New study suggests that when forecasting trends, reading a bar chart versus a line graph biases our judgement.

Study suggests that judgmental forecasting by non-experts of trends in time-series data, such as weekly sales data, is consistently lower when the information is displayed in bar chart format as opposed to a line graph or point graph.

Peer-Reviewed Publication

CITY UNIVERSITY LONDO

A new study suggests that the format in which graphs are presented may be biasing people into being too optimistic or pessimistic about the trends the graphs display.

Academics from City, University of London and University College London found that when people made predictions about how a trend would develop over time, they made lower judgements when the trend was presented as a ‘bar chart’ type graph than when exactly the same data was presented as a line graph or a graph consisting of a set of data points only.

The study comprised four experiments conducted online with over four thousand participants in total.  In the first two experiments, participants were each given a single graph, either a bar chart, line graph or point graph, populated with 50 datapoints representing weekly sales made by a fictitious company. Participants had to click on the graph to show how many sales they thought the company would make in the eight weeks that followed. They were incentivised to give accurate responses.

In the first experiment the number of sales in the graph provided increased week on week, and participants generally forecast that sales would increase further; in the second experiment, the trends in the graph were decreasing making participants more pessimistic about sales in the future.

Nevertheless, across many different types of trend participants consistently thought sales would be lower when the data were presented as bar charts than line graphs or point graphs.

The researchers wondered whether the reason was that in bar charts the area inside the bar is usually heavily shaded and hence visually draws attention to itself, lowering participants’ estimates as compared to the other types of graph where there is no shading to attract the eye and attention. However, in a third experiment, they found the same lower forecasts for bars even when the bars were left unshaded.

In a fourth experiment they tested a version of a bar chart where the bars emanated from the top of the graph rather than the bottom. While subtle trends in the data suggest this may reverse the bias, the findings were inconclusive.

Stian Reimers, Professor of Psychology and Behavioural Science at the School of Health & Psychological Sciences, City, University of London, and who led the research said:

“In the past few years it seems like we have spent a lot of time looking at time series: whether it’s the number of Covid cases, electricity prices or inflation rates, to try to work out what’s coming next. What our research shows is that our predictions of what we think will happen next are affected not just by the trends we’re looking at, but the format in which they’re displayed. This obviously has implications for all of us as we try to make decisions on whether it’s likely to be safe to visit vulnerable relatives, or whether we’ll be able to afford to take on a mortgage.”

As well as affecting the decisions that individuals make, these biases may also affect the many businesses that perform analyses like ‘demand forecasting,’ where historical data is used to estimate and predict customers' future demand for a product or service; specifically when these judgements are made unaided by individuals directly ‘eyeballing’ graphs and estimating how they think a trend is going to develop.

However, Professor Reimers believes these biases could have benefits:

“It’s potentially useful because these kinds of format effect might help counteract some of the other errors people make when projecting trends into the future. A lot of the other biases that people show when trying to extrapolate trends are baked into the way we see the world and hard to change. The format we use for our graphs is something we have complete control over, so it may be possible to use specific formats to help undo people’s built-in biases and help people make more accurate judgements.

“Although we had a lot of participants, this is just a small set of studies. It will be interesting to see how well these findings generalise across different formats and levels of expertise, and exciting to try to find the ways of presenting data that unfolds over time in a way that helps people best capture the state of the world and most accurately predict what is likely to happen next.”

The research is published open access in the International Journal of Forecasting.

ENDS

Notes to editors

Contact details:

To speak to Professor Stian Reimers, contact Dr Shamim Quadir, Senior Communications Officer, School of Health & Psychological Sciences. Tel: +44(0) 207 040 8782 Email: shamim.quadir@city.ac.uk.

Read the full study in the International Journal of Forecasting

Bars, lines and points: The effect of graph format on judgmental forecasting

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169207022001467?via%3Dihub

Graphs for illustrative purposes only*

Example illustration of the three types of graph used in the study can be downloaded from the journal website here: a bar chart (left), point graph(centre) and line graph (right).  *Please note this is an illustrative example, and the graphs here do not show the same data as each other.

About City, University of London

City, University of London is a global higher education institution committed to academic excellence, with a focus on business and the professions and an enviable central London location.

City’s academic range is broadly-based with world-leading strengths in business; law; health sciences; mathematics; computer science; engineering; social sciences; and the arts including journalism and music.

City has around 20,000 students (46% at postgraduate level) from more than 160 countries and staff from over 75 countries.

In the last REF, City doubled the proportion of its total academic staff producing world-leading or internationally excellent research.

More than 140,000 former students from over 180 countries are members of the City Alumni Network.

The University’s history dates from 1894, with the foundation of the Northampton Institute on what is now the main part of City’s campus.  In 1966, City was granted University status by Royal Charter and the Lord Mayor of London became its Chancellor. In September 2016, City joined the University of London and HRH the Princess Royal became City’s Chancellor.

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JOURNAL

International Journal of Forecasting

DOI

10.1016/j.ijforecast.2022.11.003 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Bars, lines and points: The effect of graph format on judgmental forecasting.

How salmon feed flowers & flourishing ecosystems: Study

Peer-Reviewed Publication

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

 

IMAGE: RESEARCHERS FOUND THAT THE ADDITION OF SALMON CARCASSES LED TO LARGER LEAVES, PARTICULARLY IN YARROW AND COMMON RED PAINTBRUSH, AND A GREATER SEED SET IN YARROW IN THE THIRD YEAR. view more 

CREDIT: ALLISON DENNERT, SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

Nutrients from salmon carcasses can substantively alter the growth and reproduction of plant species in the surrounding habitat, and even cause some flowers to grow bigger and more plentiful, SFU researchers have found.

Their study, published today in the journal Royal Society Open Science, is the first to demonstrate a connection between salmon and coastal plant growth and reproduction. The work extends what has previously been known about a nitrogen isotope that is found in some plants and animals in the ecosystem and has been generally attributed to the nutrients from salmon.

It also sheds light on the bigger picture of how the impact of climate change on the rivers and streams travelled by salmon could help to inform ecosystem planning and management.

During a three-year field study, researchers experimentally added pink salmon carcasses into the estuary of a small river in Haíɫzaqv (Heiltsuk) territory on B.C.’s central coast. The area features a large meadow of grasses and wildflowers.

“Following our experiments, we found that some species of wildflower grew larger leaves where a salmon carcass was deposited, and in some years, some species grew larger flowers or produced more seeds,” says PhD biology student Allison Dennert, who led the research, working with SFU biology professors Elizabeth Elle and John Reynolds.

The team undertook similar experiments using drift seaweed rockweed, which provides a different set of nutrients. They also experimented with a combination of rockweed and salmon carcasses, and a control, then examined their impacts on four common wildflower species, including silverweed, yarrow, Douglas’ aster and common red paintbrush.

Researchers found that the addition of salmon carcasses led to larger leaves, particularly in yarrow and common red paintbrush, and a greater seed set in yarrow in the third year.

"Understanding the interconnection between ecosystems is incredibly important to our knowledge of how to protect them,” says Dennert, who also works with the Raincoast Conservation Foundation.

“Currently, lands and waters are managed under separate provincial and federal jurisdictions. Scientifically and management-wise, we think of the land and sea as separate and unconnected entities. This work furthers the idea that ecosystems don’t exist in isolation, and that what happens in one can influence the other.”

The research comes as salmon in the region continue to see declines. Research published last summer by SFU alumnus Will Atlas found that chum salmon abundance in the team’s study region declined almost 50 per cent within the last 15 years, and over 70 per cent within the last 50 years.

Dennert was among researchers who found thousands of decaying salmon in a dried up river in the Heiltsuk Nation last summer. “In some areas on our coast,” she notes, “we’re rapidly losing salmon biomass and the ocean’s connection to life on land."

Research lead, PhD biology student Allison Dennert with SFU biology's Reynolds Lab and the Earth2Ocean Research Group.

Research lead, PhD biology student Allison Dennert with SFU biology's Reynolds Lab and the Earth2Ocean Research Group.

CREDIT

Simon Fraser University

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JOURNAL

Royal Society Open Science

DOI

10.1098/rsos.221008 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Animals

ARTICLE TITLE

Experimental addition of marine-derived nutrients affects wildflower traits in a coastal meta-ecosystem

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

25-Jan-2023

80-year-old medical mystery that caused baby deaths solved

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF EAST ANGLIA

Researchers at the University of East Anglia have solved an 80-year-old medical mystery that causes kidney damage in children and can be fatal in babies.

Those affected by the condition cannot metabolise vitamin D properly, causing a build-up of calcium in the blood and leading to kidney damage and kidney stones.

It led to a wave of baby deaths in the 1930s and 1940s, after foods such as milk, bread, cereal, and margarine were fortified with Vitamin D in a bid to eradicate rickets in children.

Recent research had shown that the condition, now known as infantile hypercalcaemia type 1, is caused by a gene mutation. But curiously, around 10 per cent of patients experiencing symptoms do not have the genetic mutation.

“This really puzzled us,” said lead researcher Dr Darrell Green, from UEA’s Norwich Medical School. “So we wanted to find out exactly why this 10 per cent appeared to have the condition, but without the gene mutation that was found to cause it.”

The puzzle began in the early 1900s, when more than 80 per cent of children in industrialised Europe and North America were affected by rickets, which causes bone pain, poor growth and soft, weak, deformed bones.

The discovery that sunlight prevented rickets led to fortification of foods with vitamin D, which all but eradicated the disease by the 1930s. But outbreaks of vitamin D intoxication in infants led to fortification bans in many European countries by the 1950s.

Dr Green said: “Foods such as dairy products had been fortified with vitamin D, but it led to a number of baby deaths, and was eventually banned in many countries except for in breakfast cereals and margarine.

“In 2011, researchers found that some people are born with a mutation in the CYP24A1 gene, which means they cannot metabolise vitamin D properly. This causes a build-up of calcium in the blood, leading to kidney stones and kidney damage, which can be fatal in babies. It was the reason why vitamin D-fortified food in the 1930s caused intoxication in some people.

“Today, some people do not realise they have a CYP24A1 mutation until they are adults, after years of recurrent kidney stones and other problems. In most cases, these patients are screened and find out that they have the CYP24A1 mutation and the disorder now known as infantile hypercalcemia type 1, or HCINF1.

“However, in around 10 per cent of suspected HCINF1 patients, they do not display an obvious mutation in CYP24A1 and continue to have lifelong problems without a proper diagnosis.”

The UEA team collaborated with colleagues at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, where they worked with 47 patients.

They used a combination of next generation genetic sequencing and computational modelling to study blood samples from those ’10 per cent’ of puzzling patients.

Dr Green said: “A PhD student in my laboratory, Nicole Ball, carried out a more extensive genetic analysis of six patient blood samples and we found that the physical shape of the CYP24A1 gene in these apparent HCINF1 patients is abnormal.

“This tells us that gene shape is important in gene regulation - and that this is the reason why some people lived with HCINF1 but without a definitive diagnosis”, he added.

“On a wider scale relevant to genetics and health, we know that genes must have the correct sequence to produce the correct protein, but in an added layer of complexity, we now know that genes also have to have a correct physical shape,” added Dr Green.

Prof Bill Fraser, from both Norwich Medical School and the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, co-led the study and treats HCINF1 patients in metabolic bone clinics.

He said: “Genetic causes of vitamin D toxicity can be left undiagnosed for long periods, well into adulthood, sometimes coming to light during pregnancy when fortification of mothers with vitamin D happens. We also see patients with undiagnosed causes of recurrent renal stones who have had this condition for many years.

“Treatment includes avoidance of vitamin D supplementation in subjects with the particular genetic abnormalities we have identified.

“A beneficial side effect to some anti-fungal medications includes alteration of vitamin D metabolism lowering active vitamin D, which decreases calcium levels and can give patients a more normal quality of life, which we have started to prescribe in some patients,” he added.

The researchers now plan to investigate the role of gene shapes in other disorders such as cancer.

This research was led by UEA in collaboration with the John Innes Centre, the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, Croydon University Hospital, and the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow.

‘3’ untranslated region structural elements in CYP24A1 are associated with Infantile hypercalcaemia type 1’ is published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research,

CASE STUDY – Shelley O’Connor

Shelley O’Connor, 34, from Norwich, was diagnosed with infantile hypercalcaemia type 1 eleven years ago when she fell pregnant with her first child at the age of 23.

She had started to take pregnancy supplements, which included vitamin D. But she began to experience a pain so severe that midwives thought she was going into an early labour at just 23 weeks.

“It was very frightening,” she said. “I was in a lot of pain, and the midwives thought I was going into labour. I was really scared for the baby, but when I had an MRI, they found out that it was actually a kidney stone caused by taking vitamin D as a pregnancy supplement.”

Thankfully, her son was born safe and well at full term, and Shelley has since gone on to have another two children.

“I was diagnosed with HCINF1 and it did explain a lot because I had experienced things like abdominal pain and UTIs in childhood,” she said. 

But the condition has taken its toll. Shelley now regularly passes kidney stones and needs to take pain medication. She also has to have an operation every six months to clear the calcium build-ups that lead to kidney stones.

“I was really pleased to be invited to take part in the research, and I hope the findings go on to help others like me,” she said.

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JOURNAL

Journal of Bone and Mineral Research

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

3’ untranslated region structural elements in CYP24A1 are associated with Infantile hypercalcaemia type 1

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

26-Jan-2023

Gambling advertising restrictions could reduce harm

Gambling advertising restriction could reduce related harms, especially on vulnerable individuals, a new review of the evidence has shown

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD

Gambling advertising restrictions could reduce harm 

• Researchers from the University of Sheffield and Glasgow explored the relationship between exposure to gambling advertising and attitudes, intentions and behaviours which may be associated with an increased risk of gambling related harms
• Evidence showed the impact on children, young people and those already at risk from current gambling activity are more likely to be influenced by gambling advertising
• Gambling-related harms represent a significant potential driver of health inequalities, because those already experiencing financial, social and mental health disadvantage are also at increased risk of experiencing gambling-related harm

Gambling advertising restriction could reduce related harms, especially on vulnerable individuals, a new review of the evidence has shown.

Researchers from the University of Sheffield explored the relationship between exposure to gambling advertising and attitudes, intentions and behaviours which may be associated with an increased risk of gambling related harms such as debt, relationship problems, physical and mental health problems and crime.  

The team analysed eight recent reviews in this field which included data from over 70 research papers, using a variety of research methods to investigate the relationship between advertising and gambling. The research in this field consistently found a causal relationship between exposure to adverts for gambling products or brands and greater intentions to gamble and increased gambling activity.

The findings, published in the journal Public Health, found evidence of a dose-response effect; greater advertising exposure increases participation which leads to greater risk of harm. 

There was also evidence for the impact on children and young people, and those already at risk from current gambling activity, with those most vulnerable more likely to be influenced.

Professor Elizabeth Goyder, Professor of Public Health at the University of Sheffield’s School of Health and Related Research, said: “Gambling-related harms represent a significant potential driver of health inequalities, because those already experiencing financial, social and mental health disadvantage are also at increased risk of experiencing gambling-related harm. And those already at risk of harm from their gambling have consistently been shown to be more likely to be prompted to gambling by exposure to advertising.

“The substantial evidence we found in all the recent reviews of evidence in this field supports the use of restriction to reduce exposure to gambling advertising. This is particularly likely to reduce risk of harm to children and young people and adults who are already vulnerable to gambling-related harms. 

“Such restrictions could not only reduce overall harm, but also mitigate the impact of advertising on gambling related inequalities.”  

She added:  “Our study has shown public health harm prevention strategies should ideally include a range of policies which limit exposure to advertising, particularly among children and vulnerable groups.”

The report was funded by City Hall, London, to provide an independent evidence briefing on the evidence base related to the health and inequalities impacts of gambling advertising.

Researchers recognise the evidence base for the study does have limitations as it is largely characterised by surveys and qualitative studies of self-reported exposure, attitudes and behaviour in the general population. 

ENDS

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JOURNAL

Public Health

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Systematic review

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

What is the evidence that advertising policies could have on gambling-related harms? A systematic umbrella review of the literature

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

26-Jan-2023

Small study shows promise for antimalarial monoclonal antibody to prevent malaria

University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers found CIS43LS to be safe, well tolerated in human challenge trial

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

BALTIMORE, January 25, 2023—A monoclonal antibody treatment was found to be safe, well tolerated, and effective in protecting against malaria in a small group of healthy volunteers who were exposed to malaria in a challenge study, according to new research published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases by researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM).

“The study demonstrates the feasibility of using monoclonal antibody therapies to help prevent malarial infection and holds promise for deployment to places where the disease is endemic,” said Kirsten Lyke, MD, Professor of Medicine and Director of the Malaria Vaccine and Challenge Unit in the Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health (CVD) at UMSOM. “This may allow us to revisit malaria eradication efforts.”

There were 241 million malaria cases and 627,000 deaths reported worldwide in 2020 alone, which is a 12 percent increase from 2019. Public health experts contend new strategies are urgently needed to achieve the United Nation’s sustainable development goal of 90 percent reduction in malaria incidence and mortality by 2030. Scientists have tried for decades to develop a highly effective malaria vaccine without much success.

Monoclonal antibodies represent a promising approach to reduce malaria morbidity and mortality, and they offer a new tool for use in in preventing infection. Highly effective malaria vaccines have so far been elusive since they have not been shown to provide much protection in those who have already been infected with malaria earlier in life, but numerous trials conducted by CVD investigators show promise in this arena as well.

CVD was the first center in the world to develop controlled human malaria infection studies, providing proof of principle that live attenuated malaria vaccines protect against infection. CVD researchers conducted genome-wide studies of antimalarial drug resistance and have tested monoclonal antibodies for treating malaria. This is the first time they have tested an experimental monoclonal antibody in a challenge study in a CVD lab in Baltimore.

The new research describes the final dose selection section of a three-part clinical trial. The monoclonal antibody CIS43LS provided high levels of protection in the first two parts of the trial, in which researchers administered 20 or 40 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) of the monoclonal antibody via IV infusions. In the current study, 29 healthy study participants, ages 18 to 50 years – who had no prior malaria infections or vaccinations – received a single dose of CIS43LS in doses of 1, 5, or 10 mg/kg via IV infusions, or by subcutaneous injection (injected just under the skin).

Study participants were bitten by five mosquitoes infected with a Plasmodium falciparum strain of malaria about eight weeks after they were given the monoclonal antibody. A single dose of CIS43LS at 5-10 mg/kg administered subcutaneously or intravenously provided high level protection against a controlled human malaria infection with partial protection achieved at 1 mg/kg administered intravenously. Eight control participants who did not receive the monoclonal antibody all developed malaria. All participants were monitored for 24 weeks.

Immunologic studies suggest a level of protection that might extend to 6 months after administration. Furthermore, administering the monoclonal antibody subcutaneously is an easier means of delivering the dosing and allows for widespread distribution to children and adults in malaria endemic areas.

“While previous research suggests that monoclonal antibodies can be effective against malaria using higher dose IV infusions, this new study finds that the prophylactic treatment can also provide a high-level of protection with just a single injection,” said UMSOM Dean Mark T. Gladwin, MD, Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Maryland, Baltimore, and the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor. “That’s a potential game changer that could provide a practical way to deploy monoclonal antibody therapies in African countries.”

Adverse events from the monoclonal antibody were mild and included pain or redness at the infusion site, headache, abdominal pain, and hypertension, which resolved within a day. The study authors said additional research is needed to explore whether CIS43LS can be used for long-term protection and to determine optimal dosage in African children. Additionally, future research should assess whether monoclonal antibodies can be safely used to protect pregnant women. Phase 2 clinical trials are underway in Mali and Kenya. The technology of monoclonal antibodies may lend an important tool towards the eradication of human malaria.

Additional coauthors on the newly published research from UMSOM include: Andrea A. Berry, MD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine, and others in CVD’s Malaria Research Program.

This research is funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, ClinicalTrials.gov registration number NCT04206332.

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

About the Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health

For over 40 years, researchers in the Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health have worked domestically and internationally to develop, test, and deploy vaccines to aid the world’s underserved populations. CVD is an academic enterprise engaged in the full range of infectious disease intervention from basic laboratory research through vaccine development, pre-clinical and clinical evaluation, large-scale pre-licensure field studies, and post-licensure assessments. CVD has worked to eliminate vaccine-preventable diseases. CVD has created and tested vaccines against cholera, typhoid fever, paratyphoid fever, non-typhoidal Salmonella disease, shigellosis (bacillary dysentery), Escherichia coli diarrhea, nosocomial pathogens, tularemia, influenza, malaria, and other infectious diseases. CVD’s research covers the broader goal of improving global health by conducting innovative, leading research in Baltimore and around the world. CVD researchers are developing new and improved ways to diagnose, prevent, treat, control, and eliminate diseases of global impact. Currently, these diseases include typhoid, Shigella, E. coli diarrhea, malaria, and other vaccine-preventable infectious diseases. CVD researchers have been involved in critical vaccine development for emerging pathogens such as Ebola and Zika. In addition, CVD’s work focuses on the ever-growing challenge of antimicrobial research.

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JOURNAL

The Lancet Infectious Diseases

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Randomized controlled/clinical trial

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Low-dose intravenous and subcutaneous CIS43LS monoclonal antibody for protection against malaria (VRC 612 Part C): a phase 1, adaptive trial

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

25-Jan-2023

Holocaust education is expanding in Africa, the Arab World, and Eastern Europe

On the eve of International Holocaust Remembrance Day 2023 The Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry at Tel Aviv University presents a new annual report:

Reports and Proceedings

TEL-AVIV UNIVERSITY

Findings for 2022 include:

• Significant new initiatives in several Eastern-European countries for teaching the history of the Holocaust and fighting antisemitism
• Cyprus has become a leader in the fight against antisemitism and racism
• Growing interest in Holocaust education in several African countries
• Growing recognition of the Holocaust in the Arab world, alongside renewed cultivation of Jewish heritage
• All this – alongside a wave of educational and legislative initiatives in Western Europe, America, and Australia
• The Report aims to express appreciation for positive initiatives, encourage other similar activities, and propose ways for further improvement.

On the eve of International Holocaust Remembrance Day 2023, The Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry at Tel Aviv University published its annual report entitled 'For a Righteous Cause', focusing on initiatives of governments and citizens around the world to preserve Jewish heritage, teach about the Holocaust, and combat antisemitism and racism in general. The report aims to express appreciation for inspiring initiatives, encourage other similar activities, and propose ways for further improvement.

 

Link to the  full report: 

https://www.tau.ac.il/sites/default/files/media_server/General/sp/For%20a%20Righteous%20Cause%202023.pdf

 

The findings presented in the Report indicate that recognizing the Holocaust and teaching lessons derived from it have recently expanded, even in countries where Holocaust education was uncommon, including in Africa and the Arab World. Alongside this positive trend, many educational, social, and legal initiatives for combating Holocaust denial and antisemitism have been advanced in Western Europe, America, and Australia, indicating broad recognition of the problem and its severity.

 

Prof. Uriya Shavit, Head of the Center: "Regretfully, it must be admitted that despite global support for the fight against antisemitism, being a Jew has become less safe almost everywhere in the world. But giving up the struggle is not the solution. We must learn systematically, in a comparative manner, what has been done and what can be improved."

 

Prof. Shavit added that "While our purpose was to highlight positive initiatives for combating antisemitism all over the world, we also noted at the beginning of the Report that his fight must not become the only identity-definer of Jewish intellectuals and organizations, that the Jewish moral compass must not be limited to this issue alone, and that the study of Jewish history should not focus solely on the Holocaust. Israel cannot express reservations about European political parties with roots in fascism and expect to find a different attitude in Europe toward Israeli parties with fascist roots."

 

The Report was authored by eight experts from different disciplines, including: Dr. Carl Yonker, Project Manager and Senior Researcher at the Center (Around the World: Government Initiatives, Legal Developments; the Example of Cyprus); the Center's Founder, Prof. Dina Porat (Holocaust Remembrance in Africa); Dr. Ofir Winter (The Arab World); Adv. Talia Naamat (Around the World: Government Initiatives, Legal Developments); and researcher Fabian Spengler (Football: The Test Case of Borussia Dortmund in Germany).

 

A selection of highlights from the Report:

Holocaust education is spreading beyond Western Europe and America to countries in Africa and the Arab World.

The Report’s findings indicate that recognition and teaching of the Holocaust have spread - even to countries where it was previously uncommon.

 

The Report includes an extensive discussion about Cyprus, presenting it as a model to be emulated: even though no antisemitic incidents have been recorded in the country in recent years, its government has emphasized teaching the history of the Holocaust and the lessons derived from it in the education system, in law enforcement organizations, and in sports clubs. This approach is based on a proactive view, an overall commitment to combating racism and xenophobia, and an understanding that learning about the Holocaust and fighting antisemitism is critical for a society that aims to strengthen its democratic and liberal values.

 

The Report analyzes the emerging interest in Jewish history and the Holocaust in several African countries, which see a resemblance between the tragedies experienced by the Jewish people and crimes against humanity perpetrated on the African continent. This sentiment is expressed, for example, in the Genocide Memorial National Museum in Rwanda, which commemorates the genocide of the country's Tutsi minority that occurred four decades after the Holocaust while the world looked on in silence.

 

According to the Report, an encouraging trend was observed this year in several Arab countries, with rising recognition of the history of antisemitism and the crimes of the Nazis. For example, in January 2022, Egypt took part in a session of the UN General Assembly that adopted a resolution condemning Holocaust denial. The Egyptian Ambassador to the UN conveyed the Arab consensus on the resolution.

 

This positive trend reflects a significant turnaround in Arab discourse on Jewish history. This was displayed in quite a few new initiatives, some in the literary sphere, promoting the preservation of Jewish heritage in several Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Morocco. These projects are described extensively in the Report.

 

Significant positive developments were also observed in formerly Communist countries. In December 2021, the Elie Wiesel National Institute for the Study of the Holocaust in Romania launched the project “Stories from the Holocaust - Local Histories.” This initiative aimed to enhance the knowledge of Romanians about the history of their communities from the perspective of Jews and Roma persecuted during the Holocaust. In 2022 the project included street exhibitions featuring the life stories of Jews and Roma and their tribulations during this dark period.

 

In November 2022, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry organized an international conference on combating antisemitism and preserving Jewish heritage.

 

A significant step forward in combating antisemitism was also recorded in Ukraine. In February 2022, just a week before the fascist Russian invasion, the Ukrainian Parliament approved strict sentencing measures for antisemitic hate crimes: five to eight years in prison for antisemitic violence and a substantial fine for anti-Jewish incitement.

 

A wave of educational and legislative initiatives in Europe, America, and Australia

The Report documents many initiatives introduced over the past year in the Western World for preserving Jewish heritage, teaching about the Holocaust, and combating antisemitism. The initiatives indicate a growing awareness of the dangers posed by antisemitic propaganda on the internet, as well as increasing recognition of the importance of educating younger generations about the Holocaust.

 

Notable initiatives included:

In October 2022, the European Commission marked the first anniversary of the “European Union Strategy on Combating Antisemitism and Fostering Jewish Life (2021-2030)”. Actions during the first year included: combating antisemitism on the internet; the signing of the Vienna Declaration by 11 EU member states and several international organizations which committed to developing a common, standard methodology for recording antisemitic incidents; and launching a project to protect Jewish cemeteries in Moldova, Ukraine, Georgia, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic.

 

Following discussions held in 2022, the European Parliament and European Commission are expected to pass the Digital Services Act, requiring online platforms to remove hate speech, provide information on their use of algorithms, and have clear rules to address complaints related to hate speech.

 

In January 2022, the Austrian Parliament was presented with the first annual implementation report detailing actions to advance the country’s National Strategy to prevent and combat all forms of antisemitism. Actions included: safeguarding Jewish life in the country and ensuring the Jewish community’s future; adoption of the IHRA Working Definition by Austria's top football league, the Bundesliga; holding seminars on antisemitism for police officers; and initiating a declaration against antisemitism at the UN Human Rights Council.

 

In March 2022, the United States Senate appointed the country's first special ambassador for monitoring and combating antisemitism, historian Prof. Deborah Lipstadt. In the summer, Lipstadt traveled to Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. In March, President Biden signed the 2022 federal government funding package of US$2M to implement the Never Again Education Act. These funds will be used for training teachers by the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, as well as special activities for monitoring and combating global antisemitism. New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed three bills to ensure that schools in the state provide high-quality Holocaust education, that museums acknowledge art stolen by the Nazi regime, and that Holocaust survivors receive their reparation payments from Germany in full. Several states in the US, including New York, Iowa, New Mexico, and Arizona, adopted the IHRA definition of antisemitism.

 

In April, Canada introduced a federal bill that defines punishments for denying, condoning, or downplaying the Holocaust, and earmarks $70M for funding Jewish community initiatives. The city of Toronto launched a new public education campaign to raise awareness about antisemitism under the title “Toronto for All”. The campaign calls upon local citizens to become educated about the Jewish community and antisemitism, create inclusive spaces, and make their voices heard when they witness acts of bias and hate - offering support to victims, and reporting hate crimes to the authorities. The Canadian Provinces British Columbia and Alberta adopted the IHRA definition of antisemitism.

 

In July, the Organization of American States (OAS), in cooperation with the American Jewish Committee (AJC), co-published a Spanish-language handbook entitled “Handbook for the Practical Use of the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism". Guatemala and Colombia adopted the IHRA definition of antisemitism, joining the United States, Canada, and Argentina in the pledge to confront antisemitism throughout the Western Hemisphere.

 

Several positive initiatives were also seen in Australia. New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia adopted the IHRA definition of antisemitism. Victoria and NSW passed legislation banning public displays of Nazi symbols, specifically the swastika, with a maximum punishment of a year in jail and/or a substantial fine. Queensland and Tasmania also introduced legislation to ban Nazi symbols.

 

Borussia Dortmund, the major German football club, gets off the bench

The Report presents a detailed case study on the transformation of the German football club Borussia Dortmund – as a model of commitment to the fight against antisemitism, setting an example for other European sports clubs and organizations. The club, which in the past served as fertile ground for the activities of neo-Nazi pseudo-fans, now takes an active and firm stand against antisemitism. Among other actions, the club conducts educational tours for young fans to concentration camps and works closely with Yad Vashem.

 

Link to the  full report: 

https://www.tau.ac.il/sites/default/files/media_server/General/sp/For%20a%20Righteous%20Cause%202023.pdf

Study offers new insight on what ancient noses smelled

Scientists compare humans' extinct genetic relatives to present-day people

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS

 

IMAGE: A RECONSTRUCTION OF A NEANDERTHAL WOMAN view more 

CREDIT: <A HREF="HTTPS://COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA.ORG/WIKI/FILE:RECONSTRUCTION_OF_NEANDERTHAL_WOMAN.JPG">BACON CPH</A>, <A HREF="HTTPS://CREATIVECOMMONS.ORG/LICENSES/BY/2.5">CC BY 2.5</A>, VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

It sounds a little like Stone Age standup: A Denisovan and a human walk past a bees’ nest heavy with honeycomb. What happens next?

According to a study led by University of Alaska Fairbanks biological anthropologist Kara C. Hoover and Universite Paris-Saclay biochemist Claire de March, the Denisovan, with the species’ greater sensitivity to sweet smells, may have immediately homed in on the scent and beat the human to a high-energy meal.

"This research has allowed us to draw some larger conclusions about the sense of smell in our closest genetic relatives and understand the role that smell played in adapting to new environments and foods during our migrations out of Africa,” said Hoover, a professor in the Department of Anthropology at UAF.

A paper on the research, recently published in iScience, was written by collaborators from UAF, Duke University, Universite Paris-Saclay, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, and the University of Manchester. The study investigated whether humans share a sense of smell with their now-extinct Denisovan and Neanderthal cousins, who left Africa about 750,000 years ago. Contemporary humans left Africa about 65,000 years ago.

To recreate the noses of our extinct genetic relatives and compare them to those of present-day people, the research team used publicly available genome sequences from multiple Neanderthals, one Denisovan and one ancient human. They used data from the 1000 Genomes project to represent modern humans.

They then compared 30 olfactory receptor genes from each group. The team found that 11 of the receptors had some novel mutations present only in extinct lineages. In the largest study of its kind to date, the team created laboratory versions of those 11 olfactory receptors and then exposed them to hundreds of odors at different concentrations. 

When the receptors detected an odor, they literally lit up. The speed and brightness of the luminescence told the scientists whether, how soon and to what degree each “nose” could smell the odors. While the receptors could detect the same things as modern humans, they differed in sensitivity to many of the odors.

“We literally reproduced an event that hadn’t happened since the extinction of Denisova and Neanderthal 30,000 years ago: an extinct odorant receptor responding to an odor in cells on a lab bench,” de March said. “This took us closer to understanding how Neanderthal and Denisova perceived and interacted with their olfactory environment.”

Neanderthals, who lived in Eurasia between 430,000 and 40,000 years ago, had the poorest sense of smell. For example, the Neanderthal from the Chagyrskaya Cave couldn’t detect the sex steroid androstadienone, which smells something like sweat and urine. That may have been useful, Hoover said, given that they were trapped in close quarters in caves during glacial maximums, when the ice sheets from the poles expanded southward and made many areas uninhabitable.

Denisovans have left behind less physical evidence than Neanderthals. They are known mostly from modern-day Siberia, where remains in the Denisova Cave were dated to between 76,200 and 51,600 years ago. Denisovans were generally more sensitive to odors than humans and much more sensitive than Neanderthals. They were most responsive to sweet and spicy smells like honey, vanilla, cloves and herbs. That trait could have helped them find high-calorie food.

Present-day humans fell somewhere in the middle.

“This is the most exciting research I have ever been involved in,” said co-author Matthew Cobb from the University of Manchester. “It shows how we can use genetics to peer back into the sensory world of our long-lost relatives, giving us insight into how they will have perceived their environment and, perhaps, how they were able to survive.”

In many species, olfactory receptors have been linked to their ecological and dietary needs.

"Each species must evolve olfactory receptors to maximize their fitness for finding food," said co-author Hiroaki Matsunami in a Duke University news release. "In humans, it's more complicated because we eat a lot of things. We're not really specialized."

Smell is integral to the human story, Hoover said. “Such a strongly overlapping olfactory repertoire suggests that our generalist approach to smelling has enabled us to find new foods when migrating to new places — not just us but our cousins who left Africa much earlier than us!”

 

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JOURNAL

iScience

DOI

10.1016/j.isci.2022.105908 

ARTICLE TITLE

Genetic and functional odorant receptor variation in the Homo lineage