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EU migration overhaul stresses fast-track deportations and limited appeal rights for asylum seekers

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星期二, 四月 23, 2024

European Parliament, Civil service commission, Deportation, Database, European Council, EURODAC, Solidarity, Education, Ageing, Policy, Police, City, Trump, Justice, European Commission, Refugee, Violence, Drug

The pact is a legacy of the 2015 migration crisis when EU countries saw more than 1 million people claim asylum after arriving, mainly by boat, to European countries.

Key Points:

The pact is a legacy of the 2015 migration crisis when EU countries saw more than 1 million people claim asylum after arriving, mainly by boat, to European countries.
Front-line European countries, including Greece and Italy, were overwhelmed by the sheer numbers, prompting anti-migrant violence and a backlash from far-right political parties.
Authorities there were struggling to provide the bare minimum of aid and failing to provide legal protection or process asylum claims.
But to critics of the pact, the reforms will institutionalize inequality, instrumentalize migration crises and ignore the actual holes in migration governance.

Stalling reform

Hungary, the Czech Republic and Poland refused to participate, and in 2020 the EU Court of Justice found they had broken EU law.
Nevertheless, the quota system was never scaled up, leaving front-line states to continue to process much of Europe’s refugee population.
Since 2016, the European Commission has proposed multiple reforms, but negotiations stalled because of opposition from far-right governments in Eastern Europe.

Previously, the database included only fingerprints – not images or biographic details – of people above the age of 14.
The pact also makes it easier for police to access the database.
Together, these other four directives work to make it harder for people to make asylum claims in the EU.
They claim that the reforms also undermine the right of appeal – sometimes deporting people before an appeals decision is finalized – and expand detention.

Leveraging migration flows

Biden’s executive order paralleled President Donald Trump’s earlier transit and entry bans, arguing that asylum seekers must apply in the first safe country they transit.
The EU reforms also parallel recent proposals from Biden to shut down the border during migration surges.
There is growing academic literature on “migration diplomacy” and “refugee blackmail” that documents how states leverage migration flows as a tool in their foreign policy.
Critics argue that this commodifies refugees – literally putting a price tag on individual lives – while undermining solidarity.

‘Fortress Europe’

The need for EU migration reform was made clear by the 2015 crisis faced by front-line European countries. But rather than address the real problems of low state capacity, processing times, human rights protections, or conditions in detention centers, I believe the pact will reinforce the concept of “Fortress Europe” by investing in deterrence and deportation, not human rights.
Nicholas R. Micinski does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Two new malaria vaccines are being rolled out across Africa: how they work and what they promise

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星期二, 四月 23, 2024

Malaria incidents are on the rise. There were 249 million cases of this parasitic disease in 2022, five million more than in 2021. Africa suffers more than any other region from malaria, with 94% of cases and 95% of deaths worldwide. This year two revolutionary malaria vaccines are being rolled out across the continent. Nadine Dreyer asks Jaishree Raman if 2024 will be the year the continent takes a significant leap towards beating the disease.The RTS,S malaria vaccineThe long-awaited vaccine was described as a breakthrough for science, child health and malaria control.

Key Points:

Malaria incidents are on the rise. There were 249 million cases of this parasitic disease in 2022, five million more than in 2021. Africa suffers more than any other region from malaria, with 94% of cases and 95% of deaths worldwide. This year two revolutionary malaria vaccines are being rolled out across the continent. Nadine Dreyer asks Jaishree Raman if 2024 will be the year the continent takes a significant leap towards beating the disease.

The RTS,S malaria vaccine

The long-awaited vaccine was described as a breakthrough for science, child health and malaria control.
It is being aimed at children under the age of 5, who make up about 80% of all malaria deaths in Africa.
Among children aged 5 and 17 months who received 4 doses of RTS,S, the vaccine prevented about 30% of them from developing severe malaria.
Since 2019 more than 2 million children in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi have been vaccinated with the RTS,S malaria vaccine.

R21/Matrix M

The R21 vaccine is a significant improvement on the RTS,S vaccine, with 75% efficacy over a year.
The R21/Matrix M vaccine is very cost-effective, projected to retail at $2-$4 a dose, comparable in price to other childhood vaccines used in Africa.
These very encouraging findings prompted several malaria-endemic African countries, including Ghana and Nigeria, to approve use of the R21/Matrix M vaccine well before the World Health Organization.
The WHO finally approved and prequalified R21/Matrix M for use in the last quarter of 2023.

No silver bullet

While the fight against malaria has been significantly bolstered by the availability of these vaccines, they are not the silver bullets that are going to get us to an Africa free of malaria.
This will be the year that many vulnerable young African children will have access to not one, but two malaria vaccines.

Jaishree Raman receives funding from the Global Fund, the Gates Foundation, the South Africa Research Trust, the South African Medical Research Council, the National Research Foundation, and the National Institute for Communicable Diseases. She is affiliated with the Wits Research Institute for Malaria, University of Witwatersrand, and the Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control, the University of Pretoria.

Migraine sufferers in England may soon be able to access preventative drug – here’s how atogepant works

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星期二, 四月 23, 2024

Atogepant (brand name: Aquipta) was recently recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) to prevent episodic and chronic migraine attacks.

Key Points:

Atogepant (brand name: Aquipta) was recently recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) to prevent episodic and chronic migraine attacks.
The drug would be recommended to people who have at least four migraine days a month or where at least three previous preventative treatments have failed.
Migraine is a complex neurological condition that affects about 10 million people in the UK.
It’s characterised by recurrent, severe headaches that can be made worse by physical activity and are often debilitating.
However, it’s only suited to patients who suffer from episodic migraines – whereas atogepant can be used by people who have both chronic and episodic migraines.

Consistently effective

Three clinical trials have shown atogepant to be safe and effective for people with episodic or chronic migraines.

The Advance trial evaluated how safe and effective different doses of atogepant were compared with a placebo in preventing episodic migraine.
The 60mg once-daily tablet was found to be well tolerated and effective, leading to nearly seven fewer migraine days per month.
A third trial, the 302-LTS trial, followed participants who suffered from episodic migraine for over a year, finding that atogepant was consistently effective for reducing migraine attacks.
Atogenpant was consistently shown to be safe across all studies, including the one that lasted for a year.

Anna Andreou receives funding from the Medical Research Foundation and Brain Research UK. She also received research funding from eNeura, AbbVie and Pfizer. She is affiliated with the International Headache Society, being elected as a Trustee of the Board. She is Chair of the Headache special interest group of the British Pain Society.

Robert Adamson’s final book is a search for recognition and a poetic tribute to his love of nature

Retrieved on:

星期二, 四月 23, 2024

Birds and Fish: Life on the Hawkesbury – Robert Adamson (Upswell) In 2004, Adamson published Inside Out: An Autobiography.

Key Points:

Birds and Fish: Life on the Hawkesbury – Robert Adamson (Upswell) In 2004, Adamson published Inside Out: An Autobiography.
Adamson grew up in Neutral Bay on Sydney’s lower north shore, which afforded him ample opportunity to pursue his interest.
It is a terrifying, beautiful scene, recounted not by the fallen boy, of course, but the poet he became.

What I think I was aiming for when I stared into each bird’s eyes was some flicker of recognition, some sign of connection between us.
What I think I was aiming for when I stared into each bird’s eyes was some flicker of recognition, some sign of connection between us.
Theories of recognition have a long history, which in the Western tradition date back at least as far as Hegel.
Read more:
Poetry goes nuclear: 3 recent books delve into present anxieties, finding beauty amid the terror

Blunt and honest

This was the year of Mr Roberts, the teacher who introduced me to poetry and what they called nature studies.
This was the year of Mr Roberts, the teacher who introduced me to poetry and what they called nature studies.

It helped, too, that Mr Roberts “knew a bit about birds” and that he was encouraging about projects and assignments.
The young Adamson lights up, a recognition undimmed, even when a new teacher tells him “to forget [his] ambition”.
Nature was blunt and honest.
There was no third party, no good manners, no god involved – no reasoning or theology, let alone spelling and maths.
Nature was blunt and honest.
It is to do with the field of being; you can project yourself back to the original lores, rites and rituals.
It is to do with the field of being; you can project yourself back to the original lores, rites and rituals.

Craig Billingham has previously received funding from The Australia Council for the Arts (now Create Australia).

Would you be happy as a long-term single? The answer may depend on your attachment style

Retrieved on:

星期二, 四月 23, 2024

Life, Friends, Ageing, Family, Journal, Avoidant personality disorder, Single person, Research, Emotion, Happiness, Anxiety, Canada immigration statistics, Weaving

When we think about people who have been single for a long time, we may assume it’s because single people have insecurities that make it difficult for them to find a partner or maintain a relationship.

Key Points:

When we think about people who have been single for a long time, we may assume it’s because single people have insecurities that make it difficult for them to find a partner or maintain a relationship.
Our study shows a crucial factor may be a person’s attachment style.

Singlehood is on the rise

Singlehood is on the rise around the world.
In Canada, single status among young adults aged 25 to 29 has increased from 32% in 1981 to 61% in 2021.
The number of people living solo has increased from 1.7 million people in 1981 to 4.4 million in 2021.

What does attachment theory say about relationships?

Attachment theory suggests our relationships with others are shaped by our degree of “anxiety” and “avoidance”.
Attachment anxiety is a type of insecurity that leads people to feel anxious about relationships and worry about abandonment.
Read more:
Is attachment theory actually important for romantic relationships?

Single people represent a diverse group of secure and insecure people

In our latest research, our team of social and clinical psychologists examined single people’s attachment styles and how they related to their happiness and wellbeing. We carried out two studies, one of 482 younger single people and the other of 400 older long-term singles. We found overall 78% were categorised as insecure, with the other 22% being secure. Looking at our results more closely, we found four distinct subgroups of singles:
secure singles are relatively comfortable with intimacy and closeness in relationships (22%)
anxious singles question whether they are loved by others and worry about being rejected (37%)
avoidant singles are uncomfortable getting close to others and prioritise their independence (23% of younger singles and 11% of older long-term singles)
fearful singles have heightened anxiety about abandonment, but are simultaneously uncomfortable with intimacy and closeness (16% of younger singles and 28% of older long-term singles).

Insecure singles find singlehood challenging, but secure singles are thriving

Our findings also revealed these distinct subgroups of singles have distinct experiences and outcomes.
Secure singles are happy being single, have a greater number of non-romantic relationships, and better relationships with family and friends.

However, they also have fewer friends and close relationships, and are generally less satisfied with these relationships than secure singles.
Avoidant singles also report less meaning in life and tend to be less happy compared to secure singles.

It’s not all doom and gloom

First, although most singles in our samples were insecure (78%), a sizeable number were secure and thriving (22%).
Being in an unhappy relationship is linked to poorer life outcomes than being single.
Our studies are some of the first to examine the diversity in attachment styles among single adults.

Geoff Macdonald receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
Yuthika Girme receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

What if flat feet were…normal? Debunking a myth about injuries

Retrieved on:

星期二, 四月 23, 2024

Specifically, having flat feet was believed to predispose individuals to future pain and other musculoskeletal problems (i.e.

Key Points:

Specifically, having flat feet was believed to predispose individuals to future pain and other musculoskeletal problems (i.e.
Flat feet were believed to be a kind of time bomb.
We demonstrate that the theory that having flat feet inevitably leads to pain or other musculoskeletal problems, is unfounded.

Where does this theory come from?

This theory became central to the educational programs of health professionals.
In fact, science has never validated the theory: it has remained at the hypothesis stage.
Nevertheless, over the years up until the present, many health professionals have continued to support the theory that flat feet pose a major risk for developing musculoskeletal disorders.

Do flat feet cause musculoskeletal injuries?

Furthermore, a systematic review and a meta-analysis concluded that runners with flat feet are no more at risk of injury than those with regular feet.
These analyses call into question the idea that people with flat feet have a substantial risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders.
Unfortunately, this frequently results in people having unnecessary interventions, such as using orthopaedic shoes or custom-made foot orthoses for asymptomatic flat feet.

Setting the record straight

Based on current scientific knowledge, assessing whether a person has flat feet to determine their risk of injury is ineffective and counterproductive.
While it is possible for a person with flat feet to develop a musculoskeletal injury, this does not necessarily mean that flat feet caused the injury.
It is quite possible for two variables to be present at the same time without there being a causal link.
A cause-and-effect relationship implies that a change in one variable (the cause) leads to a change in another variable (the effect).

Reducing overdiagnosis in health care

Reducing overdiagnosis in health care has become crucial.
Since overdiagnosis often leads to overtreatment, avoiding unnecessary treatments will help to alleviate patients’ concerns about their flat feet.
It’s time to change our perspective and our approach to the significance of flat feet and to recognize their natural diversity in the context of overall foot health.

Gabriel Moisan is a member of the Ordre des Podiatres du Québec (College of Podiatrists Québec). He has received funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the War Amps of Canada and the Réseau provincial de recherche en adaptation-réadaptation (REPAR).

Many prisoners go years without touching a smartphone. It means they struggle to navigate life on the outside

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星期五, 四月 19, 2024

Interview, Health, Crime, COVID, Face, Learning, Survival, Digital, NSW, Unemployment, Risk, Prison, Education, Ageing, Prisoner, Mortality, Recidivism, Social isolation, Literacy, Anxiety, Food, Male, Rehabilitation, MyGov, Nursing

You’d be hard pressed to find any aspect of daily life that doesn’t require some form of digital literacy.

Key Points:

You’d be hard pressed to find any aspect of daily life that doesn’t require some form of digital literacy.
We need only to look back ten years to realise how quickly things have changed.
In 2013, we were still predominantly buying paper bus tickets and using Facebook on a desktop computer.

Unfamiliar tech damaging confidence

Prison populations are getting older worldwide for a few reasons, including general population ageing, trends towards people entering prison at an older age, or staying in for longer. At the same time, Australian prisons remain highly technologically restricted environments, mostly for security reasons. We interviewed 15 Australians (aged 47–69 years) about their experiences of reintegration following release from prison.

They described feeling like a stranger thrown into a world where survival depended on their ability to use technology.
Regardless of their experiences before imprisonment, the rapid digitisation of daily functions that were once familiar to them rendered their skills and confidence irrelevant.
One former inmate said:
There’s a significant gap […] for anybody who’s done, I’m gonna say, probably more than five to seven years [in prison].
There’s a significant gap […] for anybody who’s done, I’m gonna say, probably more than five to seven years [in prison].

Exacerbating recidivism

There’s concerning evidence around recidivism, risk of post-release mortality, social isolation, unemployment and homelessness.
Digital exclusion creates an additional barrier for those who are older, who already face a high risk of medical and social marginalisation.
A former prisoner said:
Think about it, after being in ten years, well you think, okay, where do I start?

What can be done?

The interviewees provided suggestions for how such programs could be delivered and a keenness to engage with them.
They tended to focus on learning in environments free from stigma and judgement of their literacy level or histories, with hands-on experience and face to face support.
Interviewees favoured learning while in prison, with additional support available on the outside.
Based on the evidence, we can be certain this will encourage positive change for the 95% of Australian prisoners who will eventually be released.

Ye In (Jane) Hwang has received funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia, the Australian Association of Gerontology, and the University of New South Wales Ageing Futures Institute for this work.

The world’s oldest conjoined twins have died – what we know about this rare condition

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星期五, 四月 19, 2024

The world’s oldest conjoined twins, Lori and George Schappell, recently died, aged 62.

Key Points:

The world’s oldest conjoined twins, Lori and George Schappell, recently died, aged 62.
Conjoined twins are incredibly rare, accounting for about one or two in every 100,000 births.
Because conjoined twins are so rare, it is difficult to know exactly how they come about.

Types of conjoined twins

There are 15 recognised types of conjoined twins, based on the various places their bodies fuse.
Conjoined twins are usually picked up on routine ultrasound scans performed during pregnancy.
Conjoined twins who are diagnosed by imaging are typically delivered by caesarean section.

Separating twins

One of the longest operations to separate conjoined twins, who were fused at the cranium, took more than 100 hours.
The earliest recorded attempt at surgical separation of conjoined twins dates back to AD945 in Armenia where conjoined brothers lived until middle age before one of them died.
Separating conjoined twins requires a significant amount of planning before surgery can begin, including, of course, lots of imaging such as ultrasound, CT and MRI.
Twins who share vital organs – or whose organs are fused – have a lower chance of a successful separation.

Adam Taylor does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Falls, fractures and self-harm: 4 charts on how kids’ injury risk changes over time and differs for boys and girls

Retrieved on:

星期四, 四月 18, 2024

Giant, Injury, Health, Psychological abuse, Disability, Attention, Burns, Drowning, Arm, Growth, Sport, Learning, Caregiver, Risk, Ageing, Knowledge, Fracture, Aborigine, Child, Death, Choking, Crash, Head Injuries, Asphyxia, Adolescence, Safety, Government, Parent, Violence, Assault, Toy

At least a quarter of all emergency department presentations during childhood are injury-related.

Key Points:

At least a quarter of all emergency department presentations during childhood are injury-related.
Injuries can be unintentional (falls, road crashes, drowning, burns) or intentional (self harm, violence, assault).
The type, place and cause of injury differs by age, developmental stage and sex.

children aged 1–4 years are the age group most likely to present to an emergency department with injuries
adolescents aged 16–18 years are the age group most likely to be admitted to hospital for injuries
boys are more likely to be hospitalised for injuries than girls. This continues into adulthood
girls are five times more likely to be hospitalised for intentional self-harm injuries than boys
falls are the leading cause of childhood injury, accounting for one in three child injury hospitalisations. Falls from playground equipment are the most common
fractures are the most common type of childhood injury, especially arm and wrist fractures in children aged 10–12 years.

For children under age one, drowning, burns, choking and suffocation had the highest injury hospital admission rates compared to adults.
In early childhood (ages 1-4 years), the highest causes of injury hospitalisation were drowning, burns, choking and suffocation and accidental poisoning.

What about sports?

Cycling causes the highest number of sporting injuries with almost 3,000 injury hospital presentations.
For the top 20 sports that are most likely to cause injury hospital admissions, fractures are the most common type of injury.
How to spot a serious injury now school and sport are back

Balancing risk and safety

To prevent injuries, we need to balance risk and safety.
Embracing risk is a fundamental part of play in all environments where children play and explore their world.
But with proper guidance and supervision from parents and caregivers, we can strike a balance between offering opportunities for risk-taking and ensuring children’s safety from serious harm.

What can governments do to prevent injuries?

This will provide clear guidance for all levels of government and others on prevention strategies and investment needed.
Better reporting on childhood and adolescent injury trends will better inform parents, caregivers, teachers and health professionals about the risks.

She is currently undertaking a project specific short term contract at the AIHW, in the Family and Domestic Violence Unit.
Dr Sharwood is recognised as a Professional Fellow in the Faculty of Engineering and IT, UTS, for her industry expertise in product related injuries.
Warwick Teague is Director of Trauma and Consultant Paediatric Surgeon at The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne (RCH).

How England’s scrapped Sure Start centres boosted the health and education of disadvantaged children

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星期四, 四月 18, 2024

Sure, Health, Homelessness, Sheffield Hallam University, Learning, Partnership, Family, Child, Ageing, Save the Children, Research, Food, Sure Start, Organic, Housing, Heart, Parent, Tutoring

The Sure Start programme was launched in 1999, with centres set up in communities across England to offer support to the most disadvantaged families.

Key Points:

The Sure Start programme was launched in 1999, with centres set up in communities across England to offer support to the most disadvantaged families.
The research found that access to a Sure Start centre significantly improved the GCSE results of disadvantaged children.
This builds on other research that has shown that Sure Start also had significant long-term health benefits.

How Sure Start worked

There was no set model for how Sure Start local programmes should deliver the services they offered.
The support offered was tailored to the challenges that local families were facing.
I was lucky enough to be the community development worker for a small children-and-families charity that led an early Sure Start local programme.

Learning from Sure Start

Drawing on the successes of Sure Start, the nursery was established with the motto “changing lives through relationships”.
It had the explicit aim of building trust with families so that we can understand their challenges and work on solutions together.
The university runs the nursery, and together with Save the Children provides additional support to parents.
I have always been convinced of the benefit of Sure Start’s approach, and the recent IFS findings add further evidence of its value.

Sally Pearse does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.