Federal funding cuts leave environmental science professors uneasy about fighting bird flu

Science and Health

URBANA, Ill. (WAND) — With funding cuts at the federal level, scientists are concerned that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the United States Department of Agriculture may be unable to adequately fight bird flu, which is impacting commercial poultry farms, backyard chicken flocks, and wild bird populations. Many positions have already been lost at both federal agencies.This could result in affecting the current people working in the industry, as it’s already caused a number of layoffs. “The government has already made cuts to the CDC and the USDA. They’ve already fired a lot of either new employees who were there less than a year or people who had recently been promoted,” explains Joy O’Keefe, an Associate Professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. O’Keefe said that the decision to make these cuts during a season of high virus season is a concerning feat to overcome. She hopes that the university can still secure federal funding during these difficult times. “It’s really critical that we continue to fund science, which happens in universities and happens in government agencies to be able to develop these solutions. And vaccine trials with animals and with humans take time,” said O’Keefe. According to Ornithologist and Environmental Sciences Professor Michael Ward, a Professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, one of the biggest concerns about seeing these cuts and layoffs occur is that it could greatly affect the future generations of scientists.”You’re going to have this big gap, and that gap is going to be hard to recover from. We’re going to lose information. That could be valuable as the new disease pops up or some other new issue pops up,” said Ward.Both professors hope that things can get better in the future, but for now, they have to keep advocating for funding. Copyright 2025 WAND TV. All rights reserved. 

Karimnagar girl selected for Japan-Asia youth exchange programme in science

Science and Health

Shubhashree Sahu, has designed an innovative agricultural machine for the sake of the farmers during her schooling at Paramita Heritage School

Published Date – 25 March 2025, 08:56 PM

KARIMNAGAR: A child scientist and a young innovator from Karimnagar, Shubhashree Sahu has been selected to participate in the Japan-Asia Youth Exchange Programme in Science (also known as the Sakura Science Exchange Programme).
A week-long international programme is scheduled to be held in Japan from June 15 to 21, this year. Youth from 14 Asian countries are invited to participate in this prestigious programme initiated by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) in collaboration with the Department of School Education and Literacy, Government of India, which perfectly aligns with the experiential learning aspect of the NEP 2020.

A 11th NLEPC Inspire Manak Awardee, Shubhashree Sahu, has designed an innovative agricultural machine for the sake of the farmers during her schooling at Paramita Heritage School. She won multiple honours and awards for her scientific innovation.
The main purpose of the youth exchange programme is to facilitate short-term visits to Japan for young people from Asian countries and allow them to experience Japan’s advanced science and technology while immersing them in Japanese culture.

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TEATT partners with Smart Concepts 721 for virtual concierge service for tourists

Travel

Minister Heyliger-Marten signing the agreement with Smart Concepts 721 BV CEO Michael Jeffrey.
PHILIPSBURG–The Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport, and Telecommunication (TEATT) has entered into a partnership with Smart Concepts 721 BV to implement a virtual concierge service across hundreds of vacation rental properties on the island.

A press release from TEATT Minister Grisha Heyliger-Marten said this “state-of-the-art information portal will revolutionize how tourists access essential information about St. Maarten, enhancing their travel experience while ensuring their safety during emergencies.”
The virtual concierge service, already installed in numerous vacation rental properties, offers an interactive platform for tourists to explore everything the island has to offer. From property amenities to dining, shopping, and local attractions, the portal serves as a one-stop resource for visitors, according to the release. Additionally, the service includes an on-demand Tourism News broadcast, a calendar of island events, and personalised welcome messages from the TEATT Ministry.
A key feature of the partnership is the integration of an emergency broadcast system, which will enable the government to disseminate critical information to tourists during natural disasters.
Through real-time push notifications, the TEATT Ministry can now communicate simultaneously with visitors staying in hundreds of rental properties across the island – a capability previously unavailable. This system ensures that tourists are informed before, during and after emergencies, enhancing their safety and preparedness.
According to the release, St. Maarten is the first Caribbean island to implement such a comprehensive system, a significant step forward in leveraging technology to improve tourist engagement and safety.
The virtual concierge service has been in development for the past two years, with overwhelmingly positive feedback from both guests and property hosts, according to the release. CEO Michael Jeffrey and Sales Manager Margaret Marlin look forward to growing St. Maarten Virtual Concierge island-wide.
Heyliger-Marten emphasised the importance of this initiative, saying, “As the vacation rental market continues to grow, it is crucial that we provide our visitors with the tools they need to stay informed and safe. This partnership with Smart Concepts 721 BV allows us to utilise cutting-edge technology to enhance the tourist experience while ensuring their well-being. It is a testament to our commitment to innovation and excellence in tourism.”
Among the first events to be promoted through the portal are the 2025 St. Maarten Carnival and the Soul Beach Music Festival.
The TEATT Minister urges visitors and stakeholders to experience the new service, which she said underscores St. Maarten’s position as a forward-thinking and tourist-friendly destination.

EVgo, Pilot, GM Reach Milestone With Over 130 Fast-Charging Stations For Long-Distance EV Travel

Travel

On Tuesday, EVgo Inc. EVGO shares are trading higher after the company disclosed that the collaboration network with Pilot Company and General Motors GM reached more than 130 electric vehicle (EV) fast-charging locations in over 25 states.

The charging network offers an elevated experience along popular corridors and major interstates, enabling long-distance EV travel.

The company says that the charging stations are now accessible along major routes like I-75 from Michigan to Georgia, as well as regional corridors including Minneapolis to Milwaukee, Detroit to Cleveland, San Antonio to Houston, and Dallas to Nashville.

Notably, in 2022, all the companies disclosed their collaboration to establish up to 2,000 fast-charging stalls across 500 Pilot and Flying J locations.

EV drivers are expected to benefit from Pilot’s travel centers, which offer premium amenities typically unavailable at other charging sites, such as lounges, free Wi-Fi, on-site dining, grab-and-go food and beverages, and grocery and convenience items.

With EVgo’s high-power chargers delivering up to 350 kW, drivers can recharge in as little as 15 minutes.

Dennis Kish, president of EVgo stated, “Infrastructure availability is a key factor for drivers considering the choice to drive electric, and EVgo will continue to deploy high-power charging infrastructure nationwide to support current and future EV drivers.

Wade Sheffer, vice president of GM Energy said, “With more than 130 locations now open, which customers can easily find using the GM brand app, we’re helping ensure that charging is seamless and convenient—so drivers can focus on the adventure ahead.”

Earlier this month, the company reported fourth-quarter loss per share of 11 cents, missed the analyst consensus estimate of 9 cents loss and sales of $67.51 million missed the street view of $69.1 million.

Price Action: EVGO shares are up 1.75%at $2.8693 premarket at the last check Tuesday.

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Image courtesy of EVgo, Inc.Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs© 2025 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

DR rides the crest of the wave of sports tourism

Travel

Sports tourism is “in” around the world, with tourists attracted both by passive and active sports involvement. Passive sports tourism — people traveling to watch matches, races or tournaments, and combining this with more conventional touristic pursuits is on the rise. But also participatory trips are increasingly in demand.Sports are now seen as a new engine of tourism. The Dominican Republic is riding the crest of the international sports tourism wave at a time when the sector is expected to continue to increase in leaps and bounds. Among the reasons is that women’s sports tourism is on the rise. More women’s sports have a major following, widening the scope of sports tourism around the world.The capital city is already getting a big boost with the renovation of sports venues in Santo Domingo, the capital city, for the celebration of the 25th Central American…

Eight Faculty Members of the Mongolian University of Science and Technology to Study in the Republic of Korea

Science and Health

Ulaanbaatar, March 25, 2025 (MONTSAME). Eight faculty members from the Mongolian University of Science and Technology (MUST) departed for the Republic of Korea to advance their professional qualifications in metro-related fields.O. Erdene-Ochir and E. Uranbayar from the School of Mechanical Engineering and Transportation will enroll in the Metro Mechanical and Rolling Stock Engineering Program, J. Azjargal and B. Delgermaa from the School of Mechanical Engineering and Transportation in the Metro Management and Control Engineering Program, N. Saranchimeg and M. Tsas-Orgilmaa from the School of Civil Engineering and Architecture in Metro Construction Engineering Program, and A. Sundii from the School of Information and Communication Technology and B. Enkh-Amgalan from the School of Energy Engineering in the Metro Signaling and Electrical Engineering Program. All eight faculty members will be studying at Halla University in the Republic of Korea.MUST and Halla University have agreed to train 200 students in the first phase of a “2+2” Program to develop engineers and technical specialists for the “Ulaanbaatar Metro” Project.By training experts in this specialized field, the initiative aims at helping reduce traffic congestion and increasing transportation options for the public. It also establishes a joint education system between Mongolia and the Republic of Korea, introduces new training approaches, prepares teaching staff, and provides opportunities for internships at Duhua Engineering Co., Ltd.Notably, starting with the 2025–2026 academic year, MUST will begin admitting students to four new bachelor’s programs: Metro Management and Control, Metro Construction, Metro Signaling and Electrical Engineering, and Metro Mechanical and Rolling Stock Engineering.

Urgent warning for UK tourists flying to European hotspot from 14 airports

Travel

Holidaymakers will face disruption as handlers and security staff at European airports are set to strike next week.14:07, 25 Mar 2025Urgent warning for UK tourists flying to European hotspot from 14 airportsUK tourists have been warned they face MAJOR disruption in a holiday hotspot. Holidaymakers will face disruption as handlers and security staff at European airports are set to strike next week.European Union holidaymakers heading to Belgium have been warned Brussels Airport and Charleroi Airport, the main airports serving Belgium’s capital, have cancelled flights on Monday, March 31.The strike will affect passenger flights, leading to cancellations and potential disruptions throughout the day. Oofficials have advised travelers to avoid the airport on March 31 and to remain in contact with their airlines for updates on flight statuses and rebooking options.READ MORE UK tourists warned as Menorca, Majorca, Ibiza begin ‘expelling’ peopleAirline representatives and airport staff are working to provide guidance and support to passengers amid these disruptions. UK tourists are encouraged to stay informed about their flight status through the respective airport and airline websites.Brussels Airport said: “Due to a national strike on Monday, March 31 and the announced strike of a large number of the security staff and the personnel of the handlers, we expect major disruptions to airport operations on that day.”To ensure the safety of passengers and staff, we have decided, in consultation with the airlines, not to operate any departing passenger flight on March 31. The airlines will contact passengers whose flight has been impacted. We ask you not to come to the airport on that day.”As departing passenger flights are cancelled, cancellations are also possible on arriving flights. We advise all passengers to check the status of their flight with their airline or on our website or the app. The flight overview on our website will show cancellations only once they are registered by the airline. We regret any inconvenience caused by this union action.”Article continues belowUK airports with flights to Charleroi include London Gatwick, London Luton, London Stansted, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Birmingham, Leeds Bradford, London Heathrow and London City.UK airports with flights to Brussels include Bristol, Newcastle, Liverpool, and Belfast.

Targeted Treatment and Improved Radiation Technologies Offer Advantages in CRC Realm

Technology

CRC Awareness Month | Image Credit: © peterschreiber.com – stock.adobe.comAlthough there are rising incidences of colorectal cancer (CRC) within the United States and globally, evolving radiation strategies and technologies, such as stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) and intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), have providing more targeted treatment to patients within this population, according to Yufei Liu, MD, PhD.“Increasingly, we’ve seen that CRC most commonly affects people who are over the age of 50, but recently, we found that it affects a lot of young people as well,” Liu explained during an interview with OncLive® during CRC Awareness Month, which is observed annually in March. “An example is actor Chadwick Boseman. We see that even very healthy, young people can be affected by CRC; therefore, it’s important to spread that awareness and better understand how we can discover CRC [earlier] and how we can treat it more effectively.”In the interview, Liu discussed current radiation strategies utilizing SBRT and IMRT; patient populations eligible for radiation therapy; helpful biomarkers used to tailor treatment options; and existing challenges in implementing precision medicine in CRC.Liu is an assistant clinical professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at City of Hope in Duarte, California.OncLive: How have developments in radiation strategies such as SBRT and IMRT shaped treatment options in CRC. What are some advantages of these strategies?Liu: Radiation evolves a lot with technology, so when you think about how much technology has evolved in the past few decades, it gives you an idea of how much radiation has come along during that time. Traditionally, with radiation, in the very beginning, radiation [was planned via] X-ray guidance, so we would see the part of the body that we’re treating using X-rays, and then we would deliver radiation to that large area to encompass the tumor and make sure that we don’t miss what we’re trying to treat.Nowadays, we use both CT guidance and, increasingly, MRI guidance in designing our radiation plans, and that, coupled with technology such as SBRT and IMRT allows us to shape the radiation dose a lot more precisely. Therefore, instead of covering a very large area, now we can shape the radiation field more precisely, while at the same time, we’re sparing normal organs from radiation, such as the bladder and the intestines.When it comes to SBRT, the biggest advantage is that it allows for a very highly conformal radiation dose. That means that we can give a very high dose to where the tumor is located, and at the same time, the dose rapidly falls off once we go away from the tumor. That allows us to protect normal tissue from the effects of radiation.What patient population benefits the most from radiation therapy?Radiation can be beneficial in a lot of different patient populations. For CRC, we generally divide it into colon cancer vs rectal cancer. For rectal cancer, radiation is part of the mainstay of treatment for locally advanced disease, so it’s used in combination with chemotherapy and surgery to offer a curative option for patients. In the context of colon cancer, radiation is used for patients who cannot tolerate surgery or are not good surgical candidates. It can be used with chemotherapy to provide a curative approach.Additionally, we’ve come to realize that even in metastatic CRC with limited sites of metastases, such as to the lung or the liver, treating these other sites aggressively with radiation as well can help improve treatment outcomes. Therefore, another area where radiation has been used is to target metastatic sites of disease. The other use of radiation is in patients with advanced cancers who are having metastases-related pain. For example, if patients have bone and muscle metastases, radiation can be used to help provide pain relief in those situations.What are some specific biomarkers that have recently been crucial in treatment selection within CRC?One of the most exciting biomarkers we use is related to mismatch repair [MMR] proteins; that’s one of the key things we use to guide treatment selection regarding immunotherapy. We know that various cancers develop because of mutations that occur in certain pathways. One of these pathways is known as the MMR pathway. It’s a pathway that ensures that during DNA replication, the DNA is faithfully replicated. In some [patients with] CRC, that pathway has a significant number of mutations. What we found is that when we look to find patients with deficiencies in that pathway, there are patients who benefit greatly from immunotherapy. Sometimes, these patients can get immunotherapy without even receiving radiation, chemotherapy, or surgery. So that’s been one of the most exciting biomarkers that we’ve had recently.What are some challenges in implementing precision medicine in CRC in clinical practice?When it comes to precision medicine, [we need to do] the relevant testing, [meaning] testing for MMR [status]. Certainly, at large academic centers, it’s something that is more routinely done. However, it’s something that we would like to implement more in all practices, specifically to do their MMR testing and testing for other potential targetable mutations, such as KRAS mutations. That’s one important challenge: do the testing at the time of diagnosis to guide optimal treatment. Another approach, from the radiation standpoint, would be technology and having the latest technology using the IMRT and SBRT techniques to provide optimal organ sparing for patients.