Antibacterial material restores the efficacy of antibiotics against resistant bacteria

Chalmers University of Technology

 

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The antibacterial material is a proprietary hydrogel, which can be adapted to many medical applications.

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Credit: Photo: Saba Atefyekta

Research from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, shows that resistant bacteria can regain susceptibility to antibiotics when the treatment is combined with a material equipped with antibacterial peptides. The study, performed in a laboratory environment, shows that antibiotics can achieve a 64-fold increase in bactericidal effect when used together with the material, whose antibacterial properties are also greatly enhanced by this combination.

The bactericidal material has been developed for medical applications and has been studied by the researchers for many years. It has shown a strong ability to kill many different types of bacteria – including antibiotic-resistant ones. The material consists of a specially designed hydrogel that contains antibacterial peptides, which are molecules that also serve as the building blocks of proteins.

To enable clinical use for the peptide material, particularly in combination with standard treatments such as antibiotics, the researchers had to ensure that the material does not negatively impact the effectiveness of antibiotics when used concurrently.

The study yielded surprisingly positive results: the antibiotics contrariwise became more effective in combination with the material. The researchers also discovered a synergistic effect against certain resistant bacteria, where the antibacterial effects of the peptide material and antibiotics were not only additive but greatly enhanced when used together. This has not been demonstrated before.

"When particles of the hydrogel came into close contact with the bacteria, they weakened and became more susceptible to the antibiotic treatment. In some cases, the antibiotics became effective again against bacteria that were previously resistant," says Annija Stepulane, doctoral student in applied chemistry at Chalmers and the first author of the scientific paper.

Resistant bacteria regained susceptibility
The peptide material was tested in bacterial cultures, in combination with two different antibiotics: oxacillin and vancomycin. The bacteria included in the experiments were two types of staphylococci (S. aureus), one of which is a strain resistant to several antibiotics (MRSA).

The most powerful effect observed in the study was with MRSA, especially when the material was combined with oxacillin – an antibiotic to which the bacteria are normally resistant. The combination lowered the effective concentration of oxacillin 64-fold compared to when the antibiotic was used alone. Consequently, the concentration of oxacillin fell below the threshold at which the bacteria are classified as resistant to the drug.

With vancomycin, the effective concentration was also lowered when the drug was combined with the hydrogel, though this effect was additive rather than synergistic.

Stable and active treatment over time
Researchers have tried to combine antimicrobial peptides with antibiotics previously, but so far only with peptides in solution. In this form, the peptides are highly sensitive and lose effectiveness when exposed to bodily fluids, such as blood. However, when the peptides are attached to a hydrogel, they become significantly more stable and can be active for a longer period.

The Chalmers researchers have previously measured bactericidal activity lasting for several days with the hydrogel, as opposed to a few hours with peptides in solution. They see numerous advantages with this formulation.

"The peptide-based material can be applied locally, on a limited part of the body, so that the entire body is not affected. The material is non-toxic and does not cause any adverse side effects," says Martin Andersson, research leader and professor of applied chemistry at Chalmers.

May curb infections and reduce the risk of complications
The hydrogel, which can also be formulated as particles in a spray, can increase the safety and efficacy of a course of antibiotics that the patient receives. One potential application of this discovery is in wound treatment.

"Often, you don't know whether the bacteria that caused a wound infection are resistant to a certain antibiotic when you start treatment. Applying the peptide material to the wound simultaneously increases the likelihood of the antibiotic being effective against the bacteria. Then you can cure the infection without having to use additional types of antibiotics," says Martin Andersson.

Since the peptide material only has a positive impact on the healing process, the researchers also see great advantages in using it as a standard treatment to prevent wound infections.

"The material could be used in healthcare settings, for example following surgeries – a possibility already available for veterinary care in some countries – and at home. It could function like a regular band-aid, especially for those concerned about infections. This can be particularly interesting in areas with a high prevalence of resistant infections, such as certain parts of Africa and Asia, where extra caution is needed with wound injuries," says Martin Andersson.

More about: the research results and the peptide material
Antimicrobial peptides exist naturally in our bodies and their strong bactericidal properties have been known for a long time. The bacterial cells die because the peptides damage their cell membranes, primarily through an interaction between positive charges in the peptides and negative charges in the bacterial membranes.

Synergistic effects between peptides and antibiotics have been shown previously, but only with free peptides in solution, which are challenging to work with clinically because they break down quickly. The current study is the first to show efficacy with peptides which are bound to a material, making them stable enough for clinical application.

The Chalmers researchers have previously shown that 99.99 percent of skin bacteria are killed by the material and that the bactericidal efficacy is active for more than two days. This enables using the material in many different products, such as wound care materials and coatings on medical devices that are used within the body.

The researchers have theories about the causes of the synergistic effect with antibiotics, but the molecular mechanisms remain to be explored.

More about: research and product development
Research on the antibacterial material is being carried out in close collaboration with the spin-off company Amferia, which is working to commercialize the findings from Chalmers University of Technology.

During this autumn, a wound care dressing with the hydrogel is launched in eight different European countries, intended for veterinary use. An application for approval for a wound care dressing for humans has been submitted for the US market, and the researchers anticipate that it will be available there within a year. The introduction to the European market will take slightly more time due to differing regulations.

The paper Antibacterial efficacy of antimicrobial peptide-functionalized hydrogel particles combined with vancomycin and oxacillin antibiotics has been published in the scientific journal International Journal of Pharmaceutics. The study has been conducted by Annija Stepulane (Chalmers University of Technology), Anand Kumar Rajasekharan (Amferia) and Martin Andersson (Chalmers University of Technology and Amferia).

Annija Stepulane will defend her PhD thesis Soft Amphiphilic Biomaterials for Antibacterial Applications at Chalmers 12 December.

Read more about the research:
Martin Andersson was recently awarded the Chalmers Impact Award 2024

Previous press releases:
New spray fights infections and antibiotic resistance
New material to treat wounds can protect against resistant bacteria
 

A bacterial cell is simultaneously attacked by antibiotics and a bactericidal material 

A bacterial cell (left) is simultaneously attacked on two fronts: by antibiotics and by a positively charged, bactericidal peptide-based material that disrupts the structure of the bacteria’s negatively charged cell membranes. A study from Chalmers University of Technology demonstrates that this combination yields an efficacy far greater than the sum of the individual effects of the antibiotic and the material.

Credit

Illustration: Annija Stepulane/International Journal of Pharmaceutics

WHO World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week
Today, Monday 18 November, the World Health Organization (WHO) begins its annual campaign week to raise awareness and understanding of a serious threat to global public health – antibiotic resistance. World AMR Awareness Week is a global campaign held every year between 18 and 24 November to increase awareness and understanding of antimicrobial resistance, AMR.

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Journal

International Journal of Pharmaceutics

DOI

10.1016/j.ijpharm.2024.124630 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Cells

Article Title

Antibacterial efficacy of antimicrobial peptide-functionalized hydrogel particles combined with vancomycin and oxacillin antibiotics

COI Statement

Annija Stepulane reports equipment, drugs, or supplies and writing assistance were provided by Amferia AB. Martin Andersson reports a relationship with Amferia AB that includes: board membership. Anand Kumar Rajasekharan reports a relationship with Amferia AB that includes: employment. Annija Stepulane reports a relationship with Amferia AB that includes: employment.

Researchers uncover Achilles heel of antibiotic-resistant bacteria

As drug resistance surges, scientists discover a promising new way to control the spread of this public health crisis

University of California - San Diego

 

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A model structure of a ribosome noted with color-coded flexibility indicators; red highlights ribosome regions that become more flexible, while blue depicts more rigid areas.

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Credit: Ashley Moon, Süel Lab, UC San Diego

Recent estimates indicate that deadly antibiotic-resistant infections will rapidly escalate over the next quarter century. More than 1 million people died from drug-resistant infections each year from 1990 to 2021, a recent study reported, with new projections surging to nearly 2 million deaths each year by 2050.

In an effort to counteract this public health crisis, scientists are looking for new solutions inside the intricate mechanics of bacterial infection. A study led by researchers at the University of California San Diego has discovered a vulnerability within strains of bacteria that are antibiotic resistant.

Working with labs at Arizona State University and the Universitat Pompeu Fabra (Spain), Professor Gürol Süel and colleagues in UC San Diego’s School of Biological Sciences investigated the antibiotic resistance of the bacterium Bacillus subtilis. Their research was motivated by the question of why mutant variants of bacteria do not proliferate and take over the population once they have developed an antibiotic-resistant advantage. With an upper hand over other bacteria lacking similar antibiotic resistance, such bacteria should become dominant. Yet they are not. Why?

The answer, reported in the journal Science Advances, is that antibiotic resistance comes at a cost. While antibiotic resistance provides some advantages for the bacteria to survive, the team discovered that it’s also linked with a physiological limitation that hinders potential dominance. This fact, the researchers note, potentially could be exploited to stop the spread of antibiotic resistance.

“We discovered an Achilles heel of antibiotic resistant bacteria,” said Süel, a member of the Department of Molecular Biology at UC San Diego. “We can take advantage of this cost to suppress the establishment of antibiotic resistance without drugs or harmful chemicals.”

Spontaneous mutations of DNA arise in all living cells, including those within bacteria. Some of these mutations lead to antibiotic resistance. Süel and his colleagues focused on physiological mechanisms related to ribosomes, the micro machines within cells that play a key role in synthesizing proteins and translating genetic codes.

All cells rely on charged ions such as magnesium ions to survive. Ribosomes are dependent upon magnesium ions since this metal cation helps stabilize their structure and function. However, atomic-scale modeling during the new research found that mutant ribosome variants that bestow antibiotic resistance excessively compete for magnesium ions with adenosine triphosphate (ATP) molecules, which provide energy to drive living cells. Mathematical models further showed that this results in a ribosome versus ATP tug-of-war over a limited supply of magnesium in the cell.

Studying a ribosome variant within Bacillus subtilis called “L22,” the researchers found that competition for magnesium hinders the growth of L22 more than a normal “wild type” ribosome that is not resistant to antibiotics. Hence the competition levies a physiological toll linked to mutant bacteria with resistance.

“While we often think of antibiotic resistance as a major benefit for bacteria to survive, we found that the ability to cope with magnesium limitation in their environment is more important for bacterial proliferation,” said Süel.

This newly discovered weakness can now be used as a target to counteract antibiotic resistance without the use of drugs or toxic chemicals. For example, it may be possible to chelate magnesium ions from bacterial environments, which should selectively inhibit resistant strains without impacting the wild type bacteria that may be beneficial to our health. “We show that through a better understanding of the molecular and physiological properties of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, we can find novel ways to control them without the use of drugs,” said Süel.

In October Süel and colleagues at the University of Chicago announced a separate approach to combating the antibacterial-resistant bacteria health crisis. Their development of a bioelectronic device that taps into the natural electrical activity of certain bacteria found on our skin paves the way for another drug-free approach to managing infections. The advancement was proven to reduce the harmful effects of Staphylococcus epidermidis, a common bacterium known for causing hospital-acquired infections and contributing to antibiotic resistance. In both studies the researchers used charged ions to control bacteria.

“We are running out of effective antibiotics and their rampant use over the decades has resulted in antibiotics being spread across the globe, from the arctic to the oceans and our groundwater,” said Süel. “Drug-free alternatives to treating bacterial infections are needed and our two most recent studies show how we can indeed achieve drug-free control over antibiotic resistant bacteria.”

The authors of the new study were: Eun Chae Moon, Tushar Modi, Dong-yeon Lee, Danis Yangaliev, Jordi Garcia-Ojalvo, S. Banu Ozkan and Gürol Süel.

Image depicts the outlines of bacterial cells with green fluorescence highlighting a lack of magnesium.

Credit

Ashley Moon, Süel Lab, UC San Diego

A magnified view of the ribosome variant within Bacillus subtilis known as L22 (black) and surrounding magnesium ions (green dots).

Credit

Ashley Moon, Süel Lab, UC San Diego

Journal

Science Advances

DOI

10.1126/sciadv.adq5249 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Cells

Article Title

Physiological cost of antibiotic resistance: Insights from a ribosome variant in bacteria

Article Publication Date

15-Nov-2024

Outsmarting superbugs resistant to antibiotics

$3.96 million to UH College of Pharmacy to find combination therapies

University of Houston

 

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NIH has awarded $3.96 million to Vincent Tam, professor of Pharmacy Practice and Translational Research at the University of Houston College of Pharmacy.

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Credit: University of Houston

Gram-negative bacteria pose a serious threat to global health because they can resist multiple antibiotics, making infections difficult to treat, according to the National Institutes of Health. In response, the NIH has awarded $3.96 million to Vincent Tam, professor of Pharmacy Practice and Translational Research at the UH College of Pharmacy, to outsmart these superbugs by designing more effective combination therapies that can overcome their defenses. 

Tam will develop a cutting-edge monitoring device and data-processing algorithm that will guide the design of combination therapy. 

“The rate of new drug development is unlikely to keep pace with the increase in multidrug resistance, so a robust method to guide rational selection of combination therapy would be crucial to delay returning to the pre-antibiotic era,” said Tam. “Our long-term goal is to optimize clinical use of antibiotics to combat the emergence of resistance.” 

The threat 

Gram-negative infections have become increasingly difficult to treat and often arise among hospital patients, causing urinary tract infections, pneumonia, bloodstream infections, wound or surgical infections and meningitis. 

Gram-negative bacteria are built to be hard to fight, enclosed in a protective capsule, that prevents white blood cells – that fight infection - from ingesting the bacteria. Then, when the hard-to-fight bacteria do die, they release toxins from their outer membrane, which can trigger inflammation, fever or even septic shock.   

“Upon completion of our research, clinicians could be guided in the selection of combination therapy, without comprehensive knowledge of the resistance mechanisms involved,” said Tam. 

The plan 

Tam plans to first identify useful antibiotic combinations against multidrug resistant bacteria and then validate the mathematical model predictions with clinical outcomes. He will use three highly resistant gram-negative strains - P. aeruginosa, A. baumannii and K. pneumoniae - for his research.  

“However, the proposed model-based system is not confined to a specific antimicrobial agent - pathogen combination. It could be extrapolated to other antimicrobial agents (e.g., antibacterials, antifungals and antiretrovirals) with different mechanisms of action, as well as to other pathogens (e.g., Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Candida auris, and HIV) with different microbiological characteristics,” said Tam. 

At UH, Michael Nikolaou, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, is a co-investigator of the award. Other co-investigators are William Musick, Houston Methodist Hospital and Truc Cecilia Tran, Houston Methodist Research Institute. 

Scientists uncover new mechanism in bacterial DNA enzyme opening pathways for antibiotic development

Durham University

Researchers from Durham University, Jagiellonian University (Poland) and the John Innes Centre have achieved a breakthrough in understanding DNA gyrase, a vital bacterial enzyme and key antibiotic target.

This enzyme, present in bacteria but absent in humans, plays a crucial role in supercoiling DNA, a necessary process for bacterial survival.

Using high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy the researchers reveal unprecedented detail of gyrase’s action on DNA, potentially opening doors for new antibiotic therapies against resistant bacteria.

The research is published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

DNA gyrase operates like a tiny molecular machine, carefully twisting and stabilising bacterial DNA. This twisting, known as supercoiling, is similar to winding an elastic band: as it twists, it coils tighter and tighter.

Unlike a band that would unwind if released, DNA gyrase stabilises DNA’s twisted form, making it functional for bacteria.

The enzyme wraps DNA in a ‘figure-of-eight’ loop, then precisely breaks and passes strands through each other, resealing them afterward. This is a delicate process—if the DNA remained broken, it would be lethal to the bacteria.

Antibiotics such as fluoroquinolones exploit this vulnerability by preventing the DNA resealing, which kills the bacterial cell. However, resistance to these antibiotics is growing, so a deeper understanding of how gyrase functions is urgently needed.

Using state-of-the-art cryo-electron microscopy, the team captured a snapshot of gyrase at work, revealing how it wraps DNA through outstretched protein arms to form the figure-of-eight shape.

This finding updates the conventional view of gyrase’s mechanism, which has been studied for decades. The images show the enzyme as a highly coordinated, multi-part system, with each piece moving in a precise sequence to achieve DNA supercoiling.

Reflecting on the study findings, co-author Professor Jonathan Heddle of Durham University said: “The results suggested the exact position and the order of the complex moving parts of the enzyme during when the supercoiling process occurs were not quite as we previously thought, and this could impact how we design new inhibitors.”

This discovery not only advances our knowledge of bacterial biology but also holds promise for new antibiotics designed to block gyrase in a more targeted way, bypassing existing resistance mechanisms.

With this high-resolution structure as a guide, researchers aim to take additional snapshots of the enzyme in various stages, building a molecular movie of how gyrase works.

This detailed approach could aid in the development of next-generation antibiotics that are more precise and effective in stopping bacterial infections.

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Journal

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Article Title

Structural basis of chiral wrap and T-segment capture by Escherichia coli DNA gyrase’

Article Publication Date

25-Nov-2024

 

University of Rhode Island-based report sheds light on human rights abuses worldwide

Second annual report card gives failing grades to more than half the world’s countries

University of Rhode Island

KINGSTON, R.I. – Nov. 21, 2024 – In the last quarter century, most countries around the world have failed to adequately protect the human rights of their citizens. In that time, nations’ efforts to protect human rights have been stagnant – with the number of countries receiving failing grades easily twice as high as those receiving passing grades.

Those are the findings of the second annual report on global human rights released today by the University of Rhode Island. The 2024 Global RIghts Project (GRIP) report, produced by a team of researchers based at the University of Rhode Island’s Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies, finds an alarming disregard for the respect of human rights around the globe.

In its 2024 report card, 62 percent of the world’s 195 countries receive an ‘F’ (scores from 0 to 59) for their human rights practices, while just 18 percent earned between an ‘A’ and a ‘B’ (scores between 80-100). The global median score was 52, up two points from the 2023 report.

“The global rise in democratic backsliding, inequality, and digital repression make me pessimistic about the future of human rights,” said Skip Mark, assistant professor of political science at URI and director of the Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies. “The CIRIGHTS project shows that global respect has declined over the past decade. Despite a growth in human rights law, institutions, NGOs, and technology to document and disseminate information about human rights, things are getting worse.” 

Launched last year, the GRIP report draws on the world’s largest quantitative human rights dataset – the CIRIGHTS Data Project – to grade each of the world’s countries on a 100-point scale. CIRIGHTS, which was launched by researchers at URI and Binghamton University in 2022, provides measurements for each of 24 human rights in every country, using data from such annual reports as the U.S. Department of State, Amnesty International, and the United Nations’ State of the World’s Indigenous Peoples Report, among others. This year’s GRIP report draws on data from 2022.

Highest and lowest ranking nations and regions

According to the 2024 rankings, the top five countries are Iceland (97.9, or ‘A’), which improved 5.6 points over the 2023 rankings; Estonia (96.5, ‘A’); Denmark (94.4, ‘A’); Finland (94.4, ‘A’), which was first last year with a score of 98; and Monaco (94.4, ‘A’). All countries in the top 10 earned ‘A’s’ – the only nations to score that high. The bottom five countries are Iran (0, ‘F’), Afghanistan (2.1, ‘F’), North Korea (4.9, ‘F’), Yemen (5.6, ‘F’), and South Sudan (9, ‘F’). The U.S. scored a 62.5, or a ‘D,’ ranking 66th in the world, tied with Jamaica.  

The GRIP report also connects a country’s characteristics, such as population level and regime type, with its human rights practices. According to the data, one of the strongest predictors of human rights adherence around the globe is democracy. Democratic countries tend to have more respect for human rights, while all of the countries with the lowest scores are non-democracies. However, there are exceptions: Monaco, a non-democracy, is among the top 10 for human rights practices, while India, a democracy, scores a 41, an ‘F.’

Also, the highest and lowest countries among the top 10 best and worst scorers suggest that human rights adherence might cluster geographically and, while there are exceptions, wealthy countries have better human rights records.

Among its characteristics, the U.S. is a wealthy democratic country with strong domestic laws protecting civil and political rights. But it gets failing scores on such rights categories as physical integrity (such as extrajudicial killings, torture, and political imprisonment) and worker rights (such as freedom to unionize and child labor rights).

“The U.S. has not ratified many human rights treaties (it is the only country not to have ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child), and excessive police violence and police shootings which disproportionately target racial minorities are so bad they are criticized worldwide,” Mark said. “Political imprisonment of non-violent protesters has increased in recent years and laws restricting the right to protest are undermining a core mechanism through which citizens can advocate for better rights. Worker rights continue to be violated with increasing restrictions on unionization, limits to the right to strike, a minimum wage that people cannot live on, and a rise in child laborers and laws weakening child labor protections.”

Breaking down the 2024 rankings by region, Canada is the top performer in the Americas, with an 86.8, or a ‘B,’ followed by Grenada (86.1, ‘B’), and Antigua and Barbuda (86.1). There is a wide variation in respect for human rights in the region, with an average score of 57.6 – third best of the five global regions designated by the United Nations. 

The Asia and the Middle East region has the lowest average human rights score (32.9). The region is home to the lowest scoring nations in the world, including Iran (0), Afghanistan (2.1), North Korea (2.8), Yemen (5.6), and China, which scores 13.2 despite being one of the wealthiest and most powerful countries in the world. With six of the top ranked countries, Europe has the highest human rights average at 74.4 among regions. Europe is followed by Oceania (69.0). At 35.9, Africa is the second lowest region. 

The global pictures in the 21st century

The distribution of human rights scores has remained largely stable over the past 17 years, according to data from CIRIGHTS dataset, which contains 40 years of human rights data. For the last 24 years, most countries have received a failing grade, with 58 percent getting an ‘F.’ 

“We have cause for concern in the 21st century, and these findings suggest a pressing need to strengthen human rights,” the researchers say. “The current tools used to improve human rights and hold leaders accountable are not working and a new approach may be necessary to improve human rights globally.”

“One tool to improve human rights is documenting where violations occur and taking steps to redress those violations,” Mark added. “However, leaders are getting increasingly sophisticated in hiding human rights violations in ways that are hard to measure. A large majority of countries are engaging in digital repression in ways that are either not being captured by current human rights measures or allow leaders to engage in more targeted repression, such as arresting a peaceful protester identified by a security camera in their home after a protest has ended. These tactics can make it look like less repression is occurring, when in fact leaders are repressing in a more efficient way. To catch these changes we need more data and more funding for research like this.” 

Protection of individual rights

Looking at protection of individual rights in the last 25 years, the report finds rights such as protection from disappearance and atrocity among the most respected; 80 percent of countries enforce these rights. Among the lowest respected rights are lack of adherence to freedom from torture, protection against child labor, and right to a fair trial. 

Patterns in the rankings show higher enforcement of physical integrity rights (such as right against disappearance) and empowerment rights (women’s political rights). Among the bottom 12, most are workers rights (such as freedom from forced labor and child labor, and right to unionize). Freedom from torture, among physical integrity rights, is an exception among those that lack global respect. 

Torture remains widespread around the world. In the 2022 data, about 75 percent of countries engaged in torture, even while it is one of the most scrutinized rights in the world. The data suggest that despite an international treaty to end torture and strong campaigns, states still engage in torture regularly.

“People do not know what their human rights are, whether their governments are violating human rights, and how their country compares to the rest of the world,” said Mark. “Our hope is that this report can help answer these questions. Students are often surprised by how the U.S. compares to the rest of the world and it sparks really interesting conversations about what we could be doing better. Human rights education is the first step to creating demand for human rights, which is necessary to improving human rights.”

Compiling the report

The 2024 GRIP report was authored by Mark, Meg Frost, Roya Izadi, and Ashlea Rundlett, assistant professors of political science at URI. The CIRIGHTS Data Project is led by Mark; David Cingranelli and Mikhail Filippov of Binghamton University; and David Richards of the University of Connecticut.

The project is also supported by the work of numerous undergraduate and graduate students. The students wrote the human rights spotlights featured in the report that shed light on topics such as human trafficking, digital repression, and refugee rights. They also go through the international human rights reports to process the data for the annual GRIP report.

“The GRIP project is made possible by our students,” said Frost, assistant professor of political science and the director of research at the Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies. “The students are involved in every step of the process, including producing, organizing, and analyzing the data to include in the spotlights section of the report. “We want to highlight the ‘spotlights’ because they showcase our students’ knowledge and dedication to the full process with the data.”

On Tuesday, Dec. 3, the URI Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies will host a presentation of the 2024 report, along with presentations of the spotlight reports by their authors – Zahra Khan, Mya MacNeil, Megumi Sinniah, Graham Shirley, Iolanda Di Giorgio, Tiffany Morel, Kristine Moore, and Isabelle Dibner. The event will be held in the Higgins Welcome Center Hope Room, starting at 2 p.m.

The report, including information about methodology, is available on the project website.

Study exposes global ‘blind spot’ in human rights protections for dissidents

Intensifying coercive tactics used by repressive states to silence critics abroad requires the set-up of specialist transnational rights protection offices, says a new paper by researchers at Lancaster University and Central European University in Vienna

Lancaster University

Intensifying coercive tactics used by repressive states to silence critics abroad requires the set-up of specialist transnational rights protection offices, says a new paper by researchers at Lancaster University and Central European University in Vienna.

States are failing to address the impact of such Transnational Human Rights Violations (THRVs), leaving them in breach of commitments in UN treaties that require them to protect the human rights of everyone within their territory, the research shows.

While prominent acts of violence, such as the Salisbury poisoning and the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Kashoggi, have made the news, most THRVs happen out of the public eye, says the paper.

Perpetrators have been expanding surveillance and coercion against overseas targets and their families in the home country and pioneering new techniques of remote-control censorship and online harassment.

The article tells one story of an overseas student in Australia who received a video call from her parents in China, who urged her to stop criticising the Chinese government. They were flanked by a police officer who warned her she was still governed by law of China.

The top five offenders according to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) are China, Turkey, Russia, Egypt and Tajikistan. But the article highlights how the phenomenon is expanding, with data from Freedom House showing that between 2014 to 2022 some 38 governments committed 854 incidents of physical transnational repression in 91 countries.

The primary targets of repressive tactics overseas have traditionally been regime opponents, political activists and human rights defenders in exile, but recent years have seen an expanding array of groups affected, including journalists, academics, legal professionals and everyday members of diaspora communities. Many of the targets are nationals of the country in which the action takes place.

Targeted people, says the article, routinely struggle to obtain help and support as local authorities are often unfamiliar with such complex situations. Although some governments have launched training to raise awareness among police forces, many THRVs do not constitute crimes under current law, or are committed remotely from beyond the government’s jurisdiction.

Published in the November issue of the Journal of Human Rights Practice, the article ‘Transnational Human Rights Violations: Addressing the Evolution of Globalized Repression through National Human Rights Institutions’ is written by Dr Andrew Chubb, Senior Lecturer in Chinese Politics and International Relations at Lancaster University and Associate Professor Kirsten Roberts Lyer, a specialist in international human rights law and practice, at the Central European University.

THRVs are, say the authors, a ‘major blind spot’ in most countries’ human rights protection arrangements, with the issue not on the radar of specialised human rights bodies like national human rights institutions such as the UK’s Equalities and Human Rights Commission. Domestic intelligence agencies have taken an interest where THRVs have generated threats to national security but are ill equipped to provide the support and assistance needed by those targeted.

The UK’s National Security Act (passed 2023) introduced new ‘foreign interference’ and espionage offences and severe penalties are in place in the UK for foreign-directed acts of interference against protected rights, but no charges have been brought against perpetrators of THRVs.

The paper urges the provision of new mechanisms and extra funding to ensure every individual can freely exercise their rights.

The authors propose that states must establish ‘Transnational Rights Protection Offices’ to provide a point of contact to support individuals affected by THRVs and identify necessary legislative changes. TRIPOs would be staffed by experts in the field.

They would work nationally to monitor THRVs, advise governments, develop domestic policy and legislation proposals and at international level to report and coordinate to share best practice and improve international frameworks.

Dr Chubb said: “Transnational repression very often results in silence, so it all starts with providing a contact point that can start systematically monitoring the problem from the perspective of protecting human rights. It’s not enough to just approach the problem as a national security issue — that’s only the tip of the iceberg.”

Dr Roberts Lyer added: “Governments need to recognise and act upon the obligations they have to support and protect human rights from transnational as well as domestic threats, this is currently a significant blind spot in national human rights protection.”

 

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Journal

Journal of Human Rights Practice

DOI

10.1093/jhuman/huae017 

Article Title

‘Transnational Human Rights Violations: Addressing the Evolution of Globalized Repression through National Human Rights Institutions

 

Study finds US suburban school districts diversified in 20 years, but urban districts saw more racial isolation

Census data, geographic mapping show reduced white flight in suburbs, but less diversity in urban schools, in changing face of educational segregation

University of Kansas

LAWRENCE — Even though Brown v. Board outlawed school segregation 70 years ago, American schools have remained segregated to a certain degree ever since. New research from the University of Kansas has found that school segregation is changing, especially in traditionally predominantly white suburban districts, but that racial isolation is increasing in urban districts.

The study, conducted by analyzing 2020 and 2000 U.S. Census Bureau and school enrollment data with the help of geographical mapping technology, shows that suburban districts across the country are not as predominantly white as they were 20 years prior, but that students of color are seeing more racial isolation in urban schools. 

That doesn’t mean school segregation is getting better or worse, according to study lead author Bryan Mann, associate professor of educational leadership & policy studies at KU, just that it is changing.

“With this study, we used 2020 and 2000 census data and school enrollment data to see how things might have changed,” Mann said. “One of the biggest findings is suburban districts, which are typically viewed as white flight districts, are clearly seeing more diversity. But students of color in urban districts are seeing more isolation.”

The findings can help guide research and policy intended to address inequity in American schools.

“Typically, conversations about equity and equality focus on urban areas. I think it’s important that we don’t just consider inequality as an urban issue,” Mann said.

The study, co-written with Ryan Fitzpatrick and Daniah Hammouda, doctoral candidates in educational leadership & policy studies at KU, was published in the journal American Educational Research Association Open.

Mann said the study’s purpose was to provide an updated look at how segregation and demographics in schools have changed in the first two decades of the 20th century. Following school desegregation required by Supreme Court decisions in 1954 and 1968, many white families moved to suburbs, a pattern known historically as white flight, that resisted forced school integration. Patterns of racial separation in schools have evolved ever since. 

To get an updated look, study authors compared census data showing the demographic makeup of communities as well as racial and ethnic data from schools across the country. That data was paired with a practice known as dasymetric interpolation, which uses GIS technology to compare patterns while holding current school district boundaries consistent during the 20-year period.

“Dasymetric interpolation allows you to accurately split boundary changes and use the technique as a fine-tuned way to get populations weighted correctly,” Mann said.

Study findings showed that suburban districts that had majority white populations, or more than 90% of enrolled students who were white, dropped from 91.39% in 2000 to 80.26% in 2020. Majority white districts that showed 10% growth in students of color was found in 56.48% of suburban school districts.

Conversely, urban districts with 90% or more students of color enrollment nearly doubled, increasing from 8.65% in 2000 to 16.71% in 2020.

The study also examined residential demographics and found that residents in suburban communities diversified at slower rates than their schools. That could be due to several factors, Mann said, including older residents not having children in schools or, in the case of urban districts, white residents not enrolling their children in those schools, perhaps opting for private or other nearby schools.

All data in the study was for elementary school districts. It did not include data for Tennessee, Alaska and Hawaii, as necessary data to make comparisons was not available in those states. With those factors considered, the changes in school demographics, with suburban districts becoming more diverse and urban districts becoming more racially isolated, occurred across the country.

Mann, who studies school segregation, changing enrollment patterns and policy and built interactive maps for researchers and policymakers, said the study can be useful to anyone looking to understand the makeup of American schools and the necessary policies to ensure students from every type of district are receiving equitable educational opportunities.

“There are different reasons in different states for changing demographics, but it is happening nearly everywhere,” Mann said. “This can motivate more research that can break out the data into more detail. We know these patterns are happening for a lot of reasons, and I think examining them further will be the next big step in educational research.”

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Journal

AERA Open

DOI

10.1177/23328584241290754 

Method of Research

Data/statistical analysis

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Racial Change in Suburbia: America’s Diversifying Elementary Districts and Their Effect on School Segregation

 

Wildfire smoke exposure and incident dementia

JAMA Network

About The Study: 

In this cohort study, after adjusting for measured confounders, long-term exposure to wildfire and non-wildfire fine particulate matter (PM2.5) over a 3-year period was associated with dementia diagnoses. As the climate changes, interventions focused on reducing wildfire PM2.5 exposure may reduce dementia diagnoses and related inequities.

Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Joan A. Casey, PhD, email jacasey@uw.edu.

To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/

(doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2024.4058)

Editor’s Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support.

#  #  #

Embed this link to provide your readers free access to the full-text article This link will be live at the embargo time https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology/fullarticle/10.1001/jamaneurol.2024.4058?guestAccessKey=fa5fca5a-bcdf-4801-a2dc-81b6e87b95dd&utm_source=for_the_media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_content=tfl&utm_term=112524

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Journal

JAMA Neurology

UW-led research links wildfire smoke exposure with increased dementia risk

University of Washington

As Baby Boomers hit retirement, about 1 in 6 Americans is now over the age of 65. The number of Americans living with dementia is projected to skyrocket — but the proportion of older Americans who develop dementia has actually decreased. The exact reason why is uncertain, but various lifestyle and environmental factors can influence a person’s risk of cognitive decline.  

One recently discovered risk is air pollution. Studies have linked exposure to a type of air pollution called fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, with an increased risk of developing dementia, and researchers suspect that some sources of PM2.5 may pose a greater risk than others. 

New research led by the University of Washington found that wildfire smoke is especially hazardous. An analysis of the health care records of 1.2 million Southern California residents found that higher long-term smoke exposure was associated with a significant increase in the odds that a person would be diagnosed with dementia.   

The researchers presented their findings at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in July and published the full study Nov. 25 in JAMA Neurology.

“There have been studies that have found total PM2.5 is related to people developing dementia, but no one had looked specifically at wildfire PM2.5,” said lead author Joan Casey, a UW associate professor of environmental & occupational health sciences. “Wildfire smoke is a different animal, in that it’s much spikier. There are many days where there’s no wildfire smoke, and there are some days where exposure is really, really extreme.” 

Researchers analyzed the health records of 1.2 million members aged 60 and older of Kaiser Permanente Southern California between 2008 and 2019, all of whom were free from dementia at the start of the study period. They estimated each person’s long-term exposure to both wildfire and non-wildfire PM2.5 as a three-year rolling average, and then identified people who received a dementia diagnosis. 

Researchers found that for every 1 microgram per cubic meter (µg/m3) increase in three-year average wildfire PM2.5 concentration, the odds of a dementia diagnosis increased by 18%. Exposure to non-wildfire PM2.5 also increased a person’s risk of dementia, but to a much lesser degree.  

“One microgram per meter cubed might sound fairly small, but we have to think about how people are exposed to wildfire smoke,” Casey said. “Most days they aren’t exposed at all, so this might represent a few days of exposure at a concentration of something like 300 µg/m3, where the AQI is over 200 in someone’s community. When you think about it, it’s actually a few really severe wildfire smoke days that might translate into increased risk.” 

That risk further increased among racialized people and those living in high-poverty census tracts, following long-term trends in which vulnerable populations often experience disproportionate effects of environmental hazards. The authors suggested that disparities might be related to lower-quality housing, which can increase the amount of smoke that enters people’s homes, or lower-income families’ inability to afford air filtration systems.  

The study period does not include the summers of 2020 and 2021, which produced the most extreme wildfire seasons recorded in California. The climate crisis has drastically increased the frequency and severity of wildfires across the American West, introducing “smoke season” in many West Coast regions The influx of smoke has chipped away at air quality improvements made over the last century. 

“The main culprit here is climate change,” Casey said. “It’s a global problem. While individuals can protect themselves with air filters and masks, we need a global solution to climate change. It’s going to have to be many-pronged — many people have to be involved to solve this highly complex problem.” 

Co-authors on this study are Holly Elser of the University of Pennsylvania; Timothy Frankland of the Kaiser Permanente Hawaii Center for Integrated Health Research; Chen Chen and Tarik Benmarhnia of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego; Sara Tartof and Gina Lee of Kaiser Permanente Southern California; Elizabeth Rose Mayeda of UCLA; Dr. Alexander Northrop of Columbia University; and Jacqueline Torres of UC San Francisco. This research was funded by the National Institute on Aging and the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences. 

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Journal

JAMA Neurology

DOI

10.1001/jamaneurol.2024.4058 

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Wildfire Smoke Exposure and Incident Dementia

Article Publication Date

25-Nov-2024

COI Statement

Mr Frankland reported grants from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) during the conduct of the study; owning stock in AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Regeneron Pharmaceutical, and Stryker; and previously owning stock in, CVS and Pfizer outside the submitted work. Dr Tartof reported funding grants paid to her institution for work unrelated to this manuscript from Pfizer during the conduct of the study. Dr Mayeda reported personal fees for serving as a consultant for a grant from the NIH during the conduct of the study and grants from the NIH and the California Department of Public Health outside the submitted work. Ms Lee reported funding to her institution from Moderna and GlaxoSmithKline outside the submitted work. Dr Torres reported grants from the US National Institute on Aging and the US National Cancer Institute outside the submitted work. Dr Casey reported grants from the US National Institute on Aging both during the conduct of the study and outside the submitted work. No other disclosures were reported.

 

Health co-benefits of China's carbon neutrality policies highlighted in new review

Health Data Science

Researchers from the National Institute of Health Data Science at Peking University have conducted a comprehensive review of the health impacts of China's carbon mitigation strategies. Published in Health Data Science, this review emphasizes the significant health co-benefits of environmental policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions in China, the world's largest carbon emitter. These benefits include reducing deaths and diseases related to air pollution, particularly from PM2.5 and ozone (O3), as well as mitigating climate-related health impacts.

China’s commitment to achieving carbon peaking by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060 has the potential to avert hundreds of thousands of deaths annually due to reduced air pollution exposure. The study also highlights that limiting global warming to well below 2°C could drastically reduce heat-related health risks, especially in vulnerable populations.

Lead researcher Professor Luxia Zhang explains, “By implementing these climate policies, China could not only achieve its carbon neutrality goals but also significantly improve public health. This research shows that reducing air pollution through carbon mitigation can prevent diseases and save lives.”

The review underscores the importance of integrating health considerations into climate policy-making. Moving forward, the research team plans to explore the impact of China's carbon policies on diseases like chronic kidney disease, particularly in relation to compound effects of heat and air pollution. These studies will provide crucial insights for policymakers as they develop strategies to protect public health while tackling climate change.

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Journal

Health Data Science

DOI

10.34133/hds.0188 

Article Title

Health Co-Benefits of Environmental Changes in the Context of Carbon Peaking and Carbon Neutrality in China

 

Replacing animal products with plant-based foods leads to 92% reduction in hot flashes in postmenopausal women, finds new study

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Replacing meat and dairy products with plant-based foods, both “healthy” and “unhealthy” as defined by the plant-based index, leads to weight loss and a reduction of hot flashes in postmenopausal women, according to new research by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine published in BMC Women’s Health.

“Simply replacing meat and dairy products with plant-based foods can lead to weight loss and a reduction in hot flashes in postmenopausal women,” says Hana Kahleova, MD, PhD, a co-author of the paper and director of clinical research at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

The new research is a secondary analysis of data from a Physicians Committee study published in the journal Menopause. In the study, 84 postmenopausal women reporting two or more moderate-to-severe hot flashes daily were randomly assigned to either the intervention group that was asked to follow a low-fat vegan diet, including a half cup cooked soybeans a day, or to the control group that continued their usual diets for 12 weeks.

The new analysis assessed the association of a plant-based index (PDI), healthful plant-based index (hPDI), and unhealthful plant-based index (uPDI), with changes in hot flashes. The PDI measures adherence to a plant-based diet in general, the hPDI includes more fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans, and the uPDI includes more foods such as refined grains and fruit juices. The scores of all three indexes are higher with increased consumption of plant-based foods and reduced consumption of animal products.

In the new analysis, all three scores increased in the vegan group, compared with no change in the control group. Both the “healthy” and “unhealthy” plant-based indices—hPDI and uPDI—were associated with weight loss and a reduction in hot flashes. Severe hot flashes were reduced by 92% in the vegan group and did not change significantly in the control group. Participants in the vegan group also lost an average of 3.6 kilograms (about 8 pounds), while the control group lost an average of 0.2 kilograms (about half a pound).

The authors say that the results of the analysis suggest that consuming even the so-called “unhealthy” plant-based foods, as defined by the plant-based index, may lead to weight loss when they replace animal products. For example, fruit juices, refined grains, and potatoes, which are all included on the uPDI, are higher in carbohydrates and lower in fat than meat, dairy products, and eggs; carbohydrates have only 4 calories per gram, while fat has 9 calories per gram.

“The good news is that our new analysis helps clarify that even plant-based foods that are defined as “unhealthy” by the plant-based index are better than animal products in terms of weight loss and reduction in hot flashes,” says Dr. Kahleova. “If you want to lose weight, fight hot flashes, or improve other diet-related conditions like type 2 diabetes and heart disease, it’s always best to choose the plant-based option over animal products.”

Founded in 1985, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is a nonprofit organization that promotes preventive medicine, conducts clinical research, and encourages higher standards for ethics and effectiveness in education and research.

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Journal

BMC Women s Health

DOI

10.1186/s12905-024-03467-4 

Method of Research

Randomized controlled/clinical trial

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Diet quality, body weight, and postmenopausal hot flashes: a secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial

Article Publication Date

23-Nov-2024

 

Most U.S. adults surveyed trust store-bought turkey is free of contaminants, despite research finding fecal bacteria in ground turkey

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

WASHINGTON, D.C. ؚ— More than six out of 10 U.S. adults who took part in a Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine/Morning Consult survey last week say they wouldn’t eat turkey contaminated with feces, yet consumer research has shown more than half of store-bought packages of ground turkey tested positive for it.

The poll included 2,183 adults interviewed Nov. 18 to Nov. 20, 82% of whom said they plan to eat turkey for Thanksgiving this year. Of those, 87% said they trust it’ll be free from contaminants, but 65% said if they knew it was contaminated with fecal bacteria, they’d be unlikely to eat it.

In research conducted by Consumer Reports in 2013, more than half of store-bought packages of raw ground turkey meat and patties tested positive for bacteria that indicate fecal contamination. Although ground turkey was tested, whole turkey carcasses, like those purchased for Thanksgiving, can be contaminated with fecal bacteria when the birds are slaughtered. A Physicians Committee study of poultry in 2012 showed similar results. Half of the chicken products marketed by 22 national brands and sold in 15 grocery store chains in 10 major U.S. cities contained chicken feces, lab testing showed.

“While most people say they wouldn’t knowingly eat turkey contaminated with feces,” said Roxanne Becker, MBChB, DipIBLM, with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, “more than half the time, consumers may be unwittingly doing so. If that’s not enough to convince people to keep it off their plates, consider this: E. coli in meat has been linked to urinary tract infections. And while it’s sometimes promoted as a healthy source of protein, a single serving of turkey can contain up to 80 milligrams of cholesterol, a waxy substance that can clog arteries and lead to heart attack or stroke.”

Results of the new survey also show:

*Women, Gen Xers (born 1965-1980), and baby boomers (born 1946-1964) were the least likely to say they’d eat turkey if they knew it was contaminated.

*More than one in four respondents said they’re likely to have a family member or guest at their Thanksgiving table this year who follows a vegan diet.

*Gen Zers (born 1997-2012) and millennials (born 1981-1996) are more likely than Gen Xers and baby boomers to say they’d like to try a vegetarian or vegan alternative to turkey.

The Physicians Committee, a national nonprofit health advocacy group of more than 17,000 doctors, recommends consumers consider a fully plant-based and healthful Thanksgiving and get potentially contaminated turkey, in addition to cholesterol and saturated fat, off their plates.

“This holiday season, forgo the turkey,” Dr. Becker said, “and let vegetables take center stage.”

The Physicians Committee website is a free source of an abundance of healthful, plant-based Thanksgiving recipes, including dishes such as Vegan Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie, Zesty Cranberry Sauce, and Pumpkin Pie.

Note to reporters: To arrange an advance interview with Dr. Becker, please contact Kim Kilbride at 202-717-8665, kkilbride@pcrm.org.

Founded in 1985, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is a nonprofit health organization that promotes preventive medicine, conducts clinical research, and encourages higher standards for ethics and effectiveness in research and medical training.

 

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Method of Research

Survey

Warning: Don’t miss Thanksgiving dinner, it’s more meaningful than you think

University of Florida

Book the flight home for Thanksgiving, go to that party even though you’re tired, and write that thank you note. You may feel these experiences are not that significant in your busy life today, but according to Erin Westgate, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Florida, you are likely wrong.

Westgate and her team of researchers at the Florida Social Cognition and Emotion Lab recently received a grant from the National Science Foundation to investigate the factors that lead people to underestimate the meaningfulness of future life experiences.

“This started a long time ago when I was in grad school where I was talking to another student who asked me if we know how meaningful events will be in the future,” Westgate said. That was in the fall, just before the Thanksgiving holiday.

“Surely people know how significant Thanksgiving will be, right? It’s the poster child for gratitude and meaning,” she said.

After conducting a study with University of Virginia undergraduates, asking them about a week before the holiday how meaningful they expected it would be for them and comparing it to their answers after, the results were surprising. Students were overwhelmingly wrong in their estimate of feelings around the holiday, according to Westgate.

At UF, most of Westgate’s research is largely high impact lab-based, but during the pandemic in 2020, she decided to revisit the findings from her previous work. “We found it once, but can we find it again,” Westgate questioned.

With a larger sample of UF undergrads, Westgate saw the same result. People were clearly underestimating how meaningful their Thanksgiving holidays turned out to be.

“We want to live meaningful lives, we want to do meaningful things and so if we are not realizing that an experience is going to be meaningful, we may be less likely to do it and miss out on these potential sources of meaning in our own lives,” Westgate said.

The base of this new research is understanding that individuals make major decisions on how they anticipate a particular experience will make them feel. From large, life changing decisions such as choosing a career, or starting a family, to participating in holiday events and family gatherings, people make decisions, according to Westgate on choices that foster a sense of purpose and lead to a purposeful and fulfilling life.

The three-year study will use both field and lab experiments to discover why people tend to underestimate life experiences such as career choices, volunteer efforts and even mundane tasks like writing thank you notes and filing taxes. Both positive and negative experiences will be evaluated including the acceptance or denial of medical school applications.

The study will also explore meaningful growth experiences that involve discomfort. Here in particular, if discomfort is involved, individuals may avoid a particular decision that if carried out, could have a significant life impact in developing resilience and potential deep satisfaction of personal sacrifice.

“We don’t make sense of events until they actually happen. We don’t process events until we need to, when they actually happen and not before,” said Westgate. “If we try to make sense of things before they happen, the downside of that is that we are not appreciating how meaningful they will be.”

The goal of the research is to offer ideas on how we can fix this underestimation. When we more fully understand why people are making these mistakes in judgement, we hope we can move on to how we can potentially fix this problem, according to Westgate.

“Sometimes we go into a project, and we know what we are going to find. This is one of those projects that surprised us,” said Westgate. “I love a problem; I love a puzzle, and this was a puzzle I couldn’t ignore.”