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'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 Blackwell, M.D., ChristianaCare Cardiac Surgery Chief Honored with 2021 Tilton Award for Medical Excellence and Commitment to Community

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.

Vaccinating kids – Augusta University experts are ready to help with your questions and keep parents informed

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.

Aston University pollution expert praises Clean Air Zone roll out plans across UK

• Dr Stephen Worrall believes Birmingham’s Clean Air Zone is encouraging fewer drivers into city centre • The pollution expert said statistics show motorists are ‘changing their behaviour’ • He praised other cities for following suit but says changes need to come more quickly. A leading expert in air pollution from Aston University has examined available data on how many vehicles have paid to enter Birmingham’s Clean Air Zone (CAZ) and has said people’s behaviours are changing Atmospheric chemist, Dr Stephen Worrall, praised the introduction of Birmingham’s CAZ which launched on 1 June, saying it was an important step in tackling air pollution in the city and would have a considerable impact on people’s health. Whilst the full impact of the CAZ on pollution levels won’t become clear until 2022, Dr Worrall said since the “Go Live Date” the traffic data revealed that the number of non-compliant vehicles being driven in the zone was decreasing markedly. “In the first two weeks of June before charging was introduced, the daily number of non-compliant vehicles being driven within the CAZ was at an average of 18,787. “After charging was introduced, this dropped significantly to 11,850 for the remainder of June and this number has continued to fall, with the last reported daily average of 10,800 for August. “This isn’t just your average motorist with a car either, as the data shows similar trends for other categories of vehicles with the biggest improvement observed in light goods vehicles (LGVs). Over 75% of these vehicles were complying with the CAZ in August versus just 63% in June. This is a significant and sustained reduction which clearly demonstrates that people are modifying their behaviours,” he said. Dr Worrall added that the data was also able to hint at the manner in which people were modifying their behaviour, with a possible increase in public transport use, car sharing or a reduction in overall number of journeys. “Some people are upgrading their vehicles to newer, less polluting models as there has been a small rise of about 2,500 in the number of complaint vehicles entering the CAZ on a daily basis. However, this number is dwarfed by the approximately 8,500 reduction in the daily number of non-complaint vehicles. The upshot of this is that the total number of vehicles entering the CAZ every day has dropped by roughly 6,000 (around 6%). 6,000 fewer of the most polluting vehicles in our city centre is a real positive and a step in the right direction to improving our air quality and health,” he said. Air pollution particularly affects the most vulnerable in society, including children, and older people, and those with heart and lung conditions. The annual health cost to society of the impacts of particulate matter alone in the UK is estimated to be around £16 billion*. Levels of NO2 in Birmingham frequently exceed 45 to50 micrograms per cubic meter, mainly caused by road traffic emissions, with certain hotspots exhibiting even greater values such as the measuring site at St Chads Queensway where the last reported yearly average for the city centre was as high as 74 micrograms per cubic meter. The primary aim of the CAZ is to reduce the levels of NO2 to 40 micrograms per cubic meter. Dr Worrall said that although CAZs weren’t directly designed to address greenhouse gas emissions, if as suggested they result in less people using their vehicles for journey, then this would have an impact on emissions. “Whilst the CAZ target is to reduce nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels, the knock-on effect of this reduction in car use will mean a reduction in pollution in general, including greenhouse gases such as CO2. This is really important and suggests that other cities need to be acting now rather than later. Bath has implemented a similar but less stringent system, London recently extended its ultra low emission zone (ULEZ) area and Portsmouth’s CAZ will be coming live shortly too, but other cities who have plans in the pipeline should really bring them forward as a matter of urgency,” he said. Dr Worrall added that with current COP26 discussions bringing pollution to the forefront, it was important to continue with awareness. “These policies are all small pieces in the puzzle for reducing emissions from transport and getting people to make wiser choices about the vehicles they own and buy, and as COP26 is making very clear we need to be doing all of these things now to save our planet” he said. Dr Worrall has great experience in the subject, having spent a portion of his post-doctoral research in Beijing where he took live air pollution measurements, monitored problematic levels and discussed with international colleagues’ ways to address these issues. Read more about the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences at Aston University, here: https://www.aston.ac.uk/eps ENDS * Defra (2017) Air quality plan for nitrogen dioxide in the UK

Aston University makes experts available through COP26

The University’s website is highlighting its experts, projects and research, latest news and podcasts around sustainability On 4 November the University’s Supergen Hub will co-host a ‘fishbowl’ conversation to develop and interrogate visions for a net zero energy future Aston Originals has produced three shows around finance, energy and transport ahead of the summit. Aston University has launched its COP26 campaign to highlight the work being done by its academics and researchers to support the United Nation’s biggest climate change targets. The University’s website will highlight its experts, projects and research, latest news and podcasts around sustainability and climate change. The COP26 summit will be attended by the countries that signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – a treaty that came into force in 1994. More than 190 world leaders will meet in Glasgow, between 31 October and 12 November, to discuss ways of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and keeping the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius this century. High profile attendees are expected to include Greta Thunberg, Pope Francis and Sir David Attenborough. Representatives from Aston University will also be taking part at the global summit. On 4 November during ‘Energy Day’, the six UK Research and Innovation Supergen Hubs, one of which involves academics from Aston University, are hosting a ‘fishbowl’ conversation with the public, to develop and interrogate visions for a net zero energy future. It will be participant-driven, enabling multiple perspectives to be aired and offering an opportunity for a variety of participants to engage, and will be live-streamed for those who cannot attend in-person (tickets available for the live-stream here). Also during Energy Day at COP26, the Aston University Supergen Bioenergy Hub will be hosting a ‘Build your own biorefinery’ game on the COP26 Universities Network exhibition stand within the Green Zone. Members of the public will be invited to create their own biorefinery (where multiple products are created from one feedstock to extract maximum value), demonstrating the many routes to producing bioenergy and bioproducts and the co-benefits that can be achieved through different choices. The campaign will also look at the huge carbon footprint of asthma inhalers and a new project which aims to redesign the canisters, so they are more environmentally friendly. The University’s new digital content brand, Aston Originals, has produced three videos showcasing its experts under the topics of finance, energy and transport. Professor Simon Green, pro-vice chancellor research at Aston University, said: "COP26 highlights how big a challenge the climate crisis is for everyone around the world. “I am proud of the work being done at Aston University to combat the problems facing the planet – from the researchers in the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences carrying out world-leading research into new and innovative ways of converting biomass into sources of sustainable energy to experts in the College of Business and Social Sciences who are helping small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) cut their carbon footprint.”

Tomorrow's Election Day, and it’s all eyes on Virginia!

In what is shaping up to be one of the most contested gubernatorial races in recent history, it’s all coming down to Election Day. Media from across the country are all watching and trying to get all the expert insight they can on why this election is so important and what winning or losing could mean for not just the state – but the mid-term elections coming up next November. UMW’s Stephen Farnsworth is the ‘go-to’ for major media outlets across America and for international media following U.S. and Virginia politics. Recently, CBS News called on him to lend his expertise on just where this race sits. "The race for governor in Virginia is in its final stretch with just two weeks to go before Election Day. Former Governor Terry McAuliffe, the Democratic candidate, and Republican nominee Glenn Youngkin have clashed on several issues related to schools from charter schools to vaccine mandates for teachers and students. Stephen Farnsworth, director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington, joins CBSN AM to discuss."  October 19 - CBS News Dr. Stephen Farnsworth is a sought-after political commentator on presidential politics. He has been widely featured in national media, including The Washington Post, Reuters, The Chicago Tribune and MSNBC. If you are a reporter covering Virginia's gubernatorial race, simple click on his icon to arrange an interview today.

Prof Rachel Warren on the impacts of climate change at COP26

A number of climate experts from the University of East Anglia will be available for interview during the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow. Their areas of expertise range from the impact of climate change on biodiversity, climate geoengineering and carbon removal, to the impact of climate change on sovereign credit ratings, carbon uptake by the oceans, and gender and climate change. Among them is Prof Rachel Warren, Professor of Global Change and Environmental Biology, from UEA's School of Environmental Sciences and Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research. Her research areas and expertise cover the impacts of climate change on biodiversity. She is an IPCC author and available for interview on topics including climate change policy and modelling, climate change mitigation and adaptation, the impact of climate on ecosystems and species, and sustainability in the context of the Paris Agreement goals to limit global warming to well below 2oC.