Experts Matter. Find Yours.
Connect for media, speaking, professional opportunities & more.
#Expert Research: Biodegradable ultrasound implant could improve brain tumour treatments
One of the challenges in treating certain types of brain cancer is the way that the blood-brain barrier prevents chemotherapy drugs from reaching the tumors they're meant to target. UConn's Thanh Nguyen, a biomedical and mechanical engineer, is developing new technology that could improve how we are able to treat brain tumors. He recently spoke with Physics World about this groundbreaking research: A new type of biodegradable ultrasound implant based on piezoelectric nanofibres could improve outcomes for patients with brain cancer. Researchers led by Thanh Nguyen from the the University of Connecticut’s department of mechanical engineering fabricated the devices from crystals of glycine, an amino acid found in the human body. Glycine is not only non-toxic and biodegradable, it is also highly piezoelectric, enabling the creation of a powerful ultrasound transducer that could help treat brain tumours. Brain tumours are particularly difficult to treat because the chemotherapy drugs that would be effective in tackling them are blocked from entering the brain by the blood–brain barrier (BBB). This barrier is a very tight junction of cells lining the blood vessel walls that prevents particles and large molecules from making their way through and damaging the brain. However, ultrasound can be safely used to temporarily alter the shape of the barrier cells such that chemotherapy drugs circulating in the bloodstream can pass through to the brain tissues. Currently, to achieve such BBB opening requires the use of multiple ultrasound transducers located outside the body, together with very high intensity ultrasound to enable penetration through the thick human skull bone. “That strong ultrasound can easily damage brain tissues and is not practical for multiple-time applications which are required to repeatedly deliver chemotherapeutics,” Nguyen tells Physics World. By contrast, the team’s new device would be implanted during the tumour removal surgery, and “can generate a powerful acoustic wave deep inside the brain tissues under a small supplied voltage to open the BBB”. The ultrasound would be triggered repeatedly as required to deliver the chemotherapy that kills off the residual cancer cells at tumour sites. After a set period of time following treatment the implant biodegrades, thereby eliminating the need for surgery to remove it. The research, reported in Science Advances, demonstrated that the team’s device used in conjunction with the chemotherapy drug paclitaxel significantly extended the lifetime of mice with glioblastomas (the most aggressive form of brain tumour) compared with mice receiving the drugs but no ultrasound treatment. This is fascinating research and if you are interesting in covering this topic, then let us help. Professor Nguyen focuses on biointegrated materials and devices at nano- and micro-scales for applications in biomedicine, and he's available to speak to media about his research. Simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.
New Policy on BMI Use Will Change How Physicians Approach Diagnoses and Care
The Body Mass Index – or BMI – table was created in the mid-1800s, and for the last several decades has been viewed as the choice tool to diagnose obesity. However, the American Medical Association (AMA) recently issued a policy clarifying the role of BMI after taking a comprehensive look at both its benefits and limitations as a diagnostic tool. In short, the new policy urges physicians to use BMI only in conjunction with other measures of risk and recognizes the historical shortcomings of the oft-used formula. Lisa Diewald, MS, RDN, LDN, is the program manager of the MacDonald Center for Nutrition Education and Research with Villanova’s M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing. She applauds the AMA for embracing a more holistic approach to weight and health in individuals. “This is a huge step forward and I think it will ultimately lead to better health care and an improved practitioner-patient relationship,” Diewald said. To understand why, one must first understand the history of BMI’s use. The formula that spits out the number we have all come to understand as our BMI considers a person’s height and weight. It was developed in the mid-19th century by a Belgian sociologist to measure the socially ideal person. The modern term and application came about in the 1972 and has been a routine measurement ever since because it is easy, fast, costs nothing and in some cases, said Diewald, does correlate with body fat. But in recent years, large scale studies have exposed some of the limitations of the measure, building to the point where they needed to be weighed against the overt benefits. For starters, BMI does not measure body fat – or adiposity – directly. Adiposity, per Diewald, is more closely associated with health risk than BMI. “For this reason, health risk for some individuals with normal BMI but high body fat has been underestimated, and some with high BMI but normal body fat levels have been overestimated,” she said. Nor does it “differentiate between muscle, bone and body fat, or distribution of fat on the body,” Diewald said. “We know that all these factors can influence health and chronic disease risk.” Other comorbidities or chronic conditions that wouldn’t show up on a BMI chart alongside a number in the “normal” range can also impact health. Conversely, there are health conditions that might be incorrectly assumed just because a BMI is high. “Not every person with a high BMI experiences these chronic conditions, so developing a more holistic approach can lead to better assessment, treatment and outcomes,” Diewald said. Another shortfall she pointed out was its failure to factor in gender, race, body composition, ethnicity or physical activity level. Think back to the origins of the chart, intended to be a social standard created in Europe nearly two hundred years ago. “BMI tables were originally designed in the 1800’s using a population of white men,” Diewald said. “Understandably, at one point in time it was all we had to evaluate weight status, but it may not be accurate to use this standard alone with all groups of people.” These societal, gender and racial/ethnic factors led the AMA to explicitly cite “historical harm, use for racist exclusion and because BMI is based primarily on data collected from previous generations of non-Hispanic white populations” in the new policy on its clinical use. Additionally, the policy addressed the differences in body composition across genders, races and ages that were not being considered. There is also an ignored mental component in its use to diagnose obesity, which can lead to avoidance of doctor visits and, in turn, further physical issues. “Obesity is a multifactorial, complex condition and addressing it with individuals needs to be done with empathy and sensitivity, beginning with how it is measured,” Diewald said. “There are numerous factors influencing weight well beyond simply food intake, physical activity level and BMI, so it is important for practitioners to recognize that and communicate this to patients. “It is extremely difficult for people with higher weight to be told that they have a high BMI and simply need to eat less and move more. When BMI is used as the sole indicator of weight status, this can be psychologically damaging. We know that many who have been told to lose weight simply based on a high BMI may avoid going to the doctors for routine medical visits and skip necessary preventive care.” It will not be easy, she said, to move away from a method used for so long that has been ingrained as a part of a routine medical visit, but Diewald thinks utilization of the tool in conjunction with other assessments is the best way put this new policy to practice. She advocates for measures such as “Using BMI as only one of several indicators of chronic disease risk, asking permission to discuss weight and health risk, [and] using shared decision-making between practitioners and patient to determine course of treatment.” Education is also paramount to proper assessment of weight-related health risks. “Education cannot stop with physicians, however,” she said. “I think this provides an excellent launching pad for enhanced collaboration among health professionals such as dietitians, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician’s assistants and others involved in providing care, nutrition counseling and lifestyle modification support to patients… Doing this can better fine tune recommendations for treatment, leading to improved outcomes.”
Electric vehicles are hitting the streets, but there are potholes to avoid
No doubt about it, electric vehicles are coming and coming fast. Production of EVs has ramped up in the last couple of years but there are many issues that need to be addressed before they become the everyday choice for consumers. Richard Franza, PhD, professor of management at the Hull College of Business at Augusta University said the timing of EVs is contingent on a few things. “It’s not a question of if they’re coming, but how fast will they be here,” said Franza. “One is the speed at which there is infrastructure built for them. There are still not a lot of places to charge a car. We need more charging stations. Eventually, EVs will be predominant.” Franza added a second hurdle is how fast the federal government moves on emissions requirements that will cause consumers to phase out fossil fuel vehicles. Georgia has become one of the leaders in luring EV manufacturers to call the state home. Not just that, but the state is also drawing in companies that supply batteries and other components. “Any time you build a manufacturing or assembly facility, you automatically get the suppliers around them. Even before Georgia got the vehicle manufacturers, we already had a battery manufacturer, so Georgia already has a good network for the automobile industry,” said Franza. Amazon has already made a major investment in EVs and Franza expects other companies like FedEx and UPS, companies that have a fleet of vehicles, to make the switch to EVs as well, since they have more ability to set up charging networks. The biggest question remains: how long it will take before EVs become more prevalent on the streets? Franza said the answer could depend on who you listen to, but other factors come into play. “Right now, electric vehicles account for less than 1% of the vehicles on the road. So I see two leading indicators – the number of gas stations vs. the number of charging stations, and the production of combustion engines vs. electric vehicles. Look for when the ratios of those really start to change, but it’s not black and white. There are several factors that will go into that and it could take longer than people are saying,” Franza said. Covering EVs and the auto industry? Then let us help. Richard Franza, PhD, is available to speak with media about trending issues like inflation, small business and the economy – simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.
Georgia Southern University biology professor and researcher Christine Bedore, Ph.D., is helping National Geographic explore the mysteries of shark attacks by sharing her expertise and years of fieldwork as part of the six-part series, “When Sharks Attack 360,” this month. The series, which kicked off July 3, is part of National Geographic’s SharkFest, which will run all month on National Geographic TV, Disney+ and Nat Geo WILD, with new episodes each night through July 11. All episodes are currently available for streaming on Hulu. In episodes 3 and 6, Bedore, an assistant professor in the College of Science and Mathematics who conducts research on sensory systems in sharks, discusses how shark senses may lead to bites by sharks on humans. While filming, she marveled at the channel’s cutting-edge VFX lab and their approach to educating viewers. “Working with National Geographic and the production team on this series was exciting because of the level of experience and creativity of the production team,” said Bedore. “It’s one of the most unique experiences I’ve had filming a documentary so far since it was done in a studio with a green screen, rather than in the field like we typically do. Using the virtual graphics in this series allows us to see these animals from a completely different angle. Although it was challenging to point at a shark that I couldn’t see at the time, we wouldn’t be able to see the detail of the animal at this level filming in the field.” Sharks have long captured the attention of both scientists and the public, and are fascinating animals for many reasons, according to Bedore, who has offered her expertise for previous episodes on Nat Geo WILD, The History Channel and BBC. They’re a species of immense size and diversity, and offer unique behaviors and interactions with other creatures, she noted. Understanding the behavior and physiology of sharks is critical to their survival, as they experience population declines due to overfishing and habitat changes. “In order to combat these changes and ensure the persistence of sharks in our oceans across the world, we first need to understand why they behave the way that they do,” Bedore said. “This series helps us do exactly that. For example, in episode 3 we discuss whether or not sharks can see in color. As a scientist that studies shark color vision, I’m often approached with the question, ‘who cares if sharks can see color?’ As you’ll see, the ability to see color could help sharks identify prey, predators or other objects.” In episode 6, Bedore helps viewers understand that visual acuity, or how clear an image is, may be more important than color when we think about why sharks sometimes have negative interactions with humans. “Being able to discuss my work in these areas through National Geographic’s shark month has been a rewarding experience in helping people understand why these events sometimes happen,” she said. “It’s exciting to study such charismatic animals and have the chance to share your enthusiasm for your research and the sharks with people across the world.” For more information on National Geographic’s “When Sharks Attack 360” visit here. The series can be seen on Hulu, Disney+ and Nat Geo WILD throughout July. To connect with Georgia Southern University biology professor and researcher Christine Bedore to learn more about this fascinating topic - simply contact Georgia Southern's Director of Communications Jennifer Wise at jwise@georgiasouthern.edu to arrange an interview today.
Florida Tech Shark Biologist Stars in National Geographic Program on Shark Attacks
Toby Daly-Engel, the distinguished shark biologist and director of Florida Tech’s Shark Conservation Lab, is a featured expert on “When Sharks Attack…and Why,” an eight-episode program debuting this week as part of National Geographic’s SharkFest 2023. The series debuts July 6 at 9 p.m. Eastern on National Geographic with new episodes airing nightly through July 12. It is also now streaming on Disney+, Hulu and the National Geographic website. The series will air on Nat Geo Wild starting July 26 at 8 p.m. Eastern. As its name suggests, “When Sharks Attack…and Why” investigates shark encounters in America and around the world. “Many attacks are appearing in new and surprising places,” the network notes. Episodes explore incidents in New York, California, Hawaii, Indonesia, Australia and elsewhere. At Florida Tech, Daly-Engel conducts research using a combination of genomics, field ecology and modeling to study shark mating systems and habitat use, and the impacts of climate change on shark populations. On the program, she is our expert guide to anatomical and physiological aspects of sharks, many of which are unique to this species. We first meet Daly-Engel in Episode 1, New York Nightmare. Filmed in her lab, she talks viewers through key parts of a shark’s body using a small dogfish shark. She tells viewers that while a shark’s sense of smell is often touted, these apex predators also have powerful hearing, far better than humans. (In a later episode, she notes a shark’s vision in murky waters is about 10 times stronger than human vision in those conditions.) “I really enjoyed delving into the science behind shark-human interactions,” Daly-Engel said, “and busting the myths that make people afraid of the water.” Daly-Engel is no stranger to SharkFest. Last year she was featured in another SharkFest series, “Shark Attack File,” and she has been on SharkFest and Discovery’s Shark Week programing multiple times, including 2021 when she appeared on three programs across both networks. Looking to know more about shark encounters and attacks? Then let us help with your coverage and questions. Toby Daly-Engel is an assistant professor in the Department of Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences department at Florida Tech. He's available to speak with media about this topic - simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.
Predicting the post-pandemic desires for the Latin music industry
Coachella, identified as a mega-festival universe, decided on a diverse 2023 roster with artists like Becky G, Kali Uchis, and Rosalía. Bad Bunny, last year’s most-streamed global artist, made history as the festival’s first Spanish-language headliner. It also marked the first year since Coachella’s founding in 1999 that none of the headliners were white. José Valentino Ruiz-Resto, an assistant professor in the School of Music at the University of Florida, co-authored a paper for the Journal of Arts Entrepreneurship Education, which focused on how the music industry would evolutionarily change after the pandemic and ultimately predicted the 2023 Coachella trend. “The rise of Latin artists/headliners at festivals like Coachella is really a reflection of what has been happening in the music industry for the past two decades,” said José Valentino Ruiz-Resto who is also the program coordinator of Music Business & Entrepreneurship at UF. Ruiz-Resto’s research showed that the post-Covid era music industry would encourage more people to stay home and listen to music digitally, but the traditional Latin music experience is an outlier to this. The world-renowned multi-instrumentalist explains, "In order for concerts and festivals to maintain success, they needed to branch out to other markets to bring in those people who were still very much passionate about experiencing music in a live context.” Although this shift was initiated by the pandemic, it has been patiently anticipated by Ruiz-Resto for over 23 years, starting with the founding of the Latin Grammys in 2000. “Because the amount of production within the Latin recording academy is almost equivocal to that of all of the other genres in the American market combined. Latin music is the No. 1 meta genre in the music industry in terms of sales and fan support,” Ruiz-Resto, now a four-time Latin Grammy Award winner, said. Ruiz-Resto's data predicted the need for a stronger focus on the Latin music enthusiasts who still actively go to concerts like Coachella, “In order for Coachella to ultimately succeed in the post-Covid era and attract people, they needed to bring in artists like Bad Bunny.” This historic Coachella moment followed an announcement from the Recording Industry Association of America, stating that Latin music revenues in the United States were at an all-time high, exceeding over $1 billion in 2022. All of this was no surprise to Ruiz-Resto, who observes, researches and directly participates in the Latin music industry. “Now bigger shows are catching up to what has been the largest-selling music market for years. It’s a testament to how positively Latin American cultures are inspiring listeners across the U.S.” By Halle Burton
Smartphones push consumers to prefer a customizable purchasing experience
In a world where purchasing is only a click away, studies have shown that smartphones complicate the most preferred items. Aner Sela, a professor in UF’s Warrington College of Business conducted a new study that discovered consumers who are captivated by their phones gravitate towards specialized, custom products. Compared to large computers or borrowing someone’s phone, an individual’s phone sparks privatized feelings that allow stronger self-expression and strengthens our unconscious preference for a customized consumer journey. Working alongside Camilla Song, an assistant professor at City University of Hong Kong, Sela published their findings in the Journal of Marketing Research in early August. “When you use your phone, your authentic self is being expressed to a greater extent. That affects the options you seek and the attitudes you express,” said Sela, one of the authors of the study. The researchers suspected that smartphones encourage people to reflect on their inner identity, calling on the psychological state of private self-focus that affects all kinds of behaviors. “People with high levels of private self-focus tend to be more independent in the attitudes that they express. They conform less,” the UF professor said. “When they make choices, they tend to choose based on privately or deeply held beliefs, preferences or tastes, and they’re less influenced by social contexts.” Sela and Song chose to test if smartphones have the capability to promote enough private self-focus that it changes behavioral patterns, so they performed five experiments with undergraduates and online respondents. The study found that smartphone users were more likely to choose unique, tailored products rather than large ones than if the user hopped on a large computer. These results vanished if the user was given another phone from the same brand, suggesting that companies should alter their consumer suggestions based on the device they are using. The professor and her former doctoral student found the self-expression mindset likely to cause behavioral changes can be activated by the use of a smartphone. “With a borrowed phone, it doesn’t feel like you’re in your own little bubble. What we find is the use of smartphones and its activation of private self-focus is really unique to a personal device,” Sela said. By Halle Burton
MEDIA RELEASE: CAA Announces Provincial School Safety Award, Winners
Two students who calmly helped rescue their peers and a supervisor who has ensured the safety of her patrollers for three decades are being recognized for their efforts. Isabelle Wallace, 12, and Chase Rodgers, 12, received the 2022-2023 CAA School Safety Patroller of the Year award in recognition of their quick response when the school bus they were travelling on slid into a ditch in March. Ashley Hopkins, the vice principal of Primrose Elementary School in Mulmur, Ontario nominated the pair, “they jumped right into action, making sure all students were okay and reassuring them that they were safe,” she said. Using the skills they learned through the CAA School Safety Patrol program, the two helped the bus driver evacuate the bus and escorted their fellow classmates to safety while they waited for help, said Hopkins. Stephanie Pennesi, who is winding down her 31-year teaching career at June Avenue Public School in Guelph, received the CAA School Safety Patrol Supervisor of the Year award for her passion and dedication to the role of patrol supervisor, one she has held for 29 years. Constable Sherry Pettapiece with the Guelph Police and fellow patrol supervisor Dianne Chadder nominated her. Pennesi has been recognized for her dedication before, winning the City of Guelph’s Patrol Supervisor of the Year in 2008 and 2016. “Patrol Supervisors are an integral piece of the program, and Stephanie has been an amazing role model. The kids adore her, and I know I could always count on her professionalism and amazing depth of knowledge to help administer the program at June Avenue Public School,” says Constable Pettapiece. Pennesi has been recognized for her dedication before, winning the City of Guelph’s Patrol Supervisor of the year in 2008 and 2016. “The CAA School Safety Patrol program has kept students safe in school zones since the 1920s by helping students at school crossings and on school buses,” said Teresa Di Felice, assistant vice president, CAA South Central Ontario. “Thank you to all our patrollers, teachers, schools, police, and busing consortiums partners who help make this important safety program a success,” she added. About 20,000 dedicated student volunteers participate in the CAA School Safety Patrol Program and give their time to help keep their peers safe at school crossings and on school buses in more than 900 schools across Ontario.
Richard G. Cuming Appointed Chief Operating Officer of ChristianaCare
(WILMINGTON, Del. – June 26, 2023) Richard G. Cuming, Ed.D., MSN, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, has been named ChristianaCare’s chief operating officer (COO). Cuming has been serving as interim COO since the beginning of this calendar year. He joined ChristianaCare in 2016 as the system’s first Chief Nurse Executive. In his role as COO, Cuming oversees the delivery of efficient and fiscally responsible system operations. He also works with other leaders to ensure high-quality and safe patient care. “Ric has been an invaluable asset to ChristianaCare over the past seven years, especially in navigating the many challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic” said Janice E. Nevin, M.D., MPH, ChristianaCare president and chief executive officer. “As leader of our extraordinary, Magnet®-designated nursing staff and president of ChristianaCare HomeHealth, he has improved the lives of patients and caregivers alike. I look forward to him flourishing in this new role.” Prior to coming to ChristianaCare, Cuming oversaw the operations and strategic direction of nursing services, perioperative and emergency services at Einstein Medical Center Philadelphia, Einstein Medical Center Elkins Park, MossRehab, Einstein Center One and Willowcrest, a skilled nursing center. Ric also previously worked at Jackson Health System in Miami as senior vice president and chief nursing executive, and he served as senior vice president and chief administrative officer at Jackson South Community Hospital. Cuming serves on the board of directors of the DAISY Foundation and board of trustees of the Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses Foundation. He was inducted into the American Academy of Nursing and is an alumnus of both the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Executive Nurse Fellowship Program and the Wharton School of Business General Management Program. Cuming earned his diploma of collegial studies in nursing at John Abbott College in Montreal, his Bachelor of Science in nursing from the University of Ottawa, his Master of Science in nursing at the University of Miami and his doctorate in adult education and human resource development with a minor in advanced nursing administration from Florida International University.
(WILMINGTON, Del. – June 22, 2023) For a fourth year in a row, Modern Healthcare has recognized ChristianaCare President and CEO Janice E. Nevin, M.D., MPH, as one of the nation’s 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives. The publication praised her and ChristianaCare for the innovative work being done to extend the reach of the health system via new offerings, including Hospital Care at Home, ChristianaCare Business Health Solutions and Virtual Primary Care. “Dr. Nevin has a bold, courageous and clear-eyed vision for the future of health care regionally and nationally,” said Nicholas Marsini, chair of the Board of Directors of ChristianaCare. “In service of our system’s vision of creating health together so that every person can flourish, she has committed ChristianaCare to transforming care delivery by aspiring to keep people healthy at home, radically simplify access and much more.” Dr. Nevin has led ChristianaCare since 2014. Under her leadership the health system has experienced substantial growth and maintained a high level of quality and safe care. In addition to numerous other accolades, Healthgrades has continually recognized ChristianaCare as one of America’s Top 50 Hospitals, and Forbes has repeatedly called ChristianaCare one of the country’s best health systems to work for. Modern Healthcare’s annual list of the most influential clinical executives honors currently or previously licensed clinicians in executive roles who are deemed by their peers and the senior editors of Modern Healthcare to be paving the way to better health through their executive responsibility, leadership qualities, innovation, community service and achievements inside and outside of their respective organizations. “These executives are broadening access to care through expansion and embracing digital tools to make their operations more efficient and their patients more connected,” said Mary Ellen Podmolik, editor-in-chief of Modern Healthcare. “They also are tackling workforce challenges by developing strategies to attract newcomers to the field. The complete list is included Modern Healthcare’s June 19 issue with awardee profiles available at www.modernhealthcare.com/50mostinfluential. About ChristianaCare Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, ChristianaCare is one of the country’s most dynamic health care organizations, centered on improving health outcomes, making high-quality care more accessible and lowering health care costs. ChristianaCare includes an extensive network of primary care and outpatient services, home health care, urgent care centers, three hospitals (1,299 beds), a freestanding emergency department, a Level I trauma center and a Level III neonatal intensive care unit, a comprehensive stroke center and regional centers of excellence in heart and vascular care, cancer care and women’s health. It also includes the pioneering Gene Editing Institute. ChristianaCare is nationally recognized as a great place to work, rated by Forbes as the 5th best health system to work for in the United States and by IDG Computerworld as one of the nation’s Best Places to Work in IT. ChristianaCare is rated by HealthGrades as one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals and continually ranked among the nation’s best by U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek and other national quality ratings. ChristianaCare is a nonprofit teaching health system with more than 260 residents and fellows. With its groundbreaking Center for Virtual Health and a focus on population health and value-based care, ChristianaCare is shaping the future of health care. About Modern Healthcare Modern Healthcare is the most trusted business news and information brand in the healthcare industry. Modern Healthcare empowers healthcare leaders and influencers to make timely and informed business decisions. To learn more or subscribe, go to www.modernhealthcare.com/subscriptions.