{"id":23214,"date":"2021-12-24T08:38:00","date_gmt":"2021-12-24T08:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/research.reading.ac.uk\/research-blog\/?p=23214"},"modified":"2022-01-03T12:21:01","modified_gmt":"2022-01-03T12:21:01","slug":"our-most-popular-papers-of-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/research.reading.ac.uk\/research-blog\/2021\/12\/24\/our-most-popular-papers-of-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"Our most popular papers of 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"

Which\u00a0Reading\u00a0research got the most attention across the globe in 2021?\u00a0We\u2019ve dug\u00a0into\u00a0the\u00a0Altmetric\u00a0data to bring you the\u00a0past year\u2019s three\u00a0most talked about Reading-authored publications\u00a0for each research theme.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Agriculture, Food and Health theme:<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Revealing the bugs lurking in university campus sinks*<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

Hand-washing\u00a0shapes\u00a0the\u00a0communities of bacteria that live and grow in\u00a0our\u00a0plumbing,\u00a0according to a Reading\u00a0study of communal sinks across the University of Reading campus.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The study team took and analysed samples\u00a0from 123 sinks around non-clinical settings at the University of Reading \u2013 such as toilets and bathrooms in teaching, research and social spaces\u00a0\u2013 in the largest study of sink bacteria ever done outside a hospital.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The research, published in Environmental DNA<\/em><\/a>, showed that the type of plumbing system\u00a0\u00a0significantly affected which bacterial family was more abundant. Below-sink strainers were found to be dominated by the <\/span>Moraxellaceae\u00a0<\/span><\/i>family of\u00a0bacteria, while\u00a0sinks with a\u00a0P-trap style of drainage, had higher amounts of\u00a0<\/span>Burkholderiaceae<\/span><\/i>. Both species are mostly harmless to human health, and come from the skin of our hands rather than our guts, highlighting that hand-washing significantly shapes the communities of bugs that lurk beneath the plug hole.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The lead author of the study, PhD student Zoe Withey, explained: \u201cWe need to be very aware that what we are putting down our sinks is affecting the bacterial community underneath. These areas may not be reached during routine cleaning, and this could lead to communities containing hardier, resistant microbes.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The study was co-authored by Dr\u00a0Hyun Soon Gweon, Lecturer in Bioinformatics for Genomics.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Read our news story on the paper<\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Milk drinkers are heavier but have a lower heart attack risk\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"People who regularly drink\u00a0large volumes of\u00a0milk have lower levels of\u00a0cholesterol (both \u2018good\u2019\u00a0and \u2018bad\u2019)\u00a0and a 14% lower risk of coronary heart disease –\u00a0but\u00a0they\u00a0tend to\u00a0be heavier\u00a0than non-milk drinkers, according to\u00a0<\/span>our second most popular publication<\/span><\/a>\u00a0from the Agriculture, Food and Health theme.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The\u00a0research, led by Reading\u2019s Vimal Karani, Professor of Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics, looked at three large population studies\u00a0(up to\u00a01.9 million people in total) to\u00a0pick out those people with a\u00a0variation in the\u00a0gene coding for lactase, the enzyme\u00a0in our guts\u00a0that\u00a0digests\u00a0milk sugars.\u00a0This enabled them to account for inconsistencies in sampling size, ethnicity and other factors that might skew the overall picture of the effect of milk on\u00a0cardiovascular diseases.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The research\u00a0suggests that reducing the intake of milk\u00a0might not be necessary for preventing cardiovascular diseases.\u00a0It\u00a0remains unclear what contributes to the lower cholesterol levels seen in milk drinkers \u2013 whether it is\u00a0the fat content in dairy products\u00a0or some other\u00a0an unknown \u2018milk factor\u2019, Professor Karani explains.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Read our news story on the research<\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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Stories of solitude:\u00a0what time alone offers\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"Most of us have\u00a0spent time\u00a0separated from\u00a0colleagues and loved ones\u00a0since the global pandemic struck, but\u00a0research\u00a0by\u00a0Netta Weinstein and Heather Hansen from Psychology\u00a0has shown that there was a\u00a0sunnier side\u00a0to\u00a0solitude \u2013 peace,\u00a0freedom from\u00a0life’s\u00a0usual daily pressures,\u00a0a sense of self-reliance\u00a0and\u00a0the opportunities\u00a0for \u2018self-growth\u2019,\u00a0such as learning a new skill.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The research, published in\u00a0<\/span>Frontiers in Psychology<\/span><\/a>, involved over 2,000 teenagers, adults and older adults in the summer of 2020, which coincided with the end of the UK\u2019s national lockdown. They were asked to describe their experiences of solitude during the pandemic. Findings showed that <\/span>time spent alone led to positive effects on well-being across all ages.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

T<\/span>eenagers had little interest in the sense of autonomy that time spent alone can give us, but they were interested in the opportunity for self-growth, while adults (aged 25 \u2013 51) enjoyed learning new skills and feeling more effective and competent. In contrast, older adults (aged 59 to 85) were much less interested in self-growth but enjoyed the having the space to feel self-reliant and connect with themselves, free from the pressure of others.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Read our news story on the research<\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Environment theme:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

First picture of a\u00a0\u2018space hurricane\u2019 above Earth<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
An artists impression of the ‘space hurricane’<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The first ever 3D image of a \u2018space hurricane\u2019 \u2013 a 1,000km-wide swirling mass of plasma hovering hundreds of kilometres above the North Pole, and raining electrons instead of water \u2013 was published in March 2021 by University of Reading and Shangdong University scientists. The image was created based on satellite observations from summer 2014 which were only discovered during later analyses. The work proves the existence of such phenomena and sheds new light on the relationship between planets and space.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Reading space scientist and one of the paper\u2019s authors,\u00a0Professor Mike Lockwood,\u00a0said:\u00a0\u201cPlasma and magnetic fields in the atmosphere of planets exist throughout the universe, so the findings suggest space hurricanes should be a widespread\u00a0phenomena.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The team of scientists from China, the USA, Norway and the UK used observations made by four\u00a0Defense\u00a0Meteorological Satellite Program satellites and 3D magnetosphere modelling to produce the image.\u00a0The analysis involved checking data from the satellites, radars and other sources for consistency, and to build up a full picture of what had happened and ensure that the mechanisms involved were understood.\u00a0\u00a0Their findings, our most popular Environment\u00a0theme\u00a0paper of the year,\u00a0were\u00a0<\/span>published in\u00a0<\/span>Nature Communications<\/span><\/i><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Read our press release on the research<\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Lancet Countdown: \u2018Code\u00a0red\u2019 for a healthy future<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Dengue fever, transmitted by mosquitoes, is on the rise thanks to climate change.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Once again appearing in our top publications list was the\u00a0annual\u00a0report of\u00a0<\/span>The Lancet Countdown: Tracking Progress on Health and Climate Change.<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This year entitled \u2018Code red for a healthy future\u2019, the report shows that the human health impacts of climate change are getting worse,\u00a0exposing\u00a0people in all corners of the world\u00a0to greater risks.\u00a0<\/span>For example, 72% of countries saw an increase in people exposed to wildfires; environmental conditions for transmission of diseases like dengue, malaria and cholera is increasing around the world; and in 2020, up to 19% of the global land surface was affected by extreme drought in any given month \u2013 putting people in danger of food and water insecurity.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Key trends seen in previous Lancet Countdown Reports are\u00a0not improving,\u00a0the report warns,\u00a0widening\u00a0gaps in\u00a0social and health\u00a0status\u00a0between\u00a0rich and poor.\u00a0But a better future is still possible, it concludes:\u00a0\u2018The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how countries must cooperate in the face of global crises and the recovery gives us an unprecedented opportunity to invest in solutions \u2013 but that will only be possible if the world acts together to leave no person behind.\u2019<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The research involved Reading\u2019s Professor\u00a0Nigel Arnell<\/span>\u00a0and Dr Claudia\u00a0Di\u00a0Napoli<\/span>\u00a0alongside leading doctors, academics and policy professionals from\u00a0over 35\u00a0organisations\u00a0worldwide.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Risk of stagnant lakes from rising temperatures<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"Only a tiny\u00a0fraction of the Earth\u2019s surface is occupied by rivers and lakes, yet they\u00a0are home to\u00a010% of all\u00a0the world\u2019s\u00a0species.\u00a0Oxygen\u00a0dissolved in waters where plants and animals live\u00a0helps\u00a0to boost the variety of species living there\u00a0and\u00a0provides them with the\u00a0right balance of nutrients.\u00a0What is\u00a0more, freshwater oxygen\u00a0levels\u00a0regulate\u00a0greenhouse gas emissions and affect the quality of drinking water.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Scientists have seen a long-term decline in\u00a0dissolved oxygen levels in coastal and ocean waters\u00a0thanks to climate change and human activities\u00a0\u2013 but\u00a0until\u00a0recently,\u00a0little was known about what was happening in lakes.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In a study published in Nature in June 2021<\/span><\/a>,\u00a0our third most popular Environment theme paper of the year,\u00a0researchers\u00a0studied\u00a0data from\u00a0393 lakes worldwide\u00a0from\u00a0between 1941 and 2017. They\u00a0found their temperatures rose by 0.39\u00b0C every decade, while dissolved oxygen fell by 5% at the surface and 19% in the depths, where important fish like trout and salmon thrive.\u00a0One reason for this is\u00a0because warmer\u00a0conditions encourage the growth of\u00a0algal blooms, which block sunlight from reaching the depths, reducing the\u00a0plant\u00a0photosynthesis that provides the water with vital oxygen.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Largely due to warming air temperatures, 68% of the lakes in the study had lost this important deep-water niche\u00a0to rising temperatures and falling oxygen levels, threatening\u00a0the\u00a0so-called \u2018ecosystem services\u2019\u00a0provided by lakes\u00a0upon which we all depend.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr Iestyn\u00a0Woolway, University of Reading Research Fellow in Climate Science, was one of the study\u2019s authors.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Prosperity and resilience theme\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Healthy lifestyles make us happier<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"Eating our five a day and exercising regularly not only makes us healthier, but also happier, according to a study co-authored by Reading economists Dr Sarah Jewell and Professor Uma Kambhampati, <\/span>published\u00a0in the Journal of\u00a0Happiness<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The researchers analysed data from a long-term study that captures information about the income, attitudes, lifestyle and health of 40,000 UK households over many years. The study found that eating fruit and vegetables and doing sports increased people\u2019s life satisfaction and not the other way around.\u00a0 <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Findings showed that people\u2019s ability to delay gratification and apply self-control plays a\u00a0big\u00a0role in influencing lifestyle decisions, which in turn has a positive impact on wellbeing.\u00a0The results held true regardless of household income, region, gender, education and age groups, although women were found to be more likely to\u00a0eat more fruit and vegetables, while\u00a0men appeared to exercise more.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The first author on the study was the University of Kent\u2019s\u00a0Dr Adelina\u00a0Gschwandtner.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Legal protection for refugees<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"A chapter written by Professor Ruvi Zeigler (Law) in the prestigious Oxford Handbook of\u00a0International Refugee Law<\/em> was our second most attention-grabbing publication of 2021 for the Prosperity and Resilience theme.<\/p>\n

Professor Zeigler\u2019s \u2018International humanitarian law and refugee protection\u2019 chapter considers how international refugee and humanitarian laws relate to one another, and seeks to show that when people are displaced from their home countries and in need of protection there are difficult and inevitable interactions between the two. It looks at the scope and thresholds for application of international humanitarian law in the refugee context, and protection gaps that arise from the way in which conflicts and people are classified under international humanitarian and refugee laws.<\/p>\n

The Oxford Handbook on Refugee Law\u00a0provides up to date and comprehensive analysis of the field with a\u00a0wide global scope, examines a wide range of legal instruments relevant to refugee protection and critiques the status quo and sets the agenda for future academic research.<\/p>\n

Colin Yeo, an Immigration and asylum barrister and founder of the Free Movement immigration law website describes the handbook as: \u201cas a state of the art review of international refugee law and scholarship by some of the most prominent and well respected writers and thinkers in the field.”<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Referee decisions swayed by football crowds, lockdown study suggests<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"colourWithout crowds watching\u00a0professional football matches\u00a0during\u00a0the global pandemic, referees\u00a0gave out fewer yellow cards to\u00a0the away teams,\u00a0reducing\u00a0home\u00a0teams\u2019\u00a0advantages,\u00a0according to\u00a0research\u00a0carried out by Reading Economists\u00a0Professors\u00a0James Reade and Carl Singleton.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The\u00a0study looked at\u00a01,498\u00a0professional football matches played\u00a0without fans\u00a0across\u00a017 countries and 23 leagues\u00a0during the 2019\/20 league seasons.\u00a0The researchers\u00a0discovered a large and statistically significant effects on the number of yellow cards issued by referees. Without a crowd, fewer cards were awarded to the away teams, reducing\u00a0the\u00a0home advantage.\u00a0The absence of a home crowd had no effect on the final match\u00a0scoreline, but the study\u2019s findings,\u00a0<\/span>published in\u00a0<\/span>Economics Letters<\/span><\/i><\/a>\u00a0have implications for how social pressure and crowds can\u00a0change the neutrality of decisions.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The findings\u00a0are important for economics, not just for sports fans,\u00a0claim\u00a0Reade and Singleton,\u00a0because there is little experimental evidence on how crowds can influence outcomes in a way that unfairly benefits some competitors. The research\u00a0suggests that the\u00a0finals of key competitions, whether sports matches or political debates\u00a0–\u00a0should be held at neutral locations\u00a0with equal allocations of seats for\u00a0supporters\u00a0of both sides.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Heritage and creativity theme:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Climate change may have caused Amazon indigenous population crash before Europeans arrived<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Climate change impacts felt in the Amazon rainforest before the arrival of European settlers in 1492 may have meant populations of indigenous people were already in decline before the \u2018Great Dying\u2019, according to research involving Reading scientists.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Scientists studying fossil pollen and charcoal data from across the Amazon said that\u00a0it appears to show that human management of the rainforest may have peaked around 1200 AD, before some sites were abandoned, allowing\u00a0trees to grow back in these areas.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The research,\u00a0co-authored by Reading tropical\u00a0palaeoecology\u00a0researcher Frank Mayle\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>published in the journal\u00a0<\/span>Science<\/span><\/i><\/a>, challenges\u00a0our assumptions that the largest population crash in the\u00a0Americas\u00a0\u00a0\u2013\u00a0known as the Great Dying \u2013\u00a0began when\u00a0European settlers carried new diseases to the continent.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Professor\u00a0Mayle says: \u201cOur analysis raises the possibility that climate change caused the decline of some Amazonian societies several centuries before the Europeans arrived, especially the more complex societies which may have been too rigid to adapt<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAlthough the introduction of European diseases, such as small pox, is still likely to have been the reason for the major population decline subsequently seen in the Americas, the research is a warning of the threat climate change poses to society.”<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The research was led by Professor Mark Bush at Florida Tech, and included a team of international collaborators.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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Surgery and selfhood in Early Modern England<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"From amputations to facial surgery, a\u00a0book exploring what happened to people experiencing\u00a0life-changing surgeries\u00a0in the\u00a0late\u00a016<\/span>th<\/span>\u00a0to\u00a0mid-18th\u00a0centuries\u00a0got the second most global attention this year within the Heritage and Creativity theme.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr Alanna Skuse\u2019s monograph \u2018Surgery and Selfhood in Early Modern England: Altered Bodies and Contexts of Identity\u2019 draws on historical medical and literary texts from treatises to travel writing and gives fresh insights and interpretations of historical material. It includes the first look at so-called \u2018phantom limb syndrome\u2019 in this historic period (1550 \u2013 1750) and the first analysis of early mastectomy survivors. Her book explores the profound effects on the lives and philosophies of people who had such life-changing surgeries, including questions about how a person\u2019s body integrity was thought to relate to their identity, soul and morality.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The book was\u00a0the\u00a0result\u00a0of\u00a0Dr Skuse\u2019s\u00a0Wellcome\u00a0Trust-funded postdoctoral fellowship\u00a0between\u00a02016-2019.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Read our blog post about the book<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Muslim food culture secretly\u00a0<\/span>persisted in\u00a0<\/span>16<\/span><\/span>th<\/span><\/span>\u00a0century\u00a0<\/span>Catholic Spain<\/span><\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Archaeological evidence of Muslim food practices continuing in secret for decades after the\u00a0Spanish\u00a0Catholic conquest\u00a0of Granada\u00a0in 1492,\u00a0has been uncovered by a team including Reading\u2019s Professor\u00a0Aleks\u00a0Pluskowski.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the\u00a0conquest\u2019s\u00a0aftermath, native Andalusians, who were Muslims, were permitted to continue practising their religion,\u00a0but\u00a0this was\u00a0then outlawed a decade later. Recent archaeological excavations\u00a0of\u00a0items discarded in a 16<\/span>th<\/span>\u00a0century well in\u00a0Cartuja\u00a0in Granada, however, have uncovered evidence\u00a0that the \u2018Moriscos\u2019 or \u2018little moors\u2019\u00a0continued\u00a0the Andalusian practice of eating from communal bowls\u00a0called\u00a0ataifores,\u00a0in secret for decades after the conquest.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Besides discovery of the communal eating bowls,\u00a0bones from professionally butchered,\u00a0meat-rich cuts of mutton\u00a0(as opposed to home reared animals)\u00a0and the absence of any pig bones\u00a0excavated from the site point to it being a Morisco household.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is the first such archaeological example from a Morisco household,\u00a0and\u00a0demonstrates\u00a0how some\u00a0Andalusi\u00a0families clung to their traditional dining culture as their world was transformed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Read our blog post on the research<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The\u00a0<\/span><\/i>Altmetric Attention Score<\/span><\/i><\/a> (shown in the badges above) is a weighted count of all of the online attention Altmetric have found for an individual research output. This includes mentions in public policy documents and references in Wikipedia, the mainstream news, social networks, blogs and more. For this blog we\u2019ve featured the top three highest-scoring publications with a Reading-affiliated author within each of our four research themes, all of which were published between\u00a0 January and December 2021.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

*This year’s most popular publication by a Reading author in the Agriculture, Food and Health theme, with an Altmetric score of 3732, was the 2020 report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change. As we featured this in the number one spot last year<\/a> and the 2021 version of the report also appears here, we omitted this from the blog post.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Which\u00a0Reading\u00a0research got the most attention across the globe in 2021?\u00a0We\u2019ve dug\u00a0into\u00a0the\u00a0Altmetric\u00a0data to bring you the\u00a0past year\u2019s three\u00a0most talked about Reading-authored publications\u00a0for each research theme.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":127,"featured_media":23218,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"__cvm_playback_settings":[],"__cvm_video_id":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1785,13,18,25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23214","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-agriculture-food-and-health","category-environment","category-heritage-creativity","category-prosperity-resilience"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nOur most popular papers of 2021 - 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