Latest news with #DSA
The Hindu
an hour ago
- Health
- The Hindu
World Brain Health Day: Stroke management and head injury care to be provided on a ‘hub-and- spoke' model in Karnataka
Soon timely stroke management and head injury care will be available for people in government medical colleges closer to their residing districts. NIMHANS in coordination with the State government has developed 'hub-and-spoke' model for stroke and head injury care across Karnataka. Under this model, an advanced stroke and head injury centre (hub) at NIMHANS will coordinate for establishment of spoke centres in six medical colleges and provide guidance and support across the State. July 22 is observed as World Brain Day and the theme for 2025 is 'Brain Health for All Ages.' A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is disrupted, either by a blockage or a bleed, causing brain cells to die due to lack of oxygen and nutrients. This can lead to a range of disabilities, from mild weakness to severe paralysis, and in some cases, permanent disability and even death. Golden hour Recognising the symptoms and seeking immediate medical attention within the 'golden hour' - four to six hours after symptoms begin - is crucial for minimising damage and maximising recovery. Immediate treatment can significantly improve outcomes by restoring blood flow to the brain and preventing further cell death, doctors said. The stroke management and head injury care project will be on the lines of Karnataka's heart attack (ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction - STEMI) management project currently running in 86 taluks. The hub-and-spoke model will avoid delay in providing stroke diagnosis and treatment apart from head injury care to needy patients. Accessibility to timely care closer to their place of stay will avoid patients rushing to NIMHANS, thereby ensuring there is no congestion at the premier mental health institution. At NIMHANS six to 12 stroke patients and 15 to 16 head injury cases are seen daily. NIMHANS apex centre Girish B. Kulkarni, Professor of Neurology and head of the stroke unit at NIMHANS, told The Hindu on Monday that the hub-and-spoke model for stroke management, involves a network of healthcare facilities where NIMHANS - the apex stroke centre (hub) will provide advanced care and support to surrounding smaller facilities (spokes). 'This model aims to improve stroke outcomes by streamlining access to timely and appropriate care, especially in the crucial 'golden hour' after a stroke,' Dr. Girish said. While the apex centre at NIMHANS started three months ago, a spoke centre at the Karnataka Medical College and Research Institute (KMCRI) in Hubballi has started tracing stroke patients and has been providing routine stroke management recently. With funding from the State government, KMCRI is all set to get a Digital Subtraction Angiography (DSA) machine shortly. This equipment is used in stroke management to visualise blood vessels in the brain and identify blockages or abnormalities that may be causing a stroke, the doctor said. Apart from KMCRI, spoke centres will be established in government medical colleges in Bengaluru (Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute), Mysuru Medical, Raichur and Ballari. 'We have identified the colleges and the centres will be established soon at a total cost of ₹56 crore,' Dr. Girish said. Brain health Karnataka's Brain Health Initiative (KaBHI) being run in collaboration with NIMHANS has helped improve early detection and management of neurological disorders at the grassroots level. The initiative has trained primary healthcare providers — including doctors and nurses — to identify and treat common neurological conditions such as stroke, epilepsy, and headache in district and taluk hospitals. This has already brought neurological care closer to the people, especially in rural and semi-urban areas, and reduced delays in diagnosis and treatment.
The Journal
2 hours ago
- The Journal
Ireland's new age check system kicks in and seeks to stop children accessing ‘adult' video
A NEW AGE verification system which seeks to prevent children from accessing 'adult-only' video content on sites such as Instagram and TikTok has come into place. The age verification system is contained in Part B of the Online Safety Code from Ireland's media regulator Coimisiún na Meán. The code, which aims to address harmful and illegal content, applies to video-sharing platforms whose EU headquarters are in Ireland. Many of these platforms are household names and includes Facebook and Instagram, as well as YouTube, TikTok, X, and Reddit. However, this means many other major platforms, such as Snapchat, is outside of the remit of the Code and is instead subject to UK online safety legislation. CyberSafeKids meanwhile noted that children will still have unrestricted access to harmful or pornographic content provided by other commercial operators outside of the Code's remit, which falls instead under the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA). The new age verification system seeks to provide an 'effective method of age assurance' that will prevent children from accessing pornography or extreme violence. Other restricted categories include cyberbullying, promotion of eating and feeding disorders, promotion of self-harm and suicide, dangerous challenges, and incitement to hatred or violence. In the Code, Coimisiún na Meán notes that 'merely asking users whether they are over 18 will not be enough'. It added that platforms will 'need to use appropriate forms of age verification to protect children from video and associated content which may impair their physical, mental or moral development'. The Code requires video sharing platforms to implement 'effective age assurance measures' to ensure that 'adult-only video content cannot normally be seen by children'. The Code does not mandate a specific type of age verification method but notes that an age assurance measure 'based solely on self-declaration of age by users of the service shall not be an effective measure'. Advertisement The video sharing platform is also required to have an 'easy-to-use and effective procedure for the handling and resolution of complaints' around age verification and related issues. Platforms are also required to provide parental controls that enable parents or guardians to set time limits in respect of video content and to restrict children from viewing video uploaded or shared by users unknown to the child. The Code was formally adopted last November but platforms were given nine months to make any changes that were needed to their online systems. CyberSafeKids described today as a 'milestone that formally shifts legal responsibility onto tech companies to protect children online'. It added that this move 'finally places a clear obligation on platforms to face the reality that underage users are accessing harmful content daily on their platforms, and to implement effective safeguards'. While Coimisiún na Meán has not mandated a specific type of age verification system, CyberSafeKids said the nine-month implementation period has allowed 'more than enough time to develop robust age verification systems other than self-declaration'. Meanwhile, CyberSafeKids expressed concern that the Code does not cover the recommender algorithm system. The recommender system is an algorithm that uses data to suggest items that a social media user might be interested in. However, CyberSafeKids warns that 'much harmful content coming through a child's feed originates from this'. The Irish Council for Civil Liberties previously warned that recommender systems 'push hate and extremism into people's feeds and inject content that glorifies self-harm and suicide into children's feeds'. CyberSafeKids has called for the Code to be reviewed within 12 to 24 months. 'If the Code has failed to reduce underage access to harmful content, stronger measures must be implemented to keep children safe,' said CyberSafeKids. 'Financial penalties should be quickly and fully imposed for non-compliance, in line with the legislation.' Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Fox News
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Democratic socialists torch AOC for voting against Republican anti-Israel amendment
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is getting broadsided from her left over her vote on an amendment aimed at blocking U.S. funding for Israel's Iron Dome. The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) are criticizing the progressive firebrand for voting against an amendment by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., to block $500 million in Congress' annual defense spending bill that was aimed at helping fund Israeli missile defense systems. "An arms embargo means keeping all arms out of the hands of a genocidal military, no exceptions. This is why we oppose Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez'[s] vote against an amendment that would have blocked $500 million in funding for the Israeli military's Iron Dome program," the DSA said over the weekend. The DSA noted she did vote against the defense funding bill itself, thereby "voting against funding for the imperialist military-industrial complex and the Israeli genocide." The group added, however, "We were further deeply disappointed by her clarifying statement on her position on the Iron Dome." "Along with other US-funded interceptor systems, the Iron Dome has emboldened Israel to invade or bomb no less than five different countries in the past two years," the DSA said. "The fact that Representative Ocasio-Cortez acknowledges that Israel is carrying out this genocide makes her support for military aid all the more disappointing and incongruous. We urge the representative to continue voting against the Iron Dome, whether it is part of a larger defense spending bill or as a stand-alone bill." The DSA commended Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich.; Ilhan Omar, D-Minn.; Summer Lee, D-Pa., and Al Green, D-Texas, for voting against the amendment. Fox News Digital reached out to Ocasio-Cortez's campaign and congressional office for comment. She posted on X after the vote, "Marjorie Taylor Greene's amendment does nothing to cut off offensive aid to Israel nor end the flow of US munitions being used in Gaza. Of course I voted against it." "What it does do is cut off defensive Iron Dome capacities while allowing the actual bombs killing Palestinians to continue. I have long stated that I do not believe that adding to the death count of innocent victims to this war is constructive to its end," she said. "That is a simple and clear difference of opinion that has long been established. I remain focused on cutting the flow of US munitions that are being used to perpetuate the genocide in Gaza." The clash exemplifies how Israel continues to drive an ideological wedge within the Democratic Party. It's not the first time Ocasio-Cortez caught heat from the progressive base for failing to take a critical enough stance on Israel. In 2021, the New York Democrat cried on the House floor after voting "present" on funding Israel's Iron Dome defense system. "Yes, I wept," she wrote in an open letter to constituents after the incident. "I wept at the complete lack of care for the human beings that are impacted by these decisions. I wept at an institution choosing a path of maximum volatility and minimum consideration for its own political convenience." The overall bill that passed last week calls for $832 billion in defense funding for fiscal year 2026. That's separate from the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), another annual bill that sets defense and national security policy each fiscal year – essentially detailing how those funds will be spent. Greene's amendment to strip $500 billion going toward Israeli missile defense programs lost in a lopsided 6-422 vote.
Euractiv
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Euractiv
Elon Musk's X refuses to comply with French investigation, calls probe politically motivated
Elon Musk's platform X has said it will not comply with the demands of French authorities in relation to an ongoing investigation announced last week by the Paris public prosecutor, according to a statement published on Monday. On 11 July, the Paris prosecutor's office stated that the investigation targets the platform X, a legal entity associated with it, and several individuals, though it did not disclose the names of those involved, according to a press release issued by prosecutor Laure Beccuau. The preliminary investigation was launched earlier this year amid suspicions of foreign interference. Musk and other senior figures at X leaders are suspected of deliberately disrupting data processing and engaging in fraudulent data extraction "as part of organised crime", as previously reported by Euractiv. However, X announced on Monday that it would not comply with the demands of the authorities "as we have a legal right to do so", according to a statement posted on the platform. X described the investigation as "politically motivated" and denied all allegations. 'X believes that this investigation is distorting French law in order to serve a political agenda, and ultimately restrict free speech,' the statement read, without elaborating on what that agenda might be. The platform further criticised those involved in the investigation, including individuals who requested access to its recommendation system. It implied that the investigation lacked impartiality and expressed 'serious concerns' about the process. French authorities are pursuing two probes into the platform. Should those under investigation be found guilty, they could face up to 10 years in prison and a €300,000 fine, according to the French penal code. Separately, the Commission met with representatives of X last week, following reports that its chatbot, Grok, was spreading hate speech and antisemitic content. However, it remains unclear whether this meeting will lead to a further investigation under the Commission's ongoing probe into X's compliance with the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA). (aw)
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Students can get up to £28k payment for health condition - check if you're eligible
The allowance is a payment that helps students living with certain health conditions and disabilities, covering the cost of study-related expenses Some students could receive as much as £27,783 in financial support to assist with t heir studies. The Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA) is a payment designed to aid s tudents living with certain health conditions and disabilities, covering the cost of study-related expenses. The allowance doesn't need to be repaid and can be claimed alongside any additional student finance. However, the amount you receive from the allowance and the type of support you receive will be entirely dependent on your individual needs, rather than your household income. Full list of eligible conditions for DSA DSA is only available to claimants who live in England and have a disability or health condition that may affect their ability to study. This can include: physical disability, for example if you have to use crutches, a wheelchair or a special keyboard mental health condition, for example anxiety or depression long-term health condition, for example cancer, chronic heart disease or HIV specific learning difficulty, for example dyslexia or ADHD sensory disability, for example if you're visually impaired, deaf or have a hearing impairment To also be considered, your course must be one of the following: a Higher National Certificate (HNC) a Foundation Degree a Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) a level 4 or 5 course with Higher Technical Qualification approval Initial Teacher Training a first degree, for example BA, BSc or BEd a Higher National Diploma (HND) a Certificate of Higher Education a postgraduate course a Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE) How to apply for DSA When you apply for DSA, you will need to provide proof that you're eligible. This can include submitting evidence from a doctor or consultant or a copy of a 'diagnostic assessment'. You may also need to fill in a disability evidence form which will ask you to fill in details of a medical professional supporting your claim as well as your own personal details and details of your situation. Once you have this evidence on hand, you can send it through your online Student Finance England account or by emailing dsa_medical_evidence@ If you've not yet applied for student finance, you can send in an application for DSA at the same time. However, if you don't need student finance and only want the support from DSA, you can fill in the DSA1 form. Generally, you will receive a confirmation fo your application being successful within six weeks. However, it can take up to 14 weeks for DSA support to be implemented as this is a separate process. Further details on DSA can be found here.
