Genetic variations may predispose people to Parkinson’s disease following long-term pesticide exposure, study finds

UCLA Health researchers say findings raise question about existence of other gene-pesticide interactions

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA - LOS ANGELES HEALTH SCIENCES

A new UCLA Health study found certain genetic variants could help explain how long-term pesticide exposure could increase the risk of Parkinson’s disease. 

While decades of research have linked pesticide exposure and Parkinson’s disease risk, researchers have sought to explain why some individuals with high exposure develop the disease while others do not.  

One longstanding hypothesis has been that susceptibility to the disease is a combination of both environmental and genetic factors. 

The new study, published in the journal NPJ Parkinson’s Disease, used genetic data from nearly 800 Central Valley (California) residents with Parkinson’s disease, many of whom had long-term exposure to 10 pesticides used on cotton crops for at least a decade prior to developing the disease, with some patients having been exposed as far back as 1974. They examined their genetic makeup for rare variants in genes associated with the function of lysosomes, cellular compartments that break down waste and debris, thought to be associated with the development of Parkinson’s disease, and looked for enrichment of variants in patients with high exposure to pesticide use compared to a representative sample of the general population.  

Researchers found that variants in these genes were enriched in patients with more severe Parkinson’s disease who also had higher exposure to pesticides. These genetic variants also appeared to be deleterious to protein function suggesting that disruption of lysosomal activity may be underling the development of Parkinson’s disease combined with pesticide exposure. 

Dr. Brent Fogel, the study’s corresponding author and professor of Neurology and Human Genetics, said while the specific interactions between pesticides and the expression of these genetic variants requires further study, the results suggest that in someone with such variants, long-term exposure to the cotton pesticides could lead to the buildup of toxic compounds, due to alterations of the cells’ ability to break down damaged proteins and organelles -- a process known as autophagy – and thus lead to Parkinson’s disease.  

Previous studies have shown that altered autophagy can result in a buildup of a protein called alpha synuclein, which is abundant in the brain and neurons. As the protein builds up, it forms clumps known as “Lewy” bodies that are a pathological hallmark of Parkinson’s disease. 

“The study supports the hypothesis that the genetic predisposition comes from minor changes in genes that are associated with lysosomal function,” Fogel said. “On a day-to-day basis, these variants are not having much of an impact. But under the right stress, such as exposure to certain pesticides, they can fail and that could, over time, lead to the development of Parkinson's disease. This is called a gene-environment interaction.” 

The findings build on decades of research by UCLA Health investigators Drs. Jeff Bronstein and Beate Ritz into the associations between pesticide exposure and Parkinson’s disease risk in the Central Valley.  

The study’s co-lead author and assistant professor of Neurology at UCLA, Dr. Kimberly Paul, said Parkinson’s disease is the fastest growing neurodegenerative disease in the world. While an increase in the number of new patients is expected given the large aging population in the U.S., the rate of new Parkinson’s disease patients is outpacing the rate that is expected from aging alone, Paul said.  

Paul said the findings of the new study raise the question of whether there are other genetic variants that may be altering the susceptibility to Parkinson’s disease among this population, including other biological pathways affected by different types of pesticides. 

“These patients were susceptible somehow and if we can figure out why they were susceptible, maybe we can act on those pathways,” Paul said. 

“There are data for a lot of common disorders suggesting that environmental influences impact the development of these diseases, but we don’t yet have a good way of measuring that impact or determining who is specifically at risk,” Fogel said. “This is a step forward in that direction.” 

To request a copy of the study, contact Will Houston at whouston@mednet.ucla.edu. The link to the study will not become active until after the embargo lifts.

Article: Lysosomal Genes Contribute to Parkinson’s Disease near Agriculture with High Intensity Pesticide Use Published April 25, 2024, Ngo & Paul et al., NPJ Parkinson’s Disease, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41531-024-00703-4  

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JOURNAL

npj Parkinson s Disease

DOI

10.1038/s41531-024-00703-4 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Randomized controlled/clinical trial

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Lysosomal Genes Contribute to Parkinson’s Disease near Agriculture with High Intensity Pesticide Use

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

25-Apr-2024

COI STATEMENT

All authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Files.libcom.org

https://files.libcom.org/files/Bookchin%20M.%20Our%20Synthetic%20Environment.pdf

Our Synthetic Environment - Libcom.org 

Our Synthetic Environment. Murray Bookchin. 1962. Table of contents. Chapter 1: THE PROBLEM. Chapter 2: AGRICULTURE AND HEALTH. Chapter 3: URBAN LIFE AND HEALTH.

Plastic food packaging contains harmful substances

Researchers found up to 9936 different chemicals in a single plastic product used as food packaging

NORWEGIAN UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Plastic is a very complex material that can contain many different chemicals, some of which can be harmful. This is also true for plastic food packaging.

“We found as many as 9936 different chemicals in a single plastic product used as food packaging,” said Martin Wagner, a professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU’s) Department of Biology.

Wagner has been working with chemicals in plastic products for several years. He is part of a research group at NTNU that has now published its findings in the Environmental Science & Technology journal. PhD candidates Molly McPartland and Sarah Stevens from NTNU are the lead authors of both studies.

Interfering with hormones and metabolism

In one study, the researchers looked at 36 different plastic products that are used to package food. These products came from five countries; the United States, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Germany and Norway.

“In most of these plastic products, we found chemicals that can affect the secretion of hormones and metabolism,” Wagner said.

These functions are absolutely vital. Hormones are the body’s messengers. They are secreted from various different glands and enable the different organs to communicate with each other. Metabolism is sum of the various processes that enable the body to use nutrients to provide the body with energy and substances it needs to function.

Affects body signals

In the second study, researchers looked at different combinations of plastic chemicals to see the possible effect they have on G-protein-coupled receptors. These receptors play an important role in the transmission of signals in the body.

“We identified 11 chemical combinations from plastic products that affect these signal receptors,” says Associate Professor Wagner.

The researchers have found new ways in which these chemical mixtures can affect the transmission of signals in the body.

Absorbed by the body

“These and previous findings show that plastic exposes us to toxic chemicals. They support the theory that we need to redesign plastic to make it safer,” Wagner said.

Previously, it was uncertain whether the chemicals could be released into the environment under normal conditions, or whether they remain bound in the plastic. However, a few years ago, another research group proved that most plastic products leach chemicals when submerged in water.

Wagner was also part of this research group. During the study, they found chemicals that can affect fertility in humans.

Because plastic contains so many different chemicals, researchers still can only identify a few of them at a time. This means we still know very little about the effects that most of these chemicals have.

References:
Molly McPartland, Zdenka Bartosova, Hanna Sofie Skåland, Johannes Völker, Martin Wagner. Plastic food packaging from five countries contains endocrine and metabolism disrupting chemicals. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.3c08250

Molly McPartland, Sarah Stevens, Zdenka Bartosova, Hanna Sofie Skåland, Johannes Völker, Martin Wagner. Beyond the nucleus: Plastic chemicals activate G protein-coupled receptors. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.3c08392

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JOURNAL

Environmental Science & Technology

DOI

10.1021/acs.est.3c08250 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Plastic Food Packaging from Five Countries Contains Endocrine- and Metabolism-Disrupting Chemicals

Files.libcom.org

https://files.libcom.org/files/Bookchin%20M.%20Our%20Synthetic%20Environment.pdf

Our Synthetic Environment - Libcom.org 

Our Synthetic Environment. Murray Bookchin. 1962. Table of contents. Chapter 1: THE PROBLEM. Chapter 2: AGRICULTURE AND HEALTH. Chapter 3: URBAN LIFE AND HEALTH.

 

Deer are expanding north, and that’s not good for caribou

Researchers examine warming climate, human land use opening boreal forest to deer

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA OKANAGAN CAMPUS

 

IMAGE: 

AN INFOGRAPHIC TO OUTLINE RESEARCH INTO THE EXPANSION OF WHITE-TAIL DEER INTO THE BOREAL FOREST OF WESTERN CANADA.

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CREDIT: UBC OKANAGAN

As the climate changes, animals are doing what they can to adapt. 

Researchers from UBC Okanagan—which includes partners from Biodiversity Pathways’ Wildlife Science Centre, the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute, the University of Alberta, and Environment and Climate Change Canada—wanted to evaluate why deer densities in the boreal forest are rapidly increasing. 

Over the past century, white-tailed deer have greatly expanded their range in North America, explains Melanie Dickie, a doctoral student with UBC Okanagan’s Wildlife Restoration Ecology Lab. 

In the boreal forest of Western Canada, researchers have considered that both changing climate and increased habitat alteration have enabled deer to push farther north. Climate change can create milder winters, while habitat alteration from forestry and energy exploration creates new food sources for deer.

As they conclude their study, researchers caution that what is good for the deer isn’t necessarily suitable for other species, such as the threatened woodland caribou. 

Dickie, as well as fellow UBCO and Biodiversity Pathways researchers Drs. Adam Ford, Michael Noonon, Robin Steenweg and Rob Serrouya, have monitored the white-tailed deer’s movement into the western boreal forest for more than five years.

As global temperatures climb, the researchers note that deer expansion is uprooting existing predator-prey dynamics. 

“The expansion of white-tailed deer into the boreal forest has been linked to caribou declines,” explains Dickie. “Deer are ecosystem disruptors in the northern boreal forests. Areas with more deer typically have more wolves, and these wolves are predators of caribou—a species under threat. Deer can handle high predation rates, but caribou cannot.”

Understanding white-tailed deer populations continues to be one piece of the caribou recovery puzzle. 

“The trick is that human land use and climate are often intertwined. As we move northward, the climate becomes harsher and human land use decreases, making it difficult to isolate these two factors,” says Dr. Serrouya. “The debate over the relative effect of climate or habitat change isn’t unique to deer in the boreal, either; it’s one of the most pressing issues facing applied ecologists globally.”

The researchers determined that the northern Alberta-Saskatchewan border provided a convenient experimental location. While both sides have a consistent climate, habitat alteration is, on average, 3.6-fold higher on the Alberta side. 

Between 2017 and 2021, the research team maintained 300 wildlife cameras throughout the region to collect motion-triggered images of large mammals. These images were used to estimate white-tailed deer density.  

Key findings from the study include that deer density was significantly lower in areas with colder, snowier winters. While human land use was associated with higher deer densities, the effect of human-caused habitat change was much smaller than that of climate.

Winter severity is expected to decline as climate change progresses. This means that deer are expected to keep expanding northwards and increase in abundance, adding an increased risk to the caribou. 

“When planning for caribou recovery, we need to consider these new forest residents,” says Dr. Ford. “We are now well into the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, but when doing restoration, we have to account for new pathways of species interacting in the food web.”

The research was published today in the journal Global Change Biology.

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JOURNAL

Global Change Biology

DOI

10.1111/gcb.17286 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Observational study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Animals

ARTICLE TITLE

Habitat alteration or climate: What drives the densities of an invading ungulate?

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

25-Apr-2024

How do birds flock? Researchers do the math to reveal previously unknown aerodynamic phenomenon

Findings have potential applications for transportation and energy

NEW YORK UNIVERSITY

 

VIDEO: 

A LIVE RECORDING OF THE EXPERIMENTAL APPARATUS IN OPERATION. FIVE FOILS ARE DRIVEN TO FLAP UP AND DOWN IN UNISON, AND THEY FREELY AND INTERACTIVELY PROPEL AROUND A WATER TANK.

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CREDIT: COURTESY OF NYU'S APPLIED MATHEMATICS LABORATORY AT THE COURANT INSTITUTE OF MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES.

In looking up at the sky during these early weeks of spring, you may very well see a flock of birds moving in unison as they migrate north. But how do these creatures fly in such a coordinated and seemingly effortless fashion?

Part of the answer lies in precise, and previously unknown, aerodynamic interactions, reports a team of mathematicians in a newly published study. Its breakthrough broadens our understanding of wildlife, including fish, who move in schools, and could have applications in transportation and energy.

“This area of research is important since animals are known to take advantage of the flows, such as of air or water, left by other members of a group to save on the energy needed to move or to reduce drag or resistance,” explains Leif Ristroph, an associate professor at New York University’s Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences and the senior author of the paper, which appears in the journal Nature Communications. “Our work may also have applications in transportation—like efficient propulsion through air or water—and energy, such as more effectively harvesting power from wind, water currents, or waves.”

The team’s results show that the impact of aerodynamics depends on the size of the flying group—benefiting small groups and disrupting large ones.

“The aerodynamic interactions in small bird flocks help each member to hold a certain special position relative to their leading neighbor, but larger groups are disrupted by an effect that dislodges members from these positions and may cause collisions,” notes Sophie Ramananarivo, an assistant professor at École Polytechnique Paris and one of the paper’s authors.

Previously, Ristroph and his colleagues uncovered how birds move in groups—but these findings were drawn from experiments mimicking the interactions of two birds. The new Nature Communications research expanded the inquiry to account for many flyers. 

To replicate the columnar formations of birds, in which they line up one directly behind the other, the researchers created mechanized flappers that act like birds’ wings. The wings were 3D-printed from plastic and driven by motors to flap in water, which replicated how air flows around bird wings during flight. This “mock flock” propelled through water and could freely arrange itself within a line or queue, as seen in a video of the experiment. 

The flows affected group organization in different ways—depending on the size of the group.

For small groups of up to about four flyers, the researchers discovered an effect by which each member gets help from the aerodynamic interactions in holding its position relative to its neighbors. 

“If a flyer is displaced from its position, the vortices or swirls of flow left by the leading neighbor help to push the follower back into place and hold it there,” explains Ristroph, director of NYU’s Applied Mathematics Laboratory, where the experiments were conducted. “This means the flyers can assemble into an orderly queue of regular spacing automatically and with no extra effort, since the physics does all the work. 

“For larger groups, however, these flow interactions cause later members to be jostled around and thrown out of position, typically causing a breakdown of the flock due to collisions among members. This means that the very long groups seen in some types of birds are not at all easy to form, and the later members likely have to constantly work to hold their positions and avoid crashing into their neighbors.”

The authors then deployed mathematical modeling to better understand the underlying forces driving the experimental results. 

Here, they concluded that flow-mediated interactions between neighbors are, in effect,  spring-like forces that hold each member in place—just as if the cars of a train were connected by springs.

However, these “springs” act in only one direction—a lead bird can exert force on its follower, but not vice versa—and this non-reciprocal interaction means that later members tend to resonate or oscillate wildly.

“The oscillations look like waves that jiggle the members forwards and backwards and which travel down the group and increase in intensity, causing later members to crash together,” explains Joel Newbolt, who was an NYU graduate student in physics at the time of research.

The team named these new types of waves “flonons,” which is based on the similar concept of phonons that refer to vibrational waves in systems of masses linked by springs and which are used to model the motions of atoms or molecules in crystals or other materials. 

“Our findings therefore raise some interesting connections to material physics in which birds in an orderly flock are analogous to atoms in a regular crystal,” Newbolt adds.

The study’s other authors included the Courant Institute’s Nickolas Lewis, Mathilde Bleu, Jiajie Wu, and Christiana Mavroyiakoumou.

The work was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation (DMS-1847955, DMS-1646339).

# # #

 

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JOURNAL

Nature Communications

DOI

10.1038/s41467-024-47525-9 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

ARTICLE TITLE

Flow interactions lead to self-organized flight formations disrupted by self-amplifying waves

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

24-Apr-2024

MEDICAL MISOGYNY

Women with heart disease are less likely to receive life-saving drugs than men

EUROPEAN SOCIETY OF CARDIOLOGY

Athens, Greece – 25 April 2024:  Women with heart disease are less often treated with cholesterol-lowering drugs than men, according to research presented today at ESC Preventive Cardiology 2024, a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).1

“Cholesterol-lowering drugs save lives and prevent heart attacks, and should be prescribed to all patients with coronary artery disease,” said study author Dr. Nina Johnston of Uppsala University, Sweden. “Unfortunately, our study shows that women are missing out on these essential medications.”

Patients with coronary artery disease, also called chronic coronary syndrome, require medication to alleviate symptoms and prevent heart attacks and death. ESC guidelines recommend statins for all patients to lower cholesterol levels in the blood.2 If levels are not sufficiently lowered with the maximum tolerated dose of statin, then patients should receive a statin plus another cholesterol-lowering drug called ezetimibe.2 The recommendations are the same for women and men.

Despite having the same recommendations for treatment and for target levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL; “bad”) cholesterol, previous studies have shown that women are less likely to meet target levels than men.3 This study examined whether women and men receive the same treatments.

This was a retrospective observational study that included 1,037 men and 415 women with a chronic coronary syndrome diagnosed between 2012 and 2020, and who had never had a heart attack. The median age was 68 years in men and 70 years in women. Electronic health records were used to obtain data on cholesterol levels. Information on dispensed medications was obtained from the Swedish National Prescribed Drug Registry.

Participants were followed up for three years following their diagnosis. The researchers found that at the end of the third year of follow-up, just 54% of women were treated with cholesterol-lowering drugs compared with 74% of men. Additionally, 5% of women were treated with statin plus ezetimibe compared with 8% of men. Factors which may explain the observed sex differences are under further investigation by the research group.

The researchers also examined treatments and cholesterol levels of women and men diagnosed with a chronic coronary syndrome at different ages (less than 60, 60 to 69.9, 70-79.9, 80 years or older). In all age groups, prescription of cholesterol-lowering treatment was highest at diagnosis and declined over the following three years. This decline in treatment over time was steeper in women compared with men. For example, in patients under 60 years of age, 65% of women and 79% of men were treated with cholesterol-lowering treatment the week after diagnosis, compared with 52% of women and 78% of men three years later. Achievement of LDL cholesterol targets was also lower in women than men.

Dr. Johnston said: “Our findings should be a wake-up call about the undertreatment of women with heart disease. Equal prescribing practices are needed so that women receive all recommended therapies and are protected from adverse outcomes.”

Contrary to common belief, cardiovascular disease kills more women than men, accounting for 45% of all deaths in women which is more than all cancers combined in the 57 ESC member countries.4

Authors: ESC Press Office
Tel: +33 (0)489 872 075

Email: press@escardio.org

Follow us on X @ESCardioNews 

 

Notes to editor

 

Funding: The study was co-funded by Amgen Europe and Uppsala Region.

Disclosures:  Nina Johnston declares research projects partly financed by Amgen.

 

References and notes

1The abstract ‘Lipid-lowering treatment pattern in chronic coronary syndrome - lower proportion of treatment observed among women during 3 years of follow-up’ will be presented during the session ‘Lipid management in different populations’ which takes place on 25 April 2024 at 12:45 EEST on the Open stage.

2Knuuti J, Wijns W, Saraste A, et al. 2019 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of chronic coronary syndromes. Eur Heart J. 2020;41:407–477.

3Hambraeus K, Tydén P, Lindahl B. Time trends and gender differences in prevention guideline adherence and outcome after myocardial infarction: Data from the SWEDEHEART registry. Eur J Prev Cardiol. 2016;23:340–348.

4Timmis A, Vardas P, Townsend N, et al. European Society of Cardiology: cardiovascular disease statistics 2021. Eur Heart J. 2022;43:716–799.

 

About the European Association of Preventive Cardiology

The European Association of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC) is a branch of the ESC. Its mission is to promote excellence in research, practice, education and policy in cardiovascular health, primary and secondary prevention.

About ESC Preventive Cardiology          #ESCPrev2024

ESC Preventive Cardiology, formerly EuroPrevent, is the leading international congress on preventive cardiology and the annual congress of the European Association of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC) of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

About the European Society of Cardiology

The European Society of Cardiology brings together health care professionals from more than 150 countries, working to advance cardiovascular medicine and help people lead longer, healthier lives.

Information for journalists about registration for ESC Preventive Cardiology 2024

ESC Preventive Cardiology 2024 takes place 25 to 27 April at the Megaron - Athens International Conference Centre, Greece. Explore the scientific programme.

• Free registration applies to accredited press.
• Credentials: A valid press card or appropriate letter of assignment with proof of three recent published articles. Read the ESC media and embargo policy.
• The ESC Press Office will verify the documents and confirm by email that your press accreditation is valid.
• The ESC Press Office decision is final regarding all press registration requests.

 

 

How electric vehicle drivers can escape range anxiety

CHALMERS UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

 

IMAGE: 

GRAPHIC: THREE MAJOR MENTAL MODELS AND ASSOCIATED REFILLING STRATEGIES WERE IDENTIFIED IN THIS RESEARCH: (A) MONITOR GAGE, WHEN LOW SEEK REFILL; THIS IS THE PRIMARY STRATEGY FOR LIQUID FUEL REFILLING. (B) THE PLANNING MODEL, PREDOMINATELY USED FOR EV LONG TRIPS, O

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CREDIT: CHALMERS UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY | WILLETT KEMPTON

Two of the biggest challenges faced by new and potential electric vehicle (EV) drivers are range anxiety and speed of charging, but these shouldn’t have to be challenges at all. That is according to a study by Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, and the University of Delaware, USA. Researchers discovered that a change in refuelling mindset, rather than improving the size or performance of the battery, could be the answer to these concerns.

 

The transition from filling up at a petrol station to recharging your electric vehicle in the most convenient location for you, requires a whole new way of thinking about refuelling a car. However, new EV drivers often remain in their old mindset and get stuck constantly checking the gauge and planning for the next charge point. This can lead drivers to feel anxious. But what if they are thinking about it all wrong?

Researchers have now identified three different types of behaviour around refuelling a car, which are described in the recently published paper, “Mental models guide electric vehicle charging”. They are:

1. The monitor fuel gauge model – the driver refuels when the fuel is running out
2. The planning a trip model – the driver plans when and where they will stop to refuel their vehicle along a journey
3. The event-triggered model – e.g. the driver automatically plugs in as soon as arriving home or work
The first model represents how most people refuel a petrol or diesel car, and the third model is the best for optimum electric vehicle usage.

“Experienced electric vehicle users have chosen an event or location to trigger their plug-in; for example, they will automatically plug in when they come home or get to work, so it becomes part of their morning or evening routine, which makes it less of a chore to think about charging. There is a lot of emphasis on the time it takes to charge an EV, but if you do it overnight, it is just the time it takes to plug it in. So really, it is just the long trips that you need to plan for,” says Professor Frances Sprei, of Chalmers University of Technology, who led the study, along with Willett Kempton from the University of Delaware.

 

The right infrastructure in the right places

This change in mindset requires the right infrastructure in the right places. The best places to charge for a long time, are either at home or at work, since people spend long periods of time there already, so charge points need to be available to people in these locations.

In contrast to this, a lot of European cities are currently focusing on roadside charging, which might conflict with the needs of other road users, such as pedestrians and cyclists.

“In order for people to be able to use EVs in the best possible way, policies need to adapt to ensure that people have access to charging infrastructure close to their home or workplace where possible”, says Professor Frances Sprei.  

 

The biggest battery isn’t always the best  

This change in mindset could also encourage more people opting for an electric vehicle, in order to reach global and European emissions targets.

For potential EV drivers, there is also the question of battery size to reduce range anxiety.

“We do see a trend, that you need to have this really large battery. But according to other research, you will generally be ok with a slightly smaller battery than the range you would have on a gasoline tank, since the only time you would need a larger range is for a six hour or longer journey, in which case the driver could charge on the go. There is too much emphasis on the need for really long ranges, and this leads to increased price for the vehicle and increased resource use of the EVs,” says Professor Sprei.

 

In conclusion, for most people’s everyday driving, the new study shows that you don’t have to think too much about charging at all. In terms of cost, it is also a lot cheaper to charge slowly overnight or at work than fast charging on the go, and it is better for the health of the battery.

 

More about the research:

The research is presented in an open-access paper: "Mental models guide electric vehicle charging", published in the journal Energy.

The researchers involved in the study are Frances Sprei from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, and Willett Kempton from the University of Delaware, USA. This work was supported by the Swedish Energy Agency. The authors would also like to recognise the contribution of Niklas Jakobsson for interviews of the novice EV users, Sten Karlsson for the project management of the research project from which the novice interviews were drawn, and Stephanie McClellan for editorial advice.

 

 

For more information, please contact: 

Frances Sprei, Professor, Division of Physical Resource Theory, Department of Space, Earth and Environment, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden frances.sprei@chalmers.se +46 31 772 21 46

The contact person speaks English, Swedish, Italian and French, and is available for live and pre-recorded interviews. At Chalmers, we have podcast studios and broadcast filming equipment on site and would be able to assist a request for a television, radio or podcast interview.

 

NOTE TO THE EDITOR - IMAGES:

The Chalmers Press portal can be accessed here and you can search for any images or videos. 

We kindly request credit to be given in the following format where possible:

Image/Graphic/Illustration: Chalmers University of Technology | Name Surname

Images provided in Chalmers University of Technology press releases are, unless specified otherwise, free for download and publication as long as credit is given to the University and the individual creator. Cropping and rescaling of the images is permitted when required for adaptation to the publication’s format, but modifications that would influence the message and content of the original are not. The material is primarily intended for journalistic and informative use, to assist in communication and coverage of Chalmers’ research and education. Commercial usage, for example the marketing of goods and services, is not permitted.

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JOURNAL

Energy

DOI

10.1016/j.energy.2024.130430 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Observational study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Mental models guide electric vehicle charging

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

1-Apr-2024

COI STATEMENT

The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Frances Sprei reports financial support was provided by Swedish Energy Agency. Willett Kempton is a member of the Editorial Board of Energy.