New ACS led study finds wildfires pose challenges to cancer care

American Cancer Society

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 A new national study led by American Cancer Society researchers finds patients whose facility was impacted by a wildfire disaster during recovery from lung cancer surgery had longer length of stay (LOS) than similar patients treated at the same facility, but at times when no disaster occurred.

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Credit: American Cancer Society

Due to the physical, psychological, and socioeconomic consequences of a cancer diagnosis and treatment, people with cancer are especially vulnerable during extreme weather events like hurricanes, tornadoes, and wildfires, which are becoming more common and damaging with climate change. A new national study led by American Cancer Society (ACS) and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health researchers finds patients whose facility was impacted by a wildfire disaster during recovery from lung cancer surgery had longer length of stay (LOS) than similar patients treated at the same facility, but at times when no disaster occurred. The findings are out today in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI).

“These data are critical as there are currently no guidelines for protecting the health and safety of patients recovering from lung cancer surgery during wildfires in the United States,” said Dr. Leticia Nogueira, scientific director, health services research at the American Cancer Society and lead author of the study. “In the absence of guidelines, clinicians might resort to improvisational strategies, such as extending post-operative length of stay to support surgical recovery and better protect the health and safety of patients during wildfires.”

Post-discharge recovery from lung cancer surgery is arduous and wildfire disasters pose several threats to patients’ well-being that extend far beyond exposure to smoke (e.g., exposure to contaminated water and soil, stress associated with following evacuation orders while coping with mobility and cognitive challenges, disruptions in grocery and pharmacy hours of operation and supply, changes in transportation routes).

For this study, researchers selected individuals aged 18 years or older who received curative-intent lobectomy or pneumonectomy for stage I-III non-small cell lung cancer between 2004 and 2021 from the National Cancer Database. Exposure was defined as a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) wildfire Presidential Disaster Declaration in the county of the treating facility between the date of surgery and the date of discharge from the hospital. Differences in the cumulative distribution function of LOS were evaluated between exposed and propensity score-matched unexposed patients treated at the same facility.

Study results showed patients exposed to a wildfire disaster declaration in the county of the treating facility had longer LOS than unexposed patients (9.4 days compared to 7.5 days, respectively) overall and for each stage (I-III) for which surgery is the recommended treatment modality.

The authors report the two-day difference in LOS may have important economic implications for healthcare systems because shorter LOS is an established quality metric tied to payment models in the U.S., and hospital stays cost approximately $1,500 per day.

“Future studies should evaluate whether extended hospital stay improves surgical care outcomes during disasters,” Nogueira added. “Also, these findings should be considered for disaster preparedness guidelines tailored to vulnerable patient populations and contextual adjustments to quality care metrics.”

“This study is just the tip of the iceberg showing how extreme weather may be impacting patients with chronic illnesses,” said Dr. Amruta Nori-Sarma, deputy director of the center for climate, health, and the global environment at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “As the wildfire season gets longer and more intense, and wildfires start affecting broader swathes of the U.S. population, health care providers need to be ready with updated guidance that best protects their patients’ health.”

ACS researcher Dr. Robin Yabroff also contributed to the study.

Additional ACS Resources:

• Study Shows Adults Treated for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Vulnerable to Hazards of Wildfires
• Coping with Cancer After a Natural Disaster: Frequently Asked Questions for People With Cancer and Their Caregivers
• Lung Cancer Information

                                                                            

 

Measles on the rise again in Europe: Time to check your vaccination status

Eight out of ten people who were diagnosed with measles in the EU/EEA in the last year were not vaccinated

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)

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Measles vaccination coverage remains suboptimal in many EU/EEA countries. Sustained improvements are required in the coverage of routine childhood immunisation programmes, as well as closing immunity gaps in adolescents and adults who have missed vaccination opportunities in the past.

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Credit: European Centre for Disease Prevention and control (ECDC)

Data presented in the monthly measles and rubella update by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) indicate ongoing transmission of measles across a number of countries in EU/EEA, with a steep rise in cases reported during 2024. After a period of unusually low measles activity during the COVID-19 pandemic, an uptick was initially noted in 2023, with 2 361 reported cases in the EU/EEA.

Between 1 February 2024 and 31 January 2025, a total of 32 265 people were diagnosed with measles. During this period, Romania (27 568), Italy (1 097), Germany (637), Belgium (551) and Austria (542) reported the highest number of cases across the EU/EEA. During the period, Romania recorded 18 deaths attributed to measles and Ireland also recorded one death.

The ongoing transmission indicates gaps in vaccination coverage against this preventable illness — among children, adolescents and adults alike.

Measles is a highly contagious disease. It transmits easily from person to person through the air (for example, when an infected person coughs or sneezes) and spreads rapidly in communities among people who have not been vaccinated or are not fully immunised.

In 2024, the peak in measles cases reported across the EU/EEA was observed in the first six months of the year. In line with the seasonal pattern of the disease, a further increase in the number of cases is expected during the spring of 2025.

Sub-optimal measles vaccination coverage across the EU/EEA

Prevention of measles outbreaks and protection of vulnerable populations requires that at least 95% of the population eligible for vaccination receive two doses of the MMR vaccine. However, vaccination levels in the EU/EEA still fall short of this target, with estimates from 2023 showing that only four countries (Hungary, Malta, Portugal and Slovakia) report such coverage for both doses.

This leaves many communities vulnerable to measles, including children who are too young to be vaccinated or those who cannot be immunised for medical reasons and therefore rely on a high vaccination coverage in the overall population.

Based on the available data, young children between one and four years of age and adults aged thirty years and older had their distinctive share among the group of unvaccinated people who contracted measles last year.

Among those diagnosed with measles between the beginning of 2024 and early 2025 with information available on their vaccination status, 25 503 (86%) were unvaccinated — this means that eight out of ten people who fell ill with measles during that period had not been immunised. The same applies to children aged one to four years (even though this age group is the focus of national immunisation programmes): 84% of those children with information available on their vaccination status had not been vaccinated when they contracted measles.

No time for measles: check your vaccination status

A safe and effective vaccine has been used for decades to prevent measles. All EU/EEA countries include the recommended two doses of MMR vaccine in their national immunisation schedule. The first dose is usually given between 12−15 months of age and the second dose between three and seven years of age, with some variation among countries. Two doses of the MMR vaccine are needed to achieve full protection against measles.

An infectious disease such as measles will only be unlikely to spread from person to person if a sufficiently large proportion of the population achieve immunity. This also provides protection for vulnerable groups (so-called herd immunity), such as infants under one year, who are more exposed to measles and its complications because they are too young to be vaccinated.

In outbreak situations, or before travelling to a country where measles is endemic, healthcare professionals might suggest an early dose of the MMR vaccine (i.e. before the child turns one year) in line with national recommendations. However, these children will still need to adhere to the national vaccination schedule (i.e. in addition to the early dose, they should receive the two doses of MMR vaccine at the recommended ages to achieve full immunity).

Measles can also affect adults if they are not immunised – by being fully vaccinated or because they have already had measles. It is therefore equally important for adults to check their immunisation status in order to prevent illness and further transmission.

Given that measles transmission and outbreaks are being reported across the globe by WHO, travellers are encouraged to check their vaccination status before travelling abroad as the MMR vaccine takes at least two weeks to become effective.

Recommendations for adults and parents/caregivers

1.      Check vaccination status: ensure that you and your children are up-to-date with the MMR vaccination schedule, whether you are staying at home or plan to travel.

2.      If unsure about your own vaccination history or if you need guidance on vaccinating children, consult a healthcare professional.

3.      Be mindful of typical measles symptoms (both as a healthcare professional and a potential patient): high fever; cough; runny nose; red, watery eyes and a characteristic red rash that usually starts at the hairline and spreads down to the rest of the body. Measles infection can lead to severe complications including pneumonia, encephalitis, and even death.

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More information:

More information about measles
European Vaccination Information Portal – Measles factsheet

 

Scientists discover new heavy-metal molecule ‘berkelocene’

Breakthrough in heavy-element chemistry shatters long-held assumptions about transuranium

 elements.

DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

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The purple/blue solution in this vial contains crystals of the berkelocene “sandwich.”

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Credit: Alyssa Gaiser/Berkeley Lab

A research team led by the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) has discovered “berkelocene,” the first organometallic molecule to be characterized containing the heavy element berkelium.

Organometallic molecules, which consist of a metal ion surrounded by a carbon-based framework, are relatively common for early actinide elements like uranium (atomic number 92), but they are scarcely known for later actinides like berkelium (atomic number 97).

“This is the first time that evidence for the formation of a chemical bond between berkelium and carbon has been obtained. The discovery provides new understanding of how berkelium and other actinides behave relative to their peers in the periodic table,” said Stefan Minasian, a scientist in Berkeley Lab’s Chemical Sciences Division and one of four co-corresponding authors of a new study published in the journal Science.

A heavy metal molecule with Berkeley roots

Berkelium is one of 15 actinides in the periodic table’s f-block. One row above the actinides are the lanthanides.

The pioneering nuclear chemist Glenn Seaborg discovered berkelium at Berkeley Lab in 1949. It would become just one of many achievements that led to his winning the 1951 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with fellow Berkeley Lab scientist Edwin McMillan for their discoveries in the chemistry of the transuranium elements. 

For many years, the Heavy Element Chemistry group in Berkeley Lab’s Chemical Sciences Division has been dedicated to preparing organometallic compounds of the actinides, because these molecules typically have high symmetries and form multiple covalent bonds with carbon, making them useful for observing the unique electronic structures of the actinides.

“When scientists study higher symmetry structures, it helps them understand the underlying logic that nature is using to organize matter at the atomic level,” Minasian said.

But berkelium is not easy to study because it is highly radioactive. And only very minute amounts of this synthetic heavy element are produced globally every year. Adding to the difficulty, organometallic molecules are extremely air-sensitive and can be pyrophoric.

“Only a few facilities around the world can protect both the compound and the worker while managing the combined hazards of a highly radioactive material that reacts vigorously with the oxygen and moisture in air,” said Polly Arnold, a co-corresponding author on the paper who is a UC Berkeley professor of chemistry and director of Berkeley Lab’s Chemical Sciences Division.

Breaking down the berkelium barrier

So Minasian, Arnold, and co-corresponding author Rebecca Abergel, a UC Berkeley associate professor of nuclear engineering and of chemistry who leads the Heavy Element Chemistry Group at Berkeley Lab, assembled a team to overcome these obstacles.

At Berkeley Lab’s Heavy Element Research Laboratory, the team custom-designed new gloveboxes enabling air-free syntheses with highly radioactive isotopes. Then, with just 0.3 milligram of berkelium-249, the researchers conducted single-crystal X-ray diffraction experiments. The isotope that was acquired by the team was initially distributed from the National Isotope Development Center, which is managed by the DOE Isotope Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

The results showed a symmetrical structure with the berkelium atom sandwiched between two 8-membered carbon rings. The researchers named the molecule “berkelocene,” because its structure is analogous to a uranium organometallic complex called “uranocene.” (UC Berkeley chemists Andrew Streitwieser and Kenneth Raymond discovered uranocene in the late 1960s.)

In an unexpected finding, electronic structure calculations performed by co-corresponding author Jochen Autschbach at the University of Buffalo revealed that the berkelium atom at the center of the berkelocene structure has a tetravalent oxidation state (positive charge of +4), which is stabilized by the berkelium–carbon bonds.

“Traditional understanding of the periodic table suggests that berkelium would behave like the lanthanide terbium,” said Minasian.

“But the berkelium ion is much happier in the +4 oxidation state than the other f-block ions we expected it to be most like,” Arnold said.

The researchers say that more accurate models showing how actinide behavior changes across the periodic table are needed to solve problems related to long-term nuclear waste storage and remediation.

“This clearer portrait of later actinides like berkelium provides a new lens into the behavior of these fascinating elements,” Abergel said.

This work was supported by the DOE Office of Science.

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Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) is committed to groundbreaking research focused on discovery science and solutions for abundant and reliable energy supplies. The lab’s expertise spans materials, chemistry, physics, biology, earth and environmental science, mathematics, and computing. Researchers from around the world rely on the lab’s world-class scientific facilities for their own pioneering research. Founded in 1931 on the belief that the biggest problems are best addressed by teams, Berkeley Lab and its scientists have been recognized with 16 Nobel Prizes. Berkeley Lab is a multiprogram national laboratory managed by the University of California for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science.

DOE’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit energy.gov/science.

 

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Journal

Science

DOI

10.1126/science.adr3346 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Berkelium–carbon bonding in a tetravalent berkelocene

 

Study: Social media doesn't always bring people together, even when they have shared goals for democracy

Feminists' experience in Algeria's Hirak movement showed misogyny, violence still reigned, limiting connective democracy power of technology

University of Kansas

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LAWRENCE — Since its inception, social media has been touted by some as a way to bring people together, even to collaborate and advance revolutionary causes. 

But research from the University of Kansas has found that when people don’t view each other as equals — even if they have common goals — social media can be a way to dismiss others’ ideas and isolate them.

In 2019, millions of people across Algeria took to the streets and to social media during Hirak, the Arabic word for protests, after President Abd Alaziz Bouteflika announced his intention to campaign for an unprecedented fifth term. 

University of Kansas researchers interviewed more than 30 Algerian women who took part in Hirak, advocating for women’s rights and feminist issues as part of the protests. They examined communication on social media to see how it contributes to an idea called connective democracy, which advocates for using digital media to bring together different groups with similar goals .

While Facebook — the most popular social media platform in Algeria — allowed feminists to collaborate and refine their messages, the study showed it actually helped to exacerbate violence and oppression women faced in society.

“Hirak happened in part because people were afraid to talk about issues in Algeria,” said Rim Chaif, KU doctoral candidate and the lead author of the study. “People were afraid to go in the street and speak about their rights. So when it started, Algerians broke the silence of many years by protesting. 

“A lot of women were participating in the Hirak and advocating for their own political and civic needs. Feminism in Algeria has been historically marginalized. And so the idea of this article came from thinking about how — if at all — these feminist causes could be incorporated into the pro-democratic movement in Algeria.”

Chaif, an Algeria native, is fluent in the nation’s three most common languages: Arabic, French and English. Chaif conducted the study with Christopher Etheridge, assistant professor of journalism and mass communications. It was published in the journal Social Media + Society.

Studies in democracy building have long focused on divergent groups coming together around a common goal. Since the advent of social media, these platforms have been touted as a way to enable people to work together to reform government.

“There is a Western idea of bringing people together to talk about their differences and identify the ways that they have commonalities, and so a lot of scholars have wondered if those principle can be applied digitally,” Etheridge said. “And given that those are really predominant topics in Western thought about how to build democracy, can they be applied in the Middle East and North Africa?”

Respondents in the study indicated that although social media did enable them to find others who wanted to advocate for feminist causes and women’s rights, but it did not bridge gaps with more traditional Algerian social thought. Instead, it served to propagate violence women had experienced offline.

“During Hirak, there were various groups, including liberals and feminist groups, each with their own demands,” Chaif said. “Despite their differences, they were united in calling for a change. However, each group wanted its demands to be incorporated in the broader Hirak agenda. 

For example, Chaif said feminists advocated for family code reforms and the abolition of restrictive laws and practices. In the offline space, many times they were faced with violence. 

“And we found that this violence went on also in the online platforms,” Chaif said. “Feminists were told, ‘no, we need to focus only on that main goal we are all fighting for. So, let's set aside women’s issues for now and not address our differences until we achieve our overall goal.’ One of our study participants mentioned encountering a post on Facebook that said women should stay home, why are they even out protesting?”

Research in the role of social media in society often examines if bridges gaps in perceptions or allows people to isolate themselves with other like-minded individuals. Chaif and Etheridge cite research that argues the technology can serve the role of uniting people from different backgrounds, if they agree on a common goal. However, as the Algerian women pointed out, it also served to perpetuate existing biases, and that “misogyny was in the atmosphere,” as one respondent said.

“That was a really powerful quote that we thought illustrated this idea that you can bring people together if those people perceive each other as equals, but in this situation, one group did not perceive the other as equals, and they knew it,” Etheridge said. “Negotiating with somebody who doesn't see you sharing common ground is very difficult. And so, incorporating the feminists’ platform into this broader demonstration required overcoming a level of misogyny that wasn't moving.”

Chaif said she hopes to examine the experiences of other groups that took part in Hirak, to see if they faced similar hostilities as part of a larger body of work exploring the role of social media, technology and society and the strategies people use through them to affect change.

“Connective democracy and other deliberative democratic efforts must consider the state and nature of the existing state structures before deploying these strategies,” the authors wrote. “Simply stated, coalitions constructed through common identity and network building are not as connective in environments where minority voices are structurally marginalized.”

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Journal

Social Media + Society

DOI

10.1177/20563051251315251 

Method of Research

Survey

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

“Misogyny Was in the Atmosphere”: Feminist Perspectives on Social Media Use in the 2019 Algerian Pro-Democratic Demonstrations

 

Taking taiga’s temperature

New needleleaf index helps monitor the health of the North American boreal forest

University of Ottawa

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“By leveraging the unique spectral signatures of coniferous trees, we can now track changes in these ecosystems with unprecedented accuracy and detail”

Hossein Bonakdari

— Associate Professor at uOttawa’s Faculty of Engineering

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Credit: University of Ottawa

A new study has introduced a powerful tool for analyzing satellite imagery of boreal forests (also known as “Taiga” in North America), offering unprecedented insights into the health and dynamics of these crucial ecosystems.

The research, conducted by Afshin Amiri, Keyvan Soltani, and Silvio Jose Gumiere, scientists in the Department of Soils and Agri-Food Engineering at Université Laval, was led and supervised by  Hossein Bonakdari, an Associate Professor at uOttawa’s Faculty of Engineering, introduced the "needleleaf index" (NI), a novel spectral index designed to extract coniferous forest areas from Landsat satellite imagery with remarkable precision.

“Every object emits a spectral signature or a unique pattern of electromagnetic radiation that reveals its composition, be it vegetation, mineral, or human-made structures. By leveraging the unique spectral signatures of coniferous trees, we can now track changes in these ecosystems with unprecedented accuracy and detail," explains professor Bonakdari.

Innovative Methodology

The needleleaf index utilizes specific infrared bands from Landsat satellites, allowing researchers to distinguish coniferous forests from other vegetation types with high accuracy. This approach overcomes previous challenges in separating the spectral signatures of different forest types.

"By focusing on the unique reflectance patterns of coniferous trees in the infrared spectrum, we've developed a method that can reliably map these forests at a 30-meter resolution," continues professor Bonakdari. "This level of detail is essential for understanding the fine-scale dynamics of boreal ecosystems."

Key Findings

The study, which analyzed over 24,000 Landsat images spanning nearly four decades, revealed several critical insights:

1. Forest Area Fluctuations: The coniferous forest area in North America increased by 5.62% between 2018-2023 compared to 1984-1991. However, it decreased by 4.85% from its peak in 1992-2001.
2. Impact of Wildfires: 25% of the total area of coniferous forests burned over the past two decades was destroyed in the 2023 wildfires.
3. Regional Variations: While some regions like Yukon, British Columbia, and Alberta saw increases in coniferous forest areas, others such as Saskatchewan, Quebec, and Ontario experienced declines.

"The fluctuations we've observed in forest cover, particularly the impact of recent wildfires, underscore the vulnerability of these ecosystems to climate change,” concludes Bonakdari. Our needleleaf index provides a crucial tool for monitoring these changes and informing conservation efforts."

As boreal forests play a crucial role in global carbon storage and climate regulation, the ability to accurately monitor their extent and health is vital for developing effective environmental policies and mitigation strategies.

The study titled “Forest fires under the lens: needleleaf index - a novel tool for satellite image analysis” was published in the journal npj Natural Hazards.

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Journal

npj Natural Hazards

DOI

10.1038/s44304-025-00063-w 

Method of Research

Case study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Forest fires under the lens: needleleaf index - a novel tool for satellite image analysis