When Julia Maués was in her second trimester of pregnancy and felt a lump in her right breast she didn’t hesitate to bring it up to her doctor “I remember her nurse checking availability at the breast radiology clinics nearby I could do next Tuesday morning,’” Julia remembered That ultrasound turned into a same-day biopsy and the radiologist told Julia that she was “pretty certain it was cancer.” A breast cancer diagnosis at 29, let alone during pregnancy, is almost unimaginable. After all, pregnancy-associate breast cancer (PABC)—defined as occurring during pregnancy or lactation Patients with PABC often find their symptoms dismissed and diagnoses delayed and there’s a lack of data and research about how best to treat a pregnant person was fortunate—fortunate to have the privileges of access to good care and more—to be taken seriously and get care quickly my idea of breast cancer was that it was potentially bad but that if you treated it and caught it early My biggest fear was what would happen to my son: Could I get treatment while pregnant Would we have to terminate the pregnancy?” Julia was diagnosed with HER2-positive breast cancer and immediately started treatment, which, for her, meant four rounds of AC chemo—a type that is known to have more intense side effects but that has been shown to be safe to use during pregnancy Julia described her pregnancy from then on as very isolating “I didn’t like being in the cancer world with a pregnant belly or the gestational world with a bald head,” she said “Everyone wanted to tell me how bad they felt After a short break following chemotherapy Julia was induced at 37 weeks so she could immediately start HER2-targeted treatments “I remember the doctor telling me later that the placenta was twice the size it normally is ‘I’ve never seen something like this.’” It did what it had to do to protect the baby during chemo.” she met with her oncologist to discuss the results “He had tears in his eyes when he had to tell me: ‘You’re a new mom, but you have metastatic breast cancer It’s much worse than we thought,’” she remembered Julia started on HER2-targeted treatments and then another chemotherapy regimen But treatment ground to a halt when she began to go in to heart failure “Some of these treatments are so toxic to your heart I became really afraid Max would grow too attached to me I loved him and I wanted to spend time with him Julia had to stop the cancer treatment to focus on healing her heart her doctors proposed trying a new drug that was thought to be less toxic to her heart No one knew for sure whether it would be safe but they also knew she couldn’t go back on the HER2 treatments she was on originally which includes cardio-oncology specialists has been able to closely monitor and manage any effects on her heart Julia gets monthly infusions to keep the disease at bay she has faced the complex realities of living with cancer long term—including new health challenges and side effects that continue to impact her body and life Julia had to give up a career she loved as an economist “I didn’t want to leave my career and didn’t imagine myself becoming a stay-at-home mom but it has been so amazing to have time with him,” she said Julia has tried not to dwell on why she was diagnosed You do the best you can with what you have and sometimes you can make wonderful things with bad cards,” she said For her, that has meant not only raising her son but advocating for metastatic breast cancer research. She co-founded a nonprofit called GRASP (Guiding Researchers and Advocates to Scientific Partnerships) with another metastatic patient advocate with the goal of connecting patients and cancer researchers “I think it’s amazing they made a conscious decision to want to study cancer—one of the most complicated diseases there is and fight like crazy to get money to do their research Their mission in life is to make progress and improve the lives of people dealing with cancer like me.” Julia knows the power of research firsthand Thanks to groundbreaking treatments made possible by BCRF researchers and others she has been able to watch her son grow up But she also stresses that so much more research is needed to improve patients’ quality of life improve outcomes for people with metastatic breast cancer “I really want all my energy to go to research,” she said I would not be alive if this progress hadn’t been made.” I give to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation federal tax identification number 13-3727250 Breast Cancer Research Foundation28 West 44th Street, Suite 609, New York, NY 10036 General Office: 646-497-2600 | Toll Free: 1-866-346-3228bcrf@bcrf.org | BCRF is a 501 (c)(3) | EIN: 13-3727250 She graduated from Rutgers University-Camden with a bachelor's degree in English Byrne — who has been in medical publishing since 2001 — is a Healio senior staff writer she served as a staff writer for Primary Care Optometry News She has written extensively about several other medical specialties \nA story she wrote in 2006 for Ocular Surgery News won a Gold Award for best single news article in the American Society of Healthcare Publication Editors competition Her work for Primary Care Optometry News has been recognized in the APEX Awards for Publication Excellence.\nByrne previously served as a reporter for The Gloucester County Times and The Bridgeton News Innovative dosing strategies are warranted to improve the well-being of individuals with metastatic breast cancer according to a patient advocate-led study published in JCO Oncology Practice Most patients with metastatic breast cancer experienced at least one significant treatment-related adverse event most of those who received dose reductions reported improvement Researchers sent an anonymous online survey in August 2020 to individuals with self-reported metastatic breast cancer to determine the prevalence and extent of treatment-related adverse events The survey also addressed patient-physician communication patients’ perceptions about higher vs and their openness to discussing alternative dosing The majority (86.1%) of the 1,221 patients who completed the survey reported they experienced at least one substantial treatment-related adverse event Most patients (97.6%) who experienced a treatment-related adverse event notified their physician and 81.7% indicated they received help from their provider The majority (82.6%) of the 556 patients who received dose reductions reported relief More than half (53.3%) of survey respondents indicated they did not think a higher dose would necessarily be more effective than a lower dose and 92.3% said they would be willing to talk with their physician about flexible dosing options to improve quality of life The study comes amid increased awareness about the issue of dose optimization the FDA’s Oncology Center of Excellence launched Project Optimus an initiative designed to reform dose selection and optimization for cancer drugs “The FDA has really grabbed onto this concept,” study co-author Julia Maues MA — a member of the Patient-Centered Dosing Initiative which advocates for a paradigm change to cancer drug-dosing strategies — told Healio “They know patients need better dosing especially those with metastatic disease.” Healio spoke with Maues — who lives with metastatic breast cancer — about the study’s findings and how they contribute to ongoing dialogue about dose optimization in oncology Healio: What prompted you to conduct this study Maues: This study stemmed from our group which was founded in 2019 by a group of patients living with metastatic breast cancer The idea and main driving force behind it came from Anne Loeser who passed away in October 2023 from metastatic breast cancer She knew how dosing affects the quality of life of people living with metastatic breast cancer Healio: Why is the current approach to drug dosing potentially problematic Maues: Dosing is often determined through dose escalation in phase 1 clinical trials Small groups of patients are given increasing doses of the drug until the dose level where patients can’t tolerate the side effects so the level before it is considered the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) The MTD is then moved to later phases of trials where they evaluate efficacy and compare it to the standard of care millions of people go on to take the medication at that dose if they stay at that same dose for months or years that level of neuropathy may increase and could become irreversible Healio: How did you conduct this study Maues: One of the things Anne always wanted to do was to survey patients about the side effects they were experiencing and the impact these effects were having on quality of life and many of us are very well-connected in the advocacy community Maues: We found that 86% of the patients reported experiencing at least one treatment-related side effects that they considered “bad.” Of those 20% had to visit the emergency room due to a side effect of their medication Another statistic that was heartbreaking was that 43% — almost half — of respondents had to miss a treatment of the drug that was saving their life because that drug was so toxic and 83% of those who had a dose reduction felt better after the reduction Some of the most common adverse events were fatigue Healio: How did the oncology community respond to your study Maues: We did this survey and presented the findings at the ASCO Annual Meeting in 2021 our aspiration was to get selected for a poster the achievement was much larger — we got an oral presentation on the main stage of the metastatic session Her talk was in many people’s “best of ASCO” lists and she was then invited to give several additional talks the FDA published a very impactful journal article discussing how the drugs are too toxic and patients need better dosing Healio: How do you think these findings will advance the progress of dose optimization efforts which is their initiative for drug development to look at more than one dose in those earlier trials and studying them for longer periods so they find the best dose and people have submitted comments on better ways to find the right dose in clinical trials Get the latest news and education delivered to your inbox The email address associated with your Healio account is: If you would like to edit or change the email address that your subscriptions and alerts are sent to You'll receive reminders to complete your saved activities from Healio CME A teenage boy died after he was struck in the chest by a soccer ball during a youth league game in Brazil. Video footage showed Edson Gama, 16, standing in front of the net as the opposing team was about to kick a penalty at a tournament that held Sunday night in Maués, a city in the northwestern state of Amazonas. Gama was positioned towards the right side of the net when the first penalty kick sailed into the net, completely out of his reach. He remained in the same spot when the following struck him in the middle of the chest. Gama stumbled to the ground and fell on his back as the recording came to an end. Bystanders at the field attempted to provide him assistance and his family were alerted to the tragedy at around 1am. Gama's sister, Elisia Lopes, told Brazilian online news outlet G1 that their parents encountered issues taking him to the hospital in Maués because the rivers in their community, Nossa Senhora dos Navegantes, were dry. The teenager was not showing vital signs when he arrived at the hospital at 12.15pm the following day and was confirmed dead. Lopes revealed that Gama did not have heart problems, but did tell his family he was experiencing chest pains before he left home.  While the family is awaiting an autopsy report that will determine the cause of death, doctors informed them that Gama's death was likely caused by previously having been struck in the area. The treating physicians believe that the blow Gama suffered during the game may have worsened a medical condition he was already suffering from or caused the injury that took his life.  Dr. Cotta Júnior told newspaper Folha Vitoria that Gama's death could have been the result of commotio cordis - a rare and potentially fatal condition that happens when a blunt trauma to the chest directly over the heart disrupts the organ's normal rhythm. It is the same rare condition that almost killed NFL player Damar Hamlin and is often associated with being a higher risk to young baseball players. 'Could there be a cardiac reason for this to happen? And the answer is yes,' Júnior said.  'In fact, in medicine, it has a name, it's called comotio cordis. It's a trauma in the chest area, above the heart, and it can actually lead to cardiac arrest. One case for every 100,000 athletes worldwide.'  Lopes described Gama as a soccer lover who made sure he was always at the field showing off his talent.  'Every time there was this type of tournament, he was there. He never missed a single football play,' she said.  'He had already been hit by the ball several times in past tournaments. He was always dedicated to the sport,' she added.  'He was a young man who gave his life for the ball, and it was the ball that took his life.' Major terror attack 'was just HOURS away' before it was foiled by the special forces and police:... Victim of acid attack 'plotted by his ex-partner who teamed up with a gang' dies in hospital six... Pub is forced to pay family £75,000 after wrongly accusing them of 'dine and dash' over £150... 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How 'SAS swooped on Iran-backed terror cell': Special Forces troops joined police on UK streets to... British 'ringleader' of hacking group 'behind M&S cyber attack' fled his home after 'masked thugs... Hamas hostage, 23, 'raped by personal trainer influencer in her own home after being released' Sainsbury's makes major change at self-service checkouts following rise in shoplifting No one seems to have shared their thoughts on this topic yetLeave a comment so your voice will be heard first. {{message}} Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. Fabiano Maisonnave | Wednesday 19 February 2025 17:43 GMT This is the moment a young man from an isolated indigenous tribe approached a populated river community in the Amazon. The encounter occurred at around 7pm on Wednesday in Bela Rosa, a community along the Purus River in the southwestern Amazon region. Barefoot and wearing a small loincloth, the young man appeared calm and in good health as he waved two wooden sticks. The villager said locals believed the man was asking for fire. Mobile phone footage of the rare encounter showed one resident trying and failing to show the man how to use a lighter. Funai officials arrived soon after, and after the man was served fish, he was taken to a nearby facility operated by the group. Kim Kardashian wears Marilyn Monroe’s dress As Baltimore begins the process of planning to replace the Francis Scott Key Bridge, labor experts have pointed to how Latino workers will be the one who rebuild it. Anderson Clayton attends the North Carolina Young Democrats Convention in Durham. Decomplicated thumbnail about bedbugs explainer Woman runs London marathon topless after her double mastectomy Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds, right, and Wrexham's Ollie Palmer pose with trophy at the Racecourse ground in Wrexham, Wales Defeat to Chris Eubank Jr ‘hard to swallow’ for Conor Benn Chris Eubank Jr (right) and his father, boxing icon Chris Sr Freddie Flintoff recalls second-by-second how cricket helped him survive horror Top Gear crash. Freddie Flintoff reveals frightened young son wouldn’t go near him after horror Top Gear crash. Eddie Hearn storms off stage at Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn press conference. Floodwaters rage across Yelville as residents evacuated from homes Googlebox stars stuck in Jamaica as Hurricane Beryl makes landfall: ‘I want to get out’. Cars swept away in New Mexico flash floods after wildfires charred the region Lady Gaga plays show to estimated 2.1m fans at free beach concert Sian Welby on why she kept pregnancy hidden from This Morning bosses. Prince Louis caught brushing down Price Williams jacket during VE Day celebrations The 1998 diesel has been converted into a stylish two-bed Beckham luciendo su peinado mohicano antes de un amistoso internacional contra México en 2001 Alto Maues designated a federal reserve to curb carbon emissions the Brazilian government announced the declaration of a new federal reserve deep in the Amazon rainforest The protections conferred by the move will ban deforestation and help safeguard the area’s renowned wildlife the new reserve encompasses 668,000 hectares of mostly pristine forest void of human presence according to the Brazilian Environment Ministry The area is home to hundreds of species of animals several are considered threatened with extinction by the IUCN the distinctive species needs large tracts of continuous forest something that is becoming increasingly rare as deforestation fragments its range One of the biggest threats to the saki is the development of roads into the area which has brought with them an influx of soybean farms This sort of activity will be forbidden in Alto Maues the declaration of a reserve is a boon for area wildlife “This is essential to protect unique Amazon species, such as some types of primates,” Mauro Armelin, a WWF conservationist, told Reuters. the creation of the reserve was not motivated entirely for habitat protection It is actually part of Brazil’s climate policy By granting federal protection to the area and thereby preventing large-scale clearing activities the country hopes to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions Unlike most other countries whose carbon emissions are due primarily to the burning of fossil fuels which releases into the atmosphere carbon that had been locked up by trees deforestation does still continue in Brazil with Global Forest Watch data showing forest loss of more than 34 million hectares from 2001 through 2012 – or more than 6 percent of the country’s tree cover The new Alto Maues reserve lies in the western state of Amazonas Together the two states lost more than 640,000 hectares of forest in 2012 alone While the forest contained within Alto Maues has been untouched by human development Global Forest Watch shows clearing encroaching into the area with about 50,000 hectares lost in 2012 within a radius of about 150 kilometers (100 miles) from the new reserve While designation as a Protected Area does provide certain safeguards an Environmental Protection Area about 400 kilometers (240 miles) from Alto Maues lost 361,000 hectares of tree cover from 2001 through 2012 Gold mining expanding rapidly along Guiana Shield, threatening forests, water, wildlife (10/22/2014) Gold mining is on the rise in the Guiana Shield a geographic region of South America that holds one of the world’s largest undisturbed tract of rainforest A new mapping technology using a radar and optical imaging combination has detected a significant increase in mining since 2000 threatening the region’s forests and water quality Daring activists use high-tech to track illegal logging trucks in the Brazilian Amazon (10/15/2014) Every night empty trucks disappear into the Brazilian Amazon This timber —illegally cut —makes its way to a sawmills that sell it abroad using fraudulent paperwork to export the ill-gotten gains as legit These findings are the result of a daring and dangerous investigation by Greenpeace-Brazil As Amazon deforestation falls, small farmers play bigger role in forest clearing (10/14/2014) Smallholder properties account for a rising proportion of overall deforestation in Brazilian Amazon suggesting that Brazil’s progress in cutting forest loss through stricter law enforcement may be nearing the limits of its effectiveness finds a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Forest fragmentation’s carbon bomb: 736 million tonnes C02 annually (10/09/2014) Scientists have long known that forest fragments are not the same ecologically as intact forest landscapes winds dry out the edges leading to dying trees and rising temperatures while local extinctions rise and big animals vanish a new study finds another worrisome impact of forest fragmentation: carbon emissions Brazil unlikely to sustain gains in reducing deforestation without new incentives for ranchers, says study (10/09/2014) Cattle ranchers that drive the vast majority of forest clearing in the Brazilian Amazon are unlikely to be held at bay indefinitely unless they are afforded new incentives for keeping trees standing argues new analysis published by an economic research group The findings suggest that Brazil’s recent progress in reducing deforestation — annual forest loss in the region has dropped by roughly 80 percent since 2004 — could easily be reversed Dogs may be responsible for declining mammals in Brazil’s agroforests (09/26/2014) With an estimated population of 700 million individuals domestic dogs are the most abundant carnivore in the world and are present everywhere that man has settled Domestic dogs are not usually viewed as a huge threat to wildlife and native habitats but according to a recent study dogs fit all three categories to be considered an invasive species and may be decimating mammals in agroforests in Brazil Drivers in Brazil will intentionally run-down small animals, but only if it is safe (09/24/2014) Although not always very wide but they also allow people into long-inaccessible natural areas A new study in mongabay.com’s open-access journal Tropical Conservation Science looks at how drivers on Brazil’s MG-010 road act when faced with small animals Brazil cancels Tapajos dam auction due to indigenous concerns (09/19/2014) Brazilian authorities have suspended the auction of the centerpiece of the massive Tapajos hydroelectric complex Brazil’s planned Tapajós dams would increase Amazon deforestation by 1M ha (09/14/2014) A plan to build a dozen dams in the Tapajós river basin would drive the loss of an additional 950,000 hectares of rainforest by 2032 by spurring land speculation and mass migration to the region Brazil confirms last year’s rise in Amazon deforestation (09/12/2014) Brazil’s National Space Agency INPE has officially confirmed last year’s rise in Amazon deforestation The “fortress conservation” model is under pressure in East Africa as protected areas become battlegrounds over history and global efforts to halt biodiversity loss Mongabay’s Special Issue goes beyond the region’s world-renowned safaris to examine how rural communities and governments are reckoning with conservation’s colonial origins and trying to forge a path forward […] Metrics details Tropical forests are being heavily modified by varying intensities of land use ranging from structural degradation to complete conversion While ecological responses of vertebrate assemblages to habitat modification are variable such understanding is critical to appropriate conservation planning of anthropogenic landscapes We assessed the responses of medium/large-bodied mammal assemblages to the ecological impacts of reduced impact logging and eucalyptus and oil palm plantations in Eastern Brazilian Amazonia We used within-landscape paired baseline-treatment comparisons to examine the impact of different types of habitat modification in relation to adjacent primary forest We examined assemblage-wide metrics including the total number of species number of primary forest species retained in modified habitats We ranked all types of habitat modification along a gradient of assemblage-wide impact intensity with oil palm and eucalyptus plantations exerting the greatest impact Selectively-logged and secondary forests did not experience discernible biodiversity loss except for the total number of primary forest species retained Secondary forests further experienced pronounced species turnover Considering the biodiversity retention capacity of anthropogenic habitats this study reinforces the landscape-scale importance of setting aside large preserved areas Our overarching aim is to provide an overview to what extent each of the modified habitat types assessed here is detrimental to mammal assemblages across lowland Amazonia where the Amazon Savannah is predominantly in light green Since detectability of indirect records such as tracks and scats could differ between the different habitat types covered (e.g. potential higher detectability in tree plantations than in LF or SF) All field surveys were carried out between 2002 and 2010 during both the wet and dry seasons Data analyses were first carried out within each of the four landscapes surveyed by comparing each human-modified habitat with the adjacent PF baseline Within-landscape results were then compared across landscapes Comparisons of mammal species abundance between any modified and adjacent primary forest habitat were performed using a standard t-test except for the logged forest landscape for which we applied a paired t-test we used the standardized species abundance given by the number of records detected per 10 km surveyed for each habitat type per landscape The r2 value indicates the effect of each land use change on the species composition the greater the change in species composition between PF and altered habitats high values of community integrity indicate that modified habitats resemble primary forest mammal assemblages Comparisons of the mammal community integrity between any modified-habitat and its adjacent PF were performed using a standard t-test except for the logged forest-landscape for which we applied a paired t-test We compared each of the mammal assemblage-metrics—rarefied total species richness species abundance and community integrity –across the four human-modified habitats We did so by calculating the mean and 95% confidence intervals of the percentage change in relation to their respective adjacent primary forest baseline The manuscript contains original data and is not under consideration in another journal A total of 46 mammal species representing 18 families and seven orders were recorded across the four landscapes (N = 5245 records; Table S2) 12 species (26%) were only present in Primary Forest areas (PFLF = 4 species Galictis vittata and Saimiri sciureus—were only present in human-modified habitats (LF = 5 species Primates comprised the most recorded species particularly Sapajus apella (N = 1139 records The most ubiquitous species were Mazama americana (N = 180 records 0.3%) which were recorded in 7 of the 8 habitat types surveyed Seven species were recorded only either once or twice considering all landscapes surveyed Mammal assemblage-wide metrics for human-modified and adjacent primary forest within each landscape: (a–d) rarefied total species richness in modified habitat and the adjacent primary forest and rarefied number of primary forest species retained in modified habitat; (e–h) species abundance (number of records per 10 km walked); (i–m) species composition represented in an ordination diagram obtained using the first two NMDS axes; and (n–q) community integrity defined as the degree of similarity between disturbed and undisturbed habitats sampling sites are represented by dots and colour-coded according to habitat type: logged forest (blue) oil palm plantation (red) and adjacent primary forest (grey) dots/triangles in (a–d) represent the rarefied number of species within each habitat type per landscape which was obtained by further considering the number of records and corresponding sample coverage (see details in the Data Analysis) Percentage changes (mean ± 95% CIs) in assemblage-wide metrics within anthropogenic habitats compared to their adjacent primary forest baselines: (a) rarefied species richness (b) rarefied number of primary forest species Triangles indicate metrics when only primary forest species were included and are colour-coded according to habitat type: primary forest (grey) eucalyptus plantation (yellow) and oil palm plantation (red) we integrate data from four independently surveyed landscapes using a standardized approach to document consistently negative mammal responses across a broad spectrum of structural change in novel anthropogenic habitats The effects of complete forest habitat conversion were clearly more severe than those of habitat degradation the number of species in either logged forest (LF) or secondary forest (SF) was only lower than that in adjacent primary forest (PF) when the number of primary forest species retained in degraded habitats was considered Considering different forms of habitat degradation mammal responses to logging were less severe than those to second growth (i.e. higher number of species and community integrity in LF) eucalyptus (EP) and oil palm (OP) monoculture performed similarly in terms of species retention EP harboured higher levels of overall abundance and community integrity while OP retained higher species richness in terms of both the entire assemblage and primary forest species Species recorded at each sampling site across all four human-modified forest landscapes species incidence is denoted by a square that is colour-coded according to habitat type (see legend) Line-transects are ordered left to right within habitat type from most to least species rich The efficient adoption of these strategies by local to regional governments would contribute to minimise tropical forest biodiversity loss The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from previous publications indicated in the main text Gibson, L. et al. 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Biol. 19, 728–733. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2005.00691.x (2005) Download references We thank Mônica Coelho for sharing part of the data collected through her MSc degree in an Amazonian Cerrado site and CKBV FLORESTAL (KEILLA GROUP) for logistical support and giving us access to their production areas was funded by the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) with the PhD scholarship was funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No was funded by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) with the postdoctoral Grant (No Almeida-Maués & Ana Cristina Mendes-Oliveira P.C.R.A.M.: writing—original draft; A.S.B.: formal analysis writing—reviewing and editing; A.F.P.: writing—reviewing and editing; C.A.P.: data acquisition reviewing and editing; A.C.M.O.: conceptualization The authors declare no competing interests Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations Download citation DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-05450-1 Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: a shareable link is not currently available for this article Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science after Kimberly completed her second round of radiation therapy for metastatic breast cancer her oncologist put her on a daily dose of 125 mg of the targeted drug palbociclib (Ibrance) Kimberly experienced debilitating fatigue and other side effects She dropped from 120 pounds to just 95 pounds.  who asked that her last name not be used for privacy.  She pleaded with her oncologist to reduce her dose to see if that would help ease the side effects But her oncologist insisted that the full dose was needed to keep the disease at bay.  Kimberly continued insisting on a dose reduction Kimberly felt better almost immediately; her energy returned and the gastrointestinal issues subsided She then pressed her oncologist to reduce the dose even further.  Kimberly has now been on 75 mg of palbociclib since 2020 She’s returned to living a full life—traveling to developing countries for her job and advocating for others living with cancer she even achieved a personal goal of climbing to the top of the Swiss Alps.  I would have had to try a different drug,” which may have led to a different outcome researchers have been rethinking the traditional paradigm of identifying the best dose of cancer drugs to use in patients.  For years, that process has been largely unchanged, its goal being to determine the “maximum tolerated dose”—that is the intersection of where a drug inflicts the most harm on tumors while not causing side effects that are intolerable to patients.  This spare-nothing strategy was largely unavoidable for chemotherapy drugs which are most effective when they’re killing as many rapidly dividing cells as possible even though many of those cells will be innocent bystanders.  such as immunotherapies and targeted therapies generally don’t take this indiscriminate approach may actually be lower than the highest dose that a patient can tolerate.  where patients are being overdosed,” said Mark J who has been studying the drug dosing issue for decades.  Many survivors agree that it’s well past time to reconsider drug dosing.  In a recent survey of 1,221 women with metastatic breast cancer, 86% reported having had at least one side effect related to their treatment And 20% had such severe side effects that they had to go to the hospital or emergency room.  led by the Patient-Centered Dosing Initiative also showed that 43% of respondents said they missed at least one treatment because of side effects Hippocampal avoidance limits harm without affecting treatment’s effect on tumors “What good is a treatment if you have to skip it because it's so toxic?” asked Maues Efforts to address this very question have gained traction in recent years including studies to assess lower doses of commonly used cancer drugs.  Several studies, for example, have shown that lower doses of palbociclib are still effective against tumors but cause fewer side effects, in particular reducing the drop in white blood cell counts (neutropenia) that can increase infection risk.  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is also getting into the act. In 2021, the agency launched an initiative called Project Optimus to change how researchers select which dose of new drugs to test in cancer clinical trials.  The initiative’s aim is to improve the overall “dose optimization” of new cancer drugs That includes helping to develop strategies for ensuring that the doses studied in trials aren’t more toxic than they need to be and minimizing the likelihood of treatment-related long-term side effects Guided by Project Optimus, for example, researchers recently reported on a clinical trial involving the experimental targeted therapy camonsertib. In the 119-patient study, they compared two different doses given via different treatment schedules—that is the specific days and frequency when the drug should be taken.  Although it used the higher of the two doses tested it also included a one-week treatment break every fifth week. Based on the findings this dose and schedule will be used in larger clinical trials.  their careful cataloguing of side effects may help clinicians “tailor both dose and schedule for patients.”  In a related effort, FDA and the American Association for Cancer Research have held a series of workshops on cancer drug dose optimization. The most recent workshop, held in February 2024, focused on the use of computer modeling and simulation to better guide dose selection.  Once-abandoned drug completely shrinks tumors in mice but had no gut-related side effects researchers begin human testing of experimental drugs by starting with a low dose and giving it to a small group of patients As long as that dose does not cause serious side effects they gradually increase the dose in tests on additional groups of patients until they reach a dose where a certain percentage experiences serious side effects known as dose-limiting toxicity. The next dose level down is then considered the maximum tolerated dose.  this approach is by far the most widely used in cancer clinical trials of experimental drugs These models—which incorporate factors like how certain doses affect tumors the side effects they have caused in other studies and what was seen in the first few patients in a trial—are now being used to identify the optimal dose to use in human trials.  the models can help narrow the optimal dose range to test in humans guide the doses that should be tested in different cancer types and identify the best dose to use in combination with other drugs.  For example, researchers used data from a small clinical trial of the targeted therapy pralsetinib (Gavreto) in people with advanced lung cancer in a computer model to help identify the recommended dose to use in larger trials That dose turned out to be effective in several groups of patients in those later trials without causing severe side effects. FDA approved pralsetinib for lung cancer and thyroid cancer based on those trials’ results.  Some researchers interested in dose optimization are coming at the issue from the other end of the drug development spectrum.  Ratain and his colleagues have focused much of their research on determining the most effective and safe doses of several cancer drugs that are already in wide use.  For example, they conducted a clinical trial testing two different doses of one of the most commonly used drugs to treat prostate cancer, abiraterone (Zytiga) there was another difference: how the drug was taken.  Giving patients one-quarter of the standard 1,000-mg dose with a low-fat meal had a similar effect on reducing prostate-specific antigen levels—a commonly used marker of whether a drug is shrinking prostate tumors—as giving them the full dose on an empty stomach which is how it was given in the clinical trials that formed the basis for abiraterone’s approval in 2011.  also costs patients 75% less and is now listed as an alternative to taking abiraterone on an empty stomach in widely used cancer treatment guidelines Ratain pointed out that it’s critical to re-evaluate the dosages of already approved drugs because many are being combined with other often experimental drugs in clinical trials If the dosage of the approved drug is not optimal that may affect both its efficacy and safety when used along with other drugs.  “The majority of drug therapy for the next decade is going to be with drugs that are already approved not drugs that haven’t been approved yet,” Dr “If you don’t fix the dosing of drugs already on the market patients are going to continue to get overdosed even when you add a new drug [in combination].”  Ratain and his colleagues have been reviewing data on every FDA-approved cancer drug to determine which ones might be the most important to study in what are often called post-market optimization studies.  They are also developing a website to share potential dosing strategies for many approved cancer drugs, starting with the oral drugs and then moving to the intravenous drugs they hope to encourage researchers to perform dosing studies on these drugs to determine whether lower doses might be just as effective and potentially safer.  “The reason people are afraid of [cancer] treatment is because of the perception that … it's no pain I don't think people need to have side effects to have effective treatment.”  who herself is on a reduced dose of a cancer drug said she’s optimistic that change is beginning to happen but that patients need to continue advocating for themselves.  People right now are dying of side effects or going to the emergency room because the medication that's supposed to be saving them is actually hurting them,” Maues said And they may well find a receptive audience according to another recent survey conducted by the Patient-Centered Dosing Initiative.  That survey found that 85% of oncologists did not believe that a higher dose of a cancer drug is always more effective than a lower dose and 97% said they would be willing to discuss flexible dosing with their patients Maues noted that the organization has developed fliers and other educational content to help guide patients in their conversations with their doctors about drug dosing.  she said she feels much more empowered in her treatment journey.  “It was the right decision for me,” she said of the dose reduction and I don't want to live that kind of life.” Leading Change in Cancer Clinical Research Anal Cancer Advances Open Door to Screening and Prevention If you would like to reproduce some or all of this content, see Reuse of NCI Information for guidance about copyright and permissions In the case of permitted digital reproduction please credit the National Cancer Institute as the source and link to the original NCI product using the original product's title; e.g. Researchers Are Revisiting Cancer Drug Doses was originally published by the National Cancer Institute.” Operation Mineração Obscura 2 (“Obscure Mining 2”) has used explosives to destroy four underground illegal gold mines agents also rescued workers subjected to slavery-like conditions The crackdown took place from January 31 to February 3 in Maués and was backed by the Federal Highway Police the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio) The intervention is an offshoot of Operation Déjà Vu carried out in the region with records of similar practices The investigation started after complaints were made about the degrading exploitation of labor and the use of cyanide in the illegal extraction of gold cyanide can cause the death of the contaminated person The metal is used in mining to separate the gold from the soil Teams from the Labor Prosecution Service in the field found that over 50 workers—including miners and were exposed to risks arising from the use of toxic chemicals and the possible collapse of underground structures The inspectors also identified that most of the employees fled when they saw the public agents’ aircraft approaching the government sent them back to their places of origin Labor prosecutors will file a civil suit to guarantee their labor rights and hold the financiers of the illegal mining scheme accountable Extracting ore through underground mines is considered an unusual and high-risk method The network of underground tunnels has caused environmental damage estimated at more than BRL 1 billion taking into account the degradation of environmental preservation areas the police said the mine targeted is one of the oldest in Brazil adding that this is the first time the Federal Police have removed the people who operated the clandestine facilities Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker The Making of a Metastatic Breast Cancer Advocate When ob-gyn Kelly Shanahan was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in 2013 her passion and expertise fueled a new mission felt about delivering babies and performing gynecological surgery as an ob-gyn in South Lake Tahoe She moved there in 1994 to join an ob-gyn practice; in short order had a daughter (in 1998) and built a thriving solo practice.  Kelly Shanahan and her daughterLauren Casto But doctoring was not to remain Shanahan’s profession; cancer saw to that She was diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer in 2008 after a mammogram revealed a malignancy in one of her “fibrocystic as she has a strong family history of breast cancer—her mother and two aunts as well as other relatives had been diagnosed with the disease But when she and a radiologist reviewed her previous film she was surprised to learn that a colleague had missed the cancer on a mammogram two years earlier implant reconstruction and four months of IV chemotherapy South Lake Tahoe doesn’t have any oncology services or radiation therapy so if she’d opted for a lumpectomy and radiation it would have meant seven weeks of long drives for a few minutes of radiation Being a busy mom influenced her decision; she would drive her 9-year-old to soccer practice and was the primary family breadwinner (her husband is a general contractor “I was back in my office seeing patients within two weeks of surgery,” she says “I scheduled chemo at the end of the week It’s just a bump in the road.” Her practice and family life thrived But she developed “really bad arthritis-type side effects” in her hands I sneezed while walking up the stairs and thought I’d pulled a muscle,” she recalls and an oncologist colleague convinced her that I had metastases in every bone in my body.” She had already broken a vertebra—hence her back pain—and her thigh bone was perilously close to breaking The day after she was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) “was the last day I picked up a scalpel the last day I did surgery.” Six days later she had a titanium rod inserted in her thigh to keep her leg from breaking Shanahan was in her oncologist’s office to discuss her prognosis and treatments She had discovered that the median life expectancy for people with MBC was not quite three years then maybe not enough time to see her daughter graduate from high school or help her move into her first college dorm But her oncologist imparted a crucial message You are not a statistic.” That reinforced her resolve to confront the cancer head-on I’m not going to start now,” she recalls thinking Life-extending targeted therapies known as CDK4/6 inhibitors had not yet been approved although she might have been a candidate for a clinical trial Shanahan didn’t relish the idea of frequent seven- to eight-hour round-trip drives to San Francisco during winter in snow country her oncologist claimed it was a last resort she didn’t need very unconventional combination IV chemo—two drugs at a time two different sets of drugs over 14 months”—followed by a different aromatase The regimen was successful but left Shanahan with permanent neuropathy in her feet and hands The numbness made it unsafe for her to continue to see patients “I might not be able to feel their breast lump,” she explains “and I might not be able to catch a baby.” In early 2016 Shanahan’s daughter headed off to college With an empty nest and her doctoring days over South Lake Tahoe “didn’t have a breast cancer support group until another breast cancer patient and I started one,” she says connected with others who had MBC and volunteered with advocacy organizations “I found my circle of people,” she says musician Ed Sheeran and Kelly Shanahan at a Do It For The Love foundation event in 2015Courtesy of Kelly Shanahan Shanahan volunteered for METAvivor—an organization that funds MBC research raises awareness and supports people with the disease—and became a board member in 2019 She started attending professional meetings including the international San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium and the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) the world’s largest cancer conference “I’d just walk up to researchers at the end of their talks and ask them questions,” she recalls She was finding her voice as a cancer research advocate She joined Twitter to tweet out conference news Julia Maués and Christine Hodgdon at the first GRASP session in 2019Courtesy of Kelly Shanahan “I feel as fulfilled as I did as a physician.” Shanahan became a mentor for GRASP (Guiding Researchers and Advocates to Scientific Partnerships) an organization started by Julia Maués and Christine Hodgdon to connect advocates and cancer researchers While being a doctor helps open some advocacy doors for Shanahan “when she ‘gets in’ she makes the other side realize that she’s there as a patient passion and personal connection have elevated her as one of the main voices in MBC research advocacy.” “It’s hard to be an advocate because it’s a lot of losses—physical losses as well as losing friends—and not a lot of wins But Kelly has been able to channel everything she learned as a doctor to be a really She’s helped drive positive change in clinical trial design and research projects.” And she’s done it with almost no financial support we’re not paid,” Shanahan says She was fortunate to have received good advice early in her career to get not only life insurance but also long-term disability insurance “and that pays the bills.” In her first year of conference attendance She’s gotten small travel grants for conferences and recently received a small honorarium for a virtual cancer presentation “It pays for the coffee shop bills and the occasional bottle of wine,” she says “but not much more than that.” When Shanahan is asked about how advocacy can move the needle for people with MBC the first item she mentions is MBC-focused research Despite the huge levels of funding for breast cancer research “only 5% to 10% goes toward research that will help people who are actually dying of breast cancer,” she says “I’m incredibly proud that in 2020 METAvivor raised $4.4 million in new research funding very pink organizations chose not to fund new research.” In 2021 Next is bringing the patient voice into the conversation with researchers “I’ve been a research advocate on projects where they’re proposing a clinical trial and they want to do all these biopsies Would you let somebody stick a needle in your liver every week?’” With scientists doing basic research “This sounds like super cool science but how’s this gonna help a human being?” METAvivor members advocate for MBC with their elected representatives in Washington introduced in the House of Representatives in May 2021 that Shanahan hopes to see passed is the Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act which would eliminate the current five-month waiting period for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits and the additional 24-month waiting period for Medicare coverage for people with MBC She herself would have benefited from such a law so I didn’t have some big group insurance plan,” she says if I hadn’t had a long-term disability policy I don’t know what we would have done.” Shanahan has outlived the statistics: It’s been almost nine years since her MBC diagnosis when her mother died of COVID on the East Coast and Shanahan had no chance to say goodbye in person—her oncologist strongly advised against travel suppressed her immune system and reactivated her tumors She went on a CDK4/6 inhibitor along with an estrogen blocker she had a liquid biopsy and knows her mutations “I’m doing great now,” she says you can’t take it with you,” she says She recently returned from a long-delayed trip to Europe with a friend with MBC; her husband encouraged her to make it happen she wants to go to the Galapagos Islands with her daughter “I did not choose to get breast cancer and I certainly did not choose to get metastatic breast cancer,” she says And I choose to deal with it with sarcasm and to live my life to the fullest ‘I am living with breast cancer.’ And when I get that tilted head pitying ‘How are you?’ my answer is a very perky ‘Not dead yet!’ which makes a lot of people uncomfortable—I don’t really care “I will continue to try to make a difference to fight for research funding and for laws for health equity I will continue to remind people that those of us living with metastatic breast cancer and the 44,000 of us who die from it every year in the U.S. I’ll leave this world a slightly better place than when I entered it.” Kelly Shanahan believes there’s a place for everyone in advocacy ‘Why are you recommending this?’ you are being an advocate for yourself,” she says You just have to think about what comes naturally to you and what you like doing “If you were that person who ran for town council If you are always asking why and you’re interested in figuring things out Many organizations could use some help with web design If you are the PTA mom or dad and you did all the fundraisers there’s a place for you in raising money for all sorts of things—support Comments Researchers plan to increase productivity with new varieties and adjustments in planting techniques From Maués With little if any sweat under the strong midday sun in early November José de Ribamar Cavalcante Ribeiro from the state of Maranhão presents the new varieties of the guaraná plant (Paullinia cupana) that are growing in the Amazônia Ocidental experimental field of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) in the town of Maués the leading producer of guaraná in the state of Amazonas is impressive for its high productivity and high genetic resistance to the most common diseases of this plant Consumers will be very interested in this feature The average caffeine content of the guaraná varieties consumed today is 3% higher than coffee (from 1 to 2%) the stimulating effect from the caffeine in guaraná may last longer because of the tannins Tannins account for 7% of the dry weight and help lower cell metabolism residues known as free radicals some plants are more productive than this one probably because of the microclimate at the experimental facility and they produced up to 35 kilograms (kg) of fruit per plant which in turn yielded up to 5 kg of roasted seeds which until now has been the most productive variety was launched in 2000 and is in widespread use It produces upwards of 1.5 kg and can yield up to 3 kg of roasted seeds per plant according to Firmino José do Nascimento Filho an agronomist from the state of São Paulo who has been working on genetic improvements to this species since 1983 and has dedicated staff at Embrapa working on the guaraná plant EDUARDO CESARSecrets for good guaraná: properly treated seedlings from the nursery…EDUARDO CESAR After six years of intensive field testing found that Luzeia is highly resistant to two fungal diseases that are common in the guaraná plant: anthracnose which attacks the leaves and shrinks fruit production Another feature is the probable resistance to drought an Embrapa experimental field supervisor in Maués sets his gaze toward the dry ground as he says and it appears that this variety is unaffected by the drought.” In the field in 2014 This and three new types of guaraná plants were launched in 2011 for use in the state of Amazonas nurseries should start producing seedlings to be sold starting in October to producers and planted by May harvesting of the black berries that look like eyes may begin three years after planting with a good yield beginning in the fourth or fifth year when the evaluation and selection of more productive and disease-resistant guaraná plants began in response to declining productivity in the region Embrapa researchers set up a germplasm bank accessed about 300 times (usually one access is for more than one plant) the 32 strongest ones were selected along with 19 new cultivars They were evaluated for at least ten years in the field and transferred to producers beginning in 2000 The experts from Embrapa proposed a new form of propagation but by cuttings taken from branches of the healthiest and most productive plants as a way to reduce genetic variability Eduardo Cesar… produce bunches brimming with fruit…Eduardo Cesar the varieties the producers will obtain in 2013 should maintain the characteristics shown in the field tests since they have been monitored and have remained stable for 35 years If the producers and consumers accept them the new cultivars may boost the region’s current production of 250 metric tons per year “The figure was supposed to be 1,000 metric tons per year,” Ribeiro says He believes this level can be reached in three years as producers adopt more productive and pest-resistant varieties and improve growing techniques so that the plants produce more the Embrapa experimental team in Maués provides courses periodically to demonstrate improved planting fertilization and pruning techniques to the 2,000 producers in the region with production below 600 to 800 kg per year according to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) the average productivity of producers in the towns of Maués Itacoatiara and Urucará in Amazonas amounted to 206 kg per hectare (ha) of dry seed below productivity levels in the state of Bahia Today Bahia is Brazil’s leading producer of guaraná (60% of domestic production followed by Amazonas (24%) and Mato Grosso (12%) the fruit that is harvested is used to produce soft drinks (44%) Firmino said he and his team try to offer alternatives to farmers based on information from field studies “To achieve the highest productivity figures,” he says “the producers would have to pay more attention to our recommendations.” Another possibility which could be planted 4 meters apart and 4 meters between rows; this would amount to 625 plants per hectare instead of five every five meters with 400 plants per hectare Indians and physicians Undoing established habits Ribeiro says that many producers see the lush plant and hesitate to prune “The new branches are the ones that produce and the old ones do not,” Ribeiro insists with only basic care and without irrigation Ribeiro’s crew reaps at least 9 kg of fruit or 1.5 kg of toasted seeds per plant “five times more than the average producer!” Ribeiro and his crew tend to 5,000 adult guaraná plants that are in full production and 1,036 that are beginning to produce He selected the most promising varieties and tested new fertilization and growing techniques “There were 30 of us working in the field in the 1980s Eduardo Cesar… that are roasted slowly in a wood-burning ovenEduardo Cesar a consensus is lacking on how to dry and roast the seeds that are harvested Some growers dry them in the sun and roast them in ovens while others use the traditional method: wood-burning ovens who live along the Maués River and its tributaries Jesuit missionary João Felipe Betendorf noted that these Indians a researcher at Embrapa Amazônia Ocidental an English physician reported in the British Medical Journal that guaraná from Brazil was used for neuralgia and urinary problems such as blennhorrea and was used most often in France and Germany The use of guaraná from the Amazon in industrialized soft drinks and homemade beverages began early in the twentieth century there are reports that guaraná helps with curbing hunger and with weight loss One of the few factories that make guaraná extract is operating in Maués and imports raw materials from other states to supplement local production which at one time was the highest in the country © Revista Pesquisa FAPESP - All rights reserved. 2022Play/Pause ButtonPauseVideo by Patrícia Delpino MartinsSave this storySaveSave this storySave“During birth the girl dies so that the woman transformed into a mother can be born.” —Brazilian proverb In November of 2021, a 60-year-old Indigenous midwife from the Sateré-Mawé ethnicity named Miriam de Alencar Pereira accompanied a pregnant woman to the hospital in Maués a Brazilian town in the interior of the Amazon “We arrived at the hospital and the labor had already begun the baby had already started coming out,” says Pereira “The doctor started pulling at the baby’s neck The doctor told Pereira she had no authority in the hospital The baby was born with the next contraction “We wait for the child to come,” Pereira explains nurses arrived wanting to douche the new mother maintaining that in all her years assisting births in the Indigenous territories no woman had ever developed an infection after a natural delivery and that the douche was unnecessary not even to check on the patient before she was released a small cut made at the opening of the vagina during delivery a group of women are working to change those dynamics with the hopes of changing the way the entire country views and performs birth Photographed by Patrícia Delpino MartinsIn 2016 Patricia Mandi left her hometown of São Bernardo do Campo (a municipality of São Paulo) for Maués She had worked for 10 years in healthcare as a doula and physiotherapist but had grown disillusioned with what she felt was the sidelining of individualized attention More traditional modes of care were being replaced with methods and views that exalted technology and profit to help maternal healthcare workers and pregnant women from vulnerable communities access ancestral knowledge and natural birth practices “I had some serendipitous encounters with Indigenous people who were guiding me to the Amazon,” says Mandi “and I had dreams that I was going into tents and reconnecting with my purpose—why was I born.” Pereira is an ervorista and cultivates an extensive garden she relies on plant-based substances to prevent and treat discomfort and pain Amazonian women have been giving birth in the forest sometimes alone but usually with the help of a midwife or partner embracing the trunk of a tree and tap into an internal strength Mandi explains that for the Indigenous Satere-Mawe and Ribeirinho (river people often intermixed but technically distinct from Indigenous populations) midwives (parteiras) are considered traditional healers (curandeiros) who are blessed with a “gift” imparted by a divine entity The gift comes with an unspoken code of ethics and the exchange of money is uncommon Like blessers (benzedeiras) and herbalists (erveiros) midwives cultivate a harmonious relationship between the human and the non-human natural world serving their community in favor of a collective and accessible model of health care though the number could be greater since many home births go unreported Dona Miriam and her sister, Dona Orlene, serve as midwives, preparing women psychologically and emotionally for labor and motherhood. The Mama Ekos network brings together midwives from different communities for meetings, courses, and workshops. The group also has a radio program to educate on maternal health matters and hosts cultural gatherings to rekindle the traditions of collective artisanal craft-making (beading and weaving) and puxiruns (Indigenous mutual assistance). These events reconnect younger generations with traditional approaches for preparing for maternity and paternity. Photographed by Patrícia Delpino MartinsWith more than 70 registered midwives, Mama Ekos has become a powerful social movement. Over the years, its activities have challenged established views regarding maternal healthcare in Brazil. Many of the midwives’ own children have now begun writing and documenting their work. Despite these challenges, the rewards are much greater. “A humanized and ancestral birth for me is a reconnection with nature, with my ancestors, my family,” says Mandi, who hopes that Mama Ekos can become an international reference for natural birth. “It’s a moment of spiritual strength and understanding …a gift so you can finally see the product of your love.” Photographed by Patrícia Delpino MartinsDona Miriam checks on a mother as she begins labor. Dona Miriam preparing the cassava flour used to make a porridge that is consumed during labor and birth. Photographed by Patrícia Delpino MartinsVideo by Patrícia Delpino MartinsA newborn assisted by Dona Miriam. I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice This year’s Earth Overshoot Day has arrived prompting campaigners to call for urgent action on issues like consumption waste and farming practises that are depleting the natural world marking the moment humanity’s demand on nature in 2024 exceeds Earth’s capacity to regenerate for the given year This means people are currently harvesting nature 1.7 times faster than the planet’s ecosystems can restore what was used one that can sustain life for generations to come the world will be living on overuse of nature’s capital which could lead to resource insecurity in the future Reacting to Earth Overshoot Day, campaigners called for the Government to urgently tackle issues like consumption and farming to help push the date back to later in the year in future Libby Peake, head of resource policy at Green Alliance, said: “Waste is wired in to every part of the UK economy which means we use almost twice the amount of resources the Government has struggled to improve how we use resources and reduce waste despite recognising the scale of the problem for years.” Ms Peak said ministers should use powers they already have under the 2021 Environment Act set a target to bring the country’s material footprint within planetary limits and focus on specific sectors that have an outsized impact on the environment She cited previous research from Green Alliance which found that new construction techniques and technologies could cut upfront raw material use by 39% and an ambitious approach to textiles reuse and recycling could see it fall by as much as 63% Meanwhile, Briony Venn, Greenpeace UK campaigner, said the Government should focus on stopping the emerging industry of deep sea mining. She said: “Our natural world is a treasure trove of biodiversity but we continually take from the forests, deserts, grasslands, polar ecosystems, and now companies are even seeking to mine the deep sea. Overshoot will end. The question is how: by design or by disaster. A planned transition gives us better security than ceding to the whims of a planet thrown off balance by overshoot “We don’t have long to stop this new threat that will remove even more from our oceans, which are one of our best defences against climate change. “Imagine if we could go back in time and stop offshore drilling at the dawn of the oil age and prevent environmental and climate catastrophes,” she said, adding that there is still the opportunity to stop a new extractive industry before it starts. “It’s time for a greener, healthier and more peaceful planet, one that can sustain life for generations to come.” Anthony Field, head of Compassion in World Farming UK, said the world must act urgently to help halt humanity’s excessive demand on nature when it comes to food. “It will be impossible to avert climate and nature catastrophes without a fast and dramatic reduction in meat and dairy consumption – both here in the UK and across the globe,” he said. “Diets must switch to predominantly plant-based where animal-sourced foods are from higher welfare, regenerative systems. “Working in harmony with nature will support and harness natural processes by producing food whilst also enhancing soil quality and restoring biodiversity.” Earth Overshoot Day, which is calculated by international sustainability organisation the Global Footprint Network each year, comes one day earlier compared to 2023, when it fell on August 2. The day has held steady around the August date for more than a decade but the pressure on the planet keeps increasing as the damage from overshoot accumulates over time, the Global Footprint Network said. Meanwhile, longer-term trends show the day has been arriving earlier and earlier in the year since the inaugural calculation in 1970, when it was marked almost five months later on December 23. Ellie Chowns, Green Party MP for North Herefordshire, said: “This speed of change demonstrates just how fast we are burning through the Earth’s resources. “Today’s grim milestone must mark a changing point in our approach to the natural world and our pursuit of growth at all costs. “Keir Starmer should start by introducing a Rights of Nature Act, giving rights to nature itself, and set aside 30% of our land and seas by 2030 in which nature will receive the highest priority and protection.” Our environment is our most precious resource; we depend on it for the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat. Unless nature flourishes in the UK, we cannot flourish either.” Lewis Akenji, Global Footprint Network board member, said: “Overshoot will end. The question is how: by design or by disaster. “A planned transition gives us better security than ceding to the whims of a planet thrown off balance by overshoot.” The Environment Department (Defra) has been contacted for comment. The UK is failing to show leadership to tackle deforestation as the rate of global forest loss accelerated last year according to an international group of experts which looks at the state of global deforestation each year found that it accelerated in 2022 as businesses and governments failed to turn commitments into meaningful action The report revealed global forest loss last year was 6.6 million hectares while tropical forest loss was 4.1 million hectares – an area the size of Denmark we are investing in activities that are harmful for forests at far higher rates than we are investing in activities that are beneficial for forests The authors said this comes as a major setback after 2021 saw a 6% fall in deforestation The total 2022 loss is also 21% higher than it should have been to be on track to meet the Cop26 target agreed in Glasgow to halt and reverse deforestation by 2030 said: “That 2030 goal is not just ‘nice to have’ It’s essential for maintaining a liveable climate for humanity.” The report was launched on Tuesday alongside another paper from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) which has outlined recommendations on how the UK can get back on track to meet the 2030 target Analysis from the reports suggests at least 100 times more public funding has gone towards environmentally harmful subsidies (378 billion dollars – 1 trillion dollars per year) than on finance for forests (2.2bn dollars per year) we are investing in activities that are harmful for forests at far higher rates than we are investing in activities that are beneficial for forests,” Ms Matson said “We can’t afford the consequences to human health and well-being to our economy and prosperity if we continue to lose forests at this rate.” WWF is calling for an end to global subsidies that create economic incentive to continue cutting down forests as well as an overhaul of international trade systems and supply chains It also urged governments to accelerate the recognition of land rights to Indigenous peoples and make the shift towards nature-based economies executive director for science and conservation at WWF UK said: “We’ve had years of promises and targets from governments and corporates to end deforestation “But deforestation continues and it’s a catastrophe for the billions of people that rely on forests for their livelihoods and for all of us who want to avoid runaway climate change “We are kidding ourselves if we think that business as usual is going to address the challenge.” He added: “Change is needed now and the action has to be immediate They can be actioned now and the only missing thing at the moment is the political will to act.” In terms of UK action, the WWF’s Forest Pathways Report calls on the Government to expand the due diligence system to include legal as well as illegal deforestation. This is not a crisis that we can afford to fix in the future. It's a crisis now – it needs fixing now Ministers are being urged to extend due diligence obligations to the financial services sector, which lends to or invests in industries linked to deforestation. Other demands include establishing a due diligence system that cuts deforestation out of supply chains – a measure that has yet to be enacted despite its inclusion in the Environment Act 2021. The Government is also being urged to introduce deforestation standards for all food sold and imported into the UK and to rethink the targeting of Britain’s international funding commitments on climate and nature. Mr Barrett said: “What we fundamentally need is a redistribution of accountability so that importing countries like the UK are held more responsible for the harm that we cause to forests through the supply chains of goods that we import. “Deforestation has remained a profitable business and it’s time to call a halt to that when we have only seven years left to meet those 2030 targets,” he added. Mr Barrett said the UK’s investment of £3 billion from the International Climate Fund for protecting nature is “rendered entirely pointless” as the economy drives deforestation abroad through investment and trade. “Since Glasgow, since the Environment Act passed through Parliament, the UK has failed to show leadership,” he said. “It has not excluded deforestation commodities from our supply chains and investments. “And in the meantime, as these reports show, millions of hectares more forests are being lost. “This is not a crisis that we can afford to fix in the future. It’s a crisis now – it needs fixing now.” A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs spokesperson said: “Our Environment Act includes world-leading due diligence legislation to help tackle illegal deforestation in UK supply chains. “Our approach will reinforce the efforts of governments in producer countries to ensure sustainable forest and land use, while we will continue to work closely with local governments and businesses to promote legal agriculture.” News & Analysis on Food & Beverage Development & Technology 11-Apr-2019 Last updated on 12-Apr-2019 at 08:50 GMT Dubbed the ‘Guarana Expansion Project’, the project brought together food manufacturers and suppliers, scientists from Brazilian national agronomy research institute Empraba, and farmers’ cooperatives. The project began in 2016 with the aim of promoting farmers to plant varieties of guarana that are more productive and resistant to disease. The variety, called BRS Maués, can produce around 1.5 kg of dry seeds per year while a native guarana plant produces around 300 g. BRS Maués also begins producing seeds around 18 months after planting as opposed to five years for the native variety. The first fruit from these productive and more resistant guarana trees planted as part of the Guarana Expansion Project is due to be harvested this year.  The program has involved nearly 800 smallholder farmers that now have an additional source of income while the technical know-how amassed during the project’s two-year duration has been transferred to farmers’ cooperatives, said soft drink trade group ABIR. The project was sponsored by flavor supplier Sabores Vegetais do Brasil, which manufactures guarana concentrate and extracts, and soft drink manufacturer Bebidas Poty, whose portfolio includes a guarana drink, was also involved. Guarana seeds contain around twice as much caffeine as coffee and are a popular ingredient in energy drinks in Latin America. Poty CEO José Luiz Franzotti said the project was one of the most important initiatives aimed at improving guarana cultivation in the Amazon.  "The goal is to have better quality guarana valorizing this characteristic fruit of Brazil, with a flavor that is successful worldwide,” he said, at the beginning of the project. According to flavor manager at Sabores Vegetais do Brasil, Vagner Pacchioni, the quality of the extract depends on the quality of the raw material. "We only get high-quality guarana seeds. It is from this seed that the guarana will be extracted and, in a second stage, the concentrate will be sent to Poty. With this, the product that reaches the final consumer has an incomparable flavor and quality.” Guarana switches on brown fat to restrict weight gain, researchers find20-Mar-2019By Hank SchultzColombian and Brazilian researchers have shown that guarana supplementation attenuated markers of obesity and insulin resistance in rats that were fed a high fat diet. Study unlocks key metabolic bioactives in guayusa and maté12-Nov-2018By Stephen DaniellsScientists from Italy and Spain have identified ursolic acid as the bioactive in guayusa and maté that may offer anti-diabetes and anti-metabolic syndrome benefits of the botanicals The use of leaves and branches increases rosewood oil production by 25% AmazonasOld machines and a new idea: the steam engine powers the equipment to extract oil from the rosewood leafEduardo Cesar from Maués which now has a newly elected priest as mayor the extraction of oil from rosewood trees for use in perfumes has resumed something new has been added: it is not just the trunk of the rosewood tree (Aniba rosaeodora) that is being used as in the past This is the result of work done by experts from the research centers and universities of São Paulo Pará and Amazonas in collaboration with producers The use of leaves and branches increases production by 25% with no additional expense for raw materials equipment or adjustments in production techniques which are exactly the same as those used to extract oil from the trunks of the rosewood trees developing new materials or production techniques was unnecessary was to make the argument that would convince producers to do something that was simple but that had never been done before: use a material that was previously discarded The possibility of expanded use of the rosewood is encouraging its cultivation and reducing the number of felled trees in the forest until recently the only source of raw material the cutting down of native trees was intense enough to cause the species to disappear from the most accessible areas This led to the passage of strict laws to regulate the felling and exploitation of rosewood which is used primarily in the production of aromatic oil and because of its soft wood is considered unsuitable for other uses The resumption of rosewood oil production may rekindle the interest of major perfume producers who stopped including this component in their products because of its irregular supply and pressure from consumers worried about the possibility of the disappearance of this species of tree from the Amazon but it has not been included as an ingredient for many years,” says Olivier Paget a perfume maker from the fragrance company Mane this oil has not been included in his formulations — nor did he have it on hand Older colleagues say that the quality of the lots was irregular Paget is now reconsidering the use of rosewood oil a Belém company that produces perfumes and bath salts from regional plants he has developed a men’s cologne that contains 5% oil from rosewood leaves mixed with 37 other components Eau de l’Amazonie will be one of the first Brazilian products to use oil from rosewood leaves “We’ve been trying to launch it for three years,” says Fátima Chamma which strictly regulates access to biodiversity and profit sharing the cologne can begin trial production in 2013 as the supply of raw materials is secured and as legislation permits “We will observe the limits released by government agencies,” she says in 2010 rosewood joined the list of products controlled by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and thereafter oil exports began to be monitored and certified according to international standards to ensure the continuity of the species Full steam ahead Now things seem to be on track as soon as  authorization was received from IBAMA (the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources) to start cutting down the rosewood trees grown since 1989 one of the most traditional families of Maués started up the plant’s production equipment The plant is located at the end of the avenue that borders the waterfront which are only visible at this time of the year when the river is low and just five kilometers wide The equipment is simple salvaged from a tugboat that sank decades ago The surplus steam output produces a loud and rhythmic sound A grinder crushes logs and branches in seconds and conveyors take the crushed material to six distillers connected to condensers and separators After a day of steam distillation, the same method used to extract oil from eucalyptus, mint and other aromatic plants (see infographic) the thick light green liquid can now be collected Work processing the wood and leaves and collecting the oil leave a sweet citrus-like aroma in the air that to anyone with even a vague sense of smell “Now we even use the dust from cutting the trunks,” says Carlos Magaldi “We don’t let anything go to waste.” His father says: “This is the way to go.” Today they are the only producers in Maués (and one of the few in the state of Amazonas) since the other local rosewood oil extractors closed for lack of wood or because of the increasingly tighter legal restrictions Having spent nearly a year without producing in anticipation of a shortage of the wood in subsequent years want to use 200 whole trees and the branches and leaves of a thousand others They know they could extract only from branches and leaves thereby contributing even further to the recovery of this species but they are producing a mixture of oil from the wood of the trunk and from branches and leaves for two reasons since until now production has been halted waiting to receive the green light from IBAMA which is essential to ensuring certification of the oil’s origin and being able to sell it The second is that they believe that a blend will be more accepted by customers “The scent of the oil from just the leaves is not as good,” says Zanoni Magaldi they plan to produce 10 drums (each drum contains 180 kilograms (kg)); the first production run that used leaves and branches The oil will be sold at $160 to $200 per kilogram to companies in the United States which in turn will resell it to perfume manufacturers “We don’t need any more wood from the forest,” says Carlos Magaldi divided into blocks with trees of varying ages which meanwhile remained in the shade in a nursery beside the shed The rhetoric of science The arguments for such usage now seem obvious but that was not the case a few years ago.” The leaves and branches contain 1.8%  oil while the wood from the trunk has at most 1%,” says Lauro Barata a chemist and research associate at the Institute of Chemistry of the State University of Campinas (Unicamp) and a visiting professor at the Federal University of Western Pará (UFOPA) in Santarém He raised the possibility of using the leaves in 2000 when he was mapping the production and consumer market for Chanel Using the leaves was one possible scenario he presented as a way to maintain oil production and silence the accusations of environmental organizations that the French perfume company was contributing to the extinction of this species of tree in the Amazon region his only argument for extracting oil from the leaves was a 1957 article by the Czech chemist and naturalized Brazilian citizen Otto Gottlieb indicating this as a possibility Barata was in the field where he picked leaves from experimental plantings in Belém Santarém and Manaus and gradually saw that his hypothesis made sense EDUARDO CESAROil production: a boiler produces steam which powers a motorEDUARDO CESAR but we have to make a sales pitch,” he says “I sold the idea at conferences where the audience consisted mostly of entrepreneurs and perfumers not scientists.” When giving his presentations and during conference breaks he would open a small bottle with oil from the leaves in front of the businessmen and perfumers told him they believed in the commercial viability of the oil from rosewood leaves By 2005 he had already chemically characterized the oil from leaves and wood (see Pesquisa FAPESP nº 111) but the work of persuasion was not yet over Barata went through another test when he had a meeting with Zanoni Magaldi whom he had met years before while doing research for Chanel since this possibility had never been contemplated before he asked his suppliers that brought the logs from the forest to collect and bring branches and leaves as well the resulting oil was of good quality oil and better yet They also evaluated the regrowth of the trees “What encouraged us to continue was the rapid regrowth we saw after pruning,” says Carlos Magaldi “We now strip a tree and it regrows completely.” at UFOPA and at the National Institute for Amazonian Research (INPA)  in the city of Manaus the rosewood could then be pruned in order to extract the oil 10 and 15 years old was shown to be chemically equivalent The analyzes performed at Unicamp indicated that the oil is a combination of 53 substances whose concentration can reach 87% in the wood and 90% in the leaves which is also found in other plants such as croton cajucara a shrub known in the Amazon region as sacaca has been used experimentally to combat fungi and the larvae of mosquitoes such as those that cause dengue fever Right now rosewood oil comes only from the Brazilian Amazon — in the 1960s it was the third most exported regional item followed by rubber and Brazil nuts — but it is said that neighboring countries are already cultivating this tree to compete for a world market estimated at 40 tons per year EDUARDO CESARHundreds of rosewood saplings waiting to go into the fieldEDUARDO CESAR Barata believes that the growing of rosewood can serve as an economical alternative to soybeans and corn if developed on large land holdings in the Amazon region a small area of 20 hectares could produce a ton of oil per year and generate  $100,000 double the corn and soybeans,” he says “So 2,000 hectares would be enough to supply the whole consumer market.” His argument is that rosewood will be taken off of the list of endangered plants as it starts to be more cultivated and valued economically previously cut down in order to extract the hearts of palm and subsequently preserved and cultivated for production of the fruit consumed largely in Belém I would invest in rosewood,” says Paulo de Tarso Sampaio forest engineer and INPA researcher who is a professor at Amazonas State University (UEA) and has been studying the tree for 20 years not depletion.” Eight years ago he distributed saplings grown in an INPA nursery to farmers and representatives of non-governmental organizations for planting in degraded areas together with farmers  who used five hectares to plant rosewood and three other species of trees which also produce essential oils of commercial value Sampaio places on one of his laboratory tables a carafe of wine almost filled with light green oil gathered from rosewood leaves and branches that grew for five years in Maués Through field studies conducted on commercial crops like those of the Magaldis in a 10,000 hectares (100 square kilometers) forest reserve near Manaus Sampaio observed that the rosewood tree is very sensitive to light and to competition from other plants during the first year of life it is shown to be generous and after 3 years able to supply 16 kilograms of branches and leaves one of the major limitations of growing rosewood is the production of seeds much eaten by toucans while in the trees and The INPA group is examining the geographic distribution of genetic diversity in the native populations methods to identify the origin of seeds and saplings the Magaldis tested various possibilities and concluded that optimal spacing is 2.5 meters between each tree and 3 meters between each row of trees The acquired knowledge is being disseminated not only in scientific articles but also in wide-ranging publications such as the Manual de sementes da Amazônia – Pau-rosa (Handbook of Amazonian Seeds – Rosewood) (Publisher INPA and the Guia de propágulos e plantas da Amazônia (Guide to Propagules and Plants of the Amazon) (Publisher INPA coordinated by INPA ecologist and researcher José Luis Camargo The Belém herb vendors The relationships between researchers consumers and government officials may help expand the traditional use of plants for the production of perfumes evident in the Ver-o-Peso market in the historic center of Belém the herb vendors — usually women — sell tree bark roots and bottles of perfume with curious names — Call Customer which the vendors almost always advertise is Natural Viagra moleque-seco and ironwood tree bark; the label comes with the recommendation to: “Take three times a day.” The overlapping layers of pleasant and unpleasant odors and voices create a heady atmosphere Eduardo CesarClotilde Souza in her stall filled with herbs “Do you know anyone prettier than me?” a short brunette  asks as she enters one of the herb and perfume stalls wearing twigs of rue stuck in her earrings in the shape of red peppers She is 58 years old and has been here for 33 years Two sons and a daughter have stalls along the same corridor but suspicious: “You’re not going to hurt people are you?” In 2005 the vendors felt aggrieved and took to court a national cosmetics company that produced perfumes from the information they provided The introduction and dissemination of new techniques to extract rosewood will perhaps show how to use a native plant without driving it to extinction and with shared benefits for all involved Barata is 70 years old and knows there is still much to do progress will require much research and rhetoric He says that he persuaded a soybean planter from Santarém to cede an area of two hectares for an experimental planting of a grass native to the Amazon region is used in the production of perfumes and can provide a return in just one year much less than the five years for soybeans Another plan for 2013 is to start tests on the oil from the macacaporanga tree (Aniba parviflora) whose leaves also produce aromatic oil conducted a study that indicated the difference in oil composition from the leaves and branches of the preciosa (Aniba canelilla) which was also cut down for oil extraction There are an estimated total of 350 species of herbs from the Amazon but only 10 are used commercially in perfumes cosmetics or products able to leave a pleasant scent on the body © Revista Pesquisa FAPESP - All rights reserved A video from the session shows Lopes bravely blocking the penalty with his chest on Jan he collapsed on the pitch in the town of Maues Emergency responders rushed him to a hospital but the journey reportedly took around 11 hours and he passed away en route Lopes's favorite team while carrying his coffin A sceenshot from the video with Edson Lopes stopping a penalty with his chest before his death on Jan Lopes had no history of heart disease and was described as an active and dedicated athlete shared a heartfelt tribute on social media: "Today I never imagined something like this could happen You were a dedicated player and a child who was never sad reflecting the deep impact Lopes had on those around him One mourner wrote: "May God comfort the hearts of your family and friends Email: evne@vnexpress.netTel: 028 7300 9999 - Ext 8556 This year's edition of the traditional Hercule Florence Photography Festival began at Unicamp with a debate forum It was two days bringing together names like Miguel Chikaoka (PA) Monica Mansur (RJ) and Dirceu Maués (DF) at discussion tables at the Institute of Arts (IA) with a reflection on the practices of photography and the photographic image creating a corridor between the University and the City professor at IA and one of the Festival's curators Bringing together professionals and researchers from four corners of the country the Forum sought to reflect on the contemporary place of photography and its possibilities told how the Festival has always been linked to academia “The Festival was born from a cycle of lectures at PUC it included a Hercule Florence Photography Week The academic discussion brings relevant contributions to photography practices." highlighted the importance of the University's participation in a festival the size of Hercule Florence “This exchange of information and views is fundamental It is an opportunity for our students to get in touch with professionals in the field and have an up-to-date discussion about photography” The “Magic Image” axis focused on questions about the darkroom “These are artists who work with handmade cameras or with the camera obscura phenomenon” an exhibition by photographers Dirceu Maués Luiz Alberto Guimarães and Monica Mansur will open this Thursday (20) “There are four artists with very different works” Delegation learned about research carried out at Unicamp and expressed interest in international cooperation The show class with chef and gastrologist Tibério Gil on the role of nutrition and gastronomy in contemporary women's health opened the program that runs until Friday (8) the occupation of command positions is still unequal between men and women with six places offered each year in the first two periods; the offer increases to nine beneficiaries in the following two years The publications are divided in a didactic manner into the themes General Women's Health Obstetric Health and Adolescent Women's Health a political commitment in favor of the solution is necessary and the Brazil can play an extremely important role in global environmental solutions  the sociologist was president of the National Association of Postgraduate Studies and Research in Social Sciences in the 2003-2004 biennium   Webmail Wi-Fi networks User Services Charter Information Security Policy