James Cook University

MONDAY, Jan. 29, 2024 -- Imagine being subjected to domestic violence in your home, wanting to escape -- but there's no place you can go that will accept a beloved pet. That's the gut-wrenching situation facing too many victims of domestic abuse, according to a new data review spanning 27 years. “In a lot of cases of domestic violence, there is evidence to suggest that people will delay leaving their relationship to protect their pet,” said study lead author Jasmine Montgomery , a PhD student at James Cook University in Townsland, Australia. “This is often because there’s a lack of shelters or housing places which can accommodate pets, or a lack of trust... that they won’t be separated from their pet," she said in a university news release. “In those cases where threats to pets are made, victims can be lured back by the perpetrator, which places significant risk to their safety as well," Montgomery noted. “Sadly, the review also confirmed that a common outcome for pets in cases of domestic violence was maltreatment and/or death.” The Australian authors noted that similar scenarios exist for people fleeing natural disasters or those who become homeless. The new data review looked at information from 42 studies on the human-animal bond in the context of personal crises. “Our results reveal the strong emotional attachment between people and animals may result in vulnerability for both in circumstances where this bond is threatened,” Montgomery said. “When people are being forced to separate in the context of a crisis situation, such as natural disaster, homelessness or domestic violence, it can result in psychological distress and the risk to their health, and well-being and safety are really impacted." In many cases, people put themselves and their pets in peril when concerns over what to do with an animal cause them to delay fleeing their home -- even when natural disasters are imminent. Too often, the welfare of animals is deemed a secondary consideration for local authorities, compared to human well-being, the researchers found. There are also "disparities" when it comes to who (if anyone) is thought to be responsible for a pet's welfare, the team said. “Often, it’s expected people will choose human interests over animals at all costs, without consideration of the shared human-animal bond,” Montgomery said. “What we need to start doing is taking our pets, and the value of our pets, very seriously," she said. "And, as a collective in the community, sharing that responsibility and placing the needs of pets in those areas of policy development, legislation, service provision and housing to help prevent unacceptable outcomes such as animal maltreatment or death.” Some of the researchers' recommendations: Including questions about pets when people seek to access shelters or other domestic violence services, and allowing such housing to include victims, their children and their pets Increasing collaboration between domestic violence shelters and nearby facilities that can help arrange care for animals Upgrading natural disaster evacuation plans so that pets are included in transport and shelter planning When homelessness strikes, ensuring that accommodations are pet-friendly The study was published Jan. 29 in the journal Anthrozoös . Sources Taylor & Francis Group, news release, Jan. 29, 2024 Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions. Posted January 2024 More news resources FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts Daily MedNews News for Health Professionals New Drug Approvals New Drug Applications Drug Shortages Clinical Trial Results Generic Drug Approvals Subscribe to our newsletter Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.

Researchers have developed a molecular-sized, more efficient version of a widely used electronic sensor, in a breakthrough that could bring widespread benefits. Australian researchers have developed a molecular-sized, more efficient version of a widely used electronic sensor, in a breakthrough that could bring widespread benefits. Piezoresistors are commonly used to detect vibrations in electronics and automobiles, such as in smart phones for counting steps, and for airbag deployment in cars. They are also used in medical devices such as implantable pressure sensors, as well as in aviation and space travel. In a nationwide initiative, researchers led by Dr Nadim Darwish from Curtin University, Professor Jeffrey Reimers from the University of Technology Sydney, Associate Professor Daniel Kosov from James Cook University, and Dr Thomas Fallon from the University of Newcastle, have developed a piezoresistor that is about 500,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair. Dr Darwish said they had developed a more sensitive, miniaturised type of this key electronic component, which transforms force or pressure to an electrical signal and is used in many everyday applications. "Because of its size and chemical nature, this new type of piezoresistor will open up a whole new realm of opportunities for chemical and biosensors, human-machine interfaces, and health monitoring devices," Dr Darwish said. "As they are molecular-based, our new sensors can be used to detect other chemicals or biomolecules like proteins and enzymes, which could be game-changing for detecting diseases." Dr Fallon said the new piezoresistor was made from a single bullvalene molecule that when mechanically strained reacts to form a new molecule of different shape, altering electricity flow by changing resistance. "The different chemical forms are known as isomers, and this is the first time that reactions between them have been used to develop piezoresistors," Dr Fallon said. "We have been able to model the complex series of reactions that take place, understanding how single molecules can react and transform in real time." Professor Reimers said the significance of this was the ability to electrically detect the change in the shape of a reacting molecule, back and forth, at about once every 1 millisecond. "Detecting molecular shapes from their electrical conductance is a whole new concept of chemical sensing," Professor Reimers said. Associate Professor Kosov said understanding the relationship between molecular shape and conductivity will allow basic properties of junctions between molecules and attached metallic conductors to be determined. "This new capability is critical to the future development of all molecular electronics devices," Associate Professor Kosov said.

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Nov. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- EBR Systems, Inc. (ASX: "EBR", "EBR Systems", or the "Company"), developer of the world's only wireless cardiac pacing system for heart failure, is pleased to announce that the Company's WiSE® technology will be featured at the 15th Asia Pacific Heart Rhythm Society (APHRS) Scientific Session in Singapore from the 18th to the 20th of November. The APHRS is a leading non-profit organisation that represents medical, allied health, and science professionals specialising in cardiac rhythm disorders in the Asia-Pacific region. The annual conference is a premier event featuring industry workshops and a core scientific programme delivered by international and regional speakers. Five abstracts featuring WiSE® have been accepted for presentations, highlighting the technology's position at the forefront of innovation in the cardiac rhythm management landscape. Abstracts featuring WiSE® at the APHRS scientific session include the following: Does Cardiac Resynchronisation Using WiSE® - CRT Leadless Pacing Result in Greater QRS Shortening Than Conventional Resynchronisation? - Dr Simon James (James Cook University Hospital, UK) Feasibility of Totally Leadless CRT with Leadless Pacemaker and Leadless LV Endocardial Pacing System - Prof Pascal Defaye (Grenoble Alpes University Hospital, France) Leadless Left Bundle Branch Area Pacing: A Feasibility Study - Dr Mark Elliott (St Thomas' Hospital, UK) The Effect of Electrode Location on Battery Longevity During Leadless LV Endocardial Pacing - Dr Mark Elliott (St Thomas' Hospital, UK) The First Totally Leadless CRT System in the US - Dr Dinesh Sharma (NCH Heart Institute, USA) John McCutcheon, EBR Systems' President & Chief Executive Officer said: "We are excited to see our WiSE® System continue to feature in leading conferences around the world. The abstracts presented at this scientific session strengthen the body of data supporting WiSE® while promoting our technology to a wide audience including industry partners and the broader scientific community." About EBR Systems (ASX: EBR) Silicon Valley-based EBR Systems (ASX: EBR) is dedicated to superior treatment of cardiac rhythm disease by providing more physiologically effective stimulation through wireless cardiac pacing. The patented proprietary Wireless Stimulation Endocardially (WiSE) technology was developed to eliminate the need for cardiac pacing leads, historically the major source of complications and reliability issues in cardiac rhythm disease management. The initial product is designed to eliminate the need for coronary sinus leads to stimulate the left ventricle in heart failure patients requiring Cardiac Resynchronisation Therapy (CRT). Future products potentially address wireless endocardial stimulation for bradycardia and other non-cardiac indications. EBR Systems' WiSE® Technology EBR Systems' WiSE technology is the world's only wireless, endocardial (inside the heart) pacing system in clinical use for stimulating the heart's left ventricle. This has long been a goal of cardiac pacing companies since internal stimulation of the left ventricle is thought to be a potentially superior, more anatomically correct pacing location. WiSE technology enables cardiac pacing of the left ventricle with a novel cardiac implant that is roughly the size of a large grain of rice. The need for a pacing wire on the outside of the heart's left ventricle – and the attendant problems – are potentially eliminated. WiSE is an investigational device and is not currently available for sale in the US. SOURCE EBR Systems