It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Monday, August 17, 2026
New research traces the evolution of wastewater and environmental surveillance in carceral settings and analyzes the ethical, medical, legal challenges
“A public health system that operates with rigor and accountability in all settings, including those most removed from public view, is the only kind of system that can be trusted to protect everyone.”
(Boston)—Wastewater and environmental surveillance (WES) – the analysis of water and environmental samples like sewage to enable early, non-invasive tracking of biological and chemical markers across a population – is a powerful and increasingly common public health tool. When paired with clinical data, it offers a real-time window into community health that can inform faster, more targeted responses to infectious disease. However, its use in carceral settings like jails and prisons remains ethically underexamined.
“Incarcerated populations already experience pervasive surveillance, constrained autonomy, and disproportionate disease burden, and a long history of exploitation in research. Carceral settings are therefore exceptional spaces where WES can enable heightened forms of monitoring and punitive restriction without the protections normally expected in either research ethics or public health practice,” the authors explain.
The researchers examined public health guidelines, human-subjects research regulations, medical ethics codes, and constitutional law, and found that none were designed with this scenario in mind. They also conducted a stakeholder analysis of all parties affected by carceral WES and traced the practice from its origins in drug detection to its expansion during COVID-19 and emerging applications such as hepatitis A surveillance. Their analysis documents how rapidly and quietly the practice has grown with almost no regulatory oversight.
According to the researchers, incarcerated individuals across many institutions and several states have already had movement restricted and activities canceled based on WES data without the safeguards required for sound clinical decision-making. “If surveillance without consent or recourse becomes normalized in carceral settings, it becomes easier to justify elsewhere, like in immigration detention, psychiatric facilities, and rural communities with isolated water systems,” notes co-author Alysse G. Wurcel, MD, MS, associate professor of general internal medicine at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and infectious disease physician at Boston Medical Center.
The researchers hope this work contributes to the development of clear ethical standards for wastewater surveillance in carceral settings - standards that center the rights, dignity and voices of incarcerated people rather than treating them as passive subjects of misguided public health surveillance.
Researchers from Boston University’s College of Engineering contributed to this research.
Bees may be relying on your lawn for their next meal, according to a new study from the University of Georgia.
The researchers found that centipedegrass, a common turfgrass found in the Southeast, actually functions as a food source for bees.
Although bees typically pollinate more with flowers in the springtime, growing urbanization, pesticide use and other habitat loss have limited their food options.
“Pollination is one aspect of what bees do, but their role in biodiversity and ecology has so much value,” said Shimat Joseph, corresponding author of the study and an associate professor in the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. “Urbanization is reducing both nesting habitat and food resources for them, so anything we can provide in addition helps.”
Centipedegrass provides healthy hub for bee babies beyond springtime
The researchers gathered more than 150 foraging bees of 28 different species (including bumblebees, honeybees and sweat bees) from yards across Georgia to evaluate the insects’ pollination mannerisms.
They found that adult bees not only collect grass pollen to supply food for themselves but also to bring back to the hive for their offspring.
The researchers found similar numbers of bee larvae developed thanks to centipedegrass pollen as they did in more traditional bee nursery sources like butterfly bushes. This suggests that centipedegrass could sustain at least the beginnings of a new colony, the researchers said.
Grass is already an integral part of our landscape. Our job is to find ways to make those landscapes more helpful for pollinators.
Shimat Joseph, College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences
“What we know is that bees are foraging on these grasses. The question now is what that means for bee colonies over the long term,” Joseph said. “For social bees like bumblebees, having a continuous supply of pollen throughout the spring and summer seasons is very important for our world.”
Although they foraged extensively on centipedegrass pollen, the bees also kept an eye on nearby flowers, often seeking out grass with nearby flowering plants.
Bumblebees were among the most flexible when it came to sourcing their pollen. They foraged in ivy, crape myrtles and vegetable gardens, among other places.
“Bees are dependent on all kinds of flower or plant types — pollen for protein and nectar for sugar to help them keep flying,” Joseph said. “Grass is already an integral part of our landscape. Our job is to find ways to make those landscapes more helpful for pollinators.”
Mowing less may encourage bee pollination hubs
Pollen collection was highest for bees 10 to 12 days post lawn mowing. Centipedegrass had the chance to flower and become properly accessible and nutritious for bees at that point.
By delaying mowing slightly and keeping a schedule of 10 to 14 days between mows, people can balance lawn care and bee conservation, the researchers said.
“If you skip just one mowing, you create an opportunity for the grass to flower, and bees can use that resource,” Joseph said. “The goal isn’t to stop mowing. It’s to manage lawns in a way that gives bees an extra food source.”
This alternative food source is key because of how much longer it lasts than traditional flowers, the researchers said. Bees have access to centipedegrass pollen well into September, a late-season period where other floral meals are scarce.
“By July and August, many trees have stopped flowering,” Joseph said. “That’s when these grass flowers may become another opportunity for bees. They may not be showy, but we know that bees are definitely using them.”
This study was co-authored by Oluwatomi Ibiyemi, a graduate research assistant in the UGA department of entomology; Karen Harris-Shultz, of the crop genetics and breeding research unit; David Jespersen, associate professor in crop and soil sciences; Michael Ulyshen, a doctoral student in the department of entomology; and Brian Schwartz, a professor in crop and soil sciences. It was published in the Journal of Insect Conservation.
Bogidiella painushima is one of two new amphipod species described from cave waters in the Ryukyu Islands, a subtropical island chain in southwestern Japan that stretches toward Taiwan. Specimens of the species measure approximately 1.4–3.2 mm long, with the largest individuals approaching the size of a sesame seed. In this image, the head is on the right. Researchers found the eyeless, unpigmented, shrimp-like species in freshwater flowing through a cave on Ishigaki Island, Okinawa. The species name is derived from “painu-shima,” an Okinawan term meaning “southern island.”
Researchers have identified two new species in the genus Bogidiella, small, shrimp-like amphipods that live in subterranean aquatic environments, from cave waters on the Ryukyu Islands, a subtropical island chain in southwestern Japan. These creatures are clear products of their underground, underwater environment, often foregoing pigmentation and eyes, elongating their appendages, and reducing the size of their swimming legs, called pleopods. Hiroshima University Professor Ko Tomikawa of the Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences and his collaborators describe the two amphipod species previously unknown to science in a study published in Zootaxa in June 2026.
Amphipods, specifically those in the family Bogidiellidae, can be found in often overlooked environments, such as narrow connecting waterways and groundwater. These aquatic habitats also vary widely, from freshwater and brackish water to seawater-influenced systems such as anchialine waters, which are connected to the ocean through underground passages.
The new species in this study are Bogidiella isajii and Bogidiella painushima. B. isajii was collected from an anchialine undersea cave on Minamidaito Island, while B. painushima was found in freshwater flowing through a cave on Ishigaki Island. Cave waters like these are closely tied to groundwater environments, which can support specialized life adapted to darkness.
“Groundwater has long been used in human life as a source of drinking water and for agricultural purposes, but in recent years, the conservation of the groundwater environment has become a major challenge,” said Tomikawa, corresponding author of the study.
B. isajii is named after Mr. Yoshitaka Isajii, its discoverer. Specimens of the species measure approximately 3.8-4.3 mm long, about the size of a sesame seed. The species is described as lacking the inner ramus, which is a branch-like appendage on its pleopods. Typically, amphipods have three pairs of pleopods, each with two branches. The rami armature (hardened structure of the exoskeleton; provides shape and utility) of the uropods (“legs” closest to the rear of the animal) in pairs 1 and 2 is also absent. Additionally, the telson, or what most people know as the fan-like structure on the tail of a shrimp (though in these species it is more of a flap), is a different shape than seen in other members of the genus, and appears to be wider than it is long. The telson generally is a useful part in distinguishing amphipod species.
B. painushima’s name is derived from “Painu-shima,” an Okinawan term meaning “southern island.” Specimens of the species measure approximately 1.4–3.2 mm long, making them slightly smaller than B. isajii. Although morphologically similar to other species in the genus, B. painushima differs in features of the head, antennae, telson, and gnathopods, appendages used in feeding and grooming. Among these differences are the shape of the antennal sinus, a recess in the head where the antenna attaches, and the size of the gland cone on the second segment at the base of the second antenna. The armature of the telson is also distinct, and differences in the gnathopods are another defining characteristic of the species.
Samples were taken to determine the genetic sequences present in these species for future studies.
Based on the surprising diversity found in groundwater and anchialine environmental samples, Tomikawa and his team would like to conduct more comprehensive surveys to further uncover some of the biological mysteries groundwater might hold. Additionally, research towards the evolutionary history of the new species and species in these environments in general is necessary to understand what biodiversity looks like in subterranean aquatic areas. Once this is achieved, conservation efforts towards groundwater environments can be enacted.
Conserving biodiversity, especially in areas unthought of by most people, is a larger goal of the study. Researchers hope that through exploration, education, and awareness, a more thoughtful society can be realized and the deterioration of natural areas due to human activities can be curbed.
The research team also included Hiro Yoshimura and Mushi Ugomeki of the Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Hiroshima University, and Michitaka Shimomura of the Seto Marine Biological Laboratory at Kyoto University.
The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science helped support this research.
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About Hiroshima University
Since its foundation in 1949, Hiroshima University has striven to become one of the most prominent and comprehensive universities in Japan for the promotion and development of scholarship and education. Consisting of 12 schools for undergraduate level and 5 graduate schools, ranging from natural sciences to humanities and social sciences, the university has grown into one of the most distinguished comprehensive research universities in Japan. English website: https://www.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/en
Two new species of the genus Bogidiella (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Bogidiellidae) from Japan
UC San Diego receives $12.3 million grant to study the intersection of HIV and methamphetamine use
The five-year grant aims to address a critical gap in HIV care for people with active methamphetamine use disorder through an innovative, multidisciplinary approach to treatment
Brain-FRAMe co-investigators (left to right) include Rachel Schrier, PhD, J. Adam Fields, PhD, Jessica Montoya, PhD, David Grelotti, MD, M. Cecilia Marcondes, PhD, Igor Grant, MD, Mariana Cherner, PhD, Ronald Ellis, MD, PhD, Jennifer Iudicello, PhD and Scott Letendre, MD.
UC San Diego has received a $12.3 million, five-year grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to launch the Brain-Focused Research on Antiretrovirals and Methamphetamine (Brain-FRAMe) program, a multidisciplinary initiative focused on improving the clinical care and brain health of people with HIV who also have an active methamphetamine use disorder.
Methamphetamine use presents a critical public health challenge, as it significantly increases the risk of HIV infection and complicates the management of the virus.
"Because it is a stimulant, users may lose their judgment and engage in risky behaviors," said co-investigator Igor Grant, MD, professor of psychiatry at UC San Diego School of Medicine and director of the HIV Neurobehavioral Research Program. “The drug also changes some immune mechanisms in a way that makes infection more likely.”
For those living with HIV, continued methamphetamine use often leads to severe medical, neurological and mental health disorders. These conditions frequently disrupt the blood-brain barrier and alter immune responses, impairing cognition, mood and impulsivity. Consequently, many individuals find it difficult to adhere to traditional oral antiretroviral therapy (ART), hindering their ability to achieve durable viral suppression.
“There are people who are going to continue to use methamphetamine and who have HIV infection, and who typically have not been included in care, or who have been very difficult to maintain in care, and have been excluded from research,” said Grant. “ We want them to get treatment. This study addresses a population that nobody has addressed before.”
The Brain-FRAMe program aims to do this by leveraging recent advancements in medical treatment. The program will investigate the combined efficacy of long-acting injectable ART (LAI-ART) and medication for addiction treatment (MAT) with long-acting injectable naltrexone oral bupropion, instead of oral daily pills — the more typical approach. This combination is expected to improve viral suppression and reduce methamphetamine use, providing a vital opportunity to study and restore brain health in this highly vulnerable population.
“Within the five years of the study, we aim to improve the clinical care and brain health of people with HIV and active methamphetamine use by embedding ourselves within and collaborating closely with the HIV-care Owen Clinic here at UC San Diego, which is trying to engage the patients in care, support them through their care and at the same time leverage that to study how this affects brain health,” said contact principal investigator Mariana Cherner, PhD, professor of psychiatry at UC San Diego School of Medicine.
A multi-disciplinary approach
To achieve this goal, the Brain-FRAMe team has developed a multidisciplinary framework integrating implementation science, pharmacology, virology, immunology and neuroscience.
The program is organized into four specialized teams studying the same participants over a 52-week period:
Clinical Implementation Team: Focused on deploying and evaluating the use of LAI-ART and MAT within the primary care HIV clinic.
Neurobehavioral Phenotyping Team: Tasked with characterizing the psychiatric, neurocognitive and neuromedical changes resulting from these treatments.
Biophenotyping and Pharmacology Team: Assessing the effects of methamphetamine and MAT on how the body processes antiretroviral therapies and other medications, and analyzing blood and the cerebrospinal fluid for hidden reservoirs of the virus.
Basic Science Mechanisms Team: Investigating the underlying biological drivers of brain dysfunction and repair, including how cellular metabolic pathways regulate immune cell activity, inflammation, and what maintains the integrity of the blood-brain barrier.
Data from these teams will be synthesized by a dedicated Data Integration and Analysis Group to ensure a holistic understanding of the treatment's impact.
“Collaboration is really at the crux of this program's success — having experts from different institutions and different departments within UC San Diego come together and converge on these issues," said Cherner.
The Brain-FRAMe program represents a pivotal shift in how researchers approach the intersection of substance use and HIV care, according to the team. By addressing the biological mechanisms of brain health alongside clinical treatment, it could create a blueprint for transforming quality of life for people living with HIV and methamphetamine addiction and ultimately reduce new infections and advance public health outcomes in the San Diego community and beyond.
In addition to Cherner, co-principal investigators on the study include: Scott Letendre, MD and David Grelotti, MD at UC San Diego School of Medicine and M. Cecilia Marcondes, PhD at San Diego Biomedical Research Institute. Co-investigators in addition to Grant include Ronald Ellis, MD, PhD, Jennifer Iudicello, PhD, Laura Bamford, MD, Lucas Hill, PharmD, Jessica Montoya, PhD, Gregory Aarons, PhD, Brook Henry, PhD, J. Adam Fields, PhD, Johannes Schlachetzki, MD, Rachel Schrier, PhD and Sara Gianella-Weibel, MD, at UC San Diego School of Medicine; Jeremiah Momper, PharmD, at UC San Diego Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences; Florin Vaida, PhD, at UC San Diego Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science; Marcus Kaul, PhD, at UC Riverside; Violaine Delorme-Walker, PhD, at San Diego Biomedical Research Institute.
Extraversion is declining in Japan: Evidence for the "inward-looking" trend that existed as a discourse
Empirical evidence of the "inward-looking" trend: We empirically demonstrated the decline in extraversion among Japanese people using data. Previously, this was largely just a societal discourse.
A trend common to men and women: The decline in extraversion was observed in men and women, and the extent of change was similar between them.
A globally unique transformation: This trend is the exact opposite of the "increase in extraversion" reported in other countries (such as the United States, China, Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden). This suggests that the decline in extraversion in Japan may be internationally unique.
Abstract of Press Release
Ryonosuke Akimoto, a graduate student at The University of Tokyo (who conducted this research at Aoyama Gakuin University), and Associate Professor Yuji Ogihara at Aoyama Gakuin University have revealed that the extraversion of Japanese people declined from 2010 to 2021 (Figure 1).
In Japanese media and social commentary, it has frequently been pointed out that Japanese people are becoming more "inward-looking." However, the extent to which it reflects an actual psychological shift in personality traits among the Japanese population has not been adequately examined. Therefore, an empirical examination was required.
In this study, we comprehensively collected previous research that measured the extraversion of Japanese participants. We statistically controlled for attributes such as participants' age and gender, and analyzed the trends over a 12-year period.
As a result, it became clear that the extraversion of Japanese people has consistently declined in recent years. This downward trend occurred equally in both men and women, and the extent of change was similar between them. Furthermore, we conducted an analysis limited to data up to 2019 to account for the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This analysis also confirmed a similar decline. These findings provide empirical evidence for the long-standing discourse of an "inward-looking" trend among Japanese people.
The results of this research was published in the international academic journal Personality Science on June 26, 2026.
Background
Extraversion is one of the Big Five personality traits, and it reflects people's activity and sociability. In Japanese media and social commentary, it has frequently been pointed out that Japanese people are becoming more "inward-looking (introverted: low in extraversion)." For example, the decrease in young people wishing to study abroad or work overseas is seen as a symbol of this trend. Industry leaders and policymakers have discussed this as a "national concern" (Yonezawa, 2014). However, sufficient empirical evidence regarding this "inward-looking" trend had not been obtained (Burgess, 2015; Kikuchi et al., 2015). By empirically analyzing longitudinal changes in extraversion, this study aims to offer new insights into the validity of the increase in inward-looking tendency in Japan.
Furthermore, previous studies conducted overseas have reported an increase in mean extraversion scores. This includes the United States (Twenge, 2001), China (Peng & Luo, 2021), the Netherlands (Smits et al., 2011), and Sweden (Billstedt et al., 2013). If a downward trend in extraversion is confirmed in Japan, it would contrast with the trends reported in other countries. Such a difference might help in examining the underlying causes of group-level changes in extraversion.
Therefore, in the present study, we comprehensively collected previous studies that measured the extraversion of Japanese people. By statistically analyzing the longitudinal changes in its mean values, we examined the reality of changes in Japanese personality. We also investigated whether there were any differences in the extent of this change based on gender or age.
Results
First, we investigated previous domestic studies that measured extraversion between 2018 and 2020. This was to determine the scale to be collected for our study. We found that the "Japanese version of the Ten Item Personality Inventory (TIPI-J; Oshio et al., 2012)" was the most frequently used scale in recent years. Therefore, we collected as many previous studies as possible that reported mean extraversion scores using this scale. The publication period was set from 2012 to 2022, because the TIPI-J was introduced by Oshio et al. (2012) in 2012, and studies published afterward were not yet widely available when we began our examination in August 2023. We then analyzed year-by-year changes while statistically controlling for attributes such as gender and age.
The analysis revealed that the extraversion of Japanese people has been declining in recent years, with both men and women showing a similar decline. Excluding the elderly group (for which sufficient data could not be collected), we also conducted separate analyses for "students only" and "adults only (20-60 years old)." A similar downward trend was observed in both age groups.
In addition, previous studies have shown that infectious disease outbreaks reduce people's extraversion (e.g., Mortensen et al., 2010). Therefore, we conducted an analysis limited to data up to 2019, excluding data from 2020 onward due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even when the impact of the pandemic was excluded, a similar trend of declining extraversion was observed between 2010 and 2019. These results provide empirical backing for the discourse of the "inward-looking" trend among Japanese people.
This contrasts with the upward trends in extraversion reported internationally such as the United States (Twenge, 2001) and China (Peng & Luo, 2021), suggesting that the personality traits of Japanese people are transforming in a unique pattern.
A limitation of this study is that the analyzed period was restricted to 12 years, as the TIPI-J scale was first introduced in 2010. Further verification is necessary regarding changes over a longer-term span. In the future, we hope to clarify why this decline in extraversion is occurring. We also aim to multilaterally examine how this trend impacts other psychological traits and broader socio-economic indicators to better understand the cultural changes in Japan.
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This article is open access and freely available to anyone. Tables and figures may be reused, provided that they are used in accordance with the appropriate guidelines.
The figure included in this press release may also be reused, provided that it is used in accordance with the appropriate guidelines.
About Aoyama Gakuin University
Aoyama Gakuin, founded on the legacy of three schools established by American Christian missionaries, marked its 150th anniversary in 2024. For a century and a half, we have been committed to developing servant leaders—individuals who act with purpose, humility, and a deep sense of responsibility to others.
Aoyama Gakuin University is a comprehensive institution with 11 faculties and 27 departments. Rooted in a tradition of honoring diversity and encouraging collaboration across disciplines, we continually advance the quality of our research and education. As a community dedicated to serving God and people and contributing to society, we strive to evolve with the demands of our time and to define what a forward‑looking university should be.
About Ryonosuke Akimoto from Master's Program, Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology,The University of Tokyo
Ryonosuke Akimoto is a master's student at the Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology, The University of Tokyo. He began this research during his undergraduate studies at Aoyama Gakuin University. He then presented the findings at the 2025 Annual Convention of the Japanese Psychological Association—Japan's largest psychological conference—where he received the Excellent Presentation Award. His research interests include cultural shifts in Japan, extraversion, first impressions, face-based trait inferences, and their automatic processes.
About Associate Professor Yuji Ogihara from Aoyama Gakuin University
Yuji Ogihara, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor at the Department of Psychology, College of Education, Psychology and Human Studies at the Aoyama Gakuin University in Japan. He earned his doctorate from Kyoto University in 2015. His research interests include cultural change, interpersonal relationships, names, individualism, and culture. He has over 50 publications to his name. He is a recipient of numerous awards, including the 2024 Young Scientists’ Award (Commendation for Science and Technology by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan), the 2022 Award for Distinguished Early and Middle Career Contributions (Japanese Psychological Association), and the 2015 Student Poster Award (Society for Personality and Social Psychology).
