Fish-friendly dentistry: New method makes oral research non-lethal

Animal teeth and jaws can now be studied humanely and cost-effectively.

Peer-Reviewed Publication

Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) Graduate University

 

image: 

How the dental mold works: Researchers take impressions of fish teeth, using a fish called Polypterus as an example; (A) 3D model of the mold showing mandibular/lower side, maxillary/upper side, and lateral views; (B) parts of the impression tray labelled; (C-D) adding the putty material to both sides of the mold; (E-F) the fish biting down on the putty material.

view more 

Credit: Wibisana et al., 2024

Can we examine the teeth of living fish and other vertebrates in detail, repeatedly over time, without harming them? 

Previously, small animals often had to be euthanized to obtain precise information, but now scientists have found a new way to humanely study detailed dental characteristics of vertebrates. This customizable method can be used for both living animals and museum specimens and has been published in the Journal of Morphology. 

Customizable trays for precise impressions 

Researchers at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) and their collaborators applied human dental impression techniques to study fish teeth in a species called Polypterus senegalus. This fish has been separated from other fish species for about 360 million years. Due to this long period of evolutionary isolation, Polypterus still has many primitive characteristics that provide important information on the early development of bony fish.  

The impression process begins with sedating the animal. Next, the oral cavity is prepared by gently air-drying the teeth and using a high-viscosity putty impression material to clean them. This is immediately followed by the application of a more precise, low-viscosity polyvinyl siloxane material (an impression material widely used in dentistry) in custom-made, prefabricated 3D-printed trays to capture detailed impressions. The entire procedure typically takes 5 to 10 minutes. 

One of the main challenges faced by the researchers was working with the small size of the fish, as their jaws were only about the size of a finger and individual teeth were less than a millimeter long. Other limitations included the need for precise cutting of the impressions for scanning and the inability to see inside the teeth structure. However, the researchers successfully performed the procedure on 60 fish with no fatalities. They observed detailed microwear patterns – tiny patterns in the tooth surface resulting from use over time. 

Non-destructive tooth tracking 

Dr. Ray Sallan, a dentist and researcher at OIST’s Science and Technology Group, described how the method provides several significant advantages over traditional techniques: “Previously, researchers had to euthanize specimens to study their teeth using CT scans or other methods. This new approach allows for non-destructive examination of living specimens, enabling researchers to track tooth replacement and development over time. It’s very valuable for studying rare species or museum specimens that can’t be damaged.” 

The new technique has broad applications in various fields. It can be used to study microwear patterns to understand feeding habits, which is particularly useful in comparing modern species with fossils to determine ancient dietary patterns. The method can also be applied to study jaw biomechanics, track developmental changes, and examine comparative anatomy across species.  

OIST PhD student and co-first author, Johannes Wibisana, from the Genomics and Regulatory Systems Unit highlighted the technique's versatility in studying different animals. "By checking the same features across different species, we can objectively compare variations due to diet, growth issues, or genetics. This method allows us to create plots showing differences between species or individuals. Dental traits from diverse species provide a valuable data set for analysis," he said. 

The researchers are currently working on new experiments using this method with larger fish specimens and other vertebrates. They are particularly interested in studying tooth replacement patterns, which have never been quantified in living fish before. Only mammals have permanent adult teeth, while other vertebrates regularly grow new teeth throughout their lives.  

"Our method has many potential applications and can be widely used, especially by museums and researchers sampling biodiversity. We can now safely and economically study and compare mouth structures, revealing differences and meticulous information that wasn’t previously accessible," Prof. Lauren Sallen, leader of the Macroevolution Unit and senior author, added. 

Step-by-step process of taking fish teeth impressions: The researchers took teeth molds from Polypterus fish (about 20 cm long); (A) setting up the materials; (B) carefully sedating the fish; (C) drying the mouth area with compressed air; (D-E) cleaning the teeth with dental putty; (F) applying the molding material to the tray; (G-H) taking the impression by gently pressing the fish's jaws onto the mold while supporting its head.

(A-B) Complete mold showing (A) upper jaw and (B) lower jaw impressions; (C-D) detailed scans of the upper jaw showing (C) back tooth and (D) front tooth.

Fish-friendly dentistry: New method makes oral research non-lethal

Credit

Wibisana et al., 2024

Journal

Journal of Morphology

DOI

10.1002/jmor.70017 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Modifiable clinical dental impression methods to obtain whole-mouth and detailed dental traits from vertebrates

Article Publication Date

26-Dec-2024

 

How do monkeys recognize snakes so fast?

Nagoya University

 

image: 

Monkeys exhibited an immediate response to images of snakes and salamanders with snake skin, but not to images of salamanders without scale.

 

view more 

Credit: Reiko Matsushita

Dr. Nobuyuki Kawai from Nagoya University in Japan has found that the rapid detection of snakes by monkeys is because of the presence of snake scales as a visual cue. His findings highlight an evolutionary adaptation of primates to identify snakes based on specific visual characteristics. Understanding these mechanisms provides insight into the evolution of visual processing related to threat detection. The findings were published in Scientific Reports.

Rapid detection of dangers and threats is important for personal safety. Since our ancestors first appeared, snakes have posed a deadly danger to primates, including humans. Even monkeys and human infants who have never encountered a snake react to pictures of them, demonstrating our innate fear of these creatures.

Kawai's first experiment demonstrated that monkeys exhibited an immediate response to images of snakes but not to images of salamanders, implying a specific fear of snakes. On the basis of this observation, he wondered what would happen if he edited the images of the salamanders to have snakeskin without changing anything else. Would monkeys respond to the skin, or would they recognize the harmless salamander in snake clothing?

To answer this question, Kawai presented monkeys that had never seen a real snake with nine images on a board and trained them to find the one that was different to receive a reward. When presented with a single snake amidst a group of salamanders, monkeys exhibited a faster response time to locate the snake compared to identifying a salamander among snakes. This observation suggests that the monkeys had a strong response to the potentially dangerous reptile.

However, when Kawai showed the edited images of salamanders with snakeskin to monkeys, they reacted to the altered images of the harmless creature equally fast, or even faster, than to the snake.

“Previously we demonstrated that humans and primates can recognize snakes quickly; however, the critical visual feature was unknown,” Kawai said. “The monkeys did not react faster to salamanders, a species that shares a similar elongated body and tail with snakes, until the images were changed to cover them with snakeskin.” This suggests that the monkeys were most threatened by the scales.

“This may be because during evolution our primate ancestors evolved a visual system to identify scales, which are characteristic of snakes,” he continued. “These insights into primate evolution will likely improve our understanding of vision and brain evolution in animals, including ourselves.”

---

Journal

Scientific Reports

DOI

10.1038/s41598-024-78595-w 

Article Title

Japanese monkeys rapidly noticed snake-scale cladded salamanders, similar to detecting snakes

 

Addressing energy inequities in clean energy transitions: PKU study

Peking University

Peking University, November 25, 2024: The transition to clean energy is hailed as a crucial step toward environmental and health benefits, but could it inadvertently widen the gap between the wealthy and the disadvantaged? This critical question is addressed by the research group led by Shen Guofeng, Assistant Professor at the College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University. Their study, recently published in Nature Communications, delves into the disparities in household energy burdens during the global shift to modern clean energy. The paper, titled “Unclean but affordable solid fuels effectively sustained household energy equity” (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-54166-5), offers practical solutions to balance equity and sustainability in energy transitions.

 

Why it matters:  
While modern energy sources such as electricity and natural gas promise cleaner living conditions, they may unintentionally increase the financial strain on low-income households, exacerbating existing inequalities. Rural communities still relying on affordable solid fuels like coal and biomass face a disproportionate burden when transitioning to more expensive clean energy alternatives. To tackle this challenge, Dr. Shen’s team, including Jiang Ke, a doctoral student at the College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, employed a nationwide household survey and advanced data analytics to examine the nuances of energy consumption, energy expenditure, energy burden, and equity across different income groups.
 

Methodology:  
Using a combination of household survey data, statistical yearbooks, and advanced tools like geographic statistical models and random forest algorithms, the researchers constructed a comprehensive county-level micro and macro dataset. This analysis revealed clear insights: while solid fuels account for 42.6% of household energy needs, they represent only 9.3% of total energy costs. However, as households transition to clean fuels, the disparities in energy burden increase significantly, with the concentration index (CI) rising by 43%.

 

Key Findings:  

The study found that promoting natural gas for cooking and electric heating can help minimize the growing energy burden gap, reducing the CI increase to just 15.5%. The researchers recommend policy solutions such as phased clean energy transitions, targeted energy subsidies, and the promotion of high-efficiency stoves to ensure that the transition remains affordable and equitable for all. 

This research underscores Peking University's dynamic role in addressing global energy challenges, especially a just transition, and reinforces its commitment to producing impactful research that contributes to a sustainable future.

Written by: Pralhad Gupta
Edited by: Wu Jiayun
Source: College of Urban and Environmental Sciences

---

Journal

Nature Communications

DOI

10.1038/s41467-024-54166-5 

Article Title

Unclean but affordable solid fuels effectively sustained household energy equity

 

11- to 12-year-olds use smartphones mainly to talk to family and friends

A study by the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) shows that year 6 primary school children access social media mainly to watch videos

University of the Basque Country

 

image: 

Eneko Tejada at the Bilbao Faculty of Education

view more 

Credit: Fernando Gómez. UPV/EHU.

The moment a child gets his/her first mobile phone as a gift is a source of worry for many parents. Concern about the risks associated with smartphone use has led to more and more initiatives trying to delay that moment. According to research, in the first year of compulsory secondary education all students already own a mobile phone by the age of 13 to 14. Aware of this, the UPV/EHU Weablearner research team, devoted to the analysis of education and technology, wanted to study the digital ecosystem of children one year earlier, in the last year of primary school. In other words, the digital devices they use at the age of 11 to12 and what they use them for.

“This is an important age to investigate because although their digital culture has begun to take shape earlier, this is when they start to have their own mobile phones and when the biggest change occurs. Gifting a smartphone has become a rite of passage into a new phase. In a way, it represents the leap to adolescence, as they are given the key to use social media and, with it, the entry into a parallel world. This is of particular concern to families and a technophobic point of view has also spread. So we wanted to explore what the situation really is,” explained the researcher Eneko Tejada.

356 students from six public vocational training schools participated in the study. Two out of three say they have a mobile phone and a third say they already had one before the start of the school year. According to Tejada, “we can't say that smartphone ownership and use is widespread among 11- to 12-year-olds today, but we know it will be in the near future”.

In terms of usage, the study has shown that they use smartphones mainly to talk to family and friends: “Owning a smartphone means starting to use social media directly. Parents gift their children a mobile phone to communicate with them, to know where they are, etc. But they need to realise that offering a mobile phone makes it easier for them to make the leap to social media, as they will not be using their phones exclusively to talk to family. Data has shown that they also use them to interact with their friends. So parents need to take this into account when deciding when to give their children a smartphone,” Tejada explained.

Social media are not their main centre of interest

However, he stresses that 11- to -12-year-olds are not particularly attracted to social media, the function of which is not exclusively communication. They use these platforms as well, but not as much. They use them mainly to watch videos, mostly on YouTube, but they rarely access Instagram and Tik Tok. “Social media are not yet one of their main centres of interest and, unlike older students, they do not give away too much about themselves. They cannot be said to interact on these media, as very few of them generate content. Most of them just watch other people's content and they like short videos that can be watched quickly,” said Tejada.

In terms of use, the study revealed gender differences. Girls watch videos more than anything else on their mobile devices, while boys play video games.

The UPV/EHU researchers point out that, although they have detected few risk factors, caution needs to be exercised: “Strategic plans must be developed to promote safe, responsible use of the Internet, social media and video games. And families need to be given guidelines to help them decide when to offer their children a smartphone.”

The moment a child gets his/her first mobile phone as a gift is a source of worry for many parents. Concern about the risks associated with smartphone use has led to more and more initiatives trying to delay that moment. According to research, in the first year of compulsory secondary education all students already own a mobile phone by the age of 13 to 14. Aware of this, the UPV/EHU Weablearner research team, devoted to the analysis of education and technology, wanted to study the digital ecosystem of children one year earlier, in the last year of primary school. In other words, the digital devices they use at the age of 11 to12 and what they use them for.

“This is an important age to investigate because although their digital culture has begun to take shape earlier, this is when they start to have their own mobile phones and when the biggest change occurs. Gifting a smartphone has become a rite of passage into a new phase. In a way, it represents the leap to adolescence, as they are given the key to use social media and, with it, the entry into a parallel world. This is of particular concern to families and a technophobic point of view has also spread. So we wanted to explore what the situation really is,” explained the researcher Eneko Tejada.

356 students from six public vocational training schools participated in the study. Two out of three say they have a mobile phone and a third say they already had one before the start of the school year. According to Tejada, “we can't say that smartphone ownership and use is widespread among 11- to 12-year-olds today, but we know it will be in the near future”.

In terms of usage, the study has shown that they use smartphones mainly to talk to family and friends: “Owning a smartphone means starting to use social media directly. Parents gift their children a mobile phone to communicate with them, to know where they are, etc. But they need to realise that offering a mobile phone makes it easier for them to make the leap to social media, as they will not be using their phones exclusively to talk to family. Data has shown that they also use them to interact with their friends. So parents need to take this into account when deciding when to give their children a smartphone,” Tejada explained.

Social media are not their main centre of interest

However, he stresses that 11- to -12-year-olds are not particularly attracted to social media, the function of which is not exclusively communication. They use these platforms as well, but not as much. They use them mainly to watch videos, mostly on YouTube, but they rarely access Instagram and Tik Tok. “Social media are not yet one of their main centres of interest and, unlike older students, they do not give away too much about themselves. They cannot be said to interact on these media, as very few of them generate content. Most of them just watch other people's content and they like short videos that can be watched quickly,” said Tejada.

In terms of use, the study revealed gender differences. Girls watch videos more than anything else on their mobile devices, while boys play video games.

The UPV/EHU researchers point out that, although they have detected few risk factors, caution needs to be exercised: “Strategic plans must be developed to promote safe, responsible use of the Internet, social media and video games. And families need to be given guidelines to help them decide when to offer their children a smartphone.”

---

Journal

Journal of New Approaches in Educational Research

DOI

10.1007/s44322-024-00017-6 

Article Title

12-year-old students of Spain and their digital ecosystem: the cyberculture of the Frontier Collective

 

Unveiling the Ecosystem Responses to changes in atmospheric mercury deposition

Science China Press

 

image: 

Figure 1. Comparison of global natural archive Hg accumulation fluxes with GEOS-Chem modelled atmospheric Hg deposition

view more 

Credit: ©Science China Press

Recently, a research team led by Professor Shuxiao Wang from the School of Environment at Tsinghua University integrated a comprehensive global natural archive database of mercury (Hg) accumulation with modelled global atmospheric Hg deposition data. This integration revealed how global ecosystems respond to changes in atmospheric Hg input. The findings of this research were published in the National Science Review.

Mercury Pollution: A Global Environmental Issue

Mercury is recognized by the World Health Organization as one of the top ten chemicals of major public health concern due to its high toxicity and strong tendency to bioaccumulate. The primary sources of Hg include anthropogenic activities such as metal smelting and fossil fuel combustion, as well as natural events like volcanic eruptions. Hg released from these activities predominantly exists in a gaseous form, enabling it to be transported over long distances and eventually polluting global terrestrial and marine ecosystems through dry and wet deposition processes. Despite the long history of Hg contamination, there is a scarcity of long-term data on Hg levels in ecosystems, and it remains unclear how ecosystems respond to changes in atmospheric Hg input.

This Study: From Atmosphere to Ecosystem

The research team developed a global natural archive Hg database spanning the period from 1700 to 2012, incorporating Hg accumulation flux data from 221 cores sourced from ice, peat, lake, and marine sediments (Figure 1). The data revealed that Hg flux in these four types of natural archives increased by five to nine times over the three centuries. By comparing this natural archive data with atmospheric Hg deposition data simulated by the GEOS-Chem model, the study illuminated how different ecosystems responded to changes in atmospheric Hg deposition. Results indicated that lake and peat sediments typically exhibited trends similar to those of atmospheric Hg deposition, whereas ice and marine sediments showed less pronounced responses. This finding suggests that current atmospheric Hg emission control policies may be insufficient for recovering plateau glaciers and marine ecosystems from Hg pollution, highlighting the need for more targeted ecosystem recovery strategies.

The spatiotemporal analysis of natural archive mercury (Hg) accumulation revealed distinct trends between developing and developed regions (Figure 2). In developing areas such as East Asia and Africa, Hg accumulation fluxes in lake sediments were increasing due to the combined effects of coal burning, artisanal small-scale gold mining, and industrial development. Conversely, in developed regions like Europe, there had been a significant decline in Hg fluxes in peat and lake sediments since 1950, demonstrating the effectiveness of local environmental policies. However, in North America, another developed region, Hg accumulation fluxes in peat and lake sediments had not significantly decreased. This difference could be attributed to North America's higher reliance on coal compared to Europe during the study period. Thus, this spatiotemporal analysis underscores the role of coal use in contributing to Hg pollution in global ecosystems, particularly within sedimentary compartments.

Prospects and Significance

1. This interdisciplinary study employed methods from physical geography and atmospheric science to connect sedimentary Hg accumulation with atmospheric Hg deposition. This novel approach provides a new way to study ecosystem responses to pollution input changes.
2. The study compiled a global natural archive Hg database covering data from 1700 to 2012 and modelled global atmospheric Hg deposition from 1980 to 2012, providing important datasets that can support future scientific research and policy designs.
3. By comparing Hg accumulation fluxes across various regions and ecosystems, the study identified key hotspots of Hg accumulation. This information is valuable for formulating effective policies aimed at ecosystem recovery from Hg pollution.

The lead author of the study is Dr. Qinqin Chen and the corresponding author is Professor Shuxiao Wang. This work was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (22222604, 42394094, and 42407138), the International Postdoctoral Exchange Fellowship Program (Talent Introduction Program) (YJ20210103), the Shuimu Scholar Fellowship from Tsinghua University (2020SM075), and the Special fund of State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control (22L02ESPC).

---

Journal

National Science Review

DOI

10.1093/nsr/nwae417 

 

Chungnam National University researchers examines corporate social responsibility's impact on global online shopping

Insights on the role of online purchasability and corporate social responsibility on global consumer behavior

Chungnam National University Evaluation Team

 

image: 

Study investigates how globalization and corporate social responsibility (CSR) influence consumer behavior in online shopping.

view more 

Credit: Ha Kyung Lee from Chungnam National University, Korea

Online shopping is revolutionizing how we access and purchase products from international markets. Despite this growth, many consumers remain hesitant to purchase goods from foreign companies due to trust issues, cultural differences, and concerns about unfamiliar products. A new study led by Assistant Professor Ha Kyung Lee from Chungnam National University investigates how global companies can overcome these challenges by simplifying online shopping and highlighting their corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts. Their paper was made available online on 28th August 2024 and was published in Volume 81 of the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services on November 1, 2024.

In this study, the researchers analyzed the behavior of 1,033 online shoppers from South Korea and Japan. They found that companies’ social contributions—such as supporting environmental or social initiatives—strengthen the positive effect of online purchasability on purchasing frequency. Professor Lee explains, “When consumers find it simple to shop online, they are more likely to purchase global products. In fact, CSR initiatives significantly strengthen this link between online purchasability and purchase frequency.”

One of the most surprising findings was the difference in consumer responses between South Korea and Japan. While Japanese consumers, who are generally less active in online shopping than South Koreans, showed a stronger response to CSR. “Japanese consumers, CSR cues likely helped reconcile their positive perceptions of online shopping with their hesitancy to engage, making the influence of social contributions on purchasing behavior stronger in Japan than in South Korea.” Says Prof. Lee. This suggests that CSR can help build trust and overcome consumer hesitation, but that the effect of this might be influenced by cultural predispositions.

Businesses can apply these findings by improving usability and transparency while incorporating CSR messaging into their platform. This approach is particularly important in markets where trust in foreign brands is still developing. For companies entering new markets, CSR can act as a strategic tool to boost consumer confidence and overcome cultural or digital barriers.

Looking ahead, the study’s findings are likely to have long-term implications. CSR could act as a powerful tool when tailoring strategies to countries with lower online shopping adoption. Prof. Lee concludes, “Over time, CSR could become a standard feature in global e-commerce, helping bridge the digital divide and making online shopping accessible to more people.”

 

***

 

Reference

DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2024.104049

 

About the institute
Chungnam National University (CNU), located in Daejeon, South Korea, is a leading national university renowned for its excellence in research and education. Established in 1952, CNU offers diverse programs in engineering, medicine, sciences, and the arts, fostering innovation and global collaboration. Situated near Daedeok Innopolis, a major R&D hub, it excels in biotechnology, materials science, and information technology. With a vibrant international community and cutting-edge facilities, CNU continues to drive academic and technological advancements, making it a top choice for students worldwide.

Website: https://plus.cnu.ac.kr/html/en/

 

About the author
Professor Ha Kyung Lee is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Clothing and Textiles at Chungnam National University. Her research focuses on consumer behavior in retail services driven by advanced technologies such as AI and the Metaverse. Before joining Chungnam National University, she completed postdoctoral training at the Fashion Merchandising Lab at the University of Minnesota. In 2016, she earned a Ph.D. in Human Ecology from Seoul National University.

---

Journal

Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services

DOI

10.1016/j.jretconser.2024.104049 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

How do online sales channels affect global product purchases? The role of CSR and cross-country differences

 

President Biden signs bipartisan HEARTS Act into law

The American Heart Association says bill will save lives in schools nationwide

American Heart Association

WASHINGTON, D.C., December 26, 2024 — President Biden earlier this week signed into law the bipartisan Cardiomyopathy Health Education, Awareness, Research and Training in Schools (HEARTS) Act, which will help ensure students and staff in schools nationwide are prepared to respond to a cardiac emergency. The bipartisan legislation unanimously passed the U.S. House of Representatives in September and the U.S. Senate earlier this month.

The American Heart Association, which is celebrating 100 years of lifesaving service as the world’s leading voluntary organization focused on heart and brain health, strongly supports this legislation as part of its goal to double the survival rates from cardiac arrest nationwide by 2030 through its Nation of Lifesavers movement.

“The bipartisan HEARTS Act is a monumental step forward in saving lives from cardiac arrest on school grounds and athletic facilities across the country,” said Nancy Brown, chief executive officer of the American Heart Association. “By ensuring schools nationwide are equipped with cardiac emergency response plans, CPR training and AEDs, critical resources will be available to students, staff and visitors that can mean the difference between life and death during a cardiac emergency.”

“In January of 2023, I experienced cardiac arrest and was blessed to be surrounded by a team of medical professionals that saved my life,” said Damar Hamlin, Buffalo Bills safety, member of the National Football League’s Smart Heart Sports Coalition and National Ambassador for the American Heart Association’s Nation of Lifesavers movement. “Every year, as many as 23,000 kids experience cardiac arrest in our country, and I believe that every one of them deserves the same access to lifesaving care that I had. From schools to ball fields, this bill will help to protect kids, and I’m grateful to the lawmakers and partners who have made it a priority.”

The HEARTS Act includes key provisions of the Access to AEDs Act, which was introduced in March 2023 with the support of the American Heart Association, Hamlin, the National Football League and others.

Only 40% of people who experience a cardiac arrest get the immediate help they need before emergency responders arrive. But there is growing momentum across the country to turn bystanders into lifesavers, with more people than ever saying they are willing to perform CPR in the event of an emergency. As a result of efforts by the NFL’s Smart Heart Sports Coalition, of which the Association is a founding member, state legislatures across the country have passed policies to ensure schools are prepared to respond to cardiac emergencies.

The HEARTS Act will bolster these state efforts by creating a new grant program to provide schools with additional resources for CPR and AED training, the purchase of AEDs and related equipment and the development of cardiac emergency response plans. These plans can more than double survival rates from cardiac arrest by empowering people nearby to take action and call 911, start CPR and use an AED. In schools with AEDs, children who experience cardiac arrest are seven times as likely to survive as children in schools without AEDs.

“Every second counts when someone experiences a cardiac arrest, and now schools will have the resources they need to save lives,” Brown said. “We are so appreciative of the bill’s many champions in Congress, including Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Sens. Cory Booker and Susan Collins and Reps. Frank Pallone, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick and Bill Posey, for their persistence and commitment over the past two years to make schools safer nationwide.”

The national campaign in support of the HEARTS Act has featured grassroots advocates from across the country sharing their heart-wrenching personal experiences with cardiac arrest and heart disease with lawmakers. The campaign also has featured print, digital and social media advertising in Washington, D.C. and across the country to elevate the voices of cardiac arrest survivors and families who have lost a loved one to cardiac arrest.

“We look forward to working with the new Congress and administration to ensure the HEARTS Act is fully funded and the law is successfully implemented,” Brown said. “Our efforts continue to pass policies at the state level to require schools to develop cardiac emergency response plans and ensure they have the resources to do so. Securing funding for these policies will protect more lives and create safer environments for students, staff and school visitors across the country.”

###

FOR PROFIT HEALTHCARE

Investigation uncovers poor quality of dental coverage under Medicare Advantage

Mass General Brigham researchers found that only 8.4% of Medicare Advantage plans offered a dental benefit that met quality standards

Mass General Brigham

Medicare Advantage—the privatized form of Medicare that offers benefits beyond traditional Medicare, such as dental insurance—is gaining in popularity, but a new analysis reveals that the quality of dental coverage offered by Medicare Advantage is poor, with only 8.4 percent of plans offering a dental benefit that met the study’s quality standards. The research led by a team from Mass General Brigham is published in JAMA.

 

“Our study suggests that many Medicare Advantage beneficiaries may not have access to the dental care they need, even if they are enrolled in a plan that nominally provides them with dental coverage,” said first author Lisa Simon, MD, DMD, of the Division of General and Internal Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system.

 

Simon and her colleagues examined Medicare data from late 2023, and they developed a list of requirements for a comprehensive dental benefit that would be on par with employer-sponsored plans (such as offering dental cleanings without a co-pay, having an annual maximum coverage of at least $1,500, and not requiring an additional premium to have access to these dental services).

The team’s analysis included 6,333 Medicare advantage plans with a total enrollment of more than 27 million beneficiaries. The investigators found that 86.6% of plans offered a dental benefit, but only 8.4% offered a comprehensive benefit that met quality standards. Also, 94% of Medicare beneficiaries were enrolled in a plan that offered a dental benefit, but only 4.1% were enrolled in a plan with a comprehensive dental benefit.

 

These research findings might explain why only about half of Medicare Advantage beneficiaries visit the dentist annually, which is similar to the rate for beneficiaries in traditional Medicare that lacks most dental coverage.

 

“Many of the attributes we studied—like how much coinsurance a patient would need to pay or whether procedures like fillings or crowns are covered—are fairly complex and probably pretty overwhelming for consumers to review during open enrollment season,” said Simon. “Regulations could prevent low-quality dental plans from being offered in the first place and ensure that consumers actually know what they’re getting when they pick a Medicare Advantage plan.” 

 

Authorship: Additional authors include Marko Vujicic and Kamyar Nasseh.

Disclosures: Simon reported receiving grants from CareQuest Institute for Oral Health and National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research; and personal fees from American Dental Association, American Dental Therapy Association, California Dental Association, Santa Fe Group, and American College of Dentists outside the submitted work.

Funding: Simon reported funding from the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Faculty Career Development Award.

Paper cited: Simon L et al. “Availability of Dental Benefits Within Medicare Advantage Plans by Enrollment and County” JAMA DOI: 10.1001/jama.2024.24814

 

###

About Mass General Brigham

Mass General Brigham is an integrated academic health care system, uniting great minds to solve the hardest problems in medicine for our communities and the world. Mass General Brigham connects a full continuum of care across a system of academic medical centers, community and specialty hospitals, a health insurance plan, physician networks, community health centers, home care, and long-term care services. Mass General Brigham is a nonprofit organization committed to patient care, research, teaching, and service to the community. In addition, Mass General Brigham is one of the nation’s leading biomedical research organizations with several Harvard Medical School teaching hospitals. For more information, please visit massgeneralbrigham.org.

---

Journal

JAMA

DOI

10.1001/jama.2024.24814 

Article Title

Availability of Dental Benefits Within Medicare Advantage Plans by Enrollment and County

Article Publication Date

26-Dec-2024

 

Coupled decline in ocean pH and carbonate saturation during the Palaeocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum

Peking University

Peking University, November 15, 2024: A research team led by Prof. Li Mingsong at Peking University has provided new insights into the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) and its effects on ocean chemistry. This study, entitled “Coupled decline in ocean pH and carbonate saturation during the Palaeocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum” published in Nature Geoscience reconstructs ocean acidification during this ancient climate event, offering parallels with current trends linked to human-driven CO2 emissions.

Why It Matters:
The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), 56 million years ago, was a major carbon release event that resulted in rapid global warming and significant ocean acidification. This study highlights parallels with current climate change, emphasizing the need to understand past events to predict future impacts. The findings stress the urgency of addressing human-driven CO2 emissions to protect marine ecosystems, particularly in vulnerable regions like the Arctic.

Key Findings:
1. Ocean Acidification:

The team used paleoclimate data assimilation (DA), integrating proxy data and Earth system model simulations to reconstruct ocean carbonate chemistry.
Atmospheric CO2 rose dramatically from 890 ppm to 1980 ppm during the PETM.
Acidification was most severe in high-latitude regions, similar to current trends in the Arctic, where aragonite saturation is declining.

2. PETM Overview:

The PETM was triggered by a massive carbon release, causing rapid warming and disrupting ecosystems.
Ocean pH declined by 0.46 units, from 7.91 to 7.45, causing widespread disruptions to marine life.

3. Impact on Marine Life:

Ocean acidification led to the extinction of 30%-50% of benthic foraminifera and significant marine biodiversity loss.

4. Relevance to Modern Climate Change:

Current CO2 emissions are rising faster than during the PETM, threatening marine ecosystems and emphasizing the need for urgent climate action.

Written by: Akaash Babar
Edited by: Zhang Jiang
Source: School of Earth and Space Sciences

---

Journal

Nature Geoscience

DOI

10.1038/s41561-024-01579-y 

Article Title

Coupled decline in ocean pH and carbonate saturation during the Palaeocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum