Chesapeake Middle student wins county science fair
There were a few obstacles in the way, schedule-wise, in getting there, but a Gunner Davidson took home the big trophy on Tuesday for this year's Lawrence County Science Fair.
First, the initial date for the county fair was canceled, due to snow, then, another complication came up when the makeup date was scheduled for students to present their projects, the following Monday.
Davidson's family had scheduled a vacation to Disney World, and, according to Lawrence County ESC superintendent Eric Floyd, the fair meant so much to Davidson, he nearly backed out of the trip.
But, after talking with the ESC, the family was able to make arrangements for the Chesapeake Middle School sixth grader to present his project to judges, which included Floyd, via video from his family's hotel room.
"He had a video and answered questions," Floyd said.
Davidson's project, "What cleans wrestling mats best?" tested various types of cleaners, and not only earned him the first place trophy, but also a score of 40 and a Superior ranking, enabling him to go onto the district fair at The University of Rio Grande later this school year.
Coming in second was Ciara McComas, a fifth grader at South Point Elementary School, for "The Amazing Rodent Race," in which she ran a rat through a maze. She also earned a Superior ranking at the county level and a score of 39.6.
Overall, 30 students took part in the county fair, after earning an Excellent or Superior ranking at their individual school fair.
Third place went to Caleb Black, of Chesapeake Middle School, a seventh grader, for "Which fertilizer will make soybeans grow faster?" The project earned him a score of 39 and a Superior ranking.
Fourth place was awarded to Waylon Mitchell, a Burlington Elementary School fifth grader, for "Electromagnetism," with a score of 38.8 and a Superior ranking.
And fifth place was Shade Gibson, a sixth grader at Chesapeake Middle School, for "Bridge Busters," which earned him a Superior ranking and a score of 38.3
Students who earn a Superior or Excellent ranking can go onto the district fair.
Other Superior rankings were: Korie Copley, Parker Hamlin, Landon Pauley and Chase Hamlin.
Excellent rankings were Hunter Hollback, Cheyenna Stallo, Lyndlee Edwards, Kennedy Johnson, Kingston Pickett, Raylee Skeens, Nahla Robinson, Jadiana Gilliam, Elliot Thackers, Noah Shafer, Sawyer Hutchinson, Myles Joy, Kylee Dople, Bryer Lee, Easton Wood, Avery Crager, Addison Boggs, Jaylee Caynar, Brantlee Shafer, Braelynn Browning, Rylan Deem and Paislee Jones.
The fair is organized by the ESC, who also handles the county's spelling bee and Quiz Bowl tournaments.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Medscape
08-07-2025
- Medscape
Vaccination Added to Pillars of Heart Disease Prevention
Evidence that major communicable diseases, including influenza, pneumococcus, and COVID-19, can lead to cardiovascular disease has prompted the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) to issue a consensus statement calling for routine vaccinations as a part of managing cardiovascular risk. Beyond preventing complications of the target infectious diseases, 'vaccinations have profound effects on the CV [cardiovascular] risk and as such should be considered the fourth pillar of medical CV prevention besides antihypertensives, lipid-lowering drugs, and medications that treat diabetes,' the statement read. The idea is not entirely new. In 2021, the society issued guidelines for heart failure that recommended flu and pneumococcal vaccinations to prevent hospitalizations from heart failure. In the 2023 guidelines on acute coronary syndromes from the American Heart Association (AHA) and American College of Cardiology (ACC), annual vaccination against flu was recommended for patients with a chronic coronary disease 'to reduce cardiovascular morbidity, cardiovascular death, and all-cause death.' The new statement differs by reviewing the 'extent to which infectious diseases can trigger CV morbidity and mortality,' an area with an expanding amount of data to provide evidence-based recommendations, according to Thomas F. Lüscher, MD, one of the corresponding authors of the document. In supporting vaccination as a major tenet of prevention, the statement provides 'more visibility and much more in-depth evidence than has been the case in the guidelines,' said Lüscher, who is the current president of the ESC and a consultant cardiologist at the hospital associated with King's College and the Imperial College in London, England. Due to a substantial increase in research regarding a variety of vaccinations, such as those for SARS-CoV-2 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), the statement is timely, Lüscher said. So far, on the basis of 'reasonably solid evidence,' vaccinations for influenza, SARS-CoV-2, and pneumococcus can all be recommended for reducing the risk for CV events. Citing several mechanisms by which infectious diseases contribute to CV risk, such as increased oxygen consumption by the myocardium and upregulation of inflammatory pathways, Lüscher and his coauthors predicted vaccinations for other infectious diseases are likely to join the list recommended for risk reduction when more evidence accrues. The ongoing registry-based randomized DAN-RSV trial now underway in Denmark aims to enroll 130,000 people and may provide evidence for RSV in particular, he and his colleagues stated. Vaccines applied for general public health must show a favorable benefit-to-risk ratio to gain regulatory approval. For patients with comorbidities, the relative protection from an acute disease might be even greater, but the consensus statement makes clear people with coronary artery disease receive an additional health benefit from at least some of these vaccines through reduced CV risk. Major complications from immunizations occur in fewer than 10 per 100,000 patients for approved vaccines and are generally controlled with prompt treatment, according to the ESC statement, citing multiple studies. Milder adverse events, such as injection site reactions or transient flu-like symptoms, are tolerable and, again, are outweighed by reducing the risk for CV events, the document stated. Myocarditis has been reported as a rare reaction to the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, but this complication appears to occur mainly in younger men, typically resolves spontaneously, and is rarely severe. In addition, the authors of the consensus statement noted the risk for myocarditis from untreated COVID-19 has been estimated to be sixfold higher than myocarditis related to vaccination. According to the consensus statement, the strongest evidence for a CV benefit has been generated from trials with influenza and pneumococcal vaccines. In the multicenter double-blind IAMI trial, for example, which randomly assigned patients after an acute myocardial infarction to influenza vaccine or placebo, immunization was associated with a 41% reduction ( P < .014) in the risk for CV death over 12 months of follow-up. In a meta-analysis of studies evaluating the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine, protection was associated with a 10% reduction (95% CI, 0.84-0.99) for any CV event, including acute myocardial infarction, for patients aged 65 years or older. Observational data support a CV benefit from the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, but the rationale is mostly supported by the evidence of protection from severe COVID-19 and long COVID, according to the consensus statement. No comparable document from the AHA/ACC has so directly addressed the role of vaccinations in reducing CV risk, but an AHA spokesperson, Suzanne Grant, vice president for Media Relations & Issues Management (National), pointed out that the 2025 AHA/ACC guidelines for the management of acute coronary syndromes gave annual influenza vaccination a level 1A recommendation for the specific goal of reducing the risk for major CV events. Other infectious diseases do not appear in those guidelines; however, the AHA spokesperson noted the evidence makes clear 'infections can trigger or worsen CV events in people with existing heart disease' and, so, supported the premise that vaccinations, at least for influenza, should be administered specifically for cardiac risk reduction. Lüscher noted the ESC consensus statement is not a new set of guidelines but rather an intensive review of evidence to guide clinicians in regard to this area of risk management. The timing is based mainly on the growing accrual of new evidence, but Lüscher acknowledged a second rationale for surveying the evidence. 'Another aspect is the conspiracy theories on vaccination,' he said. 'Here, we provide solid evidence that vaccination is more than just prevention or reducing the severity of infection but, indeed, has long-term benefits.'
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Yahoo
High SCA Treatment Rates Despite Contemporary GDMT in 19,000+ Consecutive LifeVest® Patient Study
ESC Heart Failure Late Breaker: Largest single LifeVest® WCD study of NICM and MI/CAD patients shows high appropriate treatment rates during early period of contemporary GDMT CHELMSFORD, Mass., May 19, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ZOLL®, an Asahi Kasei company that manufactures medical devices and related software solutions, announced results from SCD-PROTECT, a nationwide analysis of LifeVest® wearable cardioverter defibrillator (WCD) patients in Germany, presented on May 18, 2025 as a late-breaking clinical trial at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Heart Failure 2025 conference. Key findings across 19,598 consecutive patients:1 Despite high overall use of contemporary GDMT, incidences of appropriate LifeVest treatments were high in both NICM and MI/CAD patients: 6.53 appropriate treatments per 100 patient-years in NICM 9.18 appropriate treatments per 100 patient-years in MI/CAD The rate of appropriate LifeVest treatments in SCD-PROTECT was higher than the ICD treatment rate reported in studies of chronic patients, indicating that results of ICD trials may not be applicable to the early period of GDMT. Median LifeVest Wear Time® per day was 23.4 and 23.5 hours in NICM and MI/CAD patients respectively. Inappropriate treatments were rare with an overall rate of 0.5% of patients. "Most notable in this study is the high rate of SCA among LifeVest patients despite wide use of GDMT, highlighting high short-term SCD risk and the need to protect these patients," said Peter Brady, MD, FRCP, FACC, FHRS, Vice President, Medical and Clinical Affairs for ZOLL Cardiac Management Solutions. "We should be thinking about LifeVest and GDMT as complementary approaches to manage SCD in the short-term." The SCD-PROTECT study adds to the body of evidence supporting LifeVest. Only LifeVest has >95% first shock success in peer-reviewed publications and real-world use,2-5 96% one-year survival data,6 and a wealth of published research covering more than 120,000 patients.2,5,7-11 "ZOLL is committed to advancing clinical research to support data-driven decision making for patients at high risk for SCD," added Brady. "Only LifeVest has been proven safe and effective in multiple peer-reviewed studies as well as real-world experience. When sudden cardiac death is on the line, patients deserve solutions backed by rigorous evidence." More than one million women and men have been protected by LifeVest, the WCD that offers robust coverage for Medicare, Medicaid, veterans and commercial patients. For more information, visit About the SCD-PROTECT Study The study titled "Sudden cardiac arrest in patients with newly diagnosed non-ischemic cardiomyopathy or myocardial infarction/coronary artery disease – Nationwide analysis of more than 19,000 patients with a wearable cardioverter-defibrillator" was presented by Johann Bauersachs and is authored by David Duncker, Eloi Marijon, Marco Metra, Olivier Piot, Marat Fudim, Uwe Siebert, Norbert Frey, Lars Siegfried Maier, and Johann Bauersachs. All patients who received a WCD from December 2021 to May 2023 in Germany were included in this epidemiological, observational, multicenter study, evaluating the SCA/SCD incidence in patients with NICM or MI/CAD during the early high-risk period before an ICD is indicated. For more information, visit About ZOLL ZOLL, an Asahi Kasei company, develops and markets medical devices and software solutions that help advance emergency care and save lives, while increasing clinical and operational efficiencies. With products for defibrillation and cardiac monitoring, circulation enhancement and CPR feedback, supersaturated oxygen therapy, data management, ventilation, therapeutic temperature management, and sleep apnea diagnosis and treatment, ZOLL provides a comprehensive set of technologies that help clinicians, EMS and fire professionals, as well as lay rescuers, improve patient outcomes in critical cardiopulmonary conditions. For more information, visit About Asahi Kasei The Asahi Kasei Group contributes to life and living for people around the world. Since its foundation in 1922 with ammonia and cellulose fiber businesses, Asahi Kasei has consistently grown through the proactive transformation of its business portfolio to meet the evolving needs of every age. With more than 49,000 employees worldwide, the company contributes to a sustainable society by providing solutions to the world's challenges through its three business sectors of Material, Homes, and Health Care. Its health care operations include devices and systems for acute critical care and manufacture of biotherapeutics, as well as pharmaceuticals and diagnostic reagents. For more information, visit Asahi Kasei is also dedicated to sustainability initiatives and is contributing to reaching a carbon neutral society by 2050. To learn more, visit Duncker D, Marijon E, Metra M, Piot O, Fudim M, Siebert U, Frey N, Maier LS, Bauersachs J. Sudden cardiac arrest in patients with newly diagnosed non-ischemic cardiomyopathy or myocardial infarction/coronary artery disease – Nationwide analysis of more than 19.000 patients with a wearable cardioverter-defibrillator. Presented by Johann Bauersachs as Late-Breaking Clinical Trial at European Society of Cardiology Heart Failure 2025. May 18, 2025. Kutyifa V, Moss AJ, Klein H, et al. Use of the wearable cardioverter defibrillator in high-risk cardiac patients: Data from the prospective registry of patients using the wearable cardioverter defibrillator (WEARIT-II Registry). Circulation 2015;132(17):1613–1619. Data on file, 90d0241_a01. Report of AArD Performance during 2019. Data on file, 90a0061_a01_revb. Clinical Evaluation Report for LifeVest Wearable Defibrillator, Model 4000, 2021. Chung MK, Szymkiewicz SJ, Shao M, et al. Aggregate national experience with the wearable cardioverter-defibrillator: Event rates, compliance, and survival. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2010;56(3):194–203. Kutyifa V, Moss A, Klein H, et al. One-Year Follow-Up of the Prospective Registry of Patients Using the Wearable Defibrillator (WEARIT-II Registry). Pacing Clin Electrophysiol. 2018;1–7. Arkles J, Delaughter C, D'Souza B. A novel artificial intelligence based algorithm to reduce wearable cardioverter-defibrillator alarms. J Interv Cardiac Electrophysiol. 2023. Garcia R, Combes N, Defaye P, et al. Wearable cardioverter-defibrillator in patients with a transient risk of sudden cardiac death: the WEARIT-France cohort study. EP Europace. 2020;23(1):73-81. doi:10.1093/europace/euaa268. Waessnig N, Guenther M, Quick S, et al. Experience with the wearable cardioverter-defibrillator in patients at high risk for sudden cardiac death. Circulation 2016;134:635–643. Epstein AE, Abraham WT, Bianco NR, et al. Wearable cardioverter-defibrillator use in patients perceived to be at high risk early post myocardial infarction. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2013;62(21):2000–2007. Zishiri ET, Williams S, Cronin EM, et al. Early risk of mortality after coronary artery revascularization in patients with left ventricular dysfunction and potential role of the wearable cardioverter defibrillator. Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol. 2013;6:117–128. Copyright © 2025 ZOLL Medical Corporation. All rights reserved. ZOLL, LifeVest, and Wear Time are registered trademarks of ZOLL Medical Corporation and/or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries. Asahi Kasei is a registered trademark of Asahi Kasei Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. View source version on Contacts Caitlyn DoyleZOLL+1 (412) 334-4501cdoyle@ 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
16-05-2025
- Yahoo
'Quite a surprise' to spot 4ft shark swimming in river
A man has said he "couldn't believe" what he was seeing as he went for a bike ride in Victoria Park in east Belfast. On Tuesday evening, Thomas Davidson spotted a 4ft-long starry smooth-hound shark swimming in the Connswater River where the waterway meets Belfast Lough. The species of shark has been seen in other urban areas such as the River Thames and the River Mersey estuary. Dr Patrick Collins, a marine biologist at Queen's University, said while "it's not something you see everyday, it's not something super unusual either". "In the past I would occasionally have seen several 2-3lb mullet follow the tide in, but on this occasion I saw a much larger shape in the water adjacent to Airport Road," Mr Davidson told BBC News NI. He said this shape was "too big to be a mullet", so he stopped to take a closer look. "A dorsal fin slowly broke the surface revealing that familiar profile that looked like a shark," he said. "I quickly took out my phone and started to video this slow-moving fish as it meandered left and right up and downstream, getting mobbed by a few gulls. "I couldn't believe what I was watching." The shark continued swimming in this section of river for about 30 minutes before moving upstream into a shadow area and Mr Davidson lost sight of it. "I felt very lucky to witness such a lengthy sighting and was left curious as to how far upstream it might go," he said. The Connswater River rises in the Castlereagh hills and runs northwards through east Belfast, getting wider until it reaches the sea at Belfast Lough. The river route includes the Connswater Greenway walking route and flows past CS Lewis Square and Connswater Shopping Centre. Mr Davidson said he will "continue to look out for it and others in the future". This type of shark mainly eat crabs and small crustaceans, marine biologist Dr Patrick Collins said. The section of the river in Victoria Park probably contained crabs, and so this shark spotted by Mr Davidson was "probably just having its lunch", he explained. He said it is "not very common to find smooth-hounds in cities, but they have been recorded in the last few years". "It's a little bit unusual if you're walking your dog to find one that close to the city, and that easy to see, but they're not a rare animal," Dr Collins continued. "They're found fairly commonly across the UK and Ireland. It's not an unusual occurrence to have them close to an urban centre because there's sea water there. "It's a bit like seeing a deer in farmland." He added that this type of shark poses no risk to the public. "Because of movies like Jaws and some other strange public perceptions coming from that, there's this idea that all sharks are dangerous animals - they're a type of fish. "These animals pose absolutely no threat to us whatsoever." Woman films 'amazing' shark in river estuary Blue lobster is catch of a lifetime for fisherman Threatened shark served to UK diners
