Decentralized influencers: How opinion leaders on Twitter (X) shape the Bitcoin discussion

New study identifies decentralized opinion leaders and their impact on the Bitcoin discourse, categorizing eight types of influencers with varying communication styles and topics

Reports and Proceedings

JOHANNES GUTENBERG UNIVERSITAET MAINZ

 

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BITCOIN INFLUENCERS ON TWITTER (X)

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CREDIT: ILL./©: HRISTO BUTCHAROV

Bitcoin has made global headlines in recent years, with a significant portion of the cryptocurrency discourse taking place on Twitter, renamed X this year. A single tweet by Elon Musk, who in 2021 announced on Twitter that Bitcoin would be accepted in payment for Tesla products, can have significant impact on the crypto market as a whole. Yet there are others on Twitter who also play a role in shaping the way Bitcoin is viewed. A recent study by Constantin Lichti, Endrit Ademi, and Professor Andranik Tumasjan of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) revealed that certain crypto influencers who act as opinion leaders on Twitter can significantly impact the Bitcoin discourse. The team analyzed 115 million Bitcoin-related tweets posted from 2009 to 2022 and, on the basis of this extensive analysis, presented an opinion leader index that identified such influencers and classified them into eight different archetype groups.

From Michael Saylor to Elon Musk and PlanB: Who shapes the Bitcoin debate on Twitter?

The opinion leader index aims to identify the most important Bitcoin influencers, using six indicators including reputation and audience reach. "If at least three of the six criteria are met, we consider the person a Bitcoin opinion leader or 'BOL' on Twitter," stated Constantin Lichti.

Using this scoring scheme, 218 Twitter users were identified who met at least three criteria. It turned out that only two opinion leaders, Michael Saylor and Anthony Pompliano, met all six criteria, highlighting their importance and influence among the Bitcoin community. The BOLs have, on average, slightly more than one million followers. Almost half (49 percent) of the corresponding BOL accounts are "verified," i.e., they have been confirmed as both notable and authentic. The average age of these accounts is just under 10 years, indicating that these BOLs have been active for some considerable time. The high rate of public engagement with these accounts is demonstrated by the average interaction counts – likes (250), retweets (36), and replies (28). More than one third (38 percent) of tweets are replies, demonstrating a high level of interaction of these BOLs with their audiences.

Eight archetypes of Bitcoin influencers

Using their scheme of six criteria, the researchers categorized the 218 BOLs into eight different archetype groups, also taking into account Bitcoin critics and influencers who remain anonymous. They designated their groups as follows: Bitcoin Maximalists (such as Tone Vays), Crypto All-Stars (such as Vitalik Buterin), Millionaire Magnets (such as Elon Musk), Engagement Gurus (such as Lark Davis), Bitcoin Conversationalists (such as Tiffany Hayden), Persistent Pundits (such as Elizabeth Stark), Incognito Influencers (such as PlanB), and Confrontational Conversationalists (such as Peter Schiff).

The team also analyzed their text corpus using the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) software. This is a systematically constructed dictionary with more than 12,000 predefined words and word stems that allows its users to quantify specified linguistic categories and detect subtle language variations. The results showed that each archetype has an individual communication style and content focus that ranges from financial and technological aspects to power and politics.

Strong correlations between Bitcoin influencer activities and the Bitcoin price

The research team also found that, in the years 2009 to 2022, there was a strong link between the opinion leaders' tweet activities and the engagement of their audiences and what happened to the Bitcoin price. "It is remarkable how closely their communications correlated with Bitcoin price performance, despite the fact that they were using differing communication strategies," emphasized Endrit Ademi.

Moreover, the study revealed that the opinion leader index represents a suitable tool for identifying influencers in other decentralized contexts and active on other social media platforms. "Our analysis has provided insights into the mechanisms of opinion leadership in decentralized settings that are characterized by technologies such as Bitcoin," added Professor Andranik Tumasjan.

In summary, the study's findings underscore the growing importance of influencers and social media in the cryptocurrency space. Lichti advises anyone with interest in or active in the Bitcoin and crypto world to follow the opinion leaders and the discussion on Twitter if they wish to better understand and assess the dynamics of the crypto scene.

Professor Andranik Tumasjan and his team are members of the Management and Digital Transformation (MDT) research group at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. Their work focuses on the interface between management and digital technologies, with a current emphasis on the potential of blockchain technology. This recent study on the Bitcoin discourse has been accepted for publication in the Proceedings of the 57th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS-57), which will be taking place from January 3rd to 6th, 2024 in Honolulu.

 

Publication:
C. Lichti, E. Ademi, A. Tumasjan
Decentralized Opinion Leadership: A Study of Crypto Influencers in the Twitter Discourse on Bitcoin
Conference Paper, Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS-57), January 3-6, 2024
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/373926923_Decentralized_Opinion_Leadership_A_Study_of_Crypto_Influencers_in_the_Twitter_Discourse_on_Bitcoin

 

Read more:
https://press.uni-mainz.de/high-tech-start-ups-benefit-from-twitter-hype/ – press release "High-tech start-ups benefit from Twitter hype" (16 Feb. 2021)

 

Infection-resistant, 3D-printed metals developed for implants

Peer-Reviewed Publication

WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY

 

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WSU RESEARCHERS TESTED THE NEWLY DEVELOPED MATERIAL FOR RESISTANCE TO FATIGUE. 

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CREDIT: WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY

PULLMAN, Wash. – A novel surgical implant developed by Washington State University researchers was able to kill 87% of the bacteria that cause staph infections in laboratory tests, while remaining strong and compatible with surrounding tissue like current implants.

The work, reported in the International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing, could someday lead to better infection control in many common surgeries, such as hip and knee replacements, that are performed daily around the world.  Bacterial colonization of the implants is one of the leading causes of their failure and bad outcomes after surgery.

“Infection is a problem for which we do not have a solution,” said Amit Bandyopadhyay, corresponding author on the paper and Boeing Distinguished Professor in WSU’s School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering. “In most cases, the implant has no defensive power from the infection. We need to find something where the device material itself offers some inherent resistance -- more than just providing drug-based infection control. Here we’re saying, why not change the material itself and have inherent antibacterial response from the material itself?”

Titanium materials used for hip and knee replacements and other surgical implants were developed more than 50 years ago and are not well suited to overcoming infections. Although surgeons often treat preemptively with antibiotics, life-threatening infection can occur right after surgery or weeks or months later as a secondary infection. Once an infection sets in as a fuzzy, fine film on an implant, doctors try to treat it with systemic antibiotics. In about 7% of implant surgery cases, though, doctors have to perform a revision surgery, removing the implant, cleaning the area, adding antibiotics and putting in another implant.

Using 3D-printing technology, the WSU researchers added 10% tantalum, a corrosion-resistant metal, and 3% copper to the titanium alloy typically used in implants. When bacteria come into contact with the material’s copper surface, almost all of their cell walls rupture. Meanwhile, the tantalum encourages healthy cell growth with surrounding bone and tissue leading to expedited healing for the patient. The researchers spent three years on a comprehensive study of their implant, assessing its mechanical properties, biology and antibacterial response both in the lab and in animal models. They also studied its wear to make sure that metal ions from the implant won’t wear off and move into nearby tissue causing toxicity.

“The biggest advantage for this type of multifunctional device is that one can use it for infection control as well as for good bone tissue integration,” said co-author Susmita Bose, Westinghouse Distinguished Professor in the school. “Because infection is such a big issue in today’s surgical world, if any multifunctional device can do both things, there’s nothing like it.”

The researchers are continuing the work, hoping to improve the bacterial death rate to the standard of more than 99% without compromising tissue integration. They also want to make sure that the materials offer good performance under real-world loading conditions that patients might use, such as for hiking in the case of a knee replacement.

The researchers are working with WSU’s Office of Commercialization and have filed a provisional patent. The work was funded by the National Institutes of Health and included collaboration with researchers from Stanford University and WSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

WSU professor Amit Bandyopadhyay tested how well the implants wear under continual use.

CREDIT

Washington State University

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JOURNAL

International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing

DOI

10.1088/2631-7990/ad07e7 

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

17-Nov-2023

 

Suboptimal follow-up, prevention in geriatric fall-related head trauma

Study explores follow-up with primary care physician, prevention strategies after emergency department visit

Peer-Reviewed Publication

FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY

 

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FAU Schmidt College of Medicine RESEARCHERS INVESTIGATED THE RATE OF PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN FOLLOW-UP BY OLDER ADULTS WHO SUSTAIN A FALL-RELATED HEAD INJURY RESULTING IN AN EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT VISIT, THE RATE AND TYPE OF RISK ASSESSMENT AND ADOPTION OF PREVENTIVE STRATEGIES.

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CREDIT: ALEX DOLCE, FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY

Falls are the leading cause of both fatal and nonfatal injuries in the United States for adults ages 65 and older. With 1 in 4 older adults falling annually, 27,000 deaths, 8 million emergency department (ED) visits, and 800,000 hospitalizations have occurred.

Follow-up after an ED-related fall visit is essential to initiate preventive strategies in these patients who are at very high risk for recurrent falls. Currently, it is unclear how frequently follow up occurs and whether preventive strategies are implemented.

Researchers from Florida Atlantic University’s Schmidt College of Medicine and collaborators explored this issue by investigating the rate of follow-up by older adults who sustain a fall-related head injury resulting in an ED visit, the rate and type of risk assessment and adoption of preventive strategies.

The one-year prospective observational study was conducted at two Southeast Florida hospitals with level-one trauma centers and ED volumes of 50,000 and 68,000 patients. For the study, researchers identified 1,527 patients ages 65 and older who suffered a head trauma associated with a ground-level fall.

Researchers followed up with an initial phone call 14 days after discharge from the hospital and asked the following questions: “Have you followed up with your primary care physician (PCP) since being discharged from the hospital?,” “Did your PCP assess the reason that you fell?,” and “Have you or your PCP started any interventions since your original ED/hospital discharge?”

If participants answered “yes” to starting any interventions, recommendations for specific interventions were categorized into types based on exercise activity, home modification, physical therapy/occupational therapy/rehabilitation, mobility aid, medication change, health aid, medical intervention, and footwear modification. Clinical and demographic characteristics were compared between patients with and without follow up.

Results of the study, published in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine, showed that only about 60 percent of ED patients with fall-related head injury followed up with their PCP, while 72 percent received a fall assessment and only 56 percent adopted a fall prevention strategy. Participants with PCP follow-up were significantly more likely to have a history of cancer or hypertension. Findings indicate an urgent need to promote PCP physician fall assessment and adoption of prevention strategies in these patients.

“We found that older patients treated in the emergency department for a fall-related head injury have suboptimal primary care physician follow-up and inadequate adoption of fall prevention strategies,” said Richard Shih, M.D., senior author and a professor of emergency medicine in FAU’s Schmidt College of Medicine. “Only 59 percent of our study subjects had follow-up with their provider. Of the patients in our study that had primary care physician follow-up, 28 percent reported that there was no fall-risk assessment and 44 percent did not receive fall prevention interventions.”

Findings also show that when a PCP institutes a fall-prevention intervention, physical therapy is the most common (68 percent).

“When referred to physical therapy, patients may be more likely to adopt fall prevention interventions and home safety modifications that have been shown to reduce recurrent fall, hospitalization and mortality,” said Shih. “Given the importance of fall prevention in this high-risk group, we strongly endorse that fall-risk assessment and patient education is performed in the emergency department or by the primary care physician. The physician follow-up should include fall-risk assessment and initiation of any appropriate interventions to prevent subsequent falls and fall-related injury.”

Study co-authors are Joshua J. Solano, M.D., associate professor of emergency medicine; Gabriella Engstrom, Ph.D., senior project coordinator; Maya Khazem, an FAU medical student; Lisa M. Clayton, D.O., chair and associate professor, Department of Emergency Medicine; Michael Wells, Ph.D., research assistant professor, Department of Emergency Medicine; Patrick G. Hughes, D.O., associate professor of emergency medicine; Charles H. Hennekens, M.D., Dr.PH, Sir Richard Doll Professor and senior academic advisor; Joseph Ouslander, M.D., professor of geriatric medicine; Scott M. Alter, M.D., assistant dean for clinical research and an associate professor of emergency medicine, all within FAU’s Schmidt College of Medicine; Leila Posaw, M.D., an emergency medicine physician; and Lara Goldstein, M.D., an emergency medicine physician.

This work was supported by the Dr. Alvin E. Smith Safety of Health Care Services (Grant RFA No. 208-01); the Florida Medical Malpractice Joint Underwriting Association awarded to Shih.

- FAU -

About the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine:

FAU’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine is one of approximately 156 accredited medical schools in the U.S. The college was launched in 2010, when the Florida Board of Governors made a landmark decision authorizing FAU to award the M.D. degree. After receiving approval from the Florida legislature and the governor, it became the 134th allopathic medical school in North America. With more than 70 full and part-time faculty and more than 1,300 affiliate faculty, the college matriculates 64 medical students each year and has been nationally recognized for its innovative curriculum. To further FAU’s commitment to increase much needed medical residency positions in Palm Beach County and to ensure that the region will continue to have an adequate and well-trained physician workforce, the FAU Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine Consortium for Graduate Medical Education (GME) was formed in fall 2011 with five leading hospitals in Palm Beach County. The Consortium currently has five Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited residencies including internal medicine, surgery, emergency medicine, psychiatry, and neurology.

 

About Florida Atlantic University:
Florida Atlantic University, established in 1961, officially opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University serves more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students across six campuses located along the southeast Florida coast. In recent years, the University has doubled its research expenditures and outpaced its peers in student achievement rates. Through the coexistence of access and excellence, FAU embodies an innovative model where traditional achievement gaps vanish. FAU is designated a Hispanic-serving institution, ranked as a top public university by U.S. News & World Report and a High Research Activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. For more information, visit www.fau.edu.

 

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JOURNAL

The American Journal of Emergency Medicine

DOI

10.1016/j.ajem.2023.10.021 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Survey

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Lack of patient and primary care physician follow-up in geriatric emergency department patients with head trauma from a fall

 

Are vanadium flow batteries worth the hype? (video)

Business Announcement

AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY

 

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THERE’S A CENTURY-OLD TECHNOLOGY THAT’S TAKING THE GRID-SCALE BATTERY MARKET BY STORM. BASED ON WATER, VIRTUALLY FIREPROOF, EASY TO RECYCLE AND CHEAP AT SCALE, VANADIUM FLOW BATTERIES COULD BE THE WAVE OF THE FUTURE. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPtaDqLsbnM

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CREDIT: THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY

WASHINGTON, Nov. 20, 2023 — There’s a century-old technology that’s taking the grid-scale battery market by storm. Based on water, virtually fireproof, easy to recycle and cheap at scale, vanadium flow batteries could be the wave of the future. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPtaDqLsbnM

Reactions is a video series produced by the American Chemical Society and PBS Digital Studios. Subscribe to Reactions at http://bit.ly/ACSReactions and follow us on Twitter @ACSReactions.

The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS’ mission is to advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and all its people. The Society is a global leader in promoting excellence in science education and providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple research solutions, peer-reviewed journals, scientific conferences, eBooks and weekly news periodical Chemical & Engineering News. ACS journals are among the most cited, most trusted and most read within the scientific literature; however, ACS itself does not conduct chemical research. As a leader in scientific information solutions, its CAS division partners with global innovators to accelerate breakthroughs by curating, connecting and analyzing the world’s scientific knowledge. ACS’ main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

 

Commotio cordis is real and awareness can save lives, experts say

Coverage in Heart Rhythm Case Reports details a commotio cordis event experienced by an 18-year-old basketball player who went into cardiac arrest after being hit in the chest

Peer-Reviewed Publication

ELSEVIER

 

VIDEO: 

INITIALLY, THERE IS A SCRAMBLE FOR A LOOSE BALL AND PLAYER M.V. (LARGE WHITE ARROW) IS STRUCK IN THE CHEST BY THE ELBOW OF AN OPPONENT. M.V. STUMBLES BUT REMAINS UPRIGHT FOR A FEW SECONDS JUST PRIOR TO FULL COLLAPSE IN CARDIAC ARREST.

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CREDIT: HEART RHYTHM CASE REPORTS

Philadelphia, November 20, 2023 – A new case report appearing in Heart Rhythm Case Reports, an official journal of the Heart Rhythm Society, published by Elsevier, details the commotio cordis event experienced by a Romanian basketball player that resulted in cardiac arrest. The case is unique because it is validated and documented by an ECG and video evidence of the event. Swift action by onlookers saved his life.

In early January 2023, commotio cordis received substantial visibility and notoriety as the underlying cause of cardiac arrest when Damar Hamlin, a defensive player for the Buffalo Bills, was struck in the chest during a collision with an opponent in a US NFL professional football game. Rapid cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation were lifesaving, with the event witnessed by millions on television in real time.

In Bucharest, Romania, 60 days later and 5,000 miles away, another commotio cordis event occurred, this time during a youth basketball tournament game witnessed only by families and friends. An 18-year-old basketball player (M.V.) was hit in the chest by an inadvertent light blow from an opponent's elbow and collapsed during the game, which was filmed and documented. Rapid CPR and one defibrillation shock saved his life.

Commotio cordis events have been reported globally in more than 20 countries, but are extraordinarily rare and virtually always counterintuitive, as in M.V.’s case. In commotio cordis, ventricular fibrillation is precipitated by a blow over the heart and requires a precise timing to a narrow 20 ms window at the upstroke of the T wave.

After the commotio cordis event, M.V. was examined at Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Burlington, MA, USA, by a team led by Barry J. Maron, MD.

Dr. Maron explains, "There is some skepticism regarding the existence of commotio cordis. Since the case of the Romanian basketball player was recorded and documented, it validates the existence of commotio cordis. It is a real phenomenon, and it occurs in real people in sports and in daily living. It is important to raise awareness of this condition, which is reversible with prompt intervention, as this case demonstrates.”

Prior to the event, M.V. was completely healthy without cardiovascular complaints; there is no family history of cardiovascular disease. When evaluated at Lahey Hospital and Medical Center six weeks after his cardiac arrest, he was asymptomatic and neurologically intact, without residual medical problems, and had begun to resume normal daily activities without difficulty.

The commotio cordis event reported here is notable for expanding the clinical spectrum of commotio cordis, given that competitive basketball previously had not been associated with this cause of cardiac arrest. Contact sports such as baseball/softball and hockey have dominated commotio cordis, owing to the greater possibility of physical contact and chest blows from hard-core projectiles (e.g., balls and pucks).

Dr. Maron concludes, "In this report, we have underscored once again that commotio cordis can occur under virtually any circumstance where there is the possibility of physical bodily contact of any magnitude, or projectile-induced chest blows, but always when least expected. This may be the best documented case we have of commotio cordis, which should go a long way to dispel skepticism."

 

The commotio cordis event during a high school basketball game in Romania. 

There is a scramble for a loose ball and player M.V. (white arrow) is struck in the chest by the elbow of an opponent. M.V. stumbles but remains upright for a few seconds just prior to full collapse in cardiac arrest.

CREDIT

Heart Rhythm Case Reports

JOURNAL

HeartRhythm Case Reports

DOI

10.1016/j.hrcr.2023.10.013 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Case study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Commotio cordis…once again: Unusual occurrence in a noncontact sport

 

Research scientists produce a global overview of road transportation of industrial roundwood

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN FINLAND

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A survey conducted by the University of Eastern Finland and a total of 34 other universities, research institutes and companies has produced a comprehensive and global overview of the road transportation of industrial roundwood.

The study documented the maximum gross vehicle weight (GVW) limits for timber trucking in different countries, the road transportation share of the total industrial roundwood long-distance transportation volume, typical payloads in timber trucking, and the average long-distance transportation distances and costs of industrial roundwood.

According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO, the global annual removal of industrial roundwood in recent years has been around 2 billion solid cubic metres under bark.  Naturally, all this roundwood – logs and pulpwood – must be transported from forest to factory for further processing.

Road transportation of roundwood was documented

While the global removal of industrial roundwood is comprehensively recorded, global statistics on the long-distance transportation of roundwood are not produced by the FAO or any other entity. For instance, there is no statistical overview of the shares of different long-distance transportation methods (i.e., road, railways and waterways) in different countries.  Similarly, there is no summary of the kinds of timber trucking fleets that are used to transport industrial roundwood by country. Moreover, readily accessible information on the long-distance transportation distances and costs for industrial roundwood in different European countries, or globally, is lacking. These questions were addressed in a study led by the University of Eastern Finland focusing, in particular, on the road transport of industrial roundwood.    

The study found major variation in the maximum allowable GVW limits in timber trucking. The strictest maximum allowable GVW limits were found in Japan, where the highest GVW limits allowed in timber trucking were below 30 tonnes. Correspondingly, in many countries, the maximum GVW limits allowed in timber trucking were more than 70 tonnes when hauling timber with truck configurations having eight or more axles. These countries include in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, South Africa, Canada (the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario), Sweden, Finland, Uruguay and the US (the State of Michigan).

Many countries also have exceptions to the maximum allowable GVW limits for timber truck combinations. For example, some sections of the road network may have higher maximum GVW limits, and higher maximum GVW limits may be allowed in wintertime, or by special permit from the relevant authorities.

One fifth of the respondents reported that their country has plans to increase the maximum GVW limit of truck combinations to better align with the limits of neighbouring countries in order to make the transport of roundwood more flexible between the countries.

Differences in roundwood payloads, too

The study also showed that higher GVW limits resulted, on average, in greater payloads of industrial roundwood. For example, industrial roundwood payloads over 45 tonnes could be achieved in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, South Africa, Canada (the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario), Sweden, Finland and the US (the State of Michigan). On the other hand, in Germany, for example, payloads remained at around 20 tonnes.

The study also revealed that road transport is the main form of long-distance transportation of industrial roundwood in nearly all the survey countries. Denmark was the only country where the share of road transportation accounted for less than 50% of the total long-distance transport volume. Overall, road transportation accounted for 89% of the total industrial roundwood moved over long distances, when weighted by the industrial roundwood removals of the survey countries in 2019.

Great variation in transportation distances and costs

In the study, the average distance of long-distance transportation of industrial roundwood was 128 kilometres.  In Bulgaria, Poland, Türkiye and Uruguay, the average long-distance transportation distances in timber trucking exceeded 200 kilometres. The shortest long-distance transportation distances were in Japan, Denmark, Estonia and Slovenia, where they were less than 60 kilometres on average.

The average cost of long-distance industrial roundwood timber trucking was 11.1 euros per tonne of timber transported, with the range being 4–24 euros per tonne, depending on the country. An interesting observation from the entire survey material is that an increase in the average long-distance transportation distance also increased the cost of long-distance transportation of roundwood. On the other hand, as the maximum GVW limit of timber truck combinations increased, the average cost of long-distance road transportation decreased. 

Statistics and surveys are needed in some countries

Many respondents complained that there were no comprehensive official statistics and recent surveys on the long-distance transportation of roundwood in their country. Hence, some participants were not able to answer all survey questions or, alternatively, offered their best expert estimation. In some countries, there thus is a need for up-to-date statistics and new surveys on the long-distance transportation of roundwood.

The results showed that lower maximum GVW limits and longer road transportation distances resulted in higher timber transportation costs. One solution would be to increase the maximum GVW in road transportation. However, this is not the most likely way to make road transportation more efficient. The most feasible way would be to improve long-distance road transportation planning in all countries, thereby shortening mean transportation distances and reducing the percentage of empty driving, while also ensuring full loads in roundwood transportation.

Besides cost-effectiveness, better planning can also help to achieve better energy efficiency and lower greenhouse gas emissions in the long-distance transportation of roundwood globally.

The study was conducted as follows:

The study, conducted by the University of Eastern Finland in collaboration with 34 other universities, research institutes and companies, explored the maximum gross vehicle weight (GVW) limits in different countries, the road transportation share of the total industrial roundwood long-distance transportation volume, typical payloads in timber trucking, and the average long-distance transportation distances and costs of industrial roundwood.

The study was carried out as a questionnaire survey. The questionnaire was sent to timber transportation and logistics experts and research scientists in all European countries that had more than one million solid cubic metres under bark of industrial roundwood removals in 2019, i.e., the questionnaire was sent to a total of 30 countries in Europe.

In addition, the questionnaire was sent out to selected major forestry countries globally –. Canada, the US, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan and Türkiye – in February 2022, and it was closed in May 2022. A total of 31 countries took part in the survey. In 2019, the industrial roundwood removals of the survey countries totalled 1.43 billion solid cubic metres under bark. When reporting the road transportation share of the total industrial roundwood long-distance transportation volumes, as well as the average transportation distances and costs of industrial roundwood long-distance transportation in timber trucking, values were calculated by weighting them with the industrial roundwood removals of each survey country in 2019.

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JOURNAL

Croatian journal of forest engineering

DOI

10.5552/crojfe.2024.2286 

ARTICLE TITLE

Overview of Global Long-Distance Road Transportation of Industrial Roundwood.

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

17-Nov-2023

 

Feeding dogs raw meat increases the risk of antibiotic-resistant E. coli

This week is World AMR Awareness Week (18-24 November)

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL

Feeding dogs raw (uncooked) meat increases their risk of excreting E. coli that cannot be killed by a widely used antibiotic - ciprofloxacin - researchers at the University of Bristol have found from a study of 600 healthy pet dogs.

E. coli, which can cause food poisoning, is also the UK’s most common cause of urinary tract and bloodstream infections, which can be life-threatening. Ciprofloxacin belongs to a group of antibiotics called fluoroquinolones, which are used to treat a range of bacterial infections in humans and animals. The World Health Organisation classes these antibiotics among the highest-priority critically important antibiotics.

The study, published in One Health, looked for ciprofloxacin-resistant E. coli carried in the intestines of 600 healthy pet dogs. The research team asked the dog owners to complete a survey that provided details about their dog, the dog’s diet, environments the dog walked in and if the dog had been treated with antibiotics.

The microbiology data along with the survey data enabled statistical analysis, which showed that feeding uncooked meat to dogs was the only significant risk factor associated with excretion of these resistant bacteria in the dog’s faeces. This work supports other published studies demonstrating associations between dogs being fed raw meat and excreting resistant E. coli.

In the UK, reduced ciprofloxacin use by GPs has led to a decrease in ciprofloxacin resistance in E. coli from human infections. There has also been an almost total cessation of the use of fluoroquinolones to treat farmed animals in the UK. However, fluoroquinolone use, and resistance remains at very high levels around the world.

Dr Jordan Sealey, Research Associate in the School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine (CMM), who carried out the research, said: “Our aim was not to focus on raw dog food, but to investigate what might make a dog more likely to excrete resistant E. coli in its faeces. Our study found a very strong association between excreting ciprofloxacin-resistant E. coli and feeding dogs a raw food diet.”

Matthew Avison, Professor of Molecular Bacteriology in CMM, who led the study, explained: “Raw meat - whether intended for human consumption after cooking or sold as raw dog food - is likely to be contaminated with antibiotic-resistant E. coli. Cooking kills the bacteria and good hand hygiene reduces the immediate risk of these bacteria being swallowed and getting into a person’s intestines.

"Choosing to feed a dog raw meat means a person almost certainly has to handle the raw meat, and our research is clear that raw feeding also means pet owners are likely to be interacting with a pet that is excreting resistant E. coli.”

Dr Sealey added: “Individual measures to reduce the risk of resistant bacteria being excreted by dogs include changing to a non-raw food diet or sourcing good quality raw meat that can be cooked, and then cooking it. Most raw food sold for consumption by dogs is not of a quality that can be cooked, and can cause a serious health hazard to dogs if cooked.

“Choosing to feed a dog meat from animals raised on farms in the UK, or other countries with very low usage of critically important antibiotics in farming, may also decrease the risk of them eating resistant bacteria with their dinner.”

Professor Avison concluded: “As part of our response to the emerging crisis of antibiotic resistance, further incentive should be given to companies joining the raw dog food industry to source meat from farms with appropriate antibiotic usage policies, and to test meat for resistant bacteria before selling. Stricter limits should be set on the numbers of bacteria allowed in meat that is sold to be eaten uncooked than in meat sold to be cooked prior to eating.”

E. coli are found in the intestines of people and animals quite normally and can be passed between them, usually through poor domestic hygiene, e.g. after using the toilet or handling food contaminated with faecal material, including uncooked meat.  When dogs excrete resistant bacteria into the environment and home, there is the potential for these bacteria to be passed on to their owners and other people.

Once a person swallows some E. coli, these bacteria can sit in their intestines for years before causing an infection.  There are hundreds of thousands of urinary tract infections caused by E. coli in the UK every year, as well as thousands of bloodstream infections which frequently lead to life-threatening sepsis. When E. coli is resistant to important antibiotics like ciprofloxacin, infections are more difficult to treat, meaning patients are more likely to be hospitalised and die.

This study was funded by a grant from the United Kingdom Research and Innovation’s Antimicrobial Resistance Cross Council Initiative and from the Medical Research Foundation National PhD Training Programme in Antimicrobial Resistance Research.

This week is World AMR Awareness Week (18-24 November).

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JOURNAL

One Health

DOI

10.1016/j.onehlt.2023.100640 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Observational study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Animals

ARTICLE TITLE

One health transmission of fluoroquinolone-resistant Escherichia coli and risk factors for their excretion by dogs living in urban and nearby rural settings

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

20-Nov-2023