Only 30% of show horse owners surveyed in Australia agreed with facial hair trimming ban, new study reveals

New research published in the CABI journal Human-Animal Interactions has revealed that only 30% of show horse owners surveyed in Australia agreed with a ban on the trimming of facial hair prior to its implementation in July 2022

Peer-Reviewed Publication

CABI

New research published in the CABI journal Human-Animal Interactions has revealed that only 30% of show horse owners surveyed in Australia agreed with a ban on the trimming of facial hair prior to its implementation in July 2022.

The research found that when asked if facial hair trimming should be banned in all equine competitions, most disciplines broadly agreed (60.5% to 84.6%) apart from showing with only 22.9% of respondents agreeing with a ban.

Indeed, some who took part in the research also believed that horses did not need muzzle or ear hairs for day-to-day living.

However, in response to the question on whether facial hair trimming should be banned only in elite sports, all disciplines disagreed strongly with this statement.

The study highlighted that those who entered horses into show competitions believed they were more likely to win if they trimmed their muzzle and ear hair and that the practice was normal and common place in their discipline.

Despite this, equine organizations from around the world – including Australia – banned the practice at competitions on welfare grounds.

This is because the hairs located around the muzzle and eyes have sensory functions that are important to horses.

The hairs are needed to help identify textures of grass and to aid spatial awareness and environmental navigation which is impeded by blind spots in front of their foreheads and below their noses.

Scientists from the University of Adelaide and the University of Newcastle, Australia, surveyed 422 horse owners from Australia of which 85% entered their horses into competitions with showing and dressage being the two most popular types.

Most respondents were female (96%) and lived in South Australia (56%) with a good spread of ages from 18-24 to 55-64, and fewer aged over 65 years.

The study sought to determine the proportions of horse owners trimming equine facial hairs (ear and muzzle hair) across different types of equestrian disciplines in Australia, the types of facial hairs trimmed, whether horses were restrained for trimming, and attitudes related to the practice.

Dr Kirrilly Thompson, a co-author on the paper, from the University of Newcastle, Australia, said, “The results of this study provide valuable insight into the widespread trimming of horse muzzle and ear hairs in some horse disciplines prior to the implementation of the ban in Australia in July 2022.

“The information gained may also be useful for the design and implementation of behaviour change interventions for other management and presentation practices used for horses and other animals.”

The German Equestrian Federation (FN) was the first federation to ban the trimming of whiskers and ear hairs in competitive horses – making it illegal in 1998.

The International Equestrian Federation (FEI) then passed a ban – except for where individual sensory hairs have been removed by a veterinarian to prevent pain or discomfort to the horse – in July 2020.

British Dressage in their 2022 rule changed banned the practice of trimming facial hairs stating: “Trimming of the horse’s sensory hairs around the mouth, nose, eyes, and ears is not permitted as this may reduce the horses’ sensory ability.”

The researchers highlighted that there has been limited studies into how people trim facial hair in horses and attitudes to this practice.

They add that their study provides preliminary results on how widespread the practice was in Australian equestrian sports prior to a ban being introduced, and the reasons and attitudes people in the equine industry have to the trimming of horse facial hairs.

Dr Susan Hazel, lead author of the research, from the University of Adelaide, said, “Further studies are needed to determine if and how the practice and attitudes to facial hair trimming in horses have changed with the enforcement of the ban.

“Findings from the present study, however, may also be useful for understanding and addressing other non-regulated horse presentation practices that can compromise welfare, such as clipping hair from the ear canal and ‘pulling’ manes and tails.”

Additional information

Full paper reference

Hazel, Susan; Holman, Carly; Thompson, Kirrilly, ‘What’s the fuzz: The frequency, practice and perceptions of equine facial hair trimming revealed in survey of horse owners in Australia,’ Human-Animal Interactions, 15 June (2023), DOI: 10.1079/hai.2023.0023

The paper can be read open access from 10:0hrs UK time 15 June, 2023, here: https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/10.1079/hai.2023.0023

 

Media enquiries

For more information and an advance copy of the paper contact:

Dr Kirrilly Thompson, Honorary Lecturer, School of Medicine and Public Health, The University of Newcastle, Australia – email: kirrilly.thompson@gmail.com

Wayne Coles, Senior PR Manager, CABI – email: w.coles@cabi.org

About Human—Animal Interactions

Human—Animal Interactions is an open access interdisciplinary journal devoted to the dissemination of research in all fields related to interactions between non-human animals and their human counterparts.

About CABI

CABI is an international not-for-profit organization that improves people’s lives by providing information and applying scientific expertise to solve problems in agriculture and the environment.

Through knowledge sharing and science, CABI helps address issues of global concern such as improving global food security and safeguarding the environment. We do this by helping farmers grow more and lose less of what they produce, combating threats to agriculture and the environment from pests and diseases, protecting biodiversity from invasive species, and improving access to agricultural and environmental scientific knowledge. Our 49-member countries guide and influence our core areas of work, which include development and research projects, scientific publishing and microbial services.

We gratefully acknowledge the core financial support from our member countries (and lead agencies) including the United Kingdom (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office), China (Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Australia (Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research), Canada (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada), Netherlands (Directorate-General for International Cooperation, and Switzerland (Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation). Other sources of funding include programme/project funding from development agencies, the fees paid by our member countries and profits from our publishing activities which enable CABI to support rural development and scientific research around the world.

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JOURNAL

Human-Animal Interactions

DOI

10.1079/hai.2023.0023 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

What’s the fuzz: The frequency, practice and perceptions of equine facial hair trimming revealed in survey of horse owners in Australia

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

15-Jun-2023

Everyone, not just physicians, should know their state’s wiretap laws

New paper lists federal and state wiretap statutes, as well as punishments

Peer-Reviewed Publication

BOSTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

(Boston)—Wiretapping laws, also knowns as “eavesdropping” laws, govern the recording of in-person or telephone audio conversations. Many of these statutes were developed in the 1960s and 70s, but despite that, they still apply today. Over the intervening decades, smartphones and other audio and video recording devices have become ubiquitous and these laws impact many of our day-to-day interactions. However, most clinicians and in fact, most people, are unaware of the wiretapping laws or don’t know specific details about them. For example, there are some states that require just one party to consent to being recorded, while other states require all parties involved to give permission.

 

In an effort to fill this knowledge gap, researchers from Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, have compiled a list of all federal and state wiretap laws, as well as the criminal punishments and civil remedies for violations. They also list some examples where hospitals or physicians have asserted rights or claims under applicable wiretap statutes in litigation. Additionally, to help clinicians see the applicability of these laws in the clinical realm, they provide  several hypothetical case examples along with an approach for managing a potential violation of wiretap statutes in the clinical setting.

 

“Because these actions affect our daily lives as clinicians, ranging from patients recording healthcare provider statements made during rounds, the birth of their baby, or clinicians recording interactions for transcription purposes, it is imperative that all physicians are aware of these wiretap laws,” explained corresponding author Karolina Brook, MD, assistant professor of anesthesiology.

 

In assembling the list of federal and state wiretap laws and enforcement measures, the researchers searched government online resources and then cross-referenced findings with reputable legal sources. They also searched within the Westlaw legal database to provide examples of cases where clinicians have asserted rights or claims under applicable wiretap statutes.

 

According to Brook, everyone, not just clinicians, should be aware of the implications of audio recording in general and in clinical situations specifically, and the potential punishments that could be imposed for violations. “Most people think that video recording is benign, especially if it is done for ‘good’ reasons. An example we like to give, which we also discuss in the paper, is of a high school student who recorded a bullying incident. When he brought the video to the school principal, they actually contact the police and the recording student was charged with violation of the wiretap statute. Many also think that the law protects any potential recording, meaning it would not be admissible in court – which is not true,” adds Brook, who also is a pediatric anesthesiologist at Boston Medical Center.

 

In fast-moving clinical situations where there often isn’t time to look up these laws or seek legal advice, Dr. Brook stressed that it was imperative for people to educate themselves on their jurisdiction’s statutes governing audio recordings.

 

These findings appear online in the Journal of Clinical Anesthesia.

 

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JOURNAL

Journal of Clinical Anesthesia

DOI

10.1016/j.jclinane.2023.111178 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Data/statistical analysis

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Wiretap laws and the perioperative physician – The current state of affairs

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

14-Jun-2023

EDUCATION

High-quality child care contributes to later success in science, math

Children with caregivers who provide warmth, cognitive stimulation do better in STEM subjects in high school

Peer-Reviewed Publication

AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION

Children who receive high-quality child care as babies, toddlers and preschoolers do better in science, technology, engineering and math through high school, and that link is stronger among children from low-income backgrounds, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.

“Our results suggest that caregiving quality in early childhood can build a strong foundation for a trajectory of STEM success,” said study author Andres S. Bustamante, PhD, of the University of California Irvine. “Investing in quality child care and early childhood education could help remedy the underrepresentation of racially and ethnically diverse populations in STEM fields.”

The research was published in the journal Developmental Psychology.

Many studies have demonstrated that higher quality caregiving in early childhood is associated with better school readiness for young children from low-income families. But not as many have looked at how the effects of early child care extend into high school, and even fewer have focused specifically on STEM subjects, according to Bustamante.

To investigate those questions, Bustamante and his colleagues examined data from 979 families who participated in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, from the time of the child’s birth in 1991 until 2006.

As part of the study, trained observers visited the day cares and preschools of all the children who were enrolled for 10 or more hours per week. The observers visited when the children were 6, 15, 24, 36 and 54 months old, and rated two aspects of the child care: the extent to which the caregivers provided a warm and supportive environment and responded to children’s interests and emotions, and the amount of cognitive stimulation they provided through using rich language, asking questions to probe the children’s thinking, and providing feedback to deepen the children’s understanding of concepts.

The researchers then looked at how the students performed in STEM subjects in elementary and high school. To measure STEM success, they examined the children’s scores on the math and reasoning portions of a standardized test in grades three to five. To measure high school achievement, the researchers looked at standardized test scores and the students’ most advanced science course completed, the most advanced math course completed, GPA in science courses and GPA in math courses.

Overall, they found that both aspects of caregiving quality (more cognitive stimulation and better caregiver sensitivity-responsivity) predicted greater STEM achievement in late elementary school (third, fourth and fifth grade), which in turn predicted greater STEM achievement in high school at age 15. Sensitive and responsive caregiving in early childhood was a stronger predictor of high school STEM performance for children from low-income families compared with children from higher income families.

“Our hypothesis was that cognitive stimulation would be more strongly related to STEM outcomes because those kinds of interactions provide the foundation for exploration and inquiry, which are key in STEM learning,” Bustamante said. “However, what we saw was that the caregiver sensitivity and responsiveness was just as predictive of later STEM outcomes, highlighting the importance of children’s social emotional development and settings that support cognitive and social emotional skills.”

Overall, Bustamante said, research and theory suggest that high-quality early care practices support a strong foundation for science learning. “Together, these results highlight caregiver cognitive stimulation and sensitivity and responsiveness in early childhood as an area for investment to strengthen the STEM pipeline, particularly for children from low-income households.”

ARTICLE: “Quality of Early Childcare and Education Predicts High School STEM Achievement for Students from Low-income Backgrounds,” by Andres S. Bustamante, PhD, Vanessa N. Bermudez, MA, Karlena D. Ochoa, PhD, Ashlee B. Belgrave, MA, and Deborah Lowe Vandell, PhD, University of California Irvine. Developmental Psychology, published online June 15, 2023.

CONTACT: Andres S. Bustamante can be reached at asbustam@uci.edu.

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JOURNAL

Developmental Psychology

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

“Quality of Early Childcare and Education Predicts High School STEM Achievement for Students from Low-income Backgrounds

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

15-Jun-2023

New research shows the benefits of teaching pupils about mental health in the classroom

Giving schools the right resources and training to teach pupils about mental health really can have a positive impact on young people’s wellbeing

Peer-Reviewed Publication

SWANSEA UNIVERSITY

Giving schools the right resources and training to teach pupils about mental health really can have a positive impact on young people’s wellbeing.

New research by Welsh academics has just been published demonstrating the benefits of improving pupils’ mental health literacy and reducing the stigma around mental health issues at a crucial stage in a young person’s life.

Most mental health problems start in the teenage years with a recent survey identifying that two in five young people report mental health symptoms. However, due to poor knowledge of mental health issues, and stigma about mental health, most young people do not seek help.

Against this background, the team from Swansea and Cardiff universities worked with charity Action for Children to develop mental health literacy programme The Guide Cymru which consists of training for teachers, access to online resources and videos and classroom modules.

For the research a group of almost 2,000 pupils aged 13 to 14 from across Wales were divided in two for a 10-week randomized control trial with half of them experiencing The Guide, delivered by specially trained teachers.

Its findings, which have just been published by online journal BMC Public Health, showed the pupils given access to The Guide demonstrated improvements in nearly all areas, including mental health knowledge, better mental health behaviours, reduced mental health stigma and increased intentions to seek help for problems.

Swansea PhD student and co-author Nicola Simkiss said: “It is devastating to see children and young people struggling with mental health difficulties that go both unreported and untreated.

“We believe The Guide is an effective intervention that can help both children and teachers understand that mental health problems are common-place, just like physical health problems, and that they should seek help and not try to hide the problem.”

Swansea University’s Professor Nicola Gray, who is also consultant clinical and forensic psychologist for Swansea Bay University Health Board, said: “The Guide is important as it can be easily delivered as part of the school curriculum by teachers who know the students.”

She now hopes this will be the start of the process of embedding mental health education and intervention in schools: “The Guide can be the beginning of a process of open discussion about mental health and emotional challenges in schools, and how best our young people can learn about these problems and the most effective ways of seeking help when this is needed.”

Brigitte Gater, Action for Children’s Director for Wales, said: “To be able to show the benefits and impact of programmes like The Guide through academic research is incredibly important.  The intervention programme is a significant tool in improving the mental health of our children and young people in Wales.” 

Chris Dunne, Children’s Services Manager at Action for Children, added: “Children’s mental health remains a priority area and we hope that the results of the research will encourage schools to use it as part of their curriculum.”

Dr Dave Williams, Adviser to Chief Medical Officer and Welsh Government - Child & Adolescent Mental Health, said: “The Guide has proved an excellent resource to enable professionals to raise understanding and awareness of emotional and mental health and wellbeing. It plays a part in the Welsh aim of normalising emotional reponses while building the capacity of communities to support children and young people who require specialist help.”

Now the authors say they want to look to the future. Professor Robert Snowden, from Cardiff University, said: “The Guide did exactly what we had hoped it would. However, we need to follow up this research to see if these changes in knowledge and attitudes can translate into better mental health outcomes as these children develop from adolescents to young adults.”

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JOURNAL

BMC Public Health

DOI

10.1186/s12889-023-15922-2 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Randomized controlled/clinical trial

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

A randomised controlled trial evaluating the Guide Cymru mental health literacy intervention programme in year 9 (age 13–14) school pupils in Wales

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

15-Jun-2023

COI STATEMENT

The authors declare no competing interests.

Research findings „Study on Adult Learning and Education“

Report from eight countries worldwide and recommendations

Reports and Proceedings

UNIVERSITY OF HAMBURG

 

IMAGE: STUDY ON ADULT EDUCATION IN EIGHT COUNTRIES 2023, UNIVERSITÄT HAMBURG ET AL. THE DIAGRAM SHOWS THE DIFFERENT LEVELS THAT INFLUENCE THE DEVELOPMENT OF ADULT EDUCATION. view more 

CREDIT: GROTLÜSCHEN, ERTNER 2023

From August 2022 until October 2022, interviews with 25 experts from the selected countries were conducted and then analyzed trough a Ground Theory approach. From this, a model emerged, showing how factors and actors at different societal levels - mega, macro, meso and micro - interact to shape adult learning and education in different contexts.

Mega level comparisons show that overarching issues such as war and conflict, historical and systemic discrimination, disease and extreme poverty as well as political authoritarianism act both as an impetus and as barriers to ALE activities.

Comparative analysis shows that at the macro level, with a few exceptions, ALE features as a ‘stepchild’ or ‘poor cousin’ to the school education sector. Within ALE, formal credentialed programs focused on compensatory education or workforce development attract more policy interest and support while non-credentialed, informal and non-formal learning initiatives struggle to receive more than lip service. This makes the sustainability of ALE initiatives other than the credentialed programs highly vulnerable.

The meso level is where the key driving force for the implementation of ALE in the policy arena is found. Advice to government from democratically structured associations with elected chairs have greater gravitas than advice from less formally constituted groupings. However, their effectiveness can be limited by factors such as lack of resources, funding and professional expertise.

At the micro level, informal and nonformal ALE activities are provided by companies as in-service training, and by commercial providers, governmental organisations or civil society organisations that run training centers. Activities at the micro level are highly flexible. This is complemented by grassroots activists mobilising community members in response to local issues and needs. ALE at the micro-level includes responding to the localised impact of severe weather events, improving the quality of life for the elderly, and challenging the prevalence of sexual harassment as acceptable behaviour.

The report presents examples of successful, micro level and grassroots projects from each country. Many of these projects are carried out by DVV International, the main German organization fostering adult learning and education worldwide, together with local partners. The insights from the study led to recommendations about ways in which ALE could be strengthened within the framework of lifelong learning. The recommendations to associations and policy makers are:

• Build and support sustainable networks and associations
• Build coordination across stakeholders and within sectors that engage with ALE.
• Recognize and encourage grassroots efforts that support adult learning in ALE and other sectors
• Support the collection and use of high quality (quantitative and qualitative) data on ALE at both the national and cross-country levels to both advocate for and strengthen provision at the local, state, and national levels
• Highlight and strengthen the role of ALE in lifelong learning by reinforcing the importance of a lifelong and lifewide (across the full spectrum of adult learning needs and interests) approach to learning
• Leverage the flexibility and responsiveness of ALE to build on its strengths
• Ensure that ALE meets the wide range of educational, training, and civic needs that learners, employers, and governments have for learning in adulthood
• Provide meaningful support for ALE at the micro, meso, and macro levels

The research findings and recommendations will be presented for the different entities of DVV-International in countries and thereby opened for influences on the macro and meso level in different countries all over the world. Within that, a direct influence on policy makers and practitioners is implied.

Findings will be launched online by 15.06.2023 as No. 81 in the Publication series International Perspectives in Adult Education (IPE). https://www.dvv-international.de/en/materials/publications/international-perspectives-in-adult-education-ipe

DVV International invited the authors to present the findings at their annual Conference with their Regional Directors on 20.06.2023 in Bonn. The Universität Hamburg invites for a webinar on 19.9.2023, more information can be found here. https://www.conferences.uni-hamburg.de/e/studyonale

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ARTICLE TITLE

Adult Learning and Education within the Framework of Lifelong Learning

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

15-Jun-2023

Dialogues across language and culture

Contextualizing theories of classroom dialogue in language education

Book Announcement

DOSHISHA UNIVERSITY

Teacher talk seems intuitive – the expert imparts knowledge onto novices, who passively receive expertise like a car or machine receives parts at every station on an assembly line. In reality, an effective teacher in an era of dynamic and higher literacies is less of a factory worker and more of an active negotiator who tries to understand where their students are coming from in order to reach them. The language classroom amplifies this challenge where the negotiation not only centers on the knowledge itself but the means of communication for that knowledge. When teacher and student come to the classroom with different languages and cultures, successful dialogue becomes all the more important.

A classroom dialogue is not merely the act of teacher and student talking with each other. In an effective dialogue, they negotiate meaning together, resolving any differences in understanding to explore ideas and create new knowledge. A dialogic classroom that accomplishes these objectives can be more inclusive and welcoming of all students’ perspectives and knowledge bases. All that said, scholarship on classroom dialogue has largely overlooked the language learning context, where gaps in linguistic and cultural knowledge require the functions of dialogue for mutual understanding.

Whether the goal is to understand theories of interpersonal dialogue or to receive guidance on effective teaching, a new book entitled Dialogue in the Language Classroom: Theory and Practice from a Classroom Discourse Analysis provides a comprehensive framework for educators and researchers alike. Longtime language teacher and sociocultural researcher Dr. Roehl Sybing analyzes data from a classroom ethnography involving an English-speaking teacher and his Japanese-speaking students to explore what makes teacher talk and classroom interaction dialogic. Using various theories in teaching and learning, linguistic anthropology, and language teaching, Dr. Sybing examines classroom dialogue in depth to find out how teachers can cross the language gap and engage their students in a meaningful dialogue that advances their learning.

The book looks at classroom dialogue from multiple angles, exploring multiple discussions in research and pedagogy. What role does the students’ first language play in the language classroom? How do teachers mitigate classroom power dynamics to empower students and validate their knowledge? How does the negotiation of meaning in dialogue affect the knowledge being taught in the classroom? These questions and more deserve greater focus in the scholarship on language teaching, leading Dr. Sybing to discuss these issues in extensive detail in his newest book.

Researchers will benefit from the theoretical development provided by a fresh new look at dialogic teaching. Dialogue in the Language Classroom not only explores the meaning-making processes traditionally discussed in scholarship on classroom dialogue but also the affective and critical dimensions of teaching and learning. Where the language classroom deals with issues of language ownership and the nature of expertise, this book argues for the importance of validating students and the knowledge they can share in dialogue in ways that can be useful at classroom and policy levels.

Practitioners will get an extensive guide for how they can approach their classroom engage in a meaningful dialogue with students of all subject-matter disciplines and backgrounds. By deconstructing the myth of the successful teacher as the all-knowing expert, Dialogue in the Language Classroom argues that good teaching requires a dynamic negotiator who can understand the knowledge and cultural bases of their students and co-construct new knowledge through dialogue.

Ultimately, Dr. Sybing’s Dialogue in the Language Classroom seeks to challenge the prevailing paradigms in language education scholarship and in theories of classroom dialogue. Building on existing discussions, this research provides a new lens on multilingual and multicultural interaction to benefit scholars and educators in various fields.

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Roehl Sybing is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Global Communications in Doshisha University in Kyoto, Japan. He has been a language educator in Japan and the United States for nearly two decades. His current research examines the sociocultural dimensions of classroom dialogue. He has written extensively on language classroom teaching and learning and qualitative research methodology.

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DOI

10.4324/9781003316480 

Bioindustry 4.0 brings smart digital solutions to the European biotech industry

Business Announcement

INRAE - NATIONAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND ENVIRONMENT

Biotechnology is a powerful tool that can revolutionise our economies, societies and daily lives, while addressing critical global challenges such as climate change. Industrial biotechnology is essential because it can produce fuels, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and vital materials (such as bioplastics) biologically rather than chemically, benefiting the environment and helping Europe achieve its goal of a carbon-neutral economy by 2050. With a gross value-added contribution of €34.5 billion and support for 230,000 jobs in 2018 alone, it is estimated that by 2030, biotech will boost the EU economy by up to €100 billion and create one million jobs.

Industrial biotechnology uses the power of microorganisms to convert biomass into applications. Unlike conventional chemical processes, the design and control of bioprocesses is complicated by the need to consider the behaviour of the biological component, in addition to physical and chemical phenomena. Recent developments in computational sciences and the fast growth of artificial intelligence provides opportunities to tackle this complexity. However, the prerequisite for this is data. To fulfil this need and spur the industry towards the adoption of advanced digital solutions fast enough for biotechnology to reach its full potential – fulfilling the fourth industrial revolution (also referred to as Industry 4.0)  - professionals from a variety of academic and industrial sectors must join forces. In doing so, it will be possible to mobilize those leading technologies and infrastructures capable of providing the sustainable and smart solutions needed for EU biotech to thrive.

This is why Bioindustry 4.0 brings together 25 participating organisations from across 10 European countries, including 6 leading European research infrastructures and key players in the biotech industry, to develop new services enabling the use of artificial intelligence and other digital technologies (digital twin and cloud technologies) in industrial biotechnology. These services will improve both (bio)process design and control throughout the R&D pipeline, making biotech processes faster, cheaper, and more sustainable. The aim is to create a more efficient and integrated system for the development of new bioproducts and optimisation of existing processes, as well as increasing the competitiveness and attractiveness of the European economy on a global scale.

Michael O’Donohue, project coordinator and director of the research infrastructure IBISBA, commented:

“BIOINDUSTRY 4.0 brings together the cutting-edge expertise of a multidisciplinary project team to focus on one of the crucial technology challenges related to the circular bioeconomy. Europe’s future competitiveness in this area partly relies on a flourishing biomanufacturing sector ”. “Enabling access to high-quality digital technologies such as computational workflows and data management tools will stimulate innovation in the European biotech sector,” added Andrew Smith, Head of External Relations of the research infrastructure ELIXIR.

At a glance:

• Bioindustry 4.0 is a Horizon Europe project launched in 2023 and scheduled to run for the next 4 years, having received 10 million Euros funding.
• The project is led and coordinated by the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE) and boasts the participation of 25 public and private participating organisations from 10 European countries: France (INRAE, Bioeconomy for Change, INRAE Transfert, INSAT), Germany (DSMZ, UNI-KOBLENZ-LANDAU, LifeGlimmer, RWTH Aachen, Fraunhofer), Greece (ATHENA RC, SYMBIOLABS, NTUA), Spain (UVEG, UAB), the Netherlands (WU, KNAW), Finland (VTT, Timegate Instruments OY), Austria (BBMRI-ERIC, Biofaction), Italy (CNR), Belgium (VITO), and the UK (Siemens PSE, UNIMAN, UNINCL).
• Together the project partners represent 6 of Europe’s key research infrastructures: IBISBA, ELIXIR, BBMRI, MIRRI, DSMZ and GAIA-X.
• The project’s aim is to support the adoption of advanced digital tools by European biotech sector; specific goals include innovative measurement devices for online monitoring, data management tools for data quality, and AI learning to support bioprocess design.

Rising rates of benzodiazepine toxicity among young people spark concern

Peer-Reviewed Publication

INSTITUTE FOR CLINICAL EVALUATIVE SCIENCES

 

IMAGE: BENZODIAZEPINE-RELATED TOXICITIES ARE RISING AMONG ONTARIO YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS DESPITE DECLINING PROVINCIAL RATE. view more 

CREDIT: ONTARIO DRUG POLICY RESEARCH NETWORK (ODPRN)

Toronto, ON, June 15, 2023 – The rate of hospital encounters for benzodiazepine-related toxicity rose by 67 per cent for young adults (aged 19 to 24) and 44 per cent for youth (aged 18 or below) in Ontario between 2013 and 2020, according to a new study from ICES and Unity Health Toronto.

Though there was an overall decline of 7 per cent in the provincial rate of benzodiazepine toxicity, this was largely driven by reductions in rates among people aged 35 years and older.

Benzodiazepines are commonly prescribed to treat anxiety and insomnia, but in recent years they have also emerged in the unregulated and illicit opioid drug supply.

The study was published in the Canadian Journal of Public Health and facilitated by researchers at the Ontario Drug Policy Research Network (ODPRN), housed at St. Michael’s Hospital, a site of Unity Health Toronto. A Citizens’ Panel made up of 25 volunteer citizens identified the topic as being of interest to the public and was involved in all steps of the research process.

“As a member of the ODPRN Citizens’ Panel, we were initially drawn to the gap in information about benzodiazepine toxicity specifically relating to the youth and young adult population,” says panel member Josephine Quercia. “Outside of the older adult population, studies were nonexistent specific to the younger age group. Our interest was further peaked by the significant increase in prescribing rates among this younger population and especially among the female population within this segment. What initially started as a potentially positive outcome with the ‘7 percent reduction in the provincial rate of benzodiazepine toxicity between 2013 – 2020’, once unpacked, pivoted quickly to a very different outcome – one where focus is needed on reducing the risks to our youth and young adult population.”

The study included 25,979 Ontario residents with 32,674 benzodiazepine-related toxicity encounters (emergency department visits or hospitalization) between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2020. The researchers also examined the participants’ history of opioid and benzodiazepine prescriptions, and prior healthcare visits for mental health and substance use disorders.

“Importantly, we also found that fewer encounters were with patients who had an active prescription for benzodiazepines—however, there was greater involvement of other substances, such as opioids, stimulants, and alcohol, with rates of those incidents reaching almost 30 per cent in 2020,” says lead author Tonya Campbell, senior research coordinator at St. Michael’s Hospital. “This is likely driven by the increasing presence of non-pharmaceutical benzodiazepines in the unregulated drug supply in Ontario.”

Study findings show:

• Rates of benzodiazepine toxicity rose substantially for young adults aged 19-24 (67 per cent increase, from 40 to 67 per 100,000) and youth aged 18 or below (44 per cent increase from 11 to 16 per 100,000 population).
• The per cent of encounters in which patients had an active benzodiazepine prescription declined over the study period, from 61 per cent in 2013 to 49 per cent in 2020.
• In 2020, 29 per cent of benzodiazepine toxicity incidents also had an opioid-, alcohol-, or stimulant-related toxicity documented on the encounter, of which opioid involvement was most common (17 per cent).
• Almost 50 per cent of people who experienced benzodiazepine toxicity had a hospital encounter for a mental health or substance use disorder in the year prior, of which anxiety disorders (19 per cent) and mood disorders (19 per cent) were the most common reasons.

“Taken together, these trends are concerning, and likely reflect the continued risks for youth and young adults prescribed benzodiazepines as well as the recent arrival of these drugs in the unregulated opioid supply in Ontario,” says senior author Dr. Tara Gomes, a scientist at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael’s Hospital and ICES, and a principal investigator of the ODPRN. “Therefore, we need a comprehensive response that includes improved access to community-based mental health services, a focus on the safe use of prescription benzodiazepines, and alternatives to the unpredictable unregulated opioid drug supply.”

One limitation of the study is that data were unavailable for incidents that went untreated or were treated outside of a hospital, and drug screening practices across emergency departments vary. This means that rates of benzodiazepine toxicity were likely underreported in this study. Furthermore, the researchers did not examine characteristics or patterns of intent, meaning whether toxicity events were accidental or related to self-harm.

Nevertheless, this is the first study to examine long-term trends and patterns of benzodiazepine-related toxicity in Ontario and is consistent with findings that demonstrate rising rates of benzodiazepine-related harm across North America.

The study, “The epidemiology of benzodiazepine-related toxicity in Ontario, Canada: a population-based descriptive study” was published in the Canadian Journal of Public Health.

Author block: Campbell T, Men S, Shearer D, Ebejer T, Joosse M, Quercia J, Sanders J, Tadrous M, Antoniou T, Gomes T.

ICES is an independent, non-profit research institute that uses population-based health information to produce knowledge on a broad range of healthcare issues. Our unbiased evidence provides measures of health system performance, a clearer understanding of the shifting healthcare needs of Ontarians, and a stimulus for discussion of practical solutions to optimize scarce resources. ICES knowledge is highly regarded in Canada and abroad and is widely used by government, hospitals, planners, and practitioners to make decisions about care delivery and to develop policy. For the latest ICES news, follow us on Twitter: @ICESOntario

About St. Michael's
St. Michael’s Hospital provides compassionate care to all who enter its doors. The hospital also provides outstanding medical education to future health care professionals in more than 27 academic disciplines. Critical care and trauma, heart disease, neurosurgery, diabetes, cancer care, care of the homeless and global health are among the Hospital’s recognized areas of expertise. Through the Keenan Research Centre and the Li Ka Shing International Healthcare Education Centre, which make up the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, research and education at St. Michael’s Hospital are recognized and make an impact around the world. Founded in 1892, the hospital is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto.

About Unity Health Toronto
Unity Health Toronto, comprised of St. Joseph’s Health Centre, St. Michael’s Hospital and Providence Healthcare, works to advance the health of everyone in our urban communities and beyond. Our health network serves patients, residents and clients across the full spectrum of care, spanning primary care, secondary community care, tertiary and quaternary care services to post-acute through rehabilitation, palliative care and long-term care, while investing in world-class research and education. For more information, visit www.unityhealth.to.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Misty Pratt
Senior Communications Officer, ICES
Misty.Pratt@ices.on.ca 613-882-7065

 

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JOURNAL

Canadian Journal of Public Health

DOI

10.17269/s41997-023-00784-3 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Observational study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

The epidemiology of benzodiazepine-related toxicity in Ontario, Canada: a population-based descriptive study

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

15-Jun-2023

COI STATEMENT

N/A