Latest news with #RutgersHealth
India Today
23-04-2025
- Health
- India Today
New York City cooled down by 3°C from Canadian wildfire smoke. It's bad news
In June 2023, smoke from massive Canadian wildfires turned New York City's skies an apocalyptic orange and unexpectedly cooled the region by about 3 degrees Celsius, a phenomenon known as 'global dimming.'While this temperature drop might seem beneficial amid concerns about global warming, Rutgers Health researchers warn it had dangerous consequences by trapping toxic air pollutants near the ground, according to a study published in Nature Communications Earth & Rutgers team, led by Philip Demokritou and Georgios Kelesidis, analyzed the wildfire smoke particles that traveled nearly 1,000 kilometers to New York and New Jersey. This toxic air 'lid' increased exposure to wildfire smoke and urban pollutants. (Photo: Reuters) These particles, primarily brown carbon organic compounds, scattered sunlight away from the Earth's surface, blocking solar radiation and causing the cooling this 'smoky umbrella' also limited natural air circulation, preventing pollution from dispersing and trapping harmful particles close to the the event, New York City experienced unprecedented levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), exceeding Environmental Protection Agency guidelines by three times and World Health Organization recommendations by eight toxic air 'lid' increased exposure to wildfire smoke and urban pollutants, exacerbating respiratory health problems. A companion Rutgers study published in Environmental Science & Technology revealed that about 9.2 milligrams of smoke particles were deposited in the lungs of exposed individuals, impairing lung immune cells' ability to fight infections by up to 50%.Epidemiological data confirmed a sharp rise in asthma-related emergency visits—between 44% and 82%—during the wildfire smoke peak.'This was the first event of this scale in the region, but it probably won't be the last,' Demokritou said, highlighting how climate change is driving more frequent and intense wildfires even in the Northeast research shows the link between wildfire emissions, urban micro climates, and public health, questioning climate change mitigation strategies Watch
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
NJ Transit to tackle homelessness at Newark Penn with new resource center and initiatives
Transforming Newark Penn Station into the crown jewel of NJ Transit's train stations — and the front door to the city of Newark — has been a years-long effort with an emphasis on restoring the historic physical structure. But now attention has turned to a more challenging and personal element: helping the people who use the station the most, and who rely on it because they have nowhere else to go. Newark lawmakers, business executives, nonprofit advocates and state officials have announced a suite of services and investments — as well as a new resource center — to assist those without housing who shelter in Newark Penn."We can clean the station every single day, we can challenge our staff to make sure our trains are on time, but the problem and challenge of homelessness is a real one and a serious one," said Kris Kolluri, NJ Transit's CEO and president. "These are human beings who need service, who need help, and our objective in working with all these partners is to make sure we come up with a pathway to make sure they are handled appropriately and they are taken care of so this station is not their last resort," Kolluri said during an event announcing the new initiative last week. For years, NJ Transit's police department has had a dedicated team of officers who are primarily focused on unhoused people, partnering with local nonprofits to help individuals find shelters, including during the height of the pandemic when Newark Penn was shut down for sanitizing. In one case, Officers Josue Robles and Sean Pfeifer reunited a homeless man at Secaucus Junction with his daughters after he hadn't seen them for 24 years. They also connected him with a caseworker to get housing. Transportation: Amtrak starts repairs to avoid another summer of disruption for NJ Transit riders But the new initiatives, collectively called "Gateway to Hope," go several steps further by providing varied resources, shelter, services and housing options, capitalizing on Newark Mayor Ras Baraka's "The Path Home" program for the city's homeless population. Here are some of the new efforts announced last week: Nurses, social workers and outreach workers from the city, Rutgers Health, RWJ Barnabas Health, and the nonprofits Bridges and CSPNJ will partner with NJ Transit police to engage people at Newark Penn in need of mental health assistance and substance abuse treatment, or connect them to other services, such as housing. Funding will be provided for 200 Newark Housing Authority transitional housing units for chronically homeless Newark residents. The state Department of Community Affairs will provide 100 tenant-based rental assistance vouchers. A "state-of-the-art 24/7" resource center — named for the late Lt. Gov. Sheila Y. Oliver, of Newark — will open in late 2025 at 10 Commerce Court to provide medical, housing and workforce services, plus showers, laundry, rest lounges, computer stations and food services. NJ Transit is also receiving $300,000 through a sponsorship package with Prudential Financial, which will help support the "Gateway to Hope" program and include a one-year advertising deal at Newark Penn. "We're all here together doing something big, which is trying to tackle one of the most intractable problems we have not only in Newark, but internationally, which is homelessness," said Evan Weiss, who sits on NJ Transit's board and is president and CEO of Newark Alliance, a nonprofit focused on economic growth in the city. "The only way you can do that is with a group like this where people with different backgrounds come together to work, to use all the tools we have at our disposal," Weiss said. This article originally appeared on Partnerships emerge to tackle homelessness at NJ Transit's Newark Penn
Associated Press
28-03-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers Health to Unveil Pioneering Cardiovascular Research at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session & Expo
Research will highlight the latest advancements in cardiovascular care through 55 abstract presentations WEST ORANGE, N.J., March 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Physician-scientists from RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers Health will showcase a comprehensive collection of innovative cardiovascular research at this year's American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session & Expo (ACC.25), taking place in Chicago, IL from March 29-31, 2025. A total of 55 abstracts will be presented, featuring clinical data and analyses that advance the understanding, treatment, and prevention of cardiovascular disease. Research presented at the conference was conducted by residents and faculty in the cardiovascular service at Community Medical Center, Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, Jersey City Medical Center, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. RWJBarnabas Health cardiac centers of excellence are nationally recognized for patient care and superior outcomes, including being named as one of Becker's top 100 Great Heart Programs in the country and recognized by American College of Cardiology as a Proven Quality Program. Rutgers Health faculty presenting at the conference represents the Division of Cardiology and the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, and the Division of Cardiovascular Diseases and Hypertension and the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. 'We continue to drive advancements in cardiovascular care and enhance patient outcomes through transformative research and clinical excellence,' said Conor Barrett, MD, MBA, Senior Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer of RWJBarnabas Health Heart and Vascular Services. 'The data we are presenting at ACC.25 underscores our ongoing commitment to innovation in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of heart and vascular diseases. By leveraging cutting-edge science and fostering collaboration with leading experts, we are developing strategies that not only reduce cardiovascular risk but also improve the overall quality of life for patients in our communities.' RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers Health remain at the forefront of cardiovascular innovation. Their participation at ACC.25 reinforces their ongoing commitment to advancing research, improving patient outcomes, and shaping the future of heart and vascular care. Highlights of the accepted abstracts include the following presentations: Research exploring the use of machine learning models based on cardiac ultrasound radiomics (ultrasomics) to identify myocardial infarction with high accuracy. It compares traditional handcrafted ultrasound features with deep learning-based 3D convolutional neural networks, demonstrating that ultrasomics could provide the association with CMR-driven infarct localization and myocardial tissue characterization in acute myocardial infarction patients. Highlights from a Fragility Index Analysis of the ARIES-HM3 trial, which evaluated the robustness of findings supporting an aspirin-free regimen in HeartMate III LVAD patients. The analysis confirms that the composite primary outcome (survival free of a major nonsurgical hemocompatibility-related adverse events, including stroke, pump thrombosis, major bleeding, or arterial thrombosis) remains robust with an FI of 24, driven primarily by a reduction in bleeding events, reinforcing the trial's potential practice-changing impact. Findings from the FINEARTS-HF trial which demonstrated efficacy of finerenone in the reduction of a composite endpoint of cardiovascular death and heart failure events in patients with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥40%. This fragility index analysis confirms that these findings are remarkably robust, with a Fragility Index (FI) of 112, primarily driven by a significant reduction in heart failure hospitalizations (F1 of 112), making it more robust than most practice-changing trials in the cardiology field. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are widely used in cancer treatment but can cause rare, life-threatening myocarditis. Our findings highlight that timely recognition and management of ICI-induced myocarditis are crucial to preventing severe cardiac complications. Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) is a complex, life-threatening disease with limited treatment options, however the approval of Mavacamten introduced a novel approach by directly targeting the disease's molecular pathology. Our findings suggest the need for further research to evaluate long-term side effects of Mavacamten. The full list of presentations at this year's ACC.25 Annual Scientific Session & Expo can be found here. About RWJBarnabas Health RWJBarnabas Health is the largest, most comprehensive academic health care system in New Jersey, with a service area covering eight counties with five million people. The system includes twelve acute care hospitals – Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville, Community Medical Center in Toms River, Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, Jersey City Medical Center in Jersey City, Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus in Lakewood, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset in Somerville, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton in Hamilton, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway in Rahway and Trinitas Regional Medical Center in Elizabeth, three acute care children's hospitals, Children's Specialized Hospital with a network of outpatient pediatric rehabilitation centers, a freestanding 100-bed behavioral health center, two trauma centers, a satellite emergency department, ambulatory care centers, geriatric centers, the state's largest behavioral health network, comprehensive home care and hospice programs, fitness and wellness centers, retail pharmacy services, affiliated medical groups, multi-site imaging centers and two accountable care organizations. RWJBarnabas Health is among New Jersey's largest private employers – with more than 41,000 employees and 9,000 physicians– and routinely captures national awards for outstanding quality and safety. RWJBarnabas Health launched an affiliation with Rutgers University to create New Jersey's largest academic health care system. The collaboration aligns RWJBarnabas Health with Rutgers' education, research and clinical activities, including those at the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey - the state's only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center - and Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care. For journalists – contact: 732.507.8307
