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Dental staff fired for mocking cancer patient’s private diary

<p>Shocking video has emerged of two dental staff reading a cancer patient's private diary aloud while laughing and mocking her concerns. </p> <p>The video which captured the American employees at  Premier Dental Group (PDG) of Knoxville laughing as they read the private diary entries was captioned: "Found a patients journal and now it's story time lmao."</p> <p>The footage was reportedly filmed by another staff member who could be heard giggling throughout the video, according to the<em> New York Post.</em> </p> <p>A woman in black scrubs was filmed reading passages from the diary to others in the room and describing the radiation treatments  the worried patient faces. </p> <p>Another woman was sitting cross-legged on the office floor and listening intently, a male employee was also in the room but he did not intervene or join in with the women.</p> <p>It’s not clear how staff obtained access to the patient’s private journal, or why they decided to read it.</p> <p>The video sparked outrage across social media, with  Premier Dental Group of Knoxville having to share an apology on Facebook acknowledging the incident. </p> <p>"Premier Dental Group of Knoxville is aware of a recent incident involving an inappropriate video created and shared by some of our employees that addressed an individual’s medical condition in a disrespectful and unprofessional manner.”</p> <p>“We deeply regret this incident and the hurt [it] has caused,” they wrote in the statement which has now been deleted. </p> <p>A spokesperson for PDG confirmed to the <em>New York Post</em> the female employees involved in the incident were fired “effective immediately”.</p> <p>After an investigation it was determined that the male employee in the video did not participate and kept his job. </p> <p>“We are committed to maintaining a respectful and professional environment for everyone, and we will continue to take necessary actions to uphold these standards,” the practice said.</p> <p><em>Images: news.com.au</em></p>

Caring

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Paris in spring, Bali in winter. How ‘bucket lists’ help cancer patients handle life and death

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/leah-williams-veazey-1223970">Leah Williams Veazey</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alex-broom-121063">Alex Broom</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/katherine-kenny-318175">Katherine Kenny</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a></em></p> <p>In the 2007 film <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0825232/">The Bucket List</a> Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman play two main characters who respond to their terminal cancer diagnoses by rejecting experimental treatment. Instead, they go on a range of energetic, overseas escapades.</p> <p>Since then, the term “bucket list” – a list of experiences or achievements to complete before you “kick the bucket” or die – has become common.</p> <p>You can read articles listing <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/11/cities-to-visit-before-you-die-according-to-50-travel-experts-and-only-one-is-in-the-us.html">the seven cities</a> you must visit before you die or <a href="https://www.qantas.com/travelinsider/en/trending/top-100-guide/best-things-to-do-and-see-in-australia-travel-bucket-list.html">the 100</a> Australian bucket-list travel experiences.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UvdTpywTmQg?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>But there is a more serious side to the idea behind bucket lists. One of the key forms of suffering at the end of life <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pon.4821">is regret</a> for things left unsaid or undone. So bucket lists can serve as a form of insurance against this potential regret.</p> <p>The bucket-list search for adventure, memories and meaning takes on a life of its own with a diagnosis of life-limiting illness.</p> <p>In a <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/14407833241251496">study</a> published this week, we spoke to 54 people living with cancer, and 28 of their friends and family. For many, a key bucket list item was travel.</p> <h2>Why is travel so important?</h2> <p>There are lots of reasons why travel plays such a central role in our ideas about a “life well-lived”. Travel is often linked to important <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2003.10.005">life transitions</a>: the youthful gap year, the journey to self-discovery in the 2010 film <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0879870/">Eat Pray Love</a>, or the popular figure of the “<a href="https://theconversation.com/grey-nomad-lifestyle-provides-a-model-for-living-remotely-106074">grey nomad</a>”.</p> <p>The significance of travel is not merely in the destination, nor even in the journey. For many people, planning the travel is just as important. A cancer diagnosis affects people’s sense of control over their future, throwing into question their ability to write their own life story or plan their travel dreams.</p> <p>Mark, the recently retired husband of a woman with cancer, told us about their stalled travel plans: "We’re just in that part of our lives where we were going to jump in the caravan and do the big trip and all this sort of thing, and now [our plans are] on blocks in the shed."</p> <p>For others, a cancer diagnosis brought an urgent need to “tick things off” their bucket list. Asha, a woman living with breast cancer, told us she’d always been driven to “get things done” but the cancer diagnosis made this worse: "So, I had to do all the travel, I had to empty my bucket list now, which has kind of driven my partner round the bend."</p> <p>People’s travel dreams ranged from whale watching in Queensland to seeing polar bears in the Arctic, and from driving a caravan across the Nullarbor Plain to skiing in Switzerland.</p> <p>Nadia, who was 38 years old when we spoke to her, said travelling with her family had made important memories and given her a sense of vitality, despite her health struggles. She told us how being diagnosed with cancer had given her the chance to live her life at a younger age, rather than waiting for retirement: "In the last three years, I think I’ve lived more than a lot of 80-year-olds."</p> <h2>But travel is expensive</h2> <p>Of course, travel is expensive. It’s not by chance Nicholson’s character in The Bucket List is a billionaire.</p> <p>Some people we spoke to had emptied their savings, assuming they would no longer need to provide for aged care or retirement. Others had used insurance payouts or charity to make their bucket-list dreams come true.</p> <p>But not everyone can do this. Jim, a 60-year-old whose wife had been diagnosed with cancer, told us: "We’ve actually bought a new car and [been] talking about getting a new caravan […] But I’ve got to work. It’d be nice if there was a little money tree out the back but never mind."</p> <p>Not everyone’s bucket list items were expensive. Some chose to spend more time with loved ones, take up a new hobby or get a pet.</p> <p>Our study showed making plans to tick items off a list can give people a sense of self-determination and hope for the future. It was a way of exerting control in the face of an illness that can leave people feeling powerless. Asha said: "This disease is not going to control me. I am not going to sit still and do nothing. I want to go travel."</p> <h2>Something we ‘ought’ to do?</h2> <p>Bucket lists are also a symptom of a broader culture that emphasises conspicuous <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JH_Pa1hOEVc">consumption</a> and <a href="https://productiveageinginstitute.org.au/">productivity</a>, even into the end of life.</p> <p>Indeed, people told us travelling could be exhausting, expensive and stressful, especially when they’re also living with the symptoms and side effects of treatment. Nevertheless, they felt travel was something they “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/14461242.2021.1918016">ought</a>” to do.</p> <p>Travel can be deeply meaningful, as our study found. But a life well-lived need not be extravagant or adventurous. Finding what is meaningful is a deeply personal journey.</p> <hr /> <p><em>Names of study participants mentioned in this article are pseudonyms.</em><!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225682/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/leah-williams-veazey-1223970">Leah Williams Veazey</a>, ARC DECRA Research Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alex-broom-121063">Alex Broom</a>, Professor of Sociology &amp; Director, Sydney Centre for Healthy Societies, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/katherine-kenny-318175">Katherine Kenny</a>, ARC DECRA Senior Research Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/paris-in-spring-bali-in-winter-how-bucket-lists-help-cancer-patients-handle-life-and-death-225682">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

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Qantas apologises after rejecting cancer patient's refund request

<p>Qantas has issued an apology for rejecting a cancer patient's refund request after his case allegedly did not qualify based on “compassionate reasons”. </p> <p>Neil Ross, 62, decided to book a holiday to Cairns with his wife for a couple of weeks, but two weeks later he was diagnosed with face cancer. </p> <p>“It hit me like a rock,” Mr Ross told <em>news.com.au</em>.</p> <p>“I wasn’t in the life of me, expecting that news.”</p> <p>The Brisbane local was initially told he had Bells Palsy, but was later diagnosed with cancer and had to undergo a 13-hour operation to remove the tumour, causing the right side of his face to be significantly disfigured. </p> <p>He underwent radiation almost every day for six weeks saying it “knocked him to no end”.</p> <p>“I was very thankful that my wife had helped me and still is helping me to get through this.”</p> <p>Ross is yet to be given the all-clear and is still undergoing treatments, including rehab following the loss of muscle mass. </p> <p>He will also undergo plastic surgery to reconstruct the right side of his face.</p> <p>“I had notified Flight Centre that I needed to cancel my flight due to finding out that I had cancer and that l needed treatment urgently,” he said. </p> <p>“As I said to the girl at Flight Centre – ‘look at my face, do you think I want to get a refund for the hell of it? I rather be healthy and go on holiday.”</p> <p>Ross said that the airline issued him a credit note until April 22 of this year, but with his current circumstances, he was unable to travel before that date and applied for a full refund. </p> <p>He also claims that despite sending two medical certificates - the first which stated that Ross was unfit to fly for 12 months, and the second which included detailed information about his condition -  it “did not meet requirements on compassion”.</p> <p>“I thought ‘what the hell, what more can I do?’ This has done nothing but cause me a great deal of stress that I don’t need,"  he said. </p> <p>Ross submitted two different refund requests, one on March 20, which was rejected on the fourth of April, and another on April 9 which was rejected two weeks later. </p> <p>The email from a Flight Centre representative reportedly said: "They have advised that ‘the attached medical certificate does not fit into the GF guidelines for a refund due to compassionate reasons’." </p> <p>According to <em>news.com.au</em>,  Qantas has since contacted Ross and issued a refund, after an error was made in processing the supplementary material, by not connecting it to the earlier application.</p> <p>“We apologise to Mr Ross for this experience and have let him know we’re processing a refund for him.”</p> <p>They have also reportedly apologised for any distress they may have caused and are investigating how the error occurred so that it doesn't happen again. </p> <p><em>Images: news.com.au/ Getty</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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How music is changing the way dementia patients think

<p dir="ltr">New research has proven that music truly is the universal language, with experts discovering how the power of music is helping those suffering with dementia. </p> <p dir="ltr">Music therapists have shown that music brings dementia patients back to the present, with some even finding their voice thanks to the nostalgic memories of the past. </p> <p dir="ltr">According to Registered Music Therapist and Managing Director of music therapy company Music Beat, Dr Vicky Abad, the power of music is not to be overlooked when it comes to degenerative diseases.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Music is a window into people’s pasts,” she said. “It builds on strengths and abilities against a disease that can strip a person of their dignity, abilities and quality of life.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The team at <a href="https://www.tricare.com.au/">TriCare Aged Care and Retirement</a>, who see the devastating impact of dementia each and every day,  also experience first-hand the impact music has on residents, with many noticing “unrecognisable” changes in personality when a nostalgic tune is played.</p> <p dir="ltr">Louis Rose, an 80-year-old dementia patient and TriCare resident, was diagnosed with dementia six years ago, and requires assistance with many aspects of day to day life. </p> <p dir="ltr">However, listening to music is one thing he can enjoy on his own.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I grew up in Mauritius and while we didn’t have a lot, we certainly had music. Listening to music has always been an escape for me and a way to relax,” Mr Rose said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“When your brain starts to slow down and you find yourself forgetting things, it can be quite frustrating and confusing. Listening to music has been a way to distract myself from what’s going on in my head, it has helped me so much.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Tamsin Sutherland is a regular live music performer at TriCare facilities across Queensland, and has been able to witness incredible moments with the residents as they come alive as soon as she starts to play. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Watching residents who are often non-verbal sing along to the words is incredible,” she said “It really is like they are coming back to life and reconnecting with who they once were. To be part of that is quite emotional for me.”</p> <p dir="ltr">According to Dr Abad, music can help prevent the restless behaviour that often leads to pacing and wandering, especially in the evenings, which are often difficult times for those battling the disease. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Sundowning usually occurs in the late afternoon as dusk approaches, a time that is also associated with what used to be a busy time period in people’s lives,” she noted. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Personalised music is a simple and effective tool to help residents feel validated in their emotions during this time and provides them an opportunity to experience a calmer state of mind”.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p>

Mind

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Groundbreaking approach offers ray of hope for ovarian cancer patients

<p>In a twist of fate, 24-year-old Tora Murphy’s globetrotting adventure took an unexpected turn when her health journey began. What started as a quest to explore the world swiftly turned into a battle against ovarian cancer, a disease she never imagined would become a part of her reality.</p> <p>"I was looking pregnant, like I looked about six months pregnant," Murphy recounted <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/health/ovarian-cancer-groundbreaking-treatment-hope-mater-cancer-research-centre-brisbane/0f8ffed0-ec48-4ab7-8de5-28b9025d06d3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to 9News</a>. "They basically told me that it was stage three cancer and I was just in shock."</p> <p>Her whirlwind journey abruptly halted as she returned to Brisbane to confront the daunting reality of her diagnosis. Ovarian cancer, a silent killer, had taken root in her body, presenting as a formidable 18cm  tumour. Murphy’s resilience was put to the test as she underwent surgery to remove the tumour and ultimately a full hysterectomy.</p> <p>"I didn't even know that people like me could get cancer," she expressed, echoing the disbelief many young women feel upon receiving such a diagnosis.</p> <p>Ovarian cancer remains a formidable adversary, claiming the lives of 1000 Australian women each year, with a five-year survival rate hovering at a concerning 49 percent. For Murphy and countless others, the fear of recurrence looms large, casting a shadow over their lives.</p> <p>However, amidst the darkness, there shines a glimmer of hope. Pioneering research led by Mater Research scientists is illuminating new pathways in the fight against ovarian cancer. Their focus? Dendritic cells, a key component of the immune system.</p> <p>"We think that by focusing on that cell type in particular, that we'll be able to actually make a vaccine to help fight that disease and to eventually help prevent recurrence," explained Professor Kristen Radford from Mater Research.</p> <p>This groundbreaking approach offers a ray of hope for individuals like Murphy, offering the possibility of a future where ovarian cancer is not only treatable but preventable. The development of a vaccine holds the promise of transforming the landscape of ovarian cancer treatment and prevention.</p> <p>Fuelling this hope is the unwavering support of communities and organisations dedicated to combating ovarian cancer. The Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation, through its tireless fundraising efforts, has allocated $670,000 to support the vaccine development, part of a larger $2.4 million grant initiative.</p> <p>"These funds have been raised by our community, so that's people out there walking, running, baking, shaving their heads," says Georgie Herbert from the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation.</p> <p>For Murphy, the outpouring of support from her partner, friends and the broader community serves as a symbol of strength during her darkest hours. As her loved ones prepare to walk 100km this coming May to raise funds in her honour, Murphy is buoyed by the knowledge that every step taken brings them closer to a future free from the grips of ovarian cancer.</p> <p>"Their money goes to such a good place," she remarked, underscoring the impact of collective action in driving progress in ovarian cancer research and treatment.</p> <p>As the fight against ovarian cancer continues, fuelled by groundbreaking research and unwavering community support, there is renewed optimism on the horizon for individuals like Tora Murphy and the thousands affected by this disease.</p> <p><em>Images: Facebook</em></p>

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What actually is palliative care? And how is it different to end-of-life care?

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/samar-aoun-1437641">Samar Aoun</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-western-australia-1067">The University of Western Australia</a></em></p> <p>Although it is associated with dying, palliative care is an approach focused on improving <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6405258/#:%7E:text=QOL%20can%20also%20be%20defined,QOL%20(2%E2%80%934).">quality of life</a> – or how people feel about and respond to facing a life-threatening illness.</p> <p>Palliative care aims to prevent and relieve physical, social, emotional, spiritual and existential distress. Palliative care also supports family caregivers during the disease journey and bereavement phase. You might have heard it mentioned for cancer, but it is beneficial for the majority of life-limiting conditions. It has been shown to reduce health-care costs by <a href="https://palliativecare.org.au/publication/kpmg-palliativecare-economic-report/">preventing</a> unnecessary hospital admissions.</p> <p>Palliative care is not voluntary assisted dying. It does not aim to hasten or prolong death. It is not just for people who are about to die and seeking palliative care does not mean “giving up”. In fact, it can be a profound and positive form of care that the World Health Organization (WHO) has <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/palliative-care">recognised</a> as a basic human right. But what does it involve?</p> <h2>Not just for someone’s final days</h2> <p>Palliative care is often seen as a “last resort” rather than a service that empowers terminally ill people to live as well as possible for as long as possible.</p> <p>The full benefit of this holistic approach can only be realised if people are referred early to <a href="https://palliativecare.org.au/resource/what-is-palliative-care/">palliative care</a> – ideally from the time they are diagnosed with a terminal illness. Unfortunately, this rarely happens and palliative care tends to blur with <a href="https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/providing-comfort-end-life">end-of-life care</a>. The latter is for people who are likely to die within 12 months but is often left to the last few weeks.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qMbq0fP9kr4?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption><span class="caption">Palliative is not just for the very end of someone’s life.</span></figcaption></figure> <h2>Palliative care can involve difficult conversations</h2> <p>Palliative care provides a time to ask some usually taboo questions. What kind of death do you want to experience? Who is in your personal network? How will they respond to your life ending? What kind of support can they offer?</p> <p>Palliative care can be provided at home, hospital, hospice or residential aged care facility, depending on the preference and circumstances of patients and their family carers.</p> <p>In general, patients are referred by their treating specialist, health professional or GP. Patient preferences for care and what matters most to them are discussed with their doctor or other health professionals and with their loved ones with <a href="https://www.advancecareplanning.org.au/">advance care planning</a>. These discussions can include information on their preferred place of care, preferred place of death, personal care needs such as dietary preferences and religious and spiritual practices.</p> <p>This helps those caring to make decisions about the patient care when the patient cannot anymore. However, advance care planning can start at any time in life and without a diagnosis.</p> <h2>How palliative care delivery has changed</h2> <p>Once upon a time, we were born at home and we died at home. Death was a social event with a medical component. Now it is close to the opposite. But research indicates a solely clinical model of palliative care (mainly symptom management funded through the health system) is <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/9/12/1615">inadequate</a> to address the complex aspects of death, dying, loss and grief.</p> <p>A <a href="https://www.phpci.org/">public health</a> palliative care approach views the community as an equal partner in the long and complex task of providing quality health care at the end of someone’s life. It promotes conversations about patients’ and families’ goals of care, what matters to them, their needs and wishes, minimising barriers to a “good death”, and supporting the family post-bereavement.</p> <p>These outcomes require the involvement of family carers, friendship networks and not-for-profit organisations, where more detailed conversations about life and death can happen, instead of the “pressure cooker” rushed environment of hospitals and clinics. Investment could develop stronger <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29402101/">death literacy</a> and grief literacy in the community and among health professionals, who may be <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6312518/#:%7E:text=Some%20struggle%20with%20the%20limitations,lead%20in%20opening%20a%20dialogue">reluctant</a> to raise or discuss these topics. This would likely see the take up of advance care planning increase, from the current low levels of <a href="https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinical/advance-care-planning-in-an-ageing-population#:%7E:text=A%20paper%20exploring%20the%20cognitive,advance%20health%20directive%20in%20place.">less than 15%</a> of Australians (<a href="https://theconversation.com/only-25-of-older-australians-have-an-advance-care-plan-coronavirus-makes-it-even-more-important-144354">25% of older Australians</a> accessing health and aged-care facilities).</p> <p>One such successful approach is the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9720808/">Compassionate Communities Connectors Program</a> in Western Australia, using trained <a href="https://comcomnetworksw.com/compassionate-connectors-program/">community volunteers</a> to enhance the social networks of terminally ill people.</p> <p>Our research trial trained 20 community volunteers (“connectors”) and 43 patients participated over 18 months. In sourcing others to help (who we called “caring helpers”), connectors built the capacity of the community and social networks around patients in need. Caring helpers assisted with transport, collecting prescriptions, organising meals and linked clients to community activities (such as choirs, walking groups, men’s shed). And they helped complete advance care planning documentation. About 80% of patients’ needs were social, particularly around reducing feelings of isolation.</p> <p>Patients in the trial had fewer hospital admissions and shorter hospital stays.</p> <h2>Tailored to need</h2> <p>Palliative care should be tailored to each person, rather than a one-size-fits-all clinical model that doesn’t respect autonomy and choice.</p> <p>Many people are dying in a way and a place that is not reflective of their values and their end-of-life is interrupted with preventable and costly admissions to hospital where control and even dignity are surrendered. Palliative care hospitalisations have <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/palliative-care-services/palliative-care-services-in-australia/contents/summary">increased</a> in recent years compared to all hospitalisations, with 65% of such admissions ending with the patient dying in hospital.</p> <p>It is unrealistic and unaffordable to have a palliative care service in every suburb. There needs to be a shift to a more comprehensive, inclusive and sustainable approach, such as Compassionate Communities, that recognises death, dying, grief and loss are everyone’s business and responsibility.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205488/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><em><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></em></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/samar-aoun-1437641">Samar Aoun</a>, Perron Institute Research Chair in Palliative Care, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-western-australia-1067">The University of Western Australia</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-actually-is-palliative-care-and-how-is-it-different-to-end-of-life-care-205488">original article</a>.</em></p>

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Should GPs bring up a patient’s weight in consultations about other matters? We asked 5 experts

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/au/team#fron-jackson-webb">Fron Jackson-Webb</a>, <a href="http://www.theconversation.com/">The Conversation</a></em></p> <p>Australian of the Year and body positivity advocate Taryn Brumfitt has <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/healthcare/doctors-should-avoid-discussing-patient-s-weight-australian-of-the-year-says-20230707-p5dmhv.html">called for</a> doctors to avoid discussing a patient’s weight when they seek care for unrelated matters.</p> <p>A 15-minute consultation isn’t long enough to provide support to change behaviours, Brumfitt says, and GPs don’t have enough training and expertise to have these complex discussions.</p> <p>“Many people in larger bodies tell us they have gone to the doctor with something like a sore knee, and come out with a ‘prescription’ for a very restrictive diet, and no ongoing support,” Brumfitt <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/healthcare/doctors-should-avoid-discussing-patient-s-weight-australian-of-the-year-says-20230707-p5dmhv.html">told the Nine newspapers</a>.</p> <p>By raising the issue of weight, Brumfitt says, GPs also risk turning patients off seeking care for other health concerns.</p> <p>So should GPs bring up a patient’s weight in consultations about other matters? We asked 5 experts.</p> <p><strong>Brett Montgomery - GP academic</strong></p> <p>Yes, sometimes – but with great care.</p> <p>I agree that weight stigma is damaging, and insensitively raising weight in consultations can <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0251566" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hurt people's feelings and create barriers</a>to other aspects of health care.</p> <p>I also agree people can sometimes be “overweight” yet <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0287218" target="_blank" rel="noopener">quite healthy</a>, and that common measures and categories of weight are <a href="https://theconversation.com/bmi-alone-will-no-longer-be-treated-as-the-go-to-measure-for-weight-management-an-obesity-medicine-physician-explains-the-seismic-shift-taking-place-208174">questionable</a>.</p> <p>On the other hand, I know obesity <a href="https://www.racgp.org.au/FSDEDEV/media/documents/RACGP/Position%20statements/Obesity-prevention-and-management.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">is associated with</a> heart disease, joint problems, diabetes and cancers.</p> <p>GPs should be ready to help people with their weight when they want help. <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj-2021-069719.full?ijkey=FnARkmvxLOMFvlb&amp;keytype=ref">Our assistance somewhat effective</a>, though sadly dietary efforts often have minimal effect on weight in the long term. Meanwhile, treatments causing larger weight changes (<a href="https://insightplus.mja.com.au/2021/10/bariatric-surgery-public-system-access-still-terrible/">surgery</a> and <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41366-022-01176-2">some medicines</a> are often financially inaccessible.</p> <p>I feel safe discussing weight when my patient raises the issue. Fearing hurting people, I often avoid raising it myself. I focus instead on health rather than weight, discussing physical activity and healthy diet – these are good things for people of any size.</p> <p><strong>Emma Beckett - Nutrition scientist</strong></p> <p>No. It’s not likely to succeed. Large systematic reviews bringing together multiple studies of multiple weight-loss diets show weight loss is not generally maintained long term (<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32238384/">12 months</a> to <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/0802982">four years</a>).</p> <p>The idea that weight is about willpower is outdated. The current body of evidence <a href="https://theconversation.com/whats-the-weight-set-point-and-why-does-it-make-it-so-hard-to-keep-weight-off-195724">suggests</a> we each have a weight set point that our body defends. This is determined by genetics and environment more so than education.</p> <p>There may be associations between weight and health outcomes, but losing weight <a href="https://theconversation.com/just-because-youre-thin-doesnt-mean-youre-healthy-101185">does not necessarily equate</a> with improving health.</p> <p>Fat stigma and fatphobia are <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2866597/">harmful too</a> and can <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4381543/">compromise access to health care</a>.</p> <p>Instead, consider asking a better question. Healthy eating reduces disease risk <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3935663/">regardless of weight</a>. So maybe ask how many vegetables are your patients eating. Would they like to see a dietitian to discuss strategies for a better-quality diet?</p> <p><strong>Liz Sturgiss - GP/researcher </strong></p> <p>No. A <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33211585/">US study</a> estimates it would take a family doctor 131% of their work hours to implement all preventive health-care recommendations. It's impossible to address every recommendation for preventative care at every consultation. One of the key skills of a GP is balancing the patient and doctor agenda.</p> <p><a href="https://www.obesityevidencehub.org.au/collections/treatment/weight-bias-and-stigma-in-health-care">Weight stigma</a> can deter people from seeking health care, so raising weight when a patient doesn't have it on their agenda can be harmful. A strong <a href="https://academic.oup.com/fampra/article/38/5/644/6244494?login=false">therapeutic relationship</a> is critical for safe and effective health care to address weight. </p> <p>Weight is always on my agenda when there is unexpected weight loss. If a patient has rapid weight loss, I am concerned about an undetected <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7283307/">cancer</a> or infection. Additionally, I am increasingly seeing patients who are unable to afford food, who often have <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/dental-oral-health/oral-health-and-dental-care-in-australia/contents/introduction">poor oral health</a>, who lose weight due to <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1747-0080.12580">poverty</a>. Weight loss for the wrong reasons is also a very concerning part of general practice.</p> <p><strong>Nick Fuller - Obesity researcher </strong></p> <p>Yes. GPs should play a role in the early detection of weight issues and direct patients to evidence-based care to slow this progression. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31032548/">Research</a> shows many people with obesity are motivated to lose weight (48%). <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31032548/">Most</a> want their clinician to initiate a conversation about weight management and treatment options.</p> <p>However, this conversation <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32385580/">rarely occurs</a>, resulting in <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33621413/">significant delays to treatment</a>.</p> <p>Starting the conversation presents challenges. Although obesity is a complex disease related to multiple factors, it's still <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25752756/">highly stigmatised</a>in our society and even in the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23144885/">clinical setting</a>. Sensitivity is required and the wording the clinician uses is important to make the patient feel safe and avoid placing blame on them. Patients often <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20823355/">prefer terms</a> such as “weight” and “BMI” (body mass index) over “fatness,” “size” or “obesity”, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27354290/">particularly women</a>.</p> <p>Measuring weight, height and waist circumference should be <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33621413/">considered routine in primary care</a>. But this needs to be done without judgement, and in collaboration with the patient.</p> <p><strong>Helen Truby - Nutrition scientist </strong></p> <p>Yes. A high body weight contributes to many chronic conditions that negatively impact the <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/australias-health/summaries">quality of life and mental health</a> of millions of Australians.</p> <p>Not all GPs feel confident having weight conversations, given the sensitive nature of weight and its stigma. GPs' words matter – they are a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/nbu.12320">trusted source</a> of health information. It’s critical GPs gain the skills to know when and how to have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12875-019-1026-4">positive weight conversations</a>.</p> <p>GPs need to offer supportive and affordable solutions. But effective specialist weight management programs are few and far between. More equitable access to programs is essential so GPs have referral pathways after conversations about weight.</p> <p>GPs' time is valuable. Activating this critical workforce is essential to meet the <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/national-obesity-strategy-2022-2032?language=en">National Obesity Strategy.</a></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/au/team#fron-jackson-webb">Fron Jackson-Webb</a>, Deputy Editor and Senior Health Editor, <a href="http://www.theconversation.com/">The Conversation</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/should-gps-bring-up-a-patients-weight-in-consultations-about-other-matters-we-asked-5-experts-209681">original article</a>.</em></p>

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Too big, too heavy and too slow to change: road transport is way off track for net zero

<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/robin-smit-594126">Robin Smit</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-technology-sydney-936">University of Technology Sydney</a></em></p> <p>The need to cut the emissions driving climate change is urgent, but it’s proving hard to decarbonise road transport in Australia. Its share of the nation’s total greenhouse gas emissions <a href="https://ageis.climatechange.gov.au/">doubled</a> from 8% in 1990 to 16% in 2020. New vehicles sold in Australia have <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-thought-australian-cars-were-using-less-fuel-new-research-shows-we-were-wrong-122378">barely improved</a> average emissions performance for the last decade or so.</p> <p>The federal government <a href="https://www.dcceew.gov.au/climate-change/publications/australias-emissions-projections-2022">publishes</a> emission forecasts to 2035 – 15 years short of 2050, the net-zero target date. Our <a href="https://www.transport-e-research.com/_files/ugd/d0bd25_7a6920bdd9e8448385863a7c23ec9ecf.pdf">newly published study</a> forecasts road transport emissions through to 2050. The estimated reduction by 2050, 35–45% of pre-COVID levels in 2019, falls well short of what’s needed.</p> <p>Our findings highlight three obstacles to achieving net zero. These are: Australia’s delay in switching to electric vehicles; growing sales of large, heavy vehicles such as SUVs and utes; and uncertainties about hydrogen as a fuel, especially for freight transport. These findings point to policy actions that could get road transport much closer to net zero.</p> <h2>How was this worked out?</h2> <p>Emissions and energy use vary from vehicle to vehicle, so reliable forecasting requires a detailed breakdown of the on-road fleet. Our study <a href="https://www.transport-e-research.com/software">used</a> the Australian Fleet Model and the net zero vehicle emission model (n0vem).</p> <p>The study focused on so-called <a href="https://www.cummins.com/news/2022/05/26/well-wheel-emissions-simplified">well-to-wheel emissions</a> from fuel production, distribution and use while driving. These activities account for about 75–85% of vehicle emissions. (<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-climate-friendly-is-an-electric-car-it-all-comes-down-to-where-you-live-179003">Life-cycle assessment</a> estimates “cradle-to-grave” emissions, including vehicle manufacture and disposal.)</p> <p>Working with European Union colleagues, our emissions simulation drew on an updated <a href="https://www.transport-e-research.com/_files/ugd/d0bd25_7a6920bdd9e8448385863a7c23ec9ecf.pdf">EU scenario</a> (EU-27) showing the changes in the EU vehicle fleet needed to meet the latest (proposed) CO₂ targets. Our study assumed Australia will be ten years behind the EU across all vehicle classes.</p> <p>We further modified the scenario to properly reflect Australian conditions. For instance, the EU has a much higher proportion of plug-in hybrid vehicles than Australia, where buyers are now bypassing them for wholly electric vehicles.</p> <h2>Energy use is shifting, but too slowly</h2> <p>Using this modified scenario, the simulation produces a forecast fall in total wheel-to-wheel emissions from Australian transport from 104 billion tonnes (Mt) in 2018 to 55-65Mt in 2050. Within the range of this 35–45% reduction, the outcome depends largely on the balance of renewable and fossil-fuel energy used to produce hydrogen.</p> <p>The modelling nonetheless predicts a large shift in energy use in road transport in 2050, as 2019 was basically 100% fossil fuels.</p> <p>The on-road energy efficiency of battery electric vehicles is roughly twice that of fuel cell electric (hydrogen) vehicles and roughly three times that of fossil-fuelled vehicles of similar type.</p> <p>The modelling results make this clear. In 2050, battery electric vehicles account for about 70% of total travel, but 25% of on-road energy use and only about 10% of total emissions.</p> <p>In contrast, fossil-fuelled vehicles account for about 25% of total travel in 2050, 60% of energy use and 75-85% of emissions. That’s even allowing for expected efficiency improvements.</p> <p>This means the shift to a mostly electric fleet by 2050 plus the use of hydrogen is predicted to fall short of what’s needed to get to net zero. It will require aggressive new policies to increase the uptake of electric vehicles across all classes.</p> <h2>Lighter vehicles make a big difference</h2> <p>But that is not the whole story. One neglected issue is the growing proportion of <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-may-be-underestimating-just-how-bad-carbon-belching-suvs-are-for-the-climate-and-for-our-health-190743">big, heavy passenger vehicles</a> (SUVs, utes). This trend is very noticeable in Australia. The laws of physics mean heavier vehicles need much more energy and fuel per kilometre of driving, and so produce more emissions.</p> <p>Currently, a large diesel SUV typically emits a kilogram of CO₂ for every 3 kilometres of driving, compared to 15km for a light electric vehicle and 200 kilometres for an e-bike. An average electric vehicle currently emits 1kg of CO₂ every 7km.</p> <p>This distance is expected to be around 60km in 2050, when renewables power the electricity grid. A lightweight electric car will more than double the distance to 125km per kilogram of CO₂. Reducing vehicle weights and optimising energy efficiency in transport will be essential to meet emission targets.</p> <p>The study modelled the impacts of <a href="https://www.automotiveworld.com/special-reports/vehicle-lightweighting-2/">lightweighting</a> passenger vehicles while keeping buses and commercial vehicles the same. If Australians had driven only small cars in 2019 for personal use, total road transport emissions would have been about 15% lower.</p> <p>The reduction in emissions from simply shifting to smaller cars is <a href="https://www.dcceew.gov.au/climate-change/publications/national-greenhouse-accounts-2019/national-inventory-report-2019">similar to</a> emissions from domestic aviation and domestic shipping combined. Importantly, lightweighting cuts emissions for all kinds of vehicles.</p> <h2>The uncertainties about hydrogen</h2> <p>Fuel cell electric vehicles using hydrogen account for only a few percent of all travel, but most will likely be large trucks. As a result, in our scenarios, they use a little over 10% of total on-road energy and produce 5-20% of total emissions, depending on the energy source used for hydrogen production and distribution.</p> <p>The modified EU scenario includes a significant uptake of hydrogen vehicles by 2050. That’s by no means guaranteed.</p> <p>The uptake in Australia has been negligible to date. That’s due to costs (vehicle and fuel), the need for new hydrogen fuel infrastructure, less mature technology (compared to battery electric vehicles) and limited vehicle availability. <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-must-rapidly-decarbonise-transport-but-hydrogens-not-the-answer-166830">Unresolved aspects</a> of hydrogen in transport include lower energy efficiency, the <a href="https://theconversation.com/for-australia-to-lead-the-way-on-green-hydrogen-first-we-must-find-enough-water-196144">need for clean water</a>, uncertainty about leakage, fuel-cell durability and value for consumers.</p> <h2>How do we get back on track?</h2> <p>Our study suggests Australia is on track to miss the net-zero target for 2050 mainly because of the large proportions of fossil-fuelled vehicles and large and heavy passenger vehicles.</p> <p>These two aspects could become targets for new policies such as public information campaigns, tax incentives for small, light vehicles, bans on selling fossil fuel vehicles and programs to scrap them. Other options to cut emissions include measures to reduce travel demand, optimise freight logistics and shift travel to public transport, to name a few.</p> <p>The study confirms the scale of the challenge of decarbonising road transport. Australia will need “all hands on deck” – government, industry and consumers – to achieve net zero in 2050.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/208655/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/robin-smit-594126">Robin Smit</a>, Adjunct Associate Professor, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-technology-sydney-936">University of Technology Sydney</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: </em><em>Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/too-big-too-heavy-and-too-slow-to-change-road-transport-is-way-off-track-for-net-zero-208655">original article</a>.</em></p>

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Astonishing report identifies Covid’s alleged “patient zero”

<p>A bombshell report has claimed the infamous Covid-19 "patient zero” was a Wuhan scientist carrying out experiments on souped-up coronaviruses.</p> <p>The scientist in question, Ben Hu, was conducting risky tests at the Wuhan Institute of Virology with two colleagues, Ping You and Yan Zhu, the report states.</p> <p>It is understood that all three suffered Covid-like symptoms and required hospital care weeks before China broke the news of the virus outbreak to the rest of the world.</p> <p><em>The Sun</em> reported that the name of “patient zero" has never been disclosed until now.</p> <p>Many US government officials have now identified the three scientists in a shocking report by journalists Michael Shellenberger and Matt Taibbi.</p> <p>Writing in the Substack newsletter <em>Public</em>, the pair alleged the scientists were experimenting with coronaviruses when they fell ill in 2019.</p> <p>Several experts and intelligence officials have long suspected scientists at the lab accidentally spread the virus during so-called “gain of function” experiments on bat coronaviruses.</p> <p>The naming of “patient zero” could prove to be the smoking gun, only adding to mounting circumstantial evidence of a lab leak.</p> <p>It is unclear who in the US government had the intelligence about the sick lab workers, how long they had it, and why it was not shared with the public.</p> <p><em>The Australian</em> journalist and <em>Sky News</em> host Sharri Markson spoke to <em>The Sun</em> about the lab leak theory in 2021 and dubbed it an “explosive development”.</p> <p>Jamie Metzl, a former member of the World Health Organisation advisory committee on human genome editing, described it as a possible “game changer”.</p> <p>“It’s a game changer if it can be proven that Hu got sick with Covid before anyone else,” he said.</p> <p>“That would be the ‘smoking gun’. Hu was the lead hands-on researcher in (virologist Shi Zhengli’s) lab.”</p> <p>DRASTIC, an international team of scientists and sleuths attempting to piece together Covid-19’s origins, researched the three scientists in 2021.</p> <p>The Wuhan Institute of Virology’s website lists Hu’s biography showing he was working as an assistant researcher.</p> <p>He was said to be the “star pupil” of virologist Shi Zhengli — the virologist at the lab who became known as “batwoman” for her research on bat coronaviruses.</p> <p>Markson, the author of <em>What Really Happened in Wuhan</em>, said that Hu was running a state-funded project in 2019 to test if new coronaviruses could infect humans.</p> <p>The study involved souping up the viruses and experimenting with them on humanised mice.</p> <p>However, the results were never published and the study’s existence was erased from the internet as Covid-19 was spreading around the globe, which raised suspicion of a possible lab leak.</p> <p>A source told <em>The Sun</em> that footage from 2017 that was aired by Chinese state-run TV showed Hu working in the lab without protective gear.</p> <p>The same video shows scientists from the Wuhan lab searching for bat viruses with inadequate protective gear.</p> <p>Alina Chan, a molecular biologist at MIT and Harvard, told <em>Public</em>, “Ben Hu is essentially the next Shi Zhengli.</p> <p>“He was her star pupil. He had been making chimeric SARS-like viruses and testing these in humanised mice.</p> <p>“If I had to guess who would be doing this risky virus research and most at risk of getting accidentally infected, it would be him.”</p> <p>She noted, “If this info had been made public in May of 2020, I doubt that many in the scientific community and the media would have spent the last three years raving about a raccoon dog or pangolin in a wet market.”</p> <p>US scientist Dr Steven Quay, “He was always my first choice for one of the infected Wuhan Institute of Virology workers but it seemed too simple.”</p> <p>A bill signed by US President Joe Biden in 2023 called for the release of the names of the sick scientists, their symptoms, and whether they had been involved with or exposed to coronavirus research.</p> <p>The US is currently preparing to release previously classified material, which could include the names of the three Wuhan scientists.</p> <p>Earlier in 2023, FBI director Christopher Wray said, “the FBI has for quite some time now assessed that the origins of the pandemic are most likely a potential lab incident in Wuhan”.</p> <p>China has long been accused of attempting to cover up or distort its involvement with Covid-19, but they continue to deny claims.</p> <p>In March 2023, China’s former government scientist confessed the Wuhan lab leak theory shouldn’t be ruled out, sparking uproar in Beijing.</p> <p>Professor George Gao, the former chief of China’s Centre for Disease Control, played a key role in the efforts to trace the origins of Covid-19, insisting scientists should “suspect anything”.</p> <p>Speaking to the BBC Radio 4 podcast <em>Fever: The Hunt for Covid’s Origin</em>, Professor Gao said, “You can always suspect anything. That’s science.</p> <p>“Don’t rule out anything.”</p> <p>Professor Gao retired from the CDC in 2022 after playing a key role in the pandemic response and efforts to find the mysterious origin of the virus.</p> <p>He would have had access to highly classified government information on the outbreak of Covid-19.</p> <p>According to Professor Gao, a formal investigation into the Wuhan Institute of Virology was carried out by a government department.</p> <p>The government scientist claimed the “lab was double-checked by the experts in the field”.</p> <p>Investigators believe scientists were working with the Chinese military to develop a mutant virus and pursue bioweapons just as the pandemic began.</p> <p>The findings followed a team of US investigators who combed through top-secret intercepted communications and research.</p> <p>In 2016, researchers discovered a new fatal type of coronavirus in a mineshaft in Mojiang, Yunnan province.</p> <p>However, they kept it under wraps, with the sample then transported to the Wuhan lab and dubbed as classified work.</p> <p>The virus is the only known immediate relative of Covid-19 known to exist prior to the pandemic.</p> <p>Speaking to<em> The Times</em>, one US investigator said, “The trail of papers starts to go dark.</p> <p>“That’s exactly when the classified program kicked off.</p> <p>“My view is that the reason it was covered up was due to military secrecy related to the army’s pursuit of dual-use capabilities in virological biological weapons and vaccines.”</p> <p>The findings came after a scientist who worked closely with the Wuhan lab claimed the virus was genetically engineered and leaked from the facility.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty</em></p>

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Movies that received zero stars

<p>There are good movies, so-so movies and bad movies. Is there anything worse, though, than a bad movie? Yes, there is. And I have seen my share.</p> <p>For decades, <em>Newsday </em>has used a four-star rating system for its film reviews. When I became the paper's movie critic in 2008, I had to figure out how to approach this system. Obviously, it's rare to see a four-star movie – even if it's not <em>Citizen Kane</em>, it has to be something truly outstanding.</p> <p>Three stars signals a wholehearted recommendation, though not exactly a masterpiece. Many movies fall into the two-and-a-half-star range: They're just meh. Tougher to call is the one-star or half-star movie – how do you decide between a D grade and a D-minus?</p> <p>Then there's the nuclear option: zero stars. What makes a movie so awful that it deserves zero stars? Like the four-star movie, this is a rare breed.</p> <p>This is a movie whose redeeming qualities are either infinitesimal or non-existent. It's a movie that fails so spectacularly it doesn't get credit for decent lighting or being in focus. A zero-star movie doesn't even get credit for existing.</p> <p>Every zero-star movie is unique in its own way, but over the years I've noticed that the worst of the worst tend to fall into a few different categories.</p> <p>Here are four examples.</p> <p><strong>Vanity projects</strong></p> <p>It's easy to poke fun at A-list stars and their outsize egos, but they often bring it upon themselves. Remember when John Travolta thought that <em>Battlefield Earth</em> would turn us all into Scientologists? Or when Mariah Carey played a version of herself in <em>Glitter</em>? Remember almost every movie Madonna ever made?</p> <p>For sheer self-centredness, though, nothing beats last year's <em>By the Sea</em>, written and directed by Angelina Jolie-Pitt and starring herself and her husband, Brad. (They produced it as well.) They play an American writer and his wife who stay in a beachside French hotel during the 1970s.</p> <p>He's depressed, she's depressed, they never have sex. With little dialogue and even less action, the movie mostly features the two stars standing around in chic outfits, smoking cigarettes and gazing with despair upon million-dollar views of the coast.</p> <p>Kinder critics praised the cinematography and scenery, but I couldn't find a reason to give this extended Chanel No. 5 commercial even a half-star. I figured the two actors got enough gratification just admiring themselves on screen for two hours.</p> <p><strong>Insults to intelligence</strong></p> <p>Filmmakers often assume their audiences will swallow just about anything. In the sci-fi failure <em>Transcendence</em>, Johnny Depp uploaded his consciousness into the cloud – a literal one, in the sky. (I gave that movie a half-star for sheer nuttiness.)</p> <p>In the zero-star fantasy<em> Jupiter Ascending</em>, the Wachowskis told the story of a housemaid (Mila Kunis) who sells her eggs to buy a telescope but discovers she's a princess. These movies took years to make, yet we spotted their idiocy within minutes.</p> <p>Then there's <em>Aloha</em>, Cameron Crowe's zero-star comedy-drama from 2015.</p> <p>Among its many terrible ideas were casting Emma Stone as a native Hawaiian (as if nobody would notice?), hoping we'd swoon when Bradley Cooper says cheesy things like "Would you stop getting more beautiful?" and creating a baffling climax in which an orbiting space object is destroyed by rock music.</p> <p>Filmmakers tend to be smart people, but moviegoers are no dopes, either.</p> <p><em>Aloha </em>made just US$26.3 million on its US$37 million budget, one of the year's major flops.</p> <p><strong>Lapses in taste</strong></p> <p>Taste is subjective, of course, but some movies cross a line just to cross it. Adam Sandler's zero-star comedy <em>That's My Boy </em>(2012), whose plot hinged on statutory rape and incest, marked a new low – until Peter Farrelly reset the bar with<em> Movie 43</em>.</p> <p>An anthology comedy spearheaded by Farrelly with several directors and writers, <em>Movie 43</em> (2013) rounds up more than a dozen A-list stars in an orgy of nastiness and vulgarity.</p> <p>Among the more hideous highlights are Chris Pratt and his real-life wife, Anna Faris, as lovers with a scatological fetish; Richard Gere as the CEO of a product that hacks off its customers' penises; and Chloe Grace Moretz as a teenager getting her period.</p> <p>"Once you see it, you can't unsee it," the trailers promised.</p> <p>As for the cast, they probably wish they could un-be in it.</p> <p><strong>Sheer ineptitude</strong></p> <p>Finally, some movies are so badly made that they barely qualify as movies. <em>Left Behind</em>, for instance, a faith-based rapture-fantasy starring Nicolas Cage, was so sloppy and disorganised that it literally couldn't keep track of night and day.</p> <p>At least that film was made by relative amateurs. <em>The Last Airbender</em> (2010), a fantasy-adventure based on the Nickelodeon series, was directed by M Night Shyamalan, the maestro who gave us <em>The Sixth Sense</em>. Here, Shyamalan completely loses his ability to coherently tell the story of Aang (Noah Ringer), a boy with mystical powers trying to unite four tribes. The dialogue is so crammed with fictional exposition that the actors sound like they're reading a Pokemon manual, while the choppy editing seemed almost random.</p> <p>Not even the special effects deserved a half-star: The postproduction 3-D made the whole movie look as flat as a View-Master slide. With its US$150 million budget, <em>The Last Airbender</em> was an inexcusable, zero-star disaster.</p> <p>As a last note, a truly terrible movie is just as exceptional as a truly great one, and in some ways just as fascinating. It's my job, though, to sit through them so you don't have to.</p> <p>You're welcome.</p> <p><strong>THE WORST OF THE WORST</strong></p> <p><strong>10. <em>All About Steve</em> (2009)</strong></p> <p>There's a reason you've never heard of this romantic comedy starring A-listers Sandra Bullock and Bradley Cooper: It's because she plays an irritating crossword fanatic and he plays an uninteresting person. In terms of on-screen chemistry, they're the equivalent of bleach and ammonia.</p> <p><strong>9. <em>Moms' Night Out</em> (2014)</strong></p> <p>This botched comedy (starring Trace Adkins and Patricia Heaton) stands out for many things, but one is a technical reason: The filmmakers somehow managed to capture the weirdest, ugliest facial expression on nearly every actor in nearly every scene. It's like a 90-minute flip-book of ruined family photos.</p> <p><strong>8. <em>Jem and The Holograms</em> (2015)</strong></p> <p>Aubrey Peeples plays an aspiring singer who is shocked – shocked! – to discover that global stardom requires personal and artistic sacrifice. File this movie's profound message under Things a 9-Year-Old Could Have Told You.</p> <p><strong>7. <em>Remember Me</em> (2010)</strong></p> <p>In this saccharine yet creepy romance, Robert Pattinson plays a young, moody guy – no stretch there – who sleeps with a woman to get revenge on her father. Aww, how cute! The plot also hinges on the World Trade Centre attacks. Double cute!</p> <p><strong>6. <em>Jupiter Ascending</em> (2015)</strong></p> <p>This sci-fi fantasy from the Wachowskis (The Matrix) defies description, but here's an attempt: A humble house-cleaner (Mila Kunis) discovers she's a galactic princess thanks to a part-wolf warrior (Channing Tatum). It's a statistical marvel whose 127 minutes include not a single good idea.</p> <p><strong>5. <em>Rock The Kasbah</em> (2015)</strong></p> <p>A washed-up rock manager (Bill Murray) decides to make a pop star out of an Afghan singer (Leem Lubany). Magically, she reverses centuries of religious and cultural stigmas by performing the songs of Cat Stevens, now known as Yusuf Islam. Possibly the most misguided comedy ever made.</p> <p><strong>4. <em>Aloha </em>(2015)</strong></p> <p>Cameron Crowe's cloying romance stars Bradley Cooper as an ex-military man trying to bed a happily married woman (gross!) while flirting with a native Hawaiian (played by Emma Stone?) and trying to stop an outer-space missile (say what?). The movie is so wide of the mark that you can't even tell where it was aiming.</p> <p><strong>3. <em>Movie 43</em> (2013)</strong></p> <p>Richard Gere, Halle Berry, Kate Winslet, Hugh Jackman and many other talented people run through the most repulsive, unimaginative and unfunny skits ever filmed. The whole thing almost literally stinks. <em>Movie 43</em> currently holds a difficult-to-attain 4 per cent rating on RottenTomatoes.com.</p> <p><strong>2. <em>The Last Airbender</em> (2010)</strong></p> <p>M Night Shyamalan's fantasy-adventure is so disjointed and disorganised that you might think the reels got mixed up – possibly with a whole other movie. You could watch it 10 times and still not understand a thing, though by then you'd have gone permanently insane.</p> <p><strong>1. <em>By The Sea</em> (2015)</strong></p> <p>Think back to the most pretentious European art-film you've ever had to endure. Now imagine Angelina Jolie making that movie, and you've got <em>By the Sea</em>, starring herself and Brad Pitt as depressed Americans who visit France and smoke a lot. Remember how Jean-Paul Sartre said hell is other people? That's because he hadn't seen this movie.</p> <p><em>Written by Rafer Guzman. First appeared on <a href="http://Stuff.co.nz" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span></strong></a>.</em></p> <p><em>Images: Columbia Pictures</em></p>

Movies

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Ally Langdon breaks down in tears over 13-year-old life support patient

<p dir="ltr">Ally Langdon has broken down in tears while hearing the heart-breaking story of 13-year-old Esra Haynes.</p> <p dir="ltr">The <em>A Current Affair</em> host was joined by Esra’s parents, who shared that their daughter had fallen victim to the dangerous practice of “chroming”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Chroming is when a person inhales solvents or other household chemicals, or aerosol deodorant in Esra’s case, to get high.</p> <p dir="ltr">Esra’s parents, Paul and Andrea, recalled receiving a phone call while their daughter was at a sleepover that changed their lives forever.</p> <p dir="ltr">Over the Easter long weekend, the teenager had gone into cardiac arrest as a call was made to the parents to “Come and get your daughter”.</p> <p dir="ltr">When Andrea arrived at the home, police and paramedics were trying to resuscitate the teen before she was taken to hospital and placed on life support.</p> <p dir="ltr">Just eight days later, Esra passed away.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We thought we would bring her home,” Andrea <a href="https://9now.nine.com.au/a-current-affair/esra-haynes-melbourne-family-open-up-to-ally-langdon-about-tragic-chroming-trend-that-killed-daughter/7b4fcf4e-662b-4a91-8875-76fa4024a31a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told </a>Langdon.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We still had hope, we did not think the worst,” Paul said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Although her parents were optimistic their little girl would recover, a scan revealed Esra had sustained irreparable brain damage from the dangerous chemicals.</p> <p dir="ltr">The couple were forced to make the painful decision to turn off Esra's life support, and were told to bring in friends and family to say their final goodbyes to the teenager on her deathbed.</p> <p dir="ltr">“She was put onto a bed so we could lay with her,” a heartbroken Paul said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We cuddled her until the end.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Langdon was visibly overwhelmed by the parents' memories of their final day with their daughter, and teared up alongside them.</p> <p dir="ltr">Andrea and Paul are now dedicating their time to educating young people about the dangers of chroming, which has claimed the lives of more than a dozen young Australians since 2009.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">The Haynes family have an unimaginable pain that they'll never recover from.</p> <p>After losing their 13-year-old loved one to a dangerous teen craze, they're now pleading with families across the nation to try and stop anyone else going through the same heartbreak. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/9ACA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#9ACA</a> <a href="https://t.co/zZt1MF6way">pic.twitter.com/zZt1MF6way</a></p> <p>— A Current Affair (@ACurrentAffair9) <a href="https://twitter.com/ACurrentAffair9/status/1660529859897200640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 22, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“It's unquestionable that this will be our crusade,” Paul told the <em><a href="https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/lilydale-high-school-mourns-loss-of-muchloved-year-7-student-esra-haynes/news-story/4d58fa97b02019475bc830920f32c357" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Herald Sun</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“No matter how much you lead a horse to water, anyone can drag them away. It's not something she would have done on her own.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Esra’s family and friends have honoured her memory online, with a flood of tributes from her loved ones recalling her sweet nature.</p> <p dir="ltr">One of her closest friends wrote on Facebook, “There wasn't one day in the past three years you've not made my day by your contagious laugh and gorgeous smile.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“My heart aches and it doesn't feel real knowing I'll have to say goodbye to you Esra. You're so young. You were gone too soon.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: A Current Affair</em></p>

Caring

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Ambulance report contradicts Daniel Andrews’ car crash statement

<p>A newly discovered ambulance report has contradicted Daniel Andrews’ statement about a 2013 car accident on the Mornington Peninsula that almost killed a teenager.</p> <p>The Victorian premier was being driven by his wife Catherine in their family Ford Territory when it collided with a bike being ridden by 15-year-old Ryan Meuleman.</p> <p>The incident occurred near the Melbourne Rd and Ridley St intersection in Blairgowrie around 1:30pm on January 7, 2013.</p> <p>Meuleman suffered a punctured lung, broken ribs, internal bleeding and was left with just 10 per cent of his spleen. He was in The Royal Children’s Hospital for 11 days.</p> <p>Mrs Andrews wasn’t breathalysed following the accident, and the teen wasn’t given a chance to give a statement to police.</p> <p>Mr Andrews and his wife have held up their claims that Mueleman was at fault as the premier told reporters in 2017 that the teen was “moving at speed” when he “absolutely T-boned the car”.</p> <p>However, a document obtained by the <em>Herald Sun</em>, put together by Ambulance Victoria paramedics who were present at the scene, challenges the couple’s claims that they came to a “complete stop” and “turned right from a stationary position” moments before the collision.</p> <p>The “Patient Care Report” reads, 15YO on bike. Struck on L side by car travelling 40 to 60kmh … PT onto bonnet, then onto windscreen which cracked on impact … thrown onto roadway.”</p> <p>The document has only now been uncovered as Mr Mueleman, now 25, has escalated legal action.</p> <p>Speaking to the<em> Herald Sun</em>, barrister Daryl Dealehr said, “The serious injuries to the left side of Ryan’s body and the observations made by the ambulance officers who attended the crash are completely inconsistent with the claims to police made by Mr Andrews and his wife that their vehicle was travelling at a low speed,”</p> <p>“The evidence appears completely at odds with what Daniel and Catherine Andrews have been claiming since the collision.”</p> <p>The outlet reported in late 2022, before the November state election, that Meuleman had contacted lawyers to re-examine the accident and the circumstances surrounding the investigation and legal settlement that followed.</p> <p>The ambulance report was not in the files that were originally handed over by law firm Slater &amp; Gordon.</p> <p>According to the<em> Herald Sun</em>, The Meuelemans are seeking pre-trial discovery against the law firm and the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) in an attempt to uncover any further “missing” documents.</p> <p>After the accident, Mueleman was paid $80,000 by the TAC, though his family have raised “concerns” over the proceedings.</p> <p>The teen’s parents insist they never engaged Slater &amp; Gordon, a Labor-aligned law firm, to represent their son while the firm refuses to reveal what led to its involvement.</p> <p>“I hadn’t seen this report until a week ago,” Mueleman told the Herald Sun.</p> <p>“The lawyers never showed it to me. They just told me to agree to the deal and kind of, you know, shut up. I was 15 years old, mate. I was a kid. Seriously, I was 15. I am pretty blown away to be honest. I just wish I had it to show everyone 10 years ago. It would have changed everything. People would have known that they hit me, not the other way around.”</p> <p>In 2017, the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission examined the police response to the crash, including failing to use a breathalyser after the crash.</p> <p>Mr Andrews and his wife were not formally interviewed until nearly a month after the incident.</p> <p>In November 2017, uncovered police photographs obtained by the</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> saw the extent of damage to the vehicle.</p> <p>In his signed statement on February 2013, the Premier said, “We had turned right from a stationary position into Ridley St. Moments after we turned, a cyclist collided heavily with the side of our vehicle … the cyclist was travelling at speed and hit our car at a perfect right angle very heavily. I want to make it clear — the cyclist hit our vehicle.”</p> <p>In the statement, Mrs Andrews said, “I turned from Melbourne Rd after coming to a complete stop … just after we turned into Ridley St our car was struck heavily on the front driver’s side by a cyclist who it seems was attempting to cross Ridley St at speed from the bike path.”</p> <p>In a press conference in November, shortly after Mr Mueleman's new claims were revealed, Mr Andrew rejected several questions from reporters.</p> <p>“I’ve got nothing further to say,” he said.</p> <p>A spokesperson for the Premier said that the matter had been "dealt with" by Tourism Minister Steve Dimopoulos at a press conference that morning.</p> <p>“This is over a decade old,” Mr Dimopoulos told reporters.</p> <p>“The most appropriate authorities have investigated this thoroughly and have made no adverse findings. Beyond that, the Premier himself has answered questions on this almost as many times as he’s answered questions on Covid. This has been thoroughly examined and I really don’t have any more to say.”</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty</em></p>

News

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"So like your mum": Chloe Lattanzi visits patients at ONJ Wellness Centre

<p>Olivia Newton-John was known for many things: mostly for being a giant of the Australian entertainment industry. </p> <p>But according to her daughter Chloe, her most important legacy was the work she did at the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre. </p> <p>Since her mother died in August 2022 after a 30-year journey with cancer, Chloe is determined to continue her extraordinary work, and joined <a href="https://9now.nine.com.au/a-current-affair/the-olivia-newton-john-cancer-wellness-and-research-centre-with-family-and-staff/340a9404-e7ef-46f4-8e49-3d0f2e0fd654" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>A Current Affair</em></a>'s Ally Langdon to visit patients in the centre to hear their stories. </p> <p>Chloe Lattanzi dropped into the centre with her cousin Tottie Goldsmith, where she was greeted by patients who were over the moon to meet her.</p> <p>"Oh my god, you are so like your mum," one patient told Lattanzi as she squeezed her tight in a warm hug. </p> <p>"You're just beautiful like her … she's an Aussie treasure."</p> <p>"She's done so much and I'm so grateful for what she's done here because they (staff) are just amazing."</p> <p>Lattanzi said she first visited the ONJ Wellness Centre with her mum in 2019 and now she's "very passionate" about continuing her legacy.</p> <p>"I am very much looking forward to meeting the people who are here and connecting with them," Lattanzi said.</p> <p>"I hope to bring some kind of comfort and joy … because I know what they're going through."</p> <p>Patients in the centre were quick to praise the work Olivia Newton-John had done in creating the centre, sharing how much of a difference such an environment had while undergoing treatment. </p> <p>"Everything's serene and calm because it's a traumatic time and to have that sort of thing is really marvellous," another patient said.</p> <p>"It's a home away from home," Sergio, who is also a patient at the centre, added. </p> <p>Chloe said that it was an honour to be invited into the centre and felt her mother with her "in spirit". </p> <p>"I feel like she's inside of me and this is my purpose," Lattanzi said.  </p> <p>Director of Austin Health Foundation Debbie Shiell was also at the centre when Lattanzi paid the patients a visit and said "Chloe gave them the gift that Olivia gave them".</p> <p>"Olivia gave them a break from here and love and healing energy and that was really special to witness and I have no doubt that those people you saw today will be beaming tomorrow," Shiell told Lattanzi.</p> <p>"This (wellness centre) is her vision, her legacy."</p> <p><em>Image credits: A Current Affair</em></p>

Caring

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Lucid dying - what some patients experience as they’re going through CPR

<p>A study of people who received cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in hospital has found that some of them had what’s being dubbed “lucid experiences of death,” accompanied by spikes in brain activity.</p> <p>The research found that roughly one in five CPR survivors described unique experiences, including feeling separated from their bodies, observing the events without pain or distress, and a meaningful evaluation of life.</p> <p>These experiences were different to hallucinations, dreams, or CPR-induced consciousness, according to the researchers, who presented their findings at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2022 conference.</p> <p>The international team of researchers collected data on 567 patients whose hearts stopped beating, in UK and US hospitals, between May 2017 and March 2020.</p> <p>While they were all treated immediately, fewer than 10% of these people were ultimately discharged from hospital.</p> <p>In addition to hearing the patients’ experiences, the researchers observed spikes in brain activity – specifically, in so-called gamma, delta, theta, alpha and beta waves.</p> <p>In some cases, these activity spikes were observed when CPR had been going on for up to an hour.</p> <p>“These recalled experiences and brain wave changes may be the first signs of the so-called near-death experience, and we have captured them for the first time in a large study,” says lead investigator Dr Sam Parnia, an intensive care physician and associate professor in the Department of Medicine at New York University Langone Health, US.</p> <p>“Our results offer evidence that while on the brink of death and in a coma, people undergo a unique inner conscious experience, including awareness without distress.”</p> <p>While plenty of people have personal accounts of near-death experiences before, they’re difficult to judge empirically.</p> <p>“These lucid experiences cannot be considered a trick of a disordered or dying brain, but rather a unique human experience that emerges on the brink of death,” says Parnia.</p> <p>It may be linked to disinhibition – the release of barriers in the brain as it shuts down.</p> <p>The researchers are keen to investigate the lucid dying experiences further.</p> <p><strong>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/lucid-dying-cpr/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Ellen Phiddian.</strong></p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Mind

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Body language expert zeroes in on PM's meeting with Xi Jinping

<p>Anthony Albanese and Xi Jingping have shared in a historic handshake on the sidelines of the G20 summit, bringing an end to a six-year diplomatic freeze. </p> <p>The PM met with the Chinese President at the event in Bali on Tuesday, as a body language expert has dissected their meeting, pointing out some hard-to-spot details. </p> <p>Body language expert Katia Loisel has revealed the way the leaders shook hands held secrets about their power dynamic. </p> <p>“The way you shake hands reveals important information about your personality, levels of confidence and the power dynamic between two people and can dramatically influence how others perceive and interact with you,” Loisel explained to <a href="https://7news.com.au/politics/body-language-expert-reveals-the-subtle-sign-you-missed-when-albanese-met-chinas-president-c-8872610" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7News</a>.</p> <p>“As a leader, Xi uses several tactics to assert his dominance when shaking hands during meet and greets and photo opportunities.”</p> <p>Loisel said by choosing to stand out on the left with “his hand thrust out first”, Xi is able to “upset the balance of power”.</p> <p>“By orientating his body to the left away from Anthony Albanese, Xi restricts Albanese’s movement and forces him into a submissive position,” she said.</p> <p>“In contrast, this position allows Xi to project an air of confidence, standing in an open, unrestricted pose directly facing the camera."</p> <p>“This handshake is an attempt to assert dominance, get the upper hand and upset the balance of power quite literally forcing the receiver, in this case Albanese, into a submissive position.”</p> <p>The image of the two leaders sparked further conversation online, with some pointing out where Xi “always” stands for photos with other leaders.</p> <p>“This is why (check where Xi always stands for pictures),” one Twitter user posted along with a series of images of Xi standing on the left.</p> <p>At the meeting, China’s $20 billion trade sanctions on Australia, detention of Australian citizens and relationship with Russia were discussed.</p> <p>The pair also discussed climate change and Albanese urged Xi to maintain the status quo when it comes to the status of Taiwan.</p> <p>Albanese said both leaders spoke honestly with each other about these issues.</p> <p>“We have big differences to manage, but we’re always going to be better off when we have dialogue and are able to talk constructively and respectfully, but also honestly, about what those differences are,” he said after the meeting.</p> <p>“(Australia) will cooperate where we can, disagree where we must and act in the national interest.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Body

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"Zero regrets": Hugh Sheridan reveals secret marriage

<p dir="ltr">Hugh Sheridan has revealed they were married to a well-known entertainer for nine years but the pair opted to keep the relationship a secret.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 37-year-old actor, who is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, appeared on Jessica Rowe's Big Talk Show podcast, and revealed their past relationship. </p> <p dir="ltr">Hugh did not want to reveal their former partner’s name but said the pair tied the knot on July 11, 2011 and were married for nine years. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I can't say their name because they were in the same industry, so. Couldn't really be specific about that, but I was married,” Hugh said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We were solidly together for about seven years and then the last couple of years we were travelling a lot and it got too hard and, but we're still very good friends.” </p> <p dir="ltr">Hugh confessed that close family and friends knew about the marriage but they decided to keep it private from the public. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I was finding out if you don't speak out about your private life, people can assume that you're ashamed or that you've got some sort of an agenda or that you are denying other people their self expression by not talking about it.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Hugh and their ex officially got divorced a couple of years ago and revealed they are “very single right now”. </p> <p dir="ltr">“​​I am definitely single. I can confirm that right now,” Hugh said. </p> <p dir="ltr">The news comes just months after Hugh announced their split from fiancé Kurt Roberts after just eight months.</p> <p dir="ltr">In an Instagram post, the actor reminisced about their good times and that it was time to move on. </p> <p dir="ltr">“In retrospect, having a first public relationship, that public, that fast, might’ve been too much pressure on us,” they wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Maybe it was COVID or quarantines or us working to (sic) hard (I take the blame for full responsibility for the working hours), maybe it’s dads death or all the above.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The point is Kurt is incredibly kind, someone who is earnestly caring and helped me through a very tough time.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Transparency is what I promised you all. For now we didn’t make it, but we tried very, very hard, I’m so sorry for us that it wasn’t easy and I’m sorry for the added pressure.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Lots learned, the heartache is heavy, but zero regrets for the greatest love.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

Relationships

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Iron key to heart failure patients’ wellbeing

<p dir="ltr">Patients with chronic heart failure should be made aware of the importance of having their iron levels checked regularly, with research showing half of all heart failure patients have low iron, increasing their risk of hospitalisation, which is often associated with premature death.</p> <p dir="ltr">More than half a million Australians have chronic heart failure, and it is estimated that around 158,000 will require hospitalisation each year.</p> <p dir="ltr">Hospitalisation for heart failure is associated with high rates of readmission, and death, with Australia recording an estimated 61,000 heart failure-related deaths each year.</p> <p dir="ltr">New Australian treatment guidelines recommend intravenous iron treatments rather than oral supplementation for patients with heart failure with reduced heart function who have low iron. </p> <p dir="ltr">This is in a bid to reduce the risk of hospitalisation, as oral iron has been shown to be ineffective in increasing iron levels in these patients.</p> <p dir="ltr">The updated guidelines reflect new research, including a 2020 study that found heart failure patients that received an intravenous iron treatment had a 26 per cent risk reduction in total heart failure hospitalisation, and were 21 per cent less likely to experience cardiovascular death and total heart failure hospitalisation.</p> <p dir="ltr">University Hospital Geelong cardiologist John Amerena, who co-authored the new treatment guidelines, said iron deficiency was easily diagnosed by a blood test, and should be screened for as part of routine management for heart failure patients.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Patients with heart failure with reduced heart function can experience symptoms of tiredness, restlessness, bloating and poor quality of life. </p> <p dir="ltr">These can occur regardless of whether the patient is anaemic or has experienced iron deficiency in the past,” Associate Professor Amerena said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Heart failure prevents the heart from pumping enough blood to organs and tissues and can occur as the result of conditions such as coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, heart valve defects, viral infection, or alcohol misuse.</p> <p dir="ltr">Associate Professor Amerena said heart failure patients’ chances of survival decreased with each subsequent hospitalisation, with research showing a 25 percent chance of death within one year of first hospital admission.</p> <p dir="ltr">He said evidence showed intravenous iron could improve symptoms and patient quality of life, helping to prevent rehospitalisation.</p> <p dir="ltr">Women were more typically at risk of low iron, particularly before menopause, and should have their iron levels measured regularly, particularly if they had a history of heart problems or their family members had experienced heart issues, he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Women should be aware that low iron is common in heart failure. Measuring iron levels should be a part of routine blood testing. If their iron stores are low, there is good evidence that the administration of intravenous iron can improve their wellbeing and functional status, as well as reducing the risk for re-hospitalisation” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Body

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Sustainable aviation fuels – is Australia being left behind?

<p>Some solutions in renewable energy are relatively easy. Solar panels on roofs for example, or battery powered cars.</p> <p>But our obsession with air travel is significantly harder to decarbonise. Batteries are too heavy except on very short flights, and other zero carbon solutions in aviation are few and far between. Without removing air travel altogether, the next best thing is something called ‘sustainable aviation fuels’ or SAFs.</p> <p>While many other countries are ramping up their SAF production and already mixing it in with traditional fuels, Australia is being left behind.</p> <p>“It’s a shame if Qantas meets its 10 per cent sustainable aviation fuel target in 2030 by just buying it offshore,” said Qantas CEO Alan Joyce earlier this year.</p> <p>“That would be terrible outrage in my mind, and it’s a terrible dropping of the ball in Australia.”</p> <h2>What is sustainable aviation fuel?</h2> <p>SAFs are lower carbon fuels. They can be made of either biomass like waste oil or alcohol – called biofuels, or built chemically, brick-by-brick from carbon dioxide and green hydrogen – called e-fuels.</p> <p>Biofuels particularly are not a zero-carbon alternative, but they are markedly better than traditional fossil fuel-based jet fuel.</p> <p>These fuels can be used just by themselves – called 100% SAF-powered – and they have very similar chemistry to traditional fossil jet fuel so they’re just as effective.</p> <p>The problem though is the cost. They’re up to four times as expensive as traditional jet fuel, and around the world there’s just not that much of it on the market – less than 1% of jet fuel available.</p> <p>“Aviation fuels represent about 7-8% of all fuel consumption I believe, and of course in a country like Australia it’s an even bigger part of our liquid fuel consumption,” Lars Nielsen, a professor at the Australian Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, told Cosmos.</p> <p>“A very large part of the cost of flying is the aviation fuel. Nobody’s jumping to pay more for flying to Europe, therefore, it’s market demand. Are the customers willing to pay the extra price that would be involved with it?”</p> <p>As we decarbonise other areas of emissions – like electricity, transport and agriculture – aviation emissions as a percentage of total emissions are likely to skyrocket. While we could lower our reliance on flying (a small but growing habit), or discover completely zero carbon solutions for aviation, working out how to make SAFs sustainable and cost effective is important.</p> <p>Nielsen has worked with SAF in the past, as part of a project called the Queensland Sustainable Aviation Fuel Initiative.</p> <p>The group was trying to work out if three different sources of biofuels – sugar cane crop, algae, and a drought resistant tree called pongamia – could be made cost efficient compared to traditional fossil based jet fuels.</p> <p>“Whenever the prices of jet fuel go high, people start getting interested,” he says.</p> <p>“The only thing that could happen at a reasonable speed was sugar to fuel. But even then, we could see the prices were not competitive [even though] it’s technically very feasible.”</p> <h2>International Jet Fuel</h2> <p>Despite these problems, companies have started creating SAFs and selling them to aviation companies around the world.</p> <p>Heathrow for example is the largest major airport user of SAFs. This is partially due to a government mandate requiring 10% of jet fuel be SAF by 2030, and a priority to have at least 5 commercial-scale SAF plants under construction in the UK by 2025.</p> <p>This is on top of Heathrow airport putting in place SAF incentives earlier this year.</p> <p>In the US, the government has launched the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge to reduce the cost, enhance the sustainability, and expand the production and use of SAF.</p> <p>United Airlines has used over five million gallons at Los Angeles International Airport, while JetBlue has signed a ten-year uptake agreement to receive at least 670 million gallons of blended SAF to its three New York area airports – JFK, La Guardia, and Newark.</p> <p>But there have already been some kinks in the system, particularly with first generation biofuels.</p> <p>“What was really quite disastrous is that in 2005 Europe committed to using biodiesel. Of course, biodiesel manufacturers in Europe found out the cheapest oil source we have is palm oil,” Nielson said.  </p> <p>“It expanded quite significantly the amount of biodiesel incorporated.”</p> <p>Unfortunately, a report in 2016 found that Europe’s switch might have increased greenhouse gas emissions. They reported that emissions from biodiesel are more than three times higher than those from conventional diesel engines when indirect effects are considered.</p> <p>The EU has now committed to phasing out these ‘first generation biofuels’ by 2030, but it highlights that not all sustainable fuels are equal.</p> <h2>Australia is being left behind</h2> <p>Meanwhile, in Australia we have barely made it into first-generation biofuels. The Queensland Sustainable Fuel Initiative shut down in the early 2010s, and there hasn’t been much traction since.</p> <p>This is both in getting the SAF into planes, as well as creating the fuel in Australia. Having a SAF industry in Australia would create jobs, potentially use waste products like used fry oil, as well as lower the emissions getting the fuel shipped halfway across the world.</p> <p>There have been a few toes dipped into the water in the past few years.</p> <p>In 2017 Virgin Australia announced a trial to add SAF through Brisbane Airport’s fuel supply system. It finished up in 2018, after being used in 195 flights from Brisbane. However, since the completion of the trial, there has been no other SAF incorporated into Australia’s jet fuel supply.</p> <p>Despite Virgin committing to net zero emissions by 2050, there’s currently no concrete plans for SAF to be used in their planes. Instead, they are prioritising modernising planes, lowering operational efficiencies, ground emissions, waste management and expanding the carbon offsetting programs.</p> <p>“Virgin Australia continues to work proactively with government and industry to establish a program for the viable commercial production of sustainable aviation fuel here in Australia,” a Virgin Australia Spokesperson told Cosmos in a statement.</p> <p>In March this year Qantas announced a Climate Action Plan where they pledged 10% SAF by 2030, and 60% by 2050. They also invested $50 million dollars in domestic production of SAF.</p> <p>Currently, the only SAF being used in the Qantas fleet is from the Heathrow Airport, but they’ve agreed to purchase SAF for its operations from California from 2025.</p> <p>In April, the Queensland government announced the first commercial sustainable aviation fuel biorefinery in Australia, which is hoping to provide 350 million litres of sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel once it’s up and running.</p> <p>We might be waiting a while though – construction isn’t set to start until 2023, and the company behind the facility – Oceania Biofuels – has suggested that operations won’t begin until at least 2025.</p> <p>With the government’s 35% reduction in emissions by 2030, and net zero by 2050, working out how to create and incorporate SAFs to meet demand needs to be a priority.</p> <p>The previous government released a ‘bioenergy roadmap’ back in November last year, however the report has almost no commitments and limited funding for SAFs.</p> <p>Currently the Albanese government is still in the planning stages of creating any SAF initiatives.</p> <p>“The Minister for Transport has already outlined her intention to form a Jet Zero-style council to work across the aviation sector to help co-ordinate ongoing work to drive down aviation emissions,” a spokesperson for the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Catherine King, told Cosmos.</p> <p>“In addition, our upcoming Aviation White Paper will consider as a priority how to maximise the aviation sector’s contribution to achieving net zero carbon emissions, including through sustainable aviation fuel and emerging technologies.</p> <p>“The Minister is also establishing a unit in the department to work across government and with industry to drive down domestic transport sector emissions.”</p> <p><strong>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/earth/sustainable-aviation-fuels-is-australia-being-left-behind/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Jacinta Bowler.</strong></p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

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"Let him do this job": Mother of Charlie Teo's "miracle girl" blasts surgery restrictions

<p>The mother of Dr Charlie Teo's "miracle girl" has spoken out against the restrictions placed on the surgeon and how they will impact the lives of many families with sick kids. </p> <p>In 2019, Milli became one of Dr Teo's most well-known patients after he successfully removed 98 per cent of a brain tumour that had been dubbed inoperable and incurable by other surgeons. </p> <p>Although Milli tragically died in January 2021, her mother Monica said she feels “devastated” and “disappointed” over the restrictions placed on Dr Teo, saying it will greatly impact patients and their families who no longer have access to potentially lifesaving surgery.</p> <p>Since August 2021, Dr Teo has been barred from operating in Australia under rules imposed by the Medical Council of NSW. </p> <p>In order to operate, Dr Teo must have written approval from a second independent neurosurgeon with more than 20 years of specialist experience. </p> <p>These conditions will remain in place until September 30, when they will be subject to review.</p> <p>“Why? Just why? I wish they’d leave him alone and let him do this job. He helps people – that’s all he does,” Monica told <a href="https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/mum-of-dr-charlie-teos-miracle-girl-amelia-milli-lucas-says-operating-restrictions-have-robbed-australians/news-story/9fb19e4d6ab9b644e30ff03817d813b1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a>. </p> <p>“I know the neurosurgeons in Australia think he’s a cowboy and think he takes things just that little bit extra … but that should be left to the patient to choose.”</p> <p>Dr Teo has has had daily requests from desperate patients to operate, as Monica said it should be up the patients to have final say over their treatment, and it’s an opportunity she’s grateful that her daughter had. </p> <p>“A neurosurgeon could go: ‘No, I’m not going to do it because in three months time it’s going to be back in and you’re going to be dead anyway’ but if someone wants to do it and live that three months, why aren’t they given that choice? Charlie gives you that choice,” she added.</p> <p>“He doesn’t mince his words and he doesn’t give anyone false hope, he just gives them real hope.”</p> <p>She also said the rules which have limited Dr Teo’s operating ability also “robbed” the “medical industry” and future research as well.</p> <p>Since the neurosurgeon has been barred from operating in Australia, Dr Teo has continued teaching, lecturing and performing pro bono surgery internationally.</p> <p>“I feel sorry for the people in Australia who want to be a neurosurgeon and aren’t able to learn from the best in the world.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Facebook</em></p>

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