Largest genetic study of epilepsy to date provides new insights on why epilepsy develops and potential treatments

Peer-Reviewed Publication

RCSI

Thursday, 31 August 2023: The largest genetic study of its kind, coordinated by the International League Against Epilepsy, including scientists from FutureNeuro at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, has discovered specific changes in our DNA that increase the risk of developing epilepsy. 

The research, published today in Nature Genetics, greatly advances our knowledge of why epilepsy develops and may inform the development of new treatments for the condition. 

Epilepsy, a common brain disorder of which there are many different types, is known to have genetic component and to sometimes run in families. Here, researchers compared the DNA from diverse groups of almost 30,000 people with epilepsy to the DNA of 52,500 people without epilepsy. The differences highlighted areas of our DNA that might be involved in the development of epilepsy.  

The researchers identified 26 distinct areas in our DNA that appear to be involved in epilepsy. This included 19 which are specific to a particular form of epilepsy called ‘genetic generalized epilepsy’ (GGE). They were also able to point to 29 genes that are probably contributing to epilepsy within these DNA regions.  

The scientists found that the genetic picture was quite different when comparing distinct types of epilepsy, in particular, when ‘focal’ and ‘generalized’ epilepsies were compared. The results also suggested that proteins that carry electrical impulse across the gaps between neurons in our brain make up some of the risk for generalized forms of epilepsy. 

“Gaining a better understanding of the genetic underpinnings of epilepsy is key to developing new therapeutic options and consequently a better quality of life for the over 50 million people globally living with epilepsy,” said Professor Gianpiero Cavalleri, Professor of Human Genetics at RCSI School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Science and Deputy Director of the SFI FutureNeuro Research Centre. 

“The discoveries we report on here could only be achieved through international collaboration,  on a global scale. We are proud of how the global community of scientists working to better understand the genetics of the epilepsies have pooled resources and collaborated effectively, for the benefit of people impacted the condition” commented Professor Cavalleri.  

The researchers also showed that many of the current medications for epilepsy work by targeting the same epilepsy risk genes that were highlighted in this study. However, based on their data, the researchers were able to propose some potentially effective alternative drugs. These will need to be clinically tested for use in epilepsy as they are normally used for other conditions, but they are known to target some of the other epilepsy risk genes uncovered. 

“This identification of epilepsy associated genetic changes will allow us to improve diagnosis and classification of different epilepsy subtypes. This in turn, will guide clinicians in selecting the most beneficial treatment strategies, minimising seizures” said Professor Colin Doherty, Consultant Neurologist, St James’s Hospital, Co-author and Clinical Investigator at the SFI FutureNeuro Centre. 

Over 150 researchers, based across Europe, Australia, Asia, South America and North America, carried out the research. They worked together as part of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) Consortium on Complex Epilepsies. The ILAE Consortium was formed by researchers in 2010, recognising that the complexity of genetic and environmental factors underlying epilepsy would require research across massive datasets, and therefore unprecedented collaboration on an international scale.  

“Undertaking such a comprehensive study is a remarkable achievement that RCSI and Futureneuro are proud to have played a leading role in. The challenge now is to translate the findings of this research to improve the lives of people with epilepsy” concluded Professor Cavalleri. 

“With this study, we have bookmarked parts of our genome that should be the major focus of future epilepsy research. It will form the basis for further work looking at the molecular pathways involved in seizure generation, neuronal dysfunction and altered brain activity” said Professor Samuel Berkovic, University of Melbourne. 

"This is a major milestone for the ILAE Consortium on Complex Epilepsies, demonstrating what can be achieved when scientists openly collaborate and share data from across the world. The outputs are wide-reaching and applicable to epilepsy patients globally.” said Professor Helen Cross, President of the International League Against Epilepsy. 

Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) supported the work through their funding of the Futureneuro Research Centre. 

 

ENDS 

For further information:  

Laura Anderson, Communications Officer, RCSI 

087 199 0399/ lauraanderson@rcsi.ie  

 

About RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences 

RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences is ranked first in the world for its contribution to UN Sustainable Development Goal 3, Good Health and Well-being, in the Times Higher Education (THE) University Impact Rankings 2023. 

Exclusively focused on education and research to drive improvements in human health worldwide, RCSI is an international not-for-profit university, headquartered in Dublin. It is among the top 250 universities worldwide in the World University Rankings (2023). RCSI has been awarded Athena Swan Bronze accreditation for positive gender practice in higher education. 

Founded in 1784 as the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) with national responsibility for training surgeons in Ireland, today RCSI is an innovative, world-leading international health sciences university and research institution offering education and training at undergraduate, postgraduate and professional level.  

Visit the RCSI MyHealth Expert Directory to find the details of our experts across a range of healthcare issues and concerns. Recognising their responsibility to share their knowledge and discoveries to empower people with information that leads them to better health, these clinicians and researchers are willing to engage with the media in their area of expertise. 

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JOURNAL

Nature Genetics

DOI

10.1038/s41588-023-01485-w 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Meta-analysis

ARTICLE TITLE

GWAS meta-analysis of over 29,000 people with epilepsy identifies 26 risk loci and subtype-specific genetic architecture

 

Developing silicones that are friendlier toward health and the environment

Peer-Reviewed Publication

CNRS

 

IMAGE: SILICONE SYNTHESIS EQUATION DEVELOPED BY THE RESEARCH TEAM (ECOIH/LHFA). view more 

CREDIT: © TSUYOSHI KATO/CNRS

Polysiloxanes, the scientific name for silicones, possess exceptional properties, and are used in numerous fields ranging from cosmetics to aerospace. They are absolutely everywhere! However, they have a major flaw, as small, cyclic oligosolixanes—toxic for the environment and identified as an endocrine disruptor—form during their synthesis. To correct this drawback, a team of scientists1 led by a CNRS researcher recently developed a new process for synthesising silicones in a cleaner and more environmentally-friendly manner by preventing the formation of these small cyclic oligosolixanes. The results will appear in Science on 1 September, and could have a considerable impact on the industrial sector.

1. From the Fundamental and Applied Heterochemistry Laboratory (CNRS/Université de Toulouse Paul Sabatier), the company Elkem Silicones, and the Chemistry Department of the Autonomous University of Barcelona.

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JOURNAL

Science

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

ARTICLE TITLE

Ring-opening polymerization of cyclic oligosiloxanes without producing cyclic oligomers

 

Exciting the brain could be key to boosting maths learning, says new study

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF SURREY

Exciting a brain region using electrical noise stimulation can help improve mathematical learning in those who struggle with the subject, according to a new study from the Universities of Surrey and Oxford, Loughborough University, and Radboud University in The Netherlands.

During this unique study, researchers investigated the impact of neurostimulation on learning. Despite the growing interest in this non-invasive technique, little is known about the neurophysiological changes induced and the effect it has on learning.

Researchers found that electrical noise stimulation over the frontal part of the brain improved the mathematical ability of people whose brain was less excited (by mathematics) before the application of stimulation. No improvement in mathematical scores was identified in those who had a high level of brain excitation during the initial assessment or in the placebo groups. Researchers believe that electrical noise stimulation acts on the sodium channels in the brain, interfering with the cell membrane of the neurons, which increases cortical excitability.

Professor Roi Cohen Kadosh, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience and Head of the School of Psychology at the University of Surrey who led this project, said:

“Learning is key to everything we do in life – from developing new skills, such as driving a car, to learning how to code. Our brains are constantly absorbing and acquiring new knowledge.

“Previously, we have shown that a person’s ability to learn is associated with neuronal excitation in their brains. What we wanted to discover in this case is if our novel stimulation protocol could boost, in other words excite, this activity and improve mathematical skills.”

For the study, 102 participants were recruited, and their mathematical skills were assessed through a series of multiplication problems. Participants were then split into four groups: a learning group exposed to high-frequency random electrical noise stimulation, an overlearning group in which participants practised the multiplication beyond the point of mastery with high-frequency random electrical noise stimulation. The remaining two groups, consisted of a learning and overlearning group but they were exposed to a sham (i.e., placebo) condition, an experience akin to real stimulation without applying significant electrical currents. EEG recordings were taken at the beginning and at the end of the stimulation to measure brain activity.

Dr Nienke van Bueren from Radboud University, who led this work under Professor Cohen Kadosh's supervision, said:

“These findings highlight that individuals with lower brain excitability may be more receptive to noise stimulation, leading to enhanced learning outcomes, while those with high brain excitability might not experience the same benefits in their mathematical abilities.”

Professor Cohen Kadosh adds:

“What we have found is how this promising neurostimulation works and under which conditions the stimulation protocol is most effective. This discovery could not only pave the way for a more tailored approach in a person’s learning journey but also shed light on the optimal timing and duration of its application.”  

This study was published in PL0S Biology

 

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JOURNAL

PLoS Biology

DOI

10.1101/2022.04.29.489988 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Observational study

ARTICLE TITLE

Human Neuronal Excitation/Inhibition Balance Explains and Predicts Neurostimulation Induced Learning Benefits

Student engagement improves calculus class outcomes among undergraduates

Peer-Reviewed Publication

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE (AAAS)

A randomized trial involving 811 undergraduate students at a U.S. Hispanic-Serving Institution (HIS) university found that students assigned to calculus classes focused on collaborative learning and student engagement had a greater understanding of calculus concepts and improved grades compared to those assigned to classes taught in a traditional lecture style. Laird Kramer and colleagues note that the success of the engagement “treatment” occurred across all racial and ethnic groups, academic majors, and genders. Since calculus is usually a foundation for further study in STEM majors, improving student success is critical for removing barriers to STEM degrees and STEM professions, especially among traditionally underserved students. Kramer et al.’s study at Florida International University, conducted over three semesters, used an engagement model that cultivates “mathematical habits of mind,” including identifying patterns, making connections, and developing and testing hypotheses, mostly in small groups of students with minimal lecturing. Historic pass rates for the introductory calculus class (conducted mostly as lectures) averaged 55%, but the engagement treatment improved this pass rate by 11%, the researchers note. Applying this improvement to all first-time calculus students at the university would translate to 220 additional students passing calculus each year—and 33,000 U.S. students annually if the engagement classes were taught nationwide. The improvements would reduce the number of classes needed each semester and save students nationwide an estimated $23.9 million in tuition, the researchers calculate.

In this week’s Science Podcast, host Sarah Crespi talks with Kramer about his group’s work shaking up the calculus curriculum, and with Science staffers about their own calculus trauma, from fear of spinning shapes to thinking twice about majoring in physics. Beyond anecdotes, research has shown that many students, particularly women and minority students, are deterred from continuing in STEM fields by their experience in calculus courses. The results from Kramer and team show a significant increase in student retention after exposure to a different teaching approach. The podcast discussing the Kramer et al. study will be available at https://www.science.org/podcasts on Thursday, August 31 at 2pm US ET.

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JOURNAL

Science

DOI

10.1126/science.ade9803 

ARTICLE TITLE

Establishing a new standard of care for calculus using trials with randomized student allocation

 

The eyes are a window into the deciding mind

Peer-Reviewed Publication

TOHOKU UNIVERSITY

 

IMAGE: PERCEPTUAL DECISIONS ONLY AFFECT EYE MOVEMENTS WHEN SIMULTANEOUS EYE AND REACH MOVEMENTS ARE MADE. view more 

CREDIT: KAZUMICHI MATSUMIYA

Researchers worldwide are seeking visible indicators of what is going on inside our minds as we think about issues and take decisions. They are searching for the ability to probe the invisible workings of the mind by monitoring subtle signals from the body. New insights from experiments at Tohoku University have revealed a link between eye movements and certain types of decision-making. Kazumichi Matsumiya and Shota Furukawa at the university's Graduate School of Information Sciences reported their findings in the journal Communications Biology.

"Our work has revealed that eye movements that are not related to the visual requirements for decision-making are nevertheless affected by the process of making decisions," says Matsumiya. Previous research in the field has analyzed how eye and hand movements affect decision-making, but did not look at the issue from the other direction to investigate if decision-making affects eye and hand movements.

The new research was conducted to assess the validity of the previous general assumption that motor movements, such as by the eyes or hand, will not be affected by decision-making activities in situations where the movements are not directly related to making the decision.

The Tohoku University researchers instructed participants to move their eyes and right hand towards targets that were not relevant to an ongoing perceptual decision-making task. Participants were first given a separate task where they were asked to decide and report on the direction of movement of a visual stimulus that was briefly presented on the display. This was defined as a perceptual decision-making task. The participants then performed the task in which their eye and hand motor movements were irrelevant to their decision-making. Comparing the results of the two tasks allowed the research team to identify and measure any effects of decision-making on eye and hand movements that were irrelevant to the decisions.

"We found that perceptual decision-making interfered with unrelated eye movements but not hand movements," Matsumiya says. "This demonstrates that nerve signals involved in making decisions continuously flow into the oculomotor eye-movement system, even when multiple motor actions are irrelevant to the decision-making," he adds.

The researchers expect that their findings will contribute to developing new technologies for inferring when decision-making tasks are proceeding in the mind, even when making the decisions does not involve any movements of the eyes.

This could be used to advance fundamental research into what is going on inside a person's mind, by monitoring indirectly when decisions are and are not being made.

It might also be used in more practical applications, such as monitoring attentiveness when crucial tasks involving making significant decisions are being performed. For example, it may be useful for mental care support, dementia care support, and crime prevention.

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JOURNAL

Communications Biology

DOI

10.1038/s42003-023-05249-4 

ARTICLE TITLE

Perceptual decisions interfere more with eye movements than with reach movements

 

Deprived teens with poor learning skills at greatest risk from email scams, says expert

Peer-Reviewed Publication

TAYLOR & FRANCIS GROUP

Disadvantaged teenagers are at greater risk of email scams and need better protection, according to an international study published in the peer-reviewed British Journal of Educational Studies. 

 

Findings based on more than 170,000 students aged 15 show that one in five from low-income families or deprived areas could fall victim to phishing. This is much higher than the probability for the age group overall. Email scams leave people vulnerable to identity theft, putting young people at risk of financial fraud and having their savings stripped.  

 

The most vulnerable are those who also have poor learning skills according to the data from 38 countries including the UK, US and Japan.  

 

Furthermore, the study highlights that students who are taught about the dangers of digital fraud are just as likely to respond inappropriately to these emails as pupils who have received no specific education on the topic. 

 

Author Professor John Jerrim says this highlights a gap in education provision. He is now urging schools to provide more – and better quality – teaching on how to recognize online harms including phishing emails.  

 

“Socio-economically disadvantaged groups are – at least in some countries – at greater risk from phishing attacks than their more advantaged peers,” says Professor Jerrim from University College London in England. 

 

“This is largely driven by socio-economic differences in cognitive abilities. Unfortunately, current attempts by schools to address this issue do not seem to be particularly effective. 

 

“Teenagers taught in the classroom about the risks appear to be just as likely to take inappropriate action. More needs to be done to help young people navigate what is becoming an increasingly complex and dangerous online world.  

 

“This is particularly true for some of the most vulnerable groups who are most at risk of falling for attempts at digital fraud.” 

 

More than 3 billion spam emails are sent every day and phishing is one of the most common attempts at cyber fraud. 

 

Current research into who is most susceptible to this crime tends to focus on older people, not school-age children. Little is known about the efficacy of schools’ attempts to teach young people how to recognize and react appropriately.  

 

Data for this study was based on 176,186 children who took part in the 2018 Programme for International Assessment (PISA), a triennial survey run by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).  

 

PISA examines what students in OECD countries know in reading, science, and mathematics. Pupils must complete a two-hour ability test then a questionnaire.  

 

The 2018 PISA asked pupils how they would respond to a made-up scenario where a mobile-phone company told them via email they had won a smartphone. The sender asked them to click a link and fill out their data to claim the phone. 

 

Possible responses included answering the email to request more details, checking the sender’s email address, clicking on the link, and filling out the form as soon as possible.  

 

Professor Jerrim’s study focused on answers to the third response and asked pupils if they had been taught how to detect phishing or spam emails. 

 

Results showed that Japanese teens were least likely to respond (4%) to the email than anywhere else in the world.  

 

The proportion in Denmark, Sweden and Finland who responded was significantly lower (6-7%) than in other developed countries.  

 

Teenagers in Mexico (30%) and Chile (27%) were most at risk – almost a quarter were likely to respond. The figure for the UK was 9%.  

 

No gender difference was found – boys were just as likely to respond as girls. However, teenagers from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds were markedly more likely to click the link. 

 

The biggest gap was based on cognitive skill with a quarter of low achieving students saying they believed clicking was the appropriate response. This compared with only 5% of those in the top reading scores.  

 

The study also investigated whether students who receive instruction from their school about the dangers of phishing emails are at less risk of being fooled. 

 

In addition, results showed ‘no clear evidence’ that students who received instruction from their school on phishing email dangers were at less risk. 

 

Limitations of the study included the fact it is based on responses to survey questions. Professor Jerrim said this meant the research did not necessarily capture how teenagers would respond in real life. 

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JOURNAL

British Journal of Educational Studies

DOI

10.1080/00071005.2023.2234456 

ARTICLE TITLE

Who responds to phishing emails? An international investigation of 15-year-olds using PISA data

 

Worm aggregates leverage uneven terrain to collectively move through narrow spaces

Peer-Reviewed Publication

TOHOKU UNIVERSITY

 

IMAGE: A WORMBALL CONSISTING OF MANY TUBIFICINE WORMS view more 

CREDIT: TAISHI MIKAMI ET AL.

Tubificine worms are segmented worms that are capable of forming entangled blobs that behave as a single organism to adapt to extreme environmental conditions or migrate more efficiently. Individual worms are capable of elongating, entwining an uneven area of terrain and dragging the collective worm ball through a narrow passageway.

A group of scientists from Tohoku University and Hiroshima University recently created an uneven and confined terrain to study the collective movement of worm blobs. The artificial terrain resembled a dumbbell shape with three small posts on each side. The worm blob was confined to one side of the terrain by a narrow passageway that the blob couldn't move through without narrowing its spherical shape. The researchers successfully simulated the collective movements of the worms to facilitate the design of future swarm robotic systems, or systems of many individual components that must work collectively, using soft-bodied agents.

The team published their findings in the August 29 issue of Frontiers in Nanorobotics.

"Previous studies on the locomotion mechanisms of swarms of worm-shaped organisms have focused on locomotion in flat environments, but it was still unclear how they move in real-world environments, which have confined spaces and convex and concave environments, by exploiting interindividual physical interactions," said Takeshi Kano, principal investigator of the study and associate professor at the Research Institute of Electrical Communication at Tohoku University in Sendai.

"In contrast, we investigated the mechanism of the adaptive locomotor behavior of worm-shaped organisms in a confined environment," said Kano. "These behavioral experiments in environments with various boundary conditions helped us understand how the worms collectively move in complex environments... by exploiting physical connection-based interactions among the individual worms."

When worms form blobs, the worms on the outer edge of the blob keep their heads in the inside of the blob and their tails facing the outside. Based on preliminary experiments using only a few worms, the research team hypothesized that exposing worm blobs to a chemical repellent would cause some worms from the blob to move away from the repellent by moving their heads out of the blob and extending outwards.

The team further hypothesized that individual worms from the worm blobs would extend their heads from the blob in their confined, dumbbell-shaped terrain and join to form a growing appendage of sorts, or pseudopod, that could entwine with the pegs on the far side of the terrain. The pseudopod would then pull and deform the blob through the narrow terrain passageway while enlarging the pseudopod with more worms.

Subsequent experiments supported the team's hypothesis. "Our results suggest that the worm blobs maintained their hemispherical shape in the open arena. However, in a confined channel with several pegs, the blob could deform flexibly and move effectively using the pegs," said Kano.

Importantly, the team was able to accurately simulate the worm blob behaviors mathematically, providing a means to replicate the individual and collective movements of the worm blobs in artificial systems, such as swarm robotics, that require many individual components to move collectively.

While the formation of the worm blob provides some measure of protection to tubificine worms from negative environmental conditions and predators, maintaining a blob-like structure when moving through tight spaces is impractical, according to the researchers. The primary advantage of their spherical structure is likely the growth of pseudopod structures that allow the worms to explore their environment for features of the terrain they can exploit for movement away from poor environments.

The team expects their worm blob modeling to be used in the design of future swarm robotic systems. Further experiments will need to be conducted, however, to simulate worm blob movements in more complex environments and to create simulations that account for the bending ability of worms.

Results of behavioral (top left) and simulation (bottom left) experiments in (a) a case without pegs and (b) a case with pegs. The worm ball in (a) moved back and forth faster than that in (b). (c) Magnified view of the worms.

Schematic of worm ball movement. Protrusion first grows from the worm ball. When reaching the pegs, it drags the other worms.

CREDIT

Taishi Mikami et al.

JOURNAL

Frontiers in Neurorobotics

DOI

10.3389/fnbot.2023.1207374 

ARTICLE TITLE

Elongating, entwining, and dragging: mechanism for adaptive locomotion of tubificine worm blobs in a confined environment

 

Bielefeld researchers using European supercomputers

Researchers at Bielefeld University have landed computing time on European supercomputers LUMI-G and Leonardo.

Grant and Award Announcement

BIELEFELD UNIVERSITY

Supercomputers are often indispensable in modern scientific research: they are an essential tool for processing the ever-increasing volumes of data needed for statistics, forecasts, and other calculations across a wide range of disciplines.
The collaborative ‘European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking’ (https://eurohpc-ju.europa.eu) project has invested a great deal of funding into the construction of new European flagship supercomputers over the past years. Since June 2023, the supercomputers ‘LUMI’ in Finland and ‘Leonardo’ in Italy came in third and fourth place in the global ranking of the 500 most powerful supercomputers around the globe. First place is currently held by the ‘Frontier’ supercomputer in the United States, and second by ‘Fugaku’ in Japan.

As responsible project leads for an international team of scientists, Bielefeld researchers Dr. Olaf Kaczmarek and Dr. Christian Schimdt-Sonntag were successful in the first round of a call for applications for computing time on these systems. The won out over myriad competitors from around the world in a rigorous application review process and have now been allocated 60 mil-lion core hours on LUMI-G and 22 million core hours on Leonardo – corresponding to the annual computing power of 20,000 and 6,000 laptops, respectively. This computing time will facilitate their research, which investigates the properties of matter under extreme conditions.

This research into extreme conditions of matter deals with temperatures and particle densities that are, for instance, believed to have been present in our universe shortly after the Big Bang, but also with temperatures and particle densities similar to those produced and measured in heavy ion experiments in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at the ‘CERN’ European Organisation for Nuclear Research in Geneva, Switzerland, and in the Relativistic Heavy Ion Accelerator (RHIC) at the Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) in Long Island, New York. These research projects are part of the Collaborative Research Centre TransRegio 211, ‘Strong-Interaction Matter under Extreme Conditions’ (https://crc-tr211.org/), which brings together researchers from the Goethe University Frankfurt, Bielefeld University, and the Technical University of Darmstadt.
As members of the North Rhine-Westphalian Competence Network for High-Performance Computing (HPC.NRW), a consortium that was recently extended through the end of 2025, Olaf Kaczmarek and Christian Schmidt-Sonntag provide support to Bielefeld researchers and their projects at the Bielefeld GPU Cluster, and also offer advice on how to apply for computing time at other supercomputers in the region, namely in Germany and Europe.  

For more information, please see:

•    SIMULATEeQCD: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7994982
•    BNL News zum Projekt über schwere Quarks: https://www.bnl.gov/newsroom/news.php?a=121223
•    PUNCH4NFDI: https://www.punch2nfdi.de
•    HPC.NRW: https://hpc.dh.nrw/de/
 

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METHOD OF RESEARCH

Computational simulation/modeling

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

Disclaimer: AAAS and Eure

 

COVID-19: Lessons from the Pandemic

Why Sweden got it right, but most countries did not

Book Announcement

WORLD SCIENTIFIC

 

IMAGE: COVER FOR "EVALUATING A PANDEMIC" view more 

CREDIT: WORLD SCIENTIFIC

 

‘Let us remember the lessons of the coronavirus to usher in a new era on a global scale with different personal and collective behaviour so that everyone, not just a few, enjoys the dignified life that is their due. We have to remember that we cannot go back to “pre-COVID”. We have to keep in mind that the circumstances before the pandemic most likely contributed in some way to the situation as have had to live it. A radical change of course is indispensable and urgent…”

~Federico Mayor Zaragoza, Former Director-General of UNESCO and Former Member of the European Parliament.

Where did COVID-19 originate? Prof Angus Dalgleish shows that the virus that emerged in Wuhan, China in 2019 had been modified in a laboratory to make it more infectious (for the construction of a more effective vaccine). Unfortunately the virus appears to have leaked out of the institute laboratory and so caused some seven million deaths worldwide. Professor Dalgleish’s conclusion has recently been vindicated by others, including science author Matt Ridley and public bodies like the US Senate, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the US Department of Energy.

A multi-author volume, the chapters in Evaluating a Pandemic

In this book, the COVID-19 outbreak is compared with previous epidemics that have occurred in the past. The aim of this book is to provide a review of the situation from 2020 to 2022, and to consider how to react in future epidemics. Readers will find the contrast between the economic consequences of lockdown in Sweden and the UK particularly illuminating.

This volume begins with the source of the SARS-COV-2 virus, before proceeding to analyse the high-speed development, manufacturing and distribution of ‘classical’ and novel vaccines against COVID-19. It also presents an assessment of the diagnostics used to identify infected patients and prevent the spread of the virus to those at risk of severe disease and death, and how lessons learned from them can help us confront future epidemic and endemic diseases. Evaluating a Pandemic includes scholarly analyses of various countries’ responses to the pandemic and their respective economic and sociological aftermaths, and discusses what we can learn from them.

This publication is a valuable resource for scientists, clinicians, psychologists, economists, bureaucrats, and politicians who deal with or write policies in preparation for future endemic and/or pandemic diseases. Historians and sociologists may benefit from the information collected and presented within.

Evaluating a Pandemic retails for US$78 / £60 (hardcover) and is also available in electronic formats. To order or know more about the book, visit http://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/13039.

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About the Editor

Professor Charles Pasternak is a British biochemist and founding Director of the Oxford International Biomedical Centre, of which he is currently President. He has published over 250 original papers and reviews, and is the founding Editor-in-Chief of Bioscience Reports, helming the journal for 28 years. He is also the editor of Biosciences 2000 (World Scientific, 1999), and author of eight other books.

Educated at Oxford University, Charles Pasternak spent 15 years on the staff of the Oxford Biochemistry Department, during which time he also held a teaching Fellowship at Worcester College, Oxford. He spent two years as a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the Pharmacology Department of Yale University Medical School, and subsequently held an Eleanor Roosevelt Fellowship of the International Union Against Cancer in the Department of Neurosciences at the University of California San Diego Medical School in La Jolla. In 1976 he was invited to move to St. George's Hospital Medical School, University of London, in order to set up a new Department of Biochemistry, which he subsequently expanded into a larger Department of Cellular and Molecular Sciences as founder-Chairman. He is currently President of the Oxford International Biomedical Centre which he founded in 1992.

Charles Pasternak is a tireless promoter of international scientific collaboration. He has been a member of the Executive Committee for a UNESCO initiative on Molecular and Cellular Biology, a member of the Education Committee of the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (IUBMB), a member of the International Advisory Board for the Chulabhorn Research Institute, Bangkok and a member of the Scientific Board of Antenna Technologie, Geneva. In 1979 he founded the Cell Surface Research Fund in order to foster international research links and scientific meetings on various aspects of fundamental and clinical research on the cell surface. In 1993 he received the degree of Doctor Honoris Causa and Palade medal from the University of Bucharest, in 1995 the honour of Amigo de Venezuela from the Fundacion Venezuela Positiva, and in 2002 was elected Foreign Member of the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences.

About World Scientific Publishing Co.

World Scientific Publishing is a leading international independent publisher of books and journals for the scholarly, research and professional communities. World Scientific collaborates with prestigious organisations like the Nobel Foundation and US National Academies Press to bring high quality academic and professional content to researchers and academics worldwide. The company publishes about 600 books and over 170 journals in various fields annually. To find out more about World Scientific, please visit www.worldscientific.com.

For more information, contact WSPC Communications at communications@wspc.com.

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DOI

10.1142/13039