Education (Colleges & Universities)
Here's a look at documents from public, private and community colleges in the U.S.
Featured Stories
UTS and Noema Develop First Fully Compostable 3D-knit Clothes From Plants
SYDNEY, Australia, May 25 -- The University of Technology Sydney issued the following news:
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UTS and noema develop first fully compostable 3D-knit clothes from plants
These prototypes represent a major milestone towards replacing harmful synthetic yarns by using a feedstock of agricultural by-products from plants such as corn or sugar cane in clothing supply chains.
The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and noema, a material innovation startup, announce the successful development of noema's first prototype garments made entirely from its novel biobased, fully compostable yarn.
Working
... Show Full Article
SYDNEY, Australia, May 25 -- The University of Technology Sydney issued the following news:
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UTS and noema develop first fully compostable 3D-knit clothes from plants
These prototypes represent a major milestone towards replacing harmful synthetic yarns by using a feedstock of agricultural by-products from plants such as corn or sugar cane in clothing supply chains.
The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and noema, a material innovation startup, announce the successful development of noema's first prototype garments made entirely from its novel biobased, fully compostable yarn.
Workingwith UTS's Advanced Fabrication Research Lab (AFRL) and the Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Fashion + Textiles (CoE) the project leveraged UTS's state of the art 3D knitting Shima Seiki wholegarment technology and thought leadership. They enabled noema to transform its novel biobased yarn into wearable seamless garments employing an advanced manufacturing method that aligns with the company's "zero-waste" philosophy by eliminating the off-cut waste inherent in traditional cut-and-sew manufacturing.
"After years of research, seeing our yarn come to life as ready-to-wear, seamless clothes in collaboration with UTS is an enormous milestone," says Sandra Vassilopoulou, Founder and CEO of noema. "I'm deeply grateful to the UTS AFRL and CoE teams for their technical expertise, innovative thinking, collaboration, and commitment to solving the world's greatest challenges. Working alongside a highly professional team that shares our vision for circular design & having access to their world class knitting equipment has accelerated our learning curve on material performance and fit and allowed for rapid progress."
CoE Director, Dr. Lisa Lake says working in partnership with industry innovators like noema allows UTS to take technological and problem-solving expertise into real-world settings that enable powerful change.
"It has been exciting to test how the noema yarn works in an advanced industrial-knit machine, it is like watching firsthand the fashion of the future being developed, knowing it is better for people and planet," she said.
This breakthrough comes at a critical moment for the industry. Fashion generates over 92 million tonnes of textile waste annually, with the vast majority being fossil-fuel based and ending up in landfills. By combining compostable yarns with seamless, nearly zero-waste production, the two partners advance a circular model for fashion that considers material, manufacturing and end-of-life as a single system, with clothes returning back to earth as nutrients at the end of their lifecycle.
Next steps for the partners include testing new designs, refining knitting structures and scaling production for trials with end users from noema's priority waitlist, positioning themselves at the forefront of circular textiles and waste free manufacturing.
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About Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Fashion & Textiles (CoE)
The CoE is a partnership between UTS and TAFE NSW with a remit to transition the Australian fashion industry towards a sustainable future through education, research and thought-leadership. Alumni from its industry short courses work in brands, retailers, production studios and small businesses around Australia. UTS leads the research efforts of the CoE and is located in the heart of Sydney's innovation precinct.
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About noema
noema is a material innovation company reimagining textiles for a circular future. The company designs and develops compostable clothes from novel biobased yarns using renewable feedstocks & agricultural by-products. These are designed to safely return to earth at the end of their lifecycle successfully replacing synthetic fibres & eliminating textile waste. noema partners with academic and industry leaders to validate scalable, low impact pathways for the Fashion industry creating high-performance apparel solutions that are safe for People and the Planet.
website: noema888.com
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Original text here: https://www.uts.edu.au/news/2026/05/uts-and-noema-develop-first-fully-compostable-3d-knit-clothes-from-plants
Strengthening AKU's Next Generation of Researchers
KARACHI, Pakistan, May 25 -- Aga Khan University issued the following news:
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Strengthening AKU's Next Generation of Researchers
Aga Khan University's (AKU) Research Office marked the conclusion of the second cohort of its Research Initiative for Scholars Excellence (RISE) Programme for the Faculty of Health Sciences, celebrating a year-long journey of mentorship, collaboration, and research leadership development for early-career researchers across Pakistan and East Africa.
Launched under AKU's Research Strategic Plan, the RISE Programme is an Early Career Research Academy designed to
... Show Full Article
KARACHI, Pakistan, May 25 -- Aga Khan University issued the following news:
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Strengthening AKU's Next Generation of Researchers
Aga Khan University's (AKU) Research Office marked the conclusion of the second cohort of its Research Initiative for Scholars Excellence (RISE) Programme for the Faculty of Health Sciences, celebrating a year-long journey of mentorship, collaboration, and research leadership development for early-career researchers across Pakistan and East Africa.
Launched under AKU's Research Strategic Plan, the RISE Programme is an Early Career Research Academy designed toequip faculty with the essential skills needed for a successful research career. The programme aims to strengthen research competence, support career development, increase grant success, foster collaboration, and expand AKU's pool of active researchers. A key expected outcome is the submission of a competitive grant proposal within six months of programme completion. The programme was chaired by Drs Zahra Hoodbhoy and Anthony Ngugi, and co-chaired by Drs Ayesha Almas and Muthoni Mwangi, in Pakistan and East Africa, respectively.
The second cohort, launched in June 2025, brought together 20 participants from AKU's Faculty of Health Sciences, including 15 faculty members from the Medical College and School of Nursing and Midwifery in Pakistan and five from East Africa. Its launch coincided with the introduction of a parallel RISE Programme stream for Social Sciences and Humanities, reflecting the University's growing commitment to strengthening research capacity across disciplines.
Over the course of the year, participants engaged in structured virtual learning through a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) platform, complemented by case studies, presentations, peer discussions, and continuous faculty feedback.
The curriculum covered key aspects of grant development and research leadership, including writing aims and objectives, developing methodological and analytical plans, preparing grant budgets and biosketches, navigating grant application processes, and building networking and mentorship skills. Participants also received detailed feedback as they refined and presented sections of their proposals to peers, mentors, and facilitators.
The programme concluded with a two-day retreat featuring mentorship, peer learning, and final research presentations. Sessions included The Art of Networking and Dissemination by Dr Zainab Samad, Professor and Chair, Department of Medicine, AKU, and Fueling Success through Mentorship by Dr Nasia Safdar, Professor, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, alongside dedicated time for proposal refinement and group discussions. The retreat culminated in presentations by RISERs showcasing projects addressing diverse health priorities and research challenges.
In the closing session, Professor Salim S. Virani, Vice Provost Research, AKU, led an interactive discussion titled Forget Titles - These 10 Personal Daily Habits Make a (Research) Leader.
"The RISE Programme is about far more than writing successful grants," said Professor Virani. "It is about building a culture of mentorship, collaboration, and leadership that empowers researchers to address complex health challenges with impact and purpose."
Dr Hoodbhoy, highlighted the programme's achievements and growing momentum across AKU's campuses and regions. Early outcomes from Cohort 2 have already been encouraging, with 70 per cent of participants applying for extramural funding by the end of the programme.
RISER feedback reflected the programme's impact. One participant noted, "The RISE Programme provided structured learning and helped me navigate my ideas and connect with senior researchers." Another shared that the programme "significantly enhanced my perspective on research and its real-world applications."
As Cohort 2 concludes, the Research Office remains committed to strengthening AKU's research culture and supporting the next generation of scholars and research leaders.
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Original text here: https://www.aku.edu/news/Pages/News_Details.aspx?nid=NEWS-003853
Macquarie research tackles minerals, cane toads, fisheries and more in ARC boost
SYDNEY, Australia, May 25 -- Macquarie University issued the following news release:
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Macquarie research tackles minerals, cane toads, fisheries and more in ARC boost
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From extracting critical minerals to curbing invasive cane toads, Macquarie University researchers will lead five industry and community-partnered projects backed by more than $3.1 million in the Australian Research Council's Linkage Projects 2025 Round 2 scheme.
The projects pair Macquarie University researchers with partners to tackle practical challenges in sustainability, biodiversity, early childhood participation,
... Show Full Article
SYDNEY, Australia, May 25 -- Macquarie University issued the following news release:
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Macquarie research tackles minerals, cane toads, fisheries and more in ARC boost
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From extracting critical minerals to curbing invasive cane toads, Macquarie University researchers will lead five industry and community-partnered projects backed by more than $3.1 million in the Australian Research Council's Linkage Projects 2025 Round 2 scheme.
The projects pair Macquarie University researchers with partners to tackle practical challenges in sustainability, biodiversity, early childhood participation,fisheries management and public health.
"These projects are about taking excellent research and working side-by-side with partners to deliver outcomes that matter for Australia," says Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Sakkie Pretorius.
"These five projects show how Macquarie researchers are applying new methods and technologies to address national priorities - from strengthening critical mineral supply chains and protecting biodiversity, to supporting sustainable industries and improving community health and education."
Professor Rick Shine.
Successful Macquarie University projects
Critical minerals recovery from steelmaking slag using non-thermal plasma
Investigators: Professor Vladimir Strezov; Dr Phong Vo; Professor Simon Clark; Professor Patrick Cullen; Dr Tianqi Zhang; Dr Timothy Evans
Funding awarded: $569,387
Partner organisation: Hamersley Iron Pty Limited
Summary: This project will develop a cold (non-thermal) plasma leaching process to recover critical minerals from steelmaking slag, creating a more economical and environmentally sustainable pathway to extract valuable by-products from industrial waste and strengthen Australia's critical minerals supply.
Controlling invasive cane toads at a landscape scale
Investigators: Professor Richard Shine; Associate Professor Maciej Maselko; Dr Chris Jolly; Dr Georgia Ward-Fear
Funding awarded: $856,639
Partner organisations: Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions; Watergum Community Inc; Department of Lands, Planning and Environment NT; Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
Summary: This project aims to develop gene-knockout methods to help control cane toad abundance across their Australian range, including remote areas where direct management is difficult, supporting recovery of native wildlife threatened by toad invasion.
Resourcing educators to support participation in early education and care
Investigators: Professor Fay Hadley; Associate Professor Rebecca Andrews; Professor Rebecca Bull; Professor Linda Harrison; Ms Shae Haylen
Funding awarded: $339,281
Partner organisation: Early Childhood Australia
Summary: This project will deliver and evaluate professional learning and mentoring for early education and care educators to better understand local barriers to participation for vulnerable children and to design strength-based, locally meaningful initiatives to support attendance and inclusion.
A climate-aware future for sustainable sea cucumber harvesting
Investigators: Professor Jane Williamson; Dr Vincent Raoult; Dr Stephanie Duce; Associate Professor Karen Joyce; Professor Rod Connolly; Dr Jessica O'Hare; Dr Ian Knuckey
Funding awarded: $749,827
Partner organisations: Geonadir Pty Ltd; Fishwell Pty Ltd; Seafresh Operations Pty Ltd; Tasmanian Seafoods Pty. Ltd.
Summary: This project will future-proof Australia's sea cucumber fisheries by developing scalable stock assessment technologies that combine remote sensing, machine learning, fisheries metrics and population dynamics to address critical data gaps and support sustainable management under a changing climate.
Blood, sweat, and peers: Employee blood donations through the workplace
Investigators: Professor Debbie Haski-Leventhal; Dr Kathleen Chell; Dr Irit Alony; Professor Barbara Masser
Funding awarded : $631,518
Partner organisation: Australian Red Cross Lifeblood
Summary: This project will investigate workplace blood donation as a way to help address Australia's supply-and-demand gap, using mixed-method research to understand what drives employee donation, how companies can best support participation, and how findings can be translated into effective programs.
Total funding awarded across these projects: $3,146,652.
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Original text here: https://lighthouse.mq.edu.au/media-releases/2026/may-2026/macquarie-university-arc-linkage-grants
Idaho State University to Host 2026 Idaho Indian Education Summit
POCATELLO, Idaho, May 25 -- Idaho State University posted the following news:
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Idaho State University to Host 2026 Idaho Indian Education Summit
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Idaho State University, in partnership with Idaho Department of Education and the Idaho Indian Education Committee (IIEC), will host the 2026 Idaho Indian Education Summit on June 11-12, 2026, on the ISU campus in Pocatello, Idaho.
The annual summit brings together K-12 educators, higher education professionals, Tribal leaders, administrators, students, and community advocates from across Idaho and neighboring regions to strengthen educational
... Show Full Article
POCATELLO, Idaho, May 25 -- Idaho State University posted the following news:
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Idaho State University to Host 2026 Idaho Indian Education Summit
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Idaho State University, in partnership with Idaho Department of Education and the Idaho Indian Education Committee (IIEC), will host the 2026 Idaho Indian Education Summit on June 11-12, 2026, on the ISU campus in Pocatello, Idaho.
The annual summit brings together K-12 educators, higher education professionals, Tribal leaders, administrators, students, and community advocates from across Idaho and neighboring regions to strengthen educationalopportunities and outcomes for Native students while honoring the histories, cultures, and contributions of Idaho's five federally recognized Tribes.
Hosted in the Pond Student Union Building, this year's summit will feature keynote presentations, plenary discussions, and concurrent breakout sessions focused on culturally responsive education, Native student success, Indigenous knowledge systems, leadership development, language and cultural preservation, and collaborative partnerships in education.
A featured component of this year's summit is the Student Youth Scholar Exhibition hosted by the University of Idaho's Indigenous Knowledge for Effective Education Program (IKEEP) for Young People. The exhibition invites K-12 Native American students to participate in a student poster and table showcase celebrating Indigenous knowledge, culture, education, and community-based learning. The exhibition theme for 2026 is "Schools Need to be Ready for Native Youth as our Future Teachers."
The Student Youth Scholar Exhibition is designed to elevate Native youth voice, leadership, and educational engagement while providing students the opportunity to share projects and experiences connected to their schools, communities, and Tribal families. IKEEP has funding available to sponsor registration for the first 40 participating K-12 students.
"Idaho State University is honored to welcome educators, Tribal leaders, students, and community members from across the region to our campus for this important gathering," said Echo Marshall, ISU's Director of Tribal Relations. "The Idaho Indian Education Summit provides an opportunity to strengthen relationships, share knowledge, and advance meaningful conversations that support Native students, families, and communities."
The summit reflects ISU's continued commitment to building strong relationships with Tribal Nations and supporting Native student success through partnerships, outreach, and culturally grounded educational initiatives.
Representatives from the Coeur d'Alene, Kootenai, Nez Perce, Shoshone-Bannock, and Shoshone-Paiute Tribes are expected to participate in presentations and discussions throughout the two-day event.
In addition to educational programming, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in cultural activities and community engagement opportunities hosted on campus during the summit.
Event Details
* Event: 2026 Idaho Indian Education Summit
* Dates: June 11-12, 2026
* Location: Pond Student Union Building, Idaho State University, Pocatello, Idaho
* Hosted By: Idaho State University, Idaho Department of Education, and the Idaho Indian Education Committee
* Registration Information: Available through the Idaho Indian Education Summit website
Additional details regarding the summit agenda, speakers, student exhibition participation, registration, and vendor opportunities will be announced in the coming weeks.
For more information, visit the Idaho Indian Education Summit webpage.
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Original text here: https://www.isu.edu/news/2026-spring/idaho-state-university-to-host-2026-idaho-indian-education-summit.html
HKU Photonics Team Develops an Axially Encoded Strategy for Breaking the Microscopy Speed Bottleneck
HONG KONG, May 25 -- The University of Hong Kong issued the following news release:
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HKU Photonics Team Develops an Axially Encoded Strategy for Breaking the Microscopy Speed Bottleneck
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A research team from HKU Engineering has pioneered a fundamentally new imaging strategy known as AIMED (Arbitrary illumination microscopy with encoded depth), which utilizes a sub-sampling approach. By integrating innovations in axial optical encoding with advanced computational image reconstruction, the AIMED technology enables a substantial increase in 3D imaging speed while enhancing photon safety,
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HONG KONG, May 25 -- The University of Hong Kong issued the following news release:
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HKU Photonics Team Develops an Axially Encoded Strategy for Breaking the Microscopy Speed Bottleneck
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A research team from HKU Engineering has pioneered a fundamentally new imaging strategy known as AIMED (Arbitrary illumination microscopy with encoded depth), which utilizes a sub-sampling approach. By integrating innovations in axial optical encoding with advanced computational image reconstruction, the AIMED technology enables a substantial increase in 3D imaging speed while enhancing photon safety,all with minimal additional system complexity. This breakthrough demonstrates significant advantages across efficiency, image quality, and system compatibility.
This work was conducted by the OMEGA laboratory under the leadership of Professor Kenneth K. Y. Wong of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Hong Kong (HKU).
Axially Encoded Strategy Overcomes Multiphoton Microscopy Speed Challenge
Multiphoton microscopy (MPM) is a cornerstone technique for deep-tissue three-dimensional imaging in life sciences, playing an indispensable role in in-vivo studies of neuronal structures, vascular networks, and functional dynamics. However, acquiring a full 3D volume with conventional MPM suffers from low imaging efficiency and high cumulative light exposure, significantly limiting its applicability to fast biological dynamics and long-term observations.
The core concept of AIMED departs from the conventional paradigm of plane-by-plane scanning. Instead, it employs axially structured illumination to simultaneously excite multiple depth layers within a single exposure, followed by computational reconstruction based on compressive sensing principles.
On the optical side, the research team uses a spatial light modulator (SLM) to load designed phase masks that split an incident laser beam into multiple controllable focal spots along the propagation direction. Moreover, the relative intensity of each focal spot can be independently adjusted to compensate for depth-dependent attenuation or signal imbalance.
When interacting with the sample, the nonlinear nature of two-photon or three-photon excitation naturally suppresses inter-plane crosstalk, enhancing the independence of the encoded layers. On the imaging side, instead of sequential axial scanning, only a limited number of encoded illuminations are required. Depth-resolved fluorescence signals are then recovered using sparse optimization algorithms, enabling full 3D reconstruction from compressed measurements.
High-Quality Imaging Validated in Mouse Brain
Axial-coded point spread function measurements under different encoding schemes demonstrate precise axial control and good intensity uniformity across multiple planes. In a five-plane configuration, the lateral resolution remains around 600 nm, while the axial resolution ranges from 2 to 4 mm, indicating that high-quality optical focusing is preserved even under simultaneous multilayer excitation.
AIMED was further evaluated in imaging experiments on mouse brain neuronal samples. Compared with conventional plane-by-plane scanning, AIMED successfully resolved fine neuronal substructures, including dendrites and axons, under a compression ratio of approximately 60%, while using only one-half to one-third of the per-plane optical power. In some encoding configurations, the reconstructed images even exhibit enhanced contrast.
For particularly delicate structures such as dendritic spines, AIMED consistently delivers reconstruction fidelity comparable to or better than traditional high-power sequential scanning.
Across compression ratios ranging from 62.5% to 87.5%, the reconstructed 3D images maintain a structural similarity index of approximately 0.95 and a peak signal-to-noise ratio of 41-42 dB, showing negligible degradation compared with fully sampled volumetric scans.
Further simulation studies indicate that, in large-scale volumetric tasks involving up to 47 axial planes, AIMED can achieve an approximately eightfold increase in acquisition speed, highlighting its strong scalability and potential for high-throughput volumetric imaging.
Technical Advantages and Future Perspectives
The paradigm embodied by AIMED, axial optical encoding combined with sparse reconstruction, provides a plug-in, flexible, and efficient solution for 3D multiphoton imaging. Unlike hardware-intensive acceleration strategies, AIMED does not rely on expensive components or major system reconfiguration. Instead, it leverages programmable light-field engineering together with a mature compressive sensing framework to improve imaging speed while preserving image fidelity and system stability.
This approach is particularly well suited for sparse biological structures such as neuronal networks and is inherently favorable for phototoxicity-sensitive samples. Looking ahead, the principles and framework of AIMED are readily transferable to other three-dimensional optical imaging modalities, including confocal microscopy, Raman imaging, and photoacoustic imaging.
By enabling faster, deeper, and longer-term volumetric imaging, AIMED also lays a foundation for future integration with data-driven and deep-learning-based intelligent imaging strategies.
The research findings have been published in the top international journal Advanced Photonics, in a paper titled "Multiplane compressive imaging with axial-coded multiphoton microscopy."
Link to the research paper: https://doi.org/10.1117/1.AP.7.4.046010
About Professor Kenneth Wong
Professor Kenneth K. Y. Wong is a professor and former Head of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Hong Kong. He has received numerous awards, including the Best Teacher Award (2005-06), Outstanding Young Researcher (2008-09), and Outstanding Research Student Supervisor (2018-19). He is an Associate Editor of Optica and has served on the Publications Committee of SPIE, as well as an editor for IEEE Photonics Technology Letters and Optics Express. A senior IEEE member and recent SPIE and Optica Fellow, he also co-taught a course at MIT during the 2009-10 academic year and is the former Chair of the IEEE Hong Kong Section.
Media Enquiries
Faculty of Engineering, HKU
Ms Christina Chung (Tel: 3910 3324; Email: chungmc@hku.hk )
Ms Natalie Yuen (Tel: 3917 1924; Email: natyuen@hku.hk )
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Original text here: https://www.hku.hk/press/press-releases/detail/29116.html
Baseball advances after win over No. 2 Georgia Gwinnett
NEW ALBANY, Indiana, May 25 -- Indiana University Southeast campus posted the following news:
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Baseball advances after win over No. 2 Georgia Gwinnett
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LEWISTON, Idaho - IU Southeast's first game at the 2026 Avista NAIA World Series against No. 2 Georgia Gwinnett ended in a dramatic, 14-13 win for the No. 9 Grenadiers.
Trailing 8-7 in the top of the sixth, the Grenadiers' offense got to work. Joel Johnson led off the inning with a single, then Trevor Goodwin drew a full count walk to put two runners on. Right after Goodwin's walk, Bryson Arnette
... Show Full Article
NEW ALBANY, Indiana, May 25 -- Indiana University Southeast campus posted the following news:
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Baseball advances after win over No. 2 Georgia Gwinnett
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View print quality image about1 about1
LEWISTON, Idaho - IU Southeast's first game at the 2026 Avista NAIA World Series against No. 2 Georgia Gwinnett ended in a dramatic, 14-13 win for the No. 9 Grenadiers.
Trailing 8-7 in the top of the sixth, the Grenadiers' offense got to work. Joel Johnson led off the inning with a single, then Trevor Goodwin drew a full count walk to put two runners on. Right after Goodwin's walk, Bryson Arnetteemptied the bases with a three-run home run to make it 10-8.
The Grizzlies got run back in the bottom of the sixth after a sacrifice fly. IU Southeast was able to keep Georgia Gwinnett off the scoreboard in the seventh and eighth, setting up for a drama-filled ninth inning.
With two outs and the bases empty, Goodwin sent a ball to the right center for a double. Arnette, who had five RBIs to this point, was intentionally walked, then Kevin Moore drew a walk to load the bases.
After Moore's walk, Chance Bentley stepped up with two outs in the ninth inning. With an 0-1 count, Bentley extended the Grenadiers' lead with a grand slam to make it 14-9 in favor of IU Southeast.
The Grizzlies would make a push in the bottom of the ninth, with their first three hitters reaching base. Georgia Gwinnett scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth, but Luca Sandrella and the rest of the Grenadier defense were able to hold off the late push.
IU Southeast's offense finished the game with 14 runs on 13 hits. Arnette, Kasen Parks, Johnson, Goodwin, Moore all had multiple hits on the day. Arnette led the way with three hits, but Bentley led the Grenadiers with five RBIs.
On the mound, Weston Harvey was credited with the pitching victory after 3.2 innings of relief. Harvet pitched 3.2 innings, allowing one run on two hits and three strikeouts.
The Grenadiers will play again at 9:30 p.m. ET, 6:30 p.m. PT on today for game ten. IU Southeast's opponent in game ten will be No. 8 Tennessee Wesleyan.
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Original text here: https://news.iu.edu/southeast/live/news/51098-baseball-advances-after-win-over-no-2-georgia
Aga Khan University: 'Nobody Taught Us Babies Feel Pain' - Dr Kyololo
KARACHI, Pakistan, May 25 (TNSjou) -- Aga Khan University issued the following news:
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"Nobody Taught Us Babies Feel Pain" - Dr Kyololo
In 2009, Dr O'Brien Kyololo took his sick firstborn son to hospital for treatment. What should have been a routine procedure quickly became an unforgettable moment.
Nurses repeatedly attempted to insert a cannula into the baby's arm while the child cried in distress. Eventually, the baby's mother could not bear it any longer and walked out of the clinic carrying him.
"The baby had cried and cried until it could not cry anymore," Dr Kyololo recalls. "And
... Show Full Article
KARACHI, Pakistan, May 25 (TNSjou) -- Aga Khan University issued the following news:
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"Nobody Taught Us Babies Feel Pain" - Dr Kyololo
In 2009, Dr O'Brien Kyololo took his sick firstborn son to hospital for treatment. What should have been a routine procedure quickly became an unforgettable moment.
Nurses repeatedly attempted to insert a cannula into the baby's arm while the child cried in distress. Eventually, the baby's mother could not bear it any longer and walked out of the clinic carrying him.
"The baby had cried and cried until it could not cry anymore," Dr Kyololo recalls. "AndI began asking myself, how come we, health care providers, are more focused on completing procedures without considering the trauma we are causing to the baby and, by extension, the mother?"
That experience stayed with him and later shaped the direction of his work at the Aga Khan University's School of Nursing and Midwifery, East Africa (SONAM, EA), where his research focuses on improving how health care providers perceive and manage pain in babies and children.
He later joined a study (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pan.70193) focused on developing a paediatric pain curriculum for anaesthesia fellows across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), serving as an expert panel member. The work addresses a gap that continues to affect everyday clinical care across the region.
Dr Kyololo notes that pain in children in SSA is often under-prioritised and untreated.
"We were not trained to appreciate pain as a symptom that must be managed. A child comes in with vomiting and pain; the clinician focuses on the vomiting. Pain becomes secondary."
According to Dr Kyololo, the problem is not only linked to limited training or clinical practice norms. Cultural beliefs among communities and healthcare providers also shape how pain is perceived.
"In many cultures, showing pain is frowned upon. Children are encouraged not to cry, and boys are told to be strong. Those beliefs also influence healthcare providers because they come from the same communities."
He explains that many people wrongly assume a quiet baby is comfortable.
"That quiet baby may have stopped crying because they have exhausted all the energy they had. The discomfort is still there."
The curriculum developed through the study was specifically designed for the Sub-Saharan African context. While similar programmes exist in Europe and North America, Dr Kyololo says local health systems face different realities, including limited resources and different training models.
"Our training is different; we rely a lot on observation, listening, and touch. Therefore, we needed a curriculum that fits our context."
Alongside general knowledge about paediatric pain, the curriculum promotes practical and low-cost approaches that can ease a child's distress during procedures. These include breastfeeding, swaddling, skin-to-skin contact, and the calming presence of a mother.
"Just the smell of the mother brings comfort; babies feel safe when they are close to their mothers."
Medications such as paracetamol and ibuprofen can also help manage pain in babies and children, while stronger medicines, including morphine and tramadol, may be used in severe cases. However, the research emphasises combining medical treatment with approaches that remain practical within local settings.
Still, Dr Kyololo says training alone is not enough.
"Healthcare providers may have the knowledge, but they also need the right tools, resources, and institutional support to translate what is learned into practice."
To help close this gap, Dr Kyololo and his team are undertaking two additional research projects exploring cultural considerations in pain assessment and how healthcare workers can better apply pain management training in daily clinical practice.
For Dr Kyololo, the message remains simple but urgent:
"Babies feel pain, and we must do better."
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Original text here: https://www.aku.edu/news/Pages/News_Details.aspx?nid=NEWS-003851
