Latest news with #MedicalSchool
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Federal judge orders Harvard researcher to be released from ICE custody
Kseniia Petrova, a Russian scientist at Harvard University's Medical School who was charged in connection with undeclared frog embryos brought to the United States from France, has been released from immigration custody following a Wednesday ruling from a federal judge. Petrova was unlawfully detained and didn't pose a danger, according to the ruling of U.S. District Judge Christina Reiss in Burlington, as stated in the Associated Press. The embryos were non-living, non-hazardous and 'posed a threat to no one,' Reiss said. Petrova, 31, a Russian citizen, has been held in immigration custody since Feb. 16 when she was detained at Boston Logan Airport by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and later arrested on a criminal charge. She was charged by criminal complaint with one count of smuggling goods into the United States. Petrova is in Louisiana and is expected to be brought to Massachusetts as early as Friday for a bail hearing next week on the smuggling charge, the Associated Press said. Petrova returned from France with 'non-hazardous, noninfectious, and non-toxic frog embryos' at the request of her supervisor at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Leonid Peshkin, according to court documents. An ICE K9 unit alerted its handler to Petrova's duffle bag on the baggage carousel, Foley's office said. Agents then stopped Petrova, removed her bag and brought it for further screening. Inside was a foam box with clawed frog embryos in microcentrifuges, as well as embryonic samples in paraffin well stages and on mounted dyed slides. Petrova initially denied carrying any biological material in her checked bag before admitting that she was carrying such material, Foley's office said. While speaking with law enforcement, she said she needed to declare the embryos before entering the United States. Her phone showed text messages from one of her colleagues telling her to declare the embryos 'because [Transportation Security Administration] went through my bags at customs in Boston,' Foley's office said. According to the charging documents, however, Petrova's phone revealed text messages from an individual identified as one of Petrova's colleagues informing Petrova that she was required to declare the biological material: 'What is your plan to pass the American Customs with samples?' one of the texts to Petrova read, according to Foley. 'This is the most delicate place of the trajectory.' Another text conversation with her 'principal investigator' showed that Petrova replied that she did not have a plan to get the samples through customs. 'No plan yet. I won't be able to swallow them,' Petrova texted back, according to Foley. Petrova was advised by agents that she was ineligible to enter the country with the undeclared embryos, the statement read. When asked if she would withdraw her application for admission, she replied yes before her arrest. When asked if she feared returning to Russia, Petrova said she had a valid Schengen visa that allows her entry into 29 European countries, including France, according to a complaint she filed. After this, she was detained and transferred to ICE custody to await a credible fear interview. She previously worked as a bioinformatician of genetic disorders at the Moscow Center for Genetics from 2016 to 2023, followed by the Institute of Genetic Biology in Moscow from 2023 to 2024, Foley's office said. The charge of smuggling goods into the United States provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a term of up to five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. The Department of Homeland Security previously stated that messages found on her phone 'revealed she planned to smuggle the materials through customs without declaring them.' In 2022, Petrova was arrested in Russia after she protested the invasion of Ukraine, Peshkin told the Boston Globe. She was not fined and was released. Peshkin added that he regrets that Petrova brought the frog embryos back to the United States in February. While detained in an ICE detention center in Louisiana, Peshkin told the Globe that Petrova has called him nearly every day and is allowed to play basketball and watch television. 'It's a misunderstanding and a mistake, and she should be back at work working on cures and conducting biomedical research, not learning to play basketball in a detention center in Louisiana,' Peshkin said to the Globe. Over a quarter of Boston Public's valedictorians are going to this university — again 'Worth fighting for': Community members, fellow students rally to Harvard's cause 'Devastating impact': Trump's attacks on Harvard could cost Mass. millions, Healey warns Celebrated Harvard professor accused of data fraud loses tenure — and her job Beyond students: Trump attacks on Harvard could affect thousands of workers Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Yahoo
Harvard scientist charged in connection with frog embryos brought to Logan Airport
A Russian scientist at Harvard University's Medical School detained by federal immigration officials in February was charged in connection with undeclared frog embryos brought to the United States from France, United States Attorney Leah Foley's office said. Kseniia Petrova, 31, a Russian citizen, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of smuggling goods into the United States. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detained Petrova on Feb. 16, but was arrested on the criminal charge on Wednesday, Foley's office said in a statement. Petrova returned from France with 'non-hazardous, noninfectious, and non-toxic frog embryos' at the request of her supervisor at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Leonid Peshkin, according to court documents. An ICE K9 unit alerted its handler to Petrova's duffle bag on the baggage carousel, Foley's office said. Agents then stopped Petrova, removed her bag and brought it for further screening. Inside was a foam box with clawed frog embryos in microcentrifuges, as well as embryonic samples in paraffin well stages and on mounted dyed slides. Petrova initially denied carrying any biological material in her checked bag before admitting that she was carrying such material, Foley's office said. While speaking with law enforcement, she said she needed to declare the embryos before entering the United States. Her phone showed text messages from one of her colleagues telling her to declare the embryos 'because [Transportation Security Administration] went through my bags at customs in Boston,' Foley's office said. According to the charging documents, however, Petrova's phone revealed text messages from an individual identified as one of Petrova's colleagues informing Petrova that she was required to declare the biological material: 'What is your plan to pass the American Customs with samples?' one of the texts to Petrova read, according to Foley. 'This is the most delicate place of the trajectory.' Another text conversation with her 'principal investigator' showed that Petrova replied that she did not have a plan to get the samples through customs. 'No plan yet. I won't be able to swallow them,' Petrova texted back, according to Foley. Petrova was advised by agents that she was ineligible to enter the country with the undeclared embryos, the statement read. When asked if she would withdraw her application for admission, she replied yes before her arrest. When asked if she feared returning to Russia, Petrova said she had a valid Schengen visa that allows her entry into 29 European countries, including France, according to a complaint she filed. After this, she was detained and transferred to ICE custody to await a credible fear interview. She previously worked as a bioinformatician of genetic disorders at the Moscow Center for Genetics from 2016 to 2023, followed by the Institute of Genetic Biology in Moscow from 2023 to 2024, Foley's office said. The charge of smuggling goods into the United States provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a term of up to five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. The Department of Homeland Security previously stated that messages found on her phone 'revealed she planned to smuggle the materials through customs without declaring them.' In 2022, Petrova was arrested in Russia after she protested the invasion of Ukraine, Peshkin told the Boston Globe. She was not fined and was released. Peshkin added that he regrets that Petrova brought the frog embryos back to the United States in February. While detained in an ICE detention center in Louisiana, Peshkin told the Globe that Petrova has called him nearly every day and is allowed to play basketball and watch television. 'It's a misunderstanding and a mistake, and she should be back at work working on cures and conducting biomedical research, not learning to play basketball in a detention center in Louisiana,' Peshkin said to the Globe. OUI case against former Springfield cop Gregg Bigda dismissed State police raided bar, stores in Holyoke for illegal gaming machines Dartmouth man exposed himself to detectives in public park, police say 16-year-old boy stole, crashed car in Malden before running on foot, police say Boston police ID Dorchester man killed in daytime Roxbury shooting Read the original article on MassLive.
Gulf Today
03-05-2025
- Health
- Gulf Today
Unhealthy lifestyles may be ageing your heart too fast
Unhealthy lifestyles are dramatically accelerating the ageing of the heart, contributing to a global rise in several cardiovascular diseases, finds a study, led by Indian-origin researchers in the UK. Using a new Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging technique, also known as cardiovascular MRI scan, researchers from the University of East Anglia (UEA) uncovered the "true age" of a heart. The MRI scan revealed how unhealthy lifestyles can dramatically accelerate the heart's functional age. While among healthy people, the heart's age was found to be similar to the chronological age, for patients with diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and atrial fibrillation, the functional heart age was significantly higher. "For example, a 50-year-old with high blood pressure might have a heart that works like it's 55," said lead researcher Dr Pankaj Garg, from UEA's Norwich Medical School and a consultant cardiologist at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital. "People with health issues like diabetes or obesity often have hearts that are ageing faster than they should - sometimes by decades. So, this could help doctors step in early to stop heart disease in its tracks," he added. The findings could transform how heart disease is diagnosed -- offering a lifeline to millions by catching problems before they become deadly, said the researchers who called their cutting-edge technique a "game changer for keeping hearts healthier, longer". "It could also be the wake-up call that people need to take better care of themselves - whether that's eating healthier, exercising more, or following their doctor's advice. It's about giving people a fighting chance against heart disease," Garg said. The team collaborated with hospitals in the UK, Spain, and Singapore and studied MRI scans from 557 people, of which 191 were healthy individuals, while 366 had conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, or obesity. Using advanced imaging, they measured things like the size and strength of the heart's chambers. Then, they built a formula to calculate the heart's 'functional age' and checked it against healthy hearts to make sure it was accurate. Heart disease is one of the world's biggest killers. The new MRI method gives doctors a powerful tool to look inside the heart like never before and spot trouble early - before symptoms even start, said the team. The research has been accepted for publication in the European Heart Journal Open. Indo-Asian News Service
USA Today
31-01-2025
- Health
- USA Today
This type of meningitis is fast and deadly. Here's what to know.
When it comes to bacterial infections, bacterial meningitis may not be the most common one, but it is certainly among the most serious. "The most worrisome part of bacterial meningitis is the lethality of the disease and the rapidity of its onset," explains Dr. Jatin Vyas, a professor of medicine in the infectious disease division at the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. "Patients can go from being well to very sick within hours." Here's what bacterial meningitis is, how it's different from viral and other types of meningitis, and what treatment can be expected if you or a loved one is diagnosed with it. What is meningitis? What are symptoms? Meningitis is an infection that causes the thin layers of the meninges that surround the brain and spinal cord to become inflamed, explains Dr. Rodrigo Hasbun, an infectious diseases professor at the University of Texas McGovern Medical School. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. He says there are several types of meningitis that include bacterial, viral, fungal, parasitic and ones caused by non-infectious factors. Viral meningitis is the more common and less serious form of the disease, Hasbun explains, while bacterial meningitis "accounts for the minority of meningitis cases but can be associated with severe neurological complications and even death." Indeed, bacterial meningitis "has a fatality rate of about one in six and causes long-term complications in one in five survivors," says Dr. Jason Nagata, a pediatrician at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in San Francisco. Such long-term complications include hearing loss, vision problems, learning difficulties or limb amputations due to sepsis. "Early recognition and treatment are critical to preventing these outcomes," he says. Common symptoms of viral meningitis include fever, headache, neck stiffness, nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and confusion, says Nagata. "In severe cases, it may cause seizures, coma or a purple rash." Infants may show different signs such as poor feeding, irritability, bulging of the soft spot on their head or lethargy. Noted:There are more than 300 headache causes. These are the most common ones. What causes meningitis? Common causes of viral meningitis include enteroviruses, herpes viruses, the West Nile virus, mumps and influenza viruses. Bacterial meningitis can be caused by bacteria such as Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, and Haemophilus influenzae, explains Nagata. Vyas says a look at one's family history and a physical examination that includes an evaluation of cerebrospinal fluid obtained via spinal tap is required to know whether one is dealing with viral or bacterial meningitis. Fungi like Cryptococcus and parasites or amoebas can cause fungal meningitis or parasitic meningitis. Non-infectious causes of meningitis include head injuries, adverse reactions to certain medications, cancer or autoimmune disorders like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, says Dr. John Sellick, a professor of medicine in the infectious diseases division at the University at Buffalo. Important to know:Arthritis is common, especially among seniors. Here's what causes it. How is meningitis treated? Meningitis treatment varies widely depending on its cause. Bacterial meningitis, for instance, "requires immediate intravenous antibiotics and sometimes corticosteroids to reduce inflammation, while viral meningitis usually resolves on its own with rest, fluids and pain relievers," says Nagata. He says that antivirals may also be used against specific viruses like herpes while fungal meningitis is treated with antifungal medications. "Non-infectious meningitis is managed by addressing the underlying condition, such as autoimmune diseases or cancer," he adds. And while bacterial meningitis can be life-threatening, "early treatment improves outcomes," says Nagata. "The best treatments start with a prompt diagnosis of what is causing the disease," echoes Vyas. Prevention through vaccination is also important. You can get vaccinated against the viruses that can lead to meningitis and get the MenACWY vaccine, which protects against four types of meningococcal bacteria that cause meningitis. This vaccine, says Sellick, "has very high efficacy in preventing infection."
