An elegant new orchid hiding in plain sight

A new Japanese “ladies tresses” found in private gardens and on balconies!

Peer-Reviewed Publication

KOBE UNIVERSITY

 

IMAGE: (A) INFLORESCENCE. (B) CLOSE UP OF INFLORESCENCE. (C) FLOWER. SCALE BARS: 10 MM (A & B) AND 5 MM (C). view more 

CREDIT: PHOTOGRAPHED BY MASAYUKI ISHIBASHI (A & C) AND KENJI SUETSUGU (B).

It is extremely rare for a new plant species to be discovered in Japan, a nation where flora has been extensively studied and documented. Nevertheless, Professor SUETSUGU Kenji and his associates recently uncovered a stunning new species of orchid whose rosy pink petals bear a striking resemblance to glasswork (Fig. 1). Since it was initially spotted near Hachijo Island in Tokyo Prefecture, the new species has been given the name Spiranthes hachijoensis. Interestingly, it can be found in familiar environments such as lawns and parks, and even in private gardens and on balconies. This research suggests that other new species may be hiding in common places, eliminating the need to venture into remote tropical rainforests to discover them.

The genus Spiranthes encompasses a captivating and gorgeous variety of orchids, which exhibit an array of distinctive morphological traits. The flowers are typically small and white or pinkish, and arranged in a spiral around a central stalk, hence the moniker "ladies' tresses." Spiranthes is the most familiar orchid in Japan and has been cherished for centuries, even appearing in the Manyoshu, Japan’s oldest extant anthology of poetry. For a long time, it was believed that the Spiranthes on the Japanese mainland constituted a single species: Spiranthes australis. However, while conducting extensive field surveys focused on Japanese Spiranthes specimens, Suetsugu came across several populations of an unknown Spiranthes taxon with hairless flower stems, on the mainland of Japan (Fig. 1). The unknown taxon often grows alongside S. australis but blooms about a month earlier, thus leading to reproductive isolation between the two taxa. Given that S. australis is characterized by a hairy flower stem, the hairless individuals may represent an overlooked species. Consequently, Suetsugu and his colleagues embarked on a comprehensive and multifaceted ten-year study to determine precisely how these plants differed. Specimens were collected from various locations in Japan, Taiwan, and Laos.

By integrating results from DNA analysis, morphology, field observations, and reproductive biology, Suetsugu and his associates discovered that it is a cryptic species that exhibits a high level of molecular divergence, albeit with minimal morphological differentiation (Fig. 2). The fact that the "common" Spiranthes is actually divided into two species is likely to pique the curiosity of the general public. The discovery of a new flowering plant species in Japan is considered an extraordinarily rare event since the flora of this region has been extensively researched. However, the new species reported here can even be found growing in commonplace environments such as parks and lawns. Some specimens used to describe this new species were collected from private gardens and balconies. This discovery of new species concealed in common locales underscores the necessity of persistent exploration, even in seemingly unremarkable settings!

This research was conducted by a multi-institutional team of researchers, including Professor Suetsugu (Graduate School of Science, Kobe University), Professor SUYAMA Yoshihisa (Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University), and Dr. Tian-Chuan Hsu (Taiwan Forestry Research Institute). The paper was published online in the Journal of Plant Research on March 17, 2023.

CAPTION

The genetic difference between S. hachijoensis and its closest relative is comparable to, or even greater than, the genetic difference between pairs of other Spiranthes species.

CREDIT

Kenji Suetsugu

 

Journal Information
Title:
“Spiranthes hachijoensis (Orchidaceae), a new species within the S. sinensis species complex in Japan, based on morphological, phylogenetic, and ecological evidence”
DOI: 10.1007/s10265-023-01448-6
Authors:
Kenji Suetsugu, Shun K. Hirota, Hiroshi Hayakawa, Shohei Fujimori, Masayuki Ishibashi, Tian-Chuan Hsu, Yoshihisa Suyama
Journal:
Journal of Plant Research

---

JOURNAL

Journal of Plant Research

DOI

10.1007/s10265-023-01448-6 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Case study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Spiranthes hachijoensis (Orchidaceae), a new species within the S. sinensis species complex in Japan, based on morphological, phylogenetic, and ecological evidence

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

17-Mar-2023

Australia’s largest eagle discovered at last

Fossil-hunters descend into Flinders Ranges cave to confirm remains

Peer-Reviewed Publication

FLINDERS UNIVERSITY

 

IMAGE: COMPARATIVE DESCRIPTIONS OF DYNATOAETUS GAFFAE WITH LIVING TAXA, NEUROCRANIUM view more 

CREDIT: ELLEN MATHER FLINDERS UNIVERSITY

An eagle twice the size of the modern-day apex predator the wedge-tailed eagle, which soared over southern Australia more than 60,000 years ago, had a wingspan up to 3m wide and powerful talons wide enough to grab a small kangaroo or koala.

It was the largest bird of prey to ever live on the continent, and probably the largest continental eagle globally, according to new research from Flinders University. 

Closely related to Old World vultures of Africa and Asia and the critically endangered monkey-eating or Philippine Eagle, the Flinders palaeontology researchers say the now extinct raptor with a mighty wingspan and powerful talons was the top avian predator in the late Pleistocene.

Yet it has taken decades for it to be officially ‘discovered’ and described in the latest Journal of Ornithology.  

The Flinders University fossil hunters pieced together its story, naming the giant bird Dynatoaetus gaffae (Gaff’s powerful eagle), after extensive new research of fossil cave remains in South Australia’s Mairs Cave in the Flinders Ranges connected the dots to other bones previously found in the Naracoorte Caves, Wellington Caves and near Cooper Creek in the Lake Eyre Basin.  

Flinders University palaeontology researcher Dr Ellen Mather organised a field trip to the Flinders Ranges in late 2021 to revisit the location of four large fossil bones collected by cavers back in 1956 and 1969

“After half a century, and several delays caused by the pandemic, the expedition with volunteers from the University’s Speleological Society found a further 28 bones scattered about deep among the boulders at the site indicated by one of these museum relics.   

“We were very excited to find many more bones from much of the skeleton to create a better picture and description of these magnificent long-lost giant extinct birds,” says Dr Mather, who collaborated with experienced palaeo-ornithologist Associate Professor Trevor Worthy on the expedition.

“It’s often been noted how few large land predators Australia had back then, so Dynatoaetus helps fill that gap.”

Dynatoaetus and the recently described Cryptogyps are new genera of raptors unique to Australia, respectively eagle- and vulture-like, that existed until around 50 thousand years ago, Dr Mather says.

“This discovery reveals that this incredible family of birds was once much more diverse in Australia, and that raptors were also impacted by the mass extinction that wiped out most of Australia’s megafauna.”

“It was ‘humongous’ – larger than any other eagle from other continents, and almost as large as the world’s largest eagles once found on the islands of New Zealand and Cuba, including the whopping extinct 13kg Haast’s eagle of New Zealand,” says New Zealander Associate Professor Worthy, who has excavated several Haast’s eagle skeletons in NZ caves during more than 30 years of research experience in NZ, Australia and the Pacific.

“It had giant talons, spreading up to 30cm, which easily would have been able to dispatch a juvenile giant kangaroo, large flightless bird or other species of lost megafauna from that era, including the young of the world’s largest marsupial Diprotodon and the giant goanna Varanus priscus.”

It also coexisted with still living species such as the Wedge-tailed Eagle, which has interesting implications.

“Given that the Australian birds of prey used to be more diverse, it could mean that the Wedge-tailed Eagle in the past was more limited in where it lived and what it ate,” says Dr Mather. “Otherwise, it would have been directly competing against the giant Dynatoaetus for those resources.”

The latest discovery was made by piecing together the newly unearthed fossils with historic remains in collections of the South Australian Museum and Australian Museum found at locations spanning from the Lake Eyre Basin in central Australia to the Wellington Cave complex in central New South Wales. 

Led by location information on a SA Museum card recording where the earlier specimens were found, the Flinders expedition knew where to look in Mairs Cave in the southern Flinders Ranges. Repeating the measurements made 60 years previously, the cavers descended into a rockpile soon located the fossil eagle bones in crevices.

Thanks to this “serendipitous osteological sleuthing”, additional museum fossils of this species found across Australia soon confirmed the size and other details of the bird, which has been named in honour of Victorian palaeontologist Priscilla Gaff who first described some of these fossils in her 2002 Master of Science thesis.

Comparison of the tarsometatarsus (footbone) of Dynatoaetus gaffae and Wedge-tailed Eagle, with estimated silhouettes of the living animals above.

CREDIT

Ellen Mather (Flinders University)

Flinders University fossil hunters descend the 17m drop at the entrance to Mairs Cave in the Flinders Ranges.

Working to recover the bones from between the rocky floor of Mairs Cave in South Australia's Flinders Ranges.

CREDIT

Aaron Camens (Flinders University)

Flinders University lead author Dr Ellen Mather holding the femur of a Wedge-tailed Eagle (left) and Dynatoaetus gaffae (right) for comparison.

CREDIT

Flinders University

The article – A giant raptor (Aves: Accipitridae) from the Pleistocene of southern Australia (2023) by Ellen K Mather, Michael SY Lee (SA Museum / Flinders), Aaron B Camens and Trevor H Worthy – has been published in the Journal of Ornithology DOI: 10.1007/s10336-023-02055-x

Also see The Conversation: ‘Australia’s extinct giant eagle was big enough to snatch koalas from trees’

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JOURNAL

Journal of Ornithology

DOI

10.1007/s10336-023-02055-x 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Observational study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Animals

ARTICLE TITLE

A giant raptor (Aves: Accipitridae) from the Pleistocene of southern Australia

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

16-Mar-2023

MONSANTO

Tests conducted by giants of industry uncover compromised test conditions and fraudulent data on PCB products in the 1970s

Scientists said they were often ashamed to put their names to the findings

Peer-Reviewed Publication

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY'S MAILMAN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

March 16, 2023-- Chronic toxicity tests conducted by Industrial Bio-Test Laboratories (IBT) on behalf of its client Monsanto Corporation revealed information on certain products of the tobacco, asbestos, and lead industries that were found to be toxic. However, the companies were not forthcoming about what they knew about the dangers of these products. This ultimately led to the indictment and conviction of employees of IBT and the Monsanto Corporation.

This is the first paper to look at the relationship between the corporate funders of research and its fraudulent practices in the 1970s. The full findings from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health are published in the American Journal of Public Health.

The researchers used previously secret corporate documents detailing the role of IBT in encouraging and engaging its largest customer, Monsanto, to use fraudulent data to thwart government investigations. This material, revealed through legal discovery proceedings now under way regarding polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and Roundup, had long-lasting impacts of Monsanto’s behavior.

“Monsanto contracted with IBT in 1969 to perform two-year studies including chronic toxicity studies, one of which did not meet the company’s expectations as it did not turn out to be ‘as favorable as Monsanto had hoped or anticipated’. Particularly Monsanto arranged with IBT to repeat “some of the studies in order to arrive at better conclusions,’” said author David Rosner, PhD, professor of sociomedical sciences at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, and co-founder of its Center for the History & Ethics of Public Health.

“In fact, there were compromised test conditions but despite this, IBT produced seemingly scientifically rigorous reports on three of Monsanto’s PCB products (Aroclor 1254, 1260, and 1242), claiming that testing proved PCBs were not carcinogenic,” noted Rosner.

The second issue involved simple fraud, according to Rosner, who is also professor of history at Columbia, and co-author Gerald Markowitz, PhD, professor at John Jay College and the City University Graduate Center and an adjunct professor at Columbia Mailman School.

In addition to compromised test conditions, IBT employees made up data. As early as 1972 much of the work was so shoddy that certain scientists at IBT were ashamed to publish the work done.

“This paper shows that the influence of industry on laboratory practices made the corruption of science more likely,” noted Rosner. “With or without regulatory standards, we need to maintain vigilance over companies whose self-interest has distorted science and may continue to do so.”

Professors Rosner and Markowitz have participated as expert witnesses in lawsuits on behalf of the City of Seattle, the State of Washington, and individuals regarding PCB cases against Monsanto.

Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health

Founded in 1922, the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health pursues an agenda of research, education, and service to address the critical and complex public health issues affecting New Yorkers, the nation and the world. The Columbia Mailman School is the fourth largest recipient of NIH grants among schools of public health. Its nearly 300 multi-disciplinary faculty members work in more than 100 countries around the world, addressing such issues as preventing infectious and chronic diseases, environmental health, maternal and child health, health policy, climate change and health, and public health preparedness. It is a leader in public health education with more than 1,300 graduate students from 55 nations pursuing a variety of master’s and doctoral degree programs. The Columbia Mailman School is also home to numerous world-renowned research centers, including ICAP and the Center for Infection and Immunity. For more information, please visit www.mailman.columbia.edu.

 

JOURNAL

American Journal of Public Health

DOI

10.2105/AJPH.2023.307247 

ARTICLE TITLE

“Ashamed to Put My Name to It”: Monsanto, Industrial Bio-Test Laboratories, and the Use of Fraudulent Science, 1969–1985

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

16-Mar-2023

New study investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on UFO reporting

Peer-Reviewed Publication

SOCIETY FOR SCIENTIFIC EXPLORATION

Have you ever wondered if social factors like pandemics can affect UFO reporting? In a recent article published in the Journal of Scientific Exploration, authors Chase Cockrell from the University of Vermont, and Mark Rodeghier and Linda Murphy from the Center for UFO Studies, investigated whether the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with an increase in UFO sightings.

The authors hypothesized that the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in lockdowns and social distancing measures, may have led to an increase in UFO sightings. The reasoning behind this hypothesis was that with more people staying home and spending time outdoors, there may have been an increase in available free time, which could result in more UFO sightings. Additionally, the authors tested the idea that increased feelings of anxiety and uncertainty may have led to heightened attention to the environment, which could have caused people to more often notice unusual phenomena and make sense of what they experienced by connecting it with UFOs.

The authors analyzed data from the National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC) and the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON), the two most comprehensive UFO reporting sites in the United States, from 2018 through 2020 and compared the number of UFO reports before and after the start of the pandemic.  To test whether social factors could have influenced the number of reports, they used publicly available data for social mobility from Google Community Mobility Reports, and SARS-CoV-2 cases and deaths, which are indirect measures of stress and anxiety.

Their analysis demonstrated that UFO reports did increase in 2020 compared to the previous year by about 600 reports in each database. However, there was no association between the number of reports—aggregated across the US or by state—with the mobility and pandemic health measures, providing no support that social factors led to increased reports.

The researchers then searched for alternative causes and identified the initiation of regular launches of Starlink satellites beginning in late 2019 as a complicating factor. These launches include up to 60 small satellites at once, which are very distinctive and often easily visible. As a result, many people understandably reported these as UFOs. The analysis demonstrated a relationship between a launch and subsequent reports. After removing these reports, they retested the association with the social and pandemic-health factors, but again found no relationship. Critically, with the Starlink reports removed, there was no statistical increase in reports in 2020, and even a decrease in reports to NUFORC.

The astronomical community is concerned about the impact of Starlink, and other similar projects, launching large numbers of satellites in relatively low orbits and potentially degrading astronomical measurements. The authors demonstrated that the UFO community has a similar problem."This study sheds light on the potential impact of social factors on UFO reporting,” says Mark Rodeghier, Scientific Director of the Center for UFO Studies. While they found that the COVID-19 pandemic did not significantly impact UFO reporting, their findings suggest that future research should investigate other factors that may influence reporting.

The article "Social factors and UFO reports: Was the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic associated with an increase in UFO reporting?" is a publication of the Society for Scientific Exploration and freely available online at journalofscientificexploration.org.

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JOURNAL

Journal of Scientific Exploration

DOI

10.31275/20222681 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Data/statistical analysis

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Social Factors and UFO Reports: Was the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic Associated with an Increase in UFO Reporting?

Thousands of native plants are unphotographed, and citizen scientists can help fill the gaps

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES

Scientists have documented plant species for centuries to help us understand and protect the incredible diversity of flora in our world. But according to new research, many have never actually been photographed in their natural habitats – and that’s a problem.

Researchers from UNSW Sydney and the Australian Institute of Botanical Science, part of the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, surveyed 33 major online databases of plant photographs to examine the photographic record of Australian plant species. The findings, published in New Phytologist, reveal out of 21,077 native Australian vascular plant species, almost 20 per cent lack a verifiable photograph.

Lead author of the study and UNSW Science PhD student Thomas Mesaglio says Australia is one of the richest areas in the world for native species.

“It was surprising to see how many plant species had just line drawings, illustrations, paintings, or even no media at all,” Mr Mesaglio says.

Dr Hervé Sauquet, co-author of the study and Senior Research Scientist at the Australian Institute of Botanical Science, is based at the National Herbarium of New South Wales.

“All species of plants ultimately rely on specimens in herbarium collections for their identification,” Dr Sauquet says. “Yet, even in this digital age where most herbarium specimens have been scanned and are accessible on the web, photos of live plants in the wild remain in critical need.”

Senior author of the study from UNSW Science Associate Professor Will Cornwell says a lack of detailed photos can have real consequences. Many plant species that are difficult to identify in the wild may go extinct if scientists cannot properly identify them with the help of photos. 

“We had assumed every plant species would have simply been photographed by someone, somewhere, throughout history. But it turns out this isn’t the case,” says A/Prof. Cornwell.

“This is where citizen scientists can come in and help us fill this gap with their photos.”

Gaps in the photographic record

Photographs can help botanists and taxonomists who work with plant specimens by preserving characteristics like flower colour that get lost over time in their samples. They can also show additional features, such as the orientation of leaves or bark appearance, and add ecological context.

“Having a comprehensive photographic set helps us to be confident in our identifications,” Mr Mesaglio says. “Particularly when it is practically challenging to collect and preserve the entire plant, photos complement the physical voucher by showing the soil type, the habitat it’s growing in, and other species growing alongside it.”

But it turns out not all plant groups are photographed equally. Just as some animals receive less attention than others, there might also be a bias against less charismatic plants.

The study found the most well–photographed plant groups tend to be shrubs or trees with more noticeable or spectacular features, such as colourful flowers. Banksia, for example, is one of only two Australian plant genera with more than 40 species to have a complete photographic record. Meanwhile, the family with the most significant photo deficit was Poaceae – commonly known as grasses – with 343 unphotographed species.

“We noticed a charisma deficit, so the species that tend to be harder to see are the ones missing out,” Mr Mesaglio says. “They may have innocuous or pale-looking flowers or be smaller and harder to spot grasses, sedges and herbs.”

Geography also affected the photographic record. While most species across the south-eastern states of Australia have comprehensive records, Western Australia had the largest void, with 52 per cent of all unphotographed species found there.

“The primary ‘hotspots’ for unphotographed Australian plants are areas with high plant diversity, but the environments are rugged and often difficult to access, particularly by road,” Mr Mesaglio says. “But it means there’s an exciting opportunity to visit these locations because we might capture something that has never before been photographed.”

Activating citizen scientist snaps

It’s one thing to have comprehensive photographic records for professional scientists to use in identification guides. But when the plant world is under threat from multiple fronts, including habitat clearing and climate change, photos can help engage the public in plant science.

“People can engage with, sympathise with, and get much more excited about plants with photographs, which is vital when our natural environments are more at risk than ever,” Mr Mesaglio says.

“Because digital photography is so accessible now, anyone can also help make a meaningful contribution to science using the camera in their pocket.”

Using a platform like iNaturalist, keen citizen scientists can have their snaps identified by experts and share the data with aggregators like the Atlas of Living Australia and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility to be used in research and conservation.

“Since April last year, we’ve identified nearly 10 per cent of those previously unphotographed species thanks to members of the public uploading their photographs and experts who’ve kindly identified them,” Mr Mesaglio says. “There could be many more in personal collections or behind paywalls just waiting to be shared.”

The researchers recommend a standardised system for scientific plant photography be developed, starting with a requirement in the International Code of Nomenclature for Plants to include at least one field photograph where possible in new species descriptions. They also suggest all new species descriptions be published as Open Access in searchable databases with Creative Commons licensing to maximise their usage.

“We also suspect more photos exist, but they’re hidden away on social media or behind scientific paywalls that aren’t accessible, discoverable, or searchable,” Mr Mesaglio says.

“Of the species with photographs, many have a single photo. We not only want to capture those unrepresented species but also continue building the photographic record for all species.

“Doing so will help us identify, monitor and conserve our native species for generations to come.”

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JOURNAL

New Phytologist

DOI

10.1111/nph.18813 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Content analysis

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Photographs as an essential biodiversity resource: drivers of gaps in the vascular plant photographic record

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

13-Mar-2023

Yoga may help to prevent frailty in older adults

Peer-Reviewed Publication

AMERICAN COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS

1. Yoga may help to prevent frailty in older adults

Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M22-2553
A systematic review of 33 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) found that yoga improved gait speed and lower extremity strength in inactive older people. However, yoga did not seem to offer a benefit for frailty markers over activities like exercise or tai chi. The review is published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Older adults have an increased burden of chronic disease, disability, and frailty. Frailty affects up to 50 percent of adults aged 80 years and older, and its prevention and management are high priority
areas in public health and clinical practice. Yoga may be a prevention and management strategy and is already used to improve balance and mobility in older adults.

Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School reviewed 33 RCTs comprised of 2,384 participants aged 65 years or older to evaluate the available trial evidence on the effect of yoga-based interventions on frailty in older adults. The authors analyzed impacts on frailty markers including measures of gait speed, handgrip strength, balance, lower extremity strength and endurance, and multicomponent physical performance measures. The authors found that when compared to education-only or inactive control groups, there was moderate evidence that yoga improved gait speed and lower body strength and endurance. the benefits for balance and handgrip strength were less certain. While there was no clear advantage for a particular style of yoga, the authors suggest clinicians may consider recommending Iyengar-based styles, with a home practice, that can be customized for older adult populations. These findings add to growing literature that yoga plays a role in healthy aging and frailty prevention.

Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Angela Collom at acollom@acponline.org. To speak with the corresponding author, Julia Loewenthal, MD, please email Casandra Falone at CFALONE@PARTNERS.ORG.
--------------------------------
2. Older, Black, and low-income pregnant patients more likely to suffer cardiac arrest when hospitalized for delivery
Survival lowest among women with co-occurring disseminated intravascular coagulation
Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M22-2750
URL goes live when the embargo lifts
A study of pregnant women hospitalized during delivery found that cardiac arrest occurred in about 1 in 9,000 deliveries, a rate that is higher than previously reported estimates. Cardiac arrest was more common among patients who were older, were non-Hispanic Black, had Medicare or Medicaid, or had underlying medical conditions. The findings are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Cardiac arrest is an uncommon but serious maternal complication that is an indicator of severe maternal morbidity and mortality. Estimates of severe maternal complications occurring during delivery hospitalization can provide information for evidence-based strategies to reduce pregnancy-related death.

Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) studied data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) National Inpatient Sample (NIS) from 2017 to 2019 to investigate rate of cardiac arrest during delivery hospitalization. The authors also looked at the patient characteristics associated with cardiac arrest and survival rates. Among the 10,921,784 U.S. delivery hospitalizations included in the data, the cardiac arrest rate was 13.4 per 100,000 and about a third of those patients survived to hospital discharge. Survival was lowest with co-occurring disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). The researchers could not determine cause of cardiac arrest or identify whether co-occurring severe maternal complications came before or after cardiac arrest. Acute respiratory distress syndrome was the most common co-occurring diagnosis, and cardiac arrest rates were high among hospitalizations where a diagnosis of amniotic fluid embolism was noted. According to the authors, implementing clinical guidelines, ensuring that pregnant people receive risk-appropriate care, and addressing potential knowledge deficits in maternal cardiac arrest and cardiopulmonary resuscitation technique for pregnant people may improve maternal outcomes.

Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Angela Collom at acollom@acponline.org. To speak with the corresponding author, Romeo Galang, MD, please email media@cdc.gov.
--------------------------------
3. AI software like ChatGPT provides benefits, poses risks for researchers and scientific publishing field
Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M23-0154
URL goes live when the embargo lifts
In a new ‘Ideas and Opinions,’ authors from Amsterdam University Medical Center outline the possible benefits, problems, and future of medical research assisted or written by artificial intelligence (AI) software applications like ChatGPT. The piece is published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

On 30 November 2022, a company called OpenAI released an online, AI-powered chatbot called ChatGPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) that simulates human conversation. Users will now be able to quickly summarize existing medical research findings, assist with medical decision making, and generate educational materials. This new technology may have significant implications for researchers, reviewers, and editors in scientific publishing.

In their piece, the authors argue that software like ChatGPT will allow researchers to create manuscripts more efficiently by assisting in generating complete, standard scientific text. They also highlight that this software may help nonnative English-speaking authors with grammatical errors, likely increasing their chances to have their findings published. However, the authors warn, the knowledge bases of software like ChatGPT are limited and users will need to cross-check information to ensure its accuracy. They note that pre-prints, existing misinformation, and ChatGPT’s tendency to generate nonexistent references while creating text may further complicate this process. The authors suggest that journals create policies for using ChatGPT transparently. They also advise that adding ChatGPT as a coauthor raises concerns because it cannot be responsible for its content and may not meet authorship criteria. Instead, authors could highlight areas of generated text that reviewers and editors can further scrutinize.

Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Angela Collom at acollom@acponline.org. To speak with the corresponding author, Michiel Schinkel, MD, please email m.schinkel@amsterdamumc.nl.
---------------------------
4. Painful, swirling skin lesions a rare symptom of undiagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis
Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/L22-0453
URL goes live when the embargo lifts
A patient presenting with painful, swirling skin lesions, chills, and weight loss was found to be suffering from erythema gyratum repens (EGR), a rare and striking skin condition that is associated with underlying malignancy in most cases, but in some cases can stem from an autoimmune disease, messenger RNA-based vaccines against COVID-19, or in rare cases, tuberculosis (TB). The patient’s doctors had been initially falsely reassured by a negative TB screening test, though further TB testing should have been pursued because she was from a TB-endemic country and had abnormal lung imaging. Thorough investigation for suspected TB was extremely important because treatment of EGR requires addressing the underlying cause of the immune phenomenon. Once the patient was treated for TB, her symptoms cleared. The case report from authors at Stanford University is published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

EGR is a very rare skin condition causing painful lesions that appear in a distinct circular pattern. The patient’s lesions affected her face, neck, trunk, extremities, palms, and soles. Initially, clinicians believed that her rash was a rare reaction to empagliflozin, which the patient had begun taking for diabetes. However, despite discontinuation of the medication and treatment with prednisone and doxycycline, the rash continued to progress. Since EGR is often caused by an underlying malignancy, the patient was screened for cancers, and none were found. Only after imaging of the chest and sputum analysis did clinicians identify the problem – pulmonary tuberculosis.
The authors say that clinicians should learn to recognize EGR’s annular, or polycyclic, ring-within-ring skin lesions because accurate diagnosis is critical for determining the appropriate treatment. If EGR is identified, the next step is finding and treating the underlying cause.

Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Angela Collom at acollom@acponline.org. To speak with the corresponding author, Caitlin A. Contag, MD, please email Lisa Kim at LiKim@stanford.edu.
---------------------------
Also new in this issue:
Cardiac Amyloidosis
Michelle Weisfelner Bloom, MD; Peter D. Gorevic, MD
In the Clinic
Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M22-2615

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JOURNAL

Annals of Internal Medicine

DOI

10.7326/M22-2553 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Systematic review

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Effect of Yoga on Frailty in Older Adults

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

14-Mar-2023

Assistive tech project to enhance prosthetic sockets and speed-up rehabilitation for amputees

University of Bath Press Release

Grant and Award Announcement

UNIVERSITY OF BATH

 

IMAGE: QUADRUPLE AMPUTEE, ALEX LEWIS, WITH DR ELENA SEMINATI AT THE UNIVERSITY OF BATH. view more 

CREDIT: ANDREW DUNNE / UNIVERSITY OF BATH

Individuals who require prosthetic limbs to be fitted following amputations are set to benefit from new technology being developed by researchers at the University of Bath.

If you have an amputation and require a prosthetic limb you need a socket fitted. This is the interface which connects the prosthetic to the residual limb (sometimes known as the stump). However, sizing and fitting the right socket can take months and require multiple trips back and forth to hospital, as the stump can change size and shape as it heals. This delay can seriously impair rehabilitation and quality of life.

Take the case of Alex Lewis. In 2013 aged just 33, Alex contracted a rare form of invasive Group A Strep followed by septicaemia. This led to him having all four limbs amputated and facial reconstruction. Yet, 10 years on, Alex is now helping with this project hoping to improve support for people who find themselves in a similar position in the future.

He explains: “For me, the socket fit in Roehampton took between 4 and 5 weeks to get right. For an amputee though, you want to be wearing this prosthetic as soon as possible, to be able to regain your independence. It just took a long, long time and lots of interactions. It was a long and laboured process.”

Through the new collaborative project being led by Dr Nicola Bailey and Dr Elena Seminati, the team from Bath hopes to dramatically speed up this process. They believe this could have big impacts on patient rehabilitation in the UK and internationally, in particular across low- and middle-income countries.

The work is part of the TIDAL N+ project, which is led by UCL’s Global Disability Innovation Hub and funded by the EPSRC.

In England, 45,000 people rely on prosthetic limbs, with more than 5,000 people each year having new lower-limb amputations. Globally, around 100 million people need a prosthetic limb. It’s estimated that around 80% of those across low- and middle-income countries don’t have access to appropriate support.

The researchers’ aim is to develop technology that can enable patients and their families to photograph the remaining residual limb remotely at home, for example using a mobile phone or digital camera. The goal is to replicate the results clinicians can get in specialist hospitals using high-end 3D scanners, but remotely and at a fraction of the cost.

The researchers’ aim is to develop technology that can enable patients and their families to photograph the remaining residual limb remotely at home, for example using a mobile phone or digital camera. The goal is to replicate the results clinicians can get in specialist hospitals using high-end 3D scanners, but remotely and at a fraction of the cost.

Dr Elena Seminati from the University’s Department for Health has led work improving support for amputees over several years, including with the University’s Centre for the Analysis of Motion Capture (CAMERA). She explains how this approach could be beneficial both for patients and for clinicians.

She said: “For amputees, each socket needs to be personalised, so it fits the shape of the residual limb, and it has to be designed quickly so that patients are able to get back to a relatively normal life as soon as possible. Through this work we want to find ways to speed up this process so as to improve rehabilitation for patients.”

Dr Nicola Bailey from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, who will lead the work, added: “There is a huge potential for impact through this project. The numbers of people with amputations worldwide is growing, and we know they can face serious physical and psychosocial disabilities which compromise their quality of life.

“Prosthetics can certainly improve people’s independence and inclusion, but to maximise prosthetic users’ experience and comfort, a well-fitting prosthetic socket is vital. By trialling, testing and developing new technologies we hope to find ways to better support patients and to help them in the recovery process.”

Alex Lewis added: “My hope through this work is that we can cut the time period down to give patients a much better outcome.”

Watch a three minute explainer: Remote capture for patient data for bespoke socket design.

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