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Roche and Ascidian enter neurological disease partnership worth over $1.8bn – PMLiVE

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Roche and Ascidian Therapeutics have partnered to develop RNA exon editing therapies for neurological diseases, with the deal worth over $1.8bn.

The research collaboration and licensing agreement gives Roche exclusive, target-specific rights to Ascidians RNA exon editing technology for undisclosed neurological targets.

Ascidian will conduct discovery and certain preclinical activities in collaboration with Roche, which will be responsible for further preclinical work as well as clinical development, manufacturing and commercialisation.

In exchange, Ascidian will receive an initial payment of $42m and will be eligible to receive up to $1.8bn in research, clinical and commercial milestone payments, plus royalties on global commercial sales.

More than three billion people worldwide were living with a neurological condition in 2021, according to a new major study released earlier this year by The Lancet Neurology.

Among the top ten neurological conditions contributing to loss of health in the same year were stroke, neonatal encephalopathy, dementia, diabetic neuropathy, epilepsy and nervous system cancers.

Ascidian said its technology allows for the therapeutic targeting of large genes and genes with high mutational variance while maintaining native gene expression patterns and levels. The approach is designed to provide the durability of gene therapy and reduce the risks associated with direct DNA editing and gene replacement.

James Sabry, global head of pharma partnering at Roche, said: Our partnership with Ascidian is an opportunity to harness advanced RNA exon editing technology, which has the potential to deliver transformative one-time therapeutics by editing multiple whole exons at the RNA level with a single treatment.

Also commenting on the alliance, Michael Ehlers, Ascidians president and chief executive officer, said: The potential of treating disease by large-scale exon editing of RNA is vast.

We look forward to working with the Roche team to develop first-in-class RNA exon editing medicines for multiple neurological diseases, with a mission and passion to relieve suffering and improve lives.

The partnership comes just one week after Roche entered into a strategic licence agreement for the use of ALZpaths pTau217 antibody to develop and commercialise a diagnostic blood test for Alzheimers disease.

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These Signs of Memory Loss Could Actually Predict Alzheimer’s Brain Changes – SciTechDaily

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A recent study revealed that individuals who self-report memory problems, corroborated by their partners, have higher levels of tau tangles, a key Alzheimers disease biomarker. This correlation suggests that early detection of memory issues could be crucial for effective intervention, especially with the advent of new treatments.

Early memory complaints, validated by partners, are linked to increased tau tangles in the brain, emphasizing the potential of early Alzheimers detection and intervention.

Individuals who report early memory problems and whose partners also suspect they have memory problems have higher levels of tau tangles in the brain, a biomarker associated with Alzheimers disease. This is according to a study published in the May 29, 2024, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Subjective cognitive decline is when a person reports memory and thinking problems before any decline is large enough to show up on standard tests.

Understanding the earliest signs of Alzheimers disease is even more important now that new disease-modifying drugs are becoming available, said study author Rebecca E. Amariglio, PhD, of Harvard Medical School in Boston. Our study found early suspicions of memory problems by both participants and the people who knew them well were linked to higher levels of tau tangles in the brain.

675 adults with an average age of 72 who did not have cognitive impairment on formal testing participated in the study. All had brain scans for amyloid plaques. Of this group, 60% had elevated levels of amyloid, meaning they were at risk for developing cognitive impairment due to Alzheimers disease even though, at the time of the scan, they were cognitively normal. Participants did not know if they had elevated levels of amyloid.

Each participant had a study partnera spouse, child, or friendwho could answer questions about the participants thinking and memory skills and ability to perform daily tasks. In 65% of cases, partners lived with participants.

Each participant and their partner completed a questionnaire to assess the participants subjective cognitive decline. Questions included, Compared to one year ago, do you feel that your memory has declined substantially? and Compared to one year ago, do you have more difficulty managing money? Participants and partners scores were recorded with higher scores indicating greater complaints about memory.

Researchers also reviewed brain scans for levels of tau tangles. Greater tau is also a risk factor for Alzheimers disease and is at higher levels in people with elevated amyloid.

The scientists found that participants with higher levels of tau tangles in the brain had higher scores of complaints on the memory questionnaire. Their partners also scored them higher. This association was stronger in participants who had elevated levels of amyloid plaques.

Our study included a high percentage of people with elevated amyloid, and for this reason, we were able to also see that memory complaints were associated with higher tau tangles, said Amariglio. Our findings suggest that asking older people who have elevated Alzheimers disease biomarkers about subjective cognitive decline may be valuable for early detection. This is particularly important since it is predicted that treatments given at the earliest diagnosable form of the disease will be the most effective in slowing the disease.

Limitations of the study include that most participants were white and highly educated. Amariglio noted future studies should follow people for longer periods of time and include more participants from other racial and ethnic groups, as well as people with different levels of education.

For more on this research, see Memory Complaints Can Predict Biological Changes in the Brain.

Reference: Associations Between Self and Study Partner Report of Cognitive Decline With Regional Tau in a Multicohort Study by Michalina F. Jadick, Talia Robinson, Michelle E. Farrell, Hannah Klinger, Rachel F. Buckley, Gad A. Marshall, Patrizia Vannini, Dorene M. Rentz, Keith A. Johnson, Reisa A. Sperling and Rebecca E. Amariglio, 29 May 2024, Neurology. DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000209447

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These Signs of Memory Loss Could Actually Predict Alzheimer's Brain Changes - SciTechDaily

Hidden Sex Differences In Neurological Reward Pathways Suggest Opportunity For Improved Psychiatric Therapeutics – UMBC News

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A new study in the Journal of Neuroscience has discovered underlying sex differences in the molecular pathways that drive reward-related behaviors. In particular, the study found differences and similarities in the ways males and females strengthened connections between two brain regionsthe hippocampus and the nucleus accumbensinvolved in reward signaling.

Males and females both suffer from disorders involving these pathways, like depression and substance abuse. However, the presentation and prevalence of these conditions can differ between the sexes, and certain standard treatments are more effective on average in males or females. The new papers findings encourage further research to determine if the molecular differences the authors discovered may underpin differences in disease progression or medication response, which could eventually lead to more effective treatments for mental health disorders.

Although this is changing, historically, much more research has been done on male subjects (both in humans and animal models), so we just dont know a lot about female brains and differences between male and female brains, says Tara LeGates, assistant professor of biological sciences and senior author on the new paper. Shes seen an increase in the number of research groups considering sex differences, and is hopeful that their work will continue to produce actionable results that lead to improved outcomes for patients.

LeGates previous work used optogenetics, which allows researchers to selectively stimulate particular neurons with light, to demonstrate that strengthening connections between two brain regionsthe hippocampus and nucleus accumbensis rewarding for mice. The hippocampus is best known for its roles in memory and learning, as well as emotional responses. The nucleus accumbens is a key reward center that integrates information from different brain regions to drive goal-oriented behavior, LeGates explains.

The hippocampus-nucleus accumbens pathway also exists in humans, and is involved in reward processes in the same way as in mice, LeGates notes, making this research highly translatable to human studies.

The researchers used electrophysiology, which involves observing how living cells respond to stimulation of other brain regions under a microscope, to reach their conclusions about how males and females strengthen connections between the hippocampus and nucleus accumbens.

LeGates and lead author Ashley Copenhaver, a Ph.D. candidate in LeGates research group, found that mice of both sexes relied on activation of a particular kinase protein, CAMKII, to facilitate reward-related behavior. Neither sex required dopamine activation, which was surprising, because dopamine is commonly involved in reward-related signaling.

The neurotransmitter receptor NMDA is also commonly involved in reward pathways and strengthening connections between brain regions. The researchers found that male mice were using NMDA receptors to strengthen connections between the hippocampus and nucleus accumbens, but females were not. Instead, the females used a different channel for calcium ions and an estrogen receptor.

We were really surprised to find this sex difference, Copenhaver says. Because the NMDA receptor pathway is so commonly assumed to be at play, It was just really fascinating to see, not only are males and females using different mechanisms, but one is using this NMDA receptor-dependent mechanism, whereas females are not, Copenhaver says. Theyre using this other, non-canonical pathwaythese alternative calcium ion channels. We werent expecting that at all.

Revealing these differences and similarities is an important step toward making a real difference in medical care for patients.

If you want to understand susceptibility and develop better treatments, you have to understand the mechanisms at these synapses, LeGates says. You have to understand whats happening, and you have to understand it in each of the sexes.

Legislation required human studies to include males and females in the early 1990s, but not until 2015 did the National Institutes of Health set policy that animal studieswhich are frequently used to justify further human researchmust also include both sexes. As a result, there are still many open questions about how male and female physiology differs, and many opportunities to make contributions with significant biomedical impact.

LeGates became more interested in studying sex differences in brain function during her postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. I think that one of the problems with trying to do sex difference research is that youre trying to use things that have been optimized to work in male animals, LeGates says, and then when it doesnt play out in females, its just like, Oh, its unreliable. But what if its that the tests were optimized in males, and thats why they dont work in females?

I wanted to pursue that and appreciate the male and female differences and not try to force them into the same exact paradigms, she adds. Maybe we need to come up with new paradigms and a new way to approach how we study them.

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Hidden Sex Differences In Neurological Reward Pathways Suggest Opportunity For Improved Psychiatric Therapeutics - UMBC News

Study aims to understand genetics of Parkinsons disease in Black people – The Source – Washington University in St. Louis

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Erin Foster, an associate professor of occupational therapy, and Scott Norris, MD, an associate professor of neurology, have established a site at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis for the Black and African American Connections to Parkinsons Disease (BLAAC PD) study, an international study aimed at understanding the gene changes that may lead to Parkinsons disease in people with African ancestry. Parkinsons is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by slow and unsteady movement. Foster and Norris are collecting clinical and behavioral data from people with Parkinsons and healthy people who identify as Black or African American in the St. Louis area.

By joining the study, Washington University also joins the Parkinsons Genetics Program, a global initiative geared at promoting a more comprehensive view of Parkinsons disease by collecting genetic data from 150,000 people representing diverse populations around the world. Parkinsons is a debilitating disease that affects people of all backgrounds, but it has historically been understudied in many populations, including Black, Latino, Asian, Native American, LGBTQ+, those in lower socioeconomic groups and people living in underserved geographies (rural and urban).

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Study aims to understand genetics of Parkinsons disease in Black people - The Source - Washington University in St. Louis

Nanosized Blocks Spontaneously Assemble in Water To Create Tiny Floating Checkerboards – University of California San Diego

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The self-assembly process is driven by the surface chemistry of the nanocubes. A high density of hydrophobic molecules on the surface brings the cubes together to minimize their interaction with water. Meanwhile, the long chains of hydrophilic molecules cause enough repulsion to create voids between the cubes, creating the checkerboard pattern.

To fabricate the structure, researchers applied drops of the nanocube suspension onto a petri dish containing water. The resulting checkerboard can be easily transferred to a substrate by dipping the substrate into the water and slowly withdrawing it, allowing the nanostructure to coat it.

This study stems from a collaborative effort between multiple research groups that are part of the UC San Diego Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC). The work featured a synergistic combination of computational and experimental techniques. Weve built a continuous feedback loop between our computations and experiments, said Tao. We used computer simulations to help us design the materials at the nanoscale and predict how they will behave. We also used our experimental results in the lab to validate the simulations, fine tune them and build a better model.

In designing the material, researchers chose silver crystal nanocubes due to the Tao labs expertise in their synthesis. Determining the optimal surface chemistry required extensive computational experimentation, which was led by Gaurav Arya, a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science at Duke University and co-senior author of the study. The simulations identified the best molecules to attach to the nanocubes and predicted how the cubes would interact and assemble on the water surface. The simulations were iteratively refined using experimental data obtained by Taos lab. Electron microscopy performed by the lab of study co-author Alex Fra, a professor in the Department of Physics at UC San Diego, confirmed the formation of the desired checkerboard structures.

Tao envisions applications for the nanocube checkerboard in optical sensing. Such a nanostructure can manipulate light in interesting ways, she explained. The spaces between the cubes, particularly near the corner edges where the cubes connect, can act as tiny hotspots that focus or trap light. That could be useful for making new types of optical elements like nanoscale filters or waveguides.

The researchers plan to explore the optical properties of the checkerboard in future studies.

Paper: Self-assembly of nanocrystal checkerboard patterns via non-specific interactions. Co-authors include Yufei Wang*, Rourav Basak, Yu Xie, Dong Le, Alexander D. Fuqua, Wade Shipley and Zachary Yam, UC San Diego; and Yilong Zhou* and Quanpeng Yang, Duke University.

*These authors contributed equally.

This work was supported by the National Science Foundation, UC San Diego Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (DMR-2011924). The work was performed in part at the San Diego Nanotechnology Infrastructure (SDNI) at UC San Diego, a member of the National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure,which is supported by the National Science Foundation (grant ECCS-2025752).

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Nanosized Blocks Spontaneously Assemble in Water To Create Tiny Floating Checkerboards - University of California San Diego

Wearable multichannel-active pressurized pulse sensing platform | Microsystems & Nanoengineering – Nature.com

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Device fabrication and structural characterization

In TCM pulse diagnosis, it is believed that the health of human organs is related to the pressure pulse wave at corresponding mapping points (Cun, Guan, Chi) on the radial artery (Fig. 1a). In this study, we propose a wearable, flexible wristband that can be actively pressurized to mimic TCM pulse collection (Fig. 1b). The system comprises flexible pressure sensing units for collecting pulse waves at the Cun, Guan, Chi positions, an active pressure control unit providing different pressures, a wireless transmission unit for signal transmission and processing, a wireless charging unit for system power supply, and a power management unit.

a Method of TCM pulse diagnosis. b Optical image of the wireless wristband worn on the users wrist joint. c Block functional diagram of the sensing system, including the power supply, signal acquisition, processing, communication, and user interface. d Schematic illustration of the wireless wristband worn on the wrist, where the airbag provides backpressure to effectively collect pulse wave changes under different pressures. e Detailed diagram of the overall structural design of the sensor system. f Detailed diagram of the overall structural design of the pressure sensor. g, h, and i Digital optical image and FEA results of the wristband, flexible circuit and sensing array under mechanical deformation

The active pressure control unit, comprising silicone airbags, piezoelectric micropumps, a digital pressure sensor, electromagnetic valves, and one-way valves, works synergistically to provide precise pressure modulation. The micropump regulates airbag inflation, and pressure sensors and electromagnetic valves provide pressure feedback control (Fig. 1c, d). The hardware and software architecture of the system, including sensor integration, data processing modules, and user interface components, is comprehensively depicted in Fig. 1c. All components, such as the sensor array, micro-airbag array, micropump, and flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) and their interconnections, are encapsulated in soft silicone to create a fully flexible, wearable, multichannel active pressure pulse-sensing platform (WAPPP). This design allows the device to flex and stretch, ensuring tight and soft contact between the sensors and the arterial regions of the skin (Fig. 1d).

Figure 1e shows the hardware and software architecture of the system, including sensor integration, data processing modules, and user interface components. As shown in Fig. 1f, a 3-channel pulse sensor array was used to simulate three fingers for pulse wave acquisition. The overall structure of the pressure sensor includes three independent circular interdigital electrode resistance sensors, each with a diameter of 8mm, which is slightly larger than the fingertip area of the human finger (Fig. S1). The three sensor units are connected by serpentine wires, significantly improving the deformability of the device and preventing mechanical interference between adjacent units. The pressurization of micro airbags ensures close contact between the sensor unit and the skin, enabling the precise conversion of local skin deformations caused by arterial expansion/contraction into electrical signal output. Figure 1g and h show that the system and its built-in flexible circuit board have excellent bending performance and can maintain good flexibility and equipment integration despite deformation. A flexible sensor array is easy to bend and mechanically stable. Figure 1i shows a digital optical image of the pressure sensor array and corresponding finite element analysis (FEA), demonstrating its applicability for wrist pulse measurements.

As a key part of pulse sensing systems, flexible pressure sensing arrays have high requirements for sensor performance. Resistance-type pressure sensors based on interdigital electrodes have advantages such as high sensitivity, high accuracy, high stability, convenient data collection, and simple device structures. In this paper, we used an interdigital electrode with a polyimide film (PI) substrate manufactured by FPCB technology as the induction electrode and thermoplastic polyether polyurethane (TPU)-ionic liquid (ILD)-h-BN as the ionic membrane.

The sandwich structure is combined through bonding layers and a hot-pressing process to form an iontronic pressure sensor. The sensitive layer of the sensor was manufactured using screen printing, a process that is controllable in batches, as depicted in Figs. 2a and S2. After heat curing (Fig. 2a), the sensitive layer was endowed with microcolumnar microstructures via laser engraving (illustrated in Fig. 2a). The surface morphology of this layer is presented in microphotographs (Fig. 2b), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) maps (Fig. 2c), and laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) images (Fig. 2d). These microcolumnar structures substantially enhance the deformation capability of the sensitive layer under compression, thereby significantly improving its sensitivity. Figure 2e shows the corresponding equivalent circuit, which indicates that the main variation in resistance within the circuit is due to the internal resistance (Rin).

a Fabrication process of the pressure sensor. b Optical image of the sensitive layer with microstructure. c Illustration and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of the sensitive layer. d Sense LSCM image. e Schematic illustration and sensing mechanism of the pulse pressure sensor. f Current variation in sensors prepared with different ionic liquid contents. g Current variation in sensors prepared by different laser etching times

The doping of h-BN in the sensitive layer increased the viscosity of the printing paste and significantly improved the conductivity variation of the sensitive layer during deformation through the ion pump effect27. To explore the optimal performance of the sensor, we investigated the effect of different laser irradiation times (0, 1, 2, and 3) and various ionic concentrations (1, 1.2, 1.5 and 2mL) on the sensor sensitivity. The results showed that the best performance for the sensitive layer was achieved with 1.5mL of ionic liquid and 2 laser engravings. This was selected as the final sensor fabrication parameter (Fig. 2f, g).

To provide further evidence of the performance of the sensor, we conducted a series of tests and measurements to characterize its electrical performance (Fig. S7). The pressure sensor exhibits high sensitivity and good linearity within the pressure range of 050kPa. As a crucial parameter for sensors, sensitivity is defined as S=(I/I0)/P. Here, I0 and I represent the initial current under a 1V voltage before loading and the change in the output current when pressure is applied, respectively. Figure 3a shows that the sensitivity of the pressure sensor is S=460.1kPa1, and the fitting coefficient is R2>0.999. It is noteworthy that the performance of this sensor surpasses that of most reported pressure sensors, enabling its suitability for testing scenarios such as human pulses and BP. We tested a series of continuous pressures to evaluate the sensors performance in this context. The sensor exhibits excellent consistency and mechanical robustness in the pressure sensing range of 050kPa, making it highly effective for real-world applications and enhancing its practical applicability (Fig. 3b). Figure 3c shows that the pressure sensor response time and recovery time are 25 and 30ms, respectively, which meet the requirements for pulse monitoring applications. To demonstrate the good resolution of the sensor, we characterized the limit of detection (LOD) of the sensor, which produces a response of ~0.035A at a pressure of 150Pa, further verifying that the LOD of the sensor is approximately 150Pa (Fig. 3d). Furthermore, the sensor demonstrated high stability and durability in long-term (12,000 cycles) pressure loadingunloading cycles at 40kPa (Fig. 3e).

a Current variation versus pressure change of the pressure sensor. b Current variation of the pressure sensor under various pressures. c Fast response of the pressure sensor. d LOD of the sensor. e Long-term cycling ability of the sensor at 40kPa for 12,000 cycles

The active pressurization device comprises a micropump (19mm21mm3.6mm, Fig. S4), a soft silicone (Ecoflex) airbag array and a one-way valve. Under pressure from the airbag array, the sensor array can detect mechanical pulses caused by the propagation of blood (Fig. 4a). Figure 4b shows the fabrication process of the micro airbag array. The piezoelectric micropump (Murata Machinery) controls the internal pressure of the silicone airbag and provides a controllable back pressure to the sensor array through conformal contact. FEA showed that the protruding displacement of the airbag surface was 2.223mm when the pressure inside the airbag was 40kPa, demonstrating the feasibility of using microairbags for the pressurized detection of pulse signals (Fig. 4c). The micropump supplies sufficient pressure (up to 50kPa) to the airbag array, enabling steady pressure support for the sensor array (Supplemental Movie 1). The one-way valve at the outlet of the micropump serves as a pressure regulator to maintain pressure within the airbag while acting as a damping valve to stabilize the active pressure adaptive system. Figure 4d shows that the pressure in the airbag is basically unchanged when the air pump is used to inflate it to 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50kPa at specific time intervals.

a Digital optical image of the sensor patch on skin. b Fabrication process of the airbag. c Optical image of the airbag and stressstrain simulation at 40kPa. d The pressure inside the airbag is maintained within a stable range of 050kPa. e and f With increasing pressure (525kPa), the pulse amplitude and corresponding FFT results change

During actual pulse acquisition, with increasing external pressure, the coupling degree between the sensor and blood vessel changes. The amplitude of the pulse wave gradually increases and then decreases, as confirmed by the FFT results, which also demonstrate corresponding changes in frequency components with variations in the amplitude of the pulse wave (Fig. 4e).

The device can wirelessly connect to a compatible smartphone app via Bluetooth, enabling the transmission of pressure sensor signals to the mobile device for data storage and analysis (Fig. 5a and Supplement Movie 2). The WAPPP is based on controllable active airbag pressurization, which allows for the control of the sensors press depth, enabling the collection of pulse waves at different static pressures. The test results indicate that as the pressing force and depth increase, the amplitude of the pulse wave gradually increases, followed by a decrease (Fig. 5b), which is consistent with the theory of pulse diagnosis in TCM.

a The display interface for mobile devices. b Pulse wave changes under 9 different static pressures. c BP prediction model. d BlandAltman plots to validate the accuracy of the pulse sensing system for SBP and DBP

To validate the systems applicability, we integrated a pulse wave test with a machine learning model and constructed a blood pressure prediction model based on a back-propagation neural network. This allows for accurate monitoring of blood pressure and cardiac status using the applied pressure and its corresponding pulse wave magnitude as input variables, inspired by the principle of blood pressure measurement. The back-propagation neural network was chosen for its flexible network structure and excellent nonlinear expression capabilities and is widely employed in BP prediction. In this study, we extracted pulse waveforms at nine pressure stages. After stabilizing the waveforms, we recorded the pulse amplitude values from the sensor and their corresponding airbag pressure values as inputs.

As illustrated in Fig. 5c, our approach utilizes a three-layer network structure comprising an input layer, a hidden layer, and an output layer. During model training, a single hidden layer is sufficient to fit high-precision functions. Using too many hidden layers can lead to overfitting and slow down the training process. The output layer consists of 2 nodes representing systolic and diastolic pressures. The pulse dataset is divided into three sets: training group, validation group, and testing group, with proportions of 70%, 15%, and 15%, respectively.

In the model training phase, as the back-propagation neural network receives data, it performs computations from the input layer through the hidden layer to the output layer, generating BP predictions. Through the adjustment of model parameters and correction with actual BP values, the corrected values are fed back into the input layer, enhancing the accuracy of the BP predictions. The results indicate a strong correlation (R-square value close to 0.99) between the output of the transfer function and that of commercial BP monitors (Fig. S5). Clinical validation of BP prediction was conducted using a test set of 21 BP data points. The average differences between our device and commercial BP monitors were 0.779.0mmHg for systolic blood pressure (SBP) and 3.229.72mmHg for diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (Fig. 5e, f). These BP prediction results met the American Association of Medical Instruments (AAMI) international criteria for BP testing.

By wearing the system on the users body, continuous and accurate monitoring of pulse variations can be achieved, allowing for the prediction of blood pressure. These results highlight the potential applications of the pulse acquisition system.

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Bawumia handed ‘steer’ as Akufo-Addo jets off to Bahamas, Switzerland – GhanaWeb

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Vice President Bawumia will be acting president in the stead of President Akufo-Addo

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has embarked on a five-day working visit to the Bahamas and Switzerland.

He has, therefore, formally handed over the running of the country to Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, as required by law.

In a letter dated June 10, 2024, addressed to the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, the President informed the legislature that he would be travelling to Nassau, Bahamas, on Tuesday, June 11, 2024, upon the invitation of the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, Hon. Philip E. David KC MP, and Professor Benedict Rama, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Afro-Exim Bank, to participate in the 31st meeting of the bank scheduled for June 12 to 13, 2024.

"I will depart Nassau on Friday, June 14, 2024, for Switzerland at the invitation of the President of the Swiss Confederation, His Excellency Violo Amherd, to participate in the Summit on Peace in Ukraine from June 15 to 16, 2024," the letter further stated.

The President mentioned that while he is scheduled to return to Ghana on June 16, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, in accordance with Article 60(8) of the 1992 Constitution, will act as President of the country.

"I will then return to Accra on June 16, 2024. During my absence, the Vice President, Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, in accordance with Article 60(8) of the Constitution, shall act in my stead," the letter from the presidency clarified.

The Vice President, who is the flagbearer of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) for the 2024 general elections, is currently on a campaign tour of the country.

Dr. Bawumia kicked off his campaign on Monday in the Ashanti Region, where he met with chiefs, party executives, and some youth to promote his campaign message.

Article 60(8) of Ghana's 1992 Constitution stipulates that "whenever the President is absent from Ghana or is for any other reason unable to perform the functions of his office, the Vice-President shall perform the functions of the President until the President returns or is able to perform his functions."

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Watch the latest episode of Everyday People on GhanaWeb TV below:

Ghanas leading digital news platform, GhanaWeb, in conjunction with the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, is embarking on an aggressive campaign which is geared towards ensuring that parliament passes comprehensive legislation to guide organ harvesting, organ donation, and organ transplantation in the country.

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Youngest team ever will make cystic fibrosis crossing from Bahamas to Lake Worth Beach – WPTV News Channel 5 West Palm

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LAKE WORTH BEACH, Fla. Playing in the waves and bonding for a cause as 200 paddlers journey from Bimini to Lake Worth Beach. Celebrating Crossing For Cystic Fibrosis, is an event that truly makes us proud to call this place home. The Crossing supports the families of those suffering from cystic fibrosis.

This morning, I met up with Piper's Angels on Lake Worth Beach, right next to Benny's on the Beach. They are planning their annual trip on June 23 at 12:01 a.m. from Bimini, Bahamas to Lake Worth Beach, Florida.

"My daughter Piper has cystic fibrosis and it's been something that our family has worked through this adversity together," said Travis Suit, founder of Piper's Angels. "So, seeing the community come together and fundraise to be able to support more CF families is just an amazing cause."

The youngest team ever is also crossing hoping to raise $8,000. They are a group, including seniors, from the Benjamin School.

"My personal motive is kind of like it's like our friends. We want to do it and do a great job," said Sam from the Benjamin School. "So, our first year. We're the youngest team and we're really looking forward to that."

What's it like making a crossing that long? I asked Lindsay who is paddling with the Angels this year.

"It's exhilarating. Honestly, being kind of in the middle of nowhere, seeing the sunrise come up," Lindsay said. "It's an unexplainable feeling that I hope everyone locally gets the chance to experience the water."

"I think what's really changed is the camaraderie the community that's come together," said Tatiana Tims, who is a spokesperson for Piper's Angels. "We have a lot of experienced paddlers coming back, but we also have a lot of new paddlers coming in. We like to say people come for the challenge and stay for the cause."

About Piper's Angels:

"The charity and The Crossing were founded by Travis Suit whose daughter Piper, now 16, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at age four. An avid paddler himself, he learned about the benefits that salt air has for those with this chronic, and often fatal, disease. As he joined the CF community, he was inspired to help other families in his situation care for their loved ones."

What do you want me to Shine A Light on? What are you most proud of where you live? Email me at tawalker@wptv.com.

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Bahamas Bowl returns to Nassau on January 4 – caribbeannationalweekly.com

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ESPN announced the Bahamas Bowl, the longest-running international bowl game in college football history, will return to Nassau, Bahamas after a one-year absence. The game will be played on Saturday, Jan. 4, at 11 a.m. ET and televised live on ESPN.

This will be the first time the Bahamas Bowl has been played in January and the first time the game has been played on a Saturday.

The Bahamas Bowl is played at Thomas A. Robinson Stadium in Nassau, which was undergoing renovations last year in advance of the recently completed World Athletics Relays track and field competition. That event attracted top athletes from around the world in their final qualifying push for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

We are thrilled to bring the Bahamas Bowl back to its long-time home in Nassau, said Lea Miller-Tooley, Executive Director of the Bahamas Bowl.

It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the teams and their fans, who will enjoy the newly refurbished stadium. The Saturday date gives local Bahamian sports fans their best opportunity ever to see the game.

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We are excited to welcome back the Bahamas Bowl which has been a highlight of our destinations annual sports calendar for close to a decade, said Chester Cooper, Bahamas Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments & Aviation.

The media coverage generated by this premier international sporting event provides invaluable exposure for The Islands of The Bahamas at the height of winter when consumers in our key markets are craving beach and sunshine.

Our destination takes pride in being the designated home of the longest-running international American college football bowl, said Latia Duncombe, Director General of the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation. The Bahamas reputation as the regions leading sports tourism destination is reflected in the diverse lineup of world-class sporting meets that are held annually within our shores.

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One of 17 bowl games owned and operated by ESPN Events, the event has traditionally showcased teams from Conference USA and the Mid-American Conference.

Past winners include UAB in 2022, Middle Tennessee in 2021, Buffalo in 2019, FIU in 2018, Ohio in 2017, Old Dominion in 2016, Western Michigan in 2015 and Western Kentucky in 2014.

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Charles Sealy appointed lead consultant for Bahamas Wellness Health System – EyeWitness News

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NASSAU, BAHAMASBahamas Wellness Health System (BWHS) has announced the appointment of Charles Sealy as Lead Consultant. Sealy will provide strategic operational and financial support and project management for its four medical centers, three in Eleuthera and one in New Providence.

Bahamas Wellness President Dr. Arlington Lightbourne called Sealy a proven and passionate leader with significant experience in healthcare management in The Bahamas.

Sealy, who holds a graduate degree in healthcare administration and a degree in law from the University of London, served as CEO of Doctors Hospital for 13 of his 22-year career helping to build that institution into a highly recognized private care facility in the country. Since leaving Doctors Hospital, he has built a successful consultancy company along with several businesses, including SEACOAST Shipping Services and Narvi FX, an audio-visual production company, both of those enterprises based on his desire to bring the best technology to everyday services.

Bahamas Wellness Health System started with a 10-year plan that we exceeded by Year Five, said Dr. Lightbourne.

It has not been easy, and we would never be where we are today without the incredible support of the Eleuthera community. We want to continue to earn the trust the community has graced us with and we are grateful to have someone of Charles Sealys experience, knowledge and dedication to help us do that in every step we take in depth of expansion. Charles understands and appreciates our culture which is people before profits and affordable health care for all both in Eleuthera and in Nassau.

Founded in 2016 with one office on Collins Avenue in Nassau, BWHS has expanded to four clinics with a staff complement of 40 medical professionals and support staff as well as a roster of rotating physicians who provide specialty services in vision, dental, obstetrics and gynecology, podiatry, dermatology, diabetes management, gastroenterology, nutrition and wellness and more. Its flagship clinic, the Eleuthera Medical Centre in North Palmetto Point, serves as the islands emergency room with advanced in-house diagnostic facilities and comprehensive treatment. It has emerged as a foundational community institution. When it became the first facility to bring mammography services to Eleuthera in 2023, there was a waiting list of more than 100 women.

We know how difficult it is for many women in Eleuthera to make that trek to Nassau every year for their breast exam. Our priority was to bring the ability to have an annual mammogram to them, Dr. Lightbourne explained. The clinic also has state-of-the-art x-ray and lab capabilities. During the COVID-19 epidemic, it served thousands remaining open 24/7 for emergencies.

While we are a for-profit health care provider, we hold fast to our underlying all commitment to ensure maximum access to services and to be an integral stakeholder in the community. We will never turn away an elderly grandmother who cannot pay. Someday, that could be your grandmother or mine at the door who needs medical attention, said Dr. Lightbourne, who worked as an Emergency Room physician at both PMH and Doctors Hospital before going into private practice.

I have every confidence that Charles Sealy shares that commitment, he continued. His dedication to community and volunteerism is well-known. Mr. Sealy is a Royal Bahamas Police Force Reservist and has been an active Rotarian for more than 25 years, holding several leadership positions including District Governor in 2020-2021, responsible for oversight of Rotary club activities in 10 countries in the Caribbean.

Bahamas Wellness operates clinics in North Palmetto Point, Spanish Wells and Lower Bogue in Eleuthera and in Nassau. Its board of directors includes Robert Pantry, Khaalis Rolle, Michele Johnson, Dr. Leonardo Culmer, Dr. Lightbourne and Diane Phillips, Chair. Mr. Sealy will join the board in the capacity of his appointment effective immediately.

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Catch of the Week: Fishing is on fire locally and in The Bahamas – New Pelican Newspaper

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By RJ Boyle | Contributing Columnist

We had a spectacular week of fishing starting in Bimini. We fished to the north off Great Isaacs Light and had a wonderful catch of snapper.

While we were anchored up chumming in 70 feet of water we hooked what we thought was a shark and as Scott Sansone (pictured right) approached the 30 minute mark of the fight we felt like the fish wasnt acting like a shark.

The fish would get close to the boat and then go all the way back to the bottom.

After a 45 minute fight on a light spinning rod and a baby jig for yellowtail snapper up came this 45-pound cubera snapper! What a special catch it was. Cubera snapper are difficult to catch and the only ones I have ever caught were with Capt.

Bouncer Smith as he specializes in cubera fishing off Miami during the June and July full moon. We used live lobsters for bait. This fish will be immortalized as a trophy that will hang in my shop as it was one of the best catches I have ever seen on light tackle. After the catch we celebrated Eric Finkelsteins birthday (pictured left).

Locally the mahi-mahi bite was excellent almost all week, both near shore and further offshore. Seaweed patches have been holding fish so keep an eye out this weekend. Our charter aboard the Lisa B (pictured below) had a solid catch of Mahi. The fish were all caught trolling off Boca Raton. Mixed into the mahi catches have been some juvenile undersized fish so be sure to measure. The legal length is 20 inches to the fork and the bag limit is five fish per person or 30 per boat, whichever is less.

For up to the minute fishing report tune into thThee Paul Castronovo Papas Pilar Fishing Report on Friday morning at 6:20 a.m. on 105.9 FM. You can also call RJ Boyle Studio at 954-420-5001 for a fishing report.

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Cuba’s Elier Miranda takes the crown in the Bahamas chess competition – Radio Habana Cuba

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Cuba's Elier Miranda takes the crown in the Bahamas chess competition

Havana, June 13 (JIT) .- Cuba'sElier Miranda finally sat on the throne of the Orjan Lindroth Chess Memorial in Nassau 2024, in the Bahamas, after closing with an accumulated 6.5 points in his nine presentations.

The Villa Clara native, champion of the Island in 2023, said goodbye to the Caribbean competition, dividing honors with the Jamaican Joshua Christie, and his coronation was achieved thanks to the tiebreaker system.

One of the losers was the Canadian Raja Panjwani, who reached the last round sharing the top and could not go beyond a draw with his compatriot Mike Ivanov in their final duel.

The formula to undo equalities also determined that the American Enrico Sevillano completed the podium, after reaching 6.5 stripes with the victory over his countryman Tyrell Harriott.

Miranda began the competition with a discreet performance, marked by parity in crosses with lower-ranking rivals. In the second half of the calendar he managed to right the course based on successes against high-level players, such as Sevillano himself and fellow American Praveen Balakrishnan. In short, he was left with four hits and five draws.

Omar Almeida from Havana anchored in fourth position, after completing six units. In his farewell he could not go beyond a tie with Alisa Melekhina, another exponent from the United States.

Despite not losing he recorded three wins and six draws the player from the capital returns home with a loss of almost five points in his Elo rating.

The Bahamian tournament had the participation of 20 players from five countries and was part of the Cubans' preparation for the Budapest 2024 Chess Olympiad, which will be held in September.

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The Bahamas’ art and music come alive on Disney Lookout Cay – Theme Park Insider

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June 7, 2024, 8:04 PM For its second private destination in The Bahamas, Disney Cruise Line has added a dash of local flavor.

Disney's first private port, Castaway Cay, offers passengers an idyllic day at the beach. But it could be any beach - Walt Disney Imagineers purposefully designed an experience that reflected a variety of beach settings rather than any one specific place.

For Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point, Disney wants you to know that you are relaxing in The Bahamas. This time, Imagineers have designed the port day to reflect the culture, music, nature, and food of The Bahamas. Today, I visited Disney Lookout Cay as part of a press preview of the island, sailing here from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale aboard the Disney Magic.

Disney Lookout Cay stands on the southern tip of the island of Eleuthera, rather than occupying an entire island as Castaway Cay does. This means that Lookout Cay is sharing its island not just with Bahamian natives and residents, but also other private cruise ports. Carnival Corporation's Princess Cays stands just north of Disney Lookout Cay dock, on the western side of the island.

Most of Lookout Cay stands on the eastern side of this thin island, about half a mile from the end of the Disney Cruise Line dock on the west shore. Since Disney does not do tenders and could not dredge a deep-water port, it instead built a long, half-mile pier for guests to walk on their way to the island.

Once on shore at Mabrika Cove, it's time for a tram ride across the island to the rest of Lookout Cay. There you will find a familiar collection of amenities along the family and adults-only beaches, including abundant beach chairs, free BBQ buffets, and recreation equipment and cabanas for rent. The architecture of Lookout Cay, however, will look very different from Castaway Cay. Disney has studied and partnered with Bahamian artists to create a look for the destination that celebrates Bahamian culture.

Art installations on the island include:

In addition, Dorman Stubbs murals have been replicated and featured on many buildings, and wood carvings on exterior doors are inspired by Andret John's designs. While you can't miss the colorful designs the resort's structures, if you really want to spend some time and attention to the resort's artworks, that might best done inside one of the private cabanas.

The cabanas start at $523 for a family of four, with an additional $56 charge per person, up to a total of 10 people. If you scrounged to save just enough money to step up to a Disney Cruise, that's likely not an option for you, but if you are someone who can afford Disney Cruises regularly, the artfully decorated shaded space, with chilled drinks, towels, lounge chairs and an unmatched view of the beach might be a worthy splurge.

Elsewhere, here's a tip to help you navigate Lookout Cay's design motif. Looking for a restroom? Look for a building with a pointed roof. All the public buildings with points on their roof have restrooms.

Lookout Cay's roofs are worth inspecting for more than just a way to find a place to go, of course. The top of the roofs are inspired by something natural - seashells - while underneath reveals the human-crafted Bahamian art motifs that Disney has curated for this destination.

The star of a day at the beach is, of course, the beach. And Lookout Cay's does not disappoint, with beautiful, soft pink/white sand and aqua blue water - a big step up from Castaway Cay, according to many people I spoke with today.

But Disney has added Bahamian-inspired entertainment to Lookout Cay for those who want a unique experience that they won't find on just any-old stunningly beautiful Bahamian beach. Disney's north star for the design of Lookout Cay has been the holiday festival Junkanoo.

Junkanoo is an African holiday celebration that the Caribbean has made its own, most notably in The Bahamas. (Think, a Caribbean-flavored Carnival, but after Christmas instead of before Lent.) Disney's version is Rush! A Junkanoo Celebration, which comes to life at the Goombay Cultural Center.

If your kids want to get in on the fun instead of just watching it, they can participate in Junkanoo-themed craft and music activities at Goombay Cultural Center. Or head south a few steps down to the Play-Play Pavilion and the Disney Fun in the Sun Beach Bash. Here kids can play limbo, ring toss, and other games with Disney characters while Bahamian-styled arrangements of Disney songs play over the pavilion's speakers.

Check the Disney Cruise Line's Navigator app for showtimes for these and other activities on Lookout Cay. If you missed them, or your want to play, head over to Rush Out Gush Out, a water playground and slide inspired by a Junkanoo shack, the places where Junkanoo performers work together to design and create.

Ultimately, Disney has done well in designing a curated experience that recreates something that has become somewhat difficult for the average cruise tourist to find - a destination that feels authentically Bahamian rather than one that has been overrun with bars, chain restaurants, T-shirt shops, and beach tours that appeal to free-spending Americans. The "real" Bahamas remains very much alive, of course, but it's hard to find and experience it when you are surrounded by thousands of other tourists who just got off your ship. Darn that observer effect.

Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point is the compromise. It's a taste of Bahamian flavor for those who want that, while also enjoying the magic of the Disney bubble on a well-earned vacation.

Previously: An Insider's guide to Disney's new Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point

Next: I try the food on Lookout Cay, then explore its nature trail.

* * * To keep up to date with more theme park news, please sign up for Theme Park Insider's weekly newsletter.

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St. Kitts and Nevis vs Bahamas Prediction and Betting Tips | 11th June 2024 – Sportskeeda

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Saint Kitts and Nevis host the Bahamas at the Warner Park Sporting Complex in Basseterre on Tuesday for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, looking to recover from their heavy loss to Costa Rica on the opening day. Ranked 147th in the world, St. Kitts were dealt a 4-0 defeat by the Ticos last week.

A brace from Oelando Galo, followed by goals from Josimar Alcocer and Andy Rojas, did the damage.

Following the result, Austin Huggins' side were left fourth in Group B without a point and a goal difference of -4. Only the Bahamas are behind them on the table, with the minnows losing their last game by a large margin.

The Baha Boyz were crushed 7-1 by a rampant Trinidad and Tobago at home on Saturday, as their defense was mercilessly cut open by the Soca Boys on a truly disappointing night for the hosts.

It also extended their winless run in all competitions to eight games as Nesley Jean's side continued to go through the motions.

St. Kitts aren't the most formidable opposition and have seen a stop-start run lately, but the Baha Boyz are simply disappointing and one of the 14 weakest teams in the world.

Their last two results are enough to gauge how poor they've been lately, and we're betting on the Sugar Boyz to prevail comfortably.

Prediction: St. Kitts and Nevis 3-0 Bahamas

Tip 1 - Result: St. Kitts and Nevis to win

Tip 2 - Goals over/under 2.5: Over 2.5 goals

Tip 3 - Both teams to score: No

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President of Malawi cancels trip to the Bahamas following Vice President’s plane crash – caribbeannationalweekly.com

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Malawi President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera has canceled his upcoming visit to the Bahamas due to a severe aviation incident involving Vice President Dr. Saulos Klaus Chilima.

The plane, which was also carrying nine other individuals, crash-landed in the Chikangawa forest this Monday, prompting immediate national concern.

President Chakwera was slated to participate in the 31st African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) annual meeting and the Afri-Caribbean Trade and Investment Forum in Nassau from June 12-14.

This event is expected to host over a thousand delegates, including leaders and officials from both Africa and the Caribbean, along with prominent figures from various sectors such as banking and academia.

The forum marks a historic occasion as it is the first Afreximbank annual meeting to be held in the Caribbean.

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The Malawi Foreign Ministry highlighted the significance of President Chakweras participation, which was to be underpinned by the sponsorship of Afreximbank.

The visit was seen as a crucial opportunity for Malawi to secure additional support and to establish further partnerships aligning with the nations Agriculture, Tourism, and Mining (ATM) Strategy and its new initiatives on special economic zones and industrial parks.

In addition to his commitments in the Bahamas, President Chakwera was also expected to travel to Brgenstock, Switzerland, to attend the Global Peace Summit on June 15-16.

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However, these plans have been put on hold in light of the recent tragic events.

The Malawi government disclosed that the Vice President and the accompanying individuals were aboard a Malawi Defence Force aircraft scheduled to land at Mzuzu International Airport.

Following the crash, aviation authorities have been unable to establish contact with the aircraft.

President Chakwera has directed all national and regional agencies to launch an immediate search and rescue operation to locate the missing aircraft and its occupants, underscoring the urgency of the situation.

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US Coast Guard repatriates over 300 Caribbean migrants from Bahamas and Haiti – caribbeannationalweekly.com

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U.S. Coast Guard crews returned a total of 305 migrants to the Bahamas and Haiti on Sunday and Monday following several at-sea interceptions of illegal migration attempts.

As part of Operation Vigilant Sentry, which is aimed at preventing and responding to illegal maritime migration in the Caribbean,the Coast Guard intercepted one group near Anguilla Cay in the Bahamas and two others near Cap-Hatien and le de la Tortue in Haiti, according to the USCG.

On Sunday, the USCG transferred 109 Haitians to the Royal Bahamas Defense Force after aircrews alerted Coast Guard Sector Key West about an attempted illegal migration near Anguilla Cay.

On Monday, 196 Haitian migrants were repatriated to Haiti after two interceptions at sea.

Irregular maritime migration is unlawful and extremely dangerous, said Lt. Nick Fujimoto, Coast Guard District Seven enforcement officer.

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The Coast Guard urges any potential migrants considering the journey: dont take to the sea and risk your life just to be sent back. Use the safe, orderly and lawful pathways available like the CHNV [Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans] process.

Once aboard a Coast Guard cutter, migrants are processed to determine their identity and are provided food, water, shelter, and basic medical attention before repatriation to their country of origin or return to the country from which they departed.

The major operation last week came on the heels of President Joe Bidens controversial that bars asylum for migrants who illegally enter the U.S. by land or sea.

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On June 5, President Biden revealed plans to impose significant restrictions on migrants seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border as the White House aims to mitigate immigration as a political issue before the November elections.

The much-anticipated presidential proclamation would deny asylum to migrants when U.S. officials determine that the southern border is overwhelmed.

The order will take effect when the number of border encounters between ports of entry reaches 2,500 per day, according to senior administration officials. This means Bidens order should be implemented immediately, as current daily averages exceed this threshold. Average daily arrests for illegal crossings from Mexico last fell below 2,500 in January 2021, the month Biden took office. The last time encounters dipped to 1,500 a day was in July 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The restrictions will remain in place until the daily encounter numbers are at or below 1,500 per day for a seven-day average.

The department projects that arrests for illegal crossings may rise to a daily average of up to 6,700 from July through September.

Once this order is in effect, migrants who arrive at the border but do not express fear of returning to their home countries will be subject to immediate removal from the United States, within a matter of days or even hours. Those migrants could face punishments that could include a five-year bar from reentering the U.S. or even criminal prosecution.

Meanwhile, anyone who expresses that fear or an intention to seek asylum will be screened by a U.S. asylum officer but at a higher standard than currently used.

Read more: Immigration advocates slam new US rule targeting Caribbean asylum seekers

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Bahamas vs Trinidad and Tobago Prediction and Betting Tips | 8th June 2024 – Sportskeeda

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Bahamas and Trinidad and Tobago lock horns at the SKNFA Technical Centre on Saturday in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. The sides have been drawn alongside Grenada, Costa Rica and Saint Kitts and Nevis in Group B for the second round.

Ranked 200th in the world, Bahamas are one of weakest sides and have never qualified for any major tournament before. Last year, the Baha Boyz even got relegated from League B of the CONCACAF Nations League after failing to win any of their five games.

Since their 6-1 drubbing at the hands of Puerto Rico last November, the Bahamas haven't played even once, and hence don't have enough practice to put up a stern challenge here.

On the other hand, Trinidad and Tobago reached the quarter-finals of the CONCACAF Nation's League in 2023, but have since been a mixed bag. In six games this year, the Soca Warriors have won, drawn and lost twice each.

During this run, Angus Eve's side also lost 2-0 to Canada in the 2024 Copa America qualifying play-offs, missing a chance to reach their first major tournament since the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Now in the qualifiers for the 2026 edition, Trinidad played out a 2-2 draw with Grenada, fighting back from a two-goal deficit, in their last game.

Bahamas are one of the weakest sides in the world, and come into the fixture on the back of a long winless run. Trinidad and Tobago aren't the most formidable side, but should be able to beat the Baha Boyz easily here.

Prediction: Bahamas 0-2 Trinidad and Tobago

Tip 1 - Result: Trinidad and Tobago

Tip 2 - Goals over/under 2.5: Under 2.5

Tip 3 - Both teams to score: No

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Two men killed in boating accident in The Bahamas | Loop Caribbean News – Loop News Caribbean

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Police in The Bahamas are investigating a boating accident off Rose Island which left two men dead, and a third person injured.

Around 9:30 am, police were alerted that the bodies of two males were found unresponsive and another male found with head injuries in waters near Rose Island.

Police in an interview with Our News Bahamas said preliminary investigations suggests the three males were onboard a small open hull vessel on route to South Amherst when it is believed they collided with a reef in that area which resulted in them being ejected from the vessel.

A passerby vessel in the area was able to bring the injured man to harbour patrol base, with the injured man being taken to hospital. The other two men were pronounced dead. The identities of the victims are yet to be released.

The incident remains under investigation.

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Meet the AAS Keynote Speakers: Dr. Kerstin Perez – Astrobites

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In this series of posts, we sit down with a few of the keynote speakers of the 244th AAS meeting to learn more about them and their research. You can see a full schedule of their talks here, and read our other interviews here!

We all know that academic careers are usually a winding path and not a simple straight line. No one is a better example of this than Prof. Kerstin Perez, whose career in particle physics and astrophysics took her across multiple different research fields and at least two continents.

She started out as an undergraduate studying physics at Columbia University, and moved to Caltech to complete her doctorate. After she earned her Ph.D, she returned to Columbia as an NSF Fellow. She then accepted a faculty position at Haverford College before moving and joining the faculty at MIT as an assistant professor. Finally, she returned to Columbia University again and currently serves as their Lavine Family Associate Professor of the Natural Sciences in the Department of Physics. Thats already painting an impressive picture, and we havent even started discussing her research.

Prof. Perezs reason for studying astronomy is very simple. Basic scientific research is here to help us answer the big questions and uncover things that we dont yet understand. Einstein wasnt thinking about satellite communications when he described general relativity, but without general relativity, we wouldnt have satellite communications. Its the job of astrophysics to ask these big questions, even if they dont go anywhere. Asking that question [why one studies astronomy] is, in my mind, the same as asking why we paint paintings and why we create art in any way. Its all about how we understand our space in the universe, how we relate to the rest of the world, and how we relate to each other.

Her science focuses on looking for dark matter interactions using cosmic rays in order to better understand or modify the Standard Model. In particular, she focuses on looking at extremely rare particles like antideuterons and hypothetical light particles like axions. In her quest to find these particles, Prof. Perez became a part of, and in some cases the leader of, many large science collaborations in particle physics and astronomy. So, lets take a quick walk through some of her current projects as well as show a quick preview of her upcoming research!

NuStar, or Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, is a NASA X-ray telescope that launched in 2012 and has been revolutionary in furthering the field of X-ray astronomy. However, while the primary intent of the telescope was to study black holes and supernova remnants, Prof. Perez had other uses for it. She originally got involved in the project as a postdoc, where she helped develop the optics for the telescope. What happened in my career was I did [part of] my Ph.D at CERN. I was on the ATLAS experiment when it first turned on, and when I got to the end of my Ph.D, I still loved the fundamental particle physics questions, but I wanted to be part of building something new. That led me to the GAPS group at Columbia University since it was very similar physics. When I came here, I was in the same group that built the NuStar optics right when NuStar was launching.

Now that its operational, she uses it to study potential X-ray probes of dark matter. After I learned all the astrophysics and how all the instruments worked, I turned back to what we can do with particle physics using this same instrumentation? What kind of dark matter processes would give me X-rays? Thats where I pivoted with NuStar and did a lot of work with light dark matter candidates like sterile neutrinos and axions, as well as how we can probe them with astrophysics.

The General AntiParticle Spectrometer, or GAPS for short, is another mission in which Prof. Perez plays a large part. The goal of GAPS is to launch at least three balloon flights, lasting roughly 30 days each, in Antarctica to measure low-energy antideuterons, among other cosmic rays. Originally, when I came into GAPS, I was developing the recipes for the semiconducting silicon detectors at the heart of the instrument.

Recently, Prof. Perez took on the role of a project manager. Im now deputy PI (Principle Investigator) which means Ill take over as primary investigator after flight one, and Im also project manager of the whole project. This means Im the one making sure all our trucks are getting from point A to point B and every moving part is on schedule and getting on the boats to Antarctica. Assuming it goes well, we will do our first flight at the end of this year. With these balloons, we want to fly again and again and again for the next five to ten years. I always say that every balloon mission wants to grow up to be a satellite, so assuming all goes well with those flights, we have a good idea what this would look like if we put it in space.

Prof. Perez is also a part of two planned missions in the future. The first is HEX-P (High Energy X-ray Probe), a proposed NASA X-ray probe, and the second is IAXO (International Axion Observatory), an upcoming axion helioscope whose goal is to observe the Sun with incredibly powerful magnets in order to hopefully detect axions.

Lastly, she had some advice for all early career astronomers, including undergrads and grad students. My number one advice for undergrads is to find your people! People who support you and make you laugh. Without that, I dont think anyone makes it very far in this field. My other answer is to get some sleep!

To hear more about Dark Matter, tune into Kerstin Perezs Plenary Lecture at 11:40 AM CT on Thursday June 13th at #AAS244!

Edited by: Archana Aravindan

Featured Image Credit: AAS

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Dark Matter Decoded: How Neutron Stars May Solve the Universe’s Biggest Mystery – SciTechDaily

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A recent study from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Dark Matter Particle Physics suggests that neutron stars could play a crucial role in understanding dark matter. The study found that dark matter particles, when colliding within neutron stars, can quickly heat these stars, potentially making them observable through future astronomical technologies. This rapid heating process, previously thought to take longer than the universes age, now appears achievable within days, providing a new method to study dark matters interactions with regular matter.

Scientists may be one step closer to unraveling one of the universes greatest mysteries. Their recent calculations suggest that neutron stars could play a crucial role in shedding light on the mysterious dark matter.

In a paper published in The Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, physicists from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Dark Matter Particle Physics, led by the University of Melbourne, calculated that energy transferred when dark matter particles collide and annihilate inside cold dead neutron stars can heat the stars up very quickly.

It was previously thought that this energy transfer could take a very long time, in some cases, longer than the age of the universe itself, rendering this heating irrelevant.

Professor Nicole Bell of the University of Melbourne said the new calculations show for the first time that most of the energy would be deposited in just a few days.

The search for dark matter is one of the greatest detective stories in science. Dark matter makes up 85 percent of the matter in our universe, yet we cant see it. Dark matter doesnt interact with light it doesnt absorb light, it doesnt reflect light, it doesnt emit light. This means our telescopes cant directly observe it, even though we know it exists. Instead, its gravitational pull on objects we can see tells us it must be there.

It is one thing to theoretically predict dark matter, but it is another thing to experimentally observe it. Experiments on Earth are limited by the technical challenges of making sufficiently large detectors. However, neutron stars act as huge natural dark matter detectors, which have been collecting dark matter for astronomically long timescales, so they are a good place for us to concentrate our efforts, Professor Bell said.

Neutron stars are formed when a supermassive star runs out of fuel and collapses. They have a mass similar to that of our Sun, squeezed into a ball just 20km wide. Any denser, they would become black holes.

While dark matter is the dominant type of matter in the Universe, it is very hard to detect because its interactions with ordinary matter are very weak. So weak, in fact, that dark matter can pass straight through the Earth, or even through the Sun.

But neutron stars are different they are so dense that dark matter particles are much more likely to interact with the star. If dark matter particles do collide with neutrons in the star, they will lose energy and become trapped. Over time, this would lead to an accumulation of dark matter in the star, Professor Bell said.

University of Melbourne PhD candidate Michael Virgato said this is expected to heat up old, cold, neutron stars to a level that may be in reach of future observations, or even trigger the collapse of the star to a black hole.

If the energy transfer happens quickly enough, the neutron star would be heated up. For this to happen, the dark matter must undergo many collisions in the star, transferring more and more of the dark matters energy until, eventually, all the energy has been deposited in the star, Mr. Virgato said.

Its previously been unknown how long this process would take because, as the energy of the dark matter particles becomes smaller and smaller, they are less and less likely to interact again. As a result, transferring all the energy was thought to take a very long time sometimes longer than the age of the universe. Instead, the researchers calculated that 99% of the energy is transferred in just a few days.

This is good news because it means that dark matter can heat neutron stars to a level that can potentially be detected. As a result, the observation of a cold neutron star would provide vital information about the interactions between dark and regular matter, shedding light on the nature of this elusive substance.

If we are to understand dark matter which is everywhere it is critical that we use every technique at our disposal to figure out what the hidden matter of our universe actually is, Mr. Virgato said.

Reference: Thermalization and annihilation of dark matter in neutron stars by Nicole F. Bell, Giorgio Busoni, Sandra Robles and Michael Virgato, 3 April 2024, Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics. DOI: 10.1088/1475-7516/2024/04/006

This research was conducted by a team of international experts at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Dark Matter Particle Physics, including Professor Nicole Bell and Michael Virgato from the University of Melbourne, Dr. Giorgio Busoni from the Australian National University and Dr. Sandra Robles from Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, USA.

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