Tuesday, February 27, 2024

 

Research adds to knowledge about heart disease and stroke in women of all ages


Journal of the American Heart Association’s 2024 Go Red for Women® issue highlights new findings and progress in research on women and cardiovascular disease


Peer-Reviewed Publication

AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION




Research Highlights:

  • Women’s heart disease and stroke risks and outcomes differ throughout life in comparison to men.
  • A special Journal of the American Heart Association “spotlight” issue features a collection of the latest research about sex differences in cardiovascular disease and their implications for gender-specific care.
  • Among the topics in this issue: the impact of sedentary behavior on heart disease risk in older women; sex differences in the relationship between schizophrenia and the development of heart disease; and maternal dietary patterns and risk of preeclampsia.

Embargoed until 4 a.m. CT/5 a.m. ET Feb. 27, 2024

DALLAS, Feb. 27, 2024 — Women’s cardiovascular disease risks and outcomes differ throughout the lifespan from those of men, according to a collection of studies devoted to cardiovascular medicine research focused on women of all ages, published today in a special “spotlight” issue of the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

Cardiovascular disease kills more women than all forms of cancer combined. Among females 20 years and older, nearly 45% are living with some form of cardiovascular disease, and less than 50% of women entering pregnancy in the U.S. have good heart health. In addition, more than half of deaths from high blood pressure are in women. Yet, women make up only 38% of participants in cardiovascular disease clinical trials, according to the American Heart Association.

The special Go Red for Women issue of the Journal, in recognition of American Heart Month, features studies that reveal insights such as: how diet may affect the high preeclampsia risk in pregnant Hispanic/Latina women; how women were less likely than men to receive bystander CPR and automated external defibrillator (AED) treatment, as well as survive the first 30 days post-hospitalization after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest; and how rehospitalization rates differ in women with heart failure and obstructive sleep apnea. In yet another study featured, researchers report that while the incidence of intracerebral hemorrhage (bleeding within the brain), the second most common stroke type, was lower in women, women were more likely to die one year after a stroke than men.

Below are highlights of some of the manuscripts in this issue,

  • Prospective Associations of Accelerometer-measured Machine-learned Sedentary Behavior with Mortality among Older Women: The OPACH Study

Steve Nguyen, Ph.D., et al.; University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California

This team studied sedentary behavior patterns in nearly 6,000 older women (average age 79 years) to determine the impact of sitting time on death from cardiovascular disease and all causes. Using a measurement tool powered by machine learning to accurately classify sitting time, researchers found those who sat more than 11.6 total hours a day and had longer bouts of uninterrupted sitting had a 57% higher risk of death from all causes and a 78% increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease. This was compared to women who sat less than 9.3 hours a day. The increased risk of death was consistent regardless of age, body mass index, physical functioning, cardiovascular disease risk factors, physical activity intensity and race/ethnicity. Reducing overall sedentary behavior and uninterrupted sitting time would likely have large public health benefits in an aging society, according to researchers.

  • Sex Differences in the Relationship between Schizophrenia and the Development of Cardiovascular Disease

Hidehiro Kaneko, M.D., Ph.D., et al.; University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

Researchers studied cardiovascular disease risk in people with schizophrenia, a serious psychotic disorder and one of the top 15 leading causes of disability worldwide. Schizophrenia results in severe, chronic mental illness characterized by disturbances in perception, thought and behavior. The study found a strong association between schizophrenia and risk of developing cardiovascular disease in adults, but particularly in women. This higher risk in women may be related to hormonal changes during pregnancy and menopause, or reports that women are more sedentary than men. Nevertheless, the findings point to the need for health care professionals to take a thorough and gender-focused approach to cardiovascular disease prevention due to the notable role schizophrenia seems to play in cardiovascular disease. The researchers suggest that it’s crucial to promote physical activity, especially among women with schizophrenia, as inactivity may have increased the risk in female participants in this study. Healthcare providers should routinely screen and treat schizophrenia as part of standard clinical practice, with special attention to women, authors wrote.

  • Maternal Dietary Patterns During Pregnancy Are Linked to Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy Among a Predominantly Low-Income US Hispanic/Latina Pregnancy Cohort

Luis E. Maldonado, Ph.D., M.P.H., et al.; Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California

In a study of more than 400 predominantly low-income, pregnant Hispanic/Latina women in Los Angeles, researchers found that a diet characterized by higher intakes of solid fats, refined grains and cheese was strongly associated with greater odds of having had a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy including preeclampsia during pregnancy.

Other papers in the spotlight issue include:

  • Association of Sex With Cardiovascular Outcomes in Heart Failure Patients With Obstructive or Central Sleep Apnea — Jian Zhang, M.D., Ph.D., et al.; Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
  • Pregnancy History at 40 Years of Age as a Marker of Cardiovascular Risk — Liv G. Kvalvik, M.D., Ph.D., et al.; University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
  • Sex Differences in the Epidemiology of Intracerebral Hemorrhage Over 10 Years in a Population-Based Stroke Registry — Simona Sacco, M.D., et al.; University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy
  • Sex Differences in Revascularization, Treatment Goals, and Outcomes of Patients With Chronic Coronary Disease: Insights From the ISCHEMIA Trial — Harmony R. Reynolds, M.D., FAHA, et al.; NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York City
  • Sex Differences in Receipt of Bystander CPR Considering Neighborhood Racial and Ethnic Composition — Audrey L. Blewer, Ph.D., M.P.H., et al.; Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
  • Hypertension in Pregnancy among Immigrant and Swedish Women – A Cohort Study of All Pregnant Women in Sweden — Axel C. Carlsson, Ph.D., et al.; Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
  • Sex Differences In Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Survival Trends — R. L. A. Smits, et al.; Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands;
  • Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is Associated With Elevated Risk of Incident Stroke and Transient Ischemic Attack in Women Veterans — Ramin Ebrahimi, M.D., et al.; University of California, Los Angeles; Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles; and
  • Sex differences in Outcomes of Acute Myocardial Injury After Stroke — Michela Rosso, M.D., et al.; University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.

Author disclosures and funding sources for all articles in the special issue are listed in the individual manuscripts.

Studies published in the American Heart Association’s scientific journals are peer-reviewed. The statements and conclusions in each manuscript are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect the Association’s policy or position. The Association makes no representation or guarantee as to their accuracy or reliability. The Association receives funding primarily from individuals; foundations and corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations and fund specific Association programs and events. The Association has strict policies to prevent these relationships from influencing the science content. Revenues from pharmaceutical and biotech companies, device manufacturers and health insurance providers and the Association’s overall financial information are available here.

Additional Resources:

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 a century. During 2024 - our Centennial year - we celebrate our rich 100-year history and accomplishments. As we forge ahead into our second century of bold discovery and impact, our vision is to advance health and hope for everyone, everywhere. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter) or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.

JOURNAL

Journal of the American Heart Association

DOI

10.1161/JAHA.123.031156 

ARTICLE TITLE

various titles and DOIs in this release

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Unveiling the sustainability landscape in cultural organizations: A global benchmark


Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF LAUSANNE

How sustainable are cultural organizations? A global benchmark 

IMAGE: 

JULIE GRIESHABER AND MARTIN MÜLLER, THE AUTHORS OF THE STUDY

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CREDIT: UNIL




Are museums, theaters, and opera houses truly walking the talk when it comes to social and environmental sustainability? The University of Lausanne (UNIL) delved into this pressing question, conducting an international survey with over 200 major cultural organizations. The verdict? While there's significant room for improvement across the spectrum, Anglophone countries lead the charge.

Cultural organizations, with their wide-reaching influence and power to shape narratives and imaginations, are poised to be trailblazers in championing sustainability causes. Recognizing this pivotal role, researchers from UNIL's Department of Geography and Sustainability initiated a comprehensive international survey to assess progress in the realms of social and environmental sustainability.

This global benchmark survey was answered by 206 leading museums, theaters, and opera houses on every continent. Respondents answered questions on diverse criteria, ranging from the inclusiveness and well-being of employees (social aspects) to waste management, energy consumption, catering practices, and carbon impact (environmental considerations).

Published in Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy, a leading global journal for sustainability, the results underscore a collective need for improvement, with 60% of respondents integrating sustainability into their strategies only in the last five years or less. On average, cultural organizations obtained only 37 out of 100 possible points in the sustainability score, doing better on social sustainability than on environmental sustainability. UNIL professor Martin Müller, spearheading the research, notes a gap between declarations and implementation.

Sustainability champions: a global strategy, a dedicated team and cross-functionality

However, amidst the challenges, the study unveils sustainability champions, 14 in all. A correlation emerges between social and environmental sustainability, emphasizing that those excelling in one area tend also to shine in the other. The top 14 cultural organizations features notable Anglophone organizations like the National Galleries of Scotland and the Sydney Opera House. The study guaranteed the anonymity of the participating institutions, so only the top performers who gave their explicit consent are mentioned. (see the results)

What sets the top-ranking organizations apart is their integration of sustainability into overall strategy and the establishment of dedicated internal groups, so-called green teams, that drive coordinated actions. National contexts and political decisions further influence these endeavors. In England, for instance, publicly funded organizations must report on sustainability, adding an extra layer of accountability, according to co-author Julie Grieshaber. “We’re incredibly proud”, says Anne Lyden, Director General of the National Galleries of Scotland, the most sustainable museum in the study. “We actively support Scotland's aim to reach net-zero before 2045, cutting our carbon footprint by 60% between 2008 and 2022”, she adds. “We understand how important it is to play our part in making a more sustainable future, not just for Scotland but the world.”

Louise Herron, CEO of the Sydney Opera House (first-ranked organization in the study), says: “Sustainability has been part of the Opera House’s DNA since the beginning and over recent years, we’ve been focused on bringing together our efforts to drive social and environmental change, embedding sustainability into our organizational strategy and making it part of everyone’s daily lives. These are urgent challenges that we’re facing, which can only be tackled through coordinated action and as cultural organizations we have a tremendous opportunity to inspire others and bring about change together.”  

Establishing a model to follow

Looking ahead, the UNIL researchers aim to extend their impact. Plans include forging a global alliance of cultural organizations committed to sustainability and introducing a label to structure these efforts effectively. Professor Martin Müller, securing substantial funding for a program to promote practical innovation based on scientific research, is poised to be at the forefront of this transformative journey. The future promises not just academic analysis but a concrete path towards a sustainable cultural landscape.

Survey methodology

Questionnaires were completed by 206 organizations from all continents. The data was analysed according to a model comprising three areas: governance (commitment, strategy, implementation, transparency); social (integrity, partnerships, urban integration, community, access, diversity & inclusion, employee well-being, learning & inspiration); and environmental (climate, biodiversity, water, waste, energy, mobility & transport, food & beverage, supply chain).

The organizations included in the survey were selected according to criteria such as their importance to the sector (based on a body of literature), their attractiveness (number of visitors) and the costs invested in their development. The idea was to select deliberately large organizations as the major players in the field.

Reference: M. Müller, J. Grieshaber, How sustainable are cultural organizations? A global benchmark, Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy, 2024.

An online interactive version of the results will be available on the following website: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/0edddae978c04b3f9e3444fa42301f9b


the study was carried out at the University of Lausanne (here, the geosciences building)

CREDIT

UNIL

JOURNAL

Sustainability Science Practice and Policy

DOI

10.1080/15487733.2024.2312660 

ARTICLE TITLE

How sustainable are cultural organizations? A global benchmark

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

27-Feb-2024

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Extinctions could result as fish change foraging behaviour in response to rising temperatures


Fish species respond to temperature increases by going after more readily available prey. Models suggest this behaviour could lead to more extinctions.


Peer-Reviewed Publication

GERMAN CENTRE FOR INTEGRATIVE BIODIVERSITY RESEARCH (IDIV) HALLE-JENA-LEIPZIG

Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua) 

IMAGE: 

MODELS SUGGEST THAT THE ATLANTIC COD (GADUS MORHUA) MAY HAVE A HIGHER RISK OF EXTINCTION AS WATER TEMPERATURES INCREASE.

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CREDIT: WT FIEGE, WIKIMEDIA COMMONS




Fish are changing how they search for and consume prey in warmer waters, with models suggesting extinctions become more likely due to this behaviour change, according to a new study published in Nature Climate Change.

Led by researchers at the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, the researchers found that fish in the Baltic Sea respond to temperature increases by consuming the first prey they encounter. This change in foraging behaviour led to the fish selecting prey that tends to be more abundant and smaller. Small prey present in their environment at all temperatures included brittle stars, small crustaceans, worms, and molluscs.

Fish, like many other consumer species, need more food when temperatures increase because their metabolism also increases. Although more abundant prey provides an immediate energy source, this so-called flexible foraging behaviour means fish are missing out on opportunities to satisfy their long-term energy needs by consuming larger prey that provide more calories. 

Model food web calculations show that this mismatch between a fish’s energetic requirements and their actual food intake could lead to more extinctions under warmer conditions, with fish ultimately starving because they are not eating enough to meet their energetic needs. The model, which can also be applied to other consumer species, suggests this is especially true for species higher up in food chains. The authors suggest that overall, this flexible foraging behaviour may make communities more vulnerable to climate change.

“It is usually assumed that species will adapt their foraging to maximise the amount of energy they consume”, explains first author Benoit Gauzens of iDiv and the University of Jena. “But these findings suggest fish – and other animals, too – may respond to the stress of climate change in unexpected and inefficient ways.”

Data from fish stomachs

The researchers analysed ten years of data about the stomach contents of six commercially important fish species with different feeding strategies in the Bay of Kiel. For example, flatfish, like the European flounder (Platichthys flesus), tend to be sit-and-wait predators, whereas Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua) are more actively foraging feeders. 

Collected year-round from 1968 to 1978, this data provided insight into the fish’s diets – what was in their stomachs – and which prey was present in their environment at different temperatures. The stomach contents indicated that fish gradually shifted their focus from less abundant prey to more abundant prey as waters became warmer.

"Fish species in the Baltic Sea and elsewhere are facing a multitude of man-made pressures, like overfishing or pollution”, adds co-author Gregor Kalinkat of the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB). “The effect of more inefficient prey searching behaviour under warming might be another, so far overlooked factor leading to fish stocks that cannot recover even when fisheries pressure is significantly reduced."

Using these insights, the researchers then calculated how this change in foraging behaviour at different temperatures impacts other species and the ecosystem overall using mathematical food web models based on theoretical communities. The results suggest that this change in foraging behaviour when temperature increases lead to more extinctions for consumer species, like fish. These extinctions, in turn, come with knock-on effects for other species in the community.

“Adaptation of foraging behaviour to local environmental conditions is usually a key to maintaining high levels of biodiversity in ecosystems”, Gauzens adds. “It is therefore puzzling to see that this might not be entirely true in the context of temperature increase.”

Though striking, the implications of the findings are estimated as they are currently based on theoretical models. In future, the researchers hope to test the mechanism in a natural environment and study different organisms to see whether they exhibit similar or different changes in their foraging behaviour.

The European Flounder (Platichthys flesus) is a sit-and-wait predator and one of the six species included in the study database.

CREDIT

J Fredriksson, Wikimedia Commons

The researchers used a database of the stomach contents of six different fish species in the Bay of Kiel in the western Baltic Sea.

CREDIT

N Einstein, Wikimedia Commons

JOURNAL

Nature Climate Change

DOI

10.1038/s41558-024-01946-y 

ARTICLE TITLE

Flexible foraging behaviour increases predator vulnerability to climate change

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

27-Feb-2024

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Earth as a test object


Peer-Reviewed Publication

ETH ZURICH

Satellites 

IMAGE: 

THE LIFE MISSION’S FIVE SATELLITES ARE CONNECTED TO FORM A LARGE SPACE TELESCOPE.

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CREDIT: (GRAPHIC: ETH ZURICH / LIFE INITIATIVE)




Life is indeed possible on Earth. This has been demonstrated in a study conducted by the Institute of Particle Physics and Astrophysics at ETH Zurich. Of course, the researchers’ intention wasn’t to answer the question itself. Instead, they used the Earth as an example to prove that the planned LIFE (Large Interferometer for Exoplanets) space mission can be a success – and that the planned measurement procedure works.

Searching for life

With a network of five satellites, the international LIFE initiative led by ETH Zurich hopes to one day detect traces of life on exoplanets. It aims to undertake a more detailed study of Earth-​like exoplanets – rocky planets that are similar to Earth in size and temperature but orbit other stars.

The plan is to position five smaller satellites in space close to the James Webb Space Telescope. Together, these satellites will form a large telescope that will act as an interferometer to pick up exoplanets’ infrared thermal radiation. The spectrum of the light can then be used to deduce the composition of those exoplanets and their atmospheres. “Our goal is to detect chemical compounds in the light spectrum that hint at life on the exoplanets,” explains Sascha Quanz, who is leading the LIFE initiative.

Earth as an unassuming speck

In the study, which has just been published in The Astrophysical Journal, the researchers Jean-​​Noël Mettler, Björn S. Konrad, Sascha P. Quanz and Ravit Helled investigated how well a LIFE mission could characterise an exoplanet’s habitability. To this end, they decided to treat the Earth as if it were an exoplanet and make observations on our home planet.

What’s unique about the study is that the team tested the future LIFE mission’s capabilities on real rather than simulated spectra. Using data from one of the atmospheric measuring devices on NASA’s Aqua Earth observation satellite, they generated the Earth’s emission spectra in the mid-​infrared range, as might be recorded in future observations of exoplanets.

Two considerations were central to the project. First, if a large space telescope were to observe the Earth from space, what kind of infrared spectrum would it record? Because the Earth would be observed from a great distance, it would look like an unassuming speck, without recognisable features such as the sea or mountains. This means the spectra would then be spatial and temporal averages that depended on which views of the planet the telescope would capture and for how long.

How do perspective and seasons affect observations?

From this, the physicists derived the second consideration in their study: if these averaged spectra were analysed to obtain information about the Earth’s atmosphere and surface conditions, in what ways would the results depend on factors such as observational geometry and seasonal fluctuations?

The researchers considered three observation geometries – the two views from the poles and an additional equatorial view – and focused on data recorded in January and July to account for the largest seasonal variations.

Successful identification as a habitable planet

The study’s key finding is encouraging: if a space telescope like LIFE were to observe planet Earth from a distance of around 30 light years, it would find signs of a temperate, habitable world. The team was able to detect concentrations of the atmospheric gases CO2, water, ozone and methane in the infrared spectra of the Earth’s atmosphere, as well as surface conditions that favour the occurrence of water. Evidence of ozone and methane is particularly important as these gases are produced by the Earth’s biosphere.

These results are independent of the observation geometry, as the researchers showed. This is good news, because the exact observation geometry for future observations of Earth-​like exoplanets will probably be unknown.

When comparing seasonal fluctuations, however, the result was less revealing. “Even if atmospheric seasonality is not easily observed, our study demonstrates that next generation space missions can assess whether nearby temperate terrestrial exoplanets are habitable or even inhabited,” Quanz says.

JOURNAL

The Astrophysical Journal

DOI

10.3847/1538-​4357/ad198b 

ARTICLE TITLE

Earth as an Exoplanet. III. Using Empirical Thermal Emission Spectra as an Input for Atmospheric Retrieval of an Earth-twin Exoplanet

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

26-Feb-2024

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 Community culture shapes ceramics

Archeologists have long assumed that shapes and styles of pottery can be used as a proxy for ancient cultures. A contemporary experiment suggests that's true.



Peer-Reviewed Publication

PNAS NEXUS

3 potters simultaneously making same vase 

VIDEO: 

THREE DIFFERENT POTTERS MAKING THE SAME VASE. 

 

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CREDIT: © ENORA GANDON




Archeologists have long used the shapes and styles of pottery as a proxy for ancient cultures. But how does the cultural alignment of ceramic forms arise? To explore this question, Tetsushi Nonaka and colleagues asked 21 potters in three different communities—one in France in Bourgogne and two in India in Bulandshahar district, Uttar Pradesh—to throw pots with the same unfamiliar shapes. One of the Indian pottery workshops was Hindu, the other was Muslim. In each community, several different potters tried the shapes. Through careful measurement, the authors were able to determine that there was more variation between communities that between potters within the same community. The process of making pots was filmed, and so the authors were also able to determine that the morphogenic path of pots was also more different between communities than within communities. For example, Hindu Prajapati potters tended to take their shapes higher than the final form before bringing the clay back down, while Muslim Multani Kumhar potters tended to gradually approach the final height without much exceeding it. French potters began their vases with a flat disc, a choice that tended to result in final products with wider bases. Overall, community-specific deviations of morphological features of vessels support the common assumption that pots with similar shapes are made by the same community. However, individual potters also had their own idiosyncratic styles, a finding that should encourage archeologists to consider individual variation in their theories of cultural evolution, according to the authors.

Hindu Prajapati potter at work.

Muslim Multani Kumhar potter at work. 

French potter at work.

CREDIT

© Enora Gandon

JOURNAL

PNAS Nexus

ARTICLE TITLE

Cultural attraction in pottery practice: Group-specific shape transformations by potters from three communities

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

27-Feb-2024

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Reproducing the Moon's surface environment on Earth


Implementation of an electrostatically charged environment to accelerate lunar base construction efforts

Peer-Reviewed Publication

NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Photograph of photoelectric current measurement unit 

IMAGE: 

PHOTOGRAPH OF PHOTOELECTRIC CURRENT MEASUREMENT UNIT

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CREDIT: KOREA INSTITUTE OF CIVIL ENGINEERING AND BUILDING TECHNOLOGY(KICT)




Continuous research is being conducted globally on using the Moon as an advanced base for deep space exploration, and Korea is no exception in these efforts. The Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT, President Kim, Byung-suk) successfully implemented an electrostatic environment that simulates the Moon's surface conditions, not in space but on Earth. The researchers also assessed its performance and effectiveness.

Among the most serious threats in executing lunar missions is the Moon's surface environment, which is electrostatically charged. Due to its extremely thin atmosphere, the Moon is directly exposed to solar ultraviolet rays, X-rays, solar wind, Earth plasma, etc. Thus, clouds of dust on the Moon exhibit strong static electricity. The Moon's electrostatic environment is positively charged during the day and negatively charged during the night.

Given that the Moon has nearly no atmosphere, dust can be easily blown away even by small impacts due to the minimal air resistance. Electrostatically charged regolith particles may cause severe damage to space exploration devices when they become stuck on them. For example, when stuck on PV cells, these particles degrade electricity generation efficiency. In manned missions, they can damage space suits that protect astronauts, or penetrate the respiratory system, resulting in life-threatening consequences.

KICT's research team led by Dr. Shin, Hyusoung (along with senior researcher Chung, Taeil and Dr. Park, Seungsoo) developed a chamber designed to simulate electrically charged conditions. The aim is to implement an electrostatic environment that resembles the Moon's surface.

The chamber developed by KICT incorporates ultraviolet lamps, electronic beams, and plasma generators to positively or negatively charge the surfaces of test objects. Going forward, this equipment can be used to electrostatically charge a replica of lunar soil using ultraviolet radiation and electron beams. It will help to determine how much material adheres to rovers and to anticipate potential problems. This technology goes beyond simply conducting electrostatic charging to simulate the Moon's electrically charged environment under various conditions, such as day or night environments and while being influenced by Earth plasma.

The greatest achievement of this research work lies in the developed equipment's ability to measure, in a quantitative and independent manner, the amount of photoelectric current generated, which has the most significant effect on the charging of lunar dust during the day of the Moon. The error between the experimental measurement obtained in this research and the corresponding theoretical value was within approximately 5%, demonstrating the reliability of the developed technology.

As such, KICT's attempts have been successful not only in reproducing a Moon-like environment where soil dust remains electrostatically charged but also in developing assessment technology for it. This research work has laid the groundwork for equipping a large-scale dirty thermal vacuum chamber (DTVC) with the developed equipment to implement an electrostatically charged environment and further assess its performance.

Dr. Shin, who led this project, said, “Our research presents the possibility of effectively integrating the full-size DTVC, developed by Korea for the first time in the world, with lunar dust charging technology. This solution will serve as a test bed for a series of technologies to implement in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) on the Moon in the future, addressing and responding to a range of potential technological challenges posed by electrically charged lunar dust.

Diagram showing principle of designed measurement unit with description (not to scale)

CREDIT

Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology(KICT)

This research was supported by the KICT Research Program (project no. 20230081-001, Development of Environmental Simulator and Advanced Construction Technologies over TRL6 in Extreme Conditions) funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT. An article explaining the results of this research was published in the latest issue of Aerospace, a renowned international journal in the Aerospace engineering field.

(IF: 2.6, JCR quartile: Q1 in ENGINEERING, AEROSPACE category).

JOURNAL

Aerospace

DOI

10.3390/aerospace11010069 

ARTICLE TITLE

Design and Validation of a Photoelectric Current Measuring Unit for Lunar Daytime Simulation Chamber

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Social media and adolescent mental health


An editorial summarizes a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine consensus study report


Peer-Reviewed Publication

PNAS NEXUS





In an editorial, Sandro Galea and Gillian Buckley summarize the findings of a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine consensus study report on social media and adolescent mental health. Social media has to some extent been treated as a monolith, but the report finds that different types of engagements with different digital platforms may have very different effects on mental health. In some situations, social media may benefit adolescent mental health, as when LGBTQ+ adolescents in isolating circumstances are able to form supportive connections. However, some harms, such as cyber-stalking and harassment, are real. The editorial summarizes the report’s recommendations, which include much more research, the formation of an ongoing technical working group at the International Organization for Standardization to develop industry-wide standards for social media platforms, and the immediate development and deployment of systems for reporting, follow up, and adjudication for cases of online harassment and abuse. The report also calls for a US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration intervention program for children and adolescents who experience digital abuse, as well as the development of comprehensive digital media literacy curricula to teach safe, healthy, social media use at school. According to Galea and Buckley, although there is currently no evidence that social media is the singular or even the leading cause of the current adolescent mental health crisis, there is good reason to research the issue thoroughly and take some immediate steps to ameliorate specific harms.  

JOURNAL

PNAS Nexus

ARTICLE TITLE

Social media and adolescent mental health: A consensus report of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

27-Feb-2024

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