Managing menopause: Hormone therapy is back

Peer-Reviewed Publication

CANADIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION JOURNAL

Hot flashes, night sweats and sleep disturbances are common symptoms of menopause that can affect health, quality of life and work productivity. A new review published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.221438 recommends menopausal hormone therapy, historically known as hormone replacement therapy (HRT), as first-line treatment in people without risk factors.

Menopausal symptoms may occur up to 10 years before the last menstrual period and can last more than 10 years, with negative effects for many people.

"Menopause and perimenopause can be associated with distressing symptoms and reduced quality of life," writes Dr. Iliana Lega, Women's College Hospital and the University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, with coauthors. "Menopausal hormone therapy is the first-line treatment for vasomotor symptoms in the absence of contraindications."

The review summarizes the latest evidence for diagnosing and treating menopausal symptoms as well as the risks and benefits of therapies to help clinicians and patients manage the condition.

"Although many treatments exist for menopausal symptoms, fears around the risks of menopausal hormone therapy and lack of knowledge regarding treatment options often impede patients from receiving treatment," write the authors.

Benefits of menopausal hormone therapy include

• reduced hot flashes in as many as 90% of patients with moderate to severe symptoms;
• improved blood lipid levels and a possible reduced risk of diabetes; and
• fewer fragility fractures of the hip, spine and other bones.

What about the risks?

• Although previous evidence has shown an increased risk of breast cancer, the risk is much lower in people aged 50–59 years and in those who start menopausal hormone therapy in the first 10 years of menopause.
• Some studies show an increased risk of ischemic stroke in women older than 60 years who start therapy 10 years after the start of menopause, but the risk is low for those younger than 60.

For people with risk factors or those who do not want to take menopausal hormone therapy, nonhormonal therapies, such as some selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and other medications, can help alleviate symptoms.

"Despite early concerns of an increased risk of cardiovascular events with menopausal hormone therapy after the Women's Health Initiative trial, increasing evidence shows a possible reduction in coronary artery disease with menopausal hormone therapy among younger menopausal patients, specifically those who start menopausal hormone therapy before age 60 years or within 10 years of menopause," write the authors.

They emphasize that it's important for clinicians to ask about symptoms before and during menopause and to discuss treatments with patients based on their personal preferences and potential risk factors.

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JOURNAL

Canadian Medical Association Journal

DOI

10.1503/cmaj.221438 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Literature review

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

A pragmatic approach to the management of menopause

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

15-May-2023

Severe hot flashes after menopause increase metabolic syndrome risk in women

Reports and Proceedings

EUROPEAN SOCIETY OF ENDOCRINOLOGY

Severe hot flashes after menopause increase metabolic syndrome risk in women

Women who experience more severe hot flashes after menopause are more likely to develop metabolic syndrome and high blood pressure, according to research presented at the 25th European Congress of Endocrinology in Istanbul. The findings of this long-term study highlight the importance of using hormone replacement therapy for menopause in these women.

Metabolic syndrome is a group of three or more conditions that occur together, which increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. These conditions include high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist and abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels. After menopause, women are at a higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease.

In this study, researchers from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens examined 825 healthy women aged 40-65 years, who had recently gone through menopause, at Aretaieion University Hospital Athens in Greece. They monitored these women over the course of 15 years, between 2006 and 2021, and found that those with moderate to severe hot flashes were more likely to develop hypertension and metabolic syndrome. Additionally, women who developed hypertension or metabolic syndrome were diagnosed earlier when experiencing more severe hot flashes compared to those who had no or milder cases of hot flashes.

Previous studies have also shown an association between hot flashes and cardiovascular health risk; women experiencing hot flashes have a higher risk of developing different types of conditions that affect the heart and blood vessels. However, this association has never been studied in women with varying degrees of symptoms on such a large scale. “Our long-term study is carefully designed, in which we matched a carefully selected group of women according to the severity of hot flashes and their age, and followed them for up to 15 years,” said lead researcher Dr Elena Armeni.

Symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats can start around the time of menopause and can last up to 10 years. However, hormone replacement therapy – medication that contains hormones which the body can no longer make after menopause – can be used to treat menopausal symptoms and protect long-term health, especially in women who have moderate to severe hot flashes. “Our results re-emphasise the role of cardiovascular prevention strategies, such as the use of hormone replacement therapy, which should be implemented shortly after menopause,” said Dr Armeni. “This healthy group of women who are already candidates for hormone replacement therapy should be encouraged to opt for this treatment.”

The researchers are now interested in whether these accumulated health risk factors cause heart conditions. “Our study shows that the most symptomatic women after menopause have more prevalent cardiovascular risk factors, but it is unclear if they are also more likely to develop heart disease, type 2 diabetes, or have a stroke," said Dr Armeni. “If so, women with more disturbing symptoms will require appropriate health education to ensure they will remain fit and healthy in old age.”

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The study “The severity of hot flashes is associated with the risk for incident metabolic syndrome and new-onset hypertension after the menopause” will be presented on Sunday 14 May 2023 at the European Congress of Endocrinology at the Halic Congress Center in Istanbul, Turkey. See the full scientific programme here.

The European Society of Endocrinology (ESE) provides a platform to develop and share leading research and best knowledge in endocrine science and medicine. By uniting and representing every part of the endocrine community, we are best placed to improve the lives of patients. With over 5,000 individual members and through the 51 National Societies involved with the ESE Council of Affiliated Societies (ECAS), ESE represents a community of over 20,000 European endocrinologists. We inform policy makers on health decisions at the highest level through advocacy efforts across Europe.

National Poll: 2 in 3 parents not confident they can tell whether used children’s equipment is safe

Half of parents have used pre-owned equipment for their child, most commonly cribs and highchairs

Reports and Proceedings

MICHIGAN MEDICINE - UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

 

IMAGE: PARENTS POLLED WEREN’T COMPLETELY CONFIDENT THEY COULD IDENTIFY SAFETY CONCERNS, SUCH AS UNSAFE WEAR AND TEAR, RECALLS OR HYGIENE ISSUES. view more 

CREDIT: UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN HEALTH C.S. MOTT CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL NATIONAL POLL ON CHILDREN’S HEALTH

Cribs, strollers and other infant and child equipment can be expensive and most families in a new national poll agree that it’s wasteful to buy these items new when they’re needed for such a short time.

But while half of parents say they have used pre-owned equipment for babies and young children, two in three acknowledge that it’s difficult to always know whether it’s safe for their child, according to the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health.

“Used child essentials are often more cost-effective, environmentally friendly and convenient,” said Mott Poll co-director Sarah Clark. “However, many parents in our poll weren’t completely confident they could identify safety concerns, such as unsafe wear and tear, recalls or hygiene issues.”

Half of parents polled say they are only comfortable using used infant and child equipment from family or close friends while a little less than half are also OK with items bought at resale shops and yard sales. 

Parents most commonly used pre-owned cribs and highchairs, followed by outdoor play structures, strollers, playpens and bath seats, according to the poll report, which is based on responses from 932 parents with at least one child aged 0-7 surveyed in February 2023. Parents are least likely to report using second hand infant car seats or booster seats.

“Regardless of whether they receive the item from someone they know well or from a garage sale, parents should take diligent steps to make sure the equipment meets current safety standards and is safe for their child,” Clark said.  

“Parents should keep in mind that safety regulations are constantly evolving as research identifies features that pose a risk of injury,” she added. “This is particularly important when it comes to cribs, one of the most common types of pre-owned equipment. It is likely that some parents using pre-owned cribs may not be aware of how safety standards have changed.”

Most parents say that when they receive or buy pre-owned equipment, they are very likely to inspect it for signs of damage and sanitize it. But just half of parents are as likely to do an Internet search for instructions on how to set up and use the equipment or for information about product recalls.

“If parents don’t properly follow assembly instructions, cribs, strollers and playsets can collapse or malfunction, potentially causing serious injuries to the child,” Clark said.

“Before allowing a child to use a pre-owned item, it’s also essential to check for product recalls, which mean a manufacturer has asked customers to return or stop using the product due to a discovered safety hazard.”

Four percent of parents polled are not comfortable using any pre-owned equipment and three-quarters say they’d prefer to buy new equipment to make sure it’s safe for their child. 

But budget concerns can be a barrier, especially since families often require duplicate pieces of equipment to support their child’s sleep, transportation, and other daily activities at grandparents’ or babysitters’ homes.

Parents with household incomes under $100,000 are more likely to say they have used pre-owned equipment compared to those over $100,000 (58% vs 48%.)

Most parents also say they themselves have donated or sold child health and safety equipment, most often to a family member or friend (74%) or a charitable organization (52%), as well as at a garage sale (35%) or to a children’s resale shop (33%). Another 19% say they have never shared or sold pre-owned equipment.

“Before passing on an item to another family, parents should ensure it’s safe and in good working order,” Clark said. “If not, parents should dispose of the equipment to avoid risking injury of another child.”

When to withdraw care in severe traumatic brain injury

Peer-Reviewed Publication

MARY ANN LIEBERT, INC./GENETIC ENGINEERING NEWS

 

IMAGE: FOCUSES ON THE LATEST ADVANCES IN THE CLINICAL AND LABORATORY INVESTIGATION OF TRAUMATIC BRAIN AND SPINAL CORD INJURY. EMPHASIS IS ON THE BASIC PATHOBIOLOGY OF INJURY TO THE NERVOUS SYSTEM, AND THE PAPERS AND REVIEWS EVALUATE PRECLINICAL AND CLINICAL TRIALS TARGETED AT IMPROVING THE EARLY MANAGEMENT AND LONG-TERM CARE AND RECOVERY OF PATIENTS WITH TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY view more 

CREDIT: MARY ANN LIEBERT INC., PUBLISHERS

More than 40 traumatic brain injury experts were surveyed on the use of prognostication and withdrawal of care decisions in severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). The survey results are published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Neurotrauma. Click here to read the article now.

Gregory Hawryluk, MD, PhD, Akron General Hospital, and coauthors surveyed panelists from the Seattle International severe traumatic Brain Injury Consensus Conference (SIBICC), querying them on the use of prognostic calculators, variability in and responsibility for goals of care decisions, acceptability of neurological outcomes, and putative means of improving decisions that may limit care. 

The responses to most questions were highly variable. Most panelists reported infrequent use of prognostic calculators. Overall, panelists felt that it would be beneficial for physicians to improve consensus on what constitutes an acceptable neurological outcome and what chance of achieving that outcome is acceptable. “Over 50% of panelists felt that if it was certain to be enduring, a vegetative state or lower severe disability would justify a withdrawal of care decision,” stated the authors.

“The SIBICC algorithms broke ground by addressing insufficiently informed aspects of TBI care such as when and how to de-escalate therapy,” concluded the authors.

“This is a tremendously important topic, with profound consequences for our most seriously injured patients,” says David L. Brody, MD, PhD, Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Neurotrauma. “Researchers and clinicians and who care for patients with severe TBI should read this paper carefully.”

About the Journal
Journal of Neurotrauma is an authoritative peer-reviewed journal published 24 times per year in print and online that focuses on the latest advances in the clinical and laboratory investigation of traumatic brain and spinal cord injury. Emphasis is on the basic pathobiology of injury to the nervous system, and the papers and reviews evaluate preclinical and clinical trials targeted at improving the early management and long-term care and recovery of patients with traumatic brain injury. Journal of Neurotrauma is the official journal of the National Neurotrauma Society and the International Neurotrauma Society. Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the Journal of Neurotrauma website. 

About the Publisher
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers is known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in promising areas of science and biomedical research. A complete list of the firm’s more than 100 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available on the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers website.

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JOURNAL

Journal of Neurotrauma

DOI

10.1089/neu.2022.0414 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Survey

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Prognostication and Goals of Care Decisions in Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: A Survey of The Seattle International Severe Traumatic Brain Injury Consensus Conference Working Group

Simulation provides images from the carbon nucleus

International study with participation of the University of Bonn also provides new insights into the puzzling Hoyle state

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF BONN

 

IMAGE: ARE PRESENT IN THE CARBON NUCLEUS AS THREE CLUSTERS OF FOUR. DEPENDING ON THE ENERGY STATE OF THE NUCLEUS, THESE CAN BE ARRANGED INTO AN EQUILATERAL TRIANGLE (LEFT) OR LIKE A SLIGHTLY BENT ARM (RIGHT). view more 

CREDIT: IMAGE: PROF. SERDAR ELHATISARI/UNIVERSITY OF BONN

What does the inside of a carbon atom’s nucleus look like? A new study by Forschungszentrum Jülich, Michigan State University (USA) and the University of Bonn provides the first comprehensive answer to this question. In the study, the researchers simulated all known energy states of the nucleus. These include the puzzling Hoyle state. If it did not exist, carbon and oxygen would only be present in the universe in tiny traces. Ultimately, we therefore also owe it our own existence. The study has now been published in the journal “Nature Communications.”

The nucleus of a carbon atom normally consists of six protons and six neutrons. But how exactly are they arranged? And how does their configuration change when the nucleus is bombarded with high-energy radiation? For decades, science has been searching for answers to these questions. Not least because they could provide the key to a mystery that has long puzzled physicists: Why is there a significant amount of carbon in space at all - an atom without which there would be no life on Earth?

After all, shortly after the Big Bang, there was only hydrogen and helium. The hydrogen nucleus consists of a single proton, that of helium of two protons and two neutrons. All heavier elements were only created many billions of years later by aging stars. In them, helium nuclei fused into carbon nuclei at immense pressure and extremely high temperatures. This requires three helium nuclei to fuse together. “But it's actually very unlikely for this to happen,” explains Prof. Dr. Ulf Meißner of the Helmholtz Institute of Radiation and Nuclear Physics at the University of Bonn and the Institute for Advanced Simulation at Forschungszentrum Jülich. The reason: The helium nuclei together have a much higher energy than a carbon nucleus. However, this does not mean that they fuse particularly readily - on the contrary: It is as if three people wanted to jump onto a merry-go-round. But since they run much faster than the merry-go-round turns, they do not succeed.

Simulation on the supercomputer

As early as the 1950s, the British astronomer Fred Hoyle therefore postulated that the three helium nuclei first come together to form a kind of transition state. This "Hoyle state" has a very similar energy to the helium nuclei. To stay in the picture: It is a faster-spinning version of the merry-go-round, which the three passengers can therefore easily jump onto. When that happens, the carousel slows down to its normal speed. “Only by taking a detour via the Hoyle state can stars create carbon at all in any appreciable quantity,” says Meißner, who is also a member of the Transdisciplinary Research Areas “Modeling” and “Matter” of the University of Bonn.

About ten years ago, together with colleagues from the USA, Forschungszentrum Jülich and Ruhr-Universität Bochum, he succeeded in simulating this Hoyle state for the first time. “We already had an idea then of how the protons and neutrons of the carbon nucleus are arranged in this state,” he explains. “However, we were not able to prove with certainty that this assumption was true.” With the help of an advanced method, the researchers have now succeeded. This is essentially based on confinement: In reality, the protons and neutrons - the nucleons - can be located anywhere in space. For their calculations, however, the team restricted this freedom: “We arranged our nuclear particles on the nodes of a three-dimensional lattice,” Meißner explains. “So we allowed them only certain strictly defined positions.”

Computing time: five million processor hours

Thanks to this restriction, it was possible to calculate the motion of nucleons. Since nuclear particles affect each other differently depending on their distance from each other, this task is very complex. The researchers also ran their simulation several million times with slightly different starting conditions. This allowed them to see where the protons and neutrons were most likely to be. “We performed these calculations for all known energy states of the carbon nucleus,” Meißner says. The calculations were performed on the JEWELS supercomputer at Forschungszentrum Jülich. They required a total of about five million processor hours, with many thousands of processors working simultaneously.

The results effectively provide images from the carbon nucleus. They prove that the nuclear particles do not exist independently of each other. “Instead, they are clustered into groups of two neutrons and two protons each,” the physicist explains. This means that the three helium nuclei can still be detected after they have fused to form the carbon nucleus. Depending on the energy state, they are present in different spatial formations - either arranged into an isosceles triangle or like a slightly bent arm, with the shoulder, elbow joint and wrist each occupied by a cluster.

The study not only allows researchers to better understand the physics of the carbon nucleus. Meißner: “The methods we have developed can easily be used to simulate other nuclei and will certainly lead to entirely new insights.”

Participating institutions and funding:

Forschungszentrum Jülich, Michigan State University (USA), the China Academy of Engineering Physics and the University of Bonn were involved in the study. The work was made possible by funding from the German Research Foundation, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the Volkswagen Foundation, the European Research Council (ERC), the U.S. Department of Energy, the Nuclear Computational Low-Energy Initiative (NUCLEI), and the Gauss Center for Supercomputing e.V.

Publication: Shihang Shen, Serdar Elhatisari, Timo A. Lähde, Dean Lee, Bing-Nan Lu & Ulf-G. Meißner: Emergent geometry and duality in the carbon nucleus; Nature Communications; https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-38391-y

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JOURNAL

Nature Communications

DOI

10.1038/s41467-023-38391-y 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Computational simulation/modeling

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Emergent geometry and duality in the carbon nucleus

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

15-May-2023

Paper-based packaging has a good eco-image

Study by the University of Bonn examines how the type of packaging influences purchase intention

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF BONN

 

IMAGE: WHETHER OR NOT WE CHOOSE SOMETHING AT THE SUPERMARKET ALSO DEPENDS ON HOW ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY WE THINK THE PACKAGING IS. view more 

CREDIT: IMAGE: JANINE MACHT/UNIVERSITY OF BONN

German consumers consider paper-based packaging to be particularly environmentally friendly. Nevertheless, they tend to be skeptical about innovative products such as paper-based bottles. This is shown by a recent study by the University of Bonn and Forschungszentrum Jülich. Almost 3,000 women and men from all over Germany were surveyed for the study. The results have now been published in the journal Food Quality and Preference.

Worldwide, almost 400 million tons of plastic are produced annually - all of the cars in Europe together weigh only slightly more. According to estimates, 40 percent of plastics are processed into packaging: for refrigerators, books, deodorants, but also for drinks or cucumbers. A large part of this later ends up in the garbage or in the environment. At the same time, production wastes valuable fossil resources and endangers the climate.

“One possible solution to these problems is environmentally friendly plastic alternatives,” explains Janine Macht, a doctoral student at the Institute for Food and Resource Economics at the University of Bonn. “These include plastics made from renewable raw materials, such as agricultural waste. Some manufacturers also rely on innovative paper-based packaging such as ice cream cups or bottles. We wanted to know what level of acceptance these alternatives receive from consumers and to what extent this also depends on the product that is packaged.”

Macht investigated these aspects together with her colleague Jeanette Klink-Lehmann and project coordinator Dr. Sandra Venghaus from Forschungszentrum Jülich (Venghaus has since moved to a junior professorship at RWTH Aachen University). The researchers conducted an online survey with nearly 3,000 male and female participants from across Germany. The sample was chosen to be as similar as possible to the distribution in the general population in terms of gender, age distribution, and education.

Vegetable oil from the paper-based bottle

The researchers focused their survey on three very different foods: Blueberries, butter and vegetable oil. In addition, there were three different ways in which these products were packaged: in a traditional (but at least recyclable) plastic container, in a bioplastic container, or in a paper-based alternative. There were therefore nine different food-packaging combinations in total.

Respondents were now randomly divided into nine groups. Each of the groups was shown a photo of one of these combinations, along with brief information about the packaging. The subjects were then asked to indicate how environmentally friendly they thought this packaging shown was. They were also asked how suitable they thought the packaging was for protecting, transporting and storing the food in question.

A key finding: Paper-based packaging received significantly better environmental scores on average than packaging made from bioplastics. Conventional plastic packaging scored worst on this point. However, respondents were suspicious about the practicality of the paper containers. They did consider them quite suitable for protecting soft fruit such as berries from damage during transport. As storage containers for vegetable oil, on the other hand, they saw plastic containers clearly in the lead. In fact, conventional plastics scored best here.

Berries in cardboard box tempt you to buy

Participants were also asked to indicate whether they would buy the product in the packaging shown. According to the study, significantly more people would pick berries in a cardboard container than in a plastic basket. Vegetable oil, on the other hand, was most attractive for purchase when it was filled in a bottle made of bioplastic. “So when it comes to making a purchasing decision, customers don't just look at the presumed environmental friendliness, but also at how suitable they think the packaging is for the food in question,” says Macht.

Incidentally, the study says nothing about how sustainable bioplastics or cardboard bottles really are. “In some cases, there isn't even any data on the new packaging yet,” explains Macht, who is also a member of the Transdisciplinary Research Area “Sustainable Futures” at the University of Bonn. In any case, she adds, it was difficult to make a general assessment of the eco-balance. Whether plastic made from renewable raw materials, for example, is really sustainable depends on many factors: Where the source materials come from. Whether valuable agricultural land was sacrificed for production, which may then lead to more forests being cleared. How well compostable and recyclable the plastic is.

It is a similar story with paper-based packaging: Its production also consumes resources and energy - sometimes more, sometimes less, depending on the production location and method. “In principle, it's certainly best to avoid packaging as much as possible,” the researcher emphasizes. “But that doesn't always work. Liquids need a container in which to be stored. Fruits such as raspberries would not survive transport to the retailer or even from the supermarket to home without protective packaging.”

Nevertheless, she is convinced that solutions made from renewable raw materials can be a first step toward solving at least some problems, such as the consumption of precious fossil resources or - in the case of compostable packaging - the huge amounts of waste that will pollute our oceans for centuries to come.

Participating institutions and funding:

The University of Bonn and Forschungszentrum Jülich were involved in the study. It was funded as part of the Transform2Bio project by the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Publication: Janine Macht, Jeanette Klink-Lehmann and Sandra Venghaus: Eco-friendly alternatives to food packed in plastics: German consumers’ purchase intentions for different bio-based packaging strategies; Food Quality and Preference; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2023.104884

Contact:

JOURNAL

Food Quality and Preference

DOI

10.1016/j.foodqual.2023.104884 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Survey

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Eco-friendly alternatives to food packed in plastics: German consumers’ purchase intentions for different bio-based packaging strategies

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

13-May-2023

A new workflow to standardize fossil pollen datasets for ecological research

Peer-Reviewed Publication

THE UNIVERSITY OF BERGEN

 

IMAGE: THE FOSSILPOL WORKFLOW. view more 

CREDIT: UIB

A new study published in Global Ecology and Biogeography presents a step-by-step guide to compile numerous fossil pollen datasets into a user-specific, standardized and clean compilation – ready for further analysis.

Palaeoecology (‘the study of the past’) is important for understanding the history of biodiversity and the biosphere changes over time. By using palaeoecological data such as fossil pollen, scientists try to understand how ecosystems and vegetation changes through time, and how humans have affected the environment throughout history.

In the last ten years, there has been a substantial increase in fossil pollen data from all over the world in open-access databases, opening new avenues for research. But there are some challenges to putting this information together in a way that scientists can use it to study biodiversity changes. Researcher at The Department of Biological Sciences, UiB, and leading first author of the paper “A guide to the processing and standardization of global palaeoecological data for large-scale syntheses using fossil pollen”, Suzette Flantua, has been working on these datasets.

In the last ten years, there has been a substantial increase in fossil pollen data from all over the world in open-access databases. Opening new avenues for research. But, there are some challenges to putting this information together in a way that scientists can use it to study biodiversity changes. Researcher at The Department of Biological Sciences, UiB, and leading first author of the paper “A guide to the processing and standardization of global palaeoecological data for large-scale syntheses using fossil pollen”, Suzette Flantua, has been working on these datasets.

"For several years now we have been compiling thousands of fossil pollen datasets together, and we’ve realized along the way that many critical steps exist that any researcher using these data should be aware of, but there were no clear guidelines anywhere. It was also often unclear how other people processed their data", says Flantua.

To ensure a standardized use of fossil pollen data and minimize the risk of erroneous interpretations, Flantua and her colleagues have created a guide with tips and tricks for compiling fossil pollen data.

"These datasets come from many different environments around the world, they are cored and analyzed by many different researchers, and they represent highly diverse plant assemblages. Before any analysis can be done, such compilation needs to be carefully selected to guarantee good data quality. That is why we have developed a guide on how to standardize these data that are now accessible for many researchers in different fields", says Flantua.

Discipline-friendly guideline to process fossil pollen data

Ondřej Mottl, the leading developer of the software in the guide, and co-leading first author of the paper, says that the guide is designed to make data preparation easy and accessible for everyone, regardless of their coding skills.  

"We understand that handling all data preparation steps can be technically challenging, which is why we've structured our workflow step-by-step and provided clear signposts at each critical juncture. Our software interacts with users throughout the process, guiding them towards the desired dataset for analysis", says Mottl.

The fossil pollen dataset guide consists of a workflow called FOSSILPOL, an R-package (RFossilpol) and a website. The FOSSILPOL workflow handles most of the processing steps (related to depositional environments, chronologies, filtering and taxonomic harmonization, Figure 3), while requiring input from the user at certain steps. All criteria and configurations are defined in one main configuration file, and several R packages are used throughout the workflow. The final outputs of the workflow include a standardized compilation of taxonomically harmonized fossil pollen data, plots of modelled age-depth curves and a pollen diagram for each record, and several overview figures and maps.

Co-leading first authors Vivian Felde and Kuber Bhatta highlight the guide’s potential to increase reproducibility and transparency. 

"It can also be seen as a tool that allows full reproducibility of major data analyses as all decisions throughout the data processing steps are transparent, well documented, and easily reported in studies. In addition, the data compilation is dynamic and will change together with the open access databases as increasingly more data becomes available. This is all thanks to constant data sharing within and between research communities, which we are really excited about”, agree Felde and Bhatta. 

This paper is a contribution to the Humans on Planet Earth - Long-term impacts on biosphere dynamics (HOPE) project at The Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen. The HOPE project is funded by a European Research Council Advanced Grant and the project’s goal is to addresses a critical question in Earth system science - what was the impact of prehistoric people on the biosphere and its dynamics?

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JOURNAL

Global Ecology and Biogeography

DOI

10.1111/geb.13693 

ARTICLE TITLE

A guide to the processing and standardization of global palaeoecological data for large-scale syntheses using fossil pollen

Understanding crop pest evolution may boost biocontrol

Peer-Reviewed Publication

INRAE - NATIONAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND ENVIRONMENT

 

IMAGE: EGYPTIAN COTTON LEAFWORM (SPODOPTERA LITTORALIS) view more 

CREDIT: INRAE - MICHEL RENOU

The Egyptian cotton leafworm (Spodoptera littoralis) is a pest species in France. It is found throughout the Mediterranean Basin as well as in Africa and the Middle East. Moth larvae are extremely polyphagous[1] and cause damage to diverse crop species (e.g., corn, legumes, cotton, tomatoes, peppers). As part of broader efforts to reduce pesticide levels, we must develop effective biocontrol methods. Such strategies often rely on disrupting reproduction and trapping moths using, most commonly, sex pheromones. However, pheromone synthesis is an expensive process, and it thus remains important to have other control strategies on hand. To this end, we need to improve our understanding of olfactory receptors in this moth.

In 2019, these research collaborators identified OR5, an olfactory receptor in the Egyptian cotton leafworm that recognises the main compound in the female sex pheromone blend. In this new study, the scientists explored the receptor’s evolutionary trajectory within Spodoptera to better characterise its functionality and specificity. They used a combined approach in which they resurrected ancestral receptors in the laboratory, with the help of computer analysis, and they modelled the 3D structure of the receptors. They were thus able to determine that OR5 appeared around 7 million years ago. The researchers also employed site-directed mutagenesis[2] to explore OR5’s genetic fine-tuning, which allowed them to identify the eight amino acids (AAs) behind the receptor’s high degree of specificity. This finding is particularly unexpected, given that past research on receptor evolution has suggested just one or two AA substitutions suffice to change the functionality of ecologically important receptors.

We must clarify how olfactory receptors emerge and acquire specificity over evolutionary time if we wish to anticipate the development of resistance to pheromone-based plant protection products. This research advances the above goal and, additionally, clarifies the function of OR5, a highly specific receptor that is essential in the reproduction of two Spodoptera species—the Egyptian cotton leafworm and the tobacco cutworm (S. litura). The latter occurs mostly in Asia and is also polyphagous. The discoveries detailed above will help spur the development of new biocontrol strategies that rely on (1) agonist molecules, which occupy receptors to the exclusion of the key pheromone compound, or (2) antagonist molecules, which block the receptor from being activated by the key pheromone compound.

 

This study arose from a collaboration between the Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris (iEES Paris; under the aegis of INRAE, Sorbonne University, CNRS, IRD, UPEC, and Paris Cité University) and the Chinese National Institute of Plant Protection. It was the fruit of the BiPi International Associated Laboratory.

 

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[1]Polyphagous organisms feed on many different species

[2]Site-directed mutagenesis is a technique that introduces one or more precise mutations into a gene to study the functional impacts on the encoded protein.

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JOURNAL

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

DOI

10.1073/pnas.2221166120 

ARTICLE TITLE

A tale of two copies: Evolutionary trajectories of moth pheromone receptors

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

12-May-2023

Disclaimer: AAAS and 

Population analysis reveals the roles of DNA methylation in tomato domestication and metabolic diversity

Peer-Reviewed Publication

SCIENCE CHINA PRESS

 

IMAGE: A: SUMMARY OF WHOLE GENOME BISULFITE SEUQNEICNG DATA. PIM: WILD CURRANT TOMATO (S.PIMPINELLIFOLIUM);CER: CHERRY TOMATO (S.LYCOPERSICUM VAR.CERASIFORME);BIG: CULTIVATED TOMATO (S.LYCOPERSICUM). B, DISTRIBUTION OF DMR ON TOMATO CHROMOSOMES DURING DOMESTICATION AND IMPROVEMENT. C, MULTI-OMICS NETWORK BASED ON ASSOCIATION ANALYSIS OF METABOLITES, SNPS AND DMRS. DOTS, TRIANGLES OF DIFFERENT COLORS REPRESENT DIFFERENT CLASSES OF METABOLITES AND DIFFERENT TYPES OF VARIANT MARKERS, AND LINES REPRESENT SIGNIFICANT ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO. D, IT SHOWS THE IDENTIFIED KNOWN GENES INVOLVED IN THE POLYPHENOL BIOSYNTHESIS PATHWAY AND THE CANDIDATE GENES VERIFIED IN THIS STUDY ARE SHOWN. THE DIFFERENT COLORS OF THE GENES REPRESENT THE GENES IDENTIFIED BY SNP, DMR, OR BOTH. view more 

CREDIT: ©SCIENCE CHINA PRESS

This study is led by Dr. Shouchuang Wang (Sanya Nanfan Research Institute of Hainan University), revealing the role of epigenetic variation in tomato domestication and metabolic diversity from the perspective of population DNA methylation.

The breeding history of tomato which is a world recognized model plant with high nutritional value can be divided into two main stages: domestication and improvement, while metabolites show a rich diversity in the population due to the 'hitchhiking effect'. Previous studies on metabolic diversity in plant populations have been based on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as genetic markers, but DNA methylation, as an important epigenetic modification, in relation to domestication and metabolic diversity, is not yet known. By whole genome bisulfite sequencing of nearly 100 tomato core germplasm varieties from around the world, about 10 billion pairs-ended sequencing data were obtained (Figure 1A), and a total of 8,375 differentially methylated regions (DMR) were identified during domestication and improvement (Figure 1B), founding that DNA methylation variation was gradually reduced in multiple dimensions during tomato breeding. By integrating multi-omics data such as vairome, transcriptome and metabolome and association analyzing, a multi-omics association network of metabolite-single nucleotide polymorphism-differential methylation regions was constructed (Figure 1C). Based on this network, 13 candidate genes required for polyphenol production were identified and verified (Figure 1D). Several candidate genes could be identified by two variants simultaneously, but part of candidate genes, such as UGT71AV3, could only be identified by DMR.

This study revealed the role of population DNA methylation variation on tomato domestication and metabolic diversity, and showed that DMR can not only affect the biosynthesis of tomato metabolites together with SNP, but also can identified candidate genes that cannot be captured by SNPs, enriching insights into metabolic diversity.

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See the article:

Population analysis reveals the roles of DNA methylation in tomato domestication and metabolic diversity

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11427-022-2299-5

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DOI

10.1007/s11427-022-2299-5 

CRISPR CRITTER

Scientists create first humanised mouse model for rare genetic disease

Reports and Proceedings

EUROPEAN SOCIETY OF ENDOCRINOLOGY

Mice with a defected human gene responsible for a rare genetic disease, called congenital adrenal hyperplasia, have been developed for the first time. The achievement, presented at the 25th European Congress of Endocrinology, may help to develop new therapies for people with the most common type of congenital adrenal hyperplasia.

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is a group of inherited conditions, which affects about 1 in 15,000 births. In the most common form, called 21-hydroxylase deficiency, mutations in the CYP21A2 gene cause the adrenal glands – a pair of small organs located above the kidneys – to produce low levels of cortisol and excess amounts of androgen hormones, such as testosterone. This leads to early puberty, girls having male features, and various health issues. Currently steroid hormone replacement therapy is used for treatment, but this may often have harmful side effects.

In this study, researchers from the University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus in Dresden, Germany, replaced the gene Cyp21a1 in mice with the human gene CYP21A2 carrying a mutation. They found that the genetically modified mice at 20 weeks had enlarged adrenal glands while expressing the human mutated gene. In addition, similarly to the human disease, the mutation caused both male and female mice to have low levels of corticosterone – the main stress hormone in mice that is the equivalent to cortisol in humans – and other hormonal imbalances.

Although animal models for congenital adrenal hyperplasia exist, this is the first to reproduce the human condition in mice and able to survive without any treatments. “Our mice accurately mimic the symptoms seen in human patients,” said lead author Shamini Ramkumar Thirumalasetty. “For example, the female mutant mice also have issues with fertility, which we believe is most probably due to the hormonal imbalances triggered by congenital adrenal hyperplasia.”

This mouse model will now allow the team to study the mechanisms of the disease and to find the most effective treatments. “Although novel treatments are being developed to minimise the side effects of steroid hormones, these drugs lack effective in vivo models for pre-clinical testing,” said Ms Thirumalasetty. “Our mouse can serve as an excellent model to test novel drugs and treatment options for patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia, such as stem cell therapies, and will facilitate the transition from basic research to the clinic.”

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Notes for Editors:

The study “CYP21A2-R484Q mice, a humanized mutant animal model for Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia” will be presented on Monday 15 May 2023 at the European Congress of Endocrinology at the Halic Congress Center in Istanbul, Turkey. See the full scientific programme here.

The European Society of Endocrinology (ESE) provides a platform to develop and share leading research and best knowledge in endocrine science and medicine. By uniting and representing every part of the endocrine community, we are best placed to improve the lives of patients. With over 5,000 individual members and through the 51 National Societies involved with the ESE Council of Affiliated Societies (ECAS), ESE represents a community of over 20,000 European endocrinologists. We inform policy makers on health decisions at the highest level through advocacy efforts across Europe.

H G WELLS THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU 1977

 

THE ISLAND OF LOST SOULS B/W 1932