Author: Daily Upsider

On Tuesday, the NHL season kicked off with the Tampa Bay Lightning defeating the Vancouver Canucks 4-1, providing a much-needed boost for hockey fans in the storm-affected city.

The event also served a charitable purpose, featuring a food drive, a raffle, and a group of Canucks fans who arrived weeks early to assist with power line repairs after Hurricane Milton. Forty-four fans flew in to support their team, the Lightning’s opponents, and helped with recovery efforts. During the second period, they were recognized on the big screen, receiving the loudest cheer of the night. Lightning coach Jon Cooper commented on the moment, saying, “That was a pretty moving moment for me. It shows there’s a lot of good out there. When people help each other, it does make you feel good.” Outside Amelie Arena, a collection drive encouraged fans to donate non-perishable food, cleaning supplies, hygiene products, and other essentials for the first two home games. These items were donated to Feeding Tampa Bay, Metropolitan Ministries, and the University Area Community Development Corporation (UACDC).

The Lightning Foundation contributed $2 million towards relief efforts, later increasing that commitment to $3 million thanks to proceeds from a 50/50 raffle. Lightning Captain Victor Hedman also donated $150,000 to the Tampa Police Department and the Coast Guard Foundation. The team partnered with Ticketmaster to reduce ticket prices for the first three home games and reserved hundreds of tickets for first responders and their families as a gesture of appreciation. As the team took the ice, Captain Hedman led them with the “Tampa Strong” flag before securing a decisive 4-1 victory, bolstered by goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, who made 21 saves and faced 14 penalty minutes without allowing a goal.

A new treatment combining chemotherapy and chemoradiation has reduced death rates from cervical cancer, the fourth most common cancer among women globally, by 40%. This cancer affects over 300,000 women each year, and this approach has been described as the most significant advancement in survival rates since chemoradiation became standard in 1999, according to Dr. Mary McCormack, the lead investigator from University College London.

The 10-year trial, known as the Interlace trial, recruited patients from Italy, Brazil, the U.S., India, and Mexico. It involved a brief course of traditional chemotherapy before the standard chemoradiation, which combines chemotherapy and radiotherapy. This adjustment has led to a 40% reduction in cervical cancer death rates and a 35% decrease in recurrence rates over five years. Funded by Cancer Research UK and UCL Cancer Trials Centre, the trial involved 500 women with advanced, localized cervical cancer that had not spread. Results showed that after five years, 80% of women receiving the new treatment were alive, with 72% not experiencing relapse or spread of the disease. Cervical cancer typically affects women in their 30s and has a high recurrence rate.

The new regimen uses inexpensive, widely approved drugs. Dr. Iain Foulkes, executive director of research and innovation at Cancer Research UK, stated, “Adding induction chemotherapy to the start of chemoradiation treatment has delivered impressive results. Evidence suggests that additional chemotherapy before treatments like surgery and radiotherapy can improve patient outcomes by reducing the risk of recurrence and can be quickly administered using available drugs.”

In Nanchang, near a cancer hospital, two elderly residents, Wan Zuocheng and Hong Gengxiang, operate a “community cancer kitchen” to assist caregivers of cancer patients.
For two decades, they have provided this service, which has recently gained national attention. Mr. Wan is very particular about the importance of good food, stating, “No matter what life throws at you, you must eat good food.” For just 3 RMB (around $0.32), anyone can use the kitchen facilities to prepare meals, whether for patients seeking familiar food or for their caregivers. The couple originally ran a restaurant next to the Jiangxi Cancer Hospital, but after it was demolished in 1993, they set up a breakfast stall. In 2003, they decided to start their charity kitchen after a family came to them with a child who refused treatment but wanted a meal cooked by his mother. They allowed the family to use their kitchen, marking the beginning of their charitable efforts.

Over time, they expanded their kitchen with additional utensils, appliances, and cooking facilities. As costs for utilities increased, community support also grew, allowing them to continue their work. Donations now exceed expenses, and nearly 10,000 people have used the cancer kitchen. Food holds significant cultural importance in China, often serving as a greeting. Research shows that positive experiences, such as receiving home-cooked meals, can enhance cancer treatment outcomes. In 2019, the local government renovated the kitchen, moving it indoors and adding over 20 cooking stations and ventilators. In 2020, they were recognized as one of the “People Who Move China,” a television honor akin to CNN Heroes.

A recent study involving stroke patients has found that a discreet armband equipped with electrodes can help restore flexibility in their impaired arms.

Developed by the startup Neubond, the device is designed to integrate into daily routines, enabling patients with limited motor functions to engage more effectively in rehabilitation. Neubond’s co-founders, Jumpei Kashiwakura and Patrick Sagastegui Alva, have collaborated with a stroke support group in London, near the Imperial College London campus, to refine their device. The findings were published in the journal NYU Scholars. The prototype armband, worn on the upper forearm, includes electrodes that detect muscle activation and stimulate nerves to help re-establish their connection with the brain. According to Kashiwakura, the device promotes neuroplasticity, allowing the brain to reorganize and form new neural pathways for regaining control over the affected limb. After just eight sessions, one patient, Lisa Vincent, reported significant improvements; her left arm, previously rigid, gained much greater flexibility and control. “Three weeks ago, my daughter put my granddaughter on my lap, and I held her with this arm because I felt in control of the wrist. I cried myself to sleep that night. It was amazing to be able to do that,” Vincent told Reuters.

Neubond was selected as one of five finalists in the Imperial College’s Venture Catalyst Challenge (VCC), which supports early-stage businesses in developing innovative ideas for commercialization. The VCC program includes coaching, expert meetings, workshops, and pitch training over three months, culminating in a competition for a £20,000 Grand Prize, part of a total prize pool of £100,000, making it the largest university competition focused on entrepreneurship in the UK.

A British couple, Chris and Marianne Fisher, quit their jobs with the National Health Service and sold everything to travel the world in a campervan. Starting their journey in January 2020 in a 20-year-old Fiat Ducato van, they traveled 67,000 miles through 29 countries, building a large online following on their YouTube channel, Tread The Globe.

The couple, both in their mid-50s, sold all their belongings and rented out their home in Telford, England, to fund the trip. After leaving Britain, they reached Turkey just as COVID-19 lockdowns hit, so they became Turkish residents for 18 months before continuing their journey. They shipped their van to South Carolina and drove across the U.S., eventually making it to Canada and Alaska, where they drove the Dempster Highway to Canada’s northernmost road. Following stints across the U.S. and Mexico, they shipped their van to Japan, where they stayed for three months before heading to South Korea. Visa issues blocked them from entering China, so they went through Malaysia, Thailand, India, and Pakistan. Though they initially planned to enter Saudi Arabia, restrictions on right-hand-drive vehicles redirected them to South Africa, where they toured southern Africa before finally heading home.

Over the four and a half years of travel, they logged more than 137,000 miles in their van. The couple managed on a budget of £27 a day, capturing their travels for an audience of 180,000 subscribers and over 28 million YouTube views. Back in Telford, they were welcomed by a crowd of supporters.
Reflecting on their journey, Marianne said, “If we do nothing else in our life, we’ve done something fantastic.” Now, they’re already planning their next adventure.