New intervention significantly improved mental health well-being for Zambian mothers

A study by Swiss TPH and partners has shown that a new, locally adapted mental health intervention for women with young children in Zambia led to a 50% reduction in mental health symptoms.

Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute

Mental health disorders, such as depression and anxiety, are becoming a growing challenge to global health, with women and low-income households being particularly affected. A previous study by Swiss TPH found that one out of four mothers in Zambia experience high levels of mental health distress. Challenges affecting their mental health include food insecurity, lack of stable income and housing and gender-based violence. A shortage of trained mental health professionals and a lack of evidence-based and locally adapted psychosocial interventions make it difficult for health systems to provide mental health services to at-risk populations.

Researchers from Swiss TPH and their partners developed a new intervention targeting mothers with children under the age of 5 years and tested the feasibility, acceptability and impact of this intervention.

Locally adapted intervention provided at community level

The intervention was adapted from the World Health Organization’s (WHO) “Problem Management Plus” intervention that has been proven to be feasible and acceptable for treating at-risk populations such as refugees in high-income countries in the past. The intervention, which integrates psychoeducation, problem-solving skills and relaxation techniques, was specifically tailored to the needs of young mothers in the Zambian socio-cultural context and delivered by trained community health workers with no clinical background. To develop the intervention, the research team worked with community leaders, local policy makers and mental health providers in Zambia.

A total of 265 women participated in the study, receiving 10 sessions either in-person or over the phone. These sessions included practical exercises such as breathing techniques and coping strategies, alongside education on child development, self-care, healthy habits such as healthy sleep and alcohol prevention.

Positive outcomes for mothers and their families

The study’s findings were very encouraging, with 80% of participants completing the intervention and 90% expressing high satisfaction with the programme. Importantly, the intervention was associated with a 50% reduction in mental health symptoms at the six-month follow-up.

“The results of our study show that culturally adapted psychosocial interventions delivered by trained community health workers have the potential to significantly reduce the burden of mental health distress in women with young children in low- and middle-income countries,” said Günther Fink, Head of the Household Economics and Health Systems Research unit at Swiss TPH and first author of the study.

The intervention has not only improved the mental well-being of the mothers but has also had a positive impact on their relationships with their children. Some participants also reported economic improvements, such as starting small businesses or selling home-grown vegetables, as a result of the problem-solving skills they acquired.

“The results underscore the broader potential of the intervention to contribute to the well-being of both mothers and their children, fostering resilience within families and communities.” said Irene Falgas-Bague, project leader and senior author of the publication.

This study represents a significant milestone in Swiss TPH's commitment to advancing global mental health, particularly in LMICs. “The success of this intervention suggests that it could be adapted and implemented in other sub-Saharan African countries, providing a scalable solution to a critical global health challenge,” said Falgas-Bague. However, further research will be needed to assess the long-term impact on both mothers and their children, and to explore the integration of this intervention into routine health services.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(24)00256-6

Media contacts

• Irene Falgas Bague, Project Leader for Public Mental Health at Swiss TPH, irene.falgasbague@swisstph.ch, +41 61 284 89 25
• Günther Fink, Head of the Household Economics and Health Systems Research unit at Swiss TPH, guenther.fink@swisstph.ch, +41 76 823 17 58
• Layla Hasler, Communications, communications@swisstph.ch, +41 79 737 91 58

 

Swiss TPH – Excellence in Global Health

The Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) is a world-leading institute in global health with a particular focus on low- and middle-income countries. Associated with the University of Basel, Swiss TPH combines research, education and services at local, national and international level. 950 staff and students from 95 nations work at Swiss TPH focusing on climate change, environment and health, infectious and non-communicable diseases, societal and cultural context, and health systems and policies.

www.swisstph.ch

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Journal

The Lancet Psychiatry

DOI

10.1016/S2215-0366(24)00256-6 

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Feasibility and acceptability of the Problem Management for Moms programme for improving maternal mental health in Zambia: an open-label trial

Article Publication Date

5-Nov-2024

 

Eyes wide shut: Bats can navigate long distances using sound alone

Tel-Aviv University

 

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Fruit bat

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Credit: Yuval Barkai.

The researchers: “For the first time, we have shown that bats are able to navigate great distances in open areas with their eyes closed, using only echolocation; they even create a mental acoustic map of their surroundings.”

 

A new study by Tel Aviv University and the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History has proven, for the first time, that bats can navigate in nature over many kilometers using only echolocation, without relying on other senses. The researchers explain: “It’s well-known that bats are equipped with a natural sonar, allowing them to emit sound waves that bounce back from nearby objects, helping them navigate. However, it’s also known that bats use their sense of sight during flight. Laboratory studies have shown that bats are able to navigate within enclosed spaces using only echolocation — but sonar ‘sees’ only about 10 meters ahead, so what happens under natural conditions, in open areas stretching over many kilometers? Can bats rely solely on echolocation for long-distance navigation?” In this study, that question was explored in depth for the first time.

 

The research was led by Prof. Yossi Yovel of Tel Aviv University’s School of Zoology, Sagol School of Neuroscience, and Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, along with Dr. Aya Goldshtein, formerly a doctoral student of Prof. Yovel and currently a researcher at the Max Planck Institute in Germany. Additional partners from Tel Aviv University included Prof. Sivan Toledo of the Blavatnik School of Computer Science; Xing Chen, Dr. Eran Amichai, and Dr. Arjan Boonman of the School of Zoology; and Lee Harten of the Sagol School of Neuroscience. Prof. Ran Nathan and Dr. Yotam Orchan of the Hebrew University and Prof. Iain Couzin of the Max Planck Institute in Germany also participated in the study, which was published in the journal Science.

 

The innovative research, carried out over a six-year period, utilized a unique tracking system installed in Israel’s Hula Valley. Using this GPS-like technology, the researchers were able to track the flight of tiny bats from the species known as Kuhl’s pipistrelle, each weighing only six grams —— the smallest mammal ever to be monitored in this way.

 

For the study, the researchers collected around 60 bats from their roost in the Hula Valley area and moved them about three kilometers away from the roost — still within their familiar habitat. A tag was attached to each bat, and the eyes of some were covered with a cloth strip, temporarily preventing them from seeing during flight, though they could remove the covering with their feet upon landing. In addition, the researchers employed techniques to temporarily disrupt the bats’ sense of smell and magnetic sense, thereby creating conditions in which they would be able to find their way home using only echolocation. Remarkably, the bats managed to return to their roost without difficulty.

 

In the second phase, the researchers built a computerized acoustic model of the bats’ natural environment in the Hula Valley. Prof. Yovel explains: “This model is based on a 3D map of the area where the bats navigate, reflecting the echoes that the bat hears as it uses echolocation to journey through its surroundings. In examining the bats’ flight paths, we discovered that they choose routes where the echoes contain a lot of information, which helps them navigate. For example, an area rich in ​​vegetation, such as bushes and trees, returns echoes with more information than an open field, making bats less likely to fly over open terrain. We also found that some areas are characterized by distinct echoes, which are picked up by the bats. These findings strengthened our hypothesis that in any given area, bats know where they are based on the echoes. The bats effectively create an acoustic map in their head of their familiar environment, which includes a variety of active ‘sound landmarks’ (echoes) — just as every sighted person has a visual map of their everyday surroundings.”

  

Fruit Bat

Credit

Yuval Barkai

Link to the article:

https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/science.adn6269

 

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DOI

10.1126/science.adn6269 

 

New research reveals how stormy conditions affect albatrosses’ ability to feed

Peer-Reviewed Publication

University of Liverpool

 

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Wandering albatross flying over relatively calm seas

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Credit: Dr Samantha Patrick, University of Liverpool

Albatrosses are exceptionally mobile and use the wind to travel hundreds of thousands of miles to feed on squid, fish, or other animals found near the water surface in the open ocean.

In fact, some larger species of albatrosses are so reliant on the wind that they struggle to even take off when the conditions are calm.

Now, a new international study led by researchers from the University of Liverpool’s School of Environmental Science, reveals that that there is an upper limit to the wind’s benefit.

In a paper published in the journal Current Biology, researchers find that despite being masterful fliers, two species of albatrosses struggled to eat during very stormy weather conditions which made finding food difficult or dangerous.

The research team analysed data collected at South Georgia in the southwest Atlantic Ocean. Using small tracking devices attached by researchers from the British Antarctic Survey, the team were able to measure when and where birds were resting, flying or eating. In addition, they used satellite measurements of wind, rain and water clarity to see when birds encountered stormy conditions.

Jamie Darby, lead author of the paper while at University of Liverpool and now based at the University College Cork, said: “This combination of data is a very powerful tool for understanding how albatrosses behave, especially when they are so difficult to observe directly.”

“On several occasions, we tracked wandering albatross flying in very strong storm winds. During these times, the logger data tell us that the albatrosses barely fed at all. Not only did they not manage to eat, but they also landed and took off more regularly.”

Dr Ewan Wakefield from Durham University, a coauthor on the study, explained this phenomenon: “The albatrosses seem to avoid severe winds by landing on the water, but then cannot rest for long, probably because such strong wind would cause waves to break over them regularly.”

Wandering albatrosses have the largest wingspan of any bird, up to 3.4m, adapted for efficient flight in Southern Ocean winds. Because of this adaptation, albatrosses have not been considered at risk from storms, which are predicted to become more frequent and severe in the Southern Ocean due to climate change. Recent research has questioned this assumption, showing several examples of albatrosses avoiding the strongest wind in storm systems.

University of Liverpool ecologist Dr Samantha Patrick, who is principal investigator of the project, added: “This study allows us to understand animal behaviour when they are in places and conditions that make it almost impossible for us to see them directly. This includes extreme weather, like Southern Ocean storms. Knowing what animals do in these conditions, and how they cope, is really important. It’s a way to figure out how they will be affected by changes in their environment.”

This new research shows that even these wind-adapted albatrosses might be disadvantaged by more widespread extreme winds, as they are more likely to encounter conditions that make finding food difficult or dangerous.

The paper `Strong winds reduce foraging success in albatrosses‘ (doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2024.10.018) is published in the journal Current Biology.

The international research team was led by the University of Liverpool and involved British Antarctic Survey (BAS), Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS), University of Coimbra, and Durham University.

This research was funded by the Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC) in the UK and the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the US.

Black-browed albatross in flight near Crozet Islands

Credit

Dr Samantha Patrick, University of Liverpool

 

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Journal

Current Biology

DOI

10.1016/j.cub.2024.10.018 

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Strong winds reduce foraging success in albatrosses

Article Publication Date

1-Nov-2024

 

Rhythm as “form in motion” and its significance for poetics

“Poetics of Rhythm”: German Research Foundation (DFG) funds Reinhart Koselleck Project by Professor Achim Geisenhanslüke

Goethe University Frankfurt

 

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Within a Reinhart Koselleck Project, Professor Achim Geisenhanslüke is examining the role of rhythm as a concept in literary theory. (Photo: Uwe Dettmar)

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Credit: Uwe Dettmar/Goethe-University

“Poetics of Rhythm” – that is the title of a project currently in the starting blocks at Goethe University Frankfurt. The aim of Professor Achim Geisenhanslüke, Professor for Literary Theory and Comparative Literature, is to unfold the possibilities of a poetics of rhythm, which have not yet been fully exploited by literary studies, both systematically and historically. He combines the question of the fundamental significance of rhythm for the theory and practice of poetry (= poetics) with that of concrete manifestations of this phenomenon in poetry from modernity to the present day.

At the heart of the research work is rhythm in poetry. Is rhythm in poetry not simply meter? Not at all, says Achim Geisenhanslüke. Although rhythm also describes “form in motion” in poetic speech, it is far more encompassing than the concept of meter. Especially with regard to modern poetry, the potential offered by the concept of rhythm has so far hardly been studied. In his approach, Geisenhanslüke is above all continuing the work of Henri Meschonnic (1932-2009), the French poet, linguist and literary scholar who induced an upward revaluation of the concept of rhythm as part of a critical analysis of structuralist and post-structuralist literary theories.

Achim Geisenhanslüke’s project will approach the topic in three sub-studies: The first will focus on rhythm in the poems of Friedrich Hölderlin, the second will critically examine Foucault’s theory of discourse and Meschonnic’s theory of rhythm, while the third sub-study is dedicated to rhythm as “form in motion” in modern poetry up to the present day, from Annette von Droste-Hülshoff and Charles Baudelaire to Thomas Kling.

The financial support from the German Research Foundation (DFG) allows the freedom needed to pursue all these aspects. The project will receive €750,000 in increments spread over five years, which can be distributed flexibly for teaching replacements, recruiting staff, assistants, workshops and conferences.

The funding line, which has existed since 2008, is named after Reinhart Koselleck (1923-2006), one of the most important German historians of the 20th century, who is considered a co-founder of modern social history. Reinhart Koselleck Projects are awarded to “outstanding researchers with a proven scientific track record”. The prerequisites for approval are exceptionally innovative approaches or a higher degree of risk.

In the case of Achim Geisenhanslüke’s project, the risks lie in the attempt, within a comparative approach, to take rhythm, a concept that is as central to literary studies as it is underestimated, and use it to give poetics new impetus: No risk, no gain.

A portrait photograph of Professor Achim Geisenhanslüke is available for download at: https://www.puk.uni-frankfurt.de/160017255

 

Caption: Within a Reinhart Koselleck Project, Professor Achim Geisenhanslüke is examining the role of rhythm as a concept in literary theory. (Photo: Uwe Dettmar)

Further information
Professor Achim Geisenhanslüke

Department of Literary Theory and Comparative Literature

Faculty of Modern Languages

Goethe University Frankfurt

Telephone +49 (0) 69 798-32869

Email geisenhanslueke@lingua.uni-frankfurt.de

 

Healing, spiritual purposes drive many veterans’ use of psychedelics

In survey, 85% of veterans report they benefited from the experience

Ohio State University

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Most U.S. military veterans who have used psychedelics reported in a recent study that they pursued the substances for healing or spiritual exploration, and over 80% said they benefited from the experience – even those who had challenging outcomes.

The survey also indicated many of the veterans would be more likely to seek mental health care, or return to care, at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) if psychedelic-assisted therapy were offered.

Findings from this comprehensive examination of veterans’ experiences with psychedelics can give clinicians a clearer understanding of the veteran community’s expectations and specific needs for mental health care, researchers say.

“Because of all of the complexity that veterans are experiencing and the higher risk they’re at for experiencing not just one, but several mental health and physical health-related challenges, it makes sense that they would be searching for opportunities to address those challenges, especially when they feel like they’re not being met with the current system here in the U.S.,” said lead author Alan Davis, associate professor and director of the Center for Psychedelic Drug Research and Education at The Ohio State University College of Social Work.

The study was published recently in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs.

The VA estimates that more than 17 U.S. veterans die by suicide each day, according to 2021 data. And studies suggest between 44% and 72% of veterans are highly stressed during the transition from military to civilian life.

The research team, which included veterans, consulted with other past military service members to design a survey examining patterns of psychedelic use, perspectives of those who did and did not report use, and what kinds of benefits and adverse outcomes were associated with veterans’ use of the drugs. Veterans were referred to the survey through online advertisements and communities, email invitations and word of mouth.

“Understanding military veteran culture is crucial for civilian therapists working with this population,” said co-author Mark Bates, a retired U.S. Air Force pilot and clinical psychologist at Sunstone Therapies, a Maryland treatment center researching psychedelic-assisted therapies.

“It’s about avoiding inadvertently undermining the therapeutic relationship and knowing how to use military culture as an effective frame of reference. This is also part of the reason of why we carefully consulted with a team of veteran advisers in the development and validation of the survey questions.”

With veteran advocacy for access to psychedelic-assisted therapy increasing in recent years, Bates said, “There is a really pressing need to explore anything that’s promising for mental health treatment.”

The survey sample consisted of 426 participants categorized into two groups – those who had (217) and had not (209) used psychedelics. Drugs used by veterans included psilocybin (magic mushrooms), LSD, ketamine, MDMA (ecstasy), ayahuasca, ibogaine, 5-MeO-DMT (toad) and peyote/mescaline. The most commonly reported reasons for use were healing or treatment (69%), spiritual exploration (47.5%) or recreation (38.7%).

Compared to veterans who had not used psychedelics, the veterans who had taken the drugs were more likely to be older and had spent more time deployed during their service, and a larger proportion of them reported PTSD, depression and anxiety.

While some participants were alone when they used psychedelics, many reported taking them in spiritual locations or outdoors, with friends, or in medical clinics or retreat centers – both in the United States and abroad.

Overall, participants rated the psychedelic experiences as beneficial whether they considered the experience uniformly positive (88.6%) or endured one or more adverse outcomes (81.3%). The most common adverse outcomes were flashbacks and craving or trying to reduce use of psychedelics. Fewer participants reported being arrested or seeking medical treatment in relation to using the drugs.

Statistical analysis identified a number of factors that lowered the likelihood of having negative outcomes: being older, using psilocybin, having depression or anxiety, obtaining psychedelics from a safe source, being prepared, comfortable and confident during the treatment, and being able to trust, let go and be open to the experience.

“This finding highlights the importance of people in the veteran community knowing that keeping these things in mind prior to use can help set them up for the best possible outcome,” Davis said.

With most psychedelic substances classified as Schedule I drugs under the Controlled Substances Act, the only legal way for most people to access them in the United States currently is in a clinical trial setting. Davis is leading a current psilocybin-assisted therapy study at Ohio State for the treatment of PTSD among military veterans, and Bates and colleagues at Sunstone Therapies have treated many veterans to date.

Finding that surveyed veterans would welcome a chance to access psychedelic-assisted therapy at the VA is an important highlight of the study, the researchers said.

“What’s really exciting about this study and understanding veterans’ interest in psychedelic-assisted therapy is it’s potentially opening up an opportunity to address some of their core challenges head-on,” Davis said. “Veterans are dying by suicide and fleeing the country to find these opportunities in other places, so the message is clear. This needs to be available.”

Additional co-authors were Nathan Sepeda, Adam Levin and Stacey Armstrong of Ohio State; independent researcher Erik Lund; Robert Koffman of Sunstone Therapies; Katinka Hooyer of the Medical College of Wisconsin; and Rachel Yehuda of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

This work was supported by private donors, the Cammack Family Gift Fund, the Center for Psychedelic Psychotherapy and Trauma Research at the Icahn Medical School, the Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, and the CPDRE at Ohio State.

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Journal

Journal of Psychoactive Drugs

DOI

10.1080/02791072.2024.2401977 

Method of Research

Survey

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

The Epidemiology of Psychedelic Use Among United States Military Veterans

 

People engaging in self-harm find support on Reddit. But is that community helping them?

Social posts suggest Redditors view self-injury as a problem but find the behavior addictive

University of Georgia

A new study from the University of Georgia suggests people posting in Reddit’s r/selfharm community are likely seeking support for negative emotions.

While sharing traumatic events online can be cathartic, the researchers caution that subreddits can’t provide the same type of mental health help and support face-to-face interactions and professional help can.

“We don’t know the accuracy of the information that’s being shared in these communities about nonsuicidal self-injury,” said Amanda Giordano, lead author of the study and an associate professor in UGA’s Mary Frances Early College of Education. “A client engaging in self-harm may feel as though they have the support they need in their online community and, in turn, may not seek offline help.

“However, there’s evidence to suggest that talking to anonymous strangers online is less effective than seeking support from a trusted person offline.”

Redditors post to share negative experiences, ask self-harm and medical questions

The researchers analyzed a sample of 400 Reddit posts in a subreddit dedicated to the topic of self-harm. At the time, the Reddit forum contained 143,000 members and provided a window into the overall tone and attitude posters have toward self-injury.

The study found that the most common purpose for posting in the self-harm subreddit was to share a negative experience (35.5%), like a misunderstanding with a family member. About one in five posts sought answers to self-harm-related questions like how to hide scars. And 14% of posts included medical questions like how to clean and manage wounds.

More users framed self-harm as a problem rather than a solution. But the number of posts expressing an intention to stop engaging in self-harm was nearly equal to those expressing no intention to stop.

“The majority of posts did not describe why the poster engaged in self-injury, but of those who did, the most common reason was for emotion regulation. They were engaging in self-harm as a way to stop bad feelings and feel better,” said Giordano.

These posts described engaging in self-harm as a response to distress from specific life events, including breaking up or falling out with family members, or as a response to strong negative emotions, such as depression, self-hatred, loneliness, low self-esteem, shame or anxiety.

The sample of posts in the subreddit revealed that the most common method of self-injury was cutting, with only 10% of posts referencing methods other than cutting, such as burning, scratching, head banging, punching and more.

Users may view self-harm as an addictive behavior

The study also found that addiction-related language, like “relapse” and “clean,” appeared in more than a quarter of the posts, indicating that a substantial number of users view self-harm as an addiction.

More than 42% of the posts from the study indicated that the poster was currently engaging in self-harm. The study found about one in five posts revealed the poster was no longer injuring themselves.

About 12 posts indicated the poster had never self-harmed but was curious about it, while 1% revealed it was the poster’s first time. 

The researchers found a significant correlation between whether the poster viewed self-harm as a problem or a solution and that poster’s intention to stop the behavior.

Counselors and mental health professionals can help clients shift their perspective from thinking about self-harm as the solution to managing psychological pain to recognizing that self-injury doesn’t solve the issue causing their emotional distress and instead adds additional risk.

“Then the work would be around increasing their motivation to change and to find alternative, more adaptive ways of regulating their emotions outside of self-harm,” Giordano said.

Published by the International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, the study was co-authored by UGA’s J’haria Dallas, Lauren Hearn and In Kee Kim. Additional co-authors include Bradley McKibben and Donatella Luciani-Hill.

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Journal

International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling

DOI

10.1007/s10447-024-09580-1 

Article Title

Exploring Nonsuicidal Self-Injury Online Activity: A Content Analysis of Reddit Posts

 

Grey squirrel control: New study shows promise for effective contraceptive delivery system

Society of Chemical Industry

 

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Grey squirrel accessing bait hopper

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Credit: Sarah Beatham, APHA

A new study published in the SCI journal Pest Management Science sheds light on the behaviour of grey squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) and explores methods for the targeted delivery of oral contraceptives to control their populations.

The research, a collaboration between APHA's National Wildlife Management Centre, Durham University, and the University of York, provides a platform for mitigating the environmental damage caused by this invasive species and protecting the UK’s declining native red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) population. Sarah Beatham, an ecologist at APHA, and lead researcher on the study noted, "Our main goal was to measure bait uptake in individual squirrels to understand the potential contraceptive dose rates that would be achievable, particularly in breeding females. We also wanted to find out the best time of year to deploy a contraceptive, to maximise the number of individuals targeted."

Grey squirrels were first introduced to the UK from North America in the Victorian era, where they were prized as a novelty ornamental species for the grounds of stately homes. Since then, they have spread rapidly, reaching a population of over 2.5 million and posing a serious threat to tree health and native wildlife. Traditional lethal control methods have proven insufficient for large-scale management, leading to increasing interest in non-lethal, sustainable population control measures like contraceptives.

The study focuses on understanding grey squirrel feeding behaviour to develop an efficient delivery system for oral contraceptives. Researchers conducted trials using specially designed platforms for the bait (known as bait hoppers) that only grey squirrels could access. "The only animals recorded accessing the feeder bait were grey squirrels, on hundreds of occasions, and wood mice on three occasions, meaning the feeders have a very high level of species-specificity. This is important as the contraceptive could potentially affect other mammals,” explained Beatham. Squirrels were trapped and fitted with trackers, known as PIT-tags, to monitor individual bait uptake. Trials in six woodlands across Yorkshire spanned three seasons, helping researchers understand how variables such as sex, season, and squirrel density influence bait consumption.

The bait and monitoring system developed and tested in the study demonstrated that males and females had very similar levels of bait uptake from the feeders. Beatham added, "We found that spring was the only season tested where female squirrels were more likely to visit bait feeders than males. Spring coincides with a peak in squirrel breeding and is therefore a good time to deliver a contraceptive."

One of the key challenges in developing oral contraceptives for wildlife is ensuring that the bait isn’t accessible to non-target species such as pine martins. "We need to make sure that the feeders themselves are relatively inexpensive and robust enough to prevent different wildlife species trying to access the bait and to be left in the field in different weather conditions,” Beatham noted.

The research findings could have broader implications beyond grey squirrels. “The most obvious pest species would be the brown rat (Rattus norvegicus), one of the most populous, widely distributed, and successful invasive mammals globally. They cause a range of issues, including damaging crops and buildings, spreading disease, and predating vulnerable species such as ground-nesting birds,” noted Beatham. “Some of the most invasive species in the world are small mammals, so there are plenty of opportunities for this type of management.”

Looking ahead, the data gathered from this study could be used to design scalable, practical bait delivery systems for deploying oral contraceptives across the UK, making population control efforts more efficient and cost-effective. Beatham added, "This study demonstrated that you could deliver a bait to most squirrels in a wood within 4 days. The effort required for contraceptive-based control should be considerably lower than lethal control as, unlike traps, feeders will not have to be visited daily and may only need to be deployed once or twice a year."

The research team is already working on the next phase of development. "We are currently finalising the structure and manufacturing process for the contraceptive through laboratory and captive squirrel trials. Once we finalise what constitutes an effective dosing regime, we can relate this to the findings of this study to design an effective field delivery method,” Beatham said.

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Journal

Pest Management Science

DOI

10.1002/ps.8379 

Article Title

An assessment of seasonal bait uptake by individual grey squirrels to develop a delivery system for oral contraceptives

 

Unlocking the secrets of nitrogen use in potatoes

A path to reduce fertilizer dependence

Center for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG)

 

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Experiment with potato plants

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Credit: CRAG

Bellaterra (Barcelona), 4 November 2024 - In a world where food security is increasingly threatened by climate change and the population growth, researchers are turning to genetic solutions to enhance crop resilience. A recent study led by Salomé Prat, a CSIC researcher at CRAG has unveiled groundbreaking findings on the role of the StCDF1 gene in nitrogen use efficiency in potatoes (Solanum tuberosum), a staple food for millions of people.

The study published in New Phytologist in collaboration with the group of Christian Bachem from the University of Wageningen (WUR), expands the role of StCDF1 beyond its previously known function as a central regulator of day length tuberization. Tuber formation is an adaptive strategy of potato plants for winter survival and is triggered by shorter day lengths and cooler temperatures perceived by the plant as the approach of winter.

Maroof Ahmed Shaikh, first author of the study, notes, “Integration of these environmental signals encourages tuber formation.  These organs stay dormant in the soil over winter and wake up in spring to form a new plant. We often notice this awakening at home when older potatoes begin to sprout.”

In wild potatoes, tuber formation is strictly dependent on short days. However, modern cultivars carry mutations in a locus called earliness that allows them to escape this strict control. This adaptation took place after potatoes were introduced to Europe, resulting in early-maturing varieties that carry one or more copies of these alleles. These naturally occurring mutations enhance the stability of the StCDF1 factor, a key player in the day length pathway that modulates the expression of SP6A, a member of the FLOWERING LOCUS T family and a main tuberization signal.

Enhancing nitrogen utilization through genetic innovations

The findings reveal that StCDF1 not only acts as an upstream regulator of the tuberization pathway but also directly controls the expression of several genes involved in nitrogen assimilation and transport. Through a combination of DNA binding and gene expression studies, researchers observed that StCDF1 binds the promoter region of Nitrate Reductase (StNR), an enzyme that catalyses the rate-limiting step in nitrate reduction within the cell. Surprisingly, potatoes possess a single gene copy for StNR, unlike most plants that have several copies allowing them greater efficiency in nitrate utilization.

The research employed advanced techniques, including DAP-seq (DNA Affinity Purification and sequencing), to identify the direct targets of StCDF1. This method revealed DNA recognition peaks in several nitrogen responsive genes.

Knock-down lines of StCDF1, which reduced transcript levels, showed improved performance under nitrogen-limiting conditions due to the lifted repression of StNR. With StCDF1 silenced, the potato plants could express more StNR, leading to better nitrogen utilization. Additionally, the discovery of polymorphisms in the StNR regulatory region indicates that these genetic variations may have evolved in early potato cultivars as a compensatory mechanism, helping these plants adapt to the adverse effects of StCDF1 stabilization, thereby enhancing their nitrogen assimilation capabilities.

Salomé Prat emphasized the significance of these findings, stating, “The novelty of our research lies in uncovering StCDF1's dual role in regulating both tuberization and the nitrogen assimilation pathways. This insight reveals new genetic and molecular targets for enhancing nitrogen utilization in potatoes.”

Implications for sustainable agriculture

The implications of this research are profound, contributing to the broader goal of sustainable agriculture. The study provides molecular targets that can be used for breeding climate-smart potato varieties requiring less nitrate inputs for high tuber production. Breeders could leverage this knowledge to develop potato varieties less dependent on chemical fertilizers.

In conclusion, this study not only enriches our understanding of potato biology but also serves as a ray of hope for sustainable agriculture, demonstrating the power of plant science in addressing global challenges. By harnessing genetic advancements, the agricultural sector can move towards more resilient and environment friendly practices, ensuring food security for future generations.

 

Reference Article:

Maroof Ahmed Shaikh, Lorena Ramírez-Gonzales, José M. Franco-Zorrilla, Evyatar Steiner, Marian Oortwijn, Christian W.B. Bachem, Salomé Prat. StCDF1: A “jack of all trades” clock output with a central role in regulating potato nitrate reduction activity. New Phytologist, https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.20186

 

About the authors and funding of the study: This work was supported by the ERA CAPS 647 HotSol project funded by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO project 648 849.13.001), the FlowerPot project, and by the Division for Earth and Life Sciences ALW 649 financial aid from the NWO. Work within the Salomé Prat group was financed by the European H2020- 650 SFS-862858 ADAPT project. Maroof Ahmed Shaikh was supported by a pre-doctoral contract from the ADAPT 651 project. Lorena Ramírez-Gonzales received a fellowship from FONDECYT-CONCYTEC, Lima, Peru (grant no. 652 090-2016-FONDECYT). Work in José M. Franco-Zorrilla's group was funded by the Spanish Ministry for 653 Science and Innovation grant PID2020-119451GB-I00.

About the Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG): CRAG is a centre that forms part of the CERCA system of research centres of the Government of Catalonia (Spain), and which was established as a partnership of four institutions: the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), the Institute for Agri-Food Research and Technology (IRTA), the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) and the University of Barcelona (UB). CRAG’s research spans from basic research in plant and farm animal molecular biology, to applications of molecular approaches for breeding of species important for agriculture and food production in close collaboration with industry. In 2020, CRAG was recognized for the second time as a "Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence” by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness.

About New Phytologist: New Phytologist is a leading international journal focusing on high quality, original research across the broad spectrum of plant sciences, from intracellular processes through to global environmental change. The journal is owned by the New Phytologist Foundation, a non-profit organisation dedicated to the promotion of plant science. https://www.newphytologist.org/

 

Schematic summary of the study

Credit

CRAG

Materials:

• 1_image potatoes.jpg: Experiment with potato plants (Credit: CRAG).
• 2_authors.jpg: On the left Salomé Prat, who led the study, and on the right Maroof Ahmed Shaikh, first author of the study (Credit: CRAG).
• 3_authors.jpg: On the left Salomé Prat, who led the study, and on the right Maroof Ahmed Shaikh, first author of the study (Credit: CRAG).
• 4_infographic_ENG.jpg: Schematic summary of the study (Credit: CRAG).

Materials can be downloaded here: https://t.ly/m2y9y

 

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Journal

New Phytologist

DOI

10.1111/nph.20186 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

StCDF1: A “jack of all trades” clock output with a central role in regulating potato nitrate reduction activity

Article Publication Date

6-Nov-2024