Effects of highly pathogenic avian influenza on canids investigated

Peer-Reviewed Publication

HOKKAIDO UNIVERSITY

 

IMAGE: WHEN THE H5N1 HPAI VIRUS (ORANGE) AFFECTED A FLOCK OF CROWS IN A PUBLIC GARDEN, IT CAUSED A MASS DIE-OFF OF CROWS. AN EZO RED FOX AND A JAPANESE RACCOON DOG WERE ALSO INFECTED BY THE H5N1 HPAI VIRUS, THE FORMER LIKELY BY CONSUMING CORPSES OF THE CROWS, AND THE LATTER DUE TO CLOSE CONTACT WITH CROW CORPSES (ILLUSTRATION: TAKAHIRO HIONO). view more 

CREDIT: TAKAHIRO HIONO

Researchers at Hokkaido University have revealed the effects of high pathogenicity avian influenza virus infection on an Ezo red fox and a Japanese raccoon dog, linking their infection to a recorded die-off of crows.

High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza (HPAI), commonly known as a type of bird flu, is caused by a group of influenza viruses that affect birds. Humans are very rarely infected by this virus. The most well-known HPAI viral subtype is H5N1, first reported in 1996 for its infection in geese, and then found in humans since 1997. A great amount of time and resources are devoted to monitoring and tracking the spread of HPAI across the globe, due to its disruptive potential on poultry farming—outbreaks are contained by culling exposed and infected flocks.

In the winter and spring of 2021-2022, wild bird monitoring programs revealed that H5N1 HPAI viruses were present across a wide swathe of habitats in Eurasia, Africa and the Americas. On March 29, 2022, a die-off of crows was reported in a public garden in the northern city of Sapporo, Japan. A dead Ezo red fox and an emaciated Japanese raccoon dog (tanuki) were also found in the same park shortly afterwards.

A team of researchers led by Professor Yoshihiro Sakoda at Hokkaido University performed post-mortem diagnosis and microbiological examinations of the crows, the fox and the raccoon dog to understand the cause of death. Their discoveries, which were published in the journal Virology, showed that it was highly likely that the fox and raccoon dog had become infected with the HPAI virus via contact with the diseased crows. However, as the route of contact was different, the effects of HPAI on the two canids were also different.

"The susceptibility of crows to HPAI viruses varies depending on the strain, but the current HPAI virus strain appears to thrive in crows. As a result, carnivorous mammals such as foxes are at risk of infection with HPAI if they consume crow carcasses. On the other hand, raccoon dogs primarily consume fruits, plant seeds, and insects, so it is believed that he was infected due to close contact with crow carcasses," explained Takahiro Hiono, the first author of the paper.

The crows, fox and raccoon dog all tested positive for isolation of the H5N1 HPAI virus. Further analysis revealed that the viruses from all three sources were closely related to each other, although they were not completely identical.

The fox and raccoon dog then underwent necropsies and their tissues were investigated under the microscope. The investigations revealed that the virus had infected the upper respiratory tracts of both the fox and the raccoon dog. The virus was also detected in the brain of the fox, consistent with reports from other studies. Interestingly, the raccoon dog had survived the acute HPAI virus infection, but the virus damaged its eyes—which resulted in a drastic reduction in its quality of life. A study of the cell receptors for influenza viruses in the respiratory system of the fox and raccoon dog also suggested that they may be intrinsically susceptible to HPAI virus infection.

"Recently, there has been an increasing number of cases of HPAI virus infections in wild carnivorous mammals. The expansion of HPAI viruses in nature is now having a detrimental effect on the ecosystem," stated Hiono. "We need to expand our monitoring programs in order to gain a more detailed understanding of the ecology of HPAI viruses and identify potential risk factors for the spread of this virus in nature."

The study did have some limitations, the most definitive of which was that only one individual from each species was studied. In addition, the intestines were not investigated as there was a risk of exposure to other pathogens.

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JOURNAL

Virology

DOI

10.1016/j.virol.2022.11.008 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Case study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Animals

ARTICLE TITLE

Virological, pathological, and glycovirological investigations of an Ezo red fox and a tanuki

Breakthrough as scientists sequence the genomes of endangered sharks

Scientists have sequenced the genomes of two endangered sharks. Low genetic diversity and signs of inbreeding ring alarm bells for great hammerheads, but there may be hope for shortfin makos that showed higher genetic diversity and limited inbreeding.

Peer-Reviewed Publication

SAVE OUR SEAS FOUNDATION

 

IMAGE: SCIENTISTS HAVE SEQUENCED TO CHROMOSOME LEVEL THE GENOMES OF GREAT HAMMERHEAD AND SHORTFIN MAKO SHARKS, SHOWING THAT THEIR POPULATIONS HAVE DECLINED OVER 250,000 YEARS. view more 

CREDIT: © CHRIS VAUGHAN-JONES

‘With their whole genomes deciphered at high resolution we have a much better window into the evolutionary history of these endangered species,’ says Professor Mahmood Shivji.

It’s a startling image that describes a milestone in conservation science for sharks. Professor Shivji, Professor Michael Stanhope and their collaborators have glanced back in history by sequencing to chromosome level the genomes (entire genetic blueprint) of great hammerhead and shortfin mako sharks. Their DNA timeline shows that their populations have declined substantially over 250,000 years. What the scientists have also found is worrying: great hammerhead sharks have low genetic variation, which makes them less resilient to adapting to our rapidly changing world. The species also shows signs of inbreeding, an issue that can lower the ability of its populations to survive. The shortfin mako shark, however, showed higher diversity and limited inbreeding, a hopeful glint in the gloomy conservation climate. Understanding change over such a large timescale can put into context the current conservation status of these endangered animals. The results can help direct us towards much more nuanced management strategies for sharks. 

The findings are published in a paper in iScience: ‘Genomes of endangered great hammerhead and shortfin mako sharks reveal historic population declines and high levels of inbreeding in great hammerhead’, led by Professor Stanhope from Cornell University and Professor Shivji, director of the Save Our Seas Foundation Shark Research Center and Guy Harvey Research Institute, Nova Southeastern University, with collaborators from Cornell University, Nova Southeastern University, Temple University, Governors State University, and the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. The scientists acquired and assembled entire genome sequences for great hammerhead and shortfin mako sharks and compared their genomes with genome information available for the whale shark, white shark, brownbanded bamboo shark and cloudy catshark. Their methods read like complex puzzle-building by scientific sleuths: successively assembling from tiny fragments of DNA different sequences like a great patchwork tapestry that details the blueprint of life. Reaching chromosome level represents the latest in high-quality whole genome sequence research - and a tricky feat to achieve for species like sharks that have enormous genomes. 

Shortfin mako sharks showed higher diversity and limited inbreeding, a hopeful glint in the gloomy conservation climate.

CREDIT

Simon Hilbourne

The application of advancing techniques comes amidst bleak reports for sharks and rays.

“Technical advances in the study of genomes mean that DNA sequencing approaches are much more powerful and efficient now”, says Professor Stanhope. “We can apply these new technologies to gain insights about the organism, information that we hope can be leveraged to protect sharks and rays”.

While we don’t know exactly the effects of inbreeding in sharks, findings from wolves and cheetahs show that problematic traits can creep in over time. The result is often lowered survival of the species. The picture for great hammerhead sharks - overfished and traded for their fins – is worrying. But without these critical genetic insights, we would be unable to modify how their vulnerable populations are currently managed.  

The researchers are cautious about overstating results.

‘Genetics has advanced such that chromosomal level genomes are the expectation for a reference quality genome for species. However, conservation research presents its own challenges to achieving this consistently and at the resolution expected in other fields’. Professor Shivji adds that: ‘Obtaining tissue samples from endangered marine vertebrates is a major hurdle. You can assemble the genome with a single tissue sample from a single shark, but the ideal circumstance would be to sequence genomes from multiple individuals from different parts of their ocean range, an ethically difficult and costly endeavour.’

Indeed, the researchers state this as a limitation of their current study. The ethical limitations to working with endangered species means that conservation geneticists must balance the latest advances with respect for the fragile populations they study. In addition to revealing the genetic diversity and fragile status of two endangered shark species, the researchers hope that their results will provide what they term reference-quality genomes, from which future foundational science can build to improve what we know about sharks. Certainly, as new possibilities arise, our insights into the blueprint of sharks will help strengthen the way we understand these ecologically important species and conserve their vulnerable populations.  

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JOURNAL

iScience

DOI

10.1016/j.isci.2022.105815 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Animals

ARTICLE TITLE

Genomes of endangered great hammerhead and shortfin mako sharks reveal historic population declines and high levels of inbreeding in great hammerhead

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

4-Jan-2023

Primary language of mothers linked to continued breastfeeding during NICU hospitalization

Interventions must consider social and cultural factors that influence breastfeeding continuation including language

Peer-Reviewed Publication

BOSTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

(Boston)—Very-low-birthweight (VLBW) infants are at substantially higher risk for chronic health problems and neurodevelopmental disabilities compared with full term infants. It is well- established that providing mother’s milk to an infant (also known as provision of mother’s milk) during hospitalization in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is associated with the reduced risk of multiple premature birth-related morbidities. Although the overall rate of provision of mother’s milk in the U.S. has increased in the last decade, racial/ethnic inequities persist.

 

Because the majority of non-English-speaking adults in Massachusetts are Hispanic, researchers believe that maternal language other than English could account for the large Hispanic/White difference in provision of mother’s milk observed in the state and potentially contribute to the Black/White difference as well. However, the relationship between maternal non-English primary language speakers and breastfeeding in the preterm population is complex.

 

“Understanding the key contributing factors that underlie the observed racial/ethnic inequities in mother’s milk provision is needed to devise and implement tailored interventions,” said Erika Cordova Ramos, MD, assistant professor of pediatrics at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, in a new study.

 

To better understand this issue, researchers at the School and Boston Medical Center (BMC) examined the association of maternal race/ethnicity and language with any and exclusive mother’s milk given to infants at NICU discharge. They also studied the time to cessation of mother’s milk during the course of the NICU hospitalization among racial/ethnic and language groups. They found maternal primary language was associated with breastfeeding continuation over the course of the NICU hospitalization.

 

“Notably, we found opposite associations for Hispanic and Black mothers in our state. Among Hispanic mothers, non-English versus English-speaking mothers had lower rates of milk provision. Among Black mothers, non-English versus English-speaking Black mothers had higher rates of milk provision. These differences likely reflect the complex interplay of social and cultural factors that influence continuation of mother’s milk provision among racial/ethnic minority mothers of VLBW infants,” adds Cordova Ramos, who also is a neonatologist at BMC.

 

According to the researchers, this study highlights the important heterogeneity that exists among racial/ethnic groups that is often overlooked in observational and interventional studies. They hypothesize that the differences they found for Hispanic and Black mothers in the state includes geographic makeup and acculturation of non-English speaking populations, cultural norms, socioeconomic factors and structural racism that contribute to maternal breastfeeding continuation.

 

These findings appear online in the journal Breastfeeding Medicine.

 

Dr. E.G.C.-R. is supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, through BU-CTSI Grant Number 1KL2TR001411.

 

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JOURNAL

Breastfeeding Medicine

DOI

10.1089/bfm.2022.0150 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Observational study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Association of Primary Language with Provision of Mother's Milk Among Very-Low-Birthweight Infants in Massachusetts

Study finds climate impact labels on sample fast food menu had strong effect on food selection

‘High climate impact’ label on burgers increased non-beef choices by 23 percent; findings highlight potential of promoting sustainable food choices

Peer-Reviewed Publication

JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY BLOOMBERG SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

A new study has found that including climate impact labels on a sample fast food menu influenced participants’ food choices in favor of more climate-friendly items. The study was led by a researcher at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

For the study, more than 5,000 online participants were shown a sample menu resembling a fast food menu and asked to choose a single item for dinner. One group of participants received a menu with non-red meat menu items such as chicken sandwiches labeled “low climate impact.” Another group received a menu with red meat items—burgers—labeled “high climate impact.” A third control group received menus with QR codes on all items and no climate labels.

Both the high and low climate impact labels markedly reduced red meat selections compared to the control group, with the high impact labels having a strong effect. Menus with a “high climate impact” label on burgers increased non-beef choices by 23 percent compared to the control group. Menus that included “low climate impact” labels increased non-beef choices, such as a chicken sandwich or a salad, by about 10 percent more participants than those in the control group.

The study was published online December 27 in JAMA Network Open.

“These results suggest that menu labeling, particularly labels warning that an item has high climate impact, can be an effective strategy for encouraging more sustainable food choices in a fast food setting,” says study lead author Julia Wolfson, PhD, associate professor in the Department of International Health at the Bloomberg School.

Using labels on menus has long been seen as a potential approach for promoting healthful and sustainable food options. 

For their study, Wolfson and her co-authors wanted to test how signaling climate change impacts of fast food menu items might prompt people to opt for less red meat. Red meat consumption has been linked to health problems such as colorectal cancer, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and other illnesses. Less consumption of red meat also would also help to lower greenhouse gas emissions which would help reduce climate change because beef production is the largest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions in the food and agriculture sector.

The study was fielded from March 30 to April 13, 2022, and included 5,049 nationwide participants. The “low climate impact” labels for vegetarian, chicken, or fish menu items were green. The “high climate impact” labels for all beef burger choices were red. The authors based the high/low impact climate categories on evidence that beef has high climate impact compared to other proteins. 

In addition to being asked to choose an item for dinner, participants were asked to rate how healthy they thought the item they ordered was. No matter which type of label was on the menu viewed, participants who selected a more sustainable (i.e., non-beef) item perceived their choice to be healthier compared to those who selected a beef item.

To assess the healthfulness of the sample menu items, the researchers applied a widely used measure called the Nutritional Profiling Index. The Index measures the healthfulness of foods on a 100-point scale, with 64 and lower considered healthful. The researchers found that the choices of the “high climate impact” label group scored slightly better than those of the control group and the “low climate impact” group. However, none of the items on the menu scored high enough to be considered optimally healthful.

While encouraging on the whole, the results suggest that positively framed “low climate impact” labels are less effective in encouraging sustainable food choices compared to “high climate impact” labels. At the same time, climate labels may have the unwanted side effect of making a choice seem healthier than it actually is.

“An undeserved health halo conferred to unhealthy menu items could encourage their overconsumption,” Wolfson says. “So we have to look for labeling strategies that create ‘win-wins’ for promoting both more sustainable and healthy choices.”

Wolfson and her colleagues aim to do similar studies in more real-world food-choice settings.

“Effect of climate change impact menu labels on fast food ordering choices among US adults: a randomized clinical trial” was co-authored by Julia Wolfson, Aviva Musicus, Cindy Leung, Ashley Gearhardt, and Jennifer Falbe.

Support for the research was provided by the National Institutes of Health (K01DK119166, 2T32CA057711, K01DK113068) and the National Science Foundation (0818839).

---

DOI

10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.48320 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Randomized controlled/clinical trial

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Effect of Climate Change Impact Menu Labels on Fast Food Ordering Choices Among US Adults

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

27-Dec-2022

Consumer preferences for sustainably

produced meat and meat substitutes in

Japan

Peer-Reviewed Publication

TOKYO INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

 

IMAGE: - view more 

CREDIT: TOKYO TECH

Meat has multiple nutritional benefits and is consumed as the primary source of protein by an increasing segment of the world’s population. However, there have been significant environmental costs associated with the growing demand for meat. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reported in 2013 that livestock production accounts for 14.5% of all greenhouse gas emissions caused by human activity.

To reduce the environmental impact of meat production and meet the increasing demand for protein sustainably, there have been efforts to switch to alternative livestock farming practices and protein sources such as plant-based protein and lab-grown meat, also known as cultured meat.

To understand consumer preferences and attitudes towards these alternative protein sources, researchers from Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) and Shinshu University in Japan conducted a survey involving 4,421 beef consumers and shoppers in Japan.

“To the best of our knowledge, this report is the first to explore and give insights on beef and meat substitutes in Japan, where there have been fewer reports than in other markets,” says Associate Professor Takumi Ohashi from Tokyo Tech. The results of this survey are discussed in their study, which was published in Meat Science and was made available online on 24 November 2022. 

Most of the respondents preferred domestic beef, but their choices of production methods and preference for meat substitutes were influenced by a wide range of factors such as cost, familiarity, and various sociodemographic characteristics. 

“Five segments could be identified according to the respondents’ choice preferences in each segment: novelty accepters, generous customers, attribute–economy balancers, price–conscious, and conservatives,” says Prof. Ohashi.

The largest group, comprising 32% of respondents, were generous customers who were willing to pay a premium for organic beef mince. The second largest group, comprising over 19% of the respondents were conservative consumers who preferred beef mince produced by conventional methods. 18.3% of respondents were attribute-economy balancers and 18.1% were price-conscious customers, who shared similar preferences with the generous customers but were more influenced by the price of meat when making their decisions.

In these four segments, plant-based substitutes and cultured meat were the least preferred. However, novelty accepters, who made up the smallest group of respondents at 13%, stood out in the survey due to their high preference towards sustainably grown meat and meat substitutes. This group was characterized by their willingness to try new and innovative products.

Overall, the survey found that 80% of respondents preferred Japanese-origin organic beef and were willing to pay a premium for the same.. However, most of the respondents were unlikely to switch to plant-based meat or cultured meat.

The results of the survey suggest that there is a diverse range of preferences and behaviors among consumers in Japan when it comes to the types of beef production and meat substitutes. Taking into consideration the values and preferences of each consumer segment can help incentivize the use of alternative and sustainable protein sources.

 

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JOURNAL

Meat Science

DOI

10.1016/j.meatsci.2022.109047 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Survey

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Meat the challenge: Segmentation and profiling of Japanese beef mince and its substitutes consumers

A downward spiral: When subsistence communities struggle, forests do too

Deforestation is being driven by changing socioeconomic circumstances

Peer-Reviewed Publication

THE ALLIANCE OF BIOVERSITY INTERNATIONAL AND THE INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR TROPICAL AGRICULTURE

 

IMAGE: HOUSEHOLDS LIKE THIS ONE IN THE AMAZON OFTEN RELY ON FORESTS FOR BASIC NEEDS AND LIVELIHOODS. view more 

CREDIT: N.PALMER

Subsistence communities often rely on natural resources to meet their basic needs. 90 percent of people globally living in extreme poverty depend on forests for at least part of their livelihoods, according to the FAO. These groups are generally not viewed as drivers of forest loss and degradation; in fact, they are traditionally linked with low environmental and carbon footprints.

However, new assessments suggest that this is changing due to socioeconomic factors that spur demands for natural resources. 

What turns ‘sustainable livelihoods’ into a deforestation driver?

In the review “Carbon footprints of forest degradation and deforestation by 'basic-needs populations'”, published in October 2022 in the journal Carbon Footprints, researchers assessed 161 basic needs communities across 101 scientific studies and found that livelihood activities by basic needs populations can become unsustainable via changes in context and socioeconomic factors, leading to “environmental downward spirals”, which in turn increase carbon footprints through deforestation and forest degradation.

Wendy Francesconi, the paper’s first author, is a Senior Environmental Scientist (leading research on Ecosystem Services and Environmental Impact) at the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, an international research center.

She explains that this study aimed to identify what livelihood practices are more often associated with forest loss and degradation: “This review covered some of the most commonly known livelihood and economic activities carried out by rural and traditional communities; from animal husbandry, crop production, and fishing; to illegal practices, non-timber forest products, and wood harvesting.”

These practices should be recognized for both their global and community level effects, Francesconi says:

“We do not know the true extent of poverty-driven deforestation and forest degradation. While it is well understood that the industrial and commercial sectors are the main contributors to the climate and biodiversity crisis, subsistence communities will be directly impacted by immediate changes in the provision of ecosystem services, as they heavily depend on these.”

Filling in the gaps with context-based solutions

Poverty-driven deforestation and degradation is a complex, hard to measure issue.  But by better understanding unsustainable triggers and practices, researchers can also identify market-driven, inclusive, and targeted solutions to help slow or reverse this potentially significant source of land cover change and increasing carbon emissions.

Building on the Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT’s longstanding research with subsistence communities to understand the relationship between agriculture, land cover changes, and resource extraction, Francesconi says that solutions will be as varied as the number of subsistence communities: they should be adapted to a community’s culture and customs, geographic context, food and production systems, and include market-based transformations that promote sustainable livelihood activities.

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JOURNAL

Carbon Footprints

DOI

10.20517/cf.2022.10 

ARTICLE TITLE

Carbon footprints of forest degradation and deforestation by “basic-needs populations”: a review

Serpent in the sky captured with ESO telescope

Reports and Proceedings

ESO

 

IMAGE: THIS IMAGE OF THE SPECTACULAR SH2-54 NEBULA WAS TAKEN IN INFRARED LIGHT USING ESO’S VISTA TELESCOPE AT PARANAL OBSERVATORY IN CHILE. THE CLOUDS OF DUST AND GAS THAT ARE NORMALLY OBVIOUS IN VISIBLE LIGHT ARE LESS EVIDENT HERE, AND IN THIS LIGHT WE CAN SEE THE LIGHT OF THE STARS BEHIND THE NEBULAE NOW PIERCING THROUGH. view more 

CREDIT: ESO/VVVX

A myriad of stars is revealed behind the faint orange glow of the Sh2-54 nebula in this new infrared image. Located in the constellation Serpens, this stunning stellar nursery has been captured in all its intricate detail using the Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA) based at ESO’s Paranal Observatory in Chile.

When the ancients looked up at the night sky they saw random patterns in the stars. The Greeks, for instance, named one of these “constellations” Serpens (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serpens), because of its resemblance to a snake. What they wouldn’t have been able to see is that at the tail end of this constellation there is a wealth of stunning astronomical objects (https://www.eso.org/public/images/eso1719a/). These include the Eagle (https://www.eso.org/public/images/eso0926a/), the Omega (https://www.eso.org/public/images/eso1119a/) and the Sh2-54 nebulae; the last of these is revealed, in a new light, in this spectacular infrared image.

Nebulae are vast clouds of gas and dust from which stars are born. Telescopes have allowed astronomers to identify and analyse these rather faint objects in exquisite detail. The nebula shown here, located about 6000 light-years away, is officially called Sh2-54; the “Sh” refers to the US astronomer Steward Sharpless (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharpless_catalog), who catalogued more than 300 nebulae in the 1950s.

As the technology used to explore the Universe progresses, so too does our understanding of these stellar nurseries. One of these advances is the ability to look beyond the light that can be detected by our eyes, such as infrared light. Just as the snake, the namesake of this nebula, evolved the ability to sense infrared light to better understand its environment, so too have we developed infrared instruments to learn more about the Universe.

Whilst visible light is easily absorbed by clouds of dust in nebulae, infrared light can pass through the thick layers of dust almost unimpeded. The image here therefore reveals a wealth of stars hidden behind the veils of dust. This is particularly useful as it allows scientists to study what happens in stellar nurseries in much greater detail, and thus learn more about how stars form.

This image was captured in infrared light using the sensitive 67-million-pixel camera (https://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/paranal-observatory/surveytelescopes/vista/camera/) on ESO’s VISTA (https://www.eso.org/public/usa/teles-instr/paranal-observatory/surveytelescopes/vista/) telescope at Paranal Observatory in Chile. It was taken as part of the VVVX (https://vvvsurvey.org/) survey — the VISTA Variables (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variable_star) in the Via Láctea (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milky_Way) eXtended survey. This is a multi-year project that has repeatedly observed a large portion of the Milky Way at infrared wavelengths, providing key data to understand stellar evolution.

More information

The European Southern Observatory (ESO) enables scientists worldwide to discover the secrets of the Universe for the benefit of all. We design, build and operate world-class observatories on the ground — which astronomers use to tackle exciting questions and spread the fascination of astronomy — and promote international collaboration in astronomy. Established as an intergovernmental organisation in 1962, today ESO is supported by 16 Member States (Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom), along with the host state of Chile and with Australia as a Strategic Partner. ESO’s headquarters and its visitor centre and planetarium, the ESO Supernova, are located close to Munich in Germany, while the Chilean Atacama Desert, a marvellous place with unique conditions to observe the sky, hosts our telescopes. ESO operates three observing sites: La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor. At Paranal, ESO operates the Very Large Telescope and its Very Large Telescope Interferometer, as well as survey telescopes such as VISTA. Also at Paranal ESO will host and operate the Cherenkov Telescope Array South, the world’s largest and most sensitive gamma-ray observatory. Together with international partners, ESO operates ALMA on Chajnantor, a facility that observes the skies in the millimetre and submillimetre range. At Cerro Armazones, near Paranal, we are building “the world’s biggest eye on the sky” — ESO’s Extremely Large Telescope. From our offices in Santiago, Chile we support our operations in the country and engage with Chilean partners and society.

Links

* Photos of the VLT - http://www.eso.org/public/images/archive/category/paranal/
* Photos of VISTA - http://www.eso.org/public/images/archive/category/surveytelescopes/
* For journalists: subscribe to receive our releases under embargo in your language - https://www.eso.org/public/outreach/pressmedia/#epodpress_form
* For scientists: got a story? Pitch your research - http://www.eso.org/sci/publications/announcements/sciann17463.html

Contacts

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ESO Media Officer
Garching bei München, Germany
Tel: +49 89 3200 6176
Email: press@eso.org

Amazon to shed over 18,000 jobs as it cuts costs, CEO says

PublishedShar

By Annabelle Liang

Business reporter

Amazon aims to shed more than 18,000 roles as it cuts costs, the technology giant's boss says.

Affected workers will be informed from 18 January, chief executive Andy Jassy said in a note to staff.

The cuts amount to around 6% of the firm's roughly 300,000-strong corporate workforce.

In November Amazon said it was starting a round of layoffs but did not give a figure of how many jobs it would cut.

"We are working to support those who are affected and are providing packages that include a separation payment, transitional health insurance benefits, and external job placement support," Mr Jassy said.

He added: "Amazon has weathered uncertain and difficult economies in the past, and we will continue to do so."

Mr Jassy did not specify where affected employees were located, but he said the firm would communicate with organisations that represent employees "where applicable in Europe".

He also said the "majority of role eliminations" would be in the Amazon Stores operations and its People, Experience, and Technology team.

Two months ago the firm said it would focus on reducing expenses in its annual review of business operations.

Amazon had already introduced a hiring freeze and halted some of its warehouse expansions, warning it had over-hired during the pandemic.

It has also taken steps to shut some parts of its business, cancelling projects such as a personal delivery robot.

Amazon to cut thousands of more jobs than previously planned as warning signs of a tech slump flash red

BYSIGNE SPENCER, MATT DAY AND BLOOMBERG
January 4, 2023 

Andy Jassy, chief executive officer of Amazon.
DAVID RYDER/BLOOMBERG VIA GETTY IMAGES

Amazon.com Inc. is laying off more than 17,000 employees — a significantly bigger number than previously planned — in the latest sign that a technology slump is deepening, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The cuts, which began last year, were previously expected to affect about 10,000 people. The reduction is concentrated in the firm’s corporate ranks, according to the Journal, which cited unidentified people familiar with the matter.

Though the prospect of layoffs has loomed over Amazon for months — the company has acknowledged that it hired too many people during the pandemic — the increasing total suggests the company’s outlook has darkened. It joins other tech giants in making major cuts. Earlier Wednesday, Salesforce Inc. announced plans to eliminate about 10% of its workforce and reduce its real estate holdings.

Amazon investors gave a positive reaction to the latest belt-tightening efforts, betting it may bolster profits at the e-commerce company. The shares climbed nearly 2% in late trading after the report.

Eliminating 17,000 workers would be the biggest cut yet for tech companies during the current slowdown, but Amazon also has a far bigger workforce than Silicon Valley peers. It had more than 1.5 million employees as of the end of September, meaning the latest cuts would represent about 1% of the workforce.

At the time the company was planning its cuts in November, a spokesperson said Amazon had roughly 350,000 corporate employees worldwide.

The world’s largest online retailer spent the end of last year adjusting to a sharp slowdown in e-commerce growth as shoppers returned to pre-pandemic habits. Amazon delayed warehouse openings and halted hiring in its retail group. It broadened the freeze to the company’s corporate staff and then began making cuts.

Chief Executive Officer Andy Jassy has eliminated or curtailed experimental and unprofitable businesses, including teams working on a telehealth service, a delivery robot and a kids’ video-calling device, among other projects.

The Seattle-based company also is trying to align excess capacity with cooling demand. One effort includes trying to sell excess space on its cargo planes, according to people familiar with the matter.

The first wave of cuts landed heaviest on Amazon’s Devices and Services group, which builds the Alexa digital assistant and Echo smart speaker, among other products. The group’s chief told Bloomberg last month that layoffs in the unit totaled less than 2,000 people, and that Amazon remained committed to the voice assistant.

Some recruiters and employees in the company’s human resources group were offered buyouts. Jassy told employees in November that more cuts would come in 2023 at its retail and HR teams.