It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Thursday, September 21, 2023
Food insecurity linked to muscle dysmorphia symptoms in adolescent and young adults
Findings show that Canadian adolescent and young adults who experienced food insecurity are at greater risk for muscle dysmorphia symptoms
Toronto, ON – Food insecurity, a significant and persistent problem affecting many Canadians due to economic disparities and limited access to nutritious food, has long-lasting repercussions on physical and mental health. Researchers have now found that adolescents and young adults who experienced food insecurity had greater symptoms of muscle dysmorphia, characterized as a significant drive for muscularity and muscle dissatisfaction. Published in the Body Image, the study isthe first to investigate the association between food insecurity and muscle dysmorphia.
Overall, nearly one in five participants with food insecurity were at clinical risk for muscle dysmorphia. The study analyzed data from over 900 participants from the Canadian Study of Adolescent Health Behavior.
“Muscle dysmorphia symptoms can be pervasive and severely impact individual functioning, which will only be compounded if someone is experiencing food insecurity, as well,” says lead author Kyle T. Ganson, PhD, MSW, assistant professor at the University of Toronto’s Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work. “Our study's findings underscore the importance of addressing food insecurity comprehensively, considering its multifaceted impact on both physical and mental health."
Prior research has identified food insecurity as a social determinant of health, and frequently highlighted the consequences of food insecurity, including stress, depression, and substance use. Additionally, food insecurity has been associated with eating disorders and body dissatisfaction.
Ganson and his collaborators found that the relationship between food insecurity and muscle dysmorphia symptoms were particularly evident in two key areas: functional impairment, where individuals experienced limitations in their daily activities and functionality due to muscle dysmorphia, and appearance intolerance, where individuals experienced heightened distress related to body image concerns and dissatisfaction.
“Individuals who experience food insecurity and muscle dysmorphia may displace money for food towards pursuits of muscularity, such as gym memberships and muscle-building dietary supplements like whey protein and creatine,” says Dr. Ganson.
The authors also propose that those who experience food insecurity do not have the availability of high quality, whole foods, such as lean proteins and whole grains, that are required to build muscle mass and strength. “This lack of availability to high quality food may increase one’s drive for muscularity and muscle dissatisfaction, as they are continually unable to achieve the body ideal they desire,” says Ganson.
The researchers point to the need for appropriate interventions.
“Our findings have important implications that signal a pressing need for intervention efforts that consider both food insecurity and its impact on muscle dysmorphia,” says Nelson Pang, MSW, co-author and doctoral student at the University of Toronto’s Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work.
Intervention efforts are particularly needed given prior research from the authors that emphasizes the rising concerns of food insecurity and muscle dysmorphia among Canadian adolescents and young adults.
DALLAS, September 21, 2023 — Supporting the next generation of health advocates, the American Heart Association awards five high school seniors with $1,000 college scholarships to energize their commitment to community health through service-learning opportunities. The grants are a part of the American Heart Challenge™, a school-based program that helps middle and high school students feel good about their health, while doing good for the community.
The American Heart Association, devoted to a world of healthier lives for all, offers a service-learning in-school fundraising program that prepares students for success by offering leadership development opportunities, community service hours and a college application boost in addition to supporting their total physical and emotional well-being.
High school juniors and seniors across the country who participated in their in-school American Heart Challenge program for the 2022-2023 school year were eligible for the scholarship program. Student applicants were required to demonstrate leadership skills within their school’s American Heart Challenge program and showcase their passion for impacting community health. Applications also required a letter of support from their American Heart Challenge school advisor or teacher.
2022-2023 scholarship recipients:
Adelyn Gary of Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley High School, Graceville, Minnesota
Anushka Kolli of Vista del Lago High School, Folsom, California
Bryce Oliphant of Stratford High School, Houston, Texas
Echo Charlton of Perryville High School, Port Deposit, Maryland
Jonah Calvery of St. Michael Catholic High School, Daphne, Alabama
“Each of these students represents the spirit of the American Heart Association’s mission to be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives,” said Marsha Jones, volunteer chairperson of the board of the American Heart Association. “We are encouraged by their commitment to improving the health and well-being within their local communities and are hopeful these scholarships will continue to shape their future actions of serving and inspiring others.”
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans[1] only 20% of kids get enough activity to meet physical activity recommendations. The American Heart Challenge is rooted in proven science which has shown that kids who are regularly active have a better chance of a healthy adulthood[2].
Funds raised by American Heart Challenge participants support the American Heart Association’s scientific research and outreach programs, while creating healthier communities nationwide. Schools are encouraged to register now for the American Heart Challenge to bring expanded curriculum resources to their classrooms for the 2023-24 school year.
To learn more about other school programs, or to donate to the American Heart Association, please visit www.heart.org/kids.
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About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. We are dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities. Through collaboration with numerous organizations, and powered by millions of volunteers, we fund innovative research, advocate for the public’s health and share lifesaving resources. The Dallas-based organization has been a leading source of health information for nearly a century. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.
Being a mom is hard. Being a Black mom is especially hard. A new study from North Carolina State University underscores the ways that being a Black mother in the United States involves navigating aspects of parenthood that are explicitly tied to dealing with anti-Black racism.
“All mothers experience stress; but Black mothers in the U.S. experience additional stresses specifically related to parenting and racism,” says Mia Brantley, author of the study and an assistant professor of sociology at NC State. “That has consequences for the health and well-being of Black mothers. If we want to develop ways to support Black moms and Black families, we need to have a deeper understanding of the challenges facing Black mothers – and how Black mothers respond to those challenges.”
For this qualitative study, Brantley conducted in-depth interviews with 35 Black mothers from across the U.S. All of the study participants had at least one child between the ages of 10 and 24. The interviews were designed to collect information about how Black women think about motherhood and mothering, as well as how Black mothers feel race and racism influences both their parenting and the lives of their children.
“There is a broad understanding that motherhood is, while rewarding, also a demanding responsibility,” Brantley says. “This study found that, while Black mothers share many of the same concerns as other mothers, Black motherhood is distinct. That’s because – in addition to wanting their children to succeed – Black mothers also take steps to both protect their children from racism and help their children learn to navigate a society where they will experience anti-Black racism.”
Brantley categorizes the ways racism affects Black motherhood into three areas: protective mothering, resistance mothering and encumbered mothering.
Protective mothering refers to practices designed to help Black children avoid racism. Specifically, Black mothers will often restrict children’s activities or behaviors in an attempt to reduce the likelihood that that their children – particularly sons – will face racist comments or actions. Black mothers also take steps to encourage agency – particularly for daughters – so that their children feel able to stand up for themselves.
Resistance mothering refers to efforts to promote positive self-image, with the goal of combatting racist stereotypes their children encounter outside of the home. These activities might include educating children about Black artists, leaders and accomplishments.
“Resistance mothering is really about empowering Black children and parents, so that they take pride in themselves and their culture,” Brantley says.
Encumbered mothering refers to the fact that Black mothers feel the need to be constantly hyperaware of the risks that racism poses to their children.
“Black mothers report that they are unable to fully enjoy and celebrate the accomplishments of their children, because they can’t ‘turn off’ their fears about how racist behavior may affect their kids,” Brantley says. “Black mothers feel that they always have to deal with preconceived notions about Black mothers and children, and that society essentially gives Black women no room for error.
“We talk about motherhood as universal, but all mothers do not experience motherhood in the same way,” Brantley says. “Black women face stresses that are unique to their experiences as mothers – stresses that continue into their children’s adulthood. While Black mothers are taking steps to protect their children, the stress of doing so may carry costs for the health and well-being of Black women.
“This study gives us a framework for understanding, studying and talking about Black motherhood. And, hopefully, that gives us a starting point for a more in-depth analysis of the toll that motherhood takes on Black women, and how we – as a society – can do more to support these women.”
The study, “Can’t Just Send Our Children Out: Intensive Motherwork and Experiences of Black Motherhood,” is published in the journal Social Problems. The work was done with support from the National Institute of Aging under grant number 5R01AG069251-02; the Ohio State University Institute for Population Research; and a University of South Carolina SPARC grant.
When Charles Darwin traveled to the Galapagos Islands almost 200 years ago as a gentleman naturalist, he used the power of observation to develop his theory that species evolve over time.
Today, evolutionary biologists Donald Miles, Robert Ricklefs and Jonathan Losos have the advantage of huge data sets and the power of statistical analysis to study how species within a group develop their own unique characteristics and become new species.
Their results could change how biologists look at species diversification.
On Darwin’s 1831 journey aboard the HMS Beagle, he collected samples of 18 different species of passerine birds, or birds that perch. These species varied widely in size and had different kinds of beaks based on their diet.
A century later biologists dubbed them “Darwin’s finches” and used them as a classic example of adaptive radiation, where rapid diversity within a group, also known as a clade, differs on an insular island or archipelago compared with a continent.
Miles is professor and chair of biological sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences at Ohio University. He and co-authors, Ricklefs of the University of Missouri-St. Louis and Losos of Washington University, set out to study existing hypotheses of adaptive radiation. The results suggested a new alternative possibility.
"Traditionally, biologists seek explanations for extraordinary species diversification in both key innovations within a species as well as changes in the environment, akin to Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection," Miles said. "Others view adaptive radiations as the tail end of the distribution of evolutionary diversification, where some clades are the result of adaptive radiations and others not.”
Miles provides the classic examples of how island passerine birds have been used to illustrate the alternate view that adaptive radiations are simply those clades with the greatest ecological and morphological disparity.
"But an alternative possibility is that morphological diversification in the most diverse clades resulted from the same underlying process of evolution that is common, at least in a statistical sense, to all clades in the comparison group," Miles added.
Seeking answers from the world's perching birds
The researchers used an extensive data set on passerine bird morphology accumulated by Ricklefs for possible answers, taking several different approaches to test the conflicting theories.
"We chose passerine birds to examine whether some clades present evidence of exceptional adaptive diversification. Many clades are textbook examples of adaptive radiation, with ecological opportunity on oceanic islands often used to explain the diversity of clades," Miles said.
The researchers used the same morphological data but partitioned the bird clades in two different ways. First, they focused on measurements of eight external morphological traits related to movement and diet; this work was taxon-defined and included 2,627 species and spanned nearly half the world's perching birds. Second, they looked at the data defined by age, encompassing 784 clades and 5,598 species. New Zealand, Madagascar and New Guinea were designated as the "island" species.
"We investigated whether celebrated cases of evolutionary radiations of passerine birds on islands have produced exceptional diversity relative to comparable-aged radiations globally," the researchers wrote in their paper.
"Several groups of birds stand out as classic cases of island radiations, including clades restricted to single islands as well as to island archipelagoes," Miles said. "Among the most celebrated of these are the Darwin finches of the Galapagos Islands, which have been the subject of many analyses of evolutionary diversity. Other celebrated island clades include the Hawaiian honeycreepers, the birds-of-paradise of New Guinea, the vangas of Madagascar, and the West Indian tanagers."
The researchers also included lesser-known examples of island radiation--the mockingbirds and thrashers of the Caribbean Basin.
They also analyzed the distribution of "phenotype disparity" (differences in characteristics) among bird clades. And lastly, they "focused on two factors thought to promote adaptive radiation--diversification on islands and in the tropics--and asked whether clades exhibiting these factors are more diverse," they wrote. As part of their statistical analysis, they looked at the exceptional cases, "whether clades observed to exceed the 95th percentile could be considered extreme values."
Among their conclusions include:
Classic examples of clades thought to be adaptive radiations are not quantitatively distinct from other passerine clades in terms of size disparities. The distributions are similar, but the island clades have higher disparity in size.
The distribution of phenotypic disparity among the clades of birds conforms closely to normal distribution, raising "the possibility that no special explanation for apparently exceptional diversity is necessary."
In the end, the researchers say the data points toward their hypothesis.
“Most clades of birds have diversified according to a single underlying process," Miles said. "The data don't preclude the possibility that key innovations or ecological opportunity could account for the high diversity such as in the birds-of-paradise or the honeycreepers, but our findings strongly suggest caution against the widespread interpretation that large disparity is prima facie evidence that a clade has been affected by evolutionary factors not experienced by other bird clades.”
Just as the evolutionary diversity of birds has been extensively studied, this analytical approach adds another important contribution to the study of adaptive radiation.
"Our results may surprise many in that they exhibit little evidence for a set of clades qualitatively distinct from the distribution of all clades, but further analysis using larger morphological datasets and more refined statistical approaches would be welcome next steps," Miles said.
JOURNAL
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
METHOD OF RESEARCH
Data/statistical analysis
SUBJECT OF RESEARCH
Animals
ARTICLE TITLE
How exceptional are the classic adaptive radiations of passerine birds?
Climate change may affect 40% of biodiversity in semi-arid portion of Brazil’s Northeast by 2060
The main impacts for the Caatinga, as the semi-arid biome is known, will be replacement of trees by shrubs and grasses, and a decrease in the overall number of species. The projection is based on the IPCC’s latest report and a database created by Brazil
FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO
IMAGE: CLIMATE CHANGE IS LIKELY TO TRANSFORM THE CAATINGA’S VEGETATION, MAKING IT SPARSER AND SCRUBBIEview more
CREDIT: GIANCARLO ZORZIN
The consequences of climate change in the Caatinga, the semi-arid shrubland and thorn forest biome in Brazil’s Northeast region, will include species loss, substitution of rare plants by more generalist vegetation, biotic homogenization (in which previously distinct plant communities become progressively more similar), increasing aridity, and even desertification in some areas.
These are some of the findings of a study reported in the Journal of Ecology by Brazilian researchers affiliated with the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), the Federal University of ParaÃba (UFPB), the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), the Federal University of Viçosa (UFV) and the Federal Institute of Goiás (IFG).
The researchers surveyed plant collections, herbariums and the scientific literature to compile a database of more than 400,000 occurrence records for some 3,000 plant species in the biome. They combined all this with data for geographic distribution, growth form, climate and soil. They then grouped the species into two categories: woody (trees, shrubs, palms, and woody vines); and non-woody (herbs, herbaceous vines, and succulents).
Using models evaluated and validated with different types of statistical algorithm and artificial intelligence, they arrived at more than a million projections of the possible responses of plant species in the Caatinga to future climate variations.
“We based our projections on the simulations in the latest report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [IPCC], issued in 2021,” said Mario Ribeiro de Moura, first author of the article and a researcher at UNICAMP. “However, given that we don’t know how humanity will behave from now on, we considered two scenarios: an optimistic scenario, assuming that technology reduces greenhouse gas emissions and the Paris Agreement is implemented [limiting the average global temperature rise to 1.5 °C above the pre-industrial level]; and a pessimistic scenario, under which deforestation rates, fossil fuel use and population growth remain high and there are no advances in innovation.”
The results showed that 99% of plant assemblages in the Caatinga will lose species by 2060. Increasing aridity and rising temperatures will decrease vegetation diversity and complexity. The hot dry climate will be particularly adverse for trees, many of which will be replaced by shrubs and grasses because it will be easier for them to grow and spread. All this will also affect ecosystem services such as photosynthesis, air renewal and carbon storage in tree leaves, trunks and roots.
These events will be most visible in mountainous areas such as Chapada Diamantina and Chapada do Araripe, in the southern and mid-northern parts of the biome respectively. The explanation is simple: lowland species will migrate to higher ground as temperatures rise, while highland species will become extinct. “For the biome as a whole, we predict extinction of 50 plant species under the optimistic scenario and 250 under the pessimistic scenario. Both are alarming,” Moura said.
Biotic homogenization will affect some 40% of plant assemblages, simplifying their composition owing to loss of rare species. “It’s as if you took the landscape and put it into a blender to homogenize everything,” he said.
Mitigation projects
The researchers hope the different tiers of government will use their findings to draw up long-term macroscale conservation plans. This type of strategy is important to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change and those of human activity, such as deforestation, habitat destruction, and soil degradation and exposure.
“Projects designed to restore landscape connectivity in areas subject to the impact of climate change, for example, increase the probability that species living there will be able to disperse over time to more suitable areas, via animals or wind. On the other hand, if biodiversity is too badly affected by degradation, deforestation, use of agrochemicals and poaching, resources will be even more compromised from now on,” Moura said.
About São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)
The São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) is a public institution with the mission of supporting scientific research in all fields of knowledge by awarding scholarships, fellowships and grants to investigators linked with higher education and research institutions in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. FAPESP is aware that the very best research can only be done by working with the best researchers internationally. Therefore, it has established partnerships with funding agencies, higher education, private companies, and research organizations in other countries known for the quality of their research and has been encouraging scientists funded by its grants to further develop their international collaboration. You can learn more about FAPESP at www.fapesp.br/en and visit FAPESP news agency at www.agencia.fapesp.br/en to keep updated with the latest scientific breakthroughs FAPESP helps achieve through its many programs, awards and research centers. You may also subscribe to FAPESP news agency at http://agencia.fapesp.br/subscribe.
CREDIT: YITING XIAO , YANG TIAN, YUANHANG ZHAN , JUN ZHU
The shift away from using poultry litter for crop fertilization has transformed this once-valuable agricultural byproduct into an environmental liability for poultry producers. Addressing this challenge, a study led by Dr. Jun Zhu from the University of Arkansas offers an innovative approach using photocatalytic titanate nanofibers (TNFs) to degrade organic pollutants in anaerobic digestate, a byproduct of poultry litter.
The study specifically focuses on the use of TNFs, synthesized through a hydrothermal method, for the photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants and color removal in poultry litter digestate. “We utilized Central Composite Design (CCD) and Response Surface Methodology (RSM) to optimize the conditions for removing volatile fatty acids (VFA) and chemical oxygen demand (COD), as well as for decolorization,” explained Yiting Xiao.
The study found that the optimal values for pH, dosage, VFA removal rate, COD removal rate, and decolorization rate were 6.752, 0.767 g·L−1, 72.9%, 59.1%, and 66.8%, respectively. “The results were consistent with the regression models generated by the CCD/RSM, confirming the effectiveness of TNFs in treating anaerobic digestate,” said Yiting Xiao.
Beyond offering a targeted solution for poultry litter digestate, the study also paves the way for broader wastewater treatment applications. “The implications of our research extend beyond poultry farming. The TNFs show promise for treating a variety of wastewater types,” emphasized Dr. Jun Zhu.
The team is already exploring further refinements and applications, including integrating this technology into existing agricultural waste treatment systems. “We are optimistic that ongoing research will make this process even more efficient, providing a robust and sustainable solution for managing anaerobic digestate,” concluded by Yang Tian. “The beauty of this process is its simplicity; it only requires light for activation, making it both environmentally friendly and cost-effective.”
This study represents a significant scientific advancement, offering a sustainable and efficient solution to a specific challenge in agricultural waste management. By providing a viable method for the degradation of organic pollutants in anaerobic digestate, this research marks a notable step forward in the pursuit of more sustainable agricultural practices.
The research has been recently published in the Frontiers of Agricultural Science and Engineering in 2023, 10(3). DOI: 10.15302/J-FASE-2023503.
DEGRADATION OF ORGANIC POLLUTANTS IN FLOCCULATED LIQUID DIGESTATE USING PHOTOCATALYTIC TITANATE NANOFIBERS: MECHANISM AND RESPONSE SURFACE OPTIMIZATION
ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE
20-Sep-2023
New study finds that sewage release is worse for rivers than agriculture
IMAGE: SEWAGE FUNGUS ON A WOOD STICK COLLECTED IN THE DOWNSTREAM AREA OF A RIVER CHARACTERISED BY THE PRESENCE OF SEWAGE DISCHARGE. IMAGE CREDIT: DANIA ALBINI.view more
CREDIT: DANIA ALBINSewage pollution, whether treated or untreated, was found to be the primary driver of increased nutrients, algae, and sewage fungus in rivers.Sewage discharge also radically altered plant, animal, and microbe communities, increasing the abundance of harmful species.
Run-off from agriculture was also found to lower water quality and be particularly harmful for sensitive insect groups.
Ahead of World Rivers Day (24 September), new research by the University of Oxford reveals that sewage discharge into rivers has a greater impact on water quality, and the animals and plants that live in rivers, than surrounding land use. The findings have been published today in the journals Global Change Biology and Ecological Solutions and Evidence.
Rivers are crucial parts of the global water cycle, contain important biodiversity, and are essential for human health. However, water companies in the UK are allowed to release treated wastewater into rivers, and even untreated wastewater during heavy rainfalls (known as storm overflow). As well as the ecological consequences, this poses serious threats for human wellbeing if the water is then used for drinking, recreational, or agricultural purposes.
Researchers from the University of Oxford’s Department of Biology investigated the effects of three different pollution sources (treated sewage discharge, agriculture, and urban run-off) on different aspects of river systems. The group tested four rivers in England, both up- and downstream of sewage discharge, over three different months.
The results demonstrated that treated sewage discharge was the best predictor of high nutrient levels, bottom-dwelling algae, and sewage fungus abundance, regardless of the type of land use (agriculture or urban) in the surrounding area.
Dr Dania Albini (Department of Biology, University of Oxford), lead author of the study, said:
“Our study highlights the disproportionate impact that sewage discharge has on river quality, presenting an urgent need for a comprehensive action plan targeting the sewage discharge problem. Improvements to waste water plants should be implemented along with more regulations. These efforts are crucial in safeguarding the integrity and safety of our rivers — fundamental elements of both ecosystems and human wellbeing.”
Dr Michelle Jackson (Department of Biology, University of Oxford), senior author of the study, said:
“There is ongoing debate about the cause of the poor ecological state of many rivers in the UK because it is difficult to disentangle different pollution sources. Here, we show that even treated sewage appears to have a stronger influence on river communities than pollution from the surrounding land. This important information should be used to prioritise the management and conservation of our rivers moving forward.”
Nutrients exacerbate the decline of waterways by promoting the growth of harmful species and deteriorating others. This was seen in the rivers studied through a shift in macroinvertebrate and algae communities downstream of sewage input, with more tolerant groups such as cyanobacteria and worms becoming more abundant. This is concerning as cyanobacteria are well known for producing toxic chemicals that can kill many aquatic organisms. As a result of this, wastewater pollution has the potential to alter and degrade critical ecosystem processes via loss of critical species.
In the study, only one measurement –the abundance of the sensitive insect groups of mayflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies – was best predicted by agricultural land use. This suggests that water quality and river communities are generally more threatened by treated sewage discharge than pollution from the surrounding catchment, but agricultural pollution also needs to be kept in check.
These new findings come at a time of intense public concern over the state of the UK's waterways. A recent investigation for the Observer found that more than 90% of freshwater habitats on England’s most precious rivers have been degraded by farming pollution, raw sewage and water abstraction.
James Wallace, CEO of the UK-based charity River Action, commented on the findings: “This important research demonstrates yet again the damage from unregulated water companies and agriculture. In addition to the catastrophic impact on wildlife from nutrient pollution, the public should be aware that sewage systems do not remove dangerous bacteria such as E.coli and intestinal enterococci from treated sewage. For instance, recent citizen science on the River Thames found that Thames Water’s outflows often have four to five times the safe levels of bacteria, that has likely caused serious illness in swimmers and rowers. When will the government make water companies and farms clean up their act, especially in places where human lives and sensitive protected habitats are threatened?”
One of the rivers sampled for the study, located in England, UK. Image credit: Dania Albini.
THATS NOT A RIVER THAT'S A STREAM!
An early-detection system for spotting dangerous outbreaks
The researchers also developed a new method to allow early detection of potentially dangerous outbreaks of 'sewage fungus’. This is a complex mix of fungus, algae, and bacteria which forms large masses when there are high organic nutrient levels. They not only cause unpleasant smells, but severely reduce oxygen levels in water which can adversely affect all river species, and cause mass fish mortality.
Currently, sewage fungus is only assessed visually, so it is only found once it has become large enough to already be having negative effects. The researchers developed a new method to allow early detection, an essential step to enable swift intervention to avoid extensive outbreaks. Their method uses imaging techniques and machine learning to rapidly identify sewage particles and sewage fungus in water samples.
The technique could be used as a ‘canary in the coal mine’ by both water companies and monitoring organisations such as the Environment Agency, and could prove to be a valuable tool in limiting pollution build-up and halting species decline.
Dr Michelle Jackson said: "Rapid identification of sewage fungus pollution events will allow early intervention which would help prevent any potential negative consequences for local wildlife.”
Notes to editors
Interviews with Dania Albini are available on request. Media contact: twitter: @DaniaAlbini, email: dania.albini@gmail.com
The paper ‘The combined effects of treated sewage discharge and land use on rivers’ will be published in Global Change Biology at 08:01 AM BST, Thursday 21 September. It will be available online at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/gcb.16934
The paper ‘Early detection and environmental drivers of sewage fungus outbreaks in rivers’ will be published in Ecological Solutions and Evidence at 05:01 AM BST, Thursday 21 September. It will be available online at https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2688-8319.12277
The links will go live when the embargo lifts. To view a copy of the manuscripts under embargo contact Dr Caroline Wood: caroline.wood@admin.ox.ac.uk
About the University of Oxford
Oxford University has been placed number 1 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings for the seventh year running, and number 3 in the QS World Rankings 2024. At the heart of this success are the twin-pillars of our ground-breaking research and innovation and our distinctive educational offer.
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The Department of Biology is a University of Oxford department within the Maths, Physical and Life Sciences Division. It utilises academic strength in a broad range of bioscience disciplines to tackle global challenges such as food security, biodiversity loss, climate change and global pandemics. It also helps to train and equip the biologists of the future through holistic undergraduate and graduate courses. For more information visit www.biology.ox.ac.uk.
