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Covering SCOTUS? Our experts are ready to help with your stories

It's looking like the next couple weeks could be busy and monumental for any reporter covering the Supreme Court. Important decisions are coming down regarding abortion, environmental protections, gun laws and more. It will be a busy news week; if you are a reporter the time is now to line up your expert sources and key contacts. If you are a journalist covering the Supreme Court and how these decisions are impacting American life and politics, that’s where Augusta University can help. Dr. Martha Ginn, professor of political science at Augusta University, is an expert on the judicial process, constitutional law and the U.S. Supreme Court. Dr. Ginn is available to speak with media about this topic — simply click on her icon to arrange an interview today.

MEDIA RELEASE: CAA survey says gas prices affecting summer travel plans

Rising fuel prices means those heading out on road trips this year are being forced to make adjustments. A recent survey conducted by CAA South Central Ontario has found that rising gas prices are having an impact on road trip plans now that gas is higher than $2 per litre. Seventy-six per cent of those surveyed say they have a road trip planned within the province this year, while 26 per cent are planning an out-of-province road trip, and 23 per cent are planning to drive to the US. Of those who are planning a road trip, 64 per cent of these respondents said gas prices are likely to impact their road trip plans. While some are limiting the number of trips they take overall or driving shorter distances, some travelers are planning around gas prices, and others are adjusting their budget to accommodate fuel prices during their trip. As we transition into summer, there are easy ways to save money on fuel. This includes controlling speed and limiting hard stopping, avoiding unnecessary idling, and being mindful of your vehicle’s temperature. Savings can also start at the pump, as CAA Members save 3 cents per litre when filling up at select Shell gas stations. More summer fuel saving tips: Don’t start your car until you need to – your vehicle will “loosen up” as you drive. Turn off your vehicle if you’re going to be waiting for longer than a stoplight. Avoid “jackrabbit” starts and hard braking. Fuel economy peaks between 80-90km/h. Use cruise control to maintain your speed to get more distance out of your fuel tank. Gradually cool down your vehicle by first rolling down your windows to air out the vehicle, then turn on your air conditioning gradually. Close your windows and sunroof when highway driving, and use a window shade when the car is parked to help keep the vehicle cooler Keep your tires at the manufacturer’s recommended pressure. Set a reminder on your phone to check it monthly. Plan your route to avoid backtracking and unnecessary mileage. Planning is essential to ensure road trip safety. “We recommend you plan routes ahead of time and share them with someone, bring a map as a backup to your GPS, and check the weather ahead of time,” says Kaitlynn Furse, Director of Corporate Communications, CAA South Central Ontario. “We recommend a daily driving maximum of 800km per day with 15-minute breaks every two hours to ensure you are well rested before you get behind the wheel.” Be sure to pack your CAA membership or download the CAA app for peace of mind on the road. As a part of planning a trip, it’s important to ensure your vehicle is safe and reliable. Here are some ways to get your car road trip ready: Check your tires. Ensure the tire pressure meets the manufacturer's recommendations to improve your vehicle's handling and extend the life cycle of your tires. Top up your fluids. Consider packing extra summer washer fluid and change your oil if you are close to your regularly scheduled appointment. Clean your windshield. Clean any debris inside and out and replace worn wiper blades. Check your lights. Make sure your headlights, brake lights and turn signals are working properly. If you have kids, teach them about road safety by involving them in the process. Test the battery. Intense heat can cause just as much havoc on your car battery as the frigid cold. If your battery is older than three years, have a professional test your car battery and replace it. CAA Battery Service will test, boost or replace your battery. Pack an emergency roadside kit. Whether you buy a pre-assembled kit or create your own, it should include a few essentials like a flashlight, jumper cables, working jack cellphone battery charger, water and non-perishable food. Double check your licence plates are renewed. Doing a quick spot-check online is easy and will help you avoid the risk of getting a ticket. Renewing your licence plate is free. For CAA Members, when you run out of gas, a limited supply of gasoline will be delivered to your disabled vehicle to enable you to reach the nearest open service station, or in accordance with towing service provisions, a tow will be provided to a facility where fuel is available. Specific brands or octane ratings cannot be promised. CAA surveyed 1,697 respondents via a CAA Member Matters Panel in South Central Ontario from May 27 to June 5, 2022.

ChristianaCare’s Future of Health Scholarship Program Honors 10 HBCU-Bound Students

Unique opportunity pairs $500,000 in support with paid summer internships To strengthen and diversify the health care workforce for years to come, ChristianaCare has provided $500,000 in scholarships to 10 students in Delaware who plan to pursue degrees in health care. The financial support, through ChristianaCare’s Future of Health scholarship program, provides $12,500 in support annually per student, plus a paid internship each summer, for students to attend historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). “Partnering with the HBCU Week Foundation this year was an exciting new adventure for ChristianaCare, and one we knew we needed to be a part of, given our commitment to the community and to building our health care workforce of the future – in and of the community,” said Bettina Tweardy Riveros, J.D., chief health equity officer and senior vice president of Government Affairs and Community Engagement at ChristianaCare. “It is important for us to remove barriers that are impacting Delaware residents from being able to pursue higher education at historically Black colleges and universities. Being able to offer scholarships, internships and support to these students is another way that we know we are opening up the door to diversify the health care profession.” The scholarships represent an ongoing approach by ChristianaCare to improve health equity, community health and inclusivity and diversity. In 2020, ChristianaCare made a public commitment to being an anti-racism organization. For its efforts, ChristianaCare has been ranked one of the Best Employers for Diversity by Forbes magazine, as well as the No. 2 health care employer in the nation for diversity and inclusion and the No. 40 employer nationally overall. “If you want to know more about an organization, see where they invest their dollars,” said Pamela Ridgeway, chief diversity officer for ChristianaCare. “An investment of $500,000 for Delaware residents who choose to go to HBCUs says a lot. The fact that it comes with summer internships for every year and the expectation of employment at the end shows that we are an organization with a commitment.” “The HBCU Week Foundation is proud to partner with ChristianaCare to help support these future health care professionals by giving them the academic and networking experiences needed to excel in their intended career choices,” said Ashley Christopher, Esq., founder and chief executive officer of HBCU Week Foundation, and an alumna of both Howard University and the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law. “The medical field should reflect the communities it serves, and this partnership is one way to help make that happen.” Here are the students who earned scholarships through ChristianaCare’s Future of Health scholarship program, and the HBCUs they elected to attend: Aniyah Barnett, Hampton University. Brooke Brothers, Delaware State University. Solomon Devard, Lincoln University. Mychele Gibson, Howard University. Aa’khai Hollis, Bowie State University. Kianna Kelley, Delaware State University. Delaney Leonard, Howard University. Madison Perry, Jackson State University. Tania Paden, Delaware State University. Cierra Holmes, Delaware State University.

Addiction expert on FDA plan to lower nicotine levels

Erin Calipari, assistant professor of pharmacology, is available for media commentary on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)'s plans for a proposed rule to require companies to lower the nicotine levels in cigarettes. Erin is lead researcher at the Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, and her research focuses on the neuroscience behind addiction. She can speak to how the brain gets addicted to substances and the many ways in which addiction takes a toll on the human body, as well as nicotine dosing. Much of Erin's research also focuses on gender differences in addiction and the need to understand female-specific factors that contribute to Substance Use Disorder.

Is the housing bubble about to burst? Ask our expert about the state and stability of the market

With interest rates on the rise, inflation increasing and home prices out of reach for many, Americans are worried about their financial future. Media now covering the U.S. housing market are seeing signs that the bubble might be ready to burst. With a potential recession looming, some people are looking back to the last housing collapse with trepidation. But economists note that the ingredients causing the 2008 global financial crisis aren't there this time. This is an important issue, and one that will impact millions of Americans. If you’re a reporter interested in covering this topic, let the experts at Florida Atlantic University help with your coverage and questions. Ken H. Johnson, Ph.D., an economist and associate dean in FAU’s College of Business, is available to speak to the media. Simply click on his icon to arrange an interview and time.

Worth Longest research on more targeted aerosol drug delivery systems

Michael Hindle, Ph.D., a professor in the VCU Department of Pharmaceutics, and P. Worth Longest, a professor in the VCU Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, have invested years of time and millions of dollars to address challenges found in the field of medical aerosols. In particular: While smaller particles are more effective in delivering drugs into the lungs and airways, these tiny particles are often exhaled out immediately when taking a dose. Current aerosol delivery systems — think asthma inhalers — effectively deliver just 10 percent of an aerosolized dose. That’s fine for most asthma and COPD sufferers who use standard inhalers with existing medications, as these patients only need a small amount of the potent drugs to reach the lungs and have an effect. “But the medical world wants to use the lungs for delivery of other drugs, whether it’s locally to the airways or systemically to the body, and for that, you need more efficient devices,” Hindle says. To effectively use inhaled drugs for complex medical conditions requires more of the aerosol to reach the airways and to potentially target different regions of the airways — plus the devices to get them there. “Our work is about doing something different — changing that ballgame from having 90% of the drug wasted and 10% make it to the lungs, and flip it so that we get just 10% lost and 90% in the lungs,” Hindle says. “That’s always been our goal.” Taking aerosols from lab to lung Over more than a decade, the duo and their teams have created the three keys to making aerosol drug-delivery work: “developing the strategy, developing the device, and developing the formulation,” says Longest, the College of Engineering’s Louis S. and Ruth S. Harris Exceptional Scholar Professor. “When you see inhalation of aerosols fail, or a new pharmaceutical aerosol product fail, one of these areas has often been neglected. Between my lab and the Hindle lab, we have expertise in each of these different areas.” The fourth component — commercializing their inventions — is underway through a partner in Quench Medical in a deal signed in 2020 thanks to VCU Innovation Gateway. The Minnesota-based company, led by founder and CEO Bryce Beverlin II, Ph.D., has identified lung cancer, severe asthma, and cystic fibrosis as potential initial applications using VCU’s intellectual property, the licensing of which covers both the aerosols and the delivery devices. “It’s very difficult for an academic institution to develop a drug product,” says Hindle, the Peter R. Byron Distinguished Professor in Pharmaceutics. “So Bryce has moved forward with a team of manufacturers, clinical testing plans, and is talking to the Food and Drug Administration.” The VCU researchers had not previously pursued lung cancer as a possible application until Quench came along, Hindle says. “The idea that you could deliver a chemotherapy locally to the lungs is obviously very advantageous, because you don’t get the systemic side effects through the body like with traditional chemotherapy,” he says. “You’re just delivering drugs direct to that site of action for targeting the metastases in the lung.” In May, Quench presented data using the VCU technology to the Respiratory Drug Delivery conference in Florida showing that using a chemotherapeutic dry powder aerosol in rats was highly effective. It significantly reduced tumor burden but used half of the standard IV-delivered chemo dose. “This approach also aims to decrease the total drug delivered with reduced systemic drug levels in the circulation to decrease systemic toxicity,” the report read. It noted the efforts “solve a critical unmet medical need to develop new strategies to improve treatment outcomes in patients with lung cancer.” Heavy interest nationally Hindle and Longest have millions of dollars in funded projects underway, backed by the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Food & Drug Administration, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Their work is building on the reputation of VCU’s Aerosol Research Group, founded in 1988 by emeritus professor Dr. Peter Byron (the name on Hindle’s professorship). The group’s work spans a wide variety of research areas in aerosol formulation and delivery. Hindle and Longest have worked together since 2006. While Hindle is focused on drug formulations, Longest is the engineering and computer modeling expert. His background is in biological fluid flow, and prior to joining VCU in 2004 had worked in the area of blood flow in vascular disease. But he wanted to differentiate his work, and found VCU’s reputation in medical aerosols was the place he could, in his words, “make an impact.” Through computer models, Longest and his team can understand how powders or liquids will turn into aerosol particles and the behaviors they will undertake when delivered into the body. “The lung is an area of the body where we have all these complex phenomena occurring with airflow and moving walls,’” he says. “It really takes high performance computers to understand it.” Drs. Longest and Hindle have developed a series of technology platforms that produce particles that are tiny when entering the lungs to minimize deposition losses in the mouth and throat — but grow in size as they travel down the warm, humid airways. One of the devices uses a mixer-heater to produce tiny particles, other technologies use a pharmaceutical powder or liquid containing a simple hygroscopic excipient such as sodium chloride; it is this excipient that attracts water from the lungs and makes the particles grow and deposit in the lungs with high efficiency. Eyes on infants Lately, the pair have been working on a method of aerosol drug delivery to newborns and prematurely born babies. “It’s a different set of challenges when you’re trying to deliver aerosols to infants who are born prematurely, and don’t have the ability to breathe on their own due to the lack of airway surfactant,” Hindle says. “And that’s something that, academically, we thought we were in a position to try and make a contribution to the field.” The group is working with funding from the NIH and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to develop a method of delivering an aerosol surfactant to infants that will hopefully remove the need to intubate these fragile babies. In addition to striking licensing deals with Quench and building relationships with additional partners, Innovation Gateway has backed the pair’s work with an initial $25,000 from VCU’s Commercialization Fund as well as a just-awarded additional $35,000. “We turned that into a series of intellectual property that has resulted in three licensed patents and a whole family of IP in relation to both formulations and devices,” Hindle says. “There’s been lots of interest in delivering drugs to the lungs, it’s just been very difficult to institute any sea change, because the pharmaceutical industry is relatively risk averse.” And so their research continues, as Quench moves forward to bring their inventions to the bedside. “What I’m doing, I don’t really consider it work — it’s an opportunity to interact with great colleagues and contribute to a mission that will be very helpful to a broad range of people,” Longest says. “I also see it as a big responsibility. We want to do this in the right way. Because people’s health and lives are at stake. We want to make sure we approach this with a large sense of responsibility, and do our best.”

Privacy implications of contact tracing for COVID-19

Contact tracing is the process of identification of persons who may have come into contact with an infected person and subsequent collection of further information about these contacts Contact tracing is a key public health response to battle infectious diseases such as COVID-19. Mobile technologies offer robust options for contact tracing through the use of GPS, Bluetooth, cellular information and AI-powered big data analytics. Together, this information can help manage the spread of COVID-19. Several countries have rolled out contact-tracing apps and solutions, such as the UK, Israel and South Korea among others. However, preserving personal privacy is critical toward maintaining public trust and protecting users during this crisis.  Kurt Rohloff, assistant professor of computer science at New Jersey Institute of Technology and co-founder of Duality Technologies, is an expert in areas concerning privacy and the implications of contact tracing, and how technologies exist to both protect private information and support contact tracing. Duality Technologies has developed a prototype solution for privacy-preserving contact tracing that uses the open-source PALISADE homomorphic encryption library that Rohloff developed at NJIT with funding from DARPA. To speak with Rohloff directly on issues related to privacy and contact tracing, click on the button below to arrange an interview. 

Aston University signs City of Sanctuary pledge

City of Sanctuary supports groups and organisations to build a culture of welcome and hospitality Aston University has become a supporting organisation of City of Sanctuary It is committed to achieving University of Sanctuary status. Aston University has become a supporting organisation of City of Sanctuary UK to demonstrate its commitment to helping people fleeing violence and persecution. City of Sanctuary is a charity supporting a network of groups across the UK and Ireland working to build a culture of welcome and hospitality within their communities. Earlier this year, the University opened a new Centre for Migration and Forced Displacement. The centre officially launched with an event bringing together designers, artists and academics to discuss how to investigate and publicise violence against migrants. Other initiatives set up by Aston University to support refugees and asylum seekers include: a new sanctuary scholarship scheme for students who have sought refuge in the UK the student-led Enactus Society Chance for Change project, facilitating integration and employment for refugees supporting the Kozminski Foundation run by Kozminski University in Poland, which provides support for victims of the war in Ukraine students in the University’s Centre for Research in Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship undertaking PhD research into refugee entrepreneurship funding for an emergency training package for Ukrainian interpreters, supporting local organisations in contact with Ukrainian refugees. Dr Angela Jeffery, director of regional strategy at Aston University, said: “Aston University recently launched its Civic University Agreement, outlining our commitment as an anchor institution to improving the economic, social, environmental and cultural life of our local communities. “Becoming a supporting organisation of the City of Sanctuary is one of many steps the University is taking to support our region and society. We endorse the City of Sanctuary Charter and agree to act in accordance with its values. We are committed to achieving University of Sanctuary status by welcoming asylum seekers and refugees into the university community and fostering a culture of welcome and inclusion for all.” City of Sanctuary chair, David Brown, said: “As a diverse and vibrant university in a diverse and vibrant city, Aston University is in a really strong position to welcome and support asylum seekers, refugees and other migrants as they seek to build new lives in the UK, and to contribute their skills and energy to the University community, to Birmingham and to the Midlands. “With colleagues in the City of Sanctuary movement, I warmly welcome Aston University’s commitment to become a University of Sanctuary.”

Aston University wins share of £118m funding to accelerate its research impact

The Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) investment over three years focuses on maximising impact, knowledge exchange, translation and commercialisation potential within research organisations Funding allows researchers to unlock the value of their work, including early-stage commercialisation of new technologies The University will receive over £580,000 ‘to accelerate UK bright ideas into global opportunities'. Aston University has won a share of £118m in UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding. The Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) investment over three years focuses on maximising impact, knowledge exchange, translation and commercialisation potential within research organisations. Funding allows researchers to unlock the value of their work, including early-stage commercialisation of new technologies and advancing changes to public policy and services such as NHS clinical practice. UKRI, a government body responsible for delivering £8bn research and innovation funding each year, is investing £118 million in the latest round of IAAs to translate research across 64 universities and research organisations. Aston University was successful in gaining both Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) IAA funding – the latter one of only 15 IAA full awards nationally. Luke Southan, technology transfer manager at Aston University, said: “This funding will be transformational for Aston University’s capacity to get the best good from the research it carries out. “We have a pipeline of world-changing inventions, medical treatments, net-zero initiatives and spinout companies that we can give the greatest chance of success through these highly prestigious pots of funding.” UKRI director of commercialisation, Tony Soteriou, said: “The UK is home to some of the brightest, most innovative and creative research teams in the world. They have the ideas and they have the entrepreneurial energy to create businesses and services that could turn sectors on their head. “What they need, what every great commercial idea needs, is support in the critical early stages. The Impact Acceleration Account is the catalyst that allows projects to grow to the next level, attracting investment, forging partnerships and creating jobs. “The breadth of UKRI allows us to work right across the UK’s world-class research and innovation system to ensure it builds a green future, secures better health, ageing and wellbeing, tackles infections, and builds a secure and resilient world.”

Unattainably Perfect: Idealized Images of Influencers Negatively Affect Users’ Mental Health

Filters, Adobe Photoshop, and other digital tools are commonly used by social media “influencers.” These celebrities or individuals have a large follower base and “influence” or hold sway over online audiences. This digital enhancement of images is well-documented anecdotally. Instagram, in particular, has come under growing scrutiny by the media in recent years for promoting and popularizing unattainably perfect or unrealistic representations of its influencers. What’s less understood is the appeal and the actual effect that these digitally enhanced images have on followers–particularly in terms of people’s feelings of self-worth and their mental wellbeing. A ground-breaking study by Goizueta Business School’s David Schweidel and Morgan Ward sheds new light on the real-world impact of digital enhancement, and what they find should be cause for significant concern. Downstream Consequences: Impressions Have Lasting Impact Across a series of five studies with a broad sample of participants and using AI-powered deep learning data analysis to parse individuals’ responses, Schweidel and Ward have unearthed a series of insights around the lure of these kinds of idealized images, and the negative “downstream consequences” that they have on other users’ self-esteem. “Going into the research, we hypothesized that micro-influencers who digitally manipulate their images, offering unrealistic versions of themselves, would be more successful at engaging with other users–getting more follows, likes, and comments from them. And we do find this to be the case, but that’s not all,” says Schweidel. He and Ward also discover that when users are exposed to these kinds of images, they make comparisons between themselves and the enhanced influencers; comparisons that leave them feeling lacking, envious, and often inadequate in some way. In terms of mental health and wellbeing, this is alarming, says Ward. Our research shows unequivocally that when followers consume idealized versions of popular figures on social media there is a social comparison process that results in these users experiencing negative feelings and a substantial decline in their state of self-esteem. On the basis of these insights, is Meta–the owner of Facebook and Instagram–likely to take action to limit the use of digital enhancement on its platforms and apps any time soon? Unlikely, say Schweidel and Ward. “Meta seems to be fully aware of the deleterious effects that Instagram has on its users. However, the success of Instagram–and that of the brands and influencers that appear on the app–is fueled by increased consumer engagement: the very engagement that this kind of digital enhancement of images drives. So the incentive is there to maintain the practices that keep users engaged, even if there’s a trade-off in their emotional and mental health.” This is a fascinating and important topic - and if you're a reporter looking to know, then let us help. David A. Schweidel is professor of marketing at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. He is an expert in the areas of customer relationship management and social media analytics. Morgan Ward is an assistant professor of marketing at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School and is an expert in consumer behavior. Both experts are available to speak with media - simply click on an icon to arrange a discussion today.