Latest news with #WestVirginiaUniversity
The Sun
06-08-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Former TERAJU CEO Mohd Husni named Labuan Corporation chairman
LABUAN: Former TERAJU chief executive officer Datuk Mohd Husni Mohamad Salleh has been appointed as the chairman of Labuan Corporation for a two-year term, effective 1 August 2025. Mohd Husni, 56, is a seasoned corporate leader and administrator with over 34 years of experience across government agencies, government-linked companies, and the corporate sector. The appointment was announced by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories), Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa. Mohd Husni holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration (Finance) from West Virginia University, United States. He served as the chief executive officer of the Bumiputera Agenda Steering Unit from 2011 to 2018. During his leadership, he functioned as the chief secretariat to the National Bumiputera Economic Council, as well as the Bumiputera Economic Councils of Sabah and Sarawak. He led the implementation of Bumiputera economic transformation agendas through various national initiatives involving investment, financing, and business development. Mohd Husni also held senior positions, including chief governance officer at Sumner Group Health Medical Devices Limited in the United Kingdom. He was the chief executive officer of Maju Holdings Sdn Bhd, Malaysia Venture Capital Management Berhad, and chief operating officer of MSC Venture Management. His career accolades include the Jewels of the Muslim World Award from OIC Today Magazine in 2019. He also received the Global Leadership Award for Leadership Excellence in Community Transformation in 2017. The Innovative Leadership Award from Limkokwing University in 2016 further highlights his distinguished contributions. 'I believe with his vast experience and strong background, Mohd Husni's appointment will further strengthen Labuan's strategic role as a competitive Federal Territory,' said Dr Zaliha. She emphasised his potential in enhancing investment appeal, expanding the local economic ecosystem, and improving residents' quality of life. Dr Zaliha expressed gratitude to Senator Tan Sri Anifah Aman for his leadership as Labuan Corporation chairman since June 2023. The chairman's post had been vacant since Anifah's contract ended last month. – Bernama
The Independent
24-07-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Teen vapers and smokers have a higher rates of depression and anxiety, study finds
Teenagers who use vapes or smoke cigarettes are more likely to report feelings of depression and anxiety, according to a new study. Tobacco use has previously been found to lead to a deterioration in mental health, but there has been much less research into the link between teenagers using vapes and cigarettes and mental health. Understanding the link is vital, because they are in a critical developmental period during which many health-related risk-taking behaviours begin, study authors at West Virginia University explain. In the study, published in the journal PLOS Mental Health, researchers used data on tobacco use, depression and anxiety symptoms among different demographics from the 2021-2023 National Youth Tobacco Survey. Among the 60,072 middle school and high school students who completed the questionnaire, 21.31 per cent used tobacco products, 9.94 per cent used e-cigarettes, with just 3.61 per cent only using conventional tobacco products – cigarettes, cigars, hookah and pipes – and 7.80 per cent used both. Overall, the survey revealed 25.21 per cent of respondents said they had symptoms associated with depression and 29.55 per cent reported anxiety symptoms. In comparison to teens who had not used any tobacco products, smokers and vapers had displayed a potentially heightened risk of depression and anxiety, while those who used conventional tobacco products as well as nicotine products had the highest odds of reporting mental health struggles. In the UK an estimated 1.1million young people between the ages of 11 and 17 vape and 100,000 smoke, according to Action on Smoking and Health (ASH). Meanwhile one in six young people in England aged five to 16 experienced a mental health problem in 2020, up from one in nine in 2017. The study authors concluded: 'While causality cannot be determined, the results from this study showed that all forms of tobacco use were significantly associated with mental health issues. There is a need to continue promoting mental health support and implementing tailored interventions to combat all forms of tobacco use among adolescents'. Dr Lion Shahab, chartered member of the British Psychological Society, said there is a risk the study did not control for important factors that influence both e-cigarette use and mental health symptoms. He suggested the study did not account for family history of mental health problems, which could explain the association. However, he agrees there is a link between addiction and mental health. He explained that there are studies showing a strong link between those with mental health problems starting to use e-cigarettes. He told the Independent: 'There are now many more teenagers reporting that they are addicted to vaping. The level of addiction that they report is quite similar to what you see with cigarettes and so addiction in itself may not be very good for mental health.' Although the study does find a link between teenagers trying cigarettes and vapes and reporting depression and anxiety, it doesn't mean that one causes the other, said Dr Johnathan Livingstone-Banks Researcher in Evidence-Based Healthcare at University of Oxford. 'It could just as easily be that young people with poor mental health are more likely to experiment. However, that does not mean that this correlation shouldn't be taken seriously, and there is evidence in adults that quitting smoking can improve mental health,' he said.
Dominion Post
10-07-2025
- General
- Dominion Post
Jennifer D. Volk
Jennifer D. Volk of Arthurdale passed from this life on Friday, June 27 at Select Specialty Hospital in was born on September 29, 1951, in Lynwood, California, a daughter of Bernice Lucille Thacker and Kenneth Jerome began her career at West Virginia University where she worked at the Mountainlair and then was a tour guide. She memorized hundreds of facts about WVU, including trivia like how many tons of cement were in the dome of the Coliseum. She left WVU and worked at OSHA in Morgantown and then became office manager for her husband Joe and office manager for Volkstone. She later became the business manager for her son Nick's trucking business, Nicholas Enterprises, and was there until she became ill in was a devoted and caring wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend. Jennie was a wonderful host, and her house was always the gathering place for family and friends. Her hospitality was unmatched with great food, fun games, lots of laughter and love. She loved raising her sons on the family farm and watching her granddaughters participate at the Buckwheat Festival livestock shows with their cows and sheep. She attended many horseshow events to watch them win many awards for barrel racing. She loved attending Anthony's t-ball and school functions. Jennie adored her grandchildren, and they brought her much joy and is survived by her husband of 50 years, Joseph A. Volk; her sons, Nick Volk of Arthurdale and Matthew Volk of Morgantown; her three grandchildren, Halle Volk (fiance Kaleb Atkinson) and Emma Volk of Arthurdale and Anthony Volk of Morgantown; two sisters, Mary West (Samuel) of Fairmont and Kenette Shreve (Dennis) of Clarksburg; and two sisters-in-law Beverly Volk of Arthurdale and Jesse Volk of Morgantown. She is also survived by several nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and Jennie are her three best friends Denise Trickett, Missy Hartsell and Sharon Fridley with whom she took many fun 'girl' trips over the 40 years of their addition to her parents, Jennie was preceded in death by her sisters, Valerie Kay Carlsen and Martha Ellen Carlsen as well as Rose and John Gerard, Eddie Volk, Frank Volk and Margaret and John family would like to thank the doctors, nurses and other staff at Select Specialty Hospital for their kindness and care during the past two months of Jennie's Funeral Home in Masontown, WV is in charge of arrangements. Visitation will be held at the funeral home on Friday, July 11, 2025, from 5 to 8 p.m. A funeral mass will be held on Saturday, July 12, 2025, at 10 a.m. at St. Zita's Catholic Church in will be at the Masontown Cemetery immediately following mass. A dinner in Jennie's honor will be held at the Reedsville Volunteer Fire Department after the lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Jennie's honor to the Reedsville Volunteer Fire Department at 291 Kingwood St., Reedsville WV 26547 or to the Kenneth and Bernice Carlsen Family Legacy, Arthurdale Heritage, Inc., PO Box 850, Arthurdale WV 26520. Condolences may be extended to the family online at
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Student raises red flags after making alarming discovery in fish samples from one US region: 'People don't know much about it'
A first-of-its-kind study in Appalachia revealed disturbing findings about microplastic pollution in the region's water and fish. Isabella Tuzzio, a biology undergraduate student at West Virginia University, studied fish from streams throughout Central Appalachia. Every single sampled fish contained microplastics, according to a university report posted by Her research was published in the journal Sustainability. In particular, Tuzzio researched the northern hogsucker fish. A total of 2,185 microplastic particles were identified in the 55 fish she sampled, or nearly 40 per fish, with some containing as many as 274 particles. All the fish were juveniles, ranging from about 2 to 5 inches in length, and Tuzzio found a positive correlation between the length of a fish and how many microplastic particles it contained. "These results point to widespread levels of microplastic contamination in freshwater ecosystems in North Central Appalachia," she wrote with her colleagues in the report. Plastic doesn't effectively biodegrade, but it can instead break down into smaller pieces over time. Eventually, tiny particles break off. These particles are known as microplastics, which are no bigger than 5 millimeters in diameter — some are so small that they can't be seen with the naked eye. But despite the small size of the particles, microplastic is a significant form of pollution that brings health concerns for humans and animals alike. "I think it's definitely an emerging contaminant," Tuzzio said in the university report. "People don't know much about it, and we hope our research sparks conversations about sustainability and inspires action to protect the streams and communities of Appalachia." It has been estimated that more than 170 trillion pieces of plastic are in our oceans, and many are microplastics. From there, the particles are easy for marine life to ingest. Do you worry about air pollution in your town? All the time Often Only sometimes Never Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. They've been discovered in seafood and aquatic organisms in various parts of the world, including a recent study that discovered them in more than 80% of freshwater mussels. The particles are so prevalent that researchers even found them in the breath of bottlenose dolphins. Because the fragments are so small, they don't just get into waterways. They leach into soil and are in the air we breathe. From there, they get into our organs — so much so that 24 human brains sampled in 2024 contained an average of 0.48% plastic by weight. The study said the microplastic contamination in these Appalachian streams likely came from agricultural land and sewage, and that the only way to prevent aquatic life from ingesting microplastics is to reduce and prevent them from reaching waterways in the first place. The best way to keep plastic pollution out of the oceans and waterways is to simply use less plastic. This can happen through decisions made not just in legislatures and corporate boardrooms, but also in every household. Ditching single-use beauty products, bringing your own bags to the grocery store, or buying a reusable water bottle may not seem like huge changes, but each of those means less plastic thrown out, which provides fewer opportunities for microplastics to pollute our planet. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cardinals promote top infield prospect to Triple-A amid dominant season
The St. Louis Cardinals have a lot of intriguing talents working their way up through the minors. Michael McGreevey has already had a taste of the majors, but he's close to making a full-time spot at the MLB level. But, there's one prospect who's been ascending in the Cardinals' farm system this season. That player is infield prospect JJ Wetherholt. Advertisement He's the top Cardinals prospect, and the 19th-ranked prospect overall, and according to the Cardinals Player Development account on Twitter/X, he was just called up to Triple-A. The 2024 draft pick, seventh overall, has been one of baseball's biggest risers this season. He played 29 games in Single-A in 2024 and started this season in Double-A. After 62 games, he's getting the call-up to Triple-A, one stop away from the Major Leagues. In his 62 games in Double-A, Wetherholt hit .300 with a .425 on-base percentage and a .466 slugging percentage, good for a .891 OPS on the season. He led the Texas League in on-base percentage and OPS, an impressive feat for the 2024 draft pick. Advertisement MORE: Cardinals' Oli Marmol breaks silence on Erick Fedde's future in St. Louis His ascension through the Cardinals' farm system has been impressive. The last time a player reached Triple-A in the calendar year since being drafted was Michael Wacha in 2013 and Brett Wallace in 2009. The 22-year-old was drafted out of West Virginia University and has been one of the most exciting Cardinals prospects in recent years. He's making his way to Triple-A and is also slated to play in the MLB Future Game. Wetherholt is closing in on making his MLB debut, as this call-up to Triple-A puts him one stop away from the Majors. If he continues his dominance in Triple-A, the top prospect could make his MLB debut at some point in 2025 after the All-Star break. Advertisement MORE MLB NEWS:
