Public health solutions to disrupt the US firearm crisis

Peer-Reviewed Publication

PLOS

The epidemic of firearm injury and death in the USA is preventable, and the field of public health can offer practical solutions, argue Dr. Megan L. Ranney and colleagues in an opinion article in PLOS Global Public Health. Through harm reduction and community engagement programs, public health professionals, healthcare providers and community members can reduce the impact on individuals, families and communities.

Despite the attention school and public mass shootings in the US gain, they make up a minority of US firearm injuries and deaths. Most firearm deaths are from homicide and suicide: in 2021 four in every five US homicide deaths were caused by firearms.

There is evidence from systematic reviews that some legislative policies, such as particularly safe storage laws, correlate with reduced injury and death. Yet legislation alone rarely solves a public health problem. Additional public health strategies offer some hope.

Harm reduction involves engaging people at risk and offering interventions without barriers. Safer storage of firearms, for example, has the potential to decrease firearm deaths from suicide or unintentional injury. This practice can be encouraged in a variety of ways, including  individual-level counselling from healthcare providers - in the same way they would talk about bicycle helmets or access to medicines.

Collective, community-driven prevention efforts are also needed, particularly among at-risk populations. Firearm homicide is the leading cause of death for Black males aged 15-34, and Black men are 10-20 times more likely to be killed by a gun than their White counterparts. A community-based public safety collective is building capacity for research and advocacy to address community violence in Black and Brown communities. 

These and similar efforts could disrupt the US crisis of firearm injury and death, but there must be substantial investment in research, people, programming, personnel, policies and infrastructure in order to shift culture away from this health threat of epidemic proportion.

Dr. Ranney adds: “Firearm injury is a public health epidemic with ramifications that impact all of us, as well as solutions that include, but are not limited to, policy changes. In order to end this uniquely American epidemic, we must apply a community-rooted, harm-reduction approach. This paper outlines solutions that are likely to be successful at reducing the alarming number of firearm injuries and deaths in the United States.”

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Author Interview:

PLOS: What first drew you to frame the US gun violence problem as a public health issue?

Megan L. Ranney, MD, MPH: As a physician, I saw the clear health effects of a gunshot wound. As a public health professional, I had seen the success of the public health approach in decreasing deaths from problems as varied as car crashes and HIV - and knew that we could apply it to this problem, too.

Kristen Mueller, MD: As a doctor working clinically in the ER in St. Louis, firearm-injured patients are so common at my adult and pediatric level I trauma hospitals that they are now part of my regular clinical practice. In an effort to slow rates of these preventable, treatable injuries, I helped develop and implement the St. Louis region-wide hospital-based  violence intervention program, Life Outside Violence. Through this work, I have developed a great appreciation of the impact of structural racism and social determinants of health on firearm injury prevalence, and the ways this impacts my patients’ experiences surviving and healing after surviving a firearm injury. Public health methods are well-positioned to mitigate the burden of this epidemic moving forward.

Nakita Lovelady, PhD, MPH: As a trained public health scientist, I have always viewed gun violence as a public health issue, despite it not being thought of or treated as such. As more people are impacted by gun violence, there has been an increased awareness of this being a larger societal public health concern. I’m happy that many are beginning to understand that gun violence is a complex issue with several structural level factors of influence. It has to be treated like any other public health crisis, requiring multiple levels of intervention that go beyond the individual level. I’m fortunate to operationalize this public health frame to address gun violence within southern rural states that often are faced with disproportionate rates, unique context, and limited development and support for community violence intervention. 

 

PLOS: Can you tell us more about the principle of harm reduction as it relates to solutions or mitigation for gun violence in the US?

Megan L. Ranney, MD, MPH: “Harm reduction” is a concept that allows us to move beyond an all-or-nothing approach. Using the harm reduction concept, we can instead create solutions that decrease the risk of an injury. We don’t have to talk about banning guns or arming everyone; we can talk about how to reduce the chance of someone who’s high risk, having access to a gun.

Kristen Mueller, MD: I completely agree with Dr. Ranney. Harm reduction is one technique under the public health umbrella that helps us address the firearm injury epidemic in real-world conditions–where our patients live, how they live–across all levels of the social-ecologic model of violence prevention.

Nakita Lovelady, PhD, MPH: Agreed and well said. I think this is very similar to what we have done for decades with health disparities research in general. We have gone back and forth with the goal of eliminating vs. reducing health disparities, because yes – while we would like to eliminate all disparities, it may not be a practical goal. So yes, we would like to eliminate all firearm injuries, but given the context and complexity of the issue, it’s not practical to employ all or nothing solutions. However, to get us closer to our goals of saving lives, we must employ feasible harm reduction strategies that begin to mitigate gun violence and its social determinants.

 

PLOS: In your final paragraph, you outline the need for "intentional investment in research, programming, personnel, policies, and community infrastructure" – Could you briefly outline or describe possible future investments that you'd deem most urgent or pressing for our communities and leaders to make?

Megan L. Ranney, MD, MPH: After 24 years of almost zero federal investment in this issue, we need to do so much! Research matters, so that we’re delivering the best possible solutions. Community engagement matters. Addressing structural drivers of firearm injury matters. Improved funding for community and hospital violence intervention programs, mental health professionals for people with suicidal thoughts, and collaboration with gun shop owners, police, and military all can make a difference.

Kristen Mueller, MD: Agree! In addition to improved federal and community funding, I would love to see universities make strategic investments to prevent firearm violence and injuries at the local level. For example, many universities are well-positioned to be a funding, coordinating, and evaluation hub for community-hospital-university partnerships to increase the reach, efficacy, and sustainability of multi-disciplinary firearm injury prevention programs.

Nakita Lovelady, PhD, MPH: I echo you both. I will add that intentional investment also means investment in equity-focused approaches and strategies to gun violence prevention. That means allocating funds specifically to address the undue burden in communities of color that have been disproportionately impacted for decades. That means supporting and growing Black and Brown researchers, practitioners, and other stakeholders involved in gun violence prevention work. That means being intentional and not afraid to challenge traditional “gold standard” research designs and requiring mixed-method approaches that include rigorous qualitative methodology, because like many colleagues have stated before, there is no solving this issue and achieving health equity without qualitative context. That also means being intentional about bringing diverse perspectives to the table to solve this issue. In the words of  my mentor, Dr. Joseph B. Richardson Jr., a multidisciplinary approach is necessary. And yes, that also means being intentional about ensuring vulnerable voices are a driving force at the table, which will further ensure meaningful impact and sustainability of our work.

 

PLOS: What do you hope your Opinion piece might lead to, and what are the next steps for your work?

Megan L. Ranney, MD, MPH: We hope that the opinion piece will widen people’s frame of possible solutions to our uniquely American firearm injury epidemic. We are each, individually, continuing both research and community advocacy to decrease both the burden of injury and its long-term ripple effect.

Kristen Mueller, MD: The scope of firearm injuries in the U.S. can be daunting. I hope that this Opinion piece will help more people realize that while firearm injuries are a big issue, they are also an entirely solvable problem. Just like with COVID, the flu, strokes, and heart attacks, firearm injuries are a disease that can be tracked, treated, and ultimately prevented, just like any other disease. With strategic investment, coordination, and public health guidance, this paradigm is ready to be shifted.

Nakita Lovelady, PhD, MPH: Agreed. I hope this piece increases understanding of the magnitude and complexity of gun violence in America and the opportunity we have as a nation to tackle this issue with key public health perspectives and solutions. I hope it helps shift the narrative on how we as a society think about gun violence and sparks creativity and action for resolution that reaches all communities, especially those perpetually devastated by gun violence every day, every hour, and every few minutes.

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In your coverage please use this URL to provide access to the freely available article in PLOS Climate: https://journals.plos.org/climate/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0001913

Citation: Mueller KL, Lovelady NN, Ranney ML (2023) Firearm injuries and death: A United States epidemic with public health solutions. PLOS Glob Public Health 3(5): e0001913. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0001913

Author Countries: US

Funding: This work was supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CE003267 to MLR) and the National Institute of Health (NIGMS P20 GM139664 to MLR, U54 MD002329 to NL, UL1 TR003107 to NL, and UAMS Translational Research Institute KL2 TR003108 to NL). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

 

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JOURNAL

PLOS Global Public Health

DOI

10.1371/journal.pgph.0001913 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Commentary/editorial

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Firearm injuries and death: A United States epidemic with public health solutions

COI STATEMENT

The authors of this article have read the journal’s policy and has the following competing interest: Dr. Ranney receives grant funding from NIH and CDC for related work. She serves as a volunteer board member for the Nonviolence Institute in Providence, RI and as a volunteer Senior Strategic Advisor for AFFIRM at the Aspen Institute. Dr. Mueller and Dr. Lovelady have declared that no competing interests exis

Gender trumps politics in determining people’s ability to read others’ minds

University of Bath Press Release

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF BATH

Political parties regularly claim to have their finger on the pulse and be able to read the public mood. Yet a new study challenges the idea that being political makes you good at understanding others: it shows gender, not politics, is a far more important factor in determining people’s social skills.

Analysis of a sample of 4,000 people from across the UK, compiled by a team of psychologists at the University of Bath, highlights that being female and educated are the biggest determinants of whether you can understand or read others’ minds.

For their study the psychologists looked at qualities associated with understanding others such as agreeableness, picking up on subtle clues and self-reflection. In psychology, this is known as ‘theory of mind’: the capacity to understand other people by ascribing mental states to them.

The team stress these results represent averages, but they say their study is an important reminder about the drivers of agreement and disagreement in public life. Their findings are published today (Wednesday 24 June) in the journal PLOS One.

Age was only associated with understanding others in later life: on average, older people had poorer ability to understand other people.

Dr Punit Shah, Senior author, Associate Professor and leading expert on social cognitive processing at the University of Bath explains: “In a world where it seems increasingly difficult to hold and express different points of view, it is crucial that we understand the barriers to connecting with other people.

“Political views are often thought of as such a barrier, but our research actually shows that a person’s politics is not, in fact, linked to how well they understand others.

“Importantly, we didn’t just find an absence of evidence for a political link in the study. The analyses also provided evidence of absence for this link. This is a socially important finding that might help to break down some artificially constructed barriers between people and ultimately improve understanding between different people in our society.”

Shah argues that the link between being educated and female and better understanding other perspectives is also important.

He adds: “Historically male perspectives have been prioritised in society. We are of course seeing this narrative diminish over time, and research like ours adds extra evidence to highlight the important role of education and being female for social understanding and cohesion in society – far more so than politics.”

To conduct the research, the team asked members of the public to provide details about their socio-demographic background, as well as to score their political beliefs (ranging from 1 = very liberal, to 7 = very conservative). They also used a ‘mindreading test’ to ascertain how well participants understood what other people are thinking.

This test – developed by the same team in 2021 - asks a series of simple statements, such as: ‘I can usually understand another person’s viewpoint, even if it differs from my own’; and ‘I find it easy to put myself in somebody else’s shoes’.

Lead researcher, Dr Rachel Clutterbuck, emphasised that these findings could improve our understanding of social differences between people: “The reasons for why some people are better at understanding others are not well understood, but this research provides a glimpse into some individual differences, such as gender, which may help to explain these social differences.

“Our results are new because the study considered so many factors – like gender, education, age, and politics – in tandem, rather than looking at them separately as often happens. When we do this, it is clear to see that gender is, by far, most strongly linked to how well others are understood. This finding highlights the complexity of social life and reminds us to consider the various factors that may contribute to understanding and getting on with someone.”

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JOURNAL

PLoS ONE

DOI

10.1371/journal.pone.0284960 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Socio-demographic and Political Predictors of Theory of Mind in Adulthood

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

24-May-2023

Not just for sleep: Melatonin awakens scientists to its health benefits for cattle

Peer-Reviewed Publication

MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY

 

IMAGE: FROM LEFT, ZULLY CONTRERAS-CORREA, POSTDOCTORAL ASSOCIATE; CALEB LEMLEY, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR; AND DOCTORAL STUDENTS RILEY MESSMAN AND REBECCA SWANSON, ARE RESEARCHING BENEFITS OF THE SUPPLEMENT MELATONIN FOR CATTLE HEALTH. view more 

CREDIT: (PHOTO BY DOMINIQUE BELCHER)

STARKVILLE, Miss.— Those needing extra sleep often reach for the bottle of melatonin, but Mississippi State scientists are discovering a host of other proven and potential health benefits for cattle who receive the supplement.

MSU faculty and students in the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences and the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station are making intriguing discoveries about the functions of melatonin in the bovine body and how this hormone can help support cattle health.

MSU Associate Professor Caleb Lemley has an extensive history of studying the use of melatonin as a supplement in cattle. He has been studying how the hormone affects blood flow between dam and fetus during gestation for nearly a decade.

“Over the years, we’ve looked at melatonin’s antioxidant benefits, which help alleviate oxidative stress in the animals and have implications on their cardiovascular health,” said Lemley.

“Summer heat is a major stressor for cattle, and in our research here at Mississippi State, we’ve found that melatonin can potentially be used to control the animal’s body temperature,” added Postdoctoral Associate Zully Contreras-Correa. “At night, when melatonin levels are highest, body temperature is lowest. Our recent research showed that melatonin supplementation during summertime reduced body temperature in pregnant cattle, so we hope to research it further in other livestock species.”

Because melatonin controls a body’s circadian rhythm and responds to light, levels also fluctuate throughout the year, being naturally higher in the winter and lower in the summer.

“We just completed a study comparing melatonin supplements given to cattle living in Montana to our cattle at MSU over the winter months, and the differences were notable,” said Lemley. “We saw a very limited response in the Montana cattle compared to the Mississippi cattle, so we believe these treatments may be more effective in the Southeast.”

Doctoral students Riley Messman and Rebecca Swanson also are involved with melatonin research.

The scientists recently published a literature review in the journal Biomolecules titled “Melatonin in Health and Disease: A Perspective for Livestock Production.” These scientists examined over 100 studies spanning six decades to show that this hormone—naturally produced in the brain—acts in ways that extend far beyond its basic function of regulating circadian rhythm.

One of the latest discoveries about melatonin is its effects on the microbiome, bacterial communities that live inside the body. In her graduate studies, Messman conducted research looking at its impact on the microbiome in the bovine vaginal tract.

“As melatonin levels fluctuate throughout the day and throughout the year, so do bacterial populations,” said Messman. “So, melatonin is altering the microbiome and the immune system, which plays a role in pretty much every physiological process you could think of.”

As part of her graduate work, Swanson has researched melatonin’s role in skeletal muscle growth.

“Nutrient restriction naturally occurs in specific areas of the United States and at certain times of the year,” she said. “Melatonin can help alleviate some of that nutrient restriction and promote the production of amino acids and more efficient muscle growth.”

Because melatonin is considered a supplement and is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration, there has been a limited amount of research on its full effects and potential benefits. And while it’s currently a legal supplement for show animals, food animals may not legally receive melatonin supplementation. Lemley emphasized it is unlikely that traces of the supplement would be present in the muscle tissue at the time of processing.

“Melatonin has a rapid rate of clearance and will leave the body within a day,” he said. “When you consider that and the low cost of supplementing the cattle at 25 cents a day, there are a lot of potential benefits for producers.”

There is much yet to discover about the far-reaching ways that melatonin can support the health of cattle by simply manipulating the levels of this naturally present hormone through supplementation. MSU scientists will continue their work to further discoveries about its benefits.

This work was supported by the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative competitive grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Additional funding was provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service.

For more information on MSU’s Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, visit www.ads.msstate.edu. For more about MAFES, visit www.mafes.msstate.edu.

MSU is taking care of what matters. Learn more at www.msstate.edu.

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JOURNAL

Biomolecules

DOI

10.3390/biom13030490 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Literature review

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Animals

ARTICLE TITLE

Melatonin in Health and Disease: A Perspective for Livestock Production

Establishing a wildflower meadow at King’s College, Cambridge bolstered biodiversity and reduced greenhouse gas emissions, study finds.

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE

 

IMAGE: PART OF THE BACK LAWN OF KING'S COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED INTO A WILDFLOWER MEADOW view more 

CREDIT: STEPHEN BOND

A new study examining the effects of planting a wildflower meadow in the historic grounds of King’s College, Cambridge has demonstrated its benefits to local biodiversity and climate change mitigation.

The study, led by King’s Research Fellow Dr Cicely Marshall, found that establishing the meadow had made a considerable impact to the wildlife value of the land, while reducing the greenhouse gas emissions associated with its upkeep.

Marshall and her colleagues, among them three King’s undergraduate students, conducted biodiversity surveys over three years to compare the species richness, abundance and composition supported by the meadow and adjacent lawn.

They found that, in spite of its small size, the wildflower meadow supported three times as many species of plants, spiders and bugs, including 14 species with conservation designations.

Terrestrial invertebrate biomass was found to be 25 times higher in the meadow, with bat activity over the meadow also being three times higher than over the remaining lawn.

The study is published today in the journal Ecological Solutions and Evidence.

As well as looking at the benefits to biodiversity, Marshall and her colleagues modelled the impact of the meadow on climate change mitigation efforts, by assessing the changes in reflectivity, soil carbon sequestration, and emissions associated with its maintenance.

The reduced maintenance and fertilisation associated with the meadow was found to save an estimated 1.36 tonnes CO2-e per hectare per year when compared with the grass lawn.

Surface reflectance increased by more than 25%, contributing to a reduced urban heat island effect, with the meadow more likely to tolerate an intensified drought regime.

The study also assessed the perception of the meadow and attitudes towards increased meadow planting across the Cambridge University estates. The team found the Cambridge community to be overwhelmingly in favour of increased meadow planting in place of lawns, with only 1.4% preferring entirely lawn, although respondents were clear that meadow planting should be in conjunction with maintaining or increasing access to green space for recreation.

Marshall, who is also a researcher in the University of Cambridge’s Department of Plant Sciences, commented: “There’s no doubt that the introduction of the meadow has been an unqualified success; not only has it had a hugely beneficial impact on our biodiversity within the College, but it’s also captured the imagination of so many people across the city and beyond.”

Provost of King’s, Professor Michael Proctor, added: “The wildflower meadow has inspired us to think more about how we look after and enhance our biodiversity, and has brought to attention just how much has been lost. We hope its presence in this iconic setting will motivate others to think about sustainability and to consider planting their own meadows elsewhere.”

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JOURNAL

Ecological Solutions and Evidence

DOI

10.1002/2688-8319.12243 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Survey

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Urban wildflower meadow planting for biodiversity, climate and society: an evaluation at King’s College, Cambridge

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

23-May-2023

Undergraduate students with academic conduct a survey of the plant and animal species in the meadow at King's College, Cambridge

CREDIT

Lloyd Mann

A section of the iconic Back Lawn at King's College, Cambridge has been transformed into a wildflower meadow

CREDIT

Geoff Moggridge

A section of the iconic Back Lawn is now a wildflower meadow filled with oxeye daisies, cornflowers and poppies

CREDIT

Jacqueline Garget

The meadow at King’s is harvested each August with the help of Shire horses. The resulting bales, full of wildflower seed, are given to the gardeners of other Cambridge Colleges to start their own meadows.

CREDIT

Lloyd Mann

The meadow replaces the iconic lawn behind King's College Chapel

CREDIT

Geoff Moggridge

Before its transformation, the area behind King's College Chapel was a fine lawn - which visitors were not permitted to walk on

CREDIT

King's College, Cambridge

Organizations must go beyond medical views on menopause to support women’s professional aspirations - study

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM

Organisations must enable mid-life women to thrive in the workplace by taking inspiration from societies such as China and Japan to encourage positive conversations around the impact of menopause, a new study reveals.

But as they support older women in pursuing their ambitions and accessing career opportunities, organisations must ensure they do not hinder career progression through overlooked promotions, undervalued work, and lost opportunities.

In Western countries, the menopause is traditionally viewed as a managed medical condition that creates physiological challenges which women must overcome if they are to function as effectively in the workplace as men of a similar age.

Publishing their findings today in Gender, Work & Organization, an international team of researchers led by the University of Birmingham, calls on organisations to use a new tool they have developed to address the largely unexplored and underutilised positive, creative, and energising aspects of menopause.

The experts drew from feminist writers, such as Margaret Mead, Virginia Woolf, and Julia Kristeva, as well as 15 years’ worth of articles on menopause published by British newspaper The Guardian from 2005, to create their ‘dialectic of zest’ tool to destigmatise menopause — long seen as a disease or a disability in Western societies.

Co-author Pilar Rojas-Gaviria, from the University of Birmingham, commented: “Organisations must move towards a positive, creative vision of menopause in the workplace – creating the kind of environment that encourages women to make use of all their talents and creativity as part of the menopause experience. We offer ‘the dialectic of zest’ as a useful tool for organisations to pursue a better understanding of women in the workplace, addressing not only their needs but also their individual ambitions.

“Western organisations can learn a lot from other cultures. For example, menopause tends to be a more welcome experience in China and Japan. Women in these countries have fewer hot flushes than their US and Canadian counterparts - rarely associating this condition with embarrassment. The terms ‘second spring’ or ‘rebirth’ are often associated with menopause in traditional Chinese medicine - suggesting a positive transition into middle age.”

The researchers used feminist writings and articles from The Guardian to describe menopause as a transformational phase that should not be viewed as deterioration and decline. They note that medical interpretations of menopause, whilst essential for treating health conditions in older women, have overshadowed the lived experiences of aging women.

The ‘dialectic of Zest’ tool describes women’s lived experience as an oscillating pendulum swinging between spaces of social conformity and personal liberation. This helps us better understand the multiple experiences of menopause in the workplace.

The researchers believe that, in the workplace, organisational policies and practices either nourish or obstruct women’s experiences and expressions of zest.

Two key steps that women experience in the process of liberation are based on Woolf’s ‘killing the angel in the house’ (stepping away from being devoted to others) and Kristeva’s ‘discovering the foreigner within’ (focussing on their projects, dreams, and authenticity).

If women are freed from the ‘angel in the house’ and discover the ‘foreigner’ within, then those experiencing menopause in the workplace will be well-placed to thrive.

“The ‘dialectic of Zest’ tool creates a holistic approach to organisational care, where the full range of concerns, objective and ambitious of women experiencing menopause are considered,” explained Dr Rojas-Gaviria. “This is a powerful perspective that can inspire care not only for women but also for all individuals who may struggle with challenges in the workplace.

“Organisations wishing to benefit from these insightful women must also create opportunities for ‘education for all’ - a compelling avenue to create the kinds of context where women experiencing menopause can contribute, advance, and thrive.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

• The University of Birmingham is ranked amongst the world’s top 100 institutions, its work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers and teachers and more than 8,000 international students from over 150 countries.
• ‘The dialectic of (menopause) zest: Breaking the mould of organizational irrelevance’  by Camilla Quental (NYU, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates), Pilar Rojas Gaviria (University of Birmingham), and Céline del Bucchia (Audencia Business School, Nantes, France) is published in Gender, Work & Organization - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/gwao.13017 Please feel free to include a link to this research in any online article.

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JOURNAL

Gender Work and Organization

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Literature review

ARTICLE TITLE

The dialectic of (menopause) zest: Breaking the mould of organizational irrelevance

Study reveals unique molecular machinery of woman who can’t feel pain

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON

The biology underpinning a rare genetic mutation that allows its carrier to live virtually pain-free, heal more rapidly and experience reduced anxiety and fear, has been uncovered by new research from UCL.

The study, published in Brain, follows up the team’s discovery in 2019 of the FAAH-OUT gene and the rare mutations that cause Jo Cameron to feel virtually no pain and never feel anxious or afraid. The new research describes how the mutation in FAAH-OUT ‘turns down’ FAAH gene expression, as well as the knock-on effects on other molecular pathways linked to wound healing and mood. It is hoped the findings will lead to new drug targets and open up new avenues of research in these areas.

Jo, who lives in Scotland, was first referred to pain geneticists at UCL in 2013, after her doctor noticed that she experienced no pain after major surgeries on her hip and hand. After six years of searching, they identified a new gene that they named FAAH-OUT, which contained a rare genetic mutation. In combination with another, more common mutation in FAAH, it was found to be the cause of Jo’s unique characteristics.

The area of the genome containing FAAH-OUT had previously been assumed to be ‘junk’ DNA1 that had no function, but it was found to mediate the expression of FAAH, a gene that is part of the endocannabinoid system and that is well-known for its involvement in pain, mood and memory.

In this study, the team from UCL sought to understand how FAAH-OUT works at a molecular level, the first step towards being able to take advantage of this unique biology for applications like drug discovery.

This included a range of approaches, such as CRISPR-Cas9 experiments on cell lines to mimic the effect of the mutation on other genes, as well as analysing the expression of genes to see which were active in molecular pathways involved with pain, mood and healing.

The team observed that FAAH-OUT regulates the expression of FAAH. When it is significantly turned down as a result of the mutation carried by Jo Cameron, FAAH enzyme activity levels are significantly reduced.

Dr Andrei Okorokov (UCL Medicine), a senior author of the study, said: “The FAAH-OUT gene is just one small corner of a vast continent, which this study has begun to map. As well as the molecular basis for painlessness, these explorations have identified molecular pathways affecting wound healing and mood, all influenced by the FAAH-OUT mutation. As scientists it is our duty to explore and I think these findings will have important implications for areas of research such as wound healing, depression and more.”

The authors looked at fibroblasts taken from patients to study the effects of the FAAH-OUT-FAAH axis on other molecular pathways. While the mutations that Jo Cameron carries turn down FAAH, they also found a further 797 genes that were turned up and 348 that were turned down. This included alterations to the WNT pathway that is associated with wound healing, with increased activity in the WNT16 gene that has been previously linked to bone regeneration.

Two other key genes that were altered were BDNF, which has previously been linked to mood regulation and ACKR3, which helps to regulate opioid levels. These gene changes may contribute to Jo Cameron’s low anxiety, fear and pain.

Professor James Cox (UCL Medicine), a senior author of the study, said: “The initial discovery of the genetic root of Jo Cameron’s unique phenotype was a eureka moment and hugely exciting, but these current findings are where things really start to get interesting. By understanding precisely what is happening at a molecular level, we can start to understand the biology involved and that opens up possibilities for drug discovery that could one day have far-reaching positive impacts for patients.”

This research was supported by the Medical Research Council (MRC) and Wellcome.

 

1 So called ‘junk’ DNA describes regions of the genome or non-coding genes that don’t create proteins. They were once thought redundant, but in recent years researchers have begun to discover the role of ‘dark’ regions of the genome in regulating coding genes.

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JOURNAL

Brain

DOI

10.1093/brain/awad098 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Observational study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Molecular basis of FAAH-OUT-associated human pain insensitivity

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

23-May-2023

Propellers are louder over ground, researchers find

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL

 

IMAGE: PROPELLER IN WIND TUNNEL view more 

CREDIT: LIAM HANSON

The effects of the ground on propeller noise have been measured experimentally for the very first time by researchers in the Aeroacoustics research team at the University of Bristol.

In findings, published in the Journal of Sound and Vibration, the team found clear differences in the noise characteristics of propellers when over ground, known as ‘Ground Effect’, compared to when operated normally. They noted an overall noise increase when measuring at angles above the ground, with hydrodynamic and acoustic interaction effects being a key factor to the overall noise trends.

It is hoped this research, tested in the National Aeroacoustic Wind Tunnel facility, can inform strategies to reduce the noise of aircraft while taking off or landing, by either changing the design of the landing pads or by changing the design of proposed aircraft architectures.

Lead author Liam Hanson explained: “In light of the need for greener aviation, there has been a push in the aviation industry to develop electrified aircraft.

“There is a lot of potential benefits from electric aircraft which have been identified by a variety of companies worldwide, including all of the major aircraft manufacturers.”

However, if urban air services such as on demand air taxis are to become a reality within city limits, engineers must tackle the issue of sound pollution, generated by propellers. 

An important subset of electric aircraft being developed recently are for the purposes of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM). These aircraft can be broadly considered to fit in three different categories.

The first is Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft which is focussing on Urban Air Mobility (UAM) applications such as air taxis, patient transfers, rooftop-to-rooftop trips within cities and airport transfers.

The second category is Electric Conventional Take-Off and Landing (eCTOL) aircraft which is being developed for Regional Air Mobility (RAM). RAM focusses on cargo deliveries, short-range flights and passenger transfers from rural regions.

The most commonly recognisable electric aircraft, small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) or drones, can be considered the third category which focusses on videography, small package delivery and medical supply transfer.

Each of these categories of electric aircraft often uses propellers or rotors to generate thrust to take off and land. Crucially, eVTOL aircraft are operating in urban areas with large populations and as a result the noise generated by the aircraft is critical to understand and reduce if UAM is to be possible.

The propellers used by the aircraft are smaller than helicopters which have been in use for years, usually being far smaller in diameter and rotating at higher speeds. As a result the noise characteristics are very different to the existing knowledge, and so further research is required.

While eVTOL and sUAS aircraft are taking off or landing from a rooftop or landing pad, the propellers are likely to experience Ground Effect, an aerodynamic phenomenon which changes the performance of propellers.

This change in the propeller aerodynamics within Ground Effect changes the acoustic performance of the propellers and causes complex interactions.

Liam said: “Until now, no literature existed for the problem of isolated propeller noise in ground effect.

“Our research sought to answer for the first time what happens to propeller noise while it operates in Ground Effect and what are the key acoustic and aerodynamic interactions which are most important to understand.

“For the first time we have comprehensively measured the noise of small-scale propellers during take-off and landing while interacting with the ground. It is clear we can expect louder eVTOL aircraft during take-off and landing if the complex interactions with the ground are not considered.”

Based off their new understanding of propeller noise in Ground Effect, they are now conducting additional tests on different methods to potentially reduce the noise of the entire system.

The research was sponsored by Embraer S.A. and the Horizon 2020 SilentProp project (agreement number 882842).

Paper:

‘Experimental investigation of propeller noise in ground effect’ by Liam Hanson et al in Journal of Sound and Vibration.

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JOURNAL

Journal of Sound and Vibration

DOI

10.1016/j.jsv.2023.117751 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Experimental investigation of propeller noise in ground effect’

Scientists from the Global South innovate to track ongoing amphibian pandemic

A new diagnostic test showed comparable or even better results than the gold-standard assay recommended for the diagnosis of chytridiomycosis, a wildlife disease that has caused dramatic declines of amphibians globally

Peer-Reviewed Publication

SMITHSONIAN TROPICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE

 

IMAGE: THE NEW DIAGNOSTIC TEST DETECTED INDIAN VARIANTS OF CHYTRIDIOMYCOSIS THAT WERE NOT IDENTIFIED BY PREVIOUS TESTS, AND SHOWED SENSITIVITY TO STRAINS FROM OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD. view more 

CREDIT: BRIAN GRATWICKE

The Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Center at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama partnered with the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology in India to develop and validate a new test for chytridiomycosis strains, offering new insights into a wildlife disease that caused dramatic declines of over 500 amphibian species and the extinction of 90 others. Their novel assay, published in the journal Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, identified previously undetected Indian strains, and successfully detected strains from other parts of the world.

The new diagnostic assay was tested with frogs, toads, caecilians (limbless amphibians) and salamanders (tailed amphibians) in India, with comparable or even better results than the gold-standard assay recommended for the diagnosis of chytridiomycosis. Its effectivity was successfully verified in labs in Panama and Australia, proving it to be an affordable alternative for the widespread surveillance of chytridiomycosis in different parts of the world.

Rapid detection of chytridiomycosis is essential in managing and mitigating the disease. But ongoing research on this infection caused by two fungal pathogens reveals a complex, dynamically evolving genome. As new strains evolve in different parts of the world and spread through the global trade of amphibians, large-scale surveillance for emerging hybrid varieties is necessary. The newly developed assay will aid global detection, highlighting the value of international scientific collaborations in the search for solutions to a common threat.

“This assay will allow researchers to study and determine the spread of strains of the amphibian chytrid fungus that previously passed undetected, especially in countries around the Indian Ocean, where human trade has moved and introduced frog species,” said STRI scientist Roberto Ibáñez, who collaborated in the study. 

The new test may also aid in the detection of pathogen reservoirs that have not been identified yet. That is, amphibian species that may be infected but do not show visible symptoms of disease or mortality and are able to silently transmit the disease to other susceptible species in their surroundings.

“One strain of the amphibian chytrid fungus caused dramatic population declines, even the disappearance of amphibian species in Panama,” said co-author Ibáñez. “The Chiriquí harlequin frog (Atelopus chiriquiensis) and the Panamanian golden frog (Atelopus zeteki) have not been seen for several years. A few species of frogs have reappeared in some localities, but they have not fully recovered their previous population levels. The amphibian chytrid fungus is still a threat for susceptible species in natural areas.”

The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, headquartered in Panama City, Panama, is part of the Smithsonian Institution. The Institute furthers the understanding of tropical nature and its importance to human welfare, trains students to conduct research in the tropics and promotes conservation by increasing public awareness of the beauty and importance of tropical ecosystems.

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JOURNAL

Transboundary and Emerging Diseases

DOI

10.1155/2023/9980566 

ARTICLE TITLE

A Universal and Efficient Detection of Chytridiomycosis Infections in Amphibians Using Novel Quantitative PCR Markers