team of authors proposes a whole range of possible new applications for their detection method.

Among these is the quality control of perfumes, currently a particularly complex process as perfumes contain several hundreds or even thousands of different – natural and synthetic – compounds. To demonstrate the effectiveness of their technique, the researchers compared four authentic high-quality commercial perfumes with their low-cost counterfeits. The Mainz-based team was able to differentiate the high-quality original perfumes from their imitations on the basis of their chiral signatures with the help of a single rapid measurement.

CAPTION

Plant emissions contain several chiral compounds that significantly contribute to their characteristic aromas. The researchers were able to directly observe in real time how the chirality of emissions from a young conifer changed when the plant was damaged.

CREDIT

photo/©: Lykourgos Bougas, JGU

Potential use in crop cu

 

CAPTION

The resin secreted by a damaged conifer to protect the site of the damage has its own characteristic chiral signature within that of the overall emissions of the plant.

CREDIT

photo/©: Lykourgos Bougas, JGUltivation to monitor plant health and pest infestation

The technique might also be of considerable interest in the field of agriculture. Taking a young coniferous plant, the team was able to show that the chiral signature of the plant's emissions suddenly changed as soon as the plant was damaged. Similar chiral signatures have already been observed in plants subject to drought or disease. These signatures can be employed in practice, for example, to continuously monitor crop plants and trigger an alarm if these are infested by insects, suffer from a shortage of water, or become unhealthy.

The method may also assist in acquiring further insights into the physical and chemical processes that occur in our atmosphere. It is known that forests release vast quantities of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the environment, many of which are chiral. These molecules have an effect not only on the chemistry and physics of the air around us but also on our climate. VOCs can also be the precursor substances of secondary organic aerosols that influence the Earth's solar radiation budget. "We are still largely unaware of the role chirality plays in all these processes. In order to better understand this, we need new instruments and new approaches, such as that delivered by our research," concluded Bougas.

In order to enable the new method to be implemented in the various areas of application more easily, Dr. Lykourgos Bougas and Professor Jonathan Williams hope that a portable version of the device will be developed in future.

Related links:
https://www.mpic.de/2285/en – Max Planck Institute for Chemistry ;
https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/737071 – ULTRACHIRAL project

Read more:
https://www.uni-mainz.de/presse/aktuell/13510_ENG_HTML.php – press release "Metabolite fumarate can reveal cell damage: New method to generate fumarate for MRI presented" (27 April 2021) ;
https://www.uni-mainz.de/presse/aktuell/13224_ENG_HTML.php – press release "Hyperpolarized proton magnetic resonance imaging used to observe metabolic processes in real time" (11 March 2021) ;
https://www.uni-mainz.de/presse/aktuell/13025_ENG_HTML.php – press release "Venus flytraps found to produce magnetic fields" (2 Feb. 2021) ;
https://www.uni-mainz.de/presse/aktuell/11825_ENG_HTML.php – press release "New NMR method enables monitoring of chemical reactions in metal containers" (15 July 2020) ;
https://www.uni-mainz.de/presse/aktuell/11370_ENG_HTML.php – press release "New simple method for measuring the state of lithium-ion batteries" (7 May 2020) ;
https://www.uni-mainz.de/presse/20145_ENG_HTML.php – press release "EU funding for excellent young researchers in physics" (23 Feb. 2016)

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JOURNAL

Science Advances

DOI

10.1126/sciadv.abm3749 

ARTICLE TITLE

Absolute optical chiral analysis using cavity-enhanced polarimetry

USPSTF statement on use of vitamin, mineral, multivitamin supplements to prevent cardiovascular disease, cancer

JAMA

Peer-Reviewed Publication

JAMA NETWORK

Bottom Line: The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends against the use of beta carotene or vitamin E supplements for the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) or cancer and concludes that the current evidence is insufficient to make a recommendation about the use of multivitamin and single- or paired-nutrient supplements (other than beta carotene and vitamin E) for the prevention of CVD or cancer. According to National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data, 52% of surveyed adults reported using at least one dietary supplement in the prior 30 days and 31% reported using a multivitamin-mineral supplement. Inflammation and oxidative stress have been shown to have a role in both CVD and cancer, and dietary supplements may have anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects. This has served as a rationale for proposing dietary supplements as a means to prevent both CVD and cancer. The USPSTF routinely makes recommendations about the effectiveness of preventive care services, and this recommendation replaces and is consistent with its 2014 statement.

To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/

(doi:10.1001/jama.2022.8970)

Editor’s Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.

Note: More information about the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, its process, and its recommendations can be found on the newsroom page of its website.

#  #  #

Media advisory: To contact the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, email the Media Coordinator at Newsroom@USPSTF.net or call 301-951-9203. 

Embed this link to provide your readers free access to the full-text article This link will be live at the embargo time and all USPSTF articles remain free indefinitely https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/10.1001/jama.2022.8970?guestAccessKey=2a436fd3-f03d-453b-a0e9-a29595310e8e&utm_source=For_The_Media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_content=tfl&utm_term=062122

 

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JOURNAL

JAMA

Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine team finds increased rate of TB infection among adolescents in Tanzania

Peer-Reviewed Publication

THE GEISEL SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT DARTMOUTH

Published today in PLOS ONE, “Serial T-SPOT.TB responses in Tanzanian adolescents: transient, persistent and irregular conversions” [https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0268685], investigators from the Geisel School of Medicine and Muhimibili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) report high rates of new tuberculosis (TB) infection among adolescents in Tanzania. Multiple blood tests for TB infection were conducted over three years in 650 schoolchildren age 13-15 and showed that the risk of acquiring new TB infection was 3 percent per year. In addition, by performing six or more blood tests on each volunteer with an interferon gamma release assay (IGRAs) the study team identified new patterns of transition between positive and negative IGRA tests for TB infection.

 

The data were obtained during the DAR-901 TB vaccine trial supported by the Global Health Innovative Technology Fund (GHIT, Tokyo), with additional support from Oxford Immunotec (Oxford, UK), and the Jack and Dorothy Byrne Foundation (New Hampshire).

 

“Although not all TB infections lead to TB disease, at a population level this annual rate of infection is expected to lead to significant future rates of morbidity and mortality,” says lead author Maryam Amour, MD, MPH ’15, a lecturer in the Department of Community Health at MUHAS. “This highlights the importance of developing TB control measures for this high-risk age group.” 

 

Christiaan Rees MED ’20, Guarini ’18, co-lead author and an internal medicine resident at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA, who analyzed the trial data during his Geisel elective in Tanzania, says of the study, “One of our novel findings was that conversion of IGRA results to positive was usually not sustained—in fact, some participants converted to negative and then back to positive again. This raises the possibility that we may have been seeing TB infections that were cleared.” 

 

The findings demonstrate the feasibility of using the T-SPOT.TB (Oxford Immunotec, UK) IGRA test for serial testing of adolescents in a school setting. 

 

Principal Investigator for the DAR-901 vaccine trial, Ford von Reyn, PhD, a professor of medicine and director of the DarDar International Programs at Geisel, indicates the results suggest a new possible approach to TB case finding. “Early TB infection is not associated with symptoms and is not usually detected until a skin test or IGRA blood test is performed years later,” he says. “If you can test schoolchildren in a TB endemic region every 3-6 months and identify newly acquired infection, you have an opportunity to find and treat the person with symptomatic TB disease who infected the adolescent and thereby reduce further transmission.”      

 

The longtime DarDar research and training partnership between Geisel School of Medicine and MUHAS, established in 2001, has given rise to numerous clinical trials and sponsored extensive academic exchanges between the two institutions. More than 15 Tanzanian scientists have received advanced degrees at Geisel as part of the NIH-sponsored Dartmouth-Boston University MUHAS NIH Fogarty Training Grant. In addition, through Geisel’s Center for Health Equity, MUHAS students have participated in electives at Geisel, and numerous Geisel students and Dartmouth undergraduates have participated in medical and healthcare electives in Tanzania.   

 

# # #

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JOURNAL

PLoS ONE

ARTICLE TITLE

Serial T-SPOT.TB responses in Tanzanian adolescents: transient, persistent and irregular conversions

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

24-Jun-2022

Investigating the dynamics that reshape permafrost environments

Monitoring data find that small spatial differences in snow cover, vegetation, and other factors shape how permafrost thaws.

DOE/US DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

24-JUN-2022

image: Taking measurements at the Barrow Environmental Observatory, 330 miles north of the Arctic Circle for the Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiment (NGEE-Arctic). The project seeks to improve climate model predictions by studying Arctic terrestrial ecosystems. view more

Credit: Image courtesy of Roy Kaltschmidt, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

The Science

When permafrost thaws, water can flow more quickly through the ground, creating a complex subsurface flow system. Researchers at the Barrow Environmental Observatory in Alaska gained insight into this process by taking daily measurements of the electrical resistivity of the ground. The results show that vegetation and the snowpack that accumulates on the vegetation in winter control the temperatures of the ground and the flow of water in the ground. Where snow accumulates, ground temperatures stay warmer and water and energy from snowmelt and rain can flow through the ground quickly. Where the snowpack is thin, ground temperatures are colder, preventing the flow of water.

The Impact

Highlighting the link between above- and belowground properties and processes in the Arctic will help improve scientists’ predictions of how the Arctic relates to broader climate change. The results also show that Arctic systems are changing rapidly, and that permafrost at the research team’s study site could disappear within the next decade. Changes in snowpack distribution and rainfall patterns could accelerate this process.
Summary

Climate change is causing rapid changes in Arctic ecosystems, but scientists have not collected enough data needed to unravel complex subsurface processes associated with these changes. Using geophysical and in situ sensing, researchers closed an observational gap associated with thermohydrological dynamics in discontinuous permafrost systems. Researchers collected data over more than two years of monitoring and were able to uncover the effects of vegetation, topography, and snow thickness distribution on subsurface thermohydrological properties and processes. Large snow accumulation near tall shrubs insulates the ground and allows for rapid and downward heat flow, whereas thinner snowpack above low graminoid grasses and sedges results in surficial freezing and prevents water from infiltrating the subsurface. Analyzing short-term disturbances such as snowmelt or heavy rainfall, the research team found that lateral flow could be a driving factor in the formation of a talik, a subsurface layer in permafrost that remains unfrozen year-round. Interannual measurements indicate that deep permafrost temperatures increased by about 0.2 degrees centigrade over two years. The results of this study, which suggest that snow-vegetation-subsurface processes are tightly coupled, will improve predictions of Arctic feedback to climate change, including how subsurface thermohydrology influences carbon dioxide and methane fluxes.

Funding

This research was supported by the Department of Energy Office of Science, Office of Biological and Environmental Research.

Biofinder advances detection of extraterrestrial life

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT MANOA

 

IMAGE: BIOFINDER DETECTION OF BIOLOGICAL RESIDES IN FISH FOSSIL. (A) WHITE LIGHT IMAGE OF A GREEN RIVER FORMATION FISH FOSSIL (B) FLUORESCENCE IMAGE OF THE FISH FOSSIL OBTAINED BY THE BIOFINDER (C) CLOSE-UP WHITE LIGHT IMAGE OF THE FISH FOSSIL CROSS-SECTION (D) FLUORESCENCE IMAGE SHOWING STRONG BIO-FLUORESCENCE FROM THE FISH REMAINS. view more 

CREDIT: MISRA, ET AL., 2022

An innovative scientific instrument, the Compact Color Biofinder, developed by a team of University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa researchers, may change the game in the search for signs of extraterrestrial life.

Most biological materials, for example, amino acids, fossils, sedimentary rocks, plants, microbes, proteins and lipids, have strong organic fluorescence signals that can be detected by specialized scanning cameras. In a study published in Nature Scientific Reports recently, the research team reported that the Biofinder is so sensitive that it can accurately detect the bio-residue in fish fossils from the 34-56 million year-old Green River formation.

“The Biofinder is the first system of its kind,” said Anupam Misra, lead instrument developer and researcher at the Hawai‘i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology at the UH Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST). “At present, there is no other equipment that can detect minute amounts of bio-residue on a rock during the daytime. Additional strengths of the Biofinder are that it works from a distance of several meters, takes video and can quickly scan a large area.”

Though the Biofinder was first developed in 2012 by Misra, advances supported by the NASA PICASSO program culminated in the latest color version of the compact Biofinder.

Finding evidence of biological residue in a vast planetary landscape is an enormous challenge. So, the team tested the Biofinder’s detection abilities on the ancient Green River fish fossils and corroborated the results through laboratory spectroscopy analysis, scanning electron microscopy and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy.

“There are some unknowns regarding how quickly bio-residues are replaced by minerals in the fossilization process,” said Misra. “However, our findings confirm once more that biological residues can survive millions of years, and that using biofluorescence imaging effectively detects these trace residues in real time.”

The search for life—which may be existing or extinct—on planetary bodies is one of the major goals of planetary exploration missions conducted by NASA and other international space agencies.

“If the Biofinder were mounted on a rover on Mars or another planet, we would be able to rapidly scan large areas quickly to detect evidence of past life, even if the organism was small, not easy to see with our eyes, and dead for many millions of years,” said Misra. “We anticipate that fluorescence imaging will be critical in future NASA missions to detect organics and the existence of life on other planetary bodies.”

“The Biofinder’s capabilities would be critical for NASA’s Planetary Protection program, for the accurate and no-invasive detection of contaminants such as microbes or extraterrestrial biohazards to or from planet Earth,” said Sonia J. Rowley, the team biologist and co-author on the study.

Misra and colleagues are applying to have the opportunity to send the Biofinder on a future NASA mission.

“The detection of such biomarkers would constitute groundbreaking evidence for life outside of planet Earth,” said Misra.

CAPTION

Battery operated Biofinder looking at fossil sample from 50 cm distance.

CREDIT

Anupam Misra, UH SOEST.

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JOURNAL

Scientific Reports

DOI

10.1038/s41598-022-14410-8 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Imaging analysis

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Biofinder detects biological remains in Green River fish fossils from Eocene epoch at video speed

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

17-Jun-2022

COI STATEMENT

The authors declare no competing interests.

Campaign to end human trafficking introduces more challenges for migrating Nigerian women, author says

Book Announcement

UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS

Human anti-trafficking campaigns rely on the “three p’s” of prevention, protection and prosecution.

But a fourth one – preemption – has now resulted in a thorny controversy.

A new book titled “Unmaking Migrants: Nigeria's Campaign to End Human Trafficking” reveals how government agents have stopped thousands of women during the past 20 years from traveling out of the country and instead sent them to the federal counter-trafficking agency for “protection and rehabilitation.” Nigerian officials defend this tactic as preemptive intervention. Yet many of the women protest their detention, insist they are not being trafficked and demand to be released. It’s published by Cornell University Press.

“I’ve spent years in Nigeria learning how some women there think about risk and migrating into sex work in Europe, and how governments view those risks, too,” said Stacey Vanderhurst, assistant professor of women, gender & sexuality studies at the University of Kansas.

“Instead of helping women migrate and work safely, anti-trafficking programs like these just try to stop them. They stop them physically at border checkpoints, and they detain them for counseling intended to stop them from trying again.”

Vanderhurst believes the use of the word “trafficking” introduces a scenario in which policy often takes a backseat to reality.

“When people think of trafficking, they visualize abject suffering that’s almost beyond politics. It’s so abhorrent that no one could possibly support it, and anything done in the name of stopping trafficking is going to be helping women. My book presents a view that is more common amongst people who support sex workers,” she said.

Some feminists and other human rights groups consider all kinds of sex work as a form of violence and therefore as a form of trafficking.

“But if you believe sex work can be work — albeit high-risk work that’s not very respected — then we need more nuance to understand what constitutes exploitation in that industry. What we see is governments take advantage of a more simplistic idea of what trafficking is and what would be justified to stop it. They promote policies or interventions that on the surface seem like they must be helping women, but when you look closer, they have very little to do with what the women want for themselves or their lives.”

Vanderhurst first spent a year in Nigeria (a former British colony that gained independence in 1960) more than a decade ago when she was working on her dissertation. Since then she has returned most summers.

“Lagos is extraordinary. It is New York City with a half-functioning electrical grid,” she said.

“People will go to Lagos for opportunity, and that means it’s the hub of Nollywood movie production and stand-up comedy and hip hop. It’s a place where people are dreaming really big and working really hard. And I find that energy contagious.”

Yet economic opportunity is not necessarily plentiful, especially for young, poor women.

“My book is about ambitious women who are deeply aware of the risks of migrating across the desert, across the Mediterranean and into an illicit market for sex,” Vanderhurst said. “They’re not naive. They’re not gullible or drawn by the dazzle of a European destination, but rather they recognize the limited opportunities they have at home.”

This type of migration is well established in specific parts of Nigeria, Vanderhurst said. Many of these women have relatives or friends who have gone abroad to pursue such work.

“Not everyone’s open about it because there is still shame and stigma around this. But those women send back money to support their families in ways that no one else can for the community,” she said.

On a percentage basis, how many Nigerian women placed in detention are actually being trafficked?

“I really don’t find it a useful term because it’s so loaded with like, ‘Well, what do we mean by trafficking?’ What’s interesting is most of these women were detained at the Nigerian border or the airport. They haven’t even gotten to Europe. Whether or not they would be exploited in the journey or at their final destination is really disputed,” said Vanderhurst, who defines what these individuals experience as “preemptive rescue” or “preemptive detention.”

The California native came to KU in 2015, where she focuses on researching trafficking, migration and sex work. Last month she received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award for her project “Free Women,” which investigates how Nigerian activists draw from other global campaigns to help combat harassment of single women. She heads back to Nigeria next year.

“I hope people can see in these stories the nuance that women bring to hard decisions in their lives,” Vanderhurst said.

“The structures of privilege and inequality in our world make it hard for, say, an American college student, to relate to being a poor woman in Benin City. A woman there doesn’t have a lot of options. But it’s still patronizing to assume that because she doesn’t have a lot of options, we don’t need to listen to what she wants. Instead, our government and her government have collectively decided what’s best.”