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Tag: Rural Issues

  • Powassan Virus: What to Know about this Rare Tick-Borne Disease

    Powassan Virus: What to Know about this Rare Tick-Borne Disease

    Newswise — On paper, Powassan virus sounds like your basic nightmare. A tick-borne infection with no vaccine and no cure, it kills 1 in 10 people who get it and causes long-term neurological problems in half of reported cases. For decades, Powassan virus disease had affected only about one person a year in the U.S.—most likely because it was typically transmitted to humans by a tick that rarely bites people. But cases are slowly rising, especially in New England and the Great Lakes region, and human Powassan virus infections have now been diagnosed in the U.S., Canada, and Russia. 

    In 1997, Sam Telford III, a professor in the Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, found a genetically distinct strain of Powassan virus in deer ticks—the bloodsuckers notorious for spreading Lyme disease. He initially worried about its implications for Powassan virus in humans, as he found the virus in 1 out of every 100 deer ticks he sampled. But at the time, there were no reports of people with swelling in the brain—or encephalitis, a key symptom of Powassan—in places where deer ticks were common. He and his fellow researchers surmised that people just didn’t come down with Powassan virus disease from the strain carried by deer ticks.

    “It turned out we were wrong,” he said.

    In 2008, an elderly immunocompromised woman died from the deer-tick-carried subtype of Powassan virus. Since then, the number of cases has been slowly increasing each year. In 2022, 44 cases of Powassan virus were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and seven of those people died. So far this year, 29 cases have been reported. Massachusetts has been a particular hot spot. The state Department of Public Health has reported 16 cases in the last decade.

    Telford said he suspects that there has been some sort of natural selection for a variant of Powassan virus that’s more easily transmitted by deer ticks to people and causes severe disease. Such is likely the case regarding the recent emergence of babesiosis—a rare and sometimes fatal tick-borne disease that attacks human red blood cells—in the northeastern U.S. “Babesiosis used to be a coastal disease,” explained Telford, who is also part of the Tufts Lyme Disease Initiative. “Now it’s all over the place, from New Jersey to Maine.”

    Since 2017, Telford has conducted research under a grant from the National Institutes of Health to try to explain the epidemiological paradox of why they’ve found so much of the virus present in ticks but relatively few cases in humans. The objective is to determine whether some strains are less likely to cause disease. “This seems to be the case, but more work is needed,” he said.

    Symptoms and Transmission

    Whereas a deer tick needs to attach itself to a human host for 36–48 hours to spread Lyme disease, it may only need to be attached for 15 minutes or so to transmit Powassan virus.

    “Powassan is different from other diseases spread by ticks because it lives in the salivary glands of the tick,” said Telford. “That means it doesn’t take much time for the virus to exit the tick’s mouth and transmit to a person. Lyme and other tick-borne diseases are caused by viruses that live in ticks’ guts.”

    Powassan virus cannot be transmitted between people via coughing or close contact like the flu. Clinical symptoms begin with a high fever and vomiting and progress to neurologic signs such as headache, weakness, confusion, seizures, memory loss, and encephalitis. Half of those who survive have persisting neurological problems such as memory issues and even paralysis.

    “It’s scary what this virus can do to people,” said Telford. “If they survive, some patients will have severe neurological damage for the rest of their life.”

    If you’re experiencing any of the initial, flu-like symptoms and you may have recently been bitten by a tick, it’s a good idea to see a doctor. A blood test or spinal fluid test can diagnose Powassan virus. There are no medications that can prevent or treat Powassan, and since it’s a virus, antibiotics (which treat bacterial illnesses) won’t help.

    All that said, it is extraordinarily unlikely for a person to encounter a tick carrying Powassan virus. There are 3,000 to 5,000 cases of Lyme disease reported to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health each year, but the greatest number of Powassan cases ever reported to the agency was seven in 2015.

    Telford issued a word of caution for parents and dog owners, in particular. In 2021, he published this case report about two infants in Connecticut who contracted Powassan virus after being bitten by a deer tick that entered their home on the clothing of a parent who had been outside. In one case, the parent was hunting in the woods, and in the other case, the parent had been walking the family’s dog. Thankfully, both patients survived, but the cases demonstrate the importance of preventative measures.

    “One way to avoid bringing home ticks on your clothes is to spray your clothing, shoes, and gear with insecticides that contain 0.5% permethrin,” he said. “It’s not tick-ageddon. People should continue to enjoy the outdoors. Just protect yourself against tick bites.”

    Tufts University

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  • Heavy drinking, handgun-carrying linked among rural youth

    Heavy drinking, handgun-carrying linked among rural youth

    Newswise — In the rural United States, an adolescent who drinks heavily has a 43% greater probability of carrying a handgun in the following year, according to a study published this month in The Journal of Rural Health.

    “While there has been a lot of research on this correlation in urban areas, little is known about the association between alcohol use, particularly heavy drinking, and handgun carrying in rural areas,” said lead author Alice Ellyson, an acting assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine and investigator in UW Medicine’s  Firearm Injury & Policy Research Program.

    “Our study establishes a clear link between these two behaviors in rural areas, and there are evidence-based prevention programs to address both,” she said. Heavy drinking was defined as consuming five or more alcoholic drinks in a row at least once in the previous two weeks. 

    The study involved a longitudinal sample of 2,002 youth ages 12 to 26 in 12 rural communities in seven states, including Washington. Survey responses were collected annually from 2004 to 2019 starting with children who were in fifth/sixth grades.

    The authors say their findings can inform strategies to discourage drinking and thereby decrease the likelihood of handgun-carrying among youth and young adults in rural areas. The findings, coupled with existing evidence-based approaches, might also offer key tactics to lower the homicide and suicide rates among adolescents in rural areas, the study concluded.

    The association between heavy drinking and gun-carrying also was evident (38% greater) among young adults ages 19 to 26, noted senior author Dr. Ali Rowhani-Rahbar, a professor of epidemiology at the UW School of Public Health and pediatrics at the UW School of Medicine. He is also the UW Bartley Dobb Professor for the Study and Prevention of Violence and the interim director of the UW Medicine’s Firearm Injury & Policy Research Program at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

    The study did not break out the differences between male and female respondents nor did it address the respondents’ likelihood of firing the handgun, Rowhani-Rahbar said.

    He added that a major strength of the study was its longitudinal design, which allowed for the examination of handgun carrying after alcohol use.

    Understanding youth behaviors associated with carrying a firearm has significant safety implications. In 2020, suicide and homicide were among the leading causes of death among U.S. individuals ages 12-26 years. About 91% of homicides and 52% of suicides among this age group involved a firearm, the study noted.

    Recent evidence suggests that rural adolescents may start carrying a handgun earlier and carry with a higher frequency and duration than their urban counterparts. Handgun-carrying is associated with bullying, physical violence, and other risk factors for violence, the study notes.

    Preventing or delaying handgun-carrying among rural adolescents may be an important strategy for preventing firearm-related harm, authors noted.

    During young adulthood (ages 19-26), the association between alcohol use and heavy drinking were generally similar to adolescence.

    On this point, Ellyson said she was surprised that the association between heavy drinking and handgun-carrying was similar and sustained between adolescent and young adult respondents. She expected the association to weaken more or disappear with age.

    She identified Communities That Care as a key program for preventing these behaviors and their consequences in rural areas. The program helps communities take a broad approach to preventing problem behaviors among youth.

    “It has a good track record reducing alcohol consumption and violence in randomized controlled trials, and it is an evidence-based program designed for rural communities,” she said.

    For adolescents, the message is simple: Don’t drink alcohol or carry a handgun. Young adults, however, will need a more nuanced message, Ellyson said.

    “Both alcohol use and handgun-carrying become legal in young adulthood. We want to use a harm reduction approach for young adults who engage in both behaviors (drinking and handgun carrying) so they are done in a safe way,” she said.

    The study did not look into the why of this correlation, or whether the handgun was fired or crimes committed later. That will be for the next study, Rowhani-Rahbar said.

    An earlier study by Ellyson and colleagues found six distinct patterns of when and how often individuals in a rural area carry a handgun. In these communities, young people carry handguns at more than twice the rate of their counterparts in urban settings.  Because alcohol use is also more common among rural youth, prevention programs focusing on them are important.

    The studies were funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

    Category: 

    Research

    University of Washington School of Medicine and UW Medicine

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  • Find the latest expert commentary on the recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions here

    Find the latest expert commentary on the recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions here

    This Thursday, the United States Supreme Court rejected affirmative action at colleges and universities around the nation, declaring that the race-conscious admissions programs at Harvard and the University of North Carolina were unlawful. Now on Friday, the Supreme Court decided to block the Biden administration’s student debt relief program and sided with a Christian web designer in Colorado who refuses to create websites to celebrate same-sex weddings out of religious objections. Despite their limited federal elected power, Conservatives have racked up more huge wins in the great political battles of the early 21st century.

    Newswise is your source for expert commentary. Below is a roundup of recent expert pitches concerning the United States Supreme Court.

    Sociologists Available to Discuss Affirmative Action Ruling in College Admissions

    – American Sociological Association (ASA)

    Law and diversity experts react to Supreme Court’s affirmative action decision

    – Tulane University

    Three important takeaways from SCOTUS decision in Groff v. DeJoy

    – University of Georgia

    SCOTUS decision on race-based admission: experts can comment

    – Indiana University

    U law expert available to comment on Supreme Court decision on affirmative action

    – University of Utah

    Recent SCOTUS decision puts to rest extreme 2020 presidential election claims, confirms state judicial input on states’ election rules

    – University of Georgia

     

     

    Newswise

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  • Surging Monkey & Pig Populations Threaten Disease Risk

    Surging Monkey & Pig Populations Threaten Disease Risk

    Newswise — Exploding populations of wild pigs and macaque monkeys in Southeast Asia are threatening native forests and disease outbreaks in livestock and people, according to research led by The University of Queensland.

    Dr Matthew Luskin, from UQ’s School of the Environment, and his team collated and analysed species population data from across the region, some of it collected with a network of cameras.

    “Macaques and wild pigs are taking over Southeast Asia’s disturbed forests,” Dr Luskin said.

    “Humans are largely to blame for this by altering forests with logging and establishing palm oil farms which provide food and ideal breeding conditions for these animals.

    “We saw that wild boar and macaque numbers were 400 per cent higher in forests near the plantations than in untouched environments.

    “These animals take full advantage of the farmland, raiding crops and thriving on calorie‐rich foods.”

    Setting and monitoring the camera traps provided Dr Luskin with an up-close experience of the exploding numbers.

    “I encountered huge troops of macaques in Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia – they were everywhere in the forest edges, following us and interfering with our equipment,” Dr Luskin said.

    “At first it was frustrating but then was eerie as we became completely surrounded.”

    Dr Luskin said there were significant human health risks in the rising pig and macaque populations.

    “The wildlife origins of the COVID-19 pandemic show that mammals in human-modified ecosystems often host high pathogen loads and pose serious zoonotic disease risks,” he said.

    “Both pigs and macaques are recognised as carriers of diseases that can be transmitted to people and they’re the most common species in a region considered to be the global zoonotic disease hotspot.”

    Collaborator, Professor Carlos Peres from the University of East Anglia (UK), said abnormally high populations of wildlife species that are disease reservoirs often occur in human-modified tropical forests.

    “This study again shows that densely settled rural areas in Southeast Asia may be a source of future human epidemics,” he said.

    University of East Anglia and Southern University of Science and Technology (China) PhD candidate, Jonathan Moore, said the immediate effects of the population explosions could be seen on native flora in the affected regions.

    “Both pigs and macaques trigger negative cascading impacts in these pristine ecosystems,” Mr Moore said.

    “They kill the seeds and seedlings of native plants and eat bird and reptile eggs.

    “The Malaysian pigs alone were found to reduce rainforest tree regeneration by 62 per cent.”

    The researchers say action is needed to minimise population expansions of wild pigs and macaques.

    “Efforts to manage the populations of these species have failed in the past because of their rapid reproductive capacity and public outcry,” Dr Luskin said.

    “Nobody favours needless killing of wildlife but the negative social and ecological impacts from hyperabundant pest species does demand ethical and urgent management solutions.”

    The research is published in Biological Reviews.

    University of Queensland

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  • Debt ceiling blues. Find political experts on the debt negotiations and the presidential bids in the Politics channel

    Debt ceiling blues. Find political experts on the debt negotiations and the presidential bids in the Politics channel

    The House is on track Wednesday afternoon to begin considering a bipartisan plan to suspend the nation’s debt ceiling and limit spending, with the nation facing the risk of default if the debt ceiling is not raised by June 1st. The two parties remain deeply divided about how to rein in the federal deficit, with Democrats arguing wealthy Americans and businesses should pay more taxes while Republicans want spending cuts.

    More contenders enter the Republican presidential nominees’ list with Gov. DeSantis and Sen. Tom Scott declaring their bids to run. Do they have enough support to take on the front-runner, former President Donald Trump?

    Below are some of the latest expert pitches posted in the Politics channel.

    DeSantis to launch 2024 presidential campaign on Twitter, expert discusses implications for democracy

    -Virginia Tech

    GW Experts on Ron DeSantis Presidential Campaign Launch

    -George Washington University

    University of West Florida Expert Available to Interview on the Debt Ceiling

    -University of West Florida

    University of West Florida Expert Available to Discuss Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Looming Presidential Campaign

    -University of West Florida

    University at Albany Experts Available to Discuss U.S. Debt Ceiling Crisis

    -University at Albany, State University of New York

    GW Experts on Tim Scott 2024 Presidential Campaign

    -George Washington University

    Social media expert discusses consequences of changes for TikTok, Twitter

    -Virginia Tech

    University of West Florida professor available to interview about Gov. DeSantis’ potential run for President

    -University of West Florida

    Media Availability: Experts to Comment on New Hampshire’s First-in-the-Nation Primary Status

    -University of New Hampshire

    Looming debt ceiling deadline: Expert says economic impact could be significant if deal is not reached by June 1

    -Virginia Tech

    After Title 42: Limited Access to Asylum, Increased Discrimination, Rapid Deportation, predicts SMU Expert

    -Southern Methodist University

    Politics Experts in the Expert Directory 

    Yphtach Lelkes, PhD
    Associate Professor of Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, Annenberg School for Communication

    Yphtach (Yph) Lelkes’s interests lie at the intersection of political communication, public opinion, and political psychology.

    		 Jennifer Chudy, PhD

    Jennifer Chudy, PhD
    Knafel Assistant Professor of Social Sciences; Assistant Professor of Political Science at Wellesley College

    Dr. Chudy focuses on White racial attitudes generally and the attitude of racial sympathy – defined as White distress over Black suffering – specifically.
    Adam Cayton, Ph.D.

    Adam Cayton, PhD
    Associate Professor, Government Department at the University of West Florida

    Dr. Adam Cayton conducts research on representation in Congress, legislative institutions, campaign effects, institutional change, and other topics.

    		 Megan Goldberg, Ph.D.

     Megan Goldberg, PhD
    Assistant Professor of American Politics at Cornell College

    Her work examines the dynamics of state politics in an increasingly nationalized context, studies how governors and state parties shift their rhetoric and ideologies towards elections, and how often governors use national politics to frame issues.
    Adam Cayton, Ph.D.

    Neil O’Brian, PhD
    Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Oregon

    Neil can comment on public opinion and political participation in Oregon’s congressional and statewide races as well as national politics. His research agenda and expertise also include the partisan politics of abortion in the United States.

    		  

    Newswise

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  • Immigration experts on Title 42, analysis of immigration policies, and other migrant news in the Immigration Channel

    Immigration experts on Title 42, analysis of immigration policies, and other migrant news in the Immigration Channel

    Title 42, the United States pandemic rule that had been used to immediately deport hundreds of thousands of migrants who crossed the border illegally over the last three years, has expired. Those migrants will have the opportunity to apply for asylum. President Biden’s new rules to replace Title 42 are facing legal challenges. The US Homeland Security Department announced a rule to make it extremely difficult for anyone who travels through another country, like Mexico, to qualify for asylum. Border crossings have already risen sharply, as many migrants attempted to cross before the measure expired on Thursday night. Some have said they worry about tighter controls and uncertainty ahead. Immigration is once again a major focus of the media as we examine the humanitarian, political, and public health issues migrants must face. 

    Below are some of the latest headlines in the Immigration channel on Newswise.

    Expert Commentary

    Experts Available on Ending of Title 42

    George Washington University Experts on End of Title 42

    ‘No one wins when immigrants cannot readily access healthcare’

    URI professor discusses worsening child labor in the United States

    Biden ‘between a rock and a hard place’ on immigration

    University of Notre Dame Expert Available to Comment on House Bill Regarding Immigration Legislation, Border Safety and Security Act

    American University Experts Available to Discuss President Biden’s Visit to U.S.-Mexico Border

    Title 42 termination ‘overdue’, not ‘effective’ to manage migration

    Research and Features

    Study: Survey Methodology Should Be Calibrated to Account for Negative Attitudes About Immigrants and Asylum-Seekers

    A study analyses racial discrimination in job recruitment in Europe

    DACA has not had a negative impact on the U.S. job market

    ASBMB cautions against drastic immigration fee increases

    Study compares NGO communication around migration

    Collaboration, support structures needed to address ‘polycrisis’ in the Americas

    TTUHSC El Paso Faculty Teach Students While Caring for Migrants

    Immigrants Report Declining Alcohol Use during First Two Years after Arriving in U.S.

    How asylum seeker credibility is assessed by authorities

    Speeding up and simplifying immigration claims urgently needed to help with dire situation for migrants experiencing homelessness

    Training Individuals to Work in their Communities to Reduce Health Disparities

    ‘Regulation by reputation’: Rating program can help combat migrant abuse in the Gulf

    Migration of academics: Economic development does not necessarily lead to brain drain

    How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected immigration?

    Immigrants with Darker Skin Tones Perceive More Discrimination

     

    Newswise

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  • Wealthy white homeowners more likely to see financial benefits from land conservation, study shows

    Wealthy white homeowners more likely to see financial benefits from land conservation, study shows

    Newswise — KINGSTON, R.I. – April 25, 2023 – Land conservation projects do more than preserve open space and natural ecosystems. They can also boost property values for homeowners living nearby. But a new study finds that those financial benefits are unequally distributed among demographic groups in the U.S.

    The study, by researchers from the University of Rhode Island and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, found that new housing wealth associated with land conservation goes disproportionately to people who are wealthy and white. In the state of Massachusetts, for example, white households in the top wealth quartile received 43% of the roughly $63 million housing wealth generated by new conservation from 1998 to 2016. That’s 140% more than would be expected under an equal demographic distribution, the researchers found. The trends found in Massachusetts hold generally over the rest of the U.S., the study showed.    

    “There’s a lot of economic inequality in the U.S. and we show that, unfortunately, conservation is adding to that,” said Corey Lang, a professor of environmental and natural resource economics at URI and a study coauthor. “That’s not to say that conservation is bad, or that we shouldn’t do it. Our primary purpose with this study was to document these disparities, and hopefully spark some debate about it.”

    The findings are published in the Proceedings for the National Academy of Sciences.

    The U.S. Forest Service estimates that about 6,000 acres of open space in the U.S. are cleared for development each day. But across the nation, organizations like municipal land trusts are working to set aside land, protecting it from future development in perpetuity. Over the past 35 years, over $80 billion in conservation funding have been approved by municipal referenda across the U.S., the researcher say.

    Those conservation efforts produce amenities that are attractive to homeowners. Conserved land provides peace and quiet, beautiful views, and recreation opportunities that are guaranteed for the foreseeable future. The value of those amenities is reflected in higher property values for people living in the vicinity.

    “Economists have studied this for a long time as a means of understanding how people value land conservation efforts, which can be fed into a cost-benefit analysis to see if new conservation efforts are justified,” Lang said. “We take a different approach in that we look at which homeowners are more likely to receive that bump in equity.”

    To do that, the researchers looked at detailed conservation records and anonymized demographic data for homeowners in Massachusetts. The team used an econometric model to estimate the extent to which land conserved between 1998 to 2016 added to the value of properties within a quarter mile of conservation areas. They found that each acre of conserved land increases the value of nearby homes by 0.018%. That means that a median-priced Massachusetts home located near 10 acres of conserved land gets a bump in value of around $659. That translates into roughly $62 million in conservation-related property wealth gains over the study period.

    Looking at the demographic breakdown of the homeowners who received that new wealth, the researchers found that 91% went to white homeowners, and 40% went to households in the highest wealth quartile. Roughly 43% went to households that were both white and in the highest wealth category—140% more than would be expected under an equal demographic distribution. In stark contrast, Black and Hispanic households in the lowest wealth quartile received only 6% of the benefits that would be expected under an equal distribution.

    The results aren’t necessarily attributable to any active or implicit discrimination on the part of conservation groups, the researchers say. The results can be shaped, for example, by several factors that yield patterns in where people live—with Black, Hispanic, and Asian households being less likely to own homes near conservation areas. Those patterns can emerge from racial and ethnic patterns of urban versus rural living in the state, and a paucity of conservable land in urban areas. There are also longstanding racial gaps in overall home ownership.

    Though the highly detailed data available for Massachusetts simply isn’t available for the rest of the U.S., the team performed an additional study to see if the Massachusetts trends likely hold across the country. They found that of the $9.8 billion in property wealth generated by conservation from 2001 to 2009 nationwide, 89% went to white households, 9% to Black and Hispanic households and 2% to Asian households.

    “Economists have done a lot to document disparities in exposure to pollution, but we know much less about equity in the distribution of the benefits from investments in valuable nature conservation,” said Amy Ando, a study coauthor who is a professor of environmental and natural resource economics at UIUC and University Fellow at the non-profit Resources for the Future. “These findings make clear there can be large environmental justice issues in who gains from the environmental goods we provide and protect, and may serve as a call for more research identifying other such inequities.”  

    Taken together, the researchers say, the results show that land conservation plays a role in maintaining wealth disparities across the U.S. While the researchers say they firmly advocate for land conservation efforts to continue, they don’t advocate any particular policy interventions to address the resulting inequity. They hope that the findings will broaden the conversation about land preservation to include issues related to distributional concerns.

    “I think more can be done to bring different groups to the table when decisions are made,” Lang said. “Making sure there’s a diversity of voices involved in these decisions is at least a start in addressing the problem that we’ve been able to document in this study.”

    The research was supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (2018-67024-27695).

    University of Rhode Island

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  • Bringing Cancer Education to American Indian Communities

    Bringing Cancer Education to American Indian Communities

    Newswise — Phyllis Nassi, MSW, associate director of research and science, special populations, directs the American Indian program at Huntsman Cancer Institute and recently received the 2023 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Distinguished Public Service Award for Exceptional Leadership in Cancer Advocacy. ­

    “My favorite part of what I do is being boots on the ground in the community,” says Nassi. “I’ve spent a lot of time helping to change the course of what research means in the area we serve and beyond at Huntsman Cancer Institute. We’ve been able to build a reputation of trust and I have permission from Tribal Leaders to bring education about clinical trials to the reservation.”

    Nassi, an enrolled member of the Otoe-Missouria Tribe and member of the Cherokee Nation, focuses on bringing cancer education to the frontier and rural locations across the Mountain West. She started at Huntsman Cancer Institute in 2001 as a manager of special populations and has served on many committees and advisory boards.

    “Nassi has shown relentless commitment and cultural humility to serve as an advocate for American Indian communities across Utah and 17 other states, including Idaho, New Mexico, Montana, Arizona, and Alaska,” says Neli Ulrich, PhD, MS, executive director of the Comprehensive Cancer Center at Huntsman Cancer Institute. “She improves cancer awareness and survival through promotion of early detection practices, communication about the benefits of cancer research, and clinical trial enrollment. Her passion and efforts to reduce disparities and bring health equity to underserved populations makes her highly deserving of the prestigious AACR Public Service award.”

    Huntsman Cancer Institute founder Jon M. Huntsman, Sr., former National Cancer Institute Director Andrew C. von Eschenbach, MD, and former U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, are just some of the previous honorees.

    “It’s amazing and humbling to be part of this group, I could not have done what I do and what I love without the support of my son, Enrico, his partner, and my late husband Walter.”

     

    ###

    About Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah

    Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah is the official cancer center of Utah and the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in the Mountain West. The campus includes a state-of-the-art cancer specialty hospital and two buildings dedicated to cancer research. Huntsman Cancer Institute provides patient care, cancer screening, and education at community clinics and affiliate hospitals throughout the Mountain West. It is consistently recognized among the best cancer hospitals in the country by U.S. News and World Report. The region’s first proton therapy center opened in 2021 and a major hospital expansion is underway. Huntsman Cancer Institute is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment for staff, students, patients, and communities. Advancing cancer research discoveries and treatments to meet the needs of patients who live far away from a major medical center is a unique focus. More genes for inherited cancers have been discovered at Huntsman Cancer Institute than at any other cancer center, including genes responsible for breast, ovarian, colon, head and neck cancers, and melanoma. Huntsman Cancer Institute was founded by Jon M. and Karen Huntsman.

    Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah

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  • Democracy depends on the freedom of the press: The latest news on media and journalism

    Democracy depends on the freedom of the press: The latest news on media and journalism

    “Freedom of the press is not just important to democracy, it is democracy.”

    -Walter Cronkite

    According to the Pew Research Center, more than eight-in-ten U.S. adults (86%) say they get news from a smartphone, computer or tablet. Americans say they prefer a digital platform – whether it is a news website (26%), search (12%), social media (11%) or podcasts (3%).* Traditional media remain important even for those people with the most gadgets. However, social media and non-traditional outlets are rising as the main source of how people stay informed. According to a report from the BBC, Instagram is the most popular news source among younger people.

    In this information age, it’s vital to have an open conversation on how the message is delivered. 

    Here are some of the latest stories in the Media and Journalism channel on Newswise. For a more in-depth look at social media issues, check out the Social Media channel.

    Newswise Live Event for March 15: What can we expect from AI and Chatbots in the next few years? 

    (How AI is transforming journalism)

    Study finds political campaigns may change the choices of voters – but not their policy views

    Researchers’ Model for TV Ad Scheduling Reaps Revenue Increase for Networks

    What distinguishes fans from celebrity stalkers?

    The claim that U.S. temperatures are not trending upward is false

    We cannot predict earthquakes with accuracy, despite claim

    Fact-checking the reporting of the explosion in East Palestine, Ohio

    Cinema has helped ‘entrench’ gender inequality in AI

    Experts split on ‘prebunking’ – shifting blame or empowering users?

    Geography, language dictate social media and popular website usage, study finds

    ChatGPT can (almost) pass the US Medical Licensing Exam

    Tweets reveal where in cities people express different emotions

    War tourists fighting on a virtual front, since Ukraine-Russia war

    Media literacy is an important tool in training police officers

    COVID-19 conspiracy theories that spread fastest focused on evil, secrecy

    How do news audiences respond to disclosures of preprint status?

    It isn’t what you know, it’s what you think you know

     

     

    Newswise

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  • The grassroots support that’s Taking Stock of farmers’ mental health

    The grassroots support that’s Taking Stock of farmers’ mental health

    Newswise — The University of South Australia is ensuring that mental health and wellbeing remain a top priority in rural communities as a grassroots wellbeing and suicide prevention tool is launched today to support Australian farmers.

    The free online multimedia site – Taking Stock – has been designed by and for Australian farmers, to help them tackle the everyday struggles of living on the land.

    The outcome of a three-year nationally funded research project – ‘Tailoring Suicide Prevention Strategies to Men in Farming’ – Taking Stock helps farmers break down barriers for seeking help and provides information about community-based support services. Importantly, the website hosts resources tried by other rural groups that communities can download and use or adapt.

    It also helps farmers recognise that the distress, mental ill health and/or suicide ideation they may have experienced is also experienced by other farmers, helping them understand that they are not alone.

    This is the first time farmers have been asked about what they feel would help, and how they want to be supported.

    In Australia, suicide rates among farmers are alarming high. The rate of suicide in famers is nearly 59 per cent higher than non-farmers, and was up to 94 per cent higher in 2018.

    Project lead and Director of the National Enterprise for Rural Community Wellbeing, UniSA’s Professor Lia Bryant, says the needs of rural communities are at the heart of the Taking Stock initiative.

    “Rural people have tremendous knowledge about the challenges and opportunities that they face in rural areas, so working with farmers and support groups was absolutely essential to create strategies that have meaning and are more likely to be used,” Prof Bryant says.

    “In this project, we interviewed more than 50 farmers and three local suicide prevention groups – SOS Yorkes, Mellow in the Yellow, and Riverina Bluebell – to better understand the complexities of farmer distress and the local supports those farmers felt they needed.

    “We found that on top of key stress factors that affect farmers in general ­– things like weather extremes, physical isolation, intergenerational issues, and financial pressures, to name a few – there were additional shared risk factors that farmers in the same region (or farming the same commodity) experienced.

    “If we want suicide prevention strategies and early prevention to hit home then it was critical that we worked together to co-design a resource that directly addressed the key needs raised by farmers.

    “Wellbeing is more than an individual experience. It is created by strong community connections and having local support. Rural communities understand reciprocity: the giving and receiving of support in good times and in difficult times.

    “Taking Stock shares the stories and lived experiences of farmers and explains their journeys from different perspectives. And, because it’s created by farmers and rural communities, for farmers and rural communities, the content is relevant and specific to their needs.”

    Taking Stock hosts multiple resources including films, interviews and podcasts of farmer experiences, how to set up a local suicide prevention group, and how to connect and engage with communities for early approaches to suicide prevention.

    The new website aligns with World Health Organization recommendations to adopt a whole-of-community strategy for suicide prevention. Place-based suicide prevention strategies are also central to Australia’s national response to suicide.

    Riverina Bluebell President, Stephen Matthews, says Taking Stock can also help communities create local suicide prevention groups.

    “Local knowledge and understanding are vital for supporting farmers, especially when it comes to mental health” Matthews says.

    “Early interventions are critical, but they must be tailored to the specific factors that give rise to farmer distress, while also capturing the culture of farming and rural communities.

    “By sharing how community-based support groups can make a difference to the lives of farmers doing it tough, and how communities can set up their own support groups, Taking Stock is covering all possible bases to improve mental health in rural and farming communities.

    “We’re very pleased to partner with UniSA to develop Taking Stock, and hope that the resource will not only provide immediate support for farmers in need, but also the resources to empower local communities to take positive action.”

    Notes to editors:

    • The study was undertaken across the Yorke Peninsula and Eyre Peninsula (SA), Tatyoon (VIC), and Wagga Wagga (NSW).
    • Taking Stock is the outcome of a 3 year nationally-funded research project with the following organisations funding the projection: Department of Primary Industries NSW • Agriculture Victoria, Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions • Office of the Chief Psychiatrist SA (SA Health) • Wellbeing SA • National Mental Health Commission • Department of Primary Industries and Regions SA (PIRSA) • Superfriend and Queensland Mental Health Commission and Country SA Primary Health Network (for Stage 1 of the project).

     

     

    University of South Australia

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  • Attributing the rising costs of groceries to “price gouging” is not accurate

    Attributing the rising costs of groceries to “price gouging” is not accurate

    Fact Check By:
    Craig Jones, Newswise

    Truthfulness: Mostly False

    Claim:

    Grocery stores need to be brought to heel over food prices. This isn’t ‘inflation’ because it isn’t caused by monetary oversupply. It’s just price gouging and we know that because we can literally see that they’re all reporting surplus profits.

    Claim Publisher and Date: Twitter user emmy rākete among others on 2023-01-21

    On social media, complaints regarding the rising costs of groceries are trending. It’s no surprise after all, the price of groceries has gone up around 13% compared to last year. According to the data from the Labor Department, the price of fruits and vegetables increased by 10.4 percent annually, while milk rose 15.2 percent and eggs soared 30.5 percent. Like other sectors of the economy, food prices are susceptible to supply chain complications and geopolitical unrest including the war in Ukraine. But some people have expressed their disdain for grocery store companies, accusing them of “price gouging” to increase their profits, which have been reaching exorbitant heights (corporate profits are at their highest levels in nearly 50 years, according to CBS MoneyWatch).

    For example, this tweet shared by thousands blames the rising prices of groceries on retailers engaged in price gouging: “Grocery stores need to be brought to heel over food prices. This isn’t ‘inflation’ because it isn’t caused by monetary oversupply. It’s just price gouging and we know that because we can literally see that they’re all reporting surplus profits.” 

    Is putting the blame on grocery store managers for your rising costs of orange juice accurate? It’s not quite that simple. The claim of “price gouging” at the grocery store is misleading because of the complex nature of the grocery business. Professor Lisa Jack, School of Accounting, Economics and Finance and lead of the Food Cultures in Transition (FoodCiTi) research group at the University of Portsmouth explains…

    Supermarket profits are complex and care should be taken with attributing them to any one cause. There are three main factors:

    1. Commercial income, also known as suppliers payments or back margin, contributes heavily to supermarket profits. These payments and support from suppliers to the supermarket include volume discounts and marketing fees. These can represent as much as 7% of a supermarket’s income: bottom line profits can average around 1-2% of income. Primary producers are seeing rapidly increasing costs for all inputs and having been squeezed to breaking point over the last 20 years, have no choice but to increase the prices of their output. Similarly for processors, packagers, distributors and every other business supplying supermarkets. The supermarkets themselves claim to be fighting on behalf of consumers to be keeping prices down and there is evidence that they are refusing price increase requests, which implies that commercial income is still being maintained. 
    1. In the last few years, supermarkets have been increasing profits by cutting overhead costs at head offices and in support services. Counterintuitively, the only economy of scale they have is bargaining power – see above. All their activities, including large stores, increase the overhead costs which can be as much as 75% of their spend. A significant amount of recent ‘soaring profits’ come from job losses, which are not sustainable in the long run. 
    1. Since their emergence in the 1920s, the business model for supermarkets has been to sell basics at little or no profit relying on high volumes to break even. Profits come from enticing customers to buy at least one impulse, premium item of food and non-grocery items. 8 of the 10 best sellers in supermarkets are the cheaper (but still higher profit margin) alcohol, confectionery and snacks. Since the pandemic and the cost of living crisis hit, more of us are exchanging going out for buying in ready-meals, alcohol and other treats, and buying more of our non-grocery items from supermarkets. These are where the profits come from, and they are being taken away from other sectors. Unsurprisingly, the food businesses that have the highest margins are those that produce brands of alcohol, confectionery etc – ‘Big Food’.

    Note to Journalists/Editors: The expert quotes are free to use in your relevant articles on this topic. Please attribute them to their proper sources.

    Newswise

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  • Mental health support for farmers needs radical overhaul, say researchers

    Mental health support for farmers needs radical overhaul, say researchers

    Newswise — Mental health services in rural areas need urgent attention to ensure the needs of farmers are properly met, according to researchers.

    Farmers facing worsening mental health problems are experiencing what researchers call a strained ‘landscape of support’ in rural areas.

    An ESRC-funded study published today in Sociologia Ruralis indicates how the Covid-19 pandemic led to increased levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and suicidal feelings among the UK’s farming population. It raises concerns around what the research team calls ‘landscapes of support’, with civil society organisations fighting to support farmers alongside primary mental healthcare services which are sometimes inaccessible and inadequately suited to rural communities.

    The research team conducted two surveys answered by more than 200 farmers and 93 support providers across the UK, and in addition carried out in-depth interviews with 22 supporters of mental health in farming across Great Britain.

    Farmers are essential workers, but some have been shown to suffer with poor mental health as a result of being relatively isolated physically, socially, and culturally.  At the time the pandemic hit the UK, farmers were already facing substantial uncertainty around transitions away from the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy.

    By interviewing and surveying supporters of farming mental health, including chaplains, charities, auction mart staff and primary healthcare, the research found that mental health services are strained in rural communities and provide uneven coverage across the country. Some healthcare settings can be inaccessible and lack an understanding of farming, whilst informal spaces of social support are being eroded due to the loss of rural community. Mental health charities are struggling with funding and with the trauma of helping farmers through difficult times.

    Academics are now calling on policymakers to take urgent action to help rural-proof primary mental healthcare services and better support civil society organisations which widen the safety net for farmers. 

    The research project was led by Cranfield University’s David Rose, Professor of Sustainable Agricultural Systems.

    He said: “The Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated issues with farmers’ mental health that we already knew existed. For example, primary mental healthcare provision in parts of the UK is based on urban delivery models that do not suit rural communities. This leaves civil society organisations fighting to fill the support gap, but these organisations face their own struggles.

    “This issue needs urgent attention to ensure farmers get the support they need and help civil society organisations to flourish. We want devolved governments to urgently address this and ensure support is in place for future shocks.”

    Dr Caroline Nye, Research Fellow at the University of Exeter, said: “Recognition that mental health issues exist in rural communities in the UK is, by itself, not enough. Our research demonstrates that those who have been working hard on a professional level to support our farmers over the last few years face multiple challenges. Attention therefore needs to be focussed on ensuring that these bodies are supported in being both adaptable and sustainable over the long-term, for the benefit of the communities whom they serve.”

    Hannah Rees, a dairy farmer from Pembrokeshire in Wales, aged 26, said: “It’s great that more is being done to support those in agriculture, but I do still feel there is a long way to go.

    “It’s important to reduce the stigma attached to mental health. Also, I think we need to stop taking a blanket approach that counselling is the only way to help people. Discussion groups and zoom meetings are other fantastic ways of providing support and countering loneliness.

    “I believe we should see the introduction of mental health first aid training for those working in agriculture.”

    Stephanie Berkeley, of the Farm Safety Foundation, said: “I welcome the findings of this study and agree that urgent action is needed to support the ongoing mental health of our farmers.  They work long hours every day, through global pandemics and uncertain times, to put food on our plates – but this dedication comes at a price.

    “We need immediate action at government level to improve the primary mental healthcare provision for those living and working in rural communities and we need to take the pressure off the rural support groups and charities who have been relied on to provide support for those in crisis situations.” 

    Co-authors on the paper were: Dr Faye Shortland (formerly University of Reading), Dr Caroline Nye (Exeter), Professor Matt Lobley (Exeter), Dr Ruth Little (formerly University of Sheffield), Dr Jilly Hall (SPSN), Dr Paul Hurley (formerly University of Reading), and Professor David Rose (Cranfield University, formerly University of Reading).

    The research was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council as part of UKRI’s rapid response to COVID-19.

    Flavian Obiero, a farmer from East Sussex, said: “As a Kenyan-born, black man in British agriculture, my mental health is in good nick. Despite the usual perception of prejudice from under-exposed people in the countryside, my experience in the industry has been largely positive. That said, we are still a long way off from any significant change in peoples’ mentality to personnel diversity in the industry.”

    Eveey Hunter, an arable farmer from Hertfordshire, said: “As wonderful as our industry is, it can be a very lonely and isolating place for some. There are a lot of stressful factors which determine success or failure in businesses, most of which are out of our control – global markets, huge inflation of input costs and of course the weather. There is also unfortunately a stigma attached to talking about feelings, mainly with men, which is something that needs to be addressed.”

    Kate Miles, from the DPJ Foundation, a mental health charity that supports the agricultural community in Wales, said: “Over the last two years, we have seen an increase in demand for our service. We know that farmers value speaking with someone who understands the pressure that they face, and this understanding is vital in mental health services.  We see pockets of good work taking place across the country, including in rural areas. However, this needs to be consistent no matter where you are geographically.”

    Trudy Herniman, an advisor for Cornish Mutual, which offers insurance to farms, businesses and people living and working in Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Dorset, said: “The issues raised for farmers and those working in agriculture following the Covid-19 pandemic are still very much there and now even more exacerbated.“Coming out of the pandemic we had the war between Ukraine and Russia, everyone feeling the effect on fuel and input cost rises. But farmers then experienced volatility in the weather as storms damaged buildings and electricity supplies.“Farmers find it hard to ask for help and when they are distressed find it difficult to overcome the barriers by not being able to get a doctor’s appointment. Using my mental health first aid training, myself, and others from Farmerados (a welfare charity) go to markets and shows and bring tea and cake and a safe space to talk. We offer support or a listening ear. It is crucial in helping to reduce the anxiety and stress experienced by farmers and those in the farming community.”

    University of Exeter

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  • Tailored approach makes inroads in rural firearm safe storage

    Tailored approach makes inroads in rural firearm safe storage

    Newswise — A new study shows early promise for an approach that seeks to reduce the risk of firearm injury and death in rural areas, while respecting rural culture and firearm ownership.

    The effort tailors messages about safe firearm storage and teen firearm suicide to a rural audience, and shares specific tips for improving safety.

    Early data presented at a national conference show that in 45 rural Michigan families with both children and firearms in their home, the vast majority of parents reported strong engagement with the prevention materials, finding the content useful and reflective of their rural community values.

    Three weeks after completing the intervention, 86% of the parents said they completed a firearm home safety checklist suggested by the program, and 88% talked about firearm safety with another adult in their home.

    Nearly two-thirds also went on to discuss firearm safety with children who live with them, and 40% reported that they made a change to how they store firearms in their home.

    The findings, from the pilot study of the Store Safely project, were presented on December 1 at the 2022 National Research Conference on Firearm Injury Prevention by Cynthia Ewell Foster, Ph.D., who leads the University of Michigan-based team behind the project. The presentation won one of the conference’s top awards.

    “We are excited by these findings, and by the variety of actions that these families took including changing to unloaded and locked storage and moving hunting rifles to another location less accessible to children,” says Ewell Foster, a clinical psychologist in the Michigan Medicine Department of Psychiatry and member of the U-M Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention. “While we have much more work to do to assess the impact of the tools we’ve developed, our findings show the value of partnering with the community in order to develop a culturally tailored safety message.”

    The Store Safely website includes a video featuring trusted community messengers, an infographic of local data, a decision aid to help families consider different storage options, and downloadable resources, including a home safety checklist.

    The Store Safely project grew out of a partnership with the Marquette County Health Department, Marquette County Suicide Prevention Alliance and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. It involved an extensive community advisory board representing local business owners; law enforcement officials; veteran navigators; medical, behavioral, and public health professionals; and K-12 school personnel.

    Rural America has the highest per capita death toll from firearms, higher than suburban and urban areas, and the main reason for this difference is firearm suicides.

    Putting time and distance between individuals who are at risk for suicide and highly lethal means like firearms is a critical part of a comprehensive suicide prevention strategy, Ewell Foster said.

    Store Safely focuses its messaging on the importance of preventing all firearm injury as well as teen firearm-related suicide e by storing firearms in ways that reduce the chances that a teen who is upset, angry, depressed, or experiencing other kinds of risk factors will be able to access a loaded firearm.

    The program’s materials emphasize the range of options that rural families have for reducing risk within the context of their lifestyle,which includes firearm ownership for both hunting and protection. .

    Ewell Foster and her colleagues plan to increase the availability of the Store Safely intervention while continuing to evaluate its impact in other rural communities both within and beyond Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.  

    In addition to Ewell Foster, the study’s authors are Christina Magness LMSW, Tayla Smith M.P.H., and Cheryl King Ph.D. of the U-M Department of Psychiatry, Sarah Derwin of the Marquette County Health Department, and Eskira Kahsay, M.P.H., of the U-M School of Public Health.

     

    The Store Safely project is funded by the Firearm Safety Among Children and Teens Consortium based at U-M. FACTS is funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (HD087149).

    Michigan Medicine – University of Michigan

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