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And single people are more likely to use mobility tools compared to those who are married, according to researchers from University College London (UCL) and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). Researchers looked at information from a group of more than 12,000 adults in England aged 50 to 89 who were tracked over a 13-year period. At the start of the study, 8,225 adults had no mobility difficulty and did not use mobility assistive products (MAPs). Some 2,480 were deemed to have “unmet need” and 1,375 were using mobility aids. During the follow-up period, there were 2,313 “transitions” where people went from having no mobility issues to needing some help with getting around. And 1,274 people started to use mobility aids. Compared with men, women were 49% more likely to transition from not needing mobility aids to needing to use them, according to the study which has been published in The Lancet Public Health. But were 21% less likely to go on to use mobility aids when they needed them. The authors said their study showed “barriers to access” for women. For both men and women, with every year that passed during the study period the need for mobility aids increased. People who were older, less educated, less wealthy or reported being disabled were more likely to “transition from no need to unmet need, and from unmet need to use”, the authors said, with this indicating a “higher prevalence of mobility limitations and MAP need overall among these groups”. They added: “Finally, marital or partnership status was not associated with transitioning to unmet need; however, single people were more likely to transition from unmet need to use compared with married or partnered people.” Jamie Danemayer, first author of the study from UCL Computer Science and UCL’s Global Disability Innovation Hub, said: “Our analysis suggests that there is a clear gender gap in access to mobility aids. “Though our data didn’t ascertain the reason why participants weren’t using mobility aids, other research tells us that women are often more likely than men to face obstacles such as cost barriers as a result of well-documented income disparities between genders. “Many mobility aids are designed for men rather than women, which we think may be a factor. “Using mobility aids can also make a disability visible, which can impact the safety and stigma experienced by women, in particular. “There’s a critical need for further research to identify and break down the barriers preventing women from accessing mobility aids that would improve their quality of life.” Professor Cathy Holloway, also from UCL, added: “Not having access to mobility aids when a person needs one can have a big impact on their independence, well-being and quality of life. “Our analysis suggests that women, in particular, regardless of other factors such as education and employment status, are not getting the support that they need.” Professor Shereen Hussein, senior author of the study and lead of the social care group at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said: “The research provides compelling evidence of gender disparities in accessing assistive technology, suggesting that cost, design bias, and social stigma are likely to disproportionally affect women. “This underscores the need for inclusive, gender-sensitive approaches in the design, production and inclusivity of assistive technologies.”Celebrity investor Kevin O'Leary says he is planning to bankroll and build what he says will be the world's largest artificial intelligence data centre. The proposal — named Wonder Valley — is slated to be built in the District of Greenview, near Grande Prairie, Alta. The tech hub, which will include buildings that store and process digital information, will come with a total investment over the lifetime of the project of more than $70 billion, a news release said. The Municipal District of Greenview has agreed to partner with O'Leary Ventures — a company described "as a generalist venture capital investment platform" — by building the "off-grid natural gas and geothermal" power capacity that will be needed to enable the phased project to work. The district and O'Leary Ventures signed a letter of intent for the purchase and development of thousands of acres of land within the Greenview Industrial Gateway. "I think people should be very skeptical and they should just watch, because we'll be very transparent as we develop this," Kevin O'Leary told CBC News said in an interview Tuesday. "We have many mountains to climb here, but we're in a competition ... We have to convince the world that Alberta's the best place to put your data centre for a lot of reasons. And if you can find something better? Show it to me." WATCH | Why northern Alberta? Kevin O'Leary talks location: Why Kevin O'Leary is pitching an AI data centre south of Grande Prairie 18 hours ago Duration 1:52 An artificial intelligence data centre is proposed for the Municipal District of Greenview, south of Grande Prairie, Alta. It's a partnership between the MD and Shark Tank star Kevin O'Leary. As Travis McEwan reports, the 58-building project would run off grid on natural gas and geothermal infrastructure. O'Leary said the site is perfect because there's a city nearby, and the physical space to build all the necessary infrastructure. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said in a news release Monday that the project is "fantastic news." "Our efforts to attract investment, grow our technology and innovation sector, and leverage our natural and human resources are being noticed. I'm excited to watch this project unfold in the months and years to come," she said. The first phase of the project is set to cost $2 billion US and produce 1.4 gigawatt of power. Wonder Valley will then roll out power in one gigawatt increments. Tyler Olsen, the reeve of the Municipal District of Greenview, said in an interview on Wednesday that they've been preparing for a project like this. "Over the past three to four years we've built a road into this area, we've acquired the land from the province, we've started water licensing to get the water there," Olsen said in an interview on CBC's Edmonton AM . LISTEN | Greenview's reeve talks about massive data centre project: Edmonton AM 7:09 Plans for a massive data centre in northern Alberta revealed Celebrity investor Kevin O'Leary is planning to build what he says will be the world's largest artificial intelligence data centre in northern Alberta. Tyler Olsen is reeve of the Municipal District of Greenview where the project is slated to be built. Olsen echoed O'Leary in saying that the location is great. He said they have an abundance of natural gas and a massive drilling program, as well as cool temperatures. That's important, because these centres generate a lot of heat, Olsen said. Water is often used for cooling, and Olsen said the cool temperatures will mean that less water will be needed.
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MMA fighter Conor McGregor outside the High Court in Dublin during the civil rape case taken by Nikita Hand, which he lost. Photo: PA It’s surprising Fine Gael didn’t run Conor McGregor as a candidate in the general election. Given his social media spread, the party clearly missed an opportunity by not getting his endorsement. Mouthy millionaires with international business interests who slag people off are de rigueur in the party. Surely ‘The Notorious’ should have been invited to launch a campaign and to hell with the consequences. It matches the party’s current trends.
Gibson Brands, the iconic guitar manufacturer, is threatening to take legal action against the company behind Trump Guitars over alleged trademark infringement. The 120-year-old maker of historic instruments such as the Les Paul electric guitar sent a cease-and-desist letter to 16 Creative, the agency that is marketing specially branded Trump Guitars. “We can confirm a cease and desist has been issued against 16 Creative as the design infringes upon Gibson’s exclusive trademarks, particularly the iconic Les Paul body shape,” Gibson said in a statement to Guitar World magazine. President-elect Donald Trump last week posted an image on his social media platform Truth Social showing him touting one of the Trump Guitars. The president-elect is seen holding a “limited edition” guitar that appears to be the same shape and size as the Les Paul guitar. The social media post includes a link to a website where people can buy either an acoustic or electric guitar autographed by the president-elect for up to $10,000. The Trump Guitars feature the words “Presidential” and “God Bless the USA” written out across the instrument’s fret board. The website marketing the Trump Guitars indicates that unlike Gibson instruments, which are made in the USA, the Trump-branded version is “manufactured by multiple providers and include parts/features that are both domestic and international.” “This is standard with most guitar manufacturers,” according to the Trump Guitars website. Gibson has been aggressive in pursuing infringement claims against guitar makers that produce products with designs that are similar to that of the Les Paul, the iconic stringed instrument that was first patented in 1955. In May 2022, a jury sided with Gibson in its trade infringement lawsuit against Dean, which was accused of marketing counterfeit versions of the Gibson Flying V, Explorer and SG guitars. Gibson has also threatened legal action against other companies such as Kiesel, Mojo Hand FX and others over alleged trademark infringement. In addition to the Trump-endorsed line of guitars, the president-elect has promoted Trump-branded Bibles, sneakers, watches, photo books and cryptocurrency ventures while campaigning for a second term in office. The Post has sought comment from Gibson, 16 Creative and the Trump transition team.Okanagan Sun head coach Travis Miller was struck by a vehicle in Kelowna's Glenmore neighbourhood on Tuesday, Dec. 10. Kelowna RCMP have confirmed the incident, stating the pedestrian was struck when crossing the road in the crosswalk. The Sun confirmed in a social media post stating the pedestrian was Miller, who had just finished his last recruiting meeting of the day. According to RCMP, Miller was taken to Kelowna General Hospital with non-life threatening injuries and the extent of the injuries are unknown. Meanwhile, the Sun said Miller underwent surgery and both his feet were crushed in the incident. “The driver of the vehicle remained at the scene and cooperated with police,” said Kelowna RCMP media relations officer Sgt. Laura Pollock. “There was no indication the driver was under the influence of drugs or alcohol and speed does not appear to be a factor.” RCMP are still investigating the incident and are asking anyone who witnessed the crash or anyone with dashcam footage in the area from 5:45 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. to step forward and reach out to police at 250-762-3300 with the file number 2024-72174. Miller has been the Sun's head coach since Apr. 2, 2022.
Scholastic Corporation Announces Third Quarter Dividend
MIAMI — As her students finished their online exam, Arlet Lara got up to make a . Her 16-year-old son found her on the kitchen floor. First, he called Dad in a panic. Then 911. “I had a stroke and my life made a 180-degree turn,” Lara told the Miami Herald, recalling the medical scare she experienced in May 2020 in the early months of the COVID pandemic. “The stroke affected my left side of the body,” the North Miami woman and former high school math teacher said. Lara, an avid runner and gym goer, couldn’t even walk. “It was hard,” the 50-year-old mom said. After years of rehabilitation therapy and a foot surgery, Lara can walk again. But she still struggles with moving. This summer, she became the first patient in South Florida to get an implant of a new and only FDA-approved nerve stimulation device designed to help ischemic stroke survivors regain movement in their arms and hands. This first procedure was at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. Lara’s rehab was at at the Christine E. Lynn Rehabilitation Center for The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, part of a partnership between Jackson Health System and UHealth. Every year, thousands in the United States , with one occurring every 40 seconds, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The majority of strokes are ischemic, often caused by blood clots that obstruct blood flow to the brain. For survivors, most of whom are left with some level of disability, the Vivistim Paired VNS System, the device implanted in Lara’s chest, could be a game changer in recovery, said Dr. Robert Starke, a UHealth neurosurgeon and interventional neuroradiologist. He also serves as co-director of endovascular neurosurgery at Jackson Memorial Hospital, part of Miami-Dade’s public hospital system. Arlet Lara, the first patient in South Florida to get an FDA-approved nerve stimulation implant, right, runs into her rehabilitation neurology physician Dr. Gemayaret Alvarez, before her physical therapy appointment on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, at Lynn Rehabilitation Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital. The implant is designed to help stroke survivors regain function in their arms. (Alie Skowronski/Miami Herald/TNS) Arlet Lara, the first patient in South Florida to get an FDA-approved nerve stimulation implant designed to help stroke survivors regain function in their arms, goes through exercises while her therapist activates the device during her physical therapy appointment on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, at Lynn Rehabilitation Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital. The activation works as positive reinforcement to her muscles when she completes the exercise correctly. (Alie Skowronski/Miami Herald/TNS) Arlet Lara, the first patient in South Florida to get an FDA-approved nerve stimulation implant, does an exercise while Neil Batungbakal, rehabilitation therapist, activates the implant with the black trigger during her physical therapy appointment on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, at Lynn Rehabilitation Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital. The implant is designed to help stroke survivors regain function in their arms. The activation works as positive reinforcement to her muscles when she completes the exercise correctly. (Alie Skowronski/Miami Herald/TNS) Arlet Lara, the first patient in South Florida to get an FDA- approved nerve stimulation implant, does an exercise while Neil Batungbakal, rehabilitation therapist, activates the implant with the black trigger during her physical therapy appointment on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, at Lynn Rehabilitation Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital. Arlet Lara, the first patient in South Florida to get an FDA-approved nerve stimulation implant, right, runs into her rehabilitation neurology physician Dr. Gemayaret Alvarez, before her physical therapy appointment on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, at Lynn Rehabilitation Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital. The implant is designed to help stroke survivors regain function in their arms. (Alie Skowronski/Miami Herald/TNS) The Vivistim Paired VNS System is a small pacemaker-like device implanted in the upper chest and neck area. Patients can go home the same day. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2021 to be used alongside post-ischemic stroke rehabilitation therapy to treat moderate to severe mobility issues in hands and arms. Lara’s occupational therapist can activate the device during rehabilitation sessions to electrically stimulate the vagus nerve, which runs from the brain down to the abdomen and regulates various parts of the body’s nervous system. The electrical stimulation rewires the brain to improve a stroke survivor’s ability to move their arms and hands. Lara also has a magnet she can use to activate the device when she wants to practice at home. Her therapy consists of repetitive tasks, including coloring, pinching cubes and grabbing and releasing cylindrical shapes. After several weeks of rehabilitation therapy with the device, Lara has seen improvement. “Little by little, I’m noticing that my hand is getting stronger. I am already able to brush my teeth with the left hand,” she told the Miami Herald in September. Since then, Lara has finished the initial six-week Vivitism therapy program, and is continuing to use the device in her rehabilitation therapy. She continues to improve and can now eat better with her left hand and can brush her hair with less difficulty, according to her occupational therapist, Neil Batungbakal. Lara learned about the device through an online group for stroke survivors and contacted the company to inquire. She then connected them with her Jackson medical team. Now a year later, the device is available to Jackson patients. So far, four patients have received the implant at Jackson. Related Articles Starke sees the device as an opportunity to help bring survivors one step closer to regaining full mobility. Strokes are a leading cause of disability worldwide. While most stroke survivors can usually recover some function through treatment and rehabilitation, they tend to hit a “major plateau” after the first six months of recovery, he said. Vivistim, when paired with rehabilitation therapy, could change that. Jackson Health said results of a clinical trial published in the peer-reviewed medical journal in 2021 showed that the device, “when paired with high-repetition, task-specific occupational or physical therapy, helps generate two to three times more hand and arm function for stroke survivors than rehabilitation therapy alone.” The device has even shown to benefit patients 20 years from their original stroke, according to Starke. “So now a lot of these patients that had strokes 10-15 years ago that thought that they would never be able to use their arm in any sort of real functional way are now able to have a real meaningful function, which is pretty tremendous,” Starke said. Vivistim’s vagus-nerve stimulation technology by researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas’ Texas Biomedical Device Center and is being sold commercially by Austin-based MicroTransponder, a company started by university graduates. Similar devices are used to . For Lara, the device is a new tool to help her recovery journey. “Everything becomes a challenge so we are working with small things every day because I want to get back as many functions as possible,” Lara said. Patients interested in Vivistim should speak with their doctor to check their eligibility. The FDA said patients should make sure to discuss any prior medical history, including concurrent forms of brain stimulation, current diathermy treatment, previous brain surgery, depression, respiratory diseases and disorders such as asthma, and cardiac abnormalities. “Adverse events included but were not limited to dysphonia (difficulty speaking), bruising, falling, general hoarseness, general pain, hoarseness after surgery, low mood, muscle pain, fracture, headache, rash, dizziness, throat irritation, urinary tract infection and fatigue,” the FDA said. MicroTransponder says the device is “covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance with prior authorization on a case-by-case basis.”
Women more likely to need walking aids but less likely to use them – study
Cherry vape helped MP quit smoking amid warning Bill could ‘go too far’
An investor in DMC Global Inc. (Nasdaq: BOOM) claims in a recently filed class-action lawsuit that key executives at the oilfield-services, construction-products and infrastructure firm intentionally withheld information about potential weakness in its largest business unit, a decision that hurt shareholders when DMC’s stock price plunged this fall after disclosures painted a less-than-rosy picture of DMC’s performance and outlook. Subscribe to continue reading this article. Already subscribed? To login in, click here.Why celebrity investor Kevin O'Leary is proposing a massive AI data centre in northern AlbertaRap Music: a beautiful enigma