Latest news with #Flannigan
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Hopes of fatherhood: UBC scientists on frontier of high-tech male infertility research
A team of researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) is using artificial intelligence in an effort to detect hard-to-find sperm and 3D bioprinting technology with the ultimate goal of growing sperm in the lab — technologies they say could eventually help men with infertility become parents. The research, led by Dr. Ryan Flannigan, a urologist and associate professor at UBC, is aimed at addressing a "severe form" of male infertility called non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA), in which the body produces little to no sperm. It's a condition that affects about one in 100 men, many of whom are survivors of childhood cancer, according to Flannigan. "There's a big problem with infertility: it's so common," he told CBC's The Early Edition. "Something that I see time and time again is just how much of an emotional toll having challenges with infertility is." According to a UBC media release, about two thirds of male pediatric cancer survivors will face infertility in adulthood, due to the effects of radiation or chemotherapy. Globally, one in six couples struggles to conceive, and male infertility, broadly, plays a role in about half of those cases. Currently, the only treatment for NOA involves surgically extracting testicular tissue and searching for hard-to-find sperm under a microscope — a tedious process, says Flannigan, that can take hours and still might end in failure. "It's ... looking for a needle in a haystack," he says. "Right now, we're able to find sperm about 50 per cent of the time. We ideally need to find at least one sperm per each egg, among millions of other cells, which takes hours." LISTEN | UBC researchers use AI and 3D bioprinting in effort to tackle male infertility: To improve the odds, Flannigan says he and UBC engineering professor Hongshen Ma have developed an AI-powered tool that scans microscopic images to flag viable sperm for use in in vitro fertilization (IVF). The technology is still a long way from being available for people struggling with male infertility — Flannigan expects clinical trials for the AI tool could begin within the next three to five years. But for people who produce no sperm at all, including children who undergo cancer treatment before puberty and are unable to store sperm, a more experimental avenue is underway: lab-grown sperm. In what the UBC media release calls a world-first, Flannigan and team have bioprinted a model of human testicular tissue using stem cells and a specialized gel-like "bio-ink." The printed structure replicates the tiny tubes in the testes where sperm are normally produced. These bioprinted 'mini testicles' are encased in a special gel filled with specific nutrients and vitamins to help them mature. According to researchers, some of the cells have already begun showing signs consistent with the early stages of puberty — "a time when sperm production starts occurring in the human body." "What we're trying to do with 3D bioprinting is recreate what's happening in a healthy testicle as accurately as we can," said Flannigan. "If we can determine what the cells need to progress through all the phases of sperm production, we can use that knowledge to figure out how to create sperm for a patient with NOA," says Dr. Flannigan. The work is being supported by experts in microfluidics — a system that manipulates a small amount of fluids — and cancer biology at UBC and the University of Victoria, who are helping identify the molecular conditions required for sperm to develop. Still, researchers acknowledge there are significant challenges ahead. According to the UBC release, sperm production is a "highly complicated process" involving multiple cell types, complex anatomical structures, making it a task that demands collaborative, multidisciplinary research. Laura Spencer, a fertility coach in Vancouver, has experienced the emotional toll of infertility first-hand in her own family. "I've gone through infertility — male factor infertility in particular — and it's devastating," she told CBC News. "There's nothing quite like it." She said this latest development in treating male infertility could potentially be life-changing for many couples. WATCH | An at-home test is in the works to measure male fertility: "This shows a lot of promise for people who might not have the ability to try and conceive … they might actually be able to have a baby." Spencer says male infertility remains a taboo subject, despite being a factor in about half of all couples struggling to conceive. She hopes this research not only opens new medical doors, but also breaks down stigma. "There is a lot of shame and sometimes guilt around that," she said. "I'm always grateful when the conversation turns to infertility and when it's normalized." While Spencer believes most people would welcome these technologies, she says it's important to acknowledge the complexity involved, particularly with lab-grown sperm. "There will definitely need to be education around this," she added. "We don't know what the long term consequences are of this technology. Are there any birth defects that are possible? What about when they grow up? Like we don't know. This is just so new." As for concerns about the safety of AI or stem cell-based procedures, Flannigan says the research team is taking a cautious approach. "It's one of these things that we need to ensure that we follow all the guidelines to ensure there's no biases," he said.
National Observer
17-06-2025
- Politics
- National Observer
In 'serious omission,' G7 leaders release wildfire charter with no mention of climate change
G7 leaders released a joint statement on Tuesday about wildfires that did not include any reference to climate change. Climate change — fuelled primarily by burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas — is driving warmer and drier conditions and increasing the likelihood of more frequent and severe wildfires. The Kananaskis Wildfire Charter is 536 words long. None of them are "climate change." 'They're missing the whole point in that we're seeing more fires, a longer fire season, more intense fires, more severe fires, because the climate is changing due to human activities,' said fire and climate professor Mike Flannigan of Thompson Rivers University. 'It's a serious omission, and that's being very polite.' The charter published talks about everything related to wildfire but climate change: firefighting equipment, data collection, information sharing, restoring ecosystems, building resilient infrastructure, to name a few. 'It's saying many of the right things,' Flannigan says — aside from the glaring omission — but he notes that even the actions laid out in the agreement are light on detail. 'How are they going to do it? Easier said than done. It's going to cost money.' 'We're seeing more fires, a longer fire season, more intense fires, more severe fires, because the climate is changing due to human activities ... that's a serious omission, and that's being very polite," said fire expert Mike Flannigan. The discussions that led to the statement's specific wording were not public. But governments of most G7 nations recognize the role of human activity in climate change, as well as the role of climate change in wildfire, with one notable exception. Since the inauguration of US President Donald Trump, climate change has been scrubbed from government websites; grants for research on climate have been cut; the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Department of Energy and many others have had their climate capacity slashed, among other devastating anti-climate moves. 'For [G7 leaders] to avoid it — probably for political reasons; I don't know that for sure, but that's a guess — it's a serious shortfall,' Flannigan said. 'This was a wasted opportunity as Canada ducked away from a confrontation with Trump,' said Keith Stewart, senior energy strategist with Greenpeace Canada. 'Canada is literally a country on fire.' The Canadian environmental group the Climate Action Network lambasted the charter in a statement within hours of its release. 'What's the point of a coalition of like-minded countries if it isn't even capable of mentioning the existential crisis facing humanity?" wrote Caroline Brouillette, the Climate Action Network's executive director. Canada is experiencing what may be its second-worst fire season on record, and the frequency of bad years has been increasing due to climate change. 'You can talk all you want about fire guards and resilient communities. But at the end of the day, if you're in a flammable landscape and things are extreme enough, fuel is fuel is fuel — it will burn,' Flannigan said. Trump received record donations from the oil industry during his election campaign. In his current bill working its way through congress is a billion-dollar tax break for the oil and gas industry. Last year, with Joe Biden as US president, the G7 summit ended with a communiqué that specifically mentioned climate change among the priorities countries agreed to focus efforts on. Not so this year. 'It's sad but not surprising,' Bloc Québécois MP Patrick Bonin said in an interview with Canada's National Observer. Another Bloc MP Xavier Barsalou-Duval echoed Bonin, saying the joint statement is consistent with the federal government acting 'as if climate change did not exist anymore' and is very worrying. NDP MP Leah Gazan agreed the failure to reference climate change is 'highly problematic' and given the global impact of extreme weather events this issue should be front and centre. 'We were expecting that the quick departure of Mr. Trump will bring the other countries, including Canada, to show more leadership and to talk about climate change and to come up with some statement and commitment in order to recognize that they need to do more and that they commit to do more,' Bonin said. Conservative MP Shannon Stubbs declined to comment because she had not read the statement, saying, 'I couldn't speak for the thought process of the people who put the document together.' Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada Julie Dabrusin was not immediately available to comment; this story will be updated with comment if it becomes available. Talking about wildfires without talking about how climate change is making wildfires more frequent and intense is 'just like putting their head in the sand,' Bonin said. 'We need to have a real discussion about the root cause of what we're seeing,' he said. While Canada burns, the prime minister is 'just ignoring the smoke,' he added.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Land grab conspiracies spread alongside Canadian wildfires
"This isn't just wildfire policy -- it's a global land control strategy operating through 'sustainability' language," a June 1, 2025 Facebook post claims. The text claims the "Rio Law" is a global framework established to encourage sustainability that can be used to reclassify land in Canada for resource extraction and forbid residents from returning home after they are evacuated due to wildfires. The text spread across Facebook, Instagram and X partly echoing debunked theories about Agenda 21 and moves to push fire-displaced residents into "smart cities" where they will be subjected to strict technology surveillance or face restriction of movement. Simultaneously, users on Facebook and TikTok made additional claims about land grabs precipitated by wildfire evacuations invoking either controversy over Ontario province's Bill 5 or images of a possible pipeline route, which would supposedly cross Manitoba to reach Hudson's Bay. Conditions are primed for another massive wildfire season in Canada, as the over 3.6 million hectares (13.8 thousand square miles) of area burned so far in 2025 has already surpassed the year-to-date average for the past decade (archived here). More than 30,000 people have evacuated their homes in western Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba provinces, including remote Indigenous communities fleeing south. But as of June 12, some 7,000 evacuees in Saskatchewan province began returning home. Media report people will also soon be allowed to go back to communities Manitoba, but many areas remain under evacuation orders there and in neighboring Ontario. The fires hit as trade tensions with the United States have triggered the new federal government to open discussions about access to Canadian natural gas and coveted minerals. But the potential projects, including pipelines, raise concerns of environmental impact and Indigenous consent. Nevertheless, experts told AFP it was highly improbable for a wildfire to be used to intentionally target specific areas for resource exploitation. Mike Flannigan a professor of wildland fire at Thompson Rivers University (archived here) said a wildfire is defined by three factors: how it starts, what it can burn through, and the weather conditions around it. Many fires are started -- mostly unintentionally -- by humans, he said, but fuel and weather play too large of a role in where flames spread, making it nearly impossible to start a wildfire that could successfully target a premeditated location. Flannigan also pointed out that climate change creates conditions that suck up moisture from vegetation and generate stronger wind, a mix conducive to more unwieldy fires. "The drier the fuel, the easier it is for a fire to start," he told AFP on June 5. Wildland firefighters use burning techniques to impede the path of smaller and less intense fires and keep them away from populated areas (archived here), but Flannigan said once the blazes reach the tops of the trees -- also known as a crown fire (archived here) -- response becomes limited. "There's only two options then: one is evacuate, get out of the way until the weather changes or the fuels change, or do a burnout operation, which is where you get in front, where the wildfire is spreading, start a new fire that's fighting against it," he said. Hossein Bonakdari, an associate professor of civil engineering at the University of Ottawa (archived here), analyzed indicators such as leaf coverage and winter snow area to predict the probability of wildfire in certain parts of Canada. Even with these prediction tools, Bonakdari noted, a plethora of minute variables dictating a wildfire's spread exist, making it impossible to foresee whether it could reach a certain location. "I need a dataset of today to do the prediction for tomorrow," he said on June 6. While the claim that wildfires could be used to clear certain areas for resource extraction may be unsubstantiated, concerns about infringement on Indigenous treaty rights in relation to Ontario's Bill 5 exist (archived here). The legislation gives the province authority to declare "special economic zones" (archived here), overriding local laws for resource projects in a move that Indigenous leaders say will conflict with the government's treaty obligations. Ontario Premier Doug Ford plans, for example, on extracting minerals from the Ring of Fire deposit in the north of the province. Other Canadian premiers also recently floated the idea of a pipeline through Manitoba to end in Hudson's Bay, similar to what has been referenced in some land grab claims online. Using reverse image search, AFP traced the map in those posts to a 2023 blog proposing a path for pipelines (archived here). However, no formalized proposals for such a project could be found. The posts also misrepresent the 1992 Rio Declaration (archived here). The document produced at the United Nations' Earth Summit does not mention removing people from land. Rather, it lays out principles of protecting environmental and developmental systems, to which it says states should agree. AFP previously debunked claims about resident displacement to extract resources following hurricane evacuations. Read more of AFP's reporting on wildfire misinformation here.
AFP
13-06-2025
- Politics
- AFP
Land grab conspiracies spread alongside Canadian wildfires
"This isn't just wildfire policy -- it's a global land control strategy operating through 'sustainability' language," a June 1, 2025 Facebook post claims. The text claims the "Rio Law" is a global framework established to encourage sustainability that can be used to reclassify land in Canada for resource extraction and forbid residents from returning home after they are evacuated due to wildfires. The text spread across Facebook, Instagram and X partly echoing debunked theories about Agenda 21 and moves to push fire-displaced residents into "smart cities" where they will be subjected to strict technology surveillance or face restriction of movement. Simultaneously, users on Facebook and TikTok made additional claims about land grabs precipitated by wildfire evacuations invoking either controversy over Ontario province's Bill 5 or images of a possible pipeline route, which would supposedly cross Manitoba to reach Hudson's Bay. Image Collage of screenshots of Facebook posts taken June 13, 2025 Conditions are primed for another massive wildfire season in Canada, as the over 3.6 million hectares (13.8 thousand square miles) of area burned so far in 2025 has already surpassed the year-to-date average for the past decade (archived here). More than 30,000 people have evacuated their homes in western Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba provinces, including remote Indigenous communities fleeing south. f June 12, some 7,000 evacuees in Saskatchewan province began returning home. Media report people will also soon be allowed to go back to communities Manitoba, but many areas remain under evacuation orders there and in neighboring Ontario. res hit as trade tensions with the United States have triggered the new federal government to open discussions about access to Canadian natural gas and coveted minerals. But the potential projects, including pipelines, raise concerns of environmental impact and Indigenous consent. Nevertheless, experts told AFP it was highly improbable for a wildfire to be used to intentionally target specific areas for resource exploitation. Unforeseeable spread Mike Flannigan a professor of wildland fire at Thompson Rivers University (archived here) said a wildfire is defined by three factors: how it starts, what it can burn through, and the weather conditions around it. Many fires are started -- mostly unintentionally -- by humans, he said, but fuel and weather play too large of a role in where flames spread, making it nearly impossible to start a wildfire that could successfully target a premeditated location. Flannigan also pointed out that climate change creates conditions that suck up moisture from vegetation and generate stronger wind, a mix conducive to more unwieldy fires. "The drier the fuel, the easier it is for a fire to start," he told AFP on June 5. Wildland firefighters use burning techniques to impede the path of smaller and less intense fires and keep them away from populated areas (archived here), but Flannigan said once the blazes reach the tops of the trees -- also known as a crown fire (archived here) -- response becomes limited. "There's only two options then: one is evacuate, get out of the way until the weather changes or the fuels change, or do a burnout operation, which is where you get in front, where the wildfire is spreading, start a new fire that's fighting against it," he said. Hossein Bonakdari, an associate professor of civil engineering at the University of Ottawa (archived here), analyzed indicators such as leaf coverage and winter snow area to predict the probability of wildfire in certain parts of Canada. Even with these prediction tools, Bonakdari noted, a plethora of minute variables dictating a wildfire's spread exist, making it impossible to foresee whether it could reach a certain location. "I need a dataset of today to do the prediction for tomorrow," he said on June 6. Resource regulation While the claim that wildfires could be used to clear certain areas for resource extraction may be unsubstantiated, concerns about infringement on Indigenous treaty rights in relation to Ontario's Bill 5 exist (archived here). The legislation gives the province authority to declare "special economic zones" (archived here), overriding local laws for resource projects in a move that Indigenous leaders say will conflict with the government's treaty obligations. Ontario Premier Doug Ford plans, for example, on extracting minerals from the Ring of Fire deposit in the north of the province. Other Canadian premiers also recently floated the idea of a pipeline through Manitoba to end in Hudson's Bay, similar to what has been referenced in some land grab claims online. Using reverse image search, AFP traced the map in those posts to a 2023 blog proposing a path for pipelines (archived here). However, no formalized proposals for such a project could be found. The posts also the 1992 Rio Declaration (archived here). The document produced at the United Nations' Earth Summit does not mention removing people from land. Rather, it lays out principles of protecting environmental and developmental systems, to which it says states should agree. AFP previously debunked claims about resident displacement to extract resources following hurricane evacuations. Read more of AFP's reporting on wildfire misinformation here.
Hamilton Spectator
06-06-2025
- Hamilton Spectator
Halton's most wanted: One arrested, one still on the run
One of Halton's most wanted suspects has been arrested in Montreal, while another remains at large, according to Halton Regional Police. On June 4, officers from the Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS), with assistance from Montreal authorities, arrested Raffaele-Giulio Draicchio, 26, who was initially charged in February 2024 in connection with an auto theft investigation in Oakville. At the time, Draicchio and three other individuals were arrested after being found in possession of two stolen Toyota 4Runners, along with various tools and devices commonly associated with high-tech auto theft. Draicchio was charged with possession of stolen property over $5,000 (three counts), possession of break-in instruments, possession of an automobile master key, and possession of a device to obtain computer services. He was later released on bail, but failed to appear in court in May 2025. As a result, police laid an additional charge of failing to re-attend court. He was transported back to Halton following his arrest and was held for a bail hearing. His arrest comes as part of the HRPS's Halton's Most Wanted program, which launched on Jan. 20, 2025. The initiative aims to publicize the names and faces of the region's most dangerous offenders in an effort to generate investigative leads and bring them to justice. Despite this recent development, police say Matthew Flannigan, 33, remains outstanding and is considered dangerous. On July 22, 2023, Flannigan was stopped by an officer on Plains Road East in Burlington. Police allege the officer had grounds to arrest Flannigan under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, but a violent struggle ensued. The officer sustained a broken leg, and Flannigan fled the scene at high speed. He has not been seen since. Flannigan is wanted on multiple charges, including unauthorized possession of a firearm, unauthorized possession of a prohibited device, possession of a firearm contrary to a prohibition order (two counts), and possession of a prohibited firearm with ammunition. He is described as 33 years old, 170 pounds, five-foot-nine, with brown eyes, long brown hair that may be braided, a scruffy beard, and tattoos of skulls on both forearms, as well as the letters 'ABG' on the side of his neck. Police advise the public not to approach Flannigan if spotted. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact the 3 District Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-825-4777, ext. 2316. Anonymous tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or online at . A cash reward of up to $2,000 may be available for information leading to an arrest. Photos and additional details about both individuals can be found at Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
