The Olympic Analytical Laboratory at UCLA has put the safety of the US meat supply to the test. In a year-long study funded by the Partnership for Clean Competition (PCC), scientists used their advanced analytical capabilities to examine beef, pork, and chicken purchased from retail outlets across eight US cities.

Concerns had been raised that residues of growth promoters used in meat production could potentially cause athletes to test positive. These substances, such as ractopamine and trenbolone, are legally used in the US to increase muscle growth and improve feed efficiency. However, their use is banned in the European Union.

Researchers at the lab, led by Elizabeth Ahrens, director of the UCLA Olympic Analytical Laboratory, employed the same analytical methods used in anti-doping efforts to screen meat samples for anabolic steroids and other growth-promoting agents that are prohibited in sports.

The study, led by Dr. Bradley J. Johnson at Texas Tech University, found that while some beef samples contained detectable levels of substances like ractopamine, trenbolone, and estradiol, all measurements remained well below the maximum residue limits established by regulatory authorities such as the FDA. Pork and chicken samples showed minimal residues, with the vast majority testing entirely negative for prohibited substances.

The findings suggest that positive tests resulting from meat consumption are highly unlikely when consumed in amounts consistent with typical daily diets. This study reinforces the effectiveness of current regulatory practices in limiting growth promoter residues in commercial meat.

The project is ongoing to collect more samples, including examining imported meat into the US from abroad.

The University of Washington-led team has developed a system called ProxiCycle that logs when a passing car comes too close to a cyclist (within four feet). This small, inexpensive sensor plugs into bicycle handlebars and tracks the passes, sending them to the rider’s phone. The team tested the system for two months with 15 cyclists in Seattle and found a significant correlation between the locations of close passes and other indicators of poor safety, such as collisions.

“The threat of cars is the biggest deterrent to cycling,” said lead author Joseph Breda, a UW doctoral student in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering. “We want to help novice cyclists navigate safer bike routes through cities.”

The team surveyed 389 people in Seattle and found that respondents of all cycling experience levels ranked the threat of cars as the factor which most discouraged them from cycling. They also said they’d be very likely to use a map that helps navigate for safety.

To create ProxiCycle, the team built a small sensor system that plugs into a bike’s left handlebar. The system consists of a 3D printed plastic casing that houses a pair of sensors and a Bluetooth antenna. The antenna transmits data to the rider’s phone, where the team’s algorithm susses out what’s a passing car rather than a person, or another cyclist, or a tree.

The team validated the system both by testing it in a parking lot, with a car passing at different distances, and with seven cyclists riding through Seattle with GoPro cameras on their handlebars. Researchers watched the footage from these rides and compared this to the sensor output.

In the future, researchers hope to scale the study up and potentially account for other risk factors, such as cyclists being hit by opening car doors, and deploy ProxiCylce in other cities. With enough data, existing bike mapping apps might include safer route suggestions for cyclists.

“One study participant found out that there’s a great bike lane on a quieter street just one block north,” said Breda. “It’s these minor adjustments that can make a big difference in safety.”

The United Nations’ International Maritime Organization (IMO) has recently approved new emission reduction policies for marine shipping, which is a significant step towards reducing the sector’s carbon footprint. A study published in Earth’s Future highlights the need for further action to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

According to researchers from the University of British Columbia (UBC), who surveyed 149 marine shipping experts in 2021, the industry is expected to see a reduction of 30 to 40 percent in carbon intensity by 2030 compared to 2008 levels. This is a positive development, but it still falls short of the sector’s net-zero goal for 2050.

The study found that respondents with less than 10 years of experience in the maritime sector were the most optimistic about emission reductions, while those with more than 30 years of experience were the least optimistic. This suggests that there is a need for policy certainty and investment in green energy to drive change in the industry.

Dr. Amanda Giang, senior author of the study, notes that operational and technical measures can help achieve near-term reductions, but transitioning to green-energy fleets would require significant investments over the long term. Imranul Laskar, first author of the study, emphasizes the importance of policy certainty for the sector to make these investments.

The IMO’s approval of proposed regulations is a positive step towards reducing marine shipping emissions. However, it is clear that more needs to be done to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The maritime industry has the potential to drive global energy transition, but it requires continued effort and investment in green energy and policy certainty.