Scientists have developed a device that can translate thoughts about speech into spoken words in real time.

Although it’s still experimental, they hope the brain-computer interface could someday help give voice to those unable to speak.

A new study described testing the device on a 47-year-old woman with quadriplegia who couldn’t speak for 18 years after a stroke. Doctors implanted it in her brain during surgery as part of a clinical trial.

It “converts her intent to speak into fluent sentences,” said Gopala Anumanchipalli, a co-author of the study published Monday in the journal Nature Neuroscience.

Other brain-computer interfaces, or BCIs, for speech typically have a slight delay between thoughts of sentences and computerized verbalization. Such delays can disrupt the natural flow of conversation, potentially leading to miscommunication and frustration, researchers said.

This is “a pretty big advance in our field,” said Jonathan Brumberg of the Speech and Applied Neuroscience Lab at the University of Kansas, who was not part of the study.

A team in California recorded the woman’s brain activity using electrodes while she spoke sentences silently in her brain. The scientists used a synthesizer they built using her voice before her injury to create a speech sound that she would have spoken. They trained an AI model that translates neural activity into units of sound.

It works similarly to existing systems used to transcribe meetings or phone calls in real time, said Anumanchipalli, of the University of California, Berkeley.

The implant itself sits on the speech center of the brain so that it’s listening in, and those signals are translated to pieces of speech that make up sentences. It’s a “streaming approach,” Anumanchipalli said, with each 80-millisecond chunk of speech – about half a syllable – sent into a recorder.

“It’s not waiting for a sentence to finish,” Anumanchipalli said. “It’s processing it on the fly.”

Decoding speech that quickly has the potential to keep up with the fast pace of natural speech, said Brumberg. The use of voice samples, he added, “would be a significant advance in the naturalness of speech.”

Though the work was partially funded by the National Institutes of Health, Anumanchipalli said it wasn’t affected by recent NIH research cuts. More research is needed before the technology is ready for wide use, but with “sustained investments,” it could be available to patients within a decade, he said.

SOURCE: AP

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Egypt has been certified malaria-free by the World Health Organization (WHO) – an achievement hailed by the UN public health agency as “truly historic”.

“Malaria is as old as Egyptian civilization itself, but the disease that plagued pharaohs now belongs to its history,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Egyptian authorities launched their first efforts to stamp out the deadly mosquito-borne infectious disease nearly 100 years ago.

Certification is granted when a country proves that the transmission chain is interrupted for at least the previous three consecutive years. Malaria kills at least 600,000 people every year, nearly all of them in Africa.

In a statement on Sunday, the WHO praised “the Egyptian government and people” for their efforts to “end a disease that has been present in the country since ancient times”.

It said Egypt was the third country to be certified in the WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Region, following the United Arab Emirates and Morocco.

Globally, 44 countries and one territory have reached this milestone.

But the WHO said the certification was only “the beginning of a new phase”, urging Egypt to be on the alert to preserve its malaria-free status.

To get the WHO certification, a country must demonstrate the capacity to prevent the re-establishment of transmission.

The UN public health agency said first efforts to limit human-mosquito contact in Egypt began in the 1920s when it banned rice cultivation and agricultural crops near homes.

Malaria is caused by a complex parasite which is spread by mosquito bites.

Vaccines are now being used in some places – but monitoring the disease and avoiding mosquito bites are the most effective ways to prevent malaria.

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The World Health Organization’s emergency committee will meet next Wednesday to decide whether to trigger its highest alert level over an Mpox outbreak sweeping through several African countries.

The WHO said in a note to journalists that the closed virtual meeting will start at 1000 GMT Wednesday.

“The committee will provide me with its views on whether the outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern,” WHO head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote on X.

If that turns out to be the case they will advise on “how to better prevent and reduce the spread of the disease”, he added.

Formerly known as monkeypox, mpox is an infectious disease caused by a virus transmitted to humans by infected animals but can also be passed from human to human through close physical contact.

The disease causes fever, muscle aches and large boil-like skin lesions.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is the country currently most affected by the latest outbreak, with 14,479 confirmed and suspected cases by August 3 and 455 deaths, according to the African Union’s health agency.

SOURCE: AFP

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Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and American veteran Paul Whelan were among those released from Russia on Thursday in a large prisoner swap.

A third U.S. citizen, Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, was also released.

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A plane carrying the freed Americans landed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland late Thursday night, where they were greeted by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

The newly released prisoners were then flown to San Antonio, Texas, for evaluation and rehabilitation at Brooke Army Medical Center, a premier military medical facility, according to reports.

Although the prisoners are safely back on U.S. soil and have been reunited with their families, they may experience mental health challenges stemming from the trauma of detainment, said experts.

"Besides the obvious threats to one’s safety and the horrifying prospect of confinement, a situation like this is fraught with uncertainty," Dr. Norman Blumenthal, director of the Ohel Zachter Family National Trauma Center in New York, told Fox News Digital. 

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"Ambiguity in and of itself induces stress — and that, coupled with their very predicament, can create a marked escalation of trauma." (None of the experts cited here have treated the released Americans.)

Dr. Karen DeCocker, a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner director at Stella Centers in Chicago, noted that being held captive can lead to several types of trauma. 

"This varies from person to person based on prior history and the experiences encountered during captivity," she told Fox News Digital.

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While each person reacts differently to trauma, Blumenthal predicted that the freed prisoners would likely experience an "initial thrill and exhilaration" from their liberation. 

"The celebrations and enthusiastic reunions with loved ones can temporarily overshadow the trauma," he noted. 

"As life returns to normal and routines set in, that is often when the frightening flashbacks and intrusive recollections can become disruptive and destabilizing."

Dr. Marc Siegel, senior medical analyst for Fox News and clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center, said it is likely the prisoners experienced physical and mental abuse, sleep deprivation, dehydration, malnutrition and possibly infections.

Jonathan Alpert, a psychotherapist and author based in New York City, said that Gershkovich, Whelan and Kurmasheva, along with the other released prisoners, may suffer from both acute stress disorder (ASD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 

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ASD is a short-term mental health condition that typically occurs within a month after a traumatic experience, according to Cleveland Clinic’s website.

"Acute stress disorder may include flashbacks, nightmares, intense fear and high anxiety," Alpert told Fox News Digital.  

It can also include feelings of numbness or detachment.

PTSD occurs when such symptoms persist for a month or longer, and the anxiety becomes chronic, according to Alpert.

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PTSD may include many of the same symptoms as ASD, and can impair the person’s ability to function in daily activities.

The freed prisoners may also experience depression, anger and difficulty trusting others, said Alpert.   

"I've also seen people have trouble focusing and making decisions in light of a trauma," he added.

It could also be challenging for the former prisoners to reintegrate into their normal environments and social groups, Alpert said.

Symptoms of trauma are "not universal," Siegel told Fox News Digital.

"There are differences, and not everyone experiences PTSD," he said. 

"Common symptoms include flashbacks, nightmares, depersonalization and derealization, anxiety and depression."

DeCocker noted that symptoms can be both mental and physical — including the following five points.

"Individuals may experience dissociation, where they feel disconnected from their thoughts, feelings or sense of identity," DeCocker told Fox News Digital. 

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"This can manifest as feeling detached from oneself (depersonalization) or from the world around them (derealization)."

Some trauma survivors may feel a sense of guilt for having survived a traumatic experience when others did not, or for putting themselves or others in situations that led to captivity, DeCocker said. 

They may also feel guilty about the stress and anxiety that family members and loved ones experienced during their imprisonment. 

"Issues with trust, intimacy and personal relationships often occur with survivors and their families," DeCocker told Fox News Digital. 

"The impact of their captivity often comes from their inability to relate the experience to others."

Trauma survivors may experience feelings of shame, worthlessness or confusion about their identity, according to DeCocker. 

"In this case, where there was an exchange of prisoners, there may be added complexity," she said.

It's not uncommon for trauma survivors to have negative beliefs about themselves or the world, according to DeCocker. 

"Generalizations about the world being unsafe or out of their control can occur," she said. "Threats are often seen in everyday experiences."

Potential physical symptoms could include chronic pain, such as headaches or muscle pain, in addition to persistent fatigue and lack of energy, according to Nikki Bishop, a licensed clinical psychologist and clinical director at SunCloud Health in Chicago.

"A person may also experience gastrointestinal issues such as stomach pain, nausea and changes in appetite," she told Fox News Digital. 

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"Additionally, cardiovascular risks could occur, such as increased blood pressure, heart palpitations and increased risk of heart disease."

To cope with painful feelings, people can sometimes turn to substance use, process addictions, eating disorders and even food addiction as a means of trying to numb the pain, Bishop added.

Given the high-profile release, Gershkovich and Whelan will likely receive a large amount of media attention, Alpert noted — "but it’s important that they have the space and privacy they need to process this on their own timeline."

DeCocker agreed, stressing the importance of taking extensive time to heal and recover. 

"There is no rush to reintegrate," she told Fox News Digital. "Time is best devoted toward rest and restoring a sense of balance and normalcy."

Embracing daily routines and structure can help with that, DeCocker said.

The freed prisoners may also want to avoid spending too much time on social media and the news in the early days to avoid retriggering discussions and events, she advised.

One "tried-and-true method" of coping is to retell the events to supportive people who act as listeners, not solvers, according to Blumenthal. 

"Putting the experience into words can help with healing and adjusting to the more mundane aspects of life and routine," he said.

If symptoms are interfering with day-to-day functioning, Alpert recommends seeking professional help.

"In the case of a severe trauma, such as being held prisoner and wrongly convicted, symptoms may not surface right away," he pointed out. 

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"It can be helpful to get ahead of it and speak to a specialist." 

All forms of professional help are useful, DeCocker noted. Those include talk therapy, psychiatric support, interventional treatment modalities specific to treating trauma, and physical treatments and therapies to heal the body.

Other treatments may include cognitive behavioral therapy, relaxation techniques, and medications such as beta blockers, antidepressants and potentially psychedelics, according to Siegel.

Support from loving family members and friends is also key, the doctor added.

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Most people do have an "inherent resilience and capacity to hope," Blumental said.

"These and other freed hostages may, on their own, mobilize and harness strength and heroic reformulations of their recent incarceration to go on and resume normal functioning."

Scott McDonald of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.

Houston-Sydney-Massachusetts – Extreme heat can increase the danger of heat-related illnesses and, more subtly, threaten health by amplifying the side effects of many common medications.

Heat can also damage medications such as insulin, which requires refrigeration. Inhalers can explode. Epinephrine injectors, such as EpiPens, can malfunction. Medications that are shipped through the mail can deteriorate.

A look at common problems and solutions related to heat and medicine:

What medications could cause problems with heat?

Blood pressure pills that reduce fluid in the blood can cause dehydration. Beta-blockers for heart conditions can reduce blood flow to the skin and make you less aware of dangerous heat.

Some antidepressants can make it harder to stay calm. Aspirin and other over-the-counter pain relievers reduce fluid and sodium levels, making it difficult to manage high temperatures.

In addition, the combination of heat and medication side effects can lead to dizziness and falls. Alcohol increases the danger, said pharmacist Bradley Phillips of the University of Florida College of Pharmacy.

Learn more about your medications’ side effects and storage requirements at the National Library of Medicine’s MedlinePlus website.

Phillips said you can also check with your doctor or pharmacist. Ask how much water you should drink if you take medications that increase dehydration.

He recommends staying hydrated and “not relying on your body’s ability to tell you that you’re thirsty.”

Some medications (antibiotics, antifungals, and acne) can increase sun sensitivity, leading to rashes and burns. If you’re taking them, stay under an umbrella or wear sun-protective clothes and sunscreen, said Dr. Mike Ren, a family physician at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

“You may be on antibiotics, not think too much of it, go to the beach and then come back with a huge sunburn,” Ren said.

How should travel medications be stored?

Generally, medications should be kept in a cool, dry place unless they need refrigeration, which can be tricky when traveling.

Before a summer road trip, check labels for storage requirements for your medications. Carry medications in a cooler when traveling by car, even if they do not require refrigeration. The trunk or glove compartment of the car may become too hot to store them, even at room temperature.

Traveling by plane? It is always best to carry medications in carry-on luggage if checked luggage is delayed or lost, and it may be too cold in the cargo hold.

What about mailed prescriptions?

Mail-order pharmacies are responsible for keeping medications at safe temperatures during storage and transport. The best practice is to ship sensitive medications in special containers with ice packs and temperature monitors.

But that doesn’t always happen. Or delivery can come at a bad time, said Ren, who recently helped his vacationing mother by bringing her shipment of supplements to her Houston home as the region faced sweltering heat.

“If you know you’re going to be at work all day or if you’re on vacation and you’re having medications delivered to your home, you definitely don’t want them outside in the scorching 38-degree sun,” Ren said. If you think the heat has damaged your mail-order medication, call the pharmacy to report the problem.

Is more research needed?

Yes. Researchers in the U.S. and Australia say some of the usual warnings about heat and medications don’t have much scientific evidence to back them up. Ollie Jay of the University of Sydney found support for only four of the 11 categories of medications that the World Health Organization lists as of concern in relation to intense heat.

He suggests changing behaviors, not medications, such as not exposing oneself to heat. “You have to be a little more cautious,” he said.

Dr. Renee Salas, an emergency physician at Massachusetts General Hospital, said that as climate change accelerates, there is a need to know which medications are the most risky in the heat.

“We don’t have that answer yet, and it’s one we need to figure out quickly. Some medications (antibiotics, antifungal and acne medications) can increase sensitivity to the sun, leading to rashes and burns.ente,” Salas said.

Santo Domingo. – Martinique, Guadeloupe, and Puerto Rico are among the Caribbean territories with the highest life expectancy, between 80 and 83 years, while other countries in the region, such as the Dominican Republic, Bahamas, or Dominica, have ranges that do not exceed 75 years.

The information is contained in the ranking “Life Expectancy by Country,” developed by World Population Review with data from the United Nations (UN), corresponding to 2023.
The platform details that the last places are Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis (72 years), and Haiti, with a life expectancy of 65 years.

The Dominican population would grow until 2060

According to current projections, World Population Review notes that “the population of the Dominican Republic is expected to grow until approximately 2060 when it will reach its peak population of 12.89 million.”
“After reaching its peak population, the Dominican Republic will experience a demographic decline that will leave the population at 11.01 million people,” the organization states.

It adds, “The fertility rate in the Dominican Republic is currently 2.36 births per woman, which has declined year after year since the 1950s. This decline in the fertility rate, in combination with negative net migration, has considerably slowed the population growth rate.”

It further highlights that “from 2019 to 2020, the population growth rate was 1.01%, which added about 109,000 people to the population. This overall decline in the population growth rate will eventually bring it to zero and then the decline in the country’s population will begin.”

NSO data

Last week, the National Statistics Office (ONE) presented its latest report on the X National Population and Housing Census conducted in 2022, stating that the Dominican population growth rate has declined to 1.11% since the beginning of the last century.

In a statement on Wednesday, the UN health agency said it approved the dengue vaccine made by the Japanese pharmaceutical Takeda, recommending its use in children between six to 16 years old living in regions with high rates of dengue. The two-dose vaccine protects against the four types of dengue.

Takeda’s dengue vaccine, known as Qdenga, was previously given the nod by the European Medicines Agency in 2022.

WHO’s approval now means that donors and other UN agencies can purchase the vaccine for poorer countries.

Studies have shown Takeda’s vaccine is about 84% effective in preventing people from being hospitalised with dengue and about 61% effective in stopping symptoms.

WHO’s Rogerio Gaspar, director for the agency’s approvals of medicines and vaccines, said it was “an important step in the expansion of global access to dengue vaccines.” He noted it was the second immunisation the UN agency had authorised for dengue.

The first vaccine WHO approved was made by Sanofi Pasteur, which was later found to increase the risk of severe dengue in people who had not previously been infected with the disease.

There is no specific treatment for dengue, a leading cause of serious illness and death in roughly 120 Latin American and Asian countries. While about 80% of infections are mild, severe cases of dengue can lead to internal bleeding, organ failure and death.

Last week WHO reported there were 6.7 million suspected cases of dengue in the Americas, an increase of 206% compared with the same period in 2023. In March, authorities in Rio de Janeiro declared a public health emergency over its dengue epidemic and the country began rolling out the Takeda vaccine, aiming to inoculate at least three million people.

Last year WHO said cases of dengue have spiked tenfold over the last generation, with climate change and the increasing range of the mosquitoes that carry dengue partly to blame for the disease’s spread.

SOURCE: AP

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As cholera continues to surge — and as vaccines remain in short supply — experts are warning about the global risk.

Cholera is a bacterial disease typically spread by food and water, leading to severe diarrhea and dehydration. It has been on the rise around the world since 2021.

Each year, there are some 1.3 to 4 million cases of cholera worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Approximately 21,000 to 143,000 deaths occur as a result.

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Around 473,000 cases were reported to WHO in 2022, which was twice as many cases as the prior year.

Reported cases for 2023 are expected to exceed 700,000.

"It is concerning to see an increase in the number of cholera cases worldwide, with the majority of the cases in Asia, Africa and Latin America," Dr. Renuga Vivekanandan, M.D., assistant dean and professor at the Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska, told Fox News Digital.

The countries most affected include the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Zambia and Zimbabwe, according to UNICEF. 

Although cholera cases were prevalent in the U.S. in the 1800s, water treatment systems have largely eliminated the disease, per the CDC.

In rare cases, people in the U.S. have contracted the disease from consuming raw or undercooked shellfish from the Gulf of Mexico, the agency stated on its website.

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"In the U.S., the cases have remained very small and are usually from travel exposure," Vivekanandan noted.

Cholera is typically spread when someone drinks water or eats food that is contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, according to the CDC.

The disease can spread quickly in locations where there is insufficient treatment of drinking water and sewage, the agency warned.

It is not typically transmitted from person to person. 

UNICEF noted in a statement that the rise in cholera is driven by "persistent gaps in access to safe water and sanitation."

"I think the cases might be increasing due to climate change, displacements of homes due to disasters, and not having good sanitary conditions, such as poor water sources," Vivekanandan told Fox News Digital.

Around 10% of the people who are infected with cholera will develop severe symptoms, including watery diarrhea, vomiting and leg cramps, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Advanced symptoms include shock and dehydration. 

Without treatment, the disease can be fatal.

"Dehydration is the biggest concern with cholera, and rehydration is the most important component of treatment," said Vivekanandan.

"Most patients with cholera will have mild diarrhea, but 10% will have severe diarrhea and will need rehydration and treatment with antibiotics."

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Some groups are more susceptible to the disease, according to the CDC.

"Individuals with achlorhydria (the absence of hydrochloric acid in digestive stomach juices), blood type O, chronic medical conditions, and those without ready access to rehydration therapy and medical services are more likely to have severe disease from cholera and suffer poor outcomes," the agency noted.

The most effective treatment for cholera is "immediate replacement of the fluid and salts lost through diarrhea," the CDC stated.

This is achieved by giving patients a mixture of sugar and salts mixed with 1 liter of water. 

In some severe cases, the patient may require intravenous (IV) fluids.

Some patients also receive antibiotics to make symptoms less severe.

"Persons who develop severe diarrhea and vomiting in countries where cholera occurs should seek medical attention promptly," per the CDC.

There is a single-dose vaccine for cholera, called Vaxchora (lyophilized CVD 103-HgR).

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Those who are between the ages of 2 and 64 and who are traveling to "an area of active cholera transmission" are eligible to receive it.

There are three other cholera vaccines, but they are not available in the U.S.

There is a "severe gap" in the number of available vaccine doses compared to the level of current need, said UNICEF on its website.

"Between 2021 and 2023, more doses were requested for outbreak response than the entire previous decade," UNICEF noted.

While cholera vaccines used to be administered in two doses, the International Coordinating Group (ICG) changed the recommendation to a single dose in Oct. 2022 due to the ongoing shortage.

Vivekanandan called the vaccine shortage "very concerning."

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"This is a serious infection, and we must invest financial and other resources to reduce the worldwide burden," he told Fox News Digital.

"International resources need to be committed, and partnerships with pharmaceutical companies need to happen to help produce more vaccines."

Vivekanandan also urged people who are traveling from the U.S. to other countries to review the CDC’s travel guidance and get any required vaccines.

"I would also recommend that people follow good travel medicine guidance, such as drinking bottled water, eating well-cooked food and making sure to have good hand hygiene," he added.

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"As the WHO has stated, we need to have multi-pronged approaches, with a combination of surveillance, water, sanitation and hygiene, social mobilization, treatment, and oral cholera vaccines available for communities at high risk."

On the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website, Vaxchora is listed as a "resolved shortage."

The FDA noted that Emergent Travel Health, manufacturer of the vaccine, announced in May 2021 the temporary discontinuation and distribution of Vaxchora, "due to a significant reduction of international travel caused by the COVID-19 pandemic."

The shortage is listed as having been resolved in May 2023.

Fox News Digital reached out to WHO, the FDA and Emergent requesting comment.

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health. 

Dr Jeremy Farrar, Chief Scientist at the World Health Organization (WHO), said that the avian influenza virus – which is also known as H5N1 – has had an “extremely high” mortality rate among the several hundred people known to have been infected with it to date.

To date, no human-to-human H5N1 transmission has been recorded.

“H5N1 is (an) influenza infection, predominantly started in poultry and ducks and has spread effectively over the course of the last one or two years to become a global zoonotic – animal – pandemic,” he said. 

“The great concern, of course, is that in doing so and infecting ducks and chickens – but now increasingly mammals – that that virus now evolves and develops the ability to infect humans. And then critically, the ability to go from human-to-human transmission.”

Cattle mystery

Commenting on an ongoing outbreak of H5N1 virus among dairy cows in the United States, the WHO senior official urged further close monitoring and investigation by public health authorities, “because it may evolve into transmitting in different ways”.

He added: “Do the milking structures of cows create aerosols? Is it the environment which they’re living in? Is it the transport system that is spreading this around the country? This is a huge concern and I think we have to … make sure that if H5N1 did come across to humans with human-to-human transmission, that we were in a position to immediately respond with access equitably to vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics.”

SOURCE: United Nations 

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Belgium.- As part of the International Women’s Day commemoration activities, the Dominican Embassy in Belgium and Luxembourg organized two special discussions on mental health tailored for the Dominican diaspora in these regions. These sessions were led by renowned Dominican psychiatrist and therapist, Alexandra Híchez.

Both events, held over the weekend of March 16-17, at the Beford Hotel in Brussels and the Hotel Royal in Luxembourg, focused on addressing the mental health challenges and concerns faced by the Dominican diaspora. The aim was to raise awareness about the importance of mental well-being for Dominican migrants residing in Brussels and Luxembourg, providing them with a platform to share their experiences and reflections on the topic.

During her presentations, Dr. Híchez provided valuable insights and practical advice to enhance emotional and psychological well-being, especially in the context of migration. She also discussed significant topics such as women’s empowerment and their importance in contemporary society, along with other psychosocial risk factors.

The events commenced with welcoming remarks from Ambassador Iván Ogando Lora, who expressed gratitude to all participants and Dr. Híchez for her enthusiastic commitment to conducting these discussions. Ambassador Ogando Lora emphasized the significance of addressing mental health issues within migrant communities, particularly among women, whose migration and adaptation to a new country often entail significant emotional and psychological challenges.

He underscored that these discussions are part of the ongoing commitment of the mission to support the hardworking Dominican community in Belgium and Luxembourg, particularly in crucial areas like mental health, which contribute to strengthening unity and solidarity.

These activities were made possible with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic (MIREX) and Air Europa. Special acknowledgment is extended to Mrs. Gloria Paniagua, Veridania Mercedes, and Mórela Segura of the Bedford Hotel for their cooperation in facilitating the events.