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Man with paralysis walks naturally after brain, spine implants

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:55 GMT

(CNN) — New research reveals how a medical device helped one man with paralysis walk naturally again, more than a decade after an injury.Dr. Grégoire Courtine and colleagues from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne developed and implanted a “brain-spine interface” that creates a direct neurological link between the brain and spinal cord. Implants in the brain track intentions for movement, which are wirelessly transferred to a processing unit that a person wears externally, like a backpack. The intentions are translated into commands that the processing unit sends back through the second implant to stimulate muscles.The research findings, published Wednesday in the journal Nature, outline successful outcomes for one study participant from the Netherlands.Gert-Jan Oskam, 40, was left paralyzed after a motorbike accident in China more than a decade ago. His legs were impaired, as well as his arms and trunk.“My wish was to walk again, and I believed it was possible,” ...

Rare diseases: Little known disease has big impact on patients, families and society

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:55 GMT

References1Galanello R, et al. Orphanet J Rare Dis. 2010;5:11.2Taher, Ali T et al. NEJM. 2021;384(8):727-743.3N Li et al. Poster BSH23-OR05 presented at 2023 British Society of Haematology Conference, 23 April 2023.4Jobanputra M, et al. Br J Haematol. 2020;191(5):897-905.5Brousse V, et al. Value in Health. 2019;22:S8516Sankaran VG, Orkin SH. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med.2013;3:a011643.7Musallam KM, et al. Blood. 2012;119(2):364-367.8EU Policy Recommendations for Thalassaemia and Sickle Cell Disease, TIF, available at: https://thalassaemia.org.cy/positions-policies/position-papers/# Date accessed 25 April 2023.9Shelton E, et al. Journal of Hepatitis 2016;2(1):11.10Cappellini MD, et al. Guidelines for the Management of Transfusion Dependent Thalassaemia (TDT). 4th ed. Thalassaemia International Federation; 2021.11Li, et al. Blood (2022) 140 (Supplement 1): 10869–10870.12Paramore C, et al. Patient. 2021;14(2):197-208.13Udeze, C. et al. Abstract EE58 presented at 2023 ISPOR M...

This is the most searched dog breed in San Diego, according to a study

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:55 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- America's Finest City is home to many four-legged friends, but one particular breed of dog has continually found itself entered into search bars throughout San Diego.A new study conducted by pet financial assistance site MyPetChild has revealed the most searched dog breeds in the most populated cities in the nation. Rescued loggerhead sea turtle thriving after 3D-printed shell brace When determining which pooches were most popular, MyPetChild analyzed a list of 284 dog breeds that are recognized by The American Kennel Club. Each breed was then entered into Google Keyword Planner to find the number of monthly searches for each breed in 328 major US cities.The results are in and these breeds are the top three searched in San Diego, according to this study:#3 -- French Bulldog#2 -- Australian Shepherd#1 -- Cane CorsoThe Cane Corso is the not only the most searched breed in San Diego, but MyPetChild analysis shows this breed is the most popular dog breed in 67 out o...

Quarter of billion dollars worth of drugs seized in San Diego through April: CBP

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:55 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Through the end of April, an estimated quarter of a billion dollars worth of narcotics have been seized in the San Diego Field Office, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.“To create safer and stronger communities, CBP officers utilize their training, experience, and an array of technologies to seize an alarming amount of narcotics.” said Sidney Aki, CBP Director of Field Operations for San Diego. “Statistically, fentanyl is one of the deadliest drug threats our nation has ever encountered and CBP is on the frontline seizing record amounts of it."Aki also said "preventing the cross-border smuggling of fentanyl and other dangerous drugs is one of our top priorities.”The San Diego Field Office is made up of the San Ysidro and Otay Mesa Ports of Entry, San Diego air and seaport, Calexico East/West, Tecate, and Andrade Ports of Entry. According to CBP the following drugs have been confiscated since the year began: • Marijuana – 1,535 pounds seized ($3,838,150...

Stock market today: US futures, world markets higher as US debt talks said to make headway

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:55 GMT

Wall Street followed world markets modestly higher early Friday, lifted by optimism that Congress and the president will strike a deal to unlock a vote for lifting the U.S. government’s debt ceiling and avert a potentially calamitous default.Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 each rose about 0.2% before the bell.Officials said President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy were narrowing in on a two-year budget deal that could open the door to lifting the nation’s debt ceiling. The Democratic president and Republican speaker hope to strike a budget compromise this weekend. A two-year deal would raise the debt limit for that time, past the 2024 presidential election. As their price for raising the legal debt limit, Republicans have been demanding spending cuts the Democrats oppose. U.S. markets on down this week on worries that Washington could run out of cash to pay its bills as soon as June 1, unless Congress allows it to borrow more.The widespre...

Flight cancellations, strikes raise fears of new summer travel chaos in Europe

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:55 GMT

LONDON (AP) — British Airways canceled dozens of flights Friday, blaming computer problems for disrupting plans for thousands of passengers at the start of a busy holiday weekend — a rocky kickoff to the summer travel season in Europe.The technical glitches and strikes by airport staff across Europe are stirring concerns about a repeat of last summer’s post-pandemic air travel chaos that unleashed delays, cancellations and mountains of lost luggage from London to Sweden to Amsterdam.Most of the 42 affected flights in London were on short-haul routes to and from Heathrow, Europe’s busiest airport. Computer issues on Thursday caused planes and crew to be out of position Friday, which was expected to be the busiest day for U.K. air travel since before the coronavirus pandemic.Other flights were delayed, with some passengers unable to check in online. Travel is expected to be especially busy over the next few days as a three-day weekend coincides with the start of a weeklong holid...

Man sentenced to prison over attempted arson attack on German synagogue

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:55 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — A German court on Friday convicted a man of attempted arson for a New Year’s Eve incident in which he broke a window at a synagogue in Bavaria, then tried to light a firework and throw it into the building.The district court in Bamberg sentenced the 22-year-old, who also was convicted of damage to property, to 2 1/2 years in prison, German news agency dpa reported. His name wasn’t released in keeping with German privacy rules.The defendant acknowledged during his trial that he had far-right views. He admitted to the charges, though he said he couldn’t remember everything because he was intoxicated at the time of the incident in the small town of Ermreuth. He said he regretted his actions and asserted that he didn’t know what prompted him to take them.Surveillance camera footage showed that, after breaking the window, the man tried repeatedly — and unsuccessfully — to light a firework and throw it into the synagogue. No one was in the building at...

A measure of inflation that is closely tracked by the Federal Reserve increased in April

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:55 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — A key index of U.S. prices ticked higher in April as consumer spending rebounded, a sign that inflationary pressures in the economy remain high. The index, which the Federal Reserve closely monitors, showed that prices rose 0.4% from March to April, much higher than the 0.1% increase the previous month. Measured year over year, prices were up 4.4% last month, up from 4.2% in March.The government reported Friday that the year-over-year figure was down sharply from a peak of 7% last June yet remains far above the Fed’s 2% inflation target, and it surpassed the 4.2% figure in March.Consumers kept spending last month despite the price rise: Their spending jumped 0.8% from March to April.The Fed monitors the inflation gauge that was issued Friday, called the personal consumption expenditures price index, even more closely than it does the government’s better-known consumer price index. The government has reported that CPI rose 4.9% in April from 12 months earlier....

18 Belgian students guilty for their role in deadly hazing ritual

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:55 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — Eighteen Belgian students were found guilty on Friday for their role in the 2018 death of a freshman university student during a brutal and degrading initiation ritual and were sentenced to community service and fines. Sanda Dia was 20 when he died in a hospital in December 2018 after he, and two other first-year students, endured two days of vicious hazing to enter an elite student fraternity, Reuzegom. Dia was forced to drink excessive amounts of alcohol and fish oil, and made to sit in freezing water before he collapsed. The students were found guilty for their role in the involuntary death of Dia and degrading treatment, but were acquitted of intentionally administering harmful substances resulting in death and wilful neglect, court spokesperson judge Els De Brauwer said. The students were given sentences of up to 300 hours of community service and a 400-euro fine each. The prosecution had sought sentences of up to 50 months in prison for some of them. The high s...

CWB reports Q2 profit down from year ago, raises quarterly dividend

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:55 GMT

EDMONTON — CWB Financial Group raised its quarterly dividend as it reported its second-quarter profit fell compared with a year ago and said it was targeting lower annual loan growth than previously expected.The Edmonton-based bank says it will now pay a quarterly dividend of 33 cents per share, up a penny from 32 cents per share.The increased payment came as CWB says its common shareholders’ net income totalled $70.0 million or 73 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended April 30, down from $74.2 million or 82 cents per diluted share in the same quarter a year earlier.Revenue totalled $264.4 million, up from $258.8 million a year earlier, while its provisions for credit losses totalled $10.3 million, down from $11.2 million in the same quarter last year.On an adjusted basis, CWB says it earned 74 cents per share, down from an adjusted profit of 84 cents per share a year ago.The average analyst estimate had been for an adjusted profit of 77 cents per share, according to e...