Ethnicity, poverty, low community involvement linked to lasting loneliness

Long-term isolation may lead to depression, declines in physical function, says UCSF-Northwestern study

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA - SAN FRANCISCO

Most people are at risk for periodic loneliness, but for midlife and older adults who identify as Hispanic/Latinx, or who live in poverty, loneliness may be less likely to resolve over time. 

In a study in which 641 participants, whose average age was 63, were interviewed by phone over the course of about 18 months during the pandemic, researchers at UC San Francisco and Northwestern University found that 16% suffered from persistent loneliness. An additional 22% were initially lonely but adapted over time, the researchers reported in their study publishing in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society earlier this month.

When the researchers looked at those participants whose feelings of loneliness dissipated as the pandemic progressed, they found 53% of white participants fit in this category, versus 18% of Hispanic/Latinx participants. Similarly, those living above poverty level were more likely to experience decreasing loneliness compared with those living in poverty: 71% and 29%, respectively. 

“Transient loneliness is common throughout the lifespan and while distressing in the short-term, it can often motivate individuals to reconnect with social relationships or the community,” noted first author Ashwin A. Kotwal, MD, assistant professor of medicine in the UCSF Division of Geriatrics. 

This motivation to reconnect with social relationships or to get involved in local activities may be one factor driving the transition from loneliness to decreasing loneliness, according to the researchers. Just 26% of participants who had overcome their earlier loneliness were socially isolated, versus 40% for those who remained lonely. 

The researchers used data from the COVID-19 & Chronic Conditions study, which had enrolled participants from five research projects in Chicago. Participants had completed six interviews at three-month intervals. They had at least one chronic condition, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke or cancer. Approximately half were white, 30% were Black and 20% were Hispanic/Latinx, and 61% were female. In addition to the participants who were persistently lonely or formerly lonely, 29% said they experienced occasional loneliness and 33% reported that they were never lonely. 

Social Distancing May Hit Hispanic/Latinx Households Harder 

In explaining why those identifying as Hispanic/Latinx were more likely to suffer from prolonged loneliness, the authors acknowledged that the heterogeneity of this population limits any generalizations. However, “culturally important familism” had been disrupted by social distancing during the pandemic, which meant intergenerational households accustomed to being together were segregated. Restrictions in community events and religious services may also have contributed to prolonged loneliness.

For those living in poverty, connecting virtually to friends and family during the pandemic, as well as obtaining quality masks, antigen tests and air purifiers, may have been prohibitive. They may also have been “disproportionately impacted by reduced access to transportation and closure of community-based activities,” the authors stated.

While the most virulent phase of the pandemic may be over, persistent loneliness continues to be a risk for some people, said Kotwal. 

“Individuals already experiencing socially or medically disrupting circumstances, such as chronic illness, widowhood, late life disability or mental health concerns, may experience greater barriers to coping with loneliness,” he said, adding that prolonged loneliness can lead to psychological distress and depression, and in the long-term functional decline, poor cardiovascular health and even death. 

 “Several promising interventions exist to address loneliness. These include peer support interventions, friendship lines, technology classes and intergenerational volunteers. These programs should be maintained or expanded,” he said. 

Authors: Senior author is Rachel M. O’Conor, PhD, MPH, of the Center for Applied Health Research on Aging at Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University. Co-authors are Stephanie Batio, MS, Michael S. Wolf, PhD, MPH, and Julia Yoshino Benavente, MPH, of Northwestern University; Kenneth E. Covinsky, MD, MPH, and Carla M.  Perissinotto, MD, MHS, of UCSF. 

Funding: This research was supported by a grant from the National Institute on Aging (R01AG030611-S1) and Claude D. Pepper Older American Independence Center Coordinating Center Multi Center Collaborative grant (U24AG059693; P30AG044281; P30AG059988). Dr. Ashwin Kotwal’s effort on this project was supported by grants from the National Institute on Aging (K23AG065438; R03AG064323). Dr. O’Conor is supported by a training grant from the National Institute on Aging (K01AG070107).

Disclosures: Please refer to the paper. 

 

About UCSF Health: UCSF Health is recognized worldwide for its innovative patient care, reflecting the latest medical knowledge, advanced technologies and pioneering research. It includes the flagship UCSF Medical Center, which is ranked among the top 10 hospitals nationwide, as well as UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals, with campuses in San Francisco and Oakland, Langley Porter Psychiatric Hospital and Clinics, UCSF Benioff Children’s Physicians and the UCSF Faculty Practice. These hospitals serve as the academic medical center of the University of California, San Francisco, which is world-renowned for its graduate-level health sciences education and biomedical research. UCSF Health has affiliations with hospitals and health organizations throughout the Bay Area. Visit https://www.ucsfhealth.org/. Follow UCSF Health on Facebook or on Twitter

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JOURNAL

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society

DOI

10.1111/jgs.18010 

ARTICLE TITLE

Persistent loneliness due to COVID-19 over 18 months of the pandemic: A prospective cohort study

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

25-Aug-2022

Manitoba says no statutory Orange Shirt holiday this year as talks continue

WINNIPEG — The Manitoba government is still planning to make the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation an official statutory holiday but says it's too late for the change to take effect this year.

© Provided by The Canadian Press

"It would be very disrespectful of everybody to introduce something at this point," Labour Minister Reg Helwer said Wednesday.

"We did have legislation we were working on, and went through consultation with labour and business — and continuing consultation with First Nations and other groups — and that pointed out to me that we need much more advice from many people on how this should run."

The day — also known as Orange Shirt Day — was established in honour of the experience of Phyllis Webstad, whose gift of clothing from her grandmother was taken away on Webstad's first day at a residential school.

The federal government recently made the day, which falls on Sept. 30, a statutory holiday for its workers and federally regulated workplaces. The Northwest Territories government followed suit with an announcement in July.

Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson said earlier in the summer that her Progressive Conservative government might follow in time for this year. But with less than a month to go, provincially regulated businesses have not been told they must give staff the day off.

Helwer said consultations with Indigenous groups on how to mark the day are still ongoing. He also said businesses would need more advance notice than 30 days.

"It would be very uncomfortable for business to spring that on them."

The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce is supporting the idea of a statutory holiday. Some 70 per cent of members who participated in a recent survey favoured the change.

The Opposition New Democrats pushed for a bill to enact the statutory holiday months ago.

Chamber president Loren Remillard said he understands the province needs more time to ensure the holiday is not just a day off work but an opportunity to reflect on reconciliation.

"No one wants to see this holiday just be a day off with no learning that comes as a result," Remillard said.

"It's not our place to say how to best recognize truth and reconciliation. It's a partnership, but that must be something that is informed and driven by Indigenous voices and leadership."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 31, 2022.

Steve Lambert, The Canadian Press

‘YES Oklahoma’ project aims to improve American Indian representation in cancer research

Grant and Award Announcement

UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA

 

IMAGE: THE PROJECT, “NATIVE AMERICAN YOUTHS ENJOY SCIENCE - YES OKLAHOMA,” WILL DEVELOP A PROGRAM TO IMPROVE THE REPRESENTATION OF AMERICAN INDIAN STUDENTS IN BIOMEDICAL AND CANCER RESEARCH. view more 

CREDIT: PROVIDED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA

The National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health has awarded the University of Oklahoma an expected $2 million over five years to develop a program to improve the representation of American Indian students in biomedical and cancer research. 

“American Indian professionals are underrepresented in scientific fields, particularly those in biomedical research, and near-absent in cancer research,” said the project’s director, Cecil M. Lewis Jr., Ph.D. “This discrepancy impacts community health; there is a substantial health disparity in cancer impacting American Indians, particularly cancer types where regular screening, early detection and access to health care have a large impact. A more robust health care workforce and infrastructure, one with strong ties to communities, should reduce these rates.”

Lewis is a professor of anthropology in the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences at OU. The project’s co-directors are Cara Monroe, Ph.D., research scientist for OU’s Center for the Ethics of Indigenous Genomics Research; Rajagopal Ramesh, Ph.D., professor of pathology in the OU College of Medicine, and associate director for education and training at the OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center; and Kent Smith, Ph.D., (Comanche/Chickasaw), professor of anatomy and cell biology at the Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences and associate dean for the Office of American Indians in Medicine and Science that serves both the OSU-CHS Tulsa campus and the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Cherokee Nation.

Lewis said the program will provide a research training strategy in which American Indian high school students will engage in hands-on scientific research, with a strong emphasis in cancer research. Two different cohort groups, one of students and one of Oklahoma teachers, will support community building and sustainability of the student training pipeline.

YES Oklahoma Scholars, eligible high school juniors and seniors, will have the opportunity to participate in an intensive summer research experience and earn college credit. YES Oklahoma Teachers, middle and high school teachers from partner schools across the state, will participate in a summer training event that includes curriculum development, as well as salary and compensation benefits. Students enrolled in these teachers’ classes, a third beneficiary group called YES Oklahoma Trainees, also benefit from the teachers’ participation by taking part in the curriculum.

Lewis said the grant also provides support for graduate student training and mentorship at OU and the OSU Center for Health Sciences.

“Together, the directors, scholars, teachers, trainees and graduate students, along with associated communities and tribes, will form the YES Oklahoma Outreach Team, providing education in cancer prevention focused on families and communities,” Lewis said. “The YES Oklahoma program will directly impact over 76 scholars and teachers annually, and the combined outreach events will indirectly impact thousands of underserved students, teachers, families and community members.”

This project is a partnership between the University of Oklahoma’s Norman campus, OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center on the OU Health Sciences Center campus, and the OSU Center for Health Sciences, among other centers and programs. The grant proposal received letters of support by the tribal president of the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes, the Kiowa Tribe Higher Education Program, and the chairman of the Comanche Nation, as well as superintendents representing partnering schools in Oklahoma and more than 20 Oklahoma faculty mentors in biomedical related sciences. The YES Oklahoma proposal received a perfect review score, referred to as an “Impact 10,” by the NIH review panel, a rare triumph for grant proposals and strong demonstration of the potential impact of partnership between Oklahoma institutes and tribal partners.

 

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About the Project
The project, “Native American Youths Enjoy Science - YES Oklahoma,” is funded by the National Cancer Institute of the NIH, grant no. 1R25CA274172-01

About the University of Oklahoma Office of the Vice President for Research and Partnerships 

The University of Oklahoma is a leading research university classified by the Carnegie Foundation in the highest tier of research universities in the nation. Faculty, staff and students at OU are tackling global challenges and accelerating the delivery of practical solutions that impact society in direct and tangible ways through research and creative activities. OU researchers expand foundational knowledge while moving beyond traditional academic boundaries, collaborating across disciplines and globally with other research institutions as well as decision makers and practitioners from industry, government and civil society to create and apply solutions for a better world. Find out more at ou.edu/research.

About the University of Oklahoma

Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. For more information visit www.ou.edu.

About Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences

Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences is a nationally recognized academic health center focused on teaching, research and patient care. Learn more at medicine.okstate.edu/

Drug effects of ketamine in mice can depend on the sex of the human experimenter

University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers demonstrated that a stress response in the brain is essential for ketamine’s antidepressant response in mice suggesting new ways to improve antidepressant therapy for patients who do not respond to it

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

 

IMAGE: TODD GOULD, MD view more 

CREDIT: UMSOM

Many researchers who work with mice can tell you that mice behave differently depending on who is handling them. Anecdotal reports and some existing scientific reports indicate that mice tend to be more fearful and uptight around men, and relaxed and comfortable around women. Whether this behavior actually affects research results though, remains a sort of the elephant in the room that not many people seem to want to address.

Now, researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) have shown that mice respond more to the antidepressant effects of the drug ketamine when administered by men and not by women. The group demonstrated that the response of mice detected in a specific region of their brain from handling by a man is essential for ketamine’s effect to work. Then, the researchers identified the mechanism behind this response.

The researchers say that while the influence of the sex of the scientist administering ketamine is not directly relevant to the human response to ketamine, the brain mechanism underlying their findings could help determine why some people do not respond to ketamine anti-depressant therapy and suggest ways to potentially make this therapy work better for those patients who do not respond well.

The findings were published on August 30 in Nature Neuroscience.

“Our findings in mice suggests that activating a specific stress circuit in the brain may be a way to improve ketamine treatment. Our thought is that you may be able to provide a more robust antidepressant effect if you combine the ketamine with activation of this brain region, either a drug that spurs this process in the brain or even some sort of specific stressor,” said Todd Gould, MD, Professor of Psychiatry at UMSOM.

Dr. Gould’s team anecdotally noticed that ketamine’s antidepressant-like effects only seemed to work consistently when male researchers administered the treatment to mice. The team reached out to other labs studying mouse responses to ketamine, who reported the same issues, but no one had yet systematically documented the phenomena and investigated the cause. At the time, most of Dr. Gould’s team was women and so figuring out why the experiments did not work when women performed them was essential to the team getting workable data, so they could move forward with project.

To look into this, they began by observing mouse preference for being around T-shirts or cotton swabs rubbed on the wrists, elbow, or behind the ear that came from men versus women. The mice preferred spending more time around T-shirts and cotton swabs that came from women rather than men. When the researchers used a chemical to block the smell of the mice, they no longer preferred women’s T-shirts or cotton swabs over men’s.

“Compared to humans, mouse sense of smell and their sensitivity to pheromones (airborne hormones) are more keenly developed, so it’s not surprising that they respond differently to many smells, including those of men compared to women,” said Dr. Gould.

Next, they confirmed the original anecdotal findings with a systematic experiment using many researchers to verify that mice responded to ketamine when administered men, but not by women. Then, the researchers wanted to understand the mechanism behind why the mice behave this way. The researchers investigated several factors potentially involved in mediating ketamine’s response in mice, but ultimately settled on one: corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF). CRF is located region of the brain, known as the hippocampus, responsible for learning and memory that had previously been associated with depression. When the researchers had women administer the ketamine along with an injection of CRF, the mice finally responded to ketamine as if they were being treated with an antidepressant.

“We think that some people may have higher or lower levels of CRF, and we believe that people do not respond well to ketamine antidepressant therapy might respond if we could administer the treatment with some CRF-related chemical that could induce ketamine’s effects,” said Polymnia Georgiou, PhD, a former postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Gould’s laboratory, who led the project. “Alternatively, we typically see the antidepressant effects of ketamine lasting 1-3 days, but with CRF administration, it is possible that we may be able to extend the effects to last longer with CRF.”

Mark T. Gladwin, MD, Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs, UM Baltimore, and the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor and Dean at UMSOM, said, “These are exciting new findings that underscore the importance of basic research to lay the foundation for future clinical innovations. Our investigators are leaders in the study of new approaches for the treatment for depression, such as ketamine. They also found an unexpected interaction between the sex of the mice studied and the sex of the scientist administering the drugs, highlighting the importance of evaluating unexpected effects of our experimental systems and approaches.”

This work was supported by National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Mental Health (NIMH) (grants MH107615, MH086828, MH093897), the Veterans Administration (1I01BX004062), and the NIMH and National Institute of Aging Intramural Research Programs.

Author Carlos Zarate, MD, of the NIMH, is a co-inventor on a patent for the use of ketamine in major depression and suicidal ideation. Authors Panos Zanos, PhD, former Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at UMSOM; Jaclyn Highland, PhD, former graduate student at University of Maryland; Ruin Moaddel, PhD, of the National Institute of Aging, Dr. Zarate, and Dr. Gould are co-inventors in patents and patent applications related to the pharmacology and use of (2R,6R)-HNK in the treatment of depression, anxiety, anhedonia, suicidal ideation, and post-traumatic stress disorders. Dr. Moaddel and Dr. Zarate have assigned their patent rights to the U.S. government but will share a percentage of any royalties that may be received by the government. Dr. Zanos, Dr. Highland, and Dr. Gould have assigned their patent rights to the University of Maryland, Baltimore, but will share a percentage of any royalties that may be received by the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Dr. Gould has received research funding from Allergan and Roche Pharmaceuticals and has served as a consultant for FSV7 LLC, during the preceding three years.

About the University of Maryland School of Medicine

Now in its third century, the University of Maryland School of Medicine was chartered in 1807 as the first public medical school in the United States. It continues today as one of the fastest growing, top-tier biomedical research enterprises in the world — with 46 academic departments, centers, institutes, and programs, and a faculty of more than 3,000 physicians, scientists, and allied health professionals, including members of the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences, and a distinguished two-time winner of the Albert E. Lasker Award in Medical Research. With an operating budget of more than $1.3 billion, the School of Medicine works closely in partnership with the University of Maryland Medical Center and Medical System to provide research-intensive, academic, and clinically based care for nearly 2 million patients each year. The School of Medicine has nearly $600 million in extramural funding, with most of its academic departments highly ranked among all medical schools in the nation in research funding. As one of the seven professional schools that make up the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus, the School of Medicine has a total population of nearly 9,000 faculty and staff, including 2,500 students, trainees, residents, and fellows. The combined School of Medicine and Medical System (“University of Maryland Medicine”) has an annual budget of over $6 billion and an economic impact of nearly $20 billion on the state and local community. The School of Medicine, which ranks as the 8th highest among public medical schools in research productivity (according to the Association of American Medical Colleges profile) is an innovator in translational medicine, with 606 active patents and 52 start-up companies. In the latest U.S. News & World Report ranking of the Best Medical Schools, published in 2021, the UM School of Medicine is ranked #9 among the 92 public medical schools in the U.S., and in the top 15 percent (#27) of all 192 public and private U.S. medical schools. The School of Medicine works locally, nationally, and globally, with research and treatment facilities in 36 countries around the world. Visit medschool.umaryland.edu

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JOURNAL

Nature Neuroscience

DOI

10.1038/s41593-022-01146-x 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Animals

ARTICLE TITLE

Experimenters’ sex modulates mouse behaviors and neural responses to ketamine via corticotropin releasing factor

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

30-Aug-2022

COI STATEMENT

Author Carlos Zarate, MD, of the NIMH, is a co-inventor on a patent for the use of ketamine in major depression and suicidal ideation. Authors Panos Zanos, PhD, former Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at UMSOM; Jaclyn Highland, PhD, former graduate student at University of Maryland; Ruin Moaddel, PhD, of the National Institute of Aging, Dr. Zarate, and Dr. Gould are co-inventors in patents and patent applications related to the pharmacology and use of (2R,6R)-HNK in the treatment of depression, anxiety, anhedonia, suicidal ideation, and post-traumatic stress disorders. Dr. Moaddel and Dr. Zarate have assigned their patent rights to the U.S. government but will share a percentage of any royalties that may be received by the government. Dr. Zanos, Dr. Highland, and Dr. Gould have assigned their patent rights to the University of Maryland, Baltimore, but will share a percentage of any royalties that may be received by the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Dr. Gould has received research funding from Allergan and Roche Pharmaceuticals and has served as a consultant for FSV7 LLC, during the preceding three years.

Harnessing the power of saffron color for food and future therapeutics

Peer-Reviewed Publication

KING ABDULLAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY (KAUST)

 

IMAGE: A KAUST TEAM HAS DEVISED A METHOD TO PRODUCE SAFFRON'S ACTIVE INGREDIENT FROM THE FRUIT OF AN ORNAMENTAL PLANT POPULAR IN CHINA, GARDENIA JASMINOIDES, SHOWN HERE ON THE LEFT. ON THE RIGHT IS SAFFRON, THE WORLD'S MOST EXPENSIVE SPICE. view more 

CREDIT: © 2022 KAUST.

Saffron is the world’s most expensive spice. Usually obtained from the stigma of Crocus sativa flowers, it takes 150,000–200,000 flowers to produce one kilogram of saffron. Now, KAUST researchers have found a way to use a common garden plant to produce saffron’s active ingredient, a compound with important therapeutic and food industry applications.

The color of saffron comes from crocins: water-soluble pigments derived from carotenoids by a process that is catalyzed by enzymes known as carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases (CCDs). Crocins also occur, albeit in much lower amounts, in the fruits of Gardenia jasminoides, an ornamental plant used in traditional Chinese medicine.

Crocins have high therapeutic potential, including their role in protecting neural cells from degradation, as well as their antidepressant, sedative and antioxidant properties. They also have an important role as natural food colorants.

Harvesting and processing hand-picked stigmas of saffron is very labor intensive. Moreover, saffron is only grown in limited areas of the Mediterranean and Asia. So, new biotechnological approaches to produce these compounds in large amounts are in great demand.

KAUST researchers identified a highly efficient carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase enzyme from Gardenia jasminoides that produces the crocin precursor crocetin dialdehyde. They have now established a system for investigating CCD enzymatic activity in plants and developed a multigene engineering approach for sustainable biotechnological production of crocins in plant tissues.

“The enzyme we have identified and the multigene engineering strategy could be used to establish a sustainable plant cell factory for crocin production in tissue culture of different plant species,” says lead author of the study Xiongie Zheng.

“Our biotechnological approach can also be used on crops, such as rice, to develop crocin-rich functional food.”

Team leader Salim Al-Babili says the study paves the way for efficient biotechnological production of crocins and other high-value compounds derived from carotenoids (apocarotenoids) as pharmaceuticals in green tissues as well as other starch-rich plant organs. It also highlights the contribution of functional diversification among CCD genes to the independent evolution of alternative apocarotenoid biosynthesis routes in different plants.

“Most of our knowledge about CCD enzymatic activity and substrate specificity comes from experiments using E.coli engineered to produce different carotenoids,” he says.

“Functional characterization in plants, for example by using a transgenic approach such as we have here, is important for deducing the role of CCDs in carotenoid metabolism and unravelling their real contribution to the carotenoid/apocarotenoid pattern.” 

The platform technology could be used to produce other important carotenoid-derived compounds, including widely used scents and colorants.

“It could be used to produce safranal and picrocrocin, for example, which give rise to the taste and characteristic aroma of saffron. These could be used as flavor additives and they also have a bioactive potential awaiting exploration,” adds Zheng.

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JOURNAL

Plant Biotechnology Journal

DOI

10.1111/pbi.13901 

ARTICLE TITLE

Gardenia carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase 4a is an efficient tool for biotechnological production of crocins in green and non-green plant tissues

New way found to turn number seven plastic into valuable products

Peer-Reviewed Publication

WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY

 

IMAGE: THE WSU RESEARCH TEAM, INCLUDING POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER YU-CHUNG CHANG, USED PLA PLASTIC WASTE TO CREATE A HIGH-QUALITY RESIN FOR 3D PRINTING. view more 

CREDIT: WSU

PULLMAN, Wash. — A method to convert a commonly thrown-away plastic to a resin used in 3D-printing could allow for making better use of plastic waste. 

A team of Washington State University researchers developed a simple and efficient way to convert polylactic acid (PLA), a bio-based plastic used in products such as filament, plastic silverware and food packaging to a high-quality resin. 

“We found a way to immediately turn this into something that’s stronger and better, and we hope that will provide people the incentive to upcycle this stuff instead of just toss it away,” said Yu-Chung Chang, a postdoctoral researcher in the WSU School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering and a co-corresponding author on the work.  “We made stronger materials just straight out of trash. We believe this could be a great opportunity.”

About 300,000 tons of PLA are produced annually, and its use is increasing dramatically.  

Although it’s bio-based, PLA, which is categorized as a number seven plastic, doesn’t break down easily. It can float in fresh or salt water for a year without degrading. It is also rarely recycled because like many plastics, when it’s melted down and re-formed, it doesn’t perform as well as the original version and becomes less valuable.

“It’s biodegradable and compostable, but once you look into it, it turns out that it can take up to 100 years for it to decompose in a landfill,” Chang said. “In reality, it still creates a lot of pollution. We want to make sure that when we do start producing PLA on the million-tons scale, we will know how to deal with it.” 

In their study, published in the journal, Green Chemistry, the researchers, led by Professor Jinwen Zhang in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, developed a fast and catalyst-free method to recycle the PLA, breaking the long chain of molecules down into simple monomers – the building blocks for many plastics. The entire chemical process can be done at mild temperatures in about two days. The chemical they used to break down the PLA, aminoethanol, is also inexpensive.

“If you want to rebuild a Lego castle into a car, you have to break it down brick by brick,” Chang said. “That’s what we did. The aminoethanol precision-cut the PLA back to a monomer, and once it’s back to a monomer, the sky’s the limit because you can re-polymerize it into something stronger.”

Once the PLA was broken down to its basic building blocks, the researchers rebuilt the plastic and created a type of photo-curable liquid resin that is commonly used as printing “ink” for 3D printers. When it was used in a 3D printer and cured into plastic pieces, the product showed equal or better mechanical and thermal properties than commercially available resins. 

While the researchers focused on PLA for the study, they hope to apply the work to polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is more common than PLA, has a similar chemical structure and presents a bigger waste problem. 

They have filed a provisional patent and are working to further optimize the process. The researchers are also looking into other applications for the upcycling method. 

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JOURNAL

Green Chemistry

DOI

10.1039/D2GC01745H 

ARTICLE TITLE

A chemical approach for the future of PLA upcycling: from plastic wastes to new 3D printing materials

Eco-glue can replace harmful adhesives in wood construction

A fast and energy-efficient manufacturing process results in a strong, non-toxic and fire-resistant adhesive—and a great opportunity for the bioeconomy

Peer-Reviewed Publication

AALTO UNIVERSITY

 

IMAGE: PLYWOOD WITH ECO-GLUE PRODUCED AT AALTO UNIVERSITY. view more 

CREDIT: AALTO UNIVERISTY

Researchers at Aalto University have developed a bio-based adhesive that can replace formaldehyde-containing adhesives in wood construction. The main raw material in the new adhesive is lignin, a structural component of wood and a by-product of the pulp industry that is usually burned after wood is processed. As an alternative to formaldehyde, lignin offers a healthier and more carbon-friendly way to use wood in construction.

The carbon footprint of timber construction is significantly lower than concrete construction, and timber construction has often been viewed as better for the health of human occupants as well. However, wood panels still use adhesives made from fossil raw materials. They contain formaldehyde, which can be harmful to health, especially for those working in the adhesive manufacturing process.  People living in or visiting buildings can also be exposed to toxic formaldehyde from wood panels. 

Lignin, on the other hand, comes from wood itself. It binds cellulose and hemicellulose together and gives wood its tough, strong structure. Lignin accounts for about a quarter of the weight of wood and is produced in huge quantities in the pulp and bioprocessing industry. Only two to five percent of the lignin produced is used, and the rest is burned in factories for energy.

Previously, lengthy and chemical-intensive pre-treatments have been necessary to use lignin in formaldehyde-free adhesives. The adhesive developed by Aalto University researchers can use purified kraft lignin and the chemical reaction to make the adhesive takes a few minutes instead of up to 10 hours. No additional heating of the raw material is needed, which reduces energy consumption. The only by-products of the process are salt and sodium hydroxide, or lye.

Monika Österberg, professor at the Aalto University School of Chemical Engineering, stresses that this is an important development for both the environment and industry. ‘Using lignin as a material can reduce carbon dioxide emissions and increase the processing value of forests. This is why research on lignin is an important priority for us at Aalto University.’

Doctoral researcher Alexander Henn explains that glued wood panels such as plywood and chipboard are increasingly used for walls, ceilings and flooring. ‘Therefore, it is important to overcome the disadvantages of wood-based panel adhesives and develop the new innovation into a commercial product. This would enable a shift towards more wood-based construction, as a strong and heat-resistant adhesive made from natural materials makes construction truly ecological and safe.’

The innovation is a major step forward for the forestry and glue industries, as the lignin content of previous adhesives has been relatively low (around 20-50 percent), while the new Aalto University innovation has a lignin content of over 90 percent. The adhesive is strong and non-toxic, and protects surfaces from fire, so it can even be used as a flame retardant.

According to the researchers, lignin can also be used as a raw material for applications such as coatings and composites. Research work will continue in the laboratory, and various commercialization opportunities are likely to be explored in collaboration with LignoSphere Oy, a spin-off from Aalto University.

This research was published in August 2022 in the journal Green Chemistry.

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DOI

10.1039/D2GC01637K 

A greener route to blue – a new method drastically reduces the amount of solvent needed to produce widely used organic dyes

Phthalocyanines are used in renewable energy production, sensing, nanomedicine and more. Researchers at Aalto University have demonstrated how the dye can be produced in a greener way that minimizes high-boiling organic solvents, by using solid-state syn

Peer-Reviewed Publication

AALTO UNIVERSITY

 

IMAGE: EVOLUTION OF DYE FORMATION OVER 48 HOURS OF REACTION TIME, AFTER DISSOLVING EQUAL AMOUNT OF SOLID INTO EQUAL AMOUNT OF SOLVENT. view more 

CREDIT: SANDRA KAABEL / AALTO UNIVERSITY

Organic, i.e. carbon-containing dyes have important roles in nature. For example, they are responsible for transporting oxygen and other gases in the body (as part of haemoglobin) and converting solar energy into chemical energy in photosynthesis (chlorophyll).

One class of artificial organic dyes is phthalocyanines, which are widely applied in industrial processes, sensing, nanomedicine, solar cells and other optoelectronics. However, the production of phthalocyanines is not without its issues, says Eduardo Anaya, Aalto University Academy Research Fellow. ‘Phthalocyanines are produced by using a lot of solvents such as dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE). It is corrosive, flammable, bioactive and harmful to the environment.’

Anaya and colleagues at Aalto University have demonstrated how phthalocyanines can be produced in a more environmentally friendly way with solid-state synthesis. Their research, published in the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition, was categorised as a “hot paper”.

Industry in the European Union alone uses 10,000 tonnes of DMAE per year for many different processes. In the new method introduced by Aalto researchers, the amount of solvent is reduced by over 99%, says postdoctoral researcher Sandra Kaabel, another of the main authors.

The research team used phthalonitrile as the starting material, an organic compound commonly used in the production of dyes. It was first processed with a few drops of DMAE and a zinc template by ball-milling, after which the solid reaction mixture was aged in an oven at 55 °C for a week, or at 100°C for 48 hours.

‘It was fascinating to see how the colour went from white, through green and changed into a deep blue in the oven – you could see with your own eyes how the method works,’ says Kaabel. ‘By solid-state methods we can produce chemicals without needing to dissolve the components of the reaction.’

In the traditional method, a solvent is heated in between 160 to 250°C and the overall yield is fairly low in relation to the materials and time spent. The environmentally-friendly method developed by Aalto researchers boosted the space-time yield four-fold by removing most of the solvent and carrying out the reactions at a lower temperature.

Example from nature, idea brewed over coffee

The molecular structure of phthalocyanine makes it adaptable to a wide range of applications.

‘Nature is an inspiration, having created organic colours for many different purposes over millions of years,’ says Anaya. ‘We can capture them as they are and use colours in artificial photosynthesis to produce energy, for example, or take ideas even further.’

Ideas for new biomaterial solutions are refined at FinnCERES, a competence centre shared by Aalto University and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. The research group is working within the FinnCERES project “SolarSafe” to develop cellulosic material that is self-sterilizing through a reaction initiated by a dye and light and could be applied in biomedicine.

Such new ideas are born through encounters, both inside and outside the lab. ‘The idea for our new way to produce dyes also came about from us brainstorming in the coffee room–and then we just started experimenting,’ says Daniel Langerreiter, the first author and a PhD student in the group.

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DOI

10.1002/anie.202209033 

CAPTION

As-obtained crude end-product after the solid-state synthesis.

CREDIT

Sandra Kaabel / Aalto University

New classification of the world’s coastlines to improve climate action

Business Announcement

COASTAL HAZARD WHEEL INITIATIVE

 

IMAGE: THE COASTAL HAZARD WHEEL 3.0 CONSISTING OF SIX COASTAL CLASSIFICATION CIRCLES, FIVE HAZARD CIRCLES AND THE COASTAL CLASSIFICATION CODES. IT IS USED BY STARTING IN THE WHEEL CENTRE MOVING OUTWARDS THROUGH THE COASTAL CLASSIFICATION. view more 

CREDIT: ROSENDAHL APPELQUIST 2016; 2013. HTTPS://WWW.COASTALHAZARDWHEEL.ORG/

Copenhagen, 31st August 2022

A new classification of the world’s coastlines has been released to improve coastal climate change adaptation at local, regional and national level and strengthen coordinated climate action worldwide. The classification builds on the Coastal Hazard Wheel that is a universal coastal management framework and is developed by the Coastal Hazard Wheel initiative involving Deltares, the UN Environment Programme-DHI Centre (UNEP-DHI Centre) and the UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre, with contributions from University of Copenhagen, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Novo Nordisk Foundation.

The new global coastal classification can be used by public authorities, planners and researchers to determine the key characteristics of a specific coastal location, identify relevant adaptation measures and map the full spectrum of coastal hazards, including ecosystem disruption, gradual inundation, salt water intrusion, erosion and flooding, from local to global level.

The classification makes use of the latest global geodata from remote sensing, on-site observations and modelling. It thereby provides coastal classification, hazard information and adaptation guidance for coastal stretches down to about 200 meters. The global coastal classification and adaptation guidance is made freely available as a web-application, the Coastal Hazard Wheel App, which is available via www.coastalhazardwheel.org through regular web browsers.

“With close to two billion people now living in coastal areas worldwide, timely and appropriate adaptation action is critical” says Dr Lars Rosendahl Appelquist, Head of the Coastal Hazard Wheel initiative. “The new global coastal classification and adaptation guidance can help public authorities and planners with identifying relevant management measures and can facilitate integrated coastal management and communication worldwide”.

Building proper resilience and reducing disaster risk in coastal areas is a major global challenge and particularly urgent for Small Island Developing States (SIDS). FAO and the Coastal Hazard Wheel initiative are therefore working together to test and further develop the new global coastal classification system in its efforts to support SIDS and other coastal countries with adaptation through healthy coastal ecosystems and resilient communities.

The new global coastal classification can improve and broaden the awareness and understanding of coastal challenges and the impacts of climate change. Moreover, the classification can support multi-stakeholder processes from local to global level as well as investment plans to address bottlenecks and needs. Furthermore, the classification and coastal coding system can be used as a common coastal language to facilitate communication between local, regional and national authorities, policy-makers, international organisations, researchers and practitioners.

 

NOTES TO EDITORS

About the Coastal Hazard Wheel initiative

The Coastal Hazard Wheel initiative is an international partnership with the aim of providing a detailed open access classification of the world’s coastlines and automated climate change adaptation guidance with increasing accuracy. More information can be found at www.coastalhazardwheel.org

 

About the Coastal Hazard Wheel

The Coastal Hazard Wheel methodology is a universal coastal classification and management framework to address all the main coastal challenges simultaneously. It can be used as a complete coastal language and aims to boost climate change adaptation and bridge the gap between scientists, policy-makers and the general public.

 

For more information, please contact the Coastal Hazard Wheel initiative at lra@coastalhazardwheel.org

DOE announces $70 million to improve supercomputer model of earth's climate system

National labs and university research aims to further scientists’ understanding of climate change

Grant and Award Announcement

DOE/US DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $70 million in funding for seven projects that will improve climate prediction and aid in the fight against climate change. The research will be used to accelerate development of DOE’s Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM), enabling scientific discovery through collaborations between climate scientists, computer scientists, and applied mathematicians. Data from this model will enhance scientists’ understanding of climate change, which will be crucial to furthering President Biden’s commitment to tackling the climate crisis at home and abroad. 

“Being able to understand and predict what is happening in a system as complex as planet Earth is crucial to finding solutions to climate change,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “The projects announced today will give university and National Lab researchers deep insight into our oceans, our air, and our climate and into how emissions are impacting the world around us right now and in the future.”

The projects will be led by researchers at DOE’s Los Alamos National Laboratory and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory as well as the University of New Mexico.

E3SM is an ultra-high-resolution model of Earth that is run on exascale supercomputers—digital computers like the Frontier at Oak Ridge National Laboratory that are millions of times more powerful than modern personal computers. The model is constantly being improved to provide the best simulation and prediction possible to researchers in Earth system science.

The projects announced today will improve the E3SM by, for example, advancing simulations of ocean circulation in the Atlantic and developing a framework for modeling Antarctic systems.

The projects were selected through competitive peer review process under the DOE Funding Opportunity Announcement for Scientific Discovery through Advanced Computing. Total funding is $70 million for projects lasting up to five years in duration, with $14 million in Fiscal Year 2022 dollars and outyear funding contingent on congressional appropriations.

The list of projects and more information can be found here.