In the end, it’s the individual advantage that counts

Bacteria rely on cooperation and evolution in order to defend themselves against predatory protists

Peer-Reviewed Publication

HELMHOLTZ CENTRE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH - UFZ

 

IMAGE: (1) PREDATION ON THE UNPROTECTED BACTERIA BY PREDATORS, (2) TOXIN FORMATION AS COOPERATIVE DEFENCE AND RECOVERY OF THE BACTERIAL POPULATION, (3) FILAMENT FORMATION AS INDIVIDUAL DEFENCE THROUGH EVOLUTION AND STABILISATION OF DENSITIES. view more 

CREDIT: DAVID KNEIS / TU DRESDEN

In a lake or river, between one and 10 million bacteria live in just 1 ml of water. Such a high density is necessary because bacteria permanently break down organic compounds and pollutants and thus purify the water. However, if there are too many bacteria, this can lead to the spread of pathogens. Preventing this requires predators: microscopic protists of which there are usually between a few hundred and a few thousand individuals in 1 ml of water. They constantly eat bacteria and thus ensure that the bacteria fulfil their cleaning function but do not become too abundant. Using the bacterium Pseudomonas putida and the bacterivorous protist Poteriospumella lacustris, the research team investigated the role of the various defence strategies of the bacteria and how the formation of feeding resistance is related to the dynamics of ecological systems.

Cooperative behaviour helps – but only in the short term

In the five-week laboratory experiment, the scientists found that, as expected, the predatory protists first multiplied in the bacterial culture for a week and reduced the number of bacteria. However, the population of protists quickly collapsed in the second week because the bacteria produced a toxin that strongly inhibits the reproduction of these predators.  “Such a chemical defence is successful only if a relatively large number of bacteria join in and release a corresponding amount of toxin into the water”, says Dr Magali de la Cruz Barron, lead author and hydrobiologist at the UFZ and TU Dresden. This cooperative behaviour protects the entire population – at least for a short time. But after a few days, the bacteria no longer secreted toxin, and the predators recovered by the end of the third week. It is not possible to say exactly why this is. One common explanation for such a phenomenon is that too many “cheaters” form. These are in this case bacteria that do not form toxins themselves but which benefit from them in the group because they do not have to expend any effort of their own to protect themselves. “But we could show with the help of mathematical simulations that cheaters are not necessary to explain such patterns if alternative defence strategies evolve” explains Magali de la Cruz Barron.

Individual defence lasts a long time and stabilises the population densities

And indeed, the research team discovered a second defence mechanism that the bacteria developed from the third week onwards. Most bacteria formed filaments (i.e. threads with cells arranged in chains). These made the bacteria 10 to 100 times larger and much bulkier so that many of them could no longer be eaten by the protists. This individual behaviour was successful. The bacterial density stabilised by the end of the fifth week. However, there were still sufficient numbers of bacteria that could be eaten because in order to reproduce, the bacteria had to keep forming small units that served as food for the predators. This also allowed the protists to establish a stable population density. Unlike toxin formation, the individual defence of the bacteria was not reversible. “By sequencing the bacterial genome, we have proven that the formation of the filaments was indeed accompanied by a change in the genetic material. Evolution has thus taken place. Not over millions of years but rather within only a few days”, says Prof. Dr Markus Weitere, co-author and head of the UFZ Department of River Ecology. This observation is not entirely new. It is known that evolution can take place in relatively short periods of time, especially in fast-growing organisms such as bacteria. “But what is remarkable is that this mutation did not happen just once. The experiments were often repeated, and these adjustments were always made”, says Weitere. Even though the change in the genome probably occurs by chance, it leads to a reproducible adaptation pattern in the bacteria.

With this experiment, the research team showed how the formation of defence strategies affects the dynamics of predator–prey systems and how important this defence is for stabilising populations. It also became clear that it makes sense for the prey species not to rely on just one strategy. “Depending on the situation, one of several strategies can be successful. In our experiment, it was the quick cooperative behaviour that led to the initial success. In the end, it was the more cumbersome individual defence through evolution that led to a permanent defence”, says Weitere. Thus, individual protection prevails – even if the initial cooperative defence was definitely beneficial for the community.

The research work took place within the framework of the Priority Programme “Flexibility matters: interplay between trait diversity and ecological dynamics using aquatic communities as model systems (DynaTrait)” funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). 

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JOURNAL

The ISME Journal

DOI

10.1038/s41396-023-01381-5 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Shifts from cooperative to individual-based predation defence determine microbial predator–prey dynamics

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

28-Feb-2023

Millet and sorghum cultivation may provide an answer to rising levels of aridity linked to climate change

A study published in PLOS ONE by members of the CaSEs research group of the UPF Department of Humanities demonstrates how traditional small-scale rainfed agriculture provides information on sustainable agricultural practices.

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITAT POMPEU FABRA - BARCELONA

 

IMAGE: CLASSIFICATION OF THE WORLD’S REGIONS CLASSIFICATION ACCORDING TO ARIDITY INDEX VALUES, TERRITORIAL DISTRIBUTION OF ETHNOGRAPHIC GROUPS (EHRAF) ACCORDING TO GREG POLYGONS (GEO-REFERENCING OF ETHNIC GROUPS DATASET) view more 

CREDIT: AUTHORS

Astudy by researchers from the UPF Culture, Archaeology and Socio-Ecological Dynamics Research Group (CaSEs), recently published in the journal PLOS ONE, provides a global assessment of traditional small-scale farming practices for three of the world’s most important drought-tolerant species: finger millet, pearl millet and sorghum.

The research, which combines already published ethnographic data and new information collected in the field, demonstrates how traditional small-scale rainfed agriculture provides novel information on sustainable agricultural practices, at the intersection between traditional ecological knowledge and academic knowledge.

Abel Ruiz Giralt: “Our work advances our understanding of how human communities developed sustainable and resilient agricultural strategies over time. This is especially significant in the current context of climate instability and population growth, which requires immediate action”

Finger millet, pearl millet and sorghum are primary staple crops in drylands, and their production dates back more than 5,000 years. However, compared to other crops, the production of millet and sorghum has progressively decreased in the last 50 years.

In the current context of climate change and rising levels of aridity around the world, research into local practices and traditional crops is critical. Traditional ecological knowledge provides a very important source of information, since it encompasses the exploitation of locally available resources, and is the result of processes of long-term adaptation to the environment.

“Our work advances our understanding of how human communities developed sustainable and resilient agricultural strategies over time. This is especially significant in the current context of climate instability and population growth, which requires immediate action”, says Abel Ruiz-Giralt, first author of the article, together with Marco Madella, Stefano Biagetti and Carla Lancelotti, all researchers at the UPF Department of Humanities and members of the CaSEs Research Group.

The authors note that traditional practices to increase crop yields are based on renewable resources, contrary to the widespread and short-term solutions often used by supranational institutions, which cause significant damage to both crop biodiversity and soil conservation.

These traditional practices enable increasing productivity and minimizing crop failure, without sacrificing long-term sustainability and resilience. “Our study offers an alternative view on possible ways to integrate traditional knowledge into scientific and political programmes, with the aim of providing solutions for food security in low and middle-income arid areas”, the researchers assure.

Creating new models to explain traditional farming practices

In their research, the authors build and test models that show the interaction of ecological and geographic variables, which serve to explain traditional agricultural practices and the variability of existing systems in this field, as well as mapping the possible cultivation areas of finger millet, pearl millet and sorghum on a global level.

They state: “We have found that the relationship between total annual precipitation and the viability and variability of agricultural systems in drylands around the world is not as strong as was previously thought”. And they add: “Other factors such as the length of growth cycles, the availability of soil nutrients and water retention capacity seem to be far more determinant in the configuration of traditional agro-ecosystems”, they assert.

The researchers have chosen to use a comparative global approach, which allows simplifying complex ethnographic data, since they have reduced intracultural variability through generalizations based on the most common practices. For this reason, they have used the ethnographic data available in the eHRAF World Cultures database as the main source of information.

“We have found that the relationship between total annual precipitation and the viability and variability of agricultural systems in drylands around the world is not as strong as was previously thought”

The eHRAF World Cultures database contains a large number of documents that describe activities derived from traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) from around the world, data that come from ethnographic studies carried out unevenly during the last two centuries. “Despite the inevitable distortion generated by the use of data collected under different theoretical and methodological perspectives over more than 150 years of ethnographic research, the eHRAF database continues to be one of the most effective tools for conducting global comparative research, due to the wealth of information it supplies”, Abel Ruiz-Giralt states.

The models presented in the study, which include various environmental predictors in their design, simplify the relationships and interactions between humans and the environment, and can therefore be useful to understand the underlying general dynamics involved in the study and development of traditional agricultural systems. “We believe our paper is a timely and valuable contribution to this debate, as it provides new data on smallholder practices at the intersection of traditional ecological and academic knowledge”.

This work is part of the research project RAINDROPS-Resilience and Adaptation in Drylands, funded with a European Research Council Starting Grant (ERC-Stg 759800), with Carla Lancelotti as its principal investigator.

Reference work: Abel Ruiz-Giralt, Stefano Biagetti, Marc Madella, Carla Lancelotti (February 2023). “Small-scale farming in drylands: New models for resilient practices of millet and sorghum cultivation”, PLOS ONE

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0268120

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JOURNAL

PLoS ONE

DOI

10.1371/journal.pone.0268120 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Observational study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Small-scale farming in drylands: New models for resilient practices of millet and sorghum cultivation

FOR PROFIT MEDICINE

Family Heart Foundation real-world analysis reveals that majority of Americans at high risk of stroke and heart attack remain under-treated

Findings to be presented at ACC Scientific Sessions highlight life-threatening gaps in treatment

Reports and Proceedings

FAMILY HEART FOUNDATION

NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 28, 2023 – According to a new study from the Family Heart Foundation, a leading research and advocacy organization, 72.2% of high-risk hypercholesterolemia patients never achieve the low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) thresholds recommended in the 2018 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Guideline on the Management of Blood Cholesterol. This may be due to a lack of physician prescribing, insurance coverage and patient follow through, despite the known risk of cardiovascular disease. Based on real-world data from an analysis of the Family Heart DatabaseTM of more than 300 million Americans, the findings will be highlighted in a poster presentation at the American College of Cardiology 2023 conference on March 4, 2023 at 12:45 pm at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.

“This study provides us with a clear view of the poor state of LDL cholesterol management for high-risk individuals in the United States,” said Mary P. McGowan, M.D., chief medical officer, Family Heart Foundation, and co-author of the study. “Despite the availability of safe and effective lipid-lowering therapies, only 28% of high-risk patients ever reach below guideline LDL-C thresholds, which further elevates these patients’ risks for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) events, such as heart attacks and stroke.”

Titled “72% of High-Risk Hypercholesterolemia Patients Never Reach Below ACC/AHA Guideline LDL-C Thresholds,” the observational study assessed achievement of LDL-C below thresholds in 38,110,734 high-risk patients.

Additional key findings from the study show:

• Only 27.8% of all high-risk patients ever reached below-guideline LDL-C thresholds.
• For those with episodes below LDL-C thresholds, mean duration of each episode was 158.8 days.
• 79.5% of clinicians never prescribed combination cholesterol-lowering medications though the guideline provides direction and rational for doing so.
• Only 2.2% of high-risk patients received combination cholesterol-lowering medications.

The Family Heart Database is comprised of real-world diagnostic, procedural, and prescription data from claims and/or laboratory information in the U.S. from 2012 to 2021.

The poster will be available for viewing throughout the Congress in the Poster Hall – Hall F. In addition, the Family Heart Foundation will be discussing the implications of this research for the American public at a multistakeholder roundtable in New Orleans with key opinion leaders in cardiology and public health.

 

About the Family Heart Foundation

The Family Heart Foundation is a nonprofit research and advocacy organization. The Foundation is a pioneer in the application of real-world evidence, patient-driven advocacy, and multi-stakeholder education to help prevent heart attacks and strokes caused by familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) and elevated Lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), two common genetic disorders that have an impact across generations. The Family Heart Foundation conducts innovative research to break down barriers to diagnosis and management of inherited lipid disorders; educates patients, providers, and policy makers; advocates for change; and provides hope and support for families impacted by heart disease and stroke caused by FH, HoFH, and high Lp(a). The organization was founded in 2011 as the FH Foundation. For more information, visit FamilyHeart.org and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Less than one in ten Phase III clinical trials are ever cited at the point-of-care

A decade-long analysis reveals potential bottlenecks in the pathway of clinical research into medical practice.

Peer-Reviewed Publication

ELIFE

A study has characterised the factors that influence the adoption of clinical research into practice by comparing the citation rates of medical research papers between 18 different specialities, article type, geography and time. The results are published today in eLife.

The work reveals that most clinical trials are never cited by the time they reach the point-of-care – where clinical trials are embedded into regular medical practice. Furthermore, less than one in two Phase III clinical trials are ever cited across 9 out of 18 medical specialities. Phase III clinical trials typically involve a large number of participants and are designed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a new medical intervention across the general population. 

The results represent a preliminary step to understanding why increased research funding in the US has not yielded equivalent results in health outcomes. The findings could be used to monitor the efficiency of research investments and evaluate health policies influencing the translation of biomedical studies to clinical practice.

The lack of evidence to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of treatments is a contributing factor that underpins the unsustainable expenditure of the US healthcare system. This is made worse by a limited understanding of the factors that influence the translation of clinical research into practice. 

“This may partially explain why, in the US healthcare systems, many patients do not receive the recommended services and many receive treatment that is not necessary or appropriate for them,” says co-author Moustafa Abdalla, resident  in the Department of Surgery, at  Massachusetts General Hospital, and fellow at Harvard Medical School, both in Boston, Massachusetts, US. 

The team used the resource tool UpToDate, which provides current evidence-based clinical information at the point of medical practice, to assess what clinical research makes it into practice. By leveraging a dataset of more than 10,000 UpToDate articles, sampled every three months between 2011–2020, they were able to trace the path of research from initial publication to medical practice, compared to the 2.4 million uncited studies published during the same time window across 18 medical specialties. 

The analysis revealed substantial variation in how different medical specialities adopt research with regards to frequency of literature citations and the quality-of-evidence incorporated. Across all specialities, only 0.4% to 2.4% of published clinical research is ever cited in UpToDate. Amongst the 18 specialities included in the analysis, neurology had the highest citation rate at 2.4% (2,057 of 85,843 research articles), and pathology had the lowest rate at 0.4% (317 of 69,343 research articles). 

The proportion of citations varied substantially by the type of article the research was presented in. Practice guidelines represented the most likely article type to be cited, with 9 of the 18 specialties receiving citations at a rate of over 13%. Clinical trials were the second most likely to be cited, but were also the most variable. In 9 of the 18 specialties, the team observed that less than one in ten Phase III clinical trials were ever cited at the point-of-care. 

The team next sought to characterise the effects of National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding on the number of citations a paper receives, primarily focusing on the US. They found that, across all specialties in the past decade, average annual NIH funding correlated strongly with the total number of citations. Given this strong correlation, the team then calculated the effective cost per new citation at the point-of-care. This was used to represent the approximate indirect cost of bringing clinical research to medical practice in NIH funding dollars. In urology – a branch of medicine that focuses on diseases of the urinary track – and nephrology – a specialty of medicine concerning the kidneys – the cost of bringing a new citation to the point-of-care was estimated   at $48,086.18 per article (not including the intercept of the model which reflects set up and startup costs). On the other side of the spectrum,    in pathology, it cost  $874.85 for every additional citation. 

Whilst UpToDate represents the largest point-of-care resource, its relevance varies by specialty and training status. Therefore, whilst the study uses UpToDate as a metric of translation of research, the authors say a citation does not necessarily indicate actual changes in practice. Instead, citations represent adoption of knowledge to support current approaches, inform new changes in practice, or highlight points of controversy. 

“While the findings of our study are largely descriptive and explanatory, we have provided a baseline for monitoring the efficiency of research investments. This may eventually lead to the development of strategies to quantify the effectiveness of proposed reforms to the biomedical scientific process,” concludes co-author Mohamed Abdalla, Scientist, Institute for Better Health, Trillium Health Partners, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.

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Media contacts

Emily Packer, Media Relations Manager

eLife

e.packer@elifesciences.org

+44 (0)1223 855373

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eLife

g.litchfield@elifesciences.org

About eLife

eLife transforms research communication to create a future where a diverse, global community of scientists and researchers produces open and trusted results for the benefit of all. Independent, not-for-profit and supported by funders, we improve the way science is practised and shared. From the research we publish, to the tools we build, to the people we work with, we’ve earned a reputation for quality, integrity and the flexibility to bring about real change. eLife receives financial support and strategic guidance from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, the Max Planck Society and Wellcome. Learn more at https://elifesciences.org/about.

To read the latest Medicine research published in eLife, visit https://elifesciences.org/subjects/medicine.

 

About the Institute for Better Health

As Trillium Health Partner’s (THP) research and innovation engine, the Institute for Better Health (IBH) is a core enabler of THP’s mission of a new kind of health care for a healthier community through the application of scientific expertise, innovative thinking and partnerships. Focused on generating cutting-edge science and innovation in health service delivery and population health, IBH leads practical research and innovation that shapes how we engage, design, deliver, and sustain health care to solve problems stretching from the bedside to the system.

 

For more information, please visit instituteforbetterhealth.com.

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JOURNAL

eLife

DOI

10.7554/eLife.82498 

ARTICLE TITLE

Tracing the path of 37,050 studies into practice across 18 specialties of the 2.4 million published between 2011-2020

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

28-Feb-2023

Better communication leads to more international solidarity

What crisis communication strategies can motivate people to support international relief efforts? Konstanz researchers investigate this question using the example of international vaccine solidarity and provide recommendations for action.

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF KONSTANZ

What promoted citizens to favour a fair distribution of vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic? This is the focus topic in the current study of Konstanz researchers, political scientists Dirk Leuffen, Pascal Mounchid and Max Heermann as well as sociologist Sebastian Koos, published in npj Vaccines. Based on data from a large-scale survey on COVID-19 and social inequality, the researchers identify communication strategies that moved citizens in Germany to support international vaccine solidarity. Two of the resulting recommendations for action: In order to promote international willingness to help, future crisis communication should clearly identify the risks of acting without solidarity and highlight what donors and recipients have in common.
 

Morally reprehensible and medically risky
During the COVID-19 pandemic, pharmaceutical companies and governments around the world collaborated to develop, produce and distribute vaccines. Nevertheless, many governments secured vaccines primarily for their own citizens. The result: Especially in countries of the global North, multiple vaccinations could be administered nationwide soon after the first vaccines were approved. In many places, vaccines even exceeded their expiration date unused. At the same time, the poorest countries in the world were left almost empty-handed.
 

In addition to the question of moral reprehensibility, this "vaccination nationalism" also carried a medical risk, since insufficient global vaccination coverage potentially favoured the emergence of new, possibly resistant viral variants. Particularly in democratic countries, decision-makers therefore faced a dilemma when it came to distributions, Leuffen says: "Politicians were torn between the advice from experts and the accountability to their own people." But what factors favoured solidarity?
 

The undecided can tip the balance
To find out, the researchers surveyed 4,000 German citizens in an experiment in May 2021, when only 12 per cent of German citizens had received their second vaccination shot: Participants were asked to indicate to what extent they were in favour of giving vaccines to a hypothetical recipient country. In the process, they received different information about the recipient country itself as well as the potential benefits of acting in solidarity. In this way, the researchers were able to determine what type of information increases vaccination solidarity and develop specific recommendations for crisis communication that promotes solidarity.
 

The researchers recommend emphasizing the self-interest of the donor side in addition to references to humanitarian need in the recipient country. "Clearly illustrating the dangers of vaccine nationalism promotes international solidarity", Leuffen explains and continues: "Moreover, short-term cost considerations should be replaced by a long-term profit orientation. As soon as a certain vaccination rate has been achieved in one's own country, dispensing vaccines is the safest strategy".
 

It is also beneficial to emphasize common ground between aid donors and recipients, the authors say. "Undecided citizens are particularly receptive to these messages – and their voices can be crucial in creating social majorities for international aid efforts," Leuffen concludes.

 

Key facts:
 

• Original publication: D. Leuffen, P. M. Mounchid, M. Heermann & S. Koos (2023) Mobilizing Domestic Support for International Vaccine Solidarity – Recommendations for Health Crisis Communication, npj Vaccines; doi: 10.1038/s41541-023-00625-x
• Study uses the example of international vaccination solidarity to examine factors in crisis communication that promote solidarity
• About the authors:
  • Dirk Leuffen is a professor of political science with a focus on international politics and board member of the Cluster of Excellence "The Politics of Inequality" at the University of Konstanz
  • Pascal M. Mounchid studies Politics and Public Administration at the University of Konstanz
  • Max Heermann is a doctoral researcher at the Department of Politics and Public Administration at the University of Konstanz
  • Sebastian Koos is a tenure track professor of sociology with a focus on social movements and Principal Investigator at the Cluster of Excellence "The Politics of Inequality" at the University of Konstanz
• Funding: German Research Foundation (DFG) within the framework of the Excellence Strategy (Cluster of Excellence "The Politics of Inequality")
• Open Science: The article in npj Vaccines is open access.  The replication data, as well as the scripts used for analysis, can be downloaded for free from the Harvard Dataverse. The full dataset of the survey programme "COVID-19 and Social Inequality" is available on gesis.

 

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JOURNAL

npj Vaccines

DOI

10.1038/s41541-023-00625-x 

ARTICLE TITLE

Mobilizing Domestic Support for International Vaccine Solidarity – Recommendations for Health Crisis Communication

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

28-Feb-2023

A motion freezer for many particles

Tailor-made laser light fields can be used to slow down the movement of several particles and thus cool them down to extremely low temperatures - as shown by a team from TU Wien.

Peer-Reviewed Publication

VIENNA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

 

IMAGE: LIGHT IS MODIFIED AND TURNED INTO THE OPTIMAL WAVEFORM TO REDUCE THE SPEED OF PARTICLES. view more 

CREDIT: TU WIEN

Using lasers to slow down atoms is a technique that has been used for a long time already: If one wants to achieve low-temperature world records in the range of absolute temperature zero, one resorts to laser cooling, in which energy is extracted from the atoms with a suitable laser beam.

Recently, such techniques have also been applied to small particles in the nano- and micro-metre range. This already works quite well for individual particles – but if you want to cool several particles at once, the problem turns out to be much more difficult. Prof. Stefan Rotter and his team at the Institute of Theoretical Physics at TU Wien have now presented a method with which extremely effective cooling can also be achieved in this case.

Not just a beam, but a whole light pattern

"In laser cooling of atoms, one uses only an ordinary laser beam. However, this approach does not work for cooling nano-particles. Our trick now is to continuously adapt the spatial structure of the laser beam to the particle motion in such a way that optimal cooling is implemented at every point in time," says Stefan Rotter. "With the method we have developed, you can very quickly calculate how this light pattern must look like. While the particles change their positions, you continuously adjust the light pattern and can thus continuously decelerate the particles," adds Jakob Hüpfl, who is researching this topic as part of his doctoral thesis.

Interestingly, to use the new method, you don't need to know where the particles are located – you don't even need to know how many particles there are and how they move. You simply send light through the system and measure how this light is changed by the particles. From this, the optimal light pattern is determined with which the particles must be irradiated at the next moment in order to slow them down a bit more – until their movement finally "freezes". So far, this is only theoretical work, but experiments are already underway.

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JOURNAL

Physical Review Letters

DOI

10.1103/PhysRevLett.130.083203 

ARTICLE TITLE

Optimal Cooling of Multiple Levitated Particles through Far-Field Wavefront Shaping

Invasive plant species will spread even further in Germany

World Wildlife Day on 3 March

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITÄT LEIPZIG

 

IMAGE: FORECAST SPREAD OF RAGWEED IN GERMANY UNDER CURRENT AND FUTURE CLIMATE CONDITIONS. DIAGRAM: FABIAN SITTARO view more 

CREDIT: FABIAN SITTARO

For many people, Ambrosia artemisiifolia is nothing more than a potentially annoying agricultural weed. Introduced from North America about 150 years ago, the plant is likely to be familiar to many allergy sufferers. This is because ragweed is highly allergenic, and even small amounts of its pollen can cause severe reactions. Apart from this, ragweed sometimes occurs on a massive scale – threatening agricultural crops. The plant prefers warm and dry locations and will spread even further in the coming years, for instance in the hot and dry regions of Saxony, southern Brandenburg and the Upper Rhine Plain.

Scenarios created for current and future climate conditions

This is one result of the research conducted by Fabian Sittaro, a doctoral researcher at the Institute for Geography at Leipzig University and a staff member at the German Biomass Research Centre (DBFZ). The aim of his study was to assess suitable habitats for key invasive plant species in Germany under current and future climate conditions up to the year 2080. For his doctoral thesis, the 33-year-old studied 46 invasive plant species that are at different stages of spreading. Sittaro explains the methodology thus: “Using satellite imagery to divide Germany into quadrants, I remotely sensed the whole country. Environmental data was determined for each of these quadrants, meaning information about soil type, land use, climate and elevation data, information about infrastructure and existing plant communities.” Based on this data, various machine learning techniques were used to calculate whether the respective species would be able to spread in the defined quadrants and thus in certain parts of Germany. Sittaro created these scenarios for current and future climate conditions up to the year 2080. The distribution data was taken from the FlorKart database for the floristic mapping of Germany and from the Natura2000 European network of protected areas.

Climate change accelerating the spread of invasive species

“The study shows that future climate conditions will determine which habitat the individual species are able to occupy or claim,” says Professor Michael Vohland, who is a professor of geography specialising in geoinformatics and remote sensing at Leipzig University and who supervised the dissertation. “The invasive plant species will have more potentially suitable habitat available to them because many of them come from regions with dry and warm climates.” Even under current climate conditions, most of the species studied have not yet reached their potential habitat. Urban centres and areas with good transport infrastructure have a high spread potential. The study provides important information with regard to applying targeted, monitoring-based protection and control measures. Fabian Sittaro, who received a scholarship from the German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU) for his dissertation, is currently working on a web application. Due to go online at the end of 2023, it will provide information on invasive plant species and maps showing current and projected areas of spread.

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DOI

10.1016/j.jag.2022.103158 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Data/statistical analysis

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Which factors determine the invasion of plant species? Machine learning based habitat modelling integrating environmental factors and climate scenarios

Protective parenting may help your kids avoid health problems as adults

Stressful environments can cause problems in adulthood, but parents setting limits can counter those effects

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA

Being a protective parent could set your kids up for a healthier life as an adult, according to new research from the University of Georgia.

The study found that growing up in places where gunshots are common and heat and electricity are unreliable can lead to pain and other physical health limitations in adulthood.

But being involved in your child’s life, such as knowing their friends or where they’re hanging out after school, can help counteract those effects, according to the new research.

“Early life experiences really affect physical and mental well-being throughout our lifespan,” said Kelsey Corallo, lead author of the study and a recent doctoral graduate from UGA’s Department of Psychology. “Even if we don't have a lot of tangible memories from very early on in life, we know how we felt, we know how loved we were and how supported we were, and these things get embedded in us.”

The study found that setting limits and letting your kids know you are keeping an eye on them reduces the risks of physical and mental health issues in adulthood.

“This isn’t just the direct ‘know where your kids are’ type of parenting, and it’s not helicopter parenting that makes a difference,” said Katherine Ehrlich, co-author of the study and an associate professor in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. “Communicating love and the desire to be part of your child's life, I think, is probably part of the magic ingredient of vigilant parenting that benefits the child.”

Stress in childhood may affect functioning of immune, regulatory systems

The study analyzed responses from more than 4,825 respondents to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 97. (The national survey followed thousands of individuals from adolescence through their mid-30s.)

The researchers found a connection between growing up in a less safe environment and physical health limitations in adulthood. It’s a finding the researchers find concerning.

“There is a lot of research to show that stressful experiences—for example, feeling unsafe, not getting the basic resources that you need in life or being exposed to neglect or abuse—those things literally change how your body functions,” said Corallo, who is now a research associate at the Georgia Health Policy Center at Georgia State University.  

The stress from those types of experiences can make it difficult for the body to regulate itself, the researchers said. If that sustained level of stress is experienced during childhood or infancy, it can cause lifelong issues with immune function or hormone regulation.

“Young people and children tend to be healthy, so the fact that we’re seeing a statistical association between physical limitations and childhood environmental risk is pretty incredible,” Corallo said. “It shows that these things really do matter, and they have an overt effect on health even in early adulthood when chronic illnesses often haven’t even set in yet.” 

Parents who show they care what their kids are up to can positively impact their health

The study participants who grew up in less safe environments but had parents who were very involved with their lives didn’t experience the same health ailments as their peers without vigilant parents. Vigilant parenting was also associated with fewer mental health problems in adulthood.

It’s likely the children whose parents gave them curfews and monitored their friend groups were better shielded from harmful behaviors that could have lifelong effects, like smoking or binge drinking, the researchers said.

“In more dangerous settings, it may be more difficult for parents to be that involved, for example if they’re working multiple jobs,” Corallo said. “But even if they’re not physically home, keeping track of and making sure their children know that their parents are aware of and care about what they're up to make a big difference.”

Another key is making sure children know their parents are monitoring them and setting limits because they care about them, not because they want to control every aspect of their lives.

“It’s all about how kids are experiencing that vigilant parenting and how they’re interpreting it,” said Ehrlich. “They don’t feel like it’s helicopter parenting. They just feel like their mom or dad really cares about them.”

Published in Social Science and Medicine, the study was co-authored by the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics’ Christopher Carr, the Department of Psychology’s Justin Lavner and the Department of Human Development and Family Science’s Kalsea Koss.

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JOURNAL

Social Science & Medicine

DOI

10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115593 

ARTICLE TITLE

The protective role of parental vigilance in the link between risky childhood environments and health

Internet treatment program to prevent child sexual abuse launched in several languages

Reports and Proceedings

KAROLINSKA INSTITUTET

Following a successful pilot study, an online anonymous treatment program aimed at reducing child sexual abuse by providing treatment to individuals who exhibit sexual urges towards children is being launched across the EU.  It is now available in Swedish, German, and Portuguese as well as in an updated English version. The treatment program, which has been developed by researchers and psychologists at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, will be evaluated within the framework of an international research collaboration funded by the EU.

"Sexual exploitation of children is a major problem within the EU, and around the world, that unfortunately seems to be increasing with the advancement of technology", says Peer Briken, coordinator of the EU collaborative research project PRIORITY and a professor at Universitaetsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf in Germany. "This online treatment program uses modern technology combined with proven therapeutic techniques to reduce the risk for sexual exploitation – and early data shows that it works."

The treatment program, called Prevent It, builds on cognitive behavioural therapy and is a nine-week program with individual support that is conducted digitally and free of charge. It is aimed at people who are concerned about their sexual urges involving children. Participants will be recruited from encrypted web forums on the Darknet and via advertisements in search engines and social media.

Police authorities in Sweden, Germany, and Portugal will also encourage individuals suspected of sexual crimes against children to take part. The police will, however, not be able to follow up whether the suspect signs up for the program, or how he/she is doing in the program. An important condition for reaching the affected group and being able to evaluate the program scientifically is that the participants can be completely anonymous.

"Often, people who need and want help, don't dare to contact the health care system, because of shame or fear of being reported to the police", says Malin Joleby, coordinator of the Swedish part of the project and a researcher at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. "Our hope is to reach people who would not otherwise seek help and to be able to offer a treatment program that is scientifically developed and evaluated."

A first pilot study of Prevent It was conducted in English in 2019–2021 and focused on people who used illegal, sexual content depicting children. The results, that have been published in a peer reviewed journal, showed that the treatment program works; treatment participants significantly reduced the time they spent viewing this content compared to individuals who were randomly assigned to a placebo condition. Roughly half of the participants that completed the program reported not having viewed illegal images of children at all during the preceding week. In addition, it was well-appreciated by the participants, which is crucial in getting people to want to undergo the treatment.

The results of the pilot study give hope that it is possible to help people with sexual urges involving children effectively and safely. Therefore, the program is now being launched on a larger scale across the EU. In addition to an updated English version, the program has also been translated and culturally adapted into three new languages: Swedish, German and Portuguese.

About the project and its partners:

These three new language versions of Prevent It are evaluated within the framework of the PRIORITY project (Prevention to Reduce Incidence Of Sexual Abuse by Reaching Individuals Concerned About Their Risk to Young People), funded by the European Union's Internal Security Fund – Police. The project is a collaboration between researchers at Karolinska Institutet and Linköping University in Sweden, Universitaetsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf in Germany, Universidade do Porto in Portugal, the University of Ottawa's Institute of Mental Health Research at The Royal in Canada, and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in the United States.

Read more about Prevent It and how register:

On the open website (anonymous)