In a new publication, researchers from the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) and the University Medical Center Greifswald show how research data can be processed to be FAIR on a step-by-step basis, i.e. such that they can be found, accessed and reused in an interoperable manner. Using the DZD basic data set as an example, they compare different FAIRification work flows, evaluate their strengths and challenges and provide concrete recommendations for the scientific community.

In January, the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) officially launched the German Poisoning Registry (Deutsches Vergiftungsregister – DVR). The DVR is developed to receive, analyse and assess nationwide notifications of poisoning incidents. The DVR contains a first-of-its- kind central database that will enable health risks to be identified earlier and countermeasures to be taken more quickly. The aim of the DVR is to systematically assess poisoning risks, detect trends and threats, and to support prevention, and thereby save lives. The data supports, among other things, to better protect the public to poisoning-related health risks reducing poisoning incidences. Examples include situations involving children that accidently swallowed cleaning products or poisonous plants or potential incidents where members of the public can be exposed to harmful substances. To date, there has been no comprehensive, uniform data source to timely generate overviews across the 16 Federal States and the DVR fills this gap. "The German Poisoning Registry is a milestone for public health protection," says Dr Yuri Bruinen de Bruin, Head of Unit of the Poisoning Registry at the BfR. "We have now created the basis to centrally record poisoning notifications from Poison Information Centres and other sources. This data helps us to identify risks earlier and take specific action."

Middle-aged and older adults — particularly women — who are naturally more active in the evenings may have worse cardiovascular health, as measured by the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8 metric, in comparison to peers without a strong morning or evening preference.