It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Monday, July 12, 2021
Want to avoid running overuse injuries? Don't lean forward so much, says CU Denver study
Researchers found that greater trunk flexion has significant impact on stride length, joint movements, and ground reaction forces
The ubiquitous overuse injuries that nag runners may stem from an unlikely culprit: how far you lean forward.
Trunk flexion, the angle at which a runner bends forward from the hip, can range wildly--runners have self-reported angles of approximately -2 degrees to upward of 25. A new study from the University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver) found that greater trunk flexion has significant impact on stride length, joint movements, and ground reaction forces. How you lean may be one of the contributors to your knee pain, medial tibial stress syndrome, or back pain.
"This was a pet peeve turned into a study," said Anna Warrener, PhD, lead author and assistant professor of anthropology at CU Denver. Warrener worked on the initial research during her postdoc fellowship with Daniel Liberman, PhD, in the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University. "When [Lieberman] was out preparing for his marathons, he noticed other people leaning too far forward as they ran, which had so many implications for their lower limbs. Our study was built to find out what they were."
The study was published in Human Movement Science.
A New Angle on Overuse Injuries
The head, arms and trunk constitute roughly 68% of total body mass. Small changes in trunk flexion have the potential to substantially alter lower-limb kinematics and ground reaction forces (GRF) during running.
To study the downstream effects, Warrener and her team recruited 23 injury-free, recreational runners between the ages of 18 and 23. They recorded each participant running 15-second trials at their self-selected trunk position and three others: a 10-, 20-, and a 30-degree angle of flexion. But to make the study work, they had to first figure out how to get each runner to bend at the right slant.
"We had to create a way in which we could reasonably force someone into a forward lean that didn't make them so uncomfortable that they changed everything about their gait," said Warrener. The team hung a lightweight, plastic dowel from the ceiling just above the runners' heads, moving it up or down, depending on the angle needed.
Contrary to the team's original hypothesis, the average stride length decreased 13 cm and stride frequency increased from 86.3 strides/min to 92.8 strides/min. Overstride relative to the hip increased 28%.
"The relationship between strike frequency and stride length surprised us," said Warrener. "We thought that the more you lean forward, your leg would need to extend further to keep your body mass from falling outside the support aera. As a result, overstride and stride frequency would go up. The inverse was true. Stride length got shorter and stride rate increased."
Warrener believes this may be due to a decrease in the aerial phase (if they're not getting as much air time, runners will take shorter steps), which means leg swings quickened as a result of reduced forward movement.
"The act of swinging your leg is really expensive as you're running," said Warrener. "Swinging it faster as you lean forward may mean a higher locomotor cost."
Compared to the participants' natural trunk flexion, increased angles led to a more flexed hip and bent knee joint. A bigger lean also changed the runners' foot and lower limb position, leading to an increased impact of GRF on the body (rate of loading by 29%; vertical ground reaction force impact transients by 20%).
The combination of trunk flexion angle, foot and leg placement, and GRF variables, shows that excessive trunk flexion could be one cause of injurious running form and, according to Warrener, is key for understanding how diverse running forms optimize economy and performance.
"The big picture takeaway is that running is not all about what is happening from the trunk down--it's a whole-body experience," said Warrener. "Researchers should think about the downstream effects of trunk flexion when studying running biomechanics."
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Childhood lead exposure may adversely affect adults' personalities
AUSTIN, Texas -- Lead exposure in childhood may lead to less mature and less healthy personalities in adulthood, according to a new study lead by psychology researchers at The University of Texas at Austin.
The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, sampled more than 1.5 million people in 269 U.S. counties and 37 European nations. Researchers found that those who grew up in areas with higher levels of atmospheric lead had less adaptive personalities in adulthood -- lower levels of conscientiousness and agreeableness and higher levels of neuroticism.
"Links between lead exposure and personality traits are quite impactful, because we take our personalities with us everywhere," said Ted Schwaba, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Psychology at UT Austin. "Even a small negative effect of lead on personality traits, when you aggregate it across millions of people and all the daily decisions and behaviors that our personality influences, can have really massive effects on well-being, productivity and longevity."
In the study, researchers linked historical atmospheric lead data from the Environmental Protection Agency to online personality questionnaire responses from people who grew up in the sampled locations. Results showed that adults who were raised in U.S. counties with higher levels of atmospheric lead were less agreeable and conscientious and, among adults in their 20s and 30s, more neurotic than those who had less lead exposure during childhood.
"These three traits -- conscientiousness, agreeableness and low neuroticism -- make up a large part of what we would consider a mature, psychologically healthy personality and are strong predictors of our success or failure in relationships and at work," Schwaba said. "Normally, across the lifespan, people become more conscientious and agreeable, and less neurotic."
To further test whether lead exposure causes these differences, the researchers examined the effects of the 1970 Clean Air Act, finding that people born after atmospheric lead levels began to decline in their counties had more mature, psychologically healthy personalities in adulthood than those born before their counties phased out lead-based products.
To ensure these findings weren't simply reflecting cohort effects -- characteristics resulting from shared historical or social experiences -- researchers replicated their study in Europe, where lead was phased out later than in the U.S. There, they found that people who grew up in areas with more atmospheric lead were also less agreeable and more neurotic in adulthood, although the findings regarding conscientiousness did not replicate.
"For a long time, we've known lead exposure is harmful, but each new wave of research seems to identify new ways in which lead exposure harms society," Schwaba said. "Though there's much less lead in the atmosphere today, lead remains in pipes, the topsoil and groundwater. And these sources of lead exposure tend to disproportionately harm people of color -- Black children are twice as likely to have high levels of lead in their blood as white children. From an economic standpoint, from a social justice standpoint, or really any way you look at it, it's incredibly important to limit lead exposure as much as possible."
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FIRE THE BOSS! RUN IT YOURSELVES
Study reveals ways to preserve employee morale during cost-cutting
IMAGE: JEFF JOIREMAN, PROFESSOR AND CHAIR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF MARKETING AND INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS, WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY'S CARSON COLLEGE OF BUSINESS view more
CREDIT: WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY
PULLMAN, Wash. - After cutbacks and layoffs, remaining employees were more likely to feel they were treated fairly if the companies invested in them - and morale was less likely to plunge, according to new research.
Those investments can include training for workers, team-building exercises or improving company culture. Even keeping workloads manageable after layoffs can help employees' job attitudes, according to the Journal of Organizational Behavior study.
"Whenever possible, cost-cutting is best combined with signals that people remain the firm's most prized asset," said Jeff Joireman, the study's co-author and a professor in Washington State University's Carson College of Business.
Researchers reviewed 137 previous studies examining job attitudes before, during and after cost-cutting events or people-focused investments. By focusing on longitudinal studies that followed employees for up to two years after the events, they were able to document persistent changes in attitudes.
Layoffs, offshoring and other cost-cutting measures affect morale longer than most companies realize, according to Joireman and his co-authors from Vrije University in Amsterdam and Brussels.
For at least two years after the cost-cutting event, workers reported reduced job satisfaction and less loyalty toward the organization - with implications for the firms' productivity and employee turnover.
Cost-cutting measures shook up the employer-employee relationship, researchers found. Workers felt their employer had treated them unfairly, didn't care about them and had broken promises. Upgrading technology to reduce costs was the exception, generating a positive response from employees.
Investments in workers, on the other hand, led to employees feeling cared for and valued by their organizations, resulting in lasting improvements in job attitudes.
When investing in workers was combined with cost-cutting, employee job attitudes remained relatively stable over time. Company support for workers after downsizing was perceived as helping reestablish the employee-employer bond, the researchers found.
Joireman said the study's findings challenge assumptions that shifts in job attitudes are temporary.
"The prevailing attitude is that cost-cutting is really bad for employees' attitudes in the short-run, but in the long-run, employee's attitudes will return to the baseline," he said.
Without this kind of analysis, firms remain in the dark about the negative effects of cost-cutting over the long haul, and whether people-oriented interventions provide lasting benefits, Joireman added.
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UN's new global framework for managing nature: 1st detailed draft agreement launched
Draft 1 of the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework includes 21 action targets proposed for 2030; Will be considered at UN Convention on Biological Diversity's COP15
IMAGE: MORE THAN TWO YEARS IN DEVELOPMENT, THE POST-2020 GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY FRAMEWORK WILL UNDERGO FURTHER REFINEMENT DURING ONLINE NEGOTIATIONS IN LATE SUMMER BEFORE BEING PRESENTED FOR CONSIDERATION AT CBD'S NEXT MEETING... view more
CREDIT: CBD
The UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Secretariat today released the first official draft of a new Global Biodiversity Framework to guide actions worldwide through 2030 to preserve and protect Nature and its essential services to people.
The framework includes 21 targets for 2030 that call for, among other things:
At least 30% of land and sea areas global (especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and its contributions to people) conserved through effective, equitably managed, ecologically representative and well-connected systems of protected areas (and other effective area-based conservation measures)
A 50% of greater reduction in the rate of introduction of invasive alien species, and controls or eradication of such species to eliminate or reduce their impacts
Reducing nutrients lost to the environment by at least half, and pesticides by at least two thirds, and eliminating the discharge of plastic waste
Nature-based contributions to global climate change mitigation efforts of least 10 GtCO2e per year, and that all mitigation and adaptation efforts avoid negative impacts on biodiversity
Redirecting, repurposing, reforming or eliminating incentives harmful for biodiversity, in a just and equitable way, reducing them by at least $US 500 billion per year
A $US 200 billion increase in international financial flows from all sources to developing countries
More than two years in development, the Framework will undergo further refinement during online negotiations in late summer before being presented for consideration at CBD's next meeting of its 196 parties at COP15, scheduled for Kunming, China October 11-24.
The full Global Biodiversity Framework is available at cbd.int
The Four Goals for 2050:
The draft framework proposes four goals to achieve, by 2050, humanity "living in harmony with nature," a vision adopted by the CBD's 196 member parties in 2010.
Goal A: The integrity of all ecosystems is enhanced, with an increase of at least 15% in the area, connectivity and integrity of natural ecosystems, supporting healthy and resilient populations of all species, the rate of extinctions has been reduced at least tenfold, and the risk of species extinctions across all taxonomic and functional groups, is halved, and genetic diversity of wild and domesticated species is safeguarded, with at least 90% of genetic diversity within all species maintained.
Goal B: Nature's contributions to people have been valued, maintained or enhanced through conservation and sustainable use supporting the global development agenda for the benefit of all;
Goal C: The benefits from the utilization of genetic resources are shared fairly and equitably, with a substantial increase in both monetary and non-monetary benefits shared, including for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.
Goal D: The gap between available financial and other means of implementation, and those necessary to achieve the 2050 Vision, is closed.
Milestones to be reached by 2030
The four goals each have 2-3 broad milestones to be reached by 2030 (10 milestones in all):
Goal A:
Milestone A.1 Net gain in the area, connectivity and integrity of natural systems of at least 5%.
Milestone A.2 The increase in the extinction rate is halted or reversed, and the extinction risk is reduced by at least 10%, with a decrease in the proportion of species that are threatened, and the abundance and distribution of populations of species is enhanced or at least maintained.
Milestone A.3 Genetic diversity of wild and domesticated species is safeguarded, with an increase in the proportion of species that have at least 90% of their genetic diversity maintained.
Goal B: M
Milestone B.1 Nature and its contributions to people are fully accounted and inform all relevant public and private decisions.
Milestone B.2 The long-term sustainability of all categories of nature's contributions to people is ensured, with those currently in decline restored, contributing to each of the relevant Sustainable Development Goals.
Goal C:
Milestone C.1 The share of monetary benefits received by providers, including holders of traditional knowledge, has increased.
Milestone C.2 Non-monetary benefits, such as the participation of providers, including holders of traditional knowledge, in research and development, has increased.
Goal D:
Milestone D.1 Adequate financial resources to implement the framework are available and deployed, progressively closing the financing gap up to at least US $700 billion per year by 2030.
Milestone D.2 Adequate other means, including capacity-building and development, technical and scientific cooperation and technology transfer to implement the framework to 2030 are available and deployed.
Milestone D.3 Adequate financial and other resources for the period 2030 to 2040 are planned or committed by 2030.
21 "Action Targets" for 2030
The framework then lists 21 associated "action targets" for 2030:
Reducing threats to biodiversity
Target 1
Ensure that all land and sea areas globally are under integrated biodiversity-inclusive spatial planning addressing land- and sea-use change, retaining existing intact and wilderness areas.
Target 2
Ensure that at least 20 per cent of degraded freshwater, marine and terrestrial ecosystems are under restoration, ensuring connectivity among them and focusing on priority ecosystems.
Target 3
Ensure that at least 30 per cent globally of land areas and of sea areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and its contributions to people, are conserved through effectively and equitably managed, ecologically representative and well-connected systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, and integrated into the wider landscapes and seascapes.
Target 4
Ensure active management actions to enable the recovery and conservation of species and the genetic diversity of wild and domesticated species, including through ex situ conservation, and effectively manage human-wildlife interactions to avoid or reduce human-wildlife conflict.
Target 5
Ensure that the harvesting, trade and use of wild species is sustainable, legal, and safe for human health.
Target 6
Manage pathways for the introduction of invasive alien species, preventing, or reducing their rate of introduction and establishment by at least 50 per cent, and control or eradicate invasive alien species to eliminate or reduce their impacts, focusing on priority species and priority sites.
Target 7
Reduce pollution from all sources to levels that are not harmful to biodiversity and ecosystem functions and human health, including by reducing nutrients lost to the environment by at least half, and pesticides by at least two thirds and eliminating the discharge of plastic waste.
Target 8
Minimize the impact of climate change on biodiversity, contribute to mitigation and adaptation through ecosystem-based approaches, contributing at least 10 GtCO2e per year to global mitigation efforts, and ensure that all mitigation and adaptation efforts avoid negative impacts on biodiversity.
Meeting people's needs through sustainable use and benefit-sharing
Target 9
Ensure benefits, including nutrition, food security, medicines, and livelihoods for people especially for the most vulnerable through sustainable management of wild terrestrial, freshwater and marine species and protecting customary sustainable use by indigenous peoples and local communities.
Target 10
Ensure all areas under agriculture, aquaculture and forestry are managed sustainably, in particular through the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, increasing the productivity and resilience of these production systems.
Target 11
Maintain and enhance nature's contributions to regulation of air quality, quality and quantity of water, and protection from hazards and extreme events for all people.
Target 12
Increase the area of, access to, and benefits from green and blue spaces, for human health and well-being in urban areas and other densely populated areas.
Target 13
Implement measures at global level and in all countries to facilitate access to genetic resources and to ensure the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources, and as relevant, of associated traditional knowledge, including through mutually agreed terms and prior and informed consent.
Tools and solutions for implementation and mainstreaming
Target 14
Fully integrate biodiversity values into policies, regulations, planning, development processes, poverty reduction strategies, accounts, and assessments of environmental impacts at all levels of government and across all sectors of the economy, ensuring that all activities and financial flows are aligned with biodiversity values.
Target 15
All businesses (public and private, large, medium and small) assess and report on their dependencies and impacts on biodiversity, from local to global, and progressively reduce negative impacts, by at least half and increase positive impacts, reducing biodiversity-related risks to businesses and moving towards the full sustainability of extraction and production practices, sourcing and supply chains, and use and disposal.
Target 16
Ensure that people are encouraged and enabled to make responsible choices and have access to relevant information and alternatives, taking into account cultural preferences, to reduce by at least half the waste and, where relevant the overconsumption, of food and other materials.
Target 17
Establish, strengthen capacity for, and implement measures in all countries to prevent, manage or control potential adverse impacts of biotechnology on biodiversity and human health, reducing the risk of these impacts.
Target 18
Redirect, repurpose, reform or eliminate incentives harmful for biodiversity, in a just and equitable way, reducing them by at least US$ 500 billion per year, including all of the most harmful subsidies, and ensure that incentives, including public and private economic and regulatory incentives, are either positive or neutral for biodiversity.
Target 19
Increase financial resources from all sources to at least US$ 200 billion per year, including new, additional and effective financial resources, increasing by at least US$ 10 billion per year international financial flows to developing countries, leveraging private finance, and increasing domestic resource mobilization, taking into account national biodiversity finance planning, and strengthen capacity-building and technology transfer and scientific cooperation, to meet the needs for implementation, commensurate with the ambition of the goals and targets of the framework.
Target 20
Ensure that relevant knowledge, including the traditional knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities with their free, prior, and informed consent, guides decision?making for the effective management of biodiversity, enabling monitoring, and by promoting awareness, education and research.
Target 21
Ensure equitable and effective participation in decision-making related to biodiversity by indigenous peoples and local communities, and respect their rights over lands, territories and resources, as well as by women and girls, and youth.
Says CBD Executive Secretary Elizabeth Maruma Mrema: "Urgent policy action globally, regionally and nationally is required to transform economic, social and financial models so that the trends that have exacerbated biodiversity loss will stabilize by 2030 and allow for the recovery of natural ecosystems in the following 20 years, with net improvements by 2050."
"The framework aims to galvanize this urgent and transformative action by Governments and all of society, including indigenous peoples and local communities, civil society, youth and businesses and financial institutions. It will be implemented primarily through national-level activities, supported by subnational, regional and global-level actions."
"This is a global, outcome-oriented framework for the Convention's 196 Parties to develop national and regional goals and targets, to update national strategies and action plans as needed, and to facilitate regular monitoring and review of progress at the global level."
Implementation
The draft Global Biodiversity Framework notes that effective implementation requires mobilizing resources from both the public and private finance sectors, ongoing identification of risk associated with biodiversity loss capacity development, technical and scientific cooperation, technology transfer and innovation.
It also calls for integration with relevant multilateral environmental agreements and other relevant international processes, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and strengthening cooperation.
Successful implementation will also depend on effective outreach, awareness and uptake by all stakeholders, a comprehensive system for planning, monitoring, reporting and review that allows for transparent communication of progress, rapid course correction, and timely input in the preparation of a post-2030 Global Biodiversity Framework.
Background
Biodiversity and its benefits are fundamental to human well-being and a healthy planet. Despite ongoing efforts, biodiversity is deteriorating worldwide and this decline is projected to continue or worsen under business-as-usual scenarios.
The post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework builds on the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and sets out an ambitious plan to implement broad-based action to bring about a transformation in society's relationship with biodiversity and to ensure that, by 2050, the shared vision of living in harmony with nature is fulfilled.
The draft framework reflects input from the second meeting of a Working Group managing the framework's creation, as well as submissions received. The draft will be further updated in late summer with the benefit of input from the 24th meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice and the 3rd meeting of the Subsidiary Body in Implementation, as well as the advice from thematic consultations.
Relationship with 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
The framework will contribute to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. At the same time, progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals will help to provide the conditions necessary to implement the framework.
Theory of change
The framework's theory of change assumes that transformative actions are taken to (a) put in place tools and solutions for implementation and mainstreaming, (b) reduce the threats to biodiversity and (c) ensure that biodiversity is used sustainably in order to meet people's needs and that these actions are supported by (i) enabling conditions, and (ii) adequate means of implementation, including financial resources, capacity and technology. It also assumes that progress is monitored in a transparent and accountable manner with adequate stocktaking exercises to ensure that, by 2030, the world is on a path to reach the 2050 Vision for Biodiversity.
The theory of change for the framework acknowledges the need for appropriate recognition of gender equality, women's empowerment, youth, gender-responsive approaches and the full and effective participation of indigenous peoples and local communities in the implementation of this framework. Further, it is built upon the recognition that its implementation will be done in partnership with many organizations at the global, national and local levels to leverage ways to build a momentum for success. It will be implemented taking a rights-based approach and recognizing the principle of intergenerational equity.
The theory of change is complementary to and supportive of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It also takes into account the long-term strategies and targets of other multilateral environment agreements, including the biodiversity-related and Rio conventions, to ensure synergistic delivery of benefits from all the agreements for the planet and people.
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About the UN Convention on Biological Diversity
Opened for signature at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, and entering into force in December 1993, the Convention on Biological Diversity is an international treaty for the conservation of biodiversity, the sustainable use of the components of biodiversity and the equitable sharing of the benefits derived from the use of genetic resources.
With 196 Parties, the Convention has near universal participation.
The Convention seeks to address all threats to biodiversity and ecosystem services, including threats from climate change, through scientific assessments, the development of tools, incentives and processes, the transfer of technologies and good practices and the full and active involvement of relevant stakeholders including indigenous and local communities, youth, NGOs, women and the business community.
The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing are supplementary agreements to the Convention. The Cartagena Protocol, which entered into force on 11 September 2003, seeks to protect biological diversity from the potential risks posed by living modified organisms resulting from modern biotechnology.
The Nagoya Protocol aims at sharing the benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources in a fair and equitable way, including by appropriate access to genetic resources and by appropriate transfer of relevant technologies. It entered into force on 12 October 2014.
IMAGE: THE USE OF A SEMITRANSPARENT TIO2 PHOTOANODE ALLOWS THE SIC PHOTOCATHODE TO MAKE USE OF THE TRANSMITTED LIGHT. USING PHOTOCATALYSTS WITH DIFFERENT ENERGY GAPS RESULTS IN INCREASED CONVERSION EFFICIENCY. view more
CREDIT: IMAGE COURTESY: MASASHI KATO FROM NAGOYA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY.
Turning away from fossil fuels is necessary if we are to avert an environmental crisis due to global warming. Both industry and academia have been focusing heavily on hydrogen as a feasible clean alternative. Hydrogen is practically inexhaustible and when used to generate energy, only produces water vapor. However, to realize a truly eco-friendly hydrogen society, we need to be able to mass-produce hydrogen cleanly in the first place.
One way to do that is by splitting water via "artificial photosynthesis," a process in which materials called "photocatalysts" leverage solar energy to produce oxygen and hydrogen from water. However, the available photocatalysts are not yet where they need to be to make solar-powered water splitting economically feasible and scalable. To get them there, two main problems should be solved: the low solar-to-hydrogen (STH) conversion efficiency and the insufficient durability of photoelectrochemical water splitting cells.
At Nagoya Institute of Technology, Japan, Professor Masashi Kato and his colleagues have been working hard to take photocatalysts to the next level by exploring new materials and their combinations and gaining insight into the physicochemical mechanisms that underlie their performances. In their latest study published in Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, Dr. Kato and his team have now managed to do just that by combining titanium oxide (TiO2) and p-type cubic SiC (3C-SiC), two promising photocatalyst materials, into a tandem structure that makes for a highly durable and efficient water splitting cell (see Figure).
The tandem structure explored by the team in their study has both the photocatalyst materials in series, with a semi-transparent TiO2 operating as a photoanode and 3C-SiC as a photocathode. Since each material absorbs solar energy at different frequency bands, the tandem structure can markedly increase the conversion efficiency of the water splitting cell by allowing more of the incoming light to excite charge carriers and generate the necessary currents.
The team measured the effects of applied external voltage and pH on the photocurrents generated in the cell and then conducted water splitting experiments under different light intensities. They also measured the amounts of oxygen and hydrogen generated. The results were highly encouraging, as Dr. Kato remarks: "The maximum applied-bias photon-to-current efficiency measured was 0.74%. This value, coupled with the observed durability of about 100 days, puts our water splitting system among the best currently available." Moreover, the findings of this study hinted at some of the potential mechanisms behind the observed performance of the proposed tandem structure.
Further research is needed to continue improving photoelectrochemical water splitting systems until they become widely applicable. Still, this study is clearly a step towards a clean future. "Our contributions shall accelerate the development of artificial photosynthesis technologies, which will generate energy resources directly from solar light. Thus, our findings may assist in the realization of sustainable societies," says Dr. Kato, speaking of his vision.
We certainly hope the future he envisions is not too far away!
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About Nagoya Institute of Technology, Japan
Nagoya Institute of Technology (NITech) is a respected engineering institute located in Nagoya, Japan. Established in 1949, the university aims to create a better society by providing global education and conducting cutting-edge research in various fields of science and technology. To this end, NITech provides a nurturing environment for students, teachers, and academicians to help them convert scientific skills into practical applications. Having recently established new departments and the "Creative Engineering Program," a 6-year integrated undergraduate and graduate course, NITech strives to continually grow as a university. With a mission to "conduct education and research with pride and sincerity, in order to contribute to society," NITech actively undertakes a wide range of research from basic to applied science.
About Associate Professor Masashi Kato from Nagoya Institute of Technology, Japan
Dr. Masashi Kato graduated in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Nagoya Institute of Technology in 1998 and then proceeded to obtain both a Master's (2000) and a PhD (2003) in the same field. He is currently an Associate Professor of Semiconductor Physics and has published over 70 papers in the course of his career. His field of expertise and research interests lie within electronic/electric materials and device-related chemistry. He has also been a member of The Japan Society of Applied Physics for nearly two decades.
Near the toys and the candy bars
Comprehensive Hebrew U. audit uncovers tobacco companies' sneaky tactics to circumvent regulators and target kids
IMAGE: HEBREW UNIVERSITY DR. YAEL BAR-ZEEV view more
CREDIT: HADAS PARUSH/FLASH 90
Smoking among young teens has become an increasingly challenging and costly public healthcare issue. Despite legislation to prevent the marketing of tobacco products to children, tobacco companies have shrewdly adapted their advertising tactics to circumvent the ban and maintain their access to this impressionable--and growing--market share.
How they do it is the subject of a recent study led by Dr. Yael Bar-Zeev at Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU)'s Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine at HU-Hadassah Medical Center. She also serves as Chair of the Israeli Association for Smoking Cessation and Prevention, and teamed up with colleagues at HU and George Washington University. They published their findings in Nicotine and Tobacco Research.
Their study focused on Philip Morris' IQOS products--the popular electronic cigarette that heats tobacco--and specifically how they are marketed in Israeli stores. These heated tobacco products are often touted as being safer for smokers than are regular cigarettes. However, the medical establishment has deemed these devices harmful to users' health. While the tobacco companies comply with the letter of the law when it comes to the advertising ban, they target younger consumers in other ways: namely, by placing their products near toys, candy, and slush machines, and in stores that are in walking distance of local elementary- and high schools.
"These attempts by the tobacco companies are particularly alarming because we know that being exposed to tobacco products and advertisements at the point-of-sale is associated with significantly higher chances of experimenting with smoking and creating long-lasting smoking habits among youth," Bar-Zeev warned.
IQOS was introduced to the Israeli market in 2016. The tobacco industry repeatedly lobbied Israeli policy makers to regulate these products differently than they do cigarettes. However, Israel's Ministry of Health determined IQOS' causes significant negative health effects and therefore they will be regulated as a tobacco product and subject to the ban of advertising tobacco products in stores, aka at "points of sale".
As part of the study, the team performed a concealed audit of 80 point-of-sales locations that sell IQOS or its accompanying tobacco sticks (HEETS) in four of Israel's largest cities: Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa and Beersheba. They found that despite overall compliance with the advertisement ban, tobacco companies found ways to circumvent the ban with special displays and signs that read "WE SELL TOBACCO". Further, a substantial number of stores placed IQOS/HEETS and other tobacco products near (within 30cm) other merchandise that targets young consumers, such as toys, candy, and slush machines. Nearly 70% of these stores were near (less than 300 meters) high schools, and 40% were in walking distance to elementary schools.
Further findings from this study suggest that IQOS products are being marketed to consumers in higher socio-economic demographic, as evidenced by the higher price tag and the higher-end neighborhoods that carry the product. This reality contradicts IQOS' claims that they've designed their product to help smokers quit cigarettes. Past research has shown that it is lower--not higher--socio-economic populations that have higher smoking rates and smoking cessation rates.
"The purpose of advertisement bans is to prevent children and youth exposure to all tobacco products. However, tobacco companies prove that they don't care and will do whatever it takes to continue marketing their products and increasing their revenue", shared Bar-Zeev. "Israel's government needs to act decisively, institute a license to sell tobacco, and ban the sale of tobacco products in locations that are in close proximity to schools."
One of the study researchers, Professor Hagai Levine at HU, added, "Israel's Minister of Health Nitzan Horowitz announced that he is committed to advancing tobacco legislation. These findings show that the current legislation has serious loopholes that need to be closed to protect public health here in Israel and, in particularly, to protect our youth from being exposed to tobacco products advertisements". This study has implications for smoking legislation globally, as it reveals how the tobacco industry uses marketing tactics designed to circumvent government' attempts to protect their publics' health".
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HKU ecologists develop a novel forensic tool for detecting laundering of critically endangered cockatoos
IMAGE: YELLOW-CRESTED COCKATOOS (CACATUA SULPHUREA) FOR SALE IN HONG KONG'S BIRD MARKET. view more
CREDIT: PHOTO COURTESY: ASTRID ANDERSSON
Ecologists from the Conservation Forensics Laboratory of the Research Division for Ecology and Biodiversity at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) have applied stable isotope techniques to determine whether birds in the pet trade are captive or wild-caught, a key piece of evidence required in many cases to determine whether a trade is legal or not. They have applied this technique to the yellow-crested cockatoo (Cacatua sulphurea, YCC), a critically endangered species from Indonesia/Timor-Leste with a global population of fewer than 2,500, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Threatened by overexploitation for the pet trade, Hong Kong has a sizeable population of 150-200 individuals which was established through the release of birds transported here as pets.
There is a global ban on trapping and international trade of wild-caught YCCs; the species has been listed on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) since 2005. In Hong Kong, it is legal in some cases to sell captive-bred birds, however it is difficult to differentiate a wild-caught from a captive-bred cockatoo just by eye - which means illegally caught YCCs can be laundered in the legal market by claiming they have been bred in captivity.
Wild or captive?
Yellow-crested cockatoos are commonly sold as pets in Hong Kong. Dr Astrid ANDERSSON from the Conservation Forensics Laboratory conducted a market survey at Yuen Po Street bird market in Mong Kok from 2017-2018 and observed 33 unique individual YCCs for sale during this period, more than have officially been imported to Hong Kong since 2005 (10 individuals). These birds could have been bred by home breeders (which is a legal grey area in Hong Kong), trafficked from abroad (illegal) or taken from Hong Kong's free-flying, introduced population of YCCs (illegal). In order to determine whether birds in trade are legal or not, there is a need for a method for determining whether an individual is sourced from the wild or captive-bred.
Under the supervision of Dr Caroline DINGLE, Director of Conservation Forensics Laboratory, Dr ANDERSSON conducted stable isotope analysis(SIA) and compound-specific stable isotope analysis(CSIA) on feathers from Hong Kong's wild YCC population and on feathers from pet cockatoos owned by private individuals to see if differences in the diet of captive and wild birds were reflected in carbon and nitrogen values. The team applied two novel forensic tools: stable isotope analysis (SIA) as the basic first step and compound-specific stable isotope (CSIA), which analyses isotope values associated with specific amino acids, as the advanced second step. They found that both stable carbon and nitrogen isotope values differed significantly between wild and captive cockatoos, indicating consumption of different plant and protein types in their diets. They also found that the isotopes associated with six amino acids differed significantly - with valine being the most informative.
Enforcement officials could apply this test in the future to determine whether a cockatoo has been raised in the wild or in captivity.
"Legal wildlife trade creates opportunities for the sale of illegally procured wildlife since it is difficult to discern legal from laundered items. This problem is common across many wildlife trade areas - exotic pets, ornaments, seafood -- and involves a variety of taxa. Our results show that SIA, together with CSIA, presents a powerful tool for government authorities in their efforts to regulate wildlife trade," said Dr Astrid Andersson, the first author of the study.
"The successful and novel application of CSIA as a secondary validation step to increase the accuracy of SIA for detecting wild vs captive individuals is promising and adds to the growing volume of research that demonstrates the applicability of stable isotope techniques in wildlife forensics. While more work needs to be done to validate SIA as a robust forensic test, the results from this study show that this is a promising avenue for continued research," added Dr Caroline Dingle.
CAPTION
It is possible that some of the Yellow-crested Cockatoos for sale in the bird market could have been taken from Hong Kong's free-flying population of cockatoos.
For media enquiries, please contact Ms Casey To, External Relations Officer (tel: 3917 4948; email: caseyto@hku.hk / Ms Cindy Chan, Assistant Director of Communications of HKU Faculty of Science (tel: 3917 5286; email: cindycst@hku.hk).
Naturally abundant venom peptide from ants can activate a pseudo allergic pathway unravelling a novel immunomodulatory pathway of MRGPRX2
IMAGE: CARTOON DEPICTING THE OVERALL PATHWAY INVOLVED IN MRGPRX2 MEDIATED MONOCYTE RECRUITMENT AND DIFFERENTIATION. P17 ACTIVATION OF MRGPRX2, BUT NOT IGE RECEPTOR IN MAST CELLS RESULTING IN CYTOKINE RELEASES (MCP-1, MIP1-Α,... view more
Allergy is a common undesirable immune response for most people, and are often caused by allergens such as food, pollen, drugs, mites, bites and stings from venomous insects etc. When an allergic reaction happens, mast cells that line the body surfaces alert the immune system by releasing cytokines. Thus, other immune cells are recruited to the infected area to clear the allergens.
There are two kinds of allergic reaction: allergic and pseudo allergic reactions. Allergic reactions are triggered when allergens bind to the high-affinity IgE receptor on mast cells, whereas the pseudo allergic reactions are majorly triggered when allergens bind to MRGPRX2 on mast cells. Therefore, different medical treatments are required to contain them.
Recently, the discovery of IgE and MRGPRX2 expressed receptors in mast cells has helped us to understand the root cause of most allergic and pseudo allergic reactions. However, functional characterisation of MRGPRX2 is very limited since it has not got much attention in the allergic field as a pseudo allergic receptor until recently, whereas the former is very well studied. The function of MRGPRX2, other than being a pseudo allergic receptor, is largely unknown and yet to be explored.
For instance, pseudo allergic reactions can be induced by various FDA approved drugs. So, understanding this pseudo allergic mechanisms will help in developing drugs without side effects. In addition, understanding of pseudo allergic reactions will also help in developing antagonists that would minimise clinically relevant MRGPRX2 mediated allergic reactions such as rosacea or red man syndrome.
Through concerted efforts, our research team identifies and demonstrates a naturally abundant venom peptide from ants that activates a previously unknown pseudo allergic pathway, which in turn, help to discover other function of MRGPRX2, sheding light on the non-pseudo allergic function of MRGPRX2.
CAPTION
Schematic diagram depicting the overall pathway involved in MRGPRX2 mediated monocyte recruitment and differentiation.
CREDIT
The University of Hong Kong
Research background
Insect venoms are biochemical arsenals developed by animals to defend themselves. Interestingly, arthropods contain the maximum number of species capable of making venoms that can produce biological effects in our body. Particularly, ants are the most dominant and diversified species with more than 14,700 known species and the biggest biomass in most territorial ecosystems. Therefore, Insect venoms are very important resources for us containing a treasure of biologically active chemicals, peptides and proteins. For instance, Purotoxin-1 (PT1), Apamin and Bicarinalin are bioactive peptides isolated from various insect venoms that are known to play a role in inflammatory pain, antimicrobial effects and cytotoxic effects against cancer cells.
P17 is a short host defence peptide isolated from the venom of an ant Tetramorium bicarinatum. We have recently demonstrated its involvement in our body defence system via interacting with an unknown receptor to activate the immune system to kill the fungal infection in mice lungs. P17, therefore can be exploited as a therapeutic peptide for inflammatory disorders or cancer and pseudo allergic reactions. In this study, after screening almost the entire human G protein-coupled receptor repertoire, we have successfully identified a specific human receptor or Mas-related G protein-coupled receptor-X2 (MRGPRX2) that is responsible for interacting with P17 to carry out its activity.
Key findings
The research team has extensively worked on identifying a lock (GPCR) for a key (P17) by trying about 400 locks for a single key and eventually identified the GPCR for P17. In addition, we also demonstrated the molecular pathways of P17-MRGPRX2 mediated activation of mast cells, an immune cell that is responsible for the allergic reaction. Upon deorphanising of P17, we then used computational approaches to find the important amino acids (ridges in the key) that are important for the binding of the venom peptide with its receptor - like a key ridge in the key for a lock.
Our team then uncovered a novel pathway for this receptor. We showed P17 induces infiltration of monocytes at the injected site by activating MRGPRX2. The effect is quite similar to an ant bite in humans. Once the ant bites you, you will have blisters/swelling, which indicates the immune cell infiltration at the bite site to remove the ant venom. Usually, our body detects the external substances (arrows in the diagram) via receptors (targets) and act upon those external substances to clear them out. In this scenario, P17 is the arrow detected by MRGPRX2 of mast cells to recruit monocytes and differentiates them into macrophages to engulf and clear the pathogens. To the best of our knowledge, we demonstrated for the first time that MRGPRX2 mediated activation of mast cell could recruit human monocyte and differentiate them into macrophages. This study shows a novel immunomodulatory effect of MRGPRX2 and suggests that it is a vital receptor in innate immunity.
Societal impact of the findings
Firstly, a novel immunomodulatory pathway of MRGPRX2 has been demonstrated, which could enhance the overall understanding of the receptor function among the scientific community. Additionally, Macrophages are specialised cells involved in the detection, phagocytosis and destruction of bacteria and other harmful organisms. Thus, using this novel information, we can design new analogues that are agonists or antagonists of MRGPRX2 to modify our immune response to deal with host defence, allergic or other immune diseases.
"We demonstrated that peptides isolated from venoms can be used to modulate immune responses and these peptides are abundant in nature. One key message we should take from this finding is biodiversity is one of the greatest treasure we have and we just have to use them wisely," said Professor Chow. "Our findings are evident that novel scientific innovations come from observing the nature. Ant bite leads to immune cell infiltration, so we just isolated the peptide that recruits the immune cells that can be beneficial," said Dr Duraisamy. Besides, the HKU team's laboratory has established a platform for translating basic biology into novel drug discoveries as we already have filed a patent for the design and synthesis of a group of drugs with high efficacies to translate them into societal impact. Using this novel pathway we could eventually tweak it a bit to our benefit to kill off pathogens during infection.
Professor Billy KC Chow focuses on novel therapeutic molecules for the treatment of major critical diseases that involves GPCRs. Using his years of experience in basic research, he has founded a start-up company PhrmaSec Ltd, which aims to translate basic research into major societal impact. His expertise lies in GPCRs in general with GPCR physiological functions, and target receptor identification and their molecular mechanisms of novel bioactive agents.
