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Irish Times
a day ago
- Health
- Irish Times
ME/CFS: is there a comprehensive explanation for this long-misunderstood illness?
In 1955, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) affected more than 300 people at London's Royal Free hospital. In 1970, a study attributed the outbreak to 'mass hysteria', from which the 'it's in your head' dogma of ME developed. However, in 2006, Dr Byron Hyde revealed the 1970 study as 'totally bogus research'. And, in 2015, Prof Betsy Keller of the Department of Exercise & Sports Sciences at New York's Ithaca College observed that , given all that had been learned about this condition, 'it is intellectually embarrassing to suggest that ME is a psychological illness'. By 2021, others had reduced ME's psychological dogma to ashes, citing research showing autoimmunity, a low circulating blood volume and the abnormal function of biopsied muscle fibres. Now, in his book, Understanding ME/CFS & Strategies for Healing (2025), Irish author Patrick Ussher not only adds compelling insights to the burgeoning evidence base for ME's physical origins, but also outlines a unifying model for ME, highlighting research towards possible effective treatment. READ MORE The 36-year-old told The Irish Times that, before his ME diagnosis in 2018, 'I was a PhD student working on Stoic ethics and a composer of contemporary classical music'. [ My battle with Long Covid: I was in disbelief. Was I making it up? How could I not stand up while the kettle boiled? Opens in new window ] How did he address this daunting health challenge? 'Initially,' he says, 'I was almost totally in the dark about ME. Plenty of research exists, but very little is taught to doctors, which left me navigating the ME landscape alone. But I undertook to read and understand the latest research.' Ussher's philosophical background may have enriched his understanding of ME-related science, echoing philosopher Mary Midgley who, in her 1992 book, Science and Salvation, noted that increasing scientific specialisation means that mental maps 'are required to show fine detail correctly, less and less are they designed to show the whole territory needed for actual journeys'. But Ussher's diligence was rewarded when the evolving mental map of his life-changing illness afforded him a glimpse of 'the whole territory' in August 2021: 'That's when I encountered the research of German professors, pharmacologist Klaus Wirth and immunologist/ME researcher Carmen Scheibenbogen. They've mapped out a ' unifying model' of ME , ( A Unifying Hypothesis of the Pathophysiology of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) which makes sense of the interrelationship of the most important pre-existing findings, joining up the dots and demystifying the condition." [ Chronic fatigue syndrome: 'It was like a switch had been flipped. I couldn't stand up' Opens in new window ] He adds: 'For ME to make sense as an illness, it cannot be random: it must follow certain physiological laws.' These physiological laws inform the evolution of Wirth and Scheibenbogen's unifying model hypothesis, which inter alia considers a key role for autoantibodies against blood flow-related cellular receptors in skeletal muscle and the brain; the mechanisms by which ME patients develop low blood volume and systemic blood hypoperfusion (a reduced amount of blood flow); and the contribution of high muscle sodium and calcium concentrations to mitochondrial dysfunction and muscle-tissue necrosis. The refinement of Wirth and Scheibenbogen's unifying model hypothesis has led to a therapeutic concept: a drug called Mitodicure, which is 'a novel molecule to treat patients with exertional intolerance and post-exertional malaise (PEM)'. Steps are under way to attract funding for clinical trials. Mitodicure, says Ussher, 'could represent the long-awaited breakthrough treatment for ME and Long Covid. Its mechanism of action will interrupt several key vicious cycles at once, particularly targeting the mechanisms underlying PEM. 'During symptom exacerbations of PEM,' he explains, 'most illness mechanisms heighten and intensify. By preventing PEM, Mitodicure could relieve physiological burdens, enabling the body to concentrate its resources on healing. 'Mitodicure is not symptom suppression,' Ussher emphasises, 'Prof Wirth considers Mitodicure to represent a potential cure for these illnesses.' Cautiously optimistic, Ussher suggests that Mitodicure could demystify ME: 'If you have a therapeutic based on a certain disease model and it works as hypothesised, the disease model is also validated. The pill can prove the principle. So Mitodicure could offer not only improved quality of life (or better) but could also advance our understanding of ME.' Although Ussher's enthusiasm is tempered with an acute awareness of the need for scientific rigour, his approach to science appears sceptical towards the exalted status of stored facts and may align with Mary Midgley's view that stored facts are 'valueless unless you know how to use them, how to connect them with other things, how to understand them'. Ussher's book represents an interpretative scheme; a vehicle, as he puts it, 'for raising awareness of Wirth and Scheibenbogen's 'unifying model' of ME and the potential Mitodicure pill which is based on it'. [ My daily routine living with . . . chronic fatigue syndrome Opens in new window ] He wants patients and other interested parties to know that there is a comprehensive explanation for this long-misunderstood illness and that 'we urgently need investors to fund Mitodicure. The stakes are too high for trials not to happen. 'Millions worldwide need help now, especially as ME is one of the severest outcomes of Long Covid , and the recent pandemic has resulted in countless more suffering from this disease.' Some might ascribe Ussher's determination to make progress against the ravages of ME to the Stoic philosophy that he espouses. However, 'The most important influence has been my late mum, Mary Redmond . Her journey with cancer, encapsulated in her book, The Pink Ribbon Path, has given me a path to follow now, albeit imperfectly. 'Equally important to me was her work in founding The Irish Hospice Foundation. She fought for the marginalised in her life. I am trying to do the same.'
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
‘There will be noise': Cornell lacrosse fans celebrate fourth national championship title
ITHACA, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — It was a busy Monday afternoon at the Cornell Store, as students, graduates and their families were loading up on merch before the big game. 'I feel like this year's team is very special. 16 seniors, they've been there before, and CJ Kirst is playing on a phenomenal level,' said store manager JT Tompkins. 'It feels like this is the year.' But it wasn't busy enough for Tompkins to miss the game. He wanted nothing more than for CJ Kirst to go out on top. Dog dies in Cicero house fire, no people hurt 'There will be noise': Cornell lacrosse fans celebrate fourth national championship title Cornell takes home National Championship with 13-10 win over Maryland Village of Manlius transformed with patriotic cheer OSU researcher: $700K grant canceled when DOGE misunderstood use of 'climate' 'He would help out any way he could, especially these last couple of games,' Tompkins said. 'He's just got it, you can tell. His brothers come to the games, his family, and they're all in the PLL. It's a legacy waiting to be.' At the Ithaca Ale House, the bar is packed as these Big Red fans are taking in the game for Memorial Day. 'Lacrosse is a little special. It's my favorite sport. It's not football, hockey, basketball or baseball. I just love lacrosse and for them to win it, wow,' said fan Brad Gates. John Cressey graduated from Cornell in 1992. He recently moved back to the area and began following the Big Red's run to the finals. 'I'm psyched for them. It's very unusual for an Ivy League school to get that far, especially against Maryland, which is a great lacrosse school,' Cressey said. Now with the win in the books, it's time to celebrate. 'The lacrosse community is kind of small, but they are fanatical. There will be noise,' Gates said. 'I think Cornelians are more excited than Ithacans about it, but it is a great accomplishment, so who wouldn't be excited about it?' Cressey said. This is Cornell's fourth lacrosse national championship. The Big Red also won in 1971, 1976, and 1977. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
RNZ News
26-05-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
MPI closely watching bird flu vaccine trials for cattle and poultry
In December 2024 US authorities ordered a testing regimen for the nation's milk supply, amid increasing concerns over the H5N1 bird flu virus. Dairy cows in Ithaca, New York, on 11 December, 2024. Photo: AFP/ Michael M Santiago MPI says it's not currently doing research into high pathogenicity avian influenza vaccines for cattle but it is "closely" watching overseas trials for both cattle and poultry. The science journal Nature reported last week that US scientists were working on the first mRNA bird flu vaccine for cattle , using genetic code to help the body create antibodies to fight a disease, similar to the Covid-19 vaccine. Bird flu is already rife across US poultry and cattle farms but the researchers are racing to contain those outbreaks before they spark a human pandemic. Since March last year the H5N1 virus has infected more than a thousand dairy herds across 17 US states. MPI chief veterinary officer Dr Mary van Andel said MPI was following the US trial as well as other HPAI vaccine trials such as those in poultry. The commercial use of any vaccine for HPAI would need to be considered against the risks posed to the industry, and only after consultation with the affected industry, she added. "All vaccines for use in animals must be registered under the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines (ACVM) Act before they can be imported to or manufactured, sold, or used in New Zealand. Similarly, vaccine trials conducted in New Zealand would also require ACVM authorisation before it can proceed. If a vaccine is needed to manage disease in New Zealand in future, either trial work to develop a new vaccine or registration of a vaccine available overseas are both options for consideration." It was important to remember that New Zealand had never had a case of the bird flu strain H5N1 2.3.4.4b, and that HPAI was not a cattle disease, she said. "The H5N1 strain of HPAI was detected in dairy herds in the United States following a spillover event in 2024. The US is the only country that has reported spillover to cattle worldwide, despite large seasonal outbreaks of this strain in other northern hemisphere countries." A different strain of avian influenza, H7N6, was detected at a north Otago egg farm in December. About 200,000 chickens were culled across five sites after the outbreak. Van Andel said MPI was working closely with international colleagues to learn everything it could from their experiences of H5N1 and it was keeping its industry partners informed. "We are closely monitoring updates from both the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as well as keeping in regular contact with the US Chief Veterinary Officer. Our industry and scientific communities have close linkages with colleagues in the US." The CDC believed the current risk to the general public from bird flu viruses was low, she added. However people with job-related or recreational exposure to infected birds or animals, including cows, were at greater risk of contracting H5N1. "A small number of dairy farmworkers who were in close contact with infected cattle have been infected with the virus. These workers showed mild symptoms and recovered. HPAI H5N1 has not been detected or reported in beef cattle to date." Van Andel said that if the strain of HPAI did arrive in New Zealand, the risk of transmission from birds to cattle or other livestock was low. "We are working closely with the Department of Conservation, Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora, the Ministry of Health and our industry partners to ensure we are ready should HPAI H5N1 be detected here. A key focus of this work is ensuring strong on-farm biosecurity practices are in place across the poultry industry and wider farming sector." MPI has worked with industry groups to develop advice and guidance for both commercial poultry farmers and dairy and other livestock farmers:
The Herald Scotland
21-05-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Rosebank firm buys stake in huge North Sea gas field
The deal will leave Israeli-owned Ithaca with an 85% stake in Cygnus, which it described as 'the largest UK Continental Shelf gas field and a key contributor to the UK's energy security.' READ MORE: SNP Government oil hypocrisy shocking amid Scottish jobs cull Last year Centrica said Cygnus was expected to produce enough gas per day to meet the needs of around 1.9 million UK households. Centrica has highlighted the potential for the field to remain in production beyond 2030. Ithaca Energy's executive chairman, Yaniv Friedman, said the deal would allow the London-listed group to acquire reserves at an attractive valuation and to increase its production in a simple way. The company noted it is paying less than $7 per barrel of oil equivalent to acquire reserves in Cygnus. Brent crude was selling for around $65.30 per barrel in morning trading. The deal is the latest in a series of acquisitions that Ithaca has made in the UK North Sea in recent years. In March Ithaca bought a stake in the giant Seagull oil field from BP in a $193m (£145m) deal. Ithaca cemented its standing as one of the biggest North Sea producers in April last year when it acquired the bulk of Italian giant Eni's interests in the area for around £750m. READ MORE: North Sea drilling curb plan looks mad amid Trump trade threats Israel's Delek Group was left with a 50.4% stake in Ithaca following completion of the deal, with Eni on 38.7%. Six months later the Labour Government sparked outrage in the industry by increasing the rate of the windfall tax. Ithaca has made a range of expansion moves in the North Sea since the tax was first imposed in 2022. The following year the company approved plans to develop the bumper Rosebank field West of Shetland with Equinor of Norway. The project faces uncertainty after Scotland's Court of Session ruled in January that the former Conservative Government was wrong to approve the development. This was because the assessment process failed to take account of the emissions that would be generated by use of the related output. The Labour Government is working on a new assessment process. READ MORE: North Sea oil giant plans $500m investor payouts as it cuts jobs Ithaca also hopes to develop the huge Cambo field West of Shetland. Environmental campaigners are bitterly opposed to the plans for Rosebank and Cambo. Centrica built a big North Sea production business, called Spirit Energy, helped by the £1.3bn acquisition of Aberdeen-based Venture Production in 2009. The group decided to offload its North Sea exploration and production operations to focus on other markets, including the supply of energy to households. Centrica plans to develop a huge carbon storage facility in depleted gas reservoirs beneath Morecambe Bay. The group said the Cygnus deal would generate around £215m benefits in total including the transfer of £99 million of decommissioning liabilities associated with the interest. Centrica will retain a 15% stake in Cygnus following the deal. Cygnus is in the Southern North Sea 120 miles off Lincolnshire.
Business Wire
20-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
TransAct Technologies Expands BOHA! Platform with New Contract Foodservice Customer
HAMDEN, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--TransAct® Technologies Incorporated (Nasdaq: TACT), a global leader in software-driven technology and printing solutions, today announced that a new contract food service customer has selected the BOHA!® Platform for deployment across its network. BOHA! Temp and BOHA! Checklist software is now live at all 55 locations, helping this new customer improve labor efficiency and ensure consistent execution of daily operational tasks, which includes 21 sites that are using BOHA! Sense for real-time equipment monitoring. In addition, several locations are also using the BOHA! Terminal 2 to take advantage of the productivity, compliance, and operational performance benefits of on-demand labeling. Over time, each location will have the opportunity to add a BOHA! Terminal 2. 'We're proud to support this new customer as they modernize operations across a broad network of client locations,' said John Dillon, CEO of TransAct Technologies. 'This win reinforces the value of the BOHA! Platform in contract foodservice—delivering measurable improvements in efficiency, brand consistency, and execution at scale.' Adoption of BOHA! continues to accelerate as contract foodservice providers prioritize operational excellence across their locations. BOHA! gives teams greater control, reduces manual effort, and ensures consistent execution—key advantages in a highly distributed, labor-constrained environment. For more information and to connect with our solution experts, please visit About TransAct Technologies Incorporated TransAct Technologies Incorporated is a global leader in developing and selling software-driven technology and printing solutions for high-growth markets including food service, casino and gaming, and POS automation. The Company's solutions are designed from the ground up based on customer requirements and are sold under the BOHA!®, AccuDate®, EPICENTRAL®, Epic and Ithaca® brands. TransAct has sold over 3.9 million printers, terminals and other hardware devices around the world and is committed to providing world-class service, spare parts, and accessories to support its installed product base. Through the TransAct Services Group, the Company also provides customers with a complete range of supplies and consumable items both online at and through its direct sales team. TransAct is headquartered in Hamden, CT. For more information, please visit or call (203) 859-6800. ©2025 TRANSACT Technologies Incorporated. All rights reserved. TransAct®, BOHA!®, AccuDate®, Epic Edge®, EPICENTRAL® and Ithaca® are trademarks of TransAct Technologies Incorporated.
