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Irish Independent
7 days ago
- Health
- Irish Independent
Teens aged 16 and 17 in mental distress will have to attend an adult A&E instead of new children's hospital, committee hears
Dublin psychiatrist Prof Matthew Sadlier highlighted mental health law which defines a child as someone under eighteen. However, the cut-off point for children's hospitals is 16, which means those aged 16 and 17, who are in mental suffering, must go to an adult accident and emergency department where there is no child and adolescent mental health service, he added. 'If they need medical intervention they must go to an adult emergency department,' he added, calling for change. 'We are about to open a new national children's hospital and it is time for the ages to be aligned,' he said. He was speaking as the committee heard from psychiatrists, Mental Health Reform and the Mental Health Commission to give their views on the new Mental Health Bill 2024 which is aiming to update the law around the care and treatment of patients. Philip Watt, interim chief executive of Mental Health Reform and Stephen Sheil, interim communications and engagement manager said it saw the Bill as a "significant opportunity, a once-in-a-generation chance to modernise our mental health legislation and bring it into line with human rights standards, including Ireland's obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities." However, they said that it needs to be strengthened in different areas and "we are concerned that the Bill does not yet prohibit the admission of children to adult psychiatric units, which has been widely acknowledged as inappropriate and harmful'. "We recommend that the legislation include a clear statutory prohibition, which would reinforce the obligation to invest in appropriate child and adolescent services." Five children were admitted to adult psychiatric hospitals last year. Prof Sadlier said he was aware of a case where a teenager has to stay in an adult emergency department for a week . He is not in favour of a total ban on admitting children to adult psychiatric units. ADVERTISEMENT A number of amendments have been put forward to the proposed legislation. Asked by Labour party spokeswoman on health deputy Marie Sherlock what the view of psychiatrists is to the amendments around the care of involuntary patients psychiatrist Prof Brendan Kelly said they led to some improvements. However, he still had concerns about the criteria for involuntary admission which states that admission is 'immediately necessary for the protection of life of the person or that of another person or necessary for protection from an immediate and serious threat to the health of the person or that of other persons'. The use of risk as an admission criteria asks mental health care professionals to do something that lacks a firm evidence-base, and this risk criteria should be removed, he added. Assistant Garda Commissioner Paula Hilman told the committee of a pilot Community Access Support Team (CAST) project in Limerick. "This initiative is currently being trialled in partnership with the HSE in the Limerick Garda Division. The pilot started in January 2025 under 'A Policing Service for the Future' and is aimed at assisting people who are experiencing situational trauma or a mental health crisis." Its central goal is to reduce future presentations and interactions with Gardaí or other blue light emergency services, through community follow-ups and the case management of complex cases, she said. CAST has yet to be evaluated not only in terms of impact on individuals, but also on the amount of Garda time is being devoted to an area that is not a core function. "However, it is important to note that since its introduction, CAST has created greater integration among statutory and voluntary agencies operating in the Limerick Garda Division. It is grounded in international evidence."
South China Morning Post
09-06-2025
- Science
- South China Morning Post
Study shows how robots replaced master workers in Chinese military drone factory
In a Beijing defence drone facility, a black carbon-fibre body frame sits on a workstation ready for drilling. The material is light and strong, but a fractional error in angle or positioning could affect stealth performance and lead to the scrapping of the entire part. Master technicians once performed this task – breath held, hands steady – relying on years of muscle memory. Despite their skill, human limitations capped the speed of production and kept costs high. That changed with a breakthrough from the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) that has transformed the production line and reduced the margin of error for this task to a mere 0.04-0.1mm. A robot now stands on the factory floor, its powerful arm positioning a precision parallel mechanism ending with a drill bit. Real-time sensors mimic human touch, adjusting pressure for perfect vertical holes and countersinks – twice as fast as humans and with no quality rejects. The workshops that hum as they produce items without workers cheaper, faster, and flawlessly consistent, are challenging the old 'Made in China' stereotypes. There are no sweatshops, no stolen IP, just cold, smart machines. In a paper published by the peer-reviewed Chinese-language journal Manufacturing Technology & Machine Tool in April, CAST researcher Le Yi and his team noted that global military trends were developing towards unmanned and intelligent operations.
CBS News
27-05-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Advocates call for probe into law enforcement's handling of death investigations after review of Maryland autopsies
Advocates are calling for an investigation into how law enforcement handled death investigations after an audit of Maryland's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) found that some police custody deaths were misclassified. Members of Community Actively Seeking Transparency (CAST) and the Anne Arundel County NAACP are asking state leaders to determine if the mishandling of those cases could be considered obstruction of justice. The two groups will hold a news conference Tuesday afternoon. Review of Maryland medical examiner's office The independent review looked at more than 85 cases that were completed when the office was under the guidance of former Chief Medical Examiner Dr. David Fowler. In 44 of those cases, the auditors disagreed with the determined manner of death. Reviewers instead found that many of the cases should have been ruled as homicides. The audit found patterns of possible racial disparities, Maryland Attorney General Brown said. According to the review, deaths that involved Black people or individuals who were restrained by police were less likely to be ruled as homicides. The audit also found that some of the case reports did not include full details and failed to document injuries connected to police restraints. Maryland Gov. Moore pushes for further investigation After the audit was released, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore created a task force to improve how police custody deaths are investigated. The Maryland Task Force on In-Custody Restraint-Related Death Investigations includes government officials, forensic experts, law enforcement and legal professionals. The group was asked to recommend oversight processes for future investigations and consider if more audits are needed. The governor's executive order also directs the Department of Health and the Medical Examiner's Office to report on their progress in implementing recommended changes.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
CAST Brings UDL Leaders in Inclusive Education to Washington, DC for UDL-Con: International 2025
UDL Conference to Feature Second Annual UDL Awards, Breakthrough Sessions on Accessibility, AI, and Learner Engagement BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS / / May 12, 2025 / CAST is proud to announce the return of UDL-Con: International, taking place July 22-23, 2025 at the Capital Hilton in Washington, DC. This flagship Universal Design for Learning (UDL) conference brings together global leaders in education, accessibility, and instructional design for three days of inspiration, innovation, and actionable strategies. Now in its second year, UDL-Con: International 2025 will build on the sold-out success of last year's event in Sacramento, which drew participants from 14 countries and 43 U.S. states. This year's event will feature both in-person and virtual access, expanded programming, and new opportunities to connect with thought leaders across the education and technology sectors. "As the organization that created Universal Design for Learning and celebrated our 40th anniversary last year, CAST is proud to lead this global movement for more inclusive learning," said Lindsay Jones, CEO of CAST. "UDL-Con: International stands apart as the premier event where educators, researchers, and innovators come together to design learning experiences that truly support all learners-and we're excited to build on the incredible momentum from last year's sold-out event." Whether you're designing curriculum, leading instructional transformation, or supporting students with diverse learning needs, this conference offers tools, research, and real-world practices to help all learners thrive. Keynote Speakers: Luis Pérez, Ph.D., Director of Disability & Accessibility at CAST Andratesha Fritzgerald, Ed.S., award-winning author and founder of Building Blocks of Brilliance Cathleen Beachboard, author of The School of Hope and middle school teacher Carol Allen, global advisor for ICT and Inclusion Featured Workshop Sessions: AI, UDL, & Executive Function to Empower Optimization & Efficiency by Alexis Ann Reid, M.A. (Reid Connect, LLC) and Luis Pérez, Ph.D. (CAST) Empowering Learners Through AI Literacy, Accessibility, and UDL by Kelli Suding & Bryan Dean (CAST) InstaClass: Reimagine Social Media as an Inclusive Classroom by Dr. Joshua Gray (Pepperdine University) The Accessible Assessment Standard Used Around the World by Susan Haught (1EdTech Consortium) Enhancing Faculty Readiness: UDL and Student Success in Community Colleges by Mayda Gonzalez-Bosch (SUNY Orange) 10+ UDL-Aligned Strategies for Teaching Neurodivergent Learners by Jennifer Pusateri (University of Kentucky) Level Up Your Lessons: UDL and the New Lesson Plan Workbook by Shaunta Singer, Ph.D. (CAST) Shifting Gears: Conversations for Change by Loui Lord Nelson, Cherie Smith, Elizabeth Stark Accessibility Got Talent! by Kelli Suding & Michelle Sorino (CAST) The Social-Emotional Side of Executive Functioning by Wendy M. Chadwick Guidelines 3.0: Stories of Impact from Across the UDL Community by Jenna Gravel (CAST) Special Event: Second Annual UDL Awards ReceptionThe 2025 UDL Awards reception on July 22nd will honor outstanding leaders and distinctive contributions that drive innovation and inclusivity in education. Acknowledgement of SponsorsCAST thanks its generous sponsors: ReadSpeaker, Seesaw, SMART Technologies, Estendio, Five Star, Lesson Pix, Book Creator, Gladeo, Learning-Genie, and Habitat Learn. For more information and to register: UDL-Con: International. For more information on UDL Awards and UDL-Con, please contact Kisha Barton, Senior Director of Communications, at kbarton@ and visit our website at Contact Information Kisha BartonSenior Director of Communicationskbarton@ 720-5099 SOURCE: CAST View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Cell death and disease study by Institute scientists Sheds light on targeted protein to fight breast cancer
May 9—Roughly 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer over their lifetimes, according to the American Cancer Society—and for the year 2024, it was estimated that more than 300,000 women in the United States would be diagnosed with breast cancer, and more than 40,000 would die from the disease. If we want to reduce these numbers, increasing our understanding of how breast cancer operates in order to improve prevention, detection, and treatment methods is paramount. The lab of Assistant Professor Liang Liu, PhD, at The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, has published a paper appearing in the scientific journal Cell Death & Disease that examines how a protein called TXNIP might help fight breast cancer by slowing its growth and spread throughout the body. The scientists focused on two different types of breast cancer cells: MDA-MB-231: Associated with triple-negative breast cancer and naturally high TXNIP levels HCC-1954: Associated with HER2-positive breast cancer, low TXNIP levels They also investigated how TXNIP interacts with other proteins—especially calpastatin (CAST) and interleukin-24 (IL-24)—and how these interactions influence a cancer-promoting cellular signal called STAT3. The study yielded some surprising findings that warrant further scientific exploration. "It's surprising that calpastatin (CAST), a protein TXNIP binds to, actually promotes tumor growth in both cell types tested. CAST was known for a different role (stopping cell damage), so its cancer-helping behavior here is unexpected and worth exploring further," Liu said. "In HCC-1954 cells, extra TXNIP first shrank tumors, but after four weeks, growth sped up. This shift hints that cancer might adapt or resist over time, possibly due to CAST, making TXNIP's effects a puzzle to solve." This study is significant for its contributions to understanding TXNIP's role in breast cancer and its therapeutic potential The study's authors are continuing research in this area to bring these findings closer to real-world use to transform outcomes for breast cancer patients. Beyond cancer, better understanding of TXNIP has applications across multiple health fields. For example, TXNIP helps regulate blood sugar and cell stress, making it significant in diabetes research. The Hormel Institute's Post-Doctoral Associate Jasvinder Singh, PhD; Post-Doctoral Associate Bindeshwar Sah; and Executive Director Robert Clarke, PhD, at The Hormel Institute are also listed as authors of the paper.
