Cornel West seeking Green Party nomination for presidential run

BY JARED GANS - 

THE HILL

06/14/23 

Progressive activist Cornel West announced he is seeking the Green Party nomination for president in 2024 after declaring his candidacy for the People’s Party nomination last week.

West said that he decided to run as a candidate for the Green Party to try to build a “broad United Front and coalition strategy.”

“In the spirit of a broad United Front and coalition strategy, I am pursuing the nomination of the Green Party for President of the United States,” West tweeted Wednesday.

He asked people to “support this unprecedented effort to empower precious poor and working people here and abroad. I thank the volunteers of the People’s Party for the initial launch!”

The Green Party tweeted in response to West’s post that the party welcomes his participation in its contest for a nominee.

“Dr. West is an important voice for social and economic justice in line with our party’s platform. We look forward to him participating in the nomination process,” the Green Party tweeted.

West said in his campaign launch video that his candidacy would be centered around health care, living wages, housing, reproductive rights and “deescalating the destruction” of the planet and democracy.

He said he is running as a third-party candidate because “neither party wants to tell the truth” about Wall Street, Ukraine, the Pentagon and Big Tech.

West faces long odds with his third-party run, but polls showing that many do not want President Biden or former President Trump to be their party’s nominees could open up greater support for an alternate candidate.

The political organization No Labels, which says it is pushing cooperation in a divided political landscape, has been hammered by Democrats, who say it could hand Trump the presidency if it backs a non-Biden moderate candidate.

Former Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway said last week in an interview with Fox News that West is “very likely” a bigger threat to Biden’s reelection prospects than Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaccine activist and political scion running for the Democratic nomination.

“Even if you don’t become president, you, as a third-party candidate spoiler, can decide who is the president,” Conway said.

EU: Extreme weather killed 195,000 in Europe since 1980

CGTN

Firefighters tackle a forest fire after prolonged drought and a heatwave in Asturias, Spain, March 2023. /Vincent West/Reuters

Extreme weather conditions in Europe have killed almost 195,000 people and caused economic losses of more than $600 billion since 1980, the European Environment Agency said Wednesday.

"Nearly 195,000 fatalities have been caused by floods, storms, heat- and coldwaves, forest fires and landslides" between 1980 and 2021, the EU agency said in its report.

Of the $605 billion in losses, only $180 billion, or 30 percent, were insured, the EEA said, as it launched a new online portal collating recent data on the impact of extreme weather.

"To prevent further losses, we need to urgently move from responding to extreme weather events...to proactively preparing for them," said EEA expert Aleksandra Kazmierczak.

According to the latest data, heatwaves accounted for 81 percent of deaths and 15 percent of financial losses. Europe needs to take measures to protect its aging population, with the elderly particularly sensitive to extreme heat, the EEA said.

"Most national adaptation policies and health strategies recognise the impacts of heat on cardiovascular and respiratory systems," it said. "But less than half cover direct impacts of heat like dehydration or heat stroke."

READ MORE

New heatwave hits France during worst-ever drought

Why it's so hot – and why we have to adapt to it

After historic floods, German towns still fragile

The summer of 2022 saw more deaths than usual in Europe following repeated heatwaves, but the 2022 deaths were not included in the data published on Wednesday.

There were 53,000 more deaths in July 2022 than the monthly average in 2016-2019, up by 16 percent, though not all of those deaths were directly attributed to the heat, the EEA said. Spain registered more than 4,600 deaths linked to the extreme heat in June, July and August.

Climate modeling has predicted longer, more intense and more frequent heatwaves. In February 2022, the EAA said extreme weather killed 142,000 people and caused $550 billion in losses for the period 1980-2020. The increase in the figures released on Wednesday was partly due to the fact that in 2021, flooding in Germany and Belgium led to economic losses of around $50 billion.

In terms of deaths, a change in methodology in France and Germany was responsible for the large variation, the EEA said.

'Devastating consequences'

Climate change caused by humans increased the risk of drought five- or six-fold in 2022, a year when forest fires ravaged twice as much territory as in recent years, the EEA said.

Droughts could end up being very costly. Economic losses could rise from around $9 billion per year currently to $27 billion at the end of the century if the planet warms by 1.5C degrees Celsius. That could climb to $33 billion if it warms by 2C and $48 billion if it warms by 3C, according to scientific scenarios.

Firefighters find a flooded car after heavy rains hit Italy's Emilia-Romagna region in May 2023. /Claudia Greco/Reuters

The consequences for agriculture could be "devastating," the EEA warned. "Farmers can limit adverse impacts of rising temperature and droughts by adapting crop varieties, changing sowing dates and with changed irrigation patterns," the report said, adding that without changes, yields and farm incomes are projected to decline in the future.

While human losses from flooding are much lower, accounting for just two percent of the total, they are the most costly, accounting for 56 percent of economic losses.

Schools and hospitals in 'heat islands'

The report also warned that nearly half of schools and hospitals in European cities are located in urban "heat islands" – exposing vulnerable populations to health-threatening temperatures as climate change impacts worsen.

Around 46 percent of hospitals and 43 percent of schools are in areas at least 2 degrees Celsius warmer than the regional average – fuelling fiercer heatwave impacts than in rural areas.

The reason is the urban heat island effect, where dense clusters of buildings and infrastructure like roads absorb and retain more heat than green areas.

"This is something which will have severe consequences for human health," said Blaz Kurnik, head of the EEA's climate adaptation department, again warning of the effects on the vulnerable.

"Vulnerability in Europe is also increasing due to the aging population, due to the more condensed cities," Kurnik said. "This is something that, with the combination of the heat waves, will become quite a risk for society in the future."

The phenomenon has already been observed during temperature extremes. During an August 2003 heatwave, heat-related mortality in cities in the West Midlands area of Britain was twice as high as in local rural areas.

The EEA urged governments to introduce measures to lessen the heat island effect in cities, such as introducing more cooling green spaces and water. Some already are – such as the city of Paris's program to transform 10 pilot schools' grounds into cooler, greener spaces, with fountains and drought-resistant plants.

Kurnik said other measures could include bringing forward the start of school holidays to avoid teaching in intense heat – but that in general, while all EU countries now have some form of climate adaptation strategy, most have yet to turn them into concrete actions.

Dogs Rescued From Slaughterhouse 'Moments Away From Being Killed'

BY ARISTOS GEORGIOU

NEWSWEEK

ON 6/14/23

Nineteen dogs were rescued from horrendous conditions at an illegal slaughterhouse on the outskirts of Yulin, China, just one week before the city's infamous dog meat festival is set to begin.

The activists that saved the animals, who are from the Chinese animal welfare group Vshine, captured shocking images of the slaughterhouse, which supplies dog meat for the festival.

The images show traumatized dogs standing in the blood of their slaughtered cage mates, as well as freshly killed animals. The activists also found a dehairing machine and canine carcasses being blow-torched in preparation for delivery to Yulin's markets.

"This was one of the filthiest and bloodiest dog slaughterhouses we've ever seen," one of the Chinese Vshine activists, identified as Teng, said in a Humane Society International press release. HSI is an official partner with Vshine.

"The dogs had just arrived by truck that morning, and we were devastated to find that we had arrived too late to save five dogs who had already been killed," Teng said. "Those dogs who were still alive looked traumatized by the slaughter they would have just seen, and the smell of blood and flesh was overpowering."

Pictured are some of the dogs rescued from a slaughterhouse on the outskirts of Yulin, China, this month. Chinese activists rescued 19 dogs in total from the slaughterhouse.DV_2023

Yulin's Lychee and Dog Meat Festival, which takes place every year around the time of the summer solstice, lasts for 10 days.

During this time, attendees consume delicacies such as dog meat stew and crispy dog meat, as well as cat meat. Thousands of dogs are slaughtered every year for the festival. But the event has faced heavy criticism, both from within China and abroad.

The canines saved from the slaughterhouse were found in poor condition. They were severely dehydrated and malnourished, with filthy, matted fur. One dog that the activists found had lost an eye. In one video that the activists shot, a dead puppy can be seen lying on the floor.

The dogs, most of which were small breeds typical of pets in China, often responded to their rescuers with affection, indicating that they were previously companion animals.

"Most of the dogs greeted us with excitement, pawing the cage bars for attention, while others were really subdued and shaken," Teng said.

Most dogs and cats involved in China's meat trade are pets that have been stolen from their owners or strays that were captured on the streets.

After being captured, the animals are crammed into wire cages and driven hours—or sometimes even days—across China to slaughterhouses, where they are often beaten to death.

"The brutal slaughter of dogs and cats for the Yulin trade is morally indefensible, and the heartbreaking images from this rescue show us why," Peter Li, HSI's China policy specialist, said in a statement.

"These poor animals will have endured terrifying capture and exhausting transport only to end up at a filthy slaughterhouse and subjected to witnessing the brutal killing of other dogs," Li said.

READ MORE

Yulin Dog Meat Survivor's Happy New Life in U.S.: 'Endless Treats and Toys'
Yulin Dog Meat Festival 2022: When Is It, Why Is It Held and What Happens?
Pictures From Yulin Dog Meat Festival Show Heartbreaking Cruelty of Event

Three of the rescued dogs are being cared for by a local animal group, while the remaining 16 have been transferred to Vshine's HSI-supported veterinary shelter in North China.

"Now they are all safe and receiving the medical care, food, water and love they so desperately need to recover from their frightening ordeal," Teng said. "They were moments away from being killed for the Yulin markets."

Five of the dogs will be going to the shelter hospital for further vet care for injuries and skin problems, Wendy Higgins, HSI's director of international media, told Newsweek.

"Once they are all quarantined, dewormed, vaccinated, etcetera, they will be assessed for local adoption," she said. "Vshine holds regular adoption events at the shelter, and as the dogs all seem to have been former pets, they feel confident that they will be found loving homes."

The authorities have been informed of the slaughterhouse, but there is likely a "slim chance" of any action being taken in Yulin, Higgins said.

Despite Yulin's reputation, a 2023 survey found that only around 20 percent of residents in the city would oppose a ban on the dog meat trade. The poll also found that 73 percent of Yulin residents consume dog or cat meat only very occasionally, while 18 percent never eat it at all.

A national survey from 2016 showed that across China almost 70 percent of people have never eaten dog meat.

"We are so grateful to the Chinese activists for taking a stand against this hideously cruel trade," Li said. "Most people across China do not support this cruelty, and surveys show that even in Yulin most people are not opposed to a ban. It's time to put an end to this misery."

An activist holds one of the dogs rescued from the slaughterhouse. Thousands of dogs are slaughtered every year for the Yulin Lychee and Dog Meat Festival.DV_2023


The number of people that attend the Yulin festival every year is unclear because there are no official statistics. But over the past few years—even before COVID—the number of people within China traveling to the festival from provinces farther away has significantly dropped, according to Higgins.

In terms of the number of dogs killed every year, it is believed that around 15,000 dogs were slaughtered during the core days of the festival when the event began in 2010.

But amid international pressure, this figure has fallen to the low thousands in recent years, based on estimates from activists on the ground. This year, they predict that between 2,000 and 5,000 dogs will be killed during the event.

The Yulin festival is not a traditional event and was launched by dog meat traders to increase the consumption of their products and boost sales.

It is estimated that around 30 million dogs are killed for their meat annually in Asia, with 10 million to 20 million slaughtered in China alone.

Dog meat is banned in some parts of Asia, such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines, as well as the Chinese cities of Shenzhen and Zhuhai.

 

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Chemical traces offer evidence of the universe's earliest stars

First-generation stars had short lives that ended in partial explosions, and can be detected only through the chemical signatures they left in the stars that succeeded them.

The stars of the Milky Way over Montana's Paradise Valley.

Ray Farmer / NBC News

June 14, 2023, 
By Larissa Gao


HONG KONG — An international research team has found the first chemical traces of some of the oldest stars in the universe.

The study by researchers from China, Australia and Japan, which was published online in the journal Nature last week, confirmed the existence of massive stars in the early universe.

“Astronomers had speculated that in the early universe, there were stars that could be extremely colossal,” Zhao Gang, a researcher from the National Astronomical Observatories of China and one of the study’s authors, told NBC News. “Scientists had been trying to find the proof for decades.”

Zhao and his team found that so-called first-generation stars, which lit up the universe as early as 100 million years after the Big Bang, could have had a mass as much as 260 times that of the sun, which matched the predictions of astronomers.

First-generation stars had short lives that ended in partial explosions, and can be detected only through the chemical signatures they left in the generation of stars that succeeded them. Those first-generation stars could become parent stars to the later-generation stars that bequeath their chemical signatures.

Meanwhile, the first-generation stars were made almost entirely of hydrogen and helium, while current stars contain more metal elements. Thus, researchers were looking for stars without many metal elements.

The researchers focused on a star named LAMOST J1010+2358, which has particular chemical characteristics. After researchers matched its chemical spectrum with the theoretical models, they confirmed that the parent star of LAMOST J1010+2358, the first-generation star, had 260 times the mass of the Sun.

“The first-generation star we observed has the potential to become the oldest star we have ever seen,” said Alexander Heger, a professor in the School of Physics and Astronomy at Monash University in Australia who was part of the research team. “It probably had only lived for two and a half million years, and then exploded.”

Heger added that it was important to investigate first-generation stars because “this is how it all begins.”

“It’s about understanding our origins and the origins of the universe,” he said. “So far, this is sort of a blind spot in our understanding of the entire history of the universe.”

Quentin Andrew Parker, director of the Laboratory for Space Research at the University of Hong Kong, said this kind of evidence was extremely difficult to find.

“It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack because our galaxy is made up of billions and billions of stars,” said Parker, who was not involved in the research.

The findings were based on observations from two of the largest land-based telescopes in the world, the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fibre Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) near Beijing and the Subaru Telescope in Hawaii, which is operated by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan.

“LAMOST has proved to be extremely efficient, taking spectra for vast numbers of stars,” Parker said. “You can take 4,000 spectra of 4,000 different objects at the same time.”

Parker said the research team’s success was not only a matter of fundamental science but also a result of “wonderful international collaboration,” citing the use of two telescopes operated by two nations and the talents of different researchers.

“If you just work in your silos and a nation here and you’re not allowed to collaborate with people around the world, then you don’t get the full picture,” he said. “You don’t have the right expertise. You don’t have the right insights.”

“That’s how modern science works at its best.”

Younger generations fueling astrology boom

CBS News

Jun 14, 2023 #news #astrology

While some roll their eyes when the zodiac comes up in conversation, others look to the stars for guidance, meditation and reflection. According to a recent Quest Diagnostics survey, more Americans know their zodiac sign than their blood type. Sydney Page, a Washington Post reporter who has been diving into the world of astrology, joined CBS News to discuss the study.

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MONOPOLY CAPITALI$M
Britain's Vodafone, Three mobile phone providers to merge


Britain's Vodafone and Three said Wednesday they will merge to form MergeCo, the country's largest mobile phone network. Vodafone will hold the majority stake in the newly formed entity, pending regulatory approval. File photo by TOLGA AKMEN/EPA-EFE

June 14 (UPI) -- Britain's Vodafone and Three mobile phone networks announced plans Wednesday to merge to form the country's largest cell phone operator with 27 million customers.

Vodafone Group and Three-owner CK Hutchison Group Telecom said the agreement will see Vodafone the majority stakeholder with 51% of MergeCo with plans to spend $14 billion to create one of Europe's most advanced 5G networks, Vodafone said in a news release.

Vodafone Group CEO Margherita Della Valle hailed the merger as being "great for customers, great for the country and great for competition" with MergeCo claiming a million customers will enjoy greater coverage and reliability with 5G network penetration of 99% and a six-fold increase in average data speeds by 2034.

"It's transformative as it will create a best-in-class -- indeed best in Europe -- 5G network, offering customers a superior experience. As a country, the U.K. will benefit from the creation of a sustainable, strongly competitive third-scaled operator -- with a clear $14 billion network investment plan -- driving growth, employment and innovation," said Della Valle.

"For Vodafone, this transaction is a game changer in our home market. This is a vote of confidence in the U.K. and its ambitions to be a center for future technology."

No cash will change hands in the deal and the agreement includes an option for Vodafone to acquire Hutchison Telecom's 49% stake, possibly paving the way for an exit from Britain's telecoms sector for the company, which is part of the Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison Holdings.

Over the next seven years, the merger will also bring as much as $6.34 billion a year in economic benefits to Britain's economy creating jobs and supporting the digital transformation of business, Vodafone said pledging standalone 5G for every school and hospital in the country.

Three U.K. CEO Robert Finnegan said the deal marked a "significant step in our efforts to create a business that will build the biggest and fastest 5G mobile network in the country."

"The combination of Three UK and Vodafone UK will bring the advantages of 5G to every business and household in the UK, enabling the UK to deliver its ambitions for digital and economic growth and fully supporting the U.K. Government's objectives for a world-leading digital economy."

The deal will see MergCo jumping ahead of EE, owned by BT, and Virgin Media O2, owned by Spain's Telefonica and the United States' Liberty Global -- the current no. 1 and no. 2 networks -- to become the largest provider.

However, Della Valle, who last month announced plans to slash Vodafone's 104,000 global workforce by 10% as part of a strategy to revive the shrinking fortunes of Vodafone, has first to get the deal past investors and the tough anti-trust stance of British regulators.

But after long arguing that cutting the number of networks from four to there might be bad for consumers, the Competition and Markets Authority recently shifted its position saying it now held a more favorable view of amalgamation in the sector.

 Remains at Crenshaw site are local, ancestors of Caddo, study finds

Using new dating technique, researchers determine that hundreds of human skulls and mandibles are not foreign enemies, as previous researchers hypothesized.

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

 

IMAGE: JOHN SAMUELSEN CONDUCTING GRADIOMETRY SURVEY AT THE CRENSHAW SITE IN SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS. view more 

CREDIT: UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

Hundreds of human skulls and mandibles recovered from the Crenshaw site in southwest Arkansas are the remains of ancestors of the Caddo Nation and not foreign enemies, according to a new study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science.

Collaborating with the Caddo Nation in Oklahoma, researchers at the University of Arkansas and Arkansas Archeological Survey tested lead and strontium isotopes in the teeth of human remains and compared them to ancient animal teeth from several surrounding regions to determine that the 700-year-old human remains were local people.

“Our study tested and ultimately refutes hypotheses that the Crenshaw remains are ‘trophy skulls’ killed during raiding expeditions,” said lead author John Samuelsen. “Demonstrating that the remains are Caddo ancestors provides both researchers and the Caddo Nation a clear answer to questions that have long persisted about the site and the remains.”

Samuelsen serves as science and technology administrator at the Arkansas Archeological Survey and a graduate faculty member in the Department of Anthropology at the U of A. He specializes in geochemical analysis of remains and archeological materials to detect geographical movement of ancient people and animals.

For the Crenshaw study, he worked with Adriana Potra, associate professor in the Department of Geosciences at the U of A. Potra, who studies ore geology and radiogenic isotope geochemistry to enhance an understanding of the geochemistry and tectonic framework of ore deposits, helped improve scientific methods using the lead isotopes.

Their study of the Crenshaw site is the first to use lead isotopes in ancient animal teeth from many different regions to evaluate where humans lived. These isotopes in tooth enamel are set during childhood tooth formation and reflect the isotopes in the underlying geology where the children grew up.

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JOURNAL

Journal of Archaeological Science

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Multiregional Pb isotopic linear patterns and diagenesis: Isotopes from ancient animal enamel show Native American “foreign war trophies” are local ancestors

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

1-Aug-2023

International expert panel revises management of concussion in sport for optimal care of athletes at all levels of participation

Wits sport scientist Professor Jon Patricios co-chaired latest consensus statement that updates existing recommendations with the aim of optimizing the care of athletes at all levels

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF THE WITWATERSRAND

Latest Consensus Statement on Concussion in Sport includes:

• New and updated age appropriate tools to aid identification and management of condition
• New versions of return to active sport and education strategies
• Stronger evidence for benefits of light intensity exercise within first 48 hours to aid recovery
• New targeted approach to rehabilitation
• Call for interdisciplinary working group to guide research into potential long term effects

A group of more than100 expert researchers and clinicians from around the world, co-chaired by Professor Jon Patriciosof Wits Sport and Health (WiSH), University of the Witwatersrand (Wits University), has distilled and synthesised new scientific evidence and updated existing recommendations with the aim of optimising the care of athletes at all levels of participation who have, or who are at risk of, concussion.

Based on the outcomes from the International Conference on Concussion in Sport, held in Amsterdam in October 2022, and published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (BJSM), the Statement is informed by 10 systematic reviews and methodology outlining the new consensus process. The entire process more than 4 years to complete. 

In a bid to be more transparent and inclusive than in previous years, the process adopted anonymous voting, alternative viewpoints, open declarations of potential conflicts of interest, and included the views of athletes, a focus on para-athletes, and ethical perspectives.  

The Statement includes a series of new (SCOAT6, Child SCOAT6) and updated (CRT6, SCAT6, Child SCAT6) age-appropriate tools for clinicians and sports organisations to help them better identify and manage sports related concussion in the short and longer term.

It features new evidence-based strategies for returning to active sport and education after concussion; early exercise and treatment recommendations; approaches to prevention; targeted rehabilitation; and a call for a working group to be set up to guide further research on the potential long term effects of concussion on health. 

Among the key recommendations:

Prevention

• Policy or rule changes to minimise collisions, such as disallowing body checking in ice hockey — a defensive move in which the player tries to separate the puck from his/her opponent 
• Neuromuscular training — aerobic, balance, strength, agility exercises +/-neck-specific components — in warm ups 
• Mouthguard use in ice hockey (all ages)
• Implementing laws and protocols, such as mandatory removal from play after actual or suspected concussion; healthcare professional clearance to return to play; and education of coaches, parents, and athletes on the signs and symptoms of concussion

Early interventions

• Strict rest isn’t recommended. There’s now stronger evidence that light intensity physical activity, such as routine activities of daily living, and aerobic exercise, such as walking and stationary cycling, can aid recovery, as can limiting screen time during the first 48 hours.

Rehabilitation

• For those experiencing dizziness, neck pain and/or headaches for more than 10 days, the Statement recommends cervico-vestibular rehabilitation—physiotherapy exercises to reduce symptoms and improve function.
• Rehabilitation should be targeted to the needs of the individual.

Persisting symptoms 

• Multidisciplinary team assessment to identify the types, pattern, and severity of symptoms and any other contributory factors is advised for those with symptoms lasting more than 4 weeks. 

Recovery

• Advanced neuroimaging, biomarkers (chemical signals from nerves or blood vessels), genetic tests, and other emerging technologies to assess recovery are useful for research into the diagnosis, outlook, and recovery from sports related concussion. But as yet, they are some way off from being used in clinical practice, says the Statement.

Return to education and sport

• Academic support may be needed for some athletes in the form of a return to learn strategy: this can include modified school attendance, limiting screen time, avoiding any contact sports or game play, extra time to complete assignments/homework or tests.
• Light intensity activity in the early phases of the return to sport strategy is now recommended, with full sports participation usually occurring within 1 month of injury.
• But it’s best to manage athletes on an individual basis, accounting for specific factors that may affect their recovery, such as a history of migraine, anxiety, and social factors.

Potential long term effects

• The Statement notes the “increasing societal concern about possible problems with later in life brain health in former athletes, such as mental health problems, cognitive impairment and neurological diseases.”
• Studies tracking the mental health of people over time (cohort studies) have found that former amateur and professional athletes don’t seem to be at heightened risk of depression or suicidality later in life.
• Similarly, no heightened risk of neurological disease has been reported in former amateur athletes in these types of study. But some studies of former professional athletes have reported an association between playing professional American football and professional soccer and neurological disease in later life.
• But the studies to date on the links between early sports participation and later life dementia and neurological disease are limited because they haven’t been able to adjust for a range of potentially highly influential factors, says the Statement.
• It recommends setting up an interdisciplinary working group to guide appropriate research into the potential long term effects of concussion on health.

Evidence gaps still to be filled

• There’s limited evidence on the management of sports related concussion in 5-12 year olds and in para sport athletes, who are known to be at heightened risk of sports related concussion.
• And little research on concussion exists for certain regions of the world, diverse cultural contexts, sex and genders.

Commenting on the Statement, Consensus Statement co-chair, Dr Kathryn Schneider of the University of Calgary, Canada, says: “This Statement sets out a range of new evidence-based recommendations, including those for concussion prevention as well as new versions of the concussion assessment tools and return to sport and school/learning strategies”. 

“We encourage clinicians and sports organisations around the globe to adapt these recommendations to their own geographic and cultural environments to optimise the care of athletes who have sustained, or who are at risk of, concussion,” she adds.

"The differentiating aspects of this latest Concussion Consensus are the rigorous methodological process we adopted, the new generation of tools available to clinicians, and the emphasis on the positive impact of exercise and targeted rehabilitation as effective interventions," explains Consensus Statement co-chair, Professor Jon Patricios of Wits University, Johannesburg, South Africa.

“These have the potential to positively change the management of sport-related concussion."

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JOURNAL

British Journal of Sports Medicine

Midgut gland of scallops: a valuable source of fucosylated heparan sulfate

Researchers show that fucosylated heparan sulfate, a branched acidic glycosaminoglycan, exhibits anticoagulating and neurite outgrowth-promoting activities

Peer-Reviewed Publication

TOKYO UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE

 

IMAGE: RESEARCHERS SHOW THAT FUC-HS IS THE MAJOR GLYCOSAMINOGLYCAN PRESENT IN THE MIDGUT GLAND OF THE JAPANESE SCALLOP AND EXHIBITS BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES SUCH AS ANTICOAGULATION AND NEURITE OUTGROWTH PROMOTION. view more 

CREDIT: KYOHEI HIGASHI FROM THE TOKYO UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), including chondroitin sulfate (CS), heparan sulfate (HS), heparin, and hyaluronan are linear and acidic polysaccharides found in the extracellular matrix of all animal tissues. GAGs are widely used as functional ingredients in health products, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics, and are prepared from biological samples such as shark cartilage and porcine intestinal mucosa. Consequently, the demand for new sources of GAGs is ever-present. For example, the supply source of the anticoagulant heparin—generally prepared from porcine intestinal mucosa in China—was threatened by African swine fever in 2018.

GAGs derived from marine invertebrates—animals without a bony skeleton—such as bivalve mollusks are highly sulfated or branched with neutral sugars. These modifications enhance their properties and enable them to perform various biological activities. In fact, heparin-like polysaccharides with anticoagulant activity were identified from some kinds of bivalve mollusks.

In this light, a group of researchers led by Dr. Kyohei Higashi, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Tokyo University of Science (TUS), has investigated the structure and biological activities of GAGs derived from the midgut gland of the Japanese scallop, Patinopecten yessoensis, a bivalve mollusk. 

Their work, made available online on 25th March 2023, will be published in Volume 313 of the Carbohydrate Polymers journal on 1st August 2023. It is co-authored by Dr. Takeshi Wada and Dr. Kazuki Sato of the TUS and Dr. Shinji Miyata of the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology. 

Dr. Higashi briefly discusses the motivation behind the present research. “Scallops are among the most popular marine ingredients in Japan. While their adductor muscle and mantle are edible, their midgut gland, a potential cadmium accumulator, is usually discarded as waste during food processing. However, it may be a promising abundant source of GAGs, whose structures remain unexplored.” 

In this study, the researchers extracted crude GAGs from the midgut gland of the Japanese scallop, fractionated them by anion exchange chromatography, and analyzed their structures through high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR), and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) techniques. HPLC revealed that HS, which showed resistance to GAG-degrading enzymes such as chondroitinases and heparinases, is the major GAG present in the gland. However, its resistance to heparinases decreased upon mild acid hydrolysis, hinting at the presence of the fucosyl (Fuc) group. 1H NMR confirmed the same. It detected significant signals corresponding to the H-6 methyl proton of Fuc and small signals corresponding to H-2 or H-3 of glucuronate (GlcA) present in HS, showing that Fuc is attached to the C-3 position of GlcA. Furthermore, GC–MS detected peaks corresponding to 1, 3, 5-tri-O-acetyl-2, 4-di-O-methyl-L-fucitol and 1, 4, 5-tri-O-acetyl-2, 3-di-O-methyl-L-fucitol, enabling researchers to conclude that Fuc is 3-O- or 4-O-sulfated. 

Lastly, the study highlights that Fuc-HS shows biological activities such as anticoagulation or blood clot prevention and neurite—a projection from the nerve cell—outgrowth promotion. “These findings indicate that the midgut gland of scallops is a valuable source of Fuc-HS with novel functions. A more detailed investigation of the structure and biological activities of Fuc-HS might reveal its other potential applications, similar to the fucosylated chondroitin sulfate (Fuc-CS) that shows antiviral, anti-diabetic, anti-tumor, and immunomodulatory effects,” points out Dr. Higashi. 

The researchers expect the present study to help facilitate the comprehensive analysis of the structure and functions of naturally occurring and biologically active GAGs derived from unutilized sources, which may provide hints for developing glycoside drugs. 

Here’s hoping for the discovery of more novel GAGs!

 

***

 

Reference                     

 

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2023.120847

 

About The Tokyo University of Science
Tokyo University of Science (TUS) is a well-known and respected university, and the largest science-specialized private research university in Japan, with four campuses in central Tokyo and its suburbs and in Hokkaido. Established in 1881, the university has continually contributed to Japan's development in science through inculcating the love for science in researchers, technicians, and educators.

With a mission of “Creating science and technology for the harmonious development of nature, human beings, and society", TUS has undertaken a wide range of research from basic to applied science. TUS has embraced a multidisciplinary approach to research and undertaken intensive study in some of today's most vital fields. TUS is a meritocracy where the best in science is recognized and nurtured. It is the only private university in Japan that has produced a Nobel Prize winner and the only private university in Asia to produce Nobel Prize winners within the natural sciences field.

Website: https://www.tus.ac.jp/en/mediarelations/

 

About Associate Professor Kyohei Higashi from Tokyo University of Science
Dr. Kyohei Higashi has been an Associate Professor at the Department of Pharmacy at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Tokyo University of Science since 2018. He completed his Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences from Chiba University. Over the last two decades, he has published 88 research articles, which have been cited more than 1,700 times. His major research area includes physical pharmacy and clinical and analytical biochemistry, with a focus on polyamines and glycosaminoglycans. He is also active in the fields of molecular biology, cell biology, and molecular genetics. 

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JOURNAL

Carbohydrate Polymers

DOI

10.1016/j.carbpol.2023.120847 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Animals

ARTICLE TITLE

Fucosylated heparan sulfate from the midgut gland of Patinopecten yessoensis

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

1-Aug-2023

COI STATEMENT

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

A marine mystery: Discovering the link between climate change and sea sponge loss

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES

 

IMAGE: THE LATEST FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT THERMAL STRESS DISTURBS SPONGE-MICROBES SYMBIOSIS, WHICH LIKELY CAUSES THE SPONGE TO DIE view more 

CREDIT: PHOTO: HEIDI LUTER.

Sea sponges are essential to marine ecosystems. They play critical roles in the ocean, as they provide shelter and food to a plethora of marine creatures, recycle nutrients by filtering thousands of litres of sea water daily, and are hosts to microbes that may be the key to some of the most pressing medical challenges we face today.

Now, scientists from UNSW have discovered that when a tropical sea sponge is exposed to warmer temperatures, it loses an important microbe, which could explain why the sponge tissue dies. The latest study, published today in ISME Communications, has revealed that by exposing sea sponges to a temperature increase of 3°C, one essential microbe abandons the sponge, potentially causing tissue poisoning.

The collaboration between researchers from UNSW, Heidi Luter from the Australian Institute of Marine Science and James Bell from the Victoria University of Wellington, has added an important piece to the puzzle on the impact of climate change on sponge populations around the world.

“We've already seen marine heatwaves wipe out sponges in the Mediterranean and impact sponges in New Zealand,” says Dr Emmanuelle Botte, from the School of BEES and lead author on the study.

“We are seeing that some sponge species are not as resistant as we first thought to climate change. This research reveals that the breakdown of the symbiosis between the host and its microbes could create a chemical imbalance in the sponge and cause its decay.”

Living in symbiosis with microbes

Sea sponges – ancient sea-dwelling creatures – are often mistaken for plants, but they are stationary animals, and are in fact some of the oldest on Earth.

“Sponges date back 545 million years,” says Dr Botte. “They live in symbiosis with microbes, which fulfil vital roles for the sponge: they recycle nutrients, produce energy and defend the sponge against predators and diseases. Some microbes even detoxify the sponge’s body. They are a bit like the liver and kidneys of the sponge.”

This essential relationship between sponges and the microbes is well documented. And research has also shown that some sponge species and their associated microbes are particularly vulnerable to warmer water temperatures.

“We conducted this study because we knew that some sponges were sensitive to future climate conditions, but we wanted to know why,” says Dr Botte.

“Just like you and I, sponges need a healthy microbiome to survive. We suspected that changes in the microbes and, more importantly, what they do in sponges, might explain why some sponge species struggle in warmer waters.”

A shift in the microbial makeup of the sponge

“You can find sponges everywhere on the seafloor – from the tropics to the poles,” says Dr Botte. This study focused on a sponge species commonly found on the Great Barrier Reef and in the West Indo – Pacific ocean – Stylissa flabelliformis.

The team analysed the microbial makeup of this sponge, known for its sensitivity to a temperature increase from 28.5°C and 31.5°C conditions.

“Under these same conditions, we saw that there were major differences in the type of microbes found in a healthy sponge in the cooler temperatures, and in a necrotic, or dying, sponge in the warmer waters,” says Dr Botte.

One change in particular stood out. “A group of microbes known as archaea represented 10% of all the microbes in the healthy sponge. And we could not see it at all in the necrotic sponge.

“We found that this microbe was the only one that could detoxify the ammonia produced by the sponge. And without this microbe, toxic ammonia would have accumulated in the tissue.”

It appears that the symbiosis between the Stylissa flabelliformis and its microbes is not flexible enough to adapt to the high temperatures that are predicted to become averages by the end of the century.

Importantly, the potential impact of warming waters on sponges and marine microbes is not a distant prospect. “We used conditions that represent not just the future averages, but today’s extremes, as we have already seen temperatures 1.5°C-3°C above normal for weeks in Australia,” says Dr Botte.

A goldmine for medicinal molecules

“In addition to providing food and shelter for other organisms, sponges are important for drug discovery,” says Dr Botte.

“In the oceans, the vast majority of the molecules that have antitumor or antipathogen properties are produced by marine invertebrates, and in particular, by the microbes living in symbiosis with sponges,” says Dr Botte. “These symbioses are key for healthy oceans and a goldmine for molecules of pharmaceutical and commercial interest.”

The research team behind this latest work wants to emphasise the risk that climate changes poses to microbial diversity on Earth. “Climate change does not only impact the big charismatic animals. There is a risk of eroding the biodiversity of unassuming animals and the microbes they host, which are key for healthy oceans and more generally life on our planet.”

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JOURNAL

ISME Communications

DOI

10.1038/s43705-023-00247-3 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Animals

ARTICLE TITLE

Future ocean conditions induce necrosis, microbial dysbiosis and nutrient cycling imbalance in the reef sponge Stylissa flabelliformis

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

14-Jun-2023