James Cook University

MONDAY, Jan. 29, 2024 -- Imagine being subjected to domestic violence in your home, wanting to escape -- but there's no place you can go that will accept a beloved pet. That's the gut-wrenching situation facing too many victims of domestic abuse, according to a new data review spanning 27 years. “In a lot of cases of domestic violence, there is evidence to suggest that people will delay leaving their relationship to protect their pet,” said study lead author Jasmine Montgomery , a PhD student at James Cook University in Townsland, Australia. “This is often because there’s a lack of shelters or housing places which can accommodate pets, or a lack of trust... that they won’t be separated from their pet," she said in a university news release. “In those cases where threats to pets are made, victims can be lured back by the perpetrator, which places significant risk to their safety as well," Montgomery noted. “Sadly, the review also confirmed that a common outcome for pets in cases of domestic violence was maltreatment and/or death.” The Australian authors noted that similar scenarios exist for people fleeing natural disasters or those who become homeless. The new data review looked at information from 42 studies on the human-animal bond in the context of personal crises. “Our results reveal the strong emotional attachment between people and animals may result in vulnerability for both in circumstances where this bond is threatened,” Montgomery said. “When people are being forced to separate in the context of a crisis situation, such as natural disaster, homelessness or domestic violence, it can result in psychological distress and the risk to their health, and well-being and safety are really impacted." In many cases, people put themselves and their pets in peril when concerns over what to do with an animal cause them to delay fleeing their home -- even when natural disasters are imminent. Too often, the welfare of animals is deemed a secondary consideration for local authorities, compared to human well-being, the researchers found. There are also "disparities" when it comes to who (if anyone) is thought to be responsible for a pet's welfare, the team said. “Often, it’s expected people will choose human interests over animals at all costs, without consideration of the shared human-animal bond,” Montgomery said. “What we need to start doing is taking our pets, and the value of our pets, very seriously," she said. "And, as a collective in the community, sharing that responsibility and placing the needs of pets in those areas of policy development, legislation, service provision and housing to help prevent unacceptable outcomes such as animal maltreatment or death.” Some of the researchers' recommendations: Including questions about pets when people seek to access shelters or other domestic violence services, and allowing such housing to include victims, their children and their pets Increasing collaboration between domestic violence shelters and nearby facilities that can help arrange care for animals Upgrading natural disaster evacuation plans so that pets are included in transport and shelter planning When homelessness strikes, ensuring that accommodations are pet-friendly The study was published Jan. 29 in the journal Anthrozoös . Sources Taylor & Francis Group, news release, Jan. 29, 2024 Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions. Posted January 2024 More news resources FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts Daily MedNews News for Health Professionals New Drug Approvals New Drug Applications Drug Shortages Clinical Trial Results Generic Drug Approvals Subscribe to our newsletter Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.

Researchers have developed a molecular-sized, more efficient version of a widely used electronic sensor, in a breakthrough that could bring widespread benefits. Australian researchers have developed a molecular-sized, more efficient version of a widely used electronic sensor, in a breakthrough that could bring widespread benefits. Piezoresistors are commonly used to detect vibrations in electronics and automobiles, such as in smart phones for counting steps, and for airbag deployment in cars. They are also used in medical devices such as implantable pressure sensors, as well as in aviation and space travel. In a nationwide initiative, researchers led by Dr Nadim Darwish from Curtin University, Professor Jeffrey Reimers from the University of Technology Sydney, Associate Professor Daniel Kosov from James Cook University, and Dr Thomas Fallon from the University of Newcastle, have developed a piezoresistor that is about 500,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair. Dr Darwish said they had developed a more sensitive, miniaturised type of this key electronic component, which transforms force or pressure to an electrical signal and is used in many everyday applications. "Because of its size and chemical nature, this new type of piezoresistor will open up a whole new realm of opportunities for chemical and biosensors, human-machine interfaces, and health monitoring devices," Dr Darwish said. "As they are molecular-based, our new sensors can be used to detect other chemicals or biomolecules like proteins and enzymes, which could be game-changing for detecting diseases." Dr Fallon said the new piezoresistor was made from a single bullvalene molecule that when mechanically strained reacts to form a new molecule of different shape, altering electricity flow by changing resistance. "The different chemical forms are known as isomers, and this is the first time that reactions between them have been used to develop piezoresistors," Dr Fallon said. "We have been able to model the complex series of reactions that take place, understanding how single molecules can react and transform in real time." Professor Reimers said the significance of this was the ability to electrically detect the change in the shape of a reacting molecule, back and forth, at about once every 1 millisecond. "Detecting molecular shapes from their electrical conductance is a whole new concept of chemical sensing," Professor Reimers said. Associate Professor Kosov said understanding the relationship between molecular shape and conductivity will allow basic properties of junctions between molecules and attached metallic conductors to be determined. "This new capability is critical to the future development of all molecular electronics devices," Associate Professor Kosov said.

$2 million in grants to investigate evidence-based epilepsy treatment for neuropsychiatric disorders SAN MATEO, Calif., July 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Baszucki Brain Research Fund is pleased to announce that five science teams around the globe have received funding to study ketogenic metabolic interventions for bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and major depressive disorder. The Fund is providing $2 million in grants to support neurometabolic research focused on the benefits of carbohydrate-restricted ketogenic diet therapies for improving mental health outcomes. Building on preliminary research, including a recent retrospective analysis of thirty-one inpatients in France, the funding for the five research grants supports the first pilot trials of ketogenic interventions for mental illness since a single promising study in schizophrenia in 1965. "We've known for 100 years from treatment of epilepsy that ketogenic interventions can stabilize the brain," said author Jan Ellison Baszucki, who in 2019 established the Baszucki Brain Research Fund alongside her husband, Roblox founder and CEO David Baszucki, to invest philanthropically in breakthrough science for mental health conditions. "We're hopeful that the innovative work of these science teams will help to advance the ketogenic metabolic interventions that helped transform our son's life." This announcement builds on the family's prior investments in bipolar science in partnership with the Milken Institute Center for Strategic Philanthropy, totaling more than $13 million. With mental health receiving less than 1% of all philanthropic health spending worldwide, the new grants are intended to accelerate the field of metabolic psychiatry and build human capital, with the goal of transforming clinical care. According to Dr. Shebani Sethi at Stanford University, who founded the world's first academic speciality clinic in Metabolic Psychiatry, "Traditional funding for these sorts of trials has been difficult to impossible to come by. The Baszuckis' investment in metabolic psychiatry trials will enable tremendous progress in advancing ketogenic therapies for a host of mental illnesses." The Baszucki Brain Research Fund awardees include teams from: James Cook University The Ohio State University Stanford University University of California, San Francisco University of Edinburgh The principal investigators of the five trials met in May to form a working group at the first ever Metabolic Psychiatry Roadmap Retreat in Santa Barbara. "My research team has been focused on the formulation and implementation of carbohydrate-restricted ketogenic therapies, which we have demonstrated can have a transformative effect on people's metabolic health and wellbeing," said awardee Jeff Volek, PhD, RD research scientist and professor at The Ohio State University and co-founder of Virta Health. "This grant is instrumental in allowing us to extend our work into potential benefits on mental health, specifically the application of these therapies for managing major depression in college-aged adults." To learn more about the Baszucki Family Foundation's initiatives in mental health, visit baszuckigroup.com/our-work/. About the Baszucki Brain Research Fund The Baszucki Brain Research Fund, part of Baszucki Group, was launched in 2020 by Roblox founder and CEO David Baszucki and best-selling author Jan Ellison Baszucki. The Fund invests in innovative science and technologies to advance the prevention and treatment of bipolar disorder and other mental health conditions. It aims to fight stigma by catalyzing research and advancements in clinical care, with a focus on metabolic neuroscience, metabolic psychiatry and ketogenic interventions for mental health. SOURCE Baszucki Group