Saturday, August 24, 2024

Chalk-based coating creates a cooling fabric

American Chemical Society

DENVER, Aug. 21, 2024 — In the scorching heat of summer, anyone who spends time outside — athletes, landscapers, kids at the park or beachgoers — could benefit from a cooling fabric. While there are some textiles that reflect the sun’s rays or transfer heat away from the body, current options require boutique fibers or complex manufacturing processes. But now, researchers report a durable chalk-based coating that cools the air underneath treated fabric by up to 8 degrees Fahrenheit.

Evan D. Patamia, a graduate student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, will present their team’s results at the fall meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS). ACS Fall 2024 is a hybrid meeting being held virtually and in person Aug. 18-22; it features about 10,000 presentations on a range of science topics.

“If you walk out into the sunlight, you will get increasingly hot because your body and clothing are absorbing ultraviolet (UV) and near-infrared (near-IR) light from the sun,” says Trisha L. Andrew, a chemist and materials scientist working with Patamia. “And as long as you’re alive, your body is generating heat, which can be thought of as light, too.”

To make people more comfortable outside, scientists have been developing textiles that simultaneously deflect the sun’s rays and push out natural body heat — a process known as radiative cooling. Some of those materials have light-refracting synthetic particles, such as titanium dioxide or aluminum oxide, embedded into spun fibers. Others use organic polymers, such as polyvinylidene difluoride, which require perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS or forever chemicals, in their production processes to create light-reflective textiles.

But scaling the manufacturing of these materials for commercialization isn’t sustainable, according to Andrew. So, she posed the question to research team members Patamia and Megan K. Yee, “Can we develop a textile coating that does the same thing using natural or environmentally benign materials?”

Previously, Andrew and colleagues created a simple technique to apply durable polymer coatings on fabric called chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The method combines synthesis and deposition into the same step: grafting a thin polymer layer onto commercial textiles with fewer steps and less environmental impact than other ways to attach coatings.

So, inspired by the crushed limestone-based plasters used historically to keep houses cool in extremely sunny places, Patamia and Yee worked on innovating a process to integrate calcium carbonate — the main component in limestone and chalk — as well as bio-compatible barium sulfate onto the polymer applied by CVD. Small particles of calcium carbonate are good at reflecting visible and near-IR wavelengths, and barium sulfate particles reflect UV light.

Treating small squares of fabric, the researchers applied a 5-micrometer-thick poly(2-hydroxyethyl acrylate) layer and repeatedly dipped the polymer-treated squares into solutions containing calcium or barium ions and solutions containing carbonate or sulfate ions. With each dip, the crystals become larger and more uniform, and the fabric develops a chalky, matte finish. Patamia says that by changing the number of dipping cycles, the particles can be tuned to reach the ideal size distribution (between 1 and 10 micrometers in diameter) for reflecting both UV and near-IR light.

The researchers tested the cooling abilities of treated and untreated fabrics outside on a sunny day when the temperature measured more than 90 F. They observed air temperatures underneath the treated fabric that registered 8 F cooler than the ambient temperature in the middle of the afternoon. The difference was even greater, a maximum of 15 F, between treated and untreated fabric, which heated the air underneath the sample. “We see a true cooling effect,” says Patamia. “What is underneath the sample feels colder than standing in the shade.”

As a final evaluation of the mineral-polymer coating, Yee simulated the friction and impact of laundry detergent in a washing machine. She found that the coating didn’t rub away and the material retained its cooling ability.

“So far in our processes, we’ve been limited by the size of our laboratory equipment,” says Andrew. But she’s part of a startup company that’s scaling the CVD process for bolts of fabric, which are about 5 feet wide and 100 yards long. Andrew explains that this venture could provide a way to translate Patamia and Yee’s innovations into pilot-scale production.

“What makes our technique unique is that we can do this on nearly any commercially available fabric and turn it into something that can keep people cool,” concludes Patamia. “Without any power input, we’re able to reduce how hot a person feels, which could be a valuable resource where people are struggling to stay cool in extremely hot environments.”

The research was funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation. Trisha L. Andrew is involved in commercializing the polymer coating process.

A Headline Science video about this topic will be posted on Wednesday, Aug. 21. Reporters can access the video during the embargo period, and once the embargo is lifted the same URL will allow the public to access the content. Visit the ACS Fall 2024 program to learn more about this presentation, “Functional reflective textile coatings for personal cooling,” and other science presentations.

A chalk-based coating attaches to various commercially available textiles, including cotton and synthetic fiber, to create cooling fabrics, such as the treated synthetic material (right) that’s brighter than the untreated fabric (left).

Credit

Evan D. Patamia

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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Title
Functional reflective textile coatings for personal cooling

Abstract
As the effects of climate change become more severe and widespread, maintaining personal thermal homeostasis becomes both necessary for survival and increasingly energy intensive. In principle, advanced textiles and garments can leverage light absorption and/or reflection, in addition to straightforward convection, to heat or cool bodies in extreme temperature conditions. For cooling, in particular, surfaces adept at selectively reflecting or refracting high-energy wavelengths (200nm-2.5um) while transmitting or emitting infrared light (8-13um) boast the ability to maintain cooler body temperatures, even when exposed to direct sunlight and the open sky. Here, we present guiding principles for designing textiles for passive personal cooling via diffuse light reflectance. Biocompatible calcium carbonate and barium sulfate micro/nanoparticles are found to serve as appropriate optical materials for cooling via diffuse reflectance. Finite-difference time domain simulations reveal, surprisingly, that textile coatings containing a polydisperse mixture of CaCO3 and BaSO4 nano/microcrystals provide the highest, broad-spectrum reflection efficiency, as compared to extruded metamaterial fibers containing embedded particles within a polymer matrix. A stepwise process to create polydisperse CaCO3 and BaSO4 nano/microcrystal textile coatings is reported. Through the use of photoinitiated chemical vapor deposition (pICVD), a 5 um thick layer of a hydrophilic polymer polyhydroxyethyleneacrylate (pHEA) was deposited on the fabric substrate. Subsequently, through serial immersion in solutions containing Ca and Ba ions and solutions containing CO3 and SO4 ions, inorganic microcrystals were grown directly on the surface of the fabric. Upon outdoor testing, textiles coated with polydisperse CaCO3 and BaSO4 nano/microcrystals show a cooling ability of 8°C compared to an uncoated sample, achieving a maximum cooling of 4°C below ambient temperature. Washing and durability testing of the coating found no degradation in the material's performance, affirming its resilience and long-term effectiveness.

Ocean twilight zone modulates marine phytoplankton productivity

Advanced Institute for Marine Ecosystem Change (AIMEC)

image:
Transients in temperature state of CMIP6 models under extended simulations. Evolution of changes in temperature relative to the respective 1850-1899 mean for (A) globally-averaged 2m air temperature, and (B) globally-averaged sea surface temperature for five CMIP6 models run to 2300 under historical/SSP5-8.5 forcing. Changes in zonally averaged potential temperature between a 1990s climatology and a 2290s climatology for two of the models: (C) IPSL-CM6A and (D) CESM2-WACCM. The units for all panels are °C.
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Credit: ©Tohoku University

How will global warming impact marine ecosystems? This is a critical question when addressing future climate change. Sustained climate change may have a particularly large negative effect on one of the smallest lifeforms in the ocean: phytoplankton. Phytoplankton is essential for maintaining balance in the marine food chain, so population shifts can result in substantial effects throughout the food chain.

Marine phytoplankton live in the upper-ocean layer and therefore are directly affected by changes in sunlight and temperature. However, an ocean layer below the surface called the "twilight zone" (where light is unavailable) can also affect surface-dwelling phytoplankton. This is largely due to the effect of warmer temperatures on bacteria, which decompose organic matter raining from above and release inorganic nutrients in the process - nutrients that phytoplankton need for photosynthesis.

In a new study published in Nature on August 22, 2024, researchers show that these two domains - namely the well-lit surface water and the twilight zone below - are coupled in a way that can strongly alter the response of surface ecosystems to climate change. This coupling is provided through what is termed "thermocline renewal," whereby over decades the relatively warm upper ocean waters spanning the upper 300-500 meters are renewed by passing through the surface ocean.

To test the hypothesis that warming can strengthen the recycling of nutrients between the ocean layers, a team of climate scientists from Japan, France, and the United States investigated this with combined use ocean observations and three-dimensional ecosystem models. Using ocean measurements, the team was able to identify the presence of large pools of inorganic nutrients in the twilight-zone of the low latitudes that are sustained largely through bacterial decomposition of organic matter falling from the surface. With models that predict up to the year 2300, the team was then able to demonstrate the critical importance of this part of the marine nutrient pool for sustaining surface photosynthesis of phytoplankton through the process of thermocline renewal.

The analysis of ocean observations identified that for the modern climate state, low-latitude bacterial and other processes are responsible for at least half of the critically important nutrients that are recycled between the mesopelagic domain and the surface layers through a process called "upwelling". The three-dimensional models were used to identify first that this large pool of subsurface nutrients reflects local low-latitude processes. Subsequently, Earth system models were used to evaluate the degree to which the proposed low-latitude coupling mechanism can account for projected changes in the models.

"Our study highlights a mechanism that we believe can help to advance our understanding of what has been an overlooked aspect in projections of marine ecosystem health." says Olivier Aumont from Sorbonne Universités in France. Understanding the coupling between the mesopelagic twilight zone and surface waters is an area where improved mechanistic understanding can help to further improve our climate change projections, which still indicate some disagreement. "We hope that our work will stimulate novel research to further understand the ocean circulation pathways of thermocline renewal" explains Keith Rodgers, a researcher from Tohoku University.

The study could also have implications for understanding how habitats of importance to marine resources such as fisheries can be impacted by climate change. The overall trend is that there is a gradual de-oxygenation and warming of the ocean that may ultimately make it more difficult for fish to live. Therefore, it's important to create models that make accurate projections of marine ecosystems and fish habitats in a changing climate.

Journal

Nature

DOI

10.1038/s41586-024-07779-1

Article Title

Low-latitude mesopelagic nutrient recycling controls productivity and export

Article Publication Date

22-Aug-2024

Into the blue: How baleen whales have adapted over the past 50 million years

Peer-Reviewed Publication

Flinders University

image:
Comparative Analysis of Candidate PSGs, Lineage-Specific PSG Counts, and Phylogenomic Tree: (a) PSGs − Candidate genes found for each species used in this study. Each lineage is represented by a distinct colour, and the candidate PSGs associated with specific species. (b) Venn diagram of PSGs identified in each group of the species analysed as well as shared among groups, with a total of number of 5,428 PSGs. (c) A phylogenomic multi-species maximum likelihood tree is presented, inferred from 10,159 orthologous genes. Branch lengths represent the genetic divergence between species. The tree depicts the evolutionary relationships among the species under investigation and serves as a framework for interpreting the lineage-specific PSG counts. The numbers on the tree represent the bootstrap values, indicating the support level for each branch. A high-quality version the figure is available on https://figshare.com/s/a4c63a537aa4563eb8c7
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Credit: Flinders University

The largest dataset of cetacean genes ever collated has helped Flinders University scientists dive deep ‘into the blue’ to fathom the ‘triumph’ of baleen whale evolution.

The new study, published in the international journal Gene, explores the key genetic adaptations of these diverse whale species around the world's vast oceans – giving new insights into the risks and opportunities for their survival.

“We actually know very little about the genetic diversity of modern whales, compared to terrestrial animals, so these insights give fresh information about their radiation and changes over the past 50 million years,” says PhD candidate Gabrielle Genty, from the College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University.

The study helps to explain the intriguing mammals – from the gigantism of the largest blue and fin whales, to the diving and migratory abilities of other baleen whales, including humpbacks, minkes and gray whales.

While genes linked to survival, ageing, movement, immunity and reproduction were highlighted, future adaptations will need to respond to climate change and other threats including marine pollution and diseases, researchers say.

"For example, we found genes that improve immunity have been important for the largest species, fin whales and the world's largest animal, the blue whale," says Ms Genty, from the Flinders Cetacean Ecology, Behaviour and Evolution Lab (CEBEL) and Molecular Ecology Lab at Flinders University (MELFU).

“Their additional adaptations related to the immune system may help these species achieve their large size without suffering detrimental health issues like tumours and cancer, which are typically associated with increased body size and rapid cell generation.”

The research used a dataset of 10,159 genes, across 15 cetacean species and two terrestrial species – hippos and cows (Hippopotamus amphibius and Bos taurus) – which are the considered the closest land relatives of whales.

Baleen whales are highly mobile and pelagic, so studying them is challenging.

Senior coauthor, Flinders University Associate Professor Luciana Möller, says cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) have diversified into myriad groups since they left land for their aquatic world in history.

This diversification resulted in a minimum of 89 main species, divided into two main suborders: 74 belonging to Odontoceti (toothed whales, dolphins and porpoises) and 15 to Mysticeti (baleen whales), which possess baleen plates for filter-feeding.

Journal

Gene

DOI

10.1016/j.gene.2024.148822

Method of Research

Data/statistical analysis

Subject of Research

Animal tissue samples

Article Title

Into the Blue: Exploring genetic mechanisms behind the evolution of baleen whales

Development of multifunctional smart windows that lower indoor temperature without power consumption and generate electricity from raindrops

Implementing plus energy technology beyond zero energy in response to global warming

Peer-Reviewed Publication

Seoul National University College of Engineering

image:
Figure 1: The main functions of the multifunctional smart windows for implementing Plus Energy (transparent radiative cooling, power generation, and fog and frost removal technology)
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Credit: © Seoul National University College of Engineering

Research Necessity

o Recently, with the significant increase in cooling demand due to global warming, a vast amount of energy is being consumed for heat management inside buildings. Existing windows, which have a high solar absorption rate and low reflectance, lead to considerable energy loss. Therefore, energy-saving windows are emerging as a practical solution to global challenges such as responding to climate change and ensuring energy sustainability. These windows not only provide optimal thermal comfort to occupants but also contribute to economic development by reducing dependence on conventional cooling systems.

o For windows to effectively save energy in buildings, it is necessary to adopt energy-efficient cooling technology (Zero Energy) and further ensure energy harvesting methods (Plus Energy) that guarantee sustainable power supply. Additionally, windows must maintain high transparency, which is their fundamental function, even on cold or foggy days.

■ Research Achievements / Expected Effects

o The multifunctional smart windows developed in this research demonstrate their effectiveness as next-generation energy-saving devices by implementing three main functions.

o First, they provide radiative cooling that lowers indoor temperature on sunny days without energy input. Second, they generate electricity using raindrops on rainy days. Third, they implement a transparent heater function to quickly remove frost from the windows on cold days.

■ Research Details

□ Research Content Overview

o The research team led by Professor Seung Hwan Ko from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Seoul National University has developed "multifunctional smart window technology" that lowers indoor temperatures without electricity consumption and generates power using the frictional electricity from raindrops. This research is significant in that it pioneers new possibilities for Plus Energy technology, surpassing Zero Energy to contribute to improving energy self-sufficiency in response to global warming.

□ Background

o Recently, implementing Plus Energy Buildings (PEBs) that surpass Zero Energy has become a key task for achieving energy self-sufficiency in buildings. Next-generation PEBs are buildings that go beyond minimizing energy loads and can autonomously produce energy. Buildings inherently consume a massive amount of energy for heat management, and with the rise in cooling demand due to global warming, energy usage has surged dramatically. Furthermore, existing windows with high solar absorption and low reflectivity result in substantial energy losses during cooling. Therefore, to realize economically efficient next-generation Plus Energy Buildings, it is necessary to develop multifunctional smart windows equipped with transparent cooling technology (Zero Energy-based) and further energy-harvesting technology (Plus Energy-based) that ensures sustainable power supply.
o To address these issues, researchers worldwide are focusing on the development of smart windows that maximize energy savings. Smart windows are often thought to adjust internal temperatures by changing color to control sunlight. However, this method has limitations since the windows become opaque during the cooling process, thus failing to maintain high transparency, which is the window's primary function.

□ Key Research Methods

o The research team is actively working on developing new technologies that improve energy efficiency while preserving the transparency of windows. As part of this effort, Professor Ko's research team developed a Zero Energy-based "transparent radiative cooling technology" that maintains transparency while enabling cooling without using electricity. Additionally, they developed energy-harvesting technology that produces electricity through the friction generated when raindrops contact the window surface, introducing a Plus Energy-based smart window technology that surpasses Zero Energy. The team also developed a transparent heater technology that quickly clears frost from windows on cold or foggy days, thereby implementing three functions—radiative cooling, power generation, and frost removal—simultaneously in a single device for the first time in the world.
o The research team achieved these three functionalities in a single device by fabricating windows with a layered structure of silver and ITO (Indium Tin Oxide), materials with excellent electrical conductivity and unique optical properties. First, the "transparent radiative cooling technology" minimizes the absorption of sunlight entering indoors while emitting radiant heat outdoors to lower the temperature. Unlike conventional air conditioning systems that use refrigerants, this radiative cooling technology offers cooling performance without consuming electrical energy. The research team focused on allowing only the visible light spectrum from sunlight to pass through the window while selectively reflecting near-infrared sunlight to lower indoor temperatures and maximize cooling. Second, the "frictional electricity-based power generation technology" generates electricity when raindrops contact the window surface on rainy days. For this purpose, an electrode material covering the window surface is necessary, and thanks to the excellent electrical conductivity of the layered silver and ITO structure, the smart window can generate electricity through frictional electricity. Lastly, through "Joule heating," the transparent electrodes also serve as a heater that quickly removes frost or ice from the window, ensuring clear visibility on cold days. The multifunctional smart windows developed by the research team can provide transparent radiative cooling on sunny days, generate power on rainy days, and remove frost or ice on cold days.

□ Results

o The research team led by Professor Seung Hwan Ko confirmed that the smart windows they developed maintained a temperature approximately 7 degrees lower than regular windows in hot environments under direct sunlight. In an experiment simulating rainy conditions, the smart windows generated 8.3 W m-2 of power with just a single raindrop, while also clearing frost from the window twice as fast as regular windows through Joule heating, demonstrating both high performance and multifunctionality.

□ Expected Effects

o Professor Seung Hwan Ko stated, “This achievement of presenting next-generation smart window technology optimized for responding to the depletion of fossil fuels and global warming offers valuable insights into the technological advancements for Plus Energy buildings and the eco-friendly electric vehicle industry. Smart windows are expected to be applied across various industries because they address environmental pollution, reduce cooling energy, and overcome the limitations of conventional battery technologies through self-power generation.”

□ Achievements

o This research was supported by the Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea, and it has gained global attention, being published in the October 2024 issue of the prestigious journal Nano Energy (Impact factor: 16.8, Top 5.3%) under the title: "Energy-saving window for versatile multimode of radiative cooling, energy harvesting, and defrosting functionalities."

o Meanwhile, Dr. Yeongju Jung, the lead author of this study, is currently conducting follow-up research at Professor Ko's laboratory in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Seoul National University and is preparing for a postdoctoral research fellowship abroad.

□ Introduction to the SNU College of Engineering

Seoul National University (SNU) founded in 1946 is the first national university in South Korea. The College of Engineering at SNU has worked tirelessly to achieve its goal of ‘fostering leaders for global industry and society.’ In 12 departments, 323 internationally recognized full-time professors lead the development of cutting-edge technology in South Korea and serving as a driving force for international development.

Figure 2: Smart Window Applications in Daily Life
(A) A model house with regular glass (red dotted line, control group) and a model house with smart windows (blue dotted line, experimental group)
(B) Actual temperature data measured inside the model houses
(C) Energy storage through power generation from raindrops
(D) Ensuring visibility through the transparent heater function
Credit
© Science Robotics, originally published in Science Robotics.

Journal

Nano Energy

DOI

10.1016/j.nanoen.2024.110004

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Energy-saving window for versatile multimode of radiative cooling, energy harvesting, and defrosting functionalities

Article Publication Date

1-Oct-2024

COI Statement

The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Seung Hwan Ko reports financial support was provided by National Research Foundation of Korea. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Clinical trial in Ireland challenges beliefs about Ozempic and similar new obesity treatments

New study published today in the Journal of the Obesity Society found GLP‐1 therapy does more than ‘simply make you eat less’

UCD Research & Innovation

A study carried out in St Vincent’s University Hospital (SVUH) Dublin challenges the belief that weight loss medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy or Monjaro work just by promoting satiety and making you eat less.

The randomized controlled trial with 30 patients was led by Professor Donal O’Shea, SVUH and UCD School of Medicine, and examined the family of medications based on the hormone Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1).

The findings published today in the Journal of the Obesity Society shows that there is a strong relationship between the increase in metabolic activity caused by once daily treatment with GLP-1 and the amount of weight lost. Furthermore, people with low metabolic activity before starting treatment benefited the most from it.

Professor Donal O’Shea said: “This study challenges the main narrative about these newer treatments which is that they simply make you eat less, and that any action on energy burn is minimal. The strength of the association is surprising given the relatively small numbers studied and suggests this increase in metabolic activity is a significant contributor to how these drugs work.

“Safe medical treatment for obesity is still in its infancy and we need to understand fully how the treatment works. Understanding how these agents increase energy burn should be an important part of future research. I hope the companies involved in the development of these treatments will examine this area in more detail because these are very expensive studies to carry out and we are very grateful to the Health Research Board and University College Dublin for supporting it.”

“It always seemed oversimplistic to me that these new treatments were just making people eat less. So this study finding is an exciting step forward in our understanding of how these new medicines for obesity work. The findings also provide science to support the fact that the treatment of obesity is not simply to eat less and move more – that’s the prevention piece – treatment is more complex than that.”

The 30 patients had specialised imaging of the fat within their abdomen using a PET-CT scanner, with scans carried out before and after six months of treatment with GLP-1.

The study ‘GLP‐1 therapy increases visceral adipose tissue metabolic activity: lessons from a randomized controlled trial in obstructive sleep apnea,’ was co-authored by Professor Silke Ryan, SVUH, funded by the Health Research Board and supported by University College Dublin.

DOI:10.1002/oby.24126

Journal

Obesity

DOI

10.1002/oby.24126

Method of Research

Randomized controlled/clinical trial

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

GLP‐1 therapy increases visceral adipose tissue metabolic activity: lessons from a randomized controlled trial in obstructive sleep apnea

Article Publication Date

22-Aug-2024

TOTAL RECALL

Researchers have discovered the brain circuit that controls our ability to recall information and memories

Researchers at Aarhus University are the first to identify the specific cell group in the brain that plays a central role in our ability to discriminate familiar and novel things, which is called recognition memory.

Peer-Reviewed Publication

Aarhus University

Daily, we encounter new people, situations, and things that require our attention. Fortunately, there is an area in the brain that contributes to consciousness and awareness. This area is called the “Claustrum complex” and is located deep within the brain in each hemisphere.

Today, we know that many diseases related to higher cognitive function, such as Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, and ADD/ADHD, are closely linked to abnormal function of this particular part of the brain. However, we still do not fully understand how the different parts of the claustrum complex work or how its circuits and communication system are organized.

Researchers at Aarhus University have now uncovered this, and their results identify, down to the cellular level, which part of the claustrum complex controls our ability to discriminate familiar and novel things.

“Our study focuses on an area of the claustrum called the ‘endopiriform,’ which is a relatively unknown brain structure despite its unique brain network and cellular properties,” explains Asami Tanimura, an associate professor and the lead researcher.

“For the first time, we have dissected the circuit of endopiriform to the hippocampus, and demonstrated how this pathway is crucial for recognition memory.”

Using experiments on mice, researchers were able to observe how the mice’s behaviour changed when they respectively ‘turned on’ and ‘turned off’ the activity in this specific cell group.

Asami explains:

“We observed that the cells in the endopiriform were active when the mice interacted with new conspecifics or objects, and when we inhibited this cell group, it reduced the mice’s ability to distinguish novel mouse or object from familiar ones.”

Based on this, the researchers concluded that this specific cell group in the claustrum seems to play a key role in sending memory-guided attention signal to the hippocampus.

“This is entirely new knowledge about this small but important part of the brain, and it gives us a unique understanding of the special circuit involved in recognition memory,” explains Asami.

What this knowledge might mean, and whether it could lead to the development of new treatment methods targeted at disorders in this part of the brain, remains to be seen. However, Asami and her colleagues are optimistic:

“To develop effective treatment methods, a very detailed understanding of the cells’ circuits is required. With our study, we have at least opened a door that has previously been closed in terms of specific role of the endopiriform-hippocampal circuit on higher cognitive function.”

Journal

eLife

DOI

10.7554/eLife.99642.1

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

ndopiriform neurons projecting to ventral CA1 are a critical node for recognition memory

British media needs to change negative portrayals of autism

City St George’s, University of London

The paper, led by a researcher from City St George’s, University of London, analysed sentiments towards autism and autistic people in British newspapers from 2011 to 2020, as evaluated by autistic people.

The authors found that newspapers expressed more positive sentiments when autism was associated with a person rather than discussed in general terms. Furthermore, using identity-first language (e.g., 'autistic person') was linked to more positive sentiments compared to person-first language (e.g., 'a person with autism').

While broadsheets depicted autistic people somewhat more positively compared to tabloids, no difference was observed between left-leaning and right-leaning papers.

Published in the journal Autism in Adulthood, the research supports the view that newspapers should take steps to represent autistic people more positively. This is particularly important given the role they play in shaping and shifting attitudes toward autistic people in society.

Media portrayals

Newspapers often portray autistic people negatively and stereotypically, emphasising their challenges and weaknesses instead of their needs and strengths. Media outlets also frequently use language and terminology that does not respect how autistic people wish to be referred to. This language has a negative impact on the mental well-being of autistic people and hinders their acceptance.

To understand more about the portrayals of autistic people in British newspapers, the researchers asked five autistic people to assess the sentiment towards autism and autistic people in 1,000 quotes from British newspapers between 2011 and 2020.

The autistic experts, who did not know the newspaper title and time of publication, made their judgments based on two aspects: how warmly newspapers discussed autistic people and how competent they portrayed them to be. The researchers then examined the overall judgments of warmth and competence. They considered variations in language context and terminology, such as using general and impersonal references to autism, or identity-first and person-first language. They also examined potential differences between broadsheets and tabloids, left- and right-leaning newspapers, and changes over time.

Study findings

The majority of quotes from British newspapers were found to be low in warmth and competence. Furthermore, impersonal references to autism tended to be rated lower in warmth and competence than references linking autism to a person. At the same time, identity-first language was judged higher in warmth and competence than person-first language.

Although quotes from broadsheets were assigned similar levels of warmth, they exhibited slightly higher competence than those from tabloids. However, no significant differences were found between left-leaning and right-leaning papers in terms of warmth and competence.

The study also noted some inconsistent changes over time. After a shift towards more positive representations between 2015 and 2017, newspaper portrayals tended to become more negative between 2018 and 2020.

Lead author Dr Themis Karaminis, Lecturer in Psychology at City St George’s, said:

“The coverage of autism in the press and media has increased in recent years, while lately, the notion of neurodiversity is gaining more and more recognition in educational and some professional settings. Some recent studies have found indications of progress—albeit small—toward more positive views towards autism in the public discourse.

“However, this new study, which is based on the perceptions of autistic people, challenges the notion that media coverage of autism has become more positive over the years. This finding is particularly interesting, as newspapers often still cover stories on the supposed 'cure' or 'reversal' of autism, which are hurtful and offensive to the autism community.

“Our study also highlights the critical importance of language and terminology to autistic people. Autistic people should be involved in guiding newspapers to more inclusive coverage, and it is crucial that newspapers respect the community's language preferences. Our study offers a range of positive and negative examples of autism coverage, which could aid in this transition.”

Journal

Autism in Adulthood

DOI

10.1089/aut.2023.0105

Method of Research

Literature review

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Language Matters in British Newspapers: A Participatory Analysis of the Autism UK Press Corpus