Fallow land promotes bird diversity

Research team including Göttingen University study effect of fallow land and complexity of landscapes on bird populations

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF GÖTTINGEN

 

IMAGE: CORN BUNTING IN AN AREA OF FLOWERING FALLOW LAND. view more 

CREDIT: MICHAEL RADLOFF

In recent decades, many of Germany’s animal populations in agricultural landscapes have experienced sharp declines, both in terms of the number of species and the number of individuals. Fallow land is considered an effective measure to slow this decline. Researchers from the University of Göttingen, Thünen Institute of Biodiversity, and the Dachverband Deutscher Avifaunisten (DDA) have investigated the correlation between the proportion of fallow land and the number and abundance of farmland birds over a nine-year study period. The research shows that areas of fallow land can contribute to an increase in the populations of these birds and that the benefits of fallow land depend significantly on the complexity of the surrounding landscape. Their findings were published in the Journal of Applied Ecology.

To find out where areas of fallow land should be most effectively established, the researchers studied fallow land in agricultural landscapes of varying complexity. Complexity was measured by the density of boundary lines between fields, as well as between fields and adjacent woody structures such as hedges or forest edges. Data from the nationwide monitoring of common breeding birds (CBBM) as well as data from agricultural statistics were used for the evaluation.

The results clearly show that establishing areas of fallow land is particularly effective in agricultural landscapes that have a medium level of complexity. The average density of boundary lines in Germany is around 65 metres per hectare of agricultural land. The authors therefore recommend promoting fallow land primarily in these regions with medium structural complexity. "Our research enabled us to identify regions where fallow land should preferably be established in order to have the greatest effect," summarises Dr Sebastian Klimek, Thünen Institute of Biodiversity, who coordinated the study. "In order to stop declining populations of farmland birds nationwide, it is necessary to maintain a minimum proportion of fallow land in the agricultural landscape, adds Professor Johannes Kamp, University of Göttingen and member of the DDA’s advisory board.

The EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has a strong influence on the total area of fallow land in Germany. Due to changes in the CAP, the amount of fallow land has decreased significantly since the beginning of 2000. The loss of fallow land, especially after the loss of “set-aside” areas in 2007, led to a lack of suitable breeding sites and food for many bird species. Although the "Greening" of the last CAP funding period has slightly increased the total area of fallow land in Germany from 2015 onwards, the country is nowhere near the levels observed before 2007. In the new CAP support period starting in 2023, farms are obliged to set aside 4% of their arable land. This could contribute to an improvement in the population of many farmland birds. In order to restore the pre-2007 level of the farmland bird population, a further increase is required in measures proven to be effective at enhancing biodiversity in the agricultural landscape.

Fallow fields, here implemented as part of an agri-environmental scheme.

CREDIT

Lisa Dumpe

The studies were funded by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture in the project „Monitoring der biologischen Vielfalt in Agrarlandschaften (MonViA)“ (Monitoring Biodiversity in Agricultural Landscapes). The Common Breeding Bird Monitoring is supported by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) with funds from the Federal Environment Ministry and the environment ministries of the Länder.

The studies were funded by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture in the project „Monitoring der biologischen Vielfalt in Agrarlandschaften (MonViA)“ (Monitoring Biodiversity in Agricultural Landscapes). The Common Breeding Bird Monitoring is supported by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) with funds from the Federal Environment Ministry and the environment ministries of the Länder.

Original publication: Hertzog et al (2023) Associations between farmland birds and fallow area at large scales: consistently positive over three periods of the EU Common Agricultural Policy but moderated by landscape complexity. Journal of Applied Ecology. DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14400

JOURNAL

Journal of Applied Ecology

DOI

10.1111/1365-2664.14400 

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Associations between farmland birds and fallow area at large scales: consistently positive over three periods of the EU Common Agricultural Policy but moderated by landscape complexity.

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

25-Apr-2023

Mason researchers explore techniques

to successfully reintroduce captive birds

into the wild

Reports and Proceedings

GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY

Studies show that some species may require breeding in captivity within the next 200 years to avoid extinction. This reality places heavy importance on the reintroduction practices used to successfully transfer species from captivity to the wild. A new study from George Mason University looks at some of the most popular conservation techniques and identifies which have the highest likelihood of success for the reintroduction of bird species back into the wild.

George Mason doctoral student Jessica Roberts and biology professor Dr. David Luther examined various conservation management methods from the past 50 years to identify the most successful and cost-effective reintroduction strategies.

“Threatened and endangered species bred in zoos aren’t really prepared to go live in a wild circumstance with predators and forge for their own food,” said Luther.  “Everything’s given to them and they are protected.”

The team identified 91 avian conservation translocation events with first year survival data. Using the data available, they found that exposing animals to wild food before release, releasing animals into a protected area while maintaining their natural environment, and acclimating birds to the release site and providing supplemental feeding after release should all be techniques considered when implementing avian conservation translocation programs. Roberts said that the use of behavior-based management is a relatively new technique in wildlife conservation, so it is important to look broadly at the method’s implications before turning to research at a more micro scale.

"I've worked captive-breeding and rearing endangered species and saw that a lot of the time when we released them back to the wild, we did not understand the mechanisms behind why some individuals were thriving and others perished,” Roberts said. “The main goal of this research was to look for answers to these survival questions."

While the loss of one bird species out of the thousands that exist may seem small to some, the impact is far greater. Birds help pollinate plants, disperse seeds, and control insect populations. They support larger ecosystems responsible for the fresh water we drink. They influence the proximity of wildlife to villages that ultimately effects the level of risk for pandemics.

Roberts’ and Luther’s study provides evidence-based support to explore the use of behavior and its management as an influential tool in conservation biology. Their work will help improve avian conservation translocation programs and ultimately save more species from the brink of extinction.

Jessica Roberts will graduate with her PhD in Environmental Science and Public Policy this May.

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For more information about the The College of Science at George Mason University, contact Tracy Mason at 703-993-8723 or tmason11@gmu.edu.  

About Mason
George Mason University, Virginia’s largest public research university, enrolls 39,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason has grown rapidly over the last half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity, and commitment to accessibility. In 2022, Mason celebrates 50 years as an independent institution. Learn more at http://www.gmu.edu.

About the College of Science 
Mason’s College of Science is a leader in scientific discovery and a creator of innovative solutions for the rapidly-changing needs of today’s world. The college prides itself in being home to a diverse population of students and researchers serving as a magnet for all scientific minds. With new discoveries, our scientists continue to grow Mason’s portfolio of patents, licenses, partnerships, and spin off companies.

The college blends traditional science education with sought-after programs at all levels to challenge and engage in disciplines including personalized medicine, infectious diseases, drug discovery, climate dynamics, environmental justice and conservation, materials science, astronomy, forensic science, computational science, and applied mathematics. Mason’s College of Science offers enhanced undergraduate and graduate academic and research opportunities, including innovative minors, certificates, and graduate degrees, that allow professionals to upskill or change careers. Learn more at http://science.gmu.edu

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JOURNAL

Biological Conservation

DOI

10.1016/j.biocon.2023.109941 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Data/statistical analysis

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Animals

ARTICLE TITLE

An exploratory analysis of behavior-based and other management techniques to improve avian conservation translocations

New test reveals existing antibiotics, hiding in plain sight on pharmacy shelves, can cure superbugs

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA - SANTA BARBARA

 

IMAGE: A NEW ANTIBIOTIC SUSCEPTIBILITY TEST REVEALED THAT EXISTING FDA-APPROVED ANTIBIOTICS CAN EFFECTIVELY TREAT MULTIDRUG-RESISTANT INFECTIONS. view more 

CREDIT: RYAN ALLEN AND PETER ALLEN, SECOND BAY STUDIOS

A new test revealed that FDA-approved antibiotics — available at your neighborhood pharmacy — can effectively treat superbugs. They are not prescribed, however, because the gold-standard test predicts they will not work. The new test may improve the way antibiotics are developed, tested and prescribed — and it is openly available to all.

The research has significant implications in the fight against bacterial resistance by optimizing the prescription and use of currently available antibiotics and enhancing the efforts to discover new ones.

Developed by a research team of UC Santa Barbara scientists, the antibiotic study was published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine. The research addressed a fundamental flaw in the healthcare paradigm for determining antibiotic resistance.  It does not account for environmental conditions in the body that impact drug potency.

By simulating conditions in the body, the new test identified several effective antibiotics rejected by standard testing. Further, when the new and standard tests agreed — a nearly perfect prediction of treatment success or failure was observed.

The study required a tour de force screening of more than 500 antibiotic-bacteria combinations. The findings suggest that the standard test is incorrect ~15% of the time.  And since physicians rely on this test for treatment decisions — it may lead to prescription of the wrong antibiotic.

The project was led by professor Michael Mahan and his UC Santa Barbara research team of Douglas Heithoff, Lucien Barnes and Scott Mahan, along with Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital physicians Lynn Fitzgibbons, M.D. and Jeffrey Fried, M.D., and professor John House of University of Sydney, Australia.

“People are not Petri plates — that is why antibiotics fail,” said Mahan.  “Testing under conditions that mimic the body improves the accuracy by which lab tests predict drug potency.”

Physicians are aware of the flaws in the gold-standard test.  When recommended antibiotics do not work, they must rely on their experience to decide on the appropriate antibiotic(s) for their patients. 

This study provides a potential solution to address the disparity between antibiotics indicated by standard testing and actual patient outcomes.  

“Reevaluation of FDA-approved antibiotics may be of far greater benefit than the time and cost of developing new drugs to combat antimicrobial resistance,” explained Fitzgibbons, an infectious disease physician, “potentially leading to significant life-savings and cost-savings.”

“Sepsis treatments are expensive and require long hospital stays,” explained Heithoff, “and testing and re-testing is not only time- and labor-intensive, but also leads to antibiotic resistance.”

The new test will lead to reduced costs for the healthcare industry in their efforts to identify new drugs to fight antimicrobial resistant infections.

“More accurate testing reduces the costs of drug discovery by streamlining detection of lead candidates long before expensive human clinical trials,” said House, a clinical veterinarian.

Added Fried, a critical care physician, “Human clinical safety and efficacy studies will need to be conducted to assure these findings are applicable to patients with various infections and sepsis.”

This research was funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, and the U.S. Army Research Office via the Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies (ICB) cooperative agreement and contract.

“As a Gaucho, I’m always proud to advance legislation that delivers critical support for the great work that UCSB ICB and other researchers are doing,” said Rep. Salud Carbajal. “With the support provided from the laws created by my colleagues and I on the Armed Services Committee, UCSB ICB was able to develop a new test method which revealed that FDA-approved antibiotics can effectively treat multidrug-resistant superbugs. This would be a game changer for many in our community with limited access to health care, and I’m proud to see the support included in the legislation I helped get signed into law play a part in this breakthrough.”

(Study title: Reevaluation of FDA-approved Antibiotics with Increased Diagnostic Accuracy for Assessment of Antimicrobial Resistance)

---

JOURNAL

Cell Reports Medicine

ARTICLE TITLE

Re-evaluation of FDA-approved antibiotics with increased diagnostic accuracy for assessment of antimicrobial resistance

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

27-Apr-2023

Being hospitalized with acute kidney injury may increase risk for rehospitalization and death

Peer-Reviewed Publication

NIH/NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DIABETES AND DIGESTIVE AND KIDNEY DISEASES

 

IMAGE: KEY FINDINGS FROM RECENT NIDDK-SUPPORTED RESEARCH ON ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY DURING HOSPITALIZATION AND SHORT- AND LONG-TERM REHOSPITALIZATIONS AND MORTALITY. view more 

CREDIT: NIH/NIDDK

A study supported by the National Institutes of Health found that people who experienced acute kidney injury (AKI) during a hospitalization, including those admitted with AKI or who developed AKI in the hospital, were more likely to revisit the hospital or die shortly after discharge, compared to people hospitalized without AKI. AKI is a sudden loss of kidney function that usually lasts for a short time. The research, funded by NIH’s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), was published in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases.

According to the findings, people who had been hospitalized with AKI, whether or not they had pre-existing kidney disease, were 62% more likely to be readmitted to the hospital for any reason and 266% more likely to die of any cause within 90 days after discharge from the hospital. During the year following discharge, those hospitalized with AKI were re-hospitalized nearly 60% more often than those hospitalized without AKI and more than twice as likely to die. Heart failure, sepsis, and pneumonia were among the most common causes for readmission after discharge with an AKI hospitalization.

“We hope this study leads to a growing awareness about the dramatic increased adverse risks after a hospitalization with AKI – outcomes that could substantially affect health,” said Dr. Ivonne Schulman, program director at NIDDK’s Division of Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases, and one of the paper’s co-authors. “There currently is no standard of care for people after being hospitalized with AKI, and this information could help get us there.”

The researchers analyzed data from nearly 1 million people in a national health insurance claims database, comparing around 470,000 patients who had a hospitalization with an AKI diagnosis with the same number of patients hospitalized without an AKI diagnosis. The two groups were matched on other characteristics, such as pre-existing medical conditions, sex, race, and ethnicity.

AKI is more common in people with medical conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, or chronic kidney disease. AKI can have different causes, including overuse or misuse of certain medications, or injury to the kidneys from systemic infections. It can also progress into chronic kidney disease, a long-term loss of kidney function possibly leading to the need for kidney transplant or dialysis.

“Monitoring people with AKI in the weeks after hospital discharge may be critical in preventing future adverse health outcomes,” said NIDDK Director Dr. Griffin P. Rodgers. “These findings present an opportunity for further research to develop and test interventions designed to reduce the risks associated with AKI.”

This study was supported by the Division of Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

About the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK): The NIDDK, a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), conducts and supports research on diabetes and other endocrine and metabolic diseases; digestive diseases, nutrition and obesity; and kidney, urologic and hematologic diseases. Spanning the full spectrum of medicine and afflicting people of all ages and ethnic groups, these diseases encompass some of the most common, severe, and disabling conditions affecting Americans. For more information about the NIDDK and its programs, see https://www.niddk.nih.gov/.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health®

 

References:

Schulman IH, et al. Readmission and mortality after hospitalization with acute kidney injury. American Journal of Kidney Diseases(link is external). Month DD, 2023.

Mount Sinai awarded grant to assess music’s impact on well-being, depression

National Endowment for the Arts funds a collaboration between the Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine and Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute

Business Announcement

THE MOUNT SINAI HOSPITAL / MOUNT SINAI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

The Mount Sinai Health System Assessment of Music Experiences in Navigating Depression (AMEND Lab) at the Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine has received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to investigate how music and music therapy can influence mood and alter depression symptoms across vulnerable populations.

“As a musician, I’ve always been involved in community music, and the beauty of this grant is that it connects our center with Carnegie Hall Weill Music Institute,” said Joanne Loewy, DA, LCAT, MT-BC, the founding Director of the Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine at Mount Sinai, and the first music therapist to be inducted as a Fellow into the New York Academy of Medicine.

“A cornerstone of the study is ‘social prescribing,’ a concept that is widely used in Europe,” Dr. Loewy explained. “It involves thinking of music less as a recreational activity, and more as a foundational prescription for everyday life. We will look at questions such as, ‘How can having music and performances as part of your weekly or monthly calendar influence the way you work or play in society and with others?’”

In addition, the investigators will examine factors such as participants’ musical history (“How were you raised on music?”) and how they listen to music (e.g., through headphones, earbuds, in person) and compare the impact of various music interventions on depression and resilience, mood and affect, sleep quality, and quality of life.

The study will also involve working one-on-one with individuals with clinical depression to explore in depth how music therapy impacts their depression. Populations of particular interest include children, teens, and college students with depression who may be at risk for suicide; first-time parents of preterm infants; and older adults with neurologic diseases.

Related planned products from the grant include recordings of "well-being" music concerts held for the participants, research articles, conference presentations, and a standardized assessment tool and manual that will inform creative arts therapists and other health care professionals about the impacts that music engagement may have on depression.

These investigations and innovations build on Dr. Loewy’s 30-year career as a researcher exploring the power of music as medicine. Recent studies at the Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine include examinations of music therapy’s effects in people with long COVID; on patients in fragile environments, such as oncology waiting rooms; on the neurology of pain; on sleep improvement; and on physiological and developmental function in premature infants in the neonatal intensive care unit.

“Medical researchers mainly look at quantitative measures when assessing disease outcomes, but there’s always often an emotional aspect that can have an impact on outcomes,” said Dr. Loewy. “We often don’t consider how something like music therapy can affect the disease process. I’m honored to have the opportunity to continue exploring the value of our interventions, particularly in the lives of vulnerable individuals.”

Additional partners in the NEA-funded study include Cooper Union, Third Street Music School, Young Adults Institute, and Lincoln Center Moments. 

About the Mount Sinai Health System

The Mount Sinai Health System is one of the largest academic medical systems in the New York metro area, with more than 43,000 employees working across eight hospitals, over 400 outpatient practices, over 300 labs, a school of nursing, and a leading school of medicine and graduate education. Mount Sinai advances health for all people, everywhere, by taking on the most complex health care challenges of our time — discovering and applying new scientific learning and knowledge; developing safer, more effective treatments; educating the next generation of medical leaders and innovators; and supporting local communities by delivering high-quality care to all who need it.

Through the integration of its hospitals, labs, and schools, Mount Sinai offers comprehensive health care solutions from birth through geriatrics, leveraging innovative approaches such as artificial intelligence and informatics while keeping patients’ medical and emotional needs at the center of all treatment. For more information, visit https://www.mountsinai.org or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

The future is foggy for Arctic shipping

Warming temperatures and melting sea ice increase fog in the Arctic, creating a costly obstacle for trans-Arctic shipping

AMERICAN GEOPHYSICAL UNION

27 April 2023
AGU Release No. 23-19
For Immediate Release 

This press release and accompanying multimedia are available online at: https://news.agu.org/press-release/the-future-is-foggy-for-arctic-shipping/

The future is foggy for Arctic shipping
Warming temperatures and melting sea ice increase fog in the Arctic, creating a costly obstacle for trans-Arctic shipping. 

AGU press contact: 
Liza Lester, +1 (202) 777-7494, news@agu.org (UTC-4 hours)

Contact information for the researchers:
Xianyao Chen, Ocean University of China and Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, chenxy@ouc.edu.cn (UTC+8 hours)

---

WASHINGTON — As the Arctic warms and loses sea ice, trans-Arctic shipping has increased, reducing travel time and costs for international trade. However, a new study finds that the Arctic Ocean is getting foggier as ice disappears, reducing visibility and causing costly delays as ships slow to avoid hitting dangerous sea ice.

The study was published in Geophysical Research Letters, which publishes high-impact, short-format reports with immediate implications spanning all Earth and space sciences.

Arctic sea ice has been shrinking for decades. That loss has opened shipping channels in the Northwest Passage and the Northern Sea Route, allowing even non-icebreaker vessels to skip the time-consuming Panama and Suez Canals farther south. But as the ice recedes, cold air is exposed to more warm water, and warm vapor condenses into fog in those new passages. Hidden chunks of ice already pose risks to vessels making their way through foggy, low-visibility routes.

“The future of shipping in the Arctic is unclear, but fog could pose a significant challenge,” said Xianyao Chen, a physical oceanographer at the Ocean University of China and author of the study. “When designing shipping routes across the Arctic, we need to consider the impact of fog.”

To examine how climate change has impacted fog conditions along Arctic shipping routes, and to see how conditions will change during the 21st century, researchers used data on Arctic fog collected from 1979 to 2018 and climate projections from the Fifth Phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project. The researchers also modeled alternate routes that could minimize foggy days during transit. 

They found that ships crossing the Northwest Passage are more likely to encounter fog than ships in the Northern Sea Route. Fog in the Northwest Passage, which avoids the Panama Canal, is more frequent and persistent and so likely to increase sailing time by up to three days. Sailing time for the less-foggy Northern Sea Route, avoiding the Suez Canal, is projected to be no more than one day longer. According to the study, both proposed passages would encounter less fog if the routes shifted farther away from the sea ice edge.   

Fog is already cutting into time gained by taking the much shorter Arctic routes; shipping speeds on foggy days are slower than on clear days, Chen found. As the Arctic gets foggier, shipping could continue to slow unless routes are adjusted.  With daily operating costs for large container ships typically reaching $50,000 to $150,000, a multi-day delay due to fog quickly increases the costs of a trans-Arctic crossing.

“Avoiding ice is critical,” said Scott Stephenson, a physical scientist at the RAND Corporation who was not affiliated with this study. “This study did a good job at identifying the risks of fog — an important environmental constraint in the Arctic, and one that has largely been ignored.”

###

AGU (www.agu.org) is a global community supporting more than half a million advocates and professionals in Earth and space sciences. Through broad and inclusive partnerships, AGU aims to advance discovery and solution science that accelerate knowledge and create solutions that are ethical, unbiased and respectful of communities and their values. Our programs include serving as a scholarly publisher, convening virtual and in-person events and providing career support. We live our values in everything we do, such as our net zero energy renovated building in Washington, D.C. and our Ethics and Equity Center, which fosters a diverse and inclusive geoscience community to ensure responsible conduct.

*****

Notes for Journalists:
This study is published in Geophysical Research Letters, a fully open access journal. Neither the paper nor this press release is under embargo. Download a PDF copy of the paper here.

Paper title:
“Adapting to a foggy future along trans-Arctic shipping routes”

Authors:

• S. Song, X. Chen (corresponding author) and J. Zhao, Frontier Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System (FDOMES) and Physical Oceanography Laboratory, Ocean University of China and Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
• Y. Chen, FDOMES and Physical Oceanography Laboratory, Ocean University of China, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, and Academy of the Future Ocean, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
• C. Chen, Geovis Technology Company Limited, Beijing, China
• K. Li, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California, US
• K. Tung, Department of Applied Mathematics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, US
• Q. Shao, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
• Y. Liu, X. Wang and L. Yi, FDOMES and Physical Oceanography Laboratory, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China

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JOURNAL

Geophysical Research Letters

DOI

10.1029/2022GL102395 

ARTICLE TITLE

Adapting to a foggy future along trans-Arctic shipping routes

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

25-Apr-2023

Decades of nuclear energy research pay off in milestone nonproliferation achievement

Argonne scientists help facilities around the world convert to safer processes and materials without halting production of lifesaving medical radioisotopes

Grant and Award Announcement

DOE/ARGONNE NATIONAL LABORATORY

 

IMAGE: AERIAL VIEW OF ARGONNE NATIONAL LABORATORY. view more 

CREDIT: (IMAGE BY ARGONNE.)

When the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) announced that it had reached a major nonproliferation milestone this week, many at Argonne National Laboratory, a DOE national laboratory, felt a surge of pride.

Scientists and engineers at Argonne have been working for decades to help medical isotope production facilities around the world change from the use of highly enriched uranium (HEU) to the use of low-enriched uranium (LEU), which is much more difficult to use in a weapon. The successful conversion of Belgium’s National Institute of Radioelements (IRE) was the last step in completion of the effort.

“Our scientists and engineers work diligently to see problems solved and challenges overcome, and this is a moment when we can celebrate the impact of that diligence worldwide.” — Temitope Taiwo, director of Nuclear Science and Engineering, Argonne

“As a result of this accomplishment, all major global molybdenum-99 production facilities now use LEU,” said Temitope Taiwo, director of the Nuclear Science and Engineering division at Argonne. ​“Our scientists and engineers work diligently to see problems solved and challenges overcome, and this is a moment when we can celebrate the impact of that diligence worldwide.”

Molybdenum-99’s (Mo-99) decay product, technetium-99m (Tc-99m), is used in over 40,000 medical procedures in the United States each day, including for the diagnosis of heart disease and cancer. Historically, Mo-99 was usually produced by irradiating HEU in nuclear reactors and then processing the irradiated material to extract the Mo-99. The uranium placed in the reactor for irradiation is known as a ​“target.” HEU is a proliferation-sensitive material that, if diverted or stolen, could be used as a component of a nuclear weapon.

“Thanks to the hard work of the NNSA team and our partners, including Belgium’s IRE, all major Mo-99 producers can now perform their vital work without the use of proliferation-sensitive HEU targets,” said NNSA Administrator Jill Hruby. ​“This also means that all of the Mo-99 used in the United States is now produced without highly enriched uranium targets.”

Fulfilling a commitment made at the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit, NNSA provided financial and technical assistance to global Mo-99 producers for the conversion from HEU to LEU targets. Argonne helped with these technically complex conversions, which included requiring qualification of new LEU targets for irradiation in nuclear reactors, modification of specialized equipment for processing irradiated targets, and extensive reviews from both nuclear safety and medical regulators.

“It was good chemistry — not only re-evaluating the uranium processes from the ground up but also the chemistry between the IRE and DOE staff — that led to the successful conversion and manufacturing of this life-saving isotope,” said M. Alex Brown, a nuclear chemical engineer in Argonne’s Chemical and Fuel Cycle Technologies division.

The progress made in converting global Mo-99 producers to LEU enabled the U.S. secretaries of Energy and Health and Human Services to jointly certify in December 2021 that there is a sufficient global supply of Mo-99 produced without the use of HEU to meet the needs of U.S. patients. This certification triggered a ban on U.S. exports of HEU for foreign medical isotope production.

Argonne National Laboratory seeks solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology. The nation’s first national laboratory, Argonne conducts leading-edge basic and applied scientific research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne researchers work closely with researchers from hundreds of companies, universities, and federal, state and municipal agencies to help them solve their specific problems, advance America’s scientific leadership and prepare the nation for a better future. With employees from more than 60 nations, Argonne is managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit https://​ener​gy​.gov/​s​c​ience.

‘Green’ way to extract hair compounds that could be used for bandages, sunscreens

AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY

Hair styling can be a potent form of self-expression, whether it features dramatic updos, intricate braids or crazy colors. Beyond being a reflection of our personality, these strands contain compounds that could one day appear in bandages, sunscreens or other products. Researchers reporting in ACS Omega have now designed a simple, green process to extract both keratin and melanin from human hair for these possible applications without harsh chemicals or excessive waste.

Hair is made up of protein filaments consisting of many different layers and components. Its structure comes from the protein keratin, which can also be found in fingernails, horns and feathers. Its color is provided by melanin, a group of pigment molecules that are also found in the skin and eyes. In addition, melanin has antioxidative properties and can help shield against ultraviolet light. These qualities make the compounds suitable for biomedical applications; however, since most discarded hair is incinerated or dumped in landfills, its keratin and melanin are largely unused as well. Chemically extracting them from hair is possible, but current protocols either can only extract one compound at a time, or rely on harsh chemicals and complicated steps. So, Paulomi Ghosh and colleagues wanted to develop a straightforward method to extract both keratin and melanin from human hair with a single procedure, using a recyclable, green solvent.

The researchers collected samples of hair from local salons, then washed and cut them into small slices. Then, they mixed the hair with an ionic liquid, which dissolved the mixture by interrupting the hydrogen bonds that held the keratin proteins together. When heated and poured into a hydrochloric acid solution, the melanin pigments precipitated out and were collected. Next, the researchers performed dialysis to collect the keratin proteins. The ionic liquid was recycled and reused in subsequent reactions, without a significant impact on the reaction’s yield.

Recovered keratin was compatible with blood, suggesting that it could be used in heavy-duty hemostatic bandages. This extraction procedure also maintained the natural structure of the melanin, which was lost in other, harsher methods. Because the melanin had good antioxidative and UV shielding properties, the team says it could be used in sun-protective products or films. The researchers say that this technique could serve as a green way to sustainably extract useful biopolymers from otherwise discarded materials.

The authors acknowledge funding from the Department of Science and Technology (DST)-INSPIRE Faculty, the CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, the Indian Council of Medical Research and the Department of Biotechnology of the Government of India.

The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS’ mission is to advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and all its people. The Society is a global leader in promoting excellence in science education and providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple research solutions, peer-reviewed journals, scientific conferences, eBooks and weekly news periodical Chemical & Engineering News. ACS journals are among the most cited, most trusted and most read within the scientific literature; however, ACS itself does not conduct chemical research. As a leader in scientific information solutions, its CAS division partners with global innovators to accelerate breakthroughs by curating, connecting and analyzing the world’s scientific knowledge. ACS’ main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society, contact newsroom@acs.org.

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JOURNAL

ACS Omega

DOI

10.1021/acsomega.3c01428 

ARTICLE TITLE

“One-Pot Extraction of Bioresources from Human Hair via a ZeroWaste Green Route”

Mental imagery a helpful way to distract teens from negative thought patterns, OSU study finds

OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY

For adolescents who may get stuck in negative thought spirals, refocusing on mental imagery is a more effective distraction than verbal thoughts, a recent study from Oregon State University found.

A short-term distraction can break up the thought spiral, which makes room for that person to then seek help from a therapist, friend or parent, said study author Hannah Lawrence, an assistant professor of psychology in OSU’s College of Liberal Arts.

“When we get stuck thinking about negative things that happened in the past, that makes us feel even worse, and it leads to more difficulties regulating our emotions and regulating our bodies,” Lawrence said. “We want to connect people to some more comprehensive strategies or skills that could get us unstuck from those thinking patterns.”

Lawrence runs the Translational Imagery, Depression and Suicide (TIDES) Lab at OSU, researching risk factors and developing effective interventions for depression in adolescents, including interventions that can be scaled up so they’re accessible to a wider population.

“These negative things are going to happen to all of us, so knowing ahead of time which tools we should pack in our toolbox that we can pull out to help lower our emotional reactions in the moment, just enough to get us out of those loops, will help us get unstuck,” she said.

The study, published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, aimed to determine which form of negative rumination — either verbal thoughts or imagery-based thoughts — caused a greater drop in the adolescent participants’ affect, or general mood; and also which form of thought was more effective at distracting them and helping them break out of that negative mood.

The 145 participants were ages 13 to 17 and recruited from a rural area of New England where Lawrence conducted the research study. The group was predominantly white and 62% female. Participants also filled out a depression questionnaire, which showed that about 39% of the group experienced clinically elevated symptoms of depression.

The researchers started by inducing a negative mood in the teenage participants, using an online game designed to create feelings of exclusion. (After participants completed the study, researchers explained the game to them to help alleviate any lingering hurt feelings.)

Participants were then split into groups and prompted to ruminate, either in verbal thoughts or mental imagery; or prompted to distract themselves, also in verbal thoughts or mental imagery. In the rumination group, participants were given prompts like “Imagine the kind of person you think you should be.” In the distraction group, prompts such as “Think about your grocery list” were meant to distract them from their negative affect.

To encourage verbal thoughts, researchers had participants practice coming up with sentences in their head describing a lemon using specific words. To encourage mental imagery, they had participants practice imagining what a lemon looked like in different conditions.

Researchers used noninvasive sensors to record electrical activity of the heart and skin conductance response as a way to measure physiological responses to the various prompts. They also directed participants to rate their current emotional affect at four different points during the study.

While there was no significant difference in the adolescents’ response between the two types of rumination — both verbal thoughts and mental imagery had a similar effect on their mood — researchers found that mental imagery was significantly more effective as a distraction than verbal thoughts.

“Using mental imagery seems to help us improve our affect, as well as regulate our nervous system,” Lawrence said. “The fact that we didn’t have a significant result for ruminating in imagery versus verbal thought tells us that it doesn’t really matter what form those negative cognitions take. The part that seems really problematic is the getting-stuck part — dwelling over and over again on these sad or anxiety-inducing things that happen.”

Researchers don’t know exactly why mental imagery is so effective, but they hypothesize it’s because imagery is much more immersive and requires more effort, thus creating a stronger emotional response and a bigger distraction. There’s also some evidence that imagining mental pictures lights up the same part of the brain as seeing and experiencing those things in real life, Lawrence said. 

In her work, Lawrence has found some adults seem to ruminate in only one form, while most teens report ruminating in both verbal thoughts and mental imagery. One possibility is that these thought patterns become self-reinforcing habits, she said, with the negative images or verbal messages becoming more ingrained over time.

“That’s why I like working with teenagers: If we can interrupt these processes early in development, maybe we can help these teens get to adulthood and not get stuck in these negative thinking patterns,” Lawrence said. “All of us ruminate. It’s a matter of how long we do it for, and what skills we have to stop when we want to.”

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JOURNAL

Journal of Affective Disorders

DOI

10.1016/j.jad.2023.02.066 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Reimagining rumination? The unique role of mental imagery in adolescents' affective and physiological response to rumination and distraction

Climate change could drive more Zika and dengue epidemics and longer transmission seasons in Brazil, with a new model predicting Zika's R0 increasing up to 2.7

PLOS

Climate change could drive more Zika and dengue epidemics and longer transmission seasons in Brazil, with a new model predicting Zika's R0 increasing up to 2.7.

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Article URL: http://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0010839

Article Title: Long-term projections of the impacts of warming temperatures on Zika and dengue risk in four Brazilian cities using a temperature-dependent basic reproduction number

Author Countries: USA

Funding: This work was supported in part by a grant from the National Institutes of Health (www.nih.gov; grant number R01AI132372). HVW and JNSE received funding from this source. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

JOURNAL

PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases

DOI

10.1371/journal.pntd.0010839 

ARTICLE TITLE

Long-term projections of the impacts of warming temperatures on Zika and dengue risk in four Brazilian cities using a temperature-dependent basic reproduction number

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

27-Apr-2023