Game changers in fighting climate change: refuels are suitable for everyday use

Synthetic fuels based on renewable energy sources can be produced in large quantities and used in nearly all vehicles

Reports and Proceedings

KARLSRUHER INSTITUT FÜR TECHNOLOGIE (KIT)

 

IMAGE: REFUELS CAN BE USED IN NEARLY ALL VEHICLES. IN THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE, LARGE QUANTITIES CAN BE PRODUCED. (PHOTO: MARKUS BREIG AND AMADEUS BRAMSIEPE, KIT) view more 

CREDIT: MARKUS BREIG AND AMADEUS BRAMSIEPE, KIT

Synthetic fuels produced from renewable sources, so-called refuels, are deemed potential game changers in fighting climate change. Refuels promise to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 90% compared to conventional fuels and they allow for the continued use of existing vehicle fleets with combustion engines and of the refueling infrastructure, from fuel production to transport to sales. Researchers of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) carried out extensive fleet tests in a large-scale project with industry partners and proved that refuels can be used in all vehicles and produced in large quantities in the foreseeable future. The results of the research project “reFuels – Rethinking Fuels” were presented on Monday, September 19, in Karlsruhe.

“Use of climate-neutral fuels makes sense especially when battery-electrical solutions do not yet represent real alternatives. Hence, I am very happy that KIT has now succeeded in proving that refuels are both climate-friendly and economically efficient for certain applications,” says Berthold Frieß, Head of Department at the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Transport, at the presentation of results of “reFuels – Rethinking Fuels,” the first refuels project of the Strategy Dialog for the Automotive Sector in Baden-Württemberg. “The project also shows that the efforts undertaken by the State and the project partners to support renewable fuels were worthwhile. Baden-Württemberg remains a pioneer in the transformation of the mobility sector.” Under the Strategy Dialog Program, the State Ministry of Transport supported the project with EUR 5 million. Another 15 million euros were provided by industry.

Continued Environmentally Friendly Use of Existing Vehicle Fleets

“In the foreseeable future, we will not be able to do without liquid fuels, especially in heavy-duty traffic, shipping, aviation, as well as in the existing car fleet,” says Professor Thomas Hirth, KIT Vice-President for Transfer and International Affairs. “In the “reFuels – Rethinking Fuels” project, we have now demonstrated that refuels work in both old and new cars as well as in commercial vehicles and locomotives,” Hirth adds. “To sum up, refuels are fully and entirely suited for everyday use!”

CO2 Reduction by up to 90 Percent

“We produced tons of refuels that meet standards existing for Otto and diesel fuels and do not cause any car decline or wear when widely used in various types of engines,” explains Dr. Olaf Toedter from KIT’s Institute of Internal Combustion Engines. KIT researchers produced and tested both petrol and diesel fuel. Depending on the mixing ratio of synthesized and fossil fuels, the initial materials used, and the energies, they reached a CO2 reduction by 22 to 90 percent.

Industrial Production Facility Planned in Karlsruhe

As a next step, the project partners plan to build an industrial facility to produce refuels on the premises of the MiRO refinery in Karlsruhe. “In the long run, we will replace fossil resources by renewable energy carriers,” says Dr. Andreas Krobjilowski, Technical Director of MiRO. “Many technologies and processes required for this purpose are already available in Germany. MiRO has the know-how and expertise to build and operate such new and innovative facilities.” However, affordable quantities of green hydrogen are not yet sufficient to start greenhouse gas-neutral production. For this reason, reFuel precursors, such as synthesized Fischer-Tropsch oil or methanol, are planned to be produced in countries having more wind or solar power than Germany, such as Chile or South Spain. The refuels proper - petrol, diesel, or kerosene - would then be produced by domestic refineries like MiRO. ”For the urgently needed market launch, however, we need clarity and long-term security. It must be ensured that renewable, power-based fuels can be counted for our greenhouse gas reduction rate,” Krobjilowski says.

Pure Refuels Are Within Reach

Researchers are also working on increasing the share of refuels in the fuel mixtures while complying with existing fuel standards. “In the end, pure reFuels will result,” Toedter says. Ongoing tests are promising. However, clear regulations are still lacking. At the moment, the share of admixed reFuels must not exceed 26 percent in case of Diesel in Germany.

The Project “reFuels – Rethinking Fuels”

Within the project launched in 2018, researchers studied the production and use of renewable fuels in a holistic approach. Such fuels may be used in existing combustion engines of airplanes, commercial and railway vehicles, as well as cars. Within the Strategy Dialog for the Automotive Sector in Baden-Württemberg, six institutes of KIT and several partners from energy, mineral oil, automotive, and supply industries worked on the production and introduction of reFuels. Two pilot plants and other technical facilities of KIT supplied regenerative fuels for further processing, characterization, and tests in existing combustion engines and vehicles. This way, synthesis processes for refuels and their use were optimized. Apart from CO2 emissions, also raw emissions were reduced. (mex)

Further Information:https://www.refuels.de/english/index.php

Being “The Research University in the Helmholtz Association”, KIT creates and imparts knowledge for the society and the environment. It is the objective to make significant contributions to the global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility, and information. For this, about 9,800 employees cooperate in a broad range of disciplines in natural sciences, engineering sciences, economics, and the humanities and social sciences. KIT prepares its 22,300 students for responsible tasks in society, industry, and science by offering research-based study programs. Innovation efforts at KIT build a bridge between important scientific findings and their application for the benefit of society, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural basis of life. KIT is one of the German universities of excellence.

This press release is available on the internet at http://www.kit.edu/kit/english/press_releases.php

A pioneering clinical trial will test psychotherapy that uses virtual reality for young people with depression

The trial, coordinated by the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) and the University of Barcelona, will be the first ever study of the efficacy of psychotherapy for depression that is complemented by a virtual reality tool

Business Announcement

UNIVERSITAT OBERTA DE CATALUNYA (UOC)

Some studies have shown alarming numbers of young people suffering from symptoms of depression. "We're talking about numbers that reach up to 60%-80% of young people, including those diagnosed with mild symptoms. And the numbers have probably increased with the pandemic," explained Adrián Montesano, a researcher and member of the Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC). "The symptoms are mild in most cases, but we know that the sooner these problems receive treatment, the less likely they are to persist in the long term or worsen," said Montesano.

A clinical trial coordinated by Montesano with the professor from the Faculty of Psychology of the UB and the Institute of Neurosciences of the UB (UBNeuro) Guillem Feixas will examine new tools to try to improve the psychological treatment these people receive. The study will examine the usefulness of personal construct therapy in young people between 18 and 29 years old with mild or moderate symptoms of depression. It will also explore whether it is more effective when implemented in conjunction with a new and pioneering virtual reality application. The trial is being funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation.

"Personal construct therapy focuses above all on how people construct their reality, and the meaning they give to things that happen to them and to the people around them", said Montesano. Its results in recent decades have been positive, but "this is the first trial which has been carried out applying it specifically to young people with depressive symptoms", he added. Its efficacy will be compared with that of cognitive behavioural therapy, which is considered the benchmark therapy, and is based primarily on observable behaviours.

Virtual reality applications have also been tried in exposure therapies to treat some types of phobias, but "this is the first time that they are being researched in the treatment of depression and in psychotherapy in general", confirmed Montesano. The app, called EYME, is a pioneering development by the University of Barcelona. The system uses a prior interview to transform the meanings and important people in the individual's identity into a 3D space in the form of spheres and words. According to Montesano, this means it is possible "to accompany the person on a journey through their mind, through their universe of meanings and personal values, fostering therapeutic conversation. The algorithms it uses are based on the work that has been done over two decades, and we believe that it may have added value among young people, for whom it can improve adherence to treatment and the appeal of psychotherapy".

One of the keys to psychological therapy is the patient's involvement. Various types of psychotherapy have presented equivalent efficacy rates in overall terms, but approximately 35% of patients drop out of treatment before it is considered complete. If the clinical trial turns out to be positive, it would help broaden the range of options available. "Being able to personalize treatment based on personal preference is crucial," said Montesano.

The trial has already begun, and the first patients are already being seen at the universities involved, as well as at health centres and hospitals associated with the project. It will involve 225 patients, and recruitment will continue until early 2023. The candidates are young people between 18 and 29 years old with mild or moderate symptoms of depression, who will be offered "free therapy sessions of high scientific quality, conducted by expert professionals, as part of the study", explained Montesano. Volunteers can sign up at the project website.

"Interventions and research in psychotherapy have traditionally focused on the most severe forms, which has partially led to young people being under-represented," acknowledged Montesano. "Today we know that the sooner the problem is addressed, the better the long-term results, so the trend needs to be reversed. This is already happening in society, and it's something that must also happen in research," he concluded.

 

 

This research supports Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3, Good Health and Well-being.

 

 

UOC R&I

The UOC's research and innovation (R&I) is helping overcome pressing challenges faced by global societies in the 21st century, by studying interactions between technology and human & social sciences with a specific focus on the network society, e-learning and e-health.

The UOC's research is conducted by over 500 researchers and 51 research groups distributed between the university's seven faculties, the E-learning Research programme, and two research centres: the Internet Interdisciplinary Institute (IN3) and the eHealth Center (eHC).

The University also cultivates online learning innovations at its eLearning Innovation Center (eLinC), as well as UOC community entrepreneurship and knowledge transfer via the Hubbik platform.

The United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and open knowledge serve as strategic pillars for the UOC's teaching, research and innovation. More information: research.uoc.edu #UOC25years

AUTOMOTIVES

Computationally predicting where the wear will occur in engines

Peer-Reviewed Publication

TOHOKU UNIVERSITY

 

IMAGE: A FLUID LUBRICATION CALCULATION MODEL BETWEEN PISTON PIN AND CONNECTING ROD. view more 

CREDIT: JUN ISHIMOTO

A research group has created an analysis method to predict wear and seizure locations in the sliding parts of engine piston pins. The breakthrough will help limit wear and tear on transportation and industrial machinery components and make them more fuel efficient.

Details of their discovery were published in the journal ASME Journal of Tribology on August 29, 2022.

Improvements to the efficiency of internal combustion engines are necessary if we are to overcome their environmental and sustainability problems. Reciprocating engines use reciprocating pistons to extract power from combustion and convert it into rotational motion. They are commonly used in automobiles.

The most common cause of reciprocating engine failure occurs when the oil film of the lubricating oil breaks, causing metal parts to come into contact, resulting in scratching and sticking. When such a seizure happens, it is impossible to start the engine.

Piston pins and connecting rods in constant reciprocating and rotating motion require fluid lubrication. However, long-term loading tests are needed to verify the wear and seizure locations in fluid lubrication, and predicting or calculating this was thought to be unattainable.

That was until Professor Jun Ishimoto led a group at Tohoku University's Institute of Fluid Science and Honda Motor Co.,Ltd. that established the multiphase fluid-structure coupled analysis method. It not only simulated and predicted tribological properties under severe loading conditions but also identified the piston pin's bow-like defamation as the cause of mechanical contact and seizure at the connecting rod edge.

"Proper safety guidelines that help prevent unnecessary damage to automobile engines and other industrial machinery will be easier to create thanks to this prediction method," said Ishimoto.

CAPTION

The researchers succeed in computationally predicting the wear and seizure locations in sliding parts of engine piston pins. Results show the coupled 3D multiphase fluid-structure analyses, factoring in the elastic deformation of both the piston-pin and connecting rod, and also the thin-film cavitation lubrication with an unsteady flow channel variation.

CREDIT

Jun Ishimoto

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JOURNAL

Journal of Tribology

DOI

10.1115/1.4055407 

ARTICLE TITLE

Computational Fluid-Structure Interaction Analysis of Piston Pin Multiphase Elastohydrodynamic Lubrication with Unsteady Flow Channel Variation

Power supply: Understanding unstable grids

A sustainable energy supply requires the expansion of power grids. However, new transmission lines can also lead to grids becoming more unstable rather than more stable, as would be expected. This phenomenon is referred to as the Braess paradox.

Peer-Reviewed Publication

KARLSRUHER INSTITUT FÜR TECHNOLOGIE (KIT)

 

IMAGE: A STABLE POWER GRID IS FUNDAMENTAL TO A RELIABLE AND SUSTAINABLE ENERGY SYSTEM. (PHOTO: MARKUS BREIG, KIT) view more 

CREDIT: MARKUS BREIG, KIT

A sustainable energy supply requires the expansion of power grids. However, new transmission lines can also lead to grids becoming more unstable rather than more stable, as would be expected. This phenomenon is referred to as the Braess paradox. For the first time, an international team, including researchers from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), has now simulated this phenomenon in detail for power grids, demonstrated it on a larger scale, and developed a prediction tool, which is to support grid operators in decision-making. The researchers report in the journal Nature Communications. (DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32917-6)

The sustainable transformation of the energy system requires an expansion of the grids to integrate renewable sources and transport electricity over long distances. Such expansion calls for large investments and aims to make the grids more stable. However, by upgrading existing lines or adding new ones, the grid may become more unstable rather than more stable, which results in power outages. "We then speak of the Braess paradox. This phenomenon states that an additional option leads to a worsening of the overall situation instead of to an improvement," says Dr. Benjamin Schäfer, head of the Data-driven Analysis of Complex Systems (DRACOS) research group at the KIT Institute for Automation and Applied Informatics.

The phenomenon is named after the German mathematician Dietrich Braess, who first discussed it for road networks: Under certain conditions, the construction of a new road can increase the travel time for all road users. This effect has been observed in traffic systems and been discussed for biological systems. For power grids, it has so far only been predicted theoretically and illustrated on a very small scale.

Researchers Simulate German Power Grid Including Planned Expansions

Researchers led by Dr. Schäfer now have simulated the phenomenon in detail for power grids for the first time and demonstrated it on a larger scale. They simulated the German power grid, including planned reinforcements and expansions. In an experimental setup in the laboratory showing the Braess paradox in an AC grid, the researchers observed the phenomenon in simulation and in experiment, placing special emphasis on circular flows. The latter are crucial to understanding the Braess paradox: A power line is improved, for example, by reducing its resistance, and can then carry more current. "Due to conservation laws, this gives rise to a new circular flow, and more current then flows in some lines and less in others," Schäfer explains. "This becomes a problem when the most loaded line has to carry even more current, becomes overloaded, and eventually has to be shut down. This makes the grid more unstable and, in the worst case, it collapses."

Intuitive Understanding Enables Fast Decisions

Most power grids have sufficient spare capacity to withstand the Braess paradox. When building new lines and during operation, grid operators examine all possible scenarios. However, when decisions have to be made at short notice, for example to shut down lines or shift power plant output, there is not always enough time to run through all scenarios. "Then you need an intuitive understanding of circular flows to be able to assess when the Braess paradox occurs and thus make the right decisions quickly," says Schäfer. Together with an international and interdisciplinary team, the scientist has therefore developed a prediction tool to help grid operators take the Braess paradox into account in their decisions. “The results of the research have enabled a theoretical understanding of the Braess paradox and provided practical guidelines for planning grid expansions sensibly and supporting grid stability,” Schäfer says. (or)

Original Publication

Benjamin Schäfer, Thiemo Pesch, Debsankha Manik, Julian Gollenstede,Guosong Lin, Hans-Peter Beck, Dirk Witthaut, and Marc Timme: Understanding Braess' Paradox in power grids. Nature Communications, 2022. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32917-6,https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-32917-6

More about the KIT Energy Center

Contact for This Press Release
Sandra Wiebe, Press Officer, phone: +49 721 608-41172, email: sandra.wiebe@kit.edu

Being “The Research University in the Helmholtz Association”, KIT creates and imparts knowledge for the society and the environment. It is the objective to make significant contributions to the global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility, and information. For this, about 9,800 employees cooperate in a broad range of disciplines in natural sciences, engineering sciences, economics, and the humanities and social sciences. KIT prepares its 22,300 students for responsible tasks in society, industry, and science by offering research-based study programs. Innovation efforts at KIT build a bridge between important scientific findings and their application for the benefit of society, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural basis of life. KIT is one of the German universities of excellence.

This press release is available on the Internet at http://www.kit.edu/kit/english/press_releases.php

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JOURNAL

Nature Communications

DOI

10.1038/s41467-022-32917-6 

ARTICLE TITLE

Understanding Braess’ Paradox in power grids

Why is there a genetic risk for brain disorders? Neandertal DNA may provide some answers

Peer-Reviewed Publication

ESTONIAN RESEARCH COUNCIL

It has been known for a long time that human brain disorders such as neurological or psychiatric diseases run in families, suggesting some heritability. In line with this hypothesis, genetic risk factors for developing these illnesses have been identified. However, fundamental questions about the evolutionary drivers have remained elusive. In other words, why are genetic variants that increase the risk for diseases not eliminated in the course of evolution?

To answer these questions has been notoriously difficult. However, new discoveries about events in the deep human past have handed scientists new tools to start to unravel these mysteries: when modern humans moved out of Africa >60,000 years ago, they met and mixed with other archaic humans such as Neandertals. Around 40% of the Neandertal genome can still be found in present-day non-Africans, and each individual still carries ~2% of Neandertal DNA. Some of the archaic genetic variants may have conferred benefits at some point in our evolutionary past. Today, scientists can use this information to learn more about the impact of these genetic variants on human behaviour and the risk of developing diseases.

Using this approach, a new study from an international team led by researchers from the University of Tartu, Charité Berlin and the Amsterdam UMC analysed Neandertal DNA associations with a large variety of more than a hundred brain disorders and traits such as sleep, smoking or alcohol use in the UK Biobank with the aim to narrow down the specific contribution of Neandertal DNA to variation in behavioural features in people today.

The study found that while Neandertal DNA showed over-proportional numbers of associations with several traits that are associated with central nervous system diseases, the diseases themselves did not show any significant numbers of Neandertal DNA associations. Among the traits with the strongest Neandertal DNA contribution were smoking habits, alcohol consumption and sleeping patterns. Using data from other cohorts such as the Estonian Biobank, the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety, FinnGen, Biobank Japan and deCode, several of these results could be replicated. Of specific note were two independent top-risk Neandertal variants for a positive smoking status that were found in the UK Biobank and Biobank Japan respectively.

“Our results suggest that Neandertals carried multiple variants that substantially increase the smoking risk in people today. It remains unclear what phenotypic effects these variants had in Neandertals. However, these results provide interesting candidates for further functional testing and will potentially help us in the future to better understand Neandertal-specific biology,” said Michael Dannemann, associate professor of evolutionary genomics at the University of Tartu and the lead author of this study.

“The significant associations of Neandertal DNA with alcohol and smoking habits might help us to unravel the evolutionary origin of addictive and reward-seeking behaviour,” added Stefan M Gold, professor of neuropsychiatry at Charité, Berlin, who co-led this study. “It is important to note that sleep problems, alcohol and nicotine use have consistently been identified as common risk factors for a range of neurological and psychiatric disorders. On the other hand, there are some intriguing findings from anthropology that have suggested some social benefits of higher tolerance to these substances in hunter-gatherers. Thus, our findings support the hypothesis that it is not brain diseases themselves that have evolutionary explanations but that natural selection shapes traits that make us vulnerable to them in the modern context.”

“Neandertals populated parts of Eurasia already more than 100,000 years before modern humans went out of Africa to populate the rest of the world. The high frequency of some of the variants that are associated with varying sleeping patterns might suggest that these have been advantageous outside of Africa – an environment that is defined, for example, by different levels of seasonality and UV light exposures than the environment that modern humans evolved in,” added Dannemann.

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JOURNAL

Translational Psychiatry

DOI

10.1038/s41398-022-02196-2 

ARTICLE TITLE

Neandertal introgression partitions the genetic landscape of neuropsychiatric disorders and associated behavioral phenotypes

Liver cancer cases and deaths projected to rise by more than 55% by 2040

To avoid this increase, countries must achieve at least a 3% annual decrease in liver cancer incidence and mortality rates according to a new report published in the Journal of Hepatology

Peer-Reviewed Publication

ELSEVIER

 

IMAGE: MAIN FINDINGS ON THE GLOBAL BURDEN OF LIVER CANCER IN 2020 AND PREDICTIONS TO 2040. view more 

CREDIT: JOURNAL OF HEPATOLOGY

Amsterdam, October 6, 2022 – A new analysis reveals that primary liver cancer was among the top three causes of cancer death in 46 countries in 2020 and the number of people diagnosed with or dying from primary liver cancer per year could rise by more than 55% by 2040. Investigators call for efforts to control the disease to be prioritized in a new study in the Journal of Hepatology, published by Elsevier.

“Liver cancer causes a huge burden of disease globally each year,” commented senior author Isabelle Soerjomataram, MD, PhD, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC/WHO), Cancer Surveillance Branch, Lyon, France. “It is also largely preventable if control efforts are prioritized — major risk factors include hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, alcohol consumption, excess body weight, and metabolic conditions including type 2 diabetes.”

“In light of the availability of new and improved global cancer incidence and mortality estimates, we wanted to provide the most up-to-date assessment of the burden of liver cancer and develop an essential tool for national liver cancer control planning,” explained lead author Harriet Rumgay, PhD candidate, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC/WHO), Cancer Surveillance Branch, Lyon, France. “In this analysis we describe where liver cancer ranks among all cancer types for cancer diagnoses and deaths in nations across the world. We also present predictions of the future liver cancer burden to 2040.”

Investigators extracted data on primary liver cancer cases and deaths from the International Agency for Research on Cancer’s GLOBOCAN 2020 database, which produces cancer incidence and mortality estimates for 36 cancer types in 185 countries worldwide. The predicted change in the number of cancer cases or deaths by the year 2040 was estimated using population projections produced by the United Nations.

Results showed that in 2020, an estimated 905,700 individuals were diagnosed with liver cancer and 830,200 died from liver cancer globally. According to these data, liver cancer is now among the top three causes of cancer death in 46 countries and is among the top five causes of cancer death in nearly 100 countries including several high-income countries.

Liver cancer incidence and mortality rates were highest in Eastern Asia, Northern Africa, and South-Eastern Asia. Investigators predict the annual number of new cases and deaths from liver cancer will rise by more than 55% over the next 20 years, assuming current rates do not change. The predicted rise in cases will increase the need for resources to manage care of liver cancer patients.

The researchers were alarmed to find that the number of cases and deaths from liver cancer will continue to increase year on year. They caution that in order to avoid this rise in cases and deaths, countries across the world must achieve at least a 3% annual decrease in liver cancer incidence and mortality rates through preventive measures.

These estimates provide a snapshot of the global burden of liver cancer and demonstrate the importance of improving and reinforcing liver cancer prevention measures.

“We are at a turning point in liver cancer prevention as successes in hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus control efforts will be reflected in rates of liver cancer in the next few decades,” noted Dr. Soerjomataram. “These efforts must be sustained and reinforced especially considering the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on certain hepatitis B and C virus control efforts."

The authors call for public health officials to prepare for the predicted increase in demand for resources to manage the care of liver cancer patients throughout the cancer pathway, including improved access to palliative care due to the predicted growing number of liver cancer patients, and to reinforce current liver cancer prevention measures such as immunization, testing, and treatment for hepatitis B virus; population-wide testing and treatment for hepatitis C virus infection; reduction of population alcohol consumption; and curbing the rise in diabetes and obesity prevalence.

“The number of people diagnosed with or dying from liver cancer per year could increase by nearly 500,000 cases or deaths by 2040 unless we achieve a substantial decrease in liver cancer rates through primary prevention,” concluded Dr. Soerjomataram.

 

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JOURNAL

Journal of Hepatology

DOI

10.1016/j.jhep.2022.08.021 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Data/statistical analysis

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Global burden of primary liver cancer in 2020 and predictions to 2040

New research identifies lack of appropriate control tools for many major infectious diseases of animals

New research published in The Lancet Planetary Health has identified a lack of appropriate control tools for many infectious diseases of animals that can have a significant impact upon the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Peer-Reviewed Publication

CABI

New research published in The Lancet Planetary Health has identified a lack of appropriate control tools for many infectious diseases of animals that can have a significant impact upon the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

International efforts should focus on developing control tools for a range of priority infectious diseases of animals, including Nipah virus infection, African swine fever, foot and mouth disease and bovine tuberculosis, scientists say, but progress is needed across a wide range of zoonotic, endemic and epidemic (including pandemic) diseases to secure a healthy planet for humans, animals and the environment.

The study, led by Dr Johannes Charlier, project manager of DISCONTOOLS, and including an international team of animal health experts, assessed the current state of available control tools for 53 major infectious diseases of animals.

The researchers found that while easy to use and accurate diagnostics are available for many animal diseases, there is an urgent need for the development of stable and durable diagnostics that can differentiate infected animals from vaccinated animals and assess other disease characteristics like transmissibility, impact on animal productivity and welfare.

They add that there is also a pressing need to exploit rapid technological advances and to make diagnostics widely available and affordable. The scientists call for further research to improve the convenience of use and duration of immunity, and to establish performant marker vaccines.

The research highlights that the largest gap in animal pharmaceuticals is the threat of pathogens developing resistance to available drugs – particularly for bacterial and parasitic (protozoal, helminth and arthropod) pathogens.

Dr Charlier and his fellow researchers propose five research priorities for animal health that will help deliver a sustainable and healthy planet. They are vaccinology, antimicrobial resistance, climate mitigation and adaptation, digital health and epidemic preparedness.

Dr Charlier said, “Animal health is a prerequisite for global health, economic development, food security, food quality and poverty reduction while mitigating against climate change and biodiversity loss.

“If we are to achieve the SDGs, further research into appropriate control tools is needed to reduce the burden of animal diseases, including zoonoses, and to manage emerging diseases, pandemic threats and antimicrobial and antiparasitic resistance.”

The scientists used DISCONTOOLS – an open-access database and key resource for the STAR-IDAZ International Research Consortium, as well as for other funders of animal health research including trusts and industry bodies – to assess the current state of appropriate control tools for 53 major infectious diseases of animals.

DISCONTOOLS identifies the gaps in knowledge needing to be addressed to speed up the development of new DISease CONtrol TOOLS (diagnostics, vaccines and pharmaceuticals) and reduce the burden of animal diseases. This delivers benefits in terms of animal health and welfare, public health and a safe and secure food supply.

The DISCONTOOLS resource was then used to prioritise the list of infectious animal diseases where appropriate control tools are lacking and where addressing this need would have the greatest impact towards achieving the relevant SDGs.

Dr Charlier added, “For achieving maximal impact it is important to devote appropriate attention to both epidemic, zoonotic and endemic diseases. While epidemic diseases attract a lot of attention because of their sudden and devastating impact, the huge impact of more chronic diseases is less visible and hence often forgotten.

“Prevention of these diseases will not only require development of new technologies, but also sustained investment in diagnostic networks and research infrastructures, supply chains, capacity building, and international, trans-sectoral coordination.”

Roxane Feller, secretary general of AnimalhealthEurope (the trade association of the animal medicines industry) and management board member of DISCONTOOLS, supports the study and added, “The potential for transfer of infectious diseases between animals and people is a One Health challenge recognised at the highest level, signalling that it is high-time for all of us to move from firefighting to fire prevention.

“The impacts of animal disease stretch even further beyond public health, from devastating socio-economic effects for those who rely on livestock for income, to negative environmental effects through feed used and emissions created with no food output.

“By public and private investments in innovative early research, the animal health industry as a whole can focus on unlocking the secrets needed to develop new generations of vaccines, diagnostics and other therapies to prevent animal disease and avoid the negative effects.”

Alex Morrow from STAR-IDAZ IRC, said, “Animal diseases are, in most cases, global problems and so need a focused global approach to understand and control them. To speed up the innovation pipeline from basic science to the required products it is important to work together internationally and along the research pipeline focusing resources in a coordinated way on the critical knowledge gaps and identified product needs: we can’t all do everything.”

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JOURNAL

The Lancet Planetary Health

DOI

10.1016/PIIS2542-5196(22)00147-4 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Literature review

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Animals

ARTICLE TITLE

Disease control tools to secure animal and public health in a densely populated world

POVERTY DIET POVERTY

Mother’s ultra-processed food intake linked to obesity risk in children

Dietary guidelines should be refined and financial and social barriers removed to improve nutrition for women of child bearing age, say researchers

Peer-Reviewed Publication

BMJ

A mother’s consumption of ultra-processed foods appears to be linked to an increased risk of overweight or obesity in her offspring, irrespective of other lifestyle risk factors, suggests a US study published by The BMJ today.

The researchers say further study is needed to confirm these findings and to understand the factors that might be responsible. 

But they suggest that mothers might benefit from limiting their intake of ultra-processed foods, and that dietary guidelines should be refined and financial and social barriers removed to improve nutrition for women of child bearing age and reduce childhood obesity.

According to the World Health Organization, 39 million children were overweight or obese in 2020, leading to increased risks of heart disease, diabetes, cancers, and early death. 

Ultra-processed foods, such as packaged baked goods and snacks, fizzy drinks and sugary cereals, are commonly found in modern Western style diets and are associated with weight gain in adults. But it’s unclear whether there’s a link between a mother’s consumption of ultra-processed foods and her offspring’s body weight.

To explore this further, the researchers drew on data for 19,958 children born to 14,553 mothers (45% boys, aged 7-17 years at study enrollment) from the Nurses’ Health Study II (NHS II) and the Growing Up Today Study (GUTS I and II) in the United States.

The NHS II is an ongoing study tracking the health and lifestyles of 116,429 US female registered nurses aged 25-42 in 1989. From 1991, participants reported what they ate and drank, using validated food frequency questionnaires every four years.

The GUTS I study began in 1996 when 16,882 children (aged 8-15 years) of NHS II participants completed an initial health and lifestyle questionnaire and were monitored every year between 1997 and 2001, and every two years thereafter.

In 2004, 10,918 children (aged 7-17 years) of NHS II participants joined the extended GUTS II study and were followed up in 2006, 2008, and 2011, and every two years thereafter.

A range of other potentially influential factors, known to be strongly correlated with childhood obesity, were also taken into account. These included mother's weight (BMI), physical activity, smoking, living status (with partner or not), and partner’s education, as well as children’s ultra-processed food consumption, physical activity, and sedentary time.

Overall, 2471 (12%) children developed overweight or obesity during an average follow-up period of 4 years.

The results show that a mother’s ultra-processed food consumption was associated with an increased risk of overweight or obesity in her offspring. For example, a 26% higher risk was seen in the group with the highest maternal ultra-processed food consumption (12.1 servings/day) versus the lowest consumption group (3.4 servings/day).

In a separate analysis of 2790 mothers and 2925 children with information on diet from 3 months pre-conception to delivery (peripregnancy), the researchers found that peripregnancy ultra-processed food intake was not significantly associated with an increased risk of offspring overweight or obesity.

This is an observational study, so can’t establish cause and the researchers acknowledge that some of the observed risk may be due to other unmeasured factors, and that self-reported diet and weight measures might be subject to misreporting.

Other important limitations include the fact that some offspring participants were lost to follow-up, which resulted in a few of the analyses being underpowered, particularly those related to peripregnancy intake, and that mothers were predominantly white and from similar social and economic backgrounds, so the results may not apply to other groups.

Nevertheless, the study used data from several large ongoing studies with detailed dietary assessments over a relatively long period, and further analysis produced consistent associations, suggesting that the results are robust.

The researchers suggest no clear mechanism underlying these associations and say the area warrants further investigation.

Nevertheless, these data “support the importance of refining dietary recommendations and the development of programs to improve nutrition for women of reproductive age to promote offspring health,” they conclude.

 

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JOURNAL

The BMJ

DOI

10.1136/bmj-2022-071767 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Observational study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Maternal consumption of ultra-processed foods and subsequent risk of offspring overweight or obesity: results from three prospective cohort studies

Less than a third of FDA regulatory actions backed by research or public assessments

Regulators must be fully transparent about drug safety to ensure public trust in medicines, say experts

Peer-Reviewed Publication

BMJ

Less than a third of regulatory actions taken by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are corroborated by published research findings or public assessments, finds a study published by The BMJ today.

The researchers say their findings, based on analysis of drug safety signals identified by the FDA from 2008 to 2019, suggest that either the FDA is taking regulatory actions based on evidence not made publicly available, or that more comprehensive safety evaluations might be needed when potential safety signals are identified.

Monitoring the safety of a medicine once it is available to patients (known as post-marketing pharmacovigilance) is essential for monitoring drug safety.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) receives more than two million adverse event reports annually through its Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) and reviews all potential safety signals to determine if regulatory action is needed.

In 2007, the FDA Amendments Act required the FDA to publish quarterly reports of safety signals from FAERS, providing an opportunity to examine them to better understand this pharmacovigilance system.

A team of US researchers therefore decided to analyse safety signals identified within the FAERS database. They asked how often these signals resulted in regulatory actions and whether they were corroborated by additional research.

They found that from 2008 to 2019, 603 potential safety signals identified from the FAERS were reported by the FDA, of which about 70% were resolved, and nearly 80% led to regulatory action, most often changes to drug labeling. 

In a separate in-depth analysis of 82 potential safety signals reported in 2014-15, at least one relevant study was found in the literature for about 75% of the signals but most of these studies were case reports or case series. 

However, less than a third (30%) of regulatory actions were corroborated by at least one relevant published research study, and none of the regulatory actions were corroborated by a public assessment, reported by the Sentinel Initiative.

These are observational findings, and the researchers acknowledge some important limitations. For example, they did not evaluate regulatory actions taken in other countries in response to these safety signals, which might have informed the FDA’s actions, nor could they consider unpublished studies or other data accessible to the agency but not publicly available.

Nevertheless, they say these findings “highlight the continued need for rigorous post-market safety studies to strengthen the quality of evidence available at the time of regulatory action, as well as the importance of ongoing efforts to leverage real world data sources to evaluate and resolve signals identified from the FAERS and support FDA regulatory decisions.

In a linked editorial, experts argue that regulators should publish all evidence underlying their responses to drug safety signals to reduce harm and ensure public trust in medicines.

The covid-19 pandemic has exposed the tension underlying regulatory decisions and the public’s right to know about serious risks associated with medical interventions, they write. This same tension exists more broadly in medicine safety.

“Safety signals are an important step, but radical transparency about available evidence and the basis for regulatory judgments is needed to reduce harm caused by medicines, as is adequate follow-up to ensure safer use,” they conclude.

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JOURNAL

The BMJ

DOI

10.1136/bmj-2022-071752 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Observational study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Characterization and corroboration of safety signals identified from the US Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System, 2008-19: cross sectional study