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Head of School of Optometry named world expert in contact lenses
Professor James Wolffsohn, head of the School of Optometry at Aston University has been named by Expertscape as a world expert in contact lenses research based on his publications. Expertscape's PubMed-based algorithms placed professor Wolffsohn in the top 0.1 per cent of scholars writing about contact lenses over the past 10 years. He is also ranked by the same organisation as a world expert in presbyopia (the loss of eye focus with age affecting near vision), and is one of the top three scholars in the world. Expertscape is designed to help find the most knowledgeable physicians and health professionals in the world. Expertscape objectively ranks people and institutions by their expertise in more than 27,000 biomedical topics. James’ research focuses of the development, enhancement and validation of ophthalmic instrumentation to optimise contact lens comfort and fitting. He is also pioneering the use of contact lenses as a treatment for dry eyes; and developing methods to restore more natural eye focus through intraocular lenses, that are implanted into the eye as part of cataract surgery; as well as pharmaceutical approaches. Professor James Wolffsohn said: “I am delighted that our research in the field of contact lenses and presbyopia has had the desired impact and is widely read and cited. “Working together with colleagues in industry, we are able to accelerate product innovation, development and validation, leading to enhanced quality of life in patients.” James has published over 280 peer reviewed academic papers and given numerous international presentations. His main research areas are the development and evaluation of ophthalmic instrumentation, contact lenses, intraocular lenses and the tear film. A contact lens is a corrective, cosmetic, or therapeutic lens usually placed on the cornea of the eye. Contact lenses usually serve the same corrective purpose as conventional glasses, but are lightweight and virtually invisible. It has been estimated that about 125 million people use contact lenses worldwide. Presbyopia is the loss of eye focus with age which is usually noticed by ~45 years of age when reading glasses or another form of refractive correction is needed. It has a marked emotional effect being one of the first apparent signs of ageing.
UConn expert weighs in on controversial statue debate at the Connecticut Capitol
What should be the fate of the large statue commemorating John Mason that adorns the Connecticut State Capitol Building? He’s a historic figure and founder of the Connecticut Colony. He also left a legacy of violence and murder, with more than 400 Indigenous people, including 175 women and children, killed under his command. And whether to let his statue stand or remove it has engaged a debate from leading experts, historians, relatives of Mason, and the Indigenous community across the state. UConn’s Manisha Sinha was asked to lend her expertise to the situation: Manisha Sinha, a University of Connecticut professor of 19th century U.S. history, said she is a veteran of debates about the fate of statues memorializing Confederate leaders as well as founding fathers who owned slaves. “I have advocated for the taking down of statues that commemorate Confederate leaders and generals, who I see as traitors to the American republic, fighting for the worst cause in American history, as General Grant put it, in the cause of human bondage,” Sinha said. “On the other hand, I have opposed the taking down of statues of some of our founding fathers, revolutionary figures who did not defend slavery as a positive good.” Sinha said history can be complex, and great men of history can be flawed. “The Mason massacre is not a complex story,” she said. “It was a sheer massacre of non-combatants and of women, children and elders. We cannot excuse this by pointing to internecine warfare among Native Americans.” Mason’s statue is not necessary to teach history, she said. “I think it is high time that you think of removing John Mason’s statue,” Sinha said. “It cannot be contextualized. We do not remember history by statues, especially not in the monumental 19th century forms. We actually end up commemorating people, making them heroic.” November 18 – The CT Mirror This is a sensitive and very important topic as America reconciles with its past and moves forward as a country. And, if you are a journalist covering this topic, then let our experts help with your in-depth coverage and questions. Manisha Sinha is the Draper Chair in American History at the University of Connecticut and the author of "The Slave's Cause: A History of Abolition." She is an expert in the era of America during the 19th Century and available to speak with media regarding this topic – simply click on her icon now to arrange an interview today.
Flavoured vapes less harmful to young people than smoking, could help teen smokers quit
Flavoured vapes are much less harmful to young people than smoking, and could help teen smokers quit tobacco – according to new research from the University of East Anglia. A new study published today looks at young peoples’ use of vape flavours, reporting the views and experiences of more than 500,000 under 18s. It finds that flavours are an important aspect of vaping that young people enjoy, suggesting that flavoured products may help them switch away from harmful tobacco smoking. But the researchers warn that more needs to be done to make sure that youngsters who have never smoked are not attracted to vaping. Lead researcher, Prof Caitlin Notley, from UEA’s Norwich Medical School, said: “There has been a lot of concern that young people may start vaping because they are attracted to e-liquid flavours, and that it could potentially lead them to start smoking tobacco. “We wanted to find out more about the links between vape flavours, the uptake of vaping among young people, and whether it leads to regular vaping and, potentially, tobacco smoking.” The research team studied all available evidence (58 studies) on young peoples’ use of e-liquid flavours. Prof Notley said: “We found that flavoured e-liquids are an important aspect of vaping that young people enjoy. This suggests that flavoured products may encourage young people to switch away from harmful tobacco smoking towards less harmful vaping. “Flavours may be an important motivator for e-cigarette uptake – but we found no evidence that using flavoured e-liquids attracted young people to go on to take up tobacco smoking. “And we also found no adverse effects or harm caused by using liquid vape flavours. “However, there is also a need to monitor flavour use to ensure that young people who have never smoked are not attracted to taking up vaping. “Ensuring the continued availability of a range of e-liquid flavours is likely to be important in encouraging young people who smoke to switch to vaping as a less harmful alternative,” she added. The team found that the overall quality of the evidence on use of e-cigarette flavours by young people was low. In particular, many studies did not clearly define e-liquid flavours and could not therefore be included within the review. The study was led by UEA in collaboration with researchers at University College London, the University of Bristol and University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust. ‘Youth Use of E-Liquid Flavours – A systematic review exploring patterns of use of e liquid flavours and associations with continued vaping, tobacco smoking uptake, or cessation’ is published in the journal Addiction on November 17, 2021.
With mask wearing and social distancing on the decline and the cold and flu season upon us, researchers have developed a viral panel that enables the simultaneous testing for SARS-CoV-2 along with numerous common respiratory viruses, that tells us whether other viruses also are at play in patients hard hit by COVID. This new genetic epidemiology tool that provides detailed genetic information about the viruses present when packaged with a molecular immunology model called Nextstrain also enables researchers to assess the novel viral variants that are circulating in a state or nation and patterns for their spread with the goal of helping predict and mitigate future outbreaks, says Dr. Ravindra Kolhe, director of the Georgia Esoteric and Molecular Laboratory, or GEM Lab, at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. Deficits in SARS-CoV-2 monitoring and keeping tabs on other co-circulating respiratory viruses have been public health challenges during the pandemic, Kolhe and his colleagues report in the journal Viruses. Coinfection is a reality, Kolhe says with these respiratory viruses that we unwittingly transmit through the air when we cough, sneeze, even talk, particularly when we are in close quarters for long periods like hospitals, nursing homes, schools and potentially even our workplace. Another reality is that coinfections can have the compounding effect of worsening symptoms and outcomes, much as we have all heard that co-morbid conditions like diabetes and hypertension can do, he says. Particularly when patients are not doing well, looking for other respiratory viruses with the new panel could help provide insight on why and possibly new directions on how to help, he says. The more expansive panel is more expensive than straight COVID testing, which will remain the frontline test in this pandemic, Kolhe predicts. While the cold and flu season were essentially a wash last year because of COVID precautions like mask wearing — in fact the coinfection rate in the group they studied was under 1% — he and others are concerned the cold and flu season now upon us will be very different even with vaccination initiatives for both COVID and the flu. We’ve attached the full article – and it is well worth reading given the timing of flu season and another potential wave of COVID emerging globally. This is a fascinating topic and if you are a journalist covering the latest advancements in the effort to contain and eradicate COVID-19 – then let our leading experts help with your coverage and questions. Ravindra Kolhe is a Molecular and Genetic Pathologist, involved in identifying and validating cutting-edge platforms for diagnostic medicine. He’s also the Director of the Georgia Esoteric & Molecular Laboratory at Augusta University. If you are looking to arrange an interview with Dr. Kolhe – simply click on his icon now to find a time to talk today.
'Tangled Up' reveals science and history of Alzheimer's
A new book from leading University of East Anglia dementia expert Prof Michael Hornberger investigates the science and history of Alzheimer's disease. 'Tangled Up - The science and history of Alzheimer's disease' is available as a paperback or e-book. Prof Hornberger researches groups that are at higher risk of developing dementia (because of genetics, lifestyle or their other health condition) and works to help reduce this risk or delay the symptoms of dementia. He also explores the nature of support for those who have been diagnosed with dementia and helping the patients and their families and carers prepare for the future. His background is as a neuroscientist and his work involves using innovative techniques (such as online games and driver behaviour) to identify the spatial or navigation issues that can occur long before before diagnosis of dementia and before the traditional impacts on memory arise. He developed the mobile game Sea Hero Quest that can detect people at risk of Alzheimer's. His work enables early prediction of the likelihood of dementia (sometimes a decade ahead) and the opportunity to manage the onset and reduce risk by as much as 30 per cent. Prof Michael Hornberger, from UEA’s Norwich Medical School, said: “Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia in the UK. It affects around one in 14 people over the age of 65 and one in every six people over the age or 80 – and it can affect memory, thinking skills and other mental abilities. “I wanted to write a book to help people better understand the science and history of Alzheimer’s disease. “It covers everything from the causes of Alzheimer’s, through to why people with Alzheimer’s ‘live in the past’ and practical advice for how people can reduce the risk of developing it. “At the end of the book, you will have become an Alzheimer’s disease science expert and can use your newfound knowledge to untangle this devastating disease,” he added.
Aston University professor named world expert in type 2 diabetes mellitus
Aston University professor emeritus, Cliff Bailey has been named as a world expert in type 2 diabetes mellitus by Expertscape, based on his research publications over the last ten years. Expertscape is designed to help find the most knowledgeable physicians and health professionals in the world. It objectively ranks people and institutions by their expertise in more than 27,000 biomedical topics. The announcement coincides with World Diabetes Day on 14 November – which marks the birthday of Frederick Banting, one of the discoverers of insulin. Cliff Bailey, professor of clinical science, and his colleagues in the College of Health and Life Sciences contributed key information to the development of metformin, now the most prescribed medicine in the world for the treatment of type 2 diabetes which is also on the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) list of essential medicines. More recently Cliff has been involved in the development of a new class of agents called SGLT2 inhibitors which are being used alongside metformin in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Professor Cliff Bailey said: “I’m really pleased that our work continues to help people with diabetes to control their blood glucose and stay healthy.” Cliff has received several awards including the Banting Memorial Lecture Award – the highest award of Diabetes UK - and the Outstanding Achievement Award of the Lunar Society. Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes that affects more than 400 million people worldwide, including over four million people in the UK. It usually develops in middle or later life, is characterised by excess glucose in the blood, and usually results from a combination of impaired production and impaired activity of the hormone insulin. Type 2 diabetes has extensive detrimental effects on the heart, blood vessels, kidneys, eyes and nerves, and accounts for about 10% of the NHS budget.
New £2.8 million MRI scanner installed at Aston Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment
Installation of a new £2.8 million MRI scanner is due to start at Aston University in the Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment (IHN) to replace the existing ageing unit in the Day Hospital on campus. The state-of-the-art facility will be installed over a period of four months, including work being undertaken to remove the old machine from the building. This will involve several complex crane lifts outside the Day Hospital to remove the existing scanner. The internal spaces will then be refurbished before the new scanner is lifted into the building in February 2022. The new Siemens MAGNETOM Prisma 3T MRI scanner will enhance the world-class neuroimaging research facilities within the Institute. Currently Aston University researchers use advanced neuroimaging techniques to discover biomarkers of brain health in children with neurological disease. By detecting those biomarkers, researchers are able to determine those who are at risk of longer term poor cognitive, behavioural and health outcomes with the goal/vision of providing early support to those children who need it most. The new scanner will also enable the Institute to provide the most recent innovations in MRI for patients visiting through the clinical service: Aston University Imaging. Patients visiting for MRI scans come through private referrals, as well as from local institutions such as the Birmingham Royal Ballet and Aston Villa football club. Professor Jackie Blissett, co-director, Aston Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment (IHN), said: “The installation of our new MRI scanner is tremendously exciting. This state-of-the-art equipment is core to our child-focused research programme that delivers a new understanding of development and disease and the interventions that will make a difference.”
Ray A. Blackwell, M.D., MJ, chief of Cardiac Surgery and the W. Samuel Carpenter, III, Distinguished Chair of Cardiovascular Surgery at ChristianaCare, received the 2021 Tilton Award from the Medical Society of Delaware on Oct. 28 at the Tilton Mansion, now the University & Whist Club in Wilmington, Del. The award recognizes Dr. Blackwell as a pre-eminent cardiac surgeon the past 21 years and for his life-long commitment to service for the betterment of patients, the local community and the nation. The award is named for James Tilton, M.D., the first U.S. Army Surgeon General of the United States and the first president of the Medical Society of Delaware. “Dr. Blackwell is an outstanding choice for this prestigious award,” said Kirk Garratt, M.D., medical director of ChristianaCare’s Center for Heart & Vascular Health. “He has given a great deal to his patients, his colleagues and his profession. His strong leadership and clinical expertise have led to optimal health and an exceptional experience for many patients in our community. In addition to being an excellent surgeon, Dr. Blackwell has been dedicated to driving innovations that improve patient outcomes and has been committed to finding ways of keeping patients healthy and preventing cardiovascular disease.” Since joining ChristianaCare in 1996, Dr. Blackwell has been recognized among the top cardiac physicians in our region and has been instrumental to the development of the cardiac surgery program. In 2011, he became the surgical director of the Mechanical Circulatory Support Program and led the initiative to establish Christiana Care’s Ventricular Assist Device Program. In 2017 he was named Chief of Cardiac Surgery and has since led the health system’s team of highly skilled and experienced heart surgeons who perform more than 700 heart surgeries each year. Dr. Blackwell is a clinical assistant professor of Surgery at Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University. He served as the chair of ChristianaCare’s Blood Pressure Ambassador Advisory Committee. Dr. Blackwell has dedicated his life to service of others, especially on behalf of underprivileged and underrepresented people. As a high school student, he participated in A Better Chance Program, which places underprivileged, underrepresented and underfunded students in better academic environments. He is still active with the organization. He also served on the minority admissions subcommittee and later became a regional recruiter for Dartmouth College and Dartmouth Medical School. In 2019, he received a lifetime achievement award as part of a Dartmouth College celebration, “Standing at the Threshold,” honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. Blackwell also received the Raising Kings award in 2018 from the One Village Alliance, an agency dedicated to elevating positive images and setting high expectations for Wilmington’s Black men and boys, He is a regional alumni council member of National Medical Fellowships, which funds underrepresented and underfunded medical students and is co-founder of the Association of Black Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgeons, which supports and develops upcoming and practicing cardiothoracic surgeons. He has also held numerous leadership board positions for Delaware organizations, including the Delaware Medical Education Foundation, the Delaware Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline, the New Castle County and Great Rivers Affiliate Boards of Directors for the American Heart Association. He is also a board member of the Friends of Hockessin Colored School 107C and Indoor Track Delaware. Dr. Blackwell is also a recipient of the James H. Gilliam, Jr. Award from the American Heart Association for his contributions to the health, welfare and benefit of the community.
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As America continues down the long road of adapting, adjusting, and advancing safety efforts in order to overtake COVID 19 – vaccinations have now been approved for children five and older. It’s welcome news for health care experts and epidemiologists – but there’s no doubt this most recent development has parents concerned about the safety and potential consequences children could face if they roll up their sleeves to get immunized. Since this next step was announced, it’s gotten the attention of media and parents from across the country. Augusta University experts have been front and center to help with the messaging. The vaccine rollout for kids ages 5 to 11 starts now. Right now, local hospitals and pediatric offices are working to get doses to the river region. For the past nine months, we’ve seen different rollouts for different age groups come through Augusta University Health’s mass vaccination site. AU Health says it’s still up in the air right now whether this will be the main site you’ll bring your kids to get vaccinated. But what we do know is that 1,200 doses are on the way. “Every single individual has been paramount in this response,” said Dr. Joshua Wyche, AU vaccine coordinator. AU Health officials say they aren’t even close to accomplishing their mission to get everyone vaccinated. “We’re very fortunate to have caregivers that care so much about their community that want to make this impact and continue to push through during this pandemic,” Wyche said. November 03 - WRDW/WAGT Augusta An update from the CDC: kids can start rolling up their sleeves to get their COVID-19 vaccine. This means nearly 30 million American children ages five to 11 are now eligible for the vaccine. That's a little under 1 million in Georgia and 450,000 in South Carolina. But some parents still have concerns about the vaccine's safety. “For the vast majority of people and for parents as they’re looking for how they can protect they’re children best from COVID-19, having access to the vaccine now gives them another tool to protect their child,” says Augusta University Strategic Planning & Pharmacy VP Dr. Joshua Wyche. November 03 – Fox News Child vaccinations are an important topic – and it is essential that accurate details and information are shared with media and parents across the country, and that’s where Augusta’s experts can help. Dr. Joshua Wyche is accomplished pharmacist with an extensive background in business management. He is an expert in strategic planning and pharmacy services. Dr. Wyche is available to speak with media regarding this important topic – simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.
Emory Experts - Post-Financial Crisis: How Well do Mutual Fund Stocks Fare?
Following the global financial crisis in 2008, the assets of passively managed mutual funds have ballooned, while the market share of actively managed funds has fallen dramatically. Addressing this topic, a new research has been coauthored by Jeffrey “Jeff” Busse, professor of finance, and Goizueta alumni Kiseo Chung 17PhD, assistant professor of finance, Texas Tech University and Badrinath Kottimukkalur 17PhD, assistant professor of finance, George Washington University. In their paper, the researchers explain the shift in assets from actively managed funds to passive funds, “Impediments to Active Stock Selection and the Growth in Passive Fund Management. In 1999, Busse and his coauthors explain, the net assets of passive funds were “less than an eighth the assets of active funds.” But by the end of 2019, “the market share of passive equity funds increased to more than 50 percent,” Busse, Chung, and Kottimukkalur note. Passive funds track indices such as the S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average, NASDAQ Composite, and Wilshire 5000—all indices that have been difficult to beat over the last decade. According to the Wall Street Journal, from 2008 to 2018, more than 80 percent of actively managed funds in the U.S. underperformed the S&P Composite 1500. This is in large part, the trio notes in their paper, because the so-called “FAANG” stocks—Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and Google—comprise such a large part of these indices. In fact, the top 10 stocks in the S&P 500 currently make up around 30 percent of its market cap. “The market caps of these companies are huge, and they’ve done exceptionally well since the financial crisis,” Busse explains. Hence, active fund managers and their teams of analysts have found it much more challenging to discover undervalued and overlooked stocks with positive alphas ─ the stocks that outperform an index. “As such, a general move toward passively managed funds is not so surprising,” the paper reveals. Finding Diamonds and Avoiding Duds Making it even more difficult to find diamonds in the rough is a lack of volatility in the stock market. Except for some isolated periods, including the month or so around the start of the pandemic in March 2020, the market hasn’t experienced much volatility since 2008. Without wide swings in prices, fund managers have less opportunity to buy low and sell high. Over the same time period, aggregate stock liquidity has also been high, which means less chance for fund managers to pick up winners at bargain prices. “When there’s money in the market—when there’s liquidity—it means there aren’t a lot of disagreements on prices,” explains Busse. “Liquidity is inversely related to mispricing,” the researchers explain in their paper. This combination of circumstances—the rise of the FAANG stocks, the lack of market volatility, and higher liquidity—is making it much more difficult for actively managed funds to find stocks that will help their funds beat the indices, and therefore, outperform the passive funds. As a result, justifying their management fees gets more complicated. According to Thomson Reuters Lipper, the average expense ratio (management fees divided by total investment in a fund) for actively managed funds is 1.4 percent compared to 0.6 percent for the average passive fund—nearly three times as much. While active fund managers have realized that these higher costs are no longer paying off and have moved to reduce them, actively managed funds continue to lose market share. Market Share Gain of Passively Managed Funds While the authors weren’t surprised by the growth of passively managed funds, they were surprised by how much they grew. From 1999 to 2019, the authors note, the number of actively managed funds grew by 11 percent, while the number of passively managed funds increased by 244 percent. “There haven’t been any papers that try to explain why passive funds have gained so much market share,” says Busse. He and his coauthors believe their research illustrates that it’s in large part because the market, post-financial crisis, is challenging for stock pickers. “As such, it has been difficult for actively-managed funds to recoup the costs associated with active management, and compared to earlier periods, passively managed funds are better positioned to gain market share,” they explain. “As the payoffs to active management decrease, it becomes more difficult to justify the costs of active management, and, thus, we expect funds to decrease these costs given their negative performance implications.” Busse doesn’t believe the current fund management environment will continue indefinitely. When the pandemic knocked the S&P 500 down 30 percent in March 2020, managers did gain opportunities to find positive alpha stocks—which they bought. “It’s just, on average, over the last 10 years, there haven’t been enough of those opportunities,” explains Busse. “It’s a matter of hanging in there and, in some sense, keeping your investors from fleeing to passive funds until the environment is a little bit better.” Jeffrey Busse is the Goizueta Foundation Term Professor of Finance where his research focuses on investments, with an emphasis on mutual funds. Jeff is available to speak with the media regarding this important topic – simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.
