Tag: research

Research provides comprehensive view of pharmaceutical pollution of Scotland’s water environment

  • Study to be used to promote positive action on medicine use and disposal, to reduce pharmaceutical pollution
  • Data on 60 medicines in the water environment, known to occur through consumption and inappropriate disposal into wastewater systems, were obtained from a range of sources
  • Nine medicines were recommended for further action to reduce the potential environmental risk

A study carried out by researchers at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) with the James Hutton Institute and the Environmental Research Institute (University of the Highlands and Islands) has delivered the first national assessment of the emerging area of concern around pharmaceutical pollution of Scotland’s water environment, with an innovative Scottish partnership using results to promote practical actions to reduce this globally recognised public health and environmental issue.

Pharmaceuticals (medicines) enter the water environment when people taking medicines go to the toilet (between 30-100% of a dose is excreted) and when partially used or expired medicines are inappropriately flushed down the toilet instead of being returned to a pharmacy for proper disposal.

Information on 60 medicines was added to a database of over 3,000 data points representing 11 ‘types of water’ – such as water in the environment, influent wastewater and treated wastewater.

The study, commissioned by the Centre of Expertise for Waters (CREW) to support the work of the One Health Breakthrough Partnership, combined published and unpublished academic data with monitoring data from Scottish Water and SEPA.

Lead researcher Dr Karin Helwig says: “Pharmaceuticals (medicines) are designed to have an effect on humans so it’s no surprise that they affect water organisms, too, and that could disturb the balance in ecosystems.

“There is still much we don’t know about how serious these risks are, but if we value our environment it makes sense to try and reduce this kind of pollution as much as possible.

“Different organisations collect monitoring data for their own different purposes, so it was a real testament to partnership working that we were able to collate everything together and get a clearer picture of this area of emerging concern for the Scottish environment.”

The study found that nine medicines, including ibuprofen (an anti-inflammatory painkiller) and antibiotics, may pose higher risks of ecotoxicity and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), although the authors emphasise that monitoring is often carried out at higher risk locations.

Dangers to human health are extremely unlikely, but the findings do illustrate levels of pharmaceuticals in the environment.

Wastewater treatment plants were not initially designed to treat pharmaceuticals and are unable to treat some pharmaceuticals. So tackling this complex issue requires “up-stream” actions.  

The One Health Breakthrough Partnership (OHBP), which was involved in the design and oversight of this study, is a cross-sector initiative bringing together key stakeholders to develop and implement sustainable interventions in healthcare.

NHS Highland lead and OHBP co-founder, Sharon Pfleger, Consultant in Pharmaceutical Public Health, says: “It is important to try to prevent or reduce the impact of pollution by medicines as much as possible rather than trying to deal with the problem.

“That’s why the OHBP is taking an “up-stream” public health approach, ensuring that prescribers and the public understand that medicines do pollute our waters and how they can help, developing guidance for prescribers on more eco-friendly choices of medicines, promoting the use of green and blue spaces to help physical and mental health instead of using medicines and ensuring that people know how to correctly dispose of unused or unwanted medicines.”

The OHBP (Scottish Water, SEPA, NHS Highland, and the Environmental Research Institute-University of the Highlands and Islands) is committed to working with partners to develop solutions and progress the recommendations put forward in this report. Together the OHBP aims to drive research and innovation and influence policy in Scotland to achieve optimal health for people, animals, plants and the environment.

This study recommends that further environmental research be done for areas of the country where few data are available, and, similarly, for groundwater, lochs, and coastal and estuarine waters.

The study will be used by researchers, environmental regulators, the water industry, and the health service as a baseline to assess whether, and to what extent, future interventions and OHBP activities help to reduce pharmaceutical pollution.

The report and its appendices are available on CREW’s website. 

CRW2017_16_Main_ReportDownload

Over 80% of tenants satisfied with renting, according to new research

Most people renting their home in the private rented sector are happy with their property and landlord, according to new research from independent think-tank the Social Market Foundation.

The Social Market Foundation found that – contrary to some narratives suggest renting is an inherently unhappy experience – a majority of people who rent from a private landlord are content with what they get for their money.

In an SMF survey of renters, 81% said they are happy with their current property, and 85% said they are satisfied with their landlord.

The greatest source of dissatisfaction among tenants is with “being a renter”, though only a minority of renters (34%) said they are dissatisfied with this status. The SMF said that this suggests that where people are unhappy in the private rented sector it is not about their living circumstances, but about the fact of having to rent rather than own a home.

The SMF findings are contained in a report on the future of the private rented sector which is published today. The report was sponsored by Paragon Bank. The SMF retained editorial independence.

The SMF said despite renters’ current views of renting, major trends in housing over the coming years mean that several policy changes are needed to ensure the rented sector continues to work well for tenants.

Only half of renters expect to leave the private rented sector in the next 15 years, suggesting that significant numbers will remain renters for long periods. Among them, the SMF finds that 13% would be satisfied with long-term renting.

That will see the average age of tenants rising: by 2035, more than half of private renting households are likely to include someone aged 45 or older, the SMF forecast. Couples and families will also make up a rising proportion of renters.

The private rented sector has been under political scrutiny, with the UK Government’s Levelling Up White Paper promising “a secure path to ownership” and a crackdown on “non-decent rented homes”.

Labour, meanwhile, has promised to be the “party of tenants” and raised concern about quality, affordability, and security in private rentals.

The SMF’s research challenges some of the narratives around this policy agenda, and in particular, the assumption that private renting is unsatisfactory and exploitative for the typical renter.

At the same time, it acknowledges that a minority of renters have particularly negative experiences and so endorses measures expected to be in the rental reform white paper (due in spring), such as abolition of ‘no-fault’ evictions and introduction of a Decent Homes standard for rental properties.

The SMF’s key recommendation is to enable renters to build wealth while remaining in the private rental sector, addressing their number one concern: the financial opportunity cost of renting, which have prevented savings, for a deposit or later life needs.

Several innovative schemes could be implemented, including ‘deposit builder ISAs’ that offer a financial return on deposits, or ‘rentership’ models that offer tenants stakes in their building.

Other SMF recommendations to the UK Government:

  • Increase the stability of tenancy agreements – A large majority of renters support a fixed minimum contract length: 69% would be in favour of setting this at 24 months.
  • Giving renters more control over their homes – making it easier to keep pets or make reasonable alterations, such as to décor or energy efficiency.
  • Increase the accountability of landlords – Through a ‘Good Home, Good Landlord’ kitemark scheme, developed in consultation with renters to recognise landlords that offer good, and not just decent, accommodation.
  • Improve the standards of private rented properties – Offer tax incentives for landlords to invest in improvements that align with Good Home Good Landlord kitemark standards, including green investments.

Aveek Bhattacharya, SMF Economist and one of the report authors, said: “Dominant cultural narratives about the private rented sector paint a misleading picture. In contrast to the horror stories that get wide circulation, the majority of renters are satisfied with their living conditions and have decent relationships with their landlords.

“It is absolutely right that the Government should seek to help the minority with poor standard accommodation and unprofessional landlords.

“At the same time, it needs to think harder about what it can offer the typical renter – who is largely happy with their circumstances today, but has doubts about whether they want to keep renting long-term.”

“Giving renters more control over their homes – allowing them to keep pets or decorate would help. So would incentivizing landlords to make improvements to properties to make them good, and not just decent. But perhaps the biggest challenge is developing policies that can persuade renters that they are not missing out financial security and stability if they don’t own their home.”

Paragon Bank Managing Director of Mortgages Richard Rowntree said: “The outdated and tired cliches around privately renting need to be challenged and I welcome the findings from SMF’s report.

“In our experience, the vast majority of landlords seek to provide a good quality home and enjoy a healthy relationship with their tenants; the significant investment in private rented property by landlords has helped drive up standards over the past 15 years and today homes in the sector are generally newer, larger and more energy efficient than ever before.

“We always seek ways to improve the experience of renting further and welcome the recommendations contained in the report. People from all walks of life now call the private rented sector home and we must strive to create a sector that meets everybody’s needs.”

Where-next-for-the-private-rented-sector-March-2022Download

Scottish research into the experiences of deaf and blind people during the COVID-19 pandemic reveals a deprivation in the sense of touch

  • Scottish research into the experiences of deaf and blind people during the coronavirus pandemic reveals a deprivation in the sense of touch.
  • The results of the ‘Touch Post-COVID-19’ project led by the University of Glasgow informs the development of new technology which supports human interaction.
  • The project was funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) within UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) rapid response to COVID-19. 

Humans maintain large and complex social networks that are essential for not only our success as a species, but for our mental health and overall happiness. So, when the pandemic struck, an easily overlooked but dangerous aspect of social isolation in our newfound daily lives involved the loss of everyday physical touch.

Over the past two years, up and down the UK, thousands of research and innovation projects have been publicly funded to tackle the pandemic.

The University of Glasgow launched an 18-month project to investigate the impact of touch deprivation on the deafblind community during the pandemic. Named the ‘Touch Post-COVID-19’ project, it aimed to develop strategies and policies for people who rely on their sense of touch to discover the world around them.

The study collected audio-visual data such as interviews and audio diaries from participants to understand their experiences of space, memory, and social interactions.

This understanding helped create a tool for audio and visually impaired people to better navigate their surroundings in the post-pandemic world. The results will be used by researchers to develop new technologies to help facilitate safe and reliable communication and interaction with surroundings.

The work by the team at the University of Glasgow forms part of a £550 million COVID-19 rapid investment programme by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) – the largest public funder of research and development in the UK. 

The diversity of UKRI-funded projects is vast – from the world’s first COVID-19 treatments and vaccines to projects that help us understand and mitigate the impact of the pandemic on our economy, environment, education, arts sector and mental health.

This funding builds on decades of public investment and research expertise which have provided the backbone to our national COVID-19 response.


Dr Azadeh Emadi, lecturer in Film and Television at The University pf Glasgow, who was part of the project comments: “The project aims to understand and reveal the relevance of deafblind experiences of touch and touch deprivation during COVID-19 to a larger general population.

“In collaboration with deafblind community, we gathered audio-visual data, in the form of audio diaries and interviews, about their experiences. From gathered data, we have been developing creative works, a policy brief, and a prototype device that enhances situational awareness through haptics technology informed by radar sensors.

“Our research data shows that COVID-19 has increased the intimacy and reliance on the relationship with close partners and guid communicators, but endangered broader access to social and cultural life.

“To rethink touch and address the increasing isolation of deafblind individuals require a new interdisciplinary framework, one that is based on mutual communication and inclusion of the community.”

Edinburgh gender pay gap “well above Scottish average”

  • In Edinburgh, men are paid 14.2% more than women – well above the Scottish average gender pay gap of 10.2%
  • East Dunbartonshire has the biggest gender pay gap in Scotland, with men being paid 26.9% more than women
  • Aberdeenshire is Scotland’s second worst area for gender pay gaps, with men enjoying 22.1% more pay than women

Edinburgh’s gender pay gap is well above the Scottish average, new research can reveal.

In Edinburgh, men are paid 14.2% more than women. The Scotland average gender pay gap is 10.2%

Following International Women’s Day, financial experts Forbes Advisor used new ONS data to explore the gender pay gap for full time employees in every local authority in Scotland to discover which areas have the worst gender pay gap of all.

RANKED: Gender pay gaps in Scotland from biggest to smallest

Scotland areaRankHow much more men earn than women (%)
East Dunbartonshire126.9
Aberdeenshire222.1
Inverclyde320.1
Renfrewshire418.6
Aberdeen City517.9
Moray617.1
Perth and Kinross716.9
Na h-Eileanan Siar815.8
South Ayrshire915.5
Clackmannanshire1015.0
City of Edinburgh1114.2
Argyll and Bute1213.6
East Lothian1313.6
Dundee City1411.6
Falkirk1511.0
Glasgow City1610.7
North Lanarkshire178.8
East Ayrshire187.7
Midlothian194.9
Fife203.4
South Lanarkshire213.3
West Lothian223.1
Scottish Borders232.3
Angus242.2
Stirling251.6
Highland260.9
North Ayrshire27-4.6
Dumfries and Galloway28-7.0
Scotland average 10.2

East Dunbartonshire has the biggest gender pay gap in Scotland. In East Dunbartonshire, men are paid 26.9% more than women – well over double Scotland’s average gender pay gap (10.2%).

Aberdeenshire has the second biggest pay gap in Scotland, with men earning 22.1% more than women – twice the Scottish average gender pay gap of 10.2%. Inverclyde has Scotland’s third biggest pay gap, with men raking in 20% more in wages than women.

Renfrewshire, Aberdeen City and Moray are also some of Scotland’s worst areas for gender pay gaps, with men earning 18.6%, 17.9% and 17.1% more than women respectively.

At the other end of the scale, Dumfries and Galloway and North Ayrshire in Scotland are the only areas in the country where women earn more than men. In Dumfries and Galloway, women earn 7% more than men, and in North Ayrshire, women earn 4.6% more than men.

The Scottish Highlands, Stirling and Angus also have smaller gender pay gaps than the rest of Scotland. In the Scottish Highlands, men earn 0.9% more than women, and in Stirling and Angus, they earn 1.6% and 2.2% more than women respectively.

A spokesperson for Forbes Advisor commented on the findings: “These figures shed light on the concerning gender inequality which still persists in Scotland.

“It’s not enough to tweet about gender equality in the wake of International Women’s Day, we all have a responsibility to ensure that everyone is equally compensated for their labour.

“Not only do men earn 10.2% more than women across Scotland as a whole, but in local authorities such as East Dunbartonshire, men are earning up to 26.9% more than women, which shows that we have a long way to go before achieving fair pay.”

Police Scotland commits to national roll-out of life-saving nasal spray

Chief Constable Iain Livingstone has decided that all operational officers in Police Scotland will be trained and equipped with a life-saving nasal spray which can be given safely to people who have suffered a drug overdose.

A national roll-out of Naloxone follows a successful test of change in Dundee, Falkirk, Glasgow, Stirling and Caithness during which officers used the spray, which counters the effects of overdose from opioids such as heroin, to provide first aid on 62 occasions.

Chief Constable Livingstone said: “I know the terrible toll of drugs deaths in Scotland and policing is committed to playing our part in reducing the harm caused to individuals, families and communities.

“We have a vital role in preventing drugs from reaching our streets and bringing those engaged in serious and organised crime to justice and that will always be a key duty and priority for Police Scotland.

“Preservation of life, keeping people safe, lies right at the heart of policing. We have a purpose and remit which goes beyond law enforcement. We have a positive legal duty to improve the lives of our communities. Equipping and training officers with Naloxone will contribute to that mission.

“Policing is so often the service of first and last resort; the service first on the scene; the service which responds to crisis and criticality. Where a person is suffering an overdose, Naloxone nasal-spray can be given safely by officers with no adverse effects.

“It is absolutely essential that where Naloxone is used by an officer to help people in crisis, professional medical attention continues to be provided from ambulance service colleagues and others. In addition, it is crucial that timely and sustainable support is available to provide treatment for those suffering addiction.”

The Chief Constable added: “I’m grateful to all the officers who stepped forward during the trial to carry Naloxone and help their fellow citizens when they needed it.”

During the test of change, 808 officers were trained to use Naloxone, and 656 (81 per cent) volunteered to carry the nasal spray kits.

An independent academic review conducted between March and October 2021, during which Naloxone was used 51 times, recommended a national roll-out.

The review was co-ordinated by the Scottish Institute for Police Research (SIPR). More information about SIPR’s study can be found here.

Work is under way to secure stock of Naloxone and a national programme of training and equipping over 12,000 officers, will be undertaken in the coming months.

All officers within response, community, and other roles including dog handlers, armed police, public order and road policing up to and including the rank of Inspector will be trained and equipped. Any other officer or member of staff is free to undertake the training.

The number of drug-related deaths in Scotland has risen constantly in recent years, to a total of 1,339 in 2020.

The announcement comes on the back of the following …

Naloxone programme should be rolled out Scotland-wide, report recommends

Researchers call for compulsory training for all Police Scotland officers

Police officers across Scotland should carry naloxone, an emergency treatment for drug overdoses, a new report has recommended.

An Edinburgh Napier University-led study backed the use of the nasal spray, which counters the effects of overdose from opioids such as heroin, following an independent evaluation of a pilot carried out between March and October last year.

The researchers also called for naloxone training to be made compulsory for all Police Scotland officers and staff.

Supporters believe naloxone is an important tool in tackling Scotland’s drug-related deaths crisis, by providing immediate first aid while waiting for the ambulance service to arrive and take over emergency medical treatment.

In response to the increasing drugs death toll, and the recommendation of the country’s Drug Deaths Taskforce, Police Scotland began a pilot project to test the carriage and administration of the treatment by officers.

Last year’s trial was initially launched in Falkirk, Dundee and Glasgow East before being extended to include Caithness and Glasgow custody and Stirling community police officers.

Naloxone packs were used 51 times in the course of the pilot, and by the end 808 officers had been trained in their use, representing 87 per cent of the workforce in the pilot areas.

A team led by Dr Peter Hillen and advised by Dr Andrew McAuley of Glasgow Caledonian University assessed the attitudes and experiences of police officers, the effectiveness of their naloxone training and responses from people who use drugs and support services.

A total of 346 police officers completed questionnaires, with 41 taking part in interviews or focus groups, and further interviews were carried out with people who use drugs, family members, support workers and key stakeholders.

A majority of officers who participated in an interview or focus group were supportive of the pilot and its roll out across Scotland. Thirteen interviewees had personally administered naloxone, some on several occasions, and officers reported very positive experiences of naloxone being used effectively to save people’s lives.

While some officers considered carrying naloxone would lead to greater reliance on police by ambulance services, police overwhelmingly said that preserving life was the top priority.

Community stakeholders who were interviewed were supportive of the pilot as part of a range of initiatives to tackle the drug deaths crisis.

The study recommended that police carrying naloxone should be rolled out Scotland-wide, and that it should also be placed within police cars and custody suites to widen access.

As well as compulsory naloxone training for all police staff, the report urged consideration be given to measures to further address stigmatising attitudes towards people who use drugs.

It also recommended that officers be given ‘unambiguous information’ about their legal position if they administer the emergency treatment.

Professor Nadine Dougall, one of the team’s co-investigators, said: “Our evaluation has shown that there is significant potential benefit in training and equipping police officers with naloxone nasal spray as part of emergency first aid until ambulance support arrives.

“Many police officers told us they are often the first to attend people who have overdosed, and they greatly valued the potential to save lives in this way. People with personal experience of overdose also agreed naloxone should be carried by police officers but were keen to stress that naloxone was only a part of a solution to address drug-related deaths.”

Read full study:

http://www.sipr.ac.uk/Plugin/Publications/assets/files/Naloxone%20in%20Police%20Scotland_Final_9.2.22.pdf

One in three people struggling to keep up with bills and credit commitments – double the pre-pandemic number

Millions driven to harmful desperation borrowing as financial pressure on households deepens

The number of people finding it hard to keep up with bills and credit commitments has doubled since the start of the pandemic according to new research from StepChange Debt Charity.

The charity has found the proportion of people struggling is now nearly one in three (30%) GB adults – 15 million people – compared to 15% (7.5m people) who say they were struggling in March 2020.

The findings are part of a new report – Falling behind to keep up: the credit safety net and problem debt – which reveals the pandemic has further entrenched the use of consumer credit to make ends meet.

The report finds 8.6 million people in financial difficulty in Britain borrowed £26 billion to cover their basic needs in the last year. This includes 3.5 million people who have used credit to pay essential bills.

The number of people resorting to credit is expected to increase as the cost-of-living crisis pushes up the price of basic household essentials.

StepChange’s research reveals a credit market that does not always work for people in financial difficulty, with two-thirds (65%) of those in difficulty having kept up with credit repayments by missing bills, borrowing from family and friends or being forced to cut back to the point of hardship.

Despite rules designed to ensure those in financial difficulty access support, fewer than one in four of those struggling with credit repayments are in contact with their bank or credit firm.

Strikingly, half of GB adults (53%) say that they would be reluctant to seek help with financial difficulty from a bank or credit firm due to concerns about credit reporting and the anxiety and stigma of talking about financial difficulty.

The report finds that rather than access help, people struggling with debt can instead experience steps that make their situation worse. Among Stepchange clients who responded to an online survey, 26% were offered further credit after they were in financial difficulty, 35% had a payment taken they could not afford and 51% had interest added to a debt.

The lack of effective early intervention to identify and provide those in financial difficulty with a safe, fair way out of unaffordable debt is causing social harms, with 6.4 million struggling GB adults saying credit has had a negative impact on their health, relationships or ability to work in the last 12 months.

The research, based on a national survey of GB adults and an online survey of StepChange clients, highlights poor practice in the credit market such as ineffective affordability checks and automatic credit limit increases that draw financially vulnerable households into unmanageable debt.

With the cost-of-living crisis now further squeezing budgets StepChange is warning that many more people are likely to use credit to pay for essentials in the coming months. Urgent action is needed to support households to meet essential costs without resorting to credit.

The Financial Conduct Authority recently announced proposals to implement a new Consumer Duty that will require firms to focus on delivering good outcomes for consumers. StepChange is calling for the FCA to ensure the Duty changes practices that are failing consumers, including:

  • Raising standards of lending and addressing unaffordable credit limit increases so that fewer stretched households build unaffordable credit card debt
  • Requiring firms to intervene proactively and provide a widely available and safe offer to customers unable to keep up with repayments, building on learning from payment deferrals offered during the pandemic.

StepChange is also calling on the Government and the FCA to do more to provide alternatives to borrowing for households that are struggling to meet unexpected expenses, through grants via the social security system and a government-supported no interest loan scheme.

StepChange Chief Executive Phil Andrew said: “The sharp rise in the number of people struggling to meet their financial commitments should raise alarm bells across Government, banks and regulators.

“We are two years into a financially damaging pandemic and going through the sharpest cost of living increase in a generation. While consumer credit can potentially play some part in helping people navigate short-term pinch points, this must not be at the cost of their long-term financial and personal wellbeing.

“For our clients, a cost-of-living crisis is not new – for years we have been seeing a steady rise in the number of households who experience debt simply through a prolonged period of not having enough income to meet their basic needs.

“However, the number of such households looks set to grow, and in the absence of public policy intervention the risk is that such households will have no other option but to turn to borrowing in the short term, which will only exacerbate and prolong their financial difficulties.

“Those responsible for the steering us through these choppy financial waters need to be attuned to the harm many credit products, made available to people on the cusp of financial difficulty, can cause.

“The new Consumer Duty is a crucial opportunity for firms to redesign products and change practices to ensure credit does not exploit financial difficulty and those in difficulty get effective help fast.

“To resist acting is to risk a rapidly escalating debt crisis, particularly among lower income households.”

Falling-behind-to-keep-up-the-credit-safety-net-and-problem-debt-StepChangeDownload

Cool runnings: unravelling the winter movements of basking sharks

New research has revealed that basking sharks overwintering in tropical waters off Africa experience cooler temperatures than those remaining in the Uk and Ireland.

The research, published in Environmental Biology of Fishes, provides evidence to challenge previous assumptions that their disappearance from Irish coastal waters was linked to their search for warmer waters. 

The research team equipped four basking sharks with pop-off archival satellite tags off Malin Head, County Donegal to record water temperature, depth and location over a six-month period.  

Basking sharks are a regular visitor to Ireland’s shores in summer months. It has been widely believed that basking sharks prefer the warmer waters and that their seasonal disappearance is linked to falling water temperatures.  

Through the tracking devices, the research team discovered that two of the sharks travelled vast distances to the subtropical and tropical waters off Africa whilst the others remained in Irish coastal waters throughout the winter.

The sharks off the coast of Africa experienced colder temperatures on a daily basis than the sharks that resided in Ireland, suggesting that they didn’t move south simply in search of warmer conditions.

The cooler temperatures experienced off Africa resulted from the sharks diving each day to depths of up to 600m, most likely in search of prey. 

Dr Emmett Johnston, Lead Author from the School of Biological Sciences at Queen’s University Belfast, said: “Our findings challenge the idea of temperature as the main reason for winter dispersal from Ireland.

“Likewise, further evidence of individual basking sharks occupying Irish coastal waters year-round has significant implications for national and European conservation efforts. Now we know that basking sharks are foraging at these depths, it shows that these habitats should be considered alongside coastal hotspots in future conservation efforts.” 

Dr Jonathan Houghton, Co-author from Queen’s, added: “This study tempts us to think about basking sharks as an oceanic species that aggregates in coastal hotspots for several months of the year (most likely for reproduction), rather than a coastal species that reluctantly heads out into the ocean when decreasing water temperatures force them to.” 

Co-author, Dr Paul Mensink from Western University, added: “Our findings highlight the need to understand the role of deep, offshore foraging habitats for a species so commonly sighted just a few metres from our shores.” 

The international team will continue to monitor basking sharks as part of the EUSeaMonitor project to help inform and develop a collective conservation strategy for wide ranging species that have inhabited our waters for millennia. 

Photographs: E. Johnston

Lack of trust in public figures is linked to COVID vaccine hesitancy, says new research

New research says lack of trust in public sector officials has played a key role in low uptake of COVID-19 vaccinations amongst groups termed “high risk.”

According to research from the Universities of Birmingham and Leeds, vaccine hesitancy was greatest among people from lower socio-economic and/or ethnic minority backgrounds. The researchers recommended that the Government should review public health messaging, with a focus on tailoring health promotion advice to these groups and greater effort in improving trust in public sector and the Government.

The study showed during the period immediately before Britain’s COVID vaccine rollout in December 2020, over 11% of UK adults said they were unwilling to take a COVID vaccine. But this hesitancy wasn’t spread evenly across the population.

It was lowest among white people, with 9% saying they didn’t want a COVID vaccine. In comparison, 50% of Black people said they didn’t want to receive the vaccine, and hesitancy was also high in other non-white groups: 28% of South Asian and 17% of other Asian respondents said they were unwilling to be vaccinated.

Dr Kausik Chaudhuri, Senior Lecturer in Economics, Leeds University Business School and lead author of the study said: “Our study shows that hesitancy is at least partly driven by people feeling disenfranchised by the state or not trusting government personnel.

“When we analysed data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study, we found that participants who agreed or strongly agreed with the statement that “public officials don’t care”, or who felt that they “don’t have a say in what government does”, were least likely to want to get vaccinated.

“It is worth noting that their responses were not based on how the government had been managing the pandemic. Rather, they can be interpreted as a reflection of peoples’ overall faith in public institutions, irrespective of COVID.”

Even though rates of declared vaccine hesitancy have since fallen, the research paper suggests that the general trends have been borne out over the past year across every age group: COVID vaccine uptake has been highest among white people and lowest among Black people, with the difference often a sizable gap of around 20 percentage points.

Among those eligible for the vaccine, the uptake of booster doses has also been low among non-white groups.

The research also showed that:

  • Clinically-vulnerable respondents were more willing to take a COVID jab.
  • Self-employed people were less willing to get vaccinated compared to employed people.
  • Respondents who said that they felt positive about their financial wellbeing were almost three times as likely to be willing to take a vaccine compared to those felt they were just getting by or struggling.

Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay, Professor of Economics from the University of Birmingham and co-author of the study (above) says: “Building trust in the public sector and government are essential to improving uptake amongst groups who are most at risk from COVID.

“Public sector officials along with government need to look at new and innovative ways to engage with citizens as well as be transparent in their communication to refute fake news related to vaccines.

“Similarly, it is imperative that politicians and officials maintain high ethical standards during times of emergency like the pandemic when there is reduced oversight. It hasn’t helped in the UK where we see news of parties being held at Downing Street in the middle of lockdowns along with reports of the government breaking the law in the awarding of PPE contracts which has only lowered public trust in officials.

“During a period when new COVID-19 variants are on the horizon, the focus should be on clear public health messages around vaccination, rather than what is making headlines in this regard.”

New blood cancer gene defect can be treated with existing drugs

A defective gene, normally found in blood cancers, could be treated with drugs already available for cancers with similar gene defects, scientists at Queen’s University Belfast and the University of Birmingham have revealed.  

The research team, funded mainly by Cancer Research UK and the Medical Research Council, found that tumours with mutations in the SF3B1 gene respond to PARP inhibitors, a type of drug used to treat cancers which have similar mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes.  

The researchers believe that PARP inhibitors could be used to treat patients with tumours carrying the defective SF3B1 gene. This mutation is most often found in blood cancers, including chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, as well as some rare cancers like uveal melanoma.  

Dr Kienan Savage, lead author and Reader at the Patrick G Johnson Centre for Cancer Research at Queen’s, (above) said: “Our findings have clinical implications for the treatment of many cancers.

“We specifically focused on this genetic mutation as it is found in several difficult to treat leukaemias and other cancers, and it affects so many cancer patients. By deepening our understanding of this gene mutation, we have identified new ways of treating these cancers that could improve survival rates.” 

PARP inhibitors, which include olaparib and rucaparib, are used to treat some patients with ovarian, breast, prostate and pancreatic cancers – usually patients who have inherited a faulty BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene. Around 1 in 400 people have a faulty BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene.  

The research, published today in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, found that the SF3B1 mutation produces similar effects to the faulty BRCA1 gene by damaging DNA, preventing it from being repaired properly, and stopping it from making normal copies of itself. PARP inhibitors target the cell’s DNA repair tools by locking them in place on the DNA. This stops DNA repair, causing the cancer cells to die.  

The scientists found that cancer cells with the SF3B1 mutation were sensitive to olaparib, the most common PARP inhibitor, some specific chemotherapies and to radiotherapy. The scientists believe that the SF3B1 mutation disrupts the cell’s ability to make DNA repair proteins, leaving it vulnerable to drugs which target these proteins.   

The SF3B1 mutation occurs in up to 30% of blood cancers called myelodysplastic syndromes, where blood cells don’t form properly. They are difficult to treat as they occur predominantly in older patients who may not be considered fit for treatment. The mutation is also common among uveal melanoma or cancers of the eye, which currently have limited treatment options.  

Dr Katrina Lappin, from Queen’s and first author of the study, added: “Our research shows that cancers with these specific mutations, may be treated effectively with PARP inhibitor therapy drugs, which are less toxic, better at killing cancer cells with these mutations and can be taken at home in tablet form. This could have huge implications for improving outcomes and quality of life of people with these cancers.” 

“This work will pave the way for clinical trials using PARP inhibitors for the treatment of patients with this commonly associated cancer mutation, allowing a more personalised approach to the treatment of these cancers.” 

The researchers now want to test PARP inhibitors in clinical trials with patients who have the SF3B1 mutation to see if they can stop their cancer from spreading.  

Co-author Professor Grant Stewart, of the University of Birmingham, said: “Our work demonstrates that a molecular understanding of how a specific gene mutation affects a cancer cell’s ability to repair damaged DNA can be exploited clinically to specifically tailor the anti-cancer therapy used to treat an individual’s tumour.

“This will increase the effectiveness of the therapy and hopefully, reduce the chances of re-occurrence.” 

Michelle Mitchell, Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK, said: “Our scientists helped to discover the BRCA gene over 25 years ago and since then we’ve led the way in developing PARP inhibitors to treat cancers with BRCA gene faults. 

“It’s really exciting to hear about a new mutation, which behaves like the BRCA1 mutation and could in the future be treated in the same way. With PARP inhibitors already widely available, there is huge potential to help people with some of the rarest and most difficult-to-treat cancers known to us. 

“Over the past two decades, PARP inhibitors have saved thousands of lives worldwide, and it will be interesting to see if this research in the future could lead to a similar impact for people with rarer cancers.”  

The research was funded by the UK Medical Research Council, Cancer Research UK, Blood Cancer UK, Leukaemia and Lymphoma NI and Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity. 

Red squirrel conservation strategies ‘likely to undermine species survival in future’

New research has shown how current red squirrel conservation strategies in the UK and Ireland, that favour non-native conifer plantations, are likely to negatively impact red squirrels.  

The research shows that native predators in native woodland, and not conifer plantations, are the key ingredients for red squirrel survival in Britain and Ireland. This contradicts existing red squirrel conservation strategies that promote non-native conifer planting and instead highlights the value native predators can deliver (to native biodiversity). 

Current conifer plantation focused afforestation strategies in the UK and Ireland are sold as a nature-based solution for tackling climate change and the biodiversity crisis, particularly that of the threatened flagship species the red squirrel. 

However, new research from Queen’s University Belfast and the University of St Andrew’s challenges this approach. Together with Ulster Wildlife and citizen scientists, they used camera traps to survey over 700 sites across Northern Ireland over a five-year period for red squirrels, grey squirrels and pine martens.

The results show that with the recovery of the pine marten, conifer plantations planted under the guise of protecting the red squirrel, are likely to have a damaging impact on the species survival.  

Until recently, the pine marten was a little-known elusive member of the weasel family, restricted to the northern reaches of the Scottish Highlands, and the western counties of Ireland.

Following its protection in the 70s and 80s, this native predator has made an astounding recovery. Previous research has shown how the pine marten benefits the red squirrel by providing natural biological control of the invasive grey squirrel, which has replaced the red squirrel throughout much of Ireland and Britain. 

New research, published today (Wednesday 12 January) in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B and funded by the British Ecological Society, has shown that the presence of pine marten increases red squirrel occurrence across the landscape, especially in native broadleaf woodlands.

This is because the pine marten suppresses the grey squirrel regardless of habitat. However, this effect is reversed in large non-native conifer plantations, where the pine marten reduces the occurrence of red squirrel.

This could be due to the lack of alternate prey, and the lack of refuges for red squirrels in highly simplified landscapes. However, it is likely linked to the fact grey squirrels don’t do well in these habitats, and thus following pine marten recovery, red squirrels do not get the benefits of release from their nemesis as they do elsewhere in the landscape. 

Dr. Joshua P. Twining, lead author from Queen’s University Belfast, explains: “Restoration of native predators is a critical conservation tool to combat the on-going biodiversity crisis, but this must be in conjunction with maintenance and protection of natural, structurally complex habitats.

“This has global implications given the on-going recovery of predators in certain locations such as mainland Europe. It also shows that the current national red squirrel conservation strategies that favor non-native confer plantations are likely to have the opposite impact to what is intended.

“Timber plantations are often promoted as being beneficial to red squirrel conservation, but our results show that they will have a detrimental effect on the species in the future.” 

Dr Chris Sutherland, from the University of St Andrews, added: “This research demonstrates the enormous value of large scale data collected through public participation. Combining this data with state-of-the-art analytical techniques has generated important conservation insights that until now have been overlooked.”   

The UK and Ireland has some of the lowest forest cover in Europe and over 75% of it is made up of non-native timber plantations. 

Dr Twining concludes: “This work shows that we need to develop an alternative national conservation strategy for the red squirrel, focused on planting native woodlands alongside continued pine marten recovery.”