Intervention improves the healthcare response to domestic violence in low- and middle-income countries

University of Bristol

 

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Training being given to Nepalese healthcare providers

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Credit: HERA

Culturally appropriate women-centred interventions can help healthcare systems respond to domestic violence, research has found. HERA (Healthcare Responding to Violence and Abuse) has been co-developing and evaluating a domestic violence and abuse healthcare intervention in low- and middle-income countries for the past five years. This National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Global Research Group will report their findings, and publish a PolicyBristol report, at a conference in London today [27 November]. 

The Group was co-led by the University of Bristol and London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Specific country studies were led by the University of Sao Paulo (Brazil), Kathmandu University (Nepal), An-Najah National University (occupied Palestinian territories), and University of Peradeniya (Sri Lanka). Domestic violence and abuse (DVA) against women is a significant concern in each of these countries, with a prevalence of 23 per cent in Brazil, 27 per cent in Nepal, 29 per cent in the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt), and 24 per cent in Sri Lanka.

Following implementation of the HERA programme, rates of identification of DVA in participating health services increased by 78 per cent in Brazil, 100 per cent in Nepal and 69 per cent in Sri Lanka1. There was a 24 per cent decrease in identification of women experiencing DVA in the oPt, partly due to escalating violence in the Israeli occupation2.

Healthcare worker confidence and motivation to address domestic violence improved, with healthcare workers reporting increases in their readiness to identify, inquire about and respond to domestic violence by documenting cases, making referrals, and offering ongoing support. In Nepal, there was a slight decrease in healthcare worker confidence to offer ongoing support due to the healthcare clinics becoming Covid isolation wards.

Context matters

HERA aimed to strengthen each country’s health system response to DVA by focusing on women-centred care, context-specific adaptations, and healthcare leadership to drive change. It was informed by World Health Organization clinical guidance. The study took place in health services serving socioeconomically disadvantaged communities, focusing on sexual and reproductive health care. This included primary healthcare facilities in Brazil, Nepal, and the oPt, as well as in district general hospitals in Sri Lanka.

Key elements of the intervention were:

• training, which focused on: enhancing understanding of women's experiences, building skills for empathy, asking questions in a non-judgmental manner, and providing first-line support
• improving recording practices
• establishing care pathways for affected women within and beyond the health system

The adaptation and implementation of HERA in the four countries was shaped by their distinct socio-cultural, political and economic contexts. This included issues such as: drug cartel activities in Brazil and social violence relating to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank2; gender norms and variations in laws regarding violence against women; and challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Impact

Training has been vital to address domestic violence in the four countries.

• In Brazil, the south region hopes to expand HERA training to all services in that region, including health services other than primary healthcare (mental health and emergency services, specially). 
• The Palestinian Ministry of Health will invite healthcare providers who participated in the "Train the Trainer" programme to train their colleagues in future gender-based violence training sessions. 
• The training material developed and used for the HERA intervention in Sri Lanka - to increase awareness and response to DVA among healthcare professionals (HCPs) -  has been  discussed with the Family Health Bureau (FHB) of the Ministry of Health.  It is hoped the material will be used in their HCP training program in 2025.
• The HERA team in Nepal was instrumental in advocating for a Gender Transformative Approach (GTA) to train healthcare providers along with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).  Currently, the governmental training manual on healthcare response to GBV is being revised to incorporate GTA. The HERA team will train providers/medical students/nursing students/physiotherapy students from different departments and institutions to use the GTA approach.    

Recommendations

The report makes a number of policy and practice recommendations, which include:

• Strengthen health system linkages with local leaders, women’s organisations and non-governmental organisation (NGO)-led services
• Incorporate a robust women-centred perspective in training programmes, grounded in an understanding of gender inequality
• Develop targeted interventions for managers to drive organisational change
• Expand referral options for women at various stages of readiness to seek help
• Maintain a simple, unified record system for documenting DVA
• Establish targets and performance indicators for DVA responses in healthcare systems

Gene Feder, Professor of Primary Care in the Centre for Academic Primary Care at the University of Bristol and co-Director of HERA, said: “Violence against women is a severe violation of human rights rooted in gender and economic inequalities, affecting nearly one in three women globally. The rates are even higher in some low- and middle-income countries. Health systems play a crucial role in addressing the immediate health needs of women and supporting their pathways to safety and recovery. In HERA we found that health systems in diverse countries in the global South could be strengthened to identify and respond to the needs of women experiencing domestic violence.”

Loraine Bacchus, Professor of Global Public Health at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and co-Director of HERA, explained: “HERA has shown that culturally appropriate, women-centred programmes can strengthen healthcare system responses to domestic violence. By collaborating with local health services and addressing the specific challenges faced by their local communities, it is possible to improve healthcare worker confidence and build trust with the women they support. This work highlights the value of country-specific strategies to improve how doctors and other healthcare workers respond to violence against women.”

Professor Ana Flavia d’Oliveira, Principal Investigator, University of São Paulo, said:” Our greatest achievement and the true success of the HERA intervention lie in increasing the identification of domestic violence cases without resorting to mechanical questions or obtaining irrelevant answers. This increase signifies a more attentive and perceptive approach toward women, with a deeper understanding of gender, race, and class inequalities. It also fosters the belief in shared decision-making.

“Primary care's role in supporting these cases is crucial, serving as an entry point to the rights protection network, despite its limitations. HERA has developed an approach to posing questions, providing support, and making referrals that avoids judgment and re-victimisation. Instead of viewing patients as helpless, it recognises women as empowered individuals capable of making decisions and accepting their consequences.”

Amira Shaheen, Assistant Professor and Principal Investigator, An Najah National University said: "We are deeply committed to advancing healthcare responses to abuse and violence. This initiative not only seeks to strengthen the capacity of our healthcare systems but also to provide a lifeline for those affected. Our work reflects the resilience of communities and the critical role of healthcare in safeguarding human dignity and well-being."

Dr Poonam Rishal, Principal Investigator, Kathmandu University, said: “HERA Nepal has been a collaborative journey to contribute to meaningful work aligning with our passion for fostering change for women who experience violence and abuse. It has been a learning of best practices and challenging existing research that can support policy implementation and amplify voices of women, enriching professional and personal development. Camaraderie, transparency and non-hierarchical leadership were pivotal to its success.”

Professor Thilini Rajapakse, Principal Investigator, University of Peradeniya, said: “Our main aim is to improve the healthcare response to domestic violence, and to increase awareness about this key issue.  We also strongly advocate for improving support and service provision for people experiencing domestic violence, and exploring socio-culturally appropriate ways to do so. HERA has been an important part of our programme.”

This research was funded by the NIHR (17/63/125) using UK aid from the UK Government to support global health research. The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the UK Government. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.

PolicyBristol report

‘Health system interventions can improve domestic violence support but context matters’ by  Loraine J Bacchus, Manuela Colombini (London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine), Stephanie Pereira, Ana Flavia d’Oliveira, Lilia Blima Schraiber (University of São Paulo), Poonam Rishal, Kunta Pun (Kathmandu University), Thilini Rajapakse (University of Peradeniya), Amira Shaheen, Abdulsalam Alkaiyat (An-Najah National University), Claudia Garcia Moreno (World Health Organization), Gene Feder (University of Bristol) by PolicyBristol

Papers

‘Healthcare professionals' own experiences of domestic violence and abuse: a meta-analysis of prevalence and systematic review of risk markers and consequences’ by Dheensa S, McLindon E, Spencer C et al. in Trauma Violence Abuse

‘Interventions in sexual and reproductive health services addressing violence against women in low-income and middle-income countries: a mixed-methods systematic review’ by Lewis NV, Munas M, Colombini M, et al. in BMJ Open

‘Barriers to help-seeking from healthcare professionals amongst women who experience domestic violence - a qualitative study in Sri Lanka’ by Silva, T, Agampodi, T, Evans, M. et al. in BMC Public Health

‘Engaging early career researchers in a global health research capacity-strengthening programme: a qualitative study‘ by Hawcroft C, Rossi E, Tilouche N et al in Health Research Policy and Systems

'Evaluation of an intervention to improve Primary Health Care’s response to cases of domestic violence against women - São Paulo, Brazil‘ by Pereira S, Azeredo YN Schraiber, LB et al. in Ciência & Saúde Coletiva 

‘Ethical challenges in global research on health system responses to violence against women: a qualitative study of policy and professional perspectives‘ by Lewis NV, Kalichman B, Azeredo et al. in BMC Medical Ethics

‘Comparing health systems readiness for integrating domestic violence services in Brazil, occupied Palestinian Territories, Nepal and Sri Lanka’ by Colombini M, Shrestha S, Kalichman B et al. in Health Policy and Planning

‘Interventions that prevent or respond to intimate partner violence against women and violence against children: a systematic review‘ by Bacchus LJ, Colombini M, Pearson I et al. in Lancet Public Health

‘Evaluation of a domestic violence training and support intervention in Palestinian primary care clinics: a mixed method study‘ by Joudeh N, Shaheen A, Bacchus LJ et al. in BMC Primary Care

SPACE/COSMOS

Astronomers may have discovered the answer to a mysterious stellar event

International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research


The signal was detected in a less crowded part of the sky, within the constellation Puppis, which allowed the team to pinpoint its source in the skyview more
Credit: Stellarium

The radio signal was detected in data from the Murchison Widefield Array radio telescope, located at Inyarrimanha Ilgari Bundara, CSIRO’s Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory.

Astronomers find possible caus [VIDEO] | 

Associate Professor Hurley-Walker explaining the discovery.

Magnetic tornado is stirring up the haze at Jupiter's poles

Unusual magnetically driven vortices may be generating Earth-size concentrations of hydrocarbon haze

University of California - Berkeley

 

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An artificially colored view of Jupiter as seen in ultraviolet light. In addition to the Great Red Spot, which appears blue, another oval feature can be seen in the brown haze at Jupiter's south pole. The oval, an area of concentrated haze, is possibly the result of mixing generated by a vortex higher up in the planet's ionosphere. These dark UV ovals also appear periodically at the north pole, though less often.

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Credit: Troy Tsubota and Michael Wong, UC Berkeley

While Jupiter's Great Red Spot has been a constant feature of the planet for centuries, University of California, Berkeley, astronomers have discovered equally large spots at the planet's north and south poles that appear and disappear seemingly at random.

The Earth-size ovals, which are visible only at ultraviolet wavelengths, are embedded in layers of stratospheric haze that cap the planet's poles. The dark ovals, when seen, are almost always located just below the bright auroral zones at each pole, which are akin to Earth's northern and southern lights. The spots absorb more UV than the surrounding area, making them appear dark on images from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. In yearly images of the planet taken by Hubble between 2015 and 2022, a dark UV oval appears 75% of the time at the south pole, while dark ovals appear in only one of eight images taken of the north pole.

The dark UV ovals hint at unusual processes taking place in Jupiter's strong magnetic field that propagate down to the poles and deep into the atmosphere, far deeper than the magnetic processes that produce the auroras on Earth.

The UC Berkeley researchers and their colleagues reported the phenomena today (Nov. 26) in the journal Nature Astronomy.

Dark UV ovals were first detected by Hubble in the late 1990s at the north and south poles and subsequently at the north pole by the Cassini spacecraft that flew by Jupiter in 2000, but they drew little attention. When UC Berkeley undergraduate Troy Tsubota conducted a systematic study of recent images obtained by Hubble, however, he found they were a common feature at the south pole — he counted eight southern UV-dark ovals (SUDO) between 1994 and 2022. In all 25 of Hubble's global maps that show Jupiter's north pole, Tsubota and senior author Michael Wong, an associate research astronomer based at UC Berkeley's Space Sciences Laboratory, found only two northern UV-dark ovals (NUDO).

Most of the Hubble images had been captured as part of the Outer Planet Atmospheres Legacy (OPAL) project directed by Amy Simon, a planetary scientist at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and a co-author of the paper. Using Hubble, OPAL astronomers make yearly observations of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune to understand their atmospheric dynamics and evolution over time.

"In the first two months, we realized these OPAL images were like a gold mine, in some sense, and I very quickly was able to construct this analysis pipeline and send all the images through to see what we get," said Tsubota, who is in his senior year at UC Berkeley as a triple major in physics, mathematics and computer science. "That's when we realized we could actually do some good science and real data analysis and start talking with collaborators about why these show up."

Wong and Tsubota consulted two experts on planetary atmospheres — Tom Stallard at Northumbria University in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the UK and Xi Zhang at UC Santa Cruz — to determine what could cause these areas of dense haze. Stallard theorized that the dark oval is likely stirred from above by a vortex created when the planet's magnetic field lines experience friction in two very distant locations: in the ionosphere, where Stallard and other astronomers previously detected spinning motion using ground-based telescopes, and in the sheet of hot, ionized plasma around the planet shed by the volcanic moon Io.

The vortex spins fastest in the ionosphere, progressively weakening as it reaches each deeper layer. Like a tornado touching down on dusty ground, the deepest extent of the vortex stirs up the hazy atmosphere to create the dense spots Wong and Tsubota observed. It's not clear if the mixing dredges up more haze from below or generates additional haze.

Based on the observations, the team suspects that the ovals form over the course of about a month and dissipate in a couple of weeks.

“The haze in the dark ovals is 50 times thicker than the typical concentration,” said Zhang, “which suggests it likely forms due to swirling vortex dynamics rather than chemical reactions triggered by high-energy particles from the upper atmosphere. Our observations showed that the timing and location of these energetic particles do not correlate with the appearance of the dark ovals.”

The findings are what the OPAL project was designed to discover: how atmospheric dynamics in the solar system's giant planets differ from what we know on Earth.

"Studying connections between different atmospheric layers is very important for all planets, whether it's an exoplanet, Jupiter or Earth," Wong said. "We see evidence for a process connecting everything in the entire Jupiter system, from the interior dynamo to the satellites and their plasma torii to the ionosphere to the stratospheric hazes. Finding these examples helps us to understand the planet as a whole."

The work was supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

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Journal

Nature Astronomy

DOI

10.1038/s41550-024-02419-0 

Article Title

UV-dark polar ovals on Jupiter as tracers of magnetosphere–atmosphere connections

Article Publication Date

26-Nov-2024

 WORD OF THE DAY

Microwave-induced pyrolysis: A promising solution for recycling electric cables

The method offers a simple and convenient approach to recover copper wires from the PVC cables without the generation or use of toxic chemicals

Sophia University

 

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In this process, VVF power cables are placed in a glass reactor and subjected to microwave radiation. The pyrolysis carbonizes the PVC insulation, exposing the copper wire for easy recovery while preventing the formation of hazardous byproducts.

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Credit: Satoshi Horikoshi from Sophia University, Japan

The demand for electronics has led to a significant increase in e-waste. In 2022, approximately 62 million tons of e-waste were generated, marking an 82% increase from 2010. Projections indicate that this figure could rise to 82 million tons by 2030. E-waste contains valuable materials such as metals, semiconductors, and rare elements that can be reused. However, in 2022, only 22.3% of e-waste was properly collected and recycled, while the remaining materials, estimated to be worth almost $62 billion, were discarded in landfills. Although efforts to improve e-waste recycling continue, the process remains labor-intensive, and a significant portion of e-waste is exported to developing countries, where cheap labor supports informal recycling practices involving hazardous chemicals.

 

In a study published in the journal RSC Advances on 20 September 2024, researchers from Sophia University in Japan and Università di Pavia in Italy have developed a new microwave-induced pyrolysis method that provides an affordable and efficient way to recycle electrical wiring cables. The method carbonizes the PVC insulation and exposes the copper wire without damaging it, allowing for easy recovery without generating highly toxic byproducts.

 

“VVF cables are commonly used as power cables in houses and buildings and have a high reuse value among e-waste. Our method is suitable for recycling and recovering e-waste containing metals and requires no pre-treatment to separate the plastics from the metals,” says Professor Satoshi Horikoshi from Sophia University, one of the lead authors of the study.

 

The researchers placed two-core VVF power cables containing two copper wires covered in PVC insulation into a glass reactor and exposed them to microwave radiation of 100, 200, and 300 W. Nitrogen gas was introduced into the reactor to prevent combustion during the pyrolysis process. They tested a standard 54 cm VVF cable and cut pieces of different cable lengths (1 cm, 6 cm, 9 cm, 12 cm, and 18 cm).

 

Interestingly, the effectiveness of the pyrolysis varied with the cable length relative to the microwave's wavelength, which was approximately 12.24 cm at a frequency of 2.45 GHz. Pyrolysis was most effective in cables whose lengths matched specific fractions of the wavelength. The 9 cm (about 3/4 wavelength) and 18 cm cables (longer than the wavelength) began pyrolyzing after 60 seconds at 100 W. In contrast, shorter lengths like the 3 cm cable (about 1/4 wavelength) needed higher power (200 W) to start pyrolysis. Other lengths, such as 1 cm, 6 cm, and 12 cm (whole or nearly whole wavelengths), showed no pyrolysis even at 300 W.

 

Plastics themselves do not absorb microwaves, but the 9 cm and 18 cm cables underwent pyrolysis for several reasons. First, at these lengths, the copper wires acted as antennas, absorbing microwave radiation and creating electric arc discharges that heated the PVC without melting the copper. Second, the electric field was stronger and concentrated at the ends and the center of these wires. The 9 cm wire had an electric field strength about twice that of the 3 cm wire, leading to faster and more localized heating. Third, as the PVC heated up and carbonized, it became better at absorbing microwaves, which further accelerated the pyrolysis process.

 

During the pyrolysis process, the PVC insulation underwent rapid dichlorination and carbonization, which effectively prevented the formation of harmful byproducts such as tar, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and dioxins. “Chlorine could be recycled as hydrochloric acid; the carbon and activated carbon produced could be recovered as carbon black,” says Prof. Horikoshi.

 

Since the microwaves were able to heat and break down wires longer than their wavelength, the 54 cm VVF cable was completely pyrolyzed in just 12 minutes under 300 W radiation, leaving the copper wire intact and undamaged.  

 

Currently, only about 35% of PVC insulation is recycled. This microwave-assisted pyrolysis method offers a more efficient, less labor-intensive way to recover copper wires from PVC cables, improving the recycling process and addressing the growing issue of e-waste.

 

With this breakthrough, the future of e-waste recycling could become cleaner, faster, and far more sustainable—turning today's trash into tomorrow's treasure!

 

Reference

■Title of original paper : Recycling of e-waste power cables using microwave-induced pyrolysis – process characteristics and facile recovery of copper metal

■Journal: RSC Advances

■DOI: 10.1039/d4ra05602g

■Authors: Satoshi Horikoshi1, Naoki Hachisuga1, Nick Serpone2

■Affiliations:

1Department of Materials and Life Sciences, Sophia University, Japan

2PhotoGreen Laboratory, Dipartimento di Chimica, Università di Pavia, Italy

 

 

About Sophia University

Established as a private Jesuit affiliated university in 1913, Sophia University is one of the most prestigious universities located in the heart of Tokyo, Japan. Imparting education through 29 departments in 9 faculties and 25 majors in 10 graduate schools, Sophia hosts more than 13,000 students from around the world.

 

Conceived with the spirit of “For Others, With Others,” Sophia University truly values internationality and neighborliness, and believes in education and research that go beyond national, linguistic, and academic boundaries. Sophia emphasizes on the need for multidisciplinary and fusion research to find solutions for the most pressing global issues like climate change, poverty, conflict, and violence. Over the course of the last century, Sophia has made dedicated efforts to hone future-ready graduates who can contribute their talents and learnings for the benefit of others, and pave the way for a sustainable future while “Bringing the World Together.”

Website: https://www.sophia.ac.jp/eng/

 

 

About Professor Satoshi Horikoshi from Sophia University

Satoshi Horikoshi is a Professor in the Department of Materials and Life Sciences at Sophia University. His research focuses on using microwave and photo-energy for applications in chemistry, biology, and sustainable energy. He has published over 200 scientific papers and edited 30 books, and he often appears in the media to explain microwave technology. He is also the President of the Japan Society of Electromagnetic Wave Energy Applications, teaches part-time at Tokyo Gakugei University, serves on committee at the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, and edits four international journals.

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Journal

RSC Advances

DOI

10.1039/d4ra05602g 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Recycling of e-waste power cables using microwave-induced pyrolysis – process characteristics and facile recovery of copper metal

The sound of traffic increases stress and anxiety

People experienced less stress and anxiety while listening to nature soundscapes, but the addition of road traffic noise increased their stress and anxiety

PLOS

 

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Manmade sounds such vehicle traffic can mask the positive impact of nature soundscapes on people’s stress and anxiety.

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Credit: Georg Eiermann, Unsplash, CC0 (https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)

Manmade sounds such vehicle traffic can mask the positive impact of nature soundscapes on people’s stress and anxiety, according to a new study published November 27, 2024, in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Paul Lintott of the University of the West of England, U.K., and Lia Gilmour of the Bat Conservation Trust, U.K.

Existing research shows that natural sounds, like birdsong, can lower blood pressure, heart, and respiratory rates, as well as self-reported stress and anxiety. Conversely, anthropogenic soundscapes, like traffic or aircraft noise, are hypothesized to have negative effects on human health and wellbeing in a variety of ways.

In the new study, 68 student volunteers listened to three 3-minute soundscapes: a nature soundscape recorded at sunrise in West Sussex, U.K., the same soundscape combined with 20 mile per hour road traffic sounds, and the same soundscape with 40 mile per hour traffic sounds. General mood and anxiety were assessed before and after the soundscapes using self-reported scales.

The study found that listening to a natural soundscape reduced self-reported stress and anxiety levels, and also enhanced mood recovery after a stressor. However, the benefits of improved mood associated with the natural soundscape was limited when traffic sounds were included. The natural soundscape alone was associated with the lowest levels of stress and anxiety, with the highest levels reported after the soundscape that included 40 mile per hour traffic.

The authors conclude that reducing traffic speed in urban areas might influence human health and wellbeing not only through its safety impacts, but also through its effect on natural soundscapes.

The authors add: “Our study shows that listening to natural soundscapes can reduce stress and anxiety, and that anthropogenic sounds such as traffic noise can mask potential positive impacts. Reducing traffic speeds in cities is therefore an important step towards more people experiencing the positive effects of nature on their health and wellbeing.”

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In your coverage please use this URL to provide access to the freely available article in PLOS ONE: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0311487

Citation: Gilmour LRV, Bray I, Alford C, Lintott PR (2024) Natural soundscapes enhance mood recovery amid anthropogenic noise pollution. PLoS ONE 19(11): e0311487. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0311487

Author Countries: U.K., Australia

Funding: The author(s) received no specific funding for this work.

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Journal

PLOS ONE

DOI

10.1371/journal.pone.0311487 

Method of Research

Survey

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Natural soundscapes enhance mood recovery amid anthropogenic noise pollution

Article Publication Date

27-Nov-2024

Study finds opposing effects of short-term and continuous noise on western bluebird parental care

Research highlights potential long-term implications of human noise pollution on bird populations

PeerJ

 

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Western Bluebird Parental Care

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Credit: Image: Dr. Clinton Francis

Recent research led by Kerstin Ozkan and published in PeerJ Life and Environment has uncovered the complex and contrasting effects of human-generated noise on Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana) parental behavior, raising critical questions about how anthropogenic noise affects wildlife in both urban and non-urban settings. The study, titled “Divergent effects of short-term and continuous anthropogenic noise exposure on Western Bluebird parental care behavior,” explores how different types of noise exposure alter the bird's care for their offspring, with significant implications for understanding wildlife resilience to noise pollution.

 

The research addresses a growing concern: as human activities expand, natural soundscapes are increasingly disrupted by urban noise, traffic, and other anthropogenic sounds. These noises can interfere with vital communication between parent birds and their offspring, mask important cues that signal threats, and shift the balance between vigilance and parental care.

 

Ozkan and her team conducted two studies focused on nestling provisioning behavior in Western Bluebirds under short-term and continuous noise conditions. In a controlled, short-term experiment, bluebird nests were exposed to one-hour traffic noise playbacks and compared with silent conditions. The results showed that noise reduced provisioning rates: parents were more likely to hesitate or fail to provide food during noise trials than during silent playbacks. Interestingly, after the first noise exposure, birds provisioning in a second silent playback trial showed a notable increase in feeding rates, but no such recovery was seen when the second trial involved noise.

 

In contrast, a study along a continuous noise gradient revealed that bluebirds exposed to prolonged noise showed the reverse[CF1] : provisioning rates actually increased with noise amplitude. Additionally, birds returned to feeding more quickly after human disturbances as noise levels rose. These contrasting findings highlight an important biological distinction: while short-term noise disrupts parental care, continuous noise exposure appears to foster some adaptive behavior, possibly due to habituation or changes in perceptions of threats or underlying hormonal changes due to continuous noise exposure.

 

“Our findings reveal that noise can significantly alter parental care behavior, but these effects vary dramatically depending on whether the exposure is brief or sustained,” explained Dr. Clinton Francis of California Polytechnic State University, who supervised the research. “This divergent response is an important aspect of how wildlife might adjust to human-altered environments in the short and long term. It also suggests we need to approach conservation and wildlife studies involving noise pollution with a nuanced view.”

 

The study calls for further research to examine how short-term noise experiments, often used to predict the impact of noise pollution on wildlife, might not fully capture the complexities of living in continuously noisy environments. Additionally, factors such as population variation, noise characteristics, environmental context, and nestling age may influence birds' responses to noise, suggesting that a one-size-fits-all approach to noise impact assessment may not be adequate.

 

As urban expansion and human activities continue to modify natural environments, Dr. Francis and his team stress the importance of understanding these ecological nuances to better inform conservation strategies and help protect vulnerable wildlife populations.

 

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Journal

PeerJ

DOI

10.7717/peerj.18558 

Method of Research

Observational study

Article Title

Divergent effects of short-term and continuous anthropogenic noise exposure on Western Bluebird parental care behavior

Article Publication Date

26-Nov-2024

 

Social fish with low status are so stressed out it impacts their brains

Scientists show that low-status male cichlid fish have higher levels of oxidative stress in their brain, which is linked to poorer mental and neurological health in humans

Peer-Reviewed Publication

Frontiers

 

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A dominant and a subordinate male cichlid (Astatotilapia burtoni). Image courtesy of Dr Alex Jordan, Behavioural Evolution Lab, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour.

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Credit: Dr Alex Jordan, Behavioural Evolution Lab, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour

Social stress is bad for your brain. It’s a prime suspect in the accumulation of oxidative stress in the brain, which is believed to contribute to mental health and neurodegenerative disorders — but the mechanisms that turn social stress into oxidative stress, and how social status affects this, are poorly understood. By studying a highly social, very hierarchical fish species, cichlids, scientists have now found that social stress raises oxidative stress in the brains of low-status fish. 

“We found that low rank was generally linked to higher levels of oxidative stress in the brain,” said Dr Peter Dijkstra of Central Michigan University, lead author of the article in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience. “The patterns of oxidative stress in the brain are likely influenced by social experience modulating cellular processes in the brain.”

A fish-eat-fish world

Male cichlids have a strict, highly visible social hierarchy. Dominant males, which have higher levels of androgen hormones, are larger, more aggressive, and more colorful than subordinate males. They defend territories and court females. Hormones like androgens which are triggered by social stress have been linked to oxidative stress changes in several organs — so cichlids, with stressful social lives tightly linked to androgen levels, are ideal for studying the impact of social stress on oxidative stress levels.

The scientists set up 15 large tanks divided in two, and placed six females and two males in each experimental compartment, allowing each group of fish to interact freely and to visually interact with the neighboring group. They also added half a flowerpot to each compartment, to give the dominant male a territory to defend. To quantify the cichlids’ behavior, the scientists filmed them and recorded the behaviors witnessed. In all but two groups, the cichlids rapidly developed a hierarchy, which remained stable over the weeks of the experiment. 

Eventually, the researchers took blood samples from the male fish and dissected their brains, as well as measuring their size and length and the size of their gonads relative to their body. (Larger gonads indicate higher levels of androgens.) In each division of each brain, they measured markers of oxidative stress and antioxidant capacity, which counteracts oxidative stress. They also quantified the oxidant capacity and oxidative DNA damage present in each brain section. 

Stressful society

The scientists found that the low-status fish had higher levels of oxidative stress and lower antioxidant capacity than the high-status fish. Although the higher-status fish had higher indicators for oxidative stress in their blood, their brains seemed to be protected. Indicators of reproductive activity, associated with high status in these fish, were linked to higher levels of antioxidants and lower levels of oxidative stress in the brain. This could be linked to their levels of androgens, which can be neuroprotective in some cases. Low-status fish had smaller gonads and therefore lower androgen levels. 

However, the effects of status on oxidative stress are complex. When the scientists looked at markers of oxidative DNA damage and antioxidant capacity in different brain divisions, they found that different markers were differently impacted by social status.   

“It's important to note that the patterns detected relative to oxidative stress in the brain may not be 'bad' for the animal,” said Dijkstra. “Maybe in the future we will study the fitness consequences of oxidative stress in the brain. But showing that patterns of oxidative stress are linked to social stress is important, and may provide important insights into mechanisms by which social stressors promote oxidative stress and disease in the brain.”

“Social competition in our cichlids is a great model system to understand how competition in our modern human societies influences important physiological functions,” added Dijkstra. “We compare ourselves to others continuously, and these problems are especially compounded by social media. But I would be hesitant to directly relate our findings to human societies.”

The researchers also cautioned that more targeted studies will be needed to understand the impact of the interplay between social stress and oxidative stress on specific brain regions. 

“I think we just uncovered some interesting patterns across different divisions of the brain,” said Dijkstra. “The next step is to understand the regulation of oxidative stress better and how social stress influences this. This requires more rigorous experimental studies.”

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Journal

Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience

DOI

10.3389/fnbeh.2024.1477984 

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Oxidative stress in the brain is regulated by social status in a highly social cichlid fish

Article Publication Date

26-Nov-2024