ETRI published Key International Standards for Wearable Healthcare

Published two essential performance test standards for healthcare using wearable devices. Formed a new group for the standardization of next-generation wearable applications, including sleep measurement

NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

 

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(LEFT) IEC 63203-402-2, (RIGHT) IEC 63203-402-3

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CREDIT: ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE(ETRI)

ETRI researchers have published key international standards for testing the accuracy of essential health management functions, such as step counting and heart rate monitoring, in wearable devices. This initiative has created a global common criterion for evaluating measurement accuracy in wearable devices.

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) announced that two international standards related to the 『Performance Testing of Wearable Devices for Healthcare and Wellness』 were officially published1) in January. The publication of these international standards is expected to set quality criteria and improve measurement accuracy, which will not only contribute to enhancing public health but also stimulate the related equipment and service industries.

1) International Electrotechnical Commission IEC TC 124 Wearable Electronic Devices and Technologies Committee

The international standards that were published are the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)’s “Test Method2) for Step Counting” and “Test Method3) for Heart Rate Measurement” These standards contain the methods and procedures for testing the measurement accuracy of fitness wearable devices that offer step counting and heart rate monitoring functionalities.

2) IEC 63203-402-2:2024 Wearable Electronic Devices and Technologies - Part 402-2: Performance Measurement of Fitness Wearables -

 Step Counting (Editor: Jeon Jonghong)

3) IEC 63203-402-3:2024 Wearable electronic devices and technologies - Part 402-3: Performance measurement of fitness wearables - Test methods for the determination of the accuracy of heart rate (Editor: Lee Jung-Chul)

The research team pointed out that although over 500 million wearable devices such as smart band

s, watches, and rings are sold annually for health management, there have been no standardized test methods for the accuracy of basic physical activity measurements like step counting and heart rate monitoring. This lack made it impossible to objectively compare performance and accuracy, which was a key reason for the publication of these international standards.

ETRI, in collaboration with major domestic companies, embarked on developing standards for testing the accuracy of step counting and heart rate monitoring. The research, which began in 2019, led to the proposal of international standards and culminated in their final publication six years later.

With the publication of these international standards, ETRI can now set performance criteria for wearable devices used in health management, and manufacturers are able to officially present the results of performance verification tested according to international standard methods. This is expected to not only expand the global wearable industry but also stimulate the related testing, evaluation, and certification markets.

ETRI is actively working on discovering and standardizing new international standardization issues such as sleep monitoring and diagnosis of sleep disorders applications, wearable applications combined with artificial intelligence technology, and wearable electroencephalogram applications. To this end, ETRI proposed the formation of a new working group (ahG7), with ETRI’s Jeon Jonghong serving as the chair, to drive these standardization efforts.

ETRI’s assistant vice president of Standards & Open Source Research Division, Lee Seung-Yoon, stated, “It is of great significance that our country has led the publication of two key standards for performance testing of core health management functions applicable to all wearable devices.”

Professor Park Jae-Young4) from Kwangwoon University also said, “Since the biggest application area for wearable devices is in healthcare and wellness, we will further strengthen the development and cooperation of international standards, focusing on healthcare wearables under the Wearable Electronic Devices and Technologies (TC 124) to lead international standards in this field.”

4) International Secretary of IEC TC 124 (Wearable Electronic Devices and Technologies) International Standard Technical Committee

ETRI explained that based on these achievements, it plans to continue collaborating with domestic industry, academia, research, and medical experts to establish new international standards for health management areas, such as wearable device sleep monitoring and diagnosis applications.

Step Count Test Method Diagram

Jeon Jonghong, Principal Researcher of ETRI

CREDIT

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute(ETRI

ETRI mentioned that the establishment of these standards was supported by the National Standards Technology Enhancement Project and the Cross-Ministerial Full Cycle Medical Device Development Project of the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards. Furthermore, ETRI highlighted the collaborative efforts led by ETRI’s principal researcher Jeon Jonghong, along with Professor Lee Jung-Chul from KAIST, in achieving the outcomes related to this standard development.

 

About Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI)

ETRI is a non-profit government-funded research institute. Since its foundation in 1976, ETRI, a global ICT research institute, has been making its immense effort to provide Korea a remarkable growth in the field of ICT industry. ETRI delivers Korea as one of the top ICT nations in the World, by unceasingly developing world’s first and best technologies.

 

The secret to saving old books could be gluten-free glues

Peer-Reviewed Publication

AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY

“Bookworm” is a cute thing to call a voracious reader, but actual bookworms — as well as microorganisms and time — break down the flour pastes commonly used to keep old publications in one piece. Now, researchers in ACS’ Journal of Proteome Research have analyzed the proteins in wheat-based glues applied in historic bookbinding to provide insights on their adhesiveness and how they degrade. This information could help conservators restore and preserve treasured tomes for future generations.

Wheat-based glues have been used as far back as Ancient Egypt, but little is known about their protein makeup. Flour glues are made from the insides of wheat grains, which includes the gluten that’s so delicious to bookworms and microorganisms alike. Starch glue, on the other hand, is made from the proteins that remain after most of that gluten is removed, making it less attractive to pests. Understanding the nature of the proteins in these glues and how they affect the adhesives would help book conservators choose the best approaches and materials for their work. So, Rocio Prisby and colleagues created protein profiles for both flour and starch glues, identified differences between them, then used this information to analyze books from the National Library of Medicine (NLM) archives.  

To create the protein profiles, called proteomes, the researchers first extracted proteins from lab-made versions of flour and starch glues. Then, they used mass spectrometry data and bioinformatics software to identify the types and relative abundance of proteins in the samples. The team discovered that flour glue has more proteins, and a wider variety of them, than starch glue. Additionally, the proteins in starch glue were particularly durable and flexible, making it a potentially better choice than flour glue for book repairs.   

The researchers next used their protein profiles to analyze historic book binding samples from the NLM archives. They confirmed that the adhesives were flour-based because of their gluten content and identified degraded gluten in the samples, which could indicate damage and a loss of stickiness. They also identified that the chemical breakdown of leather and glue in a book’s cover impact each other, possibly leading to faster overall deterioration. This work provides information that could signal to a conservator the need for repair, potentially preventing a book from being damaged or destroyed. More broadly, the researchers state that the results demonstrate the potential of protein analysis in guiding conservation efforts.

The authors acknowledge support from the National Library of Medicine.  

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The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS’ mission is to advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and all its people. The Society is a global leader in promoting excellence in science education and providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple research solutions, peer-reviewed journals, scientific conferences, eBooks and weekly news periodical Chemical & Engineering News. ACS journals are among the most cited, most trusted and most read within the scientific literature; however, ACS itself does not conduct chemical research. As a leader in scientific information solutions, its CAS division partners with global innovators to accelerate breakthroughs by curating, connecting and analyzing the world’s scientific knowledge. ACS’ main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

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JOURNAL

Journal of Proteome Research

DOI

10.1021/acs.jproteome.3c00804 

ARTICLE TITLE

“Wheat-Based Glues in Conservation and Cultural Heritage: (Dis)solving the Proteome of Flour and Starch Pastes and Their Adhering Properties”

 

Maternal grandmothers’ support buffers children against the impacts of adversity

UNIVERSITY OF TURKU

A study conducted at the University of Turku in Finland shows that investment by maternal grandmothers can improve the well-being of grandchildren who have faced adversities in life. The positive effects can last well into adulthood.

Investment by maternal grandmothers is likely to reduce emotional and behavioural problems in children resulting from adverse childhood experiences. These experiences may include the death or alcohol problem of a loved one, for example.

The support may take the form of childcare or financial assistance. Support given by other grandparents was not found to have an equivalent effect.

“The results show that support given by maternal grandmothers can improve the well-being of children who have experienced adversities in life. The positive effects could be expected to last into adulthood,” says Senior Researcher Samuli Helle from the University of Turku.

The study is based on data from a survey which was responded by 1,197 English and Welsh adolescents aged 11–16 years.

“The effects of adversities during the sensitive periods of development in childhood can last long into adulthood. They can manifest in adulthood, for example, in a higher risk of premature death and a lower likelihood of having children,” says Helle.  

Evolutionary biology suggests that grandparental investment in raising grandchildren has developed as a result of natural selection to give offspring a better chance of survival in challenging environments. However, there has been little research done on the extent of the positive impact of grandparental investment on the development of grandchildren, and the results have been mixed.

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JOURNAL

Scientific Reports

DOI

10.1038/s41598-024-56760-5 

ARTICLE TITLE

Investment by maternal grandmother buffers children against the impacts of adverse early life experiences

Many children with symptoms of brain injuries and concussions are missing out on vital checks, national US study finds

Some 23% of children with symptoms had not been checked for a concussion or brain injury

TAYLOR & FRANCIS GROUP

Almost a quarter of US children with symptoms of a brain injury or concussion are not checked for the condition, with younger children particularly likely to be overlooked, a new national study finds.

The peer-reviewed US research, which is published in the journal Brain Injury, also shows that children with symptoms or a diagnosis of a brain injury or concussion were more likely to have symptoms of depression than other youngsters. They also found it harder to make friends.

Routine checks would help ensure such children receive the care that they need, says lead researcher Priyanka Ramulu, who became interested in the topic after suffering a concussion in a car accident when she was 15.

She carried out the research while at high school in Maryland and is now studying neuroscience at Duke University.

“Head injuries from sports, car accidents, falls and other types of blows to the head can be more serious in children than in adults because their brains are still developing,” says Ms Ramulu.

“Previous work has shown that symptoms, such as tiredness, headaches and difficulties with memory and concentration, can last for years, affect schooling, and increase a young person’s risk of self-harm and suicide.

“Most of this research has, however, been on adults or on children being treated in clinics and there has been a lack of information about the impact of concussions and brain injuries on youngsters in the general population.”

To address this, Ms Ramulu, along with Dr Varshini Varadaraj, of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and Dr Samir Belagaje, of Emory University in Atlanta, analysed data on 4,269 children aged 5-17 whose parents (or other responsible adult) took part in the 2020 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), a nationally representative study.

The parents were asked if, as result of a blow or jolt to the head, the child had ever had any symptoms of a brain injury or concussion. Potential symptoms were listed as: being knocked out or losing consciousness; being dazed or left with a gap in memory; headaches, vomiting, blurred vision or changes in mood or behaviour.

They were also asked if the child had ever been checked for a concussion or brain injury and if that had led to them being diagnosed with one.

Some 8.7% of the children had had symptoms of a concussion or brain injury and 5.3% had been formally diagnosed.

Extrapolation of the results to all U.S. children aged 5-17 years suggests 4.6 million had symptoms and 2.6 million had a diagnosis in 2020.

In addition, some 23% of children with symptoms had not been checked for a concussion or brain injury (equating to around one million nationally), with younger children more likely to have missed out.

The survey also contained questions about the child’s current mental and social wellbeing.

Those who’d had symptoms or diagnosis of a concussion or brain injury had 60% higher odds of symptoms of depression and twice the odds of anxiety than those without symptoms or a diagnosis.

They were also more likely to take medication to help with their concentration (70% higher odds), mental health, behaviour, or emotions and more likely to have had counselling (50% higher odds).

“We found that just over a quarter (26%) of those with anxiety or symptoms of depression were receiving therapy or medication,” says Ms Ramulu. “If mental health problems are being undertreated, this could increase the risk of self-harm and suicide.”

Children with symptoms and/or a diagnosis of concussion or brain injury also found it harder to make friends (57% higher odds).

While the study couldn’t prove causation, the results suggest that concussions increase the risk of mental health, social and behavioural difficulties in children, say the researchers.

The study’s limitations include lack of information on when the head trauma occurred and on brain injury severity.  In addition, it wasn’t clear if the mental health problems were specific to head trauma or if they’d occurred after other injuries and illnesses.

The authors conclude that there’s an urgent need for all children to be checked for concussion and brain injury after a blow to the head.

“The routine evaluation of children who have suffered a blow to the head is vital if children are to receive the treatments and care that they need, be that medicines, mental health counselling or help with making friends,” explains Ms Ramulu.

“Identifying a concussion or brain injury is also an important step in preventing a second head trauma, which can be more serious and take longer to recover from.”

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JOURNAL

Brain Injury

DOI

10.1080/02699052.2024.2328312 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Survey

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Association of concussion/brain injury symptoms and diagnosis with mental and social well-being in 2020 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) children

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

26-Apr-2024

 

The quest for longevity starts in the ovaries

The NUS Bia-Echo Asia Centre for Reproductive Longevity & Equality (ACRLE) at the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine accelerates efforts to unlock the workings of ovaries and delay ovarian ageing

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE, YONG LOO LIN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

Singapore, 26 April 2024 — While we know ovaries are one of the first organs to age in women, we do not know why and how fast. Women live a significant portion of their lives in the post-reproductive state and yet, there is little understanding on why menopause occurs. In fact, aside from fertility, the reproductive health of women is often overlooked and neglected. With more research indicating reproductive health as a marker of women’s health[1], there is huge impetus to advance our understanding of the intricacies and workings of the female ovary.

The NUS Bia-Echo Asia Centre for Reproductive Longevity & Equality (ACRLE) at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine) was set up in 2021 to study a vital aspect of women’s health that to date, remains a huge mystery. One of ARCLE’s key mission is to lead the charge in unearthing the science and changing the narrative of female reproductive longevity and equality through research and advocacy.

Conference on ‘The Art and Science of Reproductive Ageing’

Since its establishment, ACRLE has made tremendous headway, especially in uncovering the determinants of the reproductive health and life span in Asian women. As part of ACRLE’s work to raise awareness on the impact of reproductive ageing on women’s health, ACRLE held a two-day conference during National Infertility Awareness Week, from 25 – 26 April, gathering experts from various disciplines to explore ‘The Art and Science of Reproductive Ageing’. The conference featured ten plenary sessions that delved into topics such as ovarian biology and ageing, ways to advance women’s reproductive health and lifespan, including a panel discussion featuring top women leaders like Chief Executive Officer of The American Chamber of Commerce, Dr Hsien-Hsien Lei and President of United Women Singapore, Ms Georgette Tan. The panel highlighted the profound impact reproductive longevity can have on women’s health and underscored the importance of empowering women to take charge of their reproductive health. They discussed ways to increase education and advocacy efforts on pertinent reproductive issues as well as strategies to overcome some of the challenges in the reproductive health space.

Keynote speaker Professor Yousin Suh, Director of Reproductive Ageing in Obstetrics and Gynecology in the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University, outlined her detailed study of the mechanisms of ovarian ageing, describing the molecular, cellular, and genetic changes to the ovaries when they age. Her research is critical as it contributes to the understanding of the ovarian ageing process, paving the way for the identification of targets and pathways to delay the ageing of ovaries. Professor William Ledger, Head of Discipline of Women’s Health, Faculty of Medicine at the University of New South Wales, Director of Reproductive Medicine and Senior Staff Specialist at the Royal Hospital for Women and a fertility specialist at City Fertility in Sydney, spoke about using artificial intelligence and new serum biomarkers to predict ‘egg quality’ and the search for effective intervention to improve the chances of human eggs becoming a healthy embryo, which will potentially increase the chances of older women having a healthy pregnancy in his keynote.

Underscoring the important role ovaries play in extending women’s health span, the conference had an entire session dedicated to the exploration of the link between reproductive health and longevity. Professor Zhang Cuilin, Director of the Global Centre for Asian Women’s Health (GloW) at NUS Medicine and Lead of the Population Health Study program at ACRLE discussed the relevance of reproductive health and pregnancy outcomes for promoting healthy longevity for young, middle-aged, and future elderly women, as well as the next generations, highlighting the critical need for the promotion of healthy longevity to start at a young age.

Professor Jean Yeung, Director of the Centre for Family and Population Research at NUS and a Professor at the Department of Paediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (NUS Medicine) also presented findings on the changing attitudes and behaviour in family formation from her multi-country study and her policy recommendations for increasing marriage and fertility rates in Singapore.

Accelerating the progress towards reproductive longevity

ACRLE is also intensifying efforts to build a strong science community and network to progress reproductive longevity research, and will be embarking on several major endeavours including the establishment of a Reproductive Research Network with Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory Limited, as well as working with local and overseas fertility centres to unravel biomarkers predictive of reproductive senescence and longevity. The centre will also be looking more deeply into the impact of drugs targeting ageing pathways and other geroprotective interventions to optimise women’s reproductive healthspan.

“Ongoing research by the Centre already suggests that the rate of ovarian ageing in women differs. One of the key things that we are trying do at ACRLE is to determine the true ovarian life and healthspan of women. With this knowledge, we will be able to help every woman maximise their reproductive window, and more importantly, it will be a huge step towards progressing our quest in advancing women’s health and wellbeing,” said Dr Huang Zhongwei, Deputy Director of ACRLE and Consultant at the National University Hospital’s Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology.

Professor Chong Yap Seng, Lien Ying Chow Professor in Medicine, Dean of NUS Medicine, said, “With global birth rates declining and a rapidly ageing world population, the impetus to improve healthspan is pressing and the pursuit of healthy longevity is one of the most important healthcare challenges of our time. ACRLE’s work on reproductive longevity is critical and timely - by extending the healthspan of women, we are already extending the healthspan of half the population, and in time to come, the healthspan of all.”

 

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[1] Lockhart PA, Martin P, Johnson MA, Shirtcliff E, Poon LW. The Relationship of Fertility, Lifestyle, and Longevity Among Women. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2017 Jun 1;72(6):754-759

Christensen MW, Kesmodel US, Christensen K, Kirkegaard K, Ingerslev HJ. Early ovarian ageing: is a low number of oocytes harvested in young women associated with an earlier and increased risk of age-related diseases? Hum Reprod. 2020 Oct 1;35(10):2375-2390.

 

Recovering phosphorus from sewage sludge ash

HOKKAIDO UNIVERSITY

 

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THE FLOW-TYPE FIXED-BED REACTOR USED IN THE PROCESS OF RECOVERING PHOSPHORUS FROM INCINERATED SEWAGE SLUDGE. (PHOTO: NAOTO TSUBOUCHI)

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CREDIT: NAOTO TSUBOUCHI

Chemical and heat treatment of sewage sludge can recover phosphorus in a process that could help address the problem of diminishing supplies of phosphorus ores.

Valuable supplies of phosphorus could be recovered from sewage sludge ash, which remains after the sludge has been burned for electric power generation. The method has been developed by chemical engineers Yuuki Mochizuki and Naoto Tsubouchi at Hokkaido University’s Center for Advanced Research of Energy and Materials. Their work is published in the journal Resources, Conservation and Recycling.

Phosphorus-containing compounds are widely manufactured for applications including fertilizers, medicines and many everyday consumer products. At present, supplies of phosphorus are mainly extracted from phosphorus ores. In recent years, however, the depletion and rising price of high-grade phosphorus ores have become a problem, putting pressure on industries that rely on these supplies.

“Exploiting new phosphorus resources to replace the fast-depleting reserves, and establishing methods to recover phosphorus from waste streams, is becoming increasingly important,” says Tsubouchi.

Sewage sludge, available in plentiful amounts, is currently burned in large quantities for power generation and also to reduce its volume. The remaining ash is relatively rich in phosphorus, leading to increasing efforts to find efficient ways to recover the phosphorus. Existing methods encounter several significant problems, however, including chemical contamination requiring further purification and complicated expensive chemical processing.

The Hokkaido researchers have previously investigated methods for recovering phosphorus and other elements, including calcium, magnesium and iron by heat treatment of sewage sludge. These previous investigations suggested that the process of volatilization, in which different elements are selectively converted into gaseous forms, allowing them to be separated from the rest of the treated ash, could be a promising approach for recovering phosphorus in the form of heat-stable compounds.

They therefore explored the volatilization behavior of the different elements in sewage sludge ash under different chemical conditions, especially with and without carbon being added during a sludge treatment process involving chlorine. This allowed them to develop an effective method for separating useful phosphorus-containing compounds using a combination of chlorination steps with and without the presence of carbon.

Mochizuki elaborates, “The method we developed can be implemented with lower energy requirements, lower CO2 emissions, and lower cost than conventional phosphorus recovery technologies from phosphate ores. In our method, phosphorus is recovered in the valuable phosphorus chloride forms, which can also be converted to phosphoric acid by dissolution in water.”

“In Japan, the total amount of phosphorus contained in secondary phosphorus resources such as steel slag, livestock manure, and sewage sludge is equivalent to about half of the total amount of phosphorus brought into the country. Our next step is to study if our technique could be used to reduce the need for phosphorus imports,” Tsubouchi concludes.

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JOURNAL

Resources Conservation and Recycling

DOI

10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107645 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Recovery of Phosphate from Incineration Ash of Sewage Sludge by Chlorination and Carbo-chlorination

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

20-Apr-2024

 

Illusion helps demystify the way vision works

Experiments imply brightness perception occurs deeper in the brain than thought

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO

For the first time, research shows that a certain kind of visual illusion, neon color spreading, works on mice. The study is also the first to combine the use of two investigative techniques called electrophysiology and optogenetics to study this illusion. Results from experiments on mice settle a long-standing debate in neuroscience about which levels of neurons within the brain are responsible for the perception of brightness.

We’re all familiar with optical illusions; some are novelties, while some are all around us. Even as you look at the screen in front you, you are being fooled into thinking that you’re seeing the color white. What you’re really seeing is lots of red, green and blue elements packed so tightly together it gives the impression of being white. Another example is a fast rotating wheel or propeller, which can briefly look like it’s reversing direction while it’s accelerating to full speed. In any case, it might be surprising to know that optical illusions are not just fun to look at but can also be a useful tool to learn more about eyes, nerves, minds and brains.

Associate Professor Masataka Watanabe from the Department of Systems Innovation at the University of Tokyo is on a mission to understand more about the nature of consciousness. It’s a vast subject area so naturally there are many ways to explore it, and amongst other things, he uses optical illusions. His most recent research looked at whether a certain kind of illusion that works on humans would also work on mice. And it turns out, it does. But why is this significant?

“Knowing this kind of illusion, called a neon-color-spreading illusion, works on mice as well as humans, is useful for neuroscientists like myself, as it means that mice can serve as useful test subjects for cases where humans cannot,” said Watanabe. “To really understand what goes on inside the brain during perceptual experiences, we need to use certain methods that we cannot use on people. These include electrophysiology, the recording of neural activity with electrodes, and optogenetics, where light pulses enable or disable firing of specific neurons in a living brain.”

Watanabe’s experiment was the first of its kind to make use of both electrophysiology and optogenetics at the same time in animal test subjects exposed to the neon-color-spreading illusion, which allowed his team to see precisely what structures within the brain are responsible for processing the illusion.

“After a visual stimulus lands on the eye, it’s carried to the brain by nerves and is then received by a series of layers of neurons called V1, V2 and so on, where V1 is the first and most basic layer, and V2 and above are considered higher layers,” said Watanabe. “There is a long-standing debate in neuroscience about the role higher levels play in the perception of brightness and it was not an easy thing to study. Our experiment on mice has shown us that neurons in V1 responded not just to the illusion, but also to a nonillusory version of the same kind of pattern shown. But only when the illusory version was shown to the mice did neurons in V2 also play a crucial role: that of modulating the activity of neurons in V1, thus proving that V2 neurons do in fact play a role in the perception of brightness.”

This experiment has shown that mice models can be effective in this area of neuroscience. Watanabe hopes this is just the beginning and that such experiments will help toward his grand aim of clarifying the neural mechanism of consciousness.

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Journal article: Alireza Saeedi, Kun Wang, Ghazaleh Nikpourian, Andreas Bartels, Nikos K. Logothetis, Nelson K. Totah, Masataka Watanabe, “Brightness illusions drive a neuronal response in the primary visual cortex under top down modulation”, Nature Communications, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-46885-6

Funding:
This work was funded by the Max Planck Society and the Helsinki Institute of Life Science at the University of Helsinki (NT).

Useful links:
Watanabe Laboratory https://www.bc2ac.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/
Department of Systems Innovation https://www.sys.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/?lang=en  
Graduate School of Engineering https://www.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/soe  

Research contact:
Associate Professor Masataka Watanabe

Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo,
7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8654, Japan

watanabe@sys.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp

Press contact:
Mr. Rohan Mehra
Public Relations Group, The University of Tokyo,
7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8654, Japan
press-releases.adm@gs.mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp

About The University of Tokyo:

The University of Tokyo is Japan's leading university and one of the world's top research universities. The vast research output of some 6,000 researchers is published in the world's top journals across the arts and sciences. Our vibrant student body of around 15,000 undergraduate and 15,000 graduate students includes over 4,000 international students. Find out more at www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/ or follow us on X (formerly Twitter) at @UTokyo_News_en.

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JOURNAL

Nature Communications

DOI

10.1038/s41467-024-46885-6 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Animals

ARTICLE TITLE

Brightness illusions drive a neuronal response in the primary visual cortex under top down modulation

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

23-Apr-2024

 

Study shows climate change impact on China's dry–wet transition zones

INSTITUTE OF ATMOSPHERIC PHYSICS, CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

 

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A GRASSLAND NORTH OF CHINA’S CAPITAL BEIJING, WHERE GRAZING CATTLE ROAM AMIDST THE CHANGING ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS.

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CREDIT: LI MINGXING

Climate change is significantly altering bioclimatic environments in China's dry–wet transition zones, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Hydrology.

The research conducted by scientists from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the UK Met Office and  Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences, addresses the challenges of assessing climate change impacts on vegetation ecosystems, which vary greatly across different spatiotemporal scales. The study examines how vegetation ecosystems respond and adapt to climate change, alongside the effects of soil water and heat processes. Bioclimatic environment change acts as a crucial link between climate change and local conditions affecting vegetation ecosystems.

"In areas where current vegetation models fall short, bioclimatic indicators offer an alternative for studying climate change impacts on ecological environments," notes Dr. Mingxing Li, the lead author of the study.

The study analyzes historical observations (1979-2018) and future scenario projections (2006-2100) under different climate scenarios. Among these scenarios is the Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5 (RCP8.5), which represents a high greenhouse gas emissions pathway leading to substantial global warming and climate change impacts. Under the RCP8.5 scenario, greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise throughout the 21st century, resulting in severe climate change consequences.

“We focus on ecological environments and habitat suitability for responsive ecosystems, considering climate change, bioclimatic water and heat conditions, and habitat suitability.” Says Dr. Li.

The findings reveal significant changes in bioclimatic environments across dry–wet climate transition zones, particularly under the RCP8.5 scenario. By the end of the 21st century, the local growing season length (GSL) could extend by 60 days, with 30% of the GSL facing heat stress. Despite some improvements in the middle parts of transition zones, overall water conditions worsen both in the air and soil. This leads to a northwestward shift of sustainable grasslands, with a reduction of approximately 131 million square kilometers in total area.

The study highlights the importance of winter and spring heat-water conditions in driving these changes and identifies climate transition zones as hotspots of ecosystem vulnerability, emphasizing the need for targeted impact assessment and adaptation studies.

"While our focus is on China, our findings offer insights for addressing climate change in other transition zones worldwide," adds Dr. Li.

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JOURNAL

Journal of Hydrology

DOI

10.1016/j.jhydrol.2024.131122 

ARTICLE TITLE

Climate change reshapes bioclimatic environments in China’s dry–wet transition zones

 

How to clean up New Delhi’s smoggy air

PAUL SCHERRER INSTITUTE

 

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A STUDY BY ANDRÉ PRÉVÔT (LEFT) AND IMAD EL HADDAD FROM THE LABORATORY FOR ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AT THE PAUL SCHERRER INSTITUTE PSI PROVIDES A BASIS FOR DECISION-MAKING TO IMPROVE THE LIVING CONDITIONS OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE.
 

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CREDIT: PAUL SCHERRER INSTITUTE/MAHIR DZAMBEGOVIC

An international study led by atmospheric researchers at PSI shows for the first time what portions of particulates in the air over northern India are especially harmful to health.

Nowhere else do people breathe air as dirty as in India. According to the World Health Organisation, as many as 1.3 million deaths per year on the subcontinent can be attributed to polluted air. With its National Clean Air Programme, the Indian government wants to enact countermeasures. To do this, decision-makers need to know what sources the particulates come from, how they are distributed regionally, and how harmful certain compounds are to human health. This important information has now been provided for the first time by a study led by members of the Laboratory for Atmospheric Chemistry at PSI, with partners from India, China, Germany, Denmark, France, Spain, and Switzerland. The researchers have not only determined the amounts and origins of particulates in the air, but also their oxidative potential – an important factor for the harmful effect a chemical compound can have on living cells and thus on health. The study has now been published in the journal Nature Communications.

The focus of the study was on the Indian capital New Delhi, and not for the first time. Of all the cities on earth, it is considered the metropolis with the highest concentration of particulates in the air. Over the past four years, the researchers had already gained groundbreaking insights into the air pollution there. In a study from 2023, they demonstrated for the first time that chemical processes run differently in the skies over New Delhi than in other major cities.

Incomplete combustion is the primary cause

This time the team was interested in the sources of particulate emissions and the pathogenic effect of certain substances. According to the study, incomplete combustion plays an especially big role in polluting the air. Even non-experts recognise this: «If it smokes, the combustion is incomplete,» explains Imad El Haddad. He and André Prévôt from the Laboratory for Atmospheric Chemistry at PSI led the latest study. Most notably, the burning of biomass or waste is a major contributor to the formation of particulates and smog. This includes the burning of cow dung for heating and cooking, which also produces high levels of particulate matter. Added to this is the outdated vehicle fleet, especially the small vehicles called tuktuks, widely used in India, and motor scooters with inefficient two-stroke engines.

To better assess the local and regional distribution of particulates, the team expanded the network of measuring sites compared to the previous study, adding two locations in the urban area of New Delhi, one in the area surrounding the capital, and one in Kanpur, around 500 kilometres southeast of the capital. The samples from these sites were examined at PSI by means of mass spectroscopy to determine their composition.

Particulates cause oxidative stress

The quantity of particulates in the air is an important factor – but not the only one. How harmful to health a dust particle is depends on its chemical composition and its oxidative potential. Simply put, this refers to the stress that a chemical compound puts on living cells and, ultimately, entire organs such as the lungs or blood vessels. This stress can lead to asthma, inflammation, hypertension, and other illnesses. The team determined this oxidative potential and correlated it with local and regional particulate sources. Despite the fact that the chemical composition of particulates was different at different locations, the high oxidative potential of organic aerosols in particular traces back to the incomplete combustion of biomass and fossil fuels, together with their organic oxidation products in the atmosphere. Compared to Europe or China, a larger proportion of these components are emitted locally, with a still substantial contribution from regional sources. This is consistent with the findings of last year’s study.

The research in New Delhi is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. The first phase of the four-year programme is now coming to an end. For programme leader André Prévôt, it was a complete success and an important contribution to the assessment of air quality for the 900 million people living in the lowlands of the Ganges River. «Nevertheless, we still have a long way to go,» Prévôt says. «India needs strict measures and long-term monitoring, as well as societal change and better public awareness of environmental protection.» So it will still take some time before environmental conditions in northern India improve.

Text: Bernd Müller

 

 

About PSI

The Paul Scherrer Institute PSI develops, builds and operates large, complex research facilities and makes them available to the national and international research community. The institute's own key research priorities are in the fields of matter and materials, energy and environment and human health. PSI is committed to the training of future generations. Therefore about one quarter of our staff are post-docs, post-graduates or apprentices. Altogether PSI employs 2200 people, thus being the largest research institute in Switzerland. The annual budget amounts to approximately CHF 420 million. PSI is part of the ETH Domain, with the other members being the two Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology, ETH Zurich and EPFL Lausanne, as well as Eawag (Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology), Empa (Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology) and WSL (Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research). Insight into the exciting research of the PSI with changing focal points is provided 3 times a year in the publication 5232 - The Magazine of the Paul Scherrer Institute.

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JOURNAL

Nature Communications

DOI

10.1038/s41467-024-47785-5 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

ARTICLE TITLE

Local incomplete combustion emissions define the PM2.5 oxidative potential in Northern India

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

25-Apr-2024