Latest news with #MasarykUniversity
Irish Examiner
15-07-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Why medical research needs to be more inclusive — and what we're doing about it
The covid-19 pandemic changed many aspects of our lives. One of the most notable shifts in healthcare has been a much greater awareness of how health outcomes differ across different communities — and how our medical research has not always kept up. Take, for example, the pulse oximeter — a device usually clipped to a finger and used to monitor oxygen levels in patients. As low oxygen levels were key concern for those with severe covid, pulse oximeters were used a lot. They were also found to be significantly less accurate for people with darker skin, often overestimating oxygen levels and potentially delaying urgent treatment. The pulse oximeter is a poster child for the dangerous consequences of not including a diverse range of people in health research. Not only do individuals receive poorer care, but care is also unequal, and trust in the healthcare systems erodes. This is part of a wider issue. For decades, randomised trials — the gold standard for testing new treatments — have disproportionately involved white, male, and relatively healthy participants. That's despite the fact many health conditions affect other groups in more severe or complex ways. Groups that are frequently left out include women, ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+ individuals, older adults, pregnant or lactating females and people with disabilities. The pulse oximeter is a poster child for the dangerous consequences of not including a diverse range of people in health research. These are called under-served groups — populations under-represented in research despite often carrying a higher burden of disease. Women, for example, have been under-represented in many trials for decades, resulting in women having more side-effects because of biological differences between how male and female bodies absorb some medicines. Take heart disease as an example. Women are just as likely to have a heart attack as men, but women are more likely to die from one. Women are also more likely to suffer from autoimmune diseases, but research often fails to examine womne separately, excludes them or doesn't include them in sufficient numbers to say anything meaningful about potential differences. Research conducted with and on both sexes can help reduce these disparities. This is the motivation behind SENSITISE, a new EU-funded project in UCC, with partner institutes the University of Aberdeen, UK, Masaryk University, Czech Republic and ECRIN (European Clinical Research Infrastructure Network) France. SENSITISE — short for inclusive clinical trials: training and education to increase the involvement of under-served groups — is about creating real, practical change in how we educate the next generation of trialists. Supported by the EU Erasmus+ programme until 2026, SENSITISE includes a 12-week, open-access curriculum available online, a manual for teachers, in-person workshops for those working in clinical trials, and translations into multiple languages to ensure broad accessibility. Our audience includes not just students and researchers, but also public and patient contributors, because inclusion starts with listening to the people affected. Our goal is simple but urgent: to make inclusive health research the norm, not the exception. This political backdrop makes the work of SENSITISE even more urgent. While parts of the world move backwards on inclusion, we are pushing forward — developing tools to help the next generation of researchers build better, fairer trials from the ground up. In the United States, a dramatic shift in policy is under way. President Donald Trump recently issued executive orders banning diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives across the federal government, including in healthcare and medical research. Frances Shiely: If trials are designed only for the majority, then under-served communities will continue to receive second-rate care, or no care at all. The orders eliminate DEI officers, revoke protections for LGBTQ+ individuals, and direct federal agencies to redefine gender strictly in biological terms — an approach that risks excluding entire communities from equitable access to healthcare and research participation. The withdrawal of women's reproductive rights and subsequently, women's rights, along with banning the word ''women'' from all governmental health websites is unimaginable to us here in Europe. Even before the Trump administration came to power in January 2025, the United States had work to do to improve women's health. In 2022, maternal mortality, deaths due to complications from pregnancy or childbirth, was 22.3/100,000 live births, more than double and sometimes triple the rate for most high-income countries (Ireland is 8.3/100,000; UK is 13.6/100,000; Australia and Germany, 3.5/100,000; Netherlands 2.8/100,000). But this hides the health inequities. For black women in the US, the maternal mortality in 2022 was 49.5/100,000 compared to 19.0/100,000 for white women. According to figures from the World Health Organization, maternal mortality for black women living in the US is higher than overall mortality in many countries, including Argentina, Egypt and Mongolia. This is not only a US issue: maternal mortality for black women in the UK is 35.1/100,000. There is work to do in Europe too. However, the policies of the Trump administration will widen these gaps, not narrow them. The impact of this disruption of science and the subsequent health outcomes will be profound and would have seemed almost unimaginable only a few months ago. Left unchallenged, the threat of these policies spreading increases. If trials do not include the people who have most to gain from improved treatment, inequity in health outcomes becomes a persistent feature of the healthcare system. This is bad science, and bad for society. Inclusive research isn't just about who gets invited to participate — it's about who benefits from science. If trials are designed only for the majority, then under-served communities will continue to receive second-rate care, or no care at all. The result? Worse outcomes; widening inequality; a healthcare system that serves some, but not all. We are at a crossroads. One path leads to a narrower, exclusionary science that leaves people behind. The other leads to research that reflects the real world and delivers better outcomes for all. At UCC, we're proud to be leading the way through SENSITISE, equipping the next generation to build trials that are inclusive, ethical and effective. Because inclusive research doesn't just change science, it changes lives. Frances Shiely is professor of clinical trials, HRB Clinical Research Facility and School of Public Health, at University College Cork Read More Have we learned any lessons after Grace?
USA Today
05-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Jamahal Hill understands Jiri Prochazka declining UFC title shot for unexpected reason
Jamahal Hill understands Jiri Prochazka declining UFC title shot for unexpected reason Jamahal Hill respects Jiri Prochazka's decision to prioritize his university studies over a UFC title shot. Manager Tim Simpson confirmed that his client, Prochazka, was approached about challenging light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 317 on June 28, but he declined due to upcoming exams he had to prepare for at Masaryk University in the Czech Republic. Hill (12-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC), who was knocked out by Prochazka in his most recent fight at UFC 311 in January, was asked what he thought of his decision. "I believe that he's a man of certain principles and morals and things like that," Hill told Inside Fighting of Prochazka. "If he's not willing to bypass those, if he feels this is important for something that he needs to do before he returns, I applaud him. If you have something you stand for, and you stand on it, I support you 100 percent. "If that's what he feels he needs to do before he gets back to this lane because fighting isn't guaranteed, fighting isn't forever. Now is the best time to put yourself in a position to where you can still live the life you want to live, make the money you want to make, and all these things after." Former champion Hill will look to rebound when he meets Khalil Rountree (13-6 MMA, 9-6 UFC) on June 21 in the UFC on ABC 8 headliner from Baku Crystal Hall in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jiri Passed On Title Fight For Exams?!
We always imagined being a UFC matchmaker must be like herding cats, and the past few weeks is proof of that. Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria was arguably the biggest fight the UFC could have booked for UFC 317. But because Makhachev has different ideas about his future and legacy, he decided to vacate the lightweight title and sit out until the end of the year so he can fight Jack Della Maddalena for the welterweight title. Advertisement Now Topuria will fight Charles Oliveira for the 155 pound strap at International Fight Week card in Las Vegas. The card also could have featured Jiri Prochazka, potentially in a light heavyweight title fight against champion Magomed Ankalaev. Normally, the 'Czech Samurai' is prepared to emerge from the woods and fight at the drop of a hat if it gets him a step closer to the belt. But when the UFC offered him a spot on UFC 317, he turned them down. 'We had one offer for a match, but everything is being postponed because of school,' Prochazka's coach Matin Karaivanov told 'Once he finishes it, we will continue negotiations.' Jiri is currently attending Masaryk University in Brno where he's working on a Security and Strategic Studies degree, and the finals are in June. Advertisement Now we're left wondering what fight Prochazka passed up to focus on his schoolwork. Recently, Ankalaev claimed on X (formerly Twitter) that the UFC offered him a fight on the June pay-per-view card, just days after his rival Alex Pereira's X account featured a 'hacked' message. 'If they want to play with me, we can do that,' the message read. 'I've never spoken poorly of the UFC but with what I've just heard I'm disheartened. I've already had thoughts of not fighting anymore, and after what was just relayed to me this may be the start.' We have reports that Ankalaev vs. Pereira was indeed proposed by the UFC as a potential main event for UFC 317, but Pereira wasn't willing to take the pivotal rematch on short notice. While this is just speculation, could the UFC have then gone to Prochazka about fighting Ankalaev? Whatever happened behind the scenes to make UFC 317's main event finally come together just shows you how crazy it must be trying to book all these fights. You've got champions turning down superfights and challengers turning down potential title fights for a hundred different reasons. Advertisement If you're wondering why it's a struggle for some fights to get booked, this is it. The UFC has over 600 people they're wrangling, and each one is pulling in their own direction. More from
Mint
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Putin Hosts Leaders to Mark 1945 Victory as His War Drags On
President Vladimir Putin is hosting Russia's celebrations for the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. The outcome of the war he started in Ukraine remains far from certain. Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazilian leader Luiz Inacio Lula de Silva and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico are among leaders from more than 20 countries who'll join Putin at the annual May 9 Victory Day parade of troops and military equipment on Moscow's Red Square, according to the Kremlin. Leaders from Egypt, Venezuela, Cuba, Vietnam and Zimbabwe will also attend, along with those of former Soviet states such as Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The Soviet Union's victory at the cost of 27 million lives in what's known as the Great Patriotic War from 1941 to 1945 is etched in the shared memory of families across the former Communist superpower, including in Ukraine and Russia. The Kremlin has increasingly sought to co-opt that common history to rally public support for Putin's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, by falsely casting the government in Kyiv as dominated by 'fascists' and presenting Russian soldiers as descendants of the troops who fought the Nazis. That's even as it was Russia that sparked Europe's worst conflict since WWII by attacking Ukraine and occupying part of its territory. While Russians recall the WWII sacrifice to defeat Adolf Hitler with 'horror and pride,' Putin's commemorations 'are a far-fetched way to justify the current aggression,' said Andrey Zubov, a Russian historian who's currently a visiting professor at Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic. 'If he'd conquered Ukraine in two weeks, there'd have been no appeals to the Second World War,' Zubov said. 'Since he couldn't, he tries to lean on it.' Putin has announced a three-day ceasefire in Ukraine starting Thursday for the WWII anniversary, after rebuffing US President Donald Trump's attempts to secure a longterm deal to halt the war within the first 100 days of his return to the White House. The impasse has led to mounting frustration in the Trump administration, which has threatened to walk away from talks and consider fresh sanctions on Russia unless an agreement is reached soon. Talk of a summit between Trump and Putin, with Saudi Arabia possibly hosting, has faded as peace negotiations have stalled. There has also been silence on proposals announced in a February phone call for the two leaders to visit each other's countries. Russia invited US Ambassador to Moscow Lynne Tracy to the May 9 parade though it's unclear if she will come, Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has warned that Ukraine can't guarantee the safety of foreign officials attending the parade. He has called on Russia to accept a 30-day truce, and hasn't committed to reciprocate the 72-hour ceasefire Putin declared. Putin and Xi began bilateral talks on Thursday as they seek to upend the US-led world order in favor of a multipolar one. Russia and China have 'a fully fledged partnership and strategic interests,' Putin said. China will 'resolutely defend' its interests as well as those of Russia and other developing countries, Xi said. Chinese troops are expected to march alongside Russian soldiers on Red Square on Friday, the latest demonstration of the 'no limits' friendship the two leaders declared shortly before Russia's invasion of Ukraine began. Armies from 13 countries will join the parade, though North Korean troops won't be among them, according to Ushakov. That's after Putin last week thanked North Korea for sending soldiers to help Russian troops oust Ukrainian forces occupying part of Russia's Kursk border region. Fico, the only European Union leader planning to attend, complained late Wednesday that Estonia wouldn't allow his plane to fly through its airspace to Russia. He called it a 'deliberate attempt to thwart his visit to Moscow' in a video statement and said he was working on a solution. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev canceled his planned visit to Moscow in order to attend events in his own country, while Laos President Thongloun Sisoulith also pulled out after falling ill with Covid, the Tass news service reported, citing Ushakov. While Europe marks the WWII victory on May 8, 1945, the formal Nazi German surrender came into force early on May 9 in Moscow. Zelenskiy in 2023 signed a law switching Ukraine's remembrance date to May 8, aligning with European allies. Russia and Ukraine continued air strikes against each other's capitals ahead of Putin's truce, with Moscow and its suburbs facing Ukrainian drone attacks three times this week. Russian officials have advised that Internet access in Moscow may be restricted as part of security measures, and residents reported disruptions to service during rehearsals for the Red Square parade. The Trump administration has said it's willing to recognize Russian possession of Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula Putin seized from Ukraine in 2014, and has proposed a freeze in the war largely along current battle lines, handing Moscow effective control of occupied Ukrainian territory. It has also indicated it'll ease sweeping economic sanctions on Russia, and has accepted Putin's demands for Ukraine to abandon its aim of joining NATO. Russian authorities consider 'the advantage is on their side' and are in no hurry to reach a deal, said Mikhail Vinogradov, head of the St. Petersburg Politics Foundation. 'Russia is ready for a political settlement provided its interests are taken into account,' said Andrey Sushentsov, dean of the School of International Relations at the state-run MGIMO University in Moscow. 'But it's also ready to achieve its goals by military means regardless of external pressure.' Putin is insisting that Russia gain full control of four regions of eastern and southern Ukraine that it doesn't completely occupy under any deal to end the war. 'Russia seemingly remains committed to its maximalist plans in Ukraine,' said Maria Snegovaya, a senior fellow for Russia and Eurasia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. 'Putin's most likely course of action is to continue procrastinating the talks to avoid fully annoying Donald Trump while intensifying his pressure on Ukraine.' Recent surveys by the independent Levada Center show around 60% of Russians support peace talks with about 30% in favor of continuing the fighting, according to Denis Volkov, director of the pollster in Moscow. While public fatigue with the war is growing, a majority believes decisions on negotiations should be left to Putin, he said. 'Russian authorities are doing everything to maintain a sense of normalcy,' and the conflict has receded into the background of daily life for most people, Volkov said.
Jordan News
20-03-2025
- Health
- Jordan News
Blood Type of People More Susceptible to Tick Bites - Jordan News
Blood Type of People More Susceptible to Tick Bites Scientists from Masaryk University in the Czech Republic have discovered that individuals with certain blood types are more prone to tick bites than others. اضافة اعلان According to the *Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine*, the researchers at the university conducted a study to identify the chemical and biological factors that explain why ticks are attracted to some people more than others. Among the factors studied was the impact of human blood type. In the study, scientists isolated a group of *Ixodes ricinus* ticks in a laboratory environment and allowed them access to blood samples from various blood types. The results showed that the ticks were consistently attracted to blood type A (II). After repeating the experiment more than 100 times, the ticks showed a similar response. The researchers pointed out that ticks are small insects that people may encounter while outdoors or in areas with high humidity. These insects can transmit dangerous parasites to humans, such as the tick-borne encephalitis virus, which can affect the central nervous system and potentially cause disability or death in some cases. Symptoms of tick-borne encephalitis include fever, nausea, headache, light sensitivity, and severe drowsiness. It may sometimes present as seizures or loss of consciousness. Tick bites can also lead to "Lyme disease," a bacterial infection identifiable by the appearance of red spots on the skin that expand and itch. After a few days, symptoms of Lyme disease appear, such as fever, headaches, limb pain, muscle cramps, and difficulty speaking. -- *
